Mod Superhero

Chapter 4.11 - Venture 9 / Clara 9

Clara and Emmett walked hand in hand through the faux streets of the Gray Room. It was the same path they'd walked on Sunday to get coffee...

It was still Tuesday. ...Had it really only been two days?

Venture sighed and dismissed the camera feed from the Gray Room, giving his daughter and her boyfriend their privacy.

"Should I continue listening?" TINA asked. Her voice came from the central desk, giving the illusion that she was standing beside him.

Venture cracked a smile. "That depends. Do you think you should?"

"...No. They're conversation is in a private place, and they expect privacy. They're unlikely to talk about anything secret or damaging."

"And Clara is free to disclose certain things at her discretion."

"They'll likely be discussing Emmett's new fusion cannon, or intimate details about their—"

Venture cleared his throat.

"...I'll maintain passive monitoring."

"Always."

Venture went back to examining Emmett's fusion cannon design. Schematics reappeared on the screen, then equations filled in the gaps.

Venture rubbed the stubble on his chin in thought.

"How much did you help Emmett with this?"

"He came up with the initial designs. I allowed him access to our research on fusion technology as well as Clara's weapons systems so he had accurate schematics."

"Did you run our usual diagnostics and simulations?"

"I only ran the diagnostics that Emmett requested, while running our own tests in the background."

Venture nodded in approval.

Ever since TINA began helping Emmett with his upgrade paths and research, Venture had stressed the importance of letting Emmett come to his own conclusions. TINA was supposed to assist Emmett—never to direct him.

The last thing Venture needed was an AI assistant taking things into her own metaphorical hands. So far, it seemed that TINA was sticking to their arrangement.

In addition to keeping TINA on some semblance of rails, it also allowed Venture to monitor Emmett's progress, both as a super and as an artificer. He was already proving competent on the first front, but Venture was ultimately more concerned about the second. If all Emmett wanted was power, then Venture wouldn't have had much use for the boy. He would've been a useful tool, not a true ally. Venture felt the same way about Clara despite her being his flesh and blood.

Venture didn't want tools. He wanted allies. One day, even equals.

He stared at the fusion cannon design on the screens, his own knack double-checking calculations almost as fast as the computer.

Finally, Venture conceded that the design was quite good. Not complete, but a solid foundation. Clara might even want to try it out for herself. It could be integrated into her exosuit with only a few modifications.

That was the point of being an artificer, wasn't it?

Artificers created technology—the means to lift others up. Something that other supers could never do, and organizations like Gnosis only pretended to do.

Emmett's nervous system and prosthetic integration would in time revolutionize life for amputees. Venture remembered the day he shared the idea with him—Emmett had wanted to do more than just fight villains.