Power Play (Book 2)

Chapter 23: Hammer and Tongs

Recap: Nicole and Brandon returned to her team's base, where Brandon learned that Nicole had worked with Mandeville before Brandon was abducted. She did it to help Brandon, but became addicted to the genetic treatment that gave her enhanced powers. Nicole held Mandeville captive, and he might have a way to recharge Brandon's nanobots. Nicole's team went to Chicago to try and capture a Samsara clone, and Brandon had to decide if he should go and help or stay behind and work with Mandeville.

Winning Choice: ...Nicole doesn't want me along, and her team has done fine without me until now. As weak as I am, I'd be more of a liability than a help. I need to talk with Mandeville, see what he's doing, and figure out if he really can power me back up before I go back out and confront anyone.

"I'm going to stay here," I tell Tyler. "Nicole and her team seem like they can take care of themselves, and I need to talk with Mandeville."

"Did you want some more vodka before you do?" he asks.

"No, but I could use a change of clothes. Any chance you have something that might fit?" I ask. I pull off the old jacket from the car and toss it onto a battered folding chair.

Susan folds her arms over her chest and looks me up and down with a raised eyebrow. "You've really done a number on that costume, haven't you."

"It's been around. So, is that a 'no' on the clothes?"

Tyler rummages around in some duffel bags and pulls out a set of clothes that he tosses my way. "We brought some stuff for you from the Traveler. We figured you might need it."

"There's a bathroom through there," says Susan, nodding at a small door on the far side of the room.

It's clear this place was abandoned for a while before Nicole's crew set up shop. The bathroom's straight from the popular decor issue of Truck Stop Quarterly. It's tiny, dirty, and lime green paint peels from the walls. Times like this are when a heightened sense of smell is not a blessing, and I try to breathe through my mouth.

I peel off the costume, which is smelly and dank in its own right, in addition to being torn and burnt in quite a few places.

I drop it into a pile on the floor and splash some water on my face. The cool water makes me realize how disgusting I feel, and I lather up some paper towels with hand soap and try to get rid of some of my funk. The towels come away yellow and brown from the sweat and dirt.

I scrub my face and sunken, angry eyes stare back at me through the mirror. My face is sharp and thin, almost shark-like. Dark burns on my head mark where they had me connected to the apparatus that kept me unconscious. The burns don't hurt, but I'm surprised the mark is still there. Another sign of how far my nanobots have crashed.

I step back from the sink and look down at myself. I look like a circus contortionist, so lean and muscled. Even without the nanobots I'm still wickedly strong and fast. I can smell every chemical in the building, and hear Susan and Tyler breathing outside the door.

Tyler taps on the door. "Uh... everything ok?"

I look back up from my strange body to the stranger's eyes in the mirror.

"Just fine," I tell him. "I'll be right out."

I finish changing and toss my raggedy costume onto a table.