Mateo looked at and then out toward Unity’s HQ, “I’m sure there’s a way. Do you think you could fly in? Imagine if you snuck in as close as you could and then flew the rest of the way.”
I nodded, “Assuming they didn’t try to shoot out of the air and that Unity’s base doesn’t aim their air defenses at , sure.”
Grinning, Mateo said, “But it’s one more option than sneaking it or racing up to the front door, right? I think we can make a few more options if we talk to people.”
I had to concede the point and honestly, I should have thought of it myself. “Good point. Imagine if we called the base before we tried to sneak in and coordinated with them or sothing…”
Still, with a hint of a smile, Mateo noted, “They’d be less likely to shoot you out of the air for one and if we’re really lucky, maybe they’ll have an underground sewer entrance.”
Thinking about the cracked streets and general feeling of industrial neglect around , I said, “A walk through the sewers sounds exactly like sothing I’d want to do.”
He laughed, “I know, but honestly, the rocket boots aren’t the only thing you’ve got that flies, right?”
I shook my head, “No. The bike turns into powered armor. It’s more in the style of Japanese chs so it doesn’t imdiately make you think of the Rocket.”
Slowly nodding his head, he said, “Good. That fits with V8. Her cars have always transford in one way or another. Working Man will probably be okay with it. Can you make it to the roof and carry if you have to?”
Taking another look at the glowing lights of police cars and the helicopter circling Unity’s base, I said, “I think so, but not your bike.”
“We can co back for my bike if we have to.” Then he said, “I’m calling the base and looping you in.”
A beep ca over my comm as the helt said, “Joining call,” followed by ringing and a woman’s voice answering, “Blue Mask? We’re in the middle of sothing right now.”
“I’m outside,” Mateo said. “We’re eting up here with Working Man, Athletica, and all the rest of the people who were targeting Syndicate L tonight.”
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Nanosecond talked a little too quickly, but between years of knowing Jaclyn, I could translate her words. Plus, my implant helped. “They’re not here. I don’t know where they are. Chromatic called in twenty minutes ago, and I haven’t heard from them since.”
I turned to check around us, trying to see any sign of others hunkering down out here. I didn’t see any.
I checked my helt’s communicator. I’d set up the Motor City Heroes’ comms the sa as the League’s—including the constant GPS location. Working Man had insisted that the GPS needed to be able to be turned off in case soone hacked the system.
It didn’t surprise that neither he nor Athletica’s location showed up. Not fo the first ti, I wished I’d been persuasive enough about the benefits of being able to find other team mbers to convince him to keep it on.
Still, fighting mind-controlling vampires might be a good ti to go dark. Even if the system couldn’t be hacked, a vampire could hack anyone on the team.
Breaking through my thoughts, Mateo asked Nanosecond, “What would it take for us to get in?”
“I don’t know. Convince that you’re not mind controlled too?”
Even over the comm, I could hear Mateo sigh, “How am I supposed to do that? Okay. I think I can. Nanosecond, you know and you know the mask. Do you think it would stay on and let use it to serve a vampire? Get my location. Zoom in on . You’ll find in full gear—mask, sword, and everything.”
Sound ca through from Nanosecond’s end. It might have been quick footsteps or the click of a keyboard. It was hard to say, but it was followed by Nanosecond’s voice, “That’s good enough for to give you the benefit of the doubt. Is that V4 with you?”
“Yes,” I said. “I don’t know how you tell that I’m still , but I’m betting Blue Mask might be able to tell.”
With a crackle that I’d want to look into later, Mateo said, “I would. Is that enough?”
If Nanosecond paused to think, I didn’t notice, but I probably wouldn’t. She said, “Yes. Alright, there’s a garage not far from where you are. I’ll send you the location. Take your motorcycles. There’s a tunnel in the back that leads to the base.”
Mateo looked over at and raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell about that the other tis I’ve been here.”
“You didn’t need to know,” she said and closed the connection.
Picking up his bike from where he’d put it on the ground, he looked at , “I’ve been working with these guys for two years now, off and on, and I didn’t need to know.”
I picked up my bike and once it got it about a foot off the ground, the tires adjusted their shapes, moving the bike upright. Mateo watched and shook his head.
As I threw my leg over the body and sat down, I noticed that a rabbit sat next to one of the trees. Little more than a shape in the darkness, it watched us. It might be just a rabbit, but on the off-chance that it was the Skunklord’s, I talked to it.
“Hey, we need so help. Working Man and Athletica might be eting us at the base over there, but they might have been captured. We don’t want them to beco vampires. Can you help? We’ll be in the base.”
The rabbit chewed on so grass.
Mateo motioned toward the road, saying, “Nice try,” as he gave the motorcycle so gas.
The rabbit stopped chewing, turned, and hopped away.
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