Super Babes 2: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure Page 9

  Still, at least he had stopped the crowd.

  MISSION COMPLETE

  +10,000 XP

  Level Up!

  You Are Now Level 10!

  +5 STR

  +5 DEX

  +5 DEF

  He felt a familiar surge of power as his stats increased and slowly drifted down to stand on the sidewalk again, bathed in a blinding yellow light.

  Some of the light peeled away to form the shape of a buxom woman, the blue female form of his ATLAS implant's artificial intelligence. Dahlia stood in front of him, nude and with her hands at her sides.

  Before he could say a word, Dahlia took a step forward, took his hands and leaned in to kiss him. He felt her lips touch his with slight pops like static electricity. When she leaned back, the light formed a symbol like a lightning bolt and a transparent sphere in the air between them.

  "Choose your power," she said. "Invisibility or Electrical Manipulation?"

  He blinked. "Oh, wow. I didn't know I'd have to choose."

  He broke into a sweat as he looked at the two symbols. Invisibility seemed like a great power, one that would come in handy when he needed to sneak up on people, but he didn't think it would be too useful in combat. Electrical manipulation sounded like that would be more useful in a fight.

  "I choose," he said as he touched the lightning bolt, "electrical manipulation."

  "You now have the power of Electrical Manipulation," she said as the lightning bolt flashed into Paragon's chest. "You can control the movement of electrons to a limited extent."

  Alley Cat and Heavenly Hawk came running up to him from the crowd.

  "Holy shit," Alley Cat blurted, "I'm so sorry I attacked you. I--"

  She stopped short, staring at Dahlia.

  Heavenly Hawk gasped. "Paragon, who is that?"

  He looked at her and leaned back. Dahlia had always appeared to him as a mental projection. "Wait, you can see her, too?"

  "Yes."

  Dahlia nodded at him. "Your new power allows me to take on holographic form."

  Heavenly Hawk pointed at her. "My God, this is Dahlia, your implant's artificial intelligence?"

  Paragon nodded while admiring how she seemed more solid and real. "Yeah, this is her, all right."

  Alley Cat braced her hands on her hips. "Shit, she's a real piece of ass."

  A group of large men charged across the street at Paragon.

  One yelled, "You asshole, you didn't do shit!"

  Dahlia turned and held out her hands towards them. Paragon wondered if she was going to tell them to back off or something until flashes of lightning shot from her palms. The arcing bolts hit the men who went into convulsions and collapsed.

  As the men lay on the ground, groaning and jerking, Paragon and his two girls stared at Dahlia.

  "How the fuck did you do that?" Alley Cat blurted.

  Dahlia shook her head. "I did not. I am only a conduit to his power."

  She pointed at Paragon.

  He looked down at his hands and tried to make lightning come out of his own palms. Not even a spark appeared. "Nothing's happening."

  "I am a conduit to your power," Dahlia said. "Unlike your other powers, you must summon Electrical Manipulation through me."

  He clenched his fists. "What? Why?"

  "Because that is what you wanted. You wanted me to take on holographic form and become a member of your team, so I have."

  "Really? Man, my subconscious is really running the show." He looked at Dahlia, who only gave him a blank look in return and nodded. "Okay, I guess you're part of the team. Welcome aboard."

  Chapter 10

  DETECTIVE GRANT stood by the stage where the mayor had been speaking, talking into a walkie-talkie as Paragon charged up to him. He turned and gave Paragon a sneer. "Thought you'd be more helpful around here. You let Aphrodisia get away."

  Paragon didn't answer. He grabbed Grant by the shirt and slammed him against the wall of the stage, ignoring the other officers who yelled and drew their weapons.

  "Hold your fire," Grant yelled. "He's bulletproof."

  Paragon's arms trembled as he struggled to control his rage. He wanted to punch Grant, but knew his fist could crush the detective's skull. "I told you to stop. I told you. If you had ordered the snipers to stand down or even wound instead of kill, we could have saved those women. We could have found out none of them were Aphrodisia. Those women were killed for no reason."

  He pointed to the bloodstains on the road behind him. "Their deaths are on your head, asshole."

  Grant grabbed Paragon's wrists and tried to pull them off. "I'll sleep fine tonight, Paragon. I hope you sleep well knowing you kept us from taking out Aphrodisia, and all these deaths are on you. We're at war with these supervillains, and all wars have casualties."

  "That wasn't a casualty. That was murder."

  "Call it whatever you want. Murder, collateral damage, acceptable losses. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. If I had ordered them to shoot to wound, and Aphrodisia had been one of those women, she could still have taken over all of our minds. But I had a chance to kill Aphrodisia, and stop her once and for all. I made a judgment call. And I'd do it again."

  He punched at Paragon's massive arms. "Now get your fuckin' hands off me."

  Paragon bared his teeth, but let go so Detective Grant could drop to the ground. He couldn't stop thinking of the moment where the bullets hit the two women who turned out to be innocent victims. He hadn't been able to save them.

  "Just to let you know, Grant, it's taking everything I have not to smash your face in."

  Grant smoothed the front of his dress shirt. "Duly noted. You're not the first and won't be the last. And don't interfere in our operation again."

  He looked at Dahlia who floated up to them. "Not another one. Who's this chick? And why she's blue and naked?"

  Paragon looked at her. "Oh, this is my new, uh, partner. Dahlia, could you cover up or something?"

  Dahlia bowed her head. "Affirmative."

  Her nipples faded away, along with the smooth slit between her legs. Her breasts and butt remained as visible as ever, but the slight changes made it look like she wore a blue bodysuit instead of just being nude.

  Paragon looked over at the cluster of men in black suits and sunglasses still gathered around the trembling Mayor Kirby. The mayor had put his suit back on and sat on a chair, looking at his phone.

  "You all right, sir?"

  Kirby shook his head. "No, I'm not alright, Paragon. I was just naked, fucking my Chief of Staff on stage for everyone to see. I'll never live this down."

  Paragon glanced over at Heavenly Hawk who shrugged. "Well, I think people would understand, given Aphrodisia was here."

  "If that's what you think, you don't know politics. There are already pictures of me out there online. All my opponents will have them plastered all over TV on the next election cycle. I need to call my lawyers."

  He stood up and staggered off the stage with his bodyguards trailing him.

  Paragon looked at Heavenly Hawk. "We need to find out what Aphrodisia wanted here. It might be able to tell us where she's going next."

  She nodded back. "Quite right."

  They headed to the gates of the laboratory where police officers and paramedics worked, caring for people or hauling them on stretchers. Some of the people had injuries from their vigorous activity, and a few of the older ones had even died, but most of them just seemed dazed.

  Paragon approached a man in a lab coat that he recognized from the company website as the head of the lab. "Mister McClain? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

  McClain nodded. "Yes, I-I suppose so."

  "Can you tell us what Aphrodisia was doing here?"

  McClain threw up his hands. "I told the police, I don't know. As near as we can tell, she didn't take anything. It seems she just used the hyperionic imaging scanner."

  "What's that?"

  "Oh, uh, it's a new imaging process. It not only scans the body, but how the bod
y interacts with ATLAS implants. With the ATLAS-powered community in Eros City, it was our hope that it would lead to a new understanding of how the implant operates. We're still analyzing the data, but it seems she took a scan of herself. What disturbs me is that she knew how to use it. Or someone with her knew how to use it."

  Paragon folded his arms. "Aphrodisia has no scientific background. It has to be Doctor Horne helping her. That's why she kidnapped him. What is she up to?"

  Hawk braced her hands on her hips. "She's kidnapped an expert on human sexualilty and just did a deep scan of herself. In her previous crimes, she always wanted to increase her power. I'll bet she thinks Horne can do it."

  "Can he?"

  "Well, I reviewed some of his work. Horne is quite brilliant. His research has focused on curing impotence and increasing libido in men and women, and he's made astonishing breakthroughs. If anyone could do it, it's him."

  Alley Cat held out her hands and waved them. "Okay, you're talkin' more powerful. What's that mean?"

  Hawk exhaled hard. "I mean, maybe letting her reach more people and holding onto power for longer. Aphrodisia is already dangerous. If she became even more powerful, she could take over the city."

  Hawk raised her eyebrows. "Or the world."

  Alley Cat pressed her hands to her stomach. "Ah, that makes me wanna puke."

  "She could be working on it right now. We can't let her finish whatever it is she's working on."

  Hawk looked at Paragon who nodded back.

  They both said, "Watchtower" at the same time.

  Heavenly Hawk spread her wings and took off while Paragon swept Alley Cat into his arms as he flew away. Dalia just spread her arms and floated after him.

  For a moment, Paragon looked over his shoulder at Dahlia. She kept up with him easily, as if she was tied to him with a line. It was slightly weird to him to see her in the real world. He usually only heard her voice and saw her for brief periods of time.

  They came to the Watchtower, and the clock face opened for them. Hawk had explained that the clock had hidden scanners that would open the doorway for only approved team members. For a moment, Paragon wondered if it would let Dahlia through, and the clock face did slide shut before she could pass through. However, Dahlia just passed right through the ceiling.

  When they landed, all of them turned to Dahlia, who just stared back at them.

  Alley Cat leaned over to study Dahlia's face. "Uh, hello?"

  Dahlia tilted her head to one side. "Hello. What can I help you with?"

  Heavenly Hawk slowly walked around the blue simulation. "So this is what you've been seeing all this time, Ryan?"

  Paragon shrugged. "Sometimes. Most of the time, I just hear her voice."

  Hawk made a point of looking down at Dahlia's enormous breasts. "You never mentioned what it - she - looked like."

  Dahlia said, "My form was chosen by the implant's owner."

  Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

  Paragon held out his hands. "On a subconscious level."

  Alley Cat poked Dahlia with a finger. "Well, your subconscious did a great fucking job. She's a babe. Even feels real."

  Dahlia nodded. "My holographic matrix allows for particle dispersal to provide tactical feedback."

  Alley Cat ran a finger down Dahlia's shoulder to glide over one of her breasts. "Oo, that's got possibilities."

  Paragon walked over to Dahlia. "So how does this work now? How long can you stay like this?"

  "I can stay in my holographic form indefinitely. However, the use of electronic manipulation will draw power from you."

  Alley Cat rubbed her hands together. "Awesome! New team member. We need to give her a new name. Power Girl? Surge Protector? Charge Lass?"

  Heavenly Hawk wiggled her fingers. "No, something about electricity. Electric. Electronica."

  "Electronica seems fine. Let's focus on more important things." Paragon went to the computer. "We need the Night Watchman more than ever. If only we could unlock those files."

  Electronica floated over to the computer and narrowed her glowing blue eyes. "Would you like me to decrypt the files?"

  They all looked at each other as Paragon said, "You can do that?"

  "Affirmative. Your power over electrons allows me to interface with computers. Computer programming is merely the interpretation of the flow of electrons, ones and zeros. With your assistance, I can reorganize that information to decrypt the files."

  "Uh, yeah, that would be great."

  "Very well." Electronica held out her hand towards the computer.

  Text flowed across the screen, white lettering against a black background like computer code.

  She nodded. "The decryption will take approximately five hours to complete."

  Alley Cat folded her arms. "Long ass time, but I guess it's better than nothing.

  "Yeah." Paragon looked at his watch. "I gotta go. I'm gonna be late for work."

  "You got five hundred thousand dollars. Fuck that job."

  "That money is for my grandfather. And I want to keep my normal life for now." He kissed Alley Cat and Heavenly Hawk before waving at Electronica. "Can you stay here and decrypt it without me?"

  Electronica nodded. "Affirmative."

  "Cool." He took off through the hatch in the ceiling, headed for Jimmy's pizzeria.

  When he got close, he found an isolated rooftop where he could change back into his regular clothes and become Ryan Walker again. He headed down to the ground floor and ran into the pizzeria.

  Chuck poked his head out of the kitchen. "Hey, bud."

  "Hey, Chuck." Ryan looked around. "Where's Lloyd?"

  "Beats me. He said he'd be in later."

  Ryan sat down in one of the chairs. "Oh, okay. Got anything to deliver?"

  "Not yet." Chuck tossed a ball of dough into the air, and it flopped onto the counter in front of him. "I'm starting on the pizzas, but it's not going too well. It's harder than I thought."

  "That's what your mother said last night."

  Chuck chuckled as he picked up the dough to begin stretching it out. "Hey, you feeling okay? You usually make a crack about my mother sooner than that."

  Ryan thought about lying, but decided to tell the truth. With no one else in the restaurant they could talk openly. "No, I'm not. Aphrodisia got my ass kicked again, and Grandpa has a brain tumor."

  Chuck put down the pizza. "What? Are you serious? About your Grandpa, I mean. I saw those people beating you up online."

  "Yeah. He passed out last night and it turns out he already got a cancer diagnosis and didn't tell me."

  Chuck dropped his hands. "Wow. Your grandfather has cancer? Holy shit. I'm sorry, man."

  Ryan swallowed down the pain gripping his chest. He didn't want to believe that his grandfather could really be dying, and had to think his resources could save him. In a world where people can fly and shoot laser beams from their eyes, there had to be a way to stop his grandfather's cancer.

  "It's okay. He'll be okay. I'm gonna use the reward money I got to pay for his treatment, and he'll get the best out there."

  Chuck put down the pizza dough and threw up his hands. "Finally! It's about time you used that cash instead of letting it sit in your wallet. So what're you still doing here?"

  "That money's for my grandfather. I'm still working here to pay the bills."

  "Suit yourself. But maybe if you stop Aphrodisia, you'll get another reward. Her bounty on the most wanted list is five hundred thousand. Then you can quit this job. I know I would."

  Ryan put his finger on his chin. "What, you wouldn't miss seeing this pretty face every day?"

  "Hell, no. I wanna see a face like yours, I'll squat and shit one out. But seriously, sorry to hear about your Grandpa. He's a really great guy. I hope he pulls through."

  "I think he will. And thanks."

  Chuck took a ladle out of a pot and used it to pour tomato sauce on the pizza dough. "As for Aphrodisia, what's your plan for her?"

  "I n
eed to find the Night Watchman. He's got a way to stop her. Just need to know what it is. Besides, it's time he came back."

  "It's been months. At this point, I think it's pretty clear he doesn't wanna come back."

  Ryan bit down the argument he always made, knowing Chuck had a point. At first, he had defended the Night Watchman for deserting his armor during the battle against the Five. Three months later without a return, Ryan had run out of excuses.

  "Okay, fine, Chuck," he said. "I admit it. I don't know why the Night Watchman hasn't come back, but it sure seems like he should. If anything, Aphrodisia should have brought him out. If I don't get Watchman's help--"

  He paused before he said the words he'd been afraid to say. "I don't think I can stop Aphrodisia without the Watchman. My power is strength, hers is mind control. How can I knock her out when I can't even touch her?"

  Chuck made a pushing motion. "Knock a building on her?"

  "Yeah, that would be great, but she can sneak up on me and drive me crazy before I even know she's there."

  "You'll stop her, buddy. I know you can."

  Ryan went to the soda fountain and got a large cup. "I sure hope so. Oh, I got a new power."

  "Really? Awesome! What is it?"

  Ryan pushed the cup under the nozzle to fill the cup with Pepsi. "Something called Electronic Manipulation. It made Dahlia into a hologram so everyone can see her now. And she can shoot lightning and hack computers, apparently. We call her Electronica."

  Chuck had reached for the mozzarella cheese and paused. "I can see Dahlia? Hey, bring her up here."

  "Well, I don't know if I can. She's back at the Watchtower trying to hack the computers, so I don't--"

  A flash of blue light appeared next to him that left Electronica standing there.

  Chuck jumped back. "Whoa!"

  Electronica turned her head towards Ryan. "I can appear in multiple locations at once. At this moment, I am still working on the computer as I speak to you."

  Chuck's eyes roamed over her curves. "Wow, she's a hottie. Nice work. That mean you got another girlfriend, Ryan?"

  Ryan shrugged. "I mean, she's just a computer so not really a girlfriend."