Mod Superhero (Book 4 STUB on JULY 30th)

Chapter 4.59 - Midas 1 / Ava Savanus 1

Midas and other members of the Binary Brotherhood sat on the main deck of Ava's flagship. They were crossing into Belport, and in another minute would be over Magnus Venture's underground laboratory.

Midas leaned forward, resting his head on his hands in contemplation.

Ava Savanus leaned against the back of the couch, her ballistic-weave catsuit matching its synthetic leather almost exactly. The cyborg samurai, Ronin Tekno, sat beside her. His mechanical arm was stretched across the back of the couch and tapping the fabric like it had a mind of its own.

One of Ava's biomechanical servants traipsed into the room and offered to refresh Ava's beverage. It was roughly human in form, and was completely covered in thin, plated armor. Instead of a head or a helmet, it had a simple dome that protruded half a foot upward out of its chest. Ava handed the empty glass to it and waved away the monstrosity.

It turned toward Midas, fixated on him. Midas flared his power in irritation. Energy radiated out from him and pushed the servant backward. Its limbs squealed with protest.

"He doesn't need anything," Ava said curtly.

Midas sighed with irritation. If the servant had been a normal robot, it would've bent to his will.

Unperturbed, the servant turned toward Ronin. The samurai flipped up the middle finger of its mechanical hand, then went back to tapping an uneven rhythm on the couch.

Ava shook her head. "I'm working with assholes."

Daedalus's raspy voice came through the ship's comm system. "Ava, what are you doing?"

Ava's face wrinkled. "We're apprehending a criminal. How did you get into this line?"

"Did Midas put you up to this?"

Midas straightened up in his seat. "Ava and I are taking a stand against the wrongful creation of artificial intelligence, among other crimes. I don't expect you to understand. And as Ava was about to explain, this is a private engagement."

"Midas, you son of a bitch. You better not hurt him—"

"Goodbye, Daedalus."

Midas reached out with his power again, this time seeking the nearby speakers. As soon as his awareness passed over them, he sent a surge of power through the wiring. An instant later, it permeated the ship, pushing back Daedalus's intrusion like a rowboat caught in a tidal wave.

...At least that was how it should have felt.

Instead, the intrusive signal resisted Midas. It felt like Daedalus was sailing a warship.

For a moment, he was curious. Daedalus must be outside his base and actively following them. Perhaps he had various relays in place to boost his signals. But Midas and Ava were on the clock now.

Curiosity quickly gave way to irritation.

Midas grit his teeth, and then he pushed in earnest.

Power flooded the ship's systems. Electricity and feedback built from a hum to a crackle. The lights in the lounge flared. The wave of power surged to a hurricane. Instead of being pushed out of Ava's ship, Daedalus's intrusive signal dissolved like a rowboat broken into a hundred pieces.

Midas sighed and pushed a strand of hair out of his face

"Take it easy, boss," Ronin muttered. "This is our ride out."

Ava added, "Be careful you don't damage its systems."

Midas ignored their concerns. "You're getting sloppy, Ava."