Mod Superhero (Book 6 STUBBING on Oct 27th)

Chapter 6.11 - Going for a Walk

DAY OF INCIDENT

Over the fall, the number of drones in the Belport skyline had risen steadily. To the regular observer, it looked like they buzzed randomly across the sky, but Emmett and TINA knew better. There were enough drones now that the Brotherhood was watching every block and every angle across the streets.

Bastion saw everything now. Not just from the sky, but through passive and active monitoring of the internet. The Brotherhood was actively pruning and handicapping Bastion—keeping it in a perpetual proto-AI state—but it was still growing exponentially more powerful. In its current state, it would never have the cunning or sophistication that TINA had, but soon it wouldn't matter. The Resistance was in a similar predicament.

Surveillance was becoming more ingrained in society and the army of drones was growing. At some point, Bastion's sheer processing power and resources would be too much to overcome. It would be like a Class 1 hero trying to fight Paragon.

That was the other reason that Emmett decided to act. If they acted now, there was a chance that they could break Dr. Venture out of the lab, and also a chance that TINA could sabotage Bastion from within. They couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Even with all their preparation and resolve, nothing could prepare Emmett and Lock when the day came.

The pair walked with purpose—heads down, and in silence. They took Champion street and then walked side streets through Eastside. They used the mask and disguise protocols to blend into the crowds. It was eerie walking beside people just going about their day. They were all bundled up in winter jackets, their breath trailing through the air as they walked to work or to lunch. Throughout the entire walk, Emmett didn't see anyone look up at the drones. He didn't know whether that was out of fear, indifference, or acceptance, but either way, it gave a dystopian air to his home.

The crowds thinned the closer they got to their destination. Emmett couldn't see the parking garage above the lab, but the swarm of drones grew steadily thicker.

They were close.

Emmett's heart was beating like he'd just sprinted across the city.

Emmett cleared his throat. "Are you good?"

"Yeah... Just nervous," Lock replied.

"Yeah. Me too."

No one on Emmett's team had been back to Eastside since they broke Lock out of Gnosis. Raids on former masks and villains almost always happened in residential sections of Belport. Most of them were on the West End, but some were in the Heights and in the poor blocks of the South.

TINA's voice almost made Emmett jump. "Preparing camouflage. Engaging active cloaking. You're clear for your final approach."

Emmett and Lock turned the corner into an alleyway, and their outlines shimmered and disappeared from view. Even though he didn't need to, Emmett focused on his HUD map and their progress through the city. He already knew where every drone and biomech was before they rounded the corner but, for a moment, the world fell away.

Emmett took a deep breath to steady himself, then came back to the real world.

The Gnosis headquarters looked more like a military compound than a pharmaceutical company. It stretched across the block, a sprawling compound surrounded by razor wire and armed guards. The blurry face of the Gnosis logo peered back from atop the buildings.

All the damage from their break-in back in August was completely gone. It was like it never happened.

For so long, the Gnosis headquarters dominated Eastside. But now, it was impossible to ignore the parking garage adjacent to it, especially since it housed the former lab—