Mod Superhero (Book 6 STUBBING on Oct 27th)

Chapter 6.43 - Synchronize

APPROXIMATELY +1.10.15 POST-INCIDENT

After the battle, Mod's team scrambled to get out of the area. They'd survived the heavy drones and TINA had survived Bastion's digital bomb, but other forces were already on the way. Mod and the others engaged their cloaking protocols and followed a randomized path to the backup lab.

Emmett lost consciousness on the way back, and Mod had to carry him the rest of the way.

At first, it looked like the swarm would follow, even without Emmett controlling them. But it quickly loosened, sloughing away like handfuls of black sand.

Mod still couldn't believe how his former self was able to control so many nanites. If it had only been for a moment, Mod might have believed it. But for Emmett to control so many, for so long, and without lasting damage was incomprehensible.

Mod sighed, even though he didn't have lungs. Emmett was damaged from the ordeal—that much was clear. Mod tried to temper his expectations. Emmett had survived... He'd managed to escape and to save them in the resulting battle.

No one went through something like that without damage. It was just too early to tell how bad it really was.

~

They made it to the backup lab without incident. TINA monitored Emmett en route, and would continue monitoring him until he regained consciousness. For now, they placed him in one of the spare bedrooms. Mod conjured a nanite bed and set his former self down on it. More nanites formed a blanket. For a moment, Mod thought about conjuring more furniture but decided against it. As soon as he woke up, TINA would let them all know.

Mod stared at Emmett as he lay unmoving on the bed. His expression. His arms and legs were slowly dissolving. He'd made them out of nanites, and now that he was unconscious, they were falling apart and rejoining the rest of the swarm.

Not too long ago, that had been Mod: A man falling apart at the seams.

The rest of Emmett's swarm settled into the neighboring rooms and hallway. It clung along all the surfaces, but oozed out of the way of footsteps. Mod was worried about that too, but TINA assured him she would monitor the swarm as well.

Mod conjured a nanite blanket across Emmett. He wasn't sure why—Emmett wasn't awake, and nanites were already monitoring his vitals and keeping him stable. He was safe. For now, that was all they could do for him.

Compared to the things Emmett had been through, a blanket was an impossibly small comfort.

Mod shook his head

He turned to leave and ran into Clara. He'd been so focused that he hadn't noticed her approach.

"Sorry," Mod stammered.

"It's okay." Clara squeezed his arm, then walked past. TINA conjured a chair for her, as if she'd known all along that Clara was coming.

She ignored the nanites all around and focused only on Emmett. Clara sat in the chair and leaned over the bed. She rested her hand on his arm, but it dissolved beneath the covers. Clara gasped and reached instead for his shoulder, like she was trying to make sure Emmett was really there.

Quiet tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm going to stay with him for a while," she said, without looking up.

"Of course," Mod replied. He stayed there for a moment, unsure of what he should do. Should he stand beside her? Try to comfort her? Would his presence just complicate things when Emmett woke up?

In the end, Mod turned to walk away. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Let me know if anything changes."

Clara didn't reply.