Renegade Comics: Arclight

Chapter 11

"So this is the place, huh?" Bobby asks to himself. He looks at the card, then the building, and completes the cycle again before looking to his sister.

"Don't look at me, if this is the place then let's go. Knock." Violet goads him. Surprisingly enough, the "Pym Place" is rather average looking on the outside. Only one thing remarkable stands out: the singular large glass door in the middle of the building.

"Hmm." Bobby ponders to himself as to what could possibly be behind the door. One knock, two knocks, three knocks on the glass door.

"Ah! Bobby!" Pym's voice plays through the panel on the right of the door. "And sister, too. Come, join us!" Pym commands as a click can be heard from the glass door.

"Um, ok! I'm coming in now." Bobby speaks into the panel before entering. Violet taps his shoulder.

"Bobby, I wanna talk with you about something important when I get back."

"Yeah sure." Bobby is completely captivated by the modern interior.

"It's serious, Bobby."

"And I promise I'll listen when we get back."

"It's about Salem." That manages to stop him. He turns him around to face her.

"Is he ok?" He asks. "Did something happen?"

"And me." She finishes. Bobby becomes even more confused.

"There you are! Welcome!" The doctor appears to the pair. "Come, follow. Let me show you what I have to offer." Pym turns towards his destination: a hall that leads left and right. Pym turns left, causing the pair to blindly follow him through the strange facility. "I don't really have a name for this place yet, but I can assure you it's a great as my lab in Manhattan.

"The one I blew a chunk out of?"

"Yes, precisely." The trio continue making twists and turns throughout the unfamiliar facility, the siblings still mindlessly following.

"What are all theses rooms for?"

"Well, some are living quarters, some are smaller labs dedicated to specific subjects, and some are vacant offices for future scientists."

"Where are we going?"

"To meet the children! These three are the ones I've been working with, and are the cause for the construction of this place. Don't worry they aren't dangerous. To you."

"You said that one of them was a mutant?"

"Yes! One like you!" Pym explains excitedly. "She is still learning to properly wield her gifts as well. Assuming you take us up on the offer, you two might help each other to develop as mutants together in a symbiotic way." Pym muses to himself.

"We want today to think."

"You're in no rush, you two." Pym halts. "Oh. We're here." Pym turns toward a rather conventional looking door to reveal a very unconventional room. It is large, round and furnished in a way that kept it open-feeling. Three children are sparring. They appear similar in age. A blonde haired boy, a blonde female, and a red haired female. The fight seems to be at a stand still until the boy hovers into the air, and sweeps the girls from under them, giving him the win apparently.

"Powers! That's cheating!" The blonde girl pouts.

"No," The boy defends himself. "Hank said to win the match as fast as possible with as little use of powers as possible. They weren't prohibited."

"That is correct, Mr. Baldwin." Pym declared Robbie the victor.

"What?" The blonde complains.

"Darn. Almost won too." The red haired girl comforts herself.

"Come here kids, there's someone I want you to meet." He hails the three. "I'd like you to meet my three pupils. Introduce yourselves." The boy, Robbie, steps forward first. His hair is shaggy and bounces as he walks and whips around his head when he fights. His eyes are a pale blue, relaxed and welcoming. He's in a canary yellow varsity jacket with an avengers t-shirt underneath. His body is cooling off, leaning to the left.

"I'm Robbie Baldwin, but you might already know me as Speedball." His voice is wavy like his hair. Flexing his arm he winks at the sister.

"I'm seeing someone." Violet dryly retorts, much to the brother's surprise.

"Wait what? Salem?"

"No! Not Salem! He knows, is all. That's what I was gonna tell you before I got interrupted."

"Oh. Sorry, Vi." She waves it off. The red haired female speaks next. Her ginger hair is tied back. Unlike the boy, she wears a more form fitting outfit, in monochromatic shades of orange other than her white sneakers.

"Angelica Jones, you can call me Firestar." She opens directly.

"Firestar is the mutant that can manipulate microwave energy. Angelica this boy is the son of the man who studied microwaves. Because of his findings I was able to construct your microwave resistant body suit. He is also gifted. His abilities are rather similar to yours, seeing as they are heat based."

"My brother, Salem managed to figure out that it was plasma manipulation specifically."

"Then let's see." Angelica invites.

"I really don't think that's a good idea right now." Bobby declines.

"He's still getting the hang of his powers." Violet adds, stressing the point.

"Oh that's fine, it'll probably take a while. I'm Abby!" Abby speaks cheerfully. She is slightly bigger than the other two, more muscular as well. She had her locks held back the same as the ginger. She wears a light beige tee and black sweats. She stands straight, her feet together. She adds "You can call me Cloud 9" her bubbly smile still present.

"You manipulate that gas my mom used to study." Bobby pieces together her ability.

"Correct!"

Robbie asks, "So we're starting from scratch with you, eh?"

"That's not such a bad thing." Angelica interjects. "Because we have previous experience, and that we're both mutants, you'll end up the least volatile of the four of us." She attempts to add humor, "You'll have us, with previous experience, to teach you. You wouldn't have to wing it." Robbie gestures in agreement, with Abby holding her thumbs up.

"That's great!" She elbows her brother, followed by her reaching into her pocket.

"That does sound like a good thing." Bobby replies finally.

"So what do you say?" Pym asks.

"I think that we'll have our final answer tomorrow. C'mon Bobby, Salem made dinner."

"Wait he made dinner?"

"Exactly. Now let's go before it's cold and inedible." She waves in farewell. "Thank you again, Dr. Pym, and bye you guys." The quartet wave in response to the siblings. As the two make their way to the exit, the brother turns to the sister.

"Vi, you said you were seeing someone?"

"Oh, I lied. I said that because I wanted the dude to stop."

"Oh."

"There is a guy that I'm interested in. I don't know if you'd like him though."

"Well, who?"

"Oh don't worry. I'm going to tell you soon. I promise."