The SVE Club

49. Delivery

D o y o u h a v e w h a t I ' v e a s k e d f o r ?

Midas forced himself to remain straight faced, refusing to give in to fear. Yes.

E n t e r .

Midas pushed open the door to Insomnium's study. Without a word he placed the serum and the flash drive on the super villain's desk.

Insomnium grinned, flashing his teeth. "Very well done. It's too bad about your team. I suppose they were useful for a little while."

Midas stared straight ahead. "That's right."

"Things might have gone a bit better if you had brought the girl with you."

"Sam?"

"Yes. I told you to bring her and you disobeyed me. The only reason I'm forgiving you is because you actually succeeded, albeit at the expense of your team."

Midas shook his head, confused. "Bringing Sam would have put her- and the whole team- in danger."

"No, Midas. Bringing Sam would have saved the mission!" Pierce exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?"

Pierce sighed. "Sam is what is known as an Insulator. The fabled ninth group of power. Everyone had thought that Insulators went extinct nearly three hundred years ago, and yet here we are."

    Midas pulled a chair out and sat down heavily, feeling numb. "So what you're trying to tell me," he said, "Is that Sam... has powers?"

     Pierce nodded. "The power of insulation. She is impervious to all mentas and can take away any other super's power as long as she is touching them. She can also extend this trait to others through her touch. I sensed this power in her when she came here looking for you. Her mind is like an iron safe."

    Midas let out a shallow breath, remembering how his powers had seemed to disappear when Sam took his hands. "There's no way," he said. "That's impossible."

     Pierce laughed. "It's as real as we are, kid. Just be glad you managed the mission without her." He picked up the flash drive and began spinning it between his thumb and his index finger. "Anyway, Midy, a deal's a deal. I won't use you to complete my vision. I have something far more powerful than you, now."

Midas glanced at him sharply, his eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

Insomnium smiled with satisfaction. "This little chip here," he said, holding up the USB, "Tracks every move of every super that attends ISH. Granted, none of them are as powerful as you, but I suppose in this case I'll have to settle for quantity over quality."

"You don't mean-"

"Oh, but I do," Pierce cackled, leaning forward. "Once all those supers are under my control, there will be no government or organization that dares to stop me. The heroes can all hang up their capes!"

"But I thought that you could-"

"Only maneuver one person at a time?" Insomnium asked. He chuckled. "Not anymore. This super serum here will increase my power a hundred fold. I will be the most powerful menta- And perhaps the most powerful man- who ever lived."

"But why?" Midas asked, a question he had long wished to ask but had never found the courage to do so. "Why do you need to do this?"