Groovy Overkills

Chapter Thirty-Five

As Herb returned to AVL headquarters beneath Fulham Power Station, his head throbbed like a jackhammer was splitting it open—and that was despite having downed three extra-strength aspirin less than an hour ago. Even so, his mind had never been clearer. Gone was the constant pressure from all the insidious faux-memories generated by Jules' implant. He still remembered them, but now they were nothing more than a weak copy and lacked an iron grip on his brain.

Several hours earlier, he had met with Dr. Nefario in the older inventor's laboratory lair, which occupied a dark corner of Whitechapel. Half-finished inventions, tools, and masses of wires cluttered the cramped underground chamber, one Herb had visited several times. He'd known Dr. Nefario for years, having crossed paths with him multiple times at scientific conferences geared towards villains. Dr. Nefario occasionally mentored young inventors, and Herb had been one of them.

Since Dr. Nefario wasn't familiar with the specs of the implant device, removing it had taken longer than expected. Herb rubbed his temple one last time before presenting himself to the first security checkpoint. Time was of the essence. Six days had passed since the Anti-Villain League had incarcerated Scarlet. Less than one remained until her deadline ran out. Now that he fully understood the extent of the AVL's deception, Scarlet's ultimatum weighed even heavier on his heart. He had to get her out before she entered the danger zone.

He went straight to the main lab, knowing Jules spent much of his work day there. It was now ten minutes past eleven. Herb took a deep breath, knowing his very survival depended on his ability to pull a James Bond level of trickery. Just before entering, he stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and rolled his shoulders to appear more relaxed.

The doors swished aside. Jules was bent over a work station, high-tech tools and machine parts spread out before him. A pair of binocular loupes covered his face, all the better to see the miniature device in his hands. He wore only his black vest and crisp white shirt, having hung up his jacket nearby. His broad chest tapered to a lean waist and flat stomach. Jules may have been a handsome scientist working on behalf of the AVL to keep the world safe from supervillains, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing all the same.

Time to set his plan into motion. Herb dangled a set of car keys from his hand and then flashed his most charming smile. "Hey. Ready for that tour of my lab?"

Jules whipped off the loupes and grinned broadly, all chiseled looks and bright white teeth. He put down his tools and reached for his jacket. "You don't have to ask me twice!"

***

Herb would rather have driven the red convertible he and Scarlet owned, but then had figured a standard vehicle would create the impression he had completely converted to the AVL. He steered the sleek black sedan along Fulham Palace Road, heading north towards the fortress. Traffic was light, thank goodness, so he sped up. The less he kept Scarlet waiting, the better, especially given Mrs. Ramsbottom's unsavory intentions. He couldn't even imagine what she was putting his wife through right now.

Jules stretched out his right arm along the top of the seat. "So, I take it you've finally settled in?"

"Yeah. The extra time really helped. I finally feel ready to put the past behind me and take the plunge as an AVL agent."

"Glad to hear it," he said warmly. "Let me fill you in on my latest invention."

Herb listened attentively, asking frequent questions as Jules described it. Given their similar skill set, feigning interest was easy. In fact, he laid it on thickly since his goal was to seduce Jules into thinking Herb was now his new, dedicated partner.

They talked all the way to the fortress. Herb parked the car outside since the garage door sensor wasn't programmed to detect AVL vehicles. As they went inside, a wave of guilt passed through him. The last time he'd been here, it was to open the proverbial hen house so that the fox could sail right inside. Scarlet hadn't stood a chance, not with that kind of savage deception. He forced back his sigh of regret lest Jules suspect anything other than total enthusiasm.