Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 8

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How do you answer a question like that? It’s not as if I could say the honest one, “About five minutes before you started having sex.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Haley’s hand reach out and turn off the monitor. Deciding she had a point, I turned off the roachbot controller.

“Not long,” I said, hoping Stephanie wasn’t one of those people who noticed lies as easily as breathing.

I supposed that technically I hadn’t been lying, but I’d want to start as soon as they asked what I’d seen, or if I had anything to do with what happened to the computers. Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 8 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 7

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I took a breath. It’s one thing to be worried about a possibility, and another when it’s there in front of you.

“They’re printing out everything Hal gave us. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with it, but they’re involved somehow. Do you know what to do? It’s not like I’m going to go over there in armor and beat them up.”

Haley took her eyes off the screen to say, “I don’t know either. Could you tell Agent Lim?”

“I could, but I think he’s home for the weekend, and anyway I doubt he’d be able to get anyone to do anything soon enough.” Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 7 →

Pen and Cape Society

PCS: The Good Fight 2: Villains

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GoodFight2-cover-300dpi Just letting you know that the Pen and Cape Society is putting out another anthology. There’s a Legion of Nothing universe story in it. If it matters to you, Lee’s one of the major characters in it (though not the main character). 

EDIT: I should also mention that it’s a benefit for James Hudnall, a writer (of many comics and recently novels) who is experiencing hard times at the moment.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UQLJ2I4
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/527780

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 6

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It had to be important. Think about it. You’ve got a couple. They’re young and in love. It’s the Fourth of July, a national holiday, and instead of going out and doing something or retreating to someone’s room to make out, they were here in the lab waiting for a print job to finish.

And also making out.

I couldn’t help but notice that they were being very… thorough about it. Clothes were on, but hands were under clothes, and some side effect of Amy’s spell gave the two of them a red aura, more of it in some spots than others.

I couldn’t know for sure, but I suspected that the strength of the glow meant something. More power maybe? Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 6 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 5

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Amy closed her eyes, said a few words and poked her arm. As she pulled the pin out, her face visibly paled–even in the light of a streetlight.

Haley frowned. “Are you okay?”

Amy nodded slowly. “It’s not a difficult spell, but I don’t have as much power to work with without transforming. Could all of you hold out your arms?”

Camille extended her arm halfway to Amy, asking, “What are you–”

Amy grabbed Camille’s forearm, and poked her with the pin. “This.” Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 5 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 4

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We stayed together. Even if Izzy and Jaclyn could have been there instantaneously, it was just safer.

The park was largely empty–not completely because there were stragglers and groups that were still talking. There were also a few police officers.

Vaughn sat on the grass, his face lit by his phone’s screen. As we came closer, he turned off his phone and stared at us.

“How did you do that? We were talking and now you’re all over–”

He stopped. “Something bad just happened. I wasn’t talking to you, was I?”

Jaclyn glanced around the park. “Daniel? Izzy?”

Daniel shook his head. “Give me a second. I’m trying something.” Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 4 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 3

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A few hours later we were on the lawn in front of Denver’s City and County Building in Civic Center Park—a big park with pillared government buildings all around it. The State Capitol building’s gold dome shone in the sunset on the far end of the park.

We’d arrived hours before the actual fireworks for the obvious reasons that it would be easier to find parking, and stake out a spot on the lawn.

We could have gone to Castle Rock’s fireworks display, but Lim had sent an email to everyone encouraging students to spread out. We’d have an easier time blending in in Denver. In fact, everyone in the Stapledon program could have gone to Denver’s show and not skewed the look of the crowd appreciably toward young adults.

We’d bought cheap camping chairs on the way there, and set them up on the lawn. Near me Daniel and Izzy talked with Cassie. Haley, Jaclyn and Camille were laughing about something behind me.

I had my League phone out, and open to the folder on the League’s servers where I’d had Hal put the transcripts.

Hal had overdone it. By far. Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 3 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 2

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I thought about it. “I… Uh… No. They’re not dating. Well, probably not. They’ve been friends for ages. So if it seems like they’re close, that’s true, but they don’t seem any closer now than before.”

Amy raised an eyebrow, and then frowned. “I was hoping for an answer that was a little more definitive. Something like, ‘No, they’re not going out’.”

I took my hands away from the keyboard. The AI could wait. Chances were that his trolling wouldn’t cause major damage in the next few minutes. Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 2 →

Arc 7.8: Threat Analysis

Threat Analysis: Part 1

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After the phone call with Larry ended, we all squished into the van for a kind of post event victory party. If it felt less like a victory than the beginning of a whole new problem, well, it probably was.

On the bright side, it wasn’t as if we had to do anything immediately.

The roachbots were set to record. The jet would be doing translation. All the humans had to do was provide direction.

By the time Saturday and Sunday were over, all we had to do was throw ourselves back into our normal lives which for the moment meant constant training. Continue reading Threat Analysis: Part 1 →

Arc 7.7: Go Time

Go Time: Part 10

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Vaughn shrugged. “It’s not like the Russians know it’s us. That’s the whole point of using the fake suit, right? Plus, even if they did, it’s not like the Russians are exactly friendly to the Turk… um… Turkmens? Turkmeni? Last I heard, the Russians weren’t saying anything nice about them at all. They’re not going to be sharing information. So no biggie.”

Amy shook her head. “Maybe, but you’ve got to think bigger. This isn’t just espionage. This is politics. If we had something their rulers wanted, I could easily see them telling us that they’ll tell the world that we were there.”

Cassie let out a breath. “Exactly. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m worried about.” Continue reading Go Time: Part 10 →

The Legion of Nothing: A Series of Online Superhero Novels (Updates Monday and Thursday)