AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 6
Magetti’s Bar
Southside, Freedom City
Much too fast, Nine Lives roared down the block and into a parking space in front of Magetti’s. The car thumped over the curb onto the sidewalk and clipped a light pole before finally shuddering to a halt. Rubbing his forehead where it had bounced off the steering wheel, Nine Lives hoisted himself out of the car just in time to see a huge black sphere rumbled up Delano Street. Nine Lives watched it with catlike intensity. The sphere thundered towards him and bounced into the air, five legs snapping out of it as it crashed into the pavement.
“9-L.” The voice coming from the robot sounded slightly tinny. “Good to see you again. It’s been too long.”
Nine Lives looked surprised. “Dr. Arkham? I recognize the voice, but. . .” He waved a hand vaguely, and the robot chuckled metallically.
“A little precaution. I don’t go out much after Black Apollo and Bloodmoon hurt me so badly five years ago. This is the Omnibot V, and it can serve as my eyes and ears.”
“Glad to hear it.” Nine Lives turned to open the door of Magetti’s, and hesitated when he realized that the Omnibot was too large to fit through the door without knocking a hole through the wood.
“Ah,” said the Omnibot. He sounded nonplussed.
“Well, we can’t have the meeting outside.”
“Allow me,” said an unfamiliar voice. The Reformer strolled around the corner, cape snapping in the light breeze. He walked to the open door and placed his hands on either side of the doorframe. The wood began to wobble. “Rubber,” he said with a jerk of his thumb. “Go on through.”
“Thank you,” crackled the Omnibot V. The doorframe stretched as the warbot pushed through it. It snapped back to wood with a simple gesture from the man outside.
The inside of the bar now seemed crowded, although any room with Boulder in it would feel that way. Six heroes stood and caught up with one another as the bartender locked the door and lowered the blinds. Drinks were poured and a tray of sandwiches brought out. Introductions were made.
“Unusually warm weather we’re having,” hazarded the Omnibot. The Eternal Sentinel smiled thinly.
“Expect Freedom City to become a very pleasant place to live,” said the gray-haired man. He rubbed his short beard and indicated Wave, sitting cross-legged on her hovering surfboard next to them.
“How so?” asked the Omnibot. It shifted on its flexible metal legs.
“I didn’t know I had superpowers until recently,” said Wave. “You ever hear of San Viator, California?”
“Sure,” said Omnibot, “but I don’t recall why. I’m pulling it up. . . ah, yes. Until recently, it had the best weather and best surfing in the entire continental United States. Off every single statistical chart when it first began to improve about ten years ago.” The robot’s glowing red eye regarded Wave impassively. “Ah. I see.”
“That’s how they found me. It was a nice place to grow up,” said Wave. “The tourist board in San Viator is probably glad I didn’t like snow shoeing.”
Across the room, Nine Lives threw back another drink which didn’t seem to affect him one bit. “So, do you have any powers other than being most eligible meta-bachelor of 2002?” He raised an eyebrow at the Reformer, whose gaze kept slipping over to Wave.
The Reformer refocused on the heroes around him. “Sure. I can create things.”
Boulder frowned. “Like drinks?”
“Nah, not food. More like walls. Or Hondas. Or dishwashers. You know, things that hurt when they hit you.” Everyone in the small conversation circle nodded their heads knowingly. “I can also reshape existing things, but it’s a little limited.”
“Fair enough. That must be handy.”
“It has its advantages. I know about Boulder, but what about you? I’ve got to say the press just loves you, but I’ve never seen an exposé. Right now, I’m figuring that your specialty is lousy driving.”
Nine Lives looked down at the claws strapped to the back of his dark gloves before answering. “I’m hard to hurt.”
The Reformer looked doubtful. “That’s a super-power?”
Boulder laughed grittily and crumpled an empty beer can in one huge fist. “Trust me on this one, kid.”
As the groups mingled, the Reformer strolled over next to where Wave balanced mid air. His gaze worked its way across her body. “Hey, babe. You’re looking good. I haven’t seen you since that casino job, and you never took me up on the offer of a date. How are Torpor, Jawbone, and Tempest? They haven’t been in the papers for ages.”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. They’ve dropped out of sight. They’re probably on vacation with the Freedom League.” Wave looked at him in irritation. “The casino job? You mean the one where you tried to burn down and rob the Paradise? If I remember correctly, you were working for that little weasel Action Jack before we stopped you. You, the Turtle, Chupacabra, Firebug, that bitch with all the mirrors. . .”
“Looking Glass.” The Reformer smiled with the memory. “Horribly vain, but boy, she was gorgeous.”
“Hardly. She was a skank.” Wave snorted. “With the number of mirrors she broke, I bet she’s going to have lots of years of bad luck.”
“Just seven to fourteen, I think, with time off for good behavior.”
“Remind me, why didn’t we arrest you afterwards?”
The Reformer held out both hands, as if begging her to slap on a pair of handcuffs. “Hey, now. I was only in it for the girl. After you guys took her out, I clearly saw which way the land lay and was honored to come over to the side of truth and justice. I’m just sorry the Turtle escaped. He has it in for me now. I think he’s slow to forgive a grudge.”
The Eternal Sentinel walked over and looked him up and down with glowing eyes. “You used to be a villain?”
“Hey,” said the Reformer with an easy smile and a shrug, “I reformed.”
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