Fusion Frenzy

”Sir, we have arrived at Arisawa Heavy Industries HQ.”

Jacob, looked out the window as the self-flying helicopter landed on the buildings helipad. “Good, how’s my suit??”  

”I’d say it fits you nicely, but the silk is a bit much.”

Jacob rolled his eyes as he climbed out of the helicopter. “Not this suit, genius, the Talos suit.”  

”Ah, well, sensors indicated one of the customers officer did attempt to open the pod, but no success, and ceased their attempt when the alarms blared.”

“Good...” Jacob straightened his suit, a custom Tom Ford black silk three piece. “Keep it on standby until I signal, I hopefully won’t need it, but you never know.”  

This was his second time visiting Arisawa Heavy industries, his first time was before the accident with his father, who was asked to work with the company on their projects. His father had turned them down, opting to stick to his projects in the states, as well as work with Jacob on his own work.  

Now, he found himself once again meeting Gai Arisawa, another super genius like himself. This time, he was called for assistance on a new project Mr. Arisawa was working on, developing energy weapons using Fusion technology. From what was said over the phone, the weapons were having issues with overheating, unable to bear the immense power output needed.  

Jacob looked over to Ryan, who had accompanied him on this business trip, his own genius rivaling Jacobs. It was good to have a second mind for input, leaves less room for error. Not that Jacob couldn’t solve this problem on his own, he was, after all, the inventor of fusion technology.  

Ryan was his friend, but after their fight in Vegas, and saving Silver Scion, they both needed a break from the hero gig. What better way than to get their hands dirty in the workshop, do some business as themselves, not Talos and Cobalt for a change.  

“I know this place that serves the best sushi in the world, we should grab a bite once this is done.”

Ryan had never been to Japan. Honestly, what he knew of the country could be confined to what he knew from anime, which didn’t bode well at all in retrospective. Yes, he learned the language in the span of one night, a manic kind of research aided by Sven who interjected constantly with snide little remarks whenever it suited the AI. Ryan tried to avoid it, paying attention to instead his own research into the language. Its syntax, language structure and the like. He liked to think he was skilled in enough in the language to use it in a conversational sense, even if he wasn’t sure if Jacob could do so.

The whir of helicopter blades sounded in his ear. This loud sound that reverberated through his ears and stuck in his head.  The two of them were in a suit, one he mostly copied in style from his friend, who seemed to have more fashion knowledge than he did. He wasn’t sure if he should feel embarrassed about having someone fix his outfit, especially with the little remarks that came with it. Kinds of words that made his skin wriggle and writhe, as if he should have figured these things out by now.

He didn’t know who Tom Ford was, but the guy sure made nice looking suits. He did hope he looked great in it. He had his suit close by in case it was needed, but there was the smallest hope that nothing would go wrong.

”Makes sense. Sushi is from Japan, right?” He queried with a small smile, running fingers nervously through his hair.  This was supposed to be more calm, a time when he could just enjoy life without worrying about what conflict came next. No cities being brought down around him or a father that only had pragmatic uses for even knowing him. ”Never tried sushi before, so I hope it's good.”

This should be fun. They'd landed, which meant whatever business they had wasn't too far away.

Gai Arisawa, Fourth President of Arisawa Heavy Industries, and one of the most brilliant minds on the planet, sat in his office, going over the latest reports on the ongoing projects and shipping manifests. He trusted his employees - he vetted from the best in person - but he was anal-retentive in all matters relating to corporate matters, and wanted to be thorough to make sure everything lined up with scheduled predictions. If they didn't, there had to be an understandable reason for things to run behind time.

He also was going over a few other things on the resume of the woman across his desk. Clearly from the African continent - Kenyan, going by the accent. Mixed blood, going by her features - slim nose, cute as a button, with long magenta hair and piercing gold eyes. Her choice of attire told Gai that she lived a frugal life: she wore a long linen dress with open-toed sandals. The leather gloves she wore were oversized for her hands.

"Miss...Nawi, was it?" he asked in English.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Your employment record seems rather sparse, apart from a teaching position in Kenya," Gai stated. "You're educated, sure, but not by any scientific university - of course, that's not what you've applied for. You've applied for one of the more...dangerous short-term security positions. Care to elaborate why?"

"I understand you've been having difficulties with...Meta related corporate sabotage," Nawi said.

"Indeed I have," Gai said, his eyes behind his aviators keeping close watch on Nawi's gloves. It was faint, but there was a slight glint visible through the material. A brief ring of the phone drew his attention, and he picked it up.

"They've arrived, Arisawa-sama," the secretary on the other end said.

"Good. Have them escorted up here safely, Kayano-san," he said before hanging up, standing to his feet.

Nawi felt her heart jump at his next request: "Take off your gloves, please".

Nawi had come from a tribe that customarily used the least amount of resources necessary to put together clothing. The reason for this was simple: they were nomads and had to get by however they could. Nawi did adjust to a point with civil customs in the industrialized world, but every so often felt like going without. The linen dress she wore now was a practical choice rather than a fashion-based one; it concealed her tail. The gloves similarly covered her claws.

She didn't smell any pheromones in the air that indicated aggressive intent, but then again, Gai seemed quite capable of masking his own emotions.

"You may not realize it, but I had you pegged as a Meta the second you walked in," Gai said, plainly. "Your footfalls are far softer than a woman your size should have, your fangs are not quite as well-hidden as you thought, and I imagine you're hearing machinery one room away, based on where your gaze wanders."

"You're right. I can smell the machine oil from here...behind your intricate bookcase," Nawi said.

"Personal note: use more aromatic plants..." Gai sighed. "I think I might like you already."

Careful not to cut deeper into the leather gloves than she already had, Nawi removed the gloves covering her hands. Feminine, yet strong, her digits were tipped with powerful claws. Unlike the panther, which her abilities were based on, she couldn't retract them.

“As I thought,” Gai said. “You also happen to be the poster child abroad of the Continental African Modernization Movement.”


Flanked by two people in power armor, a young female secretary greeted Jacob and Ryan not far from the helipad. She was native Japanese, conservatively dressed, with her deep brown hair held in place by a hair clip.

The young woman took a polite bow of greeting, saying, “You two are Mister Mercer and Mister Masters, as I’ve been briefed. I am Miss Yonohara, a representative here - the company President has been expecting you. He’s in an interview but will be with you soon. This way, please…”

She guided the pair through a series of hallways. The floor on which the helipad was on was aptly marked as such, thus avoiding the superstitious “fourth” floor. The tower itself was nearly 70 floors, plus several basement floors. Arisawa himself had a personal suite at the top, but most of the floors were committed to everything ranging to contract arrangements, living quarters for employees, security headquarters, and research and development (though the majority of the last one happened in the basement floors).

“Yes, sushi is from Japan. Jacob couldn’t help but smile as he watched Ryan fix himself up. “Here.” He stepped in front of Ryan, adjusting his tie and smoothing out his suit. “There we go, in this world, looking like your made of money is key...” He finished by fixing the pocket square, a cobalt blue cloth. “These billionaires are all about fancy clothes and flaunting their money...” He stepped back to Ryans right as the two armored suits approached, with a secretary walking between them. “See what I mean?” He muttered.  

With his iconic charming smile, Jacob replied to the secretary in perfect Japanese. “A pleasure, Miss Yonohara.” He followed behind her, glancing over to the two suits that were on either side of the two young men. “So, I am obviously not from around here, but I will be staying here for a few days, and you know...” He tapped a finger on his chin, as if he was thinking, looking to Miss Yonohara . “You seem like someone who knows how to have a fun time, perhaps you could show this poor Gaijin where all the fun spots are, and perhaps, where to get a nice dinner??” He smiled again.  

”Sir, I don’t understand, you downloaded and entire list of local hot spots a few hours ago, I even marked directions on how to reach said locations, they’re impossible to miss.” Yuris voice came through his watch, loud and clear enough for everyone to hear.  

The charming playboy cool and calm face suddenly turned a bright shade of red as he chuckled nervously, covering the watch. “Sorry, forgot to turn off my AI...” He fumbled with the controls, eventually just taking the watch off in frustration, he was certain they would have to give their electronics and anything with a listening device to security anyways.  

This was the first time since they started hanging out that Ryan would see Jacob panic, even during their fight against the nightmare clone of Faust, Jacob was cool. Now, he looked like a kid who just got caught doing something bad.  


”Sir, I am detecting your heart rate has elevated, are you experiencing any...”  

“Shut up, Yuri!” Jacob quietly growled into the watch before slipping it into pocket. He took a deep breath, adjusting his tie, as his face returned to it’s normal color, and the charming smile returned. “Apologies.” Was all he said as they continued through the tower, heading towards Arisawas office.

His attention followed Jacob as he agreed with the obvious sentiment and began adjusting his tie and smoothing out the small wrinkles in his suit. That feel of a hand pressed against him, quick yet something that filled his mind with fuzz and made the back of his neck feel even warmer. He was pretty sure he looked a little redder, though it didn’t seem like anyone else noticed it.

That much he was happy with.

It would have been pretty awkward to have people looking at him, judging even for the small things he couldn’t fully control. When he finished the little gesture and stepped aside, Ryan could note the people that were approaching them. She looked to be a native from what he knew, dressed in the way a businesswoman should look. Beautiful in the way that a knife was or cold, harsh winter. He wasn’t sure if he should be nervous or not.

Jacob smiled and he tried to do the same. His own smile feeling all too awkward on his face, as if it has formed wrong somehow. He even repeated the same greeting Jacob gave without a trace of an accent, something he’d taken hours of his time to get right. Perfectionism was something his family drilled into him, especially Alpha when he had the time to teach. His friend found it easier to chat, mentioning how out of his depth he was and a mention of dinner.

That was what the sushi was for, right?

The AI cut in again, mimicking the same confusion that he was feeling. His mind was running a mile a minute, considering what everything could mean, until the only logical conclusion was to quash the train of thought. His hand raised to his ear, feeling over the small if not complex earpiece that allowed him to connect somewhat with Sven. Not that he would have anything to say beyond some snide remark that would have made him even more awkward. Keeping silence across the hive mind was something he tried to do more now.

He couldn’t help smiling when Jacobn started fumbling with his watch. Seeing his friend panic conjured some sympathy, but he couldn’t argue he felt amusement too. As the five of them walked through the many hallways, he took note of everything of importance. Small little notes in the vast library that was his mind. Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, keeping as reserved as he could at the moment without coming across as rude. Japanese manners were not something he had the time to fully master, so he tried to get the basics. Soon enough they’d meet The President and see what was expected from them.

"AI problems, Mister Mercer?" Yonohara asked with mock-exasperation.

Yonohara continued to escort the pair through the Arisawa headquarters. Frankly, she didn't much pay attention to the foreigner's attempts at flirting with her, nor did she really worry. Arisawa-sama, while a genius of the highest order, was well-known to be a shameless flirt - in jest, usually. He never pushed it past a remark or two.

There was an immediate security checkpoint as the elevator doors to the top floor opened. While none of the security personal were in power armor due to the more cramped hallway, they were still well-armored and equipped with some of the best gear money could buy. An electronics and metal detector awaited the group. Miss Yonohara was able to simply flash her employee badge to bypass the detector with her only requirement being to deposit electronics and weaponry within the safety box.

The other two, by contrast, would have to do both, and were assigned electronic guest badges. Even then, the security didn't end - most stretches of hallway had, at minimum, one or two Intelli-cams (cameras that used AI to track authorized and unauthorized personnel autonomously and interacted with the Security Center), and the occasional guard armed with less-lethal armaments. The Intelli-cams recognized Miss Yonohara as an employee, and Jacob and Ryan as guests thanks to the badges they were issued.

Within the president's office, Nawi was elated to get the security job. It was a short-term, two-month contract, but it paid well for that amount of time. She was a bit concerned about the increase in Gai's heart rate when it combined with the increase in the smell of testosterone in the air. To his credit, Gai didn't act on any of it - though he did ask her "three sizes". It seemed his reputation as a womanizer wasn't exaggerated.

"Go to the Security Office on the fortieth floor," Gai said. "I'll send word ahead - they'll know what access to give you."

Nawi nodded, slipping the leather gloves back on before standing up.

As she exited the executive office, the scent of yet more testosterone - with a bit of embarrassment - hit her nose. Gai Arisawa seemed to have other visitors, both men with high class from the looks of them. As an African beauty in a beige linen dress, brown sandals, leather gloves, and her magenta hair done in French braids, Nawi most definitely stood out from the relative uniformity of the building's employees.

“Oh, no issues, just it’s personality matrix doing its job.” He gave his watch over to the security check point, along with his phone, and his second phone. “I see Mister Arisawa doesn’t skimp on his security...” He looked up to the cameras, watching them look him over, most certainly running facial recognition, seeing if he was on the list of employees with clearance. It looked over to Ryan after a few seconds, no doubt scanning the visitors badge electronic signature.  

As they walked further into the building, cameras down each hall scanning them, Jacob felt vulnerable with Yuri outside of his reach. Of course, it was a security measure, Gai Arisawa didn’t want his tech to end up leaking to his competitors. It was only because Jacob had created the power source Arisawas tech runs on, that he was most likely called to help.  

As they reached the door to the office, Jacobs attention was immediately drawn to the woman leaving. “Why hello there...” He spoke with a smooth tone, that charming smile vibrant on his face as he held out his hand for the woman to shake. “Jacob Mercer, Mercer Technologies.”  

As he looked her over, he would deduce she was here possibly for a job. Judging by her toned figure, and how she carried herself when she walked towards them, she was looking for something physical, most likely in security. Even though her attire was more practical than fashionable, her beauty made it work.

But where did he know her from...

Suddenly, it clicked, as he cocked his head, taking a closer look. “Wait, you’re Nawi, from the Continental African Modernization Movement, right??” His smile grew, he was clearly excited. “I have been following you work on improving trade and societal structures, and I am personally a fan of your campaign against the slave trades...” He slipped a hand into his jacket, pulling out a white card. “I would like to offer my services to your cause, my tech is yours, if you may need it.”  

This side of Jacob was all too familiar, as the charming playboy act faded away, and the real Jacob took over. The one that famously spent a month crusading through a small Eastern European country, liberating the local townsfolk from their oppressor, hunting down their vicious leader, and bringing a corrupt General to justice. This was the hero, the one known as Talos.

The security felt a little underwhelming from his perspective. They had weapons, he was sure enough of that, but nothing that could really hamper his own capabilities. Communicators were out the window, along with conventional weapons, but even then he was never without contact or ability to protect himself. If there was one thing Alpha taught him that stuck, it was always look for the weaknesses of those around him. He hads to remove the small little communicator in his ear as well as a few other things, but those were unfortunate losses at worst.

Security’s pretty tight, The intangible thread of his hive mind allowed him top share these words to Jacob without giving anything away. A kind of telepathic communication he much preferred, easier and more subtle than clunky audible communication. For the first few weeks of his life, he didn’t speak with anyone outside their mind. wonder what they’re hiding that’s so important, His attention was still on their chauffeur, who seemed to have no issues getting through. She worked here, so it made a modicum of sense.  

Soon enough, the three of them reached the office, where the actual meeting would be taking place.  Jacob however, moved to talk with the woman, offering a card and that kind of easy smile he wished he could replicate. He was the playboy afterall, socially travelled and knowledgeable in the goings-on of the world around him. Of their inferiors, too greedy to realize the damage they could cause. Shoving hands into his pockets, Ryan considered these thoughts and tried to shove them down. Distaste was too easy to allow to flood his mind these days.

The person they were looking at now was strong, he could tell just from her shape. It was almost enough to be intimidating. ”Nice to meet you. I’m Ryan Masters,” He offered a hand to shake for the woman, quickly withdrawing it back into a pocket once he did that.

Nawi had to bite back a hiss that almost instinctively came out as she was approached, especially with all the testosterone in the air. She wasn't incapable of interacting with men, as her earlier interaction with Gai Arisawa demonstrated, but the crap she had endured at the ruthless Tutsi crime boss Rajabu Baraki left her with a tendency to keep men at arms length away. It was a few seconds before the scents convinced her there was no immediate danger, but her posture remained guarded.

The face of the young man before her seemed familiar - she had seen it on advertisements and such - but she couldn't put a name to it until he stated his name.

"Jacob Mercer..." she tried the name on her tongue, sounding unusual with her accent. "The father of modern fusion energy and a one-man army who toppled a corrupt general's regime in Europe."

The realization set in and the tension in her body relaxed, though didn't fully go away. That was when she decided it was safe to shake his hand, careful not to put too much stress on the gloves.

"There still remain tribes in the African Continent that don't fall under the protection of the national governments - easy prey for slave traders," Nawi said. "I'm a survivor. A more modern Africa that can shatter the restrictions of its geographical trappings would go a long way toward ending slavery for good."

Her other hand took the white card and pocketed it as she said, "I appreciate the offer. It would have been nice to have someone with your will around fourteen years ago."

The other person, a man who gave off a sense of being the more submissive of the pair, offered to shake her hand.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Ryan," she said, shaking his hand.

"I won't keep you two waiting," she said. "I'm starting immediately. Depending on where you go, we might meet again".

With a nod, Nawi made her departure from the hallway, her movements fluid and graceful, her footfalls silent.

“I see my reputation has preceded me.” He chuckled. “I can’t make up for the years I missed, but as long as I draw breath, I will fight, cause nobody deserves to live in chains.”  

He looked back as she walked away, but not to enjoy the view, but simply contemplating, the firm stare showing he was planning something.  

The look vanished after a second, as Jacob turned back to the door. “Right, now let’s get to business.” He straightened out his suit before stepping through the door.  

He put back on his charming smile, walking over to the desk, holding out his hand to shake. “Mister Arisawa, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

The chair was rather comfortable, as Jacob unbuttoned his jacket, allowing it to part to the sides, not wanting the buttons to snap off. He rested his arms on the armrests, clasping his hands together, interlocking his finger as he leaned back. “I must say, your latest model of armors is quite impressive, what are you up too now, Type-24 I believe??” There was a jovial little sting to Jacobs words as he playfully made a subtle jab at Arisawas suits, with clear signs of legitimate respect for the fellow inventor. “Tell me, what is the market price for a suit, or are they a bulk item?”  

Before their conversation could continue, the room suddenly filled with smoke, fire, and shattered glass, as there was a massive explosion outside, blasting the reinforced windows to pieces.  

Through the smoke, seven figures ziplined into the room from the hole the explosive had created.  

As the smoke started to dissipate, the figures raised their energy rifles, sweeping the room, as the leader, a man dressed in full gear, with a skull mask, approached the three of them.  

“Sorry, gentlemen...” Revenant looked from Ryan, to Jacob, and then finally rested his pure white eyes on Gai. “But I’m here for the tour...”  

Ten minutes earlier:  

Just above the office Jacob, Ryan, and Gai were currently talking in, four guards made their rounds, vigilantly scanning for any threats. They were former members of the Tokushu Kyūshū Butai, Japans special assault team, trained for counterterrorism and security. Accompanied by more of the Intelli-cams that watched over the many floors of the tower, they had the roof completely locked down.  

Unfortunately, what the guards didn’t know, was the Cams weren’t currently active, as they continued to make their rounds. In the security office, the guard stationed pulled out a small device, pressing the button as he spoke into it. “Cameras are down, you are clear.”  

High above, flying past, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules opened it’s back hatch.  

“Alright, we got ten minutes before someone realizes something is up...” Revenant stated to the seven mercenaries with him, strapped a pack on himself. “Once we are inside, the whole place is gonna go into lockdown, I expect to have Arisawa captive before the guards can stop us.”  

“Roger!”  

Revenant turned back to the open hatch, cracking his neck as he watched the light go from red to green, signaling for them to jump.  

Freefalling, Revenants HUD brought up a tracker, showing how high he was from his mark. The number quickly dialed down, as the towers roof started to come into view. Once he could make out the guards, he pressed the button on his pack.  

The pack opened up, revealing a set of small jets, as they quietly turned on, his body shifting so they would slow down his descent.  

The guards, hearing a slight hum, looked around for a second, before finally looking up to the sky.  

They didn’t get time to draw their weapons, as a mercenary dropped down on them, forcing them to the ground, followed by an energy bolt right between the eyes, killing them instantly.  

Revenant landed in the middle with the three remaining mercs. “Two minutes, get anchored and set the drone.” He barked to his men, walking to the edge of the building, pulling out his rappelling line, securing the hook end to the wall.  

One of the mercs pulled out a small drone, setting it on the ground, before pressing some buttons on a device strapped to his wrist.  

The drone took off from the ground, a brick labelled “C4 Explosive” rigged to its underbelly. It hovered over the edge of the building, quietly descending down until it reached the middle of the window. The propellers turned, allowing the drone to hover vertically, as it pressed the C4 to the glass, before detonating the plastic explosive, creating a massive hole in the reinforced windows.  

“Alright, go!” Revenant jumped over the ledge, grabbing his line as he spun to face the building, rapidly sliding down until he reached the opening, grabbing his line firmly so he would swing into the building.  

Landing with his men, Revenants eyes went white, as his thermal vision cut through the smoke, revealing three figures in the room.  

“Sorry, Gentlemen...” He stepped out of the smoke, looking to the three of them, his eyes finally setting on Gai, as his HUD brought up information about the man. “But I’m here for the tour.”

Jacob, who had been knocked out of his chair, quickly jumped to his feet, the hero instincts kicking in. He rushed the skull-faced assassin, without thinking.  

He didn’t even get a swing in, as Revenant simply tilted back some, letting the punch swing wide. He then wrapped an arm around Jacobs neck, pulling out his pistol with the other hand. “Alright, let’s nip this in the butt...” He pressed the gun to Jacobs head. “If anybody else tries to be a hero, I will paint this office with his brains.”

“Fuck...you...” Jacob growled, trying to pull the arm away.  

“Now, as I was saying...” Revenant nodded towards the other two, his men moving towards them, rifles trained on them. “I am here for the tour, and I will be taking some souvenirs.”

He listened to those words without saying anything. Soaking them in, cataloging them alongside other reasons why he decided to make this person his friend. If nothing else, he had that kind of strong moral fiber that made Ryan respect him. It was a simple concept for him really, giving the woman a quick glance as she walked away. Something about her reminded him of someone, maybe just the aura surrounding her. Maybe it was just an instinct, but he could tell she was strong. How much so he couldn’t tell, he wasn’t a psychic afterall.

Cutting his thoughts short, the two of them walked into Arisawa’s office. It reminded him of his fathers' office, in a way, expected from an affluent businessman. It didn’t belong to the head of any state yet that didn’t matter in the end.

He attempted to put on a charming smile, taking a seat set out before them. It was comfortable, the kind of seat he was sure he could sink into if this weren’t an important meeting. Napping on the job would’ve made him look…childish. No, he didn’t want that at all.

”It’s a pleasure to meet you,” He followed after Jacob, ruminating over what he could talk about with the man. The two of them had been working on a few things together. Plenty they could bring up, ideas cataloged in his head. They were on a conversation about suits when everything changed.

An explosion rang out through the building; flooding the building with smoke and covering the floor with shattered glass. Ryan could feel his chair falling backwards, his head colliding with the floor. A flurry of motion, boots hitting the floor and more people before filling the room. He should’ve expected something like this, people targeting someone as big as Arisawa. Just not now when he was there to witness it.

The smoke began thinning quickly, revealing people around them with rifles raised. They didn’t look like any conventional firearm he knew. In the brief span of time stretched out by overly quick cognitive processes, he noted they seemed to lack any obvious magazines. What were they working with anyway?

His attention turned towards Jacob, someone more fragile than him. Sure, they were peers in intellect, but he knew the guy wasn’t his peer in anything else. Bullets would put him down easily, which meant him and Gai were in the most danger now. Could he disarm all the aggressors without anyone getting hurt?

Whatever he could do, was halted when his Jacob leapt to his feet and tried to strike one of the mercenaries. The punch was clumsy, so clumsy that the guy didn’t even have to try too hard to dodge and punish the motion. He was grappled with a gun pressed at his head. No, this wasn’t good at all.

Despite how dangerous things around him seemed, Ryan was already working through what he could do. They were dealing with guns, which meant they had something in common, no matter the model or ammunition. So he expanded outwards threads of his concentration, individual processes for each with one goal; to switch on the safeties of these men's guns. It was a temporary fix, really. Despite that, it would give him enough time to work on a better plan.

The only warning the mercenaries would get is a subtle click as their guns went from dangerous to temporarily disarmed. Little switches flicked, followed by Ryan reaching forward, sweeping away the arm binding his friend with surprising force and pulling Jacob towards him. Despite his slimmer frame, he was deceptively strong, which made the whole action a little easier. ”We could give you a nice tour of a cell, prison colors are all the rage I hear.” He was already crouched, almost defensively, over Jacob, spreading a membrane of telekinetic force over the two of them when the weapons would inevitably be switched back to dangerous.

Think you could call your suit here? He sent the question to Jacob through the hive mind, looking to the men that were still a threat. It would have been all too easy to just think, and their necks would give like wet crackers, yet he knew that wasn’t what he did. Despite that, this meant he’d have to deal with them anyway. So with a thought he unleashed small, yet powerful bursts of telekientic force which was meant to throw the men into walls and maybe disable them.

When the two fellow intellectuals entered, Gai got to business. Gai sharply dressed, but wasn't particularly well-groomed, given the stubble he was sporting - he only really cleaned up for public appearances, which weren't often. Unlike many of the other Japanese corporate CEOs he met at social gatherings, Gai wasn't particularly keen on sake - whiskey was a favorite of his.

"The Type-24 has been a staple of the company for nearly six years - prices have come down," Gai replied to the jab. "For the price of two, you could buy an old American M-1 Abrams. But that's not why I've requested your assistance. The assistance is for laser weaponry - our prototypes have been having heat dissipation issues, and -"

He didn't get much farther than that when the windows were blown in. The pressure wave of the explosion may have been dampened by the glass, but Gai was still knocked down, on hands and knees. The glass was a form of safety glass, so the shards weren't particularly sharp, but the debris still scuffed up the expensive mahogany desk. Unknown to anyone, he had some rather..."special" installments on the underside of the desk, managing to flip a switch in the chaos before rifles got trained on him.

He didn't make it known to his employees, but the security measures in his penthouse and in his office ran on a separate track from the rest of the building. When the rifles got trained on him, he got up, hands up.

"Really? A tour? Or a purchase? Either way, I'd have liked to have been informed ahead of time," he said with great witticism. The private measures in his office recognized his voiceprint, a faint hydraulic hiss came from under the carpeting under his desk as several of the light fixtures on the ceiling descended, concealed turrets within them.

Initially, he was going to have them fire  shock rounds, but the rifles trained on him would likely have been fired before they could do anything. That was, until, Ryan acted, futzing about with the rifles' safeties and knocking the unwelcome guests around.

That works, too, I guess...

The hidden hatch under his desk flew open with enough force to send the desk flying off in the direction of some of the poor goons. Jumping in the trapdoor, Gai went into a panic room of sorts. Jacob and Ryan would only have a few seconds with which to get in, after which the hydraulic hatch would slam shut and lock again. Either way, Gai would buy some time to relocate himself to his gear.

That's when the shock rounds started being fired by the turrets at the invaders.


Nawi was part of the way down in the elevator when her keen hearing picked up a rumbling from the direction of the office. She couldn't reverse the elevator, so she did the next-best thing: used her enhanced strength to force open the top service hatch before scaling the shaft all the way back to the top floor with her agility. Even house-cats were able to get to high places through improbable means.

Security was scrambling when she managed to get to the top floor, a few members holding positions while a few of the more well-armed and armored members scrambled with their rifles in the direction. Nawi no longer cared that her gloves and dress had been torn up during her ascent, or that she had lost her sandals in the process; what mattered was getting to confront the disturbance.

"Tanaka-sama," one of the guards said to his superior. "Look, she's-"

Nawi's tail was at the ready behind her.

"I heard the explosion. President's office," she said.

Before anyone could stop her, she vaulted over the detector, bursting with enhanced speed in the direction of the office.

Revenant sighed as Gai activated the automated turrets, slipping away into a hidden safe room. “I hate being right sometimes.” His men took aim at the turrets, getting ready to fire. Revenant looked back to Ryan, cocking his head. “Now I wou...”

He was cut off, as his arm suddenly was pulled away from Jacobs neck, as if it was moving on its own, and Jacob was yanked away, pulled behind Ryan. He went to fire a round at the kid, but his trigger was stuck, the safety turned on on its own. “Huh, now that is interesting.”  

”I can’t, not without my watch, and that’s in the security box all the way back at the exit...” Jacob replied in his head, getting back to his feet as he rubbed the side of his neck, feeling something stuck there. ”But I think we got bigger problems.”

The wave hit the mercs, sending them into the walls, where they would fall to the floor, groaning in pain.  

Revenant, however, managed to stay on his feet, powering through the shockwave, and redirecting the desk away from his men with punch, showing surprising strength for a man his size. He then pulled a small device from one of his pouches, holding it up for them to see. “Okay, let’s start this over, you’re friend has a...” He was interrupted, as a couple “shock rounds” hit him in the chest. They didn’t seem to phase him, however, as he raised his pistol, firing at the turrets sensors, knocking them out. “Okay, as I was saying...” He growled, holding up the device again. “This is a wireless controller, linked to the device on your neck, if I hit the button, it will send a neuroshock through the system, causing agonizing pain.”  

Jacob rubbed the small device, looking to Ryan. ”Shit, I know this tech, my father built it for the military, it’s was designed for prisoners.”

“Ah good, judging by the look on your face, you recognize the tech, and know if you tamper with it, it will go off...” He looked back, as his men slowly climbed back to their feet, still in pain, but not quite out. “See, I figured Arisawa had some contigency to save his own hide, and the pretty boy here would try and be the valiant hero...” His white eyes locked onto Ryans. “But see, your powers were an, unexpected development.” He snapped his fingers.  

One of the mercenaries stepped up to the part of the floor where Gai has escaped into, pulling out a tripod from the large pack he was wearing. He set the tripod up over the hatch. A second mercenary walked over, this one pulling out what looked like some kind of high-tech turret, which he slid into place on the tripod, aiming down at the hatch.  

As it turned on, and began to glow with a blue energy, a beam emitted from the barrel, hitting the seam of the hatch, as it started to cut through slowly, smoke coming from the floor.

“Unexpected or not, you just proved yourself useful in this situation...” Revenant started walking around the barrier Ryan put up, holding up the controller, as if mocking him. “See, I know Mr. Masters here would rather die than do what I say, but he wouldn’t let me hurt a single hair on your head...” He looked back to Ryan. “Let’s see if you feel the same way...” He hit a button on the controller.

Jacobs body locked up, as he fell to the floor, screaming in pain.  

Revenants eyes never left Ryans. “The reason they never put these into service was cause the test subjects would suffer cardiac arrest after prolonged exposure...” He pressed the button again, stopping the shocks. “I want you, to use those little powers of yours, and seal anyone else out of this room, while me and men take Arisawa...” He held his hands behind his back. “After that, we are gonna walk out of this room, over to the lab, where I can make a quick download, and be on our merry way...” He stepped up to the barrier. “If you don’t, the next time pretty boy here makes the news, it will be his obituary.”

He’d expected the man to be thrown with his lackeys. Despite that, he stayed where he stood, if a little daunted by the sudden pressure that slammed into him. So they were dealing with some kind of metahuman, that much was within parameters. What he needed was Jacob to get his suit, that would make any enemies they were against a little more manageable. A plan that could have worked if he anticipated the man's response. To Gai’s attempt to escape as well as the shocking rounds that had quickly lodged into him. How much had he planned for this anyway?

Then he revealed a small device, small yet hooked with barbs that had a purpose he could guess from the look. Jacob's response all but confirmed it. Nothing with those many barbs or hooks would be for anything but being implanted into flesh, based on where the other one was that had to be true. As if tot wist the knife more, he explained it and put everything into perspective.  A kind of shock meant to stimulate the nervous system, from what he could tell. Pain without having to actually damage the flesh and delicate structure that came with it. He didn’t need to imagine the result, because the masked man was unkind enough to show them.

First the subtle sound of the device activating, and then Jacob began to writhe. Twisting as the in the most excruciating agony he could imagine. Each motion stretched out slowly as if an eternity, his mind working through everything he could do to help him. There had to be some kind of kill switch to the device. If it were meant for torture, that would mean it was supposed to have an off state. There had to be a way to forcibly disable it, right?

The first idea would have been to freeze it, no matter how sturdy something was he was sure he could destroy something's integrity with enough exposure to his energy, but would Jacob survive through the trauma that required? Despite the thinking going on underneath, no change happened on his face and his eyes did not move a millimeter. They were focused on the man making his little demands, putting the life of his friend  in his hands. It was all so simple, as if the had everything under his control.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath through his nostrils and made a choice.

Sorry, It was an apology only for Jacob, sent through the link before his barrier, a near invisible swelling of force expanded. It slipped harmlessly past the mercenaries until it contoured to the size of the room. An easy enough action, shaking the walls slightly and forcing any doors that could have been open closed. There were the blasted open windows, of course, but that just meant there was a new invisible window keeping people from just jumping through them now. His barrier he was sure now could withstand any conventional explosive available to humans at this moment.  His body was practically buzzing with energy, a kind of cold and directed energy that slowly began to quash these raging emotions.


Ryan rose to his feet, hands now clenched so tightly the skin around his knuckles became ghostly white. A raised a hand, a simple motion followed by the audible grown of metal grating against itself before ripping and the panic room hatch propelling itself against the ceiling of his expanded barrier before being settled down onto the ground. It was  now nothing more than metal, crushed into a ball rolling some before settling still.  ”Get on with it then.” His eyes remained on the man, an unspoken warning in them.

Nobody had followed him through the hatch before it shut, so he put some distance away from it before it was torn away. There had been a second vault door that shut behind Gai as he slipped his way through the hidden entrance to his personal lab - even with the best laser cutters available, a good half an hour would be spent breaching it.

He contacted his most trusted security chief and the lab operations manager with the news, then gave the lab manager the command: Omega Contingency. It was the "screw you" to corporate espionage - back up all data to physical devices at another Arisawa location off-site, then scrub everything to factory defaults.

The entire building had been put on Alert Stage Five, which gave clearance for all personnel to shoot to kill any resistance. Alarms had started going off, and security was being mobilized.

An announcement was made in Japanese, with the English follow-up being, "Alert! Level Five Security Breach! All non-security personnel evacuate immediately!"

With alerts going on and the vault door holding for now, a hidden freight elevator in his personal lab brought his customized Type-16 suit up. Unlike the current generation Type-24 (which was effectively a bipedal light-armored tank that a user entered), the Type-16 was wearable heavy armory equipped in much the same way as conventional armor, albeit far more resistant to ballistics and energy. All his usual refinements were present on this: jetpack and wrist launchers, the latter of which held the full suite of gadgets from mini-rockets to rail gun to a flamethrower.

Gai stepped in and started getting the gear on in a speedy and seamless fashion, finishing off with donning a full-face helmet with an opaque, T-shaped visor before cutting the lights and going to light-amplification, an Apollo Systems Model 9 laser pistol in his hand.


"Keep on guard - Intelli-cams are not responding," one of the approaching security members said.

Outside the executives office, a squad of four security personnel, led by a point man in a Type-24 thundered down the hall, about to open fire on the intruder in sight when the door suddenly closed. An invisible barrier seemed to be blocking any shots from getting in, even from the massive shotgun in the point man's hands - it was based on the old Soviet KS-23, making it one of the largest bore shotguns in existence.

Nawi silently followed, her acute senses picking up the scent of many people inside the office prior to the door being forced shut. There was a faint thrum elsewhere, like an elevator moving. That's when she noticed something off about one of the guards - the next most armored guard took up the rear, and he smelled of fear and desperation. His arm shook lightly as he diverted his aim from the office door to the back of the point man's head. A third guard looked back, mind still trying to process exactly where their rearguard was aiming.

Nawi burst forth with the speed of a leopard, hand swiping up, grappling with the guard that appeared to have gone rogue, the 7.62mm round glancing off of the point man's helmet rather than going through it like the rogue guard was aiming for. The weapon's report drew the attention drew the rest of the team's attention, with them brandishing their weapons at Nawi.

"Freeze!" one ordered, drawing Nawi's attention, which allowed the rogue guard to headbutt her as he drew his sidearm and desperately fire again at the point man.

"Blue on Blue! Blue on -!" one of the guards called before taking a leg shot from the rogue guard. Nawi recovered quickly, instead swiping her claws at the rogue guard's weapon, damaging the gas-system and rendering it incapable of cycling (effectively reducing it to bolt-action), following it with a backhand at the rogue guard's head, knocking him to the floor and dazing him.