Madame Science Chap 9 (Rough)

 Chapter 9

“--reservations. Can’t wait to see you. Sorry about--well. Sorry. See you tonight.”

I roll over in bed, eyes closed, and listen to Scott’s voicemail end. That’s the only question I’ve gotten an answer to today.  I’ve got a date tonight.

I blink and nearly jump to see Momento looming over my face. His upgrades didn’t make him as big as Goliath, but he’s probably about the length of my forearm and nearly as tall. His mouth clicks open. “No updates.”

“That’s depressing,” I say. Synthesis is underground. I’ve got him pinned at Hero HQ and then in front of Union Station, but that’s it. Gear was never picked up from the tunnel I left him in so I have to assume that Synthesis is traveling with a crew of three or more. “I hate when I can’t find the party.”

“Understood,” Momento says. His head cocks to the side. “Three hundred and sixty-two parties found tonight--”

“Drop it,” I say, scrubbing my face. His audio cues aren’t advanced enough for me to talk to him yet. I feel the loss of my Chicago lab all over again. Evette had been completely uncontrollable, obnoxious and, at times, concerningly sociopathic but at least she’d been a good conversationalist. “Keep searching.”

“Searching,” Momento agrees.

Goliath is curled up on the floor, yellow eyes watching as PUD-E uses her new, nimble paws to secure the lock on her chest. She’s been programmed to maintain her own explosive inventory once I manage to actually get explosives, but it’s good to see her running through the routine even without them. The Twins are chasing each other in circles. 

I frown at them. “You guys are supposed to be hive mind.” If Momento’s smart enough to run searches, Goliath to guard, and PUD-E to handle explosives, they should be smart to know going in circles doesn’t get anywhere. As I watch, Bunny Twin crashes into Unicorn Twin’s backside, causing them both to topple over. “Why?”

Bunny Twin hops up and sits on Unicorn Twin, short arms clicking up into the air as if in victory. Are they playing?

I don’t have time for this. I took an afternoon nap to try and give myself a fighting chance at staying awake tonight. If I don’t get ready soon, I’ll be late for my date. “I’ll handle you two later.”

The Unicorn Twin whinnies pitifully, writhing so that it inches across the carpet, its sibling still riding on top.

The sushi place Scott and I like is about halfway between his place and mine. Scott likes it for the tempura, but I'm more of a fan of the low-lighting and intimate seating. Red track lighting running along the main pathway through the tables lends the place a modern, sexy vibe that’s at odds with the traditional, bamboo fountain that claims the front half of the dining area.

I check my watch. I normally never wear one, but with all of the villains running around lately it’s better safe than sorry. Scott should be here soon. 

“I have a reservation,” I tell the host, leaning one elbow on the counter. “It’s a hot date.”

Trey huffs a laugh. “I thought that was you on the reservations. It’s been a while.” He presses a few keys on his computer. “I’ve got two tables, one by the bar and a booth.”

“Booth,” I say immediately. I resist the urge to touch my cheek. I’m sure I did a decent enough job covering up my bruises and scrapes from my fight with Gear, but a little more low-lighting wouldn’t hurt. “Take your time, he’s not quite here.”

“Men,” Trey says, “they take forever to get ready.” He disappears behind the fountain to get the table set.

I pull at the collar of my turtleneck. It’d been difficult to find a nice date outfit that looked like something I’d usually wear while also covering up my injuries. I’d have liked to wear heels but had to abandon that idea when I found a rather nasty bruise climbing up my calf. Boots and jeans are a little less formal than I’d like, but the green turtleneck and long, amethyst necklace manage to save the whole outfit. The necklace, a gift from Scott, guarantees that he won’t comment on how I usually hate long sleeves.

I have a purse with me today, a long, cross-body bag with a few secrets in it. I pull out my phone and check for messages. None. That’s fine, Scott’s probably driving. 

“Ready?” Trey asks, reappearing with menus in his hand.

“Yes, thank you.”

It’s 6pm on the dot. I follow Trey pass filled tables towards the back of the restaurant. Small groups chat quietly over their meals, filling the air with quiet murmurs and laughter. Glasses clink and chopsticks click. 

The booth Trey has for us today is in the back corner. There’s a small, decorative side table that puts some distance between it and the bathroom. A small cluster of mason jars filled with dim fairy lights hangs over the table. 

I take the seat that puts my back to the wall, thanking Trey again when he informs me the server will be right over. I check my phone again and shoot Scott a quick message asking him what his ETA is.

“Christine, long time no see!”

I drop my phone like it’s hot, screen down, and smile up at Sera. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

“That’s a long time,” Sera says. She’s wearing her thick, black hair in a bun today, a butterfly clip stuck in the side of it. “You guys find a new spot?”

“Just busy,” I say. Please don’t ask, please don’t ask, please don’t ask--

“Where’s Scott?” Sera asks. Her thin brows draw down. “On his way?”

There it is. I like Sera a lot. She’s a geology major working the weekends to pay for tuition. She’s kind and considerate which is why she often gives me complimentary drinks when Scott’s running late.

It’s also why she remembers that Scott is often late.

I feel like she’s staring at my phone, somehow aware that it doesn’t have any messages. “Yeah, you know how it is. Work.”

“On a Saturday?” Sera asks. “He’s a substitute teacher, isn’t he?”

Damn her attention to detail. I cough into my hand. “Work meeting.” I pick up the menu. “Any special drinks tonight?”

“We have a new cocktail actually,” Sera says. She pulls out her notepad, voice kind. “The Easter Bunny. It’s a citrus drink. I’ll bring you one, on the house.”

“Just put two on our bill, please,” I say. “Scott likes citrus.” Her pity burns, unnecessary as it is. 

“I’ll have those right out then,” Sera says and actually pats my shoulder before walking away.

I snatch up my phone and dial Scott’s number. It rings through to voicemail. “Hey, Scott, I’m at the restaurant.” I try to sound light and casual. It’s only ten minutes after 6, hardly late at all. My foot taps under the table. “I ordered us some drinks. Let me know when you get here.”

Why didn’t he answer? I set bluetooth up in his car a week after we moved out here. Could he have forgotten his phone at home? I unfold my napkin and put it on my lap so I can twist it out of sight. 

It’s getting louder now as the dinner crowd thickens. Saturday is a busy night and it’s only because we’re regulars that we’d gotten a table.  I can see the door through a gap in the bamboo fountain. There’s a pair, both with red hair. No Scott. A man with a baby on his hip, talking animatedly to another man behind him. No Scott. A woman in a three piece suit walks in backwards as she gestures to her partner. No Scott.

“Sorry for the wait,” Sera says. She sets down two glasses filled with bright, fluorescent yellow alcohol. She bites her cheek when she sees Scott’s empty seat. “I’ll give you a couple minutes.”

I watch her walk away and try to not let her assumptions get to me. She’s probably seen a hundred people like me, sitting alone, waiting. It’s not her fault she thinks I’m the same as them, trapped in an unhappy relationship. The drink is sour with a small twinge of sweet in the aftertaste. I should get something salty to balance it out while I wait.  I flip open the menu. 

It’s twenty minutes after 6 when I give in and send Scott another text. Everything okay? Maybe he got called in. It wouldn’t be a surprise considering how many players are in town. I check the news and hate myself for being disappointed that there hasn’t been any recent fights. It’s not a very hero thought to have.

I order edamame, avoiding Sera’s knowing eyes. I’m finished with my drink so I switch Scott’s and I’s glasses. The alcohol is hitting me a little sooner than expected on an empty stomach. I hold off on drinking Scott’s for now.

At 6:40 I call Scott again. “Scott, it’s me. Still at the restaurant.” I wrestle with the anger in my stomach and finally say, “I’m just going to go home. Hope everything’s okay.”

I pick up Scott’s drink and drain half of it in one go. My cheeks are hot. The dining room is packed with people and I’ve noticed more than a few glances my way. I’d be able to handle the embarrassment if Scott was here. If he was here, waiting forty-five minutes might be worth it.

“Scott’s got called into work,” I tell Sera when she comes around next. If she notices how tense my shoulders are, she doesn’t mention it. “Sorry for taking up a table. If I could just get the check--”

“We’ve got a new dinner combo,” Sera interrupts. There’s heat behind her eyes and she dashes her pen across her order pad. “I’ll get you one. How does miso sound?”

“No,” I protest, “no, I should go home, I--”

“It’s better to eat after drinking one of those,” Sera says, pointing at my empty glass with her pen. She eyes the rest of Scott’s. “I’ll bring you another.”

“I have to drive.” 

“Uber,” Sera retorts and strides away to put the order in.

I slump back into the booth. There’s not much food in my fridge and I’ve already sat through the worst of the stares. I’ll eat whatever Sera recommends, make my excuses in a desperate attempt to save face, and then go. Maybe have another drink. My car’s self-driving.

My head tips back to the upholstered seat and I stare at the mason jar lights swinging gently overhead. Maybe I should give up on dates for a little bit. I’ve got more than my share on my plate and I’m sure Scott does too. 

“Mind if I sit here?”

I jerk my eyes away from the ceiling. I know that voice. That smooth, sibilant voice that could sell his own mother on moon cheese if he wanted. 

Kayn.

The man standing at the edge of my booth looks like he could have stepped off the front cover of GQ. He’s always had a taste for the finer things in life and it shows in the gleam of his watch, the slim cut of his casual suit, and the diamonds glinting at his wrists. His hair is longer than when I last saw him, chocolate brown curling around his ears to a bare inch above his collar. 

It’s only because I’m looking for a weapon that I see the hearing aids tucked into his ears. Mannaz glows in the center of the matte black devices.

“Please?” he asks with a boyishly charming smile. He’s always been good at that--looking innocent.

I pat at my mouth with my napkin so I have a reason to put my hands under the table where he can’t see me grip my phone. “Kayn.” His name comes out like a curse. I grit my teeth and smile. “I’d prefer you didn’t.”

He laughs like I’m joking and sits anyway, unbuttoning his jacket as he does. Now that he’s closer, I can see there are diamonds in his watch as well as his cufflinks. Kayn’s always been about the tangible things our powers can get us, not the knowledge I’ve always pursued. I learned that the hard way.

I scan the room. Nobody else knows what this man is. A traitor. A terrorist. The worst sort of leech. The other diners are absorbed in their own meals and the few who do notice Kayn sitting with me look relieved I’m not alone anymore. Across the room, Sera catches my eye and waggles her eyebrows.

Oh, walnuts.

“You look good, Christine,” Kayn says. His eyes rake over me and I curl my lip at the action. He grins. “Am I interrupting something?”

I switch my phone to taser-mode. “Yes.”

Kayn cocks his head like he can hear the low hum of electricity. Maybe he can. His hearing aids are the first and last original invention he’s ever made in his life. Who knows what he’s incorporated into them in the last seven years? He chuckles. “Now, now, Christine, you should be thanking me. Your date doesn’t seem to be going very well, is it?”

It’s not a leap to put together my outfit and the restaurant and come up with date. But the way he says it, eyes glinting with glee, tells me he knows it was supposed to be a date. My lips thin. “You’ve been watching me.”

“I’ve been looking for you,” Kayn corrects. He twists and spots Sera making her way over to us. He smiles at her but talks to me. “Relax, I’m helping you save face.”

I wish I’d brought my gloves. “It’s not my face that’s in danger.”

“Hush, not in front of the civilians,” Kayn says. He clasps his hands together when Sera arrives. “Hello! I happened to run into Christine here and would love to dine with her tonight. Is it at all possible to put an order in?”

“I’ll just take mine to go--” I start to say, but Sera interrupts me.

“Of course!”

“Thank you so much,” Kayn says, totally overdoing it. He picks a few rolls and adds, “Could I get one of whatever Christine’s drinking? And another round for her, of course.”

I’m not getting drunk with Kayn. I smile tightly at Sera. “Actually, I’m fine--”

“Nonsense,” Kayn says. “I’ll drive.” And then he winks at me.

“Wonderful,” Sera says, jotting it down. “I’ll have your food come out at the same time.”

“Really?” Kayn meets my eyes, satisfaction in every line of his face. “That would be delightful. It’s been such a long time since we caught up.”

Sera titters. Titters. Sera. Sera who has not once laughed at any of Scott’s jokes. “I’ll have that right out for you!” She steps away from the table, out of Kayn’s line of sight. She catches my eye, gives me a hearty thumbs up, and mouths Better!

I nearly taze Kayn on principal right then and there. I suck in a deep breath. Keep it together, Christine. Room full of civilians. “Why aren’t you in prison?”

Kayn snaps out his napkin. “That’s a rude question to ask a gentleman. If you must know, I was never in prison.”

My finger tightens over the trigger. “Bull. You were arrested for treason. You’re supposed to be in prison.”

“Yes,” Kayn says. His eyes flash and his chiseled jaw flexes. “Thank you so much for that, by the way.”

“You’re welcome,” I say and mean it. Kayn’s power is another one of those the government doesn’t recognize. Any device, compound, or structure he sees, he can build. I wouldn’t mind that except for what he does with the things he copies. Like selling them to foreign nations as weapons. My teeth grind. “Laia got you out of it.” She could find her way into any system, including the one labeling Kayn as a terrorist.

The change in Kayn is electric. He comes to attention in his seat, tension running through his shoulders.  “Not in public,” Kayn  hisses, eyes flicking around the room. He scowls at me. “Club rules, Christine. Do you need a reminder?” He leans forward. “We. Don’t. Say. Her. Name.”

“We’re not in college anymore,” I hiss back. I match him, lowering my voice so no one has a chance to overhear. “And, even if we were, the Normal Club would be disbanded after what you did--”

“I was merely running a business,” Kayn says. “I don’t think you have room to judge, Madame Science.”

I sit back, jaw working. I shouldn’t be surprised that he knows about my villain persona, but I am. 

“Pretty ironic,” Kayn continues. “You turn me in for one little weapon’s sale and then debut as a villain as soon as you don’t like the law.” He rubs his chin. “Is that irony? Or hypocrisy? I can never remember.” 

“I didn’t hurt people.” 

“Funny, neither did I. Not directly, at least.” He sits back as well and rubs his thumb across his chin. “But that’s all water under the bridge now, isn’t it? Now we’re both the government’s dogs.”

“What?”

“She didn’t get me out of prison,” Kayn says. He falls silent as Sera approaches and drops our drinks off. “Thank you.” He watches Sera leave after a murmured you’re welcome. “That waitress is quite good at reading the mood. We should leave her a nice Yelp review.”

“Kayn,” I say, voice tight. I didn’t keep up with Kayn after I turned him in. I’d been too busy dropping out of school and putting as much distance between me and his treasonous actions as possible. “What do you mean she didn’t get you out of prison?”

“I cut a deal,” Kayn says. He plays with the sugared rim of his drink and frowns at the yellow alcohol. “What is this, by the way? It looks absolutely vile.”

“It’s an Easter Bunny,” I snap. “Stop deflecting.”

Kayn sighs. “Straight to the point as always.” He sips, grimaces, and sets the drink down. “The Department of Defense saw a use for my talents. They took me in and we lived happily ever after.”

“You,” I say flatly. “You work for the DOD?”

“I couldn’t work for the Hero Force,” Kayn says, rolling his eyes. Like me, his power doesn’t quite fit into super-powered criteria. “Shame that. They pay better.” 

“That’s not--” I take a deep breath. “Why?”

“Because they wanted tech and I can build it,” Kayn says. “It’s really not complicated. I’m actually more of a consultant these days. Like you.” 

I stare at him. “I don’t believe you.”

Kayn flashes me a quick smile. “That’s because you’re too suspicious. You haven’t changed.” He reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a leather fold. He flips it open to reveal a badge. “My card, if you would.”

I snatch the badge out of his hand, eyes darting to him to make sure he doesn’t try anything. It’s identical to the one I carry into DOD offices when I have cause to go in, right down to the security seal threaded around the ID picture. I swear. “You work for the DOD.”

“I work for the DOD,” Kayn sing-songs. He holds out his hand for his badge and his lips quirk when I toss it onto the table instead. “That’s why I’m in LA. For a case.” He raises one eyebrow. “The case.”

I take a breath to speak and slam my mouth shut as I spot Sera heading towards us. “Put your badge away.”

Kayn obliges and we both sit in silence as Sera sets our orders down. The house special roll is monstrously large, shrimp tempura sticking out of both ends. 

“Wow,” I say.

“It’s really good,” Sera promises me. “You’ll like it.”

“Looks good,” I lie. How do I even put a piece in my mouth?

Kayn looks like he wants to laugh. “We’ll share.”

Sera smiles, approving. “Can I get you anything else?”

“We’re good, thank you, darling,” Kayn says, eyes warm. Sera doesn’t seem to mind the endearment and goes to tend to her other tables. Kayn glances at my meal. “Hungry?”

“Shut up.” I’m too tense to eat anyway. Kayn’s the only one I can think of who’d leave Mannaz as a signature at the attack site, but if he’s working for the DOD… I take a risk. “Really classy leaving a calling card at the scene of the crime. What do you think the DOD will think of that one?”

Kayn nearly chokes on his sushi. “You think I--?” He laughs. “I’m not the only one from club in the world. That’s actually why the DOD has entrusted me with this particular case. I know all the old club members, after all. It stands to reason I’d have a few suspects lined up.”

Meaning that Mr. Government Man knew about my affiliation with the Normal Club when he asked. Damnit. Was this case a test? Or a trap?

“You put my name on the suspect list,” I say. It’s the only reason I can think of for Kayn to be looking for me. The others in the club forgave him for stealing their inventions and selling them, but I never did.

“I would have loved turning you over to them,” Kayn confesses. “The look on your face...but, no. Imagine my disappointment to find you working for them too.” He sighs. “Oh well.  I suppose it’s somewhat poetic that we’ll be working together instead.”

That nearly makes me drop my taser. “We are not working together.”

“But we are,” Kayn says. “Agent Ronalds has approved it. Something about your analysis taking too long? You’re to help me and my team discover what exactly caused the craters. Once we know that, finding the perpetrator should be easy.”

“It’s barely been four days,” I say.

Kayn clicks his tongue. “As I said, taking too long.” He eats a piece of sushi. “Mm, mine is quite good. Do you want a piece?”

“No.”  I want to squeeze my eyes shut to get my head wrapped around everything, but I don’t dare take my eyes off of him. “I don’t reconstruct tech for the DOD. It’s not part of my deal.”

“You won’t have to,” Kayn says. “They’ve given me a lab. Full team of delightful people working on this case 24/7. Stop by tomorrow and see if anything we’ve come up with looks like it could fit the bill.”

I don’t even have to think about that one. “No.”

Kayn hums and throws back his drink like a shot. “Neither you or I have a choice.” He stands and pulls out his wallet. “I’ll pay on the way out. This counts as a business expense.”

“I’m not--”

Kayn’s already walking away, waving a hand over his shoulder. A message pings on my phone, a time and location. 

I cross my arms. Now that I know Kayn’s in town, I’ve got another person to avoid, contracts or no. He’s dangerous and a backstabber. “I’m not going.”