Chapter 418

“You need a new wardrobe.” Fel said to him as he opened the door. She’d taken all of one glance at him, and practically laughed. The college student and part time super-secret agent was dressed in a very trendy, eye-catching outfit. One that, had James not known any better, he would have questioned the practicality of. How exactly, she would fight off people in those boots, and that skirt, he had no idea. Then again, he was safe now. They were safe now. So, she didn’t have anything to worry about. And, he had a sinking feeling if something had happened to Fel, he doubted she’d have any trouble taking care of herself.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Compared to her outfit, he was pretty bland. He’d just thrown on his normal set of school clothes. Jeans, and a t-shirt. The one he was wearing at the moment, had a fluffy white cat shooting laser beam from its eyes, while riding on a raptor.

“They look like you’re some fan boy at a book convention.” She said simply. “No wonder you don’t have many irl friends.” Fel offered him a smile with a laugh. “Though, I suppose you’ve got guts, and you’re not so bad, once people get to know you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” James said, shaking his head. “Guess I should hire people as my bodyguards first, before trying to make friends, huh?”

“Wouldn’t recommend that.” She retorted with a grin. “Paying for friends is a poor tactic. Besides, you couldn’t afford the rates.”

They both laughed, the air between the two jovial. They’d only known each other for a small amount of time, but it felt like a lifetime. He owed her his life. Literally. And he knew he could never repay that.

“So,” Fel stepped past him, her eyes locking on immediately to the only thing different from the last time she’d been there. Dagger. “This your gift?”

At that, Dagger walked up to her, sniffing around her legs, tail wagging. To any bystander, it seemed perfectly normal.

“Yup. Say hello to Fel, Dagger.”

“Greetings Felecia. Or, should I say, R?” The voice caused Fel to flinch, and she immediately took a step back, eying the dog appraisingly. James saw a slight twitch cross her face at the last part.

“Did you tell it about it me?” Fel asked accusingly? “The whole point of a secret identity, is keeping it secret.”

“James did not.” Dagger piped in. “I was able to access that data during a quick scan of your identity chip, while greeting you in a disarming fashion. Should I not have made such knowledge public?”

“Maybe, next time just send me a data readout on the person?” James offered, and Dagger barked in response. He knew, ahead of time, that Dagger was able to do that little trick. He’d even asked the dog to sniff about Fel and see what it could discern. He’d not expected the robot to say it out loud though. Having the day off with Dagger was definitely going to be vital for preparing to use it at school. He just hoped the AI learning would kick in sooner, rather than later.

“Neat trick,” Fel said, a slight stiffness to her voice. “Probably warn a girl next time, before you secretly start testing your toys out on them.”

James, didn’t have a witty response for that, and just nodded.

“Your uh, stuff is still in the guest room.” That had been part of her reason for coming, after all. “You going to grab it, so we can be on our way?”

“Yeah, you probably didn’t want to have it hanging out in your house aways.” She made her way through the kitchen and past the living room, to the hallway that led to the room she’d used. “Last ditch measures and such in case I failed. Not nice things to leave laying around.”

James really didn’t want to know what that entailed. Given the technology and skills she’d used against the hackers, his mind was already racing over what things she may have kept in reserve, just in case she’d failed. The two main things his mind went to, were EMP and bomb. So, technically, a single thing. And if she’d had a bomb sitting casually in his house…and he’d been asleep, unknowing. It, was not a fun thought.

“Any chance robo-dog-“

“-Dagger.” James corrected.

“Dagger,” Fel said with a sigh, “can get into your parents workshop? I’m already more than a little impressed over fido there. It makes me wonder, what else they have hidden here.”

“First off, his name’s Dagger.” James pressed. “And yeah, he can open the door, but not till tomorrow. Apparently, my parents applied a time lock on it, so I wouldn’t go snooping right away.”

Fel made a clicking sound with her tongue, the black bag slung casually over her shoulder making James wince. He sent a silent message to Dagger, asking if the dog could scan the bag’s contents.

“Should have figured that. Unlike you, they actually plan ahead.” She laughed and walked past him and Dagger, making her way out the door. “Now, come on. You can fill me in on Dagger’s capabilities as we head to the hospital. Gotta make a quick stop to drop this bag off anyways, before we get there.”

As she said that, James received an image, and message, on his AR glasses. As he’d expected…the bag contained a bomb. The readouts that Dagger was sending him though, made him even more uncomfortable.

Fel had used government grade tools when she’d been protecting James against the intruders. And it was no secret, at least to James, that Fel’s organization, Phoenix Down, had government ties. Organizations such as hers were usually used by high-ranking government officials, to provide specialized protection and assistance outside of, and above, the capabilities of Enforcers.

The object in the bag though, sent chills down his spine. It was known as a Vital-Pact, or VP for short. People…usually called it a VP as well, just because it was, er, very powerful. The bomb was capable of killing any living creature within a certain radius, dependent on the settings. The readouts he’d received regarding it, showed the last settings had narrowed the bomb’s proximity to his house, and the yard around it.

What made VP’s unique, was they were linked to the vitals of a singular person. They were literally dead man switch triggered weapons, used as a deterrent to help against assassination attempts, and hostage situations. Once the bombs were armed, only the individual who had armed them, could disarm them. And if the vitals on that individual flatlined, before the bomb was disabled, it would release a powerful set of frequencies that, when combined, would cause brain function in humans within range to cease.

If it wasn’t so deadly, people would consider the weapons nothing more than glorified speakers. These speakers though, also known as the Voice of Purgatory, were impossible to defend against, and could be hidden in practically any location, given their small size. Such weapons, were also the reason why truth serums, and virtual prisons, had been created… Because just straight up killing people, especially those with money, or nefarious intentions, was a very dangerous task, that could trigger potential disasters.

All of that aside, what was most terrifying about the whole situation, was Fel had one. Given their deadly nature, the construction of VPs was closely guarded and monitored. The only way she could have gotten one, was through a very, very high-level government connection. And the fact she’d brought it with her, meant one other thing.

The intruders had been in the house not only for James, but with instructions to break into his parents workshop as well. And the only way that bomb would have detonated, was if Fel had died. And in James’s mind, that meant two things. Either it was extremely important James wasn’t captured, or it was vital that his parent’s workshop wasn’t breached.

Considering the plan concocted by Hades and Fel to have James captured had been given the greenlight by the government, that meant the first option was out. Meaning, whatever was in his parents workshop, was important enough that Fel had been given a literal doomsday weapon. And, James couldn’t help but wonder, if that meant everything done to protect him, had really been about him, or his parents works. It, was not a reassuring thought.

“You coming James?” Fel asked suddenly, and he realized he’d been standing there, having an existential crisis, for at least a few minutes.

“Sorry, sorry,” James glanced at Dagger, and then at Fel, his eyes lingering on the bag. Something, that the ever observant Fel, noticed immediately.

“You’re wondering about what’s in the bag?” She paused, as she glanced down at Dagger. “No, you know what’s in the bag. And you’re wondering why.”

James nodded, having not moved a single inch.

“Well, come on.” She motioned for him to follow. “I’ll fill you in as we walk. I’m assuming your metal pup there can create a privacy shield around us?”

A privacy shield was a bubble of white noise and other such interference, that could allow for conversations to be held completely private, without any possible way of interception.

“He can.” James replied slowly. He was still running through the fact his parents work was more important to the government than his own life was. And, it was making him also doubt the intentions of everyone who had been helping him.

“Good, then lets go. If we are late, it’s on you. I’m not setting up another visit for you.” And without another word, Fel was leaving.

“Well Dagger,” James whispered, looking at Fel’s back and the bag, totally not her legs, as she walked away. “You’ll keep me safe, yeah?”

“That is my prime objective, yes.” The dog responded. “You are my sole purpose.”

“Well, at least my parents love me.” James muttered to himself, as he followed Fel, Dagger right on his heels. At least, there was that.