Electron & Berserker

“Hey, Sweetheart,” a less deep, though still clearly modulated, Voice of Reason greeted.

“Did you change the voice?” Electron asked, “Or should I ask you something to confirm your identity?”

“You probably should, just in case.”

That was confirmation enough, but he aimed to please.

“What’s my girlfriend’s name?”

“Unless things have changed since yesterday, you are single; and even if you had a girlfriend, why would you tell me?”

“You passed,” Electron said.

“I have a ping for you, by the way. The guys we fought before, when you met Berserker, they have another meeting planned. It might be an ambush. I can lead you there.”

“Why do I have a feeling the address Berserker gave me for where to meet him is going to match?”

“When did Berserker tell you to meet him?” Reason asked.

“Stopped at my work again. I said I’d follow his lead because I owed him one for saving my life.”

“Oh,” Reason said, “He did save your life.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“If I was connected to Xer, he would have a missive on the way to him yesterday,” she promised.

“Great, glad I was confiding facts about my life to you last night.”

“You and I both know I would have used those details by now if I had any desire to.”

“Do I?” Electron asked.

“No, but you do trust me, right?”

More than he should.

“Wholeheartedly.”

“Alright, time to help Berserker stop some bad guys.”

As expected, Berserker was on a building near the location Reason led Electron to.

“I knew you’d figure it out,” Berserker said.

“Reason’s sources worked as well as your instincts, I guess.”

“She’s pretty smart,” Berserker said.

“Understatement,” Electron said.

“Stop, you are making me blush,” Reason said with minimal tone.

Berserker proceeded to sit down on the edge and grab a bag of chips from one of his pockets.

“Want any?” he offered.

“I can’t take off my face plate,” Electron said.

“It’s not like I don’t know what you look like under there.”

“What?” Reason asked.

“Right,” Electron said, “You accosted me at work. Don’t do that again, please.”

“Why not?”

Electron shook his head. Nothing would get through Berserker’s skull based on previous interactions.

The building seemed empty, unlike the one before with the lot-worth of cars.

“Did we get here early?” Electron asked.

“Oh, definitely. There’s nothing worth hurting us over around these parts.”

Electron looked Berserker over.

“Don’t act like things you care about don’t conveniently get put in danger even with your secret identity intact,” Berserker said, “That’s why I don’t have one.”

Electron wasn’t fully sure how to put his fascination into words, but fascinating was definitely accurate. Why and how was Berserker like this?

“Why are you staring?”

“I’m not staring,” Electron lied.

Berserker imitated the angle of Electron’s head, clearly proving him wrong.

“You give me a disturbed fascination that I won’t elaborate on,” Electron explained.

Berserker nodded.

“Right on.”

They sat in silence, watching the building until a single vehicle appeared and Berserker stood up.

“I’m going in.”

“What?”

There was one vehicle. If there was any communication, they would warn anyone else who was supposed to come. They’d never catch these guys.

“And how are you going to stop me?”

Electron tried to pull at any metal on Berserker, but his coat was conveniently buttonless, at least when it came to metal buttons.

“How did you plan ahead for that?”

“Can’t hear you, fighting bad guys.”

Berserker quickly left hearing range, jumping all the way to the roof of the building.

“Is it bad I kind of just want to let them kill him, get him out of everyone’s hair forever?”

“Not that you will,” Reason said.

“No, I won’t, but I’ll let him get beat up first.”

“I really should improve the sights on your helmet so I can watch.”

Electron chuckled.

“I love you so much.”

“What?”

“Is that a problem? You’re my friend and I—”

“No, no, no problem, just unexpected. Friend feels inaccurate though, You and I are more like—”

“Partners.”

“Yes,” Reason confirmed, “I am your partner, that does maybe 20% of the work.”

“As if I could figure any of this out without you, 30% at least.”

“Flatterer.”

He smiled.

“I aim to please.”

Two more vehicles came up, and their passengers already had their guns drawn.

“That’s my cue.”

He took Berserker’s entrance in, missing the first shot that hit Berserker, but stopping any more bullets.

“You guys had to know I was coming, right?”

They dropped their guns and put their hands behind their heads in surrender.

“And your people aren’t coming here again,” he heard Berserker say, catching him with a hand of fire near the boss’ face.

“What are you doing?” Electron asked.

“You think I have any control over the higher ups?” the prisoner asked.

“I think you have just enough influence to tell them what I told you,” Berserker said, barely any room between his eyes and the man’s.

“Fine!”

Berserker turned the fire off and threw the guy to the ground.

“What happens if the cops get to him first?” Electron asked.

“He’ll get the message sent. You shouldn’t have a problem with these guys for awhile.”

“Did he just get rid of our lead?” Reason asked.

“I don’t think we can stop him,” Electron said.

“See ya, buddy,” Berserker said, patting Electron’s shoulder, “Good luck with the red-head.”

“With whom?” Reason asked.

Electron grabbed Berserker’s arm before he could leave the building.

“What is this about?”

Berserker was deflecting from whatever reason he had to obscure their lead, but no amount of cryptic information was going to let him off the hook.

Berserker seemed to understand as he sighed, his eyes glancing to the side.

“Brave knight, you don’t want to know.”

Electron let him go as he looked where Berserker glanced, spotting a pair of suppressor cuffs

“Why would an organization meant to help superhumans have suppressor cuffs?” Reason asked.

Even if Berserker was insane, Electron couldn’t fault his choices.

“Let’s hope the cops miss whoever that was.”

Pete expected Berserker to jump at him again as he left work, but instead he noticed Catherine leaning back on the hood of his car. He quietly moved to sit next to her.

“Sorry,” Catherine said after a few moment of silence.

“Sorry for what?” Pete asked, genuinely unconvinced.

“I talked with someone recently, and so many strange things have happened, so I figured out that I should explain things to you, in person.”

“Explain what?” Pete asked. He’d hoped this apology would be making up for the fact she was ignoring him, not excusing it.

“I found some things out, about me and Eisel.”

“He’s not your biological father, is he?”

Catherine admired her father as much as Pete did, probably more so, the prospect that she could be unrelated to him…

Catherine shook her head.

“Not related in the slightest, but we are connected in a way I cannot sever.”

Pete instinctively grabbed her hand.

“What has he done?”

“I told you about these, right?” she held up her right arm, which he’d now learned was cybernetic, pointing awkwardly to her false eye, “How Eisel is the reason I have them?”

“Yes.”

“Well there may have been more involved in the procedure.”

“Like what?”

Catherine looked at him, struggling with something.

“Whatever he did to you isn’t your fault.”

“Of course not, but there is nothing I can do, except keep you out of it.”

Pete held her tighter, though she made no show of leaving.

“Cate.”

“I know Mandie is unconvincible when it comes to leaving me, but I refuse to hurt you.”

“You’re hurting me right now.”

She looked away.

“You should just stop worrying about me. You would be better off if you forgot all about—”

He grabbed her other arm.

“Do you seriously think you can just tell me to stop worrying about you? Cate, I—”

“Have a life, have a family. I will not be another burden for you,” she insisted.

“I want you as a burden, Cate. I care about you. When will you get that in your skull?”

She just stared at him.

“I dropped everything to help you while Mandie was in the hospital,” Pete said.

“I can—”

“Do you know why I did that?”

“Because Pete Gionelli is a good man,” Catherine said.

Pete shook his head.

“Because I care about you. I’ll take whatever I can get to be in your life, but please don’t cut me out.”

She refused to look at him. He grabbed her face so she was forced to stare at him.

“I can help you with Eisel,” he offered.

“No,” Cate pleaded, “And you trying will only make things worse. He already talks about you like a piece on the board. I refuse to wait and see what he does when he decides that piece is no longer worth keeping.”

“Then tell me you don’t want to see me,” Pete said, finally letting go, “Tell me I’m a problem, and that I hurt you, because I’ll leave if you actually want me to, but Catherine Piec doesn’t dance around a point like this. Catherine Piec says what she thinks, and doesn’t fucking notice if she’s making other people uncomfortable, and it’s one of my favorite things about her.”

“Fine,” Catherine deflated, natural eye looking down, “I think we,” she pointed at both of them, “End poorly, because Eisel is so focused on me, that the moment I start going against his image of what he wants me to be, he starts looking for sources.

“Mandie is safe. Even if he would hurt my sister, she has too many skillsets to be in true danger. You are the son of a man he hates, and a tie back to what my father left him for. For the sake of your survival, our friendship has to die.”

“So you’ve made the executive decision?” Pete asked.

“Yes.”

There was Cate. No way to stop her unless she could be proven wrong, and she didn’t sound interested in being proven wrong.

Pete still hadn’t heard her say he was hurting her.

“So you think I’m worse off with you than without you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I know Henry Eisel,” Catherine said, “And I know you. One of you has got to give, and he holds all the cards.”

Pete leaned in, voice lowering closer to what he used with Electron.

“Don’t be so sure.”

Catherine flinched before leaning closer in. That was a good sign.

“I won’t let you break off communication just because you’re scared.” Pete said, “I appreciate that you’re worried for me, and the feeling’s mutual, but I’d rather deal with Eisel than lose you.”

Catherine’s expression was steeled as ever.

“On a different note,” Pete said, not missing this opportunity “Were you aware your grandfather was involved in Project Kurtzberg?”

“What?”

“Supersoldier program, found superhumans before we were public knowledge and enlisted them into a special military force.”

“My grandfather had powers?”

“Living Radio,” Pete said, “Had great hearing too.”

Catherine suddenly scowled.

“You changed the subject to get the last word in.”

“What else do you need?” Pete asked, “I accept the risk, Cate. Henry Eisel can can do his fucking worst as long as I don’t lose you again.”

Catherine shook her head.

“Don’t—” Pete began.

“In person. Stop calling me.”

“What?”

“And a neutral location. Neither of our homes or workplaces.”

“Do you want me to call a motel or—”

“No, nothing that would record us. No cameras on the cafe down the block. As long as one of us has cash in hand…”

Pete wasn’t convinced the caution was necessary, but he’d survive, especially because she chose somewhere within walking distance.

“Meet there during lunch?” Pete asked.

Catherine nodded.

“Okay,” Pete agreed, finally releasing his hold on her.

“Okay?” Catherine asked.

“It’s something. At least I get to see you regularly.”

She gave a shy smile, extending a hand for a handshake. Pete took it, awkwardly.

She pulled him in for a kiss, which he quickly deepened, pulling her in closer, until she just barely pushed him so he knew to give her space. He still leaned his forehead on hers though.

“Good talk,” he said. She shook her head.

“See you soon, Pete.”

He watched her leave before getting into his car, which wouldn’t start.

“Shit.”