Published at 25th of September 2026 8:25 am

Chapter 54 Operation

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Mr. Blakely, Ill admit I didnt think youd get in touch ahead of our deadline, Ezekiel said.

I dont like to waste time. Especially given how limited yours is, and how valuable mine is, I replied.

Francesca glares at me, but I do not care about her feelings regarding my tone or words. It might be petty of me, but I do not enjoy being ambushed. I am the one who will deliver salvation to her family. Her decrepit, rotting cadaver of a grandfather will owe his life to me. It is my doctor who will save his life. It is my decision that has granted him an extended lifespan. I will own you and your grandfather. Ezekiel either doesnt care about my dig, or is such a pro that hes not letting it show on his face.

The public setting of our meet-up is a calculated move on my part. Showing them that I'm not afraid of being seen. Hiding in the shadows, clandestine meetings in the dark, whispered words in secret locations- all of it is beneath me. Projecting strength and unwavering confidence in the face of two new recruits is the most important thing. Especially after they caught me off guard last time, they'll learn, the same way the others have, that I am not to be underestimated. Nobody cannot be intimidated, strong-armed, or ambushed without consequences. I'm sure it's just the vindictiveness talking, but wow, do I have the urge to hurt these two. I wont, though. That would be short-sighted and stupid to act on, so I'll keep the collar tight and leash short on my more destructive personality pieces.

Are y'all ready to order? The waitress asked.

I scan her name tag. Penny is a bigger girl, but not in an unattractive way. The freckles and dimples really help sell the friendly demeanor she's presenting. The window-side booth at The Abbey gives off a clear view of the street and the congested six-way intersection known as Main Ave. It's not actively snowing, so plenty of people pass by, heading for their offices or maybe out to do some Christmas shopping. Dark oak wood, brass finishes, and a menagerie of Quinstin sports teams memorabilia on the walls sell the British pub look and feel of The Abbey. The faux green leather booths are comfortable, but also have cuts in them from unattended children or destructive fidgeting of anxious adults. It's a pleasant place, and at one thirty in the afternoon it's plenty busy. Several televisions display last night's game, and there's a wonderful smell of roast and stew present. By coming here at this time, I've guaranteed that there will be no violence to either party.

I'll have a glass of iced water, thank you, I said.

After a deep breath, Ezekiel manages to ask for some chamomile tea.

I'll get a gin and tonic, Francesca answered.

I'll get that in right away and be back soon, Penny said, smiling as she 180ed towards the kitchen.

Please, feel free to order whatever you'd like, I offered. I'll handle the bill. After we finish lunch, I'll hold up my end of our deal.

Ezekiel lets out a painful-sounding cough that turns into a violent fit. A few nearby people glance over at the old man while Francesca rubs his back soothingly. Bringing these two on introduces a new dynamic to the group, one that hasn't been present before. They will be loyal to me, but they'll have a pre-existing loyalty to each other first. That is why the two of them won't be working together in any capacity. Ezekiel will be joining Momentus, but Francesca will be working exclusively for me. An assistant, not just for Eryk Blakely but for Nobody. Having someone to help coordinate my two lives will be very helpful. It also serves the purpose of keeping the one person Ezekiel cares about close to me. A subtle reminder that I can kill her if he gets any ideas about stepping out of line after I've fixed him. Francesca holds his breathing mask to his face, and her grandfather takes an unsteady inhale as the blue aerosolized chemical floods into the mask. I patiently wait for him to get a hold of himself.

So what ability will you give me? Ezekiel finally asked.

None, I answered.

What are you saying? He asked.

Here you go, guys; now do we want to get started with some apps? Penny asked, interrupting the discussion as she delivered the drinks. If you need more time, I can come back.

That would be nice, thank you, I said, smiling at her.

Gotcha, I'll swing back around in five, Penny replied.

You two have vastly underestimated my capabilities and the resources I possess. Giving you a power to heal you would only be a waste. This isn't me trying to be cheap or trying to renege on our deal, but I need to correct your view of my operation if you two are going to be of use to me. But put that to the side for now and eat to your heart's content. It's my treat after all, I explained.

Isaiah pulls up out front of The Abbey in a light blue wheelchair friendly minivan. Inclusivity in the workplace is important, after all. Francesca pushes her grandfather's wheelchair forward and locks it into the lift. It retracts, pulling the man and the mobility aid inside the vehicle. Francesca climbs in after him and takes her seat as well. I go around the front and sit next to Isaiah. My ever-faithful soldier flicks his head to the glove box. I pop it open to find a silenced Beretta M9 waiting for me. I leave the pistol there and close it up, covertly shaking my head at him. We aren't killing them.

Isaiah drives up to the security gate, holding his access card up to it. The spikes lower into the ground, and the gate opens up, allowing us to drive in. The asphalt is smooth, without a crack in sight. Good. We pull into the parking garage, and I count up the vehicles we pass. Excellent, everyone else is here. The plan to showcase just how vast Momentus is was actually Rorschachs idea. If he is going to join our ranks, then he should get the same treatment that everyone else has. The four of us exit the vehicle and head for the elevators.

Where are we? Francesca asked cautiously.

The base of our operations, I answered casually.

Retrieving my mask from beneath my shirt, I press it to my face and tap my ring against it. The helmet encases my head, and Eryk Blakely is gone, leaving Nobody to take his place. The helmet is set to the preset composed of the Momentus members voices with a single addition: Ezekiel Harts voice. The elevator continues to descend deeper into our base, heading for Kai's laboratory.

I told you beforehand that you had no idea what I had accomplished, and I meant it.

This isn't that impressive, Francesca remarked rudely. The Villains Syndicate could've done this if Grandpa wanted to. But he knew how dumb it is to have a central location where Capes could discover you.

Watch the tone, girl, he warned.

Oh yeah, Smolder? Francesca asked, unaware of the bear she's poking.

Isaiah explodes into smoke, filling the elevator completely. My helmet protects me from the smoke, but the other two have no protection. A dozen knives form from the smoke, all angled at Ezekiel, and Isaiah's turned around to lift Francesca up by her throat. He's not squeezing hard, but I wouldn't call his grip light either.

Knowing my name doesn't protect you from me. It's not a shield; it's a target, Isaiah growled at her.

She looks ready to say something until Ezekiel starts having another coughing fit.

She's learned her lesson, Isaiah, I said.

He drops her, the knives disappear, and all the smoke is sucked back into his body like it was all a dream. He's even back to facing the door. The ding signals our arrival, and he and I step out as if nothing happened. Francesca gathes her wits and goes back to pushing her grandfather's wheelchair. She doesn't mean to, but she lets out a small gasp when she sees the lab. The Villains' Syndicate was nothing compared to us.

Four square-shaped platform drones come flying over to us. Two metal poles slowly extend out of two sides, and the four of them interlock together. They create a platform that's eight by eight, plenty of room for all four of us. The Hart family is wary, but they join Isaiah and me on the platform, which takes off immediately. Soaring over the lab, we pass the Subjects cells and the drone workshop. Seeing their eyebrows raise brings a smile to my face. What I accomplished is incredible, and they haven't even realized a fraction of it yet. Our route takes us over to the medical area where the rest of Momentus awaits.

The descent and dismount are smooth; Kai continues to improve his drones. They've set up a giant table with stacks of banded hundreds covering the whole thing. Rorschach's wearing an outfit that easily must cost six figures with the accessories and jewelry. Her two Rook summons stand guard on either side of her chair like titanic black and gold statues. Circling above her is a pack of ink birds, vultures, crows, eagles, falcons, even hummingbirds.

Vivienne and Miles are sparring with each other. She's transformed, and hes cycling through an armory of weapons made of flames, light, electricity, and other energy sources. Tuesday is juggling two dozen different bladed instruments with her eight arms. It's an impressive display of coordination and dexterity. Kai is standing ready near his MRI machine with a plethora of medical drones around him. Amongst the medical drones are several of his Beholders as well.

Ezekiel, Francesca, let me introduce you to Momentus Inc. You know Vivienne, but I don't think you've met the others, I said. Everyone, this is Ezekiel Hart, the creator and leader of the Villains' Syndicate, and his granddaughter, Francesca Hart, aka Looking Glass.

Atonement and Arbiter, Ezekiel mumbled to himself.

It's good that he already knows who they are.

Pleasure to make your acquaintance; please call me Miles, Miles said, creating a gigantic shield to defend him from Vs assault.

Let's skip the pointless introductions. I am eager to test my hypothesis and see the extent of the damage to his body. The others can socialize with the girl, but I have work to do, Kai stated.

Francesca is pacing around the table while Kai operates on her grandfather. Everyone else is gone save for the Doctor, the Harts, and myself. Kai did nothing but draw blood, run tests, and check the man's vitals for the first two hours. It's been three hours since then, and I can understand why Francesca is anxious. After putting Ezekiel under, Kai amputated the bad arm and both legs. The man's chest is cut open, with a sternal retractor set up so Kai can remove his organs easily.

Speaking of which, Kai has over a dozen different containers containing the man's deteriorated organs floating in a teal liquid. This looks more like an autopsy than a life-saving procedure. There's a machine that looks like a centrifuge that has two tubes coming out of it. Both tubes are connected to IVs inside the Villains' Syndicate leader. If I had to guess, Kai is probably cycling out all the old blood and replacing it with fresh, young, stem cell-rich, nanomachine-enhanced blood. Kai walks over to a fridge, retrieving several sets of much healthier-looking organs. The organs look different, beyond their healthy color. The heart's aortas have metal clasps at the end of them that look to be a different type of connection than I'm used to seeing. Then there's the white mesh surrounding the heart and the empty slot in the middle, between both atriums. What goes inside there? A crab-like drone walks over, climbing onto the operating table while holding the skeletal system of a right arm. The bones have what look like gray roots stretching out throughout them. The hand has etchings all over it that look like microchip pathways. What have you done now?

Even after going back to my apartment to sleep and coming back the next day, Kai still hasn't finished yet. Emma isn't there when I wake up, which isn't a problem for me. If she's content to leave, then I'm happy to facilitate that. The only woman I care about is Claire.

Entering the lab, I find Kai has closed up Ezekiels chest and is now working on the man's brain. Seeing his shaved head and sliced-open skull is a surprise. Francesca is sleeping at the table covered in money, and I'm in no hurry to wake her up. A dozen different prongs are inserted into the senior citizens brain, and one of the monitors is displaying two images of a brain; the left side is fully colored in, but the one on the right is only ten percent lit up. It seems the doctor is moving ahead with his plan to map brains and copy them digitally. Even without the paranoia personality piece, I still don't trust the idea of that. Good to know that I wasn't being unreasonable. Taking another look at the patient, it seems as if Kai also removed the bad eye at some point. If this procedure works on Ezekiel, then itll be time for all of us to go under the scalpel. An immortal, peak health, superhuman body sounds phenomenal.

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