Radioactive: Chapter Sixteen

Radioactive

Chapter Sixteen

~Work for Food~

“Good job, Samantha,” Jumper watched as she led the team away. He looked back at the apartment that they ran out off. Jumper teleported inside to have a look around. He was looking for something that would have to persuade the doctor that he wasn’t crazy and was actually on to something.

Jumper walked around the damaged apartment. There was an untouched computer that was still in operation. He pulled up a chair and sat down at the computer. Jumper smiled as he found the information that he was looking for. He went through the information on the computer and sent much of it to his phone.

“I’d thought you’d be here,” a voice said.

Jumper looked over his shoulder. He smiled and stood up, “I thought you were far away from here? I saw you leave.”

Kaiba stood in the room at the edge of the hole in the wall. He looked at Jumper with caution, “A hologram. Androids are rather good at that. Not even the others knew.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Jumper smiled.

“Who are you?” Kaiba asked, getting to the point.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Jumper stated.

Kaiba walked to one side, “Were you worked on as well?”

Jumper laughed, “What, you think that I can’t look like this naturally? Well, I guess you’d be right there. Started as dark spots when I was about twelve years old. The spots grew until you get what you see now.”

“When did realize you could jump into peoples bodies?” Kaiba asked.

Jumper shrugged, “I was on my first date. Looked in to her eyes for too long and before I knew it I was her looking at my own lifeless body.”

“Must have been traumatizing,” Kaiba said.

“I got over it,” Jumper smiled, “Besides, she wasn’t the last. It got easier.”

A blade shot out of Kaiba’s hand. He lunged at Jumper, blade aimed for a cut at his neck. Jumper vanished and appeared on the across apartment. Kaiba turned around to look at him. Jumper disappeared and reappeared behind Kaiba. He grabbed Kaiba’s neck from behind and pulled his head back. Their eyes met and Jumper’s smile widened.

“Got you!” he said.

A searing pain shot through Kaiba’s head. He tried to resist and struggle but anything he did, Jumper countered and kept Kaiba restrained.

“Just relax,” Jumper laughed, “Give in as your mind beings to fade.”

Something flickered in the corner of Jumpers eye. He vanished as a bullet sailed past. Released, Kaiba rubbed his neck and stood up. Kiri stood a few feet away. Her eyes were narrowed in annoyance. She retracted the gun she held back into her arm. Kaiba looked at her and dust himself off.

“You’re lucky I got back when I did, sir,” Kiri said.

“I had everything under control,” Kaiba stated.

Kiri rolled her eyes, “Right, and almost getting your body jumped was part of the plan?”

“It might have been,” Kaiba said.

Kiri sighed, “I won’t tell anyone. As far as anyone else will know, you dealt with the situation yourself and the target got away.”

“Which I could have dealt with by myself,” Kaiba walked passed her.

Kiri shook her head, “Of course. The others have set up a separate shelter.”

“Let’s get going then,” Kaiba said as he led the way out of the building.

Kiri nodded, “Right behind you.”

Jumper watched from a safe distance away. Kaiba and Kiri walked down the alley to rejoin with the crew. Jumper smiled vanished and disappeared.

~§~

Riu knocked on the garage door, “Open up, Grayson! I know you’re in there! Stop ignoring me!”

Attached to the garage was his house of residence. Riu banged on the garage until there was a stir on the balcony above. The lights came on. Grayson walked out onto an overhang and looked down on them from above. He lit a cigarette and sighed. By his appearance, he seemed annoyed to have been woken up. He shook his head and blew out a stream on smoke.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Grayson stated.

“Hey,” Riu pointed up at him, “Let us in! We’ve got to talk!”

Grayson glared at her a moment, “No.” He turned to head back inside.”

“Wait!” Duke stepped in.

Grayson paused and looked over his shoulder, “I’m closed. I suggest you get off my property.”

“Our apartment was effectively blown up by one of those mutants that have been crawling around. We really have no place to stay. We were wondering if we could crash here,” Duke said.

Grayson smiled, “I don’t run a charity.”

Duke shrugged, “I’m sure we could help with you repair business. I myself know a few things about car engines.”

“What!?” Riu shouted, “I don’t know anything about fixing cars.”

“You’ll learn,” Grayson walked back into the building.

The garage opened allowing the Tower Fixers and androids into the building. They walked up a flight of stairs and entered the home of Grayson. His home was very nice, a compete contrast from the garage section of the home. It was well furnished and very roomy. The money for it most likely came from Grayson’s questionable business ventures other than his mechanic business.

Grayson walked out in to the living room to meet them. He pointed down a hallway, “The girls can take the guest room. The rest of you guys can find somewhere else to sleep around here. Get some shut-eye. You’ll be working real hard in the morning.”

He left them to speak among themselves. They waited until Grayson was out of ear shot before getting down to business. Ing ran over and jumped on the couch.

“I can’t believe that thing destroyed my apartment!” Riu groaned. She glared at Duke, “Now I’ve been sold into slave labor!”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” Fang said, “It isn’t that hard to learn.”

“Easy for you to say,” Riu crossed her arms, “You’re apartment didn’t just get destroyed! Who’s going to fix that!?”

“You’ll be compensated,” Kaiba stated.

“And my computers and such,” Riu placed her hands on her hips, “They weren’t cheap you know.”

Kiri answered, “You will be compensated for those as well.”

“Gettimg back to business,” Jekyll tugged at his hat, “How was that Jumper you encountered.”

“He’ll be a problem,” Kaiba stated, “Just don’t look in his eyes.”

“It is good to know we’re on the right track,” Duke said, “We must be getting close.”

“We’d better be,” Kaiba stated.

“No use in staying up all night though,” Fang said, “We’d better get some sleep.”

“Yay!” Ing threw his hands in the air, “This is the best night ever!”

Fang placed a hand on Ing’s head to settle him down, “Don’t you have a standby mode or something?”

“Maybe,” Ing crossed his arms.

Jekyll nodded, “Fang has a point. We should deal with this in the morning.”

“Fine by me,” Kaiba said.

Riu groaned, “Does anyone have an issue with having to work on cars tomorrow? How are we going to find out where this lab is if we have our hands covered in grease, huh?”

“We’ll manage,” Kaiba looked at her, “The Tower always does.”