ALTERNIVERSE: Chapter eight

A day passes after Rock and Shay recruit a sizable force to aid in their endeavors. B.A.D stands out front of the Heroes department waiting as he is looking at the time on his phone. The time shows a quarter past two in the afternoon just as Daniel rolls up in his car with the window down.

"Hop in. We're going for a drive." Daniel says, pressing a button that makes the passenger side door open up automatically. B.A.D wastes no time walking to the other side.

Once the car door shuts Daniel peels off into traffic and down the road. B.A.D, holding onto the bar to keep balance in the seat, looks over to his partner. "So wanna explain to me why you're driving like a bat out of the nine hells?"

"Car mode: dark." With those words uttered by Daniel the car systems shut off communications from leaking out. He also flicks a switch turning on autopilot for the car. "We got a lead on one of the escaped meta-humans from the prison break. And get this, the way that the group of the most wanted people on the planet managed to sneak into the fort is that they had top notch, experimental holomasks."

B.A.D only looks at him with confusion. "Ok, you're going to have to explain what that is for someone who doesn't care for science." 

Daniel sighs then presses a button on the cars dashboard. A hologram of Transmuter appears in front of them. "Holomasks can completely change your facial characteristics. So someone like Transmuter…" the hologram of Transmuters face changes. "Can look like anyone he so chooses."

"Whoa, ok. So how the hell did he get his hands on something like this? Where did it even come from?" B.A.D asks still looking at the hologram.

"That's what got me in a fuss. This tech is the property of River Industries." The hologram switches from Transmuter to the small disks used in the raid. "As well as the disks used to hack the systems." 

"Any clue how they got them in the first place?"

Daniel folds his arms, leaning back into his chair. "Well I have a couple theories. If you remember what happened little over a month ago. A River Industries warehouse was broken into by two of Transmuter's goons."

"Yeah, I remember that. It's in the same town where we met that water creature and Aqua. So you think they got the equipment from the attack on the warehouse?" Asks B.A.D.

"That's what I thought at first but after everything was settled I looked into the manifest for what was still intact, destroyed or missing. These two pieces of tech weren't on that list." Daniel says, answering B.A.Ds question.

B.A.D only grows more curious now after Daniel's theory explanation. "So what's the other theory?"

"River Industries has mole. Whoever it is, they're supplying them with whatever they need."

B.A.D scoffs softly hearing this. "How can you be so sure? Maybe they hijacked an envoy of materials going to another lab or something."

Daniel smirks at B.A.D, ready to hit him with some facts. "That's what I thought at first too but there hasn't been any reports of stolen guards en route to any of their locations. Or there was and they just haven't made it public."

"Have you told River Bark about this yet? He could probably help us, I mean it is his company."

"No, not yet. I don't know who we can trust in that company. Not even River." Daniel leans forward just a bit. "I need you to trust me on this. A lot of shit is happening ever since Transmuter escaped it doesn't make sense. One wrong step and the cost could be great." He extends his hands to B.A.D with hope in his eyes.

B.A.D reluctantly shakes his hand. "I trust you. I just hope you're right about this. Where are we heading to anyways?" 

"We're heading up state to a town where our suspect was last seen. Helmburgh is what it's called I believe."

Back at the old brewery the villains are readying to depart from their location in Helmburgh. Looking down into the crowd and peering into their minds is Alyssa with a grin from cheek to cheek.

Bri walks up to here while Alyssa continues reading their minds. "What are you smiling about?" 

"Oh nothing, I'm just reading their minds is all. Quite entertaining seeing their inner thoughts." Alyssa replies not even looking away from the crowd.

Bri's eyes widen when she said that. "Wait, I thought you needed to touch someone to read their minds." 

Alyssa turns to catch Bri's gaze with one eyebrow raised. "When did I say that?"

"But you were grabbing everyone when we first met!"

"Yeah, If I make physical contact anywhere on the body I can pry deeper into the mind." Alyssa says looking back down.

"Oh ok, I guess that makes sense… hold on, if that's the case why were you grabbing everyone by the face!?" Bri says with a demanding tone.

"Oh, I just like seeing the reaction of people when I do that. It's honestly the funniest thing in the world to see." Alyssa replies, laughing while she says it. As she continues to look through the minds one person's thoughts stick out to her. "Who's that?" She asks, pointing to Jose amongst the crowd.

Bri looks to where Alyssa is pointing and sees the man she's talking about. "I don't know. He's just one of the many convicts that showed up. What's up?"

"Well if that's the case how come I'm seeing thoughts of a different person in his mind? Thoughts of someone named Freddie who looks nothing like him." This proceeds to make Bri very wary of the situation. 

"Keep an eye on him, I'm going to get the others." Alyssa nods and Bri runs off quickly. 

Alyssa persists with her mind reading, looking as deep as she can into his mind. "Who ever this guy is he really is a fan boy for Death Swamp."