Here We Go

chapter 6

"The nuclear readings are definitely matching with Joseph’s notes on the cube. But it's gonna take weeks to go through this." Campbell said as he scanned Loki's staff. We've been in the lab a while now doing research and gathering facts. Campbell was working on the nuclear readings. Marcus was working on algorithms when he wasn't trying to bother me. He keeps questioning me about my life and what I've done which I haven't answered him on.

And this whole time I've ignored him and avoided eye contact with him and every time he'd come close to me to try to talk privately I'd move to the other side of the room. Honestly I'm getting sick of it. I don't understand why he's trying so hard. It's not like he cares, he didn't before. Maybe he's just doing it to show off to Campbell or to just annoy me or something.

But when I'm not avoiding Marcus I've been tracking power activity over satellite and I'm still looking into strange behavior on the monitor seeing if maybe I can spot one of Eris’s brainless minions or if Erin has tried anything to kick start a portal.

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops." Marcus said. "Well no if you give me a little time I can hook it up to one of my main company servers and get it running at three hundred petaflops." I said going over to the computer. "How'd you manage to get that kind of system?" Campbell asked. "I know a guy." I said smirking and started to type at the computer and got a mini drive out of my pocket to plug into the computer.

"All I packed was a hair brush." Campbell said. "You know, you should come by Bolton towers sometime. Top fifteen floors, all R and R. You'd love it, it's paradise." Marcus said. I tensed up a little at that. Yeah 'paradise' is the farthest thing from my mind when I think of Bolton towers. More like prison or hell comes to mind.

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of destroyed everything." Campbell said. "Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension. No surprises..." Marcus said as he walked beside Campbell before shocking him in the side with a metal device in his hand. "Ow!" Campbell said flinching away in pain and looking over at Marcus.

Marcus looked at him while I stared at him shocked. "Nothing?" Marcus asked when Campbell did nothing. "Your insane." I said shaking my head outraged. "Are you okay Campbell?" I asked and he nodded. "Hey! Are you nuts?" James said coming in and seeing what Marcus did. "You really have got it under control, haven't you? What's your secret? Meditation? Yoga? Drugs?" Marcus said.

"I'm pretty sure whatever it is you're not helping." I snapped. "Is everything a joke to you?" James asked. "Funny things are." Marcus said. "Threatening everyone’s safety isn’t funny. No offense, doctor." James said. "No, it's alright. I wouldn't have come if I couldn't handle pointy things." Campbell said.

"You're holding back, big man. You need to let loose." Marcus said. "Yeah like you should be giving any advice." I said rolling my eyes before walking over to Campbell side. "And you need to focus on the bigger picture Bolton." James said. "You think I'm not? Why did Ames ask for our help and why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables." He said.

"You think Ames is hiding something?" James asked. "He's a spy. Captain, he's the leading spy. His secrets have secrets. Those two can tell somethings going on, can’t you?" Marcus said looking at Campbell and I. "Uh...I don’t want to be involved in this..." Campbell stuttered. "Doctor?" James asked. " Eris’s remarks to Ames about the cube." Campbell said. "I heard it." James said. "Well, I think that was hinting at you. Even if agent Brant didn't tell her everything.." Campbell said pointing to Marcus.

"The Bolton Tower? That big ugly..." James started to say before he realized Marcus was in the room. I laughed a little and had to hold my mouth and turn away a little to stop. I felt Marcus look at me and when I glanced at him he was looking at me almost sadly. "Building in New York." James finished.

"It's powered by Bolt Reactors, self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, two years?" Campbell said. "That's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now." Marcus said bragging as always so I rolled my eyes again. "So, why didn't Iron Arm bring him in on the Messer Cube project? I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Campbell said.

"I should probably look into that once my decoding programmer finishes hacking Iron Arms secure files." Marcus said. "I'm sorry, did you say...?" James said. "I’ve been running it since I was in the control room. In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret Iron Arm has ever tried to hide. Grape?" Marcus said offering James a grape from the bag he's been carrying acting like it's no big deal.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around?" James said. "An intelligence organization that doesn’t like intelligence? Seems unlikely." Marcus said. "I think Eris is trying to mess with us. This is a woman who means to take over, and if we don't stay focused, she'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them." James said. "Following orders isn’t my style." Marcus said. "And you're all about style, aren't you?" James said.

"Of the people in this room, which one is; wearing a colorful flag outfit, and isn’t useful?" Marcus said. "James, tell me none of this seems off to you? I mean if not get Marcus because of who he is then they could've at least tried to recruit Bailey on the project considering how many resources and expertise she's in with the project. And the fact that she worked for Iron Arm in the first place. Don't you think it's strange they wouldn't want her help on it?" Campbell said.

"Bailey?" James asked. "Honestly I don't know. We need the proof all that we got going on here is spitting out possibilities right now. But I wouldn't put it past Iron Arm to be doing something they shouldn't." I said shrugging. "Just find the cube." James said and walks out of the lab.

"That's the guy my old man never stopped talking about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him in the dark. He shouldn't be here." Marcus said. "The guy's not wrong about Eris. She does have the surprise advantage." Campbell said as we both typed at our computers. "What she's got is a dynamite kit. It's gonna blow up in her face, and I'm gonna be there when it does." Marcus said. "And I'll read all about it." Campbell said.

"Uh-huh. Or you'll be suiting up like the rest of us." Marcus said. "Ah, see. I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed, like a nerve. It's a nightmare." Campbell said. "You know, I've got a bit of shrapnel, trying every second to crawl its way to my heart. This stops it. This little circle of light. It's part of me now, not just armor. It's a... terrible privilege." Marcus said pointing to the glowing rectangular object under his shirt..

"But you can control it." Campbell said. "Because I learned how." Marcus said. "It's different." Campbell said. "Hey, I've read all about your accident. That much nuclear energy should have killed you." Marcus said. "So you're saying that the Giant... the other guy... saved me?" Campbell said. "That's an idea. It's a nice thought. Saved it for what?" He asked.

"I guess we'll find out." Marcus said. "It might not be as good as you think." Campbell said. "Or it could be." Marcus said. "Besides Mark you are a good person. You help people. I mean look what your doing now. Saving the world from an evil Goddess. It's not what you can do that makes you who you are it’s what you choose to do. And the choices you've made, not the other guy, you. The ones you’ve made have been pretty good to me so far." I said shrugging. "Yeah but the other guy is me too. So his choices are my choices." Campbell said.

"Look when I first had my accident and got my powers I was out of control. In my file there's a gap from the time when I had the accident and the time I joined the military. It was about four months. And those four months were the darkest days of my life. Iron Arm doesn't know what I did. I went off radar and I never told a single soul what happened to me. I honestly hated myself and blamed myself.

Everything went back to the accident I kept thinking if I hadn't of been so stupid then so many people wouldn't of had to suffer because of me. But then there was this one day I had gotten enough control of my power to save an old lady. After I did she looked at me and she saw how I felt about myself. She told me not to go feeling sorry for myself. The past is the past it can't be changed. Everything happens for a reason.

And that I wouldn't be here right now to save her life if things didn't happen the way they did. She said now I can either go on hating and feeling sorry for myself or I can make a bad situation turn good. It was my choice. And from that day I changed. I don't think about the accident anymore I just focused on controlling my powers and helping people and when I make a mistake or can't help it when I get out of control I just shake it off." I said.

Campbell stayed silent after what I said and looked at me like he was really seeing me for the first time. "Wow." Marcus said. I looked over to him and for some weird reason he looked star-struck. I forgot he was in the room.

"Anyways I'm starving I'm gonna take a break from all this and go get some food." I said and walked out. Soon after I walked a little ways in the hall I heard the door to the lab open and close behind me. "Bailey." Marcus said from behind me. Oh no.

"What?" I asked turning around to face him. "Look I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I did. And I no it doesn't make up for it at all. I should've been there for you and I should've been a better father. But I've changed now Bailey, I've realized my mistakes and if you'll give me-" Marcus said but I interrupted him. "What? Another chance? You can drop the act Marcus no one else is around to hear." I said.

"What? I'm not acting, I'm being serious. Bailey I know I ignored you before but that was before you left and before I got kidnapped and almost died and built my suit. I really have changed. I want us to be a family. A real family. I want you to come home more than anything in the world. I mean I understand you have your own place now and I don't want to overstep but if you could come and visit at least-" Marcus said. "What game are you trying to play with me? I'm confused here. I already told you no one else is around. Oh wait. I know what it is. You're trying to make me feel guilty for leaving and actually doing something with my life. Or are you trying to get me to trust you just so you can hurt me again?" I asked.

"No, no. Bailey please. You've got me all wrong here. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you ever again. I'll die before I'd choose to hurt you again Bailey. And again I'm sorry. So so sorry for hurting you. I was wrong." He said looking a mix between sincere and desperate.

"Is this some kind of a sick joke to you? You know what? Just stop. Stop. Leave me alone. Okay. Once this is all over with I'm leaving and I'll never have to see you again anyway." I said shaking my head and trying to hold in my tears. I turned to walk away. "Bailey please." Marcus said and touched my arm. I jerked back instantly and looked at him. "Don't. Touch. Me. You say you've changed well guess what, I really have so if you even think about touching me again I will knock you to the floor so fast your head will spin. I don't care. I will not let you abuse me ever again and after what you have done to me you will not touch me. Am I clear?" I asked.

Marcus turned pale and looked at me shocked and with a desperate sadness. I saw tears in his eyes but that was probably just him faking it. "Yes. Bailey I'm so sorry. If I could take it back I would. I-" Marcus whispered. "Enough. You can't take it back. That was my childhood you ruined. You were my father you were supposed to care then but now it's too late. I don't believe for one second you've changed. I think this is an act just so you can hurt me. Every second I've seen of you so far has proven your just the same now as you were then. I don't care what you say anymore. Just let me finish my work in peace and leave me alone." I said and walked away fast trying to hold in my tears. Why does he have to do this to me? Why me?