Daddy's Girl: Cape High Book Five (5 page)

"The rule isn't just for the security factor, Nico," Mastermental says.  "It's also for the good of the family members--"

Nico lets out a searing curse and I glance at him, since he's standing now.  "How is it good for them?  Because they don't see how the guy's dealing with it?  Because they've got no clue?  You know what?  I got out, I did everything you asked of me, you OWE me, Double M."

Mastermental leans back in his chair, looking at Nico with a curious expression.  "Will you be willing to don your old suit for this visit?" he asks mildly.

"Absolutely," Nico says.

"I see.  This really means a lot to you, doesn't it.  But does it mean that much to you, Morgan?" Mastermental asks, making me look at him.

"I... I would like to see Dad," I admit.  "I don't agree with what he did--I mean, he hurt a lot of people by doing the stuff he did, and I don't--I don't know if he wants to see me, I mean--we..."  I shrug, not knowing what to say, really.  "If just for a minute," I say.  "There's things I would like to ask.  I don't know if he'd answer them, or anything, but... it's been six years, almost seven."

How did it turn out like this?  Just yesterday I was desperately trying to hide the fact that I was Mimic's daughter, now I'm discussing going to visit him in the Cape Cells with the head of the Hall!  This makes no sense.  It's like the entire world flipped on me and I'm trying not to fall on my head.

"You see, there's one risk that we're taking, taking you into this building," Mastermental says, still looking at me.  "Especially at your age.  Your father could try and manipulate you, make you think that breaking him out is a viable option."

"The Cape Cells," I say.

"Exactly."

"I'm a sixteen year old kid that can only take one power for fifteen minutes," I tell him bluntly.  "Taking on one of the most guarded places in the world on my own?  I don't think so.  I don't have any plans on attempting to break him out, I just... I just want to see him," I say, feeling a bit desperate all of a sudden.  It's like they're teasing me with this, placing an opportunity in front of me that I never thought I'd see, then pulling it away again.  "Please, Mastermental.  I don't like what he did, I don't want to become it, EVER, I want to be what Banshee thought I could be--but he's still the only family I have."

"Banshee?" Mastermental asks curiously.

"She thinks Morgan would be good for finding new capes in the norm system," Nico says.  "I can't say that I completely agree with it, since Morgan would be a great mainstream hero, but if it's what she wants to do, I won't stop her."

Mastermental smiles for the first time since we came in.  "I think it's an excellent idea," he says.  "And these new capes?  You'll send them to our school?"

"Yeah.  I mean, it'll take me a while to learn how to use my abilities, but yeah.  It's what I want to do with my life."  Most sixteen year olds only have a vague idea what they want to be, but they aren't capes.  I heard Adanna and Sunny already have their job plans laid out, and they're younger than I am.  "It'll keep them safe from guys like Collector, too."

"I approve," Mastermental says.  "I'll do whatever's in my capacity to see that it becomes a reality.  Do you have an idea of how you'll get into the position to find them?"

"Well, um... I thought I could become a substitute teacher when I'm old enough.  If I can go out before that, I guess I could transfer in as a student, right?"

"I'll see what I can arrange."

"Not yet," Nico says.  "And we're getting off the subject.  Morgan wants to see her dad.  I can set it up so she can, but I need permission."

For a moment my heart tries to jump in my chest as Mastermental looks at me closely.  I wonder if he's reading my mind and try to think innocent thoughts--which really isn't hard, because seriously, I don't want Mimic on the streets.

But I would like to see my father.

Is it strange that I try to separate the two?  My dad is Mimic, but I don't want to claim that Mimic is my dad, even though I have to.  It's enough to make me feel depressed and want to give up, just thinking that Mimic is Dad.  It's even worse when I start wondering what will happen when I'm older.

"You won't," Mastermental says, making me glance up at him.

"Won't what?"

"Become your father.  Regardless of if you get his level of powers.  If it bothers you so much I'm sure Nico, or possibly Zoe at that time, will be able to build a restrainer."  He puts the papers on the desk in a neat little pile and gets to his feet.  "I'll arrange the meeting--as long as you're both willing to allow me to come along, that is."

"Fine," Nico says.

I nod, feeling a sense of hope filling me.  "Do you know when?" I ask.

"It depends on how quickly I can get everyone ready for it," he admits.  "I believe we'll try and be ready in the next few days.  Also, before you leave, how is Noelle working out as a roommate?"

I blink, completely caught off guard.  "She's kind of a brat," I blurt out.  To my embarrassment both males start laughing at that.  "Well, I mean--she's pretty spoiled, and she won't tell me anything, which I guess makes sense, but it's still irritating!  And she spent all this time telling me how I probably don't have good powers because she didn't even hear about me in the future.  Yeah, she's SUPER annoying," I decide.  "Justin's worse, though.  Can we get him transferred or something?"

"To where?  We're the only school for capes," Nico says.  "You can deal with it," he adds in a confident tone.  Sure he can say that.  He's not the one that has to live with them!

"You don't have to deal with hearing him singing in the shower," I mutter.  "You can hear him through the entire dorm.  Um," I say, looking to Mastermental.  "Thank you, Mastermental."

"You're welcome," he says.

"Time to go," Nico says, getting to his feet.  "If I'm going to get you suited up for the Cape Cells I need to get started."

I nod, following him out the door and waiting until we're well away from Mastermental's office to ask, "We're going this way to avoid the room with the guy that looks like you, aren't we?"  Because I don't remember any of these hallways or doors, even if they do look a lot like the ones we passed earlier.

"I have no idea what you're talking about.  This is just the fastest way to the garage," he says as we reach another elevator.  He presses the button, frowns, and presses his hand to the door.

"It's broken," I tell him, pointing at the very obvious sign on the wall.  "Due to supers," I read.  "How does that happen in the Hall?"

"Happens in the Hall a lot more often than it does in the rest of the world," Technico says, prying the doors open and looking inside.  The thick cords that are supposed to bring it up are broken completely and the elevator itself is on the ground far below us with a gigantic hole in the ceiling.  "Someone got tired of waiting," he mutters.  I stare at it, wondering what Hall member would blatantly do something like this.  "Well, might as well," Nico says, holding a hand out into the empty elevator shaft.

"We could go back the way we came," I say as metal parts start floating in the elevator shaft, rearranging themselves.  The cords come up to start reconnecting and Nico steps into the air in the elevator shaft, crossing over as if on solid ground to touch the cords.  They meld together, much to my astonishment.  Below him the elevator is rebuilding itself.  I can't help but be torn between watching that and watching him.

Nico is AMAZING.  It's only been a few minutes and the elevator is fixed.  He comes back, dropping down next to me on the ground and letting out a snort.  "You know, now that I think about it, it would have been faster to just fly down."

He closes the elevator door and waits impatiently for it to come back up.

***

I'm not surprised that we pull into the parking lot of the apartment building, but I am when he heads that way instead of toward the school.  He stops at the panel, looking at me.  "You coming?"

"Shouldn't I get back to the campus?" I ask, still climbing out of his car.

"No, I've got the tools I'll need for this here.  Come on."  He watches the sky as I cross the parking lot and only glances at me when I get to his side.  I think something's bothering him, but by the way he shut me down when talking about the white haired man, I know it's none of my business.  Instead I press my hand to the panel and head through the security field, stepping on the glowing footprints and waiting for him to catch up.

This is where Aubrey lives.  Sure, several others live here as well, I mean, Zoe, Sunny, Emily, Trent--but Aubrey's my best friend.  The others are just guys in my class.  I wonder if she's home from the zoo yet.  I glance up as Nico walks past me and starts up the stairs, following him a bit belatedly.  "So what all are you going to put on me?" I ask.

"I expect you to wear long sleeves and pants, as usual.  I'll make a power blocking collar as well.  When we go in we'll be led down several hallways to a large room divided by a thick see through wall.  Because your dad doesn't have vocal powers there will be a speaker in the ceiling that will let you talk," he says.  "The guards in his block are machines, save for the ones that will be leading us there--even if he does get hold of them, he won't be able to do anything with them."

"Why do I need to know all this?" I ask.

"So you know that you're perfectly safe," he says, looking at me with a serious expression.

"From my father," I say, looking back to the stairs because I'd rather not look at him right now.

We reach the top floor and he leads me into an apartment building that's been turned into a massive computer lab.  There's working computers on one side of the room, and the entire wall is covered with what looks like a massive computer screen.  In the middle of it all is a table with what can only be a holographic screensaver--a ball bouncing around on top.  The other side of the room is full of tables covered with tools and machine parts.

"This way," Nico says from the computer parts side.  I walk over, still glancing over my shoulder at the ball that keeps going through "holes" in the table and popping out somewhere else.  Not going to lie, just watching that thing could keep me entertained for a very long time.  I know it and Nico seems to know it, too, because he taps his fingers on the table in an impatient sound.

"Sorry," I mutter, glancing one last time before looking at this side of the room.  I forget about the hologram as he waves a hand over the table, starting various things floating in front of us both.  That is so cool.  I know I've said it before, it just requires repeating.  The parts put themselves together and he pulls it from the air, moving closer and placing what looks like a chunky metal hoop necklace around my neck.  "This is what you'll have to wear," he says, holding up his hand in front of me.  "Try taking my abilities."

I grab his hand, intentionally trying to take his abilities, and feel nothing.  "Nothing," I say.

"Then that might be enough, but," he says, turning back to his table, "something a little more discreet might be useful as you start heading into the schools.  I was thinking gloves, but that's only good for winter and even then it'd only work outside."

"I like the necklace," I say, poking it.

"That's standard issue," he says.  "It's full power or none at all.  I think we need something a little more flexible for this job."  He starts more items floating and I watch curiously as they connect and disconnect, reforming into another version of a bracelet.  "Let's see... we'll need a discreet switch, something you can reach easily without being noticed..."

I sit on a nearby stool, watching him for a while before glancing back at the hologram screen saver.  "Why are you going this far for me?" I hear myself ask.  I can't bring myself to look at him, so I just watch the bouncing ball.

"It's not just for you," he says.  "It's for both of you.  If I find out another one of the kids is related to an inmate, I'll do the same for them."

"But you're going against everything for this," I say.  "I've already looked it up--nobody gets into the Cape Cells, especially if they have powers.  It's been that way since the place started.  I never expected to get to see Dad ever again."  A tear threatens and I blink hard, trying to keep it from escaping.  "I don't even know if I want to.  He did all those things--I would have been normal if it wasn't for him.  I would still be living with parents and I--I never would have been caught by Collector--"

"You know," he says slowly, "we can't help the way we're born.  We can't change our parents, as much as we might hate them.  Trust me, I would have done that a long time ago.  But... do you hate him?  If he died would you skip his funeral?"

"Of course not!" I say, shocked enough to turn and look at him.

"Then I need to do what I can and you need to work out what you can," he says, simplifying it far too much.  "This will work," he says abruptly, tossing me what looks like a charm bracelet.  "Each of the charms blocks a certain amount of power--actually it'll effectively be taking your energy to block your energy, turning you into its power source.  The large one is the controller, tap it and all the charms will light up one by one.  Tap it after they're all lit up and it'll turn off.  Only one of them is on right now, since you don't need the others yet, but when you get older you will.  Keep it on at all times."