Sky High After Dark: Legacy

Thanks to WAA01 for the edits.

******

Chapter one

Sparks flew and popped; the blue pale light of the laser welder danced along the surface of the table. Wires rolled, twisted, curved as they snaked their way between the motors, power generating unit, main processing unit, and all the other subsystems he would need in order to get it functional. Tools rattled, screws clanged and tumbled in the glass jar to keep from losing such small fasteners. A glass eye sat ready to be used. Servos, capacitors, relays waited neatly in their anti-static bags knowing their time would come. Protected in a vacuum sealed chamber to keep the pathways as pure as possible that represented the building block of his photonic brain. It was turning out to be a harder task than he thought it would be, also the materials he would need weren't cheap. Money wasn't an issue; his counterpart had set him up nicely when his past self sent him back to the present day. Given that he was him his counterpart had already been working on the blue prints for what he had been working on in secret for months, even from Veil (Virtual Empathetic Intelligent Lifeform), an intelligent AI that he had created in the past. Who ran all the base's systems and his suit, while he didn't need one due to the powers he was born with making his skin impenetrable. Then there was the super-strength he had inherited from his mother, or was it from his own self? That was a can of worms he was never going to open.

Looking up when the timer went off. He only worked on his project for two hours at a time scattered throughout the day so no one would pick up on it. Aron knew if he was missing for more than that his family -- namely his aunts -- would come looking for him. He couldn't have them peeking in when Aron needed the room to remain as static free as he could. Plus, this was his project, his personal time away from helping out his family, not all the time, just when they needed an extra hand. He wasn't a hero.

"Void?" Veil's voice came over the speakers his counterpart had built into the walls of the third sublevel of the base the moment Aron had stepped out of the hidden lab his past self had installed.

After his return he had restricted access to the third sublevel to only him and Aminah given that she would understand the danger the items, some weapons, his counterpart had made. That was until he could get everything logged, and stored in a more secure place, knowing when their child was born Aminah would want their daughter close by then the rest of his family could come and go as they pleased. The hanger for their spaceship took up most of the space, something else his past self had bestowed upon them, and after Troy had passed their parents and his satisfaction to pilot it given Troy's love for space. Whenever Aron wanted to run an experiment that required them to be in space, he would have Troy fly him to some astrological phenomena that Troy was interested in while he ran his tests.

"Yes, Veil, what is it?" Aron asked, as he walked towards the elevator.

"Agent Honeybell is on the line for you."

"Put her through," Aron directed as he pushed the subbasement level two button while the doors rolled closed.

"Void, I need a favor."

"With?" Rolling his hand for her to continue even though Sara had no way of knowing that.

"I have two agents taking heavy fire, they're in possession of some highly damaging intelligence. I've kept my distance these past few months, it's not every day a man comes back from the dead," Sara said, trying to keep her emotions from her voice. "Yet, I, the agency, needs your help. Will you?"

"One condition."

"Name it."

"Whenever you call me for my help you will acquire an item whenever I ask for it," Aron said sternly, feeling the cab slowing.

"As long as it isn't explosive and or radioactive, then I don't see a problem with the exchange."

"Then I need three pounds of caesium and a pound of platinum in their raw forms if you don't mind," Aron stated listing off his demand. He knew caesium was the best choice to make up the electrical pathways of the brain. Due to caesiums' use in photoelectric cells and radioactive properties, not in its raw state, he was going to have to tinker with the last two pounds to use as the power source for the fuel cell. The platinum would add strength and rigidity to the liquid alkali metal that he was going to turn into a smart metal to act as the neuropathways in the brain.

"When do you need this?"

"By Friday will be fine," Aron said, walking into the lab on the second floor where he always left his laptop. His family knew not to touch it if they saw it in the lab. "Okay, show me what I'm going into," he spoke once he had logged onto his secured line to the NSA hub Sara operated from and was connected. Nodding when Veil wrote out that she had tied into the feed as it scrolled across the screen. Getting up from his seat and heading towards the changing room after he had seen enough and told Sara he was on his way.

"You better be home tomorrow, you promised you'd take us shopping," Tazia said, resting her hands on her swollen belly. "Our babies are going to be born soon, we need to be ready." Her voice had a loving tone to it as she watched Aron suit up. They knew enough by now to know it meant he couldn't talk about it. They also knew Aron could handle himself given how he had come to their own rescue. However, since she and Aminah had gotten pregnant they haven't stepped foot outside in their alter egos. They weren't about to endanger their babies.

"Of course, wouldn't miss it," Aron uttered as he stepped up to her with his mask in hand. Feeling her lips tugging at his when she pulled away. Ever since construction on the large addition to accommodate the two baby rooms, a new bedroom for himself, given that it is still his house, where Aminah and Tazia slept once most of the work was completed on the inside, and a room for his other aunt and uncles with a secondary den that served as a game room, too, with its pool table along with the small kitchen nook to help take the strain from the main kitchen with so many living in one house. However, that part of the addition wasn't done yet. They focused on their two rooms to get out from underneath everyone when they were on the top floors. Aron had always wondered why they had so much land now he knew why.

"Whatever is going on, heed your own words, grandpa," Tazia teased with a sparkle in her eye when she said that. "Do what's needed to be done," she cooed as she pulled his mask down. "I'll make sure to keep your dinner warm for you," Tazia said, with a smile on her lips and a wave as he nodded before the jet bike zoomed off.

******

"Agent Winter, your backup is two minutes out. When he arrives head towards the Museum while your backup is providing cover, once inside he will escort you to the old subway access tunnel. Our men will see to your safety while your backup holds off any stragglers." Agent Fox Winter knelt there, hiding behind a concrete barricade, as bullets ricocheted off of it. Wondering who the hell was that strange female voice on the secret FBI channel they were using for this operation.

"Who the hell is this?! This is a..."

"I'm sorry, Agent Winter, no time for pleasantries," Sara cut him off. "I assure you we are on your side; thirty seconds, get ready to move."

Fox could hear the sound of a jet engine, "Surely, she didn't call the military?!" He cursed to himself thinking that woman just might have.

"Five..." His heart rate spiked, "Four..." Sweat beaded down his neck knowing there was no time he had to take a leap of faith, "Now!" Fox pushed off seeing his partner following suit thinking that any moment they would feel the bullet that was going to kill them. His heart was pounding so loudly in his ears it was seconds before he even heard the sounds of screaming. It wasn't until the explosion that forced them to the ground that they finally took notice the terrorists weren't even paying attention to them at that moment. No. There, off in the distance, dancing within the hungry flames, stood a man cloaked in black, a distorted lump, caused by the haze from the intense heat and the smoke that still lingered in the air, was tossed aside. "Agent Winter our... man will see to drawing their fire. Quickly, before they have time to regroup."

"Just who are you people?!" Fox panted heavily into the mic in his collar.

"In time, this line isn't secure enough for that kind of introduction. We are on the same side, there is a reason for the secrecy."

"But who is he? Is he one of ours?" Fox asked, fearfully. If someone could take an RPG right in the face and stay standing he didn't want to be on the other end when the smoke cleared.

"No, I wouldn't call him 'one' of ours he works with us, not for us," Sara corrected. "That would be Void, maybe you've heard of him? So you can be rest assured that he is, indeed, on our side. You let Void worry about the terrorists, you just make sure you and your partner get to the museum safely. That intel is critical to an on-going mission."

"She knows about project Moonbeam?!" Fox gasped in shock in his head. "Right?" Fox looked at his partner with a nod they both raced for safety like their lives depended on it -- which they did. Given what they carried would bring down an organization so powerful that the public would lose their faith in those who led them.

******

"Finally," Aron sighed in annoyance. Did they think he liked being shot? Just because he couldn't feel the impacts didn't mean it was a pleasant experience.

"Sorry for the delay, Void. Please keep some alive if they still wish to go out... you know what to do."

"Alright, and my payment? Hold that thought... I'll have to get back to you," Aron said, as a man burst through the buildings to his right, who was gifted with gigantism. Taking stock of the body armor the group had made to outfit someone that could increase to that size. That only told him one thing; they weren't dealing with ordinary terrorists. Little did Aron know how the events that were to come would become the foundations that would thrust Aron into the one place he so loathed.

Yawning as he batted away the man's punch then allowing one to find its target only to show the man he was no match for him. Still, though, the man did try to take him down it was amusing to him. Aron wondered if the man thought so too as he tossed him into the air. His eyes followed his flight, "Veil, activate the boots," Aron directed, wondering how his newest invention was going to work out.

"Yes, Void. Void?"

"Hmm?" Aron hummed as he shot upwards. Knowing he was going to have to make some adjustments to the flight stabilizers when he got home.

"Void, is there something wrong?" Aron arched and eyebrow when Veil asked that question. "For three weeks and forty-two hours you have locked yourself in a room where my sensors cannot detect you. Have I done something that wasn't meeting your expectations?" He wondered now why, of all the times, did she have to ask that of him.

"W-who are you?" the man asked, once he had reached the apex of Aron's throw.

"Welcome to 'the Void'," Aron spoke thinking that would be a good enough lame phrase to throw suspicion off the fact that it was him in the suit. Putting five percent of his strength into the punch to the man's midsection enough to render the man near an unconscious state and using the pavement to do the rest. "Now what were we discussing? Ah, right, my payment, how's that coming along?" Avoiding Veil's question to avoid drawing Veil's curiosity any further.

"It's only been twenty minutes, Void, going to take me a bit, to get in contact with a mine for what you asked," Sara said, keeping her mirth from her voice. "So... can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead"

"What's it like to be dead?"

"Wouldn't know since I wasn't dead," Aron said, truthfully. Looking around making sure, with the heat sensors built into the mask, the coast was clear before moving to meet up with the two men Sara had sent him here to escort to safety. His trench coat ruffled in the air as he approached their rendezvous. Watching the material flutter and fan out in its flight, activating the leg holsters where he had placed his laser pistols when Sara asked him to save these two men. They were always a part of the suit, his counterpart told him as much when he watched the videos his past self had left for only him to see, he didn't like to use them since it made his thighs look bulky, he would have to agree with his other self. "Use that to cover your backs it's better than Kevlar and stay on my tail," Aron commanded setting Veil to assault mode.

"Then where were you for nearly a week?"

Aron remained silent for a moment wondering how much to tell her. "Was trapped out of time, that's the best way I can describe it."

"Okay, does that mean what I think it means?"

"If you're thinking that for six days I wasn't a part of the time stream, then yes, you would be right," Aron said, firing off two blasts that cut through the metal of the two vehicles each man was hiding behind. Hearing the men panting as they raced to the museum. He knew with his coat the odds of both of them surviving this increases tenfold. So whenever they came upon the men the terrorists had hired to keep men like him, the superpowered kind, from stopping them. Aron would have them hide and use it as a shield to stop anything. It only took ending four supervillains before the rest got wise enough to cut their losses. He was a little impressed with himself when he got the two men to the museum alive. Holstering his weapons the moment the agents the NSA sent took over once they entered. Nodding to the two men when they looked back at him, as he adjusted his coat, before they disappeared from his sight.

"Thank you, Void. You don't know how much your help means to us," Sara said, with a knowing smile flanked by two of her own agents.

"I think I do," Aron said, offhandedly.

"Then maybe you'd care to help us, and your country out, once again?" Sara asked, wearing an alluring smile.

"I'm going to assume this new favor has something to do with the one I just finished, is that correct?" Aron asked, while he knew this to be true no one outside her HUB knew he was an asset when he was in costume. So they had to play coy outside of it, and he was having a blast with it.

"It might, it's not wise to speak so openly," Sara said, stepping up, holding out her hand to Aron. Her smile widened when Aron nodded in understanding to the message she had secretly sent along the microfilament of the suit to his display. "I do hope you take us up on our offer, Void. I know we can do many great things together..." Her eyes widened in fear as an armored personal carrier was careening towards them.

"Go. Protect what you came here for, I'll deal with this," Aron said, taking off, knowing he couldn't use his weapons, not with so many civilians around. He might not be a hero, but he wasn't an asshole either. He calculated he had about ten seconds to get in front of that small girl before that infantry carrier got to her. He was thankful that he had enough fuel left over to give him the speed he needed to make that leap. Metal groaned, glass pinged and bounced before skittering along the polished tile. Aron took a moment to study how those big, warm, brown eyes stared up at him before he spoke, "Little girl, it's going to get real dangerous here in a few seconds, do you think you can be a big, strong girl and find your mother and make sure she gets out to safety?" Aron asked, all the while he was holding up the personal carrier with one hand. Noticing who he hoped was the girl's mother when he noted the look in her eyes. "Good. Now go on, you've been a brave girl," he whispered low knowing how most kids would have been a ball of tears. He didn't know if her calmness was from the fright or something else altogether. Nodding to the mother when she called out the girl's name. "Seek cover quickly!" Aron called out giving warning to those around him as the armor plating buckled to his grip once his right hand took hold. Narrowing his eyes at the driver behind his mask as he held the armored truck aloft.

Seeing the man inside in the rear making his way towards the carriers 20mm cannon. Praying that those close by got far enough away. Aron listened to the cries of the men once he had spun the vehicle around and crushing the roof, made that weapon useless to anyone. Unaware of what was taking place in the shadows. A flash of red could be seen before that mysterious hand slipped back into the shadows. Glass crunched under foot as he stalked towards the two men who crawl/slid across the floor once he had ripped off the wrinkled remains of the carriers door. Their blood trailing in their wake, fear -- genuine god-honest fear, a fear so primal nothing else matters but one thing -- Escape! Then something flashed in the bottom corner of his left eye. Grumbling when Veil was right, they weren't armed any more. Sighing when he fired two taser darts into the men. It seemed so lack lustered to what he had in mind as the men twitched.

"So will you answer my question, Void?"

"Can you promise you can keep something secret?" Aron asked, once he had activated the voice dampeners in his mask so he could speak privately to Veil while he waited for the police to arrive.

"You know I can... father."

"Veil?" Aron uttered growing nervous.

"You are my father, you created me, you might be younger than when you did, yet you are Void, Aron Carter, my maker, does that not meet the requirements to be called such?" Groaning in his mind, it felt like fighting with his mother when Veil was like this. Aron wondered why his counterpart would base Veil's personality on their mother.

"You're right, Veil, that does meet the definition of a father."

"Then have I done something wrong to displease you that you must hide from me?"

"I'm working on a surprise for someone," Aron said, offhandedly.

"A surprise... like a gift?"

"Yes."

"And this gift requires you to work these hours?"

"If I want everything to be perfect it does," Aron nodded sternly.

"Is this person special?"

"Very, but we can't tell anyone because that will ruin the surprise. We can't have that, now, can we? But I promise you, Veil, the moment it's done, you'll be the first to see it," Aron said, in a loving tone. Ever since he had put on the suit he knew how special Veil was. Her system was something he had never even dreamed of. The factor his counterpart put into Veil's growth rate was astounding.

"I understand, Void, I'll set the information to your eyes only. But you promise I'll be the first?" If he didn't know better he would have sworn he heard hope and eagerness in her voice.

"Of course, Veil. You'll be the first."

"Then may I guess what you're working on?"

"Sure, knock yourself out," Aron said, knowing she would never guess it seeing how she's most likely thinking he would be working on what was stored on her mainframe. No. Not these plans. These plans were handmade, where he had found them in that coded message his counterpart had implanted in one of the home movies his counterpart had made for his mother and the rest of their family that had sent him to that hidden room. Just like his faithful trip to the past, his past self had decades to refine the plans; more than enough time to work out the engineering problems. Like skin for example, what do you use that feels like skin?