Sky High After Dark: Legacy

"But we've made up since then, you could have told us," Vera said, a little hurt.

"Never seemed important enough to bring up till now," Aron shrugged.

"Okay, wait right there, I need to get my pad, and we'll go over everything. Oh, and I charge five hundred an hour," Noah said, getting up from his seat.

"Put it on my tab." Noah chuckled as he patted Aron's shoulder as he left the room to get his briefcase.

"I'll be your R&D Director," Aminah cooed as she draped her arms along his shoulders. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fuck the boss," she purred into his ear.

"You can't leave me out, Aron," Tazia pouted as she crossed her arms.

"You can be in charge of security."

"Why?" Tazia asked, she didn't think that was a glamorous job like R&D.

"Because you're feisty," Aron said, wiggling his eyebrows. Watching how her cheeks heated when he said that.

"Aron, if I agree to this, how much of the profits would you be taking for yourself?" Vera asked, in her best business-like voice.

"None."

"None?" Arching an eyebrow when her son nodded. "You're going to live off your interest aren't you?" Vera asked to which Aron nodded.

"Whatever profits are earned will be paid out to you all and the workers, the rest will be reinvested in the company." Noticing how everyone had meandered their way back to the den as he had been talking. Listening to every word he said, also seeing how Isabel was giving Troy the cold shoulder.

"Okay, Aron, as your lawyer, I will represent your interest to the fullest of my ability," Noah said, opening his briefcase and pulling out a blank contract he always had on hand which had already been notarized and signed by him. "I just need you to sign here before we can discuss anything prudent to your company," he said, sliding the contract across the table and laying a pen upon it.

"Let me take him," Tazia cooed, when she bent in front of Aron and lightly kissing his lips. Wishing she could have him inside of her at that moment for being the wonderful father he was turning out to be.

"Excellent," Noah grinned once his son's John Hancock graced the dotted line. "Now let's hear all about this plan of yours," he said, with eagerness in his voice to see his son succeed.

Chapter Seven

Vera walked into their kitchen and for the first time she didn't dread going to work, seeing how she wasn't going to work. She didn't have to any longer. She had accepted Aron's offer to be his CEO. Knowing Noah and she would be working closely for a very long time. Her mind wondered if Aron had done that for a reason since with their jobs, hero work, and life in general sometimes it was hard to make time for themselves. She had felt that spark once again, the same spark that drew them together when she and Noah made love last night. She could see how ecstatic Noah was, just as she was. It showed in their love making as well. Tilting her head back, trying to remember the change in their fortune, it was when she got her son back. Feeling her body heat when she felt Noah's arms wrapping around her. Leaning back against him, softly mewing at how his lips kissed along her neck.

"How's the love of my life?" Noah asked, in a soft whisper.

"Better now that I'm in the arms of the man that I love," Vera replied in a loving tone.

"This is a new start for us."

"For all of us," Vera corrected.

"Let's make Aron's dream come true."

"Mmmhmm," Vera nodded in agreement.

******

"Aron, you sure you want to look at this place?" Vera asked, when they were parked in front of a plot of land a little outside the city that was zoned for industrial, after they had retrieved her belongings from her former place of work.

"Yeah." Aron's eyes ran over the vast, if not barren, fifty acres of land spread out before him and the river at the other end of it.

"Why, there are other factories for sell why not one of them?"

"Oh, we'll go see one, I'm just thinking ahead," Aron said, imagining what the site would look like in his head. "At least until this site is ready to go online." Writing down the number of the agent that was selling the property.

"And what were you thinking?" Vera asked, eager to learn how that mind of his worked.

"High security fencing, the administration building there," pointing to the east side of the property, "your office way up at the top," smiling at his mother who returned it, "the second factory, that is if I buy one before construction starts on this place, will be over there," pointing to the southwestern part of the lot, "or that's the idea anyway," Aron said, turning back to his mother. Who leaned forward and passionately kissed her son.

"I promise you, I won't let you down," Vera whispered as their lips parted.

"I know, or I'll fire you. Although, you might enjoy how you have to earn your job back," Aron said, with a sinful grin.

"I know I would," Vera uttered with a sultry smile.

"So, shall we hit those factories?"

"Yeah."

******

"As you can see this used to be a textile factory," the real-estate agent spoke as he led Aron and Vera around the now desolate factory that had been closed down for the past five years. Aron also noted how the man slyly ogled his mother. "The bank left these looms here in case another textile company came in," he said, gesturing to the now silent machines.

"Are they still operational?" Aron asked, wondering how many feet of fabric it could put out per hour.

"As far as I know," The agent nodded. "They might need a tune up given the years they have sat unused. If you'll follow me I'll show you the rest of the factory floor and the office space," he said, with a smile on his face as he led them deeper into the building.

Aron stood at the window that overlooked the factory floor as his mother and the real-estate agent talked amongst themselves from behind him. It would be tight, but he could see the place had what he needed to produce the fabric body armor his past self had made. Although it did need a face lift and some enhancements to bring the place up to task for what he had planned. Still, the place wasn't bad at all.

"What do you think?" Aron asked, glancing at his mother's reflection in the glass.

"It's in a good location, enough docks to handle a busy day without cluttering the yard. Close enough distance from the interstate so your goods can be on the road before even an hour is up. The office is kind of small, but we can work around that for now."

"What was the bank asking for this place again?" Aron asked, although he knew he just like watching the man jump to, eager to sell the place.

"Twenty and a quarter million."

"Tell them I'll buy it for seventeen," Aron countered. "With the looms included."

"If you wait a moment I'll phone them now," he said, pulling out his phone when Aron nodded.

Seeing his mother scurrying to his side when he held out his hand away from his side. Feeling the softness of her skin on his as her fingers wrapped around his hand. Seeing the pride in her eyes as he was taking the first steps in his adult life. Turning to look at the man when he walked back towards them after his phone call.

"That was the bank, they say they'll consider your offer and get back to you in two weeks."

"I see, don't take too long, I might just find another foreclosed factory to my liking. Thank you for your time, we'll see ourselves out," Aron spoke shaking the man's hand.

"You know we're going to need to hire an HR Director to handle the hiring," Vera stated as they climbed back into the SUV.

"You know anyone you can trust for that job?" Aron asked, looking over at his mother.

"I believe I do, he's a little odd, but he's a good man. He's only stayed at that company because of the benefits and pay to support his kids. But I know if we offer him the same and a little more money he'd jump at the chance to get out of that place."

"Then you can put your feelers out and see if he bites," Aron stated, seeing his mother nod as they headed home. It was his turn to watch Henry before he had to leave to meet with Atlanta that evening.

******

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting long, Void," Atlanta said, coming to a landing behind him. Knowing how he held out a pair of binoculars in his left hand for her. "What am I looking at?"

"Four sentries on the roof, a dozen patrolling the grounds, and I read another forty heat signatures inside," Aron said, matter-of-factly. Trying not to eye the high tech rifle on her back yet he did have Veil take a snapshot of it and send it to Sara. Maybe they could track down the maker of the weapon, and the seller. "So, glad you came?"

"Of course," Atlanta said, with a sinister light in her eyes. Slinging the rifle around, inserting the power pack waiting for the weapon to charge. "I'll handle the ones on the roof, you can handle the ones on the ground, and I'll pick off the others when I'm done," she said, flipping down the stabilizers and resting it on the ledge while it was still in its energizing stage. "What? I'm not invincible like you are," Atlanta said, flashing him a coy, knowing smirk.

"Void, I detect multiple metahuman signatures a block away. They correspond with those I scanned when we were in their base. Please use caution."

"So, you're still testing me, I see," Aron stated, clearly startling Atlanta.

"I don't know..."

"If you're going to lie to me then this partnership is off to a bad start. I know they're watching us from a block in that direction," Aron said, nodding towards her team. Seeing the wicked grin spreading along her face when he spoke those words.

"How did you know?" Atlanta asked, her eyes ran down his body in a calculating light.

"I have drones flying about to ensure there weren't any civilians in harm's way," Aron lied. Arching an eyebrow behind his mask at how she sucked on her lower lip.

"I'm not testing you. They are, they want to see you in action. We need to know if you can do what's needed."

"Then let's get started," Aron spoke, moving up to the ledge, placing his right foot upon it. Feeling the substructure of the roof reaching its breaking point before he unleashed the pent up strength in his legs.

"Told you, Maximins, he's the one we need," Atlanta said, as her team of seven watched as Aron's dark shadow walked through the walls of flames that were now consuming the building after he had wiped out a rather violent, extremist, religious cult that were behind numerous bombings that had killed scores of innocent lives.

"He sure doesn't pull his punches," Maximins spoke as the others nodded.

"Can he be trusted?"

"We don't need to trust him, we just need him for one important mission, then we'll dispose of him," Atlanta said, with an evil smile.

"But it won't be removed from its vault for another eight months. That's a lot of time for that man to be around us."

"Why we'll have him work with the Crusaders for the most part and only use him sparingly. Why risk ourselves when we can just take it easy?" Atlanta asked, getting a chuckle from the seven of them.

"Where did he..." The sound of a body landing behind them caused all eight of them to turn to see Aron rising from his kneeling position.

"So the Team Cestron finally decided to show itself," Aron said, coldly.

"That was an impressive performance," Maximins said, yet it felt the man cared not one bit about his praise.

"Uh-huh, so we done with these tests, or should we continue to circle jerk each other?" Aron asked, having heard everything they spoke of when he had sent one of his drones to spy on them the moment he entered the warehouse.

"Oh, I like him, he has attitude," said the only other female member on the team that went by the name of Dark Sin. "Makes me want to fry it out of him," she said cruelly, as electricity arced along her spread fingers.

"You can try," Aron taunted, when he made his new suit he had added a way for the electricity to move along the suit and to ground without causing him any harm. When she started to move her hand to unleash, however, many amps she had at her command at him, his laser pistol was already pointed at her head. "Go ahead, you'll be dead before you can even form a spark," Aron said darkly, as the accelerator began to spin.

"We aren't here to fight, Dark Sin," Maximins said, reaching out and pushing his subordinate's arm down. "We're here to witness what this hero can do. All in favor of inviting the hero named Void into Cestron raise your hands," all but two rose their right hands, "all opposed?" Aron noted how Dark Sin and one other rose their hands when Maximins asked that. "There you have it, we have our new member," Maximins said, holding out his hand to Void, who simply holstered his weapon.

"You don't play well with others, do you?" Asked a man that Aron didn't care to remember his name as he remained silent. In truth, Aron was playing Bejeweled he thought it was more entertaining than listening to them.

"Well you're going to have to work on that. You'll be working with the Crusaders to keep up the ruse. Keep your communicator on, we'll be in touch."

When Maximins said that Aron took it as a sign he was done and that meant he could leave, which he did. If he didn't then... well, the mission would have been in jeopardy. Especially after what he had heard. Aron had to restrain himself from punching a hole through Atlanta's chest. "Atlanta keep an eye on him." Maximins said, as Aron zoomed off.

"I had planned on it," Atlanta muttered watching the lights of Aron's jet bike suddenly disappearing. Knowing she was going to use Aron to take out Maximins so she could take over. Aron might not be able to match Maximins strength from what she has seen, yet it would be enough to weaken him to the point that killing him wouldn't put her in harm's way. If Aron survived then she would simply take him out too or turn him into her little pet. She hadn't decided on that yet.

******

"You get all that?" Aron asked, when he reappeared two hundred miles away from the city he was just at.

"Yes, Void. We're working on trying to find out what they were referencing. But it will take time."

"Well, we have eight months," Aron spoke wondering how his folks were going to take the news that this would take longer than they had hoped. Hearing a door closing over the line.

"Aron, are you alright?" Aron could hear the concern in her voice. He wondered why.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You sound upset."

"Maybe a little," Aron admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it, Aron?"

"Nah, just eager to end this thing is all."

"I know, I can't thank you enough for doing this. You're helping a great many people when we bring these 'heroes' down. Are you heading home?"

"Yeah, it's my turn to watch Henry."

"Maybe you'll show me a picture of your little boy, when you come over next time?" Aron arched an eyebrow when he heard that lovey-dovey tone of hers. It was kind of weirding him out. "Aron, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"What would you say if I said I wanted to be there in that house with you and watch your family's activities?"

"I'd say you'd be alone given how I don't do group sex."

"But what if we just watched?"

"Do you really want to see it that badly?" Aron asked, shaking his head at her 'Mmmhmm.'

"I listen to everything, Aron. I've lost count of the times I got off listening to you fucking your mother, sisters, aunts, I just want to be there with you." Rubbing his temple, this was getting far too out of hand and far too weird for his liking.

"Let me think about it. It's not really a spectator sport, you know."

"I know. I'll do anything you or they ask."

"I'll talk to them."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Aron replied.

"Okay!" Shaking his head at how chipper Sara sounded at the prospect of watching his family getting their fuck on. "Have a safe flight home. I'll contact you tomorrow." With their conversation over, switching the bike out of hover mode and entering null-space to head home.

******

Two weeks later...

Aron was concentrating on the micro soldering he was doing at the time to get the right hand ready to be attached to its limb. He knew without Aminah's help the build would have taken months if not a year or more by himself, given the limited hours he worked on the project. As it was, Veil's body was almost ready to have its outer casing installed. Then the process of grafting the skin to the plating would commence. However, first, he needed to finish working on the brain. He has spent most of his focus on the hardware. The head unit was nearly completed they just had to install Veil's brain. Rolling his shoulders once he had replaced the soldering iron on its stand. Hooking up the power supply to the leads in the wrist and running through the sequence to ensure every finger and thumb was working in proper order. Disconnecting it from the power source, gently lifting the hand off the mount he was using while he worked. Walking over to Veil's new body and carefully attaching it to the right arm. A sense of pride and accomplishment washed over him as his eyes ran along the nearly assembled android body. Now all that remained to do that day was smelt the platinum and combine it with the caesium that had been sitting in the canister. He had already made the mold and the chip that would be embedded in the metal to turn it into a smart metal to ensure that it stayed in the form he had chosen to mimic the neuropathways of the human brain.

Stripping off his clothes and shoes, he didn't want to ruin them in case there was some splash back in the pouring. Lowering the welder goggles down as the smelter roared eager to have a taste of that silvery metal in Aron's hand. Aron had cut the platinum into chunks so it would fit more easily and snuggly in the crucible. Then measuring out a pound of the caesium before adding it to the crucible to make the alloy for his photonic brain, also adding the special element needed to join the two together. It was of his own design that he would never allow to leave his lips. He had seen how aroused and excited Aminah was when she watched him making the cast of the structure of Veil's body out of Neuium billets that he had bought. He was one of the few people that actually knew how to smelt that rare and hard metal given how it would never melt in high heat. No. You had to use the right sound vibrations to turn the metal into a liquid state and then bombard it with a range of sound waves to ensure that the metal would stay in a fixed state. It normally took twenty-four hours for the process to be completed.

"Aron?" Aminah spoke causing him to turn his head as she stood in the doorway that led to his little smelting room his counterpart had built when he made his hidden lab. "What are you doing in here?" she asked, her eyes running down his near naked state.

"About to pour the alloy for Veil's brain," Aron said, truthfully.

"Oh! May I stay and watch?"

"Sure, suit yourself," Aron shrugged. It was just a pour he didn't see why she got all excited about it.

Aminah held her breath as she watched Aron lifting the crucible out of the furnace. Seeing the crucible glowing white-hot as Aron carefully moved over to the mold that sat waiting on the floor. Watching how his hands were steady as he slowly poured that hot metal into the opening. Noting how his breathing was shallow, his focus intently on the pour, knowing how his eyes were watching how the metal flowed into the mold.

"How long will it take to cool?" Aminah asked, as Aron placed the crucible into the annealing oven to cool down at a slower rate.

"About two days," Aron spoke removing his goggles.

"Then come, we have things to do," Aminah said, holding out her hand to him.