Metas #3 - A Loose End pt. 3

                Matt stepped out of the airport into the bright sunshine. Despite it being cold back home, the tropical island never even came close to the winter temperatures he was used to. He was still able to wear shorts, although he brought clothes to cover his whole body just in case. He wasn’t sure what this mission would need.

                “Matt wait up!”

                Matt sighed and pulled his baseball hat down further. He was wearing sunglasses as well, yet he still felt like someone could recognize his face. Arthur and Laura came up behind him, with Laura rolling her eyes and shushing him.

                “Oops, sorry uh, Nick.” Arthur adjusted his glasses and looked around to make sure there was nobody close. There wasn’t; tourists at this point in the year weren’t completely uncommon, but there wasn’t the massive crowd of summer vacationers clogging the island. “Not used to going undercover like this,” he whispered.

                “I never would have guessed,” Laura said sarcastically as she walked up to Matt’s other side. Without looking at him she continued, “So what’s the plan? You said your contact was meeting us here.”

                “Not here,” Matt said as he hailed a taxi. “She’s waiting at the hotel.”

                It was bad enough Matt had to come back to this island after how he left, but at least if he had been alone it would have been easier. Instead, after telling Arthur and Laura what happened, Laura demanded she not be left behind, and Arthur decided to join them. For Laura, her reasoning was simple; she’s never been to the Caribbean before, and she is not, in her own words, a child to be left behind while a parent goes to work. Arthur, on the other hand, had no reason to come with, other than that he felt he should as a friend to Matt. Both had promised to listen to Matt’s orders, and Laura promised Matt she wouldn’t use her powers unless absolutely necessary.

                Despite Matt’s protests, cruel promises, and many curses, the two were here. Arthur was acting exactly how Matt thought he would: timid, nervous, and a bit agitated. However Laura fit right in to the world of espionage, her dodgy past full of lies playing no small part in that ability. She picked up on the false names and backgrounds instantly, becoming her part in this elaborate play. As the trio walked into the little hotel lobby, she put her arm around Matt’s, put a huge smile on her face, and instantly become the blissfully happy young lover that was her cover. Matt fell in to his part of the star-struck lover and hoped that Arthur would hold it together long enough to be their grudging third wheel and check in to the rooms.

                Matt opened the door and walked inside, followed by Laura and Arthur. Arthur went straight to the bathroom and was startled when he opened the door and saw one of the hotel’s maids standing in there. He blurted out an apology, but the maid just laughed and walked into the main room.

                “You could have told them about me, Matt,” she said glancing at Laura.

                “Could have, but what fun would that have been?” Matt waited a few moments for Arthur to come out of the bathroom, then continued. “Laura, Arthur, this is Janet. She’s one of the two metahumans I asked to run this errand for me.”

                Janet gave a little curtsy in her maid outfit and giggled. She was a few years younger than Laura, just in her vibrant teenage years, and had black braided hair and milk-chocolate skin. “Most metas just call me Scanner, cuz that’s what I do. I scan people’s minds.”

                “Wow,” Arthur said, pulling out a notepad from his suitcase. “I’ve never met a telepath before.”

                Matt raised an eyebrow at Arthur as he wrote it down, and Arthur answered him without looking up. “I record metahuman powers when I come across them.” Arthur closed his notepad and sighed contently. “In case you were wondering. It’s a hobby.”

                Janet smiled at Arthur, “That’s a lofty goal you have, recording every power ever manifested. But I’m sure Matt can help with that, now that he’s licensed and buddy-buddy with big daddy.”

                Arthur looked surprised, but Matt laughed. “Hey Scanner, I thought it was impolite for telepaths to read minds without permission?”

                Janet shrugged coyly. “You told me, and I quote, ‘Read every mind you can, and find this file’. The mission’s not over, boss.”

                “Speaking of missions,” Laura piped in, “what happened? Matt told us why you’re here, but he was very short on the details of why we’re here.”

                For the first time since they got there, Janet stopped smiling. She sat down on a chair and glanced at Matt. He gave her a slight nod to go ahead. “Matt asked me and my brother Ty to come down and retrieve a video file for him. Nothing big, just the usual for us. I find where it is, and Ty gets it.” Janet stopped and smiled briefly, “Ty is very good at hiding. So I found where they were keeping the file and he left to get it, but that was three days ago.” Janet stopped and started wiping her eyes. Arthur handed her a tissue before she continued. “They have him, I’m sure of it. He’s out of my range, and I can’t find him when I go looking for him, so either they are keeping him unconscious, they moved him far away, or…” Janet stopped and started crying.

                Arthur knelt down next Janet and put his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him, don’t worry. I’m sure he’s okay. Maybe he’s trapped somewhere and can’t get out without being seen?”

                Janet sniffed, “Could be. He’s done that before.”

                Arthur looked up at Matt, who had his eyes closed. After a minute he opened them and looked at Janet, who was staring hopefully up at him. “You know I’ll find him, Janet.” She nodded, and Matt continued, “Then let’s get going. We only have a few hours til sunset to plan something out, and I aim to have my friend back by the morning.”