Back in Ronald's office.
SAMANTHA was still analyzing the images on the walls. The reconstruction was nearly complete, and many full silhouettes moved about in the pictures, with some rooms having more movement than others.
It was at the stage of silhouettes merging to make a fluid flow instead of the crowded, somewhat chaotic movement.
Altair took his seat. James dropped into a casual sprawl. Ronald remained behind his desk. David had not yet returned.
The silence made Altair replay the videos in his mind. This was not the life he pictured when he joined. Not that he had had a clear image. It was just… not this.
Back when he was rescuing people, his biggest concern was of leaving a trace behind. Maybe a journalist snapping a shot of him using his powers, or someone getting something to identify him.
None of that compared to the few videos he just watched. In a moment, someone could erase his memory and there was probably nothing he could do about it. There was really no way of confirming whether losing memory counted as a 'Status Effect', which the System could 'Recover'.
And what about a situation like that of the "flame guy", if he ever had to stop a target from losing control and things went wrong, someone could die. Maybe not him, but whether he could live with that was another matter.
Not to mention, having a target escape, who later caused catastrophic damage like what happened in Galatia.
For a few minutes, he tried to simulate scenarios. He imagined himself in the agents' place to see what he would do different. To make the missions succeed.
But he failed, he could not focus. The critical points in the videos just kept mixing up and superimposing in his head. Rather than the simulation flowing smoothly, he repeatedly saw the moment it went wrong and he kept hearing the consequences which James mentioned.
The chaos in his mind was in sharp contrast to the silence of the room. He felt uncomfortable and he soon got fidgety and shifty. He didn't know what to do with his hands and he moved in his seat more than once.
Soon enough, David returned. The sound of his foot landing on the floor as he Slinged in, and the slight breeze, was enough to snap Altair out of this pit.
Altair temporarily freed himself of the thoughts.
!Processing complete. Summary of movement patterns finalized.!
!Primary room usage: Kitchen - 43%. Most likely site for establishing contact.!
James sat up, squinting quizzically. "Our magician's a cook, hey?"
David shook his head. "Forget about that. A kitchen has many things he can use. Sharp objects, a nearby heat source. We still don't know the full extent of his powers."
According to what was in the files and the videos online, the man could multiply cards, transform them, and even displace them or make things vanish.
Without knowing if he could do more or if his abilities stopped to some items, facing him in a kitchen would be very unsafe. Public figures tended to be very fake these days so who knew if the temperament Denton Black showed publicly was how he really was.
"The kitchen is not an option." Ronald said to SAMANTHA.
Everyone seemed to agree that while meeting Denton Black in the kitchen was the most logical approach due to his comfort there, it was also the least safe option.
SAMANTHA heard the conversation and suggested the next best option.
!Dining room: 22% usage. Oval table for eight, chandelier overhead, linen mat floor covering. Two wall sconces. Simple design.!
Ronald nodded. "This works. Replicate the furniture. Use standard casing protocols."
!Additional images required from multiple angles.! SAMANTHA replied.
James stood and picked one of the cameras. "Is Denton Black back home?"
!Negative!
With SAMANTHA's reply, he vanished.
A few seconds later, !Beginning acquisition.!
On the main screen, different images of Denton Black's living room began to appear.
The pictures varied. Close-ups of the furniture, wide shots of the room, and even low and high angle pictures.
!Estimated completion time: Four hours. Equipment calibration included.!
James reappeared around this time.
Altair looked at David. "So, this 'replication'… what exactly is being made?"
David answered smoothly, as if expecting the question. "Most of the furniture will be replaced. The new chairs will lock Denton in place if needed. The chandelier and sconces will carry directional electric discharge units able to target designated items."
Altair thought of their first encounter. 'Is that…'
David read his expression. "Yes, that's what we did with your chandelier back then. The first electric shock was from that."
Altair raised a brow.
"You had your thoughts on your face." David shrugged.
Altair's mind went through many thoughts and he asked. "You're turning the room into a trap?"
"Not a trap," David said. "A contingency."
'No, that's a trap.' Altair frowned slightly, massaging his arm.
…A/N: See chapter 16-17…
At the same time, he asked. "Does SAMANTHA design the equipment from scratch?"
"Not really." David started. "The designs already exist in our database, they are gadgets we've worked with before. Now, SAMANTHA explores these designs and tweaks them to match the appearance of items we choose. In this case the furniture in Denton Black's living room. The objective being, to make it look identical to the real thing."
Altair nodded slowly in understanding.
In a way, what they did was like what mobile phone companies do. To take existing parts, change the appearance, and rebrand them as something new. There was a lot more going on behind the curtain than he expected.
This would take four hours according to SAMANTHA. That was a rather long time and by the time she finished they would not be able to place the equipment since Denton would already be home.
The next chance to place their equipment was only the next day.
Ronald stood up. "This is all for today. You're all dismissed."
Altair stood. "Can I go and watch SAMANTHA work?"
He wanted to see the process of designing or at least creating the items copies.
There was a short pause in the room after his question.
"No." Ronald denied calmly.
Left with no task, Altair rubbed the back of his neck. "How about going to meet those trainers now?" He asked, turning to James.
"That's not possible now, they don't work for us and have their own schedules. We shall go, when the time is right."
Altair sighed. At work he was on an imposed holiday by his boss. Then, Ronald forbade him from continuing with his super-hero activities.
"Go home and watch something or get some rest. Remember, you're on leave."
Altair didn't answer. He just gave a faint nod and vanished.
The office was gone in a flash, replaced by the silence of his apartment.
He didn't move right away. Just stood there, surrounded by familiar walls, listening to nothing.
With the returning thoughts, this would be a long end of day. The free time he had started feeling a lot like detention time.