AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 12

Kason Chemical Plant
Hanover, Freedom City

The Crime Cruiser skidded over the curb and smacked into the corner of the chain link fence. The Reformer pulled himself out of the car, face ashen.

"You know, it's a good thing I can make myself airbags." A handkerchief appeared in his hand and he wiped his forehead.

Nine Lives hopped out the other side. "Oh, please. Like you've never driven off a bridge before." Behind them, the Omnibot rolled to a halt and extended its legs. A sensor emerged and regarded the silent building.

"Looks empty," he remarked.

A security guard emerged from a small building as they approached the gate. "You can't come in," the man said in a drawl. "Plant's closed."

"Hey, how ya doing?" asked Nine Lives.

The man on the other side of the fence looked dumbfounded. "9-L! Oh my gosh, is it really you?"

Nine Lives smiled charmingly. "Listen, we need access to the building."

The guard sucked in a breath. "I'm really sorry, 9-L, but I'm afraid I can't do that. The whole plant is closed down. OSHA was here and everything, but people who go inside get sick and no one is sure why. It's a big deal."

"Here's the thing." Nine Lives leaned closer and lowered his voice. "We're here on official business. You probably heard about that mess last night at channel 3. We think there might be vital evidence inside; the fact that people are getting sick makes it almost certain. We've been asked by the police and the government to solve this fast before things come to a head tonight. I'm happy to call your boss and arrange things if you want, but every minute counts."

"Wow," the guard said. He wiped some sweat off his brow and pushed the button that unlocked the gate. "I'm going to take a chance and let you in now. Let me know if there really is evidence there, right? I'll call the police for you."

"You bet." Nine Lives shook his hand. "Thanks for the help; you may end up saving thousands of lives."

The guard looked extremely pleased with himself as he accompanied the heroes over to the building. "Are you going to be okay in there? Do you need me to," the man swallowed, "come along?"

"I'm immune to poison," rattled the Omnibot. The Reformer had a cocky grin as he held out his hand and created a gas mask out of thin air.

The guard blinked. "Wow."

"Don't worry," Nine Lives said, "we'll be fine. I'd rather have you stay here and call for backup if anything strange happens. And thank you." The guard unlocked the door, and the three heroes walked into the dark building.

"How do you do that?" asked the Reformer.

"What?" asked Nine Lives. "Just treat people with respect."

"Man, if I could do that with women. . ." His eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"I detect something." said the Omnibot. "Very faint traces of chlorine-based toxins. It's a variant of the same formula that was used at the television station. She's been here."

"Can you trace it?"

A panel whirred open on the bottom of the Omnibot and a small remote unit rolled out onto the dusty factory floor. "A sniffer unit," the Omnibot explained. "It'll take air samples and track the pathogens to their source. It feeds all data back to me." They all watched as the small robot beeped, spun, sampled the air, and began to roll.

"It's coming through the ventilation system, obviously," said the Omnibot. "9-L, if you would be so kind?" Nine Lives picked up the small robot and leaped catlike to the ceiling pipes thirty feet above. He opened an access hatch, inserted the small robot, and leaped down just as easily. The sniffer unit made a rattling sound as it spun through the air conditioning ducts.

"It's headed for the basement," said the Omnibot. They moved to the freight elevator and descended one level. The Muzak in the elevator was playing Ray Conniff. The Omnibot hummed for an eternity until the elevator doors opened onto the basement level of the plant.

"That's odd," said the Omnibot. "Toxic emanations are growing stronger, but it's still in the air shaft and descending. It's currently below where we are right now. There's another level underneath us." The three spread out and fruitlessly tried to find another set of stairs.

"I'm going in the hard way," said Nine Lives. He leapt to the ceiling and used his claws to rip open one of the air ducts. He slid in and dropped into a vertical shaft. The duct narrowed, but the hero was unconcerned as he fell fifty feet. He landed lightly.

"I hit an air filter." He used his claws to slash open the filter.

"Better hurry. The robot sensed a small surge in toxins and stopped transmitting," reported the Omnibot.

"You bet. I'm standing on. . . hey!" Nine Lives felt intense pain in his foot. Looking down with cat-slit eyes, he could see something amorphous and fluid forcing its way upwards from the duct beneath him. It glowed a faint, unhealthy green, and was systematically eating away his leg.