A Date and a Wiretap

"What's this?"

Watching Rorschach do something none of them understood again, Butcher couldn't help asking.

"I'm writing an algorithm that pairs cameras with sensors."

"If a sensor detects movement but the camera doesn't pick up a person, it'll trigger an alarm, and..."

Rorschach left the rest unsaid and pointed to the paint overhead.

"He'll have a hard time staying invisible after that."

At his own place, Rorschach intended to make full use of every advantage.

"Can you get the latest 3D-printing filament?"

He directed the question at Frenchie. Frenchie dealt in magic powder, so he knew the black market best.

"I should be able to get some."

"Buy the material they use in A-Train's suit. Not much—just enough."

The stuff had excellent toughness and strength. No wonder it cost a fortune.

Rorschach wasn't worried about their budget, either.

They're already pretending to be the FBI. What's a little more money?

Just then, Starlight called.

"Time slipped by. It's almost lunch."

Rorschach stepped away from his work and settled into a casual chat.

"You have no idea how good it feels to know he's getting kicked out," Starlight said, relief in her voice.

"That really is good news. Looks like things are only going to get brighter for you."

"So I wanted to ask if you're free tonight. I booked a restaurant, and I've been dying to try their food."

"Sure. Send me the time and place, and I'll be there."

Thrilled, Starlight clenched her fist, fixed her hair, then left for her afternoon activities.

Once she had left the empty conference room, Translucent dropped his invisibility, his dick hanging out.

"That voice sounds familiar..."

What excited him even more was that the country girl who had only just arrived in New York had already fallen for someone.

He wondered who had won over such a high-profile girl so quickly.

Stargirl had debuted as a child star and fought her way up ever since.

Apart from Maeve, with her distinctive mature beauty, Starlight was the most popular member of The Seven. After all, she was one of the few women to make the team.

If the guy could be persuaded, perhaps Translucent could taste the fruit The Deep had failed to pluck.

From all the time Translucent had spent looking up at the girl from a corner of the bathroom, he knew one thing: she was hot.

Translucent had plans for tonight.

"We can't just keep waiting around."

Butcher was getting restless. He thought this was the perfect time to kick The Deep while he was down.

They could hit The Deep again once he was drunk, use a heavy dose of anesthetic, then shove a high-caliber sniper rifle into his mouth and pull the trigger.

Finally, they could weigh him down and sink him in the sea. His friends would make short work of the body.

It was a beautiful plan, but Rorschach shot it down.

"Not yet. There's no rush to go after him."

As far as Rorschach was concerned, The Deep might crack again. He was easy to push around.

Rorschach ought to be ruthless, too. Just like Vought International, he could squeeze out every last bit of The Deep's commercial value before dumping him into the sea.

"I've got a date with Starlight tonight, guys, so let's finish this afternoon."

"One cargo truck, with a signal receiver."

"I'll handle the rest." Rorschach stood and put on his jacket, intending to get more supplies from Hughie.

Superheroes and ordinary people alike tended to stop thinking things through once they got their hands on a powerful weapon, be it a gun or superhuman strength.

Of course, overwhelming an opponent through sheer force felt great. Why wouldn't they do it?

There was nothing inherently wrong with that thinking. But absolute power did not exist.

And even if it did, when two equally overwhelming forces collided, the smarter side would win.

Rorschach saw no reason he couldn't be both powerful and clever.

Computers, phones, and even some televisions had built-in cameras. Once a home network was hacked, its occupants' private moments were easy to see.

It beat Translucent's approach by a mile.

Translucent had to be careful not to cry out. Rorschach and the others, parked a block away, could watch from every angle.

They just couldn't get too excited. If the truck started rocking and someone thought there was a "van party" inside, they might knock and ask to join.

"Marvin, you're with me."

The preparations went quickly. In less than an hour, an unremarkable moving truck had reached the designated spot.

Frenchie and Butcher stayed inside to watch the surveillance feeds.

Their target this time was The Female, A-Train's girlfriend.

Strictly speaking, the "girlfriend" part existed only in her imagination.

A-Train had no intention of making their relationship public.

They had been a couple since their days in the same teen superhero idol group.

But A-Train's speed had carried him to the top, while The Female could only scrape by selling glamour photos.

After all, superheroes already had bulletproof skin. Her protruding bone claws looked good, but they didn't do much damage.

If those claws had been made of Adamantium, that would have been another story.

The Female even knew A-Train went to clubs for group sex.

She put up with it because she knew she wasn't quite good enough for him anymore.

After she pressed him again and again, A-Train finally promised to ask Madelyne, the CEO of Vought International, whether they could make their relationship public.

Knock, knock.

The two knocks pulled The Female out of her gloomy thoughts.

The landlord had already come by to demand rent. Money was tight, and even in a studio apartment, she kept falling into debt.

The thing that once brought her wealth had stopped paying off years ago.

The only way she could see out of her financial straits was to marry someone rich—someone like A-Train.

"Ma'am, we're offering a free broadband upgrade in your neighborhood. Would you be interested?"

"By the way, I'm Gary, and this is Hughie."

The man at the door looked polite and well-mannered. The Black man beside him was large but had a friendly face, and both wore work uniforms.

"Of course. Come on in." The Female let them into her apartment without a second thought.

"Oh, are you The Female?" Rorschach feigned surprise and glanced around. "I loved that movie you were in. What a great time that was."

And now all you can do is hang up your glamour shots and vent a little...

Rorschach couldn't resist the private jab.

Pretending to be an ordinary person who got starstruck really tested his acting.

"Here you go, gentlemen." The Female turned on the computer, then stepped away. "I'll get you some water."

"No need," Rorschach said, plugging the USB drive he'd brought into the computer.

"Ma'am, could you sign here?" Marvin stepped over at just the right moment, drawing her attention away.

By the time the two came back out, Frenchie and Butcher were already waiting for them.