I place my right fist in my left palm and rub its smooth surface. I feel the cold steel on warm flesh, and it brings me a bittersweet feeling. Before I lost my hand to a commando mission, I could still enjoy the simple things in life. Something about my touch would make a woman shiver with joy. Now, the women just complain about the temperature. It's awkward to make love wearing a glove, but sometimes I think the cost is worth it.
"Where is he?" the woman spat angrily as she brushed a strand of dark hair off of her face, revealing the deep purple eyes that drove men to their knees in the boardroom and the bedroom, "did you get the signal? Did he spark?"
"Yes Ms. X," Dr. Quantos said, rubbing his bandaged chin where the escaping Eurostar had struck him, "we recorded his 'explosion' just before contact was lost with the Lioness. A few minutes later, he disappeared off of our scopes."
"According to police reports, Lorena is dead," I say as I enter the room.
"Yes, Chief Bibowski, I received a similar report," Quantos replied, "but I don't know if I trust the authorities."
"My men have confirmed it," I reply as I bring my cigarette back to my mouth, "it seems that our new toy went ghost and went for a swim in the sands once he was cornered."
"We need to retrieve him before Tri-Vex tries anything," the raven-haired woman said as she walked towards me. She ran her fingers down my muscled arm before settling on my hand. Unlike most women, the steel hand did not bother her. After all, it was her gift to me.
"Bibbo, we need Eurostar back. Will you get him for me?" she whispered breathily into my ear as her hand continued to travel. I am sure that Dr. Quantos was blushing behind her.
"A class-Alpha metahuman? That sounds like a lot of trouble," I reply coolly, removing my cigarette with my unoccupied hand to exhale, "is this going to be worth my while?"
The woman just smiled. A lesser man would have been drooling and falling into a fetal position by now, but I wasn't a lesser man. That's why I was the security chief here, and that's why she had taken a personal interest in my 'work'.
"I'll assemble a team. I'm going to need some equipment, and I expect Doc here to hand over whatever I ask for," I reply as I deposit the finished smoke into an ashtray, "don't worry beautiful, you'll get your man."
Dr. Quantos turned back to his work as Ms. X sighed and laughed to herself. Even with his increased strength and the other benefits his prothesis gave him, Bibowski would have his work cut out for him getting a meta as powerful as Eurostar back in one piece. He just hoped that the metas they had left after the loss of Agent 57 and Lioness would be enough for the man's purposes.
