A man in a white lab coat tossed another henchman across the concrete floor. Seven in total were rolling around in agony, staring up at the high cavern walls of their bosses' lair. The man responsible for their pain was none other than Dr. Phillian. He was a young practicing doctor at St. Vinci's Hospital and moonlighted as a hero. His rage was more consuming than the acne on his face, but he had mercy on the henchmen. They were not the reason for his anger nor were they worth his energy. There was only one he wished to release his full wrath upon.

"Stenson! Come out and face me like a man!"

Stenson watched from his surveillance room as the hero trashed his lair and more henchmen came rushing to receive their own beating. He pushed his thin frame glasses up his nose and turned to the henchman on his right.

"Why would my nemesis come to my lair? Did we do something to him?"

"I don't think so, sir."

"This is between you and me! Let my girlfriend go!" Dr. Phillian shouted and kicked the last charging henchman in the groin.

Stenson and the henchman by his side winced at the last blow they watched from the monitors. Dr. Phillian meant business and stormed off to a blindspot.

"Girlfriend? I never captured anyone. Did you, Jeffrey?"

"No sir…"

At the same moment, they came to the same realization and slowly turned around to a young blonde teenager who gave them a nervous smile. She sat in her chair, trying not to fidget too much.

"Ellen, do you know Dr. Phillian?"

"Doctor who? Phillipian? Nope. Can't say I have. Why would you think that?" Ellen tried her best to not let her voice get all high pitched and guilty.

"Ellen," Stenson said sternly.

She began to sweat and looked over to Jeffrey who crossed his arms in disapproval. Ellen knew she was busted.

"You know, I'm thirsty. Jeffrey, can you get us something to drink?"

"Not until you tell us why that lunatic is wrecking your father's lair."

She gasped. "Daddy, you're going to let your henchman talk to me like that?"

Stenson stepped forward. "Jeffrey is family and his question is valid. What did you do?"

Shoot, that didn't work. Better drag this out. "Soooo…I maybe…kinda–"

"Damn it, Ellen. You're not pregnant, are you?"

"What? No! Jeez Dad. He's just a guy I flirt with sometimes."

"He seems to think it is more than that."

That was when Ellen was hit with a stroke of genius. She got up, strutted over to the monitor, and pointed to Dr. Phillian on the screen. "Do I look like the kind of girl who would be with that? His whole face is covered in acne."

She shivered to sell it better, but if she was being honest, his acne was the best part. It gave his face texture and character. A man with flaws who was bold enough to not hide behind makeup. She was not that strong, but he never made her feel that way. Ellen removed her finger from the screen, realizing she was trying to feel those beautiful bumps through the glass.

"And besides, he never said my name. It could be anybody."

"Ellen, hold on! I'm coming for you!" Dr. Phillian declared, going up a flight of stairs.

Stenson and Jeffrey glared at her. Her ruse was up and they demanded the truth. Ellen hung her head down in defeat. There was no more delaying the inevitable.

"Okay, fine. You caught me. I was dating him."

Jeffrey quirked his eyebrow. "Was?"

Ellen realized there was a lot they didn't know, but she wasn't so keen on letting them in on her love life. She decided the less they knew, the better.

"I've never broken up with a hero before, so I thought the best way to do it was to leave a ransom letter."

The smack from Stenson facepalming himself echoed in the room. He couldn't believe his own daughter would do something so boneheaded. Ransom letters were for high value people, not for superhero girlfriends. It gave the wrong kind of attention and left few possible culprits, especially since it was his nemesis.

"Why can't you break up with someone like a normal person?" Stenson strained to ask.

She crossed her arms and stuck out her hip. "Why can't you just follow the law?"

"He's at the door." Jeffrey marched toward the solid metal door and grabbed Ellen's purse on the ground.

"Hey!" Ellen said.

"Ellen! I'm coming!"

Jeffrey ignored both of them and pulled out the pepper spray. He pressed the big blue button to open the door. The door swished open and Dr. Phillian only got one step in before getting a face full of eye burning spray. He flopped around on the floor while Ellen rushed to his side.

"Chuck, are you okay?" Ellen asked, laying her hands on him.

"My eyes. It hurts so bad," he said.

Ellen ran her fingers along his bumpy face and touched his eyes. The pain went away like a toilet being flushed. He gazed up at her, glad to see her alive and well.

Jeffrey saw Dr. Phillian's eyes cleared up and got ready to spray him again. He did not anticipate the doctor's speed, who kicked the can out of his hands from the ground. Dr. Phillian got up and twirled Ellen behind him.

"Run. I'll take care of these two."

"Ellen," Stenson said. "Are you going to explain this or will I have to?"

Dr. Phillian didn't take his eyes off Stenson. "What's he talking about, Ellen?"

"I don't know. Let's just go." Ellen tried pulling on him, but he stayed put. It was the wrong move.

"I never sent you a ransom note." Stenson pointed to Ellen. "My daughter still has a lot to learn about breaking up with someone."

Dr. Phillian froze. "Your daughter?"

"Yeah. I'm not surprised you don't see the resemblance. She got everything from her mother, including her dumb ideas."

Dr. Phillian slowly turned around to face her. She wore a wounded smile, but the betrayal cut deeper. All the lies had piled up and struck him where he was most vulnerable. His heart.

"You–you lied to me..."

"I didn't mean to."

"How can I believe that? You have lied to me constantly."

Jeffrey walked over to Stenson and whispered in his ear. "Should we give them some space?"

"Nope. She made this mess. I want to see how she cleans it up."

Ellen leaned in and placed her hand on Dr. Phillian's cheek. "I promise. No more lies from here on in."

Dr. Phillian moved her hand away. "Is your father telling the truth? About you wanting to break up with me?"

"I did, but I don't want to anymore. You're a good man. Better than anyone else in my life. I couldn't do better than you and I see that now."

"What other lies have you told me that I should know?"

"I don't know. If you have something in mind, just ask. Let me prove I'm serious."

"Did you tell him you're only seventeen?" Stenson asked.

Dr. Phillian looked over his shoulder and then back at her. "You said you were in college."

"I'm taking college classes. It's basically the same thing."

Dr. Phillian grunted and stormed off.

"Wait! I can explain." Ellen chased after him, leaving her heels clicking against the stone floor. Stenson's smile slowly grew until he bursted out laughing. Jeffrey was far less amused.

"Aren't you worried about your teenage daughter dating an older man?"

Stenson slapped his knee and tried to stop his laughter to answer. "She's not dating him any more."

"What if he took advantage of her?"

"I know my daughter. If anything, she took advantage of him. Heck, if she did sleep with him, I could get him thrown in prison for a few years. Could you imagine the kind of damage I could accomplish without him interfering?"

"You are a terrible dad."

"Well, she is a terrible daughter. Maybe one day we'll figure it out. Until then, go send someone to check out his place. If we can find any evidence, we will want to use it," Stenson said and whirled around to watch his daughter frantically chase after her former lover like a deer on ice. "She runs just like her mother."

March 24th 2000 - Time Stamp 1000 CST

My name is Cal and this is entry number 1290. For all my followers, I finally got my recorder fixed, so I will be able to dictate my days in the field again so you don't miss another epic update! Right now it is almost 0000 hours, despite what my recorder says, and I am peeling back the layers on a new mystery.

The Case of The Dial Tone.

I am still workshopping the name, but this one is big guys. How big, you might ask? Very. It all started this morning after I got my recorder repaired at Hero's Inc. They ruggedized it for me, so I can beat more bad guys without worrying about wrecking it. Anyway, I was standing in line at the bus stop and did my normal thing. Listened to everyone's thoughts. Today there was nothing that stood out. This guy was stressed at work, that woman was deciding if she loved her dog more than her boyfriend. You know, normal stuff.

Once I got on the bus, I was shifting through the different thoughts to find something juicy or criminal in nature, when I picked up a dial-up noise. Yes, like when you tried to connect to the internet back in the nineties. At first I thought I was hearing someone's ringtone or a video playing somewhere. I tried to ignore it, but it kept knawing at me until I asked if anyone else heard the noise. They all looked at me like I was a crazy person. Who knows, maybe I am? 

Once the first stop showed up, I decided to leave, thinking there was just something on the bus. A few people came off with me and I focused my powers on them. Each came back with a different thought, except for a man in a plain gray business suit. He was the dial-up noise.

In my entire life, I have never heard a person's thoughts as anything other than words. That is when my investigation began. I followed him for two blocks and he went to an electronics store. He walked rigid with perfect posture, but he swung his briefcase haphazardly like a child without a care in the world. It was strange. 

I waited outside to not build suspicion and listened carefully to the cashier's thoughts. He was thinking about his plans for the evening with a box of ice cream and the latest episode of Carney Hallogan until our empty headed man got to the counter. 

Finally, someone buys the ethernet cables. This guy likes doing his projects right. "Rewiring the house?"

Dial-up noise. "Never can have too much cable."

"I'll say. That will be two hundred."

Our mystery man paid the cashier and left. He only bought ethernet cables. What was he up to? It drove me nuts, since I usually had something to work with. This guy was unreadable. I knew something was off. 

He then got on another bus and went downtown to an auto shop. The weird thing was, he didn't have a car there. He simply went there to buy oil. Stranger yet, I got to see him open his briefcase. It was empty and was where he stashed the oil bottles.

I tailed him all day and night and he never stopped to eat. He went to the bathroom a few times, but that was it. I followed him to a dark warehouse near the port. He has been in there for an hour. I think I will go in and investigate more. Wish me luck guys!

Holy shit! This is day…1291? Right? Either way, it doesn't matter. This guy isn't a guy at all. He is a fucking Android! I snuck into the empty warehouse and saw him sitting in a chair all by himself. I kid you not, he was eating the cable like it was spaghetti and chased it down with motor oil.

crash

No, he's coming. I don't have much time. I am at Henderson's Freight Port, near warehouse five. Send someone. Any hero. Heck even the cops, call anyone. 

whirring sound

Hey! Let go of me! Let go…

You were following me. You will be disposed of. Activating Protocol 7746.

Aaaaggghhh–

~End of Recording - No Data Found~

Officer Turner took out the SD card from her laptop and held it out for Jaster to take. They were standing in his warehouse where a lone chair, a roll of cut ethernet cable, and an empty bottle of motor oil laid. Police were outside by the dumpsters, where Cal was split into. 

"I'm not going to put my prints on that so you can frame me. Nice try, Lilly," Jaster said.

"Why did you bring me in here?" she asked, frustrated he wouldn't let anyone else in but her.

"You're the only officer I trust to see the inside of my warehouse. I'm giving you a chance to find Cal's murderer."

"Why not let everyone in? With this evidence, we will get a warrant to search this place."

"That's the thing. Get rid of the recording. I don't want any officers searching my warehouse."

"Why? Afraid we will find something?"

Jaster nodded. "Do I need to remind you why I trust you?"

Officer Turner didn't need a reminder. Her husband was safe at home, cuddling with Scruffles. They would end up like Cal if she didn't play ball. She dropped the SD card on the ground and stomped on it with her heel. 

"Destroying evidence will make convicting this killer harder. How will I be able to explain in court how I found Cal's murderer?"

"You won't have to worry about conviction. I will handle it. And besides, we are dealing with a robot. Can't murder what isn't alive," Jaster said and began walking away. "By the way, I like your confidence that you will find this robot. You will need it."

"Can I take pictures of this?" she asked, gesturing to the cables and empty oil bottle.

"Do what you need. I just don't want any officers in here."

Jaster left and walked past the cop cars and crime scene tape. Officers were busy on the phone or examining the scene to pay him any mind. If he was being honest, it was a tragedy. Cal was a kid who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His biggest concern though was this robot had the appearance of a person and the sophistication to stay hidden. He needed to know who made it and more importantly, what it was made for. Every robot had a purpose and this one was no exception.

If you enjoyed this, there is more set in this universe at r/HerosInc

Blonde hair whisked back and forth over a slender woman's shoulders as she strutted over to cell block eight. The solid dark gray walls matched her uniform, minus the red streaks down the sleeves. She was holding a tray of steaming food. Mashed potatoes, chicken, and a dinner roll the size of both her fists was about to go to her favorite inmate, Tanal Sinclair.

Most inmates at such a facility had strict containment procedures, but Tanal was granted special privileges due to his progress in his mandatory counseling sessions. He was allowed one day a week to eat with whoever he wanted. Every week, he chose Ms. Harriot Carver. She was the only guard in the prison who made him smile. And she was easy on the eyes herself.

Ms. Carver came up to his cell, which was secluded from all the other inmates, and rapped on the bars. "Dinner time!"

Tanal was lying on the floor with a newspaper over his head. The flimsy paper went up and down as he breathed, making her smile.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat. "I have food."

Tanal snapped out of his sleep and sat straight up. He turned to her and noticed a few differences about her. Her lashes were curled and wore bright red lipstick. Guards never looked so pretty, so he knew he was in for a treat.

"Let me get the door for you." Tanal hopped to his feet and jogged over to the bars. With one hand he moved the bar aside as if it was moving a curtain. 

She stepped inside and shook her head. "You should really stop doing that. One day you are going to break the bars."

Tanal moved the bar back into place and smoothly slid to her, grabbing her hands on the tray. "But your hands were full. And besides, not everyday I get a main course and dessert."

Ms. Carver looked down at the food again. "I don't see any dessert."

"I think you are pretty sweet. The cherry lipstick suits you."

Ms. Carver blushed. Compliments were easy to come by, but none quite resonated with her like his. His blue eyes seemingly stared into her very soul. He meant every word and it made her weak in the knees. 

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

"No. I just speak from the heart. Much easier." He smiled and looked down at the food. "You spoil me. Where did you get this dinner roll?"

"I made that. I remembered you said you like puffy bread."

"I do. Shall we?"

They both sat down on the floor and began eating. She nibbled on the chicken and bread, while he devoured the mashed potatoes with a fork, which Ms. Carver noticed right away.

"Where did you get that fork?"

Tanal shrugged. "Cafeteria. Don't worry, I won't use it as a shiv or a makeshift shovel to tunnel my way out."

"I wish all inmates were like you," she said, referring to his gentle heart, rather than his ability to swipe contraband.

"If they were all like me, there wouldn't be a city left for anyone to convict them of anything."

Ms. Carver put her hand on his arm gently. "Don't do that to yourself. You made a mistake. You are only human."

"Mostly human. I have lived long enough to know better. I knew what would happen if I took the drink at the tavern and I did it anyway."

"But you are better now. You are safe here, away from the temptations of the world."

Tanal nodded and smiled. "Not all of them."

Their eyes met and it took everything in her power to let him make the first move. She longed for the taste of his lips or for him to hold her in his disproportionately powerful arms. His hand moved toward her, but she dared not break eye contact with him. Her imagination was beginning to go wild, when he pulled up the dinner roll and took a bite.

"Mmmm. That is good!" he said with his mouth full. She wanted to be the dinner roll. The source of his unbridled moaning. Instead she watched the roll disappear and him smile back at her. "Thank you so much for this wonderful meal."

"It was my pleasure," she said with a hint of dejection and stood up. "I better get back to work."

She turned around, but he grabbed her by the wrist. Ms. Carver looked at him and he ran his bare hand over her soft cheek. Her skin had goosebumps, but mesmerized all the same.

"I didn't get my dessert."

There was no doubt in his eyes what he desired and she knew it. Ms. Carver didn't wait for him this time. She went for it, colliding her lips into his like an asteroid into a planet. It hurt, but she demanded he see her as a woman who longed for him. No amount of cameras watching them would deter her. Her love burned for him hotter than the sun.

Tanal was caught off guard by her aggression. He held her tight and backed up to maintain their balance, but the tray under his foot had other ideas. His back slammed into the floor and broke off their kiss.

"Are you okay?" Tanal asked.

Ms. Carver flipped her hair up and caught her breath for a second, smiling the whole time. "Come away with me."

"Harriot–"

"I know you want to finish your sentence, but only being with you like this once a week is not enough for me. I want more of you."

"I–"

"I don't care if I lose my job. We can live on our love. That is all we need. And–"

Tanal put his hand over her mouth. "You mind if I get a word in?"

She nodded comically while he kept her mouth covered.

"I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of your life with you," he said with a weak smile. "But I have to do something first."

"What?"

"There is a threat coming to Earth. Something world ending. My people are coming." 

"Your people? The Egyptians aren't going to end the world."

"My other people. The ones from space."

"Oh…those people…" Ms. Carver said, forgetting that he was technically an alien, despite his appearance. "What do they want?"

"They want me. I was supposed to be trustworthy, but after destroying the city and falling in love with you, they have determined I am no longer fit for Earth."

She had so many questions, but only one came out. "How is your people coming for you world ending?"

"They don't take chances. They will destroy the whole planet to ensure their decision is upheld," he said. Ms. Carver could tell he was deadly serious. She shook with fright, feeling helpless to stop the impending doom of humanity. He held her tight and kissed her on the forehead. "That's why I need to leave…this planet."

"No. You can't."

"It's the only way to ensure your home isn't destroyed. There is no other way." Tanal tried to get up, but she pinned him to the cold floor.

"Take me with you."

"It's too dangerous."

"I'm not dumb. I know if you leave, when you come back I will be old or not even here. I've seen Interstellar!"

Tanal couldn't help but laugh at her impassioned plea. She was right, if he left, she would likely be long gone by the time he returned. He was losing the battle to persuade her to stay. "All the more reason to stay. I like my women wrinkly."

"Well then, you can watch me get old and wrinkly in your copilot seat as we fly around Gazarbaba Prime or whatever the hell those planets are."

She gave him a deadly glare that would have warned off the most savage monster the galaxy could throw at them. Ms. Carver was not going to back down now with him confirming the feelings between them were mutual. It left Tanal with one option.

"Hold on tight then. We are getting out of here."

She clung to him like they were going to be launched out of a rocket. He put one arm around her and the other pounded into the concrete below. The floor crumbled beneath, swallowing them and Ms. Carver's screams as they plunged into the sewer system below. 

They splashed down into the murky water and spit out the vile liquid that surrounded them. Ms. Carver looked up the hole to see red flashing lights.

"You made quite the mess."

"Sorry about that. I thought it better than trying to shield you from gunfire."

"You are so thoughtful," she said, turning to face him. "Or was this your way of having an excuse to get me out of these wet clothes?"

"Well, we can't have you wearing that where we are going?"

She pressed up against him and whispered in his ear. "Where is that?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

r/WritingsByLanz 

Sgt. Handar was speeding toward a colossal metallic ring in the middle of the void. To the average intergalactic citizen, it would have appeared to be another waste of tax credits. The warp ring cost billions to make and only went to a galaxy with one inhabited planet. They were the newest addition to the Intergalactic Federation of United Planets and the council wanted them to feel welcome, thus gifting them a faster way to travel to core worlds. 

As Sgt. Handar got closer, he noticed the problem was much bigger than dispatch relayed. There was a single man fighter ship smashed into one of the security stations. Debris floated around the crash site and there were already two security officers on scene shooting at a fleeing human in a grungy green spacesuit. The human ran along a catwalk and leaped over a barrier to hide.

"What in the Gazorbo are they doing?" Sgt. Handar said, reaching for his radio. "IFPD officer to security at Warp Station Earth, what is your status?"

"We have one human male resisting arrest. Requesting backup," one security officer responded.

Sgt. Handar pulled down the scanner screen in front of his face. He could see his blue skin and ruby red eyes reflecting back at him for a moment before the scanner turned on and locked onto the human. The readout came back:

Name: Connor Wilkins

Sex: Male   Origin: Earth

Weapons: None

Contraband: Acidic content found

Previous Contact: None

"Strange…" Sgt. Handar paused for a moment to ponder why a smuggler didn't have any weapons before chiming in on the radio again. "Hold your fire. He's unarmed. Be advised, suspect has acidic content on his person."

The laser blasts stopped flashing over the human's head and the security officers on the ground rushed his position. Sgt. Handar didn't sit back and enjoy the show, donning his helmet and clicking a button on his seat for the front glass to open up. His fighter had slowed down, but still approached the catwalk at running speed before stopping abruptly at the railing, flinging Sgt. Handar out into the void.

His timing was so impeccable, he didn't hit his head on the opening glass and activated his grav-boots just as he cleared the railing. There was a slight stumble, but didn't break his stride as he walked to the security officers. Both wore white uniforms and based on their lemon shaped helmets, he pegged them for Ninlins. Ninlins were not known for their restraint and it is reflected in their treatment of their suspect. One security officer was tazing Connor in the back with his baton, while he kneeled on his shoulder. Neither noticed the suspect clawing at his helmet.

Sgt. Handar acted immediately, ripping a strip of orange roll adhesive on his belt. "Move aside! Can't you see he has a helmet breach?"

The security officer with the baton stopped shocking the man and backed away, indifferent about what happened next. The other moved aside so Sgt. Handar could apply the adhesive over the helmet. The suspect stopped resisting and took deep labored breaths after narrowly escaping certain death. Connor looked up at him with fear that more punishment was in store for him. 

"Mr. Wilkins, I am Sgt. Handar with the IFPD. Can you tell me why you were running from security?"

"They were shooting at me."

"Before that, sir."

"I'm telling you. It was unprovoked. I crashed my ship into the warp and once I was able to get out, they tried to kill me."

Sgt. Handar offered him a hand up. "You don't see how crashing into a tower makes you look like the aggressor here?"

"I said it was an accident. My ship wasn't slowing down fast enough."

"Don't believe him. He tried to kill us," the security officer with the baton said. 

"I am telling you, I didn't."

Sgt. Handar wanted to believe Connor, but it wouldn't be the first time a smuggler had a smooth tongue and a convincing story. He needed to dig deeper to uncover the truth. 

"Alright, Mr. Wilkins. Can you tell me why you came to the warp station today?"

"I was going to visit my niece who is working on Fremlin. She was going to give me a new ship that didn't act up all the time."

"What were you going to give her in return?"

"I was going to give her my fighter…but now…" Connor looked over his shoulder at the heap of junk still embedded into the station.

"Did you have any other business on Fremlin?"

"Nope. Just family. Why do you ask?"

"Just trying to figure out why you are trying to smuggle acid through the warp," Sgt. Handar said, waiting for Connor's expression to change. It was a gotcha moment for him, but not for the human.

"Acid? I don't have any acid."

"Stop trying to lie. My scan picked up a caustic substance on you."

Connor patted down his gear and gave him a twirl. "I don't have any acid on me. Where would it be?"

"Inside you. We get space mules all the time in other sectors."

Connor put his hands up, realizing what the scan picked up. "Woah woah woah. Wait. Do you mean stomach acid?"

"Is that where you put it? In your stomach?"

"No. Stomach acid is normal in humans. We all have it."

Sgt. Handar pulled out his handcuffs. "Turn around, Mr. Wilkins. You are under arrest."

"For what?"

"Smuggling acid and lying to a police officer. If you are going to be out in the void, you need to follow our laws."

"I'm not smuggling acid. Every human has it to digest solid food."

"Now I have officially heard everything. Next you're going to tell me you eat solid food."

"Um…Sergeant?" one of the security officers said timidly. 

Sgt. Handar turned to him. "Yes?"

"They actually do eat solid food. A small flightless bird is a delicacy down there. I think they call them chickens."

The other security officer slapped his compatriot on the back of the helmet. "No you dumb dumb, they are called penguins. Humans eat them by the tons."

Sgt. Handar looked back at the human who just nodded along. His lack of knowledge on humans was showing. That's what I get for not studying the local inhabitants before deployment.

Before he could place the cuffs on Connor, dispatch chimed in.

"Dispatch to Unit 177. Station three received a distress signal of ship malfunction before crashing into station two. Video has been verified and sent to your helmet. What is your status?"

Sgt. Handar saw the footage show up on his helmet along with flight data. There was a malfunction on the boosters. It was a miracle the ship slowed down at all, let alone caused no casualties. Connor was telling the truth. He sighed in defeat, realizing the best charge against Connor would never stand up in court. 

"It is 10-2. Will update after I wrap up here," he responded and then addressed the human. "You are free to go, Mr. Wilkins. You will need to file a claim of accident with the station officers here. Do you have anyone to come and pick you up?"

"You are just letting him go? After what he did!" both security officers said in unison.

"Station three confirmed it was an accident. He hasn't committed any crimes, seeing as stomach acid, I assume, is exempt from the controlled substance transport statute given their biology."

The security officers didn't argue and escorted Connor back to the station. Sgt. Handar took a moment to absorb the picturesque disaster before him. Debris floated above the three, obscuring the damaged station with a new addition smashed into it. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"At least I'm not the cleanup crew."

r/WritingsByLanz