Supplying Supers - Ch 27 - Old Feelings - Beta (Patreon)

Monday June 19th, 2025 Mazuma City, Mazuma Amerika

Gunner Webb

OSDB Hero Rank: N/A - Civilian

OSDB Threat Rating: N/A - Civilian

When Gunner heard the door click behind him, he turned around. The blast that followed punched him square in the gut, sending him flying across the room. The pain was minimal, but he recognized it was about sending the message.

Yokai’s heels clicked across the decorative tan tile until she stood looking over him. “That’s for decades without once reaching out.”

Gunner smirked. “To be fair, you didn’t reach out either.”

Yokai pulled her hand back and swung. Gunner caught her wrist and pulled her down to the ground. He rolled on top of her and pinned her hands to the floor. When she tried to out muscle him rather than using her magic, he knew she was playing. He went along with it.

“And what was the smack for?” Gunner asked.

“For threatening to cut our link!” Yokai yelled.

Gunner smiled and nodded. He let go of her and stood up. After extending his hand to her, Yokai grabbed it and he pulled her up to her feet.

“I told you the reason I was doing it,” Gunner said. “I had to make it seem legitimate for the others.”

Yokai crossed her arms and scoffed. “Still. The thought of it crossing your mind is upsetting.”

“You know I wouldn’t unless something terrible became of you.”

“How would you know unless you checked in from time to time?”

When he didn’t respond, Yokai passed Gunner’s side, and she walked into the hotel suite. She glanced around the room. A king sized bed with egyptian silk sheets lay in front of a dark wood accent wall. Hidden LED lights illuminated the room from the recessed ceiling. A floor-to-ceiling wall overlooked the city.

“Oh, this won’t do,” Yokai said, pointing her finger.

“What’s wrong with this?” Gunner asked.

“It’s too busy. It feels claustrophobic.”

“This is one of the largest rooms we have outside of the suites. I could change it to one of those if you’d prefer.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll just open a portal home, and we can speak there.”

Yokai grew one of her long nails and cut the side of her arm. Her blood floated into a body sized circle. When the end connected to the beginning, she spouted an incantation, solidifying the surface.

The front face smoothed until it reflected light like a mirror. Once the blood shifted from red to gold, the reflection dissipated until Gunner saw Yokai’s abode. Seeing its wavy facade, left him with a feeling of homesickness.

Off in the distance, he could see the traditional Japanese home that he’d spent years living in. Its large outdoor corridor wrapped around the entire structure, providing a safe space between the semi-transparent paper on sliding wooden frames. The black roof tiles curved into rigid peaks, with small faces of demons decorating the corners.

It was built on top of a floating island that hovered into a bubbled galaxy of his mentor’s own creation. An endless river flowed underneath the home creating two waterfalls that fell into the clouds below. Beautiful bonsai and cherry blossom trees provided shade in the surrounding grounds.

With the portal stable, Yokai turned toward Gunner and said, “After you.”

“Yokai… I don’t know,” Gunner said, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m not sure if I want to go back there.”

Yokai leaned back, crossing her arms. “Really? I thought you’d want to see it.”

“There’s a part of me that does, but another part of me that doesn’t think it would be wise.”

“I see.”

Gunner watched the sorrow crush her with its weight. She coiled into herself, crossing her arms as she sat on the bed. Each sign of personality was more vulnerable than he remembered. She had always been so strong and confident, like what she displayed when they first reconvened.

However, behind closed doors, she was letting down barriers few would ever see. He felt a growing sense of pride to see this side of her. Without her concentration, the portal vanished into a cloud of golden smoke and her blood returned to her arm.

When Gunner sat next to her, she shook her head and muttered, “I’m such a fool.”

“You’re not a fool,” Gunner said reassuringly.

“No… I am. After the last eighty plus years, I held on to the thought that when you’d call, things would go back to how they were before. We’ve done this over the centuries together. We’d split for a few years, so focused on our tasks, but when we reconnected, we always picked back up where we’d left off. Even though this time was longer, I expected nothing different. With how we left things, I’d thought you’d call me, apologize, and I’d forgive you. But this time it’s different, isn’t it?”

Gunner slowly nodded. “I’m sorry to say it is. Boston… changed me.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

Gunner stood from his seat, looking down at his arms. “It was my fault. This power inside of me is just a bomb waiting to explode. Millions died that day because of my pride. I couldn’t control it and I couldn’t control the Gale.”

“It wasn’t you, Gunner. It was Clavus Ad Cor. If they hadn’t opened the rift, none of it would have happened.”

“It doesn’t matter who it was,” Gunner said, shaking his head. “If I hadn’t been involved, things may have been different.”

“Stop this!” Yokai demanded, jumping up. “I will not let you sit here and speak falsehoods whether you believe them to be true. I understood your reasoning for wanting to step away after what happened. But while you were gone, I stayed in the fight. I’ve never once stopped hunting the cultists who did this, and while you may have thought it would be better for you to not be involved, it has only managed to get worse.”

Gunner blinked rapidly. “Worse? How?”

“Just look what’s happened,” Yokai shouted, pointing out the window. “New sects are popping up every few months. The age of information has allowed for details about the Gale to spread like wildfire. It’s become impossible to contain. Even with additional help and suppression from the world governments, it’s barely helping. There’s always some backup somewhere that spreads and gets into the wrong hands.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Yokai huffed, sitting back on the bed. “You’ve been busy with whatever… this is.”

When Yokai motioned around the room, Gunner couldn’t help but feel anger. “Do you think all of this is just for spoils and financial gain? I’ve built everything around us into a system that maintains stability. No one wanted to touch a magic tainted wasteland after what happened. The only way I stayed out of a jail cell was to prove to the government I could fix what had happened. Mazuma City is what rose from that.”

“And what good does that do when evil still lurks in the shadows? And I’m not talking about these criminals that loiter in your city. I’m talking about true evil. The ones with the power to change our world for the worse. Clavus Ad Cor… Sanguis Praeconis… Mellicent… Who is the one to protect them if not for you?”

“That was the purpose for the Department of Paranormal and Supernatural Investigations, and the Paragon Alliance.”

“And when you stepped down, what happened? The whole program shutdown. It went into some government filing cabinet in the SOC’s basement, never to be heard from again. Teams like the Paragon Alliance are not equipped to handle threats like this. They are hammers when a scalpel is needed.”

“That’s been obviously apparent with how they’ve handled this investigation,” Gunner smirked.

“Exactly. But while what you’ve accomplished is no small feat, working behind the scenes only works for so long, Gunner. You experienced it first hand yourself last night.”

“It has to be others, Yokai…” Gunner said, hanging his head. “It can’t be me. Last night was the first time I’d cast a spell in years, let alone activated any of my power. Even just using that small amount, I could feel what’s inside me trying to burst through the restraints I’ve put up. It’s too easily triggered by my emotions. After Boston, I’m having a harder time controlling it. It’s like it knows I can’t and scratches at the door, waiting for a moment to strike.”

“What of your little vigilante escapades?”

Gunner’s eyes widened. “You knew about that?”

Yokai crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands, looking up at him with a sly smile. “Koibito, I know your body better than anyone. Once I saw the footage of you stopping that armored car robbery, I knew it was you. What I don’t understand is why you were dressed in that odd suit.”

Gunner slumped down onto the bed, leaning on his knees. “It’s a containment suit that I’ve been working on. I had it custom fabricated by Selena Fontaine.”

“She’s the one who does all the high profile super suits, right?”

“Yeah… she’s a Class - A supe herself. She’s an engineering genius who crafts them out of custom material to fit the customer’s powers. So, you don’t have someone, who uses fire for example, burning up their suit, leaving them nude in the middle of combat.”

Yokai cocked her brow. “So she knows who and what you are?”

“I’m not sure,” Gunner shrugged. “I think she has her suspicions, but I came to her under the pretense it was a contract for a new hero. I had to keep to the truth but also vague so as not to reveal my identity. But with the way she eyed me a few times, I assume she knew it was for me.”

“You said it is a containment suit. What does it contain? Your power?”

“Yeah, I guess regulation suit is a more apt term. It helps regulate my power while I’m pushing my body to its limits.”

“How does it work?”

“Well, the suit is powered. It has a conductive inner layer tied into a management and battery system inside a built-in backpack. The conductive layer siphons the excess heat and energy off of me and then it cycles it using small turbines which act as a propulsion system. Any excess is released as steam.”

“So you’re a walking power plant.”

“Yeah… the design is more my fault, given the way I explained my power to Selena than execution.”

“So what seems to be the problem?”

“The suit can’t keep up. I’ll be good for a while, but any time I really need to use my power, it can’t handle it.”

Yokai brought her finger to her cheek. “Hmm… have you thought about using suppression runes?”

“Suppression runes?”

“Yeah, they’re like Gale protection runes. However, rather than outright blocking any of the Gale’s magic, they allow a set amount through. So while you may not be able to operate at hundred percent, you might see if they help you keep it under control.”

“Where did you learn this?”

“I’ve learned a lot over the last thirty years. While the rise of the internet has caused more headaches than not, I have managed to meet some scholars who are not seeking to use the Gale for nefarious purposes.”

“You’re working with others?”

“Just a few. We call ourselves GIPS. The Gale Information Protection Society. Our goal is similar to what we had at the DPSI which is to catalog and limit the spread of information on the Gale. They also provide me with any leads of cultist activity or potential threats that I can act upon.”

“That couldn’t have been easy… trusting people you hadn’t met before.”

“It wasn’t at first. But I took precautions like truth circles and other spells to prove their intentions before I took them under my wing. They were surprised when they realized I wasn’t the killing monster machine like everyone believes me to be.”

“Sounds like you’ve been busy.”

Yokai let out a sigh. “I have. After you left, I kept on the pursuit of any and all leads I had over Clavus Ad Cor. I tore through that organization, killing anyone with any remote connection to it. My thought was to take the scorched earth approach. I wanted people to fear the idea of having that information. If they’re afraid that I would pursue them, then they’d be more likely to drop it.”

“Did it work?”

“For a time things did seem to settle down. The sixties through the eighties were some of the calmest years. In the nineties, things started picking back up again.”

“And that’s when you founded your team?”

“Yes. I realized I was out of my element. Technology moves at a pace that makes it difficult to catch up.”

Gunner chuckled. “I know what you mean. If it wasn’t for the wealth I have acquired and being able to contract out so many things, I wouldn’t have the network that I have today. You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to get used to cell phones, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, they became miniature computers.”

“I have a phone, but I mainly keep it in my pocket dimension. I much prefer to speak in person.”

“As do I. It’s so easy to read people.”

“Exactly!” Yokai grinned.

As the two shared a laugh, Gunner felt pressure along his thigh. When he looked down, Yokai’s hand rested upon it. She caught his glance and cocked her brow with a sly smile.

He’d see that look a hundred times before. It was the look she gave him when she wanted to share the bed with him. She traced her fingers along the exposed skin of the opening of her dress.

“So, I told you about me,” Yokai said. “What about you?”

Gunner blew his cheeks full as he leaned back. “Let’s see. After Boston happened, I stepped down as the director of the Department of Paranormal and Supernatural Investigations as part of my agreement with the US government which you know. No one wanted to touch the blast zone for fear that it could be magically irradiated. So I acquired as much land as I could and began the cleanup efforts.”

“Why didn’t I see or hear of any reports of your involvement?”

“I had to handle it all behind closed doors. There was a fear that if someone recognized me from when we tried to close the rift, it could undermine all the efforts. But looking back, anyone that was close enough to see anything was instantly vaporized. Me acting as a conduit for the Gale’s power just amplified everything a hundred fold.”

“I remember when I portaled back,” Yokai said with sad eyes and a sorrowful smile. “I’ve… still never seen so much destruction.”

“Yeah… which is why most of my time was spent coordinating behind closed doors, working with contractors, and more. Once we were able to prove there were no health threats from the explosion, the government subsidized the land development. Do you remember the flyers?”

“Yeah the do it for your country, ones with Uncle Sam?”

“Yeah those. They practically gave away the land for free to get people to redevelop the areas. Since I’d bought so much at the onset, I got to help choose who did what. It was through those dealings that I started building my client lists. My combat field shifted to meeting rooms, and I found myself doing more. Since I had the experience of working in government for so long, it was easy for me to negotiate contracts, put the right people where they needed to be, and broker deals for the betterment of Mazuma City.”

“And before you knew it, you were pulling all the strings?”

Gunner snorted. “That wasn’t my intention at first, but I just felt like it was my duty to ensure the people who were moving here for a better life actually got one. It got to the point where if anyone needed something done or needed help, they came to me. Once the city blossomed and things became unmanageable, I started being more selective of the clients I took and stepped away from the active management. With the influx of people came more supers and that caused its own problem.”

“How so?”

“There was no balance. Each side strove for more power. They each wanted more control. Those first few years were chaotic and almost reverted the entire progress we made rebuilding Mazuma City.”

“What did you do?”

“I started getting involved. I brought in new heroes to combat the villains, using information as a tool. The thing you want from a good villain and hero is the ones that play by certain rules. If you know the rules they play by, you can manipulate them in your favor. What you can’t do is handle someone who is chaos incarnate. Whether that means a hero who believes ends justify the means or villains who just want death and destruction. I coerced the Paragon Alliance at the time to found their headquarters here and worked out a deal that I would sell them the land for their tower. At the same time, I was also funding criminals who were interested in building enterprises in the city for profit. With both of their goals aligned, it makes it easier to influence one side versus the next.”

Yokai held up her hand and nodded. “I think I understand. You have two opposing sides playing the same card game, but you’re the dealer.”

“Exactly. I’m issuing them both cards that could determine whether they win or lose, but neither of them know that. To give you an example, myself with the help of a few senators on the payroll helped draft several bills around how heroes engage villains. We slowly tightened the reins to limit the destruction. So petty crimes would be handled by the local police. Whereas larger crimes like a kidnapping or heists gets hero involvement.”

“What about those archons of chaos like you were talking about? What happens if one of those shows up in your city?”

“Then I use my resources to help track them down and have heroes deal with them swiftly.”

“It sounds like… a lot.”

Gunner sighed. “It is. But I enjoy the challenge. Seeing the fruits of my labor in how the city has grown and how we’ve done good, makes it worth it. But that isn’t to say I’m just doing it by myself. I need a lot of help. Speaking of… there is something that I’m hoping you can help me with.”

“Oh?”

“It’s about Flux.”

Yokai huffed. “Oh… well go on… I just hope it’s not advice on how to get rid of her.”

“Come on… she’s not that bad. She’s been great outside of the first few years. She’s honestly been doing great.”

Yokai shrugged. “How am I supposed to know that? I haven’t been around to see her grow.”

“I know and for the hundredth time today, I apologize. Honestly, if you two didn’t go at each other’s throats, I would think you would be proud at how far she’s come.”

“Your judgment is clouded because of the sentimental attachment you have to her, Gunner. Our episode earlier proves that.”

“Don’t act like you didn't provoke her too.”

“With purpose. It was a test to see if she still lacks discipline. If she wouldn’t react as harshly as she does, I would believe that she’s grown. However, it seems you still have your work cut out for you.”

Gunner rolled his eyes. “I didn’t come here to have you lecture me on how to teach her.”

“Fine. I was impressed with how well she communicated her frustrations along with how she believed I was manipulating you. The logic and thought was thoroughly sound.”

“See…”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. She still needs to improve on controlling her emotions. Now, what advice do you seek?”

Gunner rubbed his hands together as he thought for a moment. “In the last few weeks Flux has been acting… differently.”

Yokai sat up. “In what way?”

“More emotional, I guess? She’s vented to me about how she’s been having all these feelings which I took as a good thing. As a sign of personal development and growth. Her appetite has increased substantially. She’s eating two to three times as much as she was before.”

“Has she grown in size?”

“Not that I can tell. But her size has always been hard to tell given her ability to adjust her volume.”

“Anything else?”

“She has become more dependent. We’ve had a few disagreements where she even told me no.”

“That’s worrisome, Gunner,” Yokai said, crossing her arms. “As much as you’d like to think of her as human, Flux is far from it. She’s the physical remains of the Old God you split from. Even without your powers, she’s still extremely dangerous. If you were to lose control over her—”

Gunner waved her off. “I don’t think that would happen. I just think she’s just going through another evolutionary phase like she’s done before. The symptoms are similar, but she should be in her final phase.”

“We thought she was in her final phase, but maybe she’s got more to go,” Yokai shrugged. “We’ve never seen something like her. We find new Gale creatures every day.”

“True… but there always seems to be a pattern.”

As Gunner stared off into the distance, the concern in Yokai’s voice pulled his attention. “Why do I feel like there’s more that you haven’t told me?”

Gunner looked at Yokai and couldn’t help but slightly laugh. “Looks like you can still read me like a book.”

“I can… so what else is there?”

“She… uh… she came onto me the other day.”

“She what?” Yokai shouted, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, we were supposed to be bathing together.”

“You bathe together?”

“It’s not like a typical bath… at least not usually. Previously, she would just cover my body and clean me. It’d take five minutes tops, so it was always quicker when we didn’t have a shower.

“So what happened?”

“I’d just gotten home from a flight, hadn’t showered, and had an impending meeting with Velocity. Flux suggested it and I questioned why she wanted to do it. She made some comment about how she wanted to reminisce about how things used to be.”

“Does she even know what reminisce means?”

Gunner chuckled. “As I keep telling you, she’s not just a monster like you think she is.”

“And what happened when you went to the bathroom?”

“She was already in the tub. When I climbed in she did her thing, only she said she could feel how stressed I was and implied she could help relieve it.”

“I think I see where this is going.”

“Yeah… before I knew it, she was kissing all over my body and made her way down to my groin.”

“And she got you off?”

“No!” Gunner yelled, extending his hand. “I stopped her. I didn’t know if she knew what she was doing. She said she was just trying to make me feel good, and make me happy.”

Yokai stood from the bed and paced around the room. “So, she’s becoming more obsessive, eating a lot, and making planned advances at you…” Yokai stopped and spun on her heel. “Have you checked her room lately?”

“No… as I think about it… she’s been pretty careful about letting me see into her room. Why?”

“Certain species will trigger those kinds of behaviors when they’re preparing to breed. It could be that she’s preparing for that eventuality.”

“Breed? You mean she wants to have kids with me?”

Yokai slowly nodded. “It’s a possibility. Are you sure you didn’t cum?”

“Yes I’m sure. I mean I got hard, obviously, but I stopped it before anything happened.”

“What about precum? A man can sometimes have sperm in that as well.”

“No,” Gunner said sternly.

“I mean it’s a valid question. It makes sense if you’re thinking about this from a biological standpoint. She’s always been attached to you. Most likely because she is a part of you and you a part of her. Much like how we share a unique bond, so too do you both. This next step of her evolution speaks to her growth. She’s ready to breed, and you’re the only candidate she feels deserving of her.”

“So, what? You’re saying I should go through with it?”

Yokai took her seat on the bed and leaned back on one of the pillows. “From a pragmatic point of view, I could see the benefit. She would feel even more beholden to you, giving you more control over her. However, from a logical standpoint, I think it would be a great risk. We have no idea what would happen if you were to breed with her. Would she give birth? Is that even possible? If so, how many children would she conceive? I’m not going to lie, the researcher inside of me is curious about all the questions. We’ve never heard of someone breeding with a creature of the Gale. With the combination of yours and Flux’s powers, your spawn would be powerful.”

“I… don’t know how to feel about this.”

Yokai shrugged. “I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you ask?”

“It wasn’t really my business. You and I never made any commitments to each other. Our relationship was one of mutual benefit and convenience. It was… fun. I enjoyed having someone close to me to teach and train. Then once you bloomed, our roles flipped and soon you began teaching me. While chaotic, those years were some of the best of my life.”

Gunner hung his head. “It pains me to hear you say that. Not because I don’t feel the same, but because I feel smothered with regret.”

“We all make choices that we believe are the right ones at the time. I don’t hate you for it, Gunner.”

“Thanks,” Gunner said somberly. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Of course.”

“When we separated after Boston, why didn’t you move on? Everyone knows your name. You could have had a hundred men.”

Yokai gave a sly smile as she looked at him with seductive eyes. “Yes… I could have had dozens of cheap sausages. But why would I settle with that when I’ve had wagyu?”

“Did you just call me a piece of meat,” Gunner asked, chuckling.

Yokai covered her mouth as she laughed. “Yes, but only the best.”

Gunner smiled and nodded. “We had some really good years, didn’t we?”

“Centuries.”

Gunner reached his hand out and rested it on Yokai’s thighs. She looked at him with the same confident smile from the first time they’d spent a night together. It weighed with her belief that she was the best thing for him.

He wanted to climb on top of her, to feel the soft caress of her lips. His exhaustion from the day left him wanting for her to spread her legs and let him lie on her comfy pillows while she stroked his hair. He desired nothing more than to go back in time and never forgo her. But that was impossible. He had to live with his consequences no matter how much he regretted them.

“I think I should go, and leave you to rest,” Gunner said, tapping on her leg.

Yokai sighed. “We do have more work tomorrow.”

“After this is all over, would you stay?”

Yokai’s eyes lit up. “Are you asking me to? You know it’s not safe for me to stay in one place for too long.”

The answer burst through Gunner’s chest like a party popper. “Yes!” He cleared his throat as Yokai giggled. “I mean… I wouldn’t want to endanger you, but I’d love to work on earning your forgiveness.”

Yokai twisted her lips as she failed to not smile. “Let’s see how the week ends. I’m not blind to how things are awkward between us nor am I blind to the gravitation that still pulls us close. If you’re truthful in what you say… I’d be open to trekking that path once more. However, we both are different people. If we make this effort and either one of us feels like it’s not meant to be, then we must promise to say something to the other and stop.”

“Deal,” Gunner said, standing and extending his arm. When Yokai shook it, Gunner flipped her wrist up and kissed the top of her hand. “I look forward to getting reacquainted.”

“As do I, Koibito.”

When Gunner walked away, warmth spread throughout his body when she held onto his fingers for as long as she could. She waved with her fingertips as he reached the foyer’s threshold. Remembering something he wanted to tell her, Gunner snapped his fingers and turned around.

“Before I go, I wanted to tell you something about Mellicent.”

Yokai’s smile vanished and she furrowed her brow. “Yes?”

“When we rescued Justice, a supervillain named Flay was in charge. He called her the Mother of the Gale. Do you know anything about that?”

Yokai slowly nodded. “That’s what the Sanguis Praeconis calls her. They believe her to be the Gale’s creator which is why the revere her.”

“But she’s not.”

“Yes… but with Shivantha lost, things in translation get muddied. Apparently she’s taken up the mantle.”

Gunner nodded and said, “I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the conversation. It’s really good to see you.”

Yokai grinned and tilted her head. “You too, Koibito.”

After Gunner exited the room, he headed for the elevator. Without the mix of anxiousness and excitement front and center, his exhaustion enveloped him. Each footstep weighed heavy, like he was walking with concrete blocks for shoes. His soft bed called for him.

Upon entering his apartment, the remote blinds were all pulled down, casting the room in darkness. Gunner stripped himself on the way to his bathroom before entering the shower. He stood in the relaxing heat, allowing the water to loosen his tight muscles.

After he finished drying himself off, he stumbled out into the hallway. He paused in front of Flux’s door. Yokai’s questioning replayed in the back of his mind. Choosing not to interrupt her sleep, he pulled his hand back and walked up the stairs toward his loft bed.

After putting on some underwear, he fell back on his mattress. He grunted as he pulled the covers out from underneath him. And just when he was ready to sleep, his eyes shot open.

Flux wouldn’t have gone to sleep, he thought. She would have stayed up and grilled me about everything that had happened between Yokai and I. Something’s not right.

Gunner’s heart pounded as he threw the covers off of him. He raced down the stairs and rounded the corner. After slamming his shoulder into the door, he flipped on the lightswitch.

A stringy ooze stretched from every surface. It was a bluish-gray color unlike her purple skin. Gunner walked over to it and pulled along the surface. It sprung like a bungee cord, but was covered in a thick slime the consistency of jello. All the strands connected into a central point that was wide enough to hold a body.

Is this a bed? he wondered. As he thought about Yokai’s words. No… this is a crib. Or some kind of nest.

But the strands weren’t nearly enough for it to be his companion and so he called for her.

“Flux, are you in here?” he asked.

When there was no response. Gunner ran out of the room and hit the button to raise the blinds. He walked through every room in the house until he realized he hadn’t checked the most important one.

After pressing a button on one of the frames of his paintings, an eye and biometric scanner popped from the wall. Gunner waited for the security system to activate and the door slid open. His eyes widened.

“Flux!”