I stayed invisible as I moved through the convention center, keenly aware that Black Noir was now actively searching for anomalies. Through my enhanced hearing, I could track his movements—the soft whisper of his armor, the controlled breathing, the calculated footsteps.
He was trained, professional, and terrifyingly effective.
My next target was a woman called Mindstorm—a low-level telepath who'd been using her powers to manipulate people into giving her money and information. Not as violent as some targets, but definitely criminal and definitely someone whose telepathic abilities would complement my own.
I found her near a corporate booth, schmoozing with Vought representatives. Through my existing telepathy, I could sense her subtle mental manipulation—little pushes and suggestions to make them like her more, trust her more.
It was crude compared to my hypnosis, but effective in its own way.
"Mindstorm," I projected telepathically, using my invisibility to stay hidden. "There's a private meeting room on floor three. Vought executives want to discuss a contract. Go there now."
Her eyes widened slightly at the mental communication, but the compulsion I'd layered into the message overrode her caution. She excused herself and headed for the elevators.
I followed, still invisible, acutely aware that Black Noir was now on the same floor.
The meeting room was empty—I'd checked earlier with Frenchie's help. Mindstorm entered, looking around confused.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone—"
I dropped my invisibility and locked eyes with her before she could finish the sentence.
"Don't scream. Don't run. Don't resist."
My hypnosis slammed into her mind, but something was different—her telepathic defenses created resistance. She was fighting back, her own mental powers clashing with mine.
"You... you're the one," she gasped, struggling against my control. "You're killing Supes. I can see it in your mind—"
I pushed harder, pouring more power into the hypnotic assault. Her defenses cracked, then shattered.
"Yes. And you're next."
The black lightning ended her quickly. As her powers flowed into me, I felt my telepathic abilities expand dramatically. Her knowledge, her techniques, her understanding of mental manipulation integrated with my existing capabilities.
Ten powers. My telepathy was now strong enough to potentially break into even well-defended minds.
But I'd taken too long. Through the walls, I could hear Black Noir approaching the room.
"Shit," I muttered, going invisible again just as the door opened.
Black Noir entered silently, his masked head scanning the room. He couldn't see me, but he knew something had happened here—the scent of ozone from my lightning, the body, the disturbance in the air.
He knelt beside Mindstorm's corpse, examining it with professional detachment. Then he stood and pulled out a phone, typing something.
Through my enhanced vision, I could read the message: "Confirmed. Multiple Supe deaths. Unknown hostile in building. Lockdown protocol."
The convention center's alarms began blaring.
"Bloody hell," Butcher's voice exploded in my earpiece. "They're locking down the building. You need to extract now!"
But I was trapped in a room with Black Noir between me and the only exit, and dozens of Supes were about to start searching for an intruder.
Time to see just how good my new powers really were.