A figure moved in the background behind the security officers. Tessa’s heart skipped a beat in utter terror upon realizing her biggest mistake. Tessa gazed into a reflection of herself.
24
Director Marlize Sharron flaunted her creation, “Tessa, you should have known better. While you were with us, I took the liberty of making my own test tube Tessa from the DNA you left behind. Only I made a few modifications to make this version more compliant.”
Tessa trembled with anticipation, unsure how all this would play out. “Your slave lacks heart.” She wondered if this clone had full use of her power. It took her months to hone her skill. Could this abomination be her equl?
Marlize shrugged, “She doesn’t need a heart. She has orders, and that’s all she needs.”
The Director gave a command, and the fake Tessa unleashed a stream on concentrated energy at her and Finn. She responded by raising an energy shield, but it wasn’t very effective. She struggled to hold fake Tessa’s energy at bay. Their powers were an equal match.
Finn was helpless, with his powers negated. He tried to pull at the implant H.I.V.E embedded behind his ear. He looked at Tessa as she struggled to protect them with the shield. “Your power is matched. You won’t be able to beat her like this.”
“No, shit.” Tessa responded with dripping sarcasm, “What would you have me do? I’m fighting myself here if you haven’t noticed.”
Finn thought for a moment, “This is a test tube clone meaning they gave it a rapid growth hormone. This monster has only been alive for a few months at the most.”
Tessa continued struggling to hold her power, “Tell me something I don’t know. How can I kill it? Can I get some helpful insight?”
“Tessa, you’ve trained for years. This thing hasn’t had the amount of training you have. It might have your power, but it doesn’t have your martial arts skills or your strategic combat capabilities. That’s the advantage you have. Experience.”
Tessa gaped at him in horror, “You want me to fight this thing hand to hand. That’s messed up.”
“No, you’ll need to use your power, but incorporate your combat skills to gain the upper hand.”
The stream of energy stopped, and Tessa let down her shield. She used Finn’s advice and charged her doppelganger. The Director backed up behind the contingent of H.I.V.E guards for fear that Tessa might go after her. A wise choice; Tessa wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of that bitch.
For the moment, Tessa needed to focus on her evil twin. She charged and blinked into striking range of her twin, and with a powerful right round kick, she sent her double crashing through the exterior shell of the arc. Tessa’s super strength meant the impact was extra forceful. The result left a hole in the hull and a hysterical science Director. Tessa figured if she couldn’t blow up the arc, she could at least destroy it, even if she had to tear it apart with her own hands.
Tessa followed her twin into the bowels of the arc, and Finn followed. If he remained behind and powerless, H.I.V.E would sweep him up in a heartbeat. Tessa drew her batons, readying her next action.
The lighting in the hull flickered under strain. Tessa’s implosion into the vessel created instabilities in the electrical system. The strobe lighting made it difficult to see ahead, but she made out the outline of a hostile figure down a hallway. The figure glowed with the pinkish purple color of her signature energy power, and Tessa anticipated the next attack. She pushed Finn aside and tore a nearby metal door off its hinges.
Tessa positioned the door to shield her from the energy blast. She charged forward with the door and her power to repel the strike, sending the energy back to its maker. The energy struck her twin, sending her flying back further inside the vessel. Tessa had these powers much longer than her clone and with experience identified more limitations and capabilities of those powers. Finn was right; her opponent’s lack of knowledge was her advantage.
Tessa climbed forward through the rubble in pursuit of her clone, careful to avoid exposed sparking wires and sharp protrusions on her journey into the depths of the arc. She was familiar with the engineering specs of the original arc, and H.I.V.E changed little from their last arc model, which she destroyed. Tessa approached the giant mess hall in search of her target while Finn trailed behind her.
Tessa turned to Finn, “You should take this opportunity as a distraction and run.”
“I’m not leaving you here.” It was sweet he wanted to stay, but stupid.
Tessa turned to him, “You don’t have a choice. Without your powers, you’re a sitting duck. One of us needs to get out of here.”
He realized she was right and turned down another corridor of the arc to find safety. Finn was a wily guy, and Tessa hoped he would sneak his way back to the surface. It would be more difficult than usual, but he could manage.
A commercial-sized refrigerator came hurling through the dining room. Tessa tried to blink out of the way, but she wasn’t quick enough. The fridge hit her like a freight train, sending her smashing into a wall with the refrigerator crushing her. The intense pain only distracted her for a moment. She couldn’t allow this monstrosity to get the best of her. She let out a battle cry and hurled the fridge off her body and back through the mess hall. It almost hit her twin, but she knocked it away with an arm, deflecting it to the side.
Tessa stood up from the surrounding rubble of
