Silhouette

When Doctor Ivan Decanov arrived at 123 Blackrose Street, he let out a small hum as he stepped out of the taxi that brought him here, the car's departure making his labcoat flutter in the air. He walked forward towards the building facing him and was somewhat reassured to see his new client hadn't lied so far. Well, so long as this Silhouette truly was the owner of this facility, but given the all-black aesthetic of the place, he was willing to believe it. He hadn't come here empty-handed, a small briefcase in one hand and a toolbox in the other, and his mind filled with all of the information he gathered since his meeting with the shadowy entity the day prior. Information both about the factory, its history and available schematics, and the mysterious being of living darkness that had hired him, and the doctor had to admit he was quite surprised to see there was nothing about the man anywhere on Zalcien's internet or in the Hero Union's worldwide Villain list. This meant not only was the man a newcomer in these parts but the Union genuinely didn't see him as a threat. Or maybe they simply weren't aware of him yet, this was always a possibility. It's hard to label someone a Villain when they haven't done anything major yet, for example.

Still, as pessimistic as the Draskian robot usually was, he had promised Adam he would do his best to have a more positive mindset. This was a new job with a new employer, and though the work he would have to do wasn't the most exciting, it was still better than his other available choices now that nigh all science businesses in the city had effectively banned him or would never consider hiring him in the first place. If things went well, perhaps this Silhouette would give him more to do, and hopefully more interesting things to work on. Although the doctor's expertise was in large pieces of machinery and Super science, he could consider accepting to merely help design the new products Silhouette would sell if the job was offered to him. When one didn't have to sleep, working a nine-to-five didn't get in the way of free time quite as much, which would let him continue dabbling in his personal projects, such as his theory for a machine that could flesh to metal and vice versa without requiring the intervention of magic or divine whims.

When he knocked on the door the doctor didn't expect it to open almost instantly, a figure in all black military-like equipment on the other side staring him down from behind the visor of their helmet. The robot still recalled his client's instructions and promptly introduced himself.

"Doctor Ivan Decanov. Silhouette asked me to come and take a look at the facility's machinery and power plant."

The silent guard stayed still for a second before nodding and stepping to the side, letting the scientist in. The Draskian did not hesitate to walk forward and take the invitation. without a word, the guard closed the door behind him, but the doctor was too occupied studying the room to bother with it. The building that acted as the front of the facility was relatively spacious, and the machine could see shelves were already being moved to turn it into a shop. It was an efficient use of space, turning the entrance of the production area into a selling space got rid of the problems of transport and eased management, and if this Silhouette's business grew it could easily become a special souvenir shop to celebrate the birthplace of a franchise. Straight in front of him from the entrance was another double door, flanked on both sides by counters, with a clear 'employees only' sign on each panel. This, he knew from the plans he had seen, was the path to the small court between the buildings that made up the factory as a whole, despite only one of them truly producing anything.

The fact everything was still as dark as can be when it came to the choice of colors was odd, and even his pragmatic mind could acknowledge this monochrome and unicolor look might scare away customers, and that was without taking into account the fact that having your furniture, walls, and floor the same color was just a recipe for disaster. Without his enhanced robotic vision, he would surely be tripping on something by now. Still, the positive of this uniform aesthetic was that he would have no trouble hiding alarms, detectors, cameras, and traps for the security system.

The guard watched silently as Decanov walked around the room, taking a good look at the surroundings, finally noticing there were three more armed men in the room he had failed to notice until now. The fact they waited patiently, their backs touching the walls and their weapons at rest held diagonally across their chests were clear signs he did not need to worry about them for now. Still, he mentally noted down their positions, just in case he needed to avoid them in his flight if things went south.

Once he was satisfied with his examination of the shop-to-be he turned to address one of the guards to ask where he should go next, only for all four of them to raise an arm at the same time and point at the double door that lead to the court in an eerily perfectly synchronized movement, one he had so far only seen so perfectly coordinated in programmed mindless machines such as the ones he designed or in pieces of fiction meant for entertainment.

Perhaps Silhouette was justified in his belief his employees would be sufficient to cover the manpower needed for the renovations.

The doctor was intrigued by the fact none of those guards followed him as he headed outside, but as soon as he was past the door he realized: more were out in the court, some patrolling the area while others stood outside entrances and exits in pairs to make sure no intruder could make their way inside. Decanov wondered if there was a specific place he was supposed to head to next before out of the corner of his eye he noticed a blob of darkness emerging from the black ground in front of him, growing and transforming until what was once a small formless mass turned into his client, shadowy mist curling around his root in small tendrils.

"Doctor, it's a pleasure to see you again. Pardon me for not approaching you earlier, I had to finish preparing something I believe might interest you."

"Bah, most of my employers don't bother seeing me more than once, twice if you count the moment they fire me. Do you have a tour planned, or am I free to explore as I please?"

"I believe heading to see the factory and the generator you need to replace is the priority. You'll also have the freedom to study our products, as well as sign your contract."

"Ah, for a moment I took you for the sort who was satisfied with verbal arrangements."

"No, no. Do not worry, I'll let you it for as long as you need to. No small characters to hide sinister plots in either. I ask for loyalty, but once it is secured I treat my workers well."

The robot simply nodded. He had yet to meet someone who didn't try to squeeze out as much as they could from their employees, but so long as he wasn't taken for an idiot or kicked out of his project he was fine with it. As for the secrecy, well, he was used to NDAs.

When they entered the factory the shadow showed the machine the equipment already present, and the doctor was pleasantly surprised to see the existing machinery was in a relatively good state, and it would only take some reprogramming and light modifications to produce whatever it was his client wanted to sell, so long as he didn't dabble in more exotic materials with special requirements when it came to their handling in manufacturing. From the way his guide spoke, Decanov could tell he was simply parroting what someone else had told him when presenting the facility, but this initial speaker was clear and accurate enough for this retelling to do its job and help the scientist plan how to deal with this area.

It was after they descended the stairs that led to the basement and the hidden underground busted generator that the questioned his budget for the first time. The thing might as well be a pile of scraps, and while with some hard work some components could be salvaged from this wreck, the time and efforts it would take were ridiculous. It would be far more efficient to just toss the whole thing to the Junkland in the slums and start back from scratch. that thing would take most of the budget to deal with if it was meant to power the rest of the facility as well as the factory, and the leftover money wouldn't be enough to replace the machinery, let alone the security system his client had also mentioned. Still, loath as he was to acknowledge it - though he would never admit it out loud - he was rather desperate for money, and he mentally steeled himself to try and find a way to solve this problem as efficiently as possible. Silhouette had mentioned the possibility of taking a loan if the budget was too tight, but asking for him to do so right away wouldn't look good. He'd just need to deal with the generator first, show the results of his work, and request a larger budget to deal with the rest once the man had been shown the proof of Decanov's talents.

"So, what do you think, doctor?"

"The factory is decent, but this atrocity will require a total renovation. Would you prefer I adjust the machinery first so you can begin production earlier at the cost of a higher electricity bill, or deal with this mess first, even if it means putting back your operations?"

"The second."

"Very well."

After that, the duo quickly passed by the multi-level parking area, and the robot commented on the possibility of installing an elevator for vehicles to speed up operations, as well as replacing the uppermost level with a heliport, should they acquire the necessary authorization. Silhouette mentioned adding some more underground floors or transforming a few of the existing ones into a workshop for his inventor, at which point Decanov brushed off the proposition by reaffirming his expertise was in science and engineering, not construction work.

The visit through the existing office space was much the same, the doctor had no interest in the transformation of the existing building into barracks for the security forces, though he had to admit he was a little curious as to the size of this armed that had been rather discreet so far, for why else would they require an entire building for themselves? He had to comment here and there on the necessary adjustments for plumbing and electricity though he made sure to emphasize that this was not his field of work. He also off-handedly reminded his client that he might want to expand on the existing warehouse attached to the factory, even if he intended to directly sell his products in his shop. The old factory was supposed to make cars that would then be exposed in the parking spot and the inner court, as such it wasn't made to stock large amounts of smaller items, at least not in a way that would leave them safe from thieves.

Once they reached the final door of the hallway on the uppermost floor of the office building, the shadow asked the machine to pause.

"Before we enter, I'd like you to sign that contract."

"Of course, but why now?"

"Because I'm about to show you things I'd rather keep secret."

Decanov struggled to stop himself from rolling his eyes, doing his utmost to think about Adam's advice on positivity and keep his natural attitude in check. As soon as the contract was signed and his client was stuck with him, however, oh, he would let himself run his mouth as much as he wanted. The robot raised one of his massive rectangular metal eyebrows as a sheet of paper slid from beneath the door only to be raised by black mist emanating from the ambient shadows until it was at the perfect height for him to pick it up in one hand and read it without much further movement or adjustments to his posture being required. Good. This Silhouette had some appreciation for efficiency it appeared, though still burdened by every Super's love of theatrics.

His superior mechanical eyes quickly read through the entire contract, and as the black figure standing before him said, there was no fine print or hidden shenanigans in it, no invisible ink, no double-layered paper or sneaky adjustment on the back, there was a clause near the beginning that specifically stated that the magically binding contract would only take effect if both parties were well aware of every part of it and consented to them. That was a rather rare gesture, even when it came to things as heavily regulated as those contracts that enforced their own justice before the legal system could act should there be a breach or abuse. The wording was simpler than the usual inflated mess of legalese Decanov had to deal with, but in the end, the terms seemed rather fair. Silhouette had even included a little clause that stated that the doctor couldn't be fired unless he broke any of the other conditions or tried to betray his client.

A few more rereads were done in seconds, just to be sure, and the robot willed his agreement onto the paper, a short burst of energy going from his power source into his thumb before becoming his name on the contract, below the already present alias of his employer. Said employer then rolled the piece of magical paper into a scroll with a black tentacle before placing it in himself, the white disappearing in the solid mass of darkness that served as his torso, as another appendage opened the door to the final room, revealing a large-ish office with a few items and numerous parts spread on the desk.

"Your products, I assume?"

"And their components, including those we do not sell and keep to ourselves. I believe those may prove useful to you."

The machine raised an eyebrow before walking up to the desk and picking up the first thing he came across, an electrogun. The design was rudimentary, if not primitive, but it still looked functional and unlikely to explode in the user's hand. His eyes quickly swept through the room before settling on a small target that had been set up on the wall to the side, and he took the invitation to test the weapon. A quick pull of the trigger and a blast of electricity flew through the air, hitting the target right in the center and spasming for a few seconds before dissipating. The doctor's eyes quickly analyzed the heat emanating from the area he had hit, and mentally confirmed that indeed, this was the perfect intensity to take down someone with as little risk of death as possible while retaining effectiveness.

There was something strange though. A little oddity. There was a second electrogun on the desk, fully assembled, and from the disassembled parts next to it and next to where the one he was currently holding used to be on the black wood, the only difference between the two was their energy source, one using a simple small battery, while the other instead relied on a black crystal of sorts. The robot put down the weapon in his hand, making sure to replace it at its original spot, before picking up the other one. Those were the only ranged weapons, so if anything went wrong with the target it wouldn't be a loss.

The doctor adjusted his aim and his cubic metal finger pressed on the trigger once more. What came out of the contraption in his hand wasn't the weak bolt of electricity he expected, but instead, a surge of dark power that crackled with sinister fury as assaulted the circular red and white piece of wood in front of Decanov, the target darkening and twisting in bizarre ways, cracking and almost screaming before falling silent and immobile, crumbling down into black pieces - not from being charred by heat, but from something much more malign, more profound, and far darker.

The scientist turned to his client.

"Transformation, I assume?"

The shadow had no obvious reaction, but the Draskian wouldn't be surprised if the man was a little shaken. Most people thought themselves smarter than the rest and were able to keep their secrets under wraps even when exposing them to others, even when they intended for their interlocutor to be in the know.

"This will not leave this room."

"Not from my mouth, but others will put it together too. Do you have a machine to take care of the initial process, or do you have to take care of it yourself?"

"My inventor is working on it."

"Your tinkerer who, so far, appears to only show an iota of talent when it comes to dealing with smaller gadgets. Yes, let the novice handle an incredibly complex project that firms like Xenocorp hire dozen of experts for, all the while you have a man of science of my talent around."

"You believe you could do it?"

"I know I can do it. Unlike those mediocre ignorant men wearing labcoats and suckling on the teat of childish rich idiots with more cars than sense who have no choice but to copy the mistakes of greater minds to produce any result, I get things done. Seeing what happened just now, I theorize that a single large enough crystal could suffice to create a machine that could mimic the Transformation process. This overcharged electrogun already does it, it simply is too violent and unstable to be used for anything but violence as of now. Give me a few weeks and I'll present you with a mass-Transforming machine that will free you from interacting with your products every time you make a new batch."

"Weeks?"

"I would say days, but I already have a generator to replace, materials to order, and afterward I'll need to assemble the thing. So yes, weeks, perhaps a month or two if you require more work on your factory than what I've planned."

"You sound awfully confident, Doctor Decanov. Would a man with such talents truly be as much as a paria as you are?"

"Mister Silhouette, I was born the son of an illegal immigrant in a country that hates my Draskian heritage and my robotic nature, and I have a track record of leaving explosions in my wake when my employers think they are smarter than me and can get away with kicking me out of my projects, only receiving soot and ashes instead of the credit they tried to steal. And yet, they continued to hire me for years now."

The shadow stayed silent, and the machine watched its every movement - or the lack thereof. Silhouette had already shown some light shapeshifting tendencies with the way he had appeared and his tentacle-forming trick, hence the doctor knew he likely had a higher-than-average control of his body language, but there were still things that could be gleamed from the way he acted. The dark figure had made sure to place himself between the robot and the door, for instance, showing that despite the contract he still had doubts about the scientist's loyalty, and still feared a betrayal. Right now? Immobility was a sign of deep thought.

"Let us do things in order. You will first handle our generator problem, and if I am satisfied with your results, I will trust you with this project, though I will ask that you wait for a security system to be installed before actually building the machine."

It was during times like these the Draskian was happy he didn't have lips to move and emote, otherwise there'd be a grin on his face despite the natural frown of his eyebrows.

"Of course. May I use any of those crystals in the power plant?"

"Yes. You should know, they merely act as batteries, not energy sources. They simply charge by being kept in the dark, so we rarely need to change them."

A little something pinged in the doctor's code. Crystals that stored energy and could generate it so long as they were hidden from light, and a generator placed underground.

The potential for a nigh-perfect wasteless eternal reactor was in his grasp, something most engineers would kill to work on if they were given proof the project might succeed and wasn't a fluke. Not only that but if his client was satisfied with his work, which he would be, he would get to experiment more with the Transformation Aspect, which would prove immensely valuable for his flesh-to-metal project.

This Silhouette might prove to be the best employer the doctor had been paid by yet.

"Ah, doctor, before I forget, there is one more thing I'd like your expertise on."

The scientist turned, only to witness black tendrils holding onto a century-old computer hazardously connected to a battery and various pieces of electronics by bizarre wires, the screen of the old machine flickering on and off with an angry pixelated face. Strangely the AI's fury disappeared as it saw the scientist and errors and glitches popped up on its screen. The lines of code that appeared, too fast for the human eye, were clear as day to the metallic man, displaying proudly intimate parts of the mind within the old piece of hardware, exposing its anomalies and maddening workings to all.

This day kept getting more and more interesting.