Chapter 8
The sounds of clanking metal and pressure releasing echoes throughout the room as a blocky amalgamation of metal, padding, pneumatic tubes, gears, and chemical crayon drawings lifts into the air. Next to the machine was a large scoreboard.
This is Powder's magnum opus. Ever since she and harry had been taken on a walk-through topside with her family for her 7th birthday/ first birthday with her new family, she became fascinated with making what she called her 'friends' out of whatever junk she could find down here.
She absolutely loved anything to do with air pressure and gears. One of her first 'friends' was a box, which Dudley called an Arcade game, made entirely out of lights and gears where you had to line up a light with falling lights.
Harry unfortunately got pulled into this fascination with her, he didn't like gears that much, something to do with when he got a finger getting caught in one traumatizing him for working with them.
He instead spent most of his time around anything to do with electricity due to it reminding him of his magic.
Anyway, back to the magnum opus. Vi had volunteered to help test the boxing bot which Powder christened as 'Junker.'
She stepped up to the boxing ring, had Powder flip the leaver starting it up.
A few seconds pass, then without warning one of Junker's gimballed fists fly out.
If not for Vi's training with their Uncle Vander, she would have been hit directly in the face with that first blow. Fortunately, she was so she smoothly avoided it, following up with punching the padded chest of the machine.
The clinking of the score board was heard, and she continued weaving between fists and countering.
Minutes go by and it was becoming obvious that Vi was easily handling Junker. That was until a bell chime was heard, she quickly looked around and spotted a Harry sporting an all-teeth smile.
A clicking sound comes from Junker and the middle-padded section splits slightly revealing two small round holes.
With a jet of air two small darts fly out of the holes and embed themselves onto Vi's shirt followed by a connected spool of wire going back into the holes.
Vi, not realizing anything picks the wires up. Next second her hands and chest feel a sharp, warm, pain and she feels herself folding into herself.
Seeing this, Harry cheers loudly, "It worked! Ha Powder, see, she fell for it!"
Powder looks on at her sister with a defeated expression, "I thought that Junker was going to win and not use it…"
The electricity feeding into Vi switches off and within seconds she was up and sprinting towards Harry.
"What the fuck was that!" She screamed in deserved fury.
Harry yelps in surprise and goes to run out of the room into the streets towards the pub.
The pub in the past two years had changed a fair amount, it had a new colorful glowing sign showing off its newly given name, The Last Drop.
After the bridge, Vander rebuilt the Underground with his new deal with the Enforcers and the pub became the heart of the underground.
Harry sprints through the doors into the pub and instantly spots his Auntie at the counter. She had given up her previous job when the bar had properly opened and now works and lives here along with the kids.
"Auntie, help!" Harry cries.
Petunia looks down at the kid and sighs, "who did you turn pink this time, Huck, Mylo, or was it Violet?"
Harry's scared look at the mention of Vi gave a good enough answer for Petunia, so she just motioned behind the bar.
Harry quickly jumps over the counter using a stool and crawls between some bottles under it.
With Harry hiding the doors slam open revealing a pissed off Vi, and a laughing Powder.
The two slowly walk over to the counter.
Vi sits down on a stool while Powder climbs up onto another.
She looks up at Petunia expectantly, "do you know where he is?"
Petunia shakes her head negatively as she starts pouring a drink of 'orange' juice for Powder.
Not giving up, Vi continues staring at Petunia. Minutes go by and Harry starts getting restless in the cramped area under the counter.
Harry starts moving which catches Petunia's attention. A quick eye flicker down and Vi knows where Harry is hiding.
She hops over quickly and comes face to face with a shaking Harry.
"Hello," he says with a shaky smile.
(dlb)
Mylo and Claggor walk into the pub to find a strange sight.
Harry cowering behind Petunia with a terrified expression, a moody looking Vi stabbing a drink with a straw, a happy Powder, and Petunia looking at Vi with an entertained, yet bemused expression.
As they walk closer, they hear Petunia, "So Harry built a taser into Powder's newest friend?"
"Yes! He even laughed like a maniac when it got me," Vi grumbled out.
Petunia found herself looking down at Harry in both admiration and admonishment, "when I told you stories about where we came from, I didn't expect you to do this…"
Harry flinches when Vi glares up at him.
"Don't be like that, I'm sure she was lying when she threatened to cut hair off while you sleep tonight," Petunia chuckles.
"I definitely will if he does it again!" Vi snaps.
Mylo decides now to join the conversion.
He strides over and drawls loudly, "What did Powder and Harry do this time?"
"It was just Harry this time," Vi corrects.
Mylo's face grows to an exaggerated look of shock.
"What did he do?" Claggor asks straight faced.
"He shocked me," Vi grumbles pointing at an awkwardly grinning Harry causing Powder to cackle.
"How did he do that?" Claggor asked, clearly shocked.
Vi sighs while shacking her head, she only knew it was something hidden in Junker.
Everyone looks towards Harry expectingly.
"Well, a-after Auntie told me and Dudley about where we came from, she mentioned something called electricity." He says out. "I found out we have it here too and started looking into it, after finding out how to make it from a book using the green glowing liquid power stuff to move a magnet and wire, I created some and found out it can shock people who touch it when I…" he lets them fill the blanks in.
Powder looks pensive, "Is that why you smelt like Uncle Vander's pipe a few months ago?"
Harry nods feeling proud of himself , "Yes, I also tried putting it through the green glowing stuff and it blew up."
"I want to try that!" Powder yells out in excitement.
Harry quickly gets onboard her excitement with a scary look in his eye, but unfortunately Petunia steps in quickly, "Nope, you are not playing with explosions."
"But Harry does!"
Petunia stops for a second, then turns towards Harry and continues her exclamations, "That goes for you too, no more playing with electricity. I don't want to hear of any of you loosing fingers or having heart attacks." After which she huffs and sets off mumbling something about 'kids,' and 'survival instincts,' while walking to Vander to no doubt vent to him.
Both kids look at each other and imperceptibly nod, this won't stop them at all.