Chapter Two. The Drive

"You accepted the position, and the military insignia has never looked better on anyone." Sir Kingsley complimented his daughter as she walked through the doors of Gotham's military base, donned in military attire and a tailored coat bearing the rank insignia of a captain.

"Captain," she remarked cynically. "Quite a high-ranking position for someone who joined the army a few weeks ago. Some might say my connection to you is how I obtained my title."

"We both know you earned that rank fair and square, my captain." Kingsley replied proudly with a bright smile as he admired his daughter in the new uniform.

"How so?" Kelly asked unconvinced.

"You led an entire platoon into battle in the war six months ago. A platoon that was at the verge of demise if you hadn't come to their rescue. Your quick thinking, decisiveness and leadership changed the odds of that battle. There is no one worthier for the rank of captain, my princess," Kingsley praised, sounding as impressed as he felt, and Kelly let out a beautiful smile.

"Besides, you know the workings of the military even better than I do. " He continued.

"Well you drilled it in me even before I could stand as a child, You were ruthless." Kelly laughed as she walked by her father's side

"After everything you ended up joining the police force." Kingsley said on a joke.

"I still remember the disappointment on your face the day I applied, it was priceless." She laughed effortlessly

"I wasn't disappointed." Kingsley argued.

"You weren't happy either."

"At the very least, I respected your decision. By the way you make one hell of a detective."

"What is with you today, you're just full of compliments." Kelly noted.

"I have a good feeling about today." Kingsley replied " By the way, get ready to meet your new recruits, they are a bit different from normal."

"I've seen intergalactic beings tear each other apart in our skies, I'm pretty sure I could handle a measley bunch of oddities." Kelly said when she sensed a change in her father's mood.

"I know, I trust you. I'm actually worried about what you'll do to them."He replied as they halted before a digitally operated metal door which opened up before them while Kelly rewarded him with a devilish grin before walking in.

"Dear God!" Was Kingsley's last statement before the door closes up

{R}

Nancy Stuart sat amidst a couple of computers in an office staring intently at an oddly shaped drive in her hand. She was deeply engrossed in the object, completely bemused by its intricate microscopic design. "What the hell are you?" She asked out loud as she shifted her glasses to increase her focus.

There was a sudden knock on the door that drew her back to earth and Kelly walks in , popping her head in first to see how the

project was faring.

"Where did you get this Kel?" She asked the moment she set her eyes on Kelly.

"Have you retrieved the data in it? " Kelly asked.

"That's almost impossible, aleast not with these million years old boxes called computer."

"Those are the most current eighth generation intel core processor computers on the market, you said they were lit when we got them two weeks ago. With enhanced cryptography, computational prowess and other nerdy stuff that I can't remember."

"Yeah, they were lit for ordinary system programs and encryption patterns, but do you know what this is." Nancy said flashing the drive in her hand at her.

"This is aleast a thirteenth generation technology, possessing over thirty two different complex encryptions patterns with an inbuilt self destruct sequence, that goes boom the moment you make the slightest mistake, this is technology of the future or alien technology or something. I've never seen anything like it?"

"Woah!" Kelly exclaimed. "I was under the impression that this was just an ordinary drive. "

"Where did you get it." Nancy asked again.

.

"Fortune gave it to James in the war." She replied thoughtfully.

"And you thought it was ordinary, has anything about Fortune ever been that simple." Nancy commented.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Kelly said with a sudden sense of unease as she took the drive from Nancy.

"Why so?" Nancy asked.

"The last time Fortune left something like this behind it created a huge mess for us to clean up. Why do I feel this strong sense of deja vu, like that day is about to repeat itself."

Noticing a reflection of a distant light on the drive she observed, she suddenly gasped in horror.

"Get down!" She yelled pulling herself along with Nancy behind the computer desk as quick as possible. In that same second, a flurry of bullets rained into the office like punishment from heaven, shattering windows, glass wares, computers, drilling holes into furnitures and stricking them with deadly fire power. Luckily due too Kelly's quick observation and reaction, they were left unscathed amidst the chaos, protected by the sturdiness of the desk that shielded them.

In a moment the firing stopped, and Kelly said to Nancy who still shivered with dread

"Count to fifteen in your head, on the fourteenth second, close your eyes as hard as humanly possible."

"Why...?" Nancy asked, shaken up by the suddenness of the attack.

"They are about to storm in, seven of them, all heavily armed... No eight." Kelly said as she stood up cautiously, observing the environ with a hawk like gaze.

"Three from the window, five through that door." And as she predicted, they all stormed in, in that order. Breaking through what was left of the shattered windows and ripping the door of its hinges with the force of a raging buffalo, The men trooped in pointing their guns at the duo and surrounding them.

"The famous Detective Kelly Kingsley. Daughter of the General or should I say Captain of Gotham's Military. " Their leader spoke proudly as he circled her, obviously pleased with himself and his catch.

"You know who I am." Kelly said with hands held up in surrender."

"Every one knows you detective, You'd make a great find but unfortunately I'm not here for you."

"Former Detective, I'm with the Military Now." She replied. "You must be a great fool to have staged an attack in my presence, and with such measley number of men."

"I think you are oblivious of the fact that you're surrounded and unarmed." The man said baffled by her display of confidence and unwavering equanimity.

"Am I....?" She grinned devilishly, At that moment Nancy counted the fourteenth second and shut her eyes instantly. At the fifteenth second, from a little device on a cufflink on her right sleeve came a sudden explosion of light, the scattered beams were intense enough to instantly disorient the entire team, giving her just enough time to unveil two colt revolvers concealed in her coat. With a swift and brilliant three sixty degree movement displaying her in-depth mastery of the use of firearm, she buried a bullet in every one of them dropping them to the floor. But the leader who took the hint from Nancy's earlier action luckily evaded the stun attack and made to escape, jumping through the window.

"What the hell was that, even when my eyes were closed I can't still see a thing." Nancy remarked the moment the danger faded.

"Your sight will return in a few seconds, when that happens, call nine nine one and leave this building immediately, there might still be snipers stationed around.

"What about you?" Nancy asked.

"I'm going after him." She stated valiantly as she ran through the window in the similar way the man had escaped.

"Wait we are on the third floor..." Nancy called out running to the window, only to see Kelly skillfully maneuver her way through the jump to avoid a crash while chasing after her escapee.

"And there she goes."

{R}

Towards sunset, Nancy saw Kelly come in from a distance and a light spark in her eyes, she had been with the men in blues all day who were investigating the raid, and she was bored of giving reports.

"Crisis averted thanks to you once again." An officer said to Kelly as she approached them.

"I feel the crisis is yet to begin. May I speak with the detective in charge of this case?" She asked politely.

"Of course, let me fetch her." The officer replied before leaving.

"Where were you Kel? I was worried sick about you." Nancy spilled the moment the officer left

"I'm fine," she assured. "I had to report to the station, that's why I took too long."

"Did you catch the perp?"

"Yeah, but I got nothing from him. " Kelly replied sadly. "They were highered mercenaries, without any idea who their contractors are, no name, no face."

"Did you aleast know what their objectives were? they say they weren't after you. And I doubt they were after me.If they were, they wouldn't have tried to kill us before breaking in." Nancy pointed out.

"Yeah, they were after this." She replied, giving Nancy the drive.

"This drive is definitely Fortune's creation. I recognize his work anywhere I see it." She took another look at it with peak curiosity before Kelly concealed it quickly for security reasons.

"We have to find out what is in this drive, before they make another move." Kelly stated.

"There's one person I know who might be capable of breaking the encryption." Nancy suggested.

"Who?"

"Jessica." She replied ominously. "Jessica Kamiya."