Chapter 20 : Toyman - Part 2
May 2016 — DEO Desert Facility — Command Center
The tactical display showed Toyman's escape route in glowing red.
"Underground tunnel, pre-constructed over at least six months." Alex manipulated the holographic map, tracing the path. "He had accomplices on the inside—guards he'd compromised, maintenance workers he'd recruited. The whole thing was planned down to the second."
"The letter was bait," I said. "He needed me at the prison during the escape. Not to witness it—to observe."
"Observe what?"
"My reactions. My body language. The way I responded to stress." I stared at the display, mind racing through possibilities. "He's been watching news footage for months, but that's not the same as direct observation. He needed to see me in person to confirm his suspicions about my abilities."
J'onn stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed. "You believe he knows the full extent of your powers?"
"I think he knows I have powers. The specifics are probably still unclear, but..." I trailed off, remembering the way his eyes had tracked my movements. "He's brilliant. He'll figure it out fast."
"Then we need to find him before he has time to prepare countermeasures."
Easier said than done. Toyman had disappeared into National City's sprawling infrastructure like a ghost. No electronic traces—he'd learned that lesson during his original capture. No witness sightings. No forensic evidence beyond the tunnel itself.
I closed my eyes, reaching for the memories that came with this body. Winn Schott Jr. had grown up in this city. He'd spent countless hours in his father's workshops, learning to build, learning to create. Those memories were fragmentary—I hadn't inherited the full set—but enough remained to suggest possibilities.
"The Schott Family Factory," I said suddenly.
Everyone turned.
"It was shut down after his arrest. The property's been tied up in legal proceedings for years." I pulled up satellite imagery, zooming in on an industrial district at the city's edge. "But my—his childhood memories include secret passages. Hidden workspaces. Places he built that nobody else knew existed."
"You think he went back there?"
"It's sentimental. Meaningful. And it's where he did his best work." I met Alex's gaze. "If he's planning something elaborate, he needs resources. Tools. Space. That factory has all three."
J'onn nodded slowly. "It's worth investigating."
"I'll lead a team—" Alex started.
"No."
The word came out harder than I intended. Everyone went quiet.
"He wants me. The message, the escape timing, everything he said during the visit—this is about proving something. Testing something." I straightened. "If we send in a tactical team, he'll see it coming. He'll have contingencies. People will die."
"And if you go alone?"
"Then I face whatever he's built on my own terms." I looked around the room—at Alex's protective anger, J'onn's calculating concern, Kara's fierce determination. "I'm not asking for permission. I'm telling you what needs to happen."
"Winn—" Kara stepped forward.
"You can monitor from nearby. Provide backup if things go wrong. But the initial approach has to be me. Alone." I held her gaze. "He's my father. My responsibility."
The silence stretched for a long moment.
Then a package arrived.
DEO Command Center — Fifteen Minutes Later
The wind-up toy sat on the analysis table, perfectly constructed.
It was me. Every detail accurate—the clothes I'd been wearing during the prison visit, the way my hair fell across my forehead, even the slight tension in my shoulders. Whoever had built this had done so from observation, not photographs. Recent observation.
"He made this in prison?" Alex's voice was flat with disbelief.
"He's the Toyman. He can build weapons from paperclips and rubber bands." I studied the toy without touching it. "The question is what it does."
As if hearing me, the figure began to move. Its tiny arm raised, pointing at a winding mechanism on its back. An invitation.
J'onn moved to stop me. "Don't—"
But I was already reaching for it.
The mechanism turned. The toy's chest opened. And a small speaker crackled to life.
"Hello, son."
My father's voice, perfectly recorded.
"If you're hearing this, you've figured out where I am. Good. I always knew you were smart—smarter than those fools at CatCo ever recognized. Now I want to see how smart you've truly become."
The toy's arm shifted, pointing toward its feet. A folded piece of paper emerged from a hidden compartment.
"The factory awaits. Come alone—I'll know if you don't—and we can finally have the conversation we should have had years ago. Father to son. Creator to creation."
A pause. Then, softer:
"Don't disappoint me, Winn. I have such wonderful things to show you."
The recording ended. The toy went still.
I unfolded the paper. A map, hand-drawn with meticulous precision. The Schott Family Factory, marked with X's indicating entry points.
"It's a trap," Alex said immediately.
"Obviously."
"You can't seriously be considering—"
"I'm not considering. I'm going." I looked at the toy—at the perfect replica of myself, built by a man who'd spent years studying destruction. "If I don't, he'll escalate. He'll start sending less friendly packages to people I care about. Cat Grant. James. Anyone he thinks might matter to me."
"We can protect them."
"For how long? He's patient. He's brilliant. And now he has a personal investment in seeing what I can do." I met Alex's eyes. "This ends tonight. One way or another."
Kara stepped forward. "I'm coming with you."
"You can't. He'll detect you before I'm through the door."
"Then I'll wait outside. Close enough to respond if you need me." Her jaw set in that stubborn way that meant arguing was pointless. "You're not facing him completely alone. That's not negotiable."
I wanted to refuse. Wanted to keep her safe, far from my father's twisted games. But the determination in her eyes reminded me of something J'onn had said months ago: You have people who care about you now. Let them.
"Fine. But you stay back unless I call."
"Deal."
I grabbed my gear—tactical vest, comms equipment, the small EMP device Alex had designed for exactly these situations—and headed for the door.
"Winn." J'onn's voice stopped me. "Whatever he's built in there, whatever he's planning—remember who you are. Not his son. Not his legacy. You."
I nodded once.
Then I walked out to face my father.
Author's Note / Promotion:
Your Reviews and Power Stones are the best way to show support. They help me know what you're enjoying and bring in new readers!
You don't have to. Get instant access to more content by supporting me on Patreon. I have three options so you can pick how far ahead you want to be:
🪙 Silver Tier ($6): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public site.
👑 Gold Tier ($9): Get 15-20 chapters ahead of the public site.
💎 Platinum Tier ($15): The ultimate experience. Get new chapters the second I finish them . No waiting for weekly drops, just pure, instant access.
Your support helps me write more .
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/fanficwriter1