It was an almost universal opinion among teenagers that school is the most boring thing in...
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Unbreakable (Worm/OC)
- Thread starter Sadguychet
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Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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It was an almost universal opinion among teenagers that school is the most boring thing in existence. Eight hours spent sitting in uncomfortable seats as you are forced to listen to an adult talk about things you couldn't care less about, only cut by the thirty minute lunch that never seems long enough. Yes, there were few things more boring than school.
I yawned into my palm as I tried to focus on what Mr. Gladly was talking about. My ears strained to pick up words between the droning buzz that made up his speech before I shrugged, giving up my attempt. Whatever he was droning on about probably wasn't too important anyway.
I sighed, moving a strand of blond hair out from in front of my eyes as I looked around the classroom, taking in the faces of my classmates. They looked just as bored as I felt, half lidded gazes pretending to focus on the front of the room, though a few were actually paying attention. Weirdos.
Turning back toward the front, I sighed again, lamenting the fact that I had to be here instead of at home, playing video games or browsing PHO. My parents had often voiced their disapproval of my choices in pastimes, but given that they had chosen to send me to Winslow instead of Arcadia or Immaculata, I just ignored their complaints.
Oh sure, I understood why they did it, I even agreed to it. That didn't mean I wasn't angry about it.
My family was German, able to trace our lineage all the way to the time of Emperor Wilhelm I over one hundred and fifty years ago. We had only moved to America around twelve years ago when I was a toddler due to some disagreements between my father and his parents. We settled in Brockton Bay because he had heard some old friends of his had done the same and he wished to join them.
What he didn't know at the time was that those old friends of his had actually come to Brockton to join the Empire, a gang of nazis run by Allfather.
Now, my parents were extremely proud of their lineage, to the point that I had several memories of them laying me down for bed and reading small excerpts from autobiographies that our ancestors had written, but they were not nazis. When my father was approached by his old friends with the offer to join the Empire, he turned them away immediately, threatening violence if they ever returned.
Needless to say, this upset the higher ups in the gang who had been hoping for another perfect aryan family to add to their ranks. And while they couldn't exactly force us to join, forced loyalty is no loyalty at all, they could strongly encourage us to do so using other methods.
My father suddenly found himself being demoted at his job for reasons they wouldn't say, and my mother had trouble finding a job at all, nearly every interview ending with them stating they didn't think she would be a good fit with the company or some other bullshit.
More people wearing Empire colors began loitering around our street, which normally wouldn't be out of the ordinary given that we lived in Empire territory, but it still sent a clear message.
Reconsider the offer or else.
While my father still refused to join the gang, our livelihood was being threatened and something needed to be done. He went out to meet with his 'friends' one night four years ago and when he came back, he told me I had been enrolled at Winslow High School, a known hotspot for gang recruitment.
I had been furious and heartbroken, believing that he had given me up to the Empire. I had screamed at him for ruining my life and threatened to run away if he didn't re-enroll me somewhere else. He simply stood there and took it, all while my mother watched from the kitchen. As I finally screamed myself ragged, he asked me to come sit with him in the living room so he could explain himself.
Apparently, when he had gone to talk with his 'friends' they had offered him an alternate solution. He could send me to Winslow, where the recruiters could keep an eye on me and attempt to recruit me into the Empire, and if I hadn't joined by the end of my senior year, the gang would leave us alone.
I had been skeptical, why would they be willing to simply give up after putting in all this effort? My father had said that the gang was wasting too many resources trying to recruit just one family and Kaiser, Allfather's son who took over after his death, was furious. Kaiser had told the other's to lay off and go for a softer approach instead of expending so much effort to recruit people who would never be loyal.
It made sense, I had always found it odd how they had put so much effort into trying to get us to join. I had taken a moment to calm down and agreed to go to Winslow, after all, how bad could it be to go to the school for only four years.
I won't say it wasn't a struggle, my blond hair and blue eyes had caught no small amount of attention from the gang members in the school who pegged me as an Empire member. I had been forced to take my lunches off campus to avoid being accosted and as a result, had virtually no friend group to speak of, leaving me lonelier than ever.
Luckily for me, the school year was almost over, I was nearly free.
"Ms. Becker," Gladly called and I straightened, turning my attention back to reality to find the man looking at me with a raised eyebrow, "Maybe instead of staring off into space, you could answer my question?"
I felt my face heat up as the people around me snickered. I looked to the whiteboard, hoping for some hint as to what he had been talking about only to find it blank.
"I uh," I wracked my brain, trying to come up with an answer only to come up blank. I slumped my shoulders, "I'm sorry."
As the students around me laughed, Gladly just sighed, "Valerie, I understand you are eager to go home, this being the last class of the day and all, but please pay attention. You've already failed this class once, please don't try for a second." He turned his attention to the rest of the class, "And that goes for all of you as well. This class could be important for your future, you never know."
As he turned back to the board, I heard a snicker from beside me, "Yeah, sure thing Mr. G." I turned and was met with Christine, the blonde girl snickering to herself quietly. She noticed me looking at her and raised a slender eyebrow in questioning, giving me a small grin. I turned back toward the front, not willing to engage in conversation with the other girl.
Christine was my neighbor and one of my first friends when I moved to the Bay. Our parents had often organized playdates when we were younger and we had become fast friends. I had fond memories of playing with her at the park or having sleepovers at her house, falling asleep to some cheesy teen romance and waking up to the smell of pancakes and drool on my lips.
That changed when one day two or so years ago, Christine came over to my house wearing Empire colors and tried to convince me to join. I had immediately cut off all contact with the other girl, as much as it hurt to do so.
I came to find out she had become a recruiter for the Empire, usually using her looks as a way to get the boys to join up in an attempt to get closer to her. You'd think they would have caught on by now given that she'd already had around twenty different boyfriends, sometimes two at a time, but I guess that saying about teenage boys thinking with the wrong head was true after all. All in all, it just validated my decision to cut her off in the first place.
"Alright everyone!" Gladly clapped his hands once to get everybody's attention, "The bell's about to ring so that is all for today. Because it's Friday, I've decided not to assign you any homework. Please enjoy your weekend."
The bell rang as if on cue and the classroom was abuzz with sound as everybody made their way to the door. I stayed behind, taking my time to put my books back into my backpack so I could avoid the rush to get out of the building.
This proved to be a mistake, as I soon realized when Christine approached my desk with a small smile on her face. I sighed as she stopped in front of me as the class emptied out.
I turned toward her, "What do you want Christine?" I asked, voice tinged with annoyance.
"Weeell," She began, rocking on her heels, "Me and a few of my friends were planning to meet at the mall after school and I wanted to know if you would like to join us. I know you don't have many friends and I wouldn't mind hanging out with you again." She smiled hopefully, though I noticed her eyes were tinged with something else…desperation?
I snorted, her bosses were probably putting more pressure on her to recruit me. Who knows what kind of punishment she'd face if she failed to get me to join before the school year ended. Either way, I already knew what my answer would be.
"Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather do…literally anything else. I appreciate the offer though!" I quickly finished putting my books in my bag and stood, making my way to the door.
I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I grit my teeth, turning toward the owner to find Christine with her arm extended. "Let go of me. Now." I spoke slowly, watching with some satisfaction as she retracted her hand like it was burned.
She didn't back away though, instead stepping closer to me, voice tinged with the same desperation that I saw in her eyes moments ago, "C'mon Valerie, it will be fun! We'll all have a good time. I'm not trying to get you to join, I just want to hang out, I promise!"
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah sure. And I guess these friends of yours don't have any other plans either? You aren't as clever as you think you are."
She shook her head, opening her mouth to argue but I was done with her bs. I shook my head, turning away, "Do us both a favor and just leave me alone Christine. I want nothing to do with you as long as you are wearing those colors."
I began walking away once more and my ears picked up a small whisper.
"Please Val…"
I just grit my teeth and shook my head, giving a small nod to Mr. Gladly as I exited the classroom. She had made her choice and I made mine. That's all there was to it.
I had gotten more than enough practice to ignore the small voice in the back of my head that still missed her.
~~~
As I stepped off the bus outside my house, I was immediately hit with a sense of wrongness. I looked around, trying to find what had given me this feeling before realizing what it was.
Normally there would be at least a few people on the street at this time of day. Be they poorly disguised gang members who lived nearby or students returning from school, the street usually had at least four or five people in view at all times.
Now however, it was completely empty, even the gang members who always stood posted up on the corner were gone, blanketing the entire street in an eerie silence. In the distance, I could hear the rumbles and honks of cars driving a few blocks down so I at least knew I hadn't suddenly gone deaf.
My dad's car was in the driveway so I knew my parents were home as my mother was a stay at home mom. What was strange was the lack of barking coming from inside the house. Normally my dog, Lars, would be going crazy by now, having heard the school bus driving by and me approaching the house. Something was up.
I shook myself slightly and began making my way up the steps to my house, hand in my hoodie and tightly grasping the handle of the switchblade I kept in the pocket. I grasped the handle to the front door and swung it open.
As I stepped into the house I was immediately struck by the silence within, not a single sound emerging from the depths, "Hello?" I yelled, fingers tightening around my switchblade, as I walked forward, "Mom? Dad? Lars?"
As I made my way deeper into the silent house, I could feel panic begin to set in. Where were her parents? Did they go out somewhere? No, they would have left Lars at the house if they had, where were they?
"Mom! Dad! This isn't funny!" I yelled again, voice wavering with panic and my heart beating wildly in my chest as I made my way to the living room.
As I turned the corner, I froze, my knife falling through my suddenly limp fingers to impact the carpeted floor as I took in the sight in front of me.
Sitting there, arms tied behind their backs and legs tied to wooden chairs were my parents. They were groaning blearily, eyes blinking listlessly as they struggled to focus on their surroundings. They were covered in bruises and my father had a broken nose. My mom seemed a little better off but not by much, still sporting two black eyes.
"MOM! DAD!" I rushed to their side, hands going to the knots around their legs in an attempt to untie them. They shifted, groaning as I tugged on the ropes urgently, "What happened?! Who did this to you?!"
"Sweetie…" My mom groaned, grimacing lightly in pain, "You need to get out of here."
I shook my head furiously, blinking tears out of my eyes as I struggled with the ropes, "Hell no! I'm not leaving you here!" The damn ropes wouldn't budge! If only I had a… Wait!
I turned away from the ropes and rushed back to the entrance to the living room, grabbing my switchblade from the floor and making my way back to my parents. The knife made quick work of the ropes on their legs and as I made my way behind them to take care of the ropes around their hands, my father spoke up.
"Valerie, please leave us." He begged, voice nasally from the broken nose, "He'll come back."
I growled as I worked on the ropes around their hands, it was taking longer than the other ropes as it was made out of tougher material, "I already told you no! And who's coming back?! Who did this to you?!"
"That would be me."
I turned in surprise and anger only to be met with a fist to the jaw that sent me sprawling to the floor. I layed there for a moment, groaning in pain before I turned my gaze to my assailant and froze.
He was massive, around six foot five. He was wearing only a pair of jeans, leaving his chest and feet bare. His long blond hair was greasy and tangled, clearly having been neglected. That wasn't what made me freeze though. No, what made me freeze was the large metal wolf mask on his face.
'What's wrong girl?" Hookwolf sneered, walking toward my downed form as I scrambled backwards, "Cat got your tongue?"
I struggled back to my feet, "Why are you here? We had a deal with the Empire! You were supposed to leave us alone!" I shouted at the large man, clenching my knife tightly.
He just laughed as he continued to walk forward, "Yeah, see the thing is, not all of us were in agreement about the little deal Kaiser made with your father. The idea that a family like yours would be allowed to exist in our territory without joining makes my blood boil. So I took it upon myself to deal with the situation."
He gestured toward my parents, "All they had to do was agree to join and that would have been that. But instead they said no, to 'protect you'." He snorted in derision, and my vision went red, "Idiots."
I screamed in wordless rage, rushing forward with my switchblade held aloft. Hookwolf just stood there as I approached and smirked as I brought the blade down on his chest.
*Snap*
I watched in disbelief as the blade snapped in two on contact with his skin. I looked up at his masked face as he snorted.
"Cute." He raised an arm up and I went to step back. It was too late however, and he brought his fist down on top of my skull with a yell.
I felt an intense pain in my skull before my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I passed out.
~~~
I woke up with a start, body jerking upward, or at least attempting to. My arms were tied behind my back and my legs were tied to each other with thick ropes. I looked around as I tried to free myself, I was inside of what looked like the trunk of a car. Over the lip, I could see Hookwolf standing there, talking to another member of the Empire, an unpowered member if his lack of mask was any indication.
He noticed I was awake and nodded at the member, who nodded back and ran around the right side of the car and out of my view. I could hear the car door open and shut indicating he had entered the driver's seat. I was proven right as the car started a moment later.
I turned my attention back to Hookwolf, glaring at him as he approached, "So what, are you gonna kidnap me, do you have my parents in another car?" I struggled against my bonds to no avail, "You know people will look for us right? Even you can't get away with kidnapping an entire family."
Hookwolf laughed loudly, "Ha! Kidnap you? Why would I waste the effort? You aren't worth it girl, you or your parents."
I froze, staring up at his mask in horror, "What did you do to them."
His neck flexed slightly as he grinned viciously, "The same thing that's about to happen to you. They took a long swim in the bay."
My vision bled red with rage and I began thrashing in my bonds even harder, trying to get at the man, "I'LL KILL YOU!" My bound legs slammed into the walls of the trunk as I thrashed around.
The massive cape just laughed, grabbing the top of the trunk, "Good luck with that." He slammed the trunk closed, engulfing me in darkness. The car revved and I slammed into the metal trunk as it surged forward. It picked up speed with the sound of tires on concrete before suddenly rocketing into the bay with a massive splash.
Water immediately began surging through the cracks in the trunk and I struggled against the ropes even harder. I grunted in exertion, mind whirling with panic as the water began filling the small space around me.
If this kept up, I was going to drown.
"Come on! Come on! Please!" I practically pleaded as the trunk filled with water. My meager muscles strained against the ropes, accomplishing nothing but giving myself rope burn.
The water soon reached my face and I coughed and sputtered, trying to keep my lungs free of liquid to no avail. My eyes burned as they filled with saltwater and my tastebuds were overwhelmed by the taste of the ocean.
My struggling slowed as my vision darkened slowly, 'Is this it for me?' I thought dimly to myself, the tears in my eyes unrecognizable from the saltwater, 'I don't want to die like this…'
DESTINATION
AGREEMENT
TRAJECTORY
AGREEMENT
I came to my senses feeling odd, the water around me seemingly singing to my senses as something within me attempted to reach out to it. I gave in to the feeling and was immediately overcome with the feeling of my body melting, bones and organs liquifying to match my surroundings.
The ropes once bound to my limbs floated freely as my body became one with the water around me. I was free. I surged toward the cracks in the trunk, moving my liquid form feeling like second nature as I freed myself from my confines.
As soon as I got into the open ocean of the Bay, my senses expanded rapidly. I could feel the push and pull of the waves at the surface and more importantly, the smashing of those waves on the pier.
I raced toward the feeling, water that wasn't part of me rushing past me at an incredible pace. It only took a few seconds to reach the pier at my speed and as I did, I shot out of the water like a rocket, landing on the wooden pier with a splash, sending several people who had been fishing off the edge scattering away from me.
I wasn't concerned with that though, I just stood there, mind racing as I came to terms with what had just happened. Hookwolf, drowning, my parents…
Everything had fallen apart so quickly.
I looked around and paused as I caught sight of myself in a glass window. I walked closer, putting a hand against the smooth glass as I took myself in. In some ways, I looked like I always did, long hair, both ears pierced, impeccable fashion sense, same as usual.
Same, except for the fact that I was made entirely out of saltwater. Even my clothing was made of water, hoodie still in place on my chest. I brought a hand up to my face, watching in distant fascination as the light refracted through it.
I brought my gaze back to the glass. I needed to test something.
The moment I touched the pier, something in my body once again sang out like it had in the water, only this time it seemed to be directed toward the wooden deck. I gave in once more, watching with distant fascination as my form solidified, clear liquid turning solid brown as my body turned into the same light brown wood as the pier.
I stared down at my now wooden hands as I flexed them, opening and closing my fingers over and over again. In the back of my mind, I knew I should be hysterical with grief but for some reason everything seemed… muted. I was probably in shock.
"That's a pretty cool trick." I turned my head toward the voice and was met with an odd sight.
A teenage boy, around sixteen if I had to guess. His skin was bright orange and his hair was blue, under the right strap of his tank top I could make out a tattoo of an upside down omega symbol inked onto his skin.
His eyes were blue with no sclera, making it appear as if they were just massive pools of blue in his skull. He was barefoot, showing off his clawed feet and a glance revealed his hands were similarly clawed. A long tail extended out from the back of his jeans, swishing back and forth as he walked toward me.
"My name's Newter." He introduced as he stopped in front of me and extended his hand, "Does the lady have a name?"
I stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out and grasping it, the feeling of wood instead of skin an odd one, "I'm Valerie."
Newter just sort of stared at me in surprise for a moment before his face softened slightly, "You've had a rough day haven't you?" He asked softly.
I nodded at his question, rough was an understatement. He sighed lightly before letting go of my hand, "I know a place you can talk about it if you'd like."
I tilted my head to the side, that sounded nice. Something inside of me told me I only had moments before I broke down, best do it where nobody could see. "I'd like that."
Newter stepped back, turning around and motioning for her to follow, "Follow me then."
I yawned into my palm as I tried to focus on what Mr. Gladly was talking about. My ears strained to pick up words between the droning buzz that made up his speech before I shrugged, giving up my attempt. Whatever he was droning on about probably wasn't too important anyway.
I sighed, moving a strand of blond hair out from in front of my eyes as I looked around the classroom, taking in the faces of my classmates. They looked just as bored as I felt, half lidded gazes pretending to focus on the front of the room, though a few were actually paying attention. Weirdos.
Turning back toward the front, I sighed again, lamenting the fact that I had to be here instead of at home, playing video games or browsing PHO. My parents had often voiced their disapproval of my choices in pastimes, but given that they had chosen to send me to Winslow instead of Arcadia or Immaculata, I just ignored their complaints.
Oh sure, I understood why they did it, I even agreed to it. That didn't mean I wasn't angry about it.
My family was German, able to trace our lineage all the way to the time of Emperor Wilhelm I over one hundred and fifty years ago. We had only moved to America around twelve years ago when I was a toddler due to some disagreements between my father and his parents. We settled in Brockton Bay because he had heard some old friends of his had done the same and he wished to join them.
What he didn't know at the time was that those old friends of his had actually come to Brockton to join the Empire, a gang of nazis run by Allfather.
Now, my parents were extremely proud of their lineage, to the point that I had several memories of them laying me down for bed and reading small excerpts from autobiographies that our ancestors had written, but they were not nazis. When my father was approached by his old friends with the offer to join the Empire, he turned them away immediately, threatening violence if they ever returned.
Needless to say, this upset the higher ups in the gang who had been hoping for another perfect aryan family to add to their ranks. And while they couldn't exactly force us to join, forced loyalty is no loyalty at all, they could strongly encourage us to do so using other methods.
My father suddenly found himself being demoted at his job for reasons they wouldn't say, and my mother had trouble finding a job at all, nearly every interview ending with them stating they didn't think she would be a good fit with the company or some other bullshit.
More people wearing Empire colors began loitering around our street, which normally wouldn't be out of the ordinary given that we lived in Empire territory, but it still sent a clear message.
Reconsider the offer or else.
While my father still refused to join the gang, our livelihood was being threatened and something needed to be done. He went out to meet with his 'friends' one night four years ago and when he came back, he told me I had been enrolled at Winslow High School, a known hotspot for gang recruitment.
I had been furious and heartbroken, believing that he had given me up to the Empire. I had screamed at him for ruining my life and threatened to run away if he didn't re-enroll me somewhere else. He simply stood there and took it, all while my mother watched from the kitchen. As I finally screamed myself ragged, he asked me to come sit with him in the living room so he could explain himself.
Apparently, when he had gone to talk with his 'friends' they had offered him an alternate solution. He could send me to Winslow, where the recruiters could keep an eye on me and attempt to recruit me into the Empire, and if I hadn't joined by the end of my senior year, the gang would leave us alone.
I had been skeptical, why would they be willing to simply give up after putting in all this effort? My father had said that the gang was wasting too many resources trying to recruit just one family and Kaiser, Allfather's son who took over after his death, was furious. Kaiser had told the other's to lay off and go for a softer approach instead of expending so much effort to recruit people who would never be loyal.
It made sense, I had always found it odd how they had put so much effort into trying to get us to join. I had taken a moment to calm down and agreed to go to Winslow, after all, how bad could it be to go to the school for only four years.
I won't say it wasn't a struggle, my blond hair and blue eyes had caught no small amount of attention from the gang members in the school who pegged me as an Empire member. I had been forced to take my lunches off campus to avoid being accosted and as a result, had virtually no friend group to speak of, leaving me lonelier than ever.
Luckily for me, the school year was almost over, I was nearly free.
"Ms. Becker," Gladly called and I straightened, turning my attention back to reality to find the man looking at me with a raised eyebrow, "Maybe instead of staring off into space, you could answer my question?"
I felt my face heat up as the people around me snickered. I looked to the whiteboard, hoping for some hint as to what he had been talking about only to find it blank.
"I uh," I wracked my brain, trying to come up with an answer only to come up blank. I slumped my shoulders, "I'm sorry."
As the students around me laughed, Gladly just sighed, "Valerie, I understand you are eager to go home, this being the last class of the day and all, but please pay attention. You've already failed this class once, please don't try for a second." He turned his attention to the rest of the class, "And that goes for all of you as well. This class could be important for your future, you never know."
As he turned back to the board, I heard a snicker from beside me, "Yeah, sure thing Mr. G." I turned and was met with Christine, the blonde girl snickering to herself quietly. She noticed me looking at her and raised a slender eyebrow in questioning, giving me a small grin. I turned back toward the front, not willing to engage in conversation with the other girl.
Christine was my neighbor and one of my first friends when I moved to the Bay. Our parents had often organized playdates when we were younger and we had become fast friends. I had fond memories of playing with her at the park or having sleepovers at her house, falling asleep to some cheesy teen romance and waking up to the smell of pancakes and drool on my lips.
That changed when one day two or so years ago, Christine came over to my house wearing Empire colors and tried to convince me to join. I had immediately cut off all contact with the other girl, as much as it hurt to do so.
I came to find out she had become a recruiter for the Empire, usually using her looks as a way to get the boys to join up in an attempt to get closer to her. You'd think they would have caught on by now given that she'd already had around twenty different boyfriends, sometimes two at a time, but I guess that saying about teenage boys thinking with the wrong head was true after all. All in all, it just validated my decision to cut her off in the first place.
"Alright everyone!" Gladly clapped his hands once to get everybody's attention, "The bell's about to ring so that is all for today. Because it's Friday, I've decided not to assign you any homework. Please enjoy your weekend."
The bell rang as if on cue and the classroom was abuzz with sound as everybody made their way to the door. I stayed behind, taking my time to put my books back into my backpack so I could avoid the rush to get out of the building.
This proved to be a mistake, as I soon realized when Christine approached my desk with a small smile on her face. I sighed as she stopped in front of me as the class emptied out.
I turned toward her, "What do you want Christine?" I asked, voice tinged with annoyance.
"Weeell," She began, rocking on her heels, "Me and a few of my friends were planning to meet at the mall after school and I wanted to know if you would like to join us. I know you don't have many friends and I wouldn't mind hanging out with you again." She smiled hopefully, though I noticed her eyes were tinged with something else…desperation?
I snorted, her bosses were probably putting more pressure on her to recruit me. Who knows what kind of punishment she'd face if she failed to get me to join before the school year ended. Either way, I already knew what my answer would be.
"Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather do…literally anything else. I appreciate the offer though!" I quickly finished putting my books in my bag and stood, making my way to the door.
I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I grit my teeth, turning toward the owner to find Christine with her arm extended. "Let go of me. Now." I spoke slowly, watching with some satisfaction as she retracted her hand like it was burned.
She didn't back away though, instead stepping closer to me, voice tinged with the same desperation that I saw in her eyes moments ago, "C'mon Valerie, it will be fun! We'll all have a good time. I'm not trying to get you to join, I just want to hang out, I promise!"
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah sure. And I guess these friends of yours don't have any other plans either? You aren't as clever as you think you are."
She shook her head, opening her mouth to argue but I was done with her bs. I shook my head, turning away, "Do us both a favor and just leave me alone Christine. I want nothing to do with you as long as you are wearing those colors."
I began walking away once more and my ears picked up a small whisper.
"Please Val…"
I just grit my teeth and shook my head, giving a small nod to Mr. Gladly as I exited the classroom. She had made her choice and I made mine. That's all there was to it.
I had gotten more than enough practice to ignore the small voice in the back of my head that still missed her.
~~~
As I stepped off the bus outside my house, I was immediately hit with a sense of wrongness. I looked around, trying to find what had given me this feeling before realizing what it was.
Normally there would be at least a few people on the street at this time of day. Be they poorly disguised gang members who lived nearby or students returning from school, the street usually had at least four or five people in view at all times.
Now however, it was completely empty, even the gang members who always stood posted up on the corner were gone, blanketing the entire street in an eerie silence. In the distance, I could hear the rumbles and honks of cars driving a few blocks down so I at least knew I hadn't suddenly gone deaf.
My dad's car was in the driveway so I knew my parents were home as my mother was a stay at home mom. What was strange was the lack of barking coming from inside the house. Normally my dog, Lars, would be going crazy by now, having heard the school bus driving by and me approaching the house. Something was up.
I shook myself slightly and began making my way up the steps to my house, hand in my hoodie and tightly grasping the handle of the switchblade I kept in the pocket. I grasped the handle to the front door and swung it open.
As I stepped into the house I was immediately struck by the silence within, not a single sound emerging from the depths, "Hello?" I yelled, fingers tightening around my switchblade, as I walked forward, "Mom? Dad? Lars?"
As I made my way deeper into the silent house, I could feel panic begin to set in. Where were her parents? Did they go out somewhere? No, they would have left Lars at the house if they had, where were they?
"Mom! Dad! This isn't funny!" I yelled again, voice wavering with panic and my heart beating wildly in my chest as I made my way to the living room.
As I turned the corner, I froze, my knife falling through my suddenly limp fingers to impact the carpeted floor as I took in the sight in front of me.
Sitting there, arms tied behind their backs and legs tied to wooden chairs were my parents. They were groaning blearily, eyes blinking listlessly as they struggled to focus on their surroundings. They were covered in bruises and my father had a broken nose. My mom seemed a little better off but not by much, still sporting two black eyes.
"MOM! DAD!" I rushed to their side, hands going to the knots around their legs in an attempt to untie them. They shifted, groaning as I tugged on the ropes urgently, "What happened?! Who did this to you?!"
"Sweetie…" My mom groaned, grimacing lightly in pain, "You need to get out of here."
I shook my head furiously, blinking tears out of my eyes as I struggled with the ropes, "Hell no! I'm not leaving you here!" The damn ropes wouldn't budge! If only I had a… Wait!
I turned away from the ropes and rushed back to the entrance to the living room, grabbing my switchblade from the floor and making my way back to my parents. The knife made quick work of the ropes on their legs and as I made my way behind them to take care of the ropes around their hands, my father spoke up.
"Valerie, please leave us." He begged, voice nasally from the broken nose, "He'll come back."
I growled as I worked on the ropes around their hands, it was taking longer than the other ropes as it was made out of tougher material, "I already told you no! And who's coming back?! Who did this to you?!"
"That would be me."
I turned in surprise and anger only to be met with a fist to the jaw that sent me sprawling to the floor. I layed there for a moment, groaning in pain before I turned my gaze to my assailant and froze.
He was massive, around six foot five. He was wearing only a pair of jeans, leaving his chest and feet bare. His long blond hair was greasy and tangled, clearly having been neglected. That wasn't what made me freeze though. No, what made me freeze was the large metal wolf mask on his face.
'What's wrong girl?" Hookwolf sneered, walking toward my downed form as I scrambled backwards, "Cat got your tongue?"
I struggled back to my feet, "Why are you here? We had a deal with the Empire! You were supposed to leave us alone!" I shouted at the large man, clenching my knife tightly.
He just laughed as he continued to walk forward, "Yeah, see the thing is, not all of us were in agreement about the little deal Kaiser made with your father. The idea that a family like yours would be allowed to exist in our territory without joining makes my blood boil. So I took it upon myself to deal with the situation."
He gestured toward my parents, "All they had to do was agree to join and that would have been that. But instead they said no, to 'protect you'." He snorted in derision, and my vision went red, "Idiots."
I screamed in wordless rage, rushing forward with my switchblade held aloft. Hookwolf just stood there as I approached and smirked as I brought the blade down on his chest.
*Snap*
I watched in disbelief as the blade snapped in two on contact with his skin. I looked up at his masked face as he snorted.
"Cute." He raised an arm up and I went to step back. It was too late however, and he brought his fist down on top of my skull with a yell.
I felt an intense pain in my skull before my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I passed out.
~~~
I woke up with a start, body jerking upward, or at least attempting to. My arms were tied behind my back and my legs were tied to each other with thick ropes. I looked around as I tried to free myself, I was inside of what looked like the trunk of a car. Over the lip, I could see Hookwolf standing there, talking to another member of the Empire, an unpowered member if his lack of mask was any indication.
He noticed I was awake and nodded at the member, who nodded back and ran around the right side of the car and out of my view. I could hear the car door open and shut indicating he had entered the driver's seat. I was proven right as the car started a moment later.
I turned my attention back to Hookwolf, glaring at him as he approached, "So what, are you gonna kidnap me, do you have my parents in another car?" I struggled against my bonds to no avail, "You know people will look for us right? Even you can't get away with kidnapping an entire family."
Hookwolf laughed loudly, "Ha! Kidnap you? Why would I waste the effort? You aren't worth it girl, you or your parents."
I froze, staring up at his mask in horror, "What did you do to them."
His neck flexed slightly as he grinned viciously, "The same thing that's about to happen to you. They took a long swim in the bay."
My vision bled red with rage and I began thrashing in my bonds even harder, trying to get at the man, "I'LL KILL YOU!" My bound legs slammed into the walls of the trunk as I thrashed around.
The massive cape just laughed, grabbing the top of the trunk, "Good luck with that." He slammed the trunk closed, engulfing me in darkness. The car revved and I slammed into the metal trunk as it surged forward. It picked up speed with the sound of tires on concrete before suddenly rocketing into the bay with a massive splash.
Water immediately began surging through the cracks in the trunk and I struggled against the ropes even harder. I grunted in exertion, mind whirling with panic as the water began filling the small space around me.
If this kept up, I was going to drown.
"Come on! Come on! Please!" I practically pleaded as the trunk filled with water. My meager muscles strained against the ropes, accomplishing nothing but giving myself rope burn.
The water soon reached my face and I coughed and sputtered, trying to keep my lungs free of liquid to no avail. My eyes burned as they filled with saltwater and my tastebuds were overwhelmed by the taste of the ocean.
My struggling slowed as my vision darkened slowly, 'Is this it for me?' I thought dimly to myself, the tears in my eyes unrecognizable from the saltwater, 'I don't want to die like this…'
DESTINATION
AGREEMENT
TRAJECTORY
AGREEMENT
I came to my senses feeling odd, the water around me seemingly singing to my senses as something within me attempted to reach out to it. I gave in to the feeling and was immediately overcome with the feeling of my body melting, bones and organs liquifying to match my surroundings.
The ropes once bound to my limbs floated freely as my body became one with the water around me. I was free. I surged toward the cracks in the trunk, moving my liquid form feeling like second nature as I freed myself from my confines.
As soon as I got into the open ocean of the Bay, my senses expanded rapidly. I could feel the push and pull of the waves at the surface and more importantly, the smashing of those waves on the pier.
I raced toward the feeling, water that wasn't part of me rushing past me at an incredible pace. It only took a few seconds to reach the pier at my speed and as I did, I shot out of the water like a rocket, landing on the wooden pier with a splash, sending several people who had been fishing off the edge scattering away from me.
I wasn't concerned with that though, I just stood there, mind racing as I came to terms with what had just happened. Hookwolf, drowning, my parents…
Everything had fallen apart so quickly.
I looked around and paused as I caught sight of myself in a glass window. I walked closer, putting a hand against the smooth glass as I took myself in. In some ways, I looked like I always did, long hair, both ears pierced, impeccable fashion sense, same as usual.
Same, except for the fact that I was made entirely out of saltwater. Even my clothing was made of water, hoodie still in place on my chest. I brought a hand up to my face, watching in distant fascination as the light refracted through it.
I brought my gaze back to the glass. I needed to test something.
The moment I touched the pier, something in my body once again sang out like it had in the water, only this time it seemed to be directed toward the wooden deck. I gave in once more, watching with distant fascination as my form solidified, clear liquid turning solid brown as my body turned into the same light brown wood as the pier.
I stared down at my now wooden hands as I flexed them, opening and closing my fingers over and over again. In the back of my mind, I knew I should be hysterical with grief but for some reason everything seemed… muted. I was probably in shock.
"That's a pretty cool trick." I turned my head toward the voice and was met with an odd sight.
A teenage boy, around sixteen if I had to guess. His skin was bright orange and his hair was blue, under the right strap of his tank top I could make out a tattoo of an upside down omega symbol inked onto his skin.
His eyes were blue with no sclera, making it appear as if they were just massive pools of blue in his skull. He was barefoot, showing off his clawed feet and a glance revealed his hands were similarly clawed. A long tail extended out from the back of his jeans, swishing back and forth as he walked toward me.
"My name's Newter." He introduced as he stopped in front of me and extended his hand, "Does the lady have a name?"
I stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out and grasping it, the feeling of wood instead of skin an odd one, "I'm Valerie."
Newter just sort of stared at me in surprise for a moment before his face softened slightly, "You've had a rough day haven't you?" He asked softly.
I nodded at his question, rough was an understatement. He sighed lightly before letting go of my hand, "I know a place you can talk about it if you'd like."
I tilted my head to the side, that sounded nice. Something inside of me told me I only had moments before I broke down, best do it where nobody could see. "I'd like that."
Newter stepped back, turning around and motioning for her to follow, "Follow me then."
Change 1.2
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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"So you brought her here?" I couldn't keep the incredulity off of my face as I stared at my subordinate.
Newter shrugged lightly, clearly embarrassed, "Well I figured just leaving a clearly unstable parahuman out and about like that wasn't the best idea you know? She'd already scared the living daylights out of the fishermen on the pier, they might have already called the PRT."
"And this was after you nearly accidently used your power on her?" I raised an eyebrow, watching as his face turned an even darker orange with his embarrassed blush.
"Yeah, maybe not my best idea." He rubbed the back of his head, "I just thought that since she was made of wood, my chemicals would have no effect."
"But you didn't know that." I interrupted, "If your powers had worked, what would you have done? You'd have an unconscious parahuman on your hands and the PRT likely on the way. Kidnapping charges would have been the least of your worries."
He flinched but I continued regardless, Newter could be impulsive at the best of times. I had to make sure he understood the possible consequences of his actions, "And what if she had woken up? You said yourself she seemed unstable, she could have gone on a rampage. Nobody knows what her powers are, she could've done a lot of damage before she was subdued. You were extremely lucky that she was immune to your powers."
Newter turned his gaze to his feet to avoid my eyes, "Sorry Melanie, I wasn't thinking."
I sighed, standing up from my desk and around it to the apologetic teen. I placed my gloved hand on his shoulder softly, getting him to look me in the eyes, "It's alright Newter. You made a mistake, it happens. Just try to think next time. Every action has consequences, good or bad."
The orange skinned teen perked up immediately, giving me a big smile filled with bright white teeth, "Got it boss!"
I shook my head in mild amusement at his quick recovery as I removed my hand from his shoulder, "Now, tell me about our guest. She's with Gregor right now isn't she?"
Newter nodded at my question, "Yeah Gregor said he'd watch her while I talked with you. Him and Elle are with her right now."
I nodded, Elle was uncharacteristically lucid today and had taken to following Gregor around while he did things around the club. The way she appeared compared to Gregor's much larger form evoked the image of a duckling following its mother around as they swam in a pond. It was honestly kind of adorable, though I'd never admit that out loud.
I shook my head, banishing the thoughts, there were more important things to focus on at the moment, like our guest's powers.
"You said she was made of water when you first saw her, and then she turned into wood. Do you think she could be a Case 53? Any tattoo?" I asked Newter, watching as he scrunched his face in thought.
"It's possible, but not likely." He admitted, "Her clothes change with her and they are pretty concealing, a long sleeved jacket and jeans. If she does have the mark, it's probably on her body somewhere. She told me her name though, Valerie. Whether or not it's one she gave herself or the one she was born with, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it's the former."
He shrugged, "She also looks pretty human apart from the whole being made of stuff other than skin thing. But we both know that doesn't really mean anything."
I hummed in agreement. Despite being given the cruel nickname of 'monster capes', there were several Case 53s that were basically human except for a few odd features. Like that one made of metal on the Boston Wards, Weld. From what I had heard, he was basically just a normal teenager with metal skin that liked to stick to and absorb other metal things. Hardly 'monstrous'.
I turned my attention back to Newter, "What about her emotional state? You said she seemed unstable, did anything else strike you as odd?"
He hesitated, tail swishing nervously as he licked his lips. "I'm pretty sure she's a fresh trigger, though she doesn't act like it." He finally said.
I grimaced, fresh triggers were notoriously hard to deal with as most were touchy at best and homicidal at worst. It was to be expected of course, in order to trigger someone had to go through the most traumatic event in their life, that was obviously going to leave a mark on a person's psyche. The final part of his statement confused me however.
"What do you mean she doesn't act like it?"
Newter just shrugged, "I mean that she doesn't act like it. Sure, she might seem a little off, but most people would be freaking out after triggering. She's just sorta been staring at her hands and not saying anything. It's unusual, sure, but nothing like a normal fresh trigger."
"Do you think it could be part of her powers?" I knew some powers could affect the mental state of the user. Elle's was a prime example as when she used her power to full effect, she was barely lucid as she was forced to explore the landscape her power created within her own mind.
She could often be found staring into space on her bed, unresponsive as she was forced to delve deep into her own mind. Before we had taken to watching over her, Elle would often miss meals as she stayed in this state for several hours, wandering the nearly endless worlds her power made for her.
Maybe Valerie's power was similar, though I fail to see the correlation. Although… I looked over at the wall nearest my desk, narrowing my eyes.
He just shrugged, "I don't know. She wasn't really answering my questions on the way here so I just sorta stopped asking them." He made a thinking face, "She did change again when we got into the club, turning into concrete, but I'm pretty sure that was just her testing her powers."
I shook my head, "No, she's doing something to the building itself." I walked over to the wall I had been staring at and placed my fingers against it, attempting to use my power on its concrete surface.
Nothing. I stepped back, turning to Newter as he looked at me in confusion,
As the conversation had continued, I had begun to notice that the places I was able to affect with my powers had been steadily decreasing, mostly along the walls. It didn't make any sense as my powers should be able to affect any non living material, which the concrete walls certainly were.
Unless that had changed in the time our mysterious guest had been in the building.
I made my way back over to my desk, grabbing the object sitting there and pulling it over my head, tinting the room around me a smokey grey as the welding mask slid into place on my face, obscuring my features.
I turned to walk out of the room, motioning for Newter to follow me as I did so, "Let's go meet our guest."
"You gonna try to recruit her?" He asked as he followed me.
I just hummed, "We'll see, I've got a few questions for her first."
~~~
Something was wrong with me.
It had taken me a while to notice it, sitting here in silence as I was watched over by two strangers. Newter had said they were going to watch over me while he went to talk to his boss which I guess I understood, I was after all, an unknown parahuman inside of their home.
The big one, Gregor as Newter had introduced, was standing stoically by the door staring at nothing in particular. His skin, what I could see of it underneath his coat, appeared to be semi translucent, showing the shadows of muscle and bone underneath. Interspersed throughout his exposed skin were spiraling bits of some hardened material that gave me the impression of shells.
The other person in the room was a young woman around my age or a little older. Blond hair peeked out from the edges of her hooded robe and she was wearing a dark green mask depicting a maze on its surface. She was softly humming an indecipherable tune to herself, arms wrapped around her knees as she stared in my general direction.
In a small circle around her, sprouting up through the sheets of the bed she was sitting on, was a colorful array of flowers, pinks, blues, and yellows bursting through the sheets without disturbing them in any way. She took no notice of them apart from periodically reaching down to pluck them from their stems and holding them up to her mask as if to smell them.
Newter had introduced her as Labyrinth, which pinged something in the back of my mind, like I had heard the name before. I tried to hold onto that thought, only to fail as it slipped through my grasp like grains of sand in a sieve. That had been happening a lot recently.
I stared down at my concrete hands, flexing my rigid fingers one after the other as I tried to focus my mind to no avail.
When Newter and I had entered the building, a nightclub I was pretty sure if the neon lights were any indication, my powers had once again sang out to me, more powerfully than they had on the docks.
I gave in, once again feeling my body shift to match the materials around me and thought that was it, only to instead be overcome with the feeling of my entire being immersing itself into my surroundings.
It was strange, being in multiple places at once as my presence made its way throughout the building, sinking into the concrete walls and floors until I was part of every room in the building, becoming part of the nightclub itself.
There was part of me that whispered I could go further, truly become one with my surroundings. Although, even with my mind as distant as it was, I couldn't help but feel that my hosts wouldn't appreciate that one bit so I refrained. I still kept myself spread throughout the building though.
Even now, I could feel the gentle weight of the chairs near the bar, the subtle shifting of the rebar in the foundation…
And the heavy weight of footsteps making their way in my direction.
I turned my head as the door opened with a light creak, revealing Newter and a woman I hadn't met yet. She was wearing what appeared to be altered riot gear painted a dark charcoal and holstered on her hip was some sort of pistol. A welding mask was fitted on her face, obscuring her features though I could see the edges of a ponytail emerging from the back of her head.
All in all, she cut an intimidating figure and as she stepped into the room and locked eyes with me, I felt a hint of fear make its way through the haze in my mind.
"So you're our guest, Valerie right?" She asked, voice barely muffled by the mask.
"I am." I nodded, and my voice sounded wooden even to my own ears.
She tilted her head before looking back toward Newter who shrugged. She turned back to me, expression inscrutable behind her mask.
"I'm Fautline, leader of the Palanquin and owner of the nightclub of the same name. A nightclub you are currently affecting with your powers."
My eyes widened slightly and I could see Labyrinth tilt her head on the edge of my vision, "How-"
"Let's just say I have a sense for these things," She interrupted, "I'm going to have to ask you to stop whatever it is you are doing."
I hesitated slightly before nodding and closing my eyes, focusing on my power.
Retracting my presence from the building was a lot more difficult than spreading it out. It was like I was stuck inside every tiny crack and indent in the concrete and pulling myself out completely was an exercise in futility.
I spent another few moments trying to extricate myself before finally giving up and opening my eyes. I looked back toward Fautine, the woman having crossed her arms during my failed attempt.
"I can't." I muttered.
She hummed, "That's a problem. If my theory is correct, your power is affecting your emotions, it will be difficult having this conversation if you can't turn them off."
"Maybe she could just change materials." Newter piped up from behind her and I tilted my head. That might work.
I leaned over and placed my hand on the wooden frame of the bed I was sitting on, and watching in satisfaction as my concrete form turned wooden once more.
I smiled at Faultline as I… I…
Oh god.
"Oh god…" I repeated out loud as images of what had happened mere hours earlier flashed in my mind. Mom and Dad beaten and tied to chairs, Hookwolf knocking me unconscious and waking up in the trunk of a car.
Hookwolf telling me of my parent's fates.
"No… oh god no…" I cried, sobs building in the back of my throat with no way to release themselves. I placed my face in my hands, taking deep shuddering breaths as I came to terms with everything that had happened in such a short period of time.
An arm wrapped around my shoulder and I looked up to find Newter giving me a comforting smile, "Go on, let it out."
I buried my face into his chest and wailed with grief at all I had lost.
~~~
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Newter shrugged lightly, clearly embarrassed, "Well I figured just leaving a clearly unstable parahuman out and about like that wasn't the best idea you know? She'd already scared the living daylights out of the fishermen on the pier, they might have already called the PRT."
"And this was after you nearly accidently used your power on her?" I raised an eyebrow, watching as his face turned an even darker orange with his embarrassed blush.
"Yeah, maybe not my best idea." He rubbed the back of his head, "I just thought that since she was made of wood, my chemicals would have no effect."
"But you didn't know that." I interrupted, "If your powers had worked, what would you have done? You'd have an unconscious parahuman on your hands and the PRT likely on the way. Kidnapping charges would have been the least of your worries."
He flinched but I continued regardless, Newter could be impulsive at the best of times. I had to make sure he understood the possible consequences of his actions, "And what if she had woken up? You said yourself she seemed unstable, she could have gone on a rampage. Nobody knows what her powers are, she could've done a lot of damage before she was subdued. You were extremely lucky that she was immune to your powers."
Newter turned his gaze to his feet to avoid my eyes, "Sorry Melanie, I wasn't thinking."
I sighed, standing up from my desk and around it to the apologetic teen. I placed my gloved hand on his shoulder softly, getting him to look me in the eyes, "It's alright Newter. You made a mistake, it happens. Just try to think next time. Every action has consequences, good or bad."
The orange skinned teen perked up immediately, giving me a big smile filled with bright white teeth, "Got it boss!"
I shook my head in mild amusement at his quick recovery as I removed my hand from his shoulder, "Now, tell me about our guest. She's with Gregor right now isn't she?"
Newter nodded at my question, "Yeah Gregor said he'd watch her while I talked with you. Him and Elle are with her right now."
I nodded, Elle was uncharacteristically lucid today and had taken to following Gregor around while he did things around the club. The way she appeared compared to Gregor's much larger form evoked the image of a duckling following its mother around as they swam in a pond. It was honestly kind of adorable, though I'd never admit that out loud.
I shook my head, banishing the thoughts, there were more important things to focus on at the moment, like our guest's powers.
"You said she was made of water when you first saw her, and then she turned into wood. Do you think she could be a Case 53? Any tattoo?" I asked Newter, watching as he scrunched his face in thought.
"It's possible, but not likely." He admitted, "Her clothes change with her and they are pretty concealing, a long sleeved jacket and jeans. If she does have the mark, it's probably on her body somewhere. She told me her name though, Valerie. Whether or not it's one she gave herself or the one she was born with, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it's the former."
He shrugged, "She also looks pretty human apart from the whole being made of stuff other than skin thing. But we both know that doesn't really mean anything."
I hummed in agreement. Despite being given the cruel nickname of 'monster capes', there were several Case 53s that were basically human except for a few odd features. Like that one made of metal on the Boston Wards, Weld. From what I had heard, he was basically just a normal teenager with metal skin that liked to stick to and absorb other metal things. Hardly 'monstrous'.
I turned my attention back to Newter, "What about her emotional state? You said she seemed unstable, did anything else strike you as odd?"
He hesitated, tail swishing nervously as he licked his lips. "I'm pretty sure she's a fresh trigger, though she doesn't act like it." He finally said.
I grimaced, fresh triggers were notoriously hard to deal with as most were touchy at best and homicidal at worst. It was to be expected of course, in order to trigger someone had to go through the most traumatic event in their life, that was obviously going to leave a mark on a person's psyche. The final part of his statement confused me however.
"What do you mean she doesn't act like it?"
Newter just shrugged, "I mean that she doesn't act like it. Sure, she might seem a little off, but most people would be freaking out after triggering. She's just sorta been staring at her hands and not saying anything. It's unusual, sure, but nothing like a normal fresh trigger."
"Do you think it could be part of her powers?" I knew some powers could affect the mental state of the user. Elle's was a prime example as when she used her power to full effect, she was barely lucid as she was forced to explore the landscape her power created within her own mind.
She could often be found staring into space on her bed, unresponsive as she was forced to delve deep into her own mind. Before we had taken to watching over her, Elle would often miss meals as she stayed in this state for several hours, wandering the nearly endless worlds her power made for her.
Maybe Valerie's power was similar, though I fail to see the correlation. Although… I looked over at the wall nearest my desk, narrowing my eyes.
He just shrugged, "I don't know. She wasn't really answering my questions on the way here so I just sorta stopped asking them." He made a thinking face, "She did change again when we got into the club, turning into concrete, but I'm pretty sure that was just her testing her powers."
I shook my head, "No, she's doing something to the building itself." I walked over to the wall I had been staring at and placed my fingers against it, attempting to use my power on its concrete surface.
Nothing. I stepped back, turning to Newter as he looked at me in confusion,
As the conversation had continued, I had begun to notice that the places I was able to affect with my powers had been steadily decreasing, mostly along the walls. It didn't make any sense as my powers should be able to affect any non living material, which the concrete walls certainly were.
Unless that had changed in the time our mysterious guest had been in the building.
I made my way back over to my desk, grabbing the object sitting there and pulling it over my head, tinting the room around me a smokey grey as the welding mask slid into place on my face, obscuring my features.
I turned to walk out of the room, motioning for Newter to follow me as I did so, "Let's go meet our guest."
"You gonna try to recruit her?" He asked as he followed me.
I just hummed, "We'll see, I've got a few questions for her first."
~~~
Something was wrong with me.
It had taken me a while to notice it, sitting here in silence as I was watched over by two strangers. Newter had said they were going to watch over me while he went to talk to his boss which I guess I understood, I was after all, an unknown parahuman inside of their home.
The big one, Gregor as Newter had introduced, was standing stoically by the door staring at nothing in particular. His skin, what I could see of it underneath his coat, appeared to be semi translucent, showing the shadows of muscle and bone underneath. Interspersed throughout his exposed skin were spiraling bits of some hardened material that gave me the impression of shells.
The other person in the room was a young woman around my age or a little older. Blond hair peeked out from the edges of her hooded robe and she was wearing a dark green mask depicting a maze on its surface. She was softly humming an indecipherable tune to herself, arms wrapped around her knees as she stared in my general direction.
In a small circle around her, sprouting up through the sheets of the bed she was sitting on, was a colorful array of flowers, pinks, blues, and yellows bursting through the sheets without disturbing them in any way. She took no notice of them apart from periodically reaching down to pluck them from their stems and holding them up to her mask as if to smell them.
Newter had introduced her as Labyrinth, which pinged something in the back of my mind, like I had heard the name before. I tried to hold onto that thought, only to fail as it slipped through my grasp like grains of sand in a sieve. That had been happening a lot recently.
I stared down at my concrete hands, flexing my rigid fingers one after the other as I tried to focus my mind to no avail.
When Newter and I had entered the building, a nightclub I was pretty sure if the neon lights were any indication, my powers had once again sang out to me, more powerfully than they had on the docks.
I gave in, once again feeling my body shift to match the materials around me and thought that was it, only to instead be overcome with the feeling of my entire being immersing itself into my surroundings.
It was strange, being in multiple places at once as my presence made its way throughout the building, sinking into the concrete walls and floors until I was part of every room in the building, becoming part of the nightclub itself.
There was part of me that whispered I could go further, truly become one with my surroundings. Although, even with my mind as distant as it was, I couldn't help but feel that my hosts wouldn't appreciate that one bit so I refrained. I still kept myself spread throughout the building though.
Even now, I could feel the gentle weight of the chairs near the bar, the subtle shifting of the rebar in the foundation…
And the heavy weight of footsteps making their way in my direction.
I turned my head as the door opened with a light creak, revealing Newter and a woman I hadn't met yet. She was wearing what appeared to be altered riot gear painted a dark charcoal and holstered on her hip was some sort of pistol. A welding mask was fitted on her face, obscuring her features though I could see the edges of a ponytail emerging from the back of her head.
All in all, she cut an intimidating figure and as she stepped into the room and locked eyes with me, I felt a hint of fear make its way through the haze in my mind.
"So you're our guest, Valerie right?" She asked, voice barely muffled by the mask.
"I am." I nodded, and my voice sounded wooden even to my own ears.
She tilted her head before looking back toward Newter who shrugged. She turned back to me, expression inscrutable behind her mask.
"I'm Fautline, leader of the Palanquin and owner of the nightclub of the same name. A nightclub you are currently affecting with your powers."
My eyes widened slightly and I could see Labyrinth tilt her head on the edge of my vision, "How-"
"Let's just say I have a sense for these things," She interrupted, "I'm going to have to ask you to stop whatever it is you are doing."
I hesitated slightly before nodding and closing my eyes, focusing on my power.
Retracting my presence from the building was a lot more difficult than spreading it out. It was like I was stuck inside every tiny crack and indent in the concrete and pulling myself out completely was an exercise in futility.
I spent another few moments trying to extricate myself before finally giving up and opening my eyes. I looked back toward Fautine, the woman having crossed her arms during my failed attempt.
"I can't." I muttered.
She hummed, "That's a problem. If my theory is correct, your power is affecting your emotions, it will be difficult having this conversation if you can't turn them off."
"Maybe she could just change materials." Newter piped up from behind her and I tilted my head. That might work.
I leaned over and placed my hand on the wooden frame of the bed I was sitting on, and watching in satisfaction as my concrete form turned wooden once more.
I smiled at Faultline as I… I…
Oh god.
"Oh god…" I repeated out loud as images of what had happened mere hours earlier flashed in my mind. Mom and Dad beaten and tied to chairs, Hookwolf knocking me unconscious and waking up in the trunk of a car.
Hookwolf telling me of my parent's fates.
"No… oh god no…" I cried, sobs building in the back of my throat with no way to release themselves. I placed my face in my hands, taking deep shuddering breaths as I came to terms with everything that had happened in such a short period of time.
An arm wrapped around my shoulder and I looked up to find Newter giving me a comforting smile, "Go on, let it out."
I buried my face into his chest and wailed with grief at all I had lost.
~~~
Big thanks to my Patrons:
Peachtree1, JustAUser
Change 1.3
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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- 185
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- 8,910
It took a few minutes for me to calm down and extract myself from Newter's embrace with a small sniffle. His tank top was completely dry as it seemed my body wasn't capable of creating tears while I was transformed.
I looked up at him to find a comforting smile on his face, "Sorry," I whispered as I backed away, "I-I just…"
"It's alright." He waved it off, "You've had a rough time, you seemed like you needed a good cry."
I sniffled, the air making an odd whistling sound as it passed through my wooden nostrils, "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
There was the sound of a throat clearing and I looked up to find the woman, Faultline, looking toward Newter and jerking her head to her side. I couldn't make out her expression under her mask but from the way Newter blanched before making his way back over to her side, it probably wasn't a very good one.
The room was quiet, the other occupants having stayed silent during my little episode. Gregor was still standing by the door and watching impassively and it occurred to me that he was probably there to make sure I didn't try to escape out into the club itself.
Or maybe he was just staying out of the way. From what I had gotten from my senses, the club was completely empty apart from the people in the room.
Labyrinth was still sitting on the bed against the wall, legs still pulled up to her chest, still humming that same soft tune to herself, and still staring at me. I couldn't help but notice the flowers around her had wilted slightly, vivid blues and yellows becoming less vibrant and more grey. She didn't seem to notice however, bringing another one up to her mask with gentle fingers and inhaling softly.
"Now then, Valerie was it?" I looked back to Faultline as the intimidating woman spoke, "Could you please tell me what made Newter decide to bring you here? From what he tells me, he found you at the pier scaring the living daylights out of the local fishermen."
I swallowed roughly as I was once again reminded of what had happened. I looked to Newter who shrugged helplessly, before looking back at Faultline to find her staring at me. Her welding mask made it impossible to tell what she was thinking but from her slightly tense posture, I imagined she wasn't happy. Which was justified all things considered.
I was an unknown parahuman who had barged into her club during its off hours and had used my powers on the building itself without her permission. She had more than enough reasons to be wary of me.
Her arms were crossed, still waiting for my answer so I cleared my throat and tried to explain myself, "I-my parents. Hookwolf killed them. He tried to drown me in the Bay. Put me in the trunk of a car and just drove me in. I don't remember much of what happened after that..." I stuttered out, my mind a jumbled mess, "I just remember knowing I was drowning, thinking about how much I didn't want to die."
"Why did Hookwolf target you specifically?" She interrupted.
I winced slightly as I heard the question, "My family is German. Like, old German. We came to America around twelve years ago because my father had some old friends in the city. They said they had a job opportunity or something."
Newter snorted off to the side, "German friends in Brockton Bay with a 'job opportunity'? I bet that went well."
I grimaced, "Yeah well, they left out the whole Nazi thing until we were already here. My parents may be really proud of our heritage, but they aren't Nazi's. We refused to join, cut a deal with Kaiser so they would leave us alone."
My voice shook slightly, "Hookwolf took exception to the fact that a pure blooded family like ours wasn't willing to join the Empire and acted on his own. He must have got my parents while they were home alone because I came back to find them beaten and tied to chairs in my living room."
Faultline nodded, motioning for me to continue my story.
I looked down at my hands, turning the wooden appendages this way and that, "While I was drowning, I must have passed out or something and when I woke back up, I had powers. I could feel the water around me sing to me, wanting to be used. So I did, and I changed."
I took a deep breath, "My body turned to seawater and I was able to free myself from the trunk of the car he put me in. I could feel the water around me like it was a part of my body and knew where the pier was so I rushed towards it. I didn't mean to scare anybody."
Faultline was silent for a moment and I could hear her muttering to herself quietly. I strained my ears to pick out what she was saying but wasn't able to make out anything but what I was pretty sure was the number 53, though I'm not sure what that had to do with anything.
After a moment of muttering to herself, her posture relaxed drastically, arms unfolding from her chest and coming down to rest by her sides and shoulders untensing. She turned to Gregor who was still loitering by the door and nodded at him.
It must have been some sort of signal because the large man immediately walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the four of us alone inside.
Faultline grabbed a chair from a table in the corner of the room and carried it over next to the bed I was sitting on. Placing it on the ground in front of me, she sat down and removed her mask, revealing a woman around college age. She had slightly tan skin and dark brown eyes, under which hung dark bags indicating a lack of sleep.
She lightly rubbed a gloved hand across her face, "I hate that damn mask. Why'd I have to go with functionality over comfort?" she muttered to herself, before focusing on me once more and steepling her fingers in front of her face.
"First of all, I'm sorry for the third degree, I just needed to make sure you weren't a danger to me or my crew. You can never be too careful these days with all the superpowered psychos running around."
I just nodded in understanding, "It's alright. You wanted to make sure your family was safe, I would have done the same."
She smiled lightly, "Thank you for being so understanding. Now, there's a few things we need to speak about. For starters, what do you know about Triggering?"
I scrunched my brow in thought, the phrase sounded familiar, I'd probably heard it during my time on PHO. Despite that, the specifics of the phrase eluded me.
I told Faultline as much and she nodded, "When someone with the potential for becoming a Parahuman experiences an event deemed sufficiently traumatizing, they undergo something similar to a psychotic break and lose consciousness. When they awaken, they find they have gained powers tangentially related to their circumstances."
She shook her head, "Sometimes the powers that they gain do more harm than good. There are some examples of people Triggering with abilities that just amplify the problems they face in the first place. Changer powers seem to be the most common in that regard. Gaining the ability to turn into a giant monster usually isn't very helpful to someone going through an identity crisis."
She shook her head, dismissing the tangent before it got out of hand, "While you were in the trunk of that car, you Triggered and gained powers. Breaker powers if what you've shown is any indication, likely a secondary Shaker power as well."
I had heard those words before while browsing PHO though I couldn't really remember what exactly they entailed. I looked at Faultline in questioning.
"Breaker, Shaker? I've heard of those before but I'm not sure what they mean." I said.
Faultline nodded toward Labyrinth, "Labyrinth is a Shaker, one of the most powerful Shakers in the United States in fact, her powers allow her to alter her surroundings in an expanding sphere around her."
She looked over at the young woman prompting me to do the same, "Unfortunately her powers come with drawbacks, the least being that she can't move out of place once she starts using her powers to full effect." If Labyrinth noticed or cared that Faultline was speaking about her, she didn't show it, lightly plucking another flower from the growing bed around her and bringing it up to her mask like the others.
Faultline watched her for another moment before shaking her head with a fond smile and turning back to me, "Breakers are Parahumans who can shift the state of their bodies into other forms, the most famous Breaker would probably be Legend though we have one or two here in the Bay as well, like Shadow Stalker or Brandish from New Wave, though hers is more secondary."
I nodded, I had heard of Shadow Stalker, the vigilante's power let her transform into a cloud of dark smoke and allowed her to move through walls like they weren't even there. I guess that my ability to transform into different materials was sort of similar.
And though I had heard that Brandish could transform into a ball of hard light that was nearly indestructible, she rarely used the ability unless she absolutely had to, something which had always seemed odd to me.
"Your ability to change your body and clothes into materials that you touch make you a Breaker as well. Although… try to deactivate your Breaker state. If you don't wish to show us your face, I can have Newter retrieve a spare mask for you or you can use mine."
I startled slightly at the request, "Oh! Um, no need for a mask I guess. You've basically already seen my face and you were nice enough to show me yours. Just give me a second."
I closed my eyes and focused on my powers, willing them to switch off and turn my wooden form human once more. My brow furrowed as I felt some resistance from my powers before they gave in, something that had never happened in the short period since I had gotten them.
As my wooden form turned back into skin and cloth, I suddenly felt very winded, like I had run around the track at school in a dead sprint without stopping for breath.
"That was way more difficult than changing between materials." I panted out.
Faultline hummed, "It's possible that switching between materials expends your stamina. You might not just feel it while transformed, you didn't get tired while in your Breaker state did you?"
I shook my head as I regained my breath, "No, I didn't need to breathe either."
"That's probably what it was then." Faultline nodded, "Versatile powers like yours usually have some kind of drawback that isn't obvious at first. I figured they were dampening your emotions but that might have been a secondary effect. You will have to practice with it to alleviate your power's drawbacks. Which brings me to my second topic."
Faultline stood from her chair as the door to the room opened, revealing Gregor standing there holding a small device, or at least it appeared small in his massive hand. She motioned for him to enter and he did so, closing the door behind him. As he approached, she grabbed the device from him and held it out for me to take.
I took it and held it up for inspection. It was a blocky phone, one of those older models where the screen and tiny keypad were in plain view on the face of the phone. I had seen models like this collecting dust in electronics stores, usually on sale for fifty dollars a pop. It was a burner phone, meant to be easily replaceable, thrown out after just a few uses. Which begged the question…
"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked warily.
"I'd like you to join my crew." She came right out and said it, leaving me slightly stunned, "We are an independent mercenary group who sell our services to the highest bidder given a few caveats. We've been operating on the east coast for around two years now and are always looking for new members, so long as they are willing to follow our rules."
I clenched the burner phone in my hand, "And what are those rules exactly?"
"It's very simple," Gregor spoke up for the first time, slightly surprising me with his accent. I'm not sure what I expected him to sound like, but having a slight Icelandic accent wasn't it, "Don't kill, don't steal from the crew, don't insult the appearances of those on the crew, and secret identities stay secret outside of the crew."
Faultline nodded along with him, "There will be accidents of course, but as long as you don't go out of your way to do those things, they can be forgiven within reason."
I looked down at the blocky phone in my grip before looking back up at her, "And I assume joining your crew comes with perks?"
She smirked, "You will get a percentage cut of every job you take, usually around fifteen percent but sometimes more depending on your performance. The Palanquin has several free rooms so there's free housing, though if you want to earn a bit of extra money, you can work in the club down below."
"We also have get togethers around once a month and just hang out!" Newter spoke up from his side of the room, "There's usually pizza and everything!"
Faultline laughed lightly, "That too." She looked toward me, eyes softening, "Look, I know this is all so sudden. If you don't have an answer right now, and that's completely fine, you can use that phone to contact me once you do. It has unlimited minutes and my number is already in the contacts."
I fiddled with the phone, accessing the contacts and there it was in neon green lettering, 'Faultline'.
I took a deep breath as I considered the offer. On the one hand, everything had been taken from me, my family, my life, and most likely my home as there was no way I could go back and live there with the Empire still occupying the street.
On the other hand, there was still something I had to take care of.
I looked back up to Faultline, "I can't give you my answer right now. There's something I have to take care of. Mind if I take a rain check?"
She nodded, "Of course, take all the time you need. Gregor will show you out."
I stood, and gave Faultline a small smile, "Thank you for everything Faultline."
She smiled, offering me her hand which I took, "Please, call me Melanie. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again really soon."
I let out a startled laugh as I let go. That woman's either extremely confident, or even sharper than I had given her credit for. I turned and followed Gregor out of the room, shaking my head in mild amusement.
As I walked, my mind wandered to the situation I still needed to take care of. Or more precisely, the person I needed to take care of. Betrayal still burned hot in my veins as I thought of the other blond haired girl.
I felt my teeth clench as I made my way out of the club. Christine had a lot to answer for and I would get those answers.
One way or another.
~~~
Big thanks to my Patrons:
Peachtree1, JustAUser
I looked up at him to find a comforting smile on his face, "Sorry," I whispered as I backed away, "I-I just…"
"It's alright." He waved it off, "You've had a rough time, you seemed like you needed a good cry."
I sniffled, the air making an odd whistling sound as it passed through my wooden nostrils, "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
There was the sound of a throat clearing and I looked up to find the woman, Faultline, looking toward Newter and jerking her head to her side. I couldn't make out her expression under her mask but from the way Newter blanched before making his way back over to her side, it probably wasn't a very good one.
The room was quiet, the other occupants having stayed silent during my little episode. Gregor was still standing by the door and watching impassively and it occurred to me that he was probably there to make sure I didn't try to escape out into the club itself.
Or maybe he was just staying out of the way. From what I had gotten from my senses, the club was completely empty apart from the people in the room.
Labyrinth was still sitting on the bed against the wall, legs still pulled up to her chest, still humming that same soft tune to herself, and still staring at me. I couldn't help but notice the flowers around her had wilted slightly, vivid blues and yellows becoming less vibrant and more grey. She didn't seem to notice however, bringing another one up to her mask with gentle fingers and inhaling softly.
"Now then, Valerie was it?" I looked back to Faultline as the intimidating woman spoke, "Could you please tell me what made Newter decide to bring you here? From what he tells me, he found you at the pier scaring the living daylights out of the local fishermen."
I swallowed roughly as I was once again reminded of what had happened. I looked to Newter who shrugged helplessly, before looking back at Faultline to find her staring at me. Her welding mask made it impossible to tell what she was thinking but from her slightly tense posture, I imagined she wasn't happy. Which was justified all things considered.
I was an unknown parahuman who had barged into her club during its off hours and had used my powers on the building itself without her permission. She had more than enough reasons to be wary of me.
Her arms were crossed, still waiting for my answer so I cleared my throat and tried to explain myself, "I-my parents. Hookwolf killed them. He tried to drown me in the Bay. Put me in the trunk of a car and just drove me in. I don't remember much of what happened after that..." I stuttered out, my mind a jumbled mess, "I just remember knowing I was drowning, thinking about how much I didn't want to die."
"Why did Hookwolf target you specifically?" She interrupted.
I winced slightly as I heard the question, "My family is German. Like, old German. We came to America around twelve years ago because my father had some old friends in the city. They said they had a job opportunity or something."
Newter snorted off to the side, "German friends in Brockton Bay with a 'job opportunity'? I bet that went well."
I grimaced, "Yeah well, they left out the whole Nazi thing until we were already here. My parents may be really proud of our heritage, but they aren't Nazi's. We refused to join, cut a deal with Kaiser so they would leave us alone."
My voice shook slightly, "Hookwolf took exception to the fact that a pure blooded family like ours wasn't willing to join the Empire and acted on his own. He must have got my parents while they were home alone because I came back to find them beaten and tied to chairs in my living room."
Faultline nodded, motioning for me to continue my story.
I looked down at my hands, turning the wooden appendages this way and that, "While I was drowning, I must have passed out or something and when I woke back up, I had powers. I could feel the water around me sing to me, wanting to be used. So I did, and I changed."
I took a deep breath, "My body turned to seawater and I was able to free myself from the trunk of the car he put me in. I could feel the water around me like it was a part of my body and knew where the pier was so I rushed towards it. I didn't mean to scare anybody."
Faultline was silent for a moment and I could hear her muttering to herself quietly. I strained my ears to pick out what she was saying but wasn't able to make out anything but what I was pretty sure was the number 53, though I'm not sure what that had to do with anything.
After a moment of muttering to herself, her posture relaxed drastically, arms unfolding from her chest and coming down to rest by her sides and shoulders untensing. She turned to Gregor who was still loitering by the door and nodded at him.
It must have been some sort of signal because the large man immediately walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the four of us alone inside.
Faultline grabbed a chair from a table in the corner of the room and carried it over next to the bed I was sitting on. Placing it on the ground in front of me, she sat down and removed her mask, revealing a woman around college age. She had slightly tan skin and dark brown eyes, under which hung dark bags indicating a lack of sleep.
She lightly rubbed a gloved hand across her face, "I hate that damn mask. Why'd I have to go with functionality over comfort?" she muttered to herself, before focusing on me once more and steepling her fingers in front of her face.
"First of all, I'm sorry for the third degree, I just needed to make sure you weren't a danger to me or my crew. You can never be too careful these days with all the superpowered psychos running around."
I just nodded in understanding, "It's alright. You wanted to make sure your family was safe, I would have done the same."
She smiled lightly, "Thank you for being so understanding. Now, there's a few things we need to speak about. For starters, what do you know about Triggering?"
I scrunched my brow in thought, the phrase sounded familiar, I'd probably heard it during my time on PHO. Despite that, the specifics of the phrase eluded me.
I told Faultline as much and she nodded, "When someone with the potential for becoming a Parahuman experiences an event deemed sufficiently traumatizing, they undergo something similar to a psychotic break and lose consciousness. When they awaken, they find they have gained powers tangentially related to their circumstances."
She shook her head, "Sometimes the powers that they gain do more harm than good. There are some examples of people Triggering with abilities that just amplify the problems they face in the first place. Changer powers seem to be the most common in that regard. Gaining the ability to turn into a giant monster usually isn't very helpful to someone going through an identity crisis."
She shook her head, dismissing the tangent before it got out of hand, "While you were in the trunk of that car, you Triggered and gained powers. Breaker powers if what you've shown is any indication, likely a secondary Shaker power as well."
I had heard those words before while browsing PHO though I couldn't really remember what exactly they entailed. I looked at Faultline in questioning.
"Breaker, Shaker? I've heard of those before but I'm not sure what they mean." I said.
Faultline nodded toward Labyrinth, "Labyrinth is a Shaker, one of the most powerful Shakers in the United States in fact, her powers allow her to alter her surroundings in an expanding sphere around her."
She looked over at the young woman prompting me to do the same, "Unfortunately her powers come with drawbacks, the least being that she can't move out of place once she starts using her powers to full effect." If Labyrinth noticed or cared that Faultline was speaking about her, she didn't show it, lightly plucking another flower from the growing bed around her and bringing it up to her mask like the others.
Faultline watched her for another moment before shaking her head with a fond smile and turning back to me, "Breakers are Parahumans who can shift the state of their bodies into other forms, the most famous Breaker would probably be Legend though we have one or two here in the Bay as well, like Shadow Stalker or Brandish from New Wave, though hers is more secondary."
I nodded, I had heard of Shadow Stalker, the vigilante's power let her transform into a cloud of dark smoke and allowed her to move through walls like they weren't even there. I guess that my ability to transform into different materials was sort of similar.
And though I had heard that Brandish could transform into a ball of hard light that was nearly indestructible, she rarely used the ability unless she absolutely had to, something which had always seemed odd to me.
"Your ability to change your body and clothes into materials that you touch make you a Breaker as well. Although… try to deactivate your Breaker state. If you don't wish to show us your face, I can have Newter retrieve a spare mask for you or you can use mine."
I startled slightly at the request, "Oh! Um, no need for a mask I guess. You've basically already seen my face and you were nice enough to show me yours. Just give me a second."
I closed my eyes and focused on my powers, willing them to switch off and turn my wooden form human once more. My brow furrowed as I felt some resistance from my powers before they gave in, something that had never happened in the short period since I had gotten them.
As my wooden form turned back into skin and cloth, I suddenly felt very winded, like I had run around the track at school in a dead sprint without stopping for breath.
"That was way more difficult than changing between materials." I panted out.
Faultline hummed, "It's possible that switching between materials expends your stamina. You might not just feel it while transformed, you didn't get tired while in your Breaker state did you?"
I shook my head as I regained my breath, "No, I didn't need to breathe either."
"That's probably what it was then." Faultline nodded, "Versatile powers like yours usually have some kind of drawback that isn't obvious at first. I figured they were dampening your emotions but that might have been a secondary effect. You will have to practice with it to alleviate your power's drawbacks. Which brings me to my second topic."
Faultline stood from her chair as the door to the room opened, revealing Gregor standing there holding a small device, or at least it appeared small in his massive hand. She motioned for him to enter and he did so, closing the door behind him. As he approached, she grabbed the device from him and held it out for me to take.
I took it and held it up for inspection. It was a blocky phone, one of those older models where the screen and tiny keypad were in plain view on the face of the phone. I had seen models like this collecting dust in electronics stores, usually on sale for fifty dollars a pop. It was a burner phone, meant to be easily replaceable, thrown out after just a few uses. Which begged the question…
"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked warily.
"I'd like you to join my crew." She came right out and said it, leaving me slightly stunned, "We are an independent mercenary group who sell our services to the highest bidder given a few caveats. We've been operating on the east coast for around two years now and are always looking for new members, so long as they are willing to follow our rules."
I clenched the burner phone in my hand, "And what are those rules exactly?"
"It's very simple," Gregor spoke up for the first time, slightly surprising me with his accent. I'm not sure what I expected him to sound like, but having a slight Icelandic accent wasn't it, "Don't kill, don't steal from the crew, don't insult the appearances of those on the crew, and secret identities stay secret outside of the crew."
Faultline nodded along with him, "There will be accidents of course, but as long as you don't go out of your way to do those things, they can be forgiven within reason."
I looked down at the blocky phone in my grip before looking back up at her, "And I assume joining your crew comes with perks?"
She smirked, "You will get a percentage cut of every job you take, usually around fifteen percent but sometimes more depending on your performance. The Palanquin has several free rooms so there's free housing, though if you want to earn a bit of extra money, you can work in the club down below."
"We also have get togethers around once a month and just hang out!" Newter spoke up from his side of the room, "There's usually pizza and everything!"
Faultline laughed lightly, "That too." She looked toward me, eyes softening, "Look, I know this is all so sudden. If you don't have an answer right now, and that's completely fine, you can use that phone to contact me once you do. It has unlimited minutes and my number is already in the contacts."
I fiddled with the phone, accessing the contacts and there it was in neon green lettering, 'Faultline'.
I took a deep breath as I considered the offer. On the one hand, everything had been taken from me, my family, my life, and most likely my home as there was no way I could go back and live there with the Empire still occupying the street.
On the other hand, there was still something I had to take care of.
I looked back up to Faultline, "I can't give you my answer right now. There's something I have to take care of. Mind if I take a rain check?"
She nodded, "Of course, take all the time you need. Gregor will show you out."
I stood, and gave Faultline a small smile, "Thank you for everything Faultline."
She smiled, offering me her hand which I took, "Please, call me Melanie. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again really soon."
I let out a startled laugh as I let go. That woman's either extremely confident, or even sharper than I had given her credit for. I turned and followed Gregor out of the room, shaking my head in mild amusement.
As I walked, my mind wandered to the situation I still needed to take care of. Or more precisely, the person I needed to take care of. Betrayal still burned hot in my veins as I thought of the other blond haired girl.
I felt my teeth clench as I made my way out of the club. Christine had a lot to answer for and I would get those answers.
One way or another.
~~~
Big thanks to my Patrons:
Peachtree1, JustAUser
Change 1.4
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
- Messages
- 185
- Likes received
- 8,910
There were PRT vans outside of my house.
They were just right there out in the open, sitting in my driveway plain as day and making no attempt to disguise themselves, which was surprising given how deep into Empire territory they were.
'Look who finally decided to show up.' I thought viciously as I observed the vans in the driveway. There were two of them, black vans with three white letters on either side, displaying the acronym of their organization.
I discreetly pulled my hoodie further down over my face, further obscuring my features as I made my way past my old home. In the evening light, I could see vague shapes moving within the dark confines of the house, likely PRT agents that had been sent to investigate what had happened.
As I walked past, I caught a glimpse of dark blue armor glowing softly with LEDs and nearly stopped in surprise. There, crouched down and scanning the floor of my garage with some kind of tinkertech device, stood Armsmaster in all his power armored glory.
I grit my teeth lightly in anger as I caught sight of the Protectorate cape. It was unusual to see a hero out in my neighborhood as the PRT normally didn't patrol this part of the city, often citing that it was too dangerous for them to send capes this far into gang territory.
That of course just meant that the Empire knew that they could do whatever they wanted as long as they were deep enough in their part of the city, leading to all sorts of problems that most of those outside of the territory were completely blind to.
Protection rackets, dogfighting rings, drug trades, all things that were standard in Empire territory. Oh sure, on the surface it wasn't nearly as bad as the ABB's human trafficking or the Merchant's drug empire, but that was just because Kaiser wasn't strong enough to fight off the entire Protectorate by himself like Lung, nor was he nearly as stupid as Skidmark.
No, Kaiser was smart enough to make sure his illicit business were hidden away from the daylight, keeping them confined to warehouses and out of sight, giving off the veneer that he was the 'gentleman' among his fellow gang leaders. A real knight in shining armor compared to the evil dragon or wretched drug lord.
'Yeah right.' I snorted lightly as I continued walking down the street, doing my best to look as inconspicuous as possible with a dark purple hoodie pulled over my face.
Even if the Empire wasn't willing to pedal hard drugs on the street like the Merchants, that didn't mean they were anything more than another gang. In fact, in some ways they were worse. For example, in either the ABB or Merchant's territory they didn't care about your race as long as you kept to the status quo. Oh sure, if you were any kind of asian, you'd be conscripted into the ABB but other than that Lung didn't care about your race.
This deep into Empire territory, if you weren't white, or at least close enough to it to pass as white, you weren't safe no matter where you went. Stores would find discreet ways to make you feel unwelcome, jobs would be nearly impossible to find, hostile glances would be prevalent on the street, that kind of stuff.
And if you lived here and weren't white? Well, you wouldn't live here for long.
If you were lucky, you'd just be run out, maybe have your house set on fire to really make the fact that you weren't wanted stick. If you were unlucky, you and your entire family would disappear quietly in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again.
Before being enrolled at Winslow, I could have counted the number of people in my school who had skin darker than a light tan on two hands and still have fingers to spare. And then my father had taken that deal, and I had gone from a middle school filled with almost nothing but white people to a school like Winslow, where racial discrimination from the faculty was all but nonexistent.
It was all so incredibly jarring when it absolutely shouldn't have been. And I owed it in no small part to the PRT's ineptitude.
Still, as I continued walking toward my destination, I vaguely wondered who exactly had called the PRT in the first place. Given the cape who had been the one responsible for what had happened, along with the allegiances of the people in the neighborhood, the odds of it having been one of my neighbors was extremely low.
While a good portion of the families in the houses around me hadn't exactly sworn their undying loyalty to the Empire, they still wouldn't be willing to rat out one of Kaiser's lieutenants, much less Hookwolf. That was a good way to find you and your entire family on a one way trip to the morgue, express shipping included.
No, most people would have seen Hookwolf breaking into my home and looked the other way, Bystander effect in full play as they did their best not to get involved.
So that begged the question, who the hell called the PRT?
I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts. It didn't matter, I had more important things to worry about. Like a certain blond Empire recruiter.
I felt a ball of anger form in my chest as I remembered our conversation in the classroom just a day ago. The look of desperation in her eyes as she asked me, begged me to come with her and her friends to the mall. I had simply scoffed, believing the desperation had simply been due to her bosses putting more pressure on her to recruit me.
Now, after everything that had happened, I knew better. Christine had known what was going to happen that evening, or at least, had some sort of inkling as to what Hookwolf had planned for my family.
What confused me was why she tried to get me to come with her to the mall if she knew what was going to happen. Was she trying to spare me my parent's fates? And if so, why? Some misguided attempt to pay homage to our former friendship?
"I guess I'm about to find out." I muttered to myself as I stopped outside of a modest two story house. There were no cars in the driveway which was to be expected as from what I could remember, her parents both worked late shifts at Medhall and normally didn't return home until late in the evening.
That suited me just fine as it meant I wouldn't have to talk to them if they caught me. I had always felt weirded out by Christine's mother and father as they had always seemed to have a strong dislike for my own parents. Something I found odd since they had no problem with me.
Them being gone also worked perfectly for me because I could just walk straight up to the side of the house with nobody any the wiser. I placed my hands on the rough brick that made up the outer wall and gave into my power, feeling my body changing to match the sturdy building material.
I took a moment to get used to my new form, clenching and unclenching my hands, feeling the strength now suffusing them. I couldn't help but wonder if my power affected more than just my mind. My body felt more sturdy, more powerful, as if I could jump and easily clear the top of the house in front of me.
"Questions for later." I muttered, shaking my head and once more placing my palms on the wall, my power immediately singing out to me exactly like it had at the Palanquin, asking me to become one with the material in front of me. Whereas before, I had held back my power so as to not anger my hosts, here I held nothing back.
I watched in fascination as my hands began melding with the building, sinking into the brick with a small ripple like a coin dropped into water. My arms were next, then my shoulders, until finally my entire body was immersed into the exterior of the house.
A deep part of my being wanted to spread my powers out, suffuse the entire building with myself until it was well and truly mine. I held myself back however, remembering what had happened at the Palanquin earlier that day.
I had a theory that the further I spread myself through a material, the more my powers affected my emotions. And while I hadn't exactly had a chance to test the theory, it made sense. When I had first gotten my powers, I had spread myself through the water around me so thinly that I had barely been able to feel a thing, my mind just floating from one idea to the next until I shifted forms once more. And that wasn't even getting into what had happened at the Palanquin.
Until I had a further handle on exactly how my powers affected my mind, I'd have to be careful not to go too far when using them. Luckily, it was easier than I expected to keep my presence constrained to just my body as I melded with the walls, making my way through the house as I searched for my target.
I had a good idea of where Christine would be from my previous visits to her home as a child. She'd likely be in her bedroom on the second floor, just to the left of the staircase. Now I just had to get there.
Moving through the walls of the house felt weird, like I was swimming through a pool of maple syrup, viscous and hard to maneuver through. Although, despite the fact that I was currently part of the walls themselves and technically had no way to see outside them, my vision wasn't impaired in the slightest and I was able to see into the darkened interior of the house perfectly fine.
Direction didn't matter, up and down, left and right, forward and backward, they all gave the same amount of resistance as I moved through the brick. My mind whispered that there would be no need for this if I just let my powers loose throughout the house but I silenced it as I reached the room I was searching for.
Christine was sitting on her bed in silence, arms covering her knees as she stared at the wall. She looked haggard, platinum blond hair in disarray as if she had been running her hands through it constantly. Her face was blotchy and mascara ran down her face like she had just gotten done crying and hadn't bothered to clean herself up.
She was wearing a dark red sweater and sweatpants which surprised me slightly. Usually she was the type to wear shorts and a t-shirt even when it was fifty degrees with wind chill outside. The edges of the sleeves of her sweater were covered with dark marks, indicating she had been using them to wipe at her eyes, covering them with the running mascara in the process.
I took another moment to just observe her in silence before making my presence known, emerging from the wall across from her bed with a bevy of ripples. In the back of my mind, I found it odd that I was able to simply move through the plaster and wallpaper as if it wasn't there, but I just shrugged it off as a quirk of my power as Christine shrieked in surprise and terror at my appearance.
As I approached the bed, she continued shrieking and backing toward the headboard, before abruptly stopping as she took a closer look at me.
"V-Valerie!? You're alive!?" She exclaimed in apparent relief, moving to get off the bed as I approached silently, "Thank god! I was worried he got you to-Grrk!"
I interrupted her by grabbing the collar of her sweatshirt and hauling her off of the bed effortlessly. Her feet dangled above the floor as I held her up and slammed her against the wall, sending a painting falling to the floor eliciting a wince of pain from her, "W-what are you-?
"You knew didn't you?" I interrupted through gritted teeth, slight satisfaction cutting through my rage as her face whitened in realization, "You knew what he was planning didn't you!?" I asked, voice filled with rage. Christine's hands clawed at my arms, trying to loosen my iron grip on her collar yet only succeeding in lightly scratching the rough surface of my stone skin.
I pulled her toward me slightly before slamming her back against the wall, plaster cracking slightly from the point of impact and answering my earlier question of whether or not my powers affected my strength, "Answer me dammit!" I screamed in her face, making her flinch.
"I was trying to protect you!" She shouted in terror as I froze in disbelief.
"Protect me!?" I asked incredulously, my fist clenching the collar of her sweatshirt even tighter, "My parents are fucking DEAD Christine! I would have died if I hadn't triggered! If you were trying to protect me, you did a shitty job!"
She shook her head desperately, "I didn't know he was going to kill them! I thought he was just gonna rough them up some! I swear!"
I almost laughed in disbelief at the audacity of this girl, "'Just rough them up!' she says, as if that makes it any better. Goddammit Chris, we were practically family! You used to sleep in my bed more than your own! And you just let them die without so much as a warning!"
She was crying now, salty tears making their way down her face and ruining her makeup even further, "I didn't have a choice!" She hiccuped, "I couldn't say anything, they'd know it was me and come after my family too."
What?
I snarled, pulling her from the cracking plaster wall and throwing her to the floor behind me where she landed with a light grunt of pain. I stalked toward her silently as she scrambled to get up to her feet and I loomed over her even as she stood to her full height, "Explain." I growled.
She swallowed so hard I could hear it before speaking quietly, not meeting my eyes, "I-My cousin. They… they're a higher up in the Empire. I overheard them talking about Hookwolf's plan with someone over the phone while my family was over at their house for dinner."
I clenched my fist, a grinding sound emerging from my closed fingers and startling the girl in front of me, "Who are they?" I asked lowly.
She looked away once more, turning her gaze toward her feet, "I can't say. It's against the Rules." She emphasized the word.
All at once, several things clicked for me. Christine's sudden recruitment into the Empire, her parent's intense dislike for my own, hell, even the fact that her parents always seemed fine with the fact that their daughter had openly joined a gang.
She was related to one of Kaiser's lieutenants.
She had likely been forced to join the gang just as they tried to do to me, only unlike me, she couldn't dare refuse. At least my family wasn't already part of the Empire. Hers, on the other hand, was apparently extremely deep into their ranks.
As I came to terms with my revelations, Christine spoke up again, sobs lightly interspersed throughout her speech, "I'm so so sorry Valerie. I didn't mean for this to happen. I never-"
"Stop." I interrupted her, holding out a hand toward the other girl as I took several calming breaths that did absolutely nothing for me, "Just…just shut up for a minute." I ran my other hand across the rough surface of my hair as my mind whirled.
Our interactions over the years ran through my head, bathed in the light of the recent revelations. The way she was constantly frowning when she believed nobody was looking in her direction, or the way her sycophantic followers always hung a little too close to her. The way she always tried to get me to hang out with her, despite my constant denials…
"Why did you try so hard to get me to come with you to the mall?" I asked suddenly, startling her.
"I-I thought that if you weren't home, Hookwolf would just leave your parents alone. It's you they all want to join, I thought maybe I could convince you to join up temporarily, at least until school was over and you could go to college out of state or something," She brought a hand up to rub her shoulder where she hit the ground and I felt a very light pang of guilt, "I also kind of wanted to hang out again, I know you hate me but I just thought… I don't know what I thought."
I took a deep breath, held it for three seconds, then exhaled through my nose like my middle school counselor had taught me. I did it once, twice, three times. 'Calm, I am calm, like a river, I am calm…' I repeated like a mantra in my head, trying to keep cool.
It didn't work at all.
"FUCK!" I slammed my fist into the wall I had been holding her against knuckles first, punching straight through the plaster and impacting the brick behind it with a loud crack, startling Christine in the process.
I just stood there for a moment, arm elbow deep in the wall and the sound of crumbling plaster hitting the floor ringing in my ears.
"Val…?" Christine spoke softly into the silence.
I pulled my arm out of the hole and looked down at it. Cracks ran down the length of my forearm and my hand hurt like hell, I brought it up to my face and winced as I saw the damage. My hand was covered in cracks and chips and my pinkie was missing, likely lost in the space between the plaster and the wall itself. I really hoped that it would fix itself when I changed materials.
"Oh my god, Valerie!" Christine shouted as she caught sight of my hand, "Are you ok?"
I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, my good hand coming down to rest against my stomach as I gave into the absurdity of it all.
"Okay?" I giggled hysterically, "My parents were murdered, my dog is missing and likely dead as well, I went through the worst experience of my life, and my ex best friend is related to the people responsible and a more than likely victim just like I am so I can't even get revenge. I am so far from okay it isn't even funny."
I slowly calmed down, releasing a large huff of air as I collected myself. I stared down at my ruined hand, clenching my fist and watching as pieces of broken brick fell to the carpeted floor with sad little thuds, "This is all so messed up…" I muttered.
Christine wrung her hands as I calmed down, "I'm so sorry Val. I really am…" She repeated again.
I just sighed, "Yeah, me too." I said, even though I wasn't even sure what I was sorry for. Maybe for punching a hole in her wall in a fit of rage. Yeah, that sounded about right.
There was a moment of silence where we just stared at each other before it was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. We both looked toward the bedroom window in panic to find headlights shining through the curtains from the paved driveway down below.
"You've got to leave!" Christine urged me, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me toward the hole in the wall. She ignored my protests as she urged me forward, "Go, go! If my parents catch you here they'll tell my cousin, you have to leave!"
I hesitated for a moment, looking back toward her to find her grabbing a poster off of the opposite wall and making her way back toward me. She gave me a stern look that was slightly ruined by her puffy red eyes and the mascara still running down her face, "Go we can talk later if you still want more answers."
I stared at her for one more moment before turning and placing my hand on the brick wall and melding with it once more.
I raced through the walls once more, following the exact path I used when I came in and exiting through the side of the house onto the grass outside. Around the house, I could distantly hear the front door open and Christine's parents call out to her from the entrance. Taking that as a sign to leave, I ran over to the sidewalk and melded with it, sinking into the concrete and racing away.
~~~
I traveled what felt like several blocks underground before emerging in an empty alley behind a dumpster. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching before deactivating my power, immediately becoming slightly winded as my body turned back to skin and bone once more.
It only took a moment to catch my breath this time, "That was a lot better than last time. I really have to practice with my power." I muttered to myself as I stretched to get rid of the stiffness in my arms.
Speaking of arms…
I looked down at my hand to find it back in one piece, pinky back in place and not a crack to be found. "Neat." I muttered, feeling drained at all that had occurred.
My mind raced with the recent revelations and while a large part of me wanted nothing more than to race back and interrogate Christine even further, an even larger part of me knew that was a horrible idea.
No, it would be best to lay low and go back when her parents were away once more. And if all else failed, I still had her phone number.
And speaking of phones, there was still something I needed to do.
I reached into my pocket and retrieved the phone Faultline had given me, turning it on and making my way to the contacts. I stared at the glowing name for a moment before pressing the dial button and holding the blocky phone up to my ear.
There was a moment where a dial tone rang in my ear before there was a small click and it was quickly replaced with a woman's voice, "You've reached the Palanquin, this is Faultline speaking. Are you calling to purchase our services or ask about our rates?"
"It's Valerie." I spoke and could hear the woman's breath slightly hitch on the other side of the line, "I'm calling to talk about the offer you made me."
There was a pause, "And? What is your answer?" She asked, tone unreadable.
I took a deep breath, looking in the direction of the house I had just come from, before turning away once more. I had already lost basically everything that held me to my previous life, it was time to start a new one.
"I accept. I'll join your crew."
I could hear her grin as she replied, "That's good to hear Valerie. Welcome to the Palanquin, we're happy to have you. We've already got a room prepared for you over at the nightclub whenever you're ready."
A small smile forced its way onto my face at the audacity of my new boss having already prepared a room, as if me joining was a foregone conclusion, "I'll be there in a bit."
"Oh, one more thing." She said before I could hang up the phone, "Have you thought of a cape name? Best to have one thought up before the PRT takes it upon themselves to assign you one."
I nodded at the question even though she couldn't see me and started making my way out of the alley, ignoring the look I received from a guy sitting on a bench nearby, "Yeah, I actually have."
"Well let's hear it." She sounded slightly eager.
"I was thinking…Aspect."
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
They were just right there out in the open, sitting in my driveway plain as day and making no attempt to disguise themselves, which was surprising given how deep into Empire territory they were.
'Look who finally decided to show up.' I thought viciously as I observed the vans in the driveway. There were two of them, black vans with three white letters on either side, displaying the acronym of their organization.
I discreetly pulled my hoodie further down over my face, further obscuring my features as I made my way past my old home. In the evening light, I could see vague shapes moving within the dark confines of the house, likely PRT agents that had been sent to investigate what had happened.
As I walked past, I caught a glimpse of dark blue armor glowing softly with LEDs and nearly stopped in surprise. There, crouched down and scanning the floor of my garage with some kind of tinkertech device, stood Armsmaster in all his power armored glory.
I grit my teeth lightly in anger as I caught sight of the Protectorate cape. It was unusual to see a hero out in my neighborhood as the PRT normally didn't patrol this part of the city, often citing that it was too dangerous for them to send capes this far into gang territory.
That of course just meant that the Empire knew that they could do whatever they wanted as long as they were deep enough in their part of the city, leading to all sorts of problems that most of those outside of the territory were completely blind to.
Protection rackets, dogfighting rings, drug trades, all things that were standard in Empire territory. Oh sure, on the surface it wasn't nearly as bad as the ABB's human trafficking or the Merchant's drug empire, but that was just because Kaiser wasn't strong enough to fight off the entire Protectorate by himself like Lung, nor was he nearly as stupid as Skidmark.
No, Kaiser was smart enough to make sure his illicit business were hidden away from the daylight, keeping them confined to warehouses and out of sight, giving off the veneer that he was the 'gentleman' among his fellow gang leaders. A real knight in shining armor compared to the evil dragon or wretched drug lord.
'Yeah right.' I snorted lightly as I continued walking down the street, doing my best to look as inconspicuous as possible with a dark purple hoodie pulled over my face.
Even if the Empire wasn't willing to pedal hard drugs on the street like the Merchants, that didn't mean they were anything more than another gang. In fact, in some ways they were worse. For example, in either the ABB or Merchant's territory they didn't care about your race as long as you kept to the status quo. Oh sure, if you were any kind of asian, you'd be conscripted into the ABB but other than that Lung didn't care about your race.
This deep into Empire territory, if you weren't white, or at least close enough to it to pass as white, you weren't safe no matter where you went. Stores would find discreet ways to make you feel unwelcome, jobs would be nearly impossible to find, hostile glances would be prevalent on the street, that kind of stuff.
And if you lived here and weren't white? Well, you wouldn't live here for long.
If you were lucky, you'd just be run out, maybe have your house set on fire to really make the fact that you weren't wanted stick. If you were unlucky, you and your entire family would disappear quietly in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again.
Before being enrolled at Winslow, I could have counted the number of people in my school who had skin darker than a light tan on two hands and still have fingers to spare. And then my father had taken that deal, and I had gone from a middle school filled with almost nothing but white people to a school like Winslow, where racial discrimination from the faculty was all but nonexistent.
It was all so incredibly jarring when it absolutely shouldn't have been. And I owed it in no small part to the PRT's ineptitude.
Still, as I continued walking toward my destination, I vaguely wondered who exactly had called the PRT in the first place. Given the cape who had been the one responsible for what had happened, along with the allegiances of the people in the neighborhood, the odds of it having been one of my neighbors was extremely low.
While a good portion of the families in the houses around me hadn't exactly sworn their undying loyalty to the Empire, they still wouldn't be willing to rat out one of Kaiser's lieutenants, much less Hookwolf. That was a good way to find you and your entire family on a one way trip to the morgue, express shipping included.
No, most people would have seen Hookwolf breaking into my home and looked the other way, Bystander effect in full play as they did their best not to get involved.
So that begged the question, who the hell called the PRT?
I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts. It didn't matter, I had more important things to worry about. Like a certain blond Empire recruiter.
I felt a ball of anger form in my chest as I remembered our conversation in the classroom just a day ago. The look of desperation in her eyes as she asked me, begged me to come with her and her friends to the mall. I had simply scoffed, believing the desperation had simply been due to her bosses putting more pressure on her to recruit me.
Now, after everything that had happened, I knew better. Christine had known what was going to happen that evening, or at least, had some sort of inkling as to what Hookwolf had planned for my family.
What confused me was why she tried to get me to come with her to the mall if she knew what was going to happen. Was she trying to spare me my parent's fates? And if so, why? Some misguided attempt to pay homage to our former friendship?
"I guess I'm about to find out." I muttered to myself as I stopped outside of a modest two story house. There were no cars in the driveway which was to be expected as from what I could remember, her parents both worked late shifts at Medhall and normally didn't return home until late in the evening.
That suited me just fine as it meant I wouldn't have to talk to them if they caught me. I had always felt weirded out by Christine's mother and father as they had always seemed to have a strong dislike for my own parents. Something I found odd since they had no problem with me.
Them being gone also worked perfectly for me because I could just walk straight up to the side of the house with nobody any the wiser. I placed my hands on the rough brick that made up the outer wall and gave into my power, feeling my body changing to match the sturdy building material.
I took a moment to get used to my new form, clenching and unclenching my hands, feeling the strength now suffusing them. I couldn't help but wonder if my power affected more than just my mind. My body felt more sturdy, more powerful, as if I could jump and easily clear the top of the house in front of me.
"Questions for later." I muttered, shaking my head and once more placing my palms on the wall, my power immediately singing out to me exactly like it had at the Palanquin, asking me to become one with the material in front of me. Whereas before, I had held back my power so as to not anger my hosts, here I held nothing back.
I watched in fascination as my hands began melding with the building, sinking into the brick with a small ripple like a coin dropped into water. My arms were next, then my shoulders, until finally my entire body was immersed into the exterior of the house.
A deep part of my being wanted to spread my powers out, suffuse the entire building with myself until it was well and truly mine. I held myself back however, remembering what had happened at the Palanquin earlier that day.
I had a theory that the further I spread myself through a material, the more my powers affected my emotions. And while I hadn't exactly had a chance to test the theory, it made sense. When I had first gotten my powers, I had spread myself through the water around me so thinly that I had barely been able to feel a thing, my mind just floating from one idea to the next until I shifted forms once more. And that wasn't even getting into what had happened at the Palanquin.
Until I had a further handle on exactly how my powers affected my mind, I'd have to be careful not to go too far when using them. Luckily, it was easier than I expected to keep my presence constrained to just my body as I melded with the walls, making my way through the house as I searched for my target.
I had a good idea of where Christine would be from my previous visits to her home as a child. She'd likely be in her bedroom on the second floor, just to the left of the staircase. Now I just had to get there.
Moving through the walls of the house felt weird, like I was swimming through a pool of maple syrup, viscous and hard to maneuver through. Although, despite the fact that I was currently part of the walls themselves and technically had no way to see outside them, my vision wasn't impaired in the slightest and I was able to see into the darkened interior of the house perfectly fine.
Direction didn't matter, up and down, left and right, forward and backward, they all gave the same amount of resistance as I moved through the brick. My mind whispered that there would be no need for this if I just let my powers loose throughout the house but I silenced it as I reached the room I was searching for.
Christine was sitting on her bed in silence, arms covering her knees as she stared at the wall. She looked haggard, platinum blond hair in disarray as if she had been running her hands through it constantly. Her face was blotchy and mascara ran down her face like she had just gotten done crying and hadn't bothered to clean herself up.
She was wearing a dark red sweater and sweatpants which surprised me slightly. Usually she was the type to wear shorts and a t-shirt even when it was fifty degrees with wind chill outside. The edges of the sleeves of her sweater were covered with dark marks, indicating she had been using them to wipe at her eyes, covering them with the running mascara in the process.
I took another moment to just observe her in silence before making my presence known, emerging from the wall across from her bed with a bevy of ripples. In the back of my mind, I found it odd that I was able to simply move through the plaster and wallpaper as if it wasn't there, but I just shrugged it off as a quirk of my power as Christine shrieked in surprise and terror at my appearance.
As I approached the bed, she continued shrieking and backing toward the headboard, before abruptly stopping as she took a closer look at me.
"V-Valerie!? You're alive!?" She exclaimed in apparent relief, moving to get off the bed as I approached silently, "Thank god! I was worried he got you to-Grrk!"
I interrupted her by grabbing the collar of her sweatshirt and hauling her off of the bed effortlessly. Her feet dangled above the floor as I held her up and slammed her against the wall, sending a painting falling to the floor eliciting a wince of pain from her, "W-what are you-?
"You knew didn't you?" I interrupted through gritted teeth, slight satisfaction cutting through my rage as her face whitened in realization, "You knew what he was planning didn't you!?" I asked, voice filled with rage. Christine's hands clawed at my arms, trying to loosen my iron grip on her collar yet only succeeding in lightly scratching the rough surface of my stone skin.
I pulled her toward me slightly before slamming her back against the wall, plaster cracking slightly from the point of impact and answering my earlier question of whether or not my powers affected my strength, "Answer me dammit!" I screamed in her face, making her flinch.
"I was trying to protect you!" She shouted in terror as I froze in disbelief.
"Protect me!?" I asked incredulously, my fist clenching the collar of her sweatshirt even tighter, "My parents are fucking DEAD Christine! I would have died if I hadn't triggered! If you were trying to protect me, you did a shitty job!"
She shook her head desperately, "I didn't know he was going to kill them! I thought he was just gonna rough them up some! I swear!"
I almost laughed in disbelief at the audacity of this girl, "'Just rough them up!' she says, as if that makes it any better. Goddammit Chris, we were practically family! You used to sleep in my bed more than your own! And you just let them die without so much as a warning!"
She was crying now, salty tears making their way down her face and ruining her makeup even further, "I didn't have a choice!" She hiccuped, "I couldn't say anything, they'd know it was me and come after my family too."
What?
I snarled, pulling her from the cracking plaster wall and throwing her to the floor behind me where she landed with a light grunt of pain. I stalked toward her silently as she scrambled to get up to her feet and I loomed over her even as she stood to her full height, "Explain." I growled.
She swallowed so hard I could hear it before speaking quietly, not meeting my eyes, "I-My cousin. They… they're a higher up in the Empire. I overheard them talking about Hookwolf's plan with someone over the phone while my family was over at their house for dinner."
I clenched my fist, a grinding sound emerging from my closed fingers and startling the girl in front of me, "Who are they?" I asked lowly.
She looked away once more, turning her gaze toward her feet, "I can't say. It's against the Rules." She emphasized the word.
All at once, several things clicked for me. Christine's sudden recruitment into the Empire, her parent's intense dislike for my own, hell, even the fact that her parents always seemed fine with the fact that their daughter had openly joined a gang.
She was related to one of Kaiser's lieutenants.
She had likely been forced to join the gang just as they tried to do to me, only unlike me, she couldn't dare refuse. At least my family wasn't already part of the Empire. Hers, on the other hand, was apparently extremely deep into their ranks.
As I came to terms with my revelations, Christine spoke up again, sobs lightly interspersed throughout her speech, "I'm so so sorry Valerie. I didn't mean for this to happen. I never-"
"Stop." I interrupted her, holding out a hand toward the other girl as I took several calming breaths that did absolutely nothing for me, "Just…just shut up for a minute." I ran my other hand across the rough surface of my hair as my mind whirled.
Our interactions over the years ran through my head, bathed in the light of the recent revelations. The way she was constantly frowning when she believed nobody was looking in her direction, or the way her sycophantic followers always hung a little too close to her. The way she always tried to get me to hang out with her, despite my constant denials…
"Why did you try so hard to get me to come with you to the mall?" I asked suddenly, startling her.
"I-I thought that if you weren't home, Hookwolf would just leave your parents alone. It's you they all want to join, I thought maybe I could convince you to join up temporarily, at least until school was over and you could go to college out of state or something," She brought a hand up to rub her shoulder where she hit the ground and I felt a very light pang of guilt, "I also kind of wanted to hang out again, I know you hate me but I just thought… I don't know what I thought."
I took a deep breath, held it for three seconds, then exhaled through my nose like my middle school counselor had taught me. I did it once, twice, three times. 'Calm, I am calm, like a river, I am calm…' I repeated like a mantra in my head, trying to keep cool.
It didn't work at all.
"FUCK!" I slammed my fist into the wall I had been holding her against knuckles first, punching straight through the plaster and impacting the brick behind it with a loud crack, startling Christine in the process.
I just stood there for a moment, arm elbow deep in the wall and the sound of crumbling plaster hitting the floor ringing in my ears.
"Val…?" Christine spoke softly into the silence.
I pulled my arm out of the hole and looked down at it. Cracks ran down the length of my forearm and my hand hurt like hell, I brought it up to my face and winced as I saw the damage. My hand was covered in cracks and chips and my pinkie was missing, likely lost in the space between the plaster and the wall itself. I really hoped that it would fix itself when I changed materials.
"Oh my god, Valerie!" Christine shouted as she caught sight of my hand, "Are you ok?"
I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, my good hand coming down to rest against my stomach as I gave into the absurdity of it all.
"Okay?" I giggled hysterically, "My parents were murdered, my dog is missing and likely dead as well, I went through the worst experience of my life, and my ex best friend is related to the people responsible and a more than likely victim just like I am so I can't even get revenge. I am so far from okay it isn't even funny."
I slowly calmed down, releasing a large huff of air as I collected myself. I stared down at my ruined hand, clenching my fist and watching as pieces of broken brick fell to the carpeted floor with sad little thuds, "This is all so messed up…" I muttered.
Christine wrung her hands as I calmed down, "I'm so sorry Val. I really am…" She repeated again.
I just sighed, "Yeah, me too." I said, even though I wasn't even sure what I was sorry for. Maybe for punching a hole in her wall in a fit of rage. Yeah, that sounded about right.
There was a moment of silence where we just stared at each other before it was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. We both looked toward the bedroom window in panic to find headlights shining through the curtains from the paved driveway down below.
"You've got to leave!" Christine urged me, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me toward the hole in the wall. She ignored my protests as she urged me forward, "Go, go! If my parents catch you here they'll tell my cousin, you have to leave!"
I hesitated for a moment, looking back toward her to find her grabbing a poster off of the opposite wall and making her way back toward me. She gave me a stern look that was slightly ruined by her puffy red eyes and the mascara still running down her face, "Go we can talk later if you still want more answers."
I stared at her for one more moment before turning and placing my hand on the brick wall and melding with it once more.
I raced through the walls once more, following the exact path I used when I came in and exiting through the side of the house onto the grass outside. Around the house, I could distantly hear the front door open and Christine's parents call out to her from the entrance. Taking that as a sign to leave, I ran over to the sidewalk and melded with it, sinking into the concrete and racing away.
~~~
I traveled what felt like several blocks underground before emerging in an empty alley behind a dumpster. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching before deactivating my power, immediately becoming slightly winded as my body turned back to skin and bone once more.
It only took a moment to catch my breath this time, "That was a lot better than last time. I really have to practice with my power." I muttered to myself as I stretched to get rid of the stiffness in my arms.
Speaking of arms…
I looked down at my hand to find it back in one piece, pinky back in place and not a crack to be found. "Neat." I muttered, feeling drained at all that had occurred.
My mind raced with the recent revelations and while a large part of me wanted nothing more than to race back and interrogate Christine even further, an even larger part of me knew that was a horrible idea.
No, it would be best to lay low and go back when her parents were away once more. And if all else failed, I still had her phone number.
And speaking of phones, there was still something I needed to do.
I reached into my pocket and retrieved the phone Faultline had given me, turning it on and making my way to the contacts. I stared at the glowing name for a moment before pressing the dial button and holding the blocky phone up to my ear.
There was a moment where a dial tone rang in my ear before there was a small click and it was quickly replaced with a woman's voice, "You've reached the Palanquin, this is Faultline speaking. Are you calling to purchase our services or ask about our rates?"
"It's Valerie." I spoke and could hear the woman's breath slightly hitch on the other side of the line, "I'm calling to talk about the offer you made me."
There was a pause, "And? What is your answer?" She asked, tone unreadable.
I took a deep breath, looking in the direction of the house I had just come from, before turning away once more. I had already lost basically everything that held me to my previous life, it was time to start a new one.
"I accept. I'll join your crew."
I could hear her grin as she replied, "That's good to hear Valerie. Welcome to the Palanquin, we're happy to have you. We've already got a room prepared for you over at the nightclub whenever you're ready."
A small smile forced its way onto my face at the audacity of my new boss having already prepared a room, as if me joining was a foregone conclusion, "I'll be there in a bit."
"Oh, one more thing." She said before I could hang up the phone, "Have you thought of a cape name? Best to have one thought up before the PRT takes it upon themselves to assign you one."
I nodded at the question even though she couldn't see me and started making my way out of the alley, ignoring the look I received from a guy sitting on a bench nearby, "Yeah, I actually have."
"Well let's hear it." She sounded slightly eager.
"I was thinking…Aspect."
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
Interlude 1.A PHO
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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■ Page 1 of 24
♦ Topic: New Case 53 on the Pier?
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Scadit (Original Poster)
Posted on September 13th, 2010:
Hey all, I was fishing with my dad on the pier yesterday when all of the sudden, a random cape came surging out of the Bay and landed right beside us. My dad ran away immediately but I stayed around to get a better look, just in case I had the chance to get a pic of them y'know.
And lo and behold, I managed to get one! Image
Anyone seen her before? She's made of water in the pic but she changed into wood right after this. Maybe a new Case 53? She looked pretty confused.
► ThatOneGuy (Cape Groupie)
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Hey! I know that girl, she goes to the same school as me or at least she used to.I think her name is Valerie or something similar.
From what I heard, the Empire paid a visit to her house and she hasn't been seen since. Her or her family. Really sad, she seemed nice enough if a bit antisocial.
You said she came from the bay? Weird, from what I know she doesn't live anywhere near there.
*Tin_Mother: Alluding to a Parahuman's civilian identity is expressly against the Rules even if they don't wear a mask. Don't do it again
Post has been censored by moderators
User received an infraction for this post
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Well at least we know she's not a Case 53.
From what I know some people in Empire are big fans of the whole concrete shoes gimmick. Maybe they tried to do that to her and she triggered? Would explain her ability to turn into water, maybe her powers take the form of the most abundant material around.
► Bragalicious
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
I hope she's able to turn back to normal. Imagine if she was stuck like that.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Powers rarely come without an off switch or at least an off dial. She might just have to touch someone to turn back to normal.
► JustYourAverageBrocktonite
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Are we just gonna ignore the fact that the Empire disappeared an entire family and nobody has said anything about it?
Where's the police statement on this? The PRT? Literally anything!?
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
If your username is any indication, you live in Brockton Bay. You should know by now that the PRT isn't gonna do anything about it, much less the police.
And besides, there was no mention of a cape being the one to do it. The PRT has no reason to get involved aside from the possible new Trigger.
► JustYourAverageBrocktonite
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
I hate this city.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Don't we all.
~~~
Now viewing: Page 7 of 24
► ResidentLurker (Verified Poster)
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Hey guys get this! The PRT actually made a statement on the topic of the thread! Apparently Hookwolf was involved in some capacity so they gave Armsmaster the go ahead to investigate.
You can read the statement Here
Little warning, there's a link to a few relevant pictures and they are pretty graphic. If you don't like seeing water bloated bodies I would advise not clicking on the link at the end of the statement.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Well hush my mouth. Maybe the PRT isn't completely useless after all.
► NascentMarshmallow
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Did you even read the statement? It was just full of typical corporate deflecting. 'We are doing our best to bring the perpetrators to justice'? It's been like six days and nothing has happened! Basically an entire family is dead and they have done nothing!
The gangs rule this city, the PRT just don't want to admit it because then they'd have to get off their asses and actually do something about it.
► Jortswearer
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
They probably just don't want an open gang war in the streets. They also still have the ABB and the Merchants to deal with, they can't focus on just one gang or the others will get out of hand. Honestly, it's probably best they leave it alone.
► NascentMarshmallow
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Did they tell you that?
We all know they are just too afraid to do anything about the problem. Gang conscription is at the highest it has been since the Teeth were in the Bay and basically nothing has been done to curb those numbers.
New Wave and the Wards go to Arcadia where it's nice and safe, leaving the gang recruiters free to do whatever they want at Winslow and the other schools.
It's people like you, who are fine to live in this gang infested hellhole, that make the city worse for the rest of us. You make me fucking sick.
*Tin_mother: Please keep it civil.
Post has been censored by moderators
User has received an infraction for this post
► NascentMarshmallow
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Fuck you
User has received an infraction for this post
Post has been deleted by moderators
► TangerinesMakeMeSick
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Well…That just happened.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Yes. Yes it did. Wonder what got them all twisted up?
End of Page. 9 of 24
~~~
My chair creaked as I leaned back in it fuming angrily. It was rare that a simple post on PHO pissed me off so much, but something about what that Jortswearer guy had said really got to me.
People like him who were satisfied with the status quo of the city, were the reason I was stuck in the position I was in. The reason I had been forced into a gang of Nazis at only fourteen. The reason Valerie had lost her family to that monster in human skin.
In my time in the Empire, I had luckily never had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Hookwolf face to face, but I had heard more than enough stories of the man to want to stay well enough away.
A savage animal. Barely human. A beast masquerading as a man, leash loosely held in Kaiser's iron grip, even as the gang leader let him get away with whatever he wished.
Even his most recent stunt with Valerie's family had gotten him little more than a stern talking to by the son of Allfather. Some said his leniency with Hookwolf was due to the man's potency in cape fights, non brutes rarely wanted to fight a two ton mass of whirling hooks and blades after all. Others said that Hookwolf had known Kaiser for years and that the gang leader had a soft spot for the other man.
Either way, Hookwolf was nearly untouchable even compared to Kaiser's other lieutenants. And he knew that.
I stayed leaned back in my chair as I calmed down slowly, shaking the dark thoughts from my mind before leaning forward back toward the computer, brushing an errant blond hair from my face as I did so.
Browsing PHO had originally been a way to remember my friendship with Valerie after she had, understandably, decided she wanted nothing to do with me during high school. In recent months however, it had become more of a hobby, keeping up with the goings on in the bay or just chatting on cape forums.
It also gave me a way to keep up with Valerie given her new status as a cape.
It had been a little over a week since Valerie had paid me a surprise visit in my home via melting out of my bedroom wall. Since then, we had been speaking on and off, careful to keep the topic away from the Empire. And while it wasn't like it had been before I joined, not even close, she wasn't completely ignoring me anymore which I took as a good sign. A sign that things could eventually return to as they had been.
From what she had told me, after she triggered she had been found by Newter, a member of a mercenary group ran by a woman named Faultline. He had brought her there in order to get her out of the open and give her a private place to calm down. After doing so, she had been briefly interrogated by the leader herself before being given the offer to join.
She took it of course, Valerie wasn't the kind of person to mope around about things she couldn't change. Oh sure, if she ever got a hold of Hookwolf, there was a good chance the Changer would be torn apart, something I was secretly hoping would occur, but she wasn't going to go on a rampage or seclude herself in her room in depression.
No, the Valerie I remembered was always the type to take all the shit life had given her and throw it back in its face. It was one of the many things I always admired about her.
And if the recent PHO post was any indication, she was doing just that.
I clicked on the open tab above the search bar and was met with another open PHO post. This one of more interest to me…
■ Page 1 of 1
♦ Topic: New Cape at The Palanquin: Aspect makes her debut.
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted 12 minutes ago, September 19th, 2010:
Those of you who frequent the Palanquin, a well known nightclub due to its parahuman patrons, may have noticed an addition to their numbers in the past few days.
Image
Aspect, the cape in the picture which she happily posed for, seems to be the same parahuman that was seen on the pier around a week ago. And while in the pictures she appears to be made of what seems to be some type of metal, she has confirmed she is indeed the same person.
The orange skinned teen hanging off her shoulder is Newter, a case 53 and a member of Fautline's mercenary group. Whether or not Aspect is also a part of the group now, she didn't say.
While she understandably wasn't willing to go into specifics on her powers, she was willing to divulge that they allow her to take on aspects of materials she touches, hence the name.
Not much is known about her given that she is likely a new trigger. But the moment something interesting happens, you know I'll be here to give you the scoop.
► ThatOneGuy (Cape Groupie)
Replied a few moments ago, September 19th, 2010:
I'm glad to see she's ok. We may not have been close but it's good to know she's doing better. Given how close she and Newter seem in that picture, it seems a good bet that she's probably joined the group.
~~~
I took a moment to study the image, practically leaning closer to the computer as I got a better look.
Valerie's skin was made of a reflective metallic material, though unlike when she had visited me, her clothing, a sleeveless hoodie which showed off her toned metal arms, was still normal. Her teeth gleamed in the dim nightclub lights as she grinned widely, flexing for the camera. A younger teen with orange skin hung off her shoulder, also grinning widely, Newter if the post was to be believed.
She looked happy, though I could still see the shapes of the light bags under her eyes. She had no doubt been having trouble falling asleep given all that had happened recently. Her smile was slightly strained, as if she was having trouble keeping it on her face.
I frowned lightly, "Valerie…" I whispered to myself as I stared at the image.
*Knock Knock Knock!
I nearly fell out of my seat as three loud knocks sounded out from my door. I hurriedly minimized the tab, leaving my computer displaying the home screen, a scenic view of eastern Italy.
"Come in!" I shouted at the door. It opened, revealing the smiling face of my father.
As my father made his way into my room, eyes full of false interest as he asked me how my day had been like he cared at all, my mind wandered back to Valerie.
Nearly everything had been taken from her in such a short amount of time and now, she had no choice but to start over again, picking up the remnants of her previous life while at the same time starting an entirely new one.
And yet, despite knowing how terrible it was for me to do so, I couldn't help but envy her.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200
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■ Page 1 of 24
♦ Topic: New Case 53 on the Pier?
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Scadit (Original Poster)
Posted on September 13th, 2010:
Hey all, I was fishing with my dad on the pier yesterday when all of the sudden, a random cape came surging out of the Bay and landed right beside us. My dad ran away immediately but I stayed around to get a better look, just in case I had the chance to get a pic of them y'know.
And lo and behold, I managed to get one! Image
Anyone seen her before? She's made of water in the pic but she changed into wood right after this. Maybe a new Case 53? She looked pretty confused.
► ThatOneGuy (Cape Groupie)
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Hey! I know that girl, she goes to the same school as me or at least she used to.
From what I heard, the Empire paid a visit to her house and she hasn't been seen since. Her or her family. Really sad, she seemed nice enough if a bit antisocial.
You said she came from the bay? Weird, from what I know she doesn't live anywhere near there.
*Tin_Mother: Alluding to a Parahuman's civilian identity is expressly against the Rules even if they don't wear a mask. Don't do it again
Post has been censored by moderators
User received an infraction for this post
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Well at least we know she's not a Case 53.
From what I know some people in Empire are big fans of the whole concrete shoes gimmick. Maybe they tried to do that to her and she triggered? Would explain her ability to turn into water, maybe her powers take the form of the most abundant material around.
► Bragalicious
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
I hope she's able to turn back to normal. Imagine if she was stuck like that.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Powers rarely come without an off switch or at least an off dial. She might just have to touch someone to turn back to normal.
► JustYourAverageBrocktonite
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Are we just gonna ignore the fact that the Empire disappeared an entire family and nobody has said anything about it?
Where's the police statement on this? The PRT? Literally anything!?
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
If your username is any indication, you live in Brockton Bay. You should know by now that the PRT isn't gonna do anything about it, much less the police.
And besides, there was no mention of a cape being the one to do it. The PRT has no reason to get involved aside from the possible new Trigger.
► JustYourAverageBrocktonite
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
I hate this city.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 13th, 2010:
Don't we all.
~~~
Now viewing: Page 7 of 24
► ResidentLurker (Verified Poster)
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Hey guys get this! The PRT actually made a statement on the topic of the thread! Apparently Hookwolf was involved in some capacity so they gave Armsmaster the go ahead to investigate.
You can read the statement Here
Little warning, there's a link to a few relevant pictures and they are pretty graphic. If you don't like seeing water bloated bodies I would advise not clicking on the link at the end of the statement.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Well hush my mouth. Maybe the PRT isn't completely useless after all.
► NascentMarshmallow
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Did you even read the statement? It was just full of typical corporate deflecting. 'We are doing our best to bring the perpetrators to justice'? It's been like six days and nothing has happened! Basically an entire family is dead and they have done nothing!
The gangs rule this city, the PRT just don't want to admit it because then they'd have to get off their asses and actually do something about it.
► Jortswearer
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
They probably just don't want an open gang war in the streets. They also still have the ABB and the Merchants to deal with, they can't focus on just one gang or the others will get out of hand. Honestly, it's probably best they leave it alone.
► NascentMarshmallow
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Did they tell you that?
We all know they are just too afraid to do anything about the problem. Gang conscription is at the highest it has been since the Teeth were in the Bay and basically nothing has been done to curb those numbers.
New Wave and the Wards go to Arcadia where it's nice and safe, leaving the gang recruiters free to do whatever they want at Winslow and the other schools.
I
*Tin_mother: Please keep it civil.
Post has been censored by moderators
User has received an infraction for this post
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
User has received an infraction for this post
Post has been deleted by moderators
► TangerinesMakeMeSick
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Well…That just happened.
► UnfortunatePoodle
Replied on September 19th, 2010:
Yes. Yes it did. Wonder what got them all twisted up?
End of Page. 9 of 24
~~~
My chair creaked as I leaned back in it fuming angrily. It was rare that a simple post on PHO pissed me off so much, but something about what that Jortswearer guy had said really got to me.
People like him who were satisfied with the status quo of the city, were the reason I was stuck in the position I was in. The reason I had been forced into a gang of Nazis at only fourteen. The reason Valerie had lost her family to that monster in human skin.
In my time in the Empire, I had luckily never had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Hookwolf face to face, but I had heard more than enough stories of the man to want to stay well enough away.
A savage animal. Barely human. A beast masquerading as a man, leash loosely held in Kaiser's iron grip, even as the gang leader let him get away with whatever he wished.
Even his most recent stunt with Valerie's family had gotten him little more than a stern talking to by the son of Allfather. Some said his leniency with Hookwolf was due to the man's potency in cape fights, non brutes rarely wanted to fight a two ton mass of whirling hooks and blades after all. Others said that Hookwolf had known Kaiser for years and that the gang leader had a soft spot for the other man.
Either way, Hookwolf was nearly untouchable even compared to Kaiser's other lieutenants. And he knew that.
I stayed leaned back in my chair as I calmed down slowly, shaking the dark thoughts from my mind before leaning forward back toward the computer, brushing an errant blond hair from my face as I did so.
Browsing PHO had originally been a way to remember my friendship with Valerie after she had, understandably, decided she wanted nothing to do with me during high school. In recent months however, it had become more of a hobby, keeping up with the goings on in the bay or just chatting on cape forums.
It also gave me a way to keep up with Valerie given her new status as a cape.
It had been a little over a week since Valerie had paid me a surprise visit in my home via melting out of my bedroom wall. Since then, we had been speaking on and off, careful to keep the topic away from the Empire. And while it wasn't like it had been before I joined, not even close, she wasn't completely ignoring me anymore which I took as a good sign. A sign that things could eventually return to as they had been.
From what she had told me, after she triggered she had been found by Newter, a member of a mercenary group ran by a woman named Faultline. He had brought her there in order to get her out of the open and give her a private place to calm down. After doing so, she had been briefly interrogated by the leader herself before being given the offer to join.
She took it of course, Valerie wasn't the kind of person to mope around about things she couldn't change. Oh sure, if she ever got a hold of Hookwolf, there was a good chance the Changer would be torn apart, something I was secretly hoping would occur, but she wasn't going to go on a rampage or seclude herself in her room in depression.
No, the Valerie I remembered was always the type to take all the shit life had given her and throw it back in its face. It was one of the many things I always admired about her.
And if the recent PHO post was any indication, she was doing just that.
I clicked on the open tab above the search bar and was met with another open PHO post. This one of more interest to me…
■ Page 1 of 1
♦ Topic: New Cape at The Palanquin: Aspect makes her debut.
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted 12 minutes ago, September 19th, 2010:
Those of you who frequent the Palanquin, a well known nightclub due to its parahuman patrons, may have noticed an addition to their numbers in the past few days.
Image
Aspect, the cape in the picture which she happily posed for, seems to be the same parahuman that was seen on the pier around a week ago. And while in the pictures she appears to be made of what seems to be some type of metal, she has confirmed she is indeed the same person.
The orange skinned teen hanging off her shoulder is Newter, a case 53 and a member of Fautline's mercenary group. Whether or not Aspect is also a part of the group now, she didn't say.
While she understandably wasn't willing to go into specifics on her powers, she was willing to divulge that they allow her to take on aspects of materials she touches, hence the name.
Not much is known about her given that she is likely a new trigger. But the moment something interesting happens, you know I'll be here to give you the scoop.
► ThatOneGuy (Cape Groupie)
Replied a few moments ago, September 19th, 2010:
I'm glad to see she's ok. We may not have been close but it's good to know she's doing better. Given how close she and Newter seem in that picture, it seems a good bet that she's probably joined the group.
~~~
I took a moment to study the image, practically leaning closer to the computer as I got a better look.
Valerie's skin was made of a reflective metallic material, though unlike when she had visited me, her clothing, a sleeveless hoodie which showed off her toned metal arms, was still normal. Her teeth gleamed in the dim nightclub lights as she grinned widely, flexing for the camera. A younger teen with orange skin hung off her shoulder, also grinning widely, Newter if the post was to be believed.
She looked happy, though I could still see the shapes of the light bags under her eyes. She had no doubt been having trouble falling asleep given all that had happened recently. Her smile was slightly strained, as if she was having trouble keeping it on her face.
I frowned lightly, "Valerie…" I whispered to myself as I stared at the image.
*Knock Knock Knock!
I nearly fell out of my seat as three loud knocks sounded out from my door. I hurriedly minimized the tab, leaving my computer displaying the home screen, a scenic view of eastern Italy.
"Come in!" I shouted at the door. It opened, revealing the smiling face of my father.
As my father made his way into my room, eyes full of false interest as he asked me how my day had been like he cared at all, my mind wandered back to Valerie.
Nearly everything had been taken from her in such a short amount of time and now, she had no choice but to start over again, picking up the remnants of her previous life while at the same time starting an entirely new one.
And yet, despite knowing how terrible it was for me to do so, I couldn't help but envy her.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200
Last edited:
Merc Work 2.1
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
- Messages
- 185
- Likes received
- 8,910
You know, there was something viscerally satisfying about pushing your body to it's physical limit. Even more so when you continue even further past that point.
"...64…65…66…!" I grunted with exertion, the muscles in my arms working overtime as I levered myself up and down on the concrete floor. Up above me, I could hear the light creaking of metal bars as Newter swung from one to the next, racing back and forth across the length of the room with astounding ease.
The room around me was filled with the stench of stale sweat, a smell I had unfortunately become somewhat used to in the past few days since Faultline had first introduced me to this place.
When I had first expressed my desire for a place to train both my powers and body, Faultline had seemed surprised and then slightly approving. According to her, most new capes only did the bare minimum in regards to training their powers when they first got them, usually leading to them inevitably getting their shit pushed in the first time they got into a fight with another, more experienced cape.
That was when most decided to actually train with their powers, if they didn't die or get conscripted during that first encounter of course. Tinkers were only slightly an exception to this, as their power required actual setup to be even slightly potent. They just got conscripted when they went out to look for materials instead.
She had originally planned on coming to me with a training regimen for me to follow and so was surprised yet pleased when I came to her instead. She commended me for my initiative, and showed me this place, an underground training facility, before letting me know that I was welcome to use it whenever I desired. I was all too eager to do so of course. I had powers now, of course I wanted to test them out.
And test them out I did.
Experimenting with my abilities had brought me to several revelations, mostly about my power's drawbacks. For one, switching materials without turning back to normal impacted my stamina much more than just turning back to normal and then transforming again. That explained what had happened when I first met Faultline, as I had switched materials multiple times at that point, leaving me exhausted when I turned back to normal.
In fact, nearly everything I did with my powers impacted my stamina in some way. Something I found out about the hard way yesterday.
See, while experimenting I found out I had limited shapeshifting abilities, nothing too insane, I was mostly able to change the shape and size of my limbs or my overall features. The amount of changes I could make also depended on the material I was made of, flexible materials were easier, rigid materials were harder, simple stuff.
Of course, after learning about my new ability, I went a little crazy.
I tried a bit of everything, I changed my limbs into long barbed whips, turned my hands into massive spiked maces, turned my arms into sharpened blades, I even tried making myself taller by increasing the length of my legs.
The changes didn't stick unfortunately, I was still stuck at an average five foot six, much to my chagrin.
Despite that little downside, I was over the moon, thinking about just how versatile my powers were. And all with the only drawback being that I got a little tired? I thought I had won the power lottery!
And then when I turned back to normal, I blacked out almost immediately, smashing my face on the concrete floor as my legs gave out beneath me in my exhaustion.
As I came to find out when I woke up to find my boss's concerned face looming above me, my powers, like all things, had a limit.
Faultline had made sure I was okay, before laying into me about being careful with my training. Chastising my recklessness and barring me from the gym for twenty four hours.
I wasn't happy about it of course, but I understood and took the punishment without complaint. She was just looking out for me after all.
"...71…72…73…!" I continued my push-ups, sweat beading my face and sticking my hair to my forehead as my arms screamed for me to stop. Above me, I could hear Newter stop in his own workout to watch me carefully, before resuming as he decided I wasn't pushing myself too hard.
Given that she was now my employer, Faultline felt that she was at least partially responsible for my well being, so she assigned Newter to watch over me while I got the hang of my powers. Something he was fine with as he typically frequented the facility anyway.
In fact, the entire crew apparently used the gym regularly. Faultline had acquired it years ago when she originally made the Palanquin her base of operations. The majority of the building was underground, a massive concrete gym several dozen meters below the surface. It held practically everything you would need to train a parahuman or regular person.
Squat racks, treadmills, dumbbells and barbells, punching bags, and other things you would see in a normal gym. That was just the regular stuff, there were several things in the gym that clearly catered to the parahumans that used it most often.
Monkey bars ran along the top of the room, spaced seemingly at random and clearly catering to Newter's more agility based fighting style if the way he was moving about on them was any indication. There was also a set of massive weights, more than likely several tons of steel, probably for Gregor.
There was a see through box in one corner of the room. In the middle was a soft looking chair who's cushions looked slightly worn, as if it had been sat in regularly for several hours at a time. It was most likely meant for Labyrinth if what Faultline had told me about her power was any indication.
And while I couldn't see anything clearly meant for the leader herself, given that she was a Striker, she probably just sparred with one of the others for practice. Something which I would also have to do until the materials she had ordered came in.
"...85…86…87…!"
I had asked for a large variety of materials to test my powers on. Tungsten, graphene, gallium, and quartz. Things that I thought would be the most interesting for my power to interact with and test out.
Tungsten for its strength, Graphene for its flexibility, Gallium due to its propensity to change between liquid and solid freely, and Quartz for its healing properties.
That last one was what I was most interested in.
Since my little explosive episode at Christine's house, I had been testing the healing properties of my power to their fullest extent, breaking my body in various ways to see what did and didn't heal. My experimentation, which my new boss was not happy to find out about, had yielded interesting results.
When transformed my powers healed me passively, the speed changing depending on what I was made of at the time of injury. If I was made of concrete for example, Cracks in my skin would seal in minutes, missing pieces would fill themselves in even slower, things like that. And although I hadn't tested my ability to regrow missing limbs, even I knew that was going too far, I had a theory.
From what I now knew, the damage I had done to myself at Christine's house should have taken around thirty five minutes or so to heal. Instead, after I had once again melded with the wall, it had healed immediately, repairing my arm and hand in seconds. Further experimentation led me to an interesting conclusion.
Apparently, if I immersed myself in a material, any damage I had sustained was healed immediately at the cost of the surrounding material and stamina proportional to the injury. The same went for if I was damaged while not transformed, as long as I immersed myself into something quick enough, the damage would be healed, bruises and scrapes disappearing as if they never existed.
Which leads me to what I was doing now.
"...97…98…99…100!" I fell back down to the floor, panting with exhaustion. Sweat soaked my t-shirt and I could tell I had torn several muscles in my arms and shoulders. That was ok though. I focused on my power, feeling my body change to match the cool concrete under me before I let myself sink in, melding with the floor.
I spent a moment down there before emerging once more, climbing out of the floor like a zombie and shutting off my power, feeling my body turn back to flesh and bone once more.
I sighed happily, only a little tired as I rolled my shoulders to get rid of any lingering stiffness. I looked over at the nearest wall, observing myself in the mirror that hung there. I brought my arms up and flexed, grinning as I observed the now visible muscles where there were none before. My grin widened as I lifted my shirt, revealing the now visible abs on my pale skin.
"That's totally not fair, you know." I heard from above me and I looked up to see Newter staring down at me as he hung from the bars above by his tail, "Tearing your muscles and healing them is cheating. You should have to put in work to build muscle like the rest of us." He complained.
I just stuck my tongue out at him, "You're just jealous you can't do it too."
He stuck his tongue out right back, "Well duh. Can you imagine how good I'd look if I could build muscle like you? I wouldn't be able to keep the ladies off me." He smirked, letting go of the bar and flipping himself upright as he landed solidly on the ground. He patted his shoulder to remove some invisible dust, "Not like they can keep their hands off me anyway." He gloated, motioning for me to follow him.
I snorted, "Sure casanova. Whatever you say." I followed him over to the small matted arena at the edge of the room, pulling off my t-shirt and leaving me in just a sports bra and sweatpants.
Normally I'd be more leery at wearing something so revealing around a boy my age but Newter wasn't that kind of guy and he'd been nothing but professional so far. I knew I had nothing to worry about.
His smirk widened, and he proved me wrong immediately, "You're just jealous I'm so popular with the ladies and you aren't." He grinned smugly as we reached the mats. "Green doesn't look good on you Valerie."
I scoffed, coming to a stop a few feet away from him as he turned to face me, "Please. Everything looks good on me. And I'm twice as popular with the ladies than you will ever be." I tilted my neck this way and that, popping it and rolling my shoulders again to limber up. I grinned as Newter crouched down on all fours on the other side of the ring.
"So Mr. Popular, same rules as usual?" I called over to him, leaning down to touch the hardened plastic under me and activating my power, feeling the increased strength in my limbs. It wasn't much, but this was just a spar and we didn't want to hurt each other.
He grinned, white teeth gleaming as he got ready himself, "Yep. Three direct hits or a submission pin. Winner buys lunch."
I nodded, bringing my fists up in a makeshift boxer's stance, "You count us down."
His tail swished in the air behind him as we stared at each other, "Three."
"Two." My legs tensed in preparation and his eyes narrowed.
"One."
We leapt at each other, meeting in the middle. Newter's arm immediately swung for my side and I darted out of the way, reaching out with my arms in an effort to grab him and pin him down with my enhanced strength, ending the spar quickly.
He anticipated my move and ducked, slipping under my reaching arms and darting into my guard. He struck out with his fist, nailing me in the ribs with the thud of skin meeting hard plastic.
I swung out with my right arm, forcing him to back off which he did with a smirk. He crouched down again on the other side of the arena, "That's one." He gloated playfully.
I narrowed my eyes lightly, bouncing on the balls of my feet as he raced toward me again. He was faster than me and much more agile owing to his lizard-like biology. If I wanted to actually get him, I'd need to get tricky.
As he got closer, I widened my stance and opened my arms, once again appearing like I was going to try to grab him around his middle. He smirked as he approached, believing I was trying the same trick once more.
He darted forward, moving from side to side so I wouldn't know which side of me he was targeting. I kept my arms spread as he approached, before quickly closing my guard as soon he got close enough and swinging out with a fist aimed at his ribs.
His eyes widened with surprise at the approaching attack and I grinned internally, "Got Ya!"
My own eyes widened, my fist passing through empty air as Newter bent himself backwards at the waist, forming a nearly ninety degree angle like some freaky contortionist. I caught sight of his smirking face a moment before I caught a foot to the jaw.
I staggered backwards, more shocked than hurt, and Newter laughed as he bent himself back upright, "Nice one! You almost had me there!"
I growled playfully as I worked my jaw, "The hell was that? You planning to join the circus or something?"
He grinned, "Or something. You didn't think a melee fighter like me wouldn't have his trick did you?" He tutted lightly, "C'mon Val. I've been fighting for years at this point. You're gonna have to do a lot better than that."
I smirked, darting down and placing a palm on the floor. I exerted my power and softened the mat under his feet, making him sink down into the floor with a yelp, he bright his hands down to soften his fall only for them to sink in as well. I hardened the floor immediately after he began struggling, leaving him trapped in the now solid plastic.
I rose back up, grinning softly as I began to walk over to him, "How's that for better?" I gloated as he struggled to free himself.
He glared up at me, "Since when could you do that!?"
I smirked, leaning over with a hand on his back as I inspected my fingernails, "Since just now." I stated simply, relishing in my victory.
He spent another second trying to free himself before stopping, seemingly giving up. I looked down at him with a smirk, "Do you submit?" I asked playfully.
He closed his eyes and scrunched his brow in thought, "Hmm. See I would. If not for one thing."
I raised an eyebrow curiously, "And what would that be?"
"Tail." He stated simply.
*Wham!
I suddenly found myself lying on my stomach, the back of my head throbbing lightly. I groaned as I realized what had just happened. While I had trapped his arms and legs in the mat, his tail was prehensile, meaning he could move it like a fifth limb, which he did when he slammed it into the back of my head.
I lifted my face from the floor as I heard Newter's laughter. "And that makes three. That's my win." He smirked at me from his position in the floor and I sighed in mock sadness.
"Yeah yeah. That's your win." I grumbled as I stood up, "I hate that damn tail of yours. I always forget to watch for it." I complained.
He just smirked again, looking distinctly smug for someone completely immobilized, "Yeah well, maybe you should grow one of your own. The ladies love it, you know?" He waggled his eyebrows and I let out a laugh.
"Sure they do Newter. Sure they do." I shook my head at his antics.
"As fun as being trapped in solid plastic is, my back is starting to hurt. Think you could let me up now. Pretty please?" He faux pouted, lips wobbling like a child about to cry.
I laughed as I placed my hand on the mat. "I guess so. Don't male me regret it Mr. Popular."
He grinned as I let him go from my power, levering himself up with that damn tail until he was standing upright. He walked over and clapped me on my shoulder, "Come on, let's go get cleaned up. The club should be popping right about now and I've got some people I wanna introduce you to. And I want my free lunch."
I shook my head in amusement as I went to retrieve my t-shirt, "You know we get free lunch right? We own the place. Or at least our boss does."
He just grinned mischievously, "Yeah but it tastes so much better if someone else pays for it. Now come on! I want some hot wings."
I just laughed, turning off my power as I followed him and feeling a light tiredness set in. A relaxing shower sounded nice right about now.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200
"...64…65…66…!" I grunted with exertion, the muscles in my arms working overtime as I levered myself up and down on the concrete floor. Up above me, I could hear the light creaking of metal bars as Newter swung from one to the next, racing back and forth across the length of the room with astounding ease.
The room around me was filled with the stench of stale sweat, a smell I had unfortunately become somewhat used to in the past few days since Faultline had first introduced me to this place.
When I had first expressed my desire for a place to train both my powers and body, Faultline had seemed surprised and then slightly approving. According to her, most new capes only did the bare minimum in regards to training their powers when they first got them, usually leading to them inevitably getting their shit pushed in the first time they got into a fight with another, more experienced cape.
That was when most decided to actually train with their powers, if they didn't die or get conscripted during that first encounter of course. Tinkers were only slightly an exception to this, as their power required actual setup to be even slightly potent. They just got conscripted when they went out to look for materials instead.
She had originally planned on coming to me with a training regimen for me to follow and so was surprised yet pleased when I came to her instead. She commended me for my initiative, and showed me this place, an underground training facility, before letting me know that I was welcome to use it whenever I desired. I was all too eager to do so of course. I had powers now, of course I wanted to test them out.
And test them out I did.
Experimenting with my abilities had brought me to several revelations, mostly about my power's drawbacks. For one, switching materials without turning back to normal impacted my stamina much more than just turning back to normal and then transforming again. That explained what had happened when I first met Faultline, as I had switched materials multiple times at that point, leaving me exhausted when I turned back to normal.
In fact, nearly everything I did with my powers impacted my stamina in some way. Something I found out about the hard way yesterday.
See, while experimenting I found out I had limited shapeshifting abilities, nothing too insane, I was mostly able to change the shape and size of my limbs or my overall features. The amount of changes I could make also depended on the material I was made of, flexible materials were easier, rigid materials were harder, simple stuff.
Of course, after learning about my new ability, I went a little crazy.
I tried a bit of everything, I changed my limbs into long barbed whips, turned my hands into massive spiked maces, turned my arms into sharpened blades, I even tried making myself taller by increasing the length of my legs.
The changes didn't stick unfortunately, I was still stuck at an average five foot six, much to my chagrin.
Despite that little downside, I was over the moon, thinking about just how versatile my powers were. And all with the only drawback being that I got a little tired? I thought I had won the power lottery!
And then when I turned back to normal, I blacked out almost immediately, smashing my face on the concrete floor as my legs gave out beneath me in my exhaustion.
As I came to find out when I woke up to find my boss's concerned face looming above me, my powers, like all things, had a limit.
Faultline had made sure I was okay, before laying into me about being careful with my training. Chastising my recklessness and barring me from the gym for twenty four hours.
I wasn't happy about it of course, but I understood and took the punishment without complaint. She was just looking out for me after all.
"...71…72…73…!" I continued my push-ups, sweat beading my face and sticking my hair to my forehead as my arms screamed for me to stop. Above me, I could hear Newter stop in his own workout to watch me carefully, before resuming as he decided I wasn't pushing myself too hard.
Given that she was now my employer, Faultline felt that she was at least partially responsible for my well being, so she assigned Newter to watch over me while I got the hang of my powers. Something he was fine with as he typically frequented the facility anyway.
In fact, the entire crew apparently used the gym regularly. Faultline had acquired it years ago when she originally made the Palanquin her base of operations. The majority of the building was underground, a massive concrete gym several dozen meters below the surface. It held practically everything you would need to train a parahuman or regular person.
Squat racks, treadmills, dumbbells and barbells, punching bags, and other things you would see in a normal gym. That was just the regular stuff, there were several things in the gym that clearly catered to the parahumans that used it most often.
Monkey bars ran along the top of the room, spaced seemingly at random and clearly catering to Newter's more agility based fighting style if the way he was moving about on them was any indication. There was also a set of massive weights, more than likely several tons of steel, probably for Gregor.
There was a see through box in one corner of the room. In the middle was a soft looking chair who's cushions looked slightly worn, as if it had been sat in regularly for several hours at a time. It was most likely meant for Labyrinth if what Faultline had told me about her power was any indication.
And while I couldn't see anything clearly meant for the leader herself, given that she was a Striker, she probably just sparred with one of the others for practice. Something which I would also have to do until the materials she had ordered came in.
"...85…86…87…!"
I had asked for a large variety of materials to test my powers on. Tungsten, graphene, gallium, and quartz. Things that I thought would be the most interesting for my power to interact with and test out.
Tungsten for its strength, Graphene for its flexibility, Gallium due to its propensity to change between liquid and solid freely, and Quartz for its healing properties.
That last one was what I was most interested in.
Since my little explosive episode at Christine's house, I had been testing the healing properties of my power to their fullest extent, breaking my body in various ways to see what did and didn't heal. My experimentation, which my new boss was not happy to find out about, had yielded interesting results.
When transformed my powers healed me passively, the speed changing depending on what I was made of at the time of injury. If I was made of concrete for example, Cracks in my skin would seal in minutes, missing pieces would fill themselves in even slower, things like that. And although I hadn't tested my ability to regrow missing limbs, even I knew that was going too far, I had a theory.
From what I now knew, the damage I had done to myself at Christine's house should have taken around thirty five minutes or so to heal. Instead, after I had once again melded with the wall, it had healed immediately, repairing my arm and hand in seconds. Further experimentation led me to an interesting conclusion.
Apparently, if I immersed myself in a material, any damage I had sustained was healed immediately at the cost of the surrounding material and stamina proportional to the injury. The same went for if I was damaged while not transformed, as long as I immersed myself into something quick enough, the damage would be healed, bruises and scrapes disappearing as if they never existed.
Which leads me to what I was doing now.
"...97…98…99…100!" I fell back down to the floor, panting with exhaustion. Sweat soaked my t-shirt and I could tell I had torn several muscles in my arms and shoulders. That was ok though. I focused on my power, feeling my body change to match the cool concrete under me before I let myself sink in, melding with the floor.
I spent a moment down there before emerging once more, climbing out of the floor like a zombie and shutting off my power, feeling my body turn back to flesh and bone once more.
I sighed happily, only a little tired as I rolled my shoulders to get rid of any lingering stiffness. I looked over at the nearest wall, observing myself in the mirror that hung there. I brought my arms up and flexed, grinning as I observed the now visible muscles where there were none before. My grin widened as I lifted my shirt, revealing the now visible abs on my pale skin.
"That's totally not fair, you know." I heard from above me and I looked up to see Newter staring down at me as he hung from the bars above by his tail, "Tearing your muscles and healing them is cheating. You should have to put in work to build muscle like the rest of us." He complained.
I just stuck my tongue out at him, "You're just jealous you can't do it too."
He stuck his tongue out right back, "Well duh. Can you imagine how good I'd look if I could build muscle like you? I wouldn't be able to keep the ladies off me." He smirked, letting go of the bar and flipping himself upright as he landed solidly on the ground. He patted his shoulder to remove some invisible dust, "Not like they can keep their hands off me anyway." He gloated, motioning for me to follow him.
I snorted, "Sure casanova. Whatever you say." I followed him over to the small matted arena at the edge of the room, pulling off my t-shirt and leaving me in just a sports bra and sweatpants.
Normally I'd be more leery at wearing something so revealing around a boy my age but Newter wasn't that kind of guy and he'd been nothing but professional so far. I knew I had nothing to worry about.
His smirk widened, and he proved me wrong immediately, "You're just jealous I'm so popular with the ladies and you aren't." He grinned smugly as we reached the mats. "Green doesn't look good on you Valerie."
I scoffed, coming to a stop a few feet away from him as he turned to face me, "Please. Everything looks good on me. And I'm twice as popular with the ladies than you will ever be." I tilted my neck this way and that, popping it and rolling my shoulders again to limber up. I grinned as Newter crouched down on all fours on the other side of the ring.
"So Mr. Popular, same rules as usual?" I called over to him, leaning down to touch the hardened plastic under me and activating my power, feeling the increased strength in my limbs. It wasn't much, but this was just a spar and we didn't want to hurt each other.
He grinned, white teeth gleaming as he got ready himself, "Yep. Three direct hits or a submission pin. Winner buys lunch."
I nodded, bringing my fists up in a makeshift boxer's stance, "You count us down."
His tail swished in the air behind him as we stared at each other, "Three."
"Two." My legs tensed in preparation and his eyes narrowed.
"One."
We leapt at each other, meeting in the middle. Newter's arm immediately swung for my side and I darted out of the way, reaching out with my arms in an effort to grab him and pin him down with my enhanced strength, ending the spar quickly.
He anticipated my move and ducked, slipping under my reaching arms and darting into my guard. He struck out with his fist, nailing me in the ribs with the thud of skin meeting hard plastic.
I swung out with my right arm, forcing him to back off which he did with a smirk. He crouched down again on the other side of the arena, "That's one." He gloated playfully.
I narrowed my eyes lightly, bouncing on the balls of my feet as he raced toward me again. He was faster than me and much more agile owing to his lizard-like biology. If I wanted to actually get him, I'd need to get tricky.
As he got closer, I widened my stance and opened my arms, once again appearing like I was going to try to grab him around his middle. He smirked as he approached, believing I was trying the same trick once more.
He darted forward, moving from side to side so I wouldn't know which side of me he was targeting. I kept my arms spread as he approached, before quickly closing my guard as soon he got close enough and swinging out with a fist aimed at his ribs.
His eyes widened with surprise at the approaching attack and I grinned internally, "Got Ya!"
My own eyes widened, my fist passing through empty air as Newter bent himself backwards at the waist, forming a nearly ninety degree angle like some freaky contortionist. I caught sight of his smirking face a moment before I caught a foot to the jaw.
I staggered backwards, more shocked than hurt, and Newter laughed as he bent himself back upright, "Nice one! You almost had me there!"
I growled playfully as I worked my jaw, "The hell was that? You planning to join the circus or something?"
He grinned, "Or something. You didn't think a melee fighter like me wouldn't have his trick did you?" He tutted lightly, "C'mon Val. I've been fighting for years at this point. You're gonna have to do a lot better than that."
I smirked, darting down and placing a palm on the floor. I exerted my power and softened the mat under his feet, making him sink down into the floor with a yelp, he bright his hands down to soften his fall only for them to sink in as well. I hardened the floor immediately after he began struggling, leaving him trapped in the now solid plastic.
I rose back up, grinning softly as I began to walk over to him, "How's that for better?" I gloated as he struggled to free himself.
He glared up at me, "Since when could you do that!?"
I smirked, leaning over with a hand on his back as I inspected my fingernails, "Since just now." I stated simply, relishing in my victory.
He spent another second trying to free himself before stopping, seemingly giving up. I looked down at him with a smirk, "Do you submit?" I asked playfully.
He closed his eyes and scrunched his brow in thought, "Hmm. See I would. If not for one thing."
I raised an eyebrow curiously, "And what would that be?"
"Tail." He stated simply.
*Wham!
I suddenly found myself lying on my stomach, the back of my head throbbing lightly. I groaned as I realized what had just happened. While I had trapped his arms and legs in the mat, his tail was prehensile, meaning he could move it like a fifth limb, which he did when he slammed it into the back of my head.
I lifted my face from the floor as I heard Newter's laughter. "And that makes three. That's my win." He smirked at me from his position in the floor and I sighed in mock sadness.
"Yeah yeah. That's your win." I grumbled as I stood up, "I hate that damn tail of yours. I always forget to watch for it." I complained.
He just smirked again, looking distinctly smug for someone completely immobilized, "Yeah well, maybe you should grow one of your own. The ladies love it, you know?" He waggled his eyebrows and I let out a laugh.
"Sure they do Newter. Sure they do." I shook my head at his antics.
"As fun as being trapped in solid plastic is, my back is starting to hurt. Think you could let me up now. Pretty please?" He faux pouted, lips wobbling like a child about to cry.
I laughed as I placed my hand on the mat. "I guess so. Don't male me regret it Mr. Popular."
He grinned as I let him go from my power, levering himself up with that damn tail until he was standing upright. He walked over and clapped me on my shoulder, "Come on, let's go get cleaned up. The club should be popping right about now and I've got some people I wanna introduce you to. And I want my free lunch."
I shook my head in amusement as I went to retrieve my t-shirt, "You know we get free lunch right? We own the place. Or at least our boss does."
He just grinned mischievously, "Yeah but it tastes so much better if someone else pays for it. Now come on! I want some hot wings."
I just laughed, turning off my power as I followed him and feeling a light tiredness set in. A relaxing shower sounded nice right about now.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
PeachTree1, JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200
Merc Work 2.2
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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- 185
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- 8,910
'This place is pretty busy today.' I mused to myself as I observed the packed space below me. The Palanquin was indeed extremely busy, dozens of bodies packed like sardines on the dancefloor as they grinded up against one another in a music induced frenzy.
The music, extremely heavy with bass, thrummed powerfully through my fingers as I rested my hand on the metal railing of the balcony overlooking the dance floor. There were a few people up here with me given that I was technically in the VIP section of the club. I probably would've gotten a few mean looks for it, were it not for the domino mask on my face.
Well that, and the fact that my skin was currently made of metal.
My fingers glinted under the pulsing lights above me as I tapped along to the song playing over the deafening speakers, careful not to press down too hard so I didn't leave indents in the metal. Despite all that had happened only a month or so ago, the past few weeks had been…nice. I had found a new group to care about in the Crew, a new friend in Newter, and my relationship with Christine was getting better. All in all, things were looking up.
If only it hadn't cost me my parents, my home, my life…
I shook my head, not willing to dwell on those depressing thoughts. It had happened, I had mourned, it was time to move on. There was no point dwelling on things I couldn't change. Some may call it a fatalistic point of view but I had always been nothing if not practical.
Of course, I fully intended to kill Hookwolf the first chance I got, but until then, I wasn't going to let my desire for revenge consume my life. My parents wouldn't want that for me.
I was jolted out of my thoughts by a sudden pressure on my ankle. I looked down and raised a foot, ready to stomp down on whatever unfortunate creature had decided to invade my personal space, only to stop as I caught sight of the orange skin of the appendage currently holding my ankle in its grip.
I lowered my foot back to the floor and leaned over the railing, spying Newter hanging from the balcony by my ankle. Several people below were staring up at him curiously, "Newter, what the hell?! Don't scare me like that, I nearly broke your hand! You know how strong I am when I'm transformed like this you idiot!"
He grinned from his position under me before transferring his grip to the balcony itself and, with a small grunt of exertion, flipping himself up and over the railing, landing on his feet in a stunning display of agility.
Claps sounded out from down below and Newter turned and gave a theatrical bow to the civilians down below, "Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind!" He raised back up, blowing a few kisses to his adoring crowd like a thespian on a well lit stage. "I am truly sorry my adoring fans, but I must go. There is another fan who requires my attention."
He turned to me and grinned as I shook my head in bemusement, "Another fan huh?" I snorted at him, "I should have stomped on your hand." I motioned for him to follow me, leading him to a quiet booth away from the roaring of his 'fans'.
Newter just smirked as he followed me, "Ah, but then you would have to explain to Faultline why her favorite crew member is injured. Imagine how embarrassing that would be."
I snorted as I closed the door behind us, causing the sound of the nightclub to be reduced to a dull drone as the soundproof room did its job. I sat down in a booth, deactivating my power and sighing as I felt the plush cushions mold to the shape of my body.
I just took a moment to enjoy the sensation of the cool cushions pressing up against my skin before turning back to Newter who had sat across from me in the meantime, "Please, we all know Elle is her favorite. And if not her then Gregor."
Newter put on a thinking face, "Yeah, Elle is pretty cool when she's awake. I guess I'll concede the first place spot to her." I opened my mouth to speak, only to be stopped as he slammed his hand on the table in between us, "But there's no way Gregor is ahead of me! I'm like the lovable little brother of the crew, much better than that big lug!" He exclaimed in outrage.
I just smirked, leaning forward in my seat, "I dunno Newt, have you seen Gregor? With that soft spoken accent of his and his massive frame, he totally gives off favorite uncle vibes. There's no way you can compete with that. You'll just have to concede second place too" I held my hands up in a 'what can you do?' gesture.
"Oi!" He pointed at me in mock anger, "I'll have you know that lovable brother beats out favorite uncle any day of the week! You're just jealous that you're dead last in rankings."
Now it was my turn to be outraged, "Hey! I may be new, but have you seen me?" I gestured at myself. I was currently wearing a pair of faded skinny jeans and a tight black t-shirt showing off my pale arms, or more specifically, the toned muscles that they were now composed of. All that training had paid off in spades and now I had a physique any boy my age would dream of.
"I'm hot. And hot blonds beat out lovable brothers any day of the week." I stated smugly, kicking my feet up to rest on the table between us.
"And you're so humble too. Dirty cheater." He grumbled dryly.
I just grinned unrepentantly. My powers gave me increased strength but that didn't mean I wasn't an eighteen year old ex highschooler, I wanted six pack abs like anyone else my age. And if my powers just so happened to make achieving that significantly easier, well, that was even better.
"Anyway miss humble," Newter started, "I didn't just come up here to banter. Fun as it's been."
I frowned lightly, "You're telling me you didn't come up here just to experience my wonderful personality? I'm hurt Newter, truly I am."
He snorted, "You'll get over it I'm sure." He stood, stretching, "Now do you wanna hear why I came up here or not?"
I brought a hand to my chin, rubbing it in mock thought, "I dunno. My feelings are pretty hurt right now. I might need some time to recover before I keep talking to you. You should know better than to toy with a girl's emotions you know. It can be devastating." I put my hand on my forehead, leaning back and closing my eyes like an old timey maiden about to faint.
"Uh huh, sure it can." He said dryly, "And I guess your feelings are too devastated to take the solo job Faultline's offering you?" He shrugged, even as I processed what he had said, "That's fine, I don't mind earning some extra cash."
My eyes snapped open and I shot up, turning toward Newter who had a massive smug grin on his face, "Wait wait wait! I didn't say that!" I spoke hurriedly.
In the past few weeks I had been on a couple of jobs, mostly just shadowing another member of the crew so I could see how we operate. I still got paid of course, but not nearly as much as I would have if I was an active participant or by myself. And while it was nice having a bit of money coming in, I knew it could be more.
I had asked Faultline if she could give me a solo job. Nothing too difficult, just something simple that would help me start building some funds. She had said she would see what she could do, something that at the time, I took to mean no. I understood of course, I've only been a parahuman for about a month, of course she wouldn't feel comfortable sending me on a job by myself.
Instead, it turned out she had actually listened to my request and looked for a job that I could do by myself.
I righted myself in my seat, leaning across toward the grinning Newter eagerly, "Of course I'll take the job! What is it!?"
He laughed, "Calm down Val, I'm not gonna take it. I was just messing with you." He reached into one of the large pockets of his cargo pants and retrieved a manilla envelope. He placed it on the table between us before sliding it across to me.
"You aren't as funny as you think you are." I grumbled as I caught the envelope in my grip. He laughed as I opened the top of the envelope and retrieved its contents, a piece of paper detailing the contract and a photo. I placed the photo on the table as I looked through the contract first.
My eyes eagerly roved over the paper as I read through it. It was a simple bodyguard contract. Some rich business man was coming to the Bay to close a deal with Medhall Pharmaceutical and had apparently heard about the volatile nature of the city. He was worried he would be robbed or something similar while here and had decided to hire a bodyguard.
He had been introduced to our crew by some of his associates and decided to hire us to protect him for his short stay in the city, a little over sixteen hours. He was offering ten grand to the recipient of the contract, a good bit above Faultline's standard rate for a job like this.
As I continued reading over the contract, I felt a small frown form settle on my face. Apparently, the location of the meeting was set deep into Empire territory, not too far from my old neighborhood. In fact, the maker of the contract, David Beller, had cited the location as the reason for the increased pay.
I set the contract down and picked up the photo, and I immediately discovered why the man was so worried.
David Beller was a black man. In the picture he was wearing a sharp grey suit with a dark blue tie. His hair was cropped short and he had a full beard that curved nicely around his white toothed smile. I felt my frown deepen as I studied the photo.
"What's wrong?" Newter asked me from across the table as he saw my frown.
I shook my head, "This whole thing stinks of shady corporate shit. The contractor is black and he's being sent to attend a meeting a block away from my old house. The contract doesn't say anything about his company giving him funds to hire bodyguards for him so he must be doing this out of his own pocket."
I placed the photo on the table, "A black business man being sent into the middle of Empire territory for a business deal that could be held anywhere else in the Bay? It doesn't make sense. The meeting is a formality at best if the contract is to be believed."
Newter frowned as well as he caught on to what I was getting at, "You think he's being set up."
I nodded as I picked up the contract, looking for anything else that would give me insight into what the man was thinking and finding nothing, "It's the only thing I could think of that makes sense. You know how ruthless those corporate types are, maybe he shit in someone's shoes high up at the company and now they want him, if not gone, then at least out of the picture. Hospitalized by a 'random' mugger who had an issue with his skin tone."
I sighed lightly as I placed the contract back on the table, "Of course my first solo job would be some type of shit like this."
Newter hummed in agreement, "So you still gonna take the job? I could ask Melanie to find another one for you. She probably wouldn't be happy about it but I'm sure she'd understand."
I just grinned as I gathered the contract and photo and placed them back into the envelope, "Are you kidding? You think I'd give up an opportunity to foil some shady corporate business and possibly kick the Empire in the teeth at the same time? Of course I'm gonna take it."
Newter laughed, looking oddly pleased with my decision, "Alright then, I'll tell her you accept. The client should be here sometime tomorrow morning so I'd go ahead and get some sleep. Don't want to be tired on your first big job."
I nodded as I closed the envelope and stood up, beginning to make my way out of the enclosed booth, "I'll go do that, see you later Newt."
He waved back at me as I placed my hand on the doorknob and activated my power, my skin being overtaken with a metallic sheen as it changed to match the material of the small piece of metal. I took a moment to get used to my form, I didn't want to crush the doorknob by accident, before turning the handle softly.
I opened the door and was immediately blasted with a cacophony of sound from the busy nightclub. I ignored the sound and made a beeline for the stairs to the upper floors of the Palanquin, my mind abuzz with thoughts of my impending job.
While I wasn't exactly happy to return to my old neighborhood so soon, I knew it was eventually gonna happen. All things considered, I was actually kind of happy the contract was so close by, it was familiar territory after all.
'Still…' I thought to myself as I walked through the base proper, waving hi to Gregor as I passed by him cooking something in the kitchen, 'I'm not sure I like how much this job stinks of corporate espionage' Distantly, I wondered if the man knew he was likely being set up. Considering that he had gone out of his way to hire a bodyguard, it was likely, but given that this was Brockton Bay, it was also common sense.
"Oh well." I said out loud as I entered my bedroom, "I'll find out tomorrow either way." For now I needed to get some sleep, Newter was right, it would be a bad look to show up to my first big job half asleep and I was going to be in enemy territory tomorrow so I needed to stay sharp.
And if I just happened to come across any Empire members on the job, well, it's hard to mug somebody with several broken bones, and I could hardly be blamed for wanting to keep my client as safe as possible.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200 if you'd like to read them early and support me at the same time. Five bucks gets you chapters as soon as I finish them
The music, extremely heavy with bass, thrummed powerfully through my fingers as I rested my hand on the metal railing of the balcony overlooking the dance floor. There were a few people up here with me given that I was technically in the VIP section of the club. I probably would've gotten a few mean looks for it, were it not for the domino mask on my face.
Well that, and the fact that my skin was currently made of metal.
My fingers glinted under the pulsing lights above me as I tapped along to the song playing over the deafening speakers, careful not to press down too hard so I didn't leave indents in the metal. Despite all that had happened only a month or so ago, the past few weeks had been…nice. I had found a new group to care about in the Crew, a new friend in Newter, and my relationship with Christine was getting better. All in all, things were looking up.
If only it hadn't cost me my parents, my home, my life…
I shook my head, not willing to dwell on those depressing thoughts. It had happened, I had mourned, it was time to move on. There was no point dwelling on things I couldn't change. Some may call it a fatalistic point of view but I had always been nothing if not practical.
Of course, I fully intended to kill Hookwolf the first chance I got, but until then, I wasn't going to let my desire for revenge consume my life. My parents wouldn't want that for me.
I was jolted out of my thoughts by a sudden pressure on my ankle. I looked down and raised a foot, ready to stomp down on whatever unfortunate creature had decided to invade my personal space, only to stop as I caught sight of the orange skin of the appendage currently holding my ankle in its grip.
I lowered my foot back to the floor and leaned over the railing, spying Newter hanging from the balcony by my ankle. Several people below were staring up at him curiously, "Newter, what the hell?! Don't scare me like that, I nearly broke your hand! You know how strong I am when I'm transformed like this you idiot!"
He grinned from his position under me before transferring his grip to the balcony itself and, with a small grunt of exertion, flipping himself up and over the railing, landing on his feet in a stunning display of agility.
Claps sounded out from down below and Newter turned and gave a theatrical bow to the civilians down below, "Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind!" He raised back up, blowing a few kisses to his adoring crowd like a thespian on a well lit stage. "I am truly sorry my adoring fans, but I must go. There is another fan who requires my attention."
He turned to me and grinned as I shook my head in bemusement, "Another fan huh?" I snorted at him, "I should have stomped on your hand." I motioned for him to follow me, leading him to a quiet booth away from the roaring of his 'fans'.
Newter just smirked as he followed me, "Ah, but then you would have to explain to Faultline why her favorite crew member is injured. Imagine how embarrassing that would be."
I snorted as I closed the door behind us, causing the sound of the nightclub to be reduced to a dull drone as the soundproof room did its job. I sat down in a booth, deactivating my power and sighing as I felt the plush cushions mold to the shape of my body.
I just took a moment to enjoy the sensation of the cool cushions pressing up against my skin before turning back to Newter who had sat across from me in the meantime, "Please, we all know Elle is her favorite. And if not her then Gregor."
Newter put on a thinking face, "Yeah, Elle is pretty cool when she's awake. I guess I'll concede the first place spot to her." I opened my mouth to speak, only to be stopped as he slammed his hand on the table in between us, "But there's no way Gregor is ahead of me! I'm like the lovable little brother of the crew, much better than that big lug!" He exclaimed in outrage.
I just smirked, leaning forward in my seat, "I dunno Newt, have you seen Gregor? With that soft spoken accent of his and his massive frame, he totally gives off favorite uncle vibes. There's no way you can compete with that. You'll just have to concede second place too" I held my hands up in a 'what can you do?' gesture.
"Oi!" He pointed at me in mock anger, "I'll have you know that lovable brother beats out favorite uncle any day of the week! You're just jealous that you're dead last in rankings."
Now it was my turn to be outraged, "Hey! I may be new, but have you seen me?" I gestured at myself. I was currently wearing a pair of faded skinny jeans and a tight black t-shirt showing off my pale arms, or more specifically, the toned muscles that they were now composed of. All that training had paid off in spades and now I had a physique any boy my age would dream of.
"I'm hot. And hot blonds beat out lovable brothers any day of the week." I stated smugly, kicking my feet up to rest on the table between us.
"And you're so humble too. Dirty cheater." He grumbled dryly.
I just grinned unrepentantly. My powers gave me increased strength but that didn't mean I wasn't an eighteen year old ex highschooler, I wanted six pack abs like anyone else my age. And if my powers just so happened to make achieving that significantly easier, well, that was even better.
"Anyway miss humble," Newter started, "I didn't just come up here to banter. Fun as it's been."
I frowned lightly, "You're telling me you didn't come up here just to experience my wonderful personality? I'm hurt Newter, truly I am."
He snorted, "You'll get over it I'm sure." He stood, stretching, "Now do you wanna hear why I came up here or not?"
I brought a hand to my chin, rubbing it in mock thought, "I dunno. My feelings are pretty hurt right now. I might need some time to recover before I keep talking to you. You should know better than to toy with a girl's emotions you know. It can be devastating." I put my hand on my forehead, leaning back and closing my eyes like an old timey maiden about to faint.
"Uh huh, sure it can." He said dryly, "And I guess your feelings are too devastated to take the solo job Faultline's offering you?" He shrugged, even as I processed what he had said, "That's fine, I don't mind earning some extra cash."
My eyes snapped open and I shot up, turning toward Newter who had a massive smug grin on his face, "Wait wait wait! I didn't say that!" I spoke hurriedly.
In the past few weeks I had been on a couple of jobs, mostly just shadowing another member of the crew so I could see how we operate. I still got paid of course, but not nearly as much as I would have if I was an active participant or by myself. And while it was nice having a bit of money coming in, I knew it could be more.
I had asked Faultline if she could give me a solo job. Nothing too difficult, just something simple that would help me start building some funds. She had said she would see what she could do, something that at the time, I took to mean no. I understood of course, I've only been a parahuman for about a month, of course she wouldn't feel comfortable sending me on a job by myself.
Instead, it turned out she had actually listened to my request and looked for a job that I could do by myself.
I righted myself in my seat, leaning across toward the grinning Newter eagerly, "Of course I'll take the job! What is it!?"
He laughed, "Calm down Val, I'm not gonna take it. I was just messing with you." He reached into one of the large pockets of his cargo pants and retrieved a manilla envelope. He placed it on the table between us before sliding it across to me.
"You aren't as funny as you think you are." I grumbled as I caught the envelope in my grip. He laughed as I opened the top of the envelope and retrieved its contents, a piece of paper detailing the contract and a photo. I placed the photo on the table as I looked through the contract first.
My eyes eagerly roved over the paper as I read through it. It was a simple bodyguard contract. Some rich business man was coming to the Bay to close a deal with Medhall Pharmaceutical and had apparently heard about the volatile nature of the city. He was worried he would be robbed or something similar while here and had decided to hire a bodyguard.
He had been introduced to our crew by some of his associates and decided to hire us to protect him for his short stay in the city, a little over sixteen hours. He was offering ten grand to the recipient of the contract, a good bit above Faultline's standard rate for a job like this.
As I continued reading over the contract, I felt a small frown form settle on my face. Apparently, the location of the meeting was set deep into Empire territory, not too far from my old neighborhood. In fact, the maker of the contract, David Beller, had cited the location as the reason for the increased pay.
I set the contract down and picked up the photo, and I immediately discovered why the man was so worried.
David Beller was a black man. In the picture he was wearing a sharp grey suit with a dark blue tie. His hair was cropped short and he had a full beard that curved nicely around his white toothed smile. I felt my frown deepen as I studied the photo.
"What's wrong?" Newter asked me from across the table as he saw my frown.
I shook my head, "This whole thing stinks of shady corporate shit. The contractor is black and he's being sent to attend a meeting a block away from my old house. The contract doesn't say anything about his company giving him funds to hire bodyguards for him so he must be doing this out of his own pocket."
I placed the photo on the table, "A black business man being sent into the middle of Empire territory for a business deal that could be held anywhere else in the Bay? It doesn't make sense. The meeting is a formality at best if the contract is to be believed."
Newter frowned as well as he caught on to what I was getting at, "You think he's being set up."
I nodded as I picked up the contract, looking for anything else that would give me insight into what the man was thinking and finding nothing, "It's the only thing I could think of that makes sense. You know how ruthless those corporate types are, maybe he shit in someone's shoes high up at the company and now they want him, if not gone, then at least out of the picture. Hospitalized by a 'random' mugger who had an issue with his skin tone."
I sighed lightly as I placed the contract back on the table, "Of course my first solo job would be some type of shit like this."
Newter hummed in agreement, "So you still gonna take the job? I could ask Melanie to find another one for you. She probably wouldn't be happy about it but I'm sure she'd understand."
I just grinned as I gathered the contract and photo and placed them back into the envelope, "Are you kidding? You think I'd give up an opportunity to foil some shady corporate business and possibly kick the Empire in the teeth at the same time? Of course I'm gonna take it."
Newter laughed, looking oddly pleased with my decision, "Alright then, I'll tell her you accept. The client should be here sometime tomorrow morning so I'd go ahead and get some sleep. Don't want to be tired on your first big job."
I nodded as I closed the envelope and stood up, beginning to make my way out of the enclosed booth, "I'll go do that, see you later Newt."
He waved back at me as I placed my hand on the doorknob and activated my power, my skin being overtaken with a metallic sheen as it changed to match the material of the small piece of metal. I took a moment to get used to my form, I didn't want to crush the doorknob by accident, before turning the handle softly.
I opened the door and was immediately blasted with a cacophony of sound from the busy nightclub. I ignored the sound and made a beeline for the stairs to the upper floors of the Palanquin, my mind abuzz with thoughts of my impending job.
While I wasn't exactly happy to return to my old neighborhood so soon, I knew it was eventually gonna happen. All things considered, I was actually kind of happy the contract was so close by, it was familiar territory after all.
'Still…' I thought to myself as I walked through the base proper, waving hi to Gregor as I passed by him cooking something in the kitchen, 'I'm not sure I like how much this job stinks of corporate espionage' Distantly, I wondered if the man knew he was likely being set up. Considering that he had gone out of his way to hire a bodyguard, it was likely, but given that this was Brockton Bay, it was also common sense.
"Oh well." I said out loud as I entered my bedroom, "I'll find out tomorrow either way." For now I needed to get some sleep, Newter was right, it would be a bad look to show up to my first big job half asleep and I was going to be in enemy territory tomorrow so I needed to stay sharp.
And if I just happened to come across any Empire members on the job, well, it's hard to mug somebody with several broken bones, and I could hardly be blamed for wanting to keep my client as safe as possible.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my https://www.patreon.com/user?u=76390200 if you'd like to read them early and support me at the same time. Five bucks gets you chapters as soon as I finish them
Last edited:
Merc Work 2.3
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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I inspected myself in the full length mirror beside the door, turning myself this way and that as I checked my costume for any imperfections. It was a simple costume, somewhat amateurish as I hadn't had the opportunity to get one made by a professional. Despite that, I was happy with what I saw.
My face was obscured by a metal mask. Other than the nose and lips, it was mostly featureless except for the flowery decals around the eyes. My long hair was held in a braid that fell across my shoulder, mostly hidden under the hood of my dark grey hoodie and giving less for my enemies to grab onto.
The mask had originally been one of those porcelain masks that you'd see in a theater, but I had decided against having something as fragile as porcelain stuck on my face given my profession and altered it with my power, turning it to metal. An upside to that was that my power now considered the mask a part of me and it changed along with my skin, something I had been happy to find out.
I brought my gaze away from my mask to the rest of my body, Fingerless gloves enveloped my hands, tips of my fingers exposed so as to allow me a way to activate my power more readily, an idea I had gotten from Faultline.
My legs were covered by durable cargo pants held together by a leather belt. A steel buckle sat in the center of the belt, easily in reach in case I needed to toughen up quickly by changing forms. It was mostly there as a backup as I doubted I would ever be in costume and not transformed unless I was at the Palanquin.
That wasn't even mentioning the items held in the numerous pockets of my cargo pants, ready for use whenever I needed them..
While Faultline still hadn't been able to acquire most of the materials I had asked for, apparently the shipping process was taking longer than usual, she had been able to get some of them, most notably the quartz and gallium.
I had been disappointed to find out that using quartz didn't accelerate my healing in any way; apparently my powers didn't consider metaphysical properties as something they were willing to work with and instead just increased my strength. It wasn't a small increase, in fact it was quite massive, it just wasn't what I had been hoping for.
The gallium on the other hand, had been everything I had expected.
Gallium was a liquid metal a lot like mercury. Only unlike mercury, gallium was not only much less toxic, it also had the ability to turn from a solid to a liquid at the slightest change in temperature. My power saw that and apparently decided I should have the ability to switch between those two states as well, only instead of having to wait for a change in temperature, I could do it at will, albeit at the cost of my stamina.
Not only that, but when I was transformed into the metallic material, my shapeshifting abilities were magnified exponentially. Whereas before I was only able to change the side and shape of my limbs and shift around my facial features a bit, now I was able to do so to my entire body by liquifying myself before changing shape. I could also just stay as a wave of silvery liquid, enveloping whatever was in front of me.
The downside was that doing that, liquefying my entire body and changing shape, used a lot of stamina, nearly as much as hot swapping materials two or three times. And while I hadn't had a repeat of the blackout that occurred the first time I experimented with my powers, spending nearly an hour just messing around while transformed like that had made it a near thing. I had spent around a while just laying on my back and trying to catch my breath as my body ached with fatigue.
I had decided to be more careful when using the material in the future, endeavoring to only use it as a last resort. It made sense, there were few threats that would require me to become a tidal wave of liquid metal after all; I had no plans to fight Lung anytime soon.
"And hopefully it will stay that way." I spoke to myself aloud as I turned away from the mirror. I grabbed my phone from the desk beside my bed, silently thanking Faultline for retrieving my belongings from wherever they had been held, and turned on to look at the time.
5:16 am, the screen read and I sighed. The meeting had been set for 7am, and I was due to meet my client at 6am. I had almost a half hour to waste before I even needed to leave the Palanquin.
I took my mask off and placed it on the nightstand before flopping flopped back on my bed with a massive sigh. What was I gonna do for that long? Practically nobody else was in the club, Gregor had gone off to the gym with Newter, and Faultline and Elle had gone shopping leaving the club empty except for me. There was nobody to talk to.
I was startled out of my thoughts by my phone vibrating in my hand, indicating I had a message. I brought the phone to my face, wondering who in the world was texting me this early and at the same time thanking them for the distraction.
1 New Message
From: Christine
"Hey are u awake?"
I blinked in surprise. I was indeed awake, but the fact that Christine happened to be was shocking. It was a Saturday and she was the type of girl to sleep all day given the chance. I shrugged, deciding it must have just been another thing that had changed while we weren't talking.
"Yeah, I'm awake. Did you need something?"
I put my phone down to await her reply only to have to immediately pick it back up again as it vibrated with another message.
"I can't sleep. My parents left for work abt an hour ago and woke me up and now i cant go back to sleep. What r u doing up rn?"
I grimaced at her text speak. I had never been a grammar nazi (Ha! Suck it Empire!) but the way some people texted bothered me a bit.
"I'm just sitting on my bed waiting for 6 to get here. How about you?"
"Same. But i'm not waiting for anything. Why r u waiting?"
I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her given her position in the Empire before shrugging. I'd just keep it vague.
"I've got to meet a client at 6. He hired me as a bodyguard while he's here in the bay."
There, that should be vague enough.
"Oh rly? Is Newter coming with u or did u finally get a solo job?"
"It's just me. Faultline decided I was ready to handle a simple job like this. Though it wouldn't surprise me if she told Newter to shadow me. She's overprotective like that. Enough about me though, why can't you sleep? Something wrong?"
I stared at my phone as I awaited a response, only to frown as those three little dots appeared on her side of the screen and stayed there. I waited almost an entire minute before her response finally appeared.
"No. Nothings wrong."
I frowned harder at the response. Christine of all people taking nearly a minute to type three words, correct punctuation and all? Something was up.
"I don't believe you. What's wrong Chris?"
"Nothing's wrong Val. Don't worry about it."
"Come on dude, we may not have been best friends for the past few years, but I know you. You wouldn't still be up this early unless something was wrong. So spill."
I waited for her response, staring at the white screen in anticipation. One minute passed, then two, and then I nearly dropped my phone as it started ringing in my hands.
Incoming Call
From: Christine
Accept Reject
I blinked in surprise before pressing accept and bringing the phone up to my ear, "Hello?"
"Hey Val." came Christine's voice. She was speaking softly, like she was afraid someone might hear her, "You really can't let anything go can you?
I grinned, shaking my head even though I knew she couldn't see me, "You know me, persistent is my middle name."
She giggled softly though I could tell her heart wasn't in it, "It might as well be." She paused and I could hear her shift on her bed, springs creaking in the background as she adjusted herself, "Are you sure you want me to get into this? I don't want to trouble you right before your first big job."
"I'm sure Chris. If it's got you so worked up you can't sleep, it's probably important. Lay it on me, I'm here for you."
There was a moment of silence where I couldn't hear anything coming from her end and I shifted into a more comfortable position on my bed.
"They've-my bosses I mean, have been putting more pressure on me to join the Empire in a more visible way," she began hesitantly, "They want me to take the initiation test, truly join the cause."
I felt my blood run cold with horror and then hot with rage at what I heard. Empire initiation tests were brutal, bloody things that had more place in a cult than a gang. It required a member, usually one who wanted to move up in the gang, to find a minority and viciously assault them in front of their peers. It often ended in death for the victim as the assailant was egged on by their friends to go further and further.
Christine had been lucky enough not to have to do the initiation as her cousin was one of Kaiser's lieutenants, giving her an instant in with the gang. That's why it made no sense for them to suddenly change their minds.
"Why are they doing it now?" I asked her, mind spinning as I tried to think of a reason for the sudden change.
"I don't know! I just know that Hailey and Trevor have been 'suggesting' we find someone to perform the initiation on when we're out alone! I've been deflecting but they're getting really insistent lately. I'm not sure how much longer I can put it off without raising suspicion. They're already giving me weird looks."
Given the suddenness of their change in attitude, it was possible they already suspected something. Whether it was because she had been friends with me or something else, I had no way of knowing.
"And that's not even the worst thing that's happened recently." She said suddenly.
"What is then?" I asked, wondering what could be worse than what she had already told me.
"I-earlier this morning I overheard my parents talking in the kitchen." She began, "They were talking about ways they could get higher up in the corporate chain at Medhall. They were thinking about calling in favors, blackmail, sabotage, corporate stuff you know. Expected of people that are high up in a company."
I nodded, thinking about the similarities between my contract and my friend's problem.
I heard her take a deep breath, "And then my name was brought up. They started talking about how they could send me to Europe. They talked about how they knew some people over there that could help me 'truly join the cause' like they did with my cousin."
'Kaiser's lieutenant' I remembered.
Her breath hitched, "They were talking about making sure I wasn't too damaged by whatever would happen to me. Like I wasn't their fucking daughter and instead just some asset in their company they didn't want to lose!"
She was crying now, I could hear the hitches in her breath as she tried to force back her tears and speak clearly, "Val, what am I going to do? I don't have any family in the Bay other than them, and they want to send me away to do who knows what to me."
I gripped my phone tightly as I sat up, anger burning hot in my chest at what I had heard, "Hey listen, I am not going to let them do anything to you. I swear Chris, if they so much as put a hand on you, I'll tear that fucking gang apart with my bare hands. I swear I will, Kaiser and the PRT be damned."
Christine and I may not have been on good terms for a little over two years but I still cared about her, probably more than I should all things considered, and I would be damned if the Empire was going to take another thing I care about from me.
I pulled my phone back to look at the time and cursed at what I saw. 5:53 am the screen read, I only had seven minutes to meet my client.
I brought the phone back up to my ear, "Listen, I've got to go and meet with my client. You know where the Palanquin is right?"
"Y-yeah, I think so. It's that nightclub right? The one near the dock?"
I nodded, "Yeah, that's right. If anything happens and you can't reach me, come to the Palanquin, you'll be safe here. I'll make sure they know to let you in ok?"
She sniffled, "Ok…ok. Stay safe Val."
"You too Chris. You too. I'll call you when I get back." I ended the call, mind whirling with all I had learned.
I took a deep breath, taking a moment to calm down before standing and placing my phone into one of the many pockets on my cargo pants. I reached over to the nightstand, grabbing my mask and affixing it to my face and activating my power, turning my skin a metallic silver as I attached the mask to my skin.
I gave myself a once over in the mirror before nodding and making my way out of my room into the halls of the Palanquin proper, beelining to one of the morning staff to make sure they knew of what I had told Christine before I left.
I would deal with everything that had been revealed later, for now I had a client to meet.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my Sadguychet | Patreon if you'd like to read them early and support me at the same time.
I'm finishing up a fourth chapter as I post this which should be released there tomorrow. The five dollar tier gets you chapters as soon as I finish them
My face was obscured by a metal mask. Other than the nose and lips, it was mostly featureless except for the flowery decals around the eyes. My long hair was held in a braid that fell across my shoulder, mostly hidden under the hood of my dark grey hoodie and giving less for my enemies to grab onto.
The mask had originally been one of those porcelain masks that you'd see in a theater, but I had decided against having something as fragile as porcelain stuck on my face given my profession and altered it with my power, turning it to metal. An upside to that was that my power now considered the mask a part of me and it changed along with my skin, something I had been happy to find out.
I brought my gaze away from my mask to the rest of my body, Fingerless gloves enveloped my hands, tips of my fingers exposed so as to allow me a way to activate my power more readily, an idea I had gotten from Faultline.
My legs were covered by durable cargo pants held together by a leather belt. A steel buckle sat in the center of the belt, easily in reach in case I needed to toughen up quickly by changing forms. It was mostly there as a backup as I doubted I would ever be in costume and not transformed unless I was at the Palanquin.
That wasn't even mentioning the items held in the numerous pockets of my cargo pants, ready for use whenever I needed them..
While Faultline still hadn't been able to acquire most of the materials I had asked for, apparently the shipping process was taking longer than usual, she had been able to get some of them, most notably the quartz and gallium.
I had been disappointed to find out that using quartz didn't accelerate my healing in any way; apparently my powers didn't consider metaphysical properties as something they were willing to work with and instead just increased my strength. It wasn't a small increase, in fact it was quite massive, it just wasn't what I had been hoping for.
The gallium on the other hand, had been everything I had expected.
Gallium was a liquid metal a lot like mercury. Only unlike mercury, gallium was not only much less toxic, it also had the ability to turn from a solid to a liquid at the slightest change in temperature. My power saw that and apparently decided I should have the ability to switch between those two states as well, only instead of having to wait for a change in temperature, I could do it at will, albeit at the cost of my stamina.
Not only that, but when I was transformed into the metallic material, my shapeshifting abilities were magnified exponentially. Whereas before I was only able to change the side and shape of my limbs and shift around my facial features a bit, now I was able to do so to my entire body by liquifying myself before changing shape. I could also just stay as a wave of silvery liquid, enveloping whatever was in front of me.
The downside was that doing that, liquefying my entire body and changing shape, used a lot of stamina, nearly as much as hot swapping materials two or three times. And while I hadn't had a repeat of the blackout that occurred the first time I experimented with my powers, spending nearly an hour just messing around while transformed like that had made it a near thing. I had spent around a while just laying on my back and trying to catch my breath as my body ached with fatigue.
I had decided to be more careful when using the material in the future, endeavoring to only use it as a last resort. It made sense, there were few threats that would require me to become a tidal wave of liquid metal after all; I had no plans to fight Lung anytime soon.
"And hopefully it will stay that way." I spoke to myself aloud as I turned away from the mirror. I grabbed my phone from the desk beside my bed, silently thanking Faultline for retrieving my belongings from wherever they had been held, and turned on to look at the time.
5:16 am, the screen read and I sighed. The meeting had been set for 7am, and I was due to meet my client at 6am. I had almost a half hour to waste before I even needed to leave the Palanquin.
I took my mask off and placed it on the nightstand before flopping flopped back on my bed with a massive sigh. What was I gonna do for that long? Practically nobody else was in the club, Gregor had gone off to the gym with Newter, and Faultline and Elle had gone shopping leaving the club empty except for me. There was nobody to talk to.
I was startled out of my thoughts by my phone vibrating in my hand, indicating I had a message. I brought the phone to my face, wondering who in the world was texting me this early and at the same time thanking them for the distraction.
1 New Message
From: Christine
"Hey are u awake?"
I blinked in surprise. I was indeed awake, but the fact that Christine happened to be was shocking. It was a Saturday and she was the type of girl to sleep all day given the chance. I shrugged, deciding it must have just been another thing that had changed while we weren't talking.
"Yeah, I'm awake. Did you need something?"
I put my phone down to await her reply only to have to immediately pick it back up again as it vibrated with another message.
"I can't sleep. My parents left for work abt an hour ago and woke me up and now i cant go back to sleep. What r u doing up rn?"
I grimaced at her text speak. I had never been a grammar nazi (Ha! Suck it Empire!) but the way some people texted bothered me a bit.
"I'm just sitting on my bed waiting for 6 to get here. How about you?"
"Same. But i'm not waiting for anything. Why r u waiting?"
I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her given her position in the Empire before shrugging. I'd just keep it vague.
"I've got to meet a client at 6. He hired me as a bodyguard while he's here in the bay."
There, that should be vague enough.
"Oh rly? Is Newter coming with u or did u finally get a solo job?"
"It's just me. Faultline decided I was ready to handle a simple job like this. Though it wouldn't surprise me if she told Newter to shadow me. She's overprotective like that. Enough about me though, why can't you sleep? Something wrong?"
I stared at my phone as I awaited a response, only to frown as those three little dots appeared on her side of the screen and stayed there. I waited almost an entire minute before her response finally appeared.
"No. Nothings wrong."
I frowned harder at the response. Christine of all people taking nearly a minute to type three words, correct punctuation and all? Something was up.
"I don't believe you. What's wrong Chris?"
"Nothing's wrong Val. Don't worry about it."
"Come on dude, we may not have been best friends for the past few years, but I know you. You wouldn't still be up this early unless something was wrong. So spill."
I waited for her response, staring at the white screen in anticipation. One minute passed, then two, and then I nearly dropped my phone as it started ringing in my hands.
Incoming Call
From: Christine
Accept Reject
I blinked in surprise before pressing accept and bringing the phone up to my ear, "Hello?"
"Hey Val." came Christine's voice. She was speaking softly, like she was afraid someone might hear her, "You really can't let anything go can you?
I grinned, shaking my head even though I knew she couldn't see me, "You know me, persistent is my middle name."
She giggled softly though I could tell her heart wasn't in it, "It might as well be." She paused and I could hear her shift on her bed, springs creaking in the background as she adjusted herself, "Are you sure you want me to get into this? I don't want to trouble you right before your first big job."
"I'm sure Chris. If it's got you so worked up you can't sleep, it's probably important. Lay it on me, I'm here for you."
There was a moment of silence where I couldn't hear anything coming from her end and I shifted into a more comfortable position on my bed.
"They've-my bosses I mean, have been putting more pressure on me to join the Empire in a more visible way," she began hesitantly, "They want me to take the initiation test, truly join the cause."
I felt my blood run cold with horror and then hot with rage at what I heard. Empire initiation tests were brutal, bloody things that had more place in a cult than a gang. It required a member, usually one who wanted to move up in the gang, to find a minority and viciously assault them in front of their peers. It often ended in death for the victim as the assailant was egged on by their friends to go further and further.
Christine had been lucky enough not to have to do the initiation as her cousin was one of Kaiser's lieutenants, giving her an instant in with the gang. That's why it made no sense for them to suddenly change their minds.
"Why are they doing it now?" I asked her, mind spinning as I tried to think of a reason for the sudden change.
"I don't know! I just know that Hailey and Trevor have been 'suggesting' we find someone to perform the initiation on when we're out alone! I've been deflecting but they're getting really insistent lately. I'm not sure how much longer I can put it off without raising suspicion. They're already giving me weird looks."
Given the suddenness of their change in attitude, it was possible they already suspected something. Whether it was because she had been friends with me or something else, I had no way of knowing.
"And that's not even the worst thing that's happened recently." She said suddenly.
"What is then?" I asked, wondering what could be worse than what she had already told me.
"I-earlier this morning I overheard my parents talking in the kitchen." She began, "They were talking about ways they could get higher up in the corporate chain at Medhall. They were thinking about calling in favors, blackmail, sabotage, corporate stuff you know. Expected of people that are high up in a company."
I nodded, thinking about the similarities between my contract and my friend's problem.
I heard her take a deep breath, "And then my name was brought up. They started talking about how they could send me to Europe. They talked about how they knew some people over there that could help me 'truly join the cause' like they did with my cousin."
'Kaiser's lieutenant' I remembered.
Her breath hitched, "They were talking about making sure I wasn't too damaged by whatever would happen to me. Like I wasn't their fucking daughter and instead just some asset in their company they didn't want to lose!"
She was crying now, I could hear the hitches in her breath as she tried to force back her tears and speak clearly, "Val, what am I going to do? I don't have any family in the Bay other than them, and they want to send me away to do who knows what to me."
I gripped my phone tightly as I sat up, anger burning hot in my chest at what I had heard, "Hey listen, I am not going to let them do anything to you. I swear Chris, if they so much as put a hand on you, I'll tear that fucking gang apart with my bare hands. I swear I will, Kaiser and the PRT be damned."
Christine and I may not have been on good terms for a little over two years but I still cared about her, probably more than I should all things considered, and I would be damned if the Empire was going to take another thing I care about from me.
I pulled my phone back to look at the time and cursed at what I saw. 5:53 am the screen read, I only had seven minutes to meet my client.
I brought the phone back up to my ear, "Listen, I've got to go and meet with my client. You know where the Palanquin is right?"
"Y-yeah, I think so. It's that nightclub right? The one near the dock?"
I nodded, "Yeah, that's right. If anything happens and you can't reach me, come to the Palanquin, you'll be safe here. I'll make sure they know to let you in ok?"
She sniffled, "Ok…ok. Stay safe Val."
"You too Chris. You too. I'll call you when I get back." I ended the call, mind whirling with all I had learned.
I took a deep breath, taking a moment to calm down before standing and placing my phone into one of the many pockets on my cargo pants. I reached over to the nightstand, grabbing my mask and affixing it to my face and activating my power, turning my skin a metallic silver as I attached the mask to my skin.
I gave myself a once over in the mirror before nodding and making my way out of my room into the halls of the Palanquin proper, beelining to one of the morning staff to make sure they knew of what I had told Christine before I left.
I would deal with everything that had been revealed later, for now I had a client to meet.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser
Next three chapters are already available on my Sadguychet | Patreon if you'd like to read them early and support me at the same time.
I'm finishing up a fourth chapter as I post this which should be released there tomorrow. The five dollar tier gets you chapters as soon as I finish them
Merc Work 2.4
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
- Messages
- 185
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- 8,910
A thin fog hung in the air as I stood in the alley outside of my hotel. The crisp early morning air caressed my cheeks, somewhat alleviating the heat of the stuffy suit I was wearing. I looked down at my watch, 5:58, my bodyguard should be here any second.
I had been wary of purchasing the services of a mercenary in the first place, but given what I had heard about the Bay, it felt prudent to at least have some form of protection. It just happened to be a happy coincidence that Faultline and her crew were based in the city.
From what I had heard from my compatriots, the few that were still willing to talk to me after the shit storm I kicked up for my boss, Faultline was known to be one of the more trusted mercenaries in the US. She rarely took contracts that she was unsure of her ability to complete, and those she did complete, she did so with nary a complaint from her clients. In other words, she was reliable.
All in all, I felt I had made the right choice purchasing her services, paying a premium to have one of her capes protect me during my time in the nazi infested city of Brockton Brockton.
Speaking of which…
I heard her before I saw her. The heavy thuds of booted feet hitting cement as their owner made her way toward me. Her skin, what I could see of it anyway, glinted in the early morning sun and under her similarly metallic mask, I could see sharp blue eyes peering out at me intently.
I had never seen or heard about her before, but given that she was approaching me so brazenly, I concluded she must be one of Faultline's mercenaries. The woman had said she was sending one of her newer crew members to be my bodyguard, and while I had at first been unhappy about that fact, Faultline had assured me that the cape, Aspect, would be more than up to the task of guarding me.
And given her appearance, I was somewhat reassured of that fact.
She was young, younger than I had thought she would be, maybe 18 or 19 by my estimates. Her costume was simple yet practical, a hoodie and mask to obscure her identity, cargo pants with numerous pockets, and a pair of steel toed boots. Somewhat amateur, but very practical and unassuming.
Or it would be, if it weren't for the way she carried herself, sturdy and unmovable, like she could be attacked with the full force of nature and not budge an inch. Unflinching in the face all that the world would throw at her. I had seen the same demeanor in capes like Alexandria, capes strong enough that they didn't have to worry about everyday struggles like their weaker brethren.
She may be new and younger than some of my coworker's children, but she already carried herself better than some veteran capes I had seen. And if it was all an act, then she was a damn good actress.
I shook myself out of my thoughts as she stepped closer, "Aspect I assume?" I asked.
"You assume right." She said, and the lightness in her voice gave credit to my earlier estimate about her age, "And you must be my client, David Beller. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake, exposed digits gleaming in the light. I took it and could instantly feel the restrained power in her grip, like she was forcibly holding her strength back so as to not crush my hand.
I let go, flexing my hand to rid it of the stiffness and nodded, "Yes I am, it's a pleasure." turned to look at her, "I assume you've read the contract?"
Aspect nodded, crossing her arms under her chest, "Yes I have. You know you're likely being set up right?"
I just sighed, reaching into my back pocket and retrieving a pack of cigarettes, "Yeah, I know." I retrieved a cig, lighting it with the lighter I produced from my other pocket and taking a deep drag. I held it there for a moment, savoring the nicotine circulating through my lungs before exhaling, "I wouldn't come within a hundred miles of this city if they hadn't told me to go. No offense."
She just shrugged uncaringly, "Nah, I get it. The city's a shithole. I'm only still here because I have nowhere else to go. That, and I still have people I care about here." I nodded at that, offering her a smoke from the still nearly full pack. She shook her head, rejecting my offer. I shrugged, even if she's probably underage, it would have felt rude not to at least offer.
"So who'd you piss off to make them send you here? I'm pretty sure sending you to this part of the Bay specifically has to be illegal in some way. It must have been someone high up if you couldn't just tell them to screw off." She asked.
I let out a small laugh at the blunt question, "Yeah sure, if by 'high up' you mean my regional manager. I embarrassed him in front of the people back at home office and he is not happy about it." I took another drag from my cigarette, "If he'd just do his damn job and stop delegating it to me, maybe he'd have nothing to be embarrassed about. Asshole."
Aspect's head tilted in confusion, "Why not just fire you? No offense, but he's your manager, couldn't he just replace you?"
I snorted, "Yeah right. If he fired me, he'd need to hire five other people just to do half of the job I do." I looked down at the nub of a cigarette I now held before putting out on the wall beside me with a spray of hot ash, "The best he could do is make me look bad for his superiors and try to get me demoted, docking my pay while still giving me the same amount of work. Hence him sending me, a black man, to the nazi capital of the US. He's probably hoping I'll get mugged on the way to the meeting and make our company lose out on the deal. The bastard."
She nodded in understanding, "Sounds like a real piece of work. I don't envy you." SHe uncrossed her arms crouched down, placing her exposed fingers on the dirty alley floor. Just as I went to ask what she was doing, I stopped, watching in fascination as the pavement under her fingers seemed to creep up her skin, turning the metallic surface a dull stoney color.
She stood from the ground and cracked her neck, the exposed skin of her collarbone now the same material as the ground under our feet, "Don't worry David, I'll make sure you get to and from that meeting in one piece. You've got my word."
I stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Alright Aspect. I'll put my health into your hands." I looked down at my watch, 6:26am, "We should probably get going. The meeting spot is around fifteen minutes away on foot and it's nearly 6:30." I turned back to her, "So how are we gonna do this? Are you just going to follow behind me, run along the rooftops or something? I don't want the Medhall execs to think I brought some muscle to strong arm them or something equally asinine."
She laughed lightly, "Don't worry David, you won't have to worry about that one bit. In fact…" I watched in astonishment as the asphalt under her feet softened and she began to slowly sink into the once solid ground until only her neck and head remained in the open air. She winked at me from under her mask, "They won't even know I'm here." She sank the rest of the way down, leaving me seemingly alone in the now empty alley.
I looked around, searching for any sign of the cape I hired and finding none. I laughed and nodded, "Well, alright then."
I walked out of the alley, feeling much safer walking through the streets than I had before.
~~~
'I should've grabbed my phone before I melded.' I thought to myself as I sighed into my palm. I was currently half immersed into the building below me, leaving the upper half of my body sticking out of the ground like a carrot ready to be picked.
It was an odd sensation as I could both sense the room I was melded with, and still had all the senses that my upper body experienced. There was little to no disconnect between the two and it had left me somewhat disoriented at first. Luckily I had adapted quickly, and was able to keep an eye on my client without actually being in the room with him.
In fact, in the room directly under me David was currently in his meeting with the Medhall executives. There was a lot of corporate jargon being thrown about and even if I was actually in the room with them, I doubt I would have been able to understand any of it.
I sighed, turning my attention away from the meeting, sure that nothing would happen to David, "I really wish I had something to cut through this mind numbing boredom." I complained out loud.
"Hey you! What are you doing down there!?" I heard from above me. I looked up, bringing my hand in front of my eyes to shield them from the rising sun as I searched for the owner of the voice. It only took a moment before I spotted her, hovering a few dozen feet above me as she was.
Long blond hair, what wasn't held in place by her red headband, blew lightly in the morning breeze as blue eyes stared down at me. She was wearing a white and magenta costume with a stylized arrow going diagonally from left to right. Half a dozen lines trailed behind it over her left shoulder, with a single line zigzagging across the others.
Faultline had insisted I research all of the capes in Brockton Bay and as such, I recognized her as a member of New Wave. Crystal Pelham Aka Laserdream, New Wave's resident Blaster. Although from what I read, she didn't really patrol much anymore which made me wonder what she was doing floating around this early.
'Either way, she'll probably alleviate my boredom!' I thought happily.
"I've never seen you around before," She continued as she floated closer, though I noticed that she stayed well out of my reach while I was still very much in hers, "What are you doing stuck in the building like that? I can't imagine the owners would be happy if they knew you were up here doing that." She said, crossing her arms at me and raising an eyebrow.
I just shrugged at her statement, "Probably not. But my client is currently in a meeting in the room below me. I'm keeping an eye on him because I've been paid to guard him."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You're a bodyguard?"
"No, I'm not a bodyguard. I'm a mercenary. Or well, I'm a mercenary who he paid to be a bodyguard so I guess I am a bodyguard. Or at least I am for as long as he pays me to be one?" I shook my head as Laserdream stared at me in bewilderment at my little tangent, I was not willing to get into the semantics regarding my profession.
"Nevermind. I'm with Faultline, just joined up recently. I'm Aspect. This guy paid me to keep an eye on him so that's what I'm doing." I almost held my hand out to shake, before remembering that most people wouldn't be willing to shake the hand of an unknown cape.
In all honesty, I probably shouldn't be revealing this much, but given that Laserdream was a hero, she probably would have found out eventually from one of her fellow heroes, hopefully not one of the ones who hates us though.
Mercenaries sat in a moral grey area with most hero groups, there were some that thought we were all just villains who should be locked up, and there were those who saw us as potential assets they could use when the situation called for it. It really just depended on the group.
I had no idea what New Wave's policies on mercs were, but given that Laserdream hadn't tried to blast my face off or whatever, they were probably fine with it. Or she was just chill, it could be either one.
She hummed in disbelief, "How are you doing that? You got eyes on your legs or something?"
I shrugged, "Or something. Rest assured, I can see everything that's happening below us."
I could tell she didn't believe me. Or at least if she did, she was still wondering how exactly I was doing it if her confused gaze was any indication.
I prepared to continue explaining, only to stop as I heard something from lower in the building. The scraping of chairs rolling across the floor and the soft murmur of people exchanging cordial goodbyes. The meeting was over.
I debated for a moment in my head, before looking back up toward Laserdream who was watching me in confusion at my sudden silence. "The meeting just let out." I explained, and she looked surprised, "I've got to escort him back to his hotel, you wanna come with?"
She made a thinking face for a moment, before uncrossing her arms and nodding, "Alright, I have a few minutes to spare. And I'm bored, nothing's going on today." she added as an afterthought.
That explained what she was doing here, "Just stay out of sight, yeah? I'm trying to keep this covert." I said as I prepared to sink back down into the building. I was interrupted by the heroine.
"But wait," she said suddenly, "If you're supposed to be his bodyguard, why aren't you making your presence known? Wouldn't that make people less likely to mess with him?" She asked in confusion.
I shook my head, "It would, but David and I believe he has been intentionally set up by his boss. If that's true, then whoever he hired might see me and get reinforcements. It's easier if I just follow him unseen so I can deal with any surprises as they come."
She thought for a moment before nodding hesitantly, "I guess that makes sense. Alright, I'll fly above you guys and try to stay out of sight."
"Thanks, now I've got to go. He's waiting on me in the lobby." I sunk back into the floor, making my way through the building to the ground floor. I searched for David and found him standing in an empty hallway out of sight from the others in the building. As I approached him, I silently commended his efforts to keep the fact that I was here hidden.
I reached his side and moved my senses this way and that, making sure nobody was around. As I saw the coast was clear, I emerged from the floor to his right, keeping my lower body immersed just in case I needed to get away quickly.
"Hey." I said quietly, making him jump at my sudden appearance. I grinned under my mask at his reaction, "Ready to go?"
He removed his hand from his chest as he saw who I was, "Jesus Aspect, don't scare me like that. I'm not as young as you, you could kill me that way. Bad rep for a bodyguard to be killing their client via heart attack you know."
I just waved him off, "Bah, you'll be fine. You aren't that old."
He chuckled lightly, "When you're in my position, the stress increases your age two fold. I'm practically an old man by now." He rolled his shoulder and stretched his back to get rid of some kinks, "God I hate the chairs they've got here, even the ones at my office don't feel that bad. Next time I'll just bring my own."
"What? Gonna tie it to your back like a backpack? I don't think that'd go well with those stuffy suits you guys wear." I teased.
He laughed as he finished stretching, "Who knows? I might start a new trend back at corporate." He patted his suit to get rid of any wrinkles his stretching had caused before looking back toward me, "Alright, let's get this show on the road. You still gonna be following me like before."
I nodded, "Yep, best not to tip off anybody who might be targeting you." As he nodded, I remembered my conversation on the roof, "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. We've got some backup. Laserdream saw me on the roof and we got to chatting. She's gonna be following along from above in case I need some help."
He hummed, bringing a hand up to stroke his beard in thought, "Laserdream… She's with that cape family right? New Wave?"
"Yeah, she's a blaster and can fly pretty fast. If we get into trouble I can't handle by myself, she'll jump in. Either to help me or to get you to safety." I explained.
David nodded at that, "All right. I won't say no to some extra protection. And this one won't even cost me an arm and a leg!" He joked.
I just patted him on the leg, "Trust me David, you'll get what you paid for. I can promise you that."
He laughed, "I'll hold you to that Aspect." He looked down at his watch, "Let's get going, I want to get back to my hotel before noon at least. I've still got to tell my higher ups that the meeting went well."
"Right behind you." I sunk back into the floor and followed him as he made his way out of the building and back into the streets of the Bay.
~~~
The walk back was mostly quiet as we made a good pace back to his hotel. And while I couldn't exactly feel Laserdream flying above us, I assumed she was still there as she had given me no reason to think that she would just disappear halfway through the walk back.
All in all, it was nice and peaceful.
Until it wasn't.
"Well boys, would you look at what we have here?" A man stepped out of an alley and into David's path a little ways down the road, several other men followed him out, six in total.
I recognized the leader. Every uncovered portion of his body was paper white from his pure white eyes to the hair on his head. He was wearing a dark brown coat with red accents, eagle symbols emblazoned in the fabric and denoting his allegiances. At either of his sides were two long knives held in holsters.
Alabaster grinned as he continued speaking to David, hands coming up to gesture theatrically to his fellow members.
"What's a criminal like you doing in a reputable white neighborhood like this?" The Empire cape grinned widely, exposing teeth as pale as the rest of him, "Your kind usually knows better than to come this far into Empire territory." He turned to address the unpowered members of his group, "How about we show him why, eh boys!?"
The skinheads around him let out shouts of agreement, raising their instruments of violence in the air and looking distinctly bloodthirsty.
I took that as my cue to reveal myself.
I emerged from my hiding place, startling the Empire members as I rose from the ground in between them and my client like a zombie rising from its grave. As I rose to my feet, several of the unpowered members backed even further away.
I stretched as I stood to my feet, extending my arms and popping my elbows.
"I hate to tell you guys." I started slowly as I finished stretching, "But this guy here is under my protection. I'm going to have to ask you to scram. No need to make this more violent than it needs to be." I lied.
"Who the fuck are you?" one of them yelled, brandishing a metal pipe in my direction, "I ain't ever seen you before! You ain't gonna do shit!
"Yeah, he's right!" Shouted a man with a baseball bat, bringing my attention to him, "You're just one cape against the seven of us! We're gonna take you down, then beat the shit out of the darkie behind you!"
A chorus of agreements rang out from around him and I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I turned my gaze upward, spotting Laserdream hovering a few dozen meters above us, well out of sight of anyone who would not know to look for her,
"Laserdream!" I yelled out to the New Wave cape, startling the people in front of me. The other girl floated down slowly, keeping the Empire members in view as she came to hover by my side.
"What, you need some backup?" She asked, bringing her hands up and revealing bright magenta lights shining in her palms. There was some muttering across from us as the Empire members realized that there was another cape present and Alabaster frowned.
I held my hand in front of her, shaking my head lightly, "No. I need you to stay back with David, get any that make it past me."
She looked at me in confusion, "You sure? There are quite a few of them. And Alabaster may not be that tough, but there's a reason Kaiser's kept him around. He's no slouch when it comes to hand to hand."
I just nodded, as I stepped forward and deactivated my power in preparation, "Yeah, don't worry I got this." I bent my neck from side to side, cracking it as I tried to keep my excitement from showing.
I placed a hand into one of the pockets of my cargo pants, touching my fingertips to the chunk of quartz held there and reactivated my power, grinning as I felt my body change to match the crystal. I could feel my strength increasing even further beyond what it had been when I was made of asphalt.
I clenched and unclenched my fists to get used to my new strength before turning back to Laserdream, "Just keep an eye out for me."
I didn't wait to hear her agreement before I was rushing forward, boots pounding roughly against the asphalt and leaving cracks in my wake. I crossed the distance in seconds, reaching the first gang member before he had the chance to do much more than yell in surprise.
I shot my right arm forward, slamming my fist against his chest with the sound of cracking bone as several of his ribs failed to withstand my assault. He flew backwards with a pained shout, landing on his back and immediately curling up in a ball as he clutched his chest in agony.
I turned to the next one and prepared to repeat my actions, only to be forced to bring an arm up to block a metal pipe that had been swung towards my head. It slammed against my forearm with a loud thud and I grinned at the lack of pain I felt. I grabbed the pipe in my hand and jerked it out of the faltering grip of the man wielding it, sending him stumbling forward and into my knee as I shot my leg up.
He curled around my leg with a wheeze and I took the opportunity to slam the pipe I had stolen from him down on his exposed shoulder. There was a loud pop as the appendage was forced from its socket and the man's wheeze turned into a scream of pain. I jerked my leg, removing him from my leg sending him sprawling to the ground.
The other four unpowered Empire members backed away from me as I laid out two of their members in quick succession. Alabaster was standing in the background, content to watch the proceedings which was more than fine with me. I would deal with him last.
The unpowered members stared at me warily and I grinned wider, dropping the pipe and spreading my arms wide in a clear challenge, "Well…?" I asked expectantly, "Who else wants to give it a go?"
They looked at each other before looking back at me. Two of them seemed to gather their courage as they let out war cries and rushed forward, knife and bat brandished respectively. I lowered my stance as they approached, just like I had practiced with Newter.
The one with the knife reached me well ahead of his friend, slashing out at my chest with the sharpened piece of metal. I ducked, slipping under his attack, and grabbed ahold of his forearm with one hand while at the same time placing my other on his elbow.
I could see the fear on his face as he realized what I was about to do and he jerked, trying to dislodge himself from my iron grip to no avail. I tightened my grip on his arm, before jerking my hand forward, breaking his arm at the elbow with a sickening crack.
I let go and he fell at my feet screaming in pain just as his friend with the bat reached me. He brought the wooden weapon down on me with a shout full of as much anger as there was fear and I didn't even bother trying to block it, trusting my power to do the work for me as I brought my fist toward his face.
The wooden bat impacted the top of my head and splintered around it, sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Including back at its wielder, which he noticed as his face was peppered with the splinters. He jerked backwards, a shout of surprise leaving his lips before it was silenced by my fist slamming into his jaw.
He slumped down, falling unconscious beside his still groaning buddy.
I brought a hand up to my hood, picking out a few splinters that I could feel poking me in the head, before turning to the remaining two skinheads. They were staring down at the bodies with something akin to horror, "Well? Come on." I said expectantly. Their gazes darted to me, then the bodies, then me again, then finally each other.
"Fuck this." One of them said, and the other nodded in agreement. They threw their weapons on the ground in front of them before booking it in the opposite direction, leaving me slightly bewildered.
"Ooookaaay…" I said, "Didn't expect that. Guess I'm more intimidating than I thought."
"No, Jeremiah and Andrew have always been cowards." A voice spoke to my left and I turned to spot Alabaster finally making his way in from the sidelines, "They've always been the first ones to run in situations like this. Honestly it was a miracle they lasted this long."
I turned to face him as he walked toward me slowly, "Oh so now you want to jump in? Not when I was beating down your little clique?" I asked.
He just shrugged, reaching his hands down to his sides and retrieving the knives stored there. They were odd, with blocky handles and flashing serrated tips, small glowing lines ran throughout the lengths of their blades. It only took a moment of analysis to realize that they were most likely tinkertech. Whether or not they would be able to injure my crystal body I didn't know, nor was I willing to find out.
"They were idiots. Fighting a cape when you have no clue what their powers are is a good way to lose your life." He twirled his tinkertech knives for a moment before holding them in a reverse grip and lowering his stance.
"But wait," I said, tilting my head in confusion, "you just said those guys who ran away were cowards. Which is it? Is it cowardly to run away from a fight or is it stupid to fight an unkno-oH SHIT!" Alabaster surged forward at an astounding speed, closing the distance between us in less than a second and aiming his knives at my widened eyes through my mask. My eyes may be as hard as the rest of me, but there's no telling whether or not his knives were capable of cutting through them despite that. Best to ere on the side of caution just in case.
I fell backwards onto my hands, bringing a leg up and kicking him in the sternum. I forgot to hold back my strength however, so instead of just breaking a few ribs I instead completely caved in his ribcage, sending him flying away from me to land on the ground a few feet away. Completely motionless.
I shot back up to my feet, staring at his prone form in horror, thinking I had killed another cape on my first job. I was filled with an odd mixture of relief and disappointment as the Empire cape's body seemed to flicker before he was suddenly standing on his feet once more, right as rain.
'Oh right.' I thought as he lowered himself to rush at me once more, 'I forgot his power did that. I won't have to hold back then' I lowered my own stance and darted forward at the same time as the other cape.
We met in the middle with the thud of a fleshy body meeting one magnitudes harder. I could feel it as just the impact of my body meeting his broke at least one of his ribs. He didn't seem bothered however, swinging an arm up and aiming for my mask's eye holes once more with just as much speed as before.
I ducked under the arm and slammed my fist into his leg with the sound of crunching bone, forcing him to step back as he lost his balance. As I went to capitalize on the opening however, his power activated again, returning him back to normal and he began his assault once more.
Things went on in a similar vein for a while. He would try to stab me in the eyes, I would dodge and break some part of his body, and he would be fixed a few seconds later and try again.
It was all so very annoying. And that wasn't even considering the fact that Laserdream had been absolutely right, this guy was no slouch in hand to hand.
We engaged each other once more, my fists pummeling his body and his knife doing it's best to get into the small hole in my mask.
Wait, knife? Singular? Where was the other one?
My eyes caught a flash of steel racing its way towards my body and I cursed. I let my guard down, so preoccupied with his attempts to get at my eyes that I didn't think he'd try to target my body. I tried to twist out of the way of the knife to no avail and I cursed as the blade scraped along my body with a screech, sliding across the hardened skin of my abdomen.
I skipped backwards, hands coming down to the area and I grimaced as I saw the damage. There was now a long furrow in the quartz that made up my abdomen, reaching from my left hip and disappearing near my chest. It wasn't deep, and it wasn't like I wouldn't be able to heal it but the fact that it happened in the first place irked me massively.
Wait…
My fucking hoodie! I grabbed at the massive gash, wincing as I saw how bad it was, there would be no stitching it back together, my favorite hoodie was ruined. And I couldn't even get him back for it because his fucking power reset all the damage I did every four seconds!
"That power of yours is fucking annoying." I grumbled as I let go of the sliced piece of cloth. "How am I supposed to beat the shit out of you if you just repair the damage instantly? So unfair."
Alabaster grinned maliciously, twirling one of his knives as he shrugged, "You aren't the first person to think so and you won't be the last." All the damage I had done in our most recent exchange was already gone, not even a speck of blood remained.
'This is going nowhere.' I thought to myself as I stared at the other cape. We were at an impasse, he could barely hurt me and while I could hurt him, his power made all of my efforts moot. Add on to the fact that I didn't get tired while transformed and he didn't get tired at all, and we could be here for a while.
"You new capes are all the same." He called out as I tried to think of a solution to our conundrum, "Just another brute who thinks she's tough shit because she's a little stronger than the average man." Alabaster taunted, "Well I've got some news for you girl, I've fought and beaten capes much tougher than you. You aren't special."
As he spoke, I was struck with an idea and I grinned, "You know what Alabaster, you're absolutely right." I quickly leaned down to place my fingertips on the ground and activated my power on it, melding my hands with the asphalt and spreading my presence through it, specifically directing it under Alabaster's feet. He noticed what I was doing and rushed forward in an attempt to stop me, but it was too late.
The moment my presence reached him, I exerted my power, softening the ground under him and sending tripping into the now liquid asphalt with a yelp, one of his knifes falling from his grip and falling on the still hard portions of concrete around him
Unlike with Newter, I didn't stop with just his hands and feet, instead I waited until his entire body except for his nose and eyes were underground before deactivating my power and returning the asphalt back to normal.
I stood back up, clapping my hands as if I was ridding them of invisible dust. I walked over to the now imobile Breaker and placed a boot on his head as he glared at me. I could feel a shit eating grin on my face as I loomed over him, "I should have done that from the start."
My foot hit something solid and I looked down to see the fallen knife sitting on the concrete beside my boot. I bent down and picked it up, turning from side to side as I inspected it, before nodding and looking at the trapped cape with a grin, "You don't mind if I take this do you?" There was the sound of muffled cursing and I nodded again, "Thanks pal. You're the best." I thanked him and put it in one of the pockets on my cargo pants.
An angry vein appeared on his head, disappearing a moment later as his power reset him once more. It did not free him however as his power probably didn't see his immobility as an injury, something I had been banking on. I had theorized that as long as he was able to breathe, his power wouldn't try to break him free, I was happy to see that I was right.
I went to gloat some more, only to whirl around with my fists raised as I heard footsteps behind me. But I lowered them as I saw it was just Laserdream and David making their way back toward me. The blond superheroine looked slightly uncomfortable as she took in all of the groaning bodies I had left in the wake of my rampage.
I took my boot off of Alabaster's head as they approached and looked toward the other girl, "Thanks for that. I had a feeling none of them would make it past me, but I couldn't be too sure." I held my hand out to shake and she took it hesitantly.
"Yeah, no problem." She said lightly as she took another look around at the defeated Empire members. She turned back to me, looking down at Alabaster buried in the concrete, the pale cape looking distinctly unhappy about his circumstances, "Don't you think you were a little…excessive?" She asked.
I snorted at the question and she raised an eyebrow. "They're nazis." I emphasized, "Dirt, scum, bottom of the barrel dregs of society. If anything I was too easy on them."
She opened her mouth, probably to argue with me, but she was interrupted by David as he walked over.
"Well Aspect," He began as he took in the carnage, "you said I'd get what I paid for, and you were absolutely right. This is some good work you've done here." He looked down at Alabaster, who looked up at him with a glare, "So what are you going to do with tall, bright and white here? Just gonna leave him buried until someone finds him?" he asked.
I shrugged as I looked down at the glaring nazi, "I would, but I've got a feeling Laserdream here would have an issue with that." Given her stern gaze, I was probably correct, "I'll call the PRT so they can come dig him out. Make him their problem."
"Don't worry about that." Laserdream interrupted already called them while you and Alabaster were fighting, they should be here soon."
'Oh really? Dope. Thank you." I said, thankfully. "Um, by the way, as much as I'd love to stick around, I've still got a contract to complete. Do you mind…?" I trailed off, motioning toward the gang members.
She sighed and nodded, "Yeah sure. Go do what you have to do. I'll take care of it."
I grinned widely, "Thanks Laserdream. Come by Palanquin sometime while I'm there. I'll be sure to make it up to you!"
She waved me off, "Sure, I'll try to stop by when I'm free. Now get out of here, you don't want to be here when the PRT gets here. They'll have you stay here forever making statements about what happened."
I gave her a thumbs up before turning to David, "Well, shall we?" I asked.
"We shall." He said, playing along as we bid Laserdream goodbye and made our way to his hotel.
It was an extremely short walk and thankfully proceeded uneventfully. David thanked me for my services and promised to recommend me to his colleagues should they ever decide to hire a mercenary.
I bid the man goodbye and made my way back to the Palanquin with a small skip in my step. I had met and left on good terms with a hero, got to kick in some Empire teeth, got a sweet knife, and my client didn't receive a single scratch.
My first job had been a resounding success.
~~~
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I had been wary of purchasing the services of a mercenary in the first place, but given what I had heard about the Bay, it felt prudent to at least have some form of protection. It just happened to be a happy coincidence that Faultline and her crew were based in the city.
From what I had heard from my compatriots, the few that were still willing to talk to me after the shit storm I kicked up for my boss, Faultline was known to be one of the more trusted mercenaries in the US. She rarely took contracts that she was unsure of her ability to complete, and those she did complete, she did so with nary a complaint from her clients. In other words, she was reliable.
All in all, I felt I had made the right choice purchasing her services, paying a premium to have one of her capes protect me during my time in the nazi infested city of Brockton Brockton.
Speaking of which…
I heard her before I saw her. The heavy thuds of booted feet hitting cement as their owner made her way toward me. Her skin, what I could see of it anyway, glinted in the early morning sun and under her similarly metallic mask, I could see sharp blue eyes peering out at me intently.
I had never seen or heard about her before, but given that she was approaching me so brazenly, I concluded she must be one of Faultline's mercenaries. The woman had said she was sending one of her newer crew members to be my bodyguard, and while I had at first been unhappy about that fact, Faultline had assured me that the cape, Aspect, would be more than up to the task of guarding me.
And given her appearance, I was somewhat reassured of that fact.
She was young, younger than I had thought she would be, maybe 18 or 19 by my estimates. Her costume was simple yet practical, a hoodie and mask to obscure her identity, cargo pants with numerous pockets, and a pair of steel toed boots. Somewhat amateur, but very practical and unassuming.
Or it would be, if it weren't for the way she carried herself, sturdy and unmovable, like she could be attacked with the full force of nature and not budge an inch. Unflinching in the face all that the world would throw at her. I had seen the same demeanor in capes like Alexandria, capes strong enough that they didn't have to worry about everyday struggles like their weaker brethren.
She may be new and younger than some of my coworker's children, but she already carried herself better than some veteran capes I had seen. And if it was all an act, then she was a damn good actress.
I shook myself out of my thoughts as she stepped closer, "Aspect I assume?" I asked.
"You assume right." She said, and the lightness in her voice gave credit to my earlier estimate about her age, "And you must be my client, David Beller. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake, exposed digits gleaming in the light. I took it and could instantly feel the restrained power in her grip, like she was forcibly holding her strength back so as to not crush my hand.
I let go, flexing my hand to rid it of the stiffness and nodded, "Yes I am, it's a pleasure." turned to look at her, "I assume you've read the contract?"
Aspect nodded, crossing her arms under her chest, "Yes I have. You know you're likely being set up right?"
I just sighed, reaching into my back pocket and retrieving a pack of cigarettes, "Yeah, I know." I retrieved a cig, lighting it with the lighter I produced from my other pocket and taking a deep drag. I held it there for a moment, savoring the nicotine circulating through my lungs before exhaling, "I wouldn't come within a hundred miles of this city if they hadn't told me to go. No offense."
She just shrugged uncaringly, "Nah, I get it. The city's a shithole. I'm only still here because I have nowhere else to go. That, and I still have people I care about here." I nodded at that, offering her a smoke from the still nearly full pack. She shook her head, rejecting my offer. I shrugged, even if she's probably underage, it would have felt rude not to at least offer.
"So who'd you piss off to make them send you here? I'm pretty sure sending you to this part of the Bay specifically has to be illegal in some way. It must have been someone high up if you couldn't just tell them to screw off." She asked.
I let out a small laugh at the blunt question, "Yeah sure, if by 'high up' you mean my regional manager. I embarrassed him in front of the people back at home office and he is not happy about it." I took another drag from my cigarette, "If he'd just do his damn job and stop delegating it to me, maybe he'd have nothing to be embarrassed about. Asshole."
Aspect's head tilted in confusion, "Why not just fire you? No offense, but he's your manager, couldn't he just replace you?"
I snorted, "Yeah right. If he fired me, he'd need to hire five other people just to do half of the job I do." I looked down at the nub of a cigarette I now held before putting out on the wall beside me with a spray of hot ash, "The best he could do is make me look bad for his superiors and try to get me demoted, docking my pay while still giving me the same amount of work. Hence him sending me, a black man, to the nazi capital of the US. He's probably hoping I'll get mugged on the way to the meeting and make our company lose out on the deal. The bastard."
She nodded in understanding, "Sounds like a real piece of work. I don't envy you." SHe uncrossed her arms crouched down, placing her exposed fingers on the dirty alley floor. Just as I went to ask what she was doing, I stopped, watching in fascination as the pavement under her fingers seemed to creep up her skin, turning the metallic surface a dull stoney color.
She stood from the ground and cracked her neck, the exposed skin of her collarbone now the same material as the ground under our feet, "Don't worry David, I'll make sure you get to and from that meeting in one piece. You've got my word."
I stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Alright Aspect. I'll put my health into your hands." I looked down at my watch, 6:26am, "We should probably get going. The meeting spot is around fifteen minutes away on foot and it's nearly 6:30." I turned back to her, "So how are we gonna do this? Are you just going to follow behind me, run along the rooftops or something? I don't want the Medhall execs to think I brought some muscle to strong arm them or something equally asinine."
She laughed lightly, "Don't worry David, you won't have to worry about that one bit. In fact…" I watched in astonishment as the asphalt under her feet softened and she began to slowly sink into the once solid ground until only her neck and head remained in the open air. She winked at me from under her mask, "They won't even know I'm here." She sank the rest of the way down, leaving me seemingly alone in the now empty alley.
I looked around, searching for any sign of the cape I hired and finding none. I laughed and nodded, "Well, alright then."
I walked out of the alley, feeling much safer walking through the streets than I had before.
~~~
'I should've grabbed my phone before I melded.' I thought to myself as I sighed into my palm. I was currently half immersed into the building below me, leaving the upper half of my body sticking out of the ground like a carrot ready to be picked.
It was an odd sensation as I could both sense the room I was melded with, and still had all the senses that my upper body experienced. There was little to no disconnect between the two and it had left me somewhat disoriented at first. Luckily I had adapted quickly, and was able to keep an eye on my client without actually being in the room with him.
In fact, in the room directly under me David was currently in his meeting with the Medhall executives. There was a lot of corporate jargon being thrown about and even if I was actually in the room with them, I doubt I would have been able to understand any of it.
I sighed, turning my attention away from the meeting, sure that nothing would happen to David, "I really wish I had something to cut through this mind numbing boredom." I complained out loud.
"Hey you! What are you doing down there!?" I heard from above me. I looked up, bringing my hand in front of my eyes to shield them from the rising sun as I searched for the owner of the voice. It only took a moment before I spotted her, hovering a few dozen feet above me as she was.
Long blond hair, what wasn't held in place by her red headband, blew lightly in the morning breeze as blue eyes stared down at me. She was wearing a white and magenta costume with a stylized arrow going diagonally from left to right. Half a dozen lines trailed behind it over her left shoulder, with a single line zigzagging across the others.
Faultline had insisted I research all of the capes in Brockton Bay and as such, I recognized her as a member of New Wave. Crystal Pelham Aka Laserdream, New Wave's resident Blaster. Although from what I read, she didn't really patrol much anymore which made me wonder what she was doing floating around this early.
'Either way, she'll probably alleviate my boredom!' I thought happily.
"I've never seen you around before," She continued as she floated closer, though I noticed that she stayed well out of my reach while I was still very much in hers, "What are you doing stuck in the building like that? I can't imagine the owners would be happy if they knew you were up here doing that." She said, crossing her arms at me and raising an eyebrow.
I just shrugged at her statement, "Probably not. But my client is currently in a meeting in the room below me. I'm keeping an eye on him because I've been paid to guard him."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You're a bodyguard?"
"No, I'm not a bodyguard. I'm a mercenary. Or well, I'm a mercenary who he paid to be a bodyguard so I guess I am a bodyguard. Or at least I am for as long as he pays me to be one?" I shook my head as Laserdream stared at me in bewilderment at my little tangent, I was not willing to get into the semantics regarding my profession.
"Nevermind. I'm with Faultline, just joined up recently. I'm Aspect. This guy paid me to keep an eye on him so that's what I'm doing." I almost held my hand out to shake, before remembering that most people wouldn't be willing to shake the hand of an unknown cape.
In all honesty, I probably shouldn't be revealing this much, but given that Laserdream was a hero, she probably would have found out eventually from one of her fellow heroes, hopefully not one of the ones who hates us though.
Mercenaries sat in a moral grey area with most hero groups, there were some that thought we were all just villains who should be locked up, and there were those who saw us as potential assets they could use when the situation called for it. It really just depended on the group.
I had no idea what New Wave's policies on mercs were, but given that Laserdream hadn't tried to blast my face off or whatever, they were probably fine with it. Or she was just chill, it could be either one.
She hummed in disbelief, "How are you doing that? You got eyes on your legs or something?"
I shrugged, "Or something. Rest assured, I can see everything that's happening below us."
I could tell she didn't believe me. Or at least if she did, she was still wondering how exactly I was doing it if her confused gaze was any indication.
I prepared to continue explaining, only to stop as I heard something from lower in the building. The scraping of chairs rolling across the floor and the soft murmur of people exchanging cordial goodbyes. The meeting was over.
I debated for a moment in my head, before looking back up toward Laserdream who was watching me in confusion at my sudden silence. "The meeting just let out." I explained, and she looked surprised, "I've got to escort him back to his hotel, you wanna come with?"
She made a thinking face for a moment, before uncrossing her arms and nodding, "Alright, I have a few minutes to spare. And I'm bored, nothing's going on today." she added as an afterthought.
That explained what she was doing here, "Just stay out of sight, yeah? I'm trying to keep this covert." I said as I prepared to sink back down into the building. I was interrupted by the heroine.
"But wait," she said suddenly, "If you're supposed to be his bodyguard, why aren't you making your presence known? Wouldn't that make people less likely to mess with him?" She asked in confusion.
I shook my head, "It would, but David and I believe he has been intentionally set up by his boss. If that's true, then whoever he hired might see me and get reinforcements. It's easier if I just follow him unseen so I can deal with any surprises as they come."
She thought for a moment before nodding hesitantly, "I guess that makes sense. Alright, I'll fly above you guys and try to stay out of sight."
"Thanks, now I've got to go. He's waiting on me in the lobby." I sunk back into the floor, making my way through the building to the ground floor. I searched for David and found him standing in an empty hallway out of sight from the others in the building. As I approached him, I silently commended his efforts to keep the fact that I was here hidden.
I reached his side and moved my senses this way and that, making sure nobody was around. As I saw the coast was clear, I emerged from the floor to his right, keeping my lower body immersed just in case I needed to get away quickly.
"Hey." I said quietly, making him jump at my sudden appearance. I grinned under my mask at his reaction, "Ready to go?"
He removed his hand from his chest as he saw who I was, "Jesus Aspect, don't scare me like that. I'm not as young as you, you could kill me that way. Bad rep for a bodyguard to be killing their client via heart attack you know."
I just waved him off, "Bah, you'll be fine. You aren't that old."
He chuckled lightly, "When you're in my position, the stress increases your age two fold. I'm practically an old man by now." He rolled his shoulder and stretched his back to get rid of some kinks, "God I hate the chairs they've got here, even the ones at my office don't feel that bad. Next time I'll just bring my own."
"What? Gonna tie it to your back like a backpack? I don't think that'd go well with those stuffy suits you guys wear." I teased.
He laughed as he finished stretching, "Who knows? I might start a new trend back at corporate." He patted his suit to get rid of any wrinkles his stretching had caused before looking back toward me, "Alright, let's get this show on the road. You still gonna be following me like before."
I nodded, "Yep, best not to tip off anybody who might be targeting you." As he nodded, I remembered my conversation on the roof, "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. We've got some backup. Laserdream saw me on the roof and we got to chatting. She's gonna be following along from above in case I need some help."
He hummed, bringing a hand up to stroke his beard in thought, "Laserdream… She's with that cape family right? New Wave?"
"Yeah, she's a blaster and can fly pretty fast. If we get into trouble I can't handle by myself, she'll jump in. Either to help me or to get you to safety." I explained.
David nodded at that, "All right. I won't say no to some extra protection. And this one won't even cost me an arm and a leg!" He joked.
I just patted him on the leg, "Trust me David, you'll get what you paid for. I can promise you that."
He laughed, "I'll hold you to that Aspect." He looked down at his watch, "Let's get going, I want to get back to my hotel before noon at least. I've still got to tell my higher ups that the meeting went well."
"Right behind you." I sunk back into the floor and followed him as he made his way out of the building and back into the streets of the Bay.
~~~
The walk back was mostly quiet as we made a good pace back to his hotel. And while I couldn't exactly feel Laserdream flying above us, I assumed she was still there as she had given me no reason to think that she would just disappear halfway through the walk back.
All in all, it was nice and peaceful.
Until it wasn't.
"Well boys, would you look at what we have here?" A man stepped out of an alley and into David's path a little ways down the road, several other men followed him out, six in total.
I recognized the leader. Every uncovered portion of his body was paper white from his pure white eyes to the hair on his head. He was wearing a dark brown coat with red accents, eagle symbols emblazoned in the fabric and denoting his allegiances. At either of his sides were two long knives held in holsters.
Alabaster grinned as he continued speaking to David, hands coming up to gesture theatrically to his fellow members.
"What's a criminal like you doing in a reputable white neighborhood like this?" The Empire cape grinned widely, exposing teeth as pale as the rest of him, "Your kind usually knows better than to come this far into Empire territory." He turned to address the unpowered members of his group, "How about we show him why, eh boys!?"
The skinheads around him let out shouts of agreement, raising their instruments of violence in the air and looking distinctly bloodthirsty.
I took that as my cue to reveal myself.
I emerged from my hiding place, startling the Empire members as I rose from the ground in between them and my client like a zombie rising from its grave. As I rose to my feet, several of the unpowered members backed even further away.
I stretched as I stood to my feet, extending my arms and popping my elbows.
"I hate to tell you guys." I started slowly as I finished stretching, "But this guy here is under my protection. I'm going to have to ask you to scram. No need to make this more violent than it needs to be." I lied.
"Who the fuck are you?" one of them yelled, brandishing a metal pipe in my direction, "I ain't ever seen you before! You ain't gonna do shit!
"Yeah, he's right!" Shouted a man with a baseball bat, bringing my attention to him, "You're just one cape against the seven of us! We're gonna take you down, then beat the shit out of the darkie behind you!"
A chorus of agreements rang out from around him and I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I turned my gaze upward, spotting Laserdream hovering a few dozen meters above us, well out of sight of anyone who would not know to look for her,
"Laserdream!" I yelled out to the New Wave cape, startling the people in front of me. The other girl floated down slowly, keeping the Empire members in view as she came to hover by my side.
"What, you need some backup?" She asked, bringing her hands up and revealing bright magenta lights shining in her palms. There was some muttering across from us as the Empire members realized that there was another cape present and Alabaster frowned.
I held my hand in front of her, shaking my head lightly, "No. I need you to stay back with David, get any that make it past me."
She looked at me in confusion, "You sure? There are quite a few of them. And Alabaster may not be that tough, but there's a reason Kaiser's kept him around. He's no slouch when it comes to hand to hand."
I just nodded, as I stepped forward and deactivated my power in preparation, "Yeah, don't worry I got this." I bent my neck from side to side, cracking it as I tried to keep my excitement from showing.
I placed a hand into one of the pockets of my cargo pants, touching my fingertips to the chunk of quartz held there and reactivated my power, grinning as I felt my body change to match the crystal. I could feel my strength increasing even further beyond what it had been when I was made of asphalt.
I clenched and unclenched my fists to get used to my new strength before turning back to Laserdream, "Just keep an eye out for me."
I didn't wait to hear her agreement before I was rushing forward, boots pounding roughly against the asphalt and leaving cracks in my wake. I crossed the distance in seconds, reaching the first gang member before he had the chance to do much more than yell in surprise.
I shot my right arm forward, slamming my fist against his chest with the sound of cracking bone as several of his ribs failed to withstand my assault. He flew backwards with a pained shout, landing on his back and immediately curling up in a ball as he clutched his chest in agony.
I turned to the next one and prepared to repeat my actions, only to be forced to bring an arm up to block a metal pipe that had been swung towards my head. It slammed against my forearm with a loud thud and I grinned at the lack of pain I felt. I grabbed the pipe in my hand and jerked it out of the faltering grip of the man wielding it, sending him stumbling forward and into my knee as I shot my leg up.
He curled around my leg with a wheeze and I took the opportunity to slam the pipe I had stolen from him down on his exposed shoulder. There was a loud pop as the appendage was forced from its socket and the man's wheeze turned into a scream of pain. I jerked my leg, removing him from my leg sending him sprawling to the ground.
The other four unpowered Empire members backed away from me as I laid out two of their members in quick succession. Alabaster was standing in the background, content to watch the proceedings which was more than fine with me. I would deal with him last.
The unpowered members stared at me warily and I grinned wider, dropping the pipe and spreading my arms wide in a clear challenge, "Well…?" I asked expectantly, "Who else wants to give it a go?"
They looked at each other before looking back at me. Two of them seemed to gather their courage as they let out war cries and rushed forward, knife and bat brandished respectively. I lowered my stance as they approached, just like I had practiced with Newter.
The one with the knife reached me well ahead of his friend, slashing out at my chest with the sharpened piece of metal. I ducked, slipping under his attack, and grabbed ahold of his forearm with one hand while at the same time placing my other on his elbow.
I could see the fear on his face as he realized what I was about to do and he jerked, trying to dislodge himself from my iron grip to no avail. I tightened my grip on his arm, before jerking my hand forward, breaking his arm at the elbow with a sickening crack.
I let go and he fell at my feet screaming in pain just as his friend with the bat reached me. He brought the wooden weapon down on me with a shout full of as much anger as there was fear and I didn't even bother trying to block it, trusting my power to do the work for me as I brought my fist toward his face.
The wooden bat impacted the top of my head and splintered around it, sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Including back at its wielder, which he noticed as his face was peppered with the splinters. He jerked backwards, a shout of surprise leaving his lips before it was silenced by my fist slamming into his jaw.
He slumped down, falling unconscious beside his still groaning buddy.
I brought a hand up to my hood, picking out a few splinters that I could feel poking me in the head, before turning to the remaining two skinheads. They were staring down at the bodies with something akin to horror, "Well? Come on." I said expectantly. Their gazes darted to me, then the bodies, then me again, then finally each other.
"Fuck this." One of them said, and the other nodded in agreement. They threw their weapons on the ground in front of them before booking it in the opposite direction, leaving me slightly bewildered.
"Ooookaaay…" I said, "Didn't expect that. Guess I'm more intimidating than I thought."
"No, Jeremiah and Andrew have always been cowards." A voice spoke to my left and I turned to spot Alabaster finally making his way in from the sidelines, "They've always been the first ones to run in situations like this. Honestly it was a miracle they lasted this long."
I turned to face him as he walked toward me slowly, "Oh so now you want to jump in? Not when I was beating down your little clique?" I asked.
He just shrugged, reaching his hands down to his sides and retrieving the knives stored there. They were odd, with blocky handles and flashing serrated tips, small glowing lines ran throughout the lengths of their blades. It only took a moment of analysis to realize that they were most likely tinkertech. Whether or not they would be able to injure my crystal body I didn't know, nor was I willing to find out.
"They were idiots. Fighting a cape when you have no clue what their powers are is a good way to lose your life." He twirled his tinkertech knives for a moment before holding them in a reverse grip and lowering his stance.
"But wait," I said, tilting my head in confusion, "you just said those guys who ran away were cowards. Which is it? Is it cowardly to run away from a fight or is it stupid to fight an unkno-oH SHIT!" Alabaster surged forward at an astounding speed, closing the distance between us in less than a second and aiming his knives at my widened eyes through my mask. My eyes may be as hard as the rest of me, but there's no telling whether or not his knives were capable of cutting through them despite that. Best to ere on the side of caution just in case.
I fell backwards onto my hands, bringing a leg up and kicking him in the sternum. I forgot to hold back my strength however, so instead of just breaking a few ribs I instead completely caved in his ribcage, sending him flying away from me to land on the ground a few feet away. Completely motionless.
I shot back up to my feet, staring at his prone form in horror, thinking I had killed another cape on my first job. I was filled with an odd mixture of relief and disappointment as the Empire cape's body seemed to flicker before he was suddenly standing on his feet once more, right as rain.
'Oh right.' I thought as he lowered himself to rush at me once more, 'I forgot his power did that. I won't have to hold back then' I lowered my own stance and darted forward at the same time as the other cape.
We met in the middle with the thud of a fleshy body meeting one magnitudes harder. I could feel it as just the impact of my body meeting his broke at least one of his ribs. He didn't seem bothered however, swinging an arm up and aiming for my mask's eye holes once more with just as much speed as before.
I ducked under the arm and slammed my fist into his leg with the sound of crunching bone, forcing him to step back as he lost his balance. As I went to capitalize on the opening however, his power activated again, returning him back to normal and he began his assault once more.
Things went on in a similar vein for a while. He would try to stab me in the eyes, I would dodge and break some part of his body, and he would be fixed a few seconds later and try again.
It was all so very annoying. And that wasn't even considering the fact that Laserdream had been absolutely right, this guy was no slouch in hand to hand.
We engaged each other once more, my fists pummeling his body and his knife doing it's best to get into the small hole in my mask.
Wait, knife? Singular? Where was the other one?
My eyes caught a flash of steel racing its way towards my body and I cursed. I let my guard down, so preoccupied with his attempts to get at my eyes that I didn't think he'd try to target my body. I tried to twist out of the way of the knife to no avail and I cursed as the blade scraped along my body with a screech, sliding across the hardened skin of my abdomen.
I skipped backwards, hands coming down to the area and I grimaced as I saw the damage. There was now a long furrow in the quartz that made up my abdomen, reaching from my left hip and disappearing near my chest. It wasn't deep, and it wasn't like I wouldn't be able to heal it but the fact that it happened in the first place irked me massively.
Wait…
My fucking hoodie! I grabbed at the massive gash, wincing as I saw how bad it was, there would be no stitching it back together, my favorite hoodie was ruined. And I couldn't even get him back for it because his fucking power reset all the damage I did every four seconds!
"That power of yours is fucking annoying." I grumbled as I let go of the sliced piece of cloth. "How am I supposed to beat the shit out of you if you just repair the damage instantly? So unfair."
Alabaster grinned maliciously, twirling one of his knives as he shrugged, "You aren't the first person to think so and you won't be the last." All the damage I had done in our most recent exchange was already gone, not even a speck of blood remained.
'This is going nowhere.' I thought to myself as I stared at the other cape. We were at an impasse, he could barely hurt me and while I could hurt him, his power made all of my efforts moot. Add on to the fact that I didn't get tired while transformed and he didn't get tired at all, and we could be here for a while.
"You new capes are all the same." He called out as I tried to think of a solution to our conundrum, "Just another brute who thinks she's tough shit because she's a little stronger than the average man." Alabaster taunted, "Well I've got some news for you girl, I've fought and beaten capes much tougher than you. You aren't special."
As he spoke, I was struck with an idea and I grinned, "You know what Alabaster, you're absolutely right." I quickly leaned down to place my fingertips on the ground and activated my power on it, melding my hands with the asphalt and spreading my presence through it, specifically directing it under Alabaster's feet. He noticed what I was doing and rushed forward in an attempt to stop me, but it was too late.
The moment my presence reached him, I exerted my power, softening the ground under him and sending tripping into the now liquid asphalt with a yelp, one of his knifes falling from his grip and falling on the still hard portions of concrete around him
Unlike with Newter, I didn't stop with just his hands and feet, instead I waited until his entire body except for his nose and eyes were underground before deactivating my power and returning the asphalt back to normal.
I stood back up, clapping my hands as if I was ridding them of invisible dust. I walked over to the now imobile Breaker and placed a boot on his head as he glared at me. I could feel a shit eating grin on my face as I loomed over him, "I should have done that from the start."
My foot hit something solid and I looked down to see the fallen knife sitting on the concrete beside my boot. I bent down and picked it up, turning from side to side as I inspected it, before nodding and looking at the trapped cape with a grin, "You don't mind if I take this do you?" There was the sound of muffled cursing and I nodded again, "Thanks pal. You're the best." I thanked him and put it in one of the pockets on my cargo pants.
An angry vein appeared on his head, disappearing a moment later as his power reset him once more. It did not free him however as his power probably didn't see his immobility as an injury, something I had been banking on. I had theorized that as long as he was able to breathe, his power wouldn't try to break him free, I was happy to see that I was right.
I went to gloat some more, only to whirl around with my fists raised as I heard footsteps behind me. But I lowered them as I saw it was just Laserdream and David making their way back toward me. The blond superheroine looked slightly uncomfortable as she took in all of the groaning bodies I had left in the wake of my rampage.
I took my boot off of Alabaster's head as they approached and looked toward the other girl, "Thanks for that. I had a feeling none of them would make it past me, but I couldn't be too sure." I held my hand out to shake and she took it hesitantly.
"Yeah, no problem." She said lightly as she took another look around at the defeated Empire members. She turned back to me, looking down at Alabaster buried in the concrete, the pale cape looking distinctly unhappy about his circumstances, "Don't you think you were a little…excessive?" She asked.
I snorted at the question and she raised an eyebrow. "They're nazis." I emphasized, "Dirt, scum, bottom of the barrel dregs of society. If anything I was too easy on them."
She opened her mouth, probably to argue with me, but she was interrupted by David as he walked over.
"Well Aspect," He began as he took in the carnage, "you said I'd get what I paid for, and you were absolutely right. This is some good work you've done here." He looked down at Alabaster, who looked up at him with a glare, "So what are you going to do with tall, bright and white here? Just gonna leave him buried until someone finds him?" he asked.
I shrugged as I looked down at the glaring nazi, "I would, but I've got a feeling Laserdream here would have an issue with that." Given her stern gaze, I was probably correct, "I'll call the PRT so they can come dig him out. Make him their problem."
"Don't worry about that." Laserdream interrupted already called them while you and Alabaster were fighting, they should be here soon."
'Oh really? Dope. Thank you." I said, thankfully. "Um, by the way, as much as I'd love to stick around, I've still got a contract to complete. Do you mind…?" I trailed off, motioning toward the gang members.
She sighed and nodded, "Yeah sure. Go do what you have to do. I'll take care of it."
I grinned widely, "Thanks Laserdream. Come by Palanquin sometime while I'm there. I'll be sure to make it up to you!"
She waved me off, "Sure, I'll try to stop by when I'm free. Now get out of here, you don't want to be here when the PRT gets here. They'll have you stay here forever making statements about what happened."
I gave her a thumbs up before turning to David, "Well, shall we?" I asked.
"We shall." He said, playing along as we bid Laserdream goodbye and made our way to his hotel.
It was an extremely short walk and thankfully proceeded uneventfully. David thanked me for my services and promised to recommend me to his colleagues should they ever decide to hire a mercenary.
I bid the man goodbye and made my way back to the Palanquin with a small skip in my step. I had met and left on good terms with a hero, got to kick in some Empire teeth, got a sweet knife, and my client didn't receive a single scratch.
My first job had been a resounding success.
~~~
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!
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Interlude 2.A
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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The muted sounds of the active nightclub crept through the floor of the room Gregor and I inhabited. My gloved hands remained steepled in front of my mask as the door to the room opened and a waitress entered, a tray of drinks held in her grasp.
I nodded at the waitress in thanks as she sat a beer in front of me. She gave a small smile in return before moving to Gregor and giving him his own drink, a fruity cocktail that I couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. He thanked her and she nodded before making her way out of the room, closing and locking the door behind her.
Now that we were alone, I removed my mask, sighing in relief as a wave of air conditioned wind blew onto the heated skin of my face. I reached forward and grabbed the beer, bringing it to my lips and relishing in the chilled amber liquid.
Across from me, Gregor did the same with his own drink although he did so with much more composure. There was a moment of comfortable silence as we both enjoyed our chosen beverage. I took a moment to enjoy the quiet before I placed my drink back on the table and looked toward my compatriot.
I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking softly as I put my full weight on it, "So what do you think? Our newest recruit performed admirably didn't she?" I asked my long time friend. In my opinion, Valerie had done more than admirably on her job last week. Successfully defeating a cape on her first outing would increase her reputation massively in the community, more so given that said cape had been one of Kaiser's enforcers.
Gregor took a sip from his cocktail as he nodded at my question, "She did. I'll admit, I was a bit leery at your decision to send her on a solo job this early into her membership, especially so given the nature of the contract. She proved me wrong however. I have few complaints."
I nodded at his assessment. Gregor had been with me the longest out of anybody in the crew after I had found him bouncing at a club for petty cash. I had offered him a permanent spot at my side as my right hand, he accepted and the rest was history. And as my right hand, his criticism of my decisions helped keep me on the right track.
I took another swig of my drink, swishing the bottle for a moment as I thought about our newest recruit, "But you do have complaints."
Gregor nodded, leaning back in his chair, "From what I have been told, the Empire members she encountered had severe injuries, nothing lethal but still enough to raise eyebrows at the PRT. It wouldn't be a good look to have our newest member constantly going around maiming their enemies."
I nodded, it was a valid point. It was an unspoken rule among the more civilized capes to practice restraint against unpowered enemies. It made civilians feel more comfortable, knowing that they weren't going to be hospitalized for stealing from a convenience store or something similarly asinine.
But still, considering what Valerie had gone through at the hands of that gang, it was to be expected that she would be a little rougher than most.
I told Gregor as much, "Honestly, considering what she has been through at their hands, they were lucky she was so merciful." I commented, bringing my beer up to my lips, "To tell you the truth, I was a little worried that the first time she came across the Empire while on a job, we would have to deal with multiple bodies. It's good that she is capable of restraint."
I took a small sip of my drink, savoring the bitter flavor before placing it back on the table. "Although if Hookwolf were there instead of Alabaster, I have a feeling we would be having a very different conversation."
Gregor hummed softly at my statement, "You think she would have killed him?"
"She would definitely have tried her best. Whether she would have succeeded or not, I'm not sure. Hookwolf is Kaiser's top lieutenant for a reason, he's not a pushover in any sense of the word. And while Valerie's powers may be a good counter to his, Hookwolf has been around for a long time and has fought more than a few capes much more powerful than him. There's honestly no telling how the fight would go."
I tapped a pattern on the table as I thought, "With how quickly she's been growing into her powers, if we give her a few months I'd honestly put my money on her. That power of hers is extremely versatile, she just needs to use it more creatively and she'd be a menace on the battlefield."
"High praise coming from you." Gregor commented and I just shrugged. I simply gave praise where it was due. We didn't really have any close quarters heavy hitters barring Gregor, and he worked best at range. Newter was a close combatant but if his opponent had their skin completely covered, his power was rendered impotent. Elle was self explanatory, the girl was a Shaker through and through.
Valerie, on the other hand, worked best when she was up close and personal with her enemies, not to mention her potential for stealth with that melding ability of hers. She had the ability to become a powerful force multiplier if she kept utilizing her power in new ways, and the team would be much better off for it. Really, it was a godsend that Newter had found her on that pier. And speaking of Newter…
"She and Newter have been growing close, they're practically best friends at this point. I'm happy for him, I could tell he had been growing despondent recently despite the brave face he puts on."
"Do you think their relationship might become…unprofessional?" Gregor asked, concerned.
I hummed, "It's possible. She is the first person he has been able to actually touch without her being rendered incapacitated. He's already taken advantage of that fact, practically hanging off of her every chance he gets, and she hasn't complained yet." I took another swig of my rapidly emptying drink, "I personally don't think their relationship will evolve that way, when I look at them I see close siblings not romantic partners."
"And if you're wrong?" he asked.
"As long as they remain professional on jobs, they can do as they wish. Their personal business is their own and I have no desire to get involved." Newter was old enough to make his own decisions as was Valerie. What they decided to do in their personal lives was no business of mine so long as it didn't affect the crew as a whole.
Gregor nodded, seemingly satisfied by my decision, "Where is she now? She hasn't been in the club for a few days." He asked.
"She's visiting a friend, that Christine girl she sometimes talks about. Apparently she's having troubles with the Empire and Valerie is helping her sort them out. She was pretty cagey about the specifics but that's her business." He nodded at that.
With that business done, I turned my attention away from the topic and to the table, or more accurately, the files on the table. We had received a contract, one that would most likely require the entire team to complete.
Accord, Leader of the Ambassadors, had contacted me several days ago with a job offer, one that he was sure would interest me. And upon taking one look at the contract, I knew he was right.
Apparently, the mastermind had caught wind of a rogue Biotinker operating just outside of his territory in Boston. He had originally assumed it to be Blasto, a Biotinker that he'd had an ongoing rivalry with since the Boston Games several years ago, but according to his informants, Blasto was out of the state visiting his girlfriend in Nevada. This parahuman was new, a rogue element. And Accord despised rogue elements like nothing else.
The more information poured in about the unknown Biotinker, the more angry Accord had become. Apparently this parahuman, appropriately named 'Darwin', had been kidnapping Case 53's he came across on Boston's streets, sequestering them away to his base and performing experiments on them to find out how they tick. He had already gone through three test subjects, dumping their mutilated bodies in alleys for the authorities to find days later.
It was causing unrest in the Ambassadors' territory and so Accord wanted him gone and whatever information he had been able to glean from his horrific experiments stolen. Simple as that. And he had contacted us to get the job done. It had confused me at first as from what I knew, Accord already had a team of mercenaries on retainer. When he explained however, I understood.
Apparently, while Accord indeed had his own team of mercenaries at his beck and call, the Travellers, he didn't think their abilities were suited to the job, and I somewhat agreed with that assessment.
From what I had been able to glean from him, the Travelers were best suited for assault based jobs instead of covert ones like this, as while they had several powerful capes on their team, only two of them had powers that could be used with any sort of discretion, Genesis and Trickster.
My own team, on the other hand, practically specialized in covert operations. Even more so now that Valerie had joined. Accord wanted this job done with as little noise as possible, so he contacted us.
It was a deceptively simple mission on paper: get in, secure as much information about the experiments as possible, destroy the lab, and get out. Easy. Until one factors in the inherent dangers that come with infiltrating a Tinker's lab in the first place.
Unlike other capes, Tinkers were the most dangerous when left to their own devices for extended periods of time. Give a Tinker enough time to build a base and the defenses that come with it, and they become practically untouchable. That wasn't even mentioning what sort of Biotinkered creatures Darwin had likely infested his base with in case of intruders.
This would be one of the most difficult jobs they had received so far. And yet…
"Are you going to accept the job?" Gregor interrupted my thoughts curiously and I nodded, my decision already made.
"Of course I am. This is the biggest lead we've had in a long time, it would be stupid to let it slip through our fingers." Information on Case 53s was sparse in the first place, but something like this? Biotinkers had a propensity of gleaning information where others would find nothing. Not to mention, if this one was good enough to make Accord of all people want the information instead of just having us destroy it, it had to be important. It was not something I could just ignore.
Gregor shifted in his seat, nodding at my decision, "Do you think we should try to recruit that girl before the job? It could throw a wrench in our team's dynamic if we have too many new members on a job like this. It might be better to just wait."
I hummed as I thought about who he was referring to. Around two days ago, my contacts had informed me about a new unaffiliated parahuman running around the Bay.
According to my informants, the parahuman, Spitfire, had already been approached by the Undersiders with a recruitment offer. Although apparently there was some discourse in the Undersiders ranks, as the moment that Spitfire had approached them, Hellhound had chased the poor girl off, much to the dismay of Tattletale.
Since then, Spitfire had been seen at various spots around the Bay before seemingly settling in the Boat Graveyard, where she likely still was according to my informant. That would make it easy to approach her with an offer.
While Gregor was correct that it might be more trouble than it was worth to bring a new member on the job, while Valerie had acclimated to our lifestyle quickly, there was no saying that the other girl would do the same, if we waited too long to approach her, it was likely that she would be snatched up, either by the PRT or another group with better people skills than the Undersiders and we'd lose our chance completely.
No, it would be best to approach her as soon as possible.
I shook my head and told him as much, "No, if we wait too long someone else might snatch her up before we get to her. From what I've heard, the Undersiders already tried even if Hellhound screwed that up masterfully." I raised my beer to my lips and drank what little was left, shaking the empty bottle momentarily before placing it back on the table.
"And besides, the date of the job isn't set until next month so she should have time to acclimate to the crew. Assuming she's willing to join in the first place." I commented.
There was a possibility, however small, that Spitfire would want nothing to do with the cape scene. Some parahumans were content to simply live life as they had been, albeit with their newly acquired powers giving them an edge over everyday civilians. It was possible that Spitfire's recent encounter with the Undersiders had put her off of the idea of cape life in general.
Hopefully she would at least be willing to hear us out. The crew could always use more muscle on jobs.
"I'll send Valerie and Newter to go check her out. Hopefully that narcissist didn't give her too many reasons to mistrust capes in general. In the meantime, I've got to make some calls." I commented and Gregor nodded, finishing his own drink before standing and making his way to the door. I followed close behind, mind buzzing as I stepped out into the noisy club.
Honestly, given Tattletale's habit of running her mouth about things that would be better left alone, not to mention Hellhound's constant borderline hostility, I wasn't holding out too much hope of a successful recruitment.
But I had been surprised before.
~~~
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Next four chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
I nodded at the waitress in thanks as she sat a beer in front of me. She gave a small smile in return before moving to Gregor and giving him his own drink, a fruity cocktail that I couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. He thanked her and she nodded before making her way out of the room, closing and locking the door behind her.
Now that we were alone, I removed my mask, sighing in relief as a wave of air conditioned wind blew onto the heated skin of my face. I reached forward and grabbed the beer, bringing it to my lips and relishing in the chilled amber liquid.
Across from me, Gregor did the same with his own drink although he did so with much more composure. There was a moment of comfortable silence as we both enjoyed our chosen beverage. I took a moment to enjoy the quiet before I placed my drink back on the table and looked toward my compatriot.
I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking softly as I put my full weight on it, "So what do you think? Our newest recruit performed admirably didn't she?" I asked my long time friend. In my opinion, Valerie had done more than admirably on her job last week. Successfully defeating a cape on her first outing would increase her reputation massively in the community, more so given that said cape had been one of Kaiser's enforcers.
Gregor took a sip from his cocktail as he nodded at my question, "She did. I'll admit, I was a bit leery at your decision to send her on a solo job this early into her membership, especially so given the nature of the contract. She proved me wrong however. I have few complaints."
I nodded at his assessment. Gregor had been with me the longest out of anybody in the crew after I had found him bouncing at a club for petty cash. I had offered him a permanent spot at my side as my right hand, he accepted and the rest was history. And as my right hand, his criticism of my decisions helped keep me on the right track.
I took another swig of my drink, swishing the bottle for a moment as I thought about our newest recruit, "But you do have complaints."
Gregor nodded, leaning back in his chair, "From what I have been told, the Empire members she encountered had severe injuries, nothing lethal but still enough to raise eyebrows at the PRT. It wouldn't be a good look to have our newest member constantly going around maiming their enemies."
I nodded, it was a valid point. It was an unspoken rule among the more civilized capes to practice restraint against unpowered enemies. It made civilians feel more comfortable, knowing that they weren't going to be hospitalized for stealing from a convenience store or something similarly asinine.
But still, considering what Valerie had gone through at the hands of that gang, it was to be expected that she would be a little rougher than most.
I told Gregor as much, "Honestly, considering what she has been through at their hands, they were lucky she was so merciful." I commented, bringing my beer up to my lips, "To tell you the truth, I was a little worried that the first time she came across the Empire while on a job, we would have to deal with multiple bodies. It's good that she is capable of restraint."
I took a small sip of my drink, savoring the bitter flavor before placing it back on the table. "Although if Hookwolf were there instead of Alabaster, I have a feeling we would be having a very different conversation."
Gregor hummed softly at my statement, "You think she would have killed him?"
"She would definitely have tried her best. Whether she would have succeeded or not, I'm not sure. Hookwolf is Kaiser's top lieutenant for a reason, he's not a pushover in any sense of the word. And while Valerie's powers may be a good counter to his, Hookwolf has been around for a long time and has fought more than a few capes much more powerful than him. There's honestly no telling how the fight would go."
I tapped a pattern on the table as I thought, "With how quickly she's been growing into her powers, if we give her a few months I'd honestly put my money on her. That power of hers is extremely versatile, she just needs to use it more creatively and she'd be a menace on the battlefield."
"High praise coming from you." Gregor commented and I just shrugged. I simply gave praise where it was due. We didn't really have any close quarters heavy hitters barring Gregor, and he worked best at range. Newter was a close combatant but if his opponent had their skin completely covered, his power was rendered impotent. Elle was self explanatory, the girl was a Shaker through and through.
Valerie, on the other hand, worked best when she was up close and personal with her enemies, not to mention her potential for stealth with that melding ability of hers. She had the ability to become a powerful force multiplier if she kept utilizing her power in new ways, and the team would be much better off for it. Really, it was a godsend that Newter had found her on that pier. And speaking of Newter…
"She and Newter have been growing close, they're practically best friends at this point. I'm happy for him, I could tell he had been growing despondent recently despite the brave face he puts on."
"Do you think their relationship might become…unprofessional?" Gregor asked, concerned.
I hummed, "It's possible. She is the first person he has been able to actually touch without her being rendered incapacitated. He's already taken advantage of that fact, practically hanging off of her every chance he gets, and she hasn't complained yet." I took another swig of my rapidly emptying drink, "I personally don't think their relationship will evolve that way, when I look at them I see close siblings not romantic partners."
"And if you're wrong?" he asked.
"As long as they remain professional on jobs, they can do as they wish. Their personal business is their own and I have no desire to get involved." Newter was old enough to make his own decisions as was Valerie. What they decided to do in their personal lives was no business of mine so long as it didn't affect the crew as a whole.
Gregor nodded, seemingly satisfied by my decision, "Where is she now? She hasn't been in the club for a few days." He asked.
"She's visiting a friend, that Christine girl she sometimes talks about. Apparently she's having troubles with the Empire and Valerie is helping her sort them out. She was pretty cagey about the specifics but that's her business." He nodded at that.
With that business done, I turned my attention away from the topic and to the table, or more accurately, the files on the table. We had received a contract, one that would most likely require the entire team to complete.
Accord, Leader of the Ambassadors, had contacted me several days ago with a job offer, one that he was sure would interest me. And upon taking one look at the contract, I knew he was right.
Apparently, the mastermind had caught wind of a rogue Biotinker operating just outside of his territory in Boston. He had originally assumed it to be Blasto, a Biotinker that he'd had an ongoing rivalry with since the Boston Games several years ago, but according to his informants, Blasto was out of the state visiting his girlfriend in Nevada. This parahuman was new, a rogue element. And Accord despised rogue elements like nothing else.
The more information poured in about the unknown Biotinker, the more angry Accord had become. Apparently this parahuman, appropriately named 'Darwin', had been kidnapping Case 53's he came across on Boston's streets, sequestering them away to his base and performing experiments on them to find out how they tick. He had already gone through three test subjects, dumping their mutilated bodies in alleys for the authorities to find days later.
It was causing unrest in the Ambassadors' territory and so Accord wanted him gone and whatever information he had been able to glean from his horrific experiments stolen. Simple as that. And he had contacted us to get the job done. It had confused me at first as from what I knew, Accord already had a team of mercenaries on retainer. When he explained however, I understood.
Apparently, while Accord indeed had his own team of mercenaries at his beck and call, the Travellers, he didn't think their abilities were suited to the job, and I somewhat agreed with that assessment.
From what I had been able to glean from him, the Travelers were best suited for assault based jobs instead of covert ones like this, as while they had several powerful capes on their team, only two of them had powers that could be used with any sort of discretion, Genesis and Trickster.
My own team, on the other hand, practically specialized in covert operations. Even more so now that Valerie had joined. Accord wanted this job done with as little noise as possible, so he contacted us.
It was a deceptively simple mission on paper: get in, secure as much information about the experiments as possible, destroy the lab, and get out. Easy. Until one factors in the inherent dangers that come with infiltrating a Tinker's lab in the first place.
Unlike other capes, Tinkers were the most dangerous when left to their own devices for extended periods of time. Give a Tinker enough time to build a base and the defenses that come with it, and they become practically untouchable. That wasn't even mentioning what sort of Biotinkered creatures Darwin had likely infested his base with in case of intruders.
This would be one of the most difficult jobs they had received so far. And yet…
"Are you going to accept the job?" Gregor interrupted my thoughts curiously and I nodded, my decision already made.
"Of course I am. This is the biggest lead we've had in a long time, it would be stupid to let it slip through our fingers." Information on Case 53s was sparse in the first place, but something like this? Biotinkers had a propensity of gleaning information where others would find nothing. Not to mention, if this one was good enough to make Accord of all people want the information instead of just having us destroy it, it had to be important. It was not something I could just ignore.
Gregor shifted in his seat, nodding at my decision, "Do you think we should try to recruit that girl before the job? It could throw a wrench in our team's dynamic if we have too many new members on a job like this. It might be better to just wait."
I hummed as I thought about who he was referring to. Around two days ago, my contacts had informed me about a new unaffiliated parahuman running around the Bay.
According to my informants, the parahuman, Spitfire, had already been approached by the Undersiders with a recruitment offer. Although apparently there was some discourse in the Undersiders ranks, as the moment that Spitfire had approached them, Hellhound had chased the poor girl off, much to the dismay of Tattletale.
Since then, Spitfire had been seen at various spots around the Bay before seemingly settling in the Boat Graveyard, where she likely still was according to my informant. That would make it easy to approach her with an offer.
While Gregor was correct that it might be more trouble than it was worth to bring a new member on the job, while Valerie had acclimated to our lifestyle quickly, there was no saying that the other girl would do the same, if we waited too long to approach her, it was likely that she would be snatched up, either by the PRT or another group with better people skills than the Undersiders and we'd lose our chance completely.
No, it would be best to approach her as soon as possible.
I shook my head and told him as much, "No, if we wait too long someone else might snatch her up before we get to her. From what I've heard, the Undersiders already tried even if Hellhound screwed that up masterfully." I raised my beer to my lips and drank what little was left, shaking the empty bottle momentarily before placing it back on the table.
"And besides, the date of the job isn't set until next month so she should have time to acclimate to the crew. Assuming she's willing to join in the first place." I commented.
There was a possibility, however small, that Spitfire would want nothing to do with the cape scene. Some parahumans were content to simply live life as they had been, albeit with their newly acquired powers giving them an edge over everyday civilians. It was possible that Spitfire's recent encounter with the Undersiders had put her off of the idea of cape life in general.
Hopefully she would at least be willing to hear us out. The crew could always use more muscle on jobs.
"I'll send Valerie and Newter to go check her out. Hopefully that narcissist didn't give her too many reasons to mistrust capes in general. In the meantime, I've got to make some calls." I commented and Gregor nodded, finishing his own drink before standing and making his way to the door. I followed close behind, mind buzzing as I stepped out into the noisy club.
Honestly, given Tattletale's habit of running her mouth about things that would be better left alone, not to mention Hellhound's constant borderline hostility, I wasn't holding out too much hope of a successful recruitment.
But I had been surprised before.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR
Next four chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
Interlude 2.B
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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Sometimes I regretted following in my father's footsteps after his death. Leading the Empire was seemingly one never ending problem after another.
The air inside of the conference room seemed thick with discontent, which was to be expected given both what had occurred recently and what was likely to continue occurring if we did not do anything about it. To my right, James shifted in discomfort as he saw my frown deepened while I listened to Othala's report.
"...-and the Merchants have been getting bolder lately. According to some of Viktor's underlings, they've been picking fights with those wearing our colors out in the open and have also been loitering around businesses affiliated with us. We've also got reports of them harassing people in our territory. And while neither Skidmark nor Squealer have shown themselves, it's likely a matter of time before they show themselves too." The healer concluded.
"Why are they suddenly getting so confident? Did they get a new cape or something?" Nessa asked from her place at the table.
"Maybe. Nobody has reported seeing a new cape but given how bold they are suddenly getting with no explanation. They might have found a stray Tinker or Thinker that never appeared on our radar."
That was indeed a possibility. The Merchants, for as drug addled as they usually were, normally knew better than to so brazenly test borders between them and the Empire. If they were now confident in their abilities so suddenly, it was likely that they had something waiting in the works.
This would need to be dealt with swiftly. It wouldn't do to have an open gang war break out while we are down a member.
"Tammi," The teenager straightened from her slouch as I spoke, "You live close by to Viktor and Othala, do you not?"
She nodded, "Yeah, a few blocks away. You want me to head over and help?"
I nodded, "Yes, you are to render aid in any way you are able. Viktor will be your minder. Listen to him as you would me." She nodded, clearly unhappy with the decision but not willing to argue it.
"Wish we could just send Alabaster to take care of it. Too bad he went and got himself locked up." Tammi said and I found myself silently agreeing with her. While all of my enforcers were at least somewhat capable of leading unpowered the members of the Empire, some were much better at it than others. Alabaster had always been a good pick for commander given his powerset. Not to mention the man was utterly devoted to the cause in a way few were.
Unfortunately, due to the efforts of a single cape, he was lost to us for the time being. It would take several days if not weeks to retrieve him from wherever they were holding him. Assuming they didn't just ship him out of the city immediately after capturing him.
"Do we know who's responsible for his capture?" Nessa asked. The spear wielding Valkyrie twin was alone at the table, her sister having had prior engagements that prevented her from attending. It was a shame really, I always did like them more when they were together. There was something aesthetically pleasing about a matched set.
James nodded at her question, "We have eye witness accounts from two of the members who fled during the confrontation. From what they said, it was that New Wave girl Laserdream and another cape they hadn't seen before. According to them though, Laserdream just stood back and watched while the other cape fought them."
"I thought Laserdream stopped patrolling? Tammi asked and the kinetic manipulator just shrugged.
"What of the other cape?" I asked, "Were they able to provide a description of them?"
He nodded, "They were. They were able to capture a photo as well, though it is a little blurry due to them fleeing when they took it."
"Cowards." Brad muttered.
"Put the picture on the screen." I instructed, turning to face the large projector on the wall. It took only a moment before the white face lit up with the photo James had described.
The picture was fuzzy for a moment before James did something to make it clearer.
In the photo, she was in the middle of a clash with Alabaster, the white skinned cape taking a blow to his jaw even as he was lashing out with one of his knives.
His assailant's costume was distinctly amateur. A grey hoodie was pulled over her head, a flash of blonde hair making itself known underneath as she moved. She was wearing black cargo pants, boots, and fingerless gloves. Typical fanfare for a parahuman on their first night out, if a bit more thought out than most.
The most distinct feature of her costume was the mask. A silvery theater mask with its face stuck in a permanent placid expression with small flowery decals around the eyes.
The sleeves of her jacket were bunched up at her elbows as she punched out at Alabaster, revealing pearl white skin that had a distinct sturdiness to it. In fact, it almost looked like…
"Is her skin…crystal?" Tammi asked, giving voice to my thoughts.
"White quartz I believe. It has a strength of 7 on the Mohs Scale. Not quite as tough as Tungsten, but still harder than most other minerals." Justin commented.
"That explains why Alabaster wasn't able to beat her." Nessa surmised, "Those knives of his were starting to wear down. Last I heard they had trouble cutting through anything harder than steel. He probably wasn't able to get more than a few inches into her skin before stopping. Assuming her power works down to her bones at least."
"She's stronger than she should be as well." James commented, "According to Andrew, the one who got the photo, she was strong enough to break ribs and throw them around without much effort. It's probably how she was able to keep up with and eventually defeat Alabaster despite his gift for hand to hand."
Brad was silent, which was odd as I expected him to at least have something derisive to say about Alabaster's defeat. I looked over to him to find him staring at the board in bewildered recognition.
Brad sat a little straighter in his seat, something seemingly clicking in his head, "That girl…" He muttered angrily.
"You know this girl Brad?" I asked, steepling my fingers in front of me as I stared toward the other cape.
"It's that fucking Becker girl. I'm sure of it!" He nearly yelled, slamming his hands on the table as he stared angrily at the board..
"Didn't you kill her?" James asked.
"Against my wishes no less." I added as I continued staring at him.
Brad didn't even look abashed, continuing to stare at the picture, "I thought I did. I know I killed her parents. But some of my boys said that a cape came soaring out of the Bay just minutes after I sent her off in that car. And apparently, she came from the same direction I sent Becker off in. I had hoped it was just a coincidence but if she's going around fighting the Empire, I doubt it." He grunted, crossing his arms, "She disappeared off our radar a few weeks ago so I wasn't able to follow up on any leads. Seems she went and made herself a costume."
"Aspect." Tammi suddenly said, bringing our eyes to her. She looked surprised at herself for even speaking.
"What are you talking about girl?" Brad growled and I held my hand up in a calming gesture before turning my attention to Tammi.
"You know something about this cape?" I asked and she nodded hesitantly.
"Yeah-ah, her name's Aspect. She's at the Palanquin all the time. Usually hanging out with that orange skinned freak Newt or whatever his name is. A few friends of mine hang there all the time and were talking about her." She explained.
"Palanquin? The nightclub owned by Faultline?" I hummed, "Looks like our friend has gone and became a mercenary. How droll."
I turned back to the Striker, "Tammi, when you are free, I need you to spend some time at the Palanquin to gather information on the Becker girl. Stay away from alcohol, I need you to be clear headed. Understood?"
She nodded, "Yes sir."
"And you Brad," I brought my gaze to the Changer, "you are forbidden from confronting the girl under any circumstances. You've already ruined things once with your meddling, it will not happen again. Am I clear?"
Brad grunted and my gaze sharpened.
"I said, Am I clear?" I spoke more firmly.
Brad rolled his eyes before grunting again, "Yeah, yeah you're clear. I won't go after that Becker bitch." I keep my gaze on him for a moment longer before turning away, I would have to keep an eye on him. I knew better than to take anything he said at face value, he had already gone behind my back once, disobeying my direct orders in the process, there was no saying he wouldn't do so again.
I discreetly looked over at Melody, motioning to Brad with my eyes and hoping the mute woman got the message. She stared at me for a moment before nodding lightly. Message received.
Good. Hopefully that will be the last I have to hear about that particular problem.
Before I concluded the meeting, I turned to Justin. The situation with the Becker girl had reminded me of another, similar situation, one we could not afford to let get out of hand.
"Justin," I addressed the ghost wielding cape, "is your cousin still hesitant in performing her duties, despite the urging of both you and her companions?"
The younger man nodded, "Unfortunately so Max. From what her friends have said she has become more distant lately. They are worried she's having second thoughts. About everything."
I hummed, that wasn't good. Our benefactors in Europe were already scrutinizing us more heavily due to Brad's blunder with the Becker girl. To have another perfect Aryan specimen, one who was already a member of the Empire no less, defect would be disastrous and would more than likely lead them to send someone to oversee the Empire. Something that would be extremely detrimental to all that I and my father had built.
This would have to be rectified. And soon.
"She has until the end of the month to join, or else we will have to take matters into our own hands. The Gesellschaft is already breathing down our necks due to the fiasco with Becker, we cannot afford another misstep. You are to deal with it before I am forced to, understood?" I said and Crusader nodded firmly.
"Understood sir."
"Meeting adjourned."
As my compatriots stood and exited the room, I sighed, taking a moment to calm my thoughts before standing to join them. Yes, sometimes I truly regretted choosing to lead the Empire. It was often more trouble than it was worth.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian
Next four chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
The air inside of the conference room seemed thick with discontent, which was to be expected given both what had occurred recently and what was likely to continue occurring if we did not do anything about it. To my right, James shifted in discomfort as he saw my frown deepened while I listened to Othala's report.
"...-and the Merchants have been getting bolder lately. According to some of Viktor's underlings, they've been picking fights with those wearing our colors out in the open and have also been loitering around businesses affiliated with us. We've also got reports of them harassing people in our territory. And while neither Skidmark nor Squealer have shown themselves, it's likely a matter of time before they show themselves too." The healer concluded.
"Why are they suddenly getting so confident? Did they get a new cape or something?" Nessa asked from her place at the table.
"Maybe. Nobody has reported seeing a new cape but given how bold they are suddenly getting with no explanation. They might have found a stray Tinker or Thinker that never appeared on our radar."
That was indeed a possibility. The Merchants, for as drug addled as they usually were, normally knew better than to so brazenly test borders between them and the Empire. If they were now confident in their abilities so suddenly, it was likely that they had something waiting in the works.
This would need to be dealt with swiftly. It wouldn't do to have an open gang war break out while we are down a member.
"Tammi," The teenager straightened from her slouch as I spoke, "You live close by to Viktor and Othala, do you not?"
She nodded, "Yeah, a few blocks away. You want me to head over and help?"
I nodded, "Yes, you are to render aid in any way you are able. Viktor will be your minder. Listen to him as you would me." She nodded, clearly unhappy with the decision but not willing to argue it.
"Wish we could just send Alabaster to take care of it. Too bad he went and got himself locked up." Tammi said and I found myself silently agreeing with her. While all of my enforcers were at least somewhat capable of leading unpowered the members of the Empire, some were much better at it than others. Alabaster had always been a good pick for commander given his powerset. Not to mention the man was utterly devoted to the cause in a way few were.
Unfortunately, due to the efforts of a single cape, he was lost to us for the time being. It would take several days if not weeks to retrieve him from wherever they were holding him. Assuming they didn't just ship him out of the city immediately after capturing him.
"Do we know who's responsible for his capture?" Nessa asked. The spear wielding Valkyrie twin was alone at the table, her sister having had prior engagements that prevented her from attending. It was a shame really, I always did like them more when they were together. There was something aesthetically pleasing about a matched set.
James nodded at her question, "We have eye witness accounts from two of the members who fled during the confrontation. From what they said, it was that New Wave girl Laserdream and another cape they hadn't seen before. According to them though, Laserdream just stood back and watched while the other cape fought them."
"I thought Laserdream stopped patrolling? Tammi asked and the kinetic manipulator just shrugged.
"What of the other cape?" I asked, "Were they able to provide a description of them?"
He nodded, "They were. They were able to capture a photo as well, though it is a little blurry due to them fleeing when they took it."
"Cowards." Brad muttered.
"Put the picture on the screen." I instructed, turning to face the large projector on the wall. It took only a moment before the white face lit up with the photo James had described.
The picture was fuzzy for a moment before James did something to make it clearer.
In the photo, she was in the middle of a clash with Alabaster, the white skinned cape taking a blow to his jaw even as he was lashing out with one of his knives.
His assailant's costume was distinctly amateur. A grey hoodie was pulled over her head, a flash of blonde hair making itself known underneath as she moved. She was wearing black cargo pants, boots, and fingerless gloves. Typical fanfare for a parahuman on their first night out, if a bit more thought out than most.
The most distinct feature of her costume was the mask. A silvery theater mask with its face stuck in a permanent placid expression with small flowery decals around the eyes.
The sleeves of her jacket were bunched up at her elbows as she punched out at Alabaster, revealing pearl white skin that had a distinct sturdiness to it. In fact, it almost looked like…
"Is her skin…crystal?" Tammi asked, giving voice to my thoughts.
"White quartz I believe. It has a strength of 7 on the Mohs Scale. Not quite as tough as Tungsten, but still harder than most other minerals." Justin commented.
"That explains why Alabaster wasn't able to beat her." Nessa surmised, "Those knives of his were starting to wear down. Last I heard they had trouble cutting through anything harder than steel. He probably wasn't able to get more than a few inches into her skin before stopping. Assuming her power works down to her bones at least."
"She's stronger than she should be as well." James commented, "According to Andrew, the one who got the photo, she was strong enough to break ribs and throw them around without much effort. It's probably how she was able to keep up with and eventually defeat Alabaster despite his gift for hand to hand."
Brad was silent, which was odd as I expected him to at least have something derisive to say about Alabaster's defeat. I looked over to him to find him staring at the board in bewildered recognition.
Brad sat a little straighter in his seat, something seemingly clicking in his head, "That girl…" He muttered angrily.
"You know this girl Brad?" I asked, steepling my fingers in front of me as I stared toward the other cape.
"It's that fucking Becker girl. I'm sure of it!" He nearly yelled, slamming his hands on the table as he stared angrily at the board..
"Didn't you kill her?" James asked.
"Against my wishes no less." I added as I continued staring at him.
Brad didn't even look abashed, continuing to stare at the picture, "I thought I did. I know I killed her parents. But some of my boys said that a cape came soaring out of the Bay just minutes after I sent her off in that car. And apparently, she came from the same direction I sent Becker off in. I had hoped it was just a coincidence but if she's going around fighting the Empire, I doubt it." He grunted, crossing his arms, "She disappeared off our radar a few weeks ago so I wasn't able to follow up on any leads. Seems she went and made herself a costume."
"Aspect." Tammi suddenly said, bringing our eyes to her. She looked surprised at herself for even speaking.
"What are you talking about girl?" Brad growled and I held my hand up in a calming gesture before turning my attention to Tammi.
"You know something about this cape?" I asked and she nodded hesitantly.
"Yeah-ah, her name's Aspect. She's at the Palanquin all the time. Usually hanging out with that orange skinned freak Newt or whatever his name is. A few friends of mine hang there all the time and were talking about her." She explained.
"Palanquin? The nightclub owned by Faultline?" I hummed, "Looks like our friend has gone and became a mercenary. How droll."
I turned back to the Striker, "Tammi, when you are free, I need you to spend some time at the Palanquin to gather information on the Becker girl. Stay away from alcohol, I need you to be clear headed. Understood?"
She nodded, "Yes sir."
"And you Brad," I brought my gaze to the Changer, "you are forbidden from confronting the girl under any circumstances. You've already ruined things once with your meddling, it will not happen again. Am I clear?"
Brad grunted and my gaze sharpened.
"I said, Am I clear?" I spoke more firmly.
Brad rolled his eyes before grunting again, "Yeah, yeah you're clear. I won't go after that Becker bitch." I keep my gaze on him for a moment longer before turning away, I would have to keep an eye on him. I knew better than to take anything he said at face value, he had already gone behind my back once, disobeying my direct orders in the process, there was no saying he wouldn't do so again.
I discreetly looked over at Melody, motioning to Brad with my eyes and hoping the mute woman got the message. She stared at me for a moment before nodding lightly. Message received.
Good. Hopefully that will be the last I have to hear about that particular problem.
Before I concluded the meeting, I turned to Justin. The situation with the Becker girl had reminded me of another, similar situation, one we could not afford to let get out of hand.
"Justin," I addressed the ghost wielding cape, "is your cousin still hesitant in performing her duties, despite the urging of both you and her companions?"
The younger man nodded, "Unfortunately so Max. From what her friends have said she has become more distant lately. They are worried she's having second thoughts. About everything."
I hummed, that wasn't good. Our benefactors in Europe were already scrutinizing us more heavily due to Brad's blunder with the Becker girl. To have another perfect Aryan specimen, one who was already a member of the Empire no less, defect would be disastrous and would more than likely lead them to send someone to oversee the Empire. Something that would be extremely detrimental to all that I and my father had built.
This would have to be rectified. And soon.
"She has until the end of the month to join, or else we will have to take matters into our own hands. The Gesellschaft is already breathing down our necks due to the fiasco with Becker, we cannot afford another misstep. You are to deal with it before I am forced to, understood?" I said and Crusader nodded firmly.
"Understood sir."
"Meeting adjourned."
As my compatriots stood and exited the room, I sighed, taking a moment to calm my thoughts before standing to join them. Yes, sometimes I truly regretted choosing to lead the Empire. It was often more trouble than it was worth.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian
Next four chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
Merc Work 2.5
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
- Messages
- 185
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The springs of the mattress shifted slightly under my body. I watched as Christine paced around the room, hands fiddling with the knife I had acquired from Alabaster.
The other blonde's parents had gone out of town for the week so she invited me over to talk about the issue with them and her cousin. I had been wary but decided that if her parents weren't likely to be there no harm would come of it.
The other girl was worked up, that much was clear from the way her hands fiddled with the edge of her sweatshirt, as well as from the frantic, almost maniacal rant she was currently having, and had been having for the past half hour.
"-and they just-It's like they don't even care that I'm their daughter you know? I'm just another…commodity to be traded away for a chance of more influence in the fucking gang! It's all just so...aaagh!" she nearly screamed, angry tears appearing in her eyes.
She had been venting about the situation with her parents. Apparently they had been saying that she should take a more 'active' stance in the Empire, while at the same time not so subtly hinting that there would be consequences if she did not.
I had never been close to Mr and Mrs Landridge given their constant dislike of my own parents, but it was still somewhat surprising to learn that they valued their daughter this little. It was the kind of cold hearted behavior one would suspect from a step mom or dad who hated their child with a passion. I guess they were just the type of people to show their true colors when given the opportunity of power.
And that wasn't even mentioning this mysterious cousin. During her rant, she had let slip his name, Justin. I had never met anyone named Justin during my time at her house when we were younger so I assume he must have been somewhat distant until recently.
Either way, he wasn't distant anymore and he had been siding with her parents on her stance in the Empire. He had been the most vocal in pushing her to be more active, even going so far as to contact her friends, Hailey and Trevor, and telling them to keep an eye on her. Something that had really hurt Christine when she discovered the texts on Hailey's phone.
And this was all despite the fact that Christine had never done anything to suggest she was willing to take part in their actions. In fact, the most Christine ever really did was act as a recruiter for the Empire, from what I can remember she never participated in their hateful behavior.
The only time I can recall her even slightly following the Empire's dogma was when she went off on that Hess girl two years below us. From what I had heard, it had almost ended in a physical altercation between the two, one I somewhat doubt Christine would have won. Hess may have been a bitch, but she was a bitch who could fight better than most of the seniors on the football team.
Everyone in the school knew that Hess was horrible to just about everyone, so I figured that the track star had pushed one of Christine's hot buttons and the blonde had snapped at her. It certainly helped cement her loyalties to the cause in her friend's eyes however.
Only it seemed that couldn't go on forever, and now her 'friends' were becoming suspicious. Not to mention her cousin. It was all one big mess.
Still, Chris was working herself into a frenzy and I decided this had gone on for long enough so I stood from the bed, making my way over to the increasingly manic girl.
I place my hands on her shoulders, stopping her rant in its tracks and causing her to look at me with wide green eyes, "Breathe Chris, you're gonna have a panic attack." I instructed and watched as she did as I said, taking large breaths through her mouth and releasing them through her nose.
I waited for her to calm down before taking a step back, "Better?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yeah," She said quietly, staring at me weirdly, "Thanks."
"Of course." I smiled at her lightly. She spent another moment just staring at me before looking away and eliciting a confused look from me.
We were interrupted by a harsh ringing sound that startled the both of us. I looked to the source of the noise and was met with my phone happily ringing away on the nightstand. I could just barely see the name of the caller on the screen, it was Newter.
I walked over to it, accepting the call and bringing the phone to my ear, "Hello?"
"Hey Aspect," Came his voice, he sounded serious which was uncharacteristic of him, "Faultline wants us both to come to her office. She said it's important."
I glanced over at Christine, finding her staring at me again before turning my attention back to the phone, "Yeah uh, give me a bit and I'll make my way over."
"See you then."
"See you." I hung up, looking back toward Christine who was still watching me, "Sorry but I've got to uh…" I pointed at the phone and she nodded in understanding.
"It's fine Valerie." She reassured me, though I could tell she wasn't happy about it, "Go do what you have to do…We can talk when you get back." She couldn't quite keep the disappointment out of her voice.
I sighed and walked over to the despondent girl, pulling her into a hug and wrapping my arms around her in a comforting gesture. She stiffened before relaxing into my embrace with a small sniffle as I rubbed circles on her back.
"We'll get through this." I reassured the smaller blonde, "I promise. I'm here for you."
She was silent for a moment before her arms tightened around me, "Thank you Val." She sniffed, "Thank you."
I tightened my hold on her, leaning my head down to rest my chin on her hair, "Anytime Chris."
~~~
The Palanquin was completely empty due to it being 3pm on a Tuesday, which I was slightly happy for as it gave me a chance to sort out my thoughts in peaceful silence as I made my way to my boss's office.
The situation with Christine was becoming more and more worrying. Her parents were apparently plotting to send her away, her cousin was pushing harder on her to perform an initiation, and she had nobody to turn to.
Nobody except for me, someone who she hadn't been on good terms with for a little over two years.
The idea that my only surviving link to my old life might be ripped away from me by the Empire once more filled me with rage. I had already lost everything to those bastards, I wouldn't let them take Christine from me as well. I would protect her at all costs, even if I had to fight the entire gang by myself.
I shook my head, putting it out of my mind as I approached Faultline's office. There was no use agonizing over what might or might happen, I would simply have to deal with the situation as it evolved, hopefully for the better though I doubted it.
I opened the door to the office and entered, nodding a greeting to Newter who was already inside standing by the door as he waited for me to arrive, "So what's the situation boss, you got a job for us?" I asked.
Faultline shook her head in mild amusement, "Not this time Aspect. And don't tell me you already spent all the money from your last job?"
I shrugged, "Nah, I still have most of it. But it's always nice to earn some extra money." I sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, Newter hopping over the back and into the seat of the other one. I raised an eyebrow at his theatrics before turning back to Faultline, "So if it's not a job, what have you got for us?"
She opened a drawer on her desk and withdrew a file. Opening it up, she retrieved two photos and slid them across the table towards us. I picked up my copy and studied the photo intently.
It was blurry, as it seemed to have been taken while the person in the photo had been in motion. Said person was wearing what looked like several layers of clothing, odd for the weather of the Bay this time of year.
Their outfit consisted of a dark brown coat, under which I could see the outline of a dark maroon colored jacket that was bulging with further layers, thick gloves covered their hands from view. On their legs were a pair of baggy blue jeans that had faded from use and I could see the edges of a worn pair of boots peeking out from under the frayed edge.
They were also wearing what looked like a shaded motorcycle helmet, the plastic face of which was tilted up slightly to allow a pair of pursed lips to be viewed.
And if the mask wasn't a good indicator that they were a parahuman, the glowing liquid fire spewing out of said lips definitely was. The attack was aimed at what looked like massive monstrous dogs, snarling angrily as they stalked after the fleeing cape.
"Wait," Newter spoke up, "aren't those Bitch's dogs?"
I scrunched my face at the name even as I studied the animals. I had never seen Bitch, and really wasn't that a terrible moniker, in action, but from what I had heard and studied about her power, the dogs were indeed likely hers.
Faultline nodded at his question, "Yes they are. The photo you are looking at is the result of a failed recruitment by the Undersiders. Bitch apparently took exception to the prospective recruit, leading to the altercation in the photo you are viewing now. It was taken by one of our waiters on his way to work sometime last week."
The Undersiders. Faultline had asked me to pay special attention to the group during my research on capes in the Bay. They were a crew of thieves whose member's powersets were perfect for hit and run operations.
There was Grue, a shaker who's power allowed him to conjure massive clouds of darkness, Regent, a master who could mess with your nerves, Tattletale, a Thinker who specialized in cold reading. And one who Faultline had a massive vendetta against for reasons I couldn't pin down.
And the aforementioned Bitch, a master who could make massive monster dogs, although as I studied the photo, I couldn't help but notice that she had one more dog than what I remembered reading about. Not only that, but something about this dog was oddly familiar…
"So what does this have to do with us?" Newter asked in confusion while also breaking me from my own confused thoughts. I placed the photo back on the table, focusing on the conversation once more.
Faultline sighed, "We've been contracted for a big job. One that will likely require the entire team to perform. I won't go into details just yet but I figured we could use some extra muscle so I would like the two of you to attempt to recruit this cape, Spitfire is her name." She explained and Newter nodded. I was still confused however, all of the jobs I had been on so far had been quick and concise so I wasn't exactly sure what made this one so special.
"Wait, what constitutes a 'big job'?" I asked.
Faultline paused for a moment, dark brows furrowing as she thought as she debated internally, before she folded her hands on the desk, looking into my eyes. "Depending on how the specifics of the job play out, we may have more insight into the origins of Case 53s than ever before." she stated simply.
Beside me, Newter's breath hitched at the revelation. I understood of course, I knew just how important said origins were important to the Crew. In fact, Gregor and Newter had put a not so insignificant portion of their cut on jobs toward the issue of their origins specifically. This meant a lot to the both of them, and so of course it meant a lot to the rest of the crew as well.
I nodded firmly, that was all I needed to know to be on board, "Where can we find Spitfire?" I asked.
"From what I was last told, she has taken up residence in one of the shipping containers in the Boat Graveyard. She has been seen leaving and entering during the night so you'll likely find her there somewhere."
"We'll take care of it boss," Newter said cheerfully as we stood, "You can count on us!"
"Be careful you two," She warned as we went to exit her office, "There's no telling how Spitfire might react to a recruitment pitch after the disastrous one that just occurred. And the Boat Graveyard is right on the edge of Merchant territory, you may have to contend with them as well."
"Got it boss! We'll be careful." Newter said as we exited into the hallway.
He turned to me, "Looks like you won't be the baby of the crew anymore Valerie." He said, wiping an invisible tear from his eye, "They grow up so fast." He sniffed.
I slapped him on his covered shoulder, "Oh hush, if anything you're the baby. I'm a year and a half older than you." I teased, "And besides, who's to say Spitfire will even join us? She could want nothing to do with us at all."
"Bah." He waved his hand dismissively, "What could go wrong?"
I had to physically hold myself back from smacking him in the back of the head for that one.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian
Next three chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
The other blonde's parents had gone out of town for the week so she invited me over to talk about the issue with them and her cousin. I had been wary but decided that if her parents weren't likely to be there no harm would come of it.
The other girl was worked up, that much was clear from the way her hands fiddled with the edge of her sweatshirt, as well as from the frantic, almost maniacal rant she was currently having, and had been having for the past half hour.
"-and they just-It's like they don't even care that I'm their daughter you know? I'm just another…commodity to be traded away for a chance of more influence in the fucking gang! It's all just so...aaagh!" she nearly screamed, angry tears appearing in her eyes.
She had been venting about the situation with her parents. Apparently they had been saying that she should take a more 'active' stance in the Empire, while at the same time not so subtly hinting that there would be consequences if she did not.
I had never been close to Mr and Mrs Landridge given their constant dislike of my own parents, but it was still somewhat surprising to learn that they valued their daughter this little. It was the kind of cold hearted behavior one would suspect from a step mom or dad who hated their child with a passion. I guess they were just the type of people to show their true colors when given the opportunity of power.
And that wasn't even mentioning this mysterious cousin. During her rant, she had let slip his name, Justin. I had never met anyone named Justin during my time at her house when we were younger so I assume he must have been somewhat distant until recently.
Either way, he wasn't distant anymore and he had been siding with her parents on her stance in the Empire. He had been the most vocal in pushing her to be more active, even going so far as to contact her friends, Hailey and Trevor, and telling them to keep an eye on her. Something that had really hurt Christine when she discovered the texts on Hailey's phone.
And this was all despite the fact that Christine had never done anything to suggest she was willing to take part in their actions. In fact, the most Christine ever really did was act as a recruiter for the Empire, from what I can remember she never participated in their hateful behavior.
The only time I can recall her even slightly following the Empire's dogma was when she went off on that Hess girl two years below us. From what I had heard, it had almost ended in a physical altercation between the two, one I somewhat doubt Christine would have won. Hess may have been a bitch, but she was a bitch who could fight better than most of the seniors on the football team.
Everyone in the school knew that Hess was horrible to just about everyone, so I figured that the track star had pushed one of Christine's hot buttons and the blonde had snapped at her. It certainly helped cement her loyalties to the cause in her friend's eyes however.
Only it seemed that couldn't go on forever, and now her 'friends' were becoming suspicious. Not to mention her cousin. It was all one big mess.
Still, Chris was working herself into a frenzy and I decided this had gone on for long enough so I stood from the bed, making my way over to the increasingly manic girl.
I place my hands on her shoulders, stopping her rant in its tracks and causing her to look at me with wide green eyes, "Breathe Chris, you're gonna have a panic attack." I instructed and watched as she did as I said, taking large breaths through her mouth and releasing them through her nose.
I waited for her to calm down before taking a step back, "Better?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yeah," She said quietly, staring at me weirdly, "Thanks."
"Of course." I smiled at her lightly. She spent another moment just staring at me before looking away and eliciting a confused look from me.
We were interrupted by a harsh ringing sound that startled the both of us. I looked to the source of the noise and was met with my phone happily ringing away on the nightstand. I could just barely see the name of the caller on the screen, it was Newter.
I walked over to it, accepting the call and bringing the phone to my ear, "Hello?"
"Hey Aspect," Came his voice, he sounded serious which was uncharacteristic of him, "Faultline wants us both to come to her office. She said it's important."
I glanced over at Christine, finding her staring at me again before turning my attention back to the phone, "Yeah uh, give me a bit and I'll make my way over."
"See you then."
"See you." I hung up, looking back toward Christine who was still watching me, "Sorry but I've got to uh…" I pointed at the phone and she nodded in understanding.
"It's fine Valerie." She reassured me, though I could tell she wasn't happy about it, "Go do what you have to do…We can talk when you get back." She couldn't quite keep the disappointment out of her voice.
I sighed and walked over to the despondent girl, pulling her into a hug and wrapping my arms around her in a comforting gesture. She stiffened before relaxing into my embrace with a small sniffle as I rubbed circles on her back.
"We'll get through this." I reassured the smaller blonde, "I promise. I'm here for you."
She was silent for a moment before her arms tightened around me, "Thank you Val." She sniffed, "Thank you."
I tightened my hold on her, leaning my head down to rest my chin on her hair, "Anytime Chris."
~~~
The Palanquin was completely empty due to it being 3pm on a Tuesday, which I was slightly happy for as it gave me a chance to sort out my thoughts in peaceful silence as I made my way to my boss's office.
The situation with Christine was becoming more and more worrying. Her parents were apparently plotting to send her away, her cousin was pushing harder on her to perform an initiation, and she had nobody to turn to.
Nobody except for me, someone who she hadn't been on good terms with for a little over two years.
The idea that my only surviving link to my old life might be ripped away from me by the Empire once more filled me with rage. I had already lost everything to those bastards, I wouldn't let them take Christine from me as well. I would protect her at all costs, even if I had to fight the entire gang by myself.
I shook my head, putting it out of my mind as I approached Faultline's office. There was no use agonizing over what might or might happen, I would simply have to deal with the situation as it evolved, hopefully for the better though I doubted it.
I opened the door to the office and entered, nodding a greeting to Newter who was already inside standing by the door as he waited for me to arrive, "So what's the situation boss, you got a job for us?" I asked.
Faultline shook her head in mild amusement, "Not this time Aspect. And don't tell me you already spent all the money from your last job?"
I shrugged, "Nah, I still have most of it. But it's always nice to earn some extra money." I sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, Newter hopping over the back and into the seat of the other one. I raised an eyebrow at his theatrics before turning back to Faultline, "So if it's not a job, what have you got for us?"
She opened a drawer on her desk and withdrew a file. Opening it up, she retrieved two photos and slid them across the table towards us. I picked up my copy and studied the photo intently.
It was blurry, as it seemed to have been taken while the person in the photo had been in motion. Said person was wearing what looked like several layers of clothing, odd for the weather of the Bay this time of year.
Their outfit consisted of a dark brown coat, under which I could see the outline of a dark maroon colored jacket that was bulging with further layers, thick gloves covered their hands from view. On their legs were a pair of baggy blue jeans that had faded from use and I could see the edges of a worn pair of boots peeking out from under the frayed edge.
They were also wearing what looked like a shaded motorcycle helmet, the plastic face of which was tilted up slightly to allow a pair of pursed lips to be viewed.
And if the mask wasn't a good indicator that they were a parahuman, the glowing liquid fire spewing out of said lips definitely was. The attack was aimed at what looked like massive monstrous dogs, snarling angrily as they stalked after the fleeing cape.
"Wait," Newter spoke up, "aren't those Bitch's dogs?"
I scrunched my face at the name even as I studied the animals. I had never seen Bitch, and really wasn't that a terrible moniker, in action, but from what I had heard and studied about her power, the dogs were indeed likely hers.
Faultline nodded at his question, "Yes they are. The photo you are looking at is the result of a failed recruitment by the Undersiders. Bitch apparently took exception to the prospective recruit, leading to the altercation in the photo you are viewing now. It was taken by one of our waiters on his way to work sometime last week."
The Undersiders. Faultline had asked me to pay special attention to the group during my research on capes in the Bay. They were a crew of thieves whose member's powersets were perfect for hit and run operations.
There was Grue, a shaker who's power allowed him to conjure massive clouds of darkness, Regent, a master who could mess with your nerves, Tattletale, a Thinker who specialized in cold reading. And one who Faultline had a massive vendetta against for reasons I couldn't pin down.
And the aforementioned Bitch, a master who could make massive monster dogs, although as I studied the photo, I couldn't help but notice that she had one more dog than what I remembered reading about. Not only that, but something about this dog was oddly familiar…
"So what does this have to do with us?" Newter asked in confusion while also breaking me from my own confused thoughts. I placed the photo back on the table, focusing on the conversation once more.
Faultline sighed, "We've been contracted for a big job. One that will likely require the entire team to perform. I won't go into details just yet but I figured we could use some extra muscle so I would like the two of you to attempt to recruit this cape, Spitfire is her name." She explained and Newter nodded. I was still confused however, all of the jobs I had been on so far had been quick and concise so I wasn't exactly sure what made this one so special.
"Wait, what constitutes a 'big job'?" I asked.
Faultline paused for a moment, dark brows furrowing as she thought as she debated internally, before she folded her hands on the desk, looking into my eyes. "Depending on how the specifics of the job play out, we may have more insight into the origins of Case 53s than ever before." she stated simply.
Beside me, Newter's breath hitched at the revelation. I understood of course, I knew just how important said origins were important to the Crew. In fact, Gregor and Newter had put a not so insignificant portion of their cut on jobs toward the issue of their origins specifically. This meant a lot to the both of them, and so of course it meant a lot to the rest of the crew as well.
I nodded firmly, that was all I needed to know to be on board, "Where can we find Spitfire?" I asked.
"From what I was last told, she has taken up residence in one of the shipping containers in the Boat Graveyard. She has been seen leaving and entering during the night so you'll likely find her there somewhere."
"We'll take care of it boss," Newter said cheerfully as we stood, "You can count on us!"
"Be careful you two," She warned as we went to exit her office, "There's no telling how Spitfire might react to a recruitment pitch after the disastrous one that just occurred. And the Boat Graveyard is right on the edge of Merchant territory, you may have to contend with them as well."
"Got it boss! We'll be careful." Newter said as we exited into the hallway.
He turned to me, "Looks like you won't be the baby of the crew anymore Valerie." He said, wiping an invisible tear from his eye, "They grow up so fast." He sniffed.
I slapped him on his covered shoulder, "Oh hush, if anything you're the baby. I'm a year and a half older than you." I teased, "And besides, who's to say Spitfire will even join us? She could want nothing to do with us at all."
"Bah." He waved his hand dismissively, "What could go wrong?"
I had to physically hold myself back from smacking him in the back of the head for that one.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian
Next three chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
Merc Work 2.6
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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Brockton Bay's boat graveyard was exactly what it said on the tin, a monument to the Bay's dead shipping industry. As Newter and I walked along, the rusted husks of beached ships creaked and groaned in the wind from where they were sitting upon the sand. Wind whirled through the cracks in the rusted metal, creating a low whistle that persisted so long as the wind did.
It was quite eerie, especially so given that I could just barely hear the sounds of the homeless people who made the wrecks their homes not too far away.
Still, the cape we were searching for had apparently made her home somewhere in this rusted heap, and it was our job to find her.
"So you got any idea where we should start searching? Faultline's descriptions were pretty vague." I asked Newter as we made our way further into the junkyard.
He hummed, "Not really, I figured we'd just walk around till we find her. Can't be too hard right?"
I turned to stare at him incredulously at his statement, "Dude…" I said slowly, spreading my arm out at the wrecks around us, "This place has so many places to hide. We'll never find her without something to go on." I said.
He shrugged, "Let's keep walking then, we're bound to find some kind of clue as to where she could be."
"I guess so." I muttered as we continued making our way through the ship strewn graveyard.
~~~
There was no sign of Spitfire anywhere. The place was full of nothing but homeless vagrants and drug addicts. I nearly groaned in frustration after the second hour of absolutely no leads.
"So have you heard back from that costume maker?" Newter asked in a blatant attempt to alleviate some boredom.
I shrugged my shoulders at the question, "No not yet. But she said it would take a while to lace the materials like I had requested so I'm pretty sure it will be a week or two at the very least." He nodded and went back to searching as I got lost in thought.
Using the large sum of money I had acquired on my solo job, I had decided to mark off a big spot on my to-do list. Namely, making a costume.
Given that I had as much talent as a seamstress as I did cooking, (and really, how was it my fault that I misread the instructions on the lasagna box and nearly set the oven on fire? They should make the words bigger dammit!) I had decided to outsource the production of my costume to a local rogue in the Bay, Parian.
The woman's prices were extremely high, but that was for good reason. Due to the fact that she was a rogue and therefore not sanctioned by any higher institution, she was basically covering all the costs of both material and labor all on her own. And given where she was based, in an attempt to stay neutral she didn't offer any discounts. Full stop.
Still, the work she did was of extremely high quality and I felt a bit better when she told me that several of New Wave's costumes had been made by her. I had contacted her on Pho and we had met in person to go over the details of my prospective costume.
I didn't have a preference in style except for one thing, I had asked for a holster to be attached to my thigh to put my new knife in, as well as a spot for one on the other thigh for any weapons I might choose to use in the future. She was fine with that and was seemingly happy that I had left the majority of the design choices up to her.
In terms of practicality, I had requested a stainless steel mesh to be inlayed into the interior of the costume at various points, specifying that they were to be in contact with my bare skin as a way to easily utilize my power in emergencies like the buckle on my belt. She had agreed to that easily.
I had also decided to get the costume armored in critical places, something that had confused my teammates given my powerset. Upon explanation however, they had agreed with my decision.
Apparently my power really didn't like whatever it was that made tinkertech work. The slash that Alabaster had given me had not healed nearly as fast as it should have and when it finally did, I was left with a massive scar on my abdomen where he had hit me.
Not only that, but when I was toying with the knife I had stolen from him, any attempt to use my power on it was met with my power practically screaming 'bad idea'. Trying to ignore my instincts and meld with the knife anyway did nothing but give me a migraine that put me out of commission for the rest of the day.
So yeah, my power did not like tinkertech. Faultline had theorized that if I were to try to use my power on a Changer like Hookwolf, the exact same thing would happen which made sense all things considered, powers rarely liked mingling with each other like that so why would mine be any different?
All in all, armor and inlays included, my costume rounded out to around thirty thousand dollars, a price I was just barely able to cover thanks to my taking some extra jobs with Newter. Hopefully it would be worth it.
"Hey, Aspect! How about we ask him?" Newter suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked over to find him pointing at a man sitting on a pile of boxes a few meters away, watching us curiously.
The man practically had homeless vagrant written all over him, with a full scruffy beard and a dark brown fur coat full of holes that still somehow looked warm regardless. His pants were faded and his shoes looked to be on their last legs. I was somewhat doubtful that he had any info to give, but he was our best option at the moment and I really didn't want to spend another hour on a wild goose chase.
"I guess we could try." I said and reluctantly made my way over to him with Newter following close behind, the man watched us warily as we approached.
"Hello friend!" Newter greeted cheerfully, "We are looking for an associate of ours that may have come around here. She wears a big brown coat with a red jacket underneath and a motorcycle helmet. She's real fashionable like that, you see. You wouldn't have happened to see her would you?"
The man hummed, scratching his dirty beard in thought, "I might have. But you see friend, my memory's a bit shot and the medication my doctor prescribed me isn't covered by my insurance. Maybe a kind donation would help loosen my memory a bit. I'd say two hundred dollars should just about cover the costs."
I scoffed, "Yeah, sure it will. Come on Newt, there's no way this guy knows anything, let's just keep looking." I turned to leave but was stopped.
"Aw come on Aspect, we've been searching for over two hours by now and have nothing. Let's just pay him, she might not even be here in the first place." He said as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. He picked out a bunch of twenties and counted them before holding them out to the man
"Here you go." He said as he handed the bills over. The man took them in his hands and counted them out quickly, before nodding and turning to face them again.
"Your friend stays in that ship over there. I'd be careful, she's not usually happy receiving unwanted guests." He pointed to a boat that had been turned over on its side literally a few meters away from us, before getting up walking away, hurriedly pocketing the money.
I stared after him in shock for a moment before shaking myself out of it. I gave Newter a look and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Let's just pay him, she might not even be here." I mocked his earlier words as we made our way over.
The boat was turned on its side and the reason was clear given the massive hole in the bottom. Said hole was covered by a thick sheet of metal, creating a makeshift door blocking the interior of the boat from view. The boat was also cleaner than its surroundings suggesting it had been lived in recently.
I looked at my friend in questioning and he just motioned to the makeshift door. I shrugged before raising my arm and bringing it down firmly on the metal sheet.
"Spitfire?" I called out, "Are you there? We'd like to talk to you."
No reply. I looked to Newter and he just shrugged. I brought my hand down on the metal once more, "Spitfire? We're not here to fight I promise, we just want to talk."
Nothing.
"Maybe she's not here?" He offered. I raised my arm to knock once more just in case, but was stopped in my tracks by a slightly quivering voice.
"H-hands in the air! Don't move!" Came from above me and I looked up to find a hunched figure in a heavy brown coat and motorcycle helmet. Said motorcycle helmet was being held slightly upward by a hand, allowing a frowning face to show. The rest of Spitfire's face was hidden from view by the mask as she had only tilted it up enough to allow her lower face to show.
As I slowly raised my hands in the air, she called out again, "T-that's enough! Don't move any more than that!" As she spoke, I distantly noticed there was a burn scar on her skin, as if something extremely hot had been stuck there for too long. Odd.
"Alright, we're not moving." I placated, trying not to give the other girl any reason to set me ablaze, "Can you come down? We aren't here to hurt you, we just want to talk. I'm Aspect and this is Newter, we're mercenaries."
She hesitated for a moment before apparently deciding we weren't going to do her any harm and jumping down from her perch to land in front of us, though I noticed she kept her mask lifted just in case.
I lowered my hands as Newter came to stand beside me.
"What do you want?" Spitfire asked and I could tell she was trying to keep her voice intimidating.
I looked over toward Newter and jerked my head toward the nervous girl, motioning for him to take the lead on this one. He stepped forward, clearing his throat lightly, "Miss Spitfire, we're with the Palanquin, We've got an offer for you."
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Spitfire's posture immediately stiffened up, "An offer?" She asked warily and not a little angrily, "The last time I got an offer I was attacked by giant dogs! You planning to sic some on me too? Maybe some giant monster cats or something?"
I winced, stepping forward to take the reins and hopefully calm things down before things escalated, "No! No dogs or cats or anything! Just an offer." Newter stepped back, content to let me talk to the nervous cape, "We just wanted to offer you an invitation to join our crew. We're an independent mercenary group who operates in Brockton Bay and the surrounding states. It's an open invite, no coercing or anything. If you want us to leave, we will, no strings attached."
I hesitated, "But… between you and me?" I started quietly, "You don't seem like you're in a very good place right now. I can understand that. My trigger even…wasn't pretty to say the least. In fact, I lost basically everything I held dear in one fell swoop." I licked my suddenly dry lips, noting that I had the other girl's full attention.
"One day I was having dinner at the table with my mother and father, and the next they were gone, and I was powerless to do anything but watch it happen. If Newter hadn't found me when he did, I'm pretty sure I would have done more than one thing I'd come to regret." I looked over toward Newter who was watching us quietly, "He found me and took me to the Palanquin where I met the rest of the crew. Him, Labyrinth, Gregor, Faultine, they grounded me, let me come to terms with what had happened in my own time. And for that, I will forever be grateful to them."
Newter gave me a warm smile, feigning wiping a tear from his eye and I smiled back before turning back towards Spitfire whose mouth had turned down into a frown, "And if you'd like, we can be that for you as well." I finished, feeling an odd heat come to my cheeks at what I had just said. While nothing I had said was untrue, I had never actually spoken it out loud and doing so embarrassed me slightly. I hated sappy stuff like that.
Still, it was important to emphasize to Spitfire just how much joining the crew had helped me. I could tell just by her reaction to that little spiel that she was in a very similar position as I had been, only she had nobody to fall back on. Hopefully we could change that.
Spitfire hung her head, and I could hear the quivers in her voice as she spoke, "I just want to be left alone. I never asked for this. The powers, the hiding, any of it." She said quietly and I barely resisted the urge to wrap the clearly despondent girl in a hug. Still, she had said she wanted to be left alone, and I had promised to respect that, that didn't mean I couldn't still offer my help though.
"Alright, we'll go. But before that…," I said as I reached into my back pocket, retrieving a small laminated card and holding out to her, "Here, this card has the crew's contact information. If you ever reconsider, the offer's open. We'd love to have you in our little dysfunctional family."
She reached out and took the card hesitantly, flipping it over to look at the number and address on the back, "I-"
We were interrupted by a loud shout, and I looked behind me in surprise to find a porcelain sink of all things flying towards the three of us. It wasn't going too fast, looking more like it had been underhand tossed rather than thrown, but it would still do some damage to my two squishier companions.
Newter leapt out of the way of the massive chunk of porcelain easily, but as I went to do the same I noticed Spitfire had frozen in shock and possibly fear at the sight of the large projectile that was approaching her quickly. I took a split second to think before I quickly made a decision.
I jumped in front of her, bringing a hand down to the steel buckle of my belt in the same motion and activating my power. I crossed my now metal arms in front of my face as the sink reached me, impacting my crossed arms and shattering around them, sending shards of porcelain flying off to the sides as Spitfire screamed in surprise behind me. I grimaced internally as I felt the shard hit my metal skin. While it didn't hurt at all, given that they even hit my skin in the first place it was likely that I had just ruined another hoodie. Great.
As the rain of shards stopped, I lowered my arms, noting the sleeves had been torn to shreds as I did so, to look back at the fire spitting cape. After examining her and making sure she wasn't injured, I turned my attention back to the more important issue. Searching for the one who threw a fucking sink at us and made me ruin another one of my increasingly limited supply of hoodies.
It didn't take long to locate the thrower, towering as they were standing just a few yards away. It was a massive pile of trash in the vague shape of a human. Trash bags, cardboard boxes, cans, bottles-both plastic and glass, just about every form of trash one could think of was somewhere in that mess. And it smelled awful.
"Oh would you look at that!" The golem spoke, the inhabitant apparently not muffled at all by several hundred pounds of trash, "The fire spitting cunt has help! What, did she suck you off to get you to protect her like that? Can't imagine it was very good thanks to all that hot shit in her mouth!!"
The vitriol he just expelled our way cemented my thoughts on his identity even further. The golem was definitely Mush, one of the three powered members of the Archer's Bridge Merchants. And he was flanked by three seemingly unpowered goons.
As I took him in, I wondered exactly how none of us smelled him coming. Seriously, even several yards away I could smell him; he smelled like rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and rancid sewage all bundled into one revolting package. And as I heard Newter gag lightly behind me, I was extremely glad I didn't need to breathe while transformed, it would make fighting him much more palatable.
"What are you even doing here?" I yelled out to him, "The Merchants don't operate this far away from the slums!"
"That shit's old news girl!" Mush shouted, "We got some new members and now the Merchants are making a comeback! Ain't that right boys!?" A chorus of agreements rang out.
"Y-yeah!"
"RAAAHHGG! YEAH!"
The third one didn't say anything, just staring at us intently.
'There's something off about those guys.' I thought to myself as I took in the three seemingly unpowered gang members. They were grinning widely, almost maniacally, jittering in place as if they were full of nervous energy. The one staring was clenching and unclenching his fists with enough force that I was sure I would be able to hear if I was any closer to the group. There was some definite fuckery afoot...
"That still doesn't explain what you are doing here. There's nothing here that you would even want. Except for scrap metal I guess." I asked Mush.
"That fire spitting bitch burned some of my boys!" The garbage cape yelled angrily, "I'm here to get some payback!"
I turned and tilted my head at said fire spitting cape. She wrung her hands nervously, "They wouldn't leave me alone so I made them. I made sure not to hurt them too bad!"
"You burned Jerry's dick off!" One of them shouted angrily, snarling and showing off rotten teeth.
I snorted and Spitfire grimaced under her helmet, "I told them to leave me alone! It's his own fault he tried to get handsy with me!"
"Yeah well when we're done with you, you're gonna wish you just let them do what they wanted with you!" Another yelled at her.
Spitfire squeaked in fear at the threat and I decided that was enough of that. I stepped forward and exerted my powers on my hands, sharpening them into massive silvery claws, perfect for ripping and tearing. I could just barely hear Spitfire gasp in shock at the sudden change.
"I'll handle Mush. Newter, you get the goons. Be careful though, there's something up with them." I said, brandishing my new weapons towards the jittering Merchants. I was a bit excited at having the chance to finally try out this aspect of my powers. I had fought nothing but unpowered grunts and Alabaster so far and while I could have used it on the Empire cape, I did not want to spend hours scrubbing blood from my clothes. Trash though, I was fine with.
"Got it. Don't cut him up too bad." Newter said as he turned to face the other Merchants. Behind him, Spitfire looked at both of us hesitantly for a moment before apparently coming to a decision, squaring her shoulders and lifting the face of her mask up in preparation to join us, something that made me grin slightly.
I nodded and turned to face Mush, the other cape had been slowly but steadily growing in size as he took the stray bits of garbage around us into his form. I couldn't believe I was getting into a second cape fight this early into my career.
Hopefully this one would go as smoothly as the last.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian, Kaizer
Next three chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
It was quite eerie, especially so given that I could just barely hear the sounds of the homeless people who made the wrecks their homes not too far away.
Still, the cape we were searching for had apparently made her home somewhere in this rusted heap, and it was our job to find her.
"So you got any idea where we should start searching? Faultline's descriptions were pretty vague." I asked Newter as we made our way further into the junkyard.
He hummed, "Not really, I figured we'd just walk around till we find her. Can't be too hard right?"
I turned to stare at him incredulously at his statement, "Dude…" I said slowly, spreading my arm out at the wrecks around us, "This place has so many places to hide. We'll never find her without something to go on." I said.
He shrugged, "Let's keep walking then, we're bound to find some kind of clue as to where she could be."
"I guess so." I muttered as we continued making our way through the ship strewn graveyard.
~~~
There was no sign of Spitfire anywhere. The place was full of nothing but homeless vagrants and drug addicts. I nearly groaned in frustration after the second hour of absolutely no leads.
"So have you heard back from that costume maker?" Newter asked in a blatant attempt to alleviate some boredom.
I shrugged my shoulders at the question, "No not yet. But she said it would take a while to lace the materials like I had requested so I'm pretty sure it will be a week or two at the very least." He nodded and went back to searching as I got lost in thought.
Using the large sum of money I had acquired on my solo job, I had decided to mark off a big spot on my to-do list. Namely, making a costume.
Given that I had as much talent as a seamstress as I did cooking, (and really, how was it my fault that I misread the instructions on the lasagna box and nearly set the oven on fire? They should make the words bigger dammit!) I had decided to outsource the production of my costume to a local rogue in the Bay, Parian.
The woman's prices were extremely high, but that was for good reason. Due to the fact that she was a rogue and therefore not sanctioned by any higher institution, she was basically covering all the costs of both material and labor all on her own. And given where she was based, in an attempt to stay neutral she didn't offer any discounts. Full stop.
Still, the work she did was of extremely high quality and I felt a bit better when she told me that several of New Wave's costumes had been made by her. I had contacted her on Pho and we had met in person to go over the details of my prospective costume.
I didn't have a preference in style except for one thing, I had asked for a holster to be attached to my thigh to put my new knife in, as well as a spot for one on the other thigh for any weapons I might choose to use in the future. She was fine with that and was seemingly happy that I had left the majority of the design choices up to her.
In terms of practicality, I had requested a stainless steel mesh to be inlayed into the interior of the costume at various points, specifying that they were to be in contact with my bare skin as a way to easily utilize my power in emergencies like the buckle on my belt. She had agreed to that easily.
I had also decided to get the costume armored in critical places, something that had confused my teammates given my powerset. Upon explanation however, they had agreed with my decision.
Apparently my power really didn't like whatever it was that made tinkertech work. The slash that Alabaster had given me had not healed nearly as fast as it should have and when it finally did, I was left with a massive scar on my abdomen where he had hit me.
Not only that, but when I was toying with the knife I had stolen from him, any attempt to use my power on it was met with my power practically screaming 'bad idea'. Trying to ignore my instincts and meld with the knife anyway did nothing but give me a migraine that put me out of commission for the rest of the day.
So yeah, my power did not like tinkertech. Faultline had theorized that if I were to try to use my power on a Changer like Hookwolf, the exact same thing would happen which made sense all things considered, powers rarely liked mingling with each other like that so why would mine be any different?
All in all, armor and inlays included, my costume rounded out to around thirty thousand dollars, a price I was just barely able to cover thanks to my taking some extra jobs with Newter. Hopefully it would be worth it.
"Hey, Aspect! How about we ask him?" Newter suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked over to find him pointing at a man sitting on a pile of boxes a few meters away, watching us curiously.
The man practically had homeless vagrant written all over him, with a full scruffy beard and a dark brown fur coat full of holes that still somehow looked warm regardless. His pants were faded and his shoes looked to be on their last legs. I was somewhat doubtful that he had any info to give, but he was our best option at the moment and I really didn't want to spend another hour on a wild goose chase.
"I guess we could try." I said and reluctantly made my way over to him with Newter following close behind, the man watched us warily as we approached.
"Hello friend!" Newter greeted cheerfully, "We are looking for an associate of ours that may have come around here. She wears a big brown coat with a red jacket underneath and a motorcycle helmet. She's real fashionable like that, you see. You wouldn't have happened to see her would you?"
The man hummed, scratching his dirty beard in thought, "I might have. But you see friend, my memory's a bit shot and the medication my doctor prescribed me isn't covered by my insurance. Maybe a kind donation would help loosen my memory a bit. I'd say two hundred dollars should just about cover the costs."
I scoffed, "Yeah, sure it will. Come on Newt, there's no way this guy knows anything, let's just keep looking." I turned to leave but was stopped.
"Aw come on Aspect, we've been searching for over two hours by now and have nothing. Let's just pay him, she might not even be here in the first place." He said as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. He picked out a bunch of twenties and counted them before holding them out to the man
"Here you go." He said as he handed the bills over. The man took them in his hands and counted them out quickly, before nodding and turning to face them again.
"Your friend stays in that ship over there. I'd be careful, she's not usually happy receiving unwanted guests." He pointed to a boat that had been turned over on its side literally a few meters away from us, before getting up walking away, hurriedly pocketing the money.
I stared after him in shock for a moment before shaking myself out of it. I gave Newter a look and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Let's just pay him, she might not even be here." I mocked his earlier words as we made our way over.
The boat was turned on its side and the reason was clear given the massive hole in the bottom. Said hole was covered by a thick sheet of metal, creating a makeshift door blocking the interior of the boat from view. The boat was also cleaner than its surroundings suggesting it had been lived in recently.
I looked at my friend in questioning and he just motioned to the makeshift door. I shrugged before raising my arm and bringing it down firmly on the metal sheet.
"Spitfire?" I called out, "Are you there? We'd like to talk to you."
No reply. I looked to Newter and he just shrugged. I brought my hand down on the metal once more, "Spitfire? We're not here to fight I promise, we just want to talk."
Nothing.
"Maybe she's not here?" He offered. I raised my arm to knock once more just in case, but was stopped in my tracks by a slightly quivering voice.
"H-hands in the air! Don't move!" Came from above me and I looked up to find a hunched figure in a heavy brown coat and motorcycle helmet. Said motorcycle helmet was being held slightly upward by a hand, allowing a frowning face to show. The rest of Spitfire's face was hidden from view by the mask as she had only tilted it up enough to allow her lower face to show.
As I slowly raised my hands in the air, she called out again, "T-that's enough! Don't move any more than that!" As she spoke, I distantly noticed there was a burn scar on her skin, as if something extremely hot had been stuck there for too long. Odd.
"Alright, we're not moving." I placated, trying not to give the other girl any reason to set me ablaze, "Can you come down? We aren't here to hurt you, we just want to talk. I'm Aspect and this is Newter, we're mercenaries."
She hesitated for a moment before apparently deciding we weren't going to do her any harm and jumping down from her perch to land in front of us, though I noticed she kept her mask lifted just in case.
I lowered my hands as Newter came to stand beside me.
"What do you want?" Spitfire asked and I could tell she was trying to keep her voice intimidating.
I looked over toward Newter and jerked my head toward the nervous girl, motioning for him to take the lead on this one. He stepped forward, clearing his throat lightly, "Miss Spitfire, we're with the Palanquin, We've got an offer for you."
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Spitfire's posture immediately stiffened up, "An offer?" She asked warily and not a little angrily, "The last time I got an offer I was attacked by giant dogs! You planning to sic some on me too? Maybe some giant monster cats or something?"
I winced, stepping forward to take the reins and hopefully calm things down before things escalated, "No! No dogs or cats or anything! Just an offer." Newter stepped back, content to let me talk to the nervous cape, "We just wanted to offer you an invitation to join our crew. We're an independent mercenary group who operates in Brockton Bay and the surrounding states. It's an open invite, no coercing or anything. If you want us to leave, we will, no strings attached."
I hesitated, "But… between you and me?" I started quietly, "You don't seem like you're in a very good place right now. I can understand that. My trigger even…wasn't pretty to say the least. In fact, I lost basically everything I held dear in one fell swoop." I licked my suddenly dry lips, noting that I had the other girl's full attention.
"One day I was having dinner at the table with my mother and father, and the next they were gone, and I was powerless to do anything but watch it happen. If Newter hadn't found me when he did, I'm pretty sure I would have done more than one thing I'd come to regret." I looked over toward Newter who was watching us quietly, "He found me and took me to the Palanquin where I met the rest of the crew. Him, Labyrinth, Gregor, Faultine, they grounded me, let me come to terms with what had happened in my own time. And for that, I will forever be grateful to them."
Newter gave me a warm smile, feigning wiping a tear from his eye and I smiled back before turning back towards Spitfire whose mouth had turned down into a frown, "And if you'd like, we can be that for you as well." I finished, feeling an odd heat come to my cheeks at what I had just said. While nothing I had said was untrue, I had never actually spoken it out loud and doing so embarrassed me slightly. I hated sappy stuff like that.
Still, it was important to emphasize to Spitfire just how much joining the crew had helped me. I could tell just by her reaction to that little spiel that she was in a very similar position as I had been, only she had nobody to fall back on. Hopefully we could change that.
Spitfire hung her head, and I could hear the quivers in her voice as she spoke, "I just want to be left alone. I never asked for this. The powers, the hiding, any of it." She said quietly and I barely resisted the urge to wrap the clearly despondent girl in a hug. Still, she had said she wanted to be left alone, and I had promised to respect that, that didn't mean I couldn't still offer my help though.
"Alright, we'll go. But before that…," I said as I reached into my back pocket, retrieving a small laminated card and holding out to her, "Here, this card has the crew's contact information. If you ever reconsider, the offer's open. We'd love to have you in our little dysfunctional family."
She reached out and took the card hesitantly, flipping it over to look at the number and address on the back, "I-"
We were interrupted by a loud shout, and I looked behind me in surprise to find a porcelain sink of all things flying towards the three of us. It wasn't going too fast, looking more like it had been underhand tossed rather than thrown, but it would still do some damage to my two squishier companions.
Newter leapt out of the way of the massive chunk of porcelain easily, but as I went to do the same I noticed Spitfire had frozen in shock and possibly fear at the sight of the large projectile that was approaching her quickly. I took a split second to think before I quickly made a decision.
I jumped in front of her, bringing a hand down to the steel buckle of my belt in the same motion and activating my power. I crossed my now metal arms in front of my face as the sink reached me, impacting my crossed arms and shattering around them, sending shards of porcelain flying off to the sides as Spitfire screamed in surprise behind me. I grimaced internally as I felt the shard hit my metal skin. While it didn't hurt at all, given that they even hit my skin in the first place it was likely that I had just ruined another hoodie. Great.
As the rain of shards stopped, I lowered my arms, noting the sleeves had been torn to shreds as I did so, to look back at the fire spitting cape. After examining her and making sure she wasn't injured, I turned my attention back to the more important issue. Searching for the one who threw a fucking sink at us and made me ruin another one of my increasingly limited supply of hoodies.
It didn't take long to locate the thrower, towering as they were standing just a few yards away. It was a massive pile of trash in the vague shape of a human. Trash bags, cardboard boxes, cans, bottles-both plastic and glass, just about every form of trash one could think of was somewhere in that mess. And it smelled awful.
"Oh would you look at that!" The golem spoke, the inhabitant apparently not muffled at all by several hundred pounds of trash, "The fire spitting cunt has help! What, did she suck you off to get you to protect her like that? Can't imagine it was very good thanks to all that hot shit in her mouth!!"
The vitriol he just expelled our way cemented my thoughts on his identity even further. The golem was definitely Mush, one of the three powered members of the Archer's Bridge Merchants. And he was flanked by three seemingly unpowered goons.
As I took him in, I wondered exactly how none of us smelled him coming. Seriously, even several yards away I could smell him; he smelled like rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and rancid sewage all bundled into one revolting package. And as I heard Newter gag lightly behind me, I was extremely glad I didn't need to breathe while transformed, it would make fighting him much more palatable.
"What are you even doing here?" I yelled out to him, "The Merchants don't operate this far away from the slums!"
"That shit's old news girl!" Mush shouted, "We got some new members and now the Merchants are making a comeback! Ain't that right boys!?" A chorus of agreements rang out.
"Y-yeah!"
"RAAAHHGG! YEAH!"
The third one didn't say anything, just staring at us intently.
'There's something off about those guys.' I thought to myself as I took in the three seemingly unpowered gang members. They were grinning widely, almost maniacally, jittering in place as if they were full of nervous energy. The one staring was clenching and unclenching his fists with enough force that I was sure I would be able to hear if I was any closer to the group. There was some definite fuckery afoot...
"That still doesn't explain what you are doing here. There's nothing here that you would even want. Except for scrap metal I guess." I asked Mush.
"That fire spitting bitch burned some of my boys!" The garbage cape yelled angrily, "I'm here to get some payback!"
I turned and tilted my head at said fire spitting cape. She wrung her hands nervously, "They wouldn't leave me alone so I made them. I made sure not to hurt them too bad!"
"You burned Jerry's dick off!" One of them shouted angrily, snarling and showing off rotten teeth.
I snorted and Spitfire grimaced under her helmet, "I told them to leave me alone! It's his own fault he tried to get handsy with me!"
"Yeah well when we're done with you, you're gonna wish you just let them do what they wanted with you!" Another yelled at her.
Spitfire squeaked in fear at the threat and I decided that was enough of that. I stepped forward and exerted my powers on my hands, sharpening them into massive silvery claws, perfect for ripping and tearing. I could just barely hear Spitfire gasp in shock at the sudden change.
"I'll handle Mush. Newter, you get the goons. Be careful though, there's something up with them." I said, brandishing my new weapons towards the jittering Merchants. I was a bit excited at having the chance to finally try out this aspect of my powers. I had fought nothing but unpowered grunts and Alabaster so far and while I could have used it on the Empire cape, I did not want to spend hours scrubbing blood from my clothes. Trash though, I was fine with.
"Got it. Don't cut him up too bad." Newter said as he turned to face the other Merchants. Behind him, Spitfire looked at both of us hesitantly for a moment before apparently coming to a decision, squaring her shoulders and lifting the face of her mask up in preparation to join us, something that made me grin slightly.
I nodded and turned to face Mush, the other cape had been slowly but steadily growing in size as he took the stray bits of garbage around us into his form. I couldn't believe I was getting into a second cape fight this early into my career.
Hopefully this one would go as smoothly as the last.
~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian, Kaizer
Next three chapters are available here: Sadguychet | Patreon
Merc Work 2.7
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
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My second cape fight was not, in fact, going as smoothly as the last.
I grunted as my metal body impacted the hull of a beached ship, bending the metal inward with the force of my impact. In the direction I had come from, Mush was stalking toward my downed form with intent to finish me, only to be waylaid by a glob of liquid fire hitting him in the back.
He immediately shucked off the trash that had caught fire from his form, more garbage immediately moving to take its place as he turned to face his attacker.
Spitfire jerked from her perch on top of a shipping crate as Mush turned to face her, backing up and preparing herself to jump down as he approached.
He had left his back unprotected however and I quickly capitalized on the opening by rushing forward with my arms outspread, leaping up and spearing him around his middle and sending us both flying to the ground.
As we landed, I immediately began clawing away at the trashy form of the golem to get at the parahuman inside, scraping and flinging swaths of disgusting filth from his form as he tried to regain his bearings.
The sleeves of my ruined hoodie became increasingly filthy as I dug elbow deep in trash, searching for my quarry, until finally, I caught sight of a pink bit of flesh hidden deep within the muck. Just as I went to move more trash out of the way to expose it some more though, Mush suddenly moved.
He stood up straight as if my increased weight meant nothing, reaching around with a massive arm and grabbing me around my waist with one hand.
"Shit." I cursed as I struggled to free myself from his grip, grabbing his faux fingers and levering them away from myself. Just as I started making progress however, Mush reared me back and threw me straight at Spitfire who was watching our exchange with uncertainty.
I could just barely see the other cape scramble to the side as I went flying by, slamming against another ship a few yards away, this time breaking through the rusted hull and falling into the interior.
I just stayed lying there for a few seconds as I regained my bearings. The exchange that had just occurred had been about par for the course how the fight had been happening so far.
Spitfire would distract Mush and get him to focus on her, I would seize the opportunity and attack him while his back was turned. I wouldn't be able to do any significant damage before he recovered, and I would be flung away in some form or another. And as he went to chase after me, Spitfire distracted him again so I could recover.
Rinse and repeat for about thirty minutes or so. Between him and Alabaster, I was beginning to notice a pattern, one I didn't care for one bit.
"Why the hell is he so strong?" I groaned, "Everything I read about him said he was a C lister a most, and yet this guy is throwing me around and tanking my attacks like he's fucking Lung or something!"
"Aspect!" A voice called from outside the ship, "Are you okay!?"
I groaned and sat up, brushing the dirt and rust off my body, "Yeah I'm ok. Just fed up with this back and forth. How are things going out there Spit?"
"Don't call me that!" She said, and there was a pause, no doubt to spit another glob of fire at Mush, "And it could be going better! Every time I hit him, he just gets rid of the place I hit and replaces it! Where is he even getting all this trash from!?"
"This entire place is trash." I said as I made my way over to her side, "Hell, his power might classify anything inside the ships as trash given the way they've just been left around like unwanted litter. We should be glad it doesn't work on the ships themselves." I commented.
Ahead of us, Mush had seemingly gotten tired of the back and forth as well, and raised his massive arms in front of him to create a makeshift shield for the rest of his body. He gave a frenzied roar and then rushed towards us, arms held in front of him to block Spitfire's shots.
I frowned, deactivating my power and placing my hand in my pocket, touching the chunk of quartz held there and melding with it, making sure to include my clothes in my transformation this time, despite the added stamina cost of doing so.
"I'm gonna stop his charge. Shoot some fire at him when I back off and try to get as much of him covered as you can. If we can keep him pinned down and under fire for long enough, we can hopefully get rid of a good portion of his mass." I told Spitfire as I crouched down to run toward the charging cape.
She hesitated, "What if I hit you?" she asked in concern and I waved her off.
"Quartz has a melting point of over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. My body might crack or something, but I can heal that quickly. Not to mention, the only thing that will really be damaged would be my hoodie, which is already more or less ruined." I explained, tensing my legs, "I'll be fine, just light him up." I didn't let her protest further and ran toward the charging Merchant.
Spitfire groaned behind me and pursed her lips, taking a deep breath and then exhaling a solid stream of orange liquid the area Mush and I would likely meet. Some of the liquid separated from the steam however, falling down and landing on my shoulder.
The moment it landed it immediately burst into flame and I grimaced at the sudden glare. There didn't seem to be any immediate damage to my crystalline body however, so I kept moving, quickly outpacing the stream and meeting Mush's charge with my own.
I slammed into Mush's makeshift shield and plowed through several feet of garbage before losing my momentum. As soon as I stopped, I immediately planted my foot and leapt backwards out of the trash, just in time for Spitfire's attack to reach us and hit him, setting a good portion of his garbage shell ablaze.
He yelled in panic and deactivated whatever part of his power was keeping the trash connected, letting it fall to the ground below. His golem shifted as he moved garbage around to fill in the spaces that had been left empty, and I grinned as I noticed he was noticeably smaller. The plan was working. Now I just needed a way to restrain him.
Unfortunately, I couldn't just sink Mush into the ground like I had with Alabaster. Even with all the trash he was losing, the changer was simply way too big. If I tried to get him to sink into the ground, he'd notice and just detach that part of his body. I'd have to find another way to disable him.
Hopefully something that wouldn't include Spitfire using her power on his actual body. The smell of burning rotten garbage was already strong enough, I didn't want to add charred flesh to the mix.
I looked around for anything that could help us end the fight without burning him to a crisp, while at the same time cursing Mush's massive form. I looked around at the piles of scrap that Mush's power had arbitrarily decided weren't classified as garbage, before I spotted something. A massive steel beam, one that was mostly intact and rust free.
As I blocked another strike from Mush, I could already feel a plan start to form in my head. Mush was small enough now that I should be able to wrap that beam around him completely and restrain him. I would then be free to dig away at his trash until I found his real body. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the best one I had right now that didn't involve the cape receiving horrific burns or losing limbs so it would have to work.
As Much swung his arm down at me in another attempt to slam me into the ground, I lept backwards toward Spitfire, my increased strength sending me soaring across the several yards between us as Mush shouted in confusion. He looked around for me for a moment, before roaring angrily as another glob of napalm hit him.
I grinned, turning to Spitfire as she spat another molten glob at the much smaller trash golem, "Try to lure him towards that pile over there! I have a plan!" I told her before rushing over to the pile I had indicated
As I ran, I deactivated my power, my skin turning from shiny quartz back to normal flesh and leaving me slightly winded in the process. I didn't take a moment to breathe though, immediately placing my hand on the lightly rusted beam to get a feel for its strength.
I could immediately tell that whatever the beam was made out of was weaker than the metal I had been using just seconds ago even without melding with it. For what I had in mind however, it would be enough.
I placed my hands on the concrete beside the beam, melding with it and sinking down to wait for Mush to approach.
Up above, Spitfire was doing a fantastic job forcing him to make his way towards where I was hidden. She was using her power to corral him like a dog herding cattle, filling the area with liquid fire and making the only safe path to move in the one directly toward me.
Mush didn't seem to notice what she was doing, simply content to taunt her, "Looks like that other bitch abandoned you! You can spit as much fire as you want, but when my boys are done with that orange skinned freak, we're gonna fuck you up!" He laughed even as he unknowingly did exactly as she wished.
'Almost…' I thought in anticipation as Mush approached, 'There!' As he continued taunting Spitfire, his massive form stepped on the ground just inches from where I was submerged. Exactly where I wanted him.
As he was distracted by Spitfire, I emerged from the concrete behind him, grabbing the massive beam from the ground and hot swapping to match its material. I knew I was going to pay for that later when I transformed back to normal, but I ignored that thought as I lifted the beam up towards the trash golem.
In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for me to just change parts of my body to match materials instead of my whole body at once. After all, if I already had control of how my body acted when transformed, why couldn't I also control which parts of me transform? I would have to experiment with the idea some then all of this was over.
For now, I still had Mush to deal with.
He yelled out in surprise at my sudden appearance and I took the opportunity to wrap the steel beam around his body, making sure to dig it as deeply into the trash as I could. And then, with a grunt of exertion, I used my increased strength to heave his squirming form up and against the metal hull of the ship, using my power to meld the exposed bits of the massive beam with the hull of the ship, leaving him stuck there suspended several feet above the ground.
As Mush wiggled and tried to free himself, I stepped back and transformed one of my arms into a sharp blade then began cutting away at the legs of the golem, making lengthwise cuts like I was carving away at a massive piece of shawarma. Behind me, I could hear Spitfire walk up to watch me work.
I didn't know how his power connected the trash to his body and I didn't want to accidently cut off his leg or something. I had already gotten a talking to from Faultline about how rough I was on those Empire goons, and while she had understood why I had done it, I didn't really want to go through that uncomfortable experience again.
Melanie was scary when she played the part of the stern boss.
Back to Mush, it seemed that either he was capable of moving himself within his golem, something I had suspected he could do given how hard it had been finding his actual body, or he was located in the very center. Which also made sense given that it was all that was left of the golem after I rid it of its limbs and head. Now he was just a lump of trash, giving a clear picture as to where his actual body was.
Now that I knew where to dig, I did so expeditiously, morphing my hands again and clawing away at the shell of trash. It took several seconds to clear it all away as Mush tried to hold onto it with all of his might. It was futile however, and soon I had gotten rid of enough to allow me to view the man underneath.
As his face was revealed, I couldn't help but wince at just how filthy the other cape was. He wasn't wearing a mask for one, his face was instead coated in brownish green liquid from all the trash he had been under and his features were absolutely covered with acne. His hair was stringy and thinning at the same time, something I didn't know was possible
Mush squinted at the sudden increase in light, before glaring at me the moment his eyes focused, "You stupid bitch! You're on Merchant's turf, you think you can jus-"
I slammed my fist into his jaw, ending his tirade before it could begin and knocking him unconscious. I didn't really feel like listening to him go on whatever spiel he was about to spit.
As the changer fell unconscious, the trash clinging to him stopped doing so, falling to the ground below and leaving its master suspended loosely by the steel beam, barely held up by his pudgy abdomen.
I fixed that, reaching over and squeezing the beam tighter around his body, leaving him well and truly stuck there.
I looked over to Spitfire who had been quietly watching me work, "Well, that was a lot of fun, you good?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. My throat is a bit dry but other than that, all good." She looked at Mush hesitantly, "Is it ok to just leave him here like that?"
I shrugged, "I don't know, probably? He attacked us and we beat him, as long as we didn't maim him or kill him, I'm pretty sure nobody cares what we do with him."
I didn't know the exact protocol in this situation, but given that I was more than a little fed up with him after getting thrown around for the better part of an hour, I didn't really care.
Spitfire nodded, scratching her exposed chin, "Ok I guess…What now?"
"Now," I said as I turned away from the unconscious parahuman, "We go find Newter. He hasn't joined us yet, so either he's still fighting them, or he's just waiting for us to show up. Probably the second one." I began walking toward the last place I last heard Newter fighting, Spitfire following close behind.
"You don't think they could have beaten him? There were three of them." she asked in concern and I chuckled.
"I doubt it, Newter was practically made for group fights with his flexibility and overall weird biology. Not to mention he's a better fighter than me on most days. Nah, if he's still fighting, he's either messing with them, or they're really good at dodging." I explained and she nodded hesitantly.
It only took a minute or so to find Newter. He was currently dancing in between two thugs, dodging their sloppy attacks and contorting his body at weird angles to strike back while they were distracted. Even I could tell the thugs were fighting extremely sloppily, attacking at whatever they could see and often hitting each other as Newter dodged out of the way.
Still, something was off about the picture.
I frowned as I saw him land a direct hit on the uncovered skin of one of them, only for the Merchant to stumble lightly for a moment, before shaking his head and attacking Newter with the same ferocity as before. They were resistant to Newter's chemicals.
I watched as one of them scored a lucky hit on him, sending him stumbling back and clutching at his bruised nose, before deciding to intervene.
I rushed forward toward the group, ignoring Spitfire's startled squeak, and as I reached them, I held my arm out to my side. One of the thugs turned toward me in my approach, and caught a forearm to his throat in return, sending him sprawling to the ground with a groan.
I turned and swung out at the other thug, laying him out as well before hurrying over to Newter, "Hey Newt, need a hand?" I asked.
Newter chuckled, nodding to Spitfire as she walked up beside me, "Yeah, that'd be great. These guys suck at fighting, but I can't put them out with my chemicals and they barely react to my punches. Too bad I'm not a big bad brute like you huh?" He teased with a grin.
"Oi!" I yelled in mock offense. "I'll have you know I'm also a changer thank you very much!"
"Wait, I thought you were a breaker." He said in confusion and I shrugged.
"Eh, who knows? I get the two confused with each other all the time. I mean, I can transform into different materials like a breaker, but I can also change my form like a changer. We'll just say I'm both for the sake of simplicity."
Newter nodded sagely, "You are full of wisdom to have come up with a solution to such a complicated issue. Probably the greatest philosopher of our time, truly."
I smacked him lightly on the back of the head, "Hush."
I looked back at our opponents who had gotten to their feet and were practically frothing at the mouth at this point, eyes bloodshot and pupils dilated, and I noticed something odd.
"Where's the third one?" I asked Newter and he pointed off to the side.
"He's over there, trapped between two shipping containers." I followed his hand and lo and behold, there he was. The upper half of his body was crammed in the tight space between the two metal crates, leaving his lower body sticking out and squirming ineffectually, legs jerking this way and that as he tried to free himself.
I snorted at the stuck Merchant, "How the hell did you manage that?"
"They aren't very smart. He tried to chase me through that narrow gap, only he's a lot bigger than me, and a lot less flexible. He didn't care though, just rushed in and got himself stuck." Newter explained, "Whatever gives them that power up makes them act like frenzied animals. Especially stupid frenzied animals. That, or they're just dumber than the average Merchant."
"That'd be a real feat." I said.
Just as I went to speak more, the Merchants seemingly got sick of waiting, letting out twin yells and rushing towards us. I decided to test Newters statement about them being more stupid than usual, stepping to the side and holding out my food and arm respectively.
It was like something out of a cartoon. The first thug didn't even notice my foot sticking out and tripped over it, rolling a few meters away and landing in a heap, while the second did notice my arm and pinwheeled his arms in a futile attempt to stop himself, ultimately failing and being clotheslined on my limb.
I decided to test Newter's other statement while they were down, kicking hard out with a foot against one of their sides. They didn't even flinch, not giving any indication that they had felt my attack.
"Huh. They are pretty durable aren't they?" I muttered.
"Yeah they are, I made one of them run headfirst into a metal wall and he didn't even feel it. I don't know what they're on but it's nuts." He complained and I hummed.
"Well this is a problem.These two idiots aren't affected by Newter and don't seem to be getting tired. Not to mention, I can't actually try my hardest to knock them out unless I want to crack their skulls open. What to do…" I muttered to as I kept one of the thugs held down under my boot
"Maybe we could trap them like you did with the other one?" Spitfire offered and I made a thinking face before nodding.
"That's a good idea, we just need something that can trap both of them at once." I said as I looked around.
There! On the edge of the area we were fighting in, beside another beached ship, was a dark blue shipping container. It looked extremely sturdy, probably sturdy enough to suit our needs.
I turned back to my compatriots, "Newter, what's the longest you think you could daze them with your power?"
"Maybe a few seconds or so? It depends on how long I have to keep my hands on them. I could definitely keep them under for two or three seconds." He said and I nodded.
"That should be enough. Alright here's the plan, you distract them while Spitfire and I work on opening that shipping container over there. When I give the signal, you daze them for as long as you can and I'll throw them in and Spitfire will close it behind them. Sound good?"
He nodded, "Better than anything I've come up with so far."
"Alright, let's do it. Spitfire, follow me." I grabbed her arm as I ran over to the massive container. As we reached it, I grinned as I noticed it seemed to be made of the same type of metal that I was.
Unfortunately, the door to the container was locked by an industrial sized lock, one that was clearly a different material than my body unlike the shipping container itself, and I didn't really want to change back at the moment and get hit with the results of my earlier hotswitch.
Luckily, I had a solution. I reached into my cargo pants and retrieved the knife I had…acquired from Alabaster. "Thank god for my numerous pockets." I muttered as I pressed the button on the handle and the blade glowed lightly.
I pressed the blade to the lock and grinned as it cut through the metal like a-well, not a hot knife, more like a cold knife-through butter. It took less than a second for the knife to cut through the lock, and as it fell to the ground, I swung the doors open with a flourish, grinning at its empty interior.
"Alright Spitfire, Newt and I are gonna try to get them inside. I need you to slam the door closed behind them as soon as we get them in and I'll take care of the rest. Got it?"
She nodded and I grinned, turning and running back to Newter who was doing a good job of distracting the thugs. He was acting like a matador with a raging bull, coaxing them into charging him and ducking out of the way at the last minute. The only thing he was missing was the red cape.
"Alright Newt, the plan is a go! Hit 'em!" I yelled out to him.
Newter nodded, dodging out of the way of another charge and placing his hands on their arms, holding them for a second or two to really let his power work. He then let go, literally cartwheeling away from them as they turned to strike him.
As they stumbled around, dazed by Newter's chemicals, I rushed forward and body checked the right one sending him flying into the open shipping container with a thud. His compatriot, seeing what had happened, turned and struck out at me clumsily with an enraged shout.
I dodged under and to the side, grabbing the arm as it passed over my head and pivoting on my heel and fiving a small grunt as I lifted the thug bodily by his arm. As he swung over me, I let go of him at the apex of his arc, sending him flying into the same container as his friend. Said friend had only just gotten to his feet, when the body of his buddy slammed into him and sent him sprawling to the floor again.
As they went to stand, Spitfire emerged from her place off to the side of the container and slammed the doors closed. I rushed up and used my power on the doors, melding them together and joining them more securely than any weld could have.
Spitfire and I stepped back as we observed my work. A series of powerful thuds came from the inside of the container, shaking it slightly. Luckily the doors held, no matter how strong they were, it seemed they wouldn't be able to break out.
I clapped my hands, pretended to dust my hands off, "Good work team! The druggies are trapped in a prison of their own making. High fives all around!" I raised my hands expectantly.
Newter whooped and slapped my metal hand with force, shaking his wrist after the fact. Spitfire was a bit smarter about it, gently but firmly clapping my hand with her own.
I grinned at the other girl, "Soooo? what do you think? You just got the chance to fight alongside the awesome duo that is Aspect and Newter! How was it?"
Spitfire giggled lightly, "It was certainly an experience. I wouldn't mind doing it again, maybe when our lives aren't on the line though."
"So is that a yes to our invitation I'm hearing?" I led and she hesitated.
Newter jumped in, "Yeah! Just think, if you join the crew, you get to see my handsome face any time you're at the club."
"That's more of a con I think. After all, who wants to look at your ugly mug every day?" I teased.
"Hey!" He scowled at me, "I'll have you know that this ugly mug has gotten me more babes than you'll ever get!"
"And I'll have you know that I could get any babe or guy that I want." I stuck my tongue out at him, "But you keep telling yourself that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, no matter how wrong they are."
Our byplay was interrupted by a blur of red zooming through the area and stopping a few feet away from the three of us. I brought my fists up, already dreading another fight, before letting out a sigh of relief as I saw who it was.
Skin tight, almost to the point of being indecent, bright red bodysuit with white racing stripes down either side and around his limbs. Two stripes were also on his torso, coming down and meeting in the shape of a V in the center of his chest. He was wearing a red and white helmet which left his mouth exposed.
Velocity, a member of the Protectorate.
He was currently looking around at the piles of trash we had left in our fight with Mush, pausing slightly as he caught sight of Mush hanging where I had left him. He shook his head, moving his gaze to us with a neutral expression.
"You three made quite a mess here. I don't suppose you would be willing to give a statement about what happened, would you?" He asked hopefully.
I looked at the others before shrugging, "Yeah, sure." I briefly summarized what had happened and he nodded, pressing a button on his helmet as I finished. Probably a recording device or something.
"That explains a few things. I got a call about a cape fight between Mush and two others in the boat graveyard and came to assist. Looks like you three didn't need any help though." He commented as he looked around, taking note of the rattling shipping container as the Merchants beat on its insides.
"How did you…" He pointed at the blue container.
I figured there was no harm in telling him, "I joined the edges of the doors together. I had to break the lock to open it and there wasn't really any other way to lock it." I explained, "You'll probably need to cut them out. Be careful though, they're a lot stronger and more durable than the average Merchant and they fight like animals. They're probably high or something, though that wouldn't explain the strength."
"That sounds like Rat King's work." Velocity said and I tilted my head in confusion.
"Rat King? I've never heard of him before."
"You wouldn't have." Velocity stated simply, "He just recently joined up with the Merchants a week or two ago. From what we've been able to gather, his power revolves around enhancing the physical strength of a group of people at the increasing cost of their cognitive ability the stronger he makes them. With capes, it increases the potency of their powers, though it's a lot less effective than when used on unpowered individuals."
He looked around again, "And judging from the amount of trash laying around here, Mush was probably under the influence of his power." Well that explained a few things.
Newter snorted, "And I'm guessing the Merchants being their usual selves, don't really care if they can think or not?"
Velocity laughed, shaking his head, "No they do not."
He looked around at the incapacitated Merchants, paying special attention to Mush practically stapled to the wall, before turning back to us, "You three did some good work here. Mush may not be that strong compared to some other capes, but he's a pain to put down without using excessive force. Add on to the enhancements he probably received and some of the seasoned heroes would have struggles to take him down." He praised.
"Thanks, it took forever to finally get him down, he kept throwing me away any time I tried to move his trash out of the way." I complained.
The hero laughed, "Yeah, you've got to watch out for those arms of his, he can shift the trash around to make them longer or shorter as he wishes and that makes it difficult to judge his reach. It's caught Assault off guard more than once."
He chuckled for a moment, before his face turned serious and turned to Spitfire, "Now onto more urgent matters. I've seen these two around before, but I've never seen you."
"I'm Spitfire. I've been trying to stay under the radar. Badly it seems." She said quietly.
He hummed, "Did you gain your powers recently? Perhaps in an incident involving the Bluebird orphanage?" He led, and Spitfire went rigid.
"W-why?" She stammered, and I frowned, preparing to step in if I needed to.
"Well, if you were involved in the fire that occurred at the orphanage, I would feel inclined to tell you that no consequences are coming your way." He said lightly, and Spitfire let out a quiet sigh of relief, "Apparently, the matron was involved in some extremely shady dealings and is currently standing trial for child endangerment among… other things. And given its general state of disrepair, the orphanage was retroactively approved for demolition." He explained.
"Good." Spitfire muttered viciously, barely audible to me even from my place right behind her.
Velocity continued, "Still, If you would like, I could help you put in an application to the Wards? You would be able to practice with your powers in a safe environment surrounded by other capes in similar situations to yourself." He offered.
Spitfire stared at the hero uncertainly for a moment before looking back at us. I fought to keep my stance neutral, deciding to let the other girl make her own decision. If she wanted to join the heroes instead of the crew, I wouldn't make a big fuss about it, no matter how disappointed I may be.
She stared at me and Newter, before her body seemingly straightened with resolve as she turned back toward Velocity.
"Thank you for the offer." She said, and Velocity immediately deflated as he knew what was coming, "But I've already made the decision to join another team, I'm sorry."
A massive grin split my face at her declaration, and I had to hold myself back from whooping in joy at the hero's disappointed expression.
"Well alright, I can't exactly force you to join. But are you sure about this? The Wards Program can provide you with many things. Peers your age, government programs, legal pay." He stressed the legal bit and I frowned lightly. I'm pretty sure mercenary work was, well, it probably wasn't completely legal, but there were definitely more illegal things one could do to earn money!
Spitfire just nodded at his question, "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for the offer, but my mind is made up. I've already fought alongside two members of the team and we worked well together. No use ruining a good thing right?"
I couldn't hold myself back this time, and I rushed forward to wrap my arm around Spitfire's shoulder, "Hell yeah, we're glad to have you Spit!"
"Don't call me that." She muttered.
I could see the grin she was trying to hide though. Recruitment Success!
Velocity sighed, "Well alright then. Your decisions are your own I suppose. Just know that the offer stands." He looked around, "Now I suppose I should call this in with my superiors. Unless you want to stay and give more statements, I would advise you three be on your way."
"Way ahead of you!" I said cheerfully as I grabbed Newter and Spitfire's arms, dragging them with me as I made my way past the red clad hero.
"W-wait! My stuff!"
~~~
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I grunted as my metal body impacted the hull of a beached ship, bending the metal inward with the force of my impact. In the direction I had come from, Mush was stalking toward my downed form with intent to finish me, only to be waylaid by a glob of liquid fire hitting him in the back.
He immediately shucked off the trash that had caught fire from his form, more garbage immediately moving to take its place as he turned to face his attacker.
Spitfire jerked from her perch on top of a shipping crate as Mush turned to face her, backing up and preparing herself to jump down as he approached.
He had left his back unprotected however and I quickly capitalized on the opening by rushing forward with my arms outspread, leaping up and spearing him around his middle and sending us both flying to the ground.
As we landed, I immediately began clawing away at the trashy form of the golem to get at the parahuman inside, scraping and flinging swaths of disgusting filth from his form as he tried to regain his bearings.
The sleeves of my ruined hoodie became increasingly filthy as I dug elbow deep in trash, searching for my quarry, until finally, I caught sight of a pink bit of flesh hidden deep within the muck. Just as I went to move more trash out of the way to expose it some more though, Mush suddenly moved.
He stood up straight as if my increased weight meant nothing, reaching around with a massive arm and grabbing me around my waist with one hand.
"Shit." I cursed as I struggled to free myself from his grip, grabbing his faux fingers and levering them away from myself. Just as I started making progress however, Mush reared me back and threw me straight at Spitfire who was watching our exchange with uncertainty.
I could just barely see the other cape scramble to the side as I went flying by, slamming against another ship a few yards away, this time breaking through the rusted hull and falling into the interior.
I just stayed lying there for a few seconds as I regained my bearings. The exchange that had just occurred had been about par for the course how the fight had been happening so far.
Spitfire would distract Mush and get him to focus on her, I would seize the opportunity and attack him while his back was turned. I wouldn't be able to do any significant damage before he recovered, and I would be flung away in some form or another. And as he went to chase after me, Spitfire distracted him again so I could recover.
Rinse and repeat for about thirty minutes or so. Between him and Alabaster, I was beginning to notice a pattern, one I didn't care for one bit.
"Why the hell is he so strong?" I groaned, "Everything I read about him said he was a C lister a most, and yet this guy is throwing me around and tanking my attacks like he's fucking Lung or something!"
"Aspect!" A voice called from outside the ship, "Are you okay!?"
I groaned and sat up, brushing the dirt and rust off my body, "Yeah I'm ok. Just fed up with this back and forth. How are things going out there Spit?"
"Don't call me that!" She said, and there was a pause, no doubt to spit another glob of fire at Mush, "And it could be going better! Every time I hit him, he just gets rid of the place I hit and replaces it! Where is he even getting all this trash from!?"
"This entire place is trash." I said as I made my way over to her side, "Hell, his power might classify anything inside the ships as trash given the way they've just been left around like unwanted litter. We should be glad it doesn't work on the ships themselves." I commented.
Ahead of us, Mush had seemingly gotten tired of the back and forth as well, and raised his massive arms in front of him to create a makeshift shield for the rest of his body. He gave a frenzied roar and then rushed towards us, arms held in front of him to block Spitfire's shots.
I frowned, deactivating my power and placing my hand in my pocket, touching the chunk of quartz held there and melding with it, making sure to include my clothes in my transformation this time, despite the added stamina cost of doing so.
"I'm gonna stop his charge. Shoot some fire at him when I back off and try to get as much of him covered as you can. If we can keep him pinned down and under fire for long enough, we can hopefully get rid of a good portion of his mass." I told Spitfire as I crouched down to run toward the charging cape.
She hesitated, "What if I hit you?" she asked in concern and I waved her off.
"Quartz has a melting point of over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. My body might crack or something, but I can heal that quickly. Not to mention, the only thing that will really be damaged would be my hoodie, which is already more or less ruined." I explained, tensing my legs, "I'll be fine, just light him up." I didn't let her protest further and ran toward the charging Merchant.
Spitfire groaned behind me and pursed her lips, taking a deep breath and then exhaling a solid stream of orange liquid the area Mush and I would likely meet. Some of the liquid separated from the steam however, falling down and landing on my shoulder.
The moment it landed it immediately burst into flame and I grimaced at the sudden glare. There didn't seem to be any immediate damage to my crystalline body however, so I kept moving, quickly outpacing the stream and meeting Mush's charge with my own.
I slammed into Mush's makeshift shield and plowed through several feet of garbage before losing my momentum. As soon as I stopped, I immediately planted my foot and leapt backwards out of the trash, just in time for Spitfire's attack to reach us and hit him, setting a good portion of his garbage shell ablaze.
He yelled in panic and deactivated whatever part of his power was keeping the trash connected, letting it fall to the ground below. His golem shifted as he moved garbage around to fill in the spaces that had been left empty, and I grinned as I noticed he was noticeably smaller. The plan was working. Now I just needed a way to restrain him.
Unfortunately, I couldn't just sink Mush into the ground like I had with Alabaster. Even with all the trash he was losing, the changer was simply way too big. If I tried to get him to sink into the ground, he'd notice and just detach that part of his body. I'd have to find another way to disable him.
Hopefully something that wouldn't include Spitfire using her power on his actual body. The smell of burning rotten garbage was already strong enough, I didn't want to add charred flesh to the mix.
I looked around for anything that could help us end the fight without burning him to a crisp, while at the same time cursing Mush's massive form. I looked around at the piles of scrap that Mush's power had arbitrarily decided weren't classified as garbage, before I spotted something. A massive steel beam, one that was mostly intact and rust free.
As I blocked another strike from Mush, I could already feel a plan start to form in my head. Mush was small enough now that I should be able to wrap that beam around him completely and restrain him. I would then be free to dig away at his trash until I found his real body. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the best one I had right now that didn't involve the cape receiving horrific burns or losing limbs so it would have to work.
As Much swung his arm down at me in another attempt to slam me into the ground, I lept backwards toward Spitfire, my increased strength sending me soaring across the several yards between us as Mush shouted in confusion. He looked around for me for a moment, before roaring angrily as another glob of napalm hit him.
I grinned, turning to Spitfire as she spat another molten glob at the much smaller trash golem, "Try to lure him towards that pile over there! I have a plan!" I told her before rushing over to the pile I had indicated
As I ran, I deactivated my power, my skin turning from shiny quartz back to normal flesh and leaving me slightly winded in the process. I didn't take a moment to breathe though, immediately placing my hand on the lightly rusted beam to get a feel for its strength.
I could immediately tell that whatever the beam was made out of was weaker than the metal I had been using just seconds ago even without melding with it. For what I had in mind however, it would be enough.
I placed my hands on the concrete beside the beam, melding with it and sinking down to wait for Mush to approach.
Up above, Spitfire was doing a fantastic job forcing him to make his way towards where I was hidden. She was using her power to corral him like a dog herding cattle, filling the area with liquid fire and making the only safe path to move in the one directly toward me.
Mush didn't seem to notice what she was doing, simply content to taunt her, "Looks like that other bitch abandoned you! You can spit as much fire as you want, but when my boys are done with that orange skinned freak, we're gonna fuck you up!" He laughed even as he unknowingly did exactly as she wished.
'Almost…' I thought in anticipation as Mush approached, 'There!' As he continued taunting Spitfire, his massive form stepped on the ground just inches from where I was submerged. Exactly where I wanted him.
As he was distracted by Spitfire, I emerged from the concrete behind him, grabbing the massive beam from the ground and hot swapping to match its material. I knew I was going to pay for that later when I transformed back to normal, but I ignored that thought as I lifted the beam up towards the trash golem.
In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for me to just change parts of my body to match materials instead of my whole body at once. After all, if I already had control of how my body acted when transformed, why couldn't I also control which parts of me transform? I would have to experiment with the idea some then all of this was over.
For now, I still had Mush to deal with.
He yelled out in surprise at my sudden appearance and I took the opportunity to wrap the steel beam around his body, making sure to dig it as deeply into the trash as I could. And then, with a grunt of exertion, I used my increased strength to heave his squirming form up and against the metal hull of the ship, using my power to meld the exposed bits of the massive beam with the hull of the ship, leaving him stuck there suspended several feet above the ground.
As Mush wiggled and tried to free himself, I stepped back and transformed one of my arms into a sharp blade then began cutting away at the legs of the golem, making lengthwise cuts like I was carving away at a massive piece of shawarma. Behind me, I could hear Spitfire walk up to watch me work.
I didn't know how his power connected the trash to his body and I didn't want to accidently cut off his leg or something. I had already gotten a talking to from Faultline about how rough I was on those Empire goons, and while she had understood why I had done it, I didn't really want to go through that uncomfortable experience again.
Melanie was scary when she played the part of the stern boss.
Back to Mush, it seemed that either he was capable of moving himself within his golem, something I had suspected he could do given how hard it had been finding his actual body, or he was located in the very center. Which also made sense given that it was all that was left of the golem after I rid it of its limbs and head. Now he was just a lump of trash, giving a clear picture as to where his actual body was.
Now that I knew where to dig, I did so expeditiously, morphing my hands again and clawing away at the shell of trash. It took several seconds to clear it all away as Mush tried to hold onto it with all of his might. It was futile however, and soon I had gotten rid of enough to allow me to view the man underneath.
As his face was revealed, I couldn't help but wince at just how filthy the other cape was. He wasn't wearing a mask for one, his face was instead coated in brownish green liquid from all the trash he had been under and his features were absolutely covered with acne. His hair was stringy and thinning at the same time, something I didn't know was possible
Mush squinted at the sudden increase in light, before glaring at me the moment his eyes focused, "You stupid bitch! You're on Merchant's turf, you think you can jus-"
I slammed my fist into his jaw, ending his tirade before it could begin and knocking him unconscious. I didn't really feel like listening to him go on whatever spiel he was about to spit.
As the changer fell unconscious, the trash clinging to him stopped doing so, falling to the ground below and leaving its master suspended loosely by the steel beam, barely held up by his pudgy abdomen.
I fixed that, reaching over and squeezing the beam tighter around his body, leaving him well and truly stuck there.
I looked over to Spitfire who had been quietly watching me work, "Well, that was a lot of fun, you good?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. My throat is a bit dry but other than that, all good." She looked at Mush hesitantly, "Is it ok to just leave him here like that?"
I shrugged, "I don't know, probably? He attacked us and we beat him, as long as we didn't maim him or kill him, I'm pretty sure nobody cares what we do with him."
I didn't know the exact protocol in this situation, but given that I was more than a little fed up with him after getting thrown around for the better part of an hour, I didn't really care.
Spitfire nodded, scratching her exposed chin, "Ok I guess…What now?"
"Now," I said as I turned away from the unconscious parahuman, "We go find Newter. He hasn't joined us yet, so either he's still fighting them, or he's just waiting for us to show up. Probably the second one." I began walking toward the last place I last heard Newter fighting, Spitfire following close behind.
"You don't think they could have beaten him? There were three of them." she asked in concern and I chuckled.
"I doubt it, Newter was practically made for group fights with his flexibility and overall weird biology. Not to mention he's a better fighter than me on most days. Nah, if he's still fighting, he's either messing with them, or they're really good at dodging." I explained and she nodded hesitantly.
It only took a minute or so to find Newter. He was currently dancing in between two thugs, dodging their sloppy attacks and contorting his body at weird angles to strike back while they were distracted. Even I could tell the thugs were fighting extremely sloppily, attacking at whatever they could see and often hitting each other as Newter dodged out of the way.
Still, something was off about the picture.
I frowned as I saw him land a direct hit on the uncovered skin of one of them, only for the Merchant to stumble lightly for a moment, before shaking his head and attacking Newter with the same ferocity as before. They were resistant to Newter's chemicals.
I watched as one of them scored a lucky hit on him, sending him stumbling back and clutching at his bruised nose, before deciding to intervene.
I rushed forward toward the group, ignoring Spitfire's startled squeak, and as I reached them, I held my arm out to my side. One of the thugs turned toward me in my approach, and caught a forearm to his throat in return, sending him sprawling to the ground with a groan.
I turned and swung out at the other thug, laying him out as well before hurrying over to Newter, "Hey Newt, need a hand?" I asked.
Newter chuckled, nodding to Spitfire as she walked up beside me, "Yeah, that'd be great. These guys suck at fighting, but I can't put them out with my chemicals and they barely react to my punches. Too bad I'm not a big bad brute like you huh?" He teased with a grin.
"Oi!" I yelled in mock offense. "I'll have you know I'm also a changer thank you very much!"
"Wait, I thought you were a breaker." He said in confusion and I shrugged.
"Eh, who knows? I get the two confused with each other all the time. I mean, I can transform into different materials like a breaker, but I can also change my form like a changer. We'll just say I'm both for the sake of simplicity."
Newter nodded sagely, "You are full of wisdom to have come up with a solution to such a complicated issue. Probably the greatest philosopher of our time, truly."
I smacked him lightly on the back of the head, "Hush."
I looked back at our opponents who had gotten to their feet and were practically frothing at the mouth at this point, eyes bloodshot and pupils dilated, and I noticed something odd.
"Where's the third one?" I asked Newter and he pointed off to the side.
"He's over there, trapped between two shipping containers." I followed his hand and lo and behold, there he was. The upper half of his body was crammed in the tight space between the two metal crates, leaving his lower body sticking out and squirming ineffectually, legs jerking this way and that as he tried to free himself.
I snorted at the stuck Merchant, "How the hell did you manage that?"
"They aren't very smart. He tried to chase me through that narrow gap, only he's a lot bigger than me, and a lot less flexible. He didn't care though, just rushed in and got himself stuck." Newter explained, "Whatever gives them that power up makes them act like frenzied animals. Especially stupid frenzied animals. That, or they're just dumber than the average Merchant."
"That'd be a real feat." I said.
Just as I went to speak more, the Merchants seemingly got sick of waiting, letting out twin yells and rushing towards us. I decided to test Newters statement about them being more stupid than usual, stepping to the side and holding out my food and arm respectively.
It was like something out of a cartoon. The first thug didn't even notice my foot sticking out and tripped over it, rolling a few meters away and landing in a heap, while the second did notice my arm and pinwheeled his arms in a futile attempt to stop himself, ultimately failing and being clotheslined on my limb.
I decided to test Newter's other statement while they were down, kicking hard out with a foot against one of their sides. They didn't even flinch, not giving any indication that they had felt my attack.
"Huh. They are pretty durable aren't they?" I muttered.
"Yeah they are, I made one of them run headfirst into a metal wall and he didn't even feel it. I don't know what they're on but it's nuts." He complained and I hummed.
"Well this is a problem.These two idiots aren't affected by Newter and don't seem to be getting tired. Not to mention, I can't actually try my hardest to knock them out unless I want to crack their skulls open. What to do…" I muttered to as I kept one of the thugs held down under my boot
"Maybe we could trap them like you did with the other one?" Spitfire offered and I made a thinking face before nodding.
"That's a good idea, we just need something that can trap both of them at once." I said as I looked around.
There! On the edge of the area we were fighting in, beside another beached ship, was a dark blue shipping container. It looked extremely sturdy, probably sturdy enough to suit our needs.
I turned back to my compatriots, "Newter, what's the longest you think you could daze them with your power?"
"Maybe a few seconds or so? It depends on how long I have to keep my hands on them. I could definitely keep them under for two or three seconds." He said and I nodded.
"That should be enough. Alright here's the plan, you distract them while Spitfire and I work on opening that shipping container over there. When I give the signal, you daze them for as long as you can and I'll throw them in and Spitfire will close it behind them. Sound good?"
He nodded, "Better than anything I've come up with so far."
"Alright, let's do it. Spitfire, follow me." I grabbed her arm as I ran over to the massive container. As we reached it, I grinned as I noticed it seemed to be made of the same type of metal that I was.
Unfortunately, the door to the container was locked by an industrial sized lock, one that was clearly a different material than my body unlike the shipping container itself, and I didn't really want to change back at the moment and get hit with the results of my earlier hotswitch.
Luckily, I had a solution. I reached into my cargo pants and retrieved the knife I had…acquired from Alabaster. "Thank god for my numerous pockets." I muttered as I pressed the button on the handle and the blade glowed lightly.
I pressed the blade to the lock and grinned as it cut through the metal like a-well, not a hot knife, more like a cold knife-through butter. It took less than a second for the knife to cut through the lock, and as it fell to the ground, I swung the doors open with a flourish, grinning at its empty interior.
"Alright Spitfire, Newt and I are gonna try to get them inside. I need you to slam the door closed behind them as soon as we get them in and I'll take care of the rest. Got it?"
She nodded and I grinned, turning and running back to Newter who was doing a good job of distracting the thugs. He was acting like a matador with a raging bull, coaxing them into charging him and ducking out of the way at the last minute. The only thing he was missing was the red cape.
"Alright Newt, the plan is a go! Hit 'em!" I yelled out to him.
Newter nodded, dodging out of the way of another charge and placing his hands on their arms, holding them for a second or two to really let his power work. He then let go, literally cartwheeling away from them as they turned to strike him.
As they stumbled around, dazed by Newter's chemicals, I rushed forward and body checked the right one sending him flying into the open shipping container with a thud. His compatriot, seeing what had happened, turned and struck out at me clumsily with an enraged shout.
I dodged under and to the side, grabbing the arm as it passed over my head and pivoting on my heel and fiving a small grunt as I lifted the thug bodily by his arm. As he swung over me, I let go of him at the apex of his arc, sending him flying into the same container as his friend. Said friend had only just gotten to his feet, when the body of his buddy slammed into him and sent him sprawling to the floor again.
As they went to stand, Spitfire emerged from her place off to the side of the container and slammed the doors closed. I rushed up and used my power on the doors, melding them together and joining them more securely than any weld could have.
Spitfire and I stepped back as we observed my work. A series of powerful thuds came from the inside of the container, shaking it slightly. Luckily the doors held, no matter how strong they were, it seemed they wouldn't be able to break out.
I clapped my hands, pretended to dust my hands off, "Good work team! The druggies are trapped in a prison of their own making. High fives all around!" I raised my hands expectantly.
Newter whooped and slapped my metal hand with force, shaking his wrist after the fact. Spitfire was a bit smarter about it, gently but firmly clapping my hand with her own.
I grinned at the other girl, "Soooo? what do you think? You just got the chance to fight alongside the awesome duo that is Aspect and Newter! How was it?"
Spitfire giggled lightly, "It was certainly an experience. I wouldn't mind doing it again, maybe when our lives aren't on the line though."
"So is that a yes to our invitation I'm hearing?" I led and she hesitated.
Newter jumped in, "Yeah! Just think, if you join the crew, you get to see my handsome face any time you're at the club."
"That's more of a con I think. After all, who wants to look at your ugly mug every day?" I teased.
"Hey!" He scowled at me, "I'll have you know that this ugly mug has gotten me more babes than you'll ever get!"
"And I'll have you know that I could get any babe or guy that I want." I stuck my tongue out at him, "But you keep telling yourself that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, no matter how wrong they are."
Our byplay was interrupted by a blur of red zooming through the area and stopping a few feet away from the three of us. I brought my fists up, already dreading another fight, before letting out a sigh of relief as I saw who it was.
Skin tight, almost to the point of being indecent, bright red bodysuit with white racing stripes down either side and around his limbs. Two stripes were also on his torso, coming down and meeting in the shape of a V in the center of his chest. He was wearing a red and white helmet which left his mouth exposed.
Velocity, a member of the Protectorate.
He was currently looking around at the piles of trash we had left in our fight with Mush, pausing slightly as he caught sight of Mush hanging where I had left him. He shook his head, moving his gaze to us with a neutral expression.
"You three made quite a mess here. I don't suppose you would be willing to give a statement about what happened, would you?" He asked hopefully.
I looked at the others before shrugging, "Yeah, sure." I briefly summarized what had happened and he nodded, pressing a button on his helmet as I finished. Probably a recording device or something.
"That explains a few things. I got a call about a cape fight between Mush and two others in the boat graveyard and came to assist. Looks like you three didn't need any help though." He commented as he looked around, taking note of the rattling shipping container as the Merchants beat on its insides.
"How did you…" He pointed at the blue container.
I figured there was no harm in telling him, "I joined the edges of the doors together. I had to break the lock to open it and there wasn't really any other way to lock it." I explained, "You'll probably need to cut them out. Be careful though, they're a lot stronger and more durable than the average Merchant and they fight like animals. They're probably high or something, though that wouldn't explain the strength."
"That sounds like Rat King's work." Velocity said and I tilted my head in confusion.
"Rat King? I've never heard of him before."
"You wouldn't have." Velocity stated simply, "He just recently joined up with the Merchants a week or two ago. From what we've been able to gather, his power revolves around enhancing the physical strength of a group of people at the increasing cost of their cognitive ability the stronger he makes them. With capes, it increases the potency of their powers, though it's a lot less effective than when used on unpowered individuals."
He looked around again, "And judging from the amount of trash laying around here, Mush was probably under the influence of his power." Well that explained a few things.
Newter snorted, "And I'm guessing the Merchants being their usual selves, don't really care if they can think or not?"
Velocity laughed, shaking his head, "No they do not."
He looked around at the incapacitated Merchants, paying special attention to Mush practically stapled to the wall, before turning back to us, "You three did some good work here. Mush may not be that strong compared to some other capes, but he's a pain to put down without using excessive force. Add on to the enhancements he probably received and some of the seasoned heroes would have struggles to take him down." He praised.
"Thanks, it took forever to finally get him down, he kept throwing me away any time I tried to move his trash out of the way." I complained.
The hero laughed, "Yeah, you've got to watch out for those arms of his, he can shift the trash around to make them longer or shorter as he wishes and that makes it difficult to judge his reach. It's caught Assault off guard more than once."
He chuckled for a moment, before his face turned serious and turned to Spitfire, "Now onto more urgent matters. I've seen these two around before, but I've never seen you."
"I'm Spitfire. I've been trying to stay under the radar. Badly it seems." She said quietly.
He hummed, "Did you gain your powers recently? Perhaps in an incident involving the Bluebird orphanage?" He led, and Spitfire went rigid.
"W-why?" She stammered, and I frowned, preparing to step in if I needed to.
"Well, if you were involved in the fire that occurred at the orphanage, I would feel inclined to tell you that no consequences are coming your way." He said lightly, and Spitfire let out a quiet sigh of relief, "Apparently, the matron was involved in some extremely shady dealings and is currently standing trial for child endangerment among… other things. And given its general state of disrepair, the orphanage was retroactively approved for demolition." He explained.
"Good." Spitfire muttered viciously, barely audible to me even from my place right behind her.
Velocity continued, "Still, If you would like, I could help you put in an application to the Wards? You would be able to practice with your powers in a safe environment surrounded by other capes in similar situations to yourself." He offered.
Spitfire stared at the hero uncertainly for a moment before looking back at us. I fought to keep my stance neutral, deciding to let the other girl make her own decision. If she wanted to join the heroes instead of the crew, I wouldn't make a big fuss about it, no matter how disappointed I may be.
She stared at me and Newter, before her body seemingly straightened with resolve as she turned back toward Velocity.
"Thank you for the offer." She said, and Velocity immediately deflated as he knew what was coming, "But I've already made the decision to join another team, I'm sorry."
A massive grin split my face at her declaration, and I had to hold myself back from whooping in joy at the hero's disappointed expression.
"Well alright, I can't exactly force you to join. But are you sure about this? The Wards Program can provide you with many things. Peers your age, government programs, legal pay." He stressed the legal bit and I frowned lightly. I'm pretty sure mercenary work was, well, it probably wasn't completely legal, but there were definitely more illegal things one could do to earn money!
Spitfire just nodded at his question, "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for the offer, but my mind is made up. I've already fought alongside two members of the team and we worked well together. No use ruining a good thing right?"
I couldn't hold myself back this time, and I rushed forward to wrap my arm around Spitfire's shoulder, "Hell yeah, we're glad to have you Spit!"
"Don't call me that." She muttered.
I could see the grin she was trying to hide though. Recruitment Success!
Velocity sighed, "Well alright then. Your decisions are your own I suppose. Just know that the offer stands." He looked around, "Now I suppose I should call this in with my superiors. Unless you want to stay and give more statements, I would advise you three be on your way."
"Way ahead of you!" I said cheerfully as I grabbed Newter and Spitfire's arms, dragging them with me as I made my way past the red clad hero.
"W-wait! My stuff!"
~~~
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Last edited:
Merc Work 2.8
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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- 185
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- 8,910
I ducked under the swinging fist of my opponent, bringing my fists close and stepping into their guard, shooting my own fist forward into their ribs. It was a simple maneuver, one most fighters would be able to notice and brace against.
My opponent did neither.
"Gah!" Emily doubled over at my blow, hands coming to clutch at her side and I winced, immediately lowering my arms from my stance as she bent over on the floor.
"Ah shit, sorry Em." I apologized as I leaned down to help her up, "I'm too used to sparring with Newter, he would have dodged that."
She leaned on me, panting with exhaustion and I decided to take pity on her, "I think that's enough for today. Let's take five, or ten with the way you're looking."
Emily let out a relieved groan as she hobbled over to the bench at the side of the room, plopping down on it happily.
I grabbed two water bottles from the nearby cooler before making my way over and sitting beside her. I held one out to her which she took thankfully.
"You hit like a truck even without your powers." She complained as she unscrewed the lid, raising it to her mouth and talking deep gulps.
I shrugged, "I just know where to hit, and you need to learn where to block. That's what we'll be working on next I think."
"Not today though, right?" She practically pleaded.
I chuckled, "No, like I said we're done for today. You did good all things considered. Didn't wimp out on me like Newter's starting to do."
Apparently I played a little too rough for the agile teen during our sparring matches recently as I got better at fighting. The last few bouts had left Newter with bruises where he blocked the strikes he couldn't dodge and so he had started to opt out of sparring sessions while he recovered. Wimp.
As we cooled off on the bench, my mind wandered to the girl beside me. During our last match she had become more and more distracted, an angry look appearing on her face as she struck at me more wildly, no thought behind her attacks.
Something had pissed her off and I knew it wasn't me. She wasn't really seeing me as we fought, eyes instead looking through me, unfocused as the rest of her.
I had a feeling I knew what it was about, and figured there wouldn't be a better time to broach the topic, so I turned to Emily as she gulped down her water beside me.
"Hey so," I began hesitantly, "What was Velocity talking about? With that orphanage, Bluebird was it?"
Spitfire tensed, freezing as she went to take another sip of her water, and I raised my hands in a calming gesture.
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" I reassured, "I just figured, you know, if it's something that's bothering you we could help. I already told you how much having people at my back helped me, maybe we can help you as well."
She sighed lightly, sitting the water bottle on the bench between us, "It's not a happy story, and it's pretty much wrapped up at this point. You sure you wanna know?" she asked.
I nodded, "It's clearly still bothering you, your head wasn't in that last bout at all.. If venting about it to me will help, I'm all ears. And besides, isn't that why you joined up in the first place, to have people in your corner?"
I smirked, leaning closer to put my arm around her shoulder, "Unless it actually was Newter's ugly mug that got you to join. If that's the case, I won't judge, you're among friends here." I teased.
She flushed, "I have no clue what you're talking about."
"Heh, sure you don't." I grinned.
She fiddled with her water bottle for a moment, before sighing, "I grew up in Bluebird orphanage. I was left there by my mom when I wasn't even old enough to remember much besides sounds and colors. She just dropped me off outside and disappeared, didn't even go in to sign the papers or anything."
I stayed quiet as I listened to her speak, making sure she knew I was paying attention to what she was saying.
"Growing up there was the absolute worst, sometimes I wished my mother had just left me on the street for some rando to find instead of bringing me there. There was never enough food or water, they gave us cardboard mattresses and paper thin sheets to sleep in. The caretakers were either cruel or indifferent, clearly just there to collect a paycheck while doing as little as possible to take care of us all."
"I knew a girl, Amanda, she had cute red pigtails and a gap between her front teeth that was super noticeable when she smiled, which she did a lot.. We were pretty good friends, but then, she was friends with everybody." She smiled lightly as she reminisced.
"She was one of those kids who couldn't be kept down for long, always bouncing back after everything that happened to her. Everyone loved her for it, our little ray of sunshine in that place." Her smile disappeared as suddenly as it had come. "And then she got adopted. Just like that, she was gone, and we were all miserable again. I didn't care personally, I thought that if anybody deserved to find a nice happy family, it was her. I was happy for her, even as a bratty little kid."
She stared down at her water bottle clenched tightly in her hands and spoke quietly, "I saw her on the news a few weeks later, 'rescued in a child trafficking sting,' the headline said. All I can remember is how different she looked from the time I last saw her, she wasn't smiling and her eyes were hollow like all of the innocence had left her in one fell swoop, leaving nothing left."
She took a deep breath, "A week or two later I was snooping around the Matron's office, looking for something to play with or something I can't really remember, and I came across some papers that were hidden in the bottom of a drawer. I was just learning to read so I couldn't make out much except for the word 'Amanda' but to me it was something to do with my friend so I took it with me. It took me a while to learn enough words to read the whole thing, but when I did, I thought I was going to be sick." Her hand suddenly tightened, crushing the bottle in her grip, "The document I took was proof of purchase or whatever amounted to it in a situation like that. The fucking Matron sold her Valerie. She sold Amanda like she was fucking cattle!"
Emily was practically shaking with anger, and I rubbed her back as she breathed deeply to calm down. It took several seconds, and she thanked me softly as I removed my hand from her back.
"When I triggered, the first thing I did was go back to that damn orphanage and burn it to the ground." She took a swig from the crushed bottle, "I didn't care that they were shutting down, I wanted that place gone, burned until not even ashes were left. So I went there as soon as I could and set the place alight. I got lost in a haze and I kept spitting fire until I felt like I was gonna throw up and then spit some more. I practically had to drag myself away when I heard the sirens."
"I-I didn't know there were people still inside." she said quietly, and I placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "Nobody got hurt from what I saw on the news, but if someone had, if there were still kids inside…" She took a shuddering breath, "I don't know what I would have done. I probably would have lost my mind."
"But they weren't. You didn't hurt anybody, least of all those kids." I comforted her, "If you keep wondering about what-ifs, you'll do nothing but drive yourself crazy. You regret what happened or at least how you went about it and that's all that matters. Learn from your mistakes and the next time something like that happens, you'll know what to do differently."
"I guess you're right." Emily sniffed, before she turned to me with a light smile on her face, "Thanks Valerie, you were right when you said venting would help. I feel…lighter if that makes any sense."
"No problem Em, It's what I-what all of us are here for." I smiled back at her. As I looked at her, my eyes caught sight of the same scar on her chin I had seen when I first met her and I was reminded of something.
"Oh hey, I've been meaning to ask," I said suddenly, "that scar on your chin, where'd you get it? Doesn't your power make you fireproof, it doesn't seem to hurt you when you spit."
"Ah, no my skin isn't fireproof." She said, hand coming up to caress the leathery patch of skin under her lips, "The liquid my power makes ignites on contact with a solid surface after leaving my mouth, it isn't always hot. That's why I don't burn my lips when I spit." She explained.
"One of the first times I went out experimenting with my powers, I didn't spit far enough and some of the liquid got on my chin. It ignited on contact and bam, burn scar." she grimaced lightly, "I panicked pretty hard when I realized what happened, I had thought, 'well my powers are fire based so I should be fireproof too.' I guess it's a good thing I didn't jump headfirst into a fire or something stupid like that."
I chuckled, "Yeah, powers are pretty weird like that. Like look at Mush, his power works with trash and only trash, but what qualifies as trash? If I leave a car sitting in a dump for long enough, does it become trash?"
I shook my head, "I once heard somebody say that the one constant with powers seems to be that they make no sense, and I haven't found anything proving otherwise." Emily nodded, taking another sip of her water and I did the same.
"Sometimes they're weird for the better though." I laughed, "Hell, if it wasn't for my own powers fucking with my head in some way, I'm pretty sure I'd be on a one way trip to the Birdcage or something after I tore the city apart to get at the Empire."
"Your powers mess with your head?" She asked in concern and I shrugged.
"I mean probably. My family was killed by Hookwolf and he tried to kill me as well. And yet other than the breakdown I had when I first got to the club and an angry confrontation with a friend, my feelings towards the situation have been…muted I guess. I'm still gonna kill the bastard the next time we meet but like, I know I should be nearly inconsolable with grief yet I'm not."
She was staring at me weirdly, and I realized that probably sounded really bad. I'd better explain myself before she started thinking I was a psychopath or something.
"I mean…I don't really know how to put this into words." I rummaged through my thoughts for a way to speak what I felt, "When I was drowning, I was focused on my own survival, nothing else mattered to me. Not my parents, not Hookwolf, nothing mattered to me except getting out of that trunk. When I triggered, that didn't change." I chuckled lightly, "Looking back, I probably could have found Hookwolf very easily if I had tried, he was there when they sent me off the pier and he couldn't have gone far. And yet I didn't, I just beelined to the pier where Newter found me."
"Recently, I looked back on that day and I just felt nothing but a small pang of anger at what had been done to me and my parents. And even that is slowly going away." I drank the last dregs of water in my bottle, "The other stuff is still there, I still feel the conviction I have when it comes to surviving, still feel protective over what little I have left from my old life, and I still know I'm gonna do my damndest to rip off Hookwolf's head the next time I see him. Everything else though…"
"It's like all of my emotions related to my trigger have been ripped away or something. I can look back on the memories and just know I should be livid and raving angrily and yet… I'm not." I sighed, tossing the water bottle away, "Maybe my power just compartmentalized everything for me, or maybe it got rid of the grief and anger altogether, I'm not really sure, all I know is my feelings aren't what they should be and I can't do anything about it. Not even sure if I want to, to be honest."
"That's…wow." She said, at a loss.
"Yeah, kinda fucked up huh?" I chuckled and she nodded with a small 'yeah'.
There was a bit of awkward silence, before I cleared my throat, "Welp, that got pretty fucking heavy didn't it? How about we change topics. Uhhh, are you nervous about our mission in Boston, any thoughts about it? We leave next week I think."
She scrunched her face, "Are you sure it's a good idea for me to come with you guys? What if I mess things up or something? I can barely last a few minutes with you after all."
I waved her off "Bah, please you're doing fine. Don't take any of our matches into account of your skill, Newter says I'm a freak when it comes to hand to hand so I'm not a good mark to judge by."
I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment, And uh, I'm kinda new to this whole teaching thing and I'm not very good at it yet. Give it a while and I'm sure I'll get better, but in the meantime I can already tell that you shouldn't have many problems with unpowered mooks."
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Valerie you just put me out in one hit."
"Yeah, but like I said I'm apparently a freak. Don't judge yourself based on how you do against me, judge yourself by your progress."
I stood and stretched, "Just keep practicing like you have been and I'm sure you'll do fine. Most new capes don't train like we do and that's what usually does them in according to the boss lady. We've already got a leg up on them in that regard."
I jerked my thumb to the door behind me, "Anyway, it was fun bonding over our trauma Em, but I've got to bounce. I've got a meeting with Parian to grab my new costume that she's been working on so I'm gonna go ahead over."
Emily started, "Oh! Ok yeah, sure. I'm gonna go take a shower and lay down I guess. My body's killing me." she complained.
I winced, "Yeah, sorry again, I'm kind of new to this whole teaching thing. Next time we'll work on blocking before moving to full contact sparring, sound good?"
She chuckled as she stood to follow me out of the room, "As long as 'next time' isn't within the next few days. Give me some time to recover you taskmaster."
I stuck my tongue out at her, "No promises."
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
My opponent did neither.
"Gah!" Emily doubled over at my blow, hands coming to clutch at her side and I winced, immediately lowering my arms from my stance as she bent over on the floor.
"Ah shit, sorry Em." I apologized as I leaned down to help her up, "I'm too used to sparring with Newter, he would have dodged that."
She leaned on me, panting with exhaustion and I decided to take pity on her, "I think that's enough for today. Let's take five, or ten with the way you're looking."
Emily let out a relieved groan as she hobbled over to the bench at the side of the room, plopping down on it happily.
I grabbed two water bottles from the nearby cooler before making my way over and sitting beside her. I held one out to her which she took thankfully.
"You hit like a truck even without your powers." She complained as she unscrewed the lid, raising it to her mouth and talking deep gulps.
I shrugged, "I just know where to hit, and you need to learn where to block. That's what we'll be working on next I think."
"Not today though, right?" She practically pleaded.
I chuckled, "No, like I said we're done for today. You did good all things considered. Didn't wimp out on me like Newter's starting to do."
Apparently I played a little too rough for the agile teen during our sparring matches recently as I got better at fighting. The last few bouts had left Newter with bruises where he blocked the strikes he couldn't dodge and so he had started to opt out of sparring sessions while he recovered. Wimp.
As we cooled off on the bench, my mind wandered to the girl beside me. During our last match she had become more and more distracted, an angry look appearing on her face as she struck at me more wildly, no thought behind her attacks.
Something had pissed her off and I knew it wasn't me. She wasn't really seeing me as we fought, eyes instead looking through me, unfocused as the rest of her.
I had a feeling I knew what it was about, and figured there wouldn't be a better time to broach the topic, so I turned to Emily as she gulped down her water beside me.
"Hey so," I began hesitantly, "What was Velocity talking about? With that orphanage, Bluebird was it?"
Spitfire tensed, freezing as she went to take another sip of her water, and I raised my hands in a calming gesture.
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" I reassured, "I just figured, you know, if it's something that's bothering you we could help. I already told you how much having people at my back helped me, maybe we can help you as well."
She sighed lightly, sitting the water bottle on the bench between us, "It's not a happy story, and it's pretty much wrapped up at this point. You sure you wanna know?" she asked.
I nodded, "It's clearly still bothering you, your head wasn't in that last bout at all.. If venting about it to me will help, I'm all ears. And besides, isn't that why you joined up in the first place, to have people in your corner?"
I smirked, leaning closer to put my arm around her shoulder, "Unless it actually was Newter's ugly mug that got you to join. If that's the case, I won't judge, you're among friends here." I teased.
She flushed, "I have no clue what you're talking about."
"Heh, sure you don't." I grinned.
She fiddled with her water bottle for a moment, before sighing, "I grew up in Bluebird orphanage. I was left there by my mom when I wasn't even old enough to remember much besides sounds and colors. She just dropped me off outside and disappeared, didn't even go in to sign the papers or anything."
I stayed quiet as I listened to her speak, making sure she knew I was paying attention to what she was saying.
"Growing up there was the absolute worst, sometimes I wished my mother had just left me on the street for some rando to find instead of bringing me there. There was never enough food or water, they gave us cardboard mattresses and paper thin sheets to sleep in. The caretakers were either cruel or indifferent, clearly just there to collect a paycheck while doing as little as possible to take care of us all."
"I knew a girl, Amanda, she had cute red pigtails and a gap between her front teeth that was super noticeable when she smiled, which she did a lot.. We were pretty good friends, but then, she was friends with everybody." She smiled lightly as she reminisced.
"She was one of those kids who couldn't be kept down for long, always bouncing back after everything that happened to her. Everyone loved her for it, our little ray of sunshine in that place." Her smile disappeared as suddenly as it had come. "And then she got adopted. Just like that, she was gone, and we were all miserable again. I didn't care personally, I thought that if anybody deserved to find a nice happy family, it was her. I was happy for her, even as a bratty little kid."
She stared down at her water bottle clenched tightly in her hands and spoke quietly, "I saw her on the news a few weeks later, 'rescued in a child trafficking sting,' the headline said. All I can remember is how different she looked from the time I last saw her, she wasn't smiling and her eyes were hollow like all of the innocence had left her in one fell swoop, leaving nothing left."
She took a deep breath, "A week or two later I was snooping around the Matron's office, looking for something to play with or something I can't really remember, and I came across some papers that were hidden in the bottom of a drawer. I was just learning to read so I couldn't make out much except for the word 'Amanda' but to me it was something to do with my friend so I took it with me. It took me a while to learn enough words to read the whole thing, but when I did, I thought I was going to be sick." Her hand suddenly tightened, crushing the bottle in her grip, "The document I took was proof of purchase or whatever amounted to it in a situation like that. The fucking Matron sold her Valerie. She sold Amanda like she was fucking cattle!"
Emily was practically shaking with anger, and I rubbed her back as she breathed deeply to calm down. It took several seconds, and she thanked me softly as I removed my hand from her back.
"When I triggered, the first thing I did was go back to that damn orphanage and burn it to the ground." She took a swig from the crushed bottle, "I didn't care that they were shutting down, I wanted that place gone, burned until not even ashes were left. So I went there as soon as I could and set the place alight. I got lost in a haze and I kept spitting fire until I felt like I was gonna throw up and then spit some more. I practically had to drag myself away when I heard the sirens."
"I-I didn't know there were people still inside." she said quietly, and I placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "Nobody got hurt from what I saw on the news, but if someone had, if there were still kids inside…" She took a shuddering breath, "I don't know what I would have done. I probably would have lost my mind."
"But they weren't. You didn't hurt anybody, least of all those kids." I comforted her, "If you keep wondering about what-ifs, you'll do nothing but drive yourself crazy. You regret what happened or at least how you went about it and that's all that matters. Learn from your mistakes and the next time something like that happens, you'll know what to do differently."
"I guess you're right." Emily sniffed, before she turned to me with a light smile on her face, "Thanks Valerie, you were right when you said venting would help. I feel…lighter if that makes any sense."
"No problem Em, It's what I-what all of us are here for." I smiled back at her. As I looked at her, my eyes caught sight of the same scar on her chin I had seen when I first met her and I was reminded of something.
"Oh hey, I've been meaning to ask," I said suddenly, "that scar on your chin, where'd you get it? Doesn't your power make you fireproof, it doesn't seem to hurt you when you spit."
"Ah, no my skin isn't fireproof." She said, hand coming up to caress the leathery patch of skin under her lips, "The liquid my power makes ignites on contact with a solid surface after leaving my mouth, it isn't always hot. That's why I don't burn my lips when I spit." She explained.
"One of the first times I went out experimenting with my powers, I didn't spit far enough and some of the liquid got on my chin. It ignited on contact and bam, burn scar." she grimaced lightly, "I panicked pretty hard when I realized what happened, I had thought, 'well my powers are fire based so I should be fireproof too.' I guess it's a good thing I didn't jump headfirst into a fire or something stupid like that."
I chuckled, "Yeah, powers are pretty weird like that. Like look at Mush, his power works with trash and only trash, but what qualifies as trash? If I leave a car sitting in a dump for long enough, does it become trash?"
I shook my head, "I once heard somebody say that the one constant with powers seems to be that they make no sense, and I haven't found anything proving otherwise." Emily nodded, taking another sip of her water and I did the same.
"Sometimes they're weird for the better though." I laughed, "Hell, if it wasn't for my own powers fucking with my head in some way, I'm pretty sure I'd be on a one way trip to the Birdcage or something after I tore the city apart to get at the Empire."
"Your powers mess with your head?" She asked in concern and I shrugged.
"I mean probably. My family was killed by Hookwolf and he tried to kill me as well. And yet other than the breakdown I had when I first got to the club and an angry confrontation with a friend, my feelings towards the situation have been…muted I guess. I'm still gonna kill the bastard the next time we meet but like, I know I should be nearly inconsolable with grief yet I'm not."
She was staring at me weirdly, and I realized that probably sounded really bad. I'd better explain myself before she started thinking I was a psychopath or something.
"I mean…I don't really know how to put this into words." I rummaged through my thoughts for a way to speak what I felt, "When I was drowning, I was focused on my own survival, nothing else mattered to me. Not my parents, not Hookwolf, nothing mattered to me except getting out of that trunk. When I triggered, that didn't change." I chuckled lightly, "Looking back, I probably could have found Hookwolf very easily if I had tried, he was there when they sent me off the pier and he couldn't have gone far. And yet I didn't, I just beelined to the pier where Newter found me."
"Recently, I looked back on that day and I just felt nothing but a small pang of anger at what had been done to me and my parents. And even that is slowly going away." I drank the last dregs of water in my bottle, "The other stuff is still there, I still feel the conviction I have when it comes to surviving, still feel protective over what little I have left from my old life, and I still know I'm gonna do my damndest to rip off Hookwolf's head the next time I see him. Everything else though…"
"It's like all of my emotions related to my trigger have been ripped away or something. I can look back on the memories and just know I should be livid and raving angrily and yet… I'm not." I sighed, tossing the water bottle away, "Maybe my power just compartmentalized everything for me, or maybe it got rid of the grief and anger altogether, I'm not really sure, all I know is my feelings aren't what they should be and I can't do anything about it. Not even sure if I want to, to be honest."
"That's…wow." She said, at a loss.
"Yeah, kinda fucked up huh?" I chuckled and she nodded with a small 'yeah'.
There was a bit of awkward silence, before I cleared my throat, "Welp, that got pretty fucking heavy didn't it? How about we change topics. Uhhh, are you nervous about our mission in Boston, any thoughts about it? We leave next week I think."
She scrunched her face, "Are you sure it's a good idea for me to come with you guys? What if I mess things up or something? I can barely last a few minutes with you after all."
I waved her off "Bah, please you're doing fine. Don't take any of our matches into account of your skill, Newter says I'm a freak when it comes to hand to hand so I'm not a good mark to judge by."
I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment, And uh, I'm kinda new to this whole teaching thing and I'm not very good at it yet. Give it a while and I'm sure I'll get better, but in the meantime I can already tell that you shouldn't have many problems with unpowered mooks."
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Valerie you just put me out in one hit."
"Yeah, but like I said I'm apparently a freak. Don't judge yourself based on how you do against me, judge yourself by your progress."
I stood and stretched, "Just keep practicing like you have been and I'm sure you'll do fine. Most new capes don't train like we do and that's what usually does them in according to the boss lady. We've already got a leg up on them in that regard."
I jerked my thumb to the door behind me, "Anyway, it was fun bonding over our trauma Em, but I've got to bounce. I've got a meeting with Parian to grab my new costume that she's been working on so I'm gonna go ahead over."
Emily started, "Oh! Ok yeah, sure. I'm gonna go take a shower and lay down I guess. My body's killing me." she complained.
I winced, "Yeah, sorry again, I'm kind of new to this whole teaching thing. Next time we'll work on blocking before moving to full contact sparring, sound good?"
She chuckled as she stood to follow me out of the room, "As long as 'next time' isn't within the next few days. Give me some time to recover you taskmaster."
I stuck my tongue out at her, "No promises."
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
Last edited:
Merc Work 2.9
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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A bell rang on the door behind me as I entered Parian's shop. I looked around, curiously inspecting the interior of the admittedly modest shop.
It was decorated tastefully, mannequins wearing various styles of clothing dotted around the main room, pictures hung along the walls, and two plush chairs sat beside a coffee table on which there were several fashion magazines stacked. An open door sat at the rear of the room, through which I could hear the shuffling of someone moving around.
"Parian? It's Aspect, I'm here to pick up my costume." I called out toward the open door.
"I'll be with you in just one moment! Just finishing up some last minute adjustments on a commission." A female voice spoke back, more sounds coming from the room as she finished whatever she was doing.
I sat down in one of the chairs I had seen, picking up one of the magazines lying on the table and opening it curiously. It was a fashion magazine, go figure, with an attractive blonde model posing on the front.
As I sat there slowly flipping through the magazine, I couldn't help but notice that the pictures attached to articles were certainly…eye-catching. The outfits on display weren't exactly provocative, but they certainly fit the women well. Very well.
"Enjoying yourself?" I jumped at the sound of a voice, flinging the magazine away as I turned to look at who had spoken.
It was Parian, the porcelain masked cape was staring at me with arms crossed, amusement plain in her posture and I was mortified as I realized she must have been standing there for a while, watching me flip through the magazine while I ogled the models inside.
I stood up from my chair, clearing my throat as I looked anywhere but at Parian who was still watching me in amusement. "Yeah, um…Can you forget that happened? Pretty please?" I begged her. She hummed in amusement, bringing a hand up to the chin of her mask.
"I suppose we can." She nodded much to my relief, "It wouldn't do for me to embarrass a paying customer after all."
I was already plenty embarrassed, but I decided not to say anything and instead just changed the subject as fast as possible, "Haha, yeah…" I trailed off, before gathering myself, "Ahem, so where's my costume? Is it in the back or something?""
She walked over behind the counter and hefted up two large boxes, one larger than the other, and sat them on the counter as I walked over, "It's in here. The bigger one has the bodysuit itself, and the smaller one has your mask and other accessories."
She handed them to me, before pointing at a room obscured by a curtain, "The changing room is over there, let me know if you need me to readjust anything. It should fit fine but you never know."
I nodded in thanks and swiftly made my way over, extremely glad that my mask covered my face which was almost definitely beet red.
I entered and placed the box full of accessories on the small bench, before opening the one containing the main costume, pulling it out and holding it up for viewing.
Even before putting it on, I could already tell the steel mesh I had asked to be Incorporated was there, gleaming bits of silver sticking out from between dark blue and steel grey fabric. It was pretty heavy too, around six or seven pounds with me just holding the top half out of the box.
Looking at the interior revealed why. A kevlar mesh was pressed up against the outer layer. It didn't completely cover it, merely covering the key points that needed the most protection, like the stomach and chest areas.
It wasn't much protection, but it was certainly more than a hoodie and a T-shirt. It would come in handy if I was ever in a situation where I wasn't able to use my powers, as unlikely as that would be.
I shucked off my clothes and began putting on the costume, putting on the main bodysuit first while saving the extra bits for later. It fit snugly against me, wrapping comfortably around my limbs and body. I stretched and flexed in a bunch of different ways, and yet it didn't feel too tight or too loose, it fit like a glove.
I nodded in satisfaction before turning to the other box to retrieve the other parts of my costume.
As I opened the box, I noticed something amusing. Parian had placed her name on both boxes. Big bold letters spelling out 'Parian's Dollhouse' were stamped on the sides.
"You've got your name on your own boxes?" I questioned as I pulled out the various extra accessories.
"Advertising is everything in this line of business, Aspect. I never miss an opportunity to make my wares known."
"I'm not gonna walk out of here and find out there's a massive P on my back or something am I?" I teased as I began putting on the extra pieces of my costume.
"As if I'd ruin a commission I worked so hard on with a tacky addition like that. Please." She sniffed, "It's embroidered on the inside of your suit."
I laughed lightly as I buckled my belt, reaching down to tighten it around my waist. While the main part of the costume was a bodysuit and easy enough to put on, the accessories were more time consuming. It took around five minutes just to put on all the various bits and bobs.
As I tightened and untightened straps to fit more comfortably on my, a thought came to me. A way to solve Emily's little fire dilemma.
"Hey Parian! Are you able to make fireproof stuff?" I called out to the doll cape through the curtain separating us.
I heard her hum as I put on a pair of fingerless gloves, "It's certainly possible, but depending on the material I use it will be more expensive, and or harder to dye the colors you want."
I sat down on the bench to put on the boots. They were at least as sturdy as my old pair, made of dark grey leather with steel tips that fit really well with the rest of the outfit, "Why's that?" I asked
"Well, some fabrics are more porous than others, making them much easier to dye." She explained, "But at the same time, many of those types of fabrics aren't very resistant to heat at all. To make an outfit that isn't almost all leather and kevlar, not very dyeable materials, I'd need to import some from out of the city because I don't really have much on hand right now."
I nodded even if she couldn't see me, "Makes sense. So just about how much would a full fireproof bodysuit run me?"
"Eighty thousand or thereabouts." She said immediately and I winced as I finished lacing up the boots. Yeah, Emily would be footing that bill herself. Maybe I'd get her a gift basket or something to celebrate her joining the crew.
"I could also just make a fire resistant cloak. I should have enough materials on hand." She offered, "Something meant to be thrown off in the event it catches on fire. You'd probably have to replace it in that event though."
I retrieved my new mask from the box and placed it on my face, sticking it there with my power, "And how much would the cloak cost me?" My voice sounded different coming through the mask, somewhat deeper, not at all like my old one. I kind of liked it.
"Around two thousand or so if you just want just a solid color cloak. The price would increase with the detail, probably capping out at about six thousand or so." She made a quick estimate.
I hummed as I placed my knife in the holster on my hip, that was much better than eighty thousand.
"Can you make one before the end of the week? I'd be willing to pay extra for short notice. Within reason of course." I wasn't willing to shill out too much on it but with the jobs I took this week, I had a bit of expendable income.
"I suppose I could. No extra pay though, I've finished all of my commissions for the week." She commented, and I heard her pass the changing room as she headed to the back.
Before I left the changing room, I checked myself out now that I had the entire costume on.
I looked good, much more professional than I had in my old costume and I turned myself around, admiring the details of the outfit.
The majority of the suit was steel blue, steel grey lines ran down in diagonal stripes from the edges of my collarbone to meet in the center where the entire suit zipped up. A hood was attached to the back by a pair of buttons, easy to throw off should it get snagged on anything.
Underneath the outer layer of my costume was the layer of kevlar that made the suit look thicker than it actually was. It wasn't the only protection however.On my shoulders were pauldrons that were made of what felt like hardened leather with even more kevlar underneath, the same material covered my forearms as gauntlets.
Inside of the costume, on the outside of my biceps and thighs and therefore in contact with my skin at virtually all times, was a steel mesh that my power could tell was sturdy. Parian had heeded my request.
The lines on my upper body stopped at my waist, on which was a belt with numerous pouches for my materials. The pouches went all the way around the belt, giving me more than ample storage space. There were currently more pouches than I had materials so many were empty, and I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the thought of how many different materials I could carry at once now.
The bottom of the suit was the same blue as the top, only instead of dark grey stripes, there were large patches of the same grey on the outside of my thighs leading all the way down to the boots. There were two leather holsters on either of my thighs, one of which was occupied by my knife while the other awaited whatever weapon I decided to put into it. Maybe a taser or something, I hadn't decided yet.
I turned my gaze away from my legs and moved it to my mask, taking in the new features.
My new mask was similar to my old one in that it had eyeholes, but different in the fact that it was much more detailed, and while I couldn't tell exactly what it was made of, my power told me it was about as sturdy as steel.
The mask was almost futuristic looking, all sleek lines and hard edges. The eye holes were squinted slightly, giving me a permanent intense look on my face.
To finish the picture, I pulled my hood over my head, letting my hair fall around my shoulders to fill in the gaps between the hood and my face. I would probably get a haircut pretty soon, hair as long as mine was a pain to worry about in close quarters fights.
I gave myself a final once over before nodding in satisfaction at what I saw. I looked good, competent. Professional.
I exited the changing room, nearly running into Parian as she appeared from the back carrying two large bolts of cloth on her shoulder. They looked heavy yet she didn't seem to be having much trouble carrying them, indicating she did it relatively often.
She grunted as she set them on a table covered in various instruments that I couldn't make heads or tails of. I walked up beside her, marveling at just how nice my costume fit me with such minor adjustments. Parian really didn't mess around when it came to her craft.
"What colors do you want it to be? Do you want it solid? Striped? Do you have a design in mind?" She asked.
"I was thinking solid dark red with black edges." I said, pointing at a bolt of cloth that had the color I thought was good, "She's thinking of going with the whole firefighter aesthetic so I don't want anything that would take away from that."
She hummed, "And how tall is your friend? Do you want the cloak down to her ankles or up higher?"
I scrunch my face in thought, Emily had never told me her exact so I'd have to guesstimate a bit.
"I'd say above average height. She's a bit taller than me so probably around five seven, five eight." I said, "And make it around her calves, she's not good enough at fighting to not worry about tripping over it yet."
She hummed thoughtfully and then nodded, "Ok, I think I've got a picture in my head. Do you want to pay for it now with your costume or do you want to wait until it is finished?"
"I'll just go ahead and pay. Might as well go ahead and get it over with yeah?" That way I could just pick it up before we left for Boston.
It only took a moment to complete the transaction and I could almost physically feel the hit to my bank account when all was said and done. It was worth it though, as I walked out of the shop feeling like a whole new cape, practically strutting my way back to the Palanquin.
There weren't many people on the street which was odd for the time, but the few that were stared at me as I walked by, some even taking out their cameras to take pictures. I wondered if I'd soon have a new post on PHO…
"Aspect, is that you down there?" A familiar voice sounded out from above me. I looked up, squinting against the evening sun, and recognized the floating form of Laserdream. Or Crystal, given that she wasn't currently wearing a costume and was instead just wearing a pair of bell bottom jeans and a warm looking sweater.
"Hey Crystal." I greeted as she floated down, "Yeah it's me. Just got some new threads, what do you think?" I turned this way and that, letting the heroine get a good look at my new costume. She nodded approvingly
"It looks nice, it really suits you. I recognise some of the techniques here, Parian's work?" She asked.
I nodded, slightly surprised she figured it out, "Yeah it is. How'd you know?"
She floated closer, adjusting the strap on her shoulder, "She made mine and Eric's costume. I can see some similarities in how yours is put together."
That's right, I had forgotten that Parian had made some of New Wave's costumes, odd that I had forgotten considering that that was the entire reason I had even gone to Parian in the first place but oh well.
"You wanna come hang out at the club?" I asked the floating teen, "Drinks are on me."
She gave me an odd look, "Aspect, It's eleven thirty on a Tuesday. I'm out for lunch at college, and even if I wasn't, it's the middle of the day so I wouldn't be drinking any time soon."
I blushed in embarrassment, I had completely forgotten school was even a thing in the months since I last attended. And as for the day drinking, well I lived in a club, drinking was gonna happen either way, the time didn't really make a difference.
"Living in a nightclub really skewed my drinking habits." I said. Since I began living at the Palanquin, I had begun drinking more and more. Not enough to be called an alcoholic or anything, but certainly enough to raise some eyebrows around the club when I came down several times a day.
It had actually gotten to the point that Melanie had begun making me pay for my drinks past a certain amount, citing that I drank more than both her and Gregor combined.
Which was bullshit! I had seen Gregor down an entire case of beer in an hour and Melanie drank like a fish when all her work was done! There was no way I drank more than them, even with my power drastically increasing my tolerance for alcohol!
"Are you even old enough to drink?" Crystal asked suspiciously.
I shrugged, "Age is relative in my line of work. Nobody's told me no when I ask so I take that to mean it's fine."
Really, as long as I had my powers active while in the club, I could get away with pretty much anything within reason. I had literally thrown people out of the club when they were getting too rowdy and nobody had done anything except offer me a drink for it, something I was always happy to receive.
…Maybe I was becoming an alcoholic.
Whatever, my power made it almost impossible for me to get drunk by accident anyway. Honestly it kind of sucked not to be able to get even slightly buzzed without drinking half a body of vodka, but I guess all powers come with downsides.
She stared at me for another moment before sighing, "Right. Well I've got to go, my lunch is almost over and campus is on the other side of the city. If you want to, we can hang out this weekend. Preferably in the evening." She offered.
I smiled. That was perfect. Melanie said we leave out for Boston on Monday, so a little celebration with a friend the weekend before sounded nice, "Sounds good Crystal. Are you down to meet outside the club at around eight or so on Saturday?"
She nodded, "Sounds good. I'll be there." She adjusted the strap on her shoulder again, "Now I've got to get back to campus before I'm late. See you Saturday!"
I waved to her as she flew off in what I assumed was the direction of her college campus. I had forgotten all about school, and now that I was reminded of it, it was…odd to not have the constant time waster that was school in my life.
As I continued on my way to the Palanquin, I couldn't help wondering what other little unnoticed things had changed in my life since I got my powers.\
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
It was decorated tastefully, mannequins wearing various styles of clothing dotted around the main room, pictures hung along the walls, and two plush chairs sat beside a coffee table on which there were several fashion magazines stacked. An open door sat at the rear of the room, through which I could hear the shuffling of someone moving around.
"Parian? It's Aspect, I'm here to pick up my costume." I called out toward the open door.
"I'll be with you in just one moment! Just finishing up some last minute adjustments on a commission." A female voice spoke back, more sounds coming from the room as she finished whatever she was doing.
I sat down in one of the chairs I had seen, picking up one of the magazines lying on the table and opening it curiously. It was a fashion magazine, go figure, with an attractive blonde model posing on the front.
As I sat there slowly flipping through the magazine, I couldn't help but notice that the pictures attached to articles were certainly…eye-catching. The outfits on display weren't exactly provocative, but they certainly fit the women well. Very well.
"Enjoying yourself?" I jumped at the sound of a voice, flinging the magazine away as I turned to look at who had spoken.
It was Parian, the porcelain masked cape was staring at me with arms crossed, amusement plain in her posture and I was mortified as I realized she must have been standing there for a while, watching me flip through the magazine while I ogled the models inside.
I stood up from my chair, clearing my throat as I looked anywhere but at Parian who was still watching me in amusement. "Yeah, um…Can you forget that happened? Pretty please?" I begged her. She hummed in amusement, bringing a hand up to the chin of her mask.
"I suppose we can." She nodded much to my relief, "It wouldn't do for me to embarrass a paying customer after all."
I was already plenty embarrassed, but I decided not to say anything and instead just changed the subject as fast as possible, "Haha, yeah…" I trailed off, before gathering myself, "Ahem, so where's my costume? Is it in the back or something?""
She walked over behind the counter and hefted up two large boxes, one larger than the other, and sat them on the counter as I walked over, "It's in here. The bigger one has the bodysuit itself, and the smaller one has your mask and other accessories."
She handed them to me, before pointing at a room obscured by a curtain, "The changing room is over there, let me know if you need me to readjust anything. It should fit fine but you never know."
I nodded in thanks and swiftly made my way over, extremely glad that my mask covered my face which was almost definitely beet red.
I entered and placed the box full of accessories on the small bench, before opening the one containing the main costume, pulling it out and holding it up for viewing.
Even before putting it on, I could already tell the steel mesh I had asked to be Incorporated was there, gleaming bits of silver sticking out from between dark blue and steel grey fabric. It was pretty heavy too, around six or seven pounds with me just holding the top half out of the box.
Looking at the interior revealed why. A kevlar mesh was pressed up against the outer layer. It didn't completely cover it, merely covering the key points that needed the most protection, like the stomach and chest areas.
It wasn't much protection, but it was certainly more than a hoodie and a T-shirt. It would come in handy if I was ever in a situation where I wasn't able to use my powers, as unlikely as that would be.
I shucked off my clothes and began putting on the costume, putting on the main bodysuit first while saving the extra bits for later. It fit snugly against me, wrapping comfortably around my limbs and body. I stretched and flexed in a bunch of different ways, and yet it didn't feel too tight or too loose, it fit like a glove.
I nodded in satisfaction before turning to the other box to retrieve the other parts of my costume.
As I opened the box, I noticed something amusing. Parian had placed her name on both boxes. Big bold letters spelling out 'Parian's Dollhouse' were stamped on the sides.
"You've got your name on your own boxes?" I questioned as I pulled out the various extra accessories.
"Advertising is everything in this line of business, Aspect. I never miss an opportunity to make my wares known."
"I'm not gonna walk out of here and find out there's a massive P on my back or something am I?" I teased as I began putting on the extra pieces of my costume.
"As if I'd ruin a commission I worked so hard on with a tacky addition like that. Please." She sniffed, "It's embroidered on the inside of your suit."
I laughed lightly as I buckled my belt, reaching down to tighten it around my waist. While the main part of the costume was a bodysuit and easy enough to put on, the accessories were more time consuming. It took around five minutes just to put on all the various bits and bobs.
As I tightened and untightened straps to fit more comfortably on my, a thought came to me. A way to solve Emily's little fire dilemma.
"Hey Parian! Are you able to make fireproof stuff?" I called out to the doll cape through the curtain separating us.
I heard her hum as I put on a pair of fingerless gloves, "It's certainly possible, but depending on the material I use it will be more expensive, and or harder to dye the colors you want."
I sat down on the bench to put on the boots. They were at least as sturdy as my old pair, made of dark grey leather with steel tips that fit really well with the rest of the outfit, "Why's that?" I asked
"Well, some fabrics are more porous than others, making them much easier to dye." She explained, "But at the same time, many of those types of fabrics aren't very resistant to heat at all. To make an outfit that isn't almost all leather and kevlar, not very dyeable materials, I'd need to import some from out of the city because I don't really have much on hand right now."
I nodded even if she couldn't see me, "Makes sense. So just about how much would a full fireproof bodysuit run me?"
"Eighty thousand or thereabouts." She said immediately and I winced as I finished lacing up the boots. Yeah, Emily would be footing that bill herself. Maybe I'd get her a gift basket or something to celebrate her joining the crew.
"I could also just make a fire resistant cloak. I should have enough materials on hand." She offered, "Something meant to be thrown off in the event it catches on fire. You'd probably have to replace it in that event though."
I retrieved my new mask from the box and placed it on my face, sticking it there with my power, "And how much would the cloak cost me?" My voice sounded different coming through the mask, somewhat deeper, not at all like my old one. I kind of liked it.
"Around two thousand or so if you just want just a solid color cloak. The price would increase with the detail, probably capping out at about six thousand or so." She made a quick estimate.
I hummed as I placed my knife in the holster on my hip, that was much better than eighty thousand.
"Can you make one before the end of the week? I'd be willing to pay extra for short notice. Within reason of course." I wasn't willing to shill out too much on it but with the jobs I took this week, I had a bit of expendable income.
"I suppose I could. No extra pay though, I've finished all of my commissions for the week." She commented, and I heard her pass the changing room as she headed to the back.
Before I left the changing room, I checked myself out now that I had the entire costume on.
I looked good, much more professional than I had in my old costume and I turned myself around, admiring the details of the outfit.
The majority of the suit was steel blue, steel grey lines ran down in diagonal stripes from the edges of my collarbone to meet in the center where the entire suit zipped up. A hood was attached to the back by a pair of buttons, easy to throw off should it get snagged on anything.
Underneath the outer layer of my costume was the layer of kevlar that made the suit look thicker than it actually was. It wasn't the only protection however.On my shoulders were pauldrons that were made of what felt like hardened leather with even more kevlar underneath, the same material covered my forearms as gauntlets.
Inside of the costume, on the outside of my biceps and thighs and therefore in contact with my skin at virtually all times, was a steel mesh that my power could tell was sturdy. Parian had heeded my request.
The lines on my upper body stopped at my waist, on which was a belt with numerous pouches for my materials. The pouches went all the way around the belt, giving me more than ample storage space. There were currently more pouches than I had materials so many were empty, and I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the thought of how many different materials I could carry at once now.
The bottom of the suit was the same blue as the top, only instead of dark grey stripes, there were large patches of the same grey on the outside of my thighs leading all the way down to the boots. There were two leather holsters on either of my thighs, one of which was occupied by my knife while the other awaited whatever weapon I decided to put into it. Maybe a taser or something, I hadn't decided yet.
I turned my gaze away from my legs and moved it to my mask, taking in the new features.
My new mask was similar to my old one in that it had eyeholes, but different in the fact that it was much more detailed, and while I couldn't tell exactly what it was made of, my power told me it was about as sturdy as steel.
The mask was almost futuristic looking, all sleek lines and hard edges. The eye holes were squinted slightly, giving me a permanent intense look on my face.
To finish the picture, I pulled my hood over my head, letting my hair fall around my shoulders to fill in the gaps between the hood and my face. I would probably get a haircut pretty soon, hair as long as mine was a pain to worry about in close quarters fights.
I gave myself a final once over before nodding in satisfaction at what I saw. I looked good, competent. Professional.
I exited the changing room, nearly running into Parian as she appeared from the back carrying two large bolts of cloth on her shoulder. They looked heavy yet she didn't seem to be having much trouble carrying them, indicating she did it relatively often.
She grunted as she set them on a table covered in various instruments that I couldn't make heads or tails of. I walked up beside her, marveling at just how nice my costume fit me with such minor adjustments. Parian really didn't mess around when it came to her craft.
"What colors do you want it to be? Do you want it solid? Striped? Do you have a design in mind?" She asked.
"I was thinking solid dark red with black edges." I said, pointing at a bolt of cloth that had the color I thought was good, "She's thinking of going with the whole firefighter aesthetic so I don't want anything that would take away from that."
She hummed, "And how tall is your friend? Do you want the cloak down to her ankles or up higher?"
I scrunch my face in thought, Emily had never told me her exact so I'd have to guesstimate a bit.
"I'd say above average height. She's a bit taller than me so probably around five seven, five eight." I said, "And make it around her calves, she's not good enough at fighting to not worry about tripping over it yet."
She hummed thoughtfully and then nodded, "Ok, I think I've got a picture in my head. Do you want to pay for it now with your costume or do you want to wait until it is finished?"
"I'll just go ahead and pay. Might as well go ahead and get it over with yeah?" That way I could just pick it up before we left for Boston.
It only took a moment to complete the transaction and I could almost physically feel the hit to my bank account when all was said and done. It was worth it though, as I walked out of the shop feeling like a whole new cape, practically strutting my way back to the Palanquin.
There weren't many people on the street which was odd for the time, but the few that were stared at me as I walked by, some even taking out their cameras to take pictures. I wondered if I'd soon have a new post on PHO…
"Aspect, is that you down there?" A familiar voice sounded out from above me. I looked up, squinting against the evening sun, and recognized the floating form of Laserdream. Or Crystal, given that she wasn't currently wearing a costume and was instead just wearing a pair of bell bottom jeans and a warm looking sweater.
"Hey Crystal." I greeted as she floated down, "Yeah it's me. Just got some new threads, what do you think?" I turned this way and that, letting the heroine get a good look at my new costume. She nodded approvingly
"It looks nice, it really suits you. I recognise some of the techniques here, Parian's work?" She asked.
I nodded, slightly surprised she figured it out, "Yeah it is. How'd you know?"
She floated closer, adjusting the strap on her shoulder, "She made mine and Eric's costume. I can see some similarities in how yours is put together."
That's right, I had forgotten that Parian had made some of New Wave's costumes, odd that I had forgotten considering that that was the entire reason I had even gone to Parian in the first place but oh well.
"You wanna come hang out at the club?" I asked the floating teen, "Drinks are on me."
She gave me an odd look, "Aspect, It's eleven thirty on a Tuesday. I'm out for lunch at college, and even if I wasn't, it's the middle of the day so I wouldn't be drinking any time soon."
I blushed in embarrassment, I had completely forgotten school was even a thing in the months since I last attended. And as for the day drinking, well I lived in a club, drinking was gonna happen either way, the time didn't really make a difference.
"Living in a nightclub really skewed my drinking habits." I said. Since I began living at the Palanquin, I had begun drinking more and more. Not enough to be called an alcoholic or anything, but certainly enough to raise some eyebrows around the club when I came down several times a day.
It had actually gotten to the point that Melanie had begun making me pay for my drinks past a certain amount, citing that I drank more than both her and Gregor combined.
Which was bullshit! I had seen Gregor down an entire case of beer in an hour and Melanie drank like a fish when all her work was done! There was no way I drank more than them, even with my power drastically increasing my tolerance for alcohol!
"Are you even old enough to drink?" Crystal asked suspiciously.
I shrugged, "Age is relative in my line of work. Nobody's told me no when I ask so I take that to mean it's fine."
Really, as long as I had my powers active while in the club, I could get away with pretty much anything within reason. I had literally thrown people out of the club when they were getting too rowdy and nobody had done anything except offer me a drink for it, something I was always happy to receive.
…Maybe I was becoming an alcoholic.
Whatever, my power made it almost impossible for me to get drunk by accident anyway. Honestly it kind of sucked not to be able to get even slightly buzzed without drinking half a body of vodka, but I guess all powers come with downsides.
She stared at me for another moment before sighing, "Right. Well I've got to go, my lunch is almost over and campus is on the other side of the city. If you want to, we can hang out this weekend. Preferably in the evening." She offered.
I smiled. That was perfect. Melanie said we leave out for Boston on Monday, so a little celebration with a friend the weekend before sounded nice, "Sounds good Crystal. Are you down to meet outside the club at around eight or so on Saturday?"
She nodded, "Sounds good. I'll be there." She adjusted the strap on her shoulder again, "Now I've got to get back to campus before I'm late. See you Saturday!"
I waved to her as she flew off in what I assumed was the direction of her college campus. I had forgotten all about school, and now that I was reminded of it, it was…odd to not have the constant time waster that was school in my life.
As I continued on my way to the Palanquin, I couldn't help wondering what other little unnoticed things had changed in my life since I got my powers.\
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
Last edited:
Merc Work 2.10
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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- Jun 16, 2019
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Honestly, reconnecting with Christine was probably one of the best things that had happened to me recently. It was really unfortunate that it took everything it did for that to happen.
Still, I was extremely glad to have my best friend back. I missed hanging out with her like this.
"And then Newter flipped off the railing right onto their table! Drinks went everywhere! They were soooo pissed dude, I thought I was gonna have to stop them from trying to kick his butt!" I laughed.
Across from me, Christine was giggling loudly, a hand cradling her middle as she convulsed with laughter, "W-why didn't he just get down normally?" She asked through her laughter.
I rolled my eyes, reaching in front of me to take a bite out of the sandwich I had made while raiding her fridge. Turkey, warm bacon, tomato, mayo, and some garlic stuff I didn't know the name of. Delicious.
"There was a cute girl in the group." I explained after swallowing, "You have no idea how he can get with them. He's like a flirting monster or something, can't be stopped once he gets going."
I was back at Christine's house for the second time that week, we were both sitting at the table in her kitchen. I wasn't bothering to hide my presence because her parents had gone out of state once again and had left her alone. Again.
Honestly, here recently her parents seemed to be away more often than not, and it made me wonder if they actually cared for Christine in any capacity as a daughter.
"So what, is he a playboy or something?" Christine asked. She took a sip of her drink, some kind of coffee based thing that had too many words to comfortably name. It was more of a milkshake than a coffee honestly.
I shook my head, "It's not like that. Newt's powers make it where anybody who touches him gets an immediate contact high and they basically pass out. He's starved for affection and usually makes up for it by being more outgoing."
I took another bite of my sandwich, speaking through my chews, "According to Gregor, ever since I came along he's been better about it. Because of how my power works, he can touch me without me being affected so anytime we're together he practically hangs off of me any chance he gets. I don't really mind it all things considered, he's pretty funny when you get to talking with him."
Christine frowned slightly and I immediately covered my mouth. I forgot that one of her big pet peeves was people talking with their mouths full.
"Right..." She said quietly.
We sat in comfortable silence as I finished my sandwich and I felt contentment sit warmly in my stomach. I had missed this.
Unfortunately, as much fun as I was having just talking to Christine like we used to, that wasn't why I was here. It sucked to have to ruin such a peaceful moment, but this was something I had to get out of the way, best to give her a warning so she doesn't freak out. Well, more than she was definitely going to anyway.
I sighed, catching Christine's attention, "Something wrong?"
I hummed, placing the remains of my sandwich on the plate in front of me and pushing it away, "Sort of. As much as I love talking to you, I didn't just come over to chat. I've got something to tell you that you're probably not gonna like."
She frowned lightly, "Ok…What is it?"
I took a moment to gather myself, bracing for her reaction to what I was about to say. "I won't be around for a bit, the crew's going to Boston for a while. Big contract, real important too, couldn't really opt out even if I wanted to." I explained. The frown on her face deepened as she processed my words.
"You're leaving the Bay? For how long?" Christine's concern was palpable and I hesitated before replying.
"About a month…Maybe longer?" I said sheepishly.
"A MONTH!?" I winced at the outburst, watching as she shot out of her chair. Christine stared at me with something akin to horror, her eyes wide with disbelief, "What if something happens? What if my parents tried to ship me off!? Or-or Justin tries to do something?!"
I watched as Christine began becoming more and more distressed, my concern growing with each passing moment. Her voice was full of panic tinged with fear and my heart went out to my friend more and more with each passing moment until finally, I couldn't take any more.
I stood from my chair, striding over to the increasingly panicked girl. I placed my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look me in the eyes, "Christine…Christine look at me."
She did so hesitantly, and I softened my gaze as her eyes met mine, "Everything's going to be alright Chris. I mean it."
"I'm sorry that this is happening. I know it's really shitty of me to just up and leave you like this but there wasn't really anything I could do. This job is too important to the crew as a whole."
Christine nodded silently and I sighed, "Listen, if anything happens, call me. I'll come back to Brockton asap and handle it." She opened her mouth, probably to tell me just how stupid that statement was, but I just ignored her, "I will find a way to get back here Chris, even if I have to go to the Protectorate, I will find a way back. Understand?"
Christine didn't say anything for a long moment, lips tightened into a thin line with worry. I kept staring at her, making sure she understood just how serious I was being and eventually, she nodded softly, not breaking eye contact.
"Good." I kept my hands on her shoulder for another moment before releasing her. She kept staring at me as I stepped back and I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, "Hey, we'll figure this out together. You're not alone in this, okay? We'll find a way to handle everything, and I'll be here for you every step of the way."
Christine stared at me for several long moments, before she sighed lightly, turning her gaze away from me. "Valerie…there's something I've been meaning to tell you-"
*Knock Knock Knock*
The both of us jumped in surprise as a series of loud knocks emanated from the front door just a room away, a voice following shortly after, "Christine, open the door! You and I need to speak."
I turned to the other blonde with a raised eyebrow, "You piss of your boyfriend or something?"
Something about the look on her face told me it wasn't just a jilted lover that was demanding entry into the house. And the words that followed just confirmed my theory.
"It's Justin!" She said, bumping into the table in her panic and nearly knocking over her drink in the process, "I haven't seen him in days and he shows up now of all times?!"
Justin. Her cousin. The cousin who had been the cause of a good portion of her recent issues and grief. Well then…
I turned to face the doorway, placing a hand on the marble table in the same motion and activating my power, an angry scowl appearing on my face as I did so.
A hand on my shoulder stopped me from stalking into the living room and beating the everloving shit out of her cousin for the grief he had caused her. I looked over to Christine with a confused, and slightly angry, expression, "What? I'm gonna go kick his ass!"
"You can't!"
"What!? Why not!?"
She placed her other hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face her, "Valerie even if you can beat him, and I'm not sure you could, we're in the middle of a residential neighborhood! If you guys fight here, people could get hurt. And that's not even mentioning the amount of Empire members who live here too!"
While I scowled at her doubting I could beat the cape outside, I couldn't deny she had a very valid point. Depending on exactly which of Kaiser's lieutenants Justin was, a fight between us could become very destructive very quickly.
While a fight between me and say, Victor wouldn't be too messy, the same couldn't be said if I were to fight the likes of Stormtiger or Krieg. Stormtiger was liable to throw me through buildings if his wind blades failed to break my skin, and a fight against Krieg would definitely go on far too long as I tried to get through that slowing field of his and he tried to get through my own power, leaving more than enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
I wasn't too sure about how my power would interact with Crusader's, and the less said about just how destructive a fight between me and Hookwolf would be the better.
I sighed, my skin changing back flesh as I turned away from the persistent knocking to face my friend, "So what do you want me to do?"
She bit her lip, "You've got to leave. He can't know you were here."
She looked around hurriedly, before her gaze stopped somewhere behind me. I followed said gaze and saw a window sitting to the side of the refrigerator.
She hurried me over it, and I was struck with an overwhelming sense of deja vu as she pushed me towards the opening.
She stopped just as we got to the window, staring at me weirdly again. Behind her, I could hear the sounds of her cousin's knocking increasing in frequency and volume as he became more agitated. And still, she didn't move.
"Christine, what's going on with yo-" Just as I went to ask her what she was doing, Christine leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek, freezing my words in my mouth as soft lips lingered against my skin.
And then she placed her palms on my chest and literally shoved me out the window.
"Sorry!" She whisper-shouted, before closing the window shut, immediately turning to walk to the door where her cousin was waiting.
I fell about two feet and landed in a bush just below the window with a small grunt. I stayed there for a moment to process what had just happened, the feeling of warm lips burning hotly into my cheek, before I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of voices through the window I had just fallen out of.
I scrambled to my feet, pulling the hood of my jacket over my head to make sure none of my ex neighbors recognized me, before dashing away from the home as Christene greeted her cousin inside.
As I fled, I couldn't help but liken my situation to a old-timey mistress fleeing from an unfaithful partner's bedroom in the dead of night, shawl pulled down to ensure she was unrecognizable
That thought certainly didn't help the confusing feelings bubbling in my chest.
Later that night- Palanquin
"-and then I ran away." I finished my story.
"She kissed you and pushed you out of the window?" Newter asked incredulously. Next to him, Crystal was staring at me with similar surprise.
I flushed, taking a sip of my fruity drink to avoid speaking. The three of us were sitting in one of the booths at the Palanquin. Unlike the ones the Crew usually used upstairs, this one wasn't soundproof at all, allowing the full force of the bass from the music on the dancefloor to be heard and felt.
The three of us had come in here to drink and talk while we waited for some of Crystal's friends to show up. We had been here for only a few minutes before they had noticed my dour mood and demanded I fess up.
"And how do you feel about it?" Crystal asked. In the corner of my eye and through the slightly opened curtains, I caught sight of one of the waitresses begin to make her way over only to be waved off by Newter, "The kiss I mean?"
How did I feel? That was a tough question. I felt protective of her, that was for certain, but romantically…
I looked down at my drink, swirling it around as I thought about the question. Once upon a time, Christine and I had been like sisters, joined at the hip as we strode through the world side by side. We did practically everything together from sunrise to sunset, always with each other, constants in one another's lives.
When Christine had openly joined the Empire and I had cut off all ties with her, I had felt the loss acutely. It was as if a large part of myself had been torn away. All the things I used to enjoy doing seemed tainted by her memory. I could no longer sit through a single episode of those sappy teen romcoms that we used to privately enjoy together, couldn't walk in the park without turning to look at someone who was no longer there; no longer in my life.
And now that we were more or less reconciled, I had noticed a bit of that same carefree energy from when we were younger beginning to bubble up in our conversations and texts. While it wasn't exactly the same, it felt like I once again had my best friend back. It felt good to be able to just talk with Christine like I used to, even with the threat of the Empire hanging over her head.
"I don't know." I said finally, barely heard over the pulsing music of the club. "I may have had a crush on her during highschool but, well…you know what happened. Ever since we stopped talking, I was just so busy with everything going on that I never really had time to consider being like that with someone. Much less her… "
I wasn't exactly disgusted by the prospect, far from it actually, Christine had always been pretty and had been a not-so insignificant factor in discovering my sexuality in Winslow. Truthfully, if we had still been on speaking terms at the time, I likely would have asked her out at least once just to see where things went.
But with all of this shit with the Empire and her parents, I also knew she wasn't exactly in the best place. There was a good chance she was just latching onto the only stable thing in her life for comfort, platonic feelings could easily be misconstrued for romantic ones.
If that was true, and she was just latching onto me, I wouldn't feel right even considering returning her affections. It would feel too insincere and I would constantly be wondering whether or not the feelings were genuine, or just a product of my protecting her.
"Maybe you should sleep on it." Newter suggested, "We leave out for Boston the day after tomorrow, so maybe you can look at it with a clear head in the morning."
"Yeah and besides, tonight is supposed to be a celebration!" Crystal chimed in, "Jamie and Sabah may not be here yet but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun by ourselves."
I winced slightly. Well now I felt kinda bad, we were supposed to be having a good time and I had brought the mood down with my issues. Newter was right, I should let the issue rest for now and come back with a fresh head.
My two friends looked at me with raised eyebrows at my sudden silence and I shrugged, "Ah, what the hell." I tipped back the rest of my drink, swallowing the rest in one big gulp, before placing my hand on the wooden table and activating my power.
I stood up and grabbed Newter by the arm, dragging him out of the booth as Crystal followed behind us with a grin, "Crystal's right, this is supposed to be a party and we're sitting around talking. Let's dance or something."
The night was still young and the situation with Christine wasn't going anywhere any time soon.
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
Still, I was extremely glad to have my best friend back. I missed hanging out with her like this.
"And then Newter flipped off the railing right onto their table! Drinks went everywhere! They were soooo pissed dude, I thought I was gonna have to stop them from trying to kick his butt!" I laughed.
Across from me, Christine was giggling loudly, a hand cradling her middle as she convulsed with laughter, "W-why didn't he just get down normally?" She asked through her laughter.
I rolled my eyes, reaching in front of me to take a bite out of the sandwich I had made while raiding her fridge. Turkey, warm bacon, tomato, mayo, and some garlic stuff I didn't know the name of. Delicious.
"There was a cute girl in the group." I explained after swallowing, "You have no idea how he can get with them. He's like a flirting monster or something, can't be stopped once he gets going."
I was back at Christine's house for the second time that week, we were both sitting at the table in her kitchen. I wasn't bothering to hide my presence because her parents had gone out of state once again and had left her alone. Again.
Honestly, here recently her parents seemed to be away more often than not, and it made me wonder if they actually cared for Christine in any capacity as a daughter.
"So what, is he a playboy or something?" Christine asked. She took a sip of her drink, some kind of coffee based thing that had too many words to comfortably name. It was more of a milkshake than a coffee honestly.
I shook my head, "It's not like that. Newt's powers make it where anybody who touches him gets an immediate contact high and they basically pass out. He's starved for affection and usually makes up for it by being more outgoing."
I took another bite of my sandwich, speaking through my chews, "According to Gregor, ever since I came along he's been better about it. Because of how my power works, he can touch me without me being affected so anytime we're together he practically hangs off of me any chance he gets. I don't really mind it all things considered, he's pretty funny when you get to talking with him."
Christine frowned slightly and I immediately covered my mouth. I forgot that one of her big pet peeves was people talking with their mouths full.
"Right..." She said quietly.
We sat in comfortable silence as I finished my sandwich and I felt contentment sit warmly in my stomach. I had missed this.
Unfortunately, as much fun as I was having just talking to Christine like we used to, that wasn't why I was here. It sucked to have to ruin such a peaceful moment, but this was something I had to get out of the way, best to give her a warning so she doesn't freak out. Well, more than she was definitely going to anyway.
I sighed, catching Christine's attention, "Something wrong?"
I hummed, placing the remains of my sandwich on the plate in front of me and pushing it away, "Sort of. As much as I love talking to you, I didn't just come over to chat. I've got something to tell you that you're probably not gonna like."
She frowned lightly, "Ok…What is it?"
I took a moment to gather myself, bracing for her reaction to what I was about to say. "I won't be around for a bit, the crew's going to Boston for a while. Big contract, real important too, couldn't really opt out even if I wanted to." I explained. The frown on her face deepened as she processed my words.
"You're leaving the Bay? For how long?" Christine's concern was palpable and I hesitated before replying.
"About a month…Maybe longer?" I said sheepishly.
"A MONTH!?" I winced at the outburst, watching as she shot out of her chair. Christine stared at me with something akin to horror, her eyes wide with disbelief, "What if something happens? What if my parents tried to ship me off!? Or-or Justin tries to do something?!"
I watched as Christine began becoming more and more distressed, my concern growing with each passing moment. Her voice was full of panic tinged with fear and my heart went out to my friend more and more with each passing moment until finally, I couldn't take any more.
I stood from my chair, striding over to the increasingly panicked girl. I placed my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look me in the eyes, "Christine…Christine look at me."
She did so hesitantly, and I softened my gaze as her eyes met mine, "Everything's going to be alright Chris. I mean it."
"I'm sorry that this is happening. I know it's really shitty of me to just up and leave you like this but there wasn't really anything I could do. This job is too important to the crew as a whole."
Christine nodded silently and I sighed, "Listen, if anything happens, call me. I'll come back to Brockton asap and handle it." She opened her mouth, probably to tell me just how stupid that statement was, but I just ignored her, "I will find a way to get back here Chris, even if I have to go to the Protectorate, I will find a way back. Understand?"
Christine didn't say anything for a long moment, lips tightened into a thin line with worry. I kept staring at her, making sure she understood just how serious I was being and eventually, she nodded softly, not breaking eye contact.
"Good." I kept my hands on her shoulder for another moment before releasing her. She kept staring at me as I stepped back and I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, "Hey, we'll figure this out together. You're not alone in this, okay? We'll find a way to handle everything, and I'll be here for you every step of the way."
Christine stared at me for several long moments, before she sighed lightly, turning her gaze away from me. "Valerie…there's something I've been meaning to tell you-"
*Knock Knock Knock*
The both of us jumped in surprise as a series of loud knocks emanated from the front door just a room away, a voice following shortly after, "Christine, open the door! You and I need to speak."
I turned to the other blonde with a raised eyebrow, "You piss of your boyfriend or something?"
Something about the look on her face told me it wasn't just a jilted lover that was demanding entry into the house. And the words that followed just confirmed my theory.
"It's Justin!" She said, bumping into the table in her panic and nearly knocking over her drink in the process, "I haven't seen him in days and he shows up now of all times?!"
Justin. Her cousin. The cousin who had been the cause of a good portion of her recent issues and grief. Well then…
I turned to face the doorway, placing a hand on the marble table in the same motion and activating my power, an angry scowl appearing on my face as I did so.
A hand on my shoulder stopped me from stalking into the living room and beating the everloving shit out of her cousin for the grief he had caused her. I looked over to Christine with a confused, and slightly angry, expression, "What? I'm gonna go kick his ass!"
"You can't!"
"What!? Why not!?"
She placed her other hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face her, "Valerie even if you can beat him, and I'm not sure you could, we're in the middle of a residential neighborhood! If you guys fight here, people could get hurt. And that's not even mentioning the amount of Empire members who live here too!"
While I scowled at her doubting I could beat the cape outside, I couldn't deny she had a very valid point. Depending on exactly which of Kaiser's lieutenants Justin was, a fight between us could become very destructive very quickly.
While a fight between me and say, Victor wouldn't be too messy, the same couldn't be said if I were to fight the likes of Stormtiger or Krieg. Stormtiger was liable to throw me through buildings if his wind blades failed to break my skin, and a fight against Krieg would definitely go on far too long as I tried to get through that slowing field of his and he tried to get through my own power, leaving more than enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
I wasn't too sure about how my power would interact with Crusader's, and the less said about just how destructive a fight between me and Hookwolf would be the better.
I sighed, my skin changing back flesh as I turned away from the persistent knocking to face my friend, "So what do you want me to do?"
She bit her lip, "You've got to leave. He can't know you were here."
She looked around hurriedly, before her gaze stopped somewhere behind me. I followed said gaze and saw a window sitting to the side of the refrigerator.
She hurried me over it, and I was struck with an overwhelming sense of deja vu as she pushed me towards the opening.
She stopped just as we got to the window, staring at me weirdly again. Behind her, I could hear the sounds of her cousin's knocking increasing in frequency and volume as he became more agitated. And still, she didn't move.
"Christine, what's going on with yo-" Just as I went to ask her what she was doing, Christine leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek, freezing my words in my mouth as soft lips lingered against my skin.
And then she placed her palms on my chest and literally shoved me out the window.
"Sorry!" She whisper-shouted, before closing the window shut, immediately turning to walk to the door where her cousin was waiting.
I fell about two feet and landed in a bush just below the window with a small grunt. I stayed there for a moment to process what had just happened, the feeling of warm lips burning hotly into my cheek, before I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of voices through the window I had just fallen out of.
I scrambled to my feet, pulling the hood of my jacket over my head to make sure none of my ex neighbors recognized me, before dashing away from the home as Christene greeted her cousin inside.
As I fled, I couldn't help but liken my situation to a old-timey mistress fleeing from an unfaithful partner's bedroom in the dead of night, shawl pulled down to ensure she was unrecognizable
That thought certainly didn't help the confusing feelings bubbling in my chest.
Later that night- Palanquin
"-and then I ran away." I finished my story.
"She kissed you and pushed you out of the window?" Newter asked incredulously. Next to him, Crystal was staring at me with similar surprise.
I flushed, taking a sip of my fruity drink to avoid speaking. The three of us were sitting in one of the booths at the Palanquin. Unlike the ones the Crew usually used upstairs, this one wasn't soundproof at all, allowing the full force of the bass from the music on the dancefloor to be heard and felt.
The three of us had come in here to drink and talk while we waited for some of Crystal's friends to show up. We had been here for only a few minutes before they had noticed my dour mood and demanded I fess up.
"And how do you feel about it?" Crystal asked. In the corner of my eye and through the slightly opened curtains, I caught sight of one of the waitresses begin to make her way over only to be waved off by Newter, "The kiss I mean?"
How did I feel? That was a tough question. I felt protective of her, that was for certain, but romantically…
I looked down at my drink, swirling it around as I thought about the question. Once upon a time, Christine and I had been like sisters, joined at the hip as we strode through the world side by side. We did practically everything together from sunrise to sunset, always with each other, constants in one another's lives.
When Christine had openly joined the Empire and I had cut off all ties with her, I had felt the loss acutely. It was as if a large part of myself had been torn away. All the things I used to enjoy doing seemed tainted by her memory. I could no longer sit through a single episode of those sappy teen romcoms that we used to privately enjoy together, couldn't walk in the park without turning to look at someone who was no longer there; no longer in my life.
And now that we were more or less reconciled, I had noticed a bit of that same carefree energy from when we were younger beginning to bubble up in our conversations and texts. While it wasn't exactly the same, it felt like I once again had my best friend back. It felt good to be able to just talk with Christine like I used to, even with the threat of the Empire hanging over her head.
"I don't know." I said finally, barely heard over the pulsing music of the club. "I may have had a crush on her during highschool but, well…you know what happened. Ever since we stopped talking, I was just so busy with everything going on that I never really had time to consider being like that with someone. Much less her… "
I wasn't exactly disgusted by the prospect, far from it actually, Christine had always been pretty and had been a not-so insignificant factor in discovering my sexuality in Winslow. Truthfully, if we had still been on speaking terms at the time, I likely would have asked her out at least once just to see where things went.
But with all of this shit with the Empire and her parents, I also knew she wasn't exactly in the best place. There was a good chance she was just latching onto the only stable thing in her life for comfort, platonic feelings could easily be misconstrued for romantic ones.
If that was true, and she was just latching onto me, I wouldn't feel right even considering returning her affections. It would feel too insincere and I would constantly be wondering whether or not the feelings were genuine, or just a product of my protecting her.
"Maybe you should sleep on it." Newter suggested, "We leave out for Boston the day after tomorrow, so maybe you can look at it with a clear head in the morning."
"Yeah and besides, tonight is supposed to be a celebration!" Crystal chimed in, "Jamie and Sabah may not be here yet but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun by ourselves."
I winced slightly. Well now I felt kinda bad, we were supposed to be having a good time and I had brought the mood down with my issues. Newter was right, I should let the issue rest for now and come back with a fresh head.
My two friends looked at me with raised eyebrows at my sudden silence and I shrugged, "Ah, what the hell." I tipped back the rest of my drink, swallowing the rest in one big gulp, before placing my hand on the wooden table and activating my power.
I stood up and grabbed Newter by the arm, dragging him out of the booth as Crystal followed behind us with a grin, "Crystal's right, this is supposed to be a party and we're sitting around talking. Let's dance or something."
The night was still young and the situation with Christine wasn't going anywhere any time soon.
~~~
And as always, a huge thanks to all my Patrons!
If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there
Commissions are open. Send me an email at Sadguychet@gmail.com if you are interested.
Last edited:
Merc Work 2.11
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2019
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"You really didn't have to get me this you know?" Spitfire said to me as she checked herself out in the mirror. She turned in a full circle, admiring the way her new accessory swished in the wind.
We were currently in Parian's shop. The doll-cape had made good time in finishing the cloak I had commissioned for her and had sent me a message over PHO this morning. I had grabbed Spitfire and hurried her over with the promise of a surprise for her. And boy was she surprised when Parian brought it out.
Despite her words, I could tell she was pleased with the cloak now fastened around her shoulders. The material Parian had used was charcoal grey, fitting perfectly with the darker colors of Spitfire's costume. Said cape was currently in the back working on another commission and had left us alone in the front of the store.
I just grinned as I took in Spitfire's excited posture, "I know I didn't. But I did anyway." I didn't tell her I was more than a little worried that her power would be able to easily burn through the firefighter's suit we acquired for her. I had no clue what those things were rated for but I'd seen her fire melt through steel in a shockingly small amount of time so I didn't hold out much hope.
At least with the cloak, she'd be able to throw it off before it was burned through. Hopefully.
"Well then how much do I owe you?" She turned to me, "It's only fair I pay for at least part of it right? How much was it? Four, five hundred?"
I just barely held back a wince. I certainly wasn't going to tell her how much the cloak actually cost, she'd have a fit. "Really dude, don't worry about it. I just felt like doing something nice is all." I waved her off as she went to protest, "If you really want to pay for it, we can just say you owe me a favor or something. Deal?"
I could practically feel Spitfire's pout, "Well okay I guess. Just don't think I'm gonna do anything weird or mean for you."
I held a hand to my chest in mock hurt, "Why Spitfire, I can't believe you would think so little of me. I would never."
Her gasmask somehow managed to convey her disbelief, "Uh-huh, sure. I'm sure all the stories Newter's has been telling me are just rumors then?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I denied.
"Oh, then the story about you making Newter eat a sardine and pimento sandwich was just a lie?"
That little snitch! He made a bet and lost, he doesn't get to complain when I doll out the punishment!
"Doesn't ring a bell." I blatantly lied.
"Hmmm…" she stared at me and I sweated nervously at her scrutiny.
"Hey! It's getting kind of hot in here isn't it? I'm gonna go buy an ice cream or frozen yogurt or something, you want anything?" I spoke quickly as I turned around, not giving her a chance to object.
"But wait! You haven't paid!"
"I'm just going down the block, it'll be fine!" As I turned to the front of the store however, I froze at what I saw just outside the glass front.
It was a group of men, around eight or so of them all wearing Empire colors. They were carrying various blunt instruments ranging from bats to brass knuckles. It was clear what they were here for.
"Uhh Parian!" I called back into the shop as Spitfire came to see what I was looking at, "There's a bunch of Empire goons standing in front of your store with weapons!"
"WHAT!?" I winced as clattering came from her direction, objects falling to the floor as she dropped whatever she was carrying and rushed to the front of the store.
"Oh no." She said as she saw the same sight I had, "Why are they back? I already told them no!" She sounded both worried and slightly angry.
I looked over at her as she worried at the hems of her sleeves, "What do you mean? They've come here before?" Parian's shop was right on the edge of Empire territory, but it was also in plain view of the public and it wasn't uncommon to see heroes patrolling around the area. That's why it was odd that these goons were here in the first place, nevermind having been here before.
Parian nodded as she used her powers, bolts of cloth flying from who knows where to land in a small pile to her side, "They've been trying to get me to join them, despite my refusals. Last time they came I nearly had to fight them off! It was pure luck that Triumph happened to be patrolling nearby."
Well that explained it, the Empire wanted their very own costume maker in their roster of capes. Honestly I was surprised I hadn't realized that sooner.
"What should we do?" Spitfire asked me. I glanced back at Parian, taking in the woman's tense shoulders. She was staring straight at the goons, and though I couldn't see her expression under her mask, I got the sense that she really didn't want to fight them. Made sense, I certainly couldn't imagine fighting a group like that with only cloth and fabrics.
She turned her gaze towards me, a silent question in her posture and I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head towards the group outside, "I'm not Triumph, but I could take care of those guys for you if you'd like."
She gave a relieved sigh, "Would you? I would really appreciate that. I'll give you a discount on that cloak in return."
While I wasn't going to ask for anything, really beating up nazis was its own reward, I certainly wasn't going to refuse however. I gave her a nod, "We've got a deal, I'll handle them."
"Um, what should I do?" Spitfire piped up.
I winced, "You should probably stay here. Those guys aren't capes and they certainly aren't wearing fireproof clothes, your power would be a bit too effective against them. And I have a feeling that Parian doesn't want her shop burning down."
I had a feeling that if I could see Spitfire's skin, it would have paled considerably, "Oh yeah…good idea. I'll stay here."
I nodded, "Good deal. Give me like sixty seconds and I'll have this dealt with."
"Please don't break anything!" Parian called out behind me as I reached the entrance.
I turned and grinned at her with my hand on the door, "Don't worry Parian. I'll keep the damage to a minimum."
The bell above the door signaled my exit to the goon outside. They turned to the door with angry grins that disappeared the moment they saw my costumed appearance.
"Who the hell are you?!" The clear leader of the group asked. He was the textbook definition of a nazi skinhead. Shaved head covered in tattoos, a white wife-beater showing off similarly tattooed arms that were currently gripping a crowbar. He slapped said crowbar into his hand in a display I was sure he thought was intimidating.
One if the people next to him clearly recognized me given his widening eyes, "Shit! James,that's the bitch who beat up Andrew and the others and put Alabaster in the clink a while back. She's got a new costume but I'm sure that's her!"
James squinted at me, before grinning as he realized his friend was correct, "Well would you look at that, it is her!" He laughed loudly, "You know bitch, our boys back home aren't happy about your little escapade, not one bit. All they've been talking about is finding you and kicking your nigger-loving ass." He grinned, slapping his weapon in his palm again, "Too bad they won't get the chance. I guess we'll just have to beat you enough for both of them!"
Around four of the skinheads behind him gave shouts of approval, the others didn't look too sure. Guess they were the smart ones.
"Uh-huh. Sure thing." I said, completely unthreatened by his threat.
A while ago, this would have taken me at least a few minutes to deal with as I fought them one by one. Unfortunately for them, I had learned from my fight with Alabaster. As I placed my fingertips on the concrete, I couldn't help but wonder if it was normal for new capes to get into fights this often. Well whatever, it wasn't like I didn't enjoy it.
The skinheads shouted in panic as the ground under them softened and they sank downwards. Their weapons fell out of their hands as they tried to brace them on the ground, shouts of dismay sounding as those limbs sunk in as well.
I kept the ground softened for several more seconds, stopping just before the goons were completely submerged and removing my hand from the ground as I rose to observe my handiwork.
Curses and slurs emanated from the goons I had just defeated, and I briefly thought about knocking the lot of them unconscious just to spare my ears the trouble.
'Eh, better not. Might accidentally give them brain damage or something.' I decided as I took them in. They looked like ripe watermelons ready for picking, shaved heads sticking up above the concrete as they were and I gave a brief chuckle at the imagery.
"Wow," Parian spoke as she walked up beside me, "You weren't kidding when you said you only needed sixty seconds huh?"
I smirked cockily, buffing my fingernails on my chest, and gazing at them smugly "I'm just that good."
"Right." She said dryly, "And what do you plan to do with them once you get them out? You can't leave them there forever and neither can I. Skinheads shouting slurs at every passerby happen to be bad for business."
I flushed, not actually having thought about what I was going to do with them. Normally when this happens, I'm alone and can just leave them for someone to find, either that or a hero shows up just on time.
"Why is it that every time I go on patrol recently, I bump into you?"
Speak of the devil.
I looked up at the voice and was met with a sight that was becoming increasingly familiar. Laserdream stared down at me with her hands on her hips like a disappointed mother. Standing on a disc of hard light beside her, her brother was looking at the scene below with a shit-eating grin.
I shrugged at her question as they floated down towards us, "Who knows? Maybe it's my magnetic personality that's drawing you to me? Mind helping me out while you're here? I've been told that having a full yield of skinheads is bad for business, go figure."
Laserdream snorted immediately and I pouted, "Sure thing Aspect. Does your power even work with magnets?" She asked as she floated down, pulling some zip ties from… somewhere. Did she even have pockets on that suit?
I nodded as I placed my hand back on the ground, "Yes actually. Though I don't like doing it cause the pull is really strong. I nearly ripped out my friend's earrings and she was standing a few feet away from me. You ready?" I asked as I prepared to activate my power.
Laserdream grimaced, "Sounds painful. And yeah, we're ready."
I activated my power, softening the ground again, but this time I also pushed the material upwards. The nazis popped up all at once, yelping as they were unbalanced and fell flat on the faces as I hardened the concrete under them again. As they regained their bearings, Bright blue bands of hardlight trapped them against the ground, keeping them there no matter how hard they squirmed.
As the skinheads shouted curses and slurs, Laserdream made her way around to each of them, tying their hands behind their backs one by one, the bands disappearing each time she did so. In short order, all eight of them were tied up and very unhappy about it.
"Whelp," Shielder spoke as he looked at the tied up criminals, "I guess sis and I can transport these guys to a better pickup location. Thanks for making our job easy."
I grinned at him as he gestured with both of his hands, a large box of hardlight forming around the skinheads and lifting them into the air, "No problem. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy beating up skinheads."
"Who doesn't?" He laughed, floating upwards.
Laserdream followed after him, turning back to me as she gained height, "See ya Aspect! Have fun in Boston!"
I waved after her as she flew off, the cursing blue cage behind the two of them marking the increasing distance between us.
"Soooo…" I grinned as I turned to Parian, "About that discount…?"
She gave an amused shake of her head, "Well you did deal with them quickly and did zero property damage in the process, I guess that warrants a pretty substantial discount." She did some quick math in her head, "I'll charge you a grand for the commission. That should cover material costs at the very least."
Spitfire's head shot towards me, "Wait, one grand with the discount? How much did it cost before!?"
I studiously ignored her as I began walking back into the shop, whistling a merry tune as Parian told her the full price of the cloak behind me. Everyone was a snitch these days it seemed.
"How much!?"
Yeah. I was definitely gonna get an earful on the walk home.
Next Day ~~~
I grunted as I placed the last of the boxes into the back of the van. Around me, the other members of the crew were busying themselves with their own preparations. Boston may only be thirty miles away from Brockton Bay, but we were planning to be in the city for a while and needed to plan accordingly.
I bent over to pick up another box, squinting at the name on the front, it was Elle's, the first one of hers I'd seen which was odd because it was also the last box in the pile. I shrugged, gripping it by the bottom and beginning to pick it up.
"Holy shit!" I grunted as I lifted, this thing was heavy! It was at least a hundred pounds if not more. What the hell was in here?!
I huffed as I heaved it up into the trunk of the van, setting it down as gently as possible and grimacing at the strain in my arms and back. I really should have used my power. My eyes widened as I noticed the van's suspension dip as I put the box down. What did she put in that thing? Even Gregor didn't have one that heavy, and one of his boxes was all hardcover books!
"You okay over there Valerie?" Melanie called out to me as she walked over.
I nodded at her as I stretched my back, wincing at the cracks produced, "Yeah, everything's good. Got the last box loaded up so we should be good to go."
She smirked as she took in my haggard, "You picked up Elle's box didn't you?"
I gave a surprised look, "Yeah I did. How'd you know?"
She gave a small smirk as she walked up with her clipboard, jotting things down as she examined the trunk of the vehicle, "She has this odd habit of packing everything she owns into one box. I'm not really sure how she does it but I think it has something to do with her power. We've managed to get her to stop putting everything in her bedroom inside but just barely. Last time she put her bed in there somehow."
"I like my bed better than the hotel's." I jumped as Elle suddenly walked up from beside the van. I didn't even know she was back there.
Faultline gave her an amused look as the spacey blonde walked beside me to peer at her box, "We weren't even able to get it out of the box Elle, you had to sleep on the hotel bed anyway."
Elle just shrugged as she opened her box and peered inside. I walked up beside her to do the same, only to wince as I was hit with an immediate headache the moment I glimpsed the inside. I backed up, deciding it was best not to ever try that again.
I shook my head to dispel the sudden migraine, "Is that safe?" I asked the blonde woman in concern.
"As long as the box is close to me, it will stay like that." Elle said as she closed it back up.
"And if it isn't?" I asked warily.
Elle just stared at me, "Bad."
Yeah, that tracked.
"And that's why she'll be riding with you Valerie." Melanie spoke up as she continued writing on her clipboard, "It wouldn't be good if the van suddenly exploded on the highway because Elle got too far away and her power stopped affecting her box of goodies. I have a feeling the PRT would be the least of our concerns in that situation."
I swallowed heavily as I imagined that happening and the absolute chaos that would spawn from it, "Yeah, probably a good idea. We're glad to have you Elle."
She gave me a soft smile, "Thank you."
Melanie wrote down a few more things before clicking her pen closed and looking up at us, "Alright, everything's ready, we should be good to head out now. I'll go talk to the club employees and let them know we're leaving. You two can take a break for a bit before we get on the road."
I gave her a nod as she turned to walk back into the club proper. Beside me, Elle yawned and walked around the side of the van and I heard the door open and close as she climbed into the passenger seat, probably to take a nap or something, it was pretty early.
Luckily, that gave me a bit of time to think about my most recent issue.
I sat on the lip of the open trunk with a sigh, pulling out my phone and just staring at its black screen.
Christine still hadn't texted me since what had happened the other day, but I also hadn't tried to contact her either. I could simply chalk that up to being busy, but I knew I would be lying to myself. I was hesitant to contact her simply because I didn't know what to do in the current situation.
Taking a look back on our recent interactions, what was hidden from me before now seemed obvious. The lingering touches, the odd looks, even the way she talked to me all pointed to it. Christine had feelings for me.
It was like something out of a dramatic novel, the estranged best friend gaining feelings for their counterpart after reuniting and rekindling their friendship. Unlike with those novels though, I couldn't skip to the end to see the outcome. I would have to deal with the situation myself.
I stared at my phone, turning it on and off over and over again as I debated on what to do. My situation with Christine was fragile, we had just become friends again, and I didn't want to lose her. It would be so simple if I could just reciprocate her feelings for me, would make things so much easier and save us both potential heartache.
But I just couldn't. It would feel too much like taking advantage of her, like I was using the fact that I was the only positive in her life (As egotistical as that sounded).
"Fuuuck!" I groaned to myself, "Why did this have to happen now of all times? Why couldn't it have happened after I got back from Boston or like a week ago? I'd actually have time to do something about it then!"
As it stood now, I was leaving for Boston literally any minute. The moment Melanie returned I was going to be out of the city for at least three weeks, I didn't have time to think about Christine's feelings for me or vice versa.
I sighed as I brought my gaze back to my phone, trying to think about what to do with my dilemma, when the choice was made for me.
"Ah!" I yelped and nearly dropped my phone as it began buzzing in my grip. I just barely managed to get a good grip on it before it clattered to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as I turned it over to look at the screen.
Incoming Call:
Christine
Accept Reject
For a moment, the tiniest fraction of a second, I thought about pressing the decline button. I immediately shook off the urge though, that wouldn't be right. If Christine was going through the same thing that I was, then it must have taken a great amount of courage to call me instead of just staring at her screen forlornly.
Like I had been doing.
So I took a deep breath and tapped the accept button, bringing the phone up to my ear as I received her call, "Hey Chris." I spoke softly.
There was a moment of silence before, "...Hey Val. You leave for Boston in the morning don't you?"
"Uh, yeah I do." I was surprised as that was not the question I was expecting, "Why?"
"I just-I'm sorry I'm not there to see you off personally I guess." She said quietly.
I leaned back on the boxes in the trunk, "It's fine. Your parents are probably back by now right?"
"Yeah, they are. But I still could've come. It's not like I tell them where I'm going anyway." She argued.
"It's fine Chris, really." I laughed lightly at her insistence, "A phone call is okay. I'm just glad to hear your voice before I go."
"Oh, well that's good then..."
The silence between us was tense, a thick wall of awkwardness separating our usually casual conversation. I didn't like it, not one but, but I also didn't have any idea how to change it.
It took a few moments before Christine spoke again, "Hey Val…" she began hesitantly, and I had a sinking feeling I knew what she was about to bring up, "About what happened the other day, I didn-"
"We'll talk about it when I get back okay?" I interrupted her. I winced as soon as I spoke. realizing what my words had come out harsher than I wanted them to.
"Oh… yeah, okay." Great, I hurt her feelings.
"Chris…" I sighed, "Look, the two of us…we aren't in good places right now. Neither of us. With everything that happened to me and what's still happening to you, I just…" I leaned my head back, thudding against the boxes behind me, "I don't know."
"Are you…?" Her voice quivered and I frowned.
"I'm not saying no." I interjected quickly, "If you're even asking what I think you are. I just want some time to think about it, analyze my feelings, you know."
I was fucking it up. I was fucking it up and I didn't know how to fix it. Give me some time!? That was worse than a rejection. It was worse than breaking over text for christ sakes!
"Some time… Yeah. Okay." I could hear the hurt in her voice.
"Chris, I-"
"It's fine Val." She said softly, resignation filling her tone, "I get it."
She really didn't. I opened my mouth to try to put what I meant into better words, when she cut me off again.
"Listen, I've got to go. Mom's yelling at me from downstairs and I should probably go see what she wants. Stay safe okay?"
And then she hung up, and I was left with my mouth open and a dial tone to keep me company. I lowered my phone, noting that we had only spent around two minutes talking altogether. And yet in that two minutes, I might have damaged our newly healed friendship.
And that…fucking sucked. That really sucked big time.
I groaned, placing my head in my hand as I stared at the screen of my recent calls page. That could not have gone any worse if I had actually tried. I pressed on Christine's name, getting ready to call her back and attempt to explain myself better, when I was interrupted.
"What's up with you miss frowny face?" I jumped as Newters voice suddenly called out to me as he walked up to the van, "Come on, Melanie says we're good to go. You're driving."
"Oh, yeah." I jolted as I realized that everyone was loading up into their respective vehicles. Melanie and Gregor were climbing into one van, while Emily was loitering and looking between the two vans as if she wasn't sure which one she should get in.
"C'mon Valerie, I wanna get going as soon as possible. Quit moving like an old grandma and get in the van!" Newter tapped on my shoulder impatiently.
I put my phone back into my pocket, resolving to wallow in my self-pity later.
"Yeah alright, let's get going." I shook my head as I hopped into the front seat of the van, waking Elle up from her nap as she glanced over at me before going back to sleep. I looked back at Newter as he hopped into the back of the van, "Just a heads up, we're listening to my music. I'm not in the mood for that crappy techno stuff you listen to."
He groaned at my statement, "But your music blows! It's all nu rock and barely any actual metal!"
I just huffed as I started the van, "Suck it up buttercup. You're only gonna have to deal with it for like forty minutes anyway."
"But mooom!" He whined, before yelping as Emily slapped him on the back of the head with a gloved hand, clearly having decided to ride with us for this trip, "Ow! Emily hit me!"
The girl just raised her hand threateningly as she climbed into the back with him, "And I'll do it again if you don't shut up."
"Moooom! She's threatening me!"
"Don't make me come back there and hit you both! I mean it, we haven't even gotten on the road yet and already you're fighting! You're like children!"
"She started it!"
"And I'll end it if you don't knock it off right now!" I smiled as I played along, pulling out of the parking lot and following closely behind Melanie's van as we drove towards the edge of the city. Already I could feel my mood improving vastly from earlier. I pressed a few buttons on the radio, grinning at Newter's groan as my playlist started playing through the speakers.
I'd call Christine the moment I had the chance, but for now, Boston awaits.
Next several chapters are available to Patrons
We were currently in Parian's shop. The doll-cape had made good time in finishing the cloak I had commissioned for her and had sent me a message over PHO this morning. I had grabbed Spitfire and hurried her over with the promise of a surprise for her. And boy was she surprised when Parian brought it out.
Despite her words, I could tell she was pleased with the cloak now fastened around her shoulders. The material Parian had used was charcoal grey, fitting perfectly with the darker colors of Spitfire's costume. Said cape was currently in the back working on another commission and had left us alone in the front of the store.
I just grinned as I took in Spitfire's excited posture, "I know I didn't. But I did anyway." I didn't tell her I was more than a little worried that her power would be able to easily burn through the firefighter's suit we acquired for her. I had no clue what those things were rated for but I'd seen her fire melt through steel in a shockingly small amount of time so I didn't hold out much hope.
At least with the cloak, she'd be able to throw it off before it was burned through. Hopefully.
"Well then how much do I owe you?" She turned to me, "It's only fair I pay for at least part of it right? How much was it? Four, five hundred?"
I just barely held back a wince. I certainly wasn't going to tell her how much the cloak actually cost, she'd have a fit. "Really dude, don't worry about it. I just felt like doing something nice is all." I waved her off as she went to protest, "If you really want to pay for it, we can just say you owe me a favor or something. Deal?"
I could practically feel Spitfire's pout, "Well okay I guess. Just don't think I'm gonna do anything weird or mean for you."
I held a hand to my chest in mock hurt, "Why Spitfire, I can't believe you would think so little of me. I would never."
Her gasmask somehow managed to convey her disbelief, "Uh-huh, sure. I'm sure all the stories Newter's has been telling me are just rumors then?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I denied.
"Oh, then the story about you making Newter eat a sardine and pimento sandwich was just a lie?"
That little snitch! He made a bet and lost, he doesn't get to complain when I doll out the punishment!
"Doesn't ring a bell." I blatantly lied.
"Hmmm…" she stared at me and I sweated nervously at her scrutiny.
"Hey! It's getting kind of hot in here isn't it? I'm gonna go buy an ice cream or frozen yogurt or something, you want anything?" I spoke quickly as I turned around, not giving her a chance to object.
"But wait! You haven't paid!"
"I'm just going down the block, it'll be fine!" As I turned to the front of the store however, I froze at what I saw just outside the glass front.
It was a group of men, around eight or so of them all wearing Empire colors. They were carrying various blunt instruments ranging from bats to brass knuckles. It was clear what they were here for.
"Uhh Parian!" I called back into the shop as Spitfire came to see what I was looking at, "There's a bunch of Empire goons standing in front of your store with weapons!"
"WHAT!?" I winced as clattering came from her direction, objects falling to the floor as she dropped whatever she was carrying and rushed to the front of the store.
"Oh no." She said as she saw the same sight I had, "Why are they back? I already told them no!" She sounded both worried and slightly angry.
I looked over at her as she worried at the hems of her sleeves, "What do you mean? They've come here before?" Parian's shop was right on the edge of Empire territory, but it was also in plain view of the public and it wasn't uncommon to see heroes patrolling around the area. That's why it was odd that these goons were here in the first place, nevermind having been here before.
Parian nodded as she used her powers, bolts of cloth flying from who knows where to land in a small pile to her side, "They've been trying to get me to join them, despite my refusals. Last time they came I nearly had to fight them off! It was pure luck that Triumph happened to be patrolling nearby."
Well that explained it, the Empire wanted their very own costume maker in their roster of capes. Honestly I was surprised I hadn't realized that sooner.
"What should we do?" Spitfire asked me. I glanced back at Parian, taking in the woman's tense shoulders. She was staring straight at the goons, and though I couldn't see her expression under her mask, I got the sense that she really didn't want to fight them. Made sense, I certainly couldn't imagine fighting a group like that with only cloth and fabrics.
She turned her gaze towards me, a silent question in her posture and I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head towards the group outside, "I'm not Triumph, but I could take care of those guys for you if you'd like."
She gave a relieved sigh, "Would you? I would really appreciate that. I'll give you a discount on that cloak in return."
While I wasn't going to ask for anything, really beating up nazis was its own reward, I certainly wasn't going to refuse however. I gave her a nod, "We've got a deal, I'll handle them."
"Um, what should I do?" Spitfire piped up.
I winced, "You should probably stay here. Those guys aren't capes and they certainly aren't wearing fireproof clothes, your power would be a bit too effective against them. And I have a feeling that Parian doesn't want her shop burning down."
I had a feeling that if I could see Spitfire's skin, it would have paled considerably, "Oh yeah…good idea. I'll stay here."
I nodded, "Good deal. Give me like sixty seconds and I'll have this dealt with."
"Please don't break anything!" Parian called out behind me as I reached the entrance.
I turned and grinned at her with my hand on the door, "Don't worry Parian. I'll keep the damage to a minimum."
The bell above the door signaled my exit to the goon outside. They turned to the door with angry grins that disappeared the moment they saw my costumed appearance.
"Who the hell are you?!" The clear leader of the group asked. He was the textbook definition of a nazi skinhead. Shaved head covered in tattoos, a white wife-beater showing off similarly tattooed arms that were currently gripping a crowbar. He slapped said crowbar into his hand in a display I was sure he thought was intimidating.
One if the people next to him clearly recognized me given his widening eyes, "Shit! James,that's the bitch who beat up Andrew and the others and put Alabaster in the clink a while back. She's got a new costume but I'm sure that's her!"
James squinted at me, before grinning as he realized his friend was correct, "Well would you look at that, it is her!" He laughed loudly, "You know bitch, our boys back home aren't happy about your little escapade, not one bit. All they've been talking about is finding you and kicking your nigger-loving ass." He grinned, slapping his weapon in his palm again, "Too bad they won't get the chance. I guess we'll just have to beat you enough for both of them!"
Around four of the skinheads behind him gave shouts of approval, the others didn't look too sure. Guess they were the smart ones.
"Uh-huh. Sure thing." I said, completely unthreatened by his threat.
A while ago, this would have taken me at least a few minutes to deal with as I fought them one by one. Unfortunately for them, I had learned from my fight with Alabaster. As I placed my fingertips on the concrete, I couldn't help but wonder if it was normal for new capes to get into fights this often. Well whatever, it wasn't like I didn't enjoy it.
The skinheads shouted in panic as the ground under them softened and they sank downwards. Their weapons fell out of their hands as they tried to brace them on the ground, shouts of dismay sounding as those limbs sunk in as well.
I kept the ground softened for several more seconds, stopping just before the goons were completely submerged and removing my hand from the ground as I rose to observe my handiwork.
Curses and slurs emanated from the goons I had just defeated, and I briefly thought about knocking the lot of them unconscious just to spare my ears the trouble.
'Eh, better not. Might accidentally give them brain damage or something.' I decided as I took them in. They looked like ripe watermelons ready for picking, shaved heads sticking up above the concrete as they were and I gave a brief chuckle at the imagery.
"Wow," Parian spoke as she walked up beside me, "You weren't kidding when you said you only needed sixty seconds huh?"
I smirked cockily, buffing my fingernails on my chest, and gazing at them smugly "I'm just that good."
"Right." She said dryly, "And what do you plan to do with them once you get them out? You can't leave them there forever and neither can I. Skinheads shouting slurs at every passerby happen to be bad for business."
I flushed, not actually having thought about what I was going to do with them. Normally when this happens, I'm alone and can just leave them for someone to find, either that or a hero shows up just on time.
"Why is it that every time I go on patrol recently, I bump into you?"
Speak of the devil.
I looked up at the voice and was met with a sight that was becoming increasingly familiar. Laserdream stared down at me with her hands on her hips like a disappointed mother. Standing on a disc of hard light beside her, her brother was looking at the scene below with a shit-eating grin.
I shrugged at her question as they floated down towards us, "Who knows? Maybe it's my magnetic personality that's drawing you to me? Mind helping me out while you're here? I've been told that having a full yield of skinheads is bad for business, go figure."
Laserdream snorted immediately and I pouted, "Sure thing Aspect. Does your power even work with magnets?" She asked as she floated down, pulling some zip ties from… somewhere. Did she even have pockets on that suit?
I nodded as I placed my hand back on the ground, "Yes actually. Though I don't like doing it cause the pull is really strong. I nearly ripped out my friend's earrings and she was standing a few feet away from me. You ready?" I asked as I prepared to activate my power.
Laserdream grimaced, "Sounds painful. And yeah, we're ready."
I activated my power, softening the ground again, but this time I also pushed the material upwards. The nazis popped up all at once, yelping as they were unbalanced and fell flat on the faces as I hardened the concrete under them again. As they regained their bearings, Bright blue bands of hardlight trapped them against the ground, keeping them there no matter how hard they squirmed.
As the skinheads shouted curses and slurs, Laserdream made her way around to each of them, tying their hands behind their backs one by one, the bands disappearing each time she did so. In short order, all eight of them were tied up and very unhappy about it.
"Whelp," Shielder spoke as he looked at the tied up criminals, "I guess sis and I can transport these guys to a better pickup location. Thanks for making our job easy."
I grinned at him as he gestured with both of his hands, a large box of hardlight forming around the skinheads and lifting them into the air, "No problem. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy beating up skinheads."
"Who doesn't?" He laughed, floating upwards.
Laserdream followed after him, turning back to me as she gained height, "See ya Aspect! Have fun in Boston!"
I waved after her as she flew off, the cursing blue cage behind the two of them marking the increasing distance between us.
"Soooo…" I grinned as I turned to Parian, "About that discount…?"
She gave an amused shake of her head, "Well you did deal with them quickly and did zero property damage in the process, I guess that warrants a pretty substantial discount." She did some quick math in her head, "I'll charge you a grand for the commission. That should cover material costs at the very least."
Spitfire's head shot towards me, "Wait, one grand with the discount? How much did it cost before!?"
I studiously ignored her as I began walking back into the shop, whistling a merry tune as Parian told her the full price of the cloak behind me. Everyone was a snitch these days it seemed.
"How much!?"
Yeah. I was definitely gonna get an earful on the walk home.
Next Day ~~~
I grunted as I placed the last of the boxes into the back of the van. Around me, the other members of the crew were busying themselves with their own preparations. Boston may only be thirty miles away from Brockton Bay, but we were planning to be in the city for a while and needed to plan accordingly.
I bent over to pick up another box, squinting at the name on the front, it was Elle's, the first one of hers I'd seen which was odd because it was also the last box in the pile. I shrugged, gripping it by the bottom and beginning to pick it up.
"Holy shit!" I grunted as I lifted, this thing was heavy! It was at least a hundred pounds if not more. What the hell was in here?!
I huffed as I heaved it up into the trunk of the van, setting it down as gently as possible and grimacing at the strain in my arms and back. I really should have used my power. My eyes widened as I noticed the van's suspension dip as I put the box down. What did she put in that thing? Even Gregor didn't have one that heavy, and one of his boxes was all hardcover books!
"You okay over there Valerie?" Melanie called out to me as she walked over.
I nodded at her as I stretched my back, wincing at the cracks produced, "Yeah, everything's good. Got the last box loaded up so we should be good to go."
She smirked as she took in my haggard, "You picked up Elle's box didn't you?"
I gave a surprised look, "Yeah I did. How'd you know?"
She gave a small smirk as she walked up with her clipboard, jotting things down as she examined the trunk of the vehicle, "She has this odd habit of packing everything she owns into one box. I'm not really sure how she does it but I think it has something to do with her power. We've managed to get her to stop putting everything in her bedroom inside but just barely. Last time she put her bed in there somehow."
"I like my bed better than the hotel's." I jumped as Elle suddenly walked up from beside the van. I didn't even know she was back there.
Faultline gave her an amused look as the spacey blonde walked beside me to peer at her box, "We weren't even able to get it out of the box Elle, you had to sleep on the hotel bed anyway."
Elle just shrugged as she opened her box and peered inside. I walked up beside her to do the same, only to wince as I was hit with an immediate headache the moment I glimpsed the inside. I backed up, deciding it was best not to ever try that again.
I shook my head to dispel the sudden migraine, "Is that safe?" I asked the blonde woman in concern.
"As long as the box is close to me, it will stay like that." Elle said as she closed it back up.
"And if it isn't?" I asked warily.
Elle just stared at me, "Bad."
Yeah, that tracked.
"And that's why she'll be riding with you Valerie." Melanie spoke up as she continued writing on her clipboard, "It wouldn't be good if the van suddenly exploded on the highway because Elle got too far away and her power stopped affecting her box of goodies. I have a feeling the PRT would be the least of our concerns in that situation."
I swallowed heavily as I imagined that happening and the absolute chaos that would spawn from it, "Yeah, probably a good idea. We're glad to have you Elle."
She gave me a soft smile, "Thank you."
Melanie wrote down a few more things before clicking her pen closed and looking up at us, "Alright, everything's ready, we should be good to head out now. I'll go talk to the club employees and let them know we're leaving. You two can take a break for a bit before we get on the road."
I gave her a nod as she turned to walk back into the club proper. Beside me, Elle yawned and walked around the side of the van and I heard the door open and close as she climbed into the passenger seat, probably to take a nap or something, it was pretty early.
Luckily, that gave me a bit of time to think about my most recent issue.
I sat on the lip of the open trunk with a sigh, pulling out my phone and just staring at its black screen.
Christine still hadn't texted me since what had happened the other day, but I also hadn't tried to contact her either. I could simply chalk that up to being busy, but I knew I would be lying to myself. I was hesitant to contact her simply because I didn't know what to do in the current situation.
Taking a look back on our recent interactions, what was hidden from me before now seemed obvious. The lingering touches, the odd looks, even the way she talked to me all pointed to it. Christine had feelings for me.
It was like something out of a dramatic novel, the estranged best friend gaining feelings for their counterpart after reuniting and rekindling their friendship. Unlike with those novels though, I couldn't skip to the end to see the outcome. I would have to deal with the situation myself.
I stared at my phone, turning it on and off over and over again as I debated on what to do. My situation with Christine was fragile, we had just become friends again, and I didn't want to lose her. It would be so simple if I could just reciprocate her feelings for me, would make things so much easier and save us both potential heartache.
But I just couldn't. It would feel too much like taking advantage of her, like I was using the fact that I was the only positive in her life (As egotistical as that sounded).
"Fuuuck!" I groaned to myself, "Why did this have to happen now of all times? Why couldn't it have happened after I got back from Boston or like a week ago? I'd actually have time to do something about it then!"
As it stood now, I was leaving for Boston literally any minute. The moment Melanie returned I was going to be out of the city for at least three weeks, I didn't have time to think about Christine's feelings for me or vice versa.
I sighed as I brought my gaze back to my phone, trying to think about what to do with my dilemma, when the choice was made for me.
"Ah!" I yelped and nearly dropped my phone as it began buzzing in my grip. I just barely managed to get a good grip on it before it clattered to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as I turned it over to look at the screen.
Incoming Call:
Christine
Accept Reject
For a moment, the tiniest fraction of a second, I thought about pressing the decline button. I immediately shook off the urge though, that wouldn't be right. If Christine was going through the same thing that I was, then it must have taken a great amount of courage to call me instead of just staring at her screen forlornly.
Like I had been doing.
So I took a deep breath and tapped the accept button, bringing the phone up to my ear as I received her call, "Hey Chris." I spoke softly.
There was a moment of silence before, "...Hey Val. You leave for Boston in the morning don't you?"
"Uh, yeah I do." I was surprised as that was not the question I was expecting, "Why?"
"I just-I'm sorry I'm not there to see you off personally I guess." She said quietly.
I leaned back on the boxes in the trunk, "It's fine. Your parents are probably back by now right?"
"Yeah, they are. But I still could've come. It's not like I tell them where I'm going anyway." She argued.
"It's fine Chris, really." I laughed lightly at her insistence, "A phone call is okay. I'm just glad to hear your voice before I go."
"Oh, well that's good then..."
The silence between us was tense, a thick wall of awkwardness separating our usually casual conversation. I didn't like it, not one but, but I also didn't have any idea how to change it.
It took a few moments before Christine spoke again, "Hey Val…" she began hesitantly, and I had a sinking feeling I knew what she was about to bring up, "About what happened the other day, I didn-"
"We'll talk about it when I get back okay?" I interrupted her. I winced as soon as I spoke. realizing what my words had come out harsher than I wanted them to.
"Oh… yeah, okay." Great, I hurt her feelings.
"Chris…" I sighed, "Look, the two of us…we aren't in good places right now. Neither of us. With everything that happened to me and what's still happening to you, I just…" I leaned my head back, thudding against the boxes behind me, "I don't know."
"Are you…?" Her voice quivered and I frowned.
"I'm not saying no." I interjected quickly, "If you're even asking what I think you are. I just want some time to think about it, analyze my feelings, you know."
I was fucking it up. I was fucking it up and I didn't know how to fix it. Give me some time!? That was worse than a rejection. It was worse than breaking over text for christ sakes!
"Some time… Yeah. Okay." I could hear the hurt in her voice.
"Chris, I-"
"It's fine Val." She said softly, resignation filling her tone, "I get it."
She really didn't. I opened my mouth to try to put what I meant into better words, when she cut me off again.
"Listen, I've got to go. Mom's yelling at me from downstairs and I should probably go see what she wants. Stay safe okay?"
And then she hung up, and I was left with my mouth open and a dial tone to keep me company. I lowered my phone, noting that we had only spent around two minutes talking altogether. And yet in that two minutes, I might have damaged our newly healed friendship.
And that…fucking sucked. That really sucked big time.
I groaned, placing my head in my hand as I stared at the screen of my recent calls page. That could not have gone any worse if I had actually tried. I pressed on Christine's name, getting ready to call her back and attempt to explain myself better, when I was interrupted.
"What's up with you miss frowny face?" I jumped as Newters voice suddenly called out to me as he walked up to the van, "Come on, Melanie says we're good to go. You're driving."
"Oh, yeah." I jolted as I realized that everyone was loading up into their respective vehicles. Melanie and Gregor were climbing into one van, while Emily was loitering and looking between the two vans as if she wasn't sure which one she should get in.
"C'mon Valerie, I wanna get going as soon as possible. Quit moving like an old grandma and get in the van!" Newter tapped on my shoulder impatiently.
I put my phone back into my pocket, resolving to wallow in my self-pity later.
"Yeah alright, let's get going." I shook my head as I hopped into the front seat of the van, waking Elle up from her nap as she glanced over at me before going back to sleep. I looked back at Newter as he hopped into the back of the van, "Just a heads up, we're listening to my music. I'm not in the mood for that crappy techno stuff you listen to."
He groaned at my statement, "But your music blows! It's all nu rock and barely any actual metal!"
I just huffed as I started the van, "Suck it up buttercup. You're only gonna have to deal with it for like forty minutes anyway."
"But mooom!" He whined, before yelping as Emily slapped him on the back of the head with a gloved hand, clearly having decided to ride with us for this trip, "Ow! Emily hit me!"
The girl just raised her hand threateningly as she climbed into the back with him, "And I'll do it again if you don't shut up."
"Moooom! She's threatening me!"
"Don't make me come back there and hit you both! I mean it, we haven't even gotten on the road yet and already you're fighting! You're like children!"
"She started it!"
"And I'll end it if you don't knock it off right now!" I smiled as I played along, pulling out of the parking lot and following closely behind Melanie's van as we drove towards the edge of the city. Already I could feel my mood improving vastly from earlier. I pressed a few buttons on the radio, grinning at Newter's groan as my playlist started playing through the speakers.
I'd call Christine the moment I had the chance, but for now, Boston awaits.
Next several chapters are available to Patrons
Contract 3.1
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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A short journey after the vans had set off from the Palanquin, we arrived in Boston. And during that short journey, I nearly lost my mind.
Being the largest coastal city in Massachusetts, and one of the largest in the US besides that, saying that Boston was busy was an understatement. The road to the city was utterly cluttered with traffic, turning our little forty minute trip into an hour and thirty-minute one.
My playlist had ended a little over an hour into the trip, and because neither Emily nor I wanted to listen to whatever Newter would want to play (Elle was asleep and probably wouldn't have cared either way) we decided to just listen to the radio.
Which would be completely fine if it weren't for the fact that Newter decided that the best way to enjoy it was by belting out the lyrics to some pop song like his life depended on it, continuing to do so even as we pulled up to the garage outside of our suite.
"-OU CAN STAND UNDER MY UMBRELLA! ELLA ELLA ELLA AY AY AY~! UNDER MY UMBRE-!"
"Newter I swear to god if you don't shut up right now I'm going to toss you out the window, contact-high be damned!" Emily threatened, clearly at the end of her rope. I glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. The freckled girl was glaring daggers at her fellow crewmember, and was clearly thinking of making good on her threat.
Apparently even she had a limit.
"I'd listen to her, Newt, she sounds serious." I commented as I pulled into the garage behind Melanie's van. We had been lucky enough not to lose sight of each other despite the high volume of traffic along the way. I looked over to Elle, finding her just now waking up from her nap, and shook my head in amusement. How in the world had she slept through all that?
"Well excuse me! I need to find some way to entertain myself since none of you will let me listen to my music!" He complained and I snorted as I pulled the van up to a parking place. The garage was completely empty, not a single other car in sight and I wondered it that was intentional.
"I'm going to get you some headphones. There's no reason anybody should be subjected to your awful taste in music." I commented as I shut off the van, stowing the keys in my hoodie pocket while Elle stretched beside me, letting out a little yawn that was frankly adorable.
"Oh, I already have some." He said frankly as we climbed out of the vehicle, "I just didn't feel like putting them in."
Emily's face scrunched with something akin to rage. She turned to Newter incredulously, "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
The lizard-like teen just shrugged, and Emily made a garbled noise, stomping towards him with her hands held out, ready to wrap around his neck. Luckily, Newter was saved from his impending death and Emily from her impending high by our leader's arrival.
"Killing your fellow members is against the rules, Emily." The woman commented wryly as she walked up to us. Behind her, Gregor had popped the trunk of the van open and was pulling out boxes, sitting them on the ground behind the vehicle.
She turned to me, "Gregor and I are going to go make sure everything is good to go with our suites. Can you three take care of the unloading?"
I gave her a nod as Emily and Newter came to stand behind me, "Yeah, we can take care of it. Shouldn't take too long between the three of us."
"Good to hear. Elle seems to be fairly lucid right now so I'll leave her with you. I'll text you the room number once we get everything situated. Don't let them kill each other please." With that, she made her way to the staircase off to the side of the garage, Gregor lumbering closely behind.
I watched her go, before turning back to my two waiting friends, "Alright folks!" I smiled, "All we have to do is unload everything in both of the vans and bring it to the rooms that are likely at least one flight of stairs away. Shouldn't be more than a few hundred pounds worth of stuff, easy work." I said happily.
Groans were all I got in response from Emily and Newter, and I shared an amused glance with Elle, before Newter turned to me with a smirk, "You're carrying Elle's box."
I winced, I had completely forgotten about that one. it must have slipped my mind, "Shit."
How was I supposed to get that thing up the stairs?
~~~
After everything was all packed up, Melanie had all of us gather in her room for debriefing. It was kinda cramped but we managed to make it work. She and Gregor were standing in front of the bed, with Emily and Elle sat atop it, while Newter and I were standing by the door.
She looked around at all of us as we looked at her expectantly, and nodded, "Alright, now that we're all unloaded, it's time we go over exactly what we're doing here." The file she was holding in her hand crinkled as she opened it.
"We've got a contract with Accord right?" Newter piped up, "Something to do with Case-53s? You said we'd get a lot more info on our origins thanks to this job."
Melanie nodded, though I could tell there was just a bit of hesitance in the motion, "You're right, there's a large possibility we will gain a great deal of information. Though it's not nearly that simple."
"So what is it?"
Melanie turned to Gregor, who nodded at her, before turning to address the rest of the us as the mood in the room quickly turned downward.
"To put it bluntly, there is a rogue biotinker running amok in the city. He has taken to kidnapping any Case-53 they can find and experimenting on them to find out what makes them tick." Gregor said solemnly, "Whatever he is doing to them is fatal. Several bodies have been discovered strewn about the Ambassador's territory. Accord isn't happy about this, and hired us to stop him and steal any information he has managed to acquire."
I could hear Newter's sharp inhale beside me, and a small knot formed in my stomach as I turned to see his horrified stare.
"How many?" He asked quietly.
"Three so far as far as Accord can tell." Melanie took over for him, "Because Boston is such a populated city, there are likely to be others but we have no way of knowing for sure."
She slid some papers from the files, handing them to Gregor who handed them to Emily, "These are photos we were able to obtain of the biotinker's victims, their bodies were all found in various places within the Ambassador's territory. This has led him to believe that the cape, Darwin, has some sort of vendetta against him or his organization. Pass them around." She continued.
I looked down at the photos curiously as they reached me. There were three of them, like Gregor had said, and the pictures were seemingly taken after the deed had already been done, as all three of them were most certainly dead. The photos weren't gory, and it seemed the three Case-53's that Darwin had gotten his hands on shared a similar theme of being at mostly humanoid in appearance.
Still, despite being relatively tame, the photos still gave me an uneasy feeling as I rifled through them, wondering what sort of torment was inflicted on these people.
The first picture was the oddest of the bunch, as it was seemingly just a picture of an empty table. Closer inspection however, revealed that the person laying on the table just blended into its surface extremely well. It seemed they possessed some sort of active camouflage that persisted even after they had died. What little of their features I could make out were androgynous and their lack of hair didn't help in identifying their gender.
At the top of the photo was a name and a description:
Name/Alias: Faint
Occupation: Serial Pickpocket
Last Known Location: Charlestown
After his most recent shrink of robbery's, Faint seemingly disappeared. The PRT believed they had simply skipped town, until their body was tripped over by an unsuspecting civilian in the streets.
Brief but concise, somewhat clinical but I supposed that was understandable given the nature of the photos that was understandable. I moved onto the next.
This one reminded me of a werewolf from an old horror movie, matted fur and a dark muzzle. The photo was taken from the shoulders up, and the relatively small size of the table behind the cape's head led me to believe that that was due to his sheer size. His eyes were open, allowing glossy golden eyes to be visible, unseeing and empty in their current state.
Like before, there was a name and a description:
Name/Alias: Buckwild
Occupation: PRT Affiliated Vigilante
Last Known Location: East Allston
Buckwild failed to report in for his bi-weekly check-in with his PRT contact and was thus reported missing. His body was found ten days later, lying in the water near the Charleston Navy Yard.
So Darwin had managed to get his hand on someone affiliated with the heroes. That wasn't good. That could either mean he just got lucky, or he had people on the inside.
The last photo made my stomach churn slightly. Whoever the cape had been before she had turned, she was young, extremely so. Her form resembled a child-like puppet, complete with wooden skin and painted clothes and a curly bob of fake red hair on her head. Her painted features were contorted into an expression of agony, like a snapshot of her last moments, and I couldn't look for more than a few seconds before having to turn away.
Like all of the others, the picture wasn't gruesome, but the sight still didn't sit right with me, and I decided to just set the photos down, but not before looking at the description. And immediately wishing I hadn't.
Name/Alias: Anne
Occupation: N/A
Last Known Location: Little Hope Orphanage
Anne was reported kidnapped from Little Hope Orphanage after several other orphans reported her talking to a strange person a few hours before she disappeared. Her body was discovered near the Bunker Hill Monument, leaning against the Monument itself.
Those few little lines of text made my gut churn, and I tore my eyes away before they were burned into my head forever.
"The bodies showed little sign of any external damage," Melanie continued, "They weren't able to figure out exactly what Darwin had been doing to them, but it is likely power related."
"Why hasn't the Protectorate done anything!? They can't be okay with a cape serial killer in their city!" Newter asked angrily as I gave the photos back to Gregor, doing my best to keep calm.
"We don't know." Melanie answered, crossing her arms, "It is possible that they already have their hands full. The Teeth have been making moves from what I've been able to gather, and the Elite have apparently begun preparations to set up a cell in the city as Blueblood has been spotted in the Black Bay area as recently as last week."
"Have they gotten into any fights?" Emily asked curiously, some of which I shared. From what I recalled, the Elite were the largest villain organization in the United States. They mostly operated along the west coast, though they had been branching out recently, being sighted in New York and Florida. They worked on a loose pyramid structure, with each of their individual 'cells' having numerous capes headed by an Executive that answered to a jury of their peers, with no official leader of the group itself in play.
Most of the cells operated on a mostly economic level, buying property and stores, undercutting their competition's prices until they could no longer afford to stay in business. Then the Elite would swoop in and purchase their assets at a fraction of the usual price, securing complete dominance over whatever area they had decided to acquire. Scummy, but technically legal.
While fights involving the Elite were uncommon, they weren't unheard of. Bastard Son's cell especially seemed to operate much more like a gang than that of his peers, with his modus operandi being to flatten any opposition in preparation for the Elite occupation. He wasn't well liked by the rest of them.
Melanie shook her head at Emily's question, "No, there haven't been any reports of the Elite getting into fights with other capes, though Blueblood isn't the type to seek out fights." She hummed, t making a thinking face, "Although, the Teeth do have somewhat of a presence in the area, so it isn't impossible that there will be conflict between them."
She shrugged, "Either way, they are not our concern. Our job, in the simplest terms, is to infiltrate Darwin's base, steal as much information on his experiments as possible, and destroy whatever we can't take with us. The Elite do not factor into this, nor do the Teeth." Melanie concluded.
"And what's the job in not-so-simple terms?" I asked.
"We will figure that out tomorrow. We have a meeting with Accord where we will discuss the plan in its full scope." Melanie answered as she collected the photos, putting them back into the file.
"Uh wait a minute," Newter chimed in, looking nervous, "All of us?"
Melanie gave him a look, "Yes, all of us. Accord knew exactly who was on the crew when he hired us. He isn't likely to have a problem so long as you don't rub it in his face."
I was confused, "Wait, what are you talking about? What would he have a problem with?"
Newter turned to me, "Accord is super OCD. Power induced is what everyone thinks. Everything has to be absolutely perfect to him or he can become annoyed at best and homicidal at worst. So as you can imagine, an orange-skinned teen with blue eyes and a tail, or a six-foot bald man with translucent skin and shells on said skin, would probably be just a bit offensive to his delicate senses."
Ah, that explained it. "Well it's like Melanie said, he hired us knowing exactly what our team was about. There's no way he's gonna get pissy about your appearance if that's the case." I reassured him.
"I guess." He muttered. He clearly wasn't happy about the circumstances that had brought us here, and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm certainly not looking forward to it."
Melanie sighed, "Newter, if you are really that uncomfortable with it, I am sure Accord would allow you to stand outside of the meeting room. We can just catch you up when we get done."
"Alright, I think that's everything." Melanie looked around at everyone, "Unless anyone has questions."
"Do we need to stay in plainclothes?" Emily spoke up from her place beside Elle.
"The PRT in Boston has a mostly amicable relationship with mercenaries like us and have already been notified of our arrival." Melanie shook her head, "As long as you don't make a ruckus, there shouldn't be any problems with you going out in costume."
Here, Melanie's face became deadly serious and I straightened unconsciously, "I repeat. Do not make any sort of ruckus. Accord is the type to like all of his cards straight and in order. Any unneeded disruptions in his territory could very easily cause our relationship to sour before it begins. I don't think I need to tell you how bad that would be for our goals."
A chorus of agreements rang out, and Melanie's face returned to normal, "Good. Like I said, our work begins tomorrow so you are all free to take the rest of the day off. Just keep what I said in mind."
As we all poured out of the bedroom to go our separate ways, Newter turned to me, "Emily and I were gonna go check out the area. You wanna come with?" He asked.
I nodded, fiddling with my hoodie pocket, "Yeah, sure thing. Just give me a minute, there's something I've gotta take care of."
"Sure thing, Emily's gotta go get suited up anyway. She's actually got an identity to keep intact." He smirked, and I was glad to see a bit of his usual personality coming back, "I'll see you in the garage. We're gonna head out from there, take the alley onto the street to make it at least a bit difficult to find our hotel."
"Got it. See ya in a bit." I waved as he walked down the hall.
As soon as he was out of sight I pulled my phone out of my pocket and, before I had the chance to think about it, pulled up my contacts and made a call.
I worried at my lip as the dial tone rang in my ear, once, twice, thrice, four times before cutting off as a voice took over, "The person you are calling has a voicemail-box that has-"
I frowned as the robotic voice spoke in my ear, telling me that Christine still hadn't set up her voicemail, before ending the call with a sigh, "Guess she's still upset with me." I muttered. I guess it made sense given that disaster of a phone call had happened a little over two hours ago. I had just hoped…
Well, whatever, it wasn't like I didn't have the rest of the day to try and try again. For now though, I still had to get set up in my room, so I put my phone back into my pocket, though not before sending off a text to my wayward friend.
Hey Chris, I made it to Boston in one piece. I'll call you tonight and we can talk about everything.
Even if she didn't want to talk about it, I'd just blow up her phone until she picked up. There was no way I was losing my best friend. Not again.
Being the largest coastal city in Massachusetts, and one of the largest in the US besides that, saying that Boston was busy was an understatement. The road to the city was utterly cluttered with traffic, turning our little forty minute trip into an hour and thirty-minute one.
My playlist had ended a little over an hour into the trip, and because neither Emily nor I wanted to listen to whatever Newter would want to play (Elle was asleep and probably wouldn't have cared either way) we decided to just listen to the radio.
Which would be completely fine if it weren't for the fact that Newter decided that the best way to enjoy it was by belting out the lyrics to some pop song like his life depended on it, continuing to do so even as we pulled up to the garage outside of our suite.
"-OU CAN STAND UNDER MY UMBRELLA! ELLA ELLA ELLA AY AY AY~! UNDER MY UMBRE-!"
"Newter I swear to god if you don't shut up right now I'm going to toss you out the window, contact-high be damned!" Emily threatened, clearly at the end of her rope. I glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. The freckled girl was glaring daggers at her fellow crewmember, and was clearly thinking of making good on her threat.
Apparently even she had a limit.
"I'd listen to her, Newt, she sounds serious." I commented as I pulled into the garage behind Melanie's van. We had been lucky enough not to lose sight of each other despite the high volume of traffic along the way. I looked over to Elle, finding her just now waking up from her nap, and shook my head in amusement. How in the world had she slept through all that?
"Well excuse me! I need to find some way to entertain myself since none of you will let me listen to my music!" He complained and I snorted as I pulled the van up to a parking place. The garage was completely empty, not a single other car in sight and I wondered it that was intentional.
"I'm going to get you some headphones. There's no reason anybody should be subjected to your awful taste in music." I commented as I shut off the van, stowing the keys in my hoodie pocket while Elle stretched beside me, letting out a little yawn that was frankly adorable.
"Oh, I already have some." He said frankly as we climbed out of the vehicle, "I just didn't feel like putting them in."
Emily's face scrunched with something akin to rage. She turned to Newter incredulously, "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
The lizard-like teen just shrugged, and Emily made a garbled noise, stomping towards him with her hands held out, ready to wrap around his neck. Luckily, Newter was saved from his impending death and Emily from her impending high by our leader's arrival.
"Killing your fellow members is against the rules, Emily." The woman commented wryly as she walked up to us. Behind her, Gregor had popped the trunk of the van open and was pulling out boxes, sitting them on the ground behind the vehicle.
She turned to me, "Gregor and I are going to go make sure everything is good to go with our suites. Can you three take care of the unloading?"
I gave her a nod as Emily and Newter came to stand behind me, "Yeah, we can take care of it. Shouldn't take too long between the three of us."
"Good to hear. Elle seems to be fairly lucid right now so I'll leave her with you. I'll text you the room number once we get everything situated. Don't let them kill each other please." With that, she made her way to the staircase off to the side of the garage, Gregor lumbering closely behind.
I watched her go, before turning back to my two waiting friends, "Alright folks!" I smiled, "All we have to do is unload everything in both of the vans and bring it to the rooms that are likely at least one flight of stairs away. Shouldn't be more than a few hundred pounds worth of stuff, easy work." I said happily.
Groans were all I got in response from Emily and Newter, and I shared an amused glance with Elle, before Newter turned to me with a smirk, "You're carrying Elle's box."
I winced, I had completely forgotten about that one. it must have slipped my mind, "Shit."
How was I supposed to get that thing up the stairs?
~~~
After everything was all packed up, Melanie had all of us gather in her room for debriefing. It was kinda cramped but we managed to make it work. She and Gregor were standing in front of the bed, with Emily and Elle sat atop it, while Newter and I were standing by the door.
She looked around at all of us as we looked at her expectantly, and nodded, "Alright, now that we're all unloaded, it's time we go over exactly what we're doing here." The file she was holding in her hand crinkled as she opened it.
"We've got a contract with Accord right?" Newter piped up, "Something to do with Case-53s? You said we'd get a lot more info on our origins thanks to this job."
Melanie nodded, though I could tell there was just a bit of hesitance in the motion, "You're right, there's a large possibility we will gain a great deal of information. Though it's not nearly that simple."
"So what is it?"
Melanie turned to Gregor, who nodded at her, before turning to address the rest of the us as the mood in the room quickly turned downward.
"To put it bluntly, there is a rogue biotinker running amok in the city. He has taken to kidnapping any Case-53 they can find and experimenting on them to find out what makes them tick." Gregor said solemnly, "Whatever he is doing to them is fatal. Several bodies have been discovered strewn about the Ambassador's territory. Accord isn't happy about this, and hired us to stop him and steal any information he has managed to acquire."
I could hear Newter's sharp inhale beside me, and a small knot formed in my stomach as I turned to see his horrified stare.
"How many?" He asked quietly.
"Three so far as far as Accord can tell." Melanie took over for him, "Because Boston is such a populated city, there are likely to be others but we have no way of knowing for sure."
She slid some papers from the files, handing them to Gregor who handed them to Emily, "These are photos we were able to obtain of the biotinker's victims, their bodies were all found in various places within the Ambassador's territory. This has led him to believe that the cape, Darwin, has some sort of vendetta against him or his organization. Pass them around." She continued.
I looked down at the photos curiously as they reached me. There were three of them, like Gregor had said, and the pictures were seemingly taken after the deed had already been done, as all three of them were most certainly dead. The photos weren't gory, and it seemed the three Case-53's that Darwin had gotten his hands on shared a similar theme of being at mostly humanoid in appearance.
Still, despite being relatively tame, the photos still gave me an uneasy feeling as I rifled through them, wondering what sort of torment was inflicted on these people.
The first picture was the oddest of the bunch, as it was seemingly just a picture of an empty table. Closer inspection however, revealed that the person laying on the table just blended into its surface extremely well. It seemed they possessed some sort of active camouflage that persisted even after they had died. What little of their features I could make out were androgynous and their lack of hair didn't help in identifying their gender.
At the top of the photo was a name and a description:
Name/Alias: Faint
Occupation: Serial Pickpocket
Last Known Location: Charlestown
After his most recent shrink of robbery's, Faint seemingly disappeared. The PRT believed they had simply skipped town, until their body was tripped over by an unsuspecting civilian in the streets.
Brief but concise, somewhat clinical but I supposed that was understandable given the nature of the photos that was understandable. I moved onto the next.
This one reminded me of a werewolf from an old horror movie, matted fur and a dark muzzle. The photo was taken from the shoulders up, and the relatively small size of the table behind the cape's head led me to believe that that was due to his sheer size. His eyes were open, allowing glossy golden eyes to be visible, unseeing and empty in their current state.
Like before, there was a name and a description:
Name/Alias: Buckwild
Occupation: PRT Affiliated Vigilante
Last Known Location: East Allston
Buckwild failed to report in for his bi-weekly check-in with his PRT contact and was thus reported missing. His body was found ten days later, lying in the water near the Charleston Navy Yard.
So Darwin had managed to get his hand on someone affiliated with the heroes. That wasn't good. That could either mean he just got lucky, or he had people on the inside.
The last photo made my stomach churn slightly. Whoever the cape had been before she had turned, she was young, extremely so. Her form resembled a child-like puppet, complete with wooden skin and painted clothes and a curly bob of fake red hair on her head. Her painted features were contorted into an expression of agony, like a snapshot of her last moments, and I couldn't look for more than a few seconds before having to turn away.
Like all of the others, the picture wasn't gruesome, but the sight still didn't sit right with me, and I decided to just set the photos down, but not before looking at the description. And immediately wishing I hadn't.
Name/Alias: Anne
Occupation: N/A
Last Known Location: Little Hope Orphanage
Anne was reported kidnapped from Little Hope Orphanage after several other orphans reported her talking to a strange person a few hours before she disappeared. Her body was discovered near the Bunker Hill Monument, leaning against the Monument itself.
Those few little lines of text made my gut churn, and I tore my eyes away before they were burned into my head forever.
"The bodies showed little sign of any external damage," Melanie continued, "They weren't able to figure out exactly what Darwin had been doing to them, but it is likely power related."
"Why hasn't the Protectorate done anything!? They can't be okay with a cape serial killer in their city!" Newter asked angrily as I gave the photos back to Gregor, doing my best to keep calm.
"We don't know." Melanie answered, crossing her arms, "It is possible that they already have their hands full. The Teeth have been making moves from what I've been able to gather, and the Elite have apparently begun preparations to set up a cell in the city as Blueblood has been spotted in the Black Bay area as recently as last week."
"Have they gotten into any fights?" Emily asked curiously, some of which I shared. From what I recalled, the Elite were the largest villain organization in the United States. They mostly operated along the west coast, though they had been branching out recently, being sighted in New York and Florida. They worked on a loose pyramid structure, with each of their individual 'cells' having numerous capes headed by an Executive that answered to a jury of their peers, with no official leader of the group itself in play.
Most of the cells operated on a mostly economic level, buying property and stores, undercutting their competition's prices until they could no longer afford to stay in business. Then the Elite would swoop in and purchase their assets at a fraction of the usual price, securing complete dominance over whatever area they had decided to acquire. Scummy, but technically legal.
While fights involving the Elite were uncommon, they weren't unheard of. Bastard Son's cell especially seemed to operate much more like a gang than that of his peers, with his modus operandi being to flatten any opposition in preparation for the Elite occupation. He wasn't well liked by the rest of them.
Melanie shook her head at Emily's question, "No, there haven't been any reports of the Elite getting into fights with other capes, though Blueblood isn't the type to seek out fights." She hummed, t making a thinking face, "Although, the Teeth do have somewhat of a presence in the area, so it isn't impossible that there will be conflict between them."
She shrugged, "Either way, they are not our concern. Our job, in the simplest terms, is to infiltrate Darwin's base, steal as much information on his experiments as possible, and destroy whatever we can't take with us. The Elite do not factor into this, nor do the Teeth." Melanie concluded.
"And what's the job in not-so-simple terms?" I asked.
"We will figure that out tomorrow. We have a meeting with Accord where we will discuss the plan in its full scope." Melanie answered as she collected the photos, putting them back into the file.
"Uh wait a minute," Newter chimed in, looking nervous, "All of us?"
Melanie gave him a look, "Yes, all of us. Accord knew exactly who was on the crew when he hired us. He isn't likely to have a problem so long as you don't rub it in his face."
I was confused, "Wait, what are you talking about? What would he have a problem with?"
Newter turned to me, "Accord is super OCD. Power induced is what everyone thinks. Everything has to be absolutely perfect to him or he can become annoyed at best and homicidal at worst. So as you can imagine, an orange-skinned teen with blue eyes and a tail, or a six-foot bald man with translucent skin and shells on said skin, would probably be just a bit offensive to his delicate senses."
Ah, that explained it. "Well it's like Melanie said, he hired us knowing exactly what our team was about. There's no way he's gonna get pissy about your appearance if that's the case." I reassured him.
"I guess." He muttered. He clearly wasn't happy about the circumstances that had brought us here, and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm certainly not looking forward to it."
Melanie sighed, "Newter, if you are really that uncomfortable with it, I am sure Accord would allow you to stand outside of the meeting room. We can just catch you up when we get done."
"Alright, I think that's everything." Melanie looked around at everyone, "Unless anyone has questions."
"Do we need to stay in plainclothes?" Emily spoke up from her place beside Elle.
"The PRT in Boston has a mostly amicable relationship with mercenaries like us and have already been notified of our arrival." Melanie shook her head, "As long as you don't make a ruckus, there shouldn't be any problems with you going out in costume."
Here, Melanie's face became deadly serious and I straightened unconsciously, "I repeat. Do not make any sort of ruckus. Accord is the type to like all of his cards straight and in order. Any unneeded disruptions in his territory could very easily cause our relationship to sour before it begins. I don't think I need to tell you how bad that would be for our goals."
A chorus of agreements rang out, and Melanie's face returned to normal, "Good. Like I said, our work begins tomorrow so you are all free to take the rest of the day off. Just keep what I said in mind."
As we all poured out of the bedroom to go our separate ways, Newter turned to me, "Emily and I were gonna go check out the area. You wanna come with?" He asked.
I nodded, fiddling with my hoodie pocket, "Yeah, sure thing. Just give me a minute, there's something I've gotta take care of."
"Sure thing, Emily's gotta go get suited up anyway. She's actually got an identity to keep intact." He smirked, and I was glad to see a bit of his usual personality coming back, "I'll see you in the garage. We're gonna head out from there, take the alley onto the street to make it at least a bit difficult to find our hotel."
"Got it. See ya in a bit." I waved as he walked down the hall.
As soon as he was out of sight I pulled my phone out of my pocket and, before I had the chance to think about it, pulled up my contacts and made a call.
I worried at my lip as the dial tone rang in my ear, once, twice, thrice, four times before cutting off as a voice took over, "The person you are calling has a voicemail-box that has-"
I frowned as the robotic voice spoke in my ear, telling me that Christine still hadn't set up her voicemail, before ending the call with a sigh, "Guess she's still upset with me." I muttered. I guess it made sense given that disaster of a phone call had happened a little over two hours ago. I had just hoped…
Well, whatever, it wasn't like I didn't have the rest of the day to try and try again. For now though, I still had to get set up in my room, so I put my phone back into my pocket, though not before sending off a text to my wayward friend.
Hey Chris, I made it to Boston in one piece. I'll call you tonight and we can talk about everything.
Even if she didn't want to talk about it, I'd just blow up her phone until she picked up. There was no way I was losing my best friend. Not again.
Contract 3.A
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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- Jun 16, 2019
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Accord's office was more lavish than many I had seen in my years as leader of the Palanquin, and that was certainly saying something. Quite a few people that we had been employed by had high opinions of themselves to say the least.
Yet unlike any of those people, Accord displayed his wealth in a way that was not at all tacky and in fact somewhat tasteful. With beautiful paintings of scenery and ornately decorated lamps and pots, his taste was on full display as my crew and I sat in front of the man himself.
Accord was a rather short man, that I could tell even seated as he was. And yet despite his stature he didn't seem any smaller for it, still as imposing as his reputation suggested he would be, with his well pressed suit and segmented mask giving an air of importance around him.
Slightly behind and to the right of the man, stood a woman in a golden gown, with similarly painted lips and golden earrings. A golden half-mask covered the top half of her face with its ornate designs, glinting in the light emerging from the window. Citrine, Accord's right hand in the Ambassadors. She stood primly behind her leader, hands folded in front of her as she stared forward with a placid expression on her face.
On the opposite side of Accord, similarly to Citrine, was Othello. He stood with his hands behind his back, an expressionless mirrored mask so similar to Aspect's first observing us with indiscernible intent. Unlike his fellow Ambassador, his well-pressed suit lacked color completely, comprised instead of all black and white that complimented his dusky skin.
Mirroring the Ambassadors, my own crew were in similar positions around me; Gregor standing to my right and Aspect on my left, standing in silent vigil. Newter had taken me up on my offer to simply sit the meeting out and as such was not present. It was an extreme coincidence that Elle happened to be having one of her 'bad' days, barely lucid to the world around her, and so the teen was simply watching over her instead and also giving me a useful excuse for the lack of their presence in the meeting in the process.
Spitfire was standing by the door, hands behind her back in a makeshift parade rest as she studiously stared forward just like Citrine. Considering how new she was to the crew, I had offered her the choice to sit the meeting out alongside Newter and Elle, but the girl had requested to be present for the meeting so she could get a feel for how these things worked.
It was an admirable request and one that showed a great deal of forward thinking and so despite my hesitance, I had acquiesced to her request, and had told her to stand silently out of the way while business was dealt with. Something she was taking very seriously.
Her costume was rather simple, basically a dark red and black hazmat suit with a gas mask. The cloak Aspect had bought for her was wrapped around her shoulders, obscuring a good portion of her form from view as it hung around her calves. All in all, she looked relatively professional, no longer wearing her make-shift rags from before, and apparently Accord believed so too as he had yet to make a comment on her presence in the meeting.
I turned my attention back to Accord as the man cleared his throat.
"Faultline. I am glad you could make it in such a timely manner. I trust you aren't enjoying your stay in my territory?" He questioned, clearly in an attempt to clear the slightly tense air in the office.
I decided to play along, "Charleston is lovely, your doing no doubt. While I haven't had much of a chance to look around, what I have seen is leagues above anything in the Bay."
The man could clearly see the blatant flattery for what it was, but he made no move to comment, instead taking my words in stride as he nodded genially, "That is good to hear. If you are having difficulties with the employees at your suite, do not hesitate to inform me and I will have it taken care of."
That was a bit of a surprise, but I suppose it made sense that someone like Accord would like to have all his ducks in a row when it came to the people he employed. Disgruntled employees more often than not gave a substandard performance after all, and substandard was something Accord would likely avoid at all costs.
I gave him a thankful nod that was much less fake than our earlier conversation, "That is very much appreciated. If we have any issues I will be sure to let you know."
"Now that pleasantries are over and done with, let us get to business."
I nodded in agreement, already tired of the little bit of byplay that was practically required in this line of work. "That would be excellent."
Accord gestured behind him toward the man in the mirrored mask, "Othello, the files."
Othella gave a short nod, "Yes sir." and turned to open a small filing cabinet just behind him, retrieving a manilla folder as Accord turned back to me.
"My little rat problem has become more and more of a headache as of recently." Accord spoke gravely, "His blatant kidnapping and murder of Case-53s has been causing unrest in my normally ordered territory. The Protectorate has been snooping around more and more frequently and their presence will only attract trouble, trouble I do not want."
"Luckily for both of us, individuals in my employ have managed to gather a great deal of information on Darwin, namely his origins and name." Accord said as his subordinated placed the file on the desk in front of him, "Citrine?"
"Darwin's civilian name is Antoni Alekseev. He was a former citizen of the Russian Federation who snuck his way into the United States aboard a private jet he managed to acquire through unknown means." Citrine spoke softly as Othello moved to stand behind his boss once more, "According to our sources, he'd been in the country silently for a little over a year before he began making trouble in our territory."
Accord nodded as he opened the folder and began to retrieve the documents inside, "Given how the Federation tends to treat its Parahuman citizens, fleeing is somewhat understandable. Many newly triggered capes tend to prioritize leaving the country the moment their powers make themselves known and for a biotinker, it is either that or likely death. That was not the reason Antoni left. In fact, he triggered over five years ago and was seemingly content to stay in Russia until recently."
There was a slight lull in the conversation, and I realized Accord was giving me the time to ask any questions I may have had. I took the opportunity as it presented itself.
"Do you have information on what he was doing during that time?" I questioned.
Accord hummed quietly at the question, "Somewhat. We know he was employed by the Russian Federation for a time, though we were not able to recover any information on what exactly his role was. Research, experimentation, we are not sure."
"Do we at least have information on his specialty? Do we know why he is targeting Case 53s specifically?"I asked curiously, hoping for some insight into Darwin's mind.
Accord steepled his hands in front of him, the shadows of his mask giving him an even more intimidating appearance despite his short stature, "According to the Russian Federation's records, Darwin's specialty was documented to be centered around genetics. Mutations specifically. I am sure you can extrapolate the rest."
I could just hear both Gregor and Aspect intake sharp breaths on either side of me and just barely held back from doing the same. Mutations. A biotinker with a Mutations specialty was kidnapping Case-53s and doing who knows what to them. Lord have mercy.
I kept a careful calm in my voice as I asked my next question, "Do we know where his lair is located?"
Instead of answering, Accord slid the documents he had been perusing across the table, motioning for me to pick them up.
"Darwin's lair is not actually in Charleston itself." Accord explained as I opened the file, reading its contents, "Utilizing the city's shipping records and looking for similarities in specific chemicals and medical instruments, as well as cross referencing the locations of the bodies that were found, the investigators I hired were able to pinpoint his approximate location as a small building just outside of the region, near the city limits."
I nodded at his words as I examined the documents. There were several photos as well as descriptions of the general area. The building itself was a ramshackle, rundown gas station that clearly hadn't seen use in several years, the pumps outside rusted and nozzles missing.
"The actual building itself is a cover." Accord continued, "My agents reported substantial seismic activity in the general area. It is likely Darwin has created his actual base underground, below the gas station and away from prying eyes."
I grimaced as I took in the information. If Darwin had truly decided to make his base underground, that meant it would be even more difficult to infiltrate. Tinker lairs were already some of the most dangerous to approach, and the lair being underground would do nothing but make it even moreso.
Spitfire's power would be near useless depending on how ventilated the lair was, and Labyrinth would be liable to cause a cave-in if her power affected the surroundings in the wrong way.
The less said about my own abilities, the better.
This would take careful planning. Many things would need to be accounted for, possible traps, hidden exits and entrances, escape plans, everything would have to be absolutely perfect before we even attempted to approach the lair.
Already I could feel a headache coming on from the multiple sleepless nights that were no doubt in my future. Great.
Accord seemingly didn't notice my internal musings or he didn't care, as the man began speaking once more.
"I want him out of my territory before the month is over Faultline." His voice took on a sharp edge, "Incarcerated, vanished, deceased, I do not care. I want him gone, his findings retrieved, and his little rat-hole destroyed. I trust your crew is up to the task?" he asked rhetorically.
I nodded firmly as my mind began formulating a rough plan of attack, "It's what you are paying us for. We'll get it done" Even in spite of the dangers presented, there was no way anyone in my crew would be willing to let the man go after all the information that had been given to us. Myself included.
He stared at me for a long moment before he nodded in satisfaction, "That is good to hear. I leave it in your capable hands. Should you require any more information, Citrine will be on call."
He stood and leaned across the desk, extending a hand to shake, "I look forward to your results, Faultline. In the meantime, enjoy your stay in Charleston."
I nodded happily, clearing my thoughts as I stood to meet him halfway in a firm handshake, "I intend to, and I look forward to working with you, Accord."
"And I you. Good luck. Othello will see you out."
Yet unlike any of those people, Accord displayed his wealth in a way that was not at all tacky and in fact somewhat tasteful. With beautiful paintings of scenery and ornately decorated lamps and pots, his taste was on full display as my crew and I sat in front of the man himself.
Accord was a rather short man, that I could tell even seated as he was. And yet despite his stature he didn't seem any smaller for it, still as imposing as his reputation suggested he would be, with his well pressed suit and segmented mask giving an air of importance around him.
Slightly behind and to the right of the man, stood a woman in a golden gown, with similarly painted lips and golden earrings. A golden half-mask covered the top half of her face with its ornate designs, glinting in the light emerging from the window. Citrine, Accord's right hand in the Ambassadors. She stood primly behind her leader, hands folded in front of her as she stared forward with a placid expression on her face.
On the opposite side of Accord, similarly to Citrine, was Othello. He stood with his hands behind his back, an expressionless mirrored mask so similar to Aspect's first observing us with indiscernible intent. Unlike his fellow Ambassador, his well-pressed suit lacked color completely, comprised instead of all black and white that complimented his dusky skin.
Mirroring the Ambassadors, my own crew were in similar positions around me; Gregor standing to my right and Aspect on my left, standing in silent vigil. Newter had taken me up on my offer to simply sit the meeting out and as such was not present. It was an extreme coincidence that Elle happened to be having one of her 'bad' days, barely lucid to the world around her, and so the teen was simply watching over her instead and also giving me a useful excuse for the lack of their presence in the meeting in the process.
Spitfire was standing by the door, hands behind her back in a makeshift parade rest as she studiously stared forward just like Citrine. Considering how new she was to the crew, I had offered her the choice to sit the meeting out alongside Newter and Elle, but the girl had requested to be present for the meeting so she could get a feel for how these things worked.
It was an admirable request and one that showed a great deal of forward thinking and so despite my hesitance, I had acquiesced to her request, and had told her to stand silently out of the way while business was dealt with. Something she was taking very seriously.
Her costume was rather simple, basically a dark red and black hazmat suit with a gas mask. The cloak Aspect had bought for her was wrapped around her shoulders, obscuring a good portion of her form from view as it hung around her calves. All in all, she looked relatively professional, no longer wearing her make-shift rags from before, and apparently Accord believed so too as he had yet to make a comment on her presence in the meeting.
I turned my attention back to Accord as the man cleared his throat.
"Faultline. I am glad you could make it in such a timely manner. I trust you aren't enjoying your stay in my territory?" He questioned, clearly in an attempt to clear the slightly tense air in the office.
I decided to play along, "Charleston is lovely, your doing no doubt. While I haven't had much of a chance to look around, what I have seen is leagues above anything in the Bay."
The man could clearly see the blatant flattery for what it was, but he made no move to comment, instead taking my words in stride as he nodded genially, "That is good to hear. If you are having difficulties with the employees at your suite, do not hesitate to inform me and I will have it taken care of."
That was a bit of a surprise, but I suppose it made sense that someone like Accord would like to have all his ducks in a row when it came to the people he employed. Disgruntled employees more often than not gave a substandard performance after all, and substandard was something Accord would likely avoid at all costs.
I gave him a thankful nod that was much less fake than our earlier conversation, "That is very much appreciated. If we have any issues I will be sure to let you know."
"Now that pleasantries are over and done with, let us get to business."
I nodded in agreement, already tired of the little bit of byplay that was practically required in this line of work. "That would be excellent."
Accord gestured behind him toward the man in the mirrored mask, "Othello, the files."
Othella gave a short nod, "Yes sir." and turned to open a small filing cabinet just behind him, retrieving a manilla folder as Accord turned back to me.
"My little rat problem has become more and more of a headache as of recently." Accord spoke gravely, "His blatant kidnapping and murder of Case-53s has been causing unrest in my normally ordered territory. The Protectorate has been snooping around more and more frequently and their presence will only attract trouble, trouble I do not want."
"Luckily for both of us, individuals in my employ have managed to gather a great deal of information on Darwin, namely his origins and name." Accord said as his subordinated placed the file on the desk in front of him, "Citrine?"
"Darwin's civilian name is Antoni Alekseev. He was a former citizen of the Russian Federation who snuck his way into the United States aboard a private jet he managed to acquire through unknown means." Citrine spoke softly as Othello moved to stand behind his boss once more, "According to our sources, he'd been in the country silently for a little over a year before he began making trouble in our territory."
Accord nodded as he opened the folder and began to retrieve the documents inside, "Given how the Federation tends to treat its Parahuman citizens, fleeing is somewhat understandable. Many newly triggered capes tend to prioritize leaving the country the moment their powers make themselves known and for a biotinker, it is either that or likely death. That was not the reason Antoni left. In fact, he triggered over five years ago and was seemingly content to stay in Russia until recently."
There was a slight lull in the conversation, and I realized Accord was giving me the time to ask any questions I may have had. I took the opportunity as it presented itself.
"Do you have information on what he was doing during that time?" I questioned.
Accord hummed quietly at the question, "Somewhat. We know he was employed by the Russian Federation for a time, though we were not able to recover any information on what exactly his role was. Research, experimentation, we are not sure."
"Do we at least have information on his specialty? Do we know why he is targeting Case 53s specifically?"I asked curiously, hoping for some insight into Darwin's mind.
Accord steepled his hands in front of him, the shadows of his mask giving him an even more intimidating appearance despite his short stature, "According to the Russian Federation's records, Darwin's specialty was documented to be centered around genetics. Mutations specifically. I am sure you can extrapolate the rest."
I could just hear both Gregor and Aspect intake sharp breaths on either side of me and just barely held back from doing the same. Mutations. A biotinker with a Mutations specialty was kidnapping Case-53s and doing who knows what to them. Lord have mercy.
I kept a careful calm in my voice as I asked my next question, "Do we know where his lair is located?"
Instead of answering, Accord slid the documents he had been perusing across the table, motioning for me to pick them up.
"Darwin's lair is not actually in Charleston itself." Accord explained as I opened the file, reading its contents, "Utilizing the city's shipping records and looking for similarities in specific chemicals and medical instruments, as well as cross referencing the locations of the bodies that were found, the investigators I hired were able to pinpoint his approximate location as a small building just outside of the region, near the city limits."
I nodded at his words as I examined the documents. There were several photos as well as descriptions of the general area. The building itself was a ramshackle, rundown gas station that clearly hadn't seen use in several years, the pumps outside rusted and nozzles missing.
"The actual building itself is a cover." Accord continued, "My agents reported substantial seismic activity in the general area. It is likely Darwin has created his actual base underground, below the gas station and away from prying eyes."
I grimaced as I took in the information. If Darwin had truly decided to make his base underground, that meant it would be even more difficult to infiltrate. Tinker lairs were already some of the most dangerous to approach, and the lair being underground would do nothing but make it even moreso.
Spitfire's power would be near useless depending on how ventilated the lair was, and Labyrinth would be liable to cause a cave-in if her power affected the surroundings in the wrong way.
The less said about my own abilities, the better.
This would take careful planning. Many things would need to be accounted for, possible traps, hidden exits and entrances, escape plans, everything would have to be absolutely perfect before we even attempted to approach the lair.
Already I could feel a headache coming on from the multiple sleepless nights that were no doubt in my future. Great.
Accord seemingly didn't notice my internal musings or he didn't care, as the man began speaking once more.
"I want him out of my territory before the month is over Faultline." His voice took on a sharp edge, "Incarcerated, vanished, deceased, I do not care. I want him gone, his findings retrieved, and his little rat-hole destroyed. I trust your crew is up to the task?" he asked rhetorically.
I nodded firmly as my mind began formulating a rough plan of attack, "It's what you are paying us for. We'll get it done" Even in spite of the dangers presented, there was no way anyone in my crew would be willing to let the man go after all the information that had been given to us. Myself included.
He stared at me for a long moment before he nodded in satisfaction, "That is good to hear. I leave it in your capable hands. Should you require any more information, Citrine will be on call."
He stood and leaned across the desk, extending a hand to shake, "I look forward to your results, Faultline. In the meantime, enjoy your stay in Charleston."
I nodded happily, clearing my thoughts as I stood to meet him halfway in a firm handshake, "I intend to, and I look forward to working with you, Accord."
"And I you. Good luck. Othello will see you out."
Contract 3.2
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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- Jun 16, 2019
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"Do you have to flirt with everything with two legs and long hair?" Spitfire grouched at Newter as the three of us made our way down the streets of Boston. The three of us were in costume, allowed to openly display our status as such thanks to the deal with Accord. As such, most civilians on the street were giving us a wide berth. Well that, or recording us with wide open mouths and phones held in their hands.
Newter just gave her a slight smirk, taking a deliberate sip of the coffee he had managed to acquire for free by blatantly flirting with the cashier. He gave a satisfied hum at the taste, "It's not my fault that people can't seem to resist all of this." He gestured towards his body suggestively.
Emily snorted, "Oh yeah, they're really dying to get their hands on you. Must be something in the water."
"I've just got the magic touch baby." Newter wiggled his fingers at Spitfire, "Nobody can resist."
"Resist the drug cocktail maybe." Emily muttered, eliciting a laugh from Newter. I smiled slightly at their banter, glad that they were able to so easily rib each other without any hurt feelings resulting from it. Emily had really acclimated to our little group, coming out of the shell we had found her in more and more recently and I was extremely happy to see it.
My smile didn't last long however, falling back into a light frown under my mask as their playful argument continued. Normally, I would jump at the chance to join them, but today I just wasn't in the mood, unable to muster up any cheer as my mind was consumed with thoughts of a certain someone. I let out a silent sigh, shoulders slumping ever so slightly
"You alright dude?" I blinked, turning to Newter to find him staring at me with a look of slight concern.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just a little lost in my head at the moment." I said softly
He gave me a knowing look, "Have you still not been able to get into contact with your friend?" He asked, tossing the rest of his coffee in a nearby trash can as we passed it.
I shook my head, "No. I know she's probably hurt but she hasn't even read my texts. It's… odd."
Since arriving in Boston, I had made good on my promise to call Christine, and had done so around eight times over the past five days. I hadn't been able to get ahold of her once, not by calling nor by texting and it was starting to worry me. I knew she was probably hurt and a little bit angry, but it seemed a bit odd that she would deliberately ignore my constant calls like this. Odd, and more than a little concerning.
Christine wasn't the type to hold a grudge, hadn't been since we were kids. Oh sure, she could argue and get angry with the best of them, but she was normally the first person to forgive and forget at the end of the day after angers had cooled.
"I'm starting to get worried." I confessed as we stopped in front of an empty alley.
"Is that the girl who kissed you?" Emily asked curiously, leaning around Newter to look at me.
I felt a bit of heat come to my cheeks, "She didn't kiss me. She just… gave me a peck on the cheek is all. That's it."
I reflexively activated my powers as Newter slung her arm around my shoulders, my skin becoming metal as the other teen pulled me into him, patting me on the head like a child as I turned a glare his way.
"She's not telling you the whole story, Spit." Newter began, ignoring the way Emily put her hand on her hips at the name, "Our little Aspect here is actually head-over-heels in love with her fellow blonde. She spends hours at a time just texting the girl, swooning every time she receives a response. I bet her heart yearns for her presence like some modern day Romeo and Juliet, so close yet so very far away." He gave a theatrical sigh, "It's so romantic."
I just stared at him incredulously at his absolutely insane words, "What the hell are you talking about? I don't swoon! And get off me!" I shrugged his arm off of my shoulder, ducking under it to stand in front of him. I turned to Spitfire, huffing, "I think we need to get Newter checked. He's clearly gotten some sort of mentally debilitating disease. I'm betting brain worms."
"I couldn't help but notice you didn't deny the head-over-heels part." Newter smirked at me, and I felt the beginnings of a blush on my cheekbones and hoped to god that he couldn't see it, "Admit it Aspect, you're totally in love with her."
I huffed as Emily gave me a curious look, "Like I said, a gross exaggeration. I'm not in love with Christine." I looked away slightly, "I might have a little crush on her, but that's as far as it goes."
"Aha!" Newter pointed at me, smiling widely like he had just won some massive victory, "A confession!"
"But that's as far as it goes!" I repeated, getting slightly annoyed by his insistent attitude. I sighed, "And besides, even if I was, I probably already fucked that up."
"What do you mean?" Emily asked curiously.
I sighed, realizing that there was no way either of them would let this go now that I had already started talking about it. Might as well get it over with.
"She called me a bit before we took off for Boston." I began, "I'll admit I had been avoiding her as I thought about what to do, but she beat me to contacting her."
"She-I think she was going to confess to me or something. She didn't actually say it, but I could tell that it was on her mind at the very least."
"And what did you say?" Emily asked.
I grimaced, "I didn't let her finish her sentence… and then I told her to give me some time to think."
Newter winced, "Ooh, give me some time? That's pretty bad dude."
I sighed, "I know. Hell, I knew it at the time, but it's true. I needed time to think about it. Both of us did, I think."
"What do you mean? I thought she was going to confess to you." Emily tilted her head and though I couldn't see much of her face through the tint of her mask, I could tell she was confused.
"Chris… she's not in the best place right now." I explained hesitantly, "She's a recruiter for the Empire but-"
"Wait, you're friends with an Empire member?" Emily interrupted incredulously, and even Newter looked surprised, "You hate the Empire!"
"She isn't like them!" I winced at the heat in my voice, as well as the shocked way my friend's were looking at me. I looked around, glad that people were still giving us a wide berth and as such, probably couldn't hear any of the conversation. Still, wanting a bit more privacy, I grabbed both of my friends and pulled them into a nearby unoccupied alley.
I looked back at them, taking a small breath, "Sorry." I apologized, "I'm not sure what that was but I shouldn't have talked to you like that."
Newter waved me off, "It's fine dude, you're clearly bent out of shape about this. Just don't bite our heads off, yeah? We just wanna help." He smiled lightly at me, one I returned.
I took a moment to compose myself, before continuing my story.
"Chris doesn't want to be in the Empire. Never did. But her parents have some sort of stake on the inside of the gang. They pushed her into it, forcing her to join the gang as a recruiter." I looked down at my gloves, "That's when we stopped talking. I wasn't willing to stay connected with someone who, at the time, I thought had willingly joined the people who had caused my family so much trouble. Not even my best friend."
"It was only once we got reconnected after my parent's death that I learned the whole story, and by then it was way too late to change anything, if I even could have in the first place. Everyone she knew besides me was related to the Empire in some way, and even her extended family wasn't willing to help her get away." I grit my teeth lightly, "Not to mention, her cousin is one of Kaiser's lieutenants and has been keeping an eye on her recently so I can't even get her away without having to fight the bastard. And Christine doesn't seem to think I can beat him."
"Wait seriously?" Newter asked incredulously. I nodded and he let out a surprised huff, "Wow, she's got really shit luck huh?"
I let out a humorless laugh, "That's an understatement. She had been getting by during highschool just recruiting people, not taking part in the more extreme parts of the group, but that changed a few weeks ago." I clenched my fist, "Apparently her cousin cottoned on to the fact that Chris wasn't completely down with what they were doing, and wasn't happy about it. He's started to insist she actually take the initiation despite already being a member, and her parents are right the fuck behind him to."
"If she doesn't do it, they'll send her away for 'reconditioning'. Whatever the fuck that means." I spat.
I took a moment to calm down, during which Newter put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I gave him a thankful look, before continuing.
"...I won't lie and say that being with Chris like that doesn't interest me, but there are actually reasons I can't do it." I sighed, leaning my head back against the alley wall as I pulled my hood down to relish in the cool brick behind me, "As fucked as it sounds, I know I'm probably one of the only positives in her life right now. If we got together, there would always be that little voice in the back of my head wondering if I'm just taking advantage of her. It would be so easy to do, and I don't want to use her that way."
"Then don't." Emily said softly.
"It's not that simple though." I said tiredly.
"I think it is." She said right back and I blinked at the words, spoken so confidently. Emily gave me an intense look, somehow visible even underneath the shaded material of her mask, "If you don't want to take advantage of her, then don't. Just because you're one of her main pillars of support at the moment doesn't mean you have to take advantage of that fact. Not every power dynamic has to be acted on, and the fact that you were even worried about that in the first place makes me think it's unlikely you'd do it even by accident."
"So what? I should just start dating her right after we became friends again?" I asked sarcastically, turning my eyes to Newter as he chimed in.
"Why not? Sure, you guys probably aren't gonna be exactly like you were before she joined the Empire, but you could be better. You aren't a bad person Val, and from what you've told me, your friend kinda needs something good in her life right about now. That something could be you." Newter then shrugged, "Or don't say anything. Comfort in familiarity and all that. If you don't think you're ready for a relationship with her or that one wouldn't be healthy for you guys, then she should understand that. That's what friends do."
I didn't know what to say to that. I just stared at him for a long moment, eyes wide at the words spewing from my laidback friend's mouth, "When the fuck did you two become so damn wise?" I demanded
Emily just shrugged, while Newter's soft smile shifted into a much more familiar smirk. He leaned back, propping himself up with his tail as he put his arms behind his head with a sigh, "I'm stuffed full of wisdom baby. Not my fault you guys are incapable of seeing it."
I rolled my eyes, feeling much lighter than I had mere moments ago, "Yeah, sure thing man. I'll remember that the next time you forget to take your bagel bites out of the oven and nearly set the kitchen on fire."
"It only happened once!"
"Three times actually." I corrected, "Just because Gregor caught them before they actually lit up, doesn't mean they wouldn't have." I turned to Emily, giving her a serious look, "If you see Newter in the kitchen, make sure to alert whoever is close by. He's more of a fire hazard than your spit."
She gave me a serious nod, "Will do. I'll also make sure to check the fire extinguishers when we get back home. They might be expired."
"You both suck."
That set Emily and I off, and I had to place a bracing hand on the wall behind me to stay standing from the force of my laughter. Newter eventually joined us, giving some soft chuckles of his own at the friendly ribbing.
It was somewhat freeing to laugh like this. The weight that had been on my shoulders for the past few days had lightened quite a bit.
"...Thank you." I said sincerely as our laughter died off, giving them both smiles as I pulled my hood back over my head, "Both of you. You guys really helped me get my head on straight."
"That's what we're here for." Emily nodded happily. Before looking away slightly, "Well that, and this job pays really well."
I smirked, remembering a fun little tidbit, "Are you sure it isn't because you enjoy staring at-"
I cut myself short, whipping my head to the side as I was interrupted by the sounds of shattering glass over a block away, quickly followed by a loud boom and numerous screams. The sudden shift in mood was drastic, going from light-hearted to serious in an instant as The three of us sped from the alley. We looked towards the noise and found a crowd of people rushing towards us, panic and terror plain on their faces, "What the hell?" Newter muttered in surprise.
Reaching out, I grabbed a teen with way too many zippers on his clothes as he ran past me, pulling him towards me to be heard over the steadily loudening din of screams. He gave me a panicked look as I pulled him in, jerking his arm in an attempt to get out of my grip, "Let go!" he shouted, pulling away so hard I was worried his arm was going to be torn from his socket.
I placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, keeping him still to prevent him from hurting himself against my steel body, "Calm down dude! We aren't gonna hurt you, we just want to know what's going on!"
"It's the Teeth!" He yelled out, fear on his face, "They came out of nowhere a-and just started breaking things and beating people up for no reason! There weren't many of them at first, only two with costumes and a few grunts, but then more appeared out of nowhere wearing the same costume as one of the capes!"
That sounded like Spree. From what I recalled, his power allowed him to make a shitton of clones. Must be great at parties with a trick like that.
"A-are you guys heroes?" The teen asked hopefully, taking in our costumes with wary hopefulness.
I looked over to my companions, finding them both looking towards me for what to do next which was… odd. When the hell did I become the one who decided what to do?
Either way, I had been given apparent command and I needed to figure out our next move. Let's see… the Teeth were much more bloodthirsty than most gangs, and as such would need to be treated with much more caution.
Spree was already a known entity in the possible fight, but Newter's own powers basically hard countered his own and Spitfire's did as well. That left the other one to contend with. I racked my mind in an attempt to think of the Teeth's current members and their powers.
There was Vex, a Shaker with the ability to create a field of miniature, razor-sharp force fields in a radius around her, I could probably deal with her. There was Hemorrhagia, a hemokinetic with limited biokinesis in that she could also control her own blood, once again, I could probably deal with her. There was Reaver who I honestly had no clue about, and Animos, a Changer who could temporarily shut off powers with his voice; that could be a problem. And finally, there was Butcher XIV, formerly Quarrel.
Needless to say, none of us were fighting that crazy bitch.
Other than that, there wasn't really anybody in the Teeth that the three of us shouldn't be able to deal with together barring maybe Animos, but I doubted his power would even work on Newter in the first place. That left the most important question, why should we bother?
Well, we were currently in a contract with Accord, which meant that it would likely be beneficial to do whatever we could to be seen in a good light. Stopping a riot by the Teeth in the Ambassador's territory was an extremely good way to do that. Accord's office and main building was pretty far away from our current location, and from what I knew he didn't employ any Movers so it wasn't likely anyone would get here in a reasonable length of time.
Not only that, but Charleston was rarely patrolled by the Protectorate due to how orderly Accord himself tended to keep things. That meant that the actual heroes wouldn't be arriving for several minutes at the very least. And judging by the growing sounds of destruction down the street, a few minutes would be too long. There was no telling who might be hurt in that time and we were basically already right there. Hmm…
I looked back towards my team, inclining my head towards the growing destruction. Newter answered with an eager smile, while Emily just shrugged. Good enough for me.
I looked back to the teen who was watching our exchange with some confusion. I clapped him on the shoulder, careful not to use too much force and accidentally break it, "Well, we aren't usually heroes. But it looks like we're changing career paths for a little bit. Lucky you."
He looked a little lost as I let him go, staring at me with a confused expression. I gave him a shooing motion, urging him into fleeing once more, before turning back to my friends.
"Alright folks, looks like we've got some heads to bust if we're gonna keep our contractor happy. Are you ready for this?"
Somewhat eager expressions were all I got in response, and I grinned in response, feeling a bit of anticipation well up inside of me, "Then let's get to it!"
A good fight was just what I needed to get my mind off of all that heavy stuff we had just talked about.
Next several chapters available for Patrons!
Newter just gave her a slight smirk, taking a deliberate sip of the coffee he had managed to acquire for free by blatantly flirting with the cashier. He gave a satisfied hum at the taste, "It's not my fault that people can't seem to resist all of this." He gestured towards his body suggestively.
Emily snorted, "Oh yeah, they're really dying to get their hands on you. Must be something in the water."
"I've just got the magic touch baby." Newter wiggled his fingers at Spitfire, "Nobody can resist."
"Resist the drug cocktail maybe." Emily muttered, eliciting a laugh from Newter. I smiled slightly at their banter, glad that they were able to so easily rib each other without any hurt feelings resulting from it. Emily had really acclimated to our little group, coming out of the shell we had found her in more and more recently and I was extremely happy to see it.
My smile didn't last long however, falling back into a light frown under my mask as their playful argument continued. Normally, I would jump at the chance to join them, but today I just wasn't in the mood, unable to muster up any cheer as my mind was consumed with thoughts of a certain someone. I let out a silent sigh, shoulders slumping ever so slightly
"You alright dude?" I blinked, turning to Newter to find him staring at me with a look of slight concern.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just a little lost in my head at the moment." I said softly
He gave me a knowing look, "Have you still not been able to get into contact with your friend?" He asked, tossing the rest of his coffee in a nearby trash can as we passed it.
I shook my head, "No. I know she's probably hurt but she hasn't even read my texts. It's… odd."
Since arriving in Boston, I had made good on my promise to call Christine, and had done so around eight times over the past five days. I hadn't been able to get ahold of her once, not by calling nor by texting and it was starting to worry me. I knew she was probably hurt and a little bit angry, but it seemed a bit odd that she would deliberately ignore my constant calls like this. Odd, and more than a little concerning.
Christine wasn't the type to hold a grudge, hadn't been since we were kids. Oh sure, she could argue and get angry with the best of them, but she was normally the first person to forgive and forget at the end of the day after angers had cooled.
"I'm starting to get worried." I confessed as we stopped in front of an empty alley.
"Is that the girl who kissed you?" Emily asked curiously, leaning around Newter to look at me.
I felt a bit of heat come to my cheeks, "She didn't kiss me. She just… gave me a peck on the cheek is all. That's it."
I reflexively activated my powers as Newter slung her arm around my shoulders, my skin becoming metal as the other teen pulled me into him, patting me on the head like a child as I turned a glare his way.
"She's not telling you the whole story, Spit." Newter began, ignoring the way Emily put her hand on her hips at the name, "Our little Aspect here is actually head-over-heels in love with her fellow blonde. She spends hours at a time just texting the girl, swooning every time she receives a response. I bet her heart yearns for her presence like some modern day Romeo and Juliet, so close yet so very far away." He gave a theatrical sigh, "It's so romantic."
I just stared at him incredulously at his absolutely insane words, "What the hell are you talking about? I don't swoon! And get off me!" I shrugged his arm off of my shoulder, ducking under it to stand in front of him. I turned to Spitfire, huffing, "I think we need to get Newter checked. He's clearly gotten some sort of mentally debilitating disease. I'm betting brain worms."
"I couldn't help but notice you didn't deny the head-over-heels part." Newter smirked at me, and I felt the beginnings of a blush on my cheekbones and hoped to god that he couldn't see it, "Admit it Aspect, you're totally in love with her."
I huffed as Emily gave me a curious look, "Like I said, a gross exaggeration. I'm not in love with Christine." I looked away slightly, "I might have a little crush on her, but that's as far as it goes."
"Aha!" Newter pointed at me, smiling widely like he had just won some massive victory, "A confession!"
"But that's as far as it goes!" I repeated, getting slightly annoyed by his insistent attitude. I sighed, "And besides, even if I was, I probably already fucked that up."
"What do you mean?" Emily asked curiously.
I sighed, realizing that there was no way either of them would let this go now that I had already started talking about it. Might as well get it over with.
"She called me a bit before we took off for Boston." I began, "I'll admit I had been avoiding her as I thought about what to do, but she beat me to contacting her."
"She-I think she was going to confess to me or something. She didn't actually say it, but I could tell that it was on her mind at the very least."
"And what did you say?" Emily asked.
I grimaced, "I didn't let her finish her sentence… and then I told her to give me some time to think."
Newter winced, "Ooh, give me some time? That's pretty bad dude."
I sighed, "I know. Hell, I knew it at the time, but it's true. I needed time to think about it. Both of us did, I think."
"What do you mean? I thought she was going to confess to you." Emily tilted her head and though I couldn't see much of her face through the tint of her mask, I could tell she was confused.
"Chris… she's not in the best place right now." I explained hesitantly, "She's a recruiter for the Empire but-"
"Wait, you're friends with an Empire member?" Emily interrupted incredulously, and even Newter looked surprised, "You hate the Empire!"
"She isn't like them!" I winced at the heat in my voice, as well as the shocked way my friend's were looking at me. I looked around, glad that people were still giving us a wide berth and as such, probably couldn't hear any of the conversation. Still, wanting a bit more privacy, I grabbed both of my friends and pulled them into a nearby unoccupied alley.
I looked back at them, taking a small breath, "Sorry." I apologized, "I'm not sure what that was but I shouldn't have talked to you like that."
Newter waved me off, "It's fine dude, you're clearly bent out of shape about this. Just don't bite our heads off, yeah? We just wanna help." He smiled lightly at me, one I returned.
I took a moment to compose myself, before continuing my story.
"Chris doesn't want to be in the Empire. Never did. But her parents have some sort of stake on the inside of the gang. They pushed her into it, forcing her to join the gang as a recruiter." I looked down at my gloves, "That's when we stopped talking. I wasn't willing to stay connected with someone who, at the time, I thought had willingly joined the people who had caused my family so much trouble. Not even my best friend."
"It was only once we got reconnected after my parent's death that I learned the whole story, and by then it was way too late to change anything, if I even could have in the first place. Everyone she knew besides me was related to the Empire in some way, and even her extended family wasn't willing to help her get away." I grit my teeth lightly, "Not to mention, her cousin is one of Kaiser's lieutenants and has been keeping an eye on her recently so I can't even get her away without having to fight the bastard. And Christine doesn't seem to think I can beat him."
"Wait seriously?" Newter asked incredulously. I nodded and he let out a surprised huff, "Wow, she's got really shit luck huh?"
I let out a humorless laugh, "That's an understatement. She had been getting by during highschool just recruiting people, not taking part in the more extreme parts of the group, but that changed a few weeks ago." I clenched my fist, "Apparently her cousin cottoned on to the fact that Chris wasn't completely down with what they were doing, and wasn't happy about it. He's started to insist she actually take the initiation despite already being a member, and her parents are right the fuck behind him to."
"If she doesn't do it, they'll send her away for 'reconditioning'. Whatever the fuck that means." I spat.
I took a moment to calm down, during which Newter put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I gave him a thankful look, before continuing.
"...I won't lie and say that being with Chris like that doesn't interest me, but there are actually reasons I can't do it." I sighed, leaning my head back against the alley wall as I pulled my hood down to relish in the cool brick behind me, "As fucked as it sounds, I know I'm probably one of the only positives in her life right now. If we got together, there would always be that little voice in the back of my head wondering if I'm just taking advantage of her. It would be so easy to do, and I don't want to use her that way."
"Then don't." Emily said softly.
"It's not that simple though." I said tiredly.
"I think it is." She said right back and I blinked at the words, spoken so confidently. Emily gave me an intense look, somehow visible even underneath the shaded material of her mask, "If you don't want to take advantage of her, then don't. Just because you're one of her main pillars of support at the moment doesn't mean you have to take advantage of that fact. Not every power dynamic has to be acted on, and the fact that you were even worried about that in the first place makes me think it's unlikely you'd do it even by accident."
"So what? I should just start dating her right after we became friends again?" I asked sarcastically, turning my eyes to Newter as he chimed in.
"Why not? Sure, you guys probably aren't gonna be exactly like you were before she joined the Empire, but you could be better. You aren't a bad person Val, and from what you've told me, your friend kinda needs something good in her life right about now. That something could be you." Newter then shrugged, "Or don't say anything. Comfort in familiarity and all that. If you don't think you're ready for a relationship with her or that one wouldn't be healthy for you guys, then she should understand that. That's what friends do."
I didn't know what to say to that. I just stared at him for a long moment, eyes wide at the words spewing from my laidback friend's mouth, "When the fuck did you two become so damn wise?" I demanded
Emily just shrugged, while Newter's soft smile shifted into a much more familiar smirk. He leaned back, propping himself up with his tail as he put his arms behind his head with a sigh, "I'm stuffed full of wisdom baby. Not my fault you guys are incapable of seeing it."
I rolled my eyes, feeling much lighter than I had mere moments ago, "Yeah, sure thing man. I'll remember that the next time you forget to take your bagel bites out of the oven and nearly set the kitchen on fire."
"It only happened once!"
"Three times actually." I corrected, "Just because Gregor caught them before they actually lit up, doesn't mean they wouldn't have." I turned to Emily, giving her a serious look, "If you see Newter in the kitchen, make sure to alert whoever is close by. He's more of a fire hazard than your spit."
She gave me a serious nod, "Will do. I'll also make sure to check the fire extinguishers when we get back home. They might be expired."
"You both suck."
That set Emily and I off, and I had to place a bracing hand on the wall behind me to stay standing from the force of my laughter. Newter eventually joined us, giving some soft chuckles of his own at the friendly ribbing.
It was somewhat freeing to laugh like this. The weight that had been on my shoulders for the past few days had lightened quite a bit.
"...Thank you." I said sincerely as our laughter died off, giving them both smiles as I pulled my hood back over my head, "Both of you. You guys really helped me get my head on straight."
"That's what we're here for." Emily nodded happily. Before looking away slightly, "Well that, and this job pays really well."
I smirked, remembering a fun little tidbit, "Are you sure it isn't because you enjoy staring at-"
I cut myself short, whipping my head to the side as I was interrupted by the sounds of shattering glass over a block away, quickly followed by a loud boom and numerous screams. The sudden shift in mood was drastic, going from light-hearted to serious in an instant as The three of us sped from the alley. We looked towards the noise and found a crowd of people rushing towards us, panic and terror plain on their faces, "What the hell?" Newter muttered in surprise.
Reaching out, I grabbed a teen with way too many zippers on his clothes as he ran past me, pulling him towards me to be heard over the steadily loudening din of screams. He gave me a panicked look as I pulled him in, jerking his arm in an attempt to get out of my grip, "Let go!" he shouted, pulling away so hard I was worried his arm was going to be torn from his socket.
I placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, keeping him still to prevent him from hurting himself against my steel body, "Calm down dude! We aren't gonna hurt you, we just want to know what's going on!"
"It's the Teeth!" He yelled out, fear on his face, "They came out of nowhere a-and just started breaking things and beating people up for no reason! There weren't many of them at first, only two with costumes and a few grunts, but then more appeared out of nowhere wearing the same costume as one of the capes!"
That sounded like Spree. From what I recalled, his power allowed him to make a shitton of clones. Must be great at parties with a trick like that.
"A-are you guys heroes?" The teen asked hopefully, taking in our costumes with wary hopefulness.
I looked over to my companions, finding them both looking towards me for what to do next which was… odd. When the hell did I become the one who decided what to do?
Either way, I had been given apparent command and I needed to figure out our next move. Let's see… the Teeth were much more bloodthirsty than most gangs, and as such would need to be treated with much more caution.
Spree was already a known entity in the possible fight, but Newter's own powers basically hard countered his own and Spitfire's did as well. That left the other one to contend with. I racked my mind in an attempt to think of the Teeth's current members and their powers.
There was Vex, a Shaker with the ability to create a field of miniature, razor-sharp force fields in a radius around her, I could probably deal with her. There was Hemorrhagia, a hemokinetic with limited biokinesis in that she could also control her own blood, once again, I could probably deal with her. There was Reaver who I honestly had no clue about, and Animos, a Changer who could temporarily shut off powers with his voice; that could be a problem. And finally, there was Butcher XIV, formerly Quarrel.
Needless to say, none of us were fighting that crazy bitch.
Other than that, there wasn't really anybody in the Teeth that the three of us shouldn't be able to deal with together barring maybe Animos, but I doubted his power would even work on Newter in the first place. That left the most important question, why should we bother?
Well, we were currently in a contract with Accord, which meant that it would likely be beneficial to do whatever we could to be seen in a good light. Stopping a riot by the Teeth in the Ambassador's territory was an extremely good way to do that. Accord's office and main building was pretty far away from our current location, and from what I knew he didn't employ any Movers so it wasn't likely anyone would get here in a reasonable length of time.
Not only that, but Charleston was rarely patrolled by the Protectorate due to how orderly Accord himself tended to keep things. That meant that the actual heroes wouldn't be arriving for several minutes at the very least. And judging by the growing sounds of destruction down the street, a few minutes would be too long. There was no telling who might be hurt in that time and we were basically already right there. Hmm…
I looked back towards my team, inclining my head towards the growing destruction. Newter answered with an eager smile, while Emily just shrugged. Good enough for me.
I looked back to the teen who was watching our exchange with some confusion. I clapped him on the shoulder, careful not to use too much force and accidentally break it, "Well, we aren't usually heroes. But it looks like we're changing career paths for a little bit. Lucky you."
He looked a little lost as I let him go, staring at me with a confused expression. I gave him a shooing motion, urging him into fleeing once more, before turning back to my friends.
"Alright folks, looks like we've got some heads to bust if we're gonna keep our contractor happy. Are you ready for this?"
Somewhat eager expressions were all I got in response, and I grinned in response, feeling a bit of anticipation well up inside of me, "Then let's get to it!"
A good fight was just what I needed to get my mind off of all that heavy stuff we had just talked about.
Next several chapters available for Patrons!
Contract 3.3
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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It didn't take the three of us long to reach the chaos, and less than a minute of brisk jogging later we came upon the rampaging parahumans responsible for the mess.
The teen had been telling the truth, it was the Teeth, though there were only two of them it seemed, the unpowered grunts that he had mentioned nowhere to be found. My earlier assumption had been right as Spree was indeed present. The man was currently using his clones to wreck the inside of an electronics store, a veritable crowd of the same person smashing whatever they could get their hands on until they slumped to the floor, quickly replaced by another of their number.
To my relief, it seemed that the only other cape present was one I should be able to handle. Hemorrhagia was currently painting a wall with her blood, seemingly intent on making sure every tingle bit of the liquid worked itself into the brickwork, making it nearly impossible to remove. Underneath her feet was a pool of the crimson liquid, likely having emanated from the empty blood packs attached to her belt as she used them to replenish her supply.
I looked around, noting a single person on the ground nearby the rampaging capes. I couldn't tell their gender or whether they were just unconscious or dead due to the sheer amount of blood covering their bodies thanks to Hemorrhagia, but I simply put it out of my mind as we approached the Teeth. If they were dead there was nothing we could do for them and if they weren't, then the only thing we could do was stop them from getting hurt any more.
With that thought in mind, I stepped forward in front of my friends, raising my voice as I called out to the anarchist gang members, "I'd knock that off if I were you!" I brought attention to myself, "I doubt the owners of that fine establishment would much appreciate the amount of property damage you seem so intent on inflicting!"
That got their attention and both of the cape's eyes shot away from their current tasks to face us. Scowls came to Hemorrhagia's face as she took in our costumes, while Spree looked much more calm about our sudden appearance.
"Who the fuck are you?" Hemorrhagia called out, blood spinning around her slowly as she turned away from her macabre painting. She walked up to stand by the original Spree, glaring at us for interrupting her fun, "You guys heroes or something?"
"If they are, they aren't from Boston." Spree said, looking us up and down, "I've never heard of a lizard monster roaming around the city, nevermind the other two. Probably out-of-towners or something."
A grin came to Hemorrhagia's face, "That so? Well then, they must be ignorant or idiots to not know you don't fuck with the Teeth." She taunted. As she spoke, some of them blood circling her flowed onto her body, forming what looked like heavy scabs over the surface of her exposed skin. Some sort of makeshift armor?
Either way, it looked like we were getting right into it, and I could feel myself tense in preparation as Spree stepped forward in front of his companion, breaking into a light jog towards us. Only a second or two later, a large crowd of clones burst forth from Spree's body, surging towards us on stumbling feet. Spitfire immediately burst into action, bringing a hand to her mask and undoing a small latch, exposing her lips.
A torrent of burning liquid burst forth from her lips, splattering on the concrete in front of the rushing clones where it sizzled and popped with heat. Spree himself stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing the liquid warily and while his clones tried to do the same their momentum was too much and they only succeeded in tripping over one another. Directly into the flames.
Screams of agony rang out and the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh as the clones were immolated moments before their functions ceased altogether, going brain dead as their bodies sizzled in the pits in the concrete that Spitfire's power had created. My nose wrinkled at the foul smell that emerged and I couldn't help but look away from the slightly ghastly scene.
Spitfire herself was clearly unsettled by it judging by the way she was staring at the pit, not moving a single centimeter and looking like she was frozen in time. I set a hand on her shoulder, giving her a look, "You gonna be alright?" I asked her seriously, "Newter and I should be able to handle it if you can't."
She didn't respond for a moment, before she slowly shook her head, "No. No, I can handle it, I was just a bit surprised. I've never actually hit someone with my power before so it was a little… unsettling." She
I kept looking at her for another moment before giving an assenting nod, "Alright, here's how we'll do it. You and Newter will handle Spree and I'll take care of miss heavy flow over there. Between the two of you, his clones shouldn't be too difficult to deal with and her blood shouldn't be able to pierce my skin."
The two of them nodded, "Be careful Aspect." Newter said as he turned to face Spree with Spitfire, "Don't let her get the drop on you."
"Pshh, as if." I called as I turned to the woman, the sounds of shouting sounding out behind me as Spree sent out more clones, "Get the drop on me, does he even know who he's talking to?"
"A dumb bitch who's in over her head?" Hemorrhagia called tauntingly. Her blood was swirling around her faster now, what was left of it after making her armor at least.
I raised an eyebrow at her taunt, "Just for that, I'll make this quick." I said, darting down to place my fingers on the ground and activating my power. Just like I had done numerous times before, I spread my presence towards her, shooting it forward and urging the concrete underneath her feet to soften and cause her to sink into it.
Instead of panicking and sinking downwards like all of my other opponents however, the blood floating around Hemorrhagia rocketed downwards and soared underneath her feet. It expanded on the softened concrete, creating a wide platform that increased the surface area she was standing on and stopped her from sinking before she even began in the first place.
That… was mildly concerning. I had been hoping to end the fight before it actually started.
She laughed at my look of surprise, "That trick might work on those idiots back in your city, but we're not some newbie gang! We've been in business for nearly as long as you've been alive!" She suddenly sprung forward off of her platform, feet thudding along the concrete as she escaped my power, before she suddenly began rushing towards me.
"You're just another cocky rookie! I'm going to enjoy gutting you, you stupid bitch!" Hemorrhagia laughed as she darted towards me. Blood coalesced around her arms, leaking from the various scabs along her forearms to form semi-large darts in mid air. She threw her arms forward, sending them flying towards me with intent to pierce through me.
I cursed in my head as I stood, activating my power and hot swapping my material to match the steel weave of my costume. The darts reached me and, knowing that my hardened body would be able to stand up to the assault, I merely ran through it. The impacts of the sharpened blood felt like particularly hard pinches on my body as I rushed forward, splashing into the air around me and floating unnaturally as I left them in the wake of my charge.
I had exactly zero ranged options apart from the trick I had tried earlier. Hemorrhagia on the other hand, had no such limitations. If I wanted to win against the other cape, I would have to keep this fight where I preferred it, close range.
I brought an arm up as Hemorrhagia reached me, blocking her first strike with the steel limb before lashing out with my other hand, narrowing my eyes as she danced out of the way with ease. We began trading blows, and immediately I was glad that I hadn't stopped my training. Despite her powers, the woman was no slouch when it came to close range combat and I was hard pressed to keep up as she danced around my strikes and forced me to block her own, laughing all the while.
Knowing that making the woman bleed in any way would probably be a bad play, I morphed my hands into metal hammer, keeping to strictly blunt damage in our fight. I didn't know if she could manipulate her blood when it was still under her skin, but bruises and broken bones were much preferred to scrapes and cuts when it came to a hemokinetic.
With every punch and wave of her arms came a surge of the blood that was hovering around her body, stroking at me with just as much if not more force than the woman herself was striking with. It wasn't actually damaging me all that much, merely rebounding off of my armored costume and skin, but it was certainly keeping me from regaining my balance and making the fight much harder than it normally would have been.
Still, soon enough we got into a normal rhythm, blocking and dodging each other's attacks as we both tried to gain the upper hand. As we fought, I opened my mouth to ask a question that had been on my mind.
"So why are the Teeth in Charlston?" I asked, grunting at a strike that slammed into my guard, "Don't you know this is Accord's turf?"
Hemorrhagia scoffed, dodging under a swing of my hammer and striking out ineffectually at my body, "Accord? That guy thinks he's hot shit just because he's got a tiny slice of territory in Boston. Thinks that his little team of sycophants will keep us out! We're the fucking TEETH! We go where we please and do what we please, and that fucker's had it too good for too long! It's about time we reminded him who's really top dog in this city."
So that's what this was, more typical gang dickmeasuring. How uninteresting. Well whatever, I wasn't even honestly interested in it in the first place, I was just asking out of curiosity. And now that it had been sated, I could focus on our fight.
I swung my hammer with much more force than before and Hemorrhagia blocked the blow with a shield of blood, my morphed hand smashing into it with an oddly wet sounding clang before the woman deflected it off to the side, causing me to stumble slightly. The woman acted on the opening, blood swirling into a large spike that she held in her other hand as she thrust it towards my exposed middle.
I managed to dodge it by twisting on my heel, spinning around the blow and using the momentum to bring my hammer towards her side once more. She slipped backwards, dodging just out of range of my weapon, before darting back in to strike at my exposed legs which I just barely blocked with my other hand.
Our fight continued in the same vein for a while, blocking and dodging, before I finally decided I had had enough. A plan quickly formulated in my mind, a bit simple but hopefully effective, and on the next swing of my hammer, I put it into action, swigging my hammer once more, this time with a different idea in mind.
As she went to block the hammer with her blood shield, I suddenly shifted my hand, morphing the hammer into a large hook that I used to grab onto the shield. I pulled with all my strength, sending her stumbling towards me with wide eyes as I reared back my other arm, still in its hammer form.
It slammed into Hemorrhagia's chest with incredible force, cracking the bones that comprised her armor as she let out a gasp of pain. I let go with my hook, letting her go flying several feet away as I followed up on my strike.
She landed on the ground with a grunt of pain and her hand immediately came up to clutch at her middle. I grinned slightly as she tried to immediately get back to her feet only to double over slightly at the feeling in her abdomen.
"You know," I began as I approached her. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of Newter and Spitfire wrapping up their own fight, Spree's powerful cursing sounding in my ears. I looked back to find him having retreated a fair distance away from both of my friends, resorting to just flinging clones at them that were quickly dispatched, "I may be a rookie, but I'm three and oh for cape fights so far. I'd like to think I'm doing pretty good." I turned back to her, grinning smugly as she raised herself up on her elbows to give me a pained glare.
I stepped forwards, more taunting words on my lips that I would never be able to get out as I was interrupted.
There was a loud noise, like a mix of a bear's roar and a dog's bark, and as it rang in my ears I suddenly stumbled as a wave of fatigue washed over me, sinking deep into my bones as my eyes drooped slightly from the force of it. I looked down at myself, shock filling my suddenly dazed mind as I took in my suddenly normal skin and costume.
My powers had been turned off against my will. That meant…
I whipped my head in the direction the noise had come from, my eyes immediately locking onto the form crouched in a nearby alley, hidden from sight. It was massive, standing on four legs and looking like some sort of messed up dog, only much more alien in appearance. As I watched, it slowly closed its still-open mouth, panting from the exertion the scream had apparently wrought on it. Its eyes stared into my own with a startling amount of intelligence for what was seemingly an animal, and it didn't take long to put two and two together on the thing's identity.
Animos, a Changer with a power nullifying scream. And he had just used that scream to disable the only thing keeping Hemorrhagia from impaling me like she had been trying to do our entire fight. Fuck.
Hemorrhagia immediately jumped on the opportunity that Animos had given her. Blood coalesced quicker than it ever had before, morphing into a thin, sharp spike that she sent flying towards me at blinding speeds. I wasn't able to dodge it from such close range, and as such the only thing I could do was limit the damage it might cause. I turned my body, positioning my arm in front of my ribs and hoping that the mesh there was thick enough to prevent it from digging in too deeply.
I grunted in pain as the thin spike cut straight through my costume and the protective layer underneath, piercing into my shoulder. She immediately followed up on her attack, throwing several more spikes at me and forcing me to leap to the side in order to dodge.
Knowing that there was no way I would be able to defend myself for long against a more constant assault, I darted backwards, dodging two more spikes sent flying after me and dove behind a car, crouching behind the thickest part of it. I panted as the darts slammed into the car with a thud, bringing my hand to my shoulder and immediately wincing at the throbbing pain my probing fingers produced. The hole in my costume was leaking blood at an alarming rate so the wound must have been fairly deep.
I snapped my head to the side as movement caught my eyes, and was met with the terrified gaze of a woman covered in blood. She looked like she was about to cry as I caught sight of her, and I realized that this must be the civilian that was caught by the Teeth's attack. I had completely forgotten about her.
I cursed as I heard Hemorrhagia's laughter, the woman no doubt having recovered from my attack by now. Knowing that I wouldn't have long until Hemorrhagia followed up on her attack, and also knowing that she likely wasn't above harming a random civilian just to spite me, I retrieved my knife from its holster, gripping it in bloodsoaked fingers as footsteps rapidly approached the car I was hiding behind. I would have to defend us both it seemed.
I shot to my feet as she rounded the car, blood floating around her as she locked eyes with the woman beside me. She smiled at the scream of fear that the woman beside me let out and I grimaced, tightening my grip on the knife.
Just as she shot herself forward, a feral grin on her face as I brought my weapon up in defense, a massive object slammed into her side, sending her flying away with a shout. She skidded along the ground for a moment, leaving a trail of what I hoped was residual blood from scabs, before she stopped. She was helped to her feet by Spree who she had landed near, and turned a glare on the person responsible for flinging her away.
Said person turned out to be a large, bulky teenager made completely out of metal. He was completely hairless and his dusky skin glinted in the sun as he relaxed his posture from his admittedly impressive shoulder check. He turned to me with a slightly questioning gaze, and I immediately recognized him as one of the few Case-53's who joined up with the Protectorate, Weld.
He gave me a light nod, before turning his gaze to the whimpering woman behind me. He took her in with an analyzing glance, during which two other costumed teens who I didn't recognize came up to his side. The first was a tall male wearing black spandex with light blue decals that made the outfit look slightly futuristic as they glowed softly, either from simple LEDs or his powers. His hands were covered in fingerless gloves similar to my own, likely a power requirement like myself. He was wearing a simple domino mask, allowing his bright blond hair and green eyes to be visible.
The other teen was wearing bulky armor that was made out of a material I couldn't place. It was varying shades bright orange and red with white lines in key areas such as the belt and places on her thighs and elbows. Unlike her compatriot, she was wearing a full helmet that only allowed her mouth to be visible, the face of the thing made out of what appeared to be a dark type of glass or plastic.
Weld turned to his compatriots the moment they got close, "Jazz, you're on clone duty. Hotshot, if they get through, you take care of them. Let's get this over and done with quickly." He ordered.
"I'll take care of it." "Got it boss." The aforementioned teens nodded their agreement..
"Who's this?" Jazz looked at me curiously, taking in my costume.
"I'm not sure, but she was defending this woman when I tackled Hemorrhagia, so she's probably on our side." Weld said, looking over at me with a questioning eyebrow raise.
I nodded my agreement, "Pretty much, though I think I'll let you guys take it from here. I'm tapped out for today. Animos's power and mine don't mix very well apparently." Seemed that being turned back to normal against my will wasn't something that my powers were particularly happy with. Now that I wasn't in mortal danger, I was feeling extremely lethargic, like I had hot swapped many more times than I actually had in the fight with Hemorrhagia. It wasn't a great feeling.
"I can get the lady out of your guy's way if you want." I offered, looking back at said woman who was much more calm than she had been before. Guess the appearance of actual heroes helped quite a bit, "My team and I can watch over her while you do what you have to do."
Weld gave me a considering glance as Newter and Spitfire returned to my side. They gave me concerned looks that I just waved off as I waited for Weld's answer. Eventually he nodded, "Alright, I'd appreciate that. Keep her back but don't leave the area completely. We still need to talk."
I nodded, "Will do. Come on ma'am, let's get a bit further back away from the action, yeah?" I held a hand out for her to take. She gave me a slightly fearful glance, looking at Weld who nodded reassuringly. That was seemingly enough for her and she grabbed my hand, letting me haul her up and pull her with me as my friend's and I fell back to a safer area to watch the conflict that was about to start.
Unlike what I had come to expect from the heroes in Brockton Bay, these Wards seemed to have their priorities in order. Weld and his compatriots immediately stood in between Teeth and the woman who was with the three of us, watching the proceedings with a healthy amount of fear. Seems the civvies were smarter here too, back in the Bay they'd be recording or something equally idiotic.
The three Teeth members stood together, Animos having shifted back to his human form once more, and watched the new arrivals warily. Spree grit his teeth angrily and my sharp eyes caught sight of a large burn scar on his forearm. Seemed like he had gotten a little to close to Spitfire, "Great, the fucking tiny teen wonder force is here. Why don't you three just fuck off and leave us to our business? This doesn't concern you."
"When your actions endanger the lives of civilians, it always concerns us, Spree." Weld said seriously, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
Spree just scoffed, clenching his fists, "You heroes need to learn to stay in your own lane!" He yelled, sending out a surge of angry clones towards the heroes.
"Jazz." Weld nodded at the Ward wearing the black costume but he was already in motion. He placed his hands on the ground as the clones approached rapidly. A field of bright blue expanded outwards towards the clones and the moment it reached them they stopped dead in their tracks, seizing like they were being electrocuted.
Which, upon closer inspection, they were. The field that Jazz had set up was causing the clones to spark and sizzle as what was likely hundreds of volts of electricity ran through their body. It seemed that much like Spitfire, the Ward had the perfect power to counter Spree's clones. Guess that was why Weld had given him the duty.
The Teeth seemed to realize that as well, and it was Animos who apparently made the connection that the other two didn't. He reached up to put a hand on Hemorrhagia's shoulder.
"Let's just go you two. They clearly knew who they were going to be dealing with." Animos said, eying Weld distastefully, "That metal kid is a Case-53. My powers won't work on him, and non of us can even touch the red one."
"Please," Hemorrhagia snorted, shrugging off Animos's hand as blood gathered around her once more, "I ain't running from a bunch of fucking kids!" She reared her hands back before flinging them forward, sending all of the blood she had gathered soaring at us in the shape of dozens of deadly spears.
I prepared to move in front of my friends and the woman to block them despite Animos's presence, only to be interrupted by our heroic guests, "Hotshot," Weld looked to the teen wearing bright red, "Can you take care of it?" He received a grin in return.
As the sharpened blood soared towards the heroes, Hotshot ran forward even as the other two heroes ran backwards until they were next to us once more. She was completely fearless as she stopped several meters in front of us, directly in the path of the blood spears that Hemorrhagia had thrown.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Spitfire asked Weld, clearly concerned for the other teen's wellbeeing.
Weld just nodded, gesturing towards his teammate, "She'll be fine. Just watch."
I did so and was stunned as the moment the blood reached her, Hotshot burst into towering white and red flames. They were so hot and vibrant that they were nearly too bright to look at, and I was just barely able to catch sight of the blood Hemorrhagia had thrown at us evaporating into thin air. Even from several meters away, it felt like I was standing directly in front of a campfire and sweat immediately appeared on my brow from the heat.
It was over in an instant, and like a candle being snuffed out, the flames disappeared and Hotshot once again stood in their place. The now smirking cape put her hands on her hips, cocking her head at Hemorrhagia, "Got another one in ya?" She openly taunted the scowling woman.
Hemorrhagia snarled, preparing to do just that, but was stopped by Animos jerking her backwards. She glared at him and he glared right back, "We don't have time to watch you get into a dick measuring contest with a teenager. If we get caught, Butcher isn't going to do jack to spring us out, let's go." He urged.
Hemorrhagia looked like she was ready to completely disregard his words, but instead spat a large glob of blood on the ground, looking disgusted, "Whatever. Next time I'm gonna fucking kill that bitch though."
Animos didn't respond, instead changing shame into the four legged creature once more. He darted away, Hemorrhagia and Spree following close behind, though not before the woman threw a nasty glare back at me. I gave her a small wave in return, grinning as she scowled even harder.
"You're just gonna let them go?" Newter asked Weld curiously as we watched the three Teeth members disappear into an alley.
"Sometimes it's better to just let them escape if it prevents more damage being done." Weld explained, "And besides, even if we did capture them, they'd be out in a week. Despite what Animos was saying, Butcher won't just let three of her capes get caught without some sort of retaliation."
I nodded at the explanation. Butcher was a crazy powerful bitch (emphasis on the crazy) but even she couldn't take on the entire city by herself. She needed the rest of the Teeth, so three members of her gang's cape roster being locked up wouldn't sit well with her. She'd probably do more damage busting them out than they did here.
Speaking of which.
"You gonna let us go too?" I turned to Weld, taking acute notice of the way both my friends shifted to stand behind me as we faced the heroes. I didn't really want to fight another cape, much less one with powers so similar to my own. The wound in my shoulder was starting to ache even more as the adrenaline faded from my body, pulsing with pain every time I shifted my arm. That, combined with my waning stamina from the forceful shift back to normal, was going to make fighting more than a little difficult.
The two non-metal heroes turned to look at Weld, clearly referring to him on his decision. He looked us over, paying special attention to Newter to my left. "You three, you're Faultline's crew aren't you?" He asked rhetorically, "We got info you were in the city. I'm surprised we only just now ran into you."
"We've been lying low. Contract doesn't permit that much noise and we aren't particularly keen on stirring the pot around here." I shrugged, immediately wincing in pain, "We just figured it would be bad manners to let the Teeth run amok in our contractor's territory so we stepped in."
"Ah, Accord is it? I guess that makes sense." Weld connected the dots. He looked around, taking in the destruction, specifically the holes that Spitfire's fire had melted into the cement, "I should honestly thank you for keeping the property damage to a minimum. A few holes in the pavement is nothing compared to what we usually have to deal with after a fight with the Teeth. The civilian wasn't hurt from your fight from what I can tell which is also good."
Spitfire gave a nervous shrug, "Sorry, I can't control how hot it comes out."
Weld waved her off, "Like I said, it's fine. This road was due to be repaved anyway, you probably just sped up the city's timetable by a few months." He gave Hotshot a gesture that I couldn't decipher, before turning back to me as the teen made her way over to the bloodsoaked woman standing off to the side, "To answer your question, you three are free to go as well. The Boston PRT has a working agreement with capes like you. Keep your heads down and you'll receive no trouble from us."
That about lined up with what Faultline had said. I watched as Hotshot checked the woman over for any serious wounds, asking her quiet questions that were answered before apparently deciding that there was nothing too serious.
"Still, I don't want any trouble from your crew while you are in the city." Weld spoke seriously,"We're willing to overlook some things, but don't try to stretch our good nature too far. Understood?"
"You got it chief, no trouble from us! No sir!" Newter saluted the other teen, and I giggled as Weld gave a light sigh at the other monster cape's antics.
"Alright then, that's good to hear. Now get out of here. The actual police should be showing up any time now and I don't want them reporting back to my superiors about you being here before I do." He waved us off, moving to ask the woman his own questions as Hotshot pulled out a small device and began talking into it.
"Don't have to tell us twice." I nodded, turning away from the man as sirens wailed in the near distance, "Come on guys. Let's go report back so we can get yelled at by the boss lady." I said, only slightly joking.
"Ooh, that's my favorite activity." Newter said as we began walking back. Spitfire just sighed, "Why couldn't I have been recruited by Gregor? At least then I wouldn't have to hang out with you two all the time."
Even with the throbbing in my shoulder and the impending talking to I was going to get from Melanie, I couldn't help but laugh as Newter slung an arm around her shoulder, "You know you love us, Spit."
"Against my better judgment." She relented, "And stop calling me that damnit!"
~~~
Melanie certainly wasn't happy with our actions, and did indeed give us an earful. Luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, as our actions had scored some good will with Accord when he had learned what happened. Limiting the damage that the Teeth had caused in his territory was a good deed in his book, and he had commended us for our efforts, albeit telling us to inform him before taking such actions in the future.
Now, after getting a stern speech about checking in with her before fighting murderous capes from my boss, I was back in my room, looking over the damage I had received. The wound that Hemorrhagia had given was actually pretty damn deep which explained why it hurt so much. Hemorrhagia's attack had penetrated nearly an inch under the skin, digging into the muscle before I had managed to back off. It would likely require a full immersion to heal.
"I got cocky." I muttered as I slowly massaged the aching area around the wound, "I should have put her out before I started gloating like a fucking idiot."
And that wasn't all, I sighed as I took in the damage to my costume. The hole wasn't large, just big enough to put my little finger through thanks to how thin the spear had been, but it still burned that I had had the damn thing for less than three weeks and already it was damaged. Great.
"Parian isn't going to be happy." I muttered, placing the costume in its box, "I wonder how much a patch job will cost…" Hopefully it wouldn't burn a hole in my pocket. I may not be hurting for money, but that woman was really expensive.
I stretched as I prepared to immerse myself into the building, wincing lightly as my stomach growled loudly. I hadn't eaten all day and it looked like it was catching up to me.
Hmm… Gregor was making some sort of stew that smelled really good right about now, I would need to grab a bowl or three-
*FWOMP*
I froze in my thought as an extremely loud noise akin to an explosion came from directly behind me. I whirled around, wood crawling from my feet to my fists as I raised them up in preparation to defend myself from who or whatever had intruded into my room, only to halt in shock at what I saw.
There, on my previously empty bed, was a girl. She was curled into a ball, shivering periodically with sobs as her clenched eyes trailed tears down her face. Dark purple wisps of energy were fading into the air around her, floating upward from her curled up body to dissipate in the space above the bed. Her hair floated upwards on an unseen breeze, glowing a deep violet that was slowly fading, turning lighter and lighter until it eventually settled on a blue so faded it almost seemed white, while at the same time retaining its floating properties.
As soon as it did so, the girl seemingly snapped out of whatever state she had been in. She shot up, hands coming down to help her rise on my bed. She looked around, seemingly confused at where she had found herself, before her gaze suddenly shot to me as I shifted my weight ever-so slightly. As I went to question her, my words caught in my throat as I took in the girl's all-too familiar face, slightly marred by a bruise around her right eye.
Christine stared up at me, glowing eyes piercing into my own as glistening tears trailed their way down her cheeks, "Valerie… I found you…" Her voice was ethereal, echoing, like she was both right in front of me and somewhere else all at the same time.
Before I got the chance to speak, she shot off the bed, practically flinging herself at me. I braced myself, deactivating my powers to make her landing a bit softer as she slammed into me, wrapping her arms around my body as shuddering gasps began making their way out of her mouth. I winced slightly at the pain in my side at her impact, before bearing with it and wrapping my arms around my friend.
I had no idea what was happening but that didn't matter at the moment, Christine was clearly not okay and I needed to do my best to fix that. There would be time to panic and question her later.
She sobbed into the fabric of my shirt, arms squeezing around me with each pitiful inhale. Her hair floated high above my own head as I placed my chin against her scalp, squeezing her harder as I whispered reassurances into her ears.
Christine suddenly stiffened in my embrace as the door to my room burst open, and I noticed her hair immediately began to darken, rapidly becoming a deeper shade of blue from the pale color it had been. I flicked my eyes sideways to see Newter making his way in, a somewhat panicked look on his face as he did so. Looking past him, I could spy Spitfire in the hallway, looking no less worried.
"Dude, is everything alright in here? We heard a loud bang, did something explo-?" He froze as he caught sight of the girl I was currently comforting, taking in her floating, glowing hair and eyes that stared at him in fear, "Oh…" He said faintly, before quickly shaking himself out of it. He turned, grabbing Spitfire as he went, "We'll go grab Faultline."
I just nodded slowly, looking down at my newly Parahuman best friend as I slowly came to terms with what her new appearance meant and realizing why the girl had been ducking my calls.
"Chris…" I spoke softly, doing my best not to startle the clearly unstable girl. causing her eyes to shoot back up to me. I noticed that her hair had begun fading once more from the color it had become during Newter's entry. I put it out of my mind, "Chris what happened. Did… Who did this?"
I could connect two and two together. My best friend didn't have powers a few days ago and suddenly she was teleporting into my temporary bedroom, a bruise on her face and tears in her eyes. The implications were as plain as day, and just thinking about what might have happened to her made my blood simmer in my veins.
And as she told me the story of what had happened the past few days, that simmer quickly turned into a rolling boil.
Next several chapters available to Patrons
The teen had been telling the truth, it was the Teeth, though there were only two of them it seemed, the unpowered grunts that he had mentioned nowhere to be found. My earlier assumption had been right as Spree was indeed present. The man was currently using his clones to wreck the inside of an electronics store, a veritable crowd of the same person smashing whatever they could get their hands on until they slumped to the floor, quickly replaced by another of their number.
To my relief, it seemed that the only other cape present was one I should be able to handle. Hemorrhagia was currently painting a wall with her blood, seemingly intent on making sure every tingle bit of the liquid worked itself into the brickwork, making it nearly impossible to remove. Underneath her feet was a pool of the crimson liquid, likely having emanated from the empty blood packs attached to her belt as she used them to replenish her supply.
I looked around, noting a single person on the ground nearby the rampaging capes. I couldn't tell their gender or whether they were just unconscious or dead due to the sheer amount of blood covering their bodies thanks to Hemorrhagia, but I simply put it out of my mind as we approached the Teeth. If they were dead there was nothing we could do for them and if they weren't, then the only thing we could do was stop them from getting hurt any more.
With that thought in mind, I stepped forward in front of my friends, raising my voice as I called out to the anarchist gang members, "I'd knock that off if I were you!" I brought attention to myself, "I doubt the owners of that fine establishment would much appreciate the amount of property damage you seem so intent on inflicting!"
That got their attention and both of the cape's eyes shot away from their current tasks to face us. Scowls came to Hemorrhagia's face as she took in our costumes, while Spree looked much more calm about our sudden appearance.
"Who the fuck are you?" Hemorrhagia called out, blood spinning around her slowly as she turned away from her macabre painting. She walked up to stand by the original Spree, glaring at us for interrupting her fun, "You guys heroes or something?"
"If they are, they aren't from Boston." Spree said, looking us up and down, "I've never heard of a lizard monster roaming around the city, nevermind the other two. Probably out-of-towners or something."
A grin came to Hemorrhagia's face, "That so? Well then, they must be ignorant or idiots to not know you don't fuck with the Teeth." She taunted. As she spoke, some of them blood circling her flowed onto her body, forming what looked like heavy scabs over the surface of her exposed skin. Some sort of makeshift armor?
Either way, it looked like we were getting right into it, and I could feel myself tense in preparation as Spree stepped forward in front of his companion, breaking into a light jog towards us. Only a second or two later, a large crowd of clones burst forth from Spree's body, surging towards us on stumbling feet. Spitfire immediately burst into action, bringing a hand to her mask and undoing a small latch, exposing her lips.
A torrent of burning liquid burst forth from her lips, splattering on the concrete in front of the rushing clones where it sizzled and popped with heat. Spree himself stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing the liquid warily and while his clones tried to do the same their momentum was too much and they only succeeded in tripping over one another. Directly into the flames.
Screams of agony rang out and the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh as the clones were immolated moments before their functions ceased altogether, going brain dead as their bodies sizzled in the pits in the concrete that Spitfire's power had created. My nose wrinkled at the foul smell that emerged and I couldn't help but look away from the slightly ghastly scene.
Spitfire herself was clearly unsettled by it judging by the way she was staring at the pit, not moving a single centimeter and looking like she was frozen in time. I set a hand on her shoulder, giving her a look, "You gonna be alright?" I asked her seriously, "Newter and I should be able to handle it if you can't."
She didn't respond for a moment, before she slowly shook her head, "No. No, I can handle it, I was just a bit surprised. I've never actually hit someone with my power before so it was a little… unsettling." She
I kept looking at her for another moment before giving an assenting nod, "Alright, here's how we'll do it. You and Newter will handle Spree and I'll take care of miss heavy flow over there. Between the two of you, his clones shouldn't be too difficult to deal with and her blood shouldn't be able to pierce my skin."
The two of them nodded, "Be careful Aspect." Newter said as he turned to face Spree with Spitfire, "Don't let her get the drop on you."
"Pshh, as if." I called as I turned to the woman, the sounds of shouting sounding out behind me as Spree sent out more clones, "Get the drop on me, does he even know who he's talking to?"
"A dumb bitch who's in over her head?" Hemorrhagia called tauntingly. Her blood was swirling around her faster now, what was left of it after making her armor at least.
I raised an eyebrow at her taunt, "Just for that, I'll make this quick." I said, darting down to place my fingers on the ground and activating my power. Just like I had done numerous times before, I spread my presence towards her, shooting it forward and urging the concrete underneath her feet to soften and cause her to sink into it.
Instead of panicking and sinking downwards like all of my other opponents however, the blood floating around Hemorrhagia rocketed downwards and soared underneath her feet. It expanded on the softened concrete, creating a wide platform that increased the surface area she was standing on and stopped her from sinking before she even began in the first place.
That… was mildly concerning. I had been hoping to end the fight before it actually started.
She laughed at my look of surprise, "That trick might work on those idiots back in your city, but we're not some newbie gang! We've been in business for nearly as long as you've been alive!" She suddenly sprung forward off of her platform, feet thudding along the concrete as she escaped my power, before she suddenly began rushing towards me.
"You're just another cocky rookie! I'm going to enjoy gutting you, you stupid bitch!" Hemorrhagia laughed as she darted towards me. Blood coalesced around her arms, leaking from the various scabs along her forearms to form semi-large darts in mid air. She threw her arms forward, sending them flying towards me with intent to pierce through me.
I cursed in my head as I stood, activating my power and hot swapping my material to match the steel weave of my costume. The darts reached me and, knowing that my hardened body would be able to stand up to the assault, I merely ran through it. The impacts of the sharpened blood felt like particularly hard pinches on my body as I rushed forward, splashing into the air around me and floating unnaturally as I left them in the wake of my charge.
I had exactly zero ranged options apart from the trick I had tried earlier. Hemorrhagia on the other hand, had no such limitations. If I wanted to win against the other cape, I would have to keep this fight where I preferred it, close range.
I brought an arm up as Hemorrhagia reached me, blocking her first strike with the steel limb before lashing out with my other hand, narrowing my eyes as she danced out of the way with ease. We began trading blows, and immediately I was glad that I hadn't stopped my training. Despite her powers, the woman was no slouch when it came to close range combat and I was hard pressed to keep up as she danced around my strikes and forced me to block her own, laughing all the while.
Knowing that making the woman bleed in any way would probably be a bad play, I morphed my hands into metal hammer, keeping to strictly blunt damage in our fight. I didn't know if she could manipulate her blood when it was still under her skin, but bruises and broken bones were much preferred to scrapes and cuts when it came to a hemokinetic.
With every punch and wave of her arms came a surge of the blood that was hovering around her body, stroking at me with just as much if not more force than the woman herself was striking with. It wasn't actually damaging me all that much, merely rebounding off of my armored costume and skin, but it was certainly keeping me from regaining my balance and making the fight much harder than it normally would have been.
Still, soon enough we got into a normal rhythm, blocking and dodging each other's attacks as we both tried to gain the upper hand. As we fought, I opened my mouth to ask a question that had been on my mind.
"So why are the Teeth in Charlston?" I asked, grunting at a strike that slammed into my guard, "Don't you know this is Accord's turf?"
Hemorrhagia scoffed, dodging under a swing of my hammer and striking out ineffectually at my body, "Accord? That guy thinks he's hot shit just because he's got a tiny slice of territory in Boston. Thinks that his little team of sycophants will keep us out! We're the fucking TEETH! We go where we please and do what we please, and that fucker's had it too good for too long! It's about time we reminded him who's really top dog in this city."
So that's what this was, more typical gang dickmeasuring. How uninteresting. Well whatever, I wasn't even honestly interested in it in the first place, I was just asking out of curiosity. And now that it had been sated, I could focus on our fight.
I swung my hammer with much more force than before and Hemorrhagia blocked the blow with a shield of blood, my morphed hand smashing into it with an oddly wet sounding clang before the woman deflected it off to the side, causing me to stumble slightly. The woman acted on the opening, blood swirling into a large spike that she held in her other hand as she thrust it towards my exposed middle.
I managed to dodge it by twisting on my heel, spinning around the blow and using the momentum to bring my hammer towards her side once more. She slipped backwards, dodging just out of range of my weapon, before darting back in to strike at my exposed legs which I just barely blocked with my other hand.
Our fight continued in the same vein for a while, blocking and dodging, before I finally decided I had had enough. A plan quickly formulated in my mind, a bit simple but hopefully effective, and on the next swing of my hammer, I put it into action, swigging my hammer once more, this time with a different idea in mind.
As she went to block the hammer with her blood shield, I suddenly shifted my hand, morphing the hammer into a large hook that I used to grab onto the shield. I pulled with all my strength, sending her stumbling towards me with wide eyes as I reared back my other arm, still in its hammer form.
It slammed into Hemorrhagia's chest with incredible force, cracking the bones that comprised her armor as she let out a gasp of pain. I let go with my hook, letting her go flying several feet away as I followed up on my strike.
She landed on the ground with a grunt of pain and her hand immediately came up to clutch at her middle. I grinned slightly as she tried to immediately get back to her feet only to double over slightly at the feeling in her abdomen.
"You know," I began as I approached her. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of Newter and Spitfire wrapping up their own fight, Spree's powerful cursing sounding in my ears. I looked back to find him having retreated a fair distance away from both of my friends, resorting to just flinging clones at them that were quickly dispatched, "I may be a rookie, but I'm three and oh for cape fights so far. I'd like to think I'm doing pretty good." I turned back to her, grinning smugly as she raised herself up on her elbows to give me a pained glare.
I stepped forwards, more taunting words on my lips that I would never be able to get out as I was interrupted.
There was a loud noise, like a mix of a bear's roar and a dog's bark, and as it rang in my ears I suddenly stumbled as a wave of fatigue washed over me, sinking deep into my bones as my eyes drooped slightly from the force of it. I looked down at myself, shock filling my suddenly dazed mind as I took in my suddenly normal skin and costume.
My powers had been turned off against my will. That meant…
I whipped my head in the direction the noise had come from, my eyes immediately locking onto the form crouched in a nearby alley, hidden from sight. It was massive, standing on four legs and looking like some sort of messed up dog, only much more alien in appearance. As I watched, it slowly closed its still-open mouth, panting from the exertion the scream had apparently wrought on it. Its eyes stared into my own with a startling amount of intelligence for what was seemingly an animal, and it didn't take long to put two and two together on the thing's identity.
Animos, a Changer with a power nullifying scream. And he had just used that scream to disable the only thing keeping Hemorrhagia from impaling me like she had been trying to do our entire fight. Fuck.
Hemorrhagia immediately jumped on the opportunity that Animos had given her. Blood coalesced quicker than it ever had before, morphing into a thin, sharp spike that she sent flying towards me at blinding speeds. I wasn't able to dodge it from such close range, and as such the only thing I could do was limit the damage it might cause. I turned my body, positioning my arm in front of my ribs and hoping that the mesh there was thick enough to prevent it from digging in too deeply.
I grunted in pain as the thin spike cut straight through my costume and the protective layer underneath, piercing into my shoulder. She immediately followed up on her attack, throwing several more spikes at me and forcing me to leap to the side in order to dodge.
Knowing that there was no way I would be able to defend myself for long against a more constant assault, I darted backwards, dodging two more spikes sent flying after me and dove behind a car, crouching behind the thickest part of it. I panted as the darts slammed into the car with a thud, bringing my hand to my shoulder and immediately wincing at the throbbing pain my probing fingers produced. The hole in my costume was leaking blood at an alarming rate so the wound must have been fairly deep.
I snapped my head to the side as movement caught my eyes, and was met with the terrified gaze of a woman covered in blood. She looked like she was about to cry as I caught sight of her, and I realized that this must be the civilian that was caught by the Teeth's attack. I had completely forgotten about her.
I cursed as I heard Hemorrhagia's laughter, the woman no doubt having recovered from my attack by now. Knowing that I wouldn't have long until Hemorrhagia followed up on her attack, and also knowing that she likely wasn't above harming a random civilian just to spite me, I retrieved my knife from its holster, gripping it in bloodsoaked fingers as footsteps rapidly approached the car I was hiding behind. I would have to defend us both it seemed.
I shot to my feet as she rounded the car, blood floating around her as she locked eyes with the woman beside me. She smiled at the scream of fear that the woman beside me let out and I grimaced, tightening my grip on the knife.
Just as she shot herself forward, a feral grin on her face as I brought my weapon up in defense, a massive object slammed into her side, sending her flying away with a shout. She skidded along the ground for a moment, leaving a trail of what I hoped was residual blood from scabs, before she stopped. She was helped to her feet by Spree who she had landed near, and turned a glare on the person responsible for flinging her away.
Said person turned out to be a large, bulky teenager made completely out of metal. He was completely hairless and his dusky skin glinted in the sun as he relaxed his posture from his admittedly impressive shoulder check. He turned to me with a slightly questioning gaze, and I immediately recognized him as one of the few Case-53's who joined up with the Protectorate, Weld.
He gave me a light nod, before turning his gaze to the whimpering woman behind me. He took her in with an analyzing glance, during which two other costumed teens who I didn't recognize came up to his side. The first was a tall male wearing black spandex with light blue decals that made the outfit look slightly futuristic as they glowed softly, either from simple LEDs or his powers. His hands were covered in fingerless gloves similar to my own, likely a power requirement like myself. He was wearing a simple domino mask, allowing his bright blond hair and green eyes to be visible.
The other teen was wearing bulky armor that was made out of a material I couldn't place. It was varying shades bright orange and red with white lines in key areas such as the belt and places on her thighs and elbows. Unlike her compatriot, she was wearing a full helmet that only allowed her mouth to be visible, the face of the thing made out of what appeared to be a dark type of glass or plastic.
Weld turned to his compatriots the moment they got close, "Jazz, you're on clone duty. Hotshot, if they get through, you take care of them. Let's get this over and done with quickly." He ordered.
"I'll take care of it." "Got it boss." The aforementioned teens nodded their agreement..
"Who's this?" Jazz looked at me curiously, taking in my costume.
"I'm not sure, but she was defending this woman when I tackled Hemorrhagia, so she's probably on our side." Weld said, looking over at me with a questioning eyebrow raise.
I nodded my agreement, "Pretty much, though I think I'll let you guys take it from here. I'm tapped out for today. Animos's power and mine don't mix very well apparently." Seemed that being turned back to normal against my will wasn't something that my powers were particularly happy with. Now that I wasn't in mortal danger, I was feeling extremely lethargic, like I had hot swapped many more times than I actually had in the fight with Hemorrhagia. It wasn't a great feeling.
"I can get the lady out of your guy's way if you want." I offered, looking back at said woman who was much more calm than she had been before. Guess the appearance of actual heroes helped quite a bit, "My team and I can watch over her while you do what you have to do."
Weld gave me a considering glance as Newter and Spitfire returned to my side. They gave me concerned looks that I just waved off as I waited for Weld's answer. Eventually he nodded, "Alright, I'd appreciate that. Keep her back but don't leave the area completely. We still need to talk."
I nodded, "Will do. Come on ma'am, let's get a bit further back away from the action, yeah?" I held a hand out for her to take. She gave me a slightly fearful glance, looking at Weld who nodded reassuringly. That was seemingly enough for her and she grabbed my hand, letting me haul her up and pull her with me as my friend's and I fell back to a safer area to watch the conflict that was about to start.
Unlike what I had come to expect from the heroes in Brockton Bay, these Wards seemed to have their priorities in order. Weld and his compatriots immediately stood in between Teeth and the woman who was with the three of us, watching the proceedings with a healthy amount of fear. Seems the civvies were smarter here too, back in the Bay they'd be recording or something equally idiotic.
The three Teeth members stood together, Animos having shifted back to his human form once more, and watched the new arrivals warily. Spree grit his teeth angrily and my sharp eyes caught sight of a large burn scar on his forearm. Seemed like he had gotten a little to close to Spitfire, "Great, the fucking tiny teen wonder force is here. Why don't you three just fuck off and leave us to our business? This doesn't concern you."
"When your actions endanger the lives of civilians, it always concerns us, Spree." Weld said seriously, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
Spree just scoffed, clenching his fists, "You heroes need to learn to stay in your own lane!" He yelled, sending out a surge of angry clones towards the heroes.
"Jazz." Weld nodded at the Ward wearing the black costume but he was already in motion. He placed his hands on the ground as the clones approached rapidly. A field of bright blue expanded outwards towards the clones and the moment it reached them they stopped dead in their tracks, seizing like they were being electrocuted.
Which, upon closer inspection, they were. The field that Jazz had set up was causing the clones to spark and sizzle as what was likely hundreds of volts of electricity ran through their body. It seemed that much like Spitfire, the Ward had the perfect power to counter Spree's clones. Guess that was why Weld had given him the duty.
The Teeth seemed to realize that as well, and it was Animos who apparently made the connection that the other two didn't. He reached up to put a hand on Hemorrhagia's shoulder.
"Let's just go you two. They clearly knew who they were going to be dealing with." Animos said, eying Weld distastefully, "That metal kid is a Case-53. My powers won't work on him, and non of us can even touch the red one."
"Please," Hemorrhagia snorted, shrugging off Animos's hand as blood gathered around her once more, "I ain't running from a bunch of fucking kids!" She reared her hands back before flinging them forward, sending all of the blood she had gathered soaring at us in the shape of dozens of deadly spears.
I prepared to move in front of my friends and the woman to block them despite Animos's presence, only to be interrupted by our heroic guests, "Hotshot," Weld looked to the teen wearing bright red, "Can you take care of it?" He received a grin in return.
As the sharpened blood soared towards the heroes, Hotshot ran forward even as the other two heroes ran backwards until they were next to us once more. She was completely fearless as she stopped several meters in front of us, directly in the path of the blood spears that Hemorrhagia had thrown.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Spitfire asked Weld, clearly concerned for the other teen's wellbeeing.
Weld just nodded, gesturing towards his teammate, "She'll be fine. Just watch."
I did so and was stunned as the moment the blood reached her, Hotshot burst into towering white and red flames. They were so hot and vibrant that they were nearly too bright to look at, and I was just barely able to catch sight of the blood Hemorrhagia had thrown at us evaporating into thin air. Even from several meters away, it felt like I was standing directly in front of a campfire and sweat immediately appeared on my brow from the heat.
It was over in an instant, and like a candle being snuffed out, the flames disappeared and Hotshot once again stood in their place. The now smirking cape put her hands on her hips, cocking her head at Hemorrhagia, "Got another one in ya?" She openly taunted the scowling woman.
Hemorrhagia snarled, preparing to do just that, but was stopped by Animos jerking her backwards. She glared at him and he glared right back, "We don't have time to watch you get into a dick measuring contest with a teenager. If we get caught, Butcher isn't going to do jack to spring us out, let's go." He urged.
Hemorrhagia looked like she was ready to completely disregard his words, but instead spat a large glob of blood on the ground, looking disgusted, "Whatever. Next time I'm gonna fucking kill that bitch though."
Animos didn't respond, instead changing shame into the four legged creature once more. He darted away, Hemorrhagia and Spree following close behind, though not before the woman threw a nasty glare back at me. I gave her a small wave in return, grinning as she scowled even harder.
"You're just gonna let them go?" Newter asked Weld curiously as we watched the three Teeth members disappear into an alley.
"Sometimes it's better to just let them escape if it prevents more damage being done." Weld explained, "And besides, even if we did capture them, they'd be out in a week. Despite what Animos was saying, Butcher won't just let three of her capes get caught without some sort of retaliation."
I nodded at the explanation. Butcher was a crazy powerful bitch (emphasis on the crazy) but even she couldn't take on the entire city by herself. She needed the rest of the Teeth, so three members of her gang's cape roster being locked up wouldn't sit well with her. She'd probably do more damage busting them out than they did here.
Speaking of which.
"You gonna let us go too?" I turned to Weld, taking acute notice of the way both my friends shifted to stand behind me as we faced the heroes. I didn't really want to fight another cape, much less one with powers so similar to my own. The wound in my shoulder was starting to ache even more as the adrenaline faded from my body, pulsing with pain every time I shifted my arm. That, combined with my waning stamina from the forceful shift back to normal, was going to make fighting more than a little difficult.
The two non-metal heroes turned to look at Weld, clearly referring to him on his decision. He looked us over, paying special attention to Newter to my left. "You three, you're Faultline's crew aren't you?" He asked rhetorically, "We got info you were in the city. I'm surprised we only just now ran into you."
"We've been lying low. Contract doesn't permit that much noise and we aren't particularly keen on stirring the pot around here." I shrugged, immediately wincing in pain, "We just figured it would be bad manners to let the Teeth run amok in our contractor's territory so we stepped in."
"Ah, Accord is it? I guess that makes sense." Weld connected the dots. He looked around, taking in the destruction, specifically the holes that Spitfire's fire had melted into the cement, "I should honestly thank you for keeping the property damage to a minimum. A few holes in the pavement is nothing compared to what we usually have to deal with after a fight with the Teeth. The civilian wasn't hurt from your fight from what I can tell which is also good."
Spitfire gave a nervous shrug, "Sorry, I can't control how hot it comes out."
Weld waved her off, "Like I said, it's fine. This road was due to be repaved anyway, you probably just sped up the city's timetable by a few months." He gave Hotshot a gesture that I couldn't decipher, before turning back to me as the teen made her way over to the bloodsoaked woman standing off to the side, "To answer your question, you three are free to go as well. The Boston PRT has a working agreement with capes like you. Keep your heads down and you'll receive no trouble from us."
That about lined up with what Faultline had said. I watched as Hotshot checked the woman over for any serious wounds, asking her quiet questions that were answered before apparently deciding that there was nothing too serious.
"Still, I don't want any trouble from your crew while you are in the city." Weld spoke seriously,"We're willing to overlook some things, but don't try to stretch our good nature too far. Understood?"
"You got it chief, no trouble from us! No sir!" Newter saluted the other teen, and I giggled as Weld gave a light sigh at the other monster cape's antics.
"Alright then, that's good to hear. Now get out of here. The actual police should be showing up any time now and I don't want them reporting back to my superiors about you being here before I do." He waved us off, moving to ask the woman his own questions as Hotshot pulled out a small device and began talking into it.
"Don't have to tell us twice." I nodded, turning away from the man as sirens wailed in the near distance, "Come on guys. Let's go report back so we can get yelled at by the boss lady." I said, only slightly joking.
"Ooh, that's my favorite activity." Newter said as we began walking back. Spitfire just sighed, "Why couldn't I have been recruited by Gregor? At least then I wouldn't have to hang out with you two all the time."
Even with the throbbing in my shoulder and the impending talking to I was going to get from Melanie, I couldn't help but laugh as Newter slung an arm around her shoulder, "You know you love us, Spit."
"Against my better judgment." She relented, "And stop calling me that damnit!"
~~~
Melanie certainly wasn't happy with our actions, and did indeed give us an earful. Luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, as our actions had scored some good will with Accord when he had learned what happened. Limiting the damage that the Teeth had caused in his territory was a good deed in his book, and he had commended us for our efforts, albeit telling us to inform him before taking such actions in the future.
Now, after getting a stern speech about checking in with her before fighting murderous capes from my boss, I was back in my room, looking over the damage I had received. The wound that Hemorrhagia had given was actually pretty damn deep which explained why it hurt so much. Hemorrhagia's attack had penetrated nearly an inch under the skin, digging into the muscle before I had managed to back off. It would likely require a full immersion to heal.
"I got cocky." I muttered as I slowly massaged the aching area around the wound, "I should have put her out before I started gloating like a fucking idiot."
And that wasn't all, I sighed as I took in the damage to my costume. The hole wasn't large, just big enough to put my little finger through thanks to how thin the spear had been, but it still burned that I had had the damn thing for less than three weeks and already it was damaged. Great.
"Parian isn't going to be happy." I muttered, placing the costume in its box, "I wonder how much a patch job will cost…" Hopefully it wouldn't burn a hole in my pocket. I may not be hurting for money, but that woman was really expensive.
I stretched as I prepared to immerse myself into the building, wincing lightly as my stomach growled loudly. I hadn't eaten all day and it looked like it was catching up to me.
Hmm… Gregor was making some sort of stew that smelled really good right about now, I would need to grab a bowl or three-
*FWOMP*
I froze in my thought as an extremely loud noise akin to an explosion came from directly behind me. I whirled around, wood crawling from my feet to my fists as I raised them up in preparation to defend myself from who or whatever had intruded into my room, only to halt in shock at what I saw.
There, on my previously empty bed, was a girl. She was curled into a ball, shivering periodically with sobs as her clenched eyes trailed tears down her face. Dark purple wisps of energy were fading into the air around her, floating upward from her curled up body to dissipate in the space above the bed. Her hair floated upwards on an unseen breeze, glowing a deep violet that was slowly fading, turning lighter and lighter until it eventually settled on a blue so faded it almost seemed white, while at the same time retaining its floating properties.
As soon as it did so, the girl seemingly snapped out of whatever state she had been in. She shot up, hands coming down to help her rise on my bed. She looked around, seemingly confused at where she had found herself, before her gaze suddenly shot to me as I shifted my weight ever-so slightly. As I went to question her, my words caught in my throat as I took in the girl's all-too familiar face, slightly marred by a bruise around her right eye.
Christine stared up at me, glowing eyes piercing into my own as glistening tears trailed their way down her cheeks, "Valerie… I found you…" Her voice was ethereal, echoing, like she was both right in front of me and somewhere else all at the same time.
Before I got the chance to speak, she shot off the bed, practically flinging herself at me. I braced myself, deactivating my powers to make her landing a bit softer as she slammed into me, wrapping her arms around my body as shuddering gasps began making their way out of her mouth. I winced slightly at the pain in my side at her impact, before bearing with it and wrapping my arms around my friend.
I had no idea what was happening but that didn't matter at the moment, Christine was clearly not okay and I needed to do my best to fix that. There would be time to panic and question her later.
She sobbed into the fabric of my shirt, arms squeezing around me with each pitiful inhale. Her hair floated high above my own head as I placed my chin against her scalp, squeezing her harder as I whispered reassurances into her ears.
Christine suddenly stiffened in my embrace as the door to my room burst open, and I noticed her hair immediately began to darken, rapidly becoming a deeper shade of blue from the pale color it had been. I flicked my eyes sideways to see Newter making his way in, a somewhat panicked look on his face as he did so. Looking past him, I could spy Spitfire in the hallway, looking no less worried.
"Dude, is everything alright in here? We heard a loud bang, did something explo-?" He froze as he caught sight of the girl I was currently comforting, taking in her floating, glowing hair and eyes that stared at him in fear, "Oh…" He said faintly, before quickly shaking himself out of it. He turned, grabbing Spitfire as he went, "We'll go grab Faultline."
I just nodded slowly, looking down at my newly Parahuman best friend as I slowly came to terms with what her new appearance meant and realizing why the girl had been ducking my calls.
"Chris…" I spoke softly, doing my best not to startle the clearly unstable girl. causing her eyes to shoot back up to me. I noticed that her hair had begun fading once more from the color it had become during Newter's entry. I put it out of my mind, "Chris what happened. Did… Who did this?"
I could connect two and two together. My best friend didn't have powers a few days ago and suddenly she was teleporting into my temporary bedroom, a bruise on her face and tears in her eyes. The implications were as plain as day, and just thinking about what might have happened to her made my blood simmer in my veins.
And as she told me the story of what had happened the past few days, that simmer quickly turned into a rolling boil.
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