《And All The Sinners Saints (A Family of Anti-Heroes)》


 Prologue- The Demon Saint

    Prologue- The Demon Saint


    --- The Demon Saint ---


    He wasn¡¯t a good man.


    He never lied and told anyone he was, not even himself.


    But even if he wasn¡¯t a good man, that didn¡¯t mean he could let bad things happen so long as he had the power to stop them. And of course when a hero gave him the opportunity to gain more of said power, he took it without a second thought. (Worst mistake of my fucking life.)


    He was beaten, broken, and left for dead. (Not that I was nice enough to die for them.)


    Perhaps that¡¯s why he returned to the place he grew up?


    Everyone who lived in the Way had been beaten, broken, and left for dead by the rest of the city, with spite being the only thing keeping half of them alive. (Just like me¡­)


    And being Sinner¡¯s Way, he hadn¡¯t even been home for a full hour before he came across some asshole who refused to take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.


    Every ¡®hero¡¯ in the city would have beaten the man and called the cops to pick him up. (Not that they¡¯d¡¯ve shown up.) And he¡¯d have been back on the streets bothering another woman the moment his bribe went through to the arresting officer.


    Him? He broke the fuckers legs and smashed his skull open against a brick wall, before walking the poor woman to the local clinic and then back home.


    And after helping that first woman, well he couldn¡¯t stop himself from helping anyone else who needed it. (It was only fair.)


    No matter how many bodies he left in the gutter. (It really is only fair.)


    Of course the gangs took exception to all of the killing even if the cops didn¡¯t and it was just the scum of their various groups rather than anyone important. They still had to protect their street cred after all. (Not that it¡¯s much good when you¡¯re dead.)


    This, this was when people realized he¡¯d been playing nice.


    Seven days, sixty-two bodies, and three dead gangs and they were all but begging him to start playing nice once more. (I politely refused.)


    That was when the crazies tried taking over.


    Every gang worth a damn had a Deviant, and given how many Deviants had no place else to go, the gangs of the Way had more Deviants than usual. And at the tippy-top of these Deviant gangs were the Bosses.


    Crime lords who¡¯d spent years taking over the rest of the city while idly bickering over the Way, since it was the one part of the city where crime was in the very blood of the streets and getting a foothold there was as easy as handing over a fist full of bills. At least until there was more blood than those bills could wipe away.


    And so the gangs started sending Masks after him, people with body counts and rap sheets so vicious and vile that they¡¯d terrify anyone who saw them. (Unless you were twice as vicious as them.)


    For most of these gangs he found leaving their hired Mask¡¯s head gift wrapped on their Boss¡¯s doorstep was enough of an indicator that they should leave the Way to whoever wanted it.


    The rest however kept sending people after him.


    And he kept sending them back. (With a quick detour to the morgue of course.)


    This was the point Vigilance noticed him.


    Vigilance was the city¡¯s hero, the man who stood against the tide of violence and crime that the city spat out on a daily basis. The man who for years waged a one man war on the criminal underground, before eventually inspiring a number of heroes to fight alongside him as his age began to creep up on him.


    The old hero acknowledged that he had done good, that he had protected the innocent from the insane. And for a moment, just a moment, he thought maybe, just maybe they could make things work¡­


    But, but, the old hero wanted him to change. Believed that he was too violent, too dangerous, too unstable despite wanting to make the Way a better place for all of the poor bastards living in that hell hole only they would call home.


    He refused, knowing that not everyone was redeemable, that there were some monsters that needed to be put down for the good of all. Mad dogs that wouldn¡¯t hesitate to rip the throat out of a newborn babe if they thought they could profit.


    The old hero foolishly thought he was talking about himself, told him it wasn¡¯t too late, that he wasn¡¯t too far gone yet, that if learned to control himself he could still become a ¡®good man¡¯.


    ¡­


    Well, like he said, he wasn¡¯t a good man, and he didn¡¯t lie about that.


    Their exchange ended with fists, blood, broken bones, and broken bonds.


    Vigilance never stepped foot in the Way again.


    Not even to warn him about the kill warrant the corrupt government was putting on his head, so that they could start getting their kickbacks from the crime of the Way again.


    This brought a whole new wave of crazies, hunters, and what have you after him. A wave notably more trained than the Masks native to the hell he called home, and dangerous in a whole new way.


    Unfortunately for them, they lacked the vicious stubborn grit that made its way into the blood, body, and soul of even those civilians crazy enough to call it home.


    A grit that was the only thing keeping him alive some days.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to explain to the various corrupt politicians why they should think about receding that kill warrant on him. (Hell, it wasn¡¯t even that hard, just had to leave a few¡­ presents in their beds for them.)


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Undetected.


    At night.


    While they slept in said beds, without realizing he¡¯d been there until they woke up to the face of one of his bounty hunters staring at them with cold dead eyes. (Well, actually it was probably the holographic trading cards I left staring at them.)


    He was very proud when he found out he¡¯d gotten his own trading card. Showed it off to everyone he knew, and bought a dozen of them off the internet despite not actually playing the game they¡¯re for.


    Still, by the end his problem of bounty hunters trying to kill him had largely been sorted out and settled. Though that did little to slow the number of criminals still trying to kill him, (because for some reason everyone thinks that just because I¡¯m not a Deviant that means I¡¯m not a real threat.)


    Honestly, at this point he was pretty sure the token effort to kill him was an attempt by the higher ups to get lucky with one of their grunts lucking out and offing him for good. (Who knows maybe death thirty-seven will actually stick this time?)


    Regardless, for five years this was his life. A life of blood, violence, and vengeance with rare commercial breaks of watching life and hope slowly return to the Sinners walking the streets of the Way.


    It may not have been the best life, but it was his and he was content with it.


    At least until he found a specific someone in need of help. (Whether they realized it or not.)


    Which was of course followed by someone blowing up his house while he was still dealing with that mess. (Because that¡¯s just my fucking luck!)


    --- Mercer ---


    He hit the ground with a heavy thud, and felt his consciousness fading in and out as he tried to hold on.


    In his peripheral he noticed a group of men picking another body off the floor and dragging them into the back of a white van.


    (Fuck that.) He groaned, pushing himself off the ground and forcing himself onto his feet.


    He barely made it two stumbling steps before realizing that his shoulder was too messed up to let him break someone¡¯s face.


    Growling he grabbed his shoulder and forced it back into socket, something that he knew would fuck him up in the long run but keep him going until he could find the missing girl and then a healer to actually fix him.


    Turning his attention back to the now moving van he raised his hand and shot his grappler at it, or rather he would have if the thing hadn¡¯t been damaged in the explosion.


    ¡°Mother fucker!¡± He cursed the machine, ripping it off and throwing it on the ground as it spat out its cables in every direction.


    (No jacket, no guns, no helmet, fucked up body, and now no fucking grappling.) He saved lives in worse condition, but he just knew Betty was going to rip him a new one for going out like this.


    He pushed through the pain and chased after the car on foot, ignoring the way his body screamed with every step as he told it to (shut the fuck up and suck it up, there¡¯s someone in danger!)


    Turning on a street he caught sight of someone being held up at gunpoint despite the fact that there¡¯d been an explosion not even a block over. (Got to fucking love Sinner¡¯s way.)


    Quickly noting which street the van turned down, he rushed the mugger before tackling them to the ground, making sure to grab them by their gun arm first to keep them from shooting the victim. A move that proved necessary when the mugger pulled the trigger and shot the wall as they hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t have time for you, but I¡¯m stealing your gun.¡± He told the mugger as he ripped said gun out of the man¡¯s hand before standing up and stomping the criminal''s skull once.


    Moving once more he idle heard the victim -a working girl, named Sarah- tell him ¡°Thanks Mercer!¡± as he continued down the alley in hopes of catching up with the van.


    Checking the gun as he ran, he pulled out the magazine and did a quick count before nodding to himself. (Fourteen bullets, going to have to make it work.) Given how his preferred guns were a pair of six shooters, it¡¯d be easy.


    Stepping onto the street he briefly considered whether it was worth it, before firing a single shot at the van¡¯s tires as it sped past him, knowing that a single shot would barely register in the Way unless the tires- (Nope they¡¯re armored.)


    Shaking his head he watched the car make another turn, likely in an attempt to throw off any potential pursuers (such as me) before rushing another one of the alleys he¡¯d grown up in.


    ¡°Where you off to in such a hurry?¡± Frank, a homeless guy he knew, asked upon seeing him.


    ¡°Kidnapping!¡± He threw back as he rushed past.


    ¡°Break their legs!¡± Frank told him.


    ¡°Planning on it!¡± Well technically he was planning on shooting them (but semantics.)


    Stepping out of the alley he couldn¡¯t help but curse as he realized the van must¡¯ve passed or taken a different turn. ¡°Fucking hell!¡±


    Glancing around as he decided what to do he noticed a blind kid walking by on the other side of the street while holding onto a necklace glowing through their fingers


    ¡°Daredevil, speeding van, which way?¡± He called out.


    The blind kid seemed to pause for a moment, the glow from his hand growing brighter for a minute before he pointed in a specific direction. ¡°North East, looks like they¡¯re turning west though.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He nodded, knowing it was fifty-fifty on if the kid¡¯s magic would catch it.


    ¡°I¡¯m adding this to your tab by the way!¡± The (money grubbing) teen told him as he started running north in an attempt to catch up to the van.


    (North, north, who works North? Uh, that¡¯s the Twin¡¯s territory, but they don¡¯t deal in people¡­ Not after I helped them kill their father anyway.) Turning down another alley he continued to go down the list of people who could be responsible for this. (Crime family? No, if they knew where I lived they¡¯d salt and burn the whole block, not just my apartment. So, who does that leave?)


    Shaking his head, he stepped out onto the street and spotted the van he¡¯d been chasing parked in front of one of the Way¡¯s numerous abandoned (or at the very least run down) buildings.


    (Right, need to be smart, but I need to be fast too since she might be an active danger.) Which wasn¡¯t something he was willing to risk at the moment. ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯ve got no idea where she is in the building anyway.¡±


    Running up to the building¡¯s front door he checked to see if it was locked, before stepping back and kicking the door hard enough to break it.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed remembering his own injuries, as the impact worsened something in his leg.


    ¡°Hey who are-¡± A bullet cut the guard¡¯s response off and told the building, (Here¡¯s Mercer!)


    Walking through the building¡¯s halls, he found most of the rooms were still in disuse, though there were also a number of guards more than what could¡¯ve fit in the van outside. (And they¡¯re at least semi-professional given the armor and gear they¡¯re packing.)


    A guard rushed out of one of the doors he¡¯d yet to check, gun half raised before a fist to the face half lowered it, and a hand slamming the guard¡¯s skull into the wall made them drop it on the third slam.


    Hearing something shift from his right he stepped back through one of the open doors just in time to avoid a flurry of bullets passing by.


    Back against the wall, he held his breath waiting as a faint shuffling from down the hall grew closer as he slid towards the ground. (Not proper assassins given how loud they¡¯re moving. Hell, I can hear them over the tinnitus from all the gunfire.)


    When the person the steps belonged to was just outside the door he rolled around the corner and shot upwards catching two guards with five bullets. All without return fire, seeing as they¡¯d been aiming for the body/head of someone standing a few meters away rather than laying on the ground so close to them.


    (Armor is blocking half my shots.) He grimaced upon seeing how many shots it took to take these guys down. (Can not get my girls back soon enough. Face armor does jack shit against those babies.)


    Rolling his shoulders he continued through the building before making his way up to the second floor, where he found a silver eyed teen ripping a man¡¯s throat out with her teeth, while surrounded by half a dozen dead. ¡°I already told you to fuck off!¡±

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 1)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 1)


    --- Scarlet ---


    She woke on the ground. Not an unfamiliar experience, nor one she had particular issue with, given how it was her norm at this point.


    Her thoughts were fuzzy, most likely a concussion. Not an unfamiliar experience, nor one she had any real issue with, given how many she¡¯d gotten over the years.


    Her hands were cuffed together. Again not an unfamiliar experience, though one she took serious issue with, given how she¡¯d just slipped her chains not even a week ago.


    (Don¡¯t go back¡­) A raspy whisper called. (Get up¡­)


    Malice flooded her veins, sending heat surging through her as her eyes snapped open.


    A quick flex of her wrists proved that the cuffs, albeit weaker than the usual, were still strong enough that she¡¯d have to work to break them. (Damn it!)


    Growling her attention darted to a guard just starting to turn around, and she felt her teeth beginning to itch as she lunged forward and bit through the heavy cloth wrapped around their leg and into the flesh beneath.


    Sweet, sweet crimson filled her mouth and she felt the last of the fogginess from her concussion begin to fade as her Malice did its job of stitching her back together.


    The guard¡¯s screams meant as little to her as hers did to them, and instead of pulling back she swung her hand up and dug her fingers into the guards back, even as the Malice burned at her fingertips growing claw from flesh.


    Pulling her arm back she threw the guard over her and into the wall behind her before rolling onto her feet with a snarl as she caught sight of the four other guards in the room.


    (RiP tHeM ApARt!)


    Another surge of Malice sent a wave of pins and needles creeping up her arms as her skin slowly turned to the leather starting with her fingers.


    One of the guards raised a gun to shoot her.


    She was faster than their finger as her teeth bit into the guard¡¯s arm and one of her shoes hit their face hard enough for her to feel a crunch beneath her foot as the guard flew back, a chunk of their forearm missing in one of those spots that got very bloody if you were missing the piece that went there.


    Swallowing, she felt the Malice begin to cool even as she felt it continue to work.


    One of the guards caught her with a stun baton, something she was far too used to for the electricity to actually slow her down. Which is how even with electricity crackling across her skin she was able to pull her arms back far enough to swing with enough force that the jaw of the guards helmet went flying off with a spattering of blood as they dropped to the ground.


    Crouching down, she rushed forward before grabbing onto another guard and sending every ounce of electricity she¡¯d just been hit with into them. Of course, given how they didn¡¯t have her healing factor that amount of electricity was more than lethal.


    Turning to the last of the guards, she found herself growling as she caught sight of the glowing red eyes of her reflection on the guard¡¯s helmet.


    They stared at each other for a moment, before the guard took a step back while reaching for their gun, and she lunged at the show of weakness!


    Using her strength she kicked out one of the guards legs as she forced them off balance long enough to rip away the armor protecting their neck.


    Rearing back she felt all of her teeth sharpen into four dozen daggers before ripping into the guard¡¯s throat and tearing out with her teeth as she heard the door to the room open.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Snapping her gaze to the intruder, she expected to find another guard trying to cage her away again. Instead she found the harmless man who¡¯d spent the last few days following her around and bugging her about every little detail, such as whether she was eating enough or had somewhere safe to sleep.


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you to fuck off?!¡± The silver eyed teenager growled, as the last of the red in her eyes slowly faded. A sign that he¡¯d learned from his Uncle meant a young Malcontent didn¡¯t see you as threat.


    (Which given the situation is honestly really naive of her¡­)


    ¡°Yes you did.¡± He admitted, tucking the gun away. ¡°But then someone blew up my apartment, and that¡¯s something I take exception to.¡±


    ¡°Well they¡¯re all dead, so I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡± The teenager bit back.


    ¡°How about your name?¡± He¡¯d been trying to get that out of her for days, but apparently this girl had more trust issues than his old man¡¯s paranoid ass.


    ¡°Don¡¯t got one.¡± The girl snarled.


    ¡°Alright, then what am I supposed to call you?¡± He asked, honestly getting fed up with this, but unfortunately a cannibalistic Deviancy was something he had to get a handle on before Vigilance took it as an excuse to start sniffing around the Way again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care, just so long as it¡¯s the last thing you call me on your way out.¡± The teenager told him before turning back to her latest meal.


    Knowing that line of questioning was dead, he instead took notice of the girl¡¯s cuffs. (Not the strongest thing around but definitely enough to keep a B Rank Bruiser contained.)


    ¡°You need help with those?¡± He offered, knowing how to break the things easily enough after he ran Sanctuary out of his district. (Never got why Vigilance let¡¯s those fuckwads stick around.)


    ¡°What, you want a piece?¡± The Malcontent scoffed, pushing the mercenary''s body toward him before pulling it back. ¡°Well too bad, they¡¯re my kill.¡±


    ¡°I meant the cuffs, not the corpses.¡± He sighed.


    The teen froze before shaking her head. ¡°Fuck off, I can get them off myself.¡±


    He crossed his arms. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m married and monogamous.¡± He shot back.


    ¡°What?¡± The girl blinked, thrown off by that as he¡¯d intended.


    ¡°Look, if you want to get away from whoever is after you then we need to get moving.¡± He told her, using the moment of confusion to take control of the conversation. ¡°The fact that they brought you here instead of wherever they¡¯re actually based means the people who hired these mercs are on their way here to pick you up.¡± Admittedly there was also a decent chance they hadn¡¯t reported their capture yet, (but given the lack of basing here, they probably wanted to do the drop off as fast as possible seeing how many Heroic Masks are in this city. So still most likely true.)


    ¡°Good.¡± The teen nodded. ¡°Been looking for them anyway.¡±


    That¡­ made him frown. ¡°You¡¯re looking for the people you¡¯re running away from?¡± (Please tell me this isn¡¯t some stupid vengeance thing.)


    That isn¡¯t to say he minded vengeance. (Just stupid vengeance. Proper vengeance requires planning.)


    ¡°I¡¯m not running.¡± The girl scowled at him. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ repositioning.¡±


    He very much doubted she knew how to do that tactically. ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°I need them off my trail long enough for me to find their base, so that I can kill all of them.¡± The teenager explained as if he was an idiot.


    ¡°Alright, and I¡¯m guessing that means you already interrogated all of these guys then.¡± He checked as he kicked one of the corpses.


    The girl froze again, this time for notably longer than before.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m fairly good at killing people myself.¡± He admitted, unashamedly because with his body count, (damn straight I¡¯m good at killing bad guys.)


    ¡°You?¡± The teenager asked incredulously, causing him to frown because most people were flat out intimidated by his scars, especially the scars.


    (Wait, didn¡¯t uncle Sam mention something about Malcontent sensing intentions real easy? Something about a passive empathy or some shit.) If that was the case, then no wonder she didn¡¯t think him a threat, he had zero intention of hurting her, given how she was just a kid in his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, me.¡± He nodded, honestly a little insulted that someone didn¡¯t think him -the Demon of Saint¡¯s Way- a threat. ¡°But more importantly to your situation I¡¯m also good at finding people who don¡¯t want to be found.¡±


    ¡°Really, and how exactly do you intend to find these guys when I can¡¯t?¡±

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 2)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 2)


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°I thought you said you were taking me to one of your informants.¡± The runaway complained, turning on him from the place she¡¯d been pacing for the last five minutes.


    ¡°I am.¡± He sighed, while forcing himself to remember he¡¯d been just as impatient as the teen when he was her age. (Really wish that guy hadn¡¯t downstairs hadn¡¯t died.)


    Apparently while he hadn¡¯t killed the mercenary he¡¯d beaten, the guard who¡¯d shot at him had when they¡¯d missed him. (And I feel I should call bullshit on the bad guys killing each other when I¡¯m trying not to kill one of them.)


    ¡°Then why are we just sitting here?¡± The girl -who still refused to give him a name- growled.


    ¡°Because part of my deal with him is that he doesn¡¯t walk up to my door and bug me at home.¡± A young voice said from the side of the bench behind him. ¡°Speaking of, our usual meeting place is a street over and I¡¯ve already helped you today.¡±


    ¡°And as long as you get paid you don¡¯t mind helping again, right daredevil?¡± He told the blind teen as he offered a hundred over his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Mathias Walker sighed, accepting the money. ¡°Last thing I need is someone thinking I¡¯m a Mask or the mouse trying to sue me. Also make the girl sit, her pacing is drawing looks from a couple of people.¡±


    That made him laugh. ¡°They won¡¯t try anything with me here.¡±


    ¡°Most bangers don¡¯t know you without your helmet.¡± The blind teen reminded him.


    ¡°Point.¡± He admitted, before gesturing to the girl to take a seat on the bus bench.


    She did though it was as physically far as possible from them.


    ¡°Now what exactly do you need?¡± His informant asked.


    ¡°Girl here is looking for some people looking for her.¡± He answered, before glancing at the girl and making a few educated guesses.


    ¡°Can¡¯t really help you with just that.¡± Mathias told him. ¡°Got anything else for me?¡±


    ¡°Large facilities, probably underground.¡± He began. ¡°Probably not in the way itself but near one of the borders. If I had to guess¡­ most like near the southside of things, unless she crossed the river?¡±


    The runaway stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.


    ¡°Right, southside of things it is.¡± He nodded. ¡°Given who¡¯s most likely involved in this mess, you¡¯ll probably want to take a look under any nearby parking structures.¡±


    ¡°You know, sometimes I wonder why you bother asking for my help when you can narrow it down that much.¡± The blind teen admitted.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°You¡¯re faster than checking it on foot, and given how many of their guys we just killed¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on a time crunch.¡± Mathias sighed. ¡°Just give me a second.¡±


    The girl glanced over the bench before glaring. ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Mathias is a Practitioner.¡± (If you can call someone who knows only one spell that.) ¡°His specialty is a form of clairvoyance that allows him to¡­ sense things at a distance. Currently he¡¯s moving that sense around to try and find anything that fits what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ but how did you know to look for all of that stuff?¡±


    He scratched at his neck for a moment as he considered the question before explaining, ¡°You¡¯re a Malcontent, there are only a few groups actively interested in you lot, and most of them operate fairly similarly. Meaning that we¡¯re looking for someone with a large underground lab and holding facility, most likely one of the ones Asylum hid all over back in the day by building under parking structures to cover up their tracks. From there I first found you on the southside covered in bloody medical scrubs and bullet holes. Admittedly since it was raining, the scrubs were stained, and the fact that you¡¯ve a healing factor means I couldn¡¯t actually tell how old it was, nor if you¡¯d crossed the river to get here. But the fact that you switched clothes by the next day, -and after each of your victims ruined your current clothes- means that night was most likely the same as your escape since you¡¯d yet to change. Leaving just the river crossing in question.¡±


    The girl continued to just stare at him.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t let him fool you, he may be a violent idiot, but he¡¯s borderline Sherlock Holmes when he feels like it.¡± Mathias told the girl as he snapped out of his trance.


    ¡°You find anything?¡± He asked, not bothering to deny or support either of the teen¡¯s statements.


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Alright, how do you want to do this?¡± The man asked her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned, wondering why he¡¯d dragged her on top of a building rather than simply going inside of the ¡®parking structure¡¯ that she vaguely remembered through the bloodloss of the night she escaped that hell. (This is a waste of time! We should be down there killing these bastards!)


    (Patience¡­)


    Rolling her eyes at her other self she instead focused on what the man was telling her.


    ¡°There are a number of ways we could handle this.¡± The man began. ¡°Personally I¡¯d prefer it if we could sneak in there, plant explosives everywhere, and just blow the place to hell. Unfortunately, that has the downside of possibly killing anyone still trapped in there-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing that!¡± She snapped. (I¡¯m not going to risk killing her.)


    The man stared at her for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°Like I said, killing everyone is probably a bad idea.¡±


    They were both quiet for a moment, one where she felt there was something she was missing before the man continued speaking.


    ¡°Our other options include again trying to sneak in and just cutting down everyone we see, though I¡¯m not sure what your stealth skills are looking like and that leaves us surrounded if we¡¯re caught. Alternatively we could just go in guns blazing, only I¡¯m missing most of my guns and the ones I can pick up off of them aren¡¯t really worth anything. Plus again, while I¡¯m sure you can fight, I¡¯m not sure if you can take on the numbers we¡¯ll be facing without getting pinned down.¡±


    ¡°I can do whatever it takes to get in there and wipe these bastards out!¡± She growled at the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t.¡± The man told her, raising both his hands in the air. ¡°But at the same time I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re capable of or what you¡¯d prefer to do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to just sit around!¡± She glared at the man as she felt her eyes burn red, ¡°I don¡¯t care what we do. I just need to get in there now!¡±


    The man inhaled deeply before letting it out. ¡°Alright, well, this is your vengeance so how do you want to do this? You¡¯re in charge and you decide even if that¡¯s just sending me to be a distraction while you sneak in to do what you¡¯ve got to do.¡±

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 3)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 3)


    --- Scarlet ---


    Her other self wanted to rush the base and tear into her enemies, but at the same time she knew that while the blood of her enemies would taste oh so sweet, that she actually had another reason for being here. And unfortunately she wasn¡¯t sure she could accomplish that goal if she had to spend all of her time fighting or sneaking around.


    She glanced at the man watching her calmly, simply waiting for her decision.


    Despite her instincts telling her he was harmless, they were also telling her not to trust him. Not because of anything he¡¯d done, so much as by how many times other people had screwed her over.


    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± She decided to ask him bluntly rather than wasting time trying to figure it out for herself.


    The man scratched at the scar on his neck before sighing. ¡°The world is a fucked up place.¡±


    She frowned, refusing to accept that as an answer before the man decided to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched as the monsters took over, ate the innocent people up and spat them out as even worse monsters than them in a cycle of blood and hate.¡± The man stared at his hand for another moment, before clenching it as his face began to twitch. ¡°Eventually I got sick and decided to do something about it. And the men who are after you, well¡­¡±


    Hate filled eyes met her own and for a moment she saw a burning rage even greater than either of herselves could claim, a hate that made her for just a second believe he was as dangerous as he claimed.


    ¡°They¡¯re more monsters to my feast.¡±


    She swallowed, before inhaling deep and letting it out.


    ¡°Can you sneak in?¡± She asked, deciding to trust him.


    ¡°Vigilance isn¡¯t the only ghost in this town.¡± The man smirked just a touch of sadism tinging it with his previous rage.


    She half growled at his joke. ¡°They have other prisoners here, can you save them?¡±


    The man¡¯s face sobered. ¡°As many as I can, and ten more than that.¡±


    (I only need you to save the one.)


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be the distraction.¡± She told him. ¡°I¡¯m not the best at stealth and this way I¡¯ll at least be able to pull them away from the prisoners, who won¡¯t be able to fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them out as fast as I can.¡± The man promised with enough determination that for a moment she actually believed him.


    --- Mercer ---


    He didn¡¯t actually feel all that comfortable leaving the kid to fight off the horde of soldiers guarding this place, but at the same time he also knew that without his gear he was in no shape to be playing one-man-army either.


    (Honestly, playing ghost is probably the only thing I can do unhindered.) He forced himself to admit to himself if no one else. (Bet the old man is glad I¡¯m using the skills he taught me instead of going in guns blazing.)


    An explosion from nearby marked the girl having used one of his smaller explosives on a car¡¯s gas tank to start off her end of this assault.


    Painfully slow, he counted to ten before getting to work on his own end of things as he pried open the door he¡¯d spotted hiding in one of the walls.


    As the door opened enough for him to see inside he found an elevator shaft empty save a set of cables used to raise and lower the elevator, who knows how far below.


    Not even thinking twice about it he jumped through the opening he¡¯d made and loosely grabbed the cables, not enough to actually stop his descent but enough to slow it to something survivable. (And this is why we get the padded gloves boys and girls.)


    After falling what he believed to be a good five or six storeys he found himself on top of the actual elevator.


    Subtly opening a maintenance hatch in the roof of the elevator he found a number of guards beginning to file in to deal with the rampaging teen above before she attracted any unwanted attention from the local Mask community. Namely the one that he was hoping to get out of here before they arrived too. (Meaning I really should get to work.)


    Closing the hatch, he pulled a knife out and quickly began cutting the elevator¡¯s cables. A feat only possible due to the fact that his knife wasn¡¯t actually his knife so much as it was a high-tech one he stole from one of the numerous safehouse Vigilance kept throughout the city.


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    (Wonder if he knows how much of his shit I steal, or if he just assumes it¡¯s one of his sidekicks taking all of this junk?)


    The second the cable snapped his hand shot out to the wall in case this wasn¡¯t as low as the elevator could go.


    When the elevator fell no lower he let out a breath of relief, as he remembered the one time he¡¯d gotten the ground floor wrong when doing this trick.


    It took only a few moments for the guards to realize something was wrong with the elevator, and given the emergency going on above they rushed out of the elevator and towards another exit hopefully a decent distance away from this one.


    Dropping through the hatch, he quickly checked down the now hall before nodding to himself and making his way out. (Here¡¯s hoping the kid is having it this easy.)


    --- Scarlet ---


    Her hand stretched and swelled as her flesh tore open as her muscles and bones grew too big for her skin before knitting itself shut as her hide grew back in to cover the appendage now three times bigger and stronger than it had been before.


    Just the perfect size to help her rip a soldier in two (or is it six?) with her claws. Something she¡¯d fantasized about for years as she endured their abuses.


    ¡°Come on! This the best you fuckers got?!¡± She roared, feeling the ridges of her spine beginning to poke out as more and more of her other-self bled through.


    A series of gunshots was her response, as half of them hit her hardened hide and the other tore through the still squishy bits of her body only to immediately start healing.


    Shaking her head as she pushed past the (insignificant) pain, she threw her arm out and tore the door off of a car before throwing it at her attackers. Hitting one hard enough to split him in two and sending the two more scattering as they took cover behind a nearby car.


    Using her half turned legs she leapt across the parking lot and landed on top of the car before reaching down, grabbing one of the soldiers by their head, and proceeding to rip their throat out with her teeth.


    She swallowed the (sweet sweet meat), pushing back the burning in her veins for a few more seconds as she tossed the corpse to the side and turned her attention to the other soldier.


    Feeling the burn of Malice and flame invading her lungs, she inhaled as deeply as she could before exhaling and unleashing a torrent of flames upon the cowering soldier. One of the most cathartic things she¡¯d ever done, given the number of times she¡¯d been subjected to flames herself in pursuit of their ¡®research¡¯.


    A growl tore through her throat as she hunched over, feeling more and more of her body twist and distort as her other self slowly took over.


    Her ears twitched as she heard movement behind her, distinctly different from the boots of the soldiers she was going to (slaughter and devour), namely due to the fact of how much quieter it was than any of them. Something that immediately set her other self on edge.


    She stood absolutely still, the (predator) in her demanding that she wait until the most opportune moment to strike.


    Whoever stood behind her took another silent step closer and she moved grabbing the burning (thing) at her feet before chucking it at whoever was behind her, hoping to throw them off guard long enough to get in another kill strike.


    Instead something sharp pierced into her shoulder, forcing her to take a step back as she found herself staring at  a figure dressed in black and gray, the shadows of the night seemingly following him as he stepped into the light.


    --- Mercer ---


    (I¡¯m getting sick of all of these white walls.) He frowned, the sheer sterileness of this hellhole bugging him in a profound way. (Can¡¯t wait until I can burn this bitch down.)


    Coming to another intersection he glanced down every hall before pausing as he spotted a camera down one hall, more specifically the first camera he¡¯d seen in his entire time traversing this maze of halls.


    (And what exactly could the underground labs want to keep an eye on more than anything else?)


    Not actually needing to know the answer to that question, he made his way towards the camera before glancing down the hall and seeing a large metal door at the end. (As well as a number of dormant security measures in the walls, if those panels are anything to go off of.)


    Figuring that since the guards likely thought they knew where the threat was, he decided to risk being caught on the camera and made his way to the door while examining it and its walls. (Hmm, door covers most of the wall so the indestructible door fallacy isn¡¯t going to do me much good even if I had the equipment necessary to pull it off. So how do I?)


    ¡°Well, hello there.¡± He said as he spotted a keycard scanner, namely one of the more mundane ones rather than the M.A.D. tech one would expect of a secure facility such as this one. (More proof that this place is an old Asylum facility.)


    Figuring that the scanner couldn¡¯t be too powerful, he pulled out an encryption keycard that he¡¯d (again) stolen from one of Vigilance¡¯s safe houses and put it in the card scanner. (Ah, got to love the tools his paranoia has cooked up.)


    After a few minutes for the key to do its job the door unlocked and he removed the key while hoping that this door was on the same clearance level as the rest of the doors he¡¯d come across. Inside he found a small hall with a metal door at the end, one that he quickly noted wouldn¡¯t open if its counterpart was open as well.


    And even more trap panels on the walls meant that the owners of this place really didn¡¯t want whatever was behind that door getting out. (All the more reason to open it.)


    Letting the door close behind him, he swiped the next card scanner which luckily enough had the same credential requirements as the first door letting him open the door without having to take the time to reset his keycard.


    As the door slowly opened he found himself frowning at the sight of a thin figure pinned to the wall by a variety of machinery as electricity sparked along the walls.


    This sight was made all the worse by the sudden blaring of the buildings internal alarms. A sound that had the figure¡¯s solid black eyes snapping open.

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 4)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 4)


    --- Mercer ---


    The figure seemed to struggle against their bindings as the electricity of the machines slowly built up before shooting into the figure. The lightning¡¯s thunder barely muffling the figure¡¯s screams.


    ¡°Yeah, I get why the girl wants me to get you out of here.¡± He grimaced before looking the machinery over for some kind of off switch. (Though knowing Asylum¡¯s MO, they probably have everything rigged to some office with cameras watching this place, rather than a manual switch.)


    Deciding that the girl was probably better off if he just broke the damn thing rather than finding this thing¡¯s monitoring room, he took a step closer to the machinery only to freeze as some kind of shadow began to spasm from the figure.


    (Oh, that can¡¯t be good¡­)


    The shadow struggled for several seconds before finally ripping itself away from its source and falling to the ground on all four.


    Knowing his luck with this kind of thing he slowly reached for his gun.


    The shadow¡¯s face shot up to him revealing a feminine face with long floating hair and solid black pits for eyes before disappearing from existence and reappearing halfway to him.


    ¡°Listen, I''m here to save the girl.¡± He told the thing, forcing himself not to draw his gun. ¡°You can get out of my way or get dead.¡±


    He knew threatening the thing probably wasn¡¯t a smart idea but he also knew that Malcontent -of which he had little doubt the girl on the wall was- tended to have a different set of values than most people.


    The shadow just stared at him for a moment, before another wave of electricity hit the girl on the wall and it began to growl at him as more shadows began to spasm from her form.


    A bullet pierced the shadow¡¯s head before it could attack him.


    ¡°Shame.¡± He sighed, taking in the dissolving shadows, its newly formed counterparts, the girl on the wall, and all of the machinery he had to deal with to free her.


    Rolling his shoulders, he cracked his neck to each side before glaring at the shadows.


    ¡°I guess, we¡¯re doing this, huh?¡±


    The shadows snarled at him before letting loose a hateful scream.


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Who the fuck are you supposed to be?¡± She spat at the man in gray, the shadows surrounding him doing nothing to intimidate her given what the person she was here to save could do with them.


    ¡°You killed these men.¡± A gruff voice said as the man¡¯s solid white eyes stared at her.


    ¡°So what?¡± She scoffed, knowing that these men had done far worse to people far more innocent than them or her.


    ¡°You can stop and come peacefully, or I will be forced to make you.¡± The man warned her, his tone so different from the one that had helped her get this far.


    ¡°Make me stop?¡± She laughed, still feeling the Malice burning in her veins. ¡°I¡¯m not stopping until everyone of these fuckers is dead.¡±


    The man stared at her for a moment, not saying anything and with his face covered by a mask she had no idea what he was thinking again so very unlike the other man. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that men carrying this kind of gear in this city are causing trouble, but we don¡¯t need to kill them.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to kill them.¡± She disagreed, knowing after the last couple of weeks that even free of the hell beneath her feet she wouldn¡¯t be free of the nightmares until (every last one of them is dead.)


    ¡°You¡¯re a Malcontent.¡± The man noted, completely missing her point. ¡°There are alternatives to having to kill to survive.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t lie, while she didn¡¯t care about having to kill to eat, she knew such a choice would be a godsend for B, making his offer more tempting than he likely knew, (and yet¡­) ¡°As long as these fuckers live we are always in danger.¡± She growled, feeling the Malice creep up her throat as her eyes flashed red.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The man sighed, seemingly disappointed, the most emotion he¡¯d shown through their entire conversation.


    (Dodge!)


    If it weren¡¯t for her instincts she wouldn¡¯t have dodged half of the six blades that went flying towards her, and even then half of them still pierced into the flesh of her arm.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed, the blades¡¯ odd shape preventing her healing factor from pushing them out, and if anything making her body¡¯s attempts to do so hurt her more than the bullets from before had.


    Turning towards the source of her pain, she lunged at it, clearing half of the parking lot in a single bound, an enlarged claw ready to cleave the man into bits as she neared.


    Only instead of being torn to pieces the man ducked under her swing, while delivering a number of quick punches to her side, the man¡¯s odd gloves making them hurt more than if they were simply flesh and bone.


    She tried to backhand him, but instead he used her wrist as leverage to flip over her arm while delivering a steel-toed kick to her face.


    Tasting her own blood in her mouth she froze breathing slowly before even slower turning towards the man in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance.¡± He told her. ¡°Come peacefully, or I will make you.¡±


    Her response was a mouth full of flames.


    --- Mercer ---


    He snapped the neck of what was his seventh or so shadow, before shooting an eighth and really wishing he¡¯d tried convincing the girl to let him go and get a gun, rather than getting stuck with the one he¡¯d stolen earlier.


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    (Damn it!) He cursed himself. (I know better than to go on a mission underequipped if I can help it. Especially a siege and rescue mission.)


    Just because he could operate on so little did not mean it was the smart or preferred option.


    Another shadow teleported behind him before jumping onto his back and clawing at him with cold fingers that somehow pierced his armor without really damaging it despite leaving painful trails in his flesh.


    (Fucking magic!)


    He grabbed the shadow and threw it over his shoulder at one of the machines while hoping the thing had enough weight to do something other than simply being vaporized. (Which it didn¡¯t.)


    All the while, he was forced to listen to the screams of the poor girl attached to the wall as more and more electricity was pumped into her to continue producing this onslaught of shadows. Her (likely) healing factor the only reason she hadn¡¯t lost her voice to her screams.


    Some part of him briefly contemplated -hopefully- mercy killing her with his last bullet, knowing exactly what this kind of torture could do to someone¡¯s psyche and that the girl would likely welcome death at this point.


    The rest of him ruthlessly beat that bit of bastardry into the ground before shooting it, pissing on its unmarked grave, and agreeing to never ever allow that kind of thought to form again regardless of what his mom taught him.


    (There¡¯s a reason she wanted us as far from her side of the family as physically possible.)


    Instead he used his last bullet to kill off the last shadow of the current wave, knowing that he probably had only a few seconds before the machinery made the poor girl spit out more.


    (Well, if there¡¯s no off switch, and no breaking the machinery, the only option left is to cut the girl down.) That¡¯d been his original plan before-


    More lightning danced along the walls before shooting towards the girl.


    -(that.)


    Knowing that this was going to hurt -(and really wishing I was wearing the anti-electric armor)- he rushed to the girl as another shadow began to spasm out of her.


    He pulled his knife from its sheath and stabbed the blade into one of her restraints, forcing himself to ignore the painful numbness crawling up his arms from where he touched her.


    Eventually the restraint gave and the girl¡¯s arm fell free just in time for her shadow to burst out of her.


    Shifting his grip he dropped down from the wall and rammed his knife through the shadow¡¯s skull, killing it before it could get up to cause him any problems.


    With the thing dead, he shook his hands out to try and get some feeling back in them -something he already knew was pointless- before turning back to the machinery, which thankfully wasn¡¯t electrocuting the girl at the moment.


    (Though that humming means we don¡¯t have long.)


    Not having to resist the electricity, cutting through the second restraint was even easier than the first taking almost no time at all by comparison.


    Unfortunately that was still enough time for the machines to start shooting another wave of lightning at the poor girl.


    Hearing her screams start up once more, he didn¡¯t even hesitate to rush into the storm, regardless of the pain or (terrifying) numbness. No part of him willing to let her suffer for even a second longer if he could help it.


    The final restraint was wrapped around her legs and waist in such a way that he had to cut through almost four times as much metal to undo the final restraint, more than long enough for the girl to spit out another one of her shadows.


    His blade snapped through the last of the metal, and he just barely had enough control over his limbs to make sure the girl fell on top of him rather than onto the cold hard ground.


    Taking the impact as well as he could given the circumstances, he rolled the girl off of him as gently as he could before turning to the shadow, ready to (bite through its fucking ankles if that¡¯s what it takes.)


    Only instead of attacking him the shadow only stared at him before turning to the girl and rushing back into her in a haze of black smoke.


    (Hope that¡¯s a good thing.)


    --- Scarlet ---


    This was far from the first time she¡¯d gotten the shit kicked out of her.


    Back in the labs it was practically a daily occurrence, whether it be from those sadist¡¯s ¡®experiments¡¯ or just the guards feeling like beating something stronger than them that couldn¡¯t fight back in restraints.


    That said, she had never taken so many hits from something while also physically being incapable of hitting it back (no matter how hard I fucking try!)


    The man grabbed her by her hair and slammed a plated knee into her face before kicking off of her shoulder and going far enough to avoid her counter swipe.


    Of course the fucker didn¡¯t keep this distance long enough for her to catch her breath, but instead immediately shot her with some kind of wire thing before using it to pull himself closer while also throwing her off balance and leaving her open to the drop kick to the face that sent her tumbling to the ground.


    Even with her healing factor, and hardened hide, her entire body was turning into one massive bruise from the one-sided beat down she¡¯d been taking for the last who knows how long.


    What¡¯s more, given how she couldn¡¯t touch him, and anytime she went for a corpse he¡¯d double down his beatdown, she wasn¡¯t able to eat anything to help her calm the Malice in her veins. Something that was beginning to make her transformation hurt as her body refused to shift any further, some kind of survival instinct her other-self refused to budge on no matter how much easier this fight would be at a higher Malice Concentrate.


    (Refuse to starve¡­) Her other-self stubbornly told her, knowing that regardless of how badly the man in gray beat her, he wouldn¡¯t kill her.


    Growling in frustration, she glared at the man before slowly picking herself off the ground.


    ¡°You should stop.¡± The man told her, tilting his head slightly. ¡°I can see the Malice starting to turn on you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± She spat, before shifting her footing as she raised her claws far more weakly than she liked. ¡°I can do this¡­¡± She coughed tasting blood. ¡°All day.¡±


    ¡°No you can¡¯t.¡± The man told her almost sadly.


    --- Mercer ---


    Getting the girl out of the compound without getting caught and with her unconscious was no easy feat, but with them already on what he was assuming was an evacuation order of some kind. (Which can¡¯t mean anything good for us.)


    Finding a second elevator out had honestly been more a stroke of luck than any search pattern his exhausted mind could come up with. (Which I¡¯m fine with since it got us out of that hell hole.)


    After a few minutes the elevator doors opened up to the parking lot, and he picked up the dark haired girl, once more noting just how uncomfortably thin she was.


    (I can deal with that later.) He told himself as he stepped out. (For now all I¡¯ve got to do is find the other girl, and get all of us back to one of my safehouses before something else goes-) ¡°Motherfucking bastard!¡±


    (Vigilance is here.) He realized, immediately taking a step back into the shadows before the mask he had so much history with could see him.


    Now he knew exactly why the facility below was evacuating. (With him so close to the scene their facility is as good as found at this point. Might as well abandon ship while they can.)


    Remembering who else was supposed to be in this parking lot his eyes immediately darted around the scene before landing on the girl who¡¯d dragged him into the entire mess barely standing on her feet after the beat down Vigilance had given her.


    (Fuck I need to step into this.) Unfortunately, he was in no physical way capable of picking a fight with the older Mask, something he had no doubt would happen if the man saw his face.


    (Got to be smart about this if I don¡¯t want him locking us up.)

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 5)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 5)


    ---Mercer ---


    ¡°Can¡¯t let him waste time with us when those fuckers are fleeing.¡± He sighed, before setting the unconscious girl down behind a car and just out of sight of both the elevators and Vigilance.


    Pulling out a roll of bandages and then his knife, he dragged the blade along his arm. Not deep enough to bleed him out, but enough to get some blood flowing for his act.


    He then proceeded to smear his blood on the bandage before carefully wrapping it around his head in a way that looked like it was to staunch a head wound, while also covering just enough of his face to conceal his identity while also avoiding too much suspicion.


    Unfortunately this meant that he was stuck with only his bad eye uncovered, since Vigilance hadn¡¯t seen his face with the scar that a bit more blood made appear new rather than years old. That wasn¡¯t to say he couldn¡¯t still see out the eye, but its vision was notably more blurry than what his good eye could perceive. (Which means if this goes south I¡¯m going to have to tear the bandages off.)


    He could just tell that would end in disaster.


    Shaking his head and smearing a bit more blood here and there, he picked the girl back up by throwing one of her arms over his shoulder rather than actually carrying her. Something he hoped would both throw his height off and make him look significantly weaker than Vigilance knew him to be.


    With his disguise in place he inhaled and exhaled quickly to build up a sort of panicking gasping, before stumbling his way towards the fighting duo.


    ¡°S-Sam!¡± He called in an off pitch voice, knowing what that name would do to Vigilance¡¯s headspace.


    Both Vigilance and the girl stopped before glancing his way, neither actually taking their eyes off the other.


    ¡°Sam, I-I got her.¡± He gasped, showing the girl in his arms.


    ¡°B!¡± The girl yelled, completely disregarding Vigilance as she rushed towards him before fretting over the girl.


    (Rookie mistake.) He internally grimaced, glad that Vigilance wasn¡¯t taking advantage of the opening to take her down. Something he knew the Mask wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do if he was in one of his more antagonistic moods.


    ¡°F-fuck!¡± The girl cursed upon seeing the apparent B¡¯s condition, her voice cracking in a way he hadn¡¯t heard during any of their previous exchanges. ¡°W-what did those fuckers do to her?¡±


    ¡°They, they had her strapped to this, this big sparking machine.¡± He told her, purposely breaking himself up as if this was more stressful than any other day on the job.


    ¡°That fucking thing?!¡± The girl growled her eyes flashing red, knowing exactly what he was talking about. ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill every last one of them!¡±


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    He noticed Vigilance subtly shifting closer, and he shook his head, pretending not to notice. ¡°You, you won¡¯t have time, they¡¯re, they¡¯re abandoning their base right now!¡±


    ¡°Who is?¡± Vigilance cut in.


    He jumped before making his eyes go wide as he got a good look at the older Mask. ¡°Your, your V-Vigilance!¡± He gasped in an awed way that he would never use should they meet mask to mask.


    The older mask narrowed his eyes. ¡°You said someone is abandoning their base. Who is?¡±


    He blinked and then pointed at the hero. ¡°You, you can stop them!¡± He pretended to realize, before beginning to ramble the same way some of the more helpful victims would in a crisis. ¡°Look, I, I don¡¯t know who these guys are, I was just looking for a story. I, I work for the gazette, heard some rumors and ran into S-Sam. Thought this was my big break, but, but fuck this was so much worse than I was expecting. Should¡¯ve, should¡¯ve just called Sanctuary, or maybe they¡¯re on the cut if they¡¯re really here¡­ but no they can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be who?¡± Vigilance pressed to try and get him back on track.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°I heard these rumors, unrelated to what got me in this mess, that a few decades back Asylum built these underground bunkers in every city they were based out of.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really them, but that is a big fucking bunker, with a lot of f-fucked up experiments going on in there!¡±


    ¡°Asylum.¡± The older mask repeated quietly, his mind likely flashing back to the shit show that was the end of the Rift Riots when he and several other heroes had helped with the clean up of those monster¡¯s labs.


    And while he knew this place was nowhere near that bad, it was still close enough that he had no problem using the older man¡¯s memories to send him after them.


    ¡°How did you get in and out?¡± Vigilance asked him.


    ¡°There¡¯s, there¡¯s this elevator hidden in the wall over there.¡± He explained pointing at the way they came from. ¡°I saw a guard coming out from there when Sam started his rampage.¡± He lied, hoping to draw more comparisons with the real Sam¡¯s rampage.


    The older mask pulled something out of his belt and clicked several buttons on it. ¡°Wait here, and stay out of sight. I¡¯ve called a medic and backup to deal with whatever is happening here.¡±


    With that Vigilance turned towards the elevator to try and catch whoever he could, leaving Mercer with a massive sense of relief that his acting skills were still up to the task.


    ¡°You¡¯re just letting me go? After all of that?¡± The girl asked apparently unable to (keep her fucking mouth shut!)


    The older Mask paused for a moment, ¡°If what you say is true, and given the circumstances it likely is. Then I can allow this incident to slide, but,¡± Vigilance glared over his shoulder, ¡°if you kill anyone else in this city I will hunt you down myself. Regardless of your dietary needs. Especially, since the hospital will be more than capable of helping you find an alternative.¡± (Or rather you¡¯d anonymously give them an alternative.)


    With his piece said, the Mask moved on to hunt more serious monsters, leaving them alone in the parking lot as the elevator doors shut behind him.


    ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have much time before whichever Vigil he called gets here. We need to get moving or there are going to be a lot of problems for both of us.¡± He told the girl in his real voice as he picked B up into a proper carry.


    ¡°What?¡± The girl frowned, stepping into his path before he could take B with him.


    ¡°Look, I know Vigilance means well, but he also doesn¡¯t accept how fucked the system really is, or what will happen to you if you get to the hospital and someone notices you¡¯re a Malcontent.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°Meaning we need to get out of here before Sanctuary or one of Vigilance¡¯s sidekicks tries to get themselves involved.¡±


    The girl glared at him, likely trying to decide whether she should stay or go with him, before nodding. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Right, first things, first we get Bell here to a healer. They fucked her up bad and I know someone who¡¯ll help us and should keep quiet about it.¡±

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 6)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiment (Pt. 6)


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°This is where you want to take us?¡± She scowled at the red cross, knowing that it was a hospital of some sort, and that hospitals couldn¡¯t be trusted. Both due to her own experience as well as the fact that, ¡°I thought you said we couldn¡¯t go to a hospital without alerting everyone that we¡¯re Malcontent.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t but this isn¡¯t a hospital, this is a clinic.¡± He explained, gesturing for her to follow him around back rather than through the front door.


    Once more she was tempted to take her sister and simply run, before forcing herself to continue following the man, figuring that at the very least he¡¯d done everything else he said he would. (And finding out what¡¯s wrong with Bell is important enough to risk it. Especially since she still hasn¡¯t woken up¡­)


    That was worrying her.


    She knew for a fact that their healing factors had allowed them to walk off everything those (bastards) had done to them, from electrocutions and burns to impalement and¡­ worse.


    Her fingers idly ran just beneath her collar bone.


    Even if her healing factor was notably stronger than Bell¡¯s, the amount of time that had passed between them leaving the facility and coming to this ¡®clinic¡¯ was more than long enough for her to wake up. The fact that she wasn¡¯t was¡­ (bad¡­)


    The man knocked on the door in an odd but distinct pattern before glancing her way. ¡°Just give her a second, sometimes Betty has to offload someone to her nurses when I come a knocking.¡±


    After a few minutes of waiting -enough for her to start growling in impatience as her eyes darted to the nearby street- an older woman with blonde hair and rings around her eyes opened the door wearing a coat she found all too familiar.


    ¡°Hey, hey, there¡¯s no reason for that.¡± The man told her.


    ¡°She¡¯s a doctor.¡± She spat.


    The man looked at her a second before sighing as he wiped at his eyes. ¡°Right¡­ of course there¡¯d be ¡®doctors¡¯ there.¡±


    Inhaling deeply, the man gave her a look as he let it out. ¡°There are different kinds of doctors. The ones from¡­ that place, were science doctors. Betty here is a medical doctor. Her job revolves around healing people who have problems with them.¡±


    ¡°Nurses would argue they do the healing and I do the billing.¡± The¡­ (doctor), said in what she assumed was an attempt at a joke.


    Seeing that this had fallen flat (the doctor) sighed before giving the man a look. ¡°Mercer, story?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± The man, Mercer, blinked. ¡°Uh, actually you mind if we come inside first.¡±


    (The doctor) inhaled deeply before letting out a clearly pained breath as she ran a hand down her face. ¡°Who are you running from?¡±


    ¡°Look I rescued the girls from a bad spot and¡­¡± Mercer trailed off at (the doctor)¡¯s unimpressed look, before sighing again as he answered,¡°Vigilance.¡±


    ¡°Of fucking course.¡± (The doctor) cursed before holding the door open. ¡°Well, get in here before the paranoid bastard starts knocking. We may be in the Way but we¡¯re close enough to the edge that Vigilance has no problem coming here.¡±


    ¡°And even after all these years he¡¯s got no idea you¡¯re the one patching me up.¡± Mercer told (the doctor) on his way in.


    She eyed the door with a frown before following, though she did hold her sister closer to her chest as she passed (the doctor).


    Closing the door behind them as they stepped into a large room with grayish-blue -(not white)- walls (the doctor) turned to Mercer and once more said. ¡°Story?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ So, you know what the Malcontent are, right?¡± Mercer asked with more nervousness than she¡¯d seen from him the entire night.


    (The doctor)¡¯s eyes drifted from Mercer to her and Bell.


    She couldn¡¯t help the way her arms tightened.


    ¡°One or two?¡± (The doctor) asked, her eyes softening.


    ¡°Both.¡± Mercer answered, causing (the doctor) to frown.


    ¡°Her healing factor should¡¯ve healed her by now.¡± (The doctor) told them before giving her a considering look, one notably softer than any other such look she¡¯d ever gotten from a doctor.


    ¡°Do you know her other name, or her title?¡± (The doctor) asked her.


    She swallowed because (names are important) and Bell¡¯s was¡­


    ¡°If you tell me it¡¯ll give me more to help her with.¡±


    She glanced down at her sister, and how frail she was. ¡°Her¡­ Her title is ¡®The Shadow Legion¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That fits.¡± She heard Mercer mutter, making her wonder what exactly he saw in the facility, because while she knew the machines and experiments they regularly performed she didn¡¯t know what the point of this one was.


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    ¡°The Shadow Legion.¡± (The doctor) repeated. ¡°So blue or black¡­ Explains why her healing factor is weaker but still¡­¡±


    (The doctor) glanced at Mercer before giving her another look. ¡°How long has it been since she last ate?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She admitted, searching for the fear, scorn, or pity she usually saw whenever her ¡®eating habits¡¯ were discussed. Only she couldn¡¯t find it.


    ¡°Alright, well, we got a blood donor today. It might not be as good as something more solid but it should be enough to kick start her healing factor if she ingests it.¡± (The doctor,) Betty, told them before moving towards a nearby fridge. ¡°Mercer, you know where the spare tubing is, grab it. And try not to get blood on my shit or I¡¯m stabbing you.¡±


    Despite her instincts telling her that (the doctor) fully meant that, rather than feeling threatened Mercer merely laughed as he started rifling through a drawer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one always complaining about me coming here with stab wounds?¡±


    ¡°And gunshot wounds, burns, freezes, nerve damage, scraped skin, broken bones, and on one memorable occasion a missing arm.¡± (The doctor) Betty, listed with growing agitation as she pulled out several blood bags before slamming the fridge shut. ¡°At this point I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the only thing keeping you alive.¡±


    ¡°Well, that and the spite.¡± Mercer nodded as he pulled out some clear tubing. ¡°By the way, is an IV drip really the best way to give her blood if she needs to ingest it?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, but that¡¯s why I¡¯m setting up a bootleg feeding tube for the girl to hold because this is probably going to take a few bags.¡± (The doctor) Betty explained as she accepted the tubing.


    After a moment of connecting the bag to the tubing, (the doctor) Betty offered her the end of it. ¡°Unless you trust me to do this you¡¯re going to want to slowly push this down her throat.¡±


    She stared at the tubing for a moment before taking it because as much as Betty (the doctor) was turning out to not be like the other doctors¡­ (she¡¯s still a doctor.)


    ¡°Alright, well, since this is the least of her worries and she¡¯s got a healing factor you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about hurting her here.¡± Betty (the doctor) told her before turning to Mercer. ¡°Meaning I can deal with you.¡±


    ¡°Heh, uh, what do you mean?¡± Mercer grinned, holding his hands up. ¡°Is it the blood? Because that¡¯s just part of this disguise thing I did to outsmart Vigilance, because you know, I¡¯m smarter than him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe but you¡¯re not smarter than me.¡± Betty (the doctor) argued. ¡°I see the way you¡¯re moving and it¡¯s just like the time you decided it was a good idea to box living lightning.¡±


    She had noticed that Mercer was moving oddly, but had been more concerned with her sister to really care, especially since she didn¡¯t actually have a reference for long term healing in non-Malcontent.


    ¡°Well, technically I wasn¡¯t boxing him.¡± Mercer tried to defend.


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯ve probably got nerve damage and I¡¯ve got a new M.A.D. machine for fixing that that I¡¯ve been wanting to test out.¡± Betty (the doctor) told him pointing to a nearby door.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that?¡± Mercer frowned.


    ¡°From your mother, before I fucked her.¡±


    Mercer let out a pained sound. ¡°I really should¡¯ve expected that from you.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°So in all seriousness what is the plan here?¡± Betty asked him once she thought they were outside of the girl¡¯s hearing. (And this is why she¡¯s not a vigilante.) (Well that and she¡¯s too mentally stable for that.) (Point.)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned as his family¡¯s doctor led him to what looked like a large defibrillator.


    Betty gave him a flat look as she retrieved a syringe from a panel inside the machine. ¡°These girls aren¡¯t like the usual strays you help out Mercer, they¡¯re Malcontent.¡±


    ¡°I know and,¡± He grimaced at the sight of the needle. ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°Stuff cures nerve damage and is non-addictive.¡± Betty assured him.


    He frowned but still offered his arm, forcing himself not to tense as she injected it into his vein.


    With that done, Betty (thankfully) set the needle down and turned the machine on as she picked up the machine¡¯s paddles. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re nice kids with a tragic backstory, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are Malcontent and likely will continue to kill people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to continue to kill people.¡± He felt the need to point out.


    ¡°But you can fight, out run, or out smart and of the vigils if you have to.¡± Betty argued as she placed the paddle to his forearm causing an odd sort of tingling through his fingers, which he was pretty sure meant it was fixing something since he hadn¡¯t felt half of those in the last hour.


    ¡°I could get them out of the city if I have to.¡± It wasn¡¯t even that hard. ¡°Give them both enough money to keep them good for a year if they¡¯re smart.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re teenagers.¡± Betty reminded him, pressing the paddles down a little harder than necessary.


    He gave her a confused look, earning himself an eye roll.


    ¡°Teenagers from outside of the Way, and teenagers who have spent who knows how long in a lab being experimented on.¡± Betty elaborated as she switched arms. ¡°Odds are they don¡¯t know how to function on their own let alone as Malcontent.¡±


    Part of him wanted to bring up the fact that the girl had been surviving on her own, but given how he¡¯d been trying to get her off the streets that was pointless. ¡°Originally I¡¯d been planning on getting the girl a place to stay at least until I burned whoever was experimenting on her to the ground, but¡­¡±


    Betty raised a single brow. ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But I kind of sicced Vigilance on them, to buy me escape time.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Meaning you have no way of knowing when he¡¯ll be done with that.¡± Betty sighed, before giving him a considering look. ¡°Unless, you help him out with that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He shut down, before sighing himself. ¡°It gets worse since there¡¯s now two of them I have to deal with. I mean finding a place for one Malcontent to hide is easy, but two? With the Sanctuary has been trying to weasel into the Way again that¡¯s going to be much harder.¡±


    They both sat in silence for a moment, at least until Betty broke it as she grew an odd expression on her face. ¡°Well, there is another option now that I think about it?¡±


    ¡°There is?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°You seem to have some sort of rapport going with the girl, enough that she¡¯s trusting you despite her obvious issues doing that much.¡± Betty told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been good with kids.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re right you have.¡± Betty nodded, ¡°Just like every other Donovan.¡±


    He froze as he immediately understood where she was going with this. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It would let you keep an eye on them.¡± Betty continued uncaring.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    ¡°And given your own body count you could keep them fed.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no.¡±


    ¡°Or at the very least make sure they don¡¯t hurt anyone innocent.¡±


    ¡°Fuck no. Fuck no. Fuck no. Fuck no!¡±


    ¡°You know your mom is kind of mad you haven¡¯t given her any grandkids yet.¡±


    ¡°La-la-la, I¡¯m not listening!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, just adopt these kids, already!¡±

 First Sin: The Runaway Experiments (Finale)

    First Sin: The Runaway Experiments (Finale)


    --- ??? ---


    All around her was a fog of darkness, figures shifting in and out of it as they all watched her with judgemental eyes. Hating her for being so weak, for allowing them to suffer for so long.


    One in particular stood in front of her seemingly unmoving, save for the occasional full body twitch before returning to its emotionless visage.


    She shivered, hating the fact that she knew this was both real and fake at the same time, the numerous claw marks across her body more than proving that point.


    ¡°W-what do you w-want?¡± She asked the shadow that stood apart from the rest, knowing that there was a reason they dragged her here and that for once it wasn¡¯t to berate and torment her.


    She was too scared of them to believe this was a good thing.


    The shadow slowly tilted its head as it watched her, before all around her a thousand voices said, ¡°TrUsT tHe ONe tO sAve uS.¡±


    --- Bellatrix ---


    When the darkness of her mind finally began to recede, allowing her back into consciousness of the waking world, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn¡¯t in pain. Which for her was a notable rarity.


    (Scarl must¡¯ve attacked the guards when they tried to take me again.)


    Given how she was on the¡­ generator -phantom pain spasmed across her entire body- for so long she couldn¡¯t count the days, that sounded like what her sister would do if they tried to put her back on it.


    She wasn¡¯t sure why but that sounded wrong, and-


    (They continued down the halls, Scarlet ripping another one of the guards apart before dragging her along as her other-selves continued to whisper into her ears, some warning her that this guard still lived while others warned her of more to come.


    ¡°Left, the guards are trying to cut us off.¡±


    Her sister stopped mid step before immediately changing course on her word alone, trusting her more than she trusted her other-selves.


    They continued like this through the white walled maze that they¡¯d been imprisoned in for so very long, Scarlet attacking any guards they crossed and her other-selves guiding them in the hopes of escaping unlike their previous attempts. And eventually they reached the final stretch of the maze, her other-selves¡¯ power letting her know how close she was to the freedom of the night filled air.


    Sadly like those previous attempts they once more found a small army of guards waiting to recapture them.


    Scarlet fought to protect them, and did well cutting a path through the guards and their monstrous machines. At least until one guard managed to attack her and her sister broke away from their path to freedom to save her, an action that she just knew would cost them their freedom.


    A realization that led to an even more terrifying revelation. (If she didn¡¯t have to protect me, Scarl could be free.)


    As that thought washed over her, and the tide guards began to drown her sister¡¯s best efforts, she came to a decision.


    Her other-selves resisted, refusing to work with her just as they always did, but this time rather than giving up and letting them tell her what to do, she demanded they do as she commanded. And with a force of will she had them grab Scarlet and throw her sister out of their personal hell, even if it meant damning herself to live through it by herself.)


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    -Her eyes shot open, darting around the room.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, you¡¯re okay.¡± A comfortingly familiar voice told her.


    ¡°Scarl?¡± She whispered, finding her sister curled protectively around her. ¡°W-why are you, d-did they capture you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her sister smiled before laughing. ¡°We¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± She blinked.


    ¡°We¡¯re free.¡± Scarl said again as she rubbed their foreheads together. ¡°We¡¯re finally free!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re free¡­¡± She repeated, not quite believing it even as her eyes took in the room so unlike anything the labs had within. ¡°H-how?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Scarlet¡¯s face scrunched up in thought as she licked her teeth. ¡°When I got free, this guy¡­ he found me, and¡­ he helped me save you, but¡­ you were in bad shape so he took us here and the¡­ lady here, helped me fix you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± All of that was good news, even if she knew her sister was trying to keep it simple for whatever reason. In fact, it was such good news that she still wasn¡¯t all that sure she could process it, which is why all she could say was, ¡°We¡¯re free¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Scarlet smiled once more.


    After a moment to simply bask in that revelation a knocking sound drew both of their attention to a nearby door, where a dark haired man with a violent scar over one of his eyes and bloodstains on his clothes stood.


    Her first instinct was to tense at the man¡¯s entrance, but given how her sister barely reacted to his appearance, she quickly realized this must be ¡®the guy¡¯ who helped rescue her. Something underlined by the fact that her other-selves saw no reason to warn her of him being a threat.


    ¡°Right, uh, good to see you¡¯re both, um, good.¡± The man noted with more than little awkwardness.


    ¡°We are.¡± Scarlet nodded, holding her just a bit closer, less to protect her and more to assure herself of Bellatrix¡¯s presence.


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± The man nodded, back before clapping his hands together. ¡°Right, uh, there was this¡­ thing¡­ that I kind of wanted to talk to you two about.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡± Scarlet frowned, more curious than angry for once.


    The man swung his arms at his sides. ¡°Uh, what, uh, what exactly is your plan going forward?¡±


    ¡°Our plan?¡± Scarlet repeated.


    ¡°Uh, now that you¡¯re uh, both free¡­ what are you planning to do?¡± The man elaborated.


    She¡­ She didn¡¯t actually know, for so long their only goal had been getting free of the labs that she¡¯d never thought about what would come after, and given the look on Scarlet¡¯s face she didn¡¯t know either.


    Part of her wanted to try tracking down her parents, but¡­ she knew enough about the labs to know that wasn¡¯t a good idea. Less because she¡¯d be putting them in danger, and more because she knew whatever she found wouldn¡¯t be pretty. Something the memory of the time they¡¯d injected another subject¡¯s Malice filled blood into their parents made sure she wouldn¡¯t forget.


    (Flesh tore as bone pierced through flesh and skin burnt away as blood leaked from their eyes and a haunting death rattle tore through the air, carrying on for far longer than any merciful or even a cruel death ever would.)


    The man must¡¯ve understood their faces given the sigh he let out. ¡°Figured that was the case¡­¡±


    Silence fell over them, as she slowly began to panic over all of the things she didn¡¯t know. Given how young she¡¯d been taken, she had no idea how to take care of herself and she knew Scarlet wasn¡¯t much better. Hell, she had no idea how Scarlet had even survived however long she had before rescuing her from the labs.


    ¡°If you, uh, if you want¡­ I¡¯ve uh, I¡¯ve got a couple spare rooms you can crash in¡­¡± The man offered. ¡°At, at least until you figure out what you¡¯re going to do next.¡±


    Some part of her vaguely remembered something about ¡®stranger danger¡¯ from when she was a child, but at the same time the man had already rescued her from the labs and she very much doubted whatever he had planned for her could be worse. (And if he does try anything I¡¯ll have Scarlet with me.)


    A quick glance towards her sister revealed a frown that immediately had her suspicions raising about the man¡¯s offer, at least until Scarlet said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they blow up your house?¡±


    That¡­ was another thing to be concerned about. (Later.)


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± The man nodded, scratching at a scar on his neck. ¡°But when you¡¯ve been a Mask as long as I have you learn to keep a few backup bases. The one I was thinking we could move into is in the middle of the Way and under the highway making it easier to get everywhere else faster.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t actually sure what he meant by any of that, but she guessed it sounded good.


    Her sister gave her a curious look, asking her opinion, to which she could only shrug. (It¡¯s your call sis.)


    Scarlet seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have anywhere else to go right now.¡±

 (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 1): New Home

    (1) Sinless Days


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°This the place?¡± The girl -Scarlet as her sister introduced- asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded, giving the old boarding house a once over.


    The building was four storeys tall, with probably four rooms on each floor past the first which held a communal space in the front, a kitchen in the back, and a small laundry room. And while boarding houses weren¡¯t all that common anymore, this one had been built almost forty-fifty years prior back before people had renamed the district Sinner¡¯s Way.


    ¡°Looks like a shit hole.¡± Scarlet told him, earning a look from her sister, Bellatrix or Bell as she introduced herself.


    ¡°Yep.¡± He agreed, spotting several broken windows and tags on the building. ¡°Did not realize how worn down this place was.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡¯d you want to move here?¡±


    He pointed to the overpass above them. ¡°When they built that bridge over the way, they created a high point that makes my grappling significantly easier. What¡¯s more there¡¯s roof access roughly level with the nearby buildings making it easier to come and go too without having to walk on the streets. All very important when you¡¯re a mobile mask, or deviant.¡± (The fact that the overpass was also one of my favorite places to sit at night as a kid is just an added plus.)


    Opening the front door they were greeted with the building¡¯s lobby where a couple of torn and stained couches laid to their left and what looked like a bar counter stood in front of an old mirror with just enough space between the two that one of them probably had a cabinet for liquor underneath. Not that he was expecting to find any given the broken glass and empty bottles littering the floor.


    ¡°Really should¡¯ve checked this place out before now.¡± He sighed, making his way around the glass and to where he was pretty sure there were some light switches for the first floor.


    ¡°Yeah, your last apartment was much better looking.¡± Scarlet agreed, looking around the place.


    ¡°It¡¯s still better than the labs though.¡± Bellatrix argued, attempting to defend the place.


    (Which, fair, but) ¡°Not the highest bar to set, kid.¡± He told her as he managed to get the lights on, or rather the ones that hadn¡¯t gone out. (Cannot wait to see what the rest of this place looks like.)


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not true.¡± Scarlet grinned as she flopped onto one of the couches, likely enjoying her newfound freedom and semi-safety. ¡°So we crashing on these couches or what?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, outside of what I gave Mathias and Betty for helping us, most of my cash was in the old apartment so I¡¯m going to have to do something about money before I can order us some mattresses.¡± He explained before shrugging at the problem. ¡°But I¡¯m sure one or two of the gangs would be willing to make a¡­ charitable donation to our housing situation.¡±


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    ¡°Well that¡¯s nice of them.¡± Bell smiled, likely too innocent to understand that he was going to find them, beat them up, and steal their shit. (Which is likely how they got their own shit in the first place.)


    Scarlet watched him for a moment, her couple of weeks on the streets of Sinner¡¯s Way likely making her much less naive of the situation. ¡°Are you going to need help?¡±


    He considered it for a moment, his mind shifting through the possibilities once he got over how fast she offered to help him beat some random strangers up. (Going to have to keep an eye on that.)


    On the one hand, even unarmed he could still deal with a few punks to get the few hundred to buy a couple of mattresses, and if he happened to find enough of his gear still intact he could hit an actual gang house and get enough to fully furnish them a couple of rooms. Both numbers that he could probably up if he invited Scarlet, who would likely kill anyone she fought and bring even more heat into the area than their little misadventure the night before.


    On the other hand, the fact that she still didn¡¯t quite grasp the fact that he was dangerous in his own way, meant she was likely to follow him just like he would¡¯ve -(had when)- if their roles were reversed. (Though if she saw me fight that might settle my issue with her underestimating me in a fight.)


    And in both of those cases she¡¯d likely end up leaving Bell behind given her clear protective streak towards her sister. (Who I still don¡¯t have enough of a grasp to know what she¡¯d do, or how she¡¯d do it.)


    Or he could bring up this point in the hopes of making her stay behind, because while he didn¡¯t know Bell well enough to know what she¡¯d do, he did know that she was innocent enough to not knowingly walk into a fight if her sister wasn¡¯t, and that Scarlet was protective enough to not walk into a fight if her sister was following her.


    He frowned, considering it for a moment before telling her, ¡°No, you and Bell should lie low while we settle in.¡±


    ---


    "Well, this is lovely¡­" He sighed, having taken a detour to shift through the half torched ruins of his apartment in the hopes of finding something at least semi useful.


    The first thing he¡¯d checked was his money safe, (Which has had the lock melted off, and needs me to break it open to get the cash and deeds within. Something I can¡¯t do with my bare hands.)


    He briefly contemplated seeing if Scarlet could open the safe, before deciding to leave that for another day since this gang had been getting a little too comfortable in the Way, and the only reason he hadn¡¯t thrown them out already was because he got distracted after finding a wayward Malcontent in his neighborhood.


    Moving onto the safe with the things he found important, he found the metal box largely intact and having done its job of protecting his photos of his family as well as a number of trinkets he¡¯d collected from his various friends and family both living and dead. Including a beat up communicator, a pair of theater tickets, and his mom¡¯s favorite book. (He actively ignored the red Vigil insignia in the back.)


    Figuring that he could come back for those and whatever else survived the fire later, he made his way to the caved-in false wall of his former living room. Or more descriptively the false wall where he kept his backup gear in case the equipment he kept on him was ever trashed in a particularly bad fight.


    Prying the metal off with a bit of rebar, he began shifting through the half melted slag in the hopes of finding something at least semi-useful.


    (Let¡¯s see, turrets? Trashed. Ammo? Shot. Drone? Not flying anytime soon. Auto-Hackers? Cracked. Come on, there¡¯s got to be something¡­ Ah, ha! Jackpot)


    Shoving the destroyed remnants of most of his gear away, he found a damaged but still working backup of his grapplers. And while the stronger motors were shot, the basic ones were still in one piece, meaning even if he wasn¡¯t zipping around he was no longer limited to just what he could do on foot.


    "Yeah, I can make this work."

 (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 2)- Scouting The Drug Den

    (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 2)- Scouting The Drug Den


    --- Mercer ---


    Standing on the half-torched remnants of his old apartment building he did a quick check of his surroundings to make sure he¡¯d read the girls right and that both Scarlet and Belle had stayed behind. (Looks like it, and there¡¯s still enough daylight that I doubt they¡¯d be able to hide all that well. And even if they are managing to hide from me, actually following is about to be a lot more difficult for them.)


    He double checked his backup -now main- grapplers as he strapped them onto his forearms. (Well, at the very least they can shoot and pull the grapple lines and the actual grip piece is intact so I shouldn¡¯t have too much trouble latching onto things. That said, the main motors are the only ones working, while the zip-motors are pretty much shot at this point.)


    Shaking his head and rolling his shoulders he fired the line towards a nearby ledge that he knew could support his weight, just to make sure something wouldn¡¯t go wrong while he was actually swinging around.


    With a nod as the grip held under a decently solid tug, he had it release and retract back into the main machine, and the line retracted into the hidden spool within -at a speed that despite the broken zip-motors he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it whipping through the air behind him- before the grip snapped into place just behind his wrist where it wouldn¡¯t get in the way of his hand movements.


    Satisfied that everything was in order, he rolled his shoulders before taking a few steps back and promptly running off the edge of the five story building as he shot the grapple at a nearby ledge.


    There was a tugging on his arm that threatened to dislocate his shoulder as the line went taut and he was briefly reminded of how he¡¯d had to wear a harness connecting both grapplers to his torso to spread the pressure out. (But that was back before I could do a one armed pull up.)


    Bending his bicep, he spread the pressure through his muscles rather than his joint as the wire began to spin around his grapple point swinging him higher into the air where he released the grappler¡¯s grip on the edge.


    And for just a moment he felt a sort of weightless freedom as he soared through the air, before gravity once more gripped him trying to drag him down to the earth a near-fatal distance below.


    A grip he easily escaped with the grappler on his other arm, before he once more found himself swinging into the air free of gravity.


    ---


    He landed on a roof overlooking this rundown little hotel that had a bad habit of being purchased by people looking to convert it into a drug den of one kind or another.


    Usually drugs were something of a gray area for him.


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    Having grown up on the streets and with drugs a fairly common part of his life, (including an addict or two in the family), he was fully aware of the negatives of both drugs and drug enforcement.


    What this meant was that personally he didn¡¯t want them anywhere near his body, but he also believed that the ¡®war on drugs¡¯ was a scam meant to blow the police budget on messing with a mix of minorities and the poor. (Honestly, at this point we just need to slap an age limit on it, tax the shit out of it, and spend the money on rehabs, healthcare, and education.)


    Because of this unconventional opinion -(that the Vigils don¡¯t share)- he tended not to mess with drug dealers just so long as they didn¡¯t sell to kids, and their product wasn¡¯t killing people. (Or making super soldiers. Really hate those drugs, but that¡¯s because they keep criminals from going down to a bullet.)


    Otherwise it was no different than someone drinking themselves into a stupor off of alcohol. -Which he personally considered a drug worse than the rest.- Not something he approved of, but also not something worth wasting resources on that could be better spent elsewhere. (Such as actually saving and protecting lives.)


    Unfortunately, in the same way this hotel had a bad habit of being turned into a drug den, the people who owned said dens had a bad habit of getting greedy and letting their clientele overdose rather than cutting them off. What¡¯s worse, this was a common enough thing that one of the first things the more corrupt cops of the way did when the Den was under new management was come around to get a cut to keep the few honest cops from looking this way. (Something I¡¯m not doing anymore.)


    Given how many times he¡¯d cleared the Den out he had the floorplan pretty much memorized, as well as an understanding of how the place usually ended up regardless of management. With the basement containing all of the actual drug production and packaging, while the penthouse was where the current boss stayed and kept all of his money, and the various rooms being places the various addicts could rent out to crash once they got their fixes.


    None of this was what he actually had to consider before raiding the base.


    Instead what he needed to figure out was whether to start from the top or the bottom of the building.


    If he started from the bottom he could shut down this gang¡¯s overall production delaying how long it took them to get another foot in the way at the price of likely letting the gang leader get away with a notable amount of money while he was busy destroying the drugs. Meaning while the gang¡¯s activity would be pushed back the one actually responsible for the deaths would be getting away with a decent payday from this venture.


    The top on the other hand presented the opposite problem, allowing him to take out the gang leader and confiscate a larger chunk of the money but allowing the gang to flee with a suitably large chunk of the drugs. Allowing them to reopen their drug trade sooner, if under new management that may follow his rules in the Way. (Though no telling when they¡¯ll get greedy too.)


    Considering the problem in a ¡®one or the other¡¯ manner, he couldn¡¯t help but run a hand down his face as he remembered the days when he could sweep the entire Den without letting the gang or the boss get away. (But then the owners had to start splurging on extra security tech and spells, because they all know I¡¯m going to have to raid the place at some point or another.)


    ¡°Gah, I miss when criminals were still stupid.¡± He sighed.

 (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 3)- Demon in the Den

    (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 3)- Demon in the Den


    --- Mercer ---


    The inside of the penthouse was more lavished than the rest of the old hotel, with fresh stain free red carpets and drapes with a faint hint of gold lining. (Well, maybe stain free. I mean I did shoot that one guy, and I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s the same carpeting, so they might not be able to see the bloodstains on that shade of red.)


    On either side of the room¡¯s main entrance was a table with four or five guards sitting at them, either playing poker or counting out packages of drugs and money to be distributed elsewhere. With another pair standing at the balcony on watch in case one of the city¡¯s numerous masks decided to make an appearance. (Such as me.)


    At the center of this main room was a mildly obese man in a white suit sitting at a mahogany desk, while shifting through a number of papers. Completely unaware of the fact that his guards were incapable of spotting the vigilante using a grappler to hang above them and spy on his little operation.


    For a brief moment he mourned the fact that after his fourth time smashing through it to enter the penthouse, one of the hotel¡¯s smarter owners had the skylight replaced with a more mundane roof. (Not that that stopped him from keeping the balcony.)


    He glanced at the automated turret the sixth owner installed to fix that problem, just waiting to shoot him should he use the balcony to break in. (Well, technically it¡¯s not the same turret since I¡¯ve broken that one like six times.)


    Silently retracting his line so that he was sitting on the roof¡¯s ledge, he began forming a plan based on all of this information as well as his various previous runs at raiding this place.


    His first idea was using one of the numerous windows in the penthouse bedrooms to break into the building without having to worry about dealing with the turret or guards in his underequipped state.


    He immediately rejected this idea as boring and lacking sufficient style and/or tormenting of his criminal victims.


    After another moment he remembered something from way back during the Den¡¯s seventh owner, and glanced over his shoulder at something on the roof. (I wonder if they ever fixed that issue? I mean, I¡¯ve only done it here the one time so¡­)


    He hopped off of the edge and onto the roof before making his way across and checking what he was thinking of. (Alright, let¡¯s see¡­ Where was it¡­ ah, there it is.)


    A few brief tests without actually doing anything to the penthouse below, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. (Yeah, this is definitely going to be more fun. Just need to do a bit more prep work¡­)


    ---


    It was business as usual for the Den owner and his workers, a night of steady profits off of the various addicts of the Way and preps from the rest of the city looking for a quick high somewhere that knew the value of discretion. And given the Den¡¯s pedigree within the city, there was no place with a better reputation for getting people the drugs they desired at a reasonable price.


    Of course, their profits had taken a bit of a shake up with their newest drug seeing as how they had to work a few kinks out of the formula, but that¡¯s why the Den Boss only ever fed the new stuff to the addicts.


    After all who cared if a few of the Way¡¯s lesser folk ODed to a needle, who was to say it was their drug responsible and not one of the numerous other substances on the streets.


    Or that¡¯s what the Den Boss told the cops on his payroll when they got a little shaky about the bodies dropping. (You¡¯d think corrupt cops would have a bit more spine. Then again, if they had that they probably wouldn¡¯t be so corrupt.)


    Leaning back in his chair as he finished with his paperwork, he pulled out a cigar and lit it. Ready to enjoy that well deserved hit of nicotine as he puffed the cherry of his cigar and the lights killed out.


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    The Den Boss looked up with a frown before turning to the two on the Balcony. ¡°Any sign of Mercer or one of the Vigils?!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen nothing boss.¡± One of the guards answered before turning to his compatriot. ¡°What about you Ben¡­ Ben?! Shit!¡±


    ¡°Fuck they¡¯re here!¡± The Den Boss cursed seeing the empty space before turning back to the still present guard and finding him missing too.


    ¡°Shit watch the balcony!¡± He ordered the rest of his guards as he hit his panic button, telling the boys in the basement to pack up and run before it could be confiscated as evidence. ¡°The moment they try to get in gun him down!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s a bit late for that.¡± A voice rasped from the darkness.


    His guards turned around, the few that managed to get their lighters going illuminating a figure in a black and red jacket.


    Despite the lack of his signature helmet they all knew who this man was.


    ¡°Mercer.¡± The Den Boss swallowed, not allowing fear or anger to make him order his men to open fire on him. Something that at such a close range was practically a guaranteed kill, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that by standing in the middle of all of his guards a single stray shot would lead to them all shooting each other for him.


    A trick the Den Boss had seen back before he¡¯d been promoted to his own operation.


    The Demon of the Way smirked.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t actually mind drugs in the Way.¡± Mercer began as he walked forward, as if all of the guns pointed at him were no threat at all. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but people will always be looking for that high, that escape from their problems when they can¡¯t work up the will to overcome them.¡±


    ¡°I-I know you¡¯ve had a deal with some of the previous¡­ Den Bosses.¡± He offered nervously, glad his voice had only cracked the once. ¡°Given the circumstances, I¡¯m sure we can come up with something similar.¡±


    ¡°We could¡¯ve.¡± Mercer admitted with a sympathetic nod, at least until his eyes hardened and the dead one seemed to flash red in the light. ¡°If you¡¯d kept your drugs clean, and customers breathing.¡±


    The Demon of the Way moved faster than any of them could react and had a hand around the Den Boss¡¯s neck, while using him as a meat shield against his own guards and forcing him to stare into the Demon¡¯s glowing red eye. ¡°Tell me, do you like breathing, Franklin?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re, they¡¯re junkies!¡± Franklin gasped, struggling to speak against the grip that somehow choked him without stopping his actual breathing. ¡°They¡¯re just trash, bring the Way down!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± The Demon confessed with a nod as its eye returned to its usual dead gray, before in a maneuver he couldn¡¯t follow the Demon had him leaning half over the edge of the balcony with its boot on the railing and its hand grabbing him by his tie. The only thing keeping him from falling the fatal distance below. ¡°But what kind of parasite does that make you feeding on them, hmm?¡±


    ¡°L-look, look, look, if-if you want me to-¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± The Demon shushed him with a finger to his lips. ¡°I only want one thing from you, and do you know what that is?¡±


    He shook his head, unable to fight the terrified shaking of his body.


    ¡°I want you to leave the Way and never come back, Franklin.¡± the Demon told him. ¡°You do that and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    He immediately began nodding in acceptance, willing to do whatever it took to save his life.


    ¡°Good.¡± The Demon smiled, its eye flashing red despite the white moon above. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping you survive your high better than those kids who ODed.¡±


    His eyes went wide as the Demon let go of his tie and he toppled over the balcony edge head first, giving him a view of the quickly approaching asphalt below, until-


    ---


    The Demon of the Way turned back to the various remaining men, his silhouette highlighted by the moon behind him as he gave them all a curious if apathetic once over.


    ¡°As I said, I have no problems with drugs in the way, and in turn have no problem with any of you.¡± He told them, holding his hands in the air. ¡°You¡¯re all men doing a job, nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    Some of them were tempted to try killing the Demon, to take their shot but as demonstrated unlike the Vigils, Mercer had no problem killing them. And the fact that he had no reason to kill them was the only reason they were alive, something none of them were willing to change.


    ¡°You¡¯ve families to feed and bills to pay, and in this life you¡¯ve got to do what you¡¯ve got to do to get by.¡± Mercer continued, looking them over one by one. ¡°So take the drugs and the money from the tables, and leave just like your friends in the basement are.¡± The Demon¡¯s eye flashed red. ¡°No one here wants to be a hero.¡±


    More than one of them swallowed in apprehension, before glancing at their fellow guards, wondering if one of them would take the first shot when they themselves weren¡¯t willing.


    After a moment, one by one they scrambled in the dark to take what they could from the tables before rushing to the elevator like the devil himself was at their heels. And when they dared to turn back, the Demon of the Way was nowhere to be seen.

 (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 4)- The Smuggler and The Visitor

    (1) Sinless Day (Pt. 4)- The Smuggler and The Visitor


    --- Mercer ---


    Walking down an alley several streets away from the Den he did a brief count of the money he¡¯d gotten from the safe stashed in the bedroom of the Den penthouse. A hiding place few people outside of the Den¡¯s current owners were aware of, one that had also included what was probably a fair amount of evidence against the Den¡¯s owner as a drug dealer as well as a number of connections that could lead to whoever was trying to get a foot in the Way. (But that¡¯s not as important as getting the house set up for me and the girls.)


    Taking a turn down another alley, he walked up to the backdoor of a building that the owner of definitely didn¡¯t want anyone to see him walk inside of before picking the door¡¯s lock and letting himself in.


    Even without his helmet¡¯s night vision to help him he was able to easily make his way through the dark building and to the office where the owner kept most of their incriminating things as well as the majority of their money.


    He took a seat and put his boots on the desk as he waited.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait long before the lights turned on and a thin balding man with glasses kicked the door down while pointing a gun at him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything scumbag!¡±


    It took the man only a moment to realize who he was pointing a gun at, and a raised brow to make him pale considerably.


    ¡°M-M-Mercer!¡± The man practically screeched as he fumbled the gun, dropping it on the ground.


    ¡°Vincent.¡± He nodded back in greeting.


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I need a bit of help acquiring some things and getting them to a specific place without anyone finding out.¡± Because while he had no problem with people knowing where he lived, he preferred to keep a low profile until the place was fortified enough to take on a siege if necessary. (Need to remember to make things a little more blast proof this time if people are bringing rocket launchers into the Way.)


    ¡°A-and you couldn¡¯t w-wait until I was open?¡± Vincent frowned, picking up his gun.


    ¡°Would you want the criminals of the way to know you¡¯re supplying not just them but the guy hunting them with goods?¡± He asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Right, right.¡± The store owner sighed. ¡°What, what exactly do you need?¡±


    ¡°My apartment blew up.¡± He told the man calmly, before adding, ¡°With me and most of my possessions in it.¡±


    Vincent ran a hand down his face. ¡°I can replace the stuff you got from me, but since we¡¯ve, we¡¯ve only been doing business for a few months¡­¡±


    ¡°You need a list of everything I need replaced, and in all likelihood you can¡¯t get me the more military hardware at the moment.¡± He figured, counting out several hundred dollar bills.


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    ¡°No, I uh, I probably can¡¯t.¡± The store owner admitted eyes locked onto the money in Mercer¡¯s hands. ¡°I um, I¡¯ve got a hook up with a lot of Deviants throughout the city though, so I can uh, I can hook you up with your own um, stuff.¡±


    ¡°I can rebuild most of my stuff if you can get me the parts, but there are some things I can¡¯t replace on my own.¡± He sat notably more money on the table than what he was going to ask for. ¡°For now I need you to get me a few king sized mattresses, sheets, blankets, dishes, cookware and so on, basic house furnishings.¡±


    ¡°You want me to get you a couch and TV too?¡± Vincent scoffed.


    ¡°Mm, TV yes, but my wife ¡®ll want to help with the actual furniture.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°This¡­ This is all stuff you can get on your own.¡± The store owner told him. ¡°Why are you making me find all of this?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m paying you to bring all of it to my new place of address by tomorrow morning without anyone finding out.¡± He explained, pushing the money forward.


    ¡°By tomorrow morning?¡± Vincent glanced at a nearby clock. ¡°As in today morning, or tomorrow tomorrow because it¡¯s three A.M.!¡±


    He but a few more bills on the table. ¡°You¡¯re a resourceful man.¡±


    The store owner stared at the stack of money that likely included a couple of thousand more than what he was being asked to acquire before shaking his head as he gave in. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded in satisfaction before standing from his seat.


    ¡°Is, is there anything you want other than this¡­ homemaker junk?¡± Vincent asked him as he walked passed. ¡°Getting you actual gear might be easier than this stuff.¡±


    He paused as he considered the offer.


    (On the one hand I could probably get the parts to work on some of my gear, but given the short notice Vincent ¡®ll probably only be able to get a few things.) He considered, before frowning as he realized, (If Scarlet -and less likely Bell- do end up following me on a couple of my patrols, it¡¯d probably be a good idea to make sure they have something. Though given their powers I don¡¯t actually know what would go good with their natural kits, meaning I¡¯d have to guess at whatever I got them. Then again, it might do them some good just to grab them a gift or something to help them settle in¡­)


    ¡°You know what, there is something you can get me while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    A/N: For new readers I like to do reader choices a lot to decide the flow of the stories, this was one of them. Since And All The Sinners, Saints posted on other sites first, the choice has already been made however. (There will be plenty of future choices once everything is caught up.)


    What should Vincent get?


    []-Mercer¡¯s Gun Parts


    []-Mercer¡¯s Armor Parts


    [X]-Mercer¡¯s Helmet Parts


    []-Armor Parts for the Girls


    []-Gift for the Girls


    ---


    Having made sure Vincent would take care of everything for him so that he wouldn¡¯t have to do all of that mundane shopping, he used his grapples to quickly make his way back to the boarding house where he found the lights still on.


    Which actually wasn¡¯t too much of a factor given how he was fairly certain the girl¡¯s might be nocturnal. -(Though I¡¯ve only got the one Malcontent to compare that to.)- What¡¯s more even if they weren¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they slept in shifts until they got used to being out of those labs or if they both stayed up until he got back.


    (Actually, probably should¡¯ve come back sooner if that was the case.) He frowned, realizing that if he was going to be taking care of these two he¡¯d have to be careful of being gone for too long. (At least until they get settled in.)


    Like he was half-way expecting, he found both of the girls in the boarding house lobby waiting for him. With Bell looking mildly frightened yet interested in everything outside of the lab and Scarlet looking suitably frustrated and/or annoyed by the world at large.


    Unlike he was expecting he also found an exhausted looking man in a trench coat scratching at his five o¡¯clock shadow while ignoring the claw marks on the wall. ¡°Mercer¡±


    (It¡¯s just one thing after another isn¡¯t it?)

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 1)- The Wolfs Hunt

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 1)- The Wolf''s Hunt


    --- Bellatrix ---


    ¡°You know you could¡¯ve gone with him.¡± She pointed out, as Scarlet continued to pace back and forth in equal parts boredom and frustration.


    ¡°No, he was right.¡± Her sister growled in a way that meant she hated what she was saying no matter how true it was. ¡°We just got out of the lab, we need to lay low until things are safer.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t um, didn¡¯t Mercer say that vigilante guy was dealing with the lab last night?¡± She¡¯d been unconscious during her rescue, but Scarlet had been hounding Mercer about it most of the day before he left.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not like that means jack of shit.¡± Scarlet scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s just one guy, it¡¯s not like he can take on everyone at the labs by himself. And even if he does send them packing they still might try to grab us on their way out¡­ No matter how boring that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re safe, and that¡¯s what counts.¡± She pointed out, trying to be optimistic about their situation.


    Scarlet looked at her, her expression softening as she gave a half smile. ¡°Yeah, I guess that is what counts in the end.¡±


    The front door opened and they both turned towards it.


    ¡°You back already, M- Who the fuck are you?¡± Scarlet growled as she caught sight of a man in a trench coat stepping through the front door.


    ¡°Woah there kid.¡± The man raised both of his hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for trouble.¡±


    (Yes, he is.) Her other-selves whispered. (Always looking for trouble. Always hUnTiNg it. FIgHtIng iT¡­)


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown at that, not sure what her other self meant, but not liking what it sounded like. She hoped they would say more, but her other-selves stayed silent beyond a mad giggling.


    Despite her not say anything, Scarlet immediately picked up on her discomfort and assumed the worst as her sister¡¯s eyes flashed red as her growling grew louder.


    Rather than being intimidated the man glared as his brown eyes turned gold. ¡°Kid, we can do this the easy way or the violent way. Don¡¯t be stupid about this.¡±


    The moment his eyes flashed gold something about the man shifted, turning him from unassuming to dangerous. That was more than enough justification for Scarlet to lash out.


    Scarlet rushed forward and swung a clawed hand at their intruder, only for the man to dodge out of the way.


    ¡°Kid, you really don¡¯t want to do this.¡± The man warned her, showing his already sharpening teeth.


    ¡°I really think I do.¡± Her sister argued, her stance passively shifting into something more predatory.


    Once more she rushed the man, this time at a speed notably faster than before.


    There was a blur of movement she couldn¡¯t quite follow, but it ended with Scarlet pinned to the wall with the man¡¯s hand to her throat.


    ¡°Kid, for the last time, I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± The man growled.


    ¡°As if you¡­ could¡­¡± Scarlet gasped.


    The man put a hand on the wall and dragged his fingers along it, leaving four deep gouges that he stopped just before touching her sister.


    ¡°If I wanted to, I really could, kid.¡± The man sighed before dropping Scarlet and turning towards Bell. ¡°Now seeing as how you haven¡¯t attacked me, I¡¯m going to assume you''re more reasonable than her.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you want?¡± She stuttered out before swallowing down her apprehensions.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a man named Mercer.¡± The man answered. ¡°Violent, angry, and wears a red and black jacket.¡±


    ¡°Who, who are you?¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Zachary DeWolf.¡± He nodded towards the private investigator. ¡°So what brings you to my new place?¡±


    ¡°A missing person¡¯s case.¡± DeWolf sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°A little girl went missing, and this seemed like your kind of case given the people involved.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s involved?¡± He frowned, knowing that despite the number of cases they¡¯d worked on together the detective preferred not to be dragged into any ¡®Mask¡¯ business, and thus only called him when there was already a mask involved.


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    ¡°From what I can tell Covenant has decided to start gathering some of the city¡¯s more¡­ special children for some reason. If it was just one or two it¡¯d be simple, but the sheer number of cases I¡¯m seeing¡­¡± DeWolf trailed off before shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s reaching a point where a mask has to be called in.¡±


    ¡°Kidnapping isn¡¯t Covenant¡¯s usual M.O.¡± He felt the need to point out, feeling like there was something DeWolf wasn¡¯t telling him. ¡°They¡¯re involved in a lot of shady stuff, but they¡¯ve always had a ¡®No Kids¡¯ rule for themselves and their clients, which is why most people consider them low priority crimes.¡±


    ¡°Some of the kids are being brought back no worse for wear after a couple of weeks.¡± DeWolf admitted, in a tone that said he didn¡¯t believe it changed anything. ¡°That said, their memories are fuzzy enough that no one is sure what¡¯s happening to them, just that they aren¡¯t being hurt physically. And given how my client remembers Asylum, he¡¯s a little worried about what they''re doing to his kid.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He accepted, trying to think of why Covenant would go after children even temporarily. ¡°What do the kids have in common?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell they¡¯re all young Deviants, between the age of eight and twelve. Mostly girls, though there were a few boys taken too, but they were returned in a few days rather than weeks.¡± The detective listed before considering something. ¡°They¡¯ve mostly been Arcane kids, but there have been a few psychics and at least one M.A.D. too.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re looking for someone specific, that much is obvious.¡± He figured, crossing his arms. ¡°And they¡¯ve been going missing all over the city or in a specific district?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen the cases tend to drift district to district, with them returning the last of the kids the moment the next district starts seeing there¡¯s going missing.¡± DeWolf answered.


    ¡°Meaning they¡¯re sweeping the city for whoever they¡¯re looking for, and since the kids are Deviants being returned unharmed the police in each district probably adjust the case priority enough that it hasn¡¯t flagged in the Vigil¡¯s system.¡± He pieced together, knowing that he was going to have to drop their IT a line on that flaw.


    It was like he warned them, when they commented on him sticking to the Way. (The problem with being city-wide vigilantes is that a lot of the smaller cases slip through the cracks in favor of bigger problems.)


    (Speaking of,) ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Way is the current district they¡¯re kidnapping from.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on our second kidnapping, if pattern holds there¡¯ll be at least three more before the month is over, but at least two of them will have been turned over by then too.¡± DeWolf confirmed.


    He tapped his foot on the ground as he thought the problem over.


    (Honestly, this could¡¯ve come to me at a better time. I¡¯m not actually in a position to go all out against the Covenant of all people.) He was forced to admit to himself if no one else. (Still, while it¡¯s a good thing no physical harm will come to them, I don¡¯t like the idea of anyone thinking they can get away with stealing the children of Sinner¡¯s Way. And the kids are always more important than whatever problems I¡¯ve got to deal with.)


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± He told DeWolf, before getting a frown from the investigator.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    (Curious.)


    Truth be told, he worked better alone, and DeWolf would slow him down if anything. That said, it also looked like the detective had zero intention of simply handing the case over. (Well, everyone¡¯s got a soft spot for kids¡­)


    He gave DeWolf a once over, taking note of the rings around the man¡¯s eyes and the sheer exhaustion rolling off of him. ¡°When was the last time you went to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I was planning on crashing on your couch while I waited for you to show up, but¡­¡± DeWolf gestured towards Scarlet and Bell who were watching them attentively.


    (Shit, forgot they were here¡­) He¡¯d gotten so focused on the case that he¡¯d completely blanked them out. (I can¡¯t keep doing that.) (Not like him.)


    ¡°In that case do you mind watching these two, they¡¯ve got-¡±


    ¡°Fuck that!¡± Scarlet spat with sudden indignation. ¡°I can keep us safe better than this asshole can.¡±


    He glanced at the claws next to DeWolf and gave the P.I. a curious look, earning a shrug.


    (Right, bad first impression. Got it.)


    ¡°I¡¯ve know DeWolf for years, he¡¯s almost as good in a fight as he is at investigations.¡± He tried to explain to the angry teen. ¡°And while I¡¯m sure you can handle yourself in a fight, having a bit of backup won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Scarlet narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take him with you as backup?¡±


    ¡°Because he clearly needs a few hours of sleep.¡± He answered, thankful that the P.I. had nodded off for a split second before shaking his head awake.


    ¡°Then what good is he if he¡¯s going to be asleep?¡± Scarlet growled.


    He briefly considered telling her about how the last time DeWolf cut loose he¡¯d given Mercer a challenge, but decided it was better not to explain why that was given how the man preferred to keep a low profile about that side of himself. (Then again given how they¡¯re Malcontent they¡¯d probably be the most understanding about those particular problems¡­)


    He glanced between Scarlet, DeWolf, and Bell as he tried to figure out how to handle this.


    (If I leave DeWolf with the girls, Scarlet is going to have an issue with that, but at the same time DeWolf¡¯s investigation skills are more valuable to me right now than his fighting skills, meaning I need him to sleep if I want him to be any help on that front.)


    (I guess I could take the girls with me, but that¡¯ll change up how I approach this next bit given how I was hoping to keep the girls out of the Vigil¡¯s spotlight and running through the city for this might draw their attention. Especially since two Malcontent are twice as notable as one.)


    (Though I could leave one of them behind.) He figured. (I mean Scarlet ¡®s proven herself in a fight, but I get the feeling Bell would be better at stealth than her sister if I choose to investigate rather than simply rushing Covenant. Though in either case leaving one of the girls with DeWolf might cause a problem. Scarlet probably won¡¯t like me leaving Bell with what she views as a stranger, while if I leave her with DeWolf she might try ripping his throat out¡­)


    Regardless of what he chose, he just knew something here was going to bite him in the ass.

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 2)- Asking For Nightwatchs Aid

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 2)- Asking For Nightwatch''s Aid


    --- Mercer ---


    (I¡¯m starting to wonder if this was a good idea¡­) He sighed to himself as he kept walking.


    While taking Scarlet and Bell with him had eased whatever issues Scarlet had with him leaving them behind, he¡¯d forgotten to take one point into consideration with that decision. Namely that while Scarlet had a number of physical enhancements that allowed her to keep pace with him even with his grapplers letting him swing around, Bell had none of those same enhancements and they had to quickly double back before even leaving the block.


    Meaning that if it had been just him and Scarlet they could¡¯ve taken the rooftops and just rushed to their destinations getting to where he wanted quickly and hopefully get a fair bit done while DeWolf was passed out on his couch. Unfortunately, because he brought Bell along they were spending a lot longer than he wanted just getting to his contact unseen. Something that was a necessity given how far out of the Way they were at the moment.


    (I should be glad that she¡¯s at least able to run for this long without tiring herself out.) He told himself. (Still if we¡¯re going to be moving like this we¡¯re going to have to figure something out, because I¡¯ve carried enough people to know that swinging with one arm long term is not a good idea even if I fully repair my grapplers.)


    He¡¯d pulled and dislocated his shoulders more than enough times to drive that point home.


    Spotting a nearby car pulling over he stopped the girls, ¡°Right, we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°And where is here?¡± Scarlet asked, looking around.


    ¡°The home of the city¡¯s best informant.¡± He answered, looking upwards before turning towards Bell and holding his arm out. ¡°Come here for a second, we need to get to the rooftop.¡±


    Bell glanced at Scarlet briefly before getting close enough for him to get a grip on her.


    He turned to Scarlet and gestured towards the roof. ¡°Think you can make your own way up?¡±


    Scarlet looked up before nodding, ¡°Easy.¡± At which point she leapt far further than he ever could and started scaling the building.


    Turning back to the teen next to him and explaining, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to fire a line at the roof ledge there and pull us up, but what I¡¯m going to need you to do is when we get close to the roof¡¯s edge pull yourself up without me, because I¡¯m going to need both arms to do myself.¡± (At least until I get those motors fixed.)


    ¡°A-alright.¡± Bell nodded nervously.


    With that explained he fired a line and began pulling them towards the rooftop, a feat that took far longer than he preferred as his grappler¡¯s single motor struggled to pull them both.


    Once near the ledge, he helped Bell over it as best he could, largely just handing her to Scarlet who¡¯d beaten them on the way up. Thus freeing himself to climb the rest of the way himself.


    ¡°Alright, now this person works with the Vigils so I¡¯m going to need you to stay up here while I talk to them.¡± He warned the girls. ¡°The last thing we want is it getting back to Vigilance that the two of you are running with me.¡±


    ¡°So what more waiting around?¡± Scarlet frowned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He smiled back as he gestured to the space around them. ¡°Only this time you¡¯re doing it outside. Making it a completely different experience.¡±


    The teenager was far less amused by that than him.


    He rolled his eyes before sighing. ¡°Look I can get in without setting off any alarms, but if a Malcontent tried to break into this place then their scanners would flag every Vigil and all of them would drop whatever they¡¯re doing and rush over here, and unfortunately we can¡¯t outrun them.¡±


    He made sure Scarlet noticed him glancing towards Bell despite making sure the meeker teen didn¡¯t see.


    Scarlet growled before breaking eye contact with a huff.


    (Yeah, going to need to find somewhere to channel that aggression before the night ¡®s over.)


    Shaking his head as he added another item to his growing list of things to do, he ducked around the girls and made his way to the building¡¯s ¡®Mask Entrance¡¯ just a little bit away.


    Normally this secret entrance was all but inaccessible to anyone who wasn¡¯t a Vigil, and despite once upon a time being on decent terms with them, he most certainly didn¡¯t have the access credentials that the Vigils used to get in and out of their various safehouses throughout the city.


    Or rather he wasn¡¯t supposed to have the access credentials given how they¡¯d never actually scanned him into the system.


    What none of the Vigils had realized was that there was a very slight security bug with said system. A bug that despite having some of the world¡¯s greatest detectives and hackers the Vigils just could not find. No matter how many times they went over the system, updated it, or even completely reworked it.


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    Largely because there wasn¡¯t actually a bug in the system, but rather two overlapping functions of the system giving him both a backdoor and auto-deleting any records of its use.


    Of course if they ever discovered just what the backdoor he was using was, he¡¯d be completely fucked on every level. Honestly the only reason he¡¯d started using it in the first place was because back before his fallout with Vigilance he¡¯d been hoping someone would catch it so he could mess with them. But when that whole situation went bad, he decided that after using the backdoor for so many years it wasn¡¯t really a risk anymore and started using it to steal anything Vigilance didn¡¯t nail down.


    Regardless, as the hidden entrance closed behind him he made sure his helmet was properly secure, while briefly regretting the fact that he hadn¡¯t had time to install the LEDs to have his insignia appear with a flex of his face. (Eh, intimidation would probably be a bad idea here anyway.)


    Given how the entire building was wired with enough surveillance equipment that beyond covering the entrance¡¯s external camera with tape (the kind that left glue residue you¡¯d have to scrape off after removing) there was no point in trying to hide his invasion as he calmly walked into the kitchen, stole a soda (admittedly a flavor he hated but he was committed to his bit), and made his way back into the living room where he sprawled out on the couch just in time to crack the soda can as the floor elevator opened.


    The living room lights flashed on as a woman in a wheelchair pointed a gun at him.


    ¡°Really, is that any way to greet an old friend?¡± He asked, in a mocking tone just to get under her skin, because even if he was here to ask for her help he was going to do everything in his power to mess with her.


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Kinsley Kennedy said, not bothering to lower her gun.


    ¡°Kin-Ken.¡±


    They both knew he was smiling under his helmet.


    They also both knew she wouldn¡¯t actually shoot.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Kinsley asked, not bothering to question how he¡¯d once again managed to infiltrate one of the most secure locations in the city in under five minutes flat.


    ¡°Got a line on something, but some of the details are sketchy.¡± He admitted, before adjusting his helmet so that he could take a sip of her (disgusting) favorite drink.


    Kinsley¡¯s eyes narrowed and he rolled his.


    ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s been going on throughout the city but somehow has flown under your watchful Vigilance.¡± He elaborated, purposely wording it in a way that was a jab at her and the old man. ¡°Normally I¡¯d leave you to your incompetence, but it¡¯s hit the Way and we both know I won¡¯t stand for that.¡±


    ¡°Funny way of asking for help.¡± Kennedy told him.


    He reached into his jacket and pulled out the files DeWolf had given him on his way out before dropping the stack on the living room table with an audible thud. ¡°Apparently there were a good twenty-three kids who didn¡¯t get it in time.¡±


    The more law abiding hero frowned before finally lowering her gun and making her way over.


    He let her shift through the papers at her own pace, knowing that despite how quickly she was going through them she was picking up far more than he would going over it in thrice the amount of time.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for a female Arcane around ten, likely blonde, caucasian.¡± Kinsley told him after but a moment. ¡°This points to Covenant but they aren¡¯t for kidnapping kids, and doing so would tick off a lot of both their clientele and their members. You¡¯re right in something not adding up here.¡±


    ¡°And since whatever this is has been city wide, I figured who better to ask for help than the city¡¯s Big Sister.¡± He explained with a gesture towards her.


    Kinsley scoffed at that before making her way to a nearby snow globe and pressing down on it, causing it to glow with a number of lights that would cover up the fact that it was scanning her palm print should anyone else try the same.


    A nearby wall shifted and parted similarly to how his own arsenal vaults would, only instead of revealing a number of weapons and armor it revealed a large monitor and a keyboard that sprung out from the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to update the system after this, even if the cases were closing, so many happening so close together shouldn¡¯t have slipped under our radar.¡± Kennedy admitted. ¡°The fact that it did and they¡¯re returning them this fast is a sign that someone figured something out in the alert algorithm.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re smart enough to keep track of it.¡± He agreed with a bit of skepticism. ¡°In all likelihood Covenant or whoever is doing this was just trying to come off small and harmless enough to slip under the radar. Avoiding the algorithm was likely more luck than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Kennedy told him with a level of disdain that showed her trademark Vigil paranoia wouldn¡¯t let her agree. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t want Vigilance to know about this until the case is closed.¡±


    ¡°You want to let him know you¡¯re helping me with this?¡± He asked as an answer.


    Kinsley grimaced, likely understanding how poorly that would go for everyone involved.


    ¡°Do you know where a Covenant base is?¡± His fellow vigilante asked, knowing that he probably did but offering to point him towards one if he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I know where the one in the Way is.¡± He nodded. ¡°If it is Covenant and they¡¯re operating in the Way, someone there will know.¡±


    ¡°Good then I¡¯ll let you know if and when I find anything about why they''re doing this.¡± Kinsley assured him as she offered him a comm. ¡°Figure your old one was busted given the explosion in the way along with your new helmet and jacket.¡±


    He paused, thrown for a moment. Not by the fact that she knew his helmet and jacket were new -(She¡¯s a Vigil spotting that much is a given.)- but rather by the fact that she was offering him the comm at all.


    His relationship with all of the Vigils was¡­ fucked to put it politely. The only reason he was willing to ask Kennedy for help is because she was the most professional in a non-Vigilance-is-an-asshole kind of way and would prioritize the children over their differences. (Though he had no doubt she¡¯d call Vigilance the moment he killed someone on this mission.)


    The fact that she was offering him the comm was, not quite a sign of trust, but of a willingness to work together that he hadn¡¯t been expecting from her. (From Safeguard maybe, but not her¡­)


    Under normal circumstances he¡¯d take the comm and test the waters to see if she was serious about this or just testing his sanity for Vigilance. If it was the former then he might be willing to work with her more in regards to keeping the Way safe, in the same way he let Safeguard and Swansong cross into the way whenever there was a ¡®Hell Night¡¯ (and only when there is a Hell Night). And if it was the latter, well he¡¯d burned his bridges with the Vigils so kicking over a single plank wasn¡¯t going to cost him a second thought.


    The big problem though, was the fact that he had two Malcontent he was hiding from the Vigils with him, putting him fairly far from normal circumstances.

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 3)- Explanations

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 3)- Explanations


    --- Mercer ---


    (Ugh, I just know I¡¯m going to regret this.) He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he set Kennedy¡¯s Comm into his helmet, and rigged it for one way so that he could hear her but she couldn¡¯t hear him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got a line on where to go.¡± He told the girls, as he got back to them.


    ¡°And where is that?¡± Scarlet asked, with a glare.


    (Still not happy I see.) ¡°It¡¯s the Covenant headquarters near the Way.¡± He shrugged, not pointing out that he¡¯d known where it was before talking to Kennedy.


    ¡°And where exactly is ¡®the Way¡¯.¡±


    He blinked at that. (Right, so they¡¯re not from this city. Good to know.)


    ¡°Sinner¡¯s Way, or more officially Saint¡¯s Way, is the city district we live in.¡± He explained, before going into a little more detail. ¡°It¡¯s roughly two square miles of land with a population somewhere between twenty and thirty thousand, if you include the homeless and uncounted citizens. And as far as the city¡¯s Masks are concerned it¡¯s more or less my territory, with me being the expected response if anyone is caught doing something¡­ let¡¯s call it bad.¡±


    ¡°Like eating people?¡± The Malcontent smirked.


    ¡°Eh, I only would¡¯ve killed you if you were eating kids.¡± He admitted in full honesty, before thinking about it. ¡°Then again you are right on the line of being considered an adult, -at least as far as the streets go- so I might¡¯ve given you a kid pass and some other food options before shooting you in the back of the head with a napalm round when you weren¡¯t looking.¡±


    Both of the teens just stared at him.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, honestly confused.


    ¡°You just admitted you were willing to kill me.¡± Scarlet told him slowly, sounding equally confused about something.


    ¡°If you purposely killed a kid.¡± He nodded, before shrugging. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d expect the same if I ever purposely killed a kid, and would be deeply disappointed if no one went after me with lethal intent.¡± (Though given how that kill warrant worked out, I probably would end up disappointed by the end of everything¡­)


    Both of the girls continued to stare at him.


    He gave them until the count of twenty to get over it before pointing to a nearby fire escape. ¡°So are we going or what?¡±


    ---


    ¡°You know you¡¯d be there already if you weren¡¯t insistent on avoiding every camera on the way there.¡± Kennedy told him after a few minutes of them running through the streets. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your grappling bracers are broken too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really in a position to be swinging around, but I can still scale a building.¡± He admitted, seeing it as a decent cover for hiding Scarlet and Bell.


    ¡°Lovely.¡± Kinsley sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can talk you into letting one of the Vigils help you can I? I know you¡¯ve got something with Safeguard and Swansong.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± He told her with a glance towards the Malcontent sisters. ¡°And I only work with those two when the Way is burning down and I¡¯ve got no choice.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do if these guys try to run?¡± Kennedy argued. ¡°Like you said you¡¯re not at full mobility right now.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just borrow a ride.¡± He shrugged, knowing that him borrowing a car would be no help at all in that scenario.


    Kinsley was quiet for a moment where he just knew she was pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Committing grand theft auto is not a valid answer.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s the Way I¡¯m sure I can find someone who is currently stealing a car.¡± He assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll just steal it back from them if your morals are too squishy for a standard carjacking.¡± Not that he¡¯d ever steal a car from someone who wasn¡¯t a criminal and (I just remembered that without my old helmet I don¡¯t have that program that tells me if a car belongs to a known asshole or not¡­)


    That put a slight hitch in his plans. (Not that I¡¯m going to tell her that.)


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    ¡°Either way, Covenant is usually fairly reasonable so I¡¯m sure if they are involved I can talk them into giving me the guy responsible for this mess.¡± (In exchange for not burning the building down with them inside of it.) ¡°And if not I¡¯m surprisingly good at negotiations.¡± (Aggressive negotiations that is.)


    He could feel Kinsley¡¯s exasperation through the comm.


    ¡°Fine, but if the one responsible gets away from you I¡¯m calling someone in and you may not like who.¡± Kennedy warned him.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Vigilance I¡¯m downloading a terabyte of porn to your hard drives while you¡¯re at work.¡± He warned her back.


    Her exasperation grew and it made him stronger.


    ¡°Who are you talking with?¡± Bell asked him, earning a curious look from Scarlet who apparently unlike her sister couldn¡¯t hear through his helmet¡¯s silencers.


    ¡°Nightwatch.¡± He answered. ¡°She¡¯s another vigilante, and while she¡¯s not the best at field work she¡¯s probably the best Overwatch in the state.¡±


    ¡°Overwatch?¡± Bell repeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s a combat class, er, the different types of units on the field.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°Overwatch is an out of field Support unit who mostly covers information gathering and processing.¡±


    ¡°So if this Nightwatch is an Overwatch what are you?¡± Scarlet asked with a look.


    ¡°Technically I¡¯m an Adept.¡± He answered though knowing that they wouldn¡¯t understand what that meant he continued. ¡°But on most Sanctuary and Guild paperwork I¡¯m labeled a Scrapper, an Infiltrator, a Marksman, and a Tactician.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that four classes?¡± Scarlet frowned.


    ¡°The class system is about how you¡¯re supposed to respond to a given threat.¡± He elaborated. ¡°In my case, Scrapper means don¡¯t let me in melee range but if I am I¡¯m not the most durable, Infiltrator means I¡¯m stealthy and they should keep their guard up, Marksman means I¡¯m good at shooting people so don¡¯t let me keep a distance, and the Tactician is because of this time I rigged a place with explosives.¡±


    If anything, Scarlet''s frown seemed to grow more prominent. ¡°If you¡¯re a Scrapper and a Marksman, how is someone supposed to fight you?¡±


    ¡°Ideally the best solution for a Scrapper/Marksman is a Blaster/Bruiser, durable enough to take a beating but with widespread enough attacks that they can¡¯t be dodged.¡± He offered.


    Scarlet seemed to chipper up at that for some reason.


    (Probably figures she¡¯s a Blaster/Bruiser and that she can take me if it comes down to it.) He realized, before snorting at the thought. (As if that¡¯d happen, I¡¯ve taken down dozens of each combat class, being a Blaster/Bruiser just means I¡¯ll hit her harder in a fight.)


    He wouldn¡¯t burst her bubble about that just yet though.


    ¡°What are all of the, uh, combat classes?¡± Bell asked him curiously.


    ¡°Oh, uh, there are the¡­ three main categories of Offensive, Tactical, and Support. Then each of those have four categories, with Offense having Bruiser, Scrapper, Marksman, and Blaster. From there Tactical has Tactician, Infiltrator, Puppeteer, and Slaver, while Support has Guardian, Medic, Scout, and of course Overwatch.¡±


    ¡°But, um, wouldn¡¯t Scout and Overwatch be more of a uh, Tactical thing than not?¡± Bell frowned.


    ¡°Yes, on paper.¡± He agreed, trying to acknowledge her point. ¡°That said, in practice no, since Overwatch isn¡¯t a field unit so it becomes more Support than Tactical. Then Scout involves a couple of other things that make it more a Support-Infiltrator than an active combat unit and is more about spying on the enemy and extracting objectives than attacking them. ¡±


    Bell nodded following along in a way that told him she was the more¡­ intellectually minded of the two sisters.


    ¡°Alright, looks like you¡¯re finally there.¡± Kennedy cut in through the comms.


    ¡°Hold up one second.¡± He told the girls before unmuting himself towards his fellow Vigilante. ¡°You got something for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Kinsley answered. ¡°Shortly before each of these kids was kidnapped there was a white fog creeping through that part of the city at night. During which several people reported hearing the sound of monsters, but when Sanctuary went to investigate they found nothing. Not even a residual trace of any known Deviant Anomalies.¡±


    ¡°So what a kid is responsible for this fog and Covenant is searching for them?¡± He guessed, while trying to remember why ¡®white fog¡¯ and ¡®monsters¡¯ felt like something he¡¯d set to flag in his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a valid theory, in which case you¡¯re right and there¡¯s something else going on here that Covenant is trying to deal with without letting the guild or Sanctuary know about.¡± Kennedy pointed out.


    ¡°Which fits for them.¡± He reminded her. ¡°They may play nice with Sanctuary and the Guild but they only pass off jobs to them when it¡¯s low level busy work that¡¯ll make them look more cooperative than they really are.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Kennedy admitted. ¡°Still when it¡¯s something this hard to cover up they usually come clean rather than drawing attention to themselves like this.¡±


    ¡°Must mean it¡¯s something big, dangerous, and their fault.¡± He concluded, eyeing the unassuming entrance to the Way¡¯s branch of Covenant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep digging for now, but hopefully that¡¯ll give you something to start off with them.¡± Kinsley told him. ¡°If you really want me to help out with this, don''t mute the comms on your end while talking to them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it active when I find someone of value.¡± He assured her before hanging up.


    Turning back to the girls he considered how to play this.


    He knew for a fact Scarlet was getting antsy about being left behind or sidelined, so if he left her out she was liable to go rogue and sneak in on her own or ditch him completely which would be arguably worse in the long run. This combined with the fact that leaving Bell -who as far as he could tell wasn¡¯t the most combative person- by herself was just asking for disaster, and he didn¡¯t like his odds of asking Scarlet to babysit her sister for a third time.


    (Meaning I don¡¯t really have a choice in taking them with me¡­)


    ¡°Alright, Covenant¡¯s Club is just inside that building over there, what the three of us are going to do is walk through the door and talk this out. No matter what happens I need you two to stay calm, and stick close to me. Don¡¯t wander off or else they might think you¡¯re snooping instead of having a friendly chat.¡±

 Second Sin: Little Red and the Wolf (Pt. 4)- Meeting With Covenants Avarice

    Second Sin: Little Red and the Wolf (Pt. 4)- Meeting With Covenant''s Avarice


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think this is a good idea.¡± Scarlet half-growled, half-whispered.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s more of a neutral idea than a good one.¡± He admitted. ¡°But if this works out we get out of here with what we want, without stepping on any toes, and without a fight.¡± (And I might be able to bring up that one thing again.)


    He loved bringing up that one thing.


    Of the two sisters Bell was the only one who seemed happy with this strategy as he knocked on the front door of the building.


    An opening in the metal door slid open and a pair of yellow eyes looked out at him.


    ¡°Mercer.¡± The bouncer greeted. ¡°Good business or bad business?¡±


    ¡°Depends on if your boss can explain a few odd things involving the Way¡¯s kids going missing.¡± He answered, knowing it would get back to the ones in charge and hoping that they¡¯d have something for him. After all, when he was there for bad business, (well, I¡¯m bad for business.)


    The bouncer nodded before looking at the girls behind him. ¡°Guests?¡±


    ¡°Interns.¡± He shrugged, knowing that his reputation was a mix of snark, piss, vinegar, and blood. (Which is why I¡¯ve never touched a ¡®Mercer¡¯s Mercy¡¯ before.)


    The bouncer stared at him for a moment before closing the slider, and after a moment opening the door to reveal a large man with slick blue skin, pointed teeth, and a number of dorsal fins on top of his head.


    Idly, he glanced over his shoulder and caught both of the girls staring one with curiosity and the other in confusion.


    ¡°Staring is rude.¡± He warned them as he knocked his fist against the top and bottom of Baki the Bouncer¡¯s fist.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Bell squeaked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Baki told her, before giving him a look as the Amphibios motioned for them to follow. ¡°Heard from Crawk lately?¡±


    ¡°Still in the sewers.¡± He sighed as they started down a hallway filled with a sort of hazy magenta glow.


    Baki shook his head. ¡°Boy needs to suck up his pride already.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s helped when Killian acts up.¡± He argued half-heartedly.


    ¡°And he lives in a storm drain living off the scraps you toss him.¡± Baki scoffed before sighing himself. ¡°Just want him to have a life as long as we¡¯re stuck here.¡±


    ¡°Any word on getting home?¡± He asked the traveler.


    ¡°Down to ten grand and counting.¡± Baki answered with a touch of pride.


    He nodded as they stepped onto Covenant¡¯s Club floor. ¡°That for both of you or?¡±


    ¡°Both of us.¡± Baki frowned as if offended he¡¯d felt the need to ask. ¡°Boss should be in his office, you know the way.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred before tipping the man.


    Baki nodded, accepting the money for what it was as the bouncer turned to make his way back to the club entrance.


    The main floor of this club was a large open space littered with couches and tables all about, a dance floor in the center, and a bar along one wall opposite a series of curtains with a set of guards standing nearby, each eyeing them cautiously. The fact that only half of the people in the room were human was something he preferred to ignore. (They¡¯re still people after all.)


    ¡°Remember what I said, we are not trying to pick a fight here.¡± He reminded the girls. ¡°You see those guards each and every last one of them is an Arcane, a Practitioner, or a Psychic.¡±


    ¡°What do they hire every Deviant they can find?¡± Scarlet asked, her eyes drifting between the dozen or so guards on the floor.


    ¡°That is the idea.¡± A tanned man in a white suit admitted as he walked up to them. ¡°Mercer, I hope you aren¡¯t here to cause any trouble.¡±


    He made sure to step between the man and the girls, not trusting him in the slightest. ¡°Just here to see your boss about something, Avarice.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that you just missed him by fifteen minutes.¡± The wannabe gangster smirked, while pretending to check his watch. ¡°But I¡¯m sure I can help you with whatever trouble you¡¯re having.¡±


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    He glanced at the bartender, an Inferni he knew refused to lie on a matter of honor and pride. When the man nodded that Avarice was telling the truth he accepted the fact that he was going to have to deal with this jackass who thought the alias ¡®Avarice¡¯ made him cool rather than sounding like an edgy high schooler. (At least most Masks try for something more distinct.)


    ¡°Right, so what¡¯s this week¡¯s plot to overthrow your boss and take his position, Avarice?¡± He asked turning on his comm for Kennedy to overhear, and getting an affirmative from her.


    Avarice merely rolled his eyes at the provocation as he took a seat on a nearby couch. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with proving that I¡¯m more profitable to the higher ups.¡±


    ¡°Unless it involves kidnapping any kids.¡± He pointed out dryly.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here for that?¡± The wannabe leader laughed, waving over a waitress. ¡°One of our¡­ ex-boys summoned something they shouldn¡¯t and it¡¯s pretending to be a child. Unfortunately, with it switching faces every so often they keep grabbing the wrong kids, but we give them back once we¡¯re sure they¡¯re not the monster running around.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not even bothering to pretend you¡¯re not responsible? Even knowing how I feel about targeting kids?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re here then there¡¯s no point in hiding the fact that we¡¯re connected.¡± Avarice shrugged as if it didn''t really matter to him. ¡°Besides I¡¯m not actually the one in charge of this little operation, I just know it because they¡¯re passing through my neck of the woods.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s your game.¡± He nodded in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re not responsible so you¡¯re throwing them under the bus in hopes of shaking things up for a bit of upward mobility in the workplace.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not the one who fucked up and drew your attention.¡± Avarice grinned, accepting a drink from Inferni wearing a revealing cocktail dress. ¡°One thing I agree about with the old man, is that when you get involved survival and elimination is a matter of the Darwin awards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to know my reputation precedes me.¡± He admitted, before giving the wannabe gangster a look. ¡°And if that¡¯s the case I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind pointing me in the direction of the people who fucked up as it were?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Avarice toasted him, before taking a sip of his drink. ¡°So as I was saying, there¡¯s this asshole, goes by the name of ¡®Romulus¡¯ over in the Diamond district. He¡¯s been working on making some inroads with a couple of the non-Deviant gangs, while also managing that district¡¯s club. Anyway, he was looking to summon¡­ something to help give him a little more muscle and leverage on said gangs, only whatever he summoned was a little too wily for him and ended up slipping his contract bindings.¡± Avarice laughed at that detail. ¡°Fucking amateur.¡±


    ¡°What he¡¯s saying checks out for the most part, there is a flagged Arcane in the Diamond District going by the alias Romulus.¡± Kinsley confirmed for him. ¡°He¡¯s been around for a while but this seems to be his first big play.¡±


    (Or his first big play to hit the Vigil¡¯s radar.) He thought bitterly, after all, (You don¡¯t become a Covenant Club manager without burying a few bodies.)


    ¡°Either way give me a bit of time and I¡¯ll narrow down where he is plus get you any other information I can find on him.¡± Kinsley told him, before going quiet once more.


    ¡°Any details you can give me on what he was summoning?¡± He asked, knowing that with his luck the thing would pop up sooner than later.


    ¡°Like I said, he wanted something with muscle and yet unassuming.¡± Avarice shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know what it was exactly, but the few Catalysts I do know he used involve either something dead or eldritch in nature.¡±


    ¡°Lovely.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± Avarice told him dismissively. ¡°Once you capture or kill -I¡¯m not picky- Romulus, I know for a fact Covenant will throw him under the bus and give both Sanctuary and the Vigils whatever they can to kill the heat. Which honestly, if Romulus can¡¯t find the thing in the next few weeks we were probably going to do either way.¡±


    ¡°Meaning there was going to be a changing of positions regardless of whether or not you help me.¡± He frowned, knowing that while his reputation would make several gangs more willing to work with him, it wouldn¡¯t make any of them this willing.


    ¡°True.¡± Avarice nodded. ¡°But if you happen to also get enough of the Diamond District¡¯s members locked up while taking Romulus out, more people will be moved around in the ensuing shuffle making it easier to stack the deck in my favor wherever I end up.¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to throw your fellows that far under the bus, throwing a rival under is one thing but offering up a decent chunk of Covenant¡¯s manpower is bound to put a target on your back from the higher ups.¡± (And I know for a fact you¡¯d never put yourself at risk like that.)


    ¡°Just let me worry about that.¡± Avarice smiled smuggly as if he knew something Mercer didn¡¯t.


    (Yet another thing that¡¯s going to bite me in the ass at some point.)


    He turned to leave before stopping as he remembered a thing.


    ¡°Before I go, have you made any progress on that thing I asked Covenant about?¡±


    Both Scarlet and Bell gave him curious looks, but he just knew they were nowhere near as curious as the eavesdropping Kin-Ken listening in with full intent. After all, a deal between him and Covenant was definitely something the Vigils would want to know about in full detail.


    ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t aware that Covenant was doing a job for you.¡± Avarice admitted, cautiously as he lost his smug smile.


    ¡°Your boss is doing me a¡­ personal favor by investigating something¡­ important to me.¡±


    The aspiring gangster gave him a calculating look. ¡°Perhaps, if you were to tell me what favor he¡¯s doing for you, I could offer my assistance.¡±


    He worked his jaw for a moment as he considered the offer before giving a decisive nod. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone I have a¡­ personal issue with, and need a more¡­ mystical method to track down.¡±


    ¡°And who is this person that you of all people can¡¯t find?¡± Avarice asked with a bit of seriousness.


    He briefly glanced around the room, glad his helmet was hiding the fact that he¡¯d spotted the three or four eavesdroppers who would happily spread word of his search in the hopes of making some kind of profit off of the information, not realizing that they were all helping his trap along in doing so.


    Knowing that the word was going to spread, he leaned forward and calmly explained that he was looking for, ¡°Dracula,¡± because ¡°that motherfucking bitch owes me money and I intend to collect.¡±

 Sinners of the Way: The Sewer Crawk

    Sinners of the Way: The Sewer Crawk


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Baki stopped them before they could leave, a package in the Traveler''s hands. ¡°You mind dropping this off.¡±


    He gave the package a look before moving it to the fish man.


    ¡°I just want to make sure he¡¯s eating something other than sewer rats and whatever half-mutated garbage is in the river.¡± The bouncer defended.


    He rolled his eyes, before swiping the package. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°What did he give you?¡± Scarlet asked once they were a couple streets away from Covenant¡¯s Club.


    ¡°Fish, eel, squid, and probably some kind of shark meat. All bundled up in a standard compression wrap the size of a shoebox.¡± He answered, waving the package that probably had close to thirty pounds of seafood in a three pound box. (Got to love magic packaging.)


    ¡°And why are we delivering food when we¡¯re supposed to be looking for this ¡®Romulus¡¯ guy?¡± The teenager frowned.


    ¡°Because Nightwatch is currently combing through the city¡¯s surveillance feeds and police records to figure out where he is. And while that¡¯ll be significantly faster than us just wandering through his territory until we find him, it also leaves us with nothing pressing for the next hour or so.¡± He explained. ¡°Hence why I agreed to drop this off, since it¡¯s on the way to the house.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Bell began nervously. ¡°We¡¯re uh, we¡¯re delivering that to um, Croc, you said his name was?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but good deduction.¡± He nodded with a bit of praise, glad she was smart enough to piece that together on her own. ¡°Though his name is pronounced slightly different, due to the way their native language works. Craw-k.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but um, didn¡¯t you say this¡­ Craw-k lives in the sewers?¡± Bell asked, looking a little ill.


    ¡°Fuck seriously.¡± Scarlet grimaced. ¡°We¡¯re not going to have to go wading through shit to get to this guy are we?¡±


    ¡°If you want you can head back to the house.¡± He offered with a shrug. ¡°Like I said, the entrance to Crawk¡¯s is close enough that you can make your way back on your own.¡± The teen gave him a mean glare and he continued before she could open her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll be back the moment Nightwatch has something on Romulus, after all I still need to collect DeWolf before we go after him.¡±


    Scarlet stared at him for a moment before huffing. ¡°Better than going into a sewer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He agreed.


    ---


    Luckily he didn¡¯t actually have to go into the sewers to reach Crawk¡¯s lair. (I mean really, who would willingly set up shop in a sewer?)


    Instead what he had to do was make his way down to this abandoned subway station from back when the city had tried to set up an underground railway. Back before they realized that loading metal cars full of people and putting them underground was a very bad idea in a city full of crazies who had no problem attacking said cars.


    (Too bad it took a couple hundred deaths for people to realize, but hey even if the city¡¯s officials are a bit slow, they¡¯re learning.) He scoffed, as he made his way through a barrier that it¡¯d take super strength (or decent acrobatics) to get through.


    On the more positive side of things however these tunnels went on to become the city¡¯s primary homeless camps, giving them shelter from the elements while also keeping them out of sight of those that would attack them for being an eyesore. What¡¯s more thanks to the subway system¡¯s power and water still being connected to the city grids via a (totally unintentional accident that slipped through the paperwork while the managers may or may not have been being threatened for embezzling money) these camps still had a basic access to clean water and a minimal amount of power thanks to a large number of industrial strength cords and simple piping that someone anonymously set up while said homeless people were asleep.


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    ¡°You know it¡¯d be a lot easier for people to get in here if you didn¡¯t leave the entrance blocked off all the time.¡± He noted like he did every single time he entered the shanty town of Sinner¡¯s Way.


    ¡°And you know as well as I that if the gangs thought they could get in here they¡¯d be harassing people constantly.¡± A large muscular man in an even bigger brown hoodie reminded him.


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯ve got most of the gangs under control.¡± He argued dismissively. ¡°Just got to remind the outsiders they¡¯re not welcome every once in a while.¡±


    ¡°What about the cops?¡± The brownish-green man asked, crossing his arms with a bit of amusement.


    ¡°Touche.¡± He admitted with his own amusement, before clasping hands with the Amphibios. ¡°Crawk.¡±


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Crawk greeted him back. ¡°What brings you down here?¡±


    ¡°Had to stop by the Covenant Club for business.¡± He explained offering the package Baki had given him.


    Crawk stared at the package for a moment before sighing and putting two bandaged fingers in his mouth to whistle as he accepted the package with his free hand.


    After a moment a teenager in faded and baggy clothes came out from the nearby tunnels and Crawk handed them the package. ¡°Split this between everyone, make sure they all get something to eat. Especially Margrett since she¡¯s feeding¡­ however many children humans have in a birthing.¡±


    ¡°Normally one, but twins are uncommon, and triplets rare.¡± He answered for the non-human.


    ¡°So fewer than my people.¡± Crawk nodded before once moresending the teenager off to divvy up the food.


    ¡°Out of curiosity are you actually going to eat any of the food Baki sends you? Because he is worried about you eating whatever poisons the river¡¯s fish have in them.¡± He didn¡¯t point out that even when he was homeless he wasn¡¯t willing to even try for those fish. (And that¡¯s only half because fishing takes longer than picking a pocket.)


    ¡°Let¡¯s be real, those fish are dead and have been for longer than I¡¯ve been here.¡± Crawk told him before shaking his head. ¡°Safer to do a hench job for one of the stabler Masks than to try my luck with whatever lurks in those rivers these days.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you from a world where your people hunt giant sea monsters?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°The stupid ones.¡± Crawk scoffed as he crossed his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t care how honorable it is to go on a hunt for something that kills half of its hunters, I¡¯m not suicidal and smaller game is far less risky.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He conceded, knowing that this was something people always gave him shit over back on the Amphibios homeworld.


    Crawk sighed before running a hand down his face as he took a seat on a subway bench barely big enough for him. ¡°You said you saw Baki? How¡¯s he looking?¡±


    ¡°Good as ever.¡± He shrugged leaning against a wall. ¡°Says he¡¯s only ten grand from his goal with Covenant.¡±


    Crawk sighed once more, not bothering to look at Mercer, ¡°He ask you to try and get me to join up again?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Nah, think he realized I won¡¯t help any of the gangs with their recruitment.¡±


    ¡°Except the henchman¡¯s union?¡± The part-time goon asked with a wry grin.


    ¡°Except the henchman¡¯s union.¡± He nodded, because if people had to be criminals they deserved medical care and an attorney when shit hit the fan. (Neither of which this city will give unless they bribe their way out.)


    ¡°Wish he saw they¡¯re stringing him along.¡± Crawk admitted.


    ¡°They can get you two home.¡± He pointed out, more playing devil¡¯s advocate than disagreeing.


    ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯ve been here for how many years now? Three, four?¡± Crawk shook his head. ¡°I get it¡¯s different for him since he had a life back home, but me¡­¡±


    There was a lot to be implied by that, but given what he knew he decided the most important thing was to assure the Traveler, ¡°You¡¯ve made something of yourself here.¡± Because honestly someone needed to, especially given how many people still gave the Amphibios shit for not being human during his henching jobs.


    ¡°Maybe but¡­ If I tell him that¡­ That I¡¯m more fulfilled here than I was back home.¡± Crawk gave another sigh, this one far more tired. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    He was silent for a moment. ¡°You know he¡¯s got enough money to send one of you back home now.¡±


    ¡°I figured¡­¡± The Traveler admitted with a grimace. ¡°I know I¡¯m a coward for not telling him I¡¯d rather stay, but¡­ Is it so bad I don¡¯t want to lose him?¡±


    ¡°No, if anything I¡¯d say it makes you more human, but¡­¡± He gestured at the Amphibios.


    Crawk gave him an amused huff. ¡°Asshole.¡±


    They both fell to silence after that, Crawk contemplating his family issues, and him keeping quiet because he knew he had no right to tell anyone anything about avoiding their family.

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Part 5)- Questioning Mercers Plans And Sanity

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Part 5)- Questioning Mercer''s Plans And Sanity


    --- Mercer ---


    Not even three steps from entering the house he found a pair of angry silver eyes looking at him. ¡°Have you heard any word about the guy yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± He admitted shamelessly.


    ¡°Gah, this would¡¯ve been faster if we just went looking on our own.¡± Scarlet growled in frustration.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He repeated.


    Scarlet gave him a look. ¡°What do you mean ¡®nope¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re wrong.¡± He explained bluntly as he walked around her and towards the kitchen. ¡°Take it from someone who has in fact searched an entire district for one person, it is not that easy. Especially since while he¡¯s most likely in some remote warehouse or abandoned building -of which we could scour relatively quickly- most of those buildings have one crime, mask hideout, or etcetera going on inside. Meaning we¡¯d have to kick about twenty hornets'' nests to find the guy. And while normally I have no problem doing that, I¡¯m a little under equipped to purposely trigger a Hell Night. Go get your sister.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The protective elder -(or I assume she¡¯s the elder)- sister frowned.


    He blinked before telling her, ¡°Because I brought food.¡± as he shook the boxes in his hands.


    Scarlet stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°So, um, what are you working on?¡± She asked Mercer curious, given how he¡¯d sat down shortly after handing her and Scarlet their food -(That isn¡¯t made from someone else!)- and began messing with the black helmet he¡¯d gotten from somewhere.


    Mercer paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something before explaining that, ¡°Most of my stuff was blown up when they blew up my old house so I¡¯m working on chipping away at my kit until I get back to form.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She nodded, before glancing at her sister who seemed to be attacking her food as if she was scared it would run away if she didn¡¯t. (Which with your usual eating habits is more than likely.)


    She shook her head, before trying to continue the conversation so her other-selves wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Um, what exactly do you, uh, need to get¡­ ¡®back to form¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A shit ton.¡± Mercer snorted before sighing as he continued to work. ¡°Helmet needs some programming stuff I can¡¯t get a hold of without a dedicated programmer as well as a bunch of filtration pieces. Then of course I¡¯ve got to fix the various engines on my grapplers so that I can actually quick-zip around and use them in a fight instead of just swinging around. But since I¡¯m working from scratch I¡¯ll also have to get a new set of Hellraisers, but I can probably get Clockwork to make me those for a couple of favors. And lastly my jacket is just a thick piece of cloth until I add some plating or get some more durable material, and of course I can¡¯t get my Aerogel composite any time soon since that thing costs an arm and a leg to make wholesale rather than just replacing used plates.¡±


    Mercer paused there, gaining an annoyed look. ¡°Actually, now that I think about it, I really want to know what the fuck happened to my jacket since that thing was borderline indestructible and I could not find it anywhere in the wreckage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a lot.¡± She admitted, not really following half of what he said but knowing that it did indeed sound like a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lot, it¡¯s a shit ton.¡± Mercer corrected her. ¡°That¡¯s slightly more than a lot but also less than a ¡®fuck ton¡¯. Well unless we¡¯re using the metric system, but America uses the imperial system so¡­ a shit ton is less.¡±


    And¡­ he lost her. (She thought he was joking but after spending a couple days with him she couldn¡¯t actually be sure.)


    ¡°And that should do it.¡± Mercer nodded before clicking something inside of the helmet and making a glowing red skull flash onto the helmet¡¯s black screen. ¡°Basic electronics are a go.¡±


    ¡°Um, what exactly did you do?¡± She asked as the red skull flashed off.


    ¡°Helmet came with a camera by default, but I had to replace the visor with a one way screen and then jury rig some stuff to make it so I can flash my emblem without hindering the camera¡¯s view with the glare.¡± Mercer explained before shrugging. ¡°Well technically I¡¯ll still have some glare and the screen drains the battery a little quickly, but that¡¯s all stuff I can fix when I add the filtration system¡¯s battery. At which point all I¡¯ll need to do is add some emergency explosives and it¡¯ll be good as new.¡±


    ¡°I s- did you say explosives?¡± She blinked.


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    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mercer nodded calmly as if he didn¡¯t plan to-


    ¡°You¡¯re putting explosives next to your head?¡± Scarlet asked, seeing the same problem she did.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Mercer nodded as he finally began eating from his plate. ¡°If someone manages to get my helmet off, I can kill them with a primed detonator before they can get a kill shot off.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s really smart or really stupid.¡±


    Mercer merely shrugged as if he didn¡¯t care one way or the other.


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Mercer you there?¡± His helmet chimed shortly after he and the girls had finished eating.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯d you find?¡± He asked after slipping his helmet on.


    ¡°Alright, after combing through a lot of cameras in the area I think I¡¯ve found the building this Romulus guy is working out of.¡± Kinsley answered, before his phone started chiming that he¡¯d gotten a message. (Meaning it¡¯s reached the end of its warranty and needs to be replaced.) ¡°He seems to be based out of this old animal shelter that was shut down for supplying a dog fighting ring, years before the place was bought by its current owner.¡±


    He opened the files and found a pin for his map marking a building on the edge of the city¡¯s diamond district, as well as several video clips of vehicles full of suited men and women stopping in front of the building¡¯s side entrance, though unfortunately at an angle the cameras can¡¯t see them actually unloading their cargo.


    ¡°Looks good.¡± He admitted, guessing that the photos in the final photo were supposed to be Romulus.


    ¡°Maybe but unfortunately whatever they summoned escaped too far back for me to check the city¡¯s footage.¡± Kinsley sighed in a way that told him she was massaging her temples to ease her frustrations. ¡°Meaning we¡¯ve still got no leads on what monster these guys let loose.¡±


    ¡°Correction, it leaves us with one lead on what monster this dumbass let loose.¡± He told her. ¡°Just means once I¡¯ve made sure the kids are safe, I need to have a¡­ beating? Yeah, a beating with me, Rommie, and a crowbar.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s no good to us if he can¡¯t talk.¡± Kennedy felt the need to warn him.


    To which he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the game, how long now? I¡¯m not stupid enough to kill someone before I get an answer out of them.¡± (On purpose anyway.)


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Kennedy said in a warning tone.


    ¡°Kin-Ken.¡± He said in a light hearted tone.


    After a moment he sighed with another roll of his eyes. ¡°Fine, I promise that unless he is actively sacrificing and/or torturing children -which would be legal defense of a minor- I will not kill this Romulus guy¡­ while we¡¯re working together. If he comes at me in vengeance I¡¯m taking him out.¡±


    He was not stupid enough to leave a promise without an end date or escape clause. (Not after that bullshit with the fae.)


    Eventually Kennedy ended up sighing on her end as well. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best I¡¯m getting out of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± He agreed, having been expecting this to be a line between them. (Just like it always is¡­)


    ¡°Alright, then you should get going, the longer Romulus is out there the worse he can make this situation.¡± Kinsley told him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll grab my gear and head that way.¡± He nodded, relieved that she decided not to use the virus she (absolutely) slipped onto his phone with those case files to take back the information she¡¯d given him. (Still going to get rid of the phone though.)


    Turning his comm off, he made his way to the living room where DeWolf was still passed out on the couch. A problem easily resolved by -literally- kicking him off of said couch.


    ¡°Wh-wha?¡± The detective blinked before leaping to his feet with a pair of glowing eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got our lead, figured you¡¯d want to tag along for the final stretch.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Okay, so this Romulus guy is responsible for the kidnappings, because he¡¯s trying to find some eldritch¡­ thing that disguises itself as a child, that he screwed up and let loose on the city.¡± DeWolf summarized as they made their way to the location Kinsley had given him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the sum of it.¡± He nodded, checking his phone as they neared the shelter.


    ¡°Great, just what this city needed.¡± The detective groaned. ¡°A monster that disguises itself as the one thing even this city considers off limits.¡±


    ¡°No different than that one Necromancer with the Dead-Kids.¡± He pointed out.


    DeWolf grimaced at that reminder. ¡°And there are the repressed memories about Deadmen children.¡±


    ¡°Technically they weren¡¯t Deadman.¡± He felt the need to clarify. ¡°The guy who resurrected them was actually a shit Necromancer and used this summoning thing to have a bunch of lesser demons possess their corpses.¡±


    ¡°And that is so much less horrifying.¡± DeWolf told him dryly.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s like a¡­ four maybe a five on my fucked-up-o-meter.¡± He admitted. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just glad the demons were mischievous rather than murderous and¡­ other things I don¡¯t want to associate with children.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that. That is why I will never be a Mask or Hunter.¡± DeWolf sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°Especially not one based out of this city. I mean, what¡¯s it say that just by living here, zombie kids attacking people are a seven on the ¡®I¡¯ve seen some shit¡¯ scale?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ you''re a wussy?¡± He answered easily before pausing. ¡°Well that or you''re not a part of this city.¡±


    DeWolf scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m as stuck in this hellhole as you and you know it.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He nodded, before turning back to the girls who were staring at him and DeWolf with something resembling horror. (Weird.) ¡°Okay, so the shelter this guy is based out of should be right around the corner. I figure since we¡¯re working with more people than I¡¯m used to we should probably plot out what exactly we¡¯re going to do before going into the building.¡±


    ¡°And what um, what exactly are we going to be doing?¡± Bell asked nervously, as he was reminded why he¡¯d have left her behind if he didn¡¯t have to worry about Scarlet.


    ¡°No idea.¡± He freely admitted. ¡°Usually, I do this kind of thing by myself so¡­ I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Part 6)- Quickly Made Plans Tend To Go Awry

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Part 6)- Quickly Made Plans Tend To Go Awry


    --- Bell ---


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the role she¡¯d been given.


    On the one hand she really did not like using her powers if she didn¡¯t have to, but on the other she also didn¡¯t like just being dead weight waiting on everyone else to finish risking their lives while she sat on the side lines.


    She knew why Scarlet argued for her to stay behind, always worried about her well-being but, (we¡¯re not that¡­ fragile¡­)


    A chill ran down her spine as the shadows of the night seemed to grow darker.


    Mercer had given her the final say in whether she¡¯d stay behind or help DeWolf with collecting the kidnapped children, and while she did want to help, she didn¡¯t want Scarlet to be distracted by the knowledge that she was nearby and might be in danger if things go wrong.


    Not when she¡¯d be fighting who knows how many Deviants to lure them away from the children and Romulus for DeWolf and Mercer to have easier paths to their objectives.


    What¡¯s more by staying behind if something went wrong and Scarlet was hurt (we can drag them all into the abyss¡­)


    She shivered once more wishing she¡¯d brought a jacket.


    --- Scarlet ---


    She rolled her shoulders, her eyes briefly drifting to the edge of the roof where Mercer was watching, waiting for her to kick things off by attacking the entrance so that he could sneak in. (Pretty much the same thing we did with the lab.)


    It wasn¡¯t something she had a problem with, not in the way she knew Bell did.


    Whereas Bell abhorred violence and shied away from using her powers, Scarlet reveled in it only ever holding back when her overly cautious otherself felt that the violence was too much of a risk with too little of a reward.


    She knew this wasn¡¯t exactly a good thing, mostly because it¡¯s what those (fuckers) at the lab wanted from her. To be violent, to be destructive, to rip, tear, burn, and eat anything in her path.


    If Mercer wanted the same from her then she had no problem throwing herself against whatever crossed him, especially if it meant he would keep Bell safe from those that would hurt her.


    Her blood began to burn as her otherself spiked her blood full of Malice, forcing their transformation as her fingertips burned, her teeth itched, her heart begged to be set free of the bones that caged it.


    She inhaled deeply, feeling the heat building up in her lungs before unleashing it on the front wall of the building, melting through the metal and brick work that stood between her and her (prey.)


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Oi, Kennedy, you there?¡± He asked as Scarlet set things off with some fireworks.


    ¡°Codenames while in the field.¡± The hero told him.


    ¡°Got you, Kin-Ken.¡± He nodded, checking between the various glass panes in search of a decent entry point. (Not this one, too many guys.)


    He couldn¡¯t help but smirk at Kinsley¡¯s sigh of exasperation.


    ¡°What exactly do you need?¡±


    ¡°Letting you know I¡¯m here at the warehouse, but someone else seems to be in the middle of going after this guy.¡± He explained, knowing he couldn¡¯t cover up Scarlet¡¯s involvement in this but that he could cover up her involvement with him. (Hey, think of the bitch and there she is!)


    ¡°Do you need back up?¡± Kinsley asked with a touch of concern. ¡°There are kids on the line so don¡¯t give me your lone wolf act.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s just a teenage Deviant, probably the older sibling of someone who was kidnapped.¡± He answered honestly, just in case the shelter had cameras Kennedy could hack to get eyes on the situation.  ¡°Oof, she is doing a number on these assholes¡­ Needs to learn that there¡¯s a better angle to break kneecaps though.¡± (I¡¯ll have to remember to show her that later.)


    Kinsley was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Is this you trying to cover things up so you can kill Romulus and blame someone else?¡±


    ¡°What? Does that sound like something I wou- Ha-ha-ha, I¡¯m sorry I just, I-I couldn¡¯t.¡± He laughed before shaking his head. ¡°No, no. Some kid is attacking the place, and like I told you I¡¯m not going to kill Romulus unless he is actively hurting a kid, right now.¡±


    ¡°Remember we¡¯ve enough data on you to know if you kill him.¡± Kennedy warned him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at that. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, that¡¯s not really going to change anything if I decide to kill him or not. Your options here are simple, believe me and let me handle this, or don¡¯t and call Safeguard or Swansong to intervene at which point I will be obligated to upload a terabyte of kinky malware infested fetish porn onto your supercomputer where we both know all of the Vigils will see it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that was you you motherfu-¡± He killed his com link as he found a room with a glowing violet spell circuit in it.


    Pulling out the knife he¡¯d ¡®borrow-(I-totally-stole-it)- he began to cut a hole in the pane so that he could slip inside and start dealing with this mess.


    --- DeWolf ---


    Working with Mercer was always a rollercoaster, and as much as he may¡¯ve liked the guy and what he was trying to do in the Way, it was a rollercoaster he would happily stay off of if he could help it.


    Unfortunately, if he wanted to find her he needed Mercer and his resources. And given how quickly Mercer had found this place he regretted not asking for help sooner.


    He froze as a couple guards rushed past towards the scent of smoke, ash, and blood.


    (Of course any kid he hangs out with is just as scary as him.) He sighed, knowing that just off what he could hear and smell he¡¯d have had to go all out if the mess between him and the redhead had come to blows. (And if I did that there¡¯d be no telling how long it takes me to come down.)


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    Shaking his head he gave the air another sniff this time picking up a far more familiar scent and started making his way towards it.


    Despite this Romulus asshole having been here for who knows how long the animal shelter still had a number of cages, some of which were giving off the scent of old blood and other things.


    (So help me, if these assholes have been keeping the kids in cages I¡¯m going to tear them all apart with my teeth.)


    His skin began to feel too tight and he forced himself to take a shuddering breath to try and make himself calm down. (Come on, you¡¯ll be no good to anyone if you lose control now.)


    Part of him felt it would have been better if he¡¯d gone with the Malcontent girl to tear through Romulus¡¯s men, but the larger part knew that this way he could make sure she was safe. And if not, well¡­


    The joints on his hand popped and cracked as his hand spasmed at unnatural angles.


    (I¡¯ll make them regret touching her.)


    Eventually he made his way to a door where the scent he was tracking was strongest, and began working to open it. A feat he felt he would¡¯ve struggled with if his¡­ condition didn¡¯t give him more strength than the average man.


    Inside he found a number of children all of whom barely reacted as he walked in, as if they were all dazed (or drugged.) He frowned, before his eyes locked onto one child in particular.


    ¡°Ruby!¡± He ran forward grabbing the dazed girl by her shoulders. ¡°Are you alright? Did they hurt you, did they¡­ Damn it.¡± He cursed realizing she was as out of it as the rest of the children.


    ¡°Ah-ah-ah.¡± A voice said from behind him.


    He quickly spun on his heels and found a grinning man aiming a gun at him.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t curse in front of the brats.¡± The man cocked his gun. ¡°You also shouldn¡¯t be trespassing.¡±


    His pupils contracted as the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room and pain tore through his chest.


    --- Mercer ---


    Using his grappler he began slowly lowering himself into the room before pausing half-way down as he heard a loud howling-roar echo throughout the warehouse. (Going to assume that means shit is hitting the fan.)


    Shaking his head, he began twisting his body to make his line swing before dropping onto a nearby walkway and retracting his grappling hook as the Spell Circuit began to spark with violently violet electricity.


    (Damn it, the Spell Circuit is about to trigger.)


    His eyes darted around the room and the small handful of men inside of it in search of the man he¡¯d come here to stop before eventually landing on the face of a square jawed man with graying brown hair. (There¡¯s Romulus.)


    He glanced between his target and the glowing Spell Circuit.


    (I¡¯ve only got time to deal with one of them. I can capture Romulus but let the rest of his goons set off the Spell Circuit or I can knock down as many of their men as possible and hope it disrupts their spell but that¡¯ll give Romulus a chance to retaliate.)


    (Unless I take him out in one shot.)


    Killing Romulus and then getting a couple of pot shots at his allies would both take him off the board and stop the circuit, but it¡¯d also be breaking his promise to Kinsley and would prove she couldn¡¯t trust him.


    But he could live without her trust. (Had been living without her trust.)


    (After all it¡¯s not like she actually intends to trust me after everything with Vigilance, it¡¯s not like she actually wants to go back and be-)


    The light of the circuit reached its peak and he made his decision.


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Come on this the best you fuckers got?!¡± She yelled as one Arcane threw a bolt of lightning at her and another began making signs with their hands. ¡°Oh, come on I¡¯ve been getting worse shocks than that since I was ten!¡±


    The Arcane who had been making signs slammed their hands into the ground and there was a blinding flare of light.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She growled her eyes burning.


    (Duck.)


    Heeding her otherself¡¯s instincts she dropped to all four and felt something pass overhead.


    (Forward.)


    She dashed forward moving on all fours before sinking a hand into the ground to force a hard turn as her otherself told her to (Turn.)


    The spots from her vision began to fade and she was able to get a look at the creature the Arcane had summoned, a large Reptilian looking thing standing almost two meters tall on all fours with a number of spines along its back and drool leaking from its fanged maw that fizzled as it touched the ground.


    ¡°Not so tough now are you?!¡± One of the Arcane laughed.


    Crouching low she shot forward, skittering along the ground as fast as she could before rising into an upwards slash as she left four long gashes in the cocky Arcane as he was sent flying.


    ¡°Pfft, this changes nothing.¡± She told the Arcane as she lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat. ¡°Now dismiss the reptilian fucker before I rip out your throat.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± The Arcane shouted as he slapped her with a handful of electricity.


    She barely moved but still found the act irritating enough to make her growl at the Arcane as he claws began to dig into his throat.


    (Move.)


    Dodging to the side she idly hoped the giant lizard''s claws would finish off the downed Arcane, but found the creature had instead been trying to knock her off with its spined tail. Something she was pretty sure would tear apart anyone without a healing factor.


    She began inhaling to torch the thing with fire but faltered as the boiling of her blood reached a changing threshold, one of the points where her humanity clashed with her otherself¡¯s existence as their body tried to change in a way not intended by nature. A transformation that would leave her in agony unless she (fed) on something, (or rather someone¡­)


    Her eyes drifted to the other Arcane she¡¯d downed, as her otherself demanded she (feed) if it was going to give her any more of its power this fight.


    Normally she¡¯d have no problem gorging as much as her otherself desired for as much power as it was willing to give, but she also remembered Mercer promising not to kill to that Nightwatch lady earlier. Something she¡¯d been avoiding doing as she pushed her otherself as far as it would go without eating anybody to offset the Malice flowing in her veins.


    Given his nonchalance about her and her sister¡¯s eating habits, she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d care if she ate somebody, but she did think he might care if she made him break his promise to an ally. And as much as he¡¯d done and offered her and Bell she wasn¡¯t sure if she was willing to risk it.


    (Feed or run!) Her otherself growled.


    She shook her head, knowing that those weren¡¯t her only options. She had just enough control over their powers that she could keep herself at her current Malice Concentrate regardless of how much her otherself tried to force its way.


    The only problem was she wasn¡¯t sure if she was in any shape to kill the reptile as she was.


    Her eyes met the giant lizard¡¯s as it began to growl at her, its legs bending ever so slightly in preparation to pounce, before taking away whatever time she had left to think.


    --- Bell ---


    (Gunshots ripping through the air.)


    (Fangs, claws, and hate.)


    (Electricity cackling all around, murderers on all sides.)


    She gasped as the visions her otherselves had pushed into her skull began to fade, leaving her panting for air as she tried to process everything she¡¯d just seen.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, this is bad¡­¡± She whimpered, running her hands through her hair in panic. ¡°They all need help but I¡­ I can¡¯t be everywhere at once¡­¡±


    (Yes you can.) Her otherselves reminded her.


    ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t trust you, I can¡¯t trust you!¡± She yelled at herself as her eyes darted between all of the too thick shadows before clenching shut.


    (They all need backup, DeWolf to save the kids, Mercer to stop Romulus, and Scarlet to fight that monster.) She thought frantically. (But, but can I really help, or would I just get in their way? I can¡¯t actually fight, not, not with my otherselves like this, if I mess up I might get them killed! Oh, what do I do, what do I do?!)

 Second Sin: Little Red and the Wolf (Part 7)- Problems Tend To Escalate

    Second Sin: Little Red and the Wolf (Part 7)- Problems Tend To Escalate


    --- Bell ---


    She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood before rushing for the side entrance she knew DeWolf had used to enter the building, because while it looked like Mercer and Scarlet were in trouble DeWolf was the only one who seemed to take a possibly fatal blow. Whatsmore the children he¡¯d found were the main reason they came here. If something happened to them then this whole night would prove more harm than good.


    While she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what Mercer was capable of in a fight she knew enough about Scarlet¡¯s fights in the lab that while her sister might be backing into a corner, she¡¯d have no problem fighting her way out if it came down to it.


    That didn¡¯t stop her from worrying she was making a mistake taking the side entrance instead of cutting through the front to find her sister. (I hope this is the right call¡­)


    Going off of what her other selves told her as well as their continuing whispers she was able to quickly make her way through the building and find the room DeWolf had found the children. The scene was just like the vision her other selves had shown her, save for the large blood spatter on the floor, the fact that the door frame had been ripped apart by something, and that the blood continued in a trail down the hall.


    --- Mercer ---


    Drawing his gun he quickly fired a series of shots at each of Romulus¡¯s men, purposely aiming for places that while bloody would be survivable if they got treatment quickly enough.


    As the spell circuit¡¯s electricity began to die down he released his grappler¡¯s hook and retracted the line as he dropped to the ground in a roll before sliding the emptied clip out of his gun and quickly replacing it with another.


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Romulus hissed as if his name was a curse. (Which is the standard reaction.) ¡°Do you have any idea what you just did?!¡±


    ¡°Stopped an unknown spell circuit from going off while I¡¯m in the same room as it.¡± He pointed at the bullet hole in Romulus¡¯s side. ¡°Also shot an asshole.¡±


    ¡°What you just did was prevent me from taking a dangerous monster off of the streets!¡± Romulus snarled.


    ¡°Would that be the same one you put on the streets in the first place?¡± He idly wondered, noting how Romulus¡¯s fingers were twitching. (Meaning he wants to stall me for time in the same way I want information.) ¡°Because I¡¯m fairly certain to send that back after it¡¯s escaped would require it to be¡­ here.¡±


    ¡°Which was the point of this circuit to summon it back here before it can cause anymore damage!¡± Romulus told him with a grimace. ¡°It¡¯s taken me weeks to gather the reagents necessary to perform this ritual, to try and fix this mess!¡±


    ¡°And how do you know you weren¡¯t just going to summon another one of these monsters from¡­ wherever you summoned it?¡± He asked, feeling like that was an important threat to underline. ¡°I mean even if you limit the summoning to our dimensional coordinates, you still run a risk of summoning a different one if a second happens to be somewhere on the planet.¡±


    ¡°Because I very much doubt there¡¯s more than one Royalty of the Mists on this planet.¡± Romulus admitted dryly.


    He froze, his eye twitching briefly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry did you say, ¡®Royalty of the Mists¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes, given how it¡¯s outside of your-¡± Romulus was cut short as the criminal was forced to raise their shield early to avoid having his dick shot off.


    ¡°I know what the mists are and why you shouldn¡¯t fuck with them, let alone someone who rules it!¡± He ground out, more than familiar with the hell dimension full of demons and hallucinogenic gasses after talking to one of its few survivors. (Alright, finding this thing is now a much higher priority.)


    Romulus narrowed his eyes, ¡°I see¡­¡± before slamming his hand into the ground sending out a wave of light.


    --- Scarlet ---


    Despite wanting to keep fighting, she wasn¡¯t willing to risk her and Bell¡¯s new situation, not until she had a backup plan of some kind in case the labs came looking for them again. And so with a growl she leapt out of the lizard¡¯s path and onto a nearby wall before using it to launch herself towards an exit to the room.


    ¡°After her!¡± The Arcane ordered as the sound of claws scraping through the floor followed her.


    Turning on her heel she dove to the side, hoping that zigging and zagging through the rooms would be enough to help her put some distance between the overgrown lizard and herself.


    Unfortunately, this proved fruitless when instead of trying to chase her through the doorways the massive monster simply bulldozed its way through the walls altogether.


    Growling, she glanced around the large room she was in before instead of trying another door she leapt at another wall and used her claws to quickly climb up it hoping to get out of the lizard¡¯s reach by maintaining the high ground.


    An idea that failed as the lizard proved capable of doing much the same as her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed climbing ever higher.


    The beast¡¯s snarling told her she needed to move quicker, and the sound of tearing metal warned her that it was about to leap at her, which is why she leapt up towards the metal beams decorating the roof of the shelter.


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    Skidding slightly as it dug its claws into the wall the lizard roared at her before grabbing one of the metal beams and swinging after her.


    Jumping between the beams as they proved to be the only thing keeping the monstrous summon from getting her as it couldn¡¯t bulldoze through them without losing the thing keeping it in the air.


    As she once more narrowly avoided the creature¡¯s claws she spotted the glass panels of the roof¡¯s ceiling and leapt straight towards it, completely uncaring of the glass cutting into her skin as she broke through it before hitting the gravely rooftop in a tumble.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She groaned, feeling the boiling of her blood once more as it failed to find the substance it craved and instead took its toll out of her.


    The sound of even more glass shattering told her the beast had once more followed her.


    She turned towards the beast still pursuing her before breaking down into a fit of coughing as the taste of her own blood filled her mouth.


    It was during this coughing fit that the lizard tackled her to the ground, sending them both back several meters before colliding with another glass pane and crashing straight through to the hard ground two stories below.


    On top of her the reptile pinned her down with one hand before raising the other to tear her apart.


    Or that¡¯s what it would¡¯ve done if something else hadn¡¯t tackled it off of her.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± She gasped, turning to the side where she could vaguely make out the lizard fighting something big and dark gray.


    Blinking she moved to get up before freezing as she smelled something familiar in the air.


    Her scarlet red eyes snapped to a nearby corpse, half mauled to bits, and likely the meal that she and the lizard had interrupted when they fell through the ceiling.


    (FeEd!) Her other self demanded as her mouth began to water, and she had to struggle to not immediately give in and consume the corpse in front of her to mend her wounds and tear into the beast that had hurt her so.


    Forcing herself onto her feet she moved to continue to flee.


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be good¡­¡± She whimpered upon spotting the blood and destruction, before looking around in case whatever was responsible for doing that was still nearby.


    (Safe¡­ for now¡­) Her other selves told her. (Beasts rampaging¡­ Need to move¡­)


    ¡°Right¡­ Need to move.¡± She nodded, knowing that her other selves weren¡¯t wrong.


    Turning back to the docile children she couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip as she considered what to do.


    On the one hand the kids seemed relatively safe, given how despite being found the people running this place hadn¡¯t moved them after being discovered. While at the same time she could hear growling and gunshots coming from the rest of the shelter, meaning the others were still in danger.


    On the other hand getting the kids out of here was the whole reason they were conducting this raid, and there was no telling if the criminals would change their mind after seeing just how many people were here for them.


    (And to top it all off I still don¡¯t know what happened to DeWolf.) With the blood trail she had to assume the worst and that the reason he wasn¡¯t here was because he¡¯d been killed and his body disposed of or injured and the gangsters had taken him away somewhere to interrogate.


    Both of which were likely to be put on hold by the sound of fighting spreading throughout the warehouse. Meaning if she was unfortunate whoever was nearby was about to get swarmed by reinforcements, though if she was lucky she might still be able to help DeWolf.


    Then again fortunate and lucky were things she hadn¡¯t described herself as in years.


    --- Mercer---


    As the light died down a number of skeletal soldier looking creatures stood between him and Romulus.


    ¡°Necromancy or Contracting?¡± He asked, as he palmed an extra clip from one of his pockets.


    ¡°The fact that you need to ask tells how inept you are at the magical arts.¡± Romulus told him condescendingly.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m illiterate and the pictures are boring.¡± He nodded, trying to figure out if these creatures were Deadmen (who would regenerate from a headshot) or some other skeletal creature (which hopefully won¡¯t).


    The distinct lack of green had him leaning towards non-deadman. (Though you never can tell when magic and the undead mix.)


    Romulus turned to the sound of a roar and frowned. ¡°Hmm, I wasn''t expecting you to bring other Vigils in on this.¡±


    ¡°Neither was I.¡± He admitted, not sure whether those sounds were good or bad given who he was working with. (Might have to cover for them with Nightwatch¡­)


    ¡°Then I guess none of us want to be here any longer.¡± Romulus noted before turning to leave. ¡°I recommend those of you who can move, flee while you still can.¡±


    Despite knowing that the shield spell was probably still up and running, he tried to take a couple of shots at Romulus only for them to barely crack the barrier the Arcane had set up. (And that is why my piercing rounds are made of iron and lead.)


    Since he¡¯d ¡®attacked¡¯ their master the skeletons took this as their signal to attack him, and despite lacking muscles they were both fairly quick and decently equipped with small bits of armor and metal weaponry.


    Dodging out of the way of a sword swipe he clicked his comms back on. ¡°Alright, I know I promi-¡±


    ¡°You killed Romulus?!¡± Kennedy interrupted, in a mix of renewed anger and lingering anger over their last conversation.


    ¡°No, but he¡¯s summoned these skeleton things and I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re just constructs or actual living creatures.¡± He explained stomping one of the skeleton¡¯s kneecaps (at the best angle to stomp a kneecap.) ¡°I¡¯m just double checking where the undead fall on the whole no killing thing, because I¡¯m fairly certain these guys aren¡¯t sapient but they could just be mute, or speaking via dance like bees.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill sapients.¡± Kennedy told him with no small amount of exasperation.


    ¡°Alright, but I reserve the right to SHOOT THEM IN THE KNEE IF THEY TRY TO ESCAPE!¡± He yelled at some of Romulus¡¯s downed goons as he fired his gun. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear that was a warning shot, I didn¡¯t actually shoot them. This time.¡±


    He crushed open a skeleton¡¯s skull while being sure to light up his double tap skull insignia as he glared at the goons.


    They quietly sat back down.


    ¡°Why are you calling me Mercer?¡± Kin-Ken sighed. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re still in the middle of a fight.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± He admitted, ripping one of the skeleton¡¯s skulls off before smashing it against another. ¡°But Romulus is slowing me down with a small skeleton platoon¡­ that piece themselves back together after breaking them. Lovely.¡±


    He ran to the reassembling skeleton before jumping into the air and stomping its ribcage into pieces.


    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s fleeing the warehouse and I figured I should let you know to go ahead and call one of the Vigils, because I still have to secure the kids.¡±

 Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt 8)- Last Minute Saves

    Second Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt 8)- Last Minute Saves


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s fleeing the warehouse and I figured I should let you know to go ahead and call one of the Vigils, because I still have to secure the kids.¡±


    ¡°And what happened to you being able to just steal a car if he managed to get away?¡± Kennedy asked.


    ¡°Just remembered I have no idea how to drive a car.¡± He confessed in a morose tone as he tore a skeleton¡¯s skull from its shoulders before punting the skull at another skeleton¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Kinsley scoffed, as he grabbed another skeleton by its spine.


    ¡°I¡¯m also not about to leave the kids here while there¡¯s a bunch of covenant criminals willing to make the evidence ¡®disappear¡¯.¡± He added before throwing said skeleton at another causing both to fall apart into a pile of bones.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll see who¡¯s nearby and send them after him.¡± Kennedy told him, meaning she¡¯d probably hacked every camera in a mile radius and had already figured out what car Romulus was planning on using to escape. Meaning whichever Vigil she sent after him just had to catch the car. (And I just have to be gone by the time they get back here.)


    ¡°Right, and before I forget Romulus let slip that the creature he summoned was from the Mists.¡± He admitted, knowing that this was one of those ¡®city-wide¡¯ threats rather than just something he could handle in his free time.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Kinsley cursed on the other side of the line as the sound of her typing accelerated. ¡°He let slip anything else about it?¡±


    ¡°Not much, supposedly it¡¯s a Royal but given how it¡¯s loose and the city hasn¡¯t been flooded in the mists¡­¡± He trailed off, shooting one of the skeletons in the face with his grappler and (nah, too much slack to use this in a fight properly.)


    ¡°He might¡¯ve just tried to summon a Royal Entity and just gotten something tricky instead.¡± Kennedy finished, coming to the same conclusion as him. ¡°The Mists aren¡¯t exactly known for staying hidden for very long after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, though you should still give the Vigils a heads up about it just in case. Last thing we need is this thing to be playing the long game.¡± He reminded her as he wrapped the slack of a retracting grapple line around a skeleton¡¯s neck. (Maybe it¡¯ll still work as a binding?)


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Kennedy told him. ¡°And I¡¯ve got a response, someone is moving to intercept Romulus.¡±


    ¡°Mind telling me who?¡± He asked, as the skeleton¡¯s skull was ripped off in a twisting mess. (Took too much effort to set up, but still fun to watch.)


    Kennedy was quiet for a moment, likely figuring out if she could tell him before answering,¡°Swansong was terrorizing a gang safehouse a couple blocks over.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well if they¡¯ve got him then I¡¯ll just wrap things up here.¡± (And get the fuck out before they get here and I have to explain anything.)


    --- Bell ---


    Despite the sounds of fighting she could hear echoing through the warehouse, she decided that the kids were more important, and as such began trying to corral the small group of children out of the warehouse.


    Key word being ¡®trying¡¯.


    ¡°Come on, we need to get you guys out of here.¡± She tried to tell them, earning no response from the kids who seemed to barely notice her. And upon taking a closer look at them she realized all of their eyes seemed to be glazed and empty.


    (They must¡¯ve drugged them to keep them docile¡­) It was something she was more than used to seeing given how the Labs used to deal with subjects who got too unruly too frequently.


    She ran a hand through her hair as she looked at the kids, wondering (how am I supposed to wake them up?) since she very much doubted any of them had the metabolism and healing factor that had always brought her and her sister out of a similar state.


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    ¡°Right, okay¡­ this makes things a little more complicated.¡± She admitted looking the kids over.


    (I can¡¯t just take them out one at a time or else I might lose someone, so that means I¡¯ve got to corral them all out of here but how?)


    She felt something whispering in the back of her head, before feeling something wrap around her shoulders.


    Inhaling deeply, she forced herself to look to her side where a black skinned version of herself watched with pitch-black eyes.


    She blinked and her other self disappeared.


    ¡°Right¡­ can I trust you though?¡± She asked, knowing that it was always fifty-fifty on whether they¡¯d work with her or against her. The entities she shared her body with seemingly having an agenda all their own, one they saw no reason to inform her of.


    (...)


    Her other selves may not have responded, but she could still feel it watching and waiting for her to act.


    ¡°Fine, but only because I need to get the kids out of here.¡± She knew it was a bad idea, but she also knew her other selves seemed to know far more than she ever could, even if they kept their secrets until the best moment to manipulate her.


    Letting loose the almost instinctive grip she kept on her other selves she felt a chill spread throughout her body before spasming as something inside of her lurched. Her entire body twisted as she felt one of her other-selves stepping out of her corpse.


    Gasping, she looked up at her other self and met its abyssal gaze before watching as it walked over to a nearby child and gently took their hand.


    Her other self continued to stare at her, waiting for her to respond.


    ¡°Right¡­ Okay¡­¡± She nodded, before pulling on her other-selves and undergoing another full body spasm as another of her selves stepped out of her, before being followed by another lurch and another self, and another and another until only one child remained without an escort.


    ¡°Fu~uck¡­¡± She gasped, breathing heavily as she tried to get her body under control once more.


    Wiping at the tears forming in the corner of her eyes, she looked at the last child -a little girl with faint streaks of red in her hair- before stumbling over and taking her head.


    Looking up she saw all of her other-selves staring at her before one by one they all turned and started walking the children out of the room.


    (Here¡¯s hoping I don¡¯t regret this.)


    --- Scarlet ---


    Despite being oh so tempted to feed and turn this fight around, she was still scared that she might turn Mercer against her and so instead of feeding and numbing the boiling pain pushing through her veins she bit her lip and turned away from both the corpse and the fighting monsters hoping that she¡¯d be able to escape while the beasts fought.


    A bright flash of light from behind made her pause at the door to the room, before a glance over her shoulder revealed the grey beast looking around, the giant lizard having seemingly disappeared.


    (It must¡¯ve been de-summoned¡­) She realized upon spotting several motes of glowing light slowly flickering into non-existence.


    The dark beast froze before glancing over its shoulder with one glowing yellow eye.


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡± She groaned, taking a step back as the growling beast turned towards her.


    She got ready to run, but before she could take two steps the beast froze once more, its eyes going wide as it tilted its head to the side.


    The beast shot off through one of the side doors, completely ignoring her in favor of whatever it was hearing.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ that was close¡­¡±


    --- Bell ---


    As one all of her other selves seemed to freeze -(Scatter!)- before grabbing their respective kids and dashing off through the nearest doorway.


    ¡°W-what?¡± She blinked looking around and only seeing faint trails of shadow-y smoke.


    She reached out to the chilling connection she shared with all of her other-selves and found that while they had all scattered, they hadn¡¯t actually gone all that far. In fact (it almost looks as if they¡¯re hiding¡­)


    Her eyes went wide, and she picked up the dazed girl as best she could before running down the hall. A feat that was made all the more difficult by the fact the preteen was too large for her to reliably carry without half dragging the girl¡¯s feet across the floor.


    ¡°Oh, why did I have to be the only Malcontent without super strength?¡± She groaned, as she struggled to maneuver the girl through a doorway while also opening said door.


    A growling made her freeze.


    Swallowing, her eyes slowly drifted down the hall where a large huffing grey beast stood in a half crouch with one massive clawed hand on the ground.


    (Don¡¯t move¡­) Her other-selves warned her as she stared into the beast¡¯s glowing golden eyes.


    She didn¡¯t bother doubting her other-selves¡¯ advice, not even breathing as she and the beast both stood frozen, their gazes locked to one another. Each waiting for the other to make the first move and begin the spiral of violence that was sure to begin with that first step.


    Her heartbeat pounded away in her ears and- The beast shot forward.


    She grabbed the girl and almost threw herself to the side before something impacted the wall next to her, cutting off her escape with a stumbling start as a gunshot tore through the hall.


    Her eyes darted towards the beast just in time to see Mercer wrap a cord around the beast¡¯s neck before using his weight to slam its face into the ground as his helmet lit up with a red skull and the words ¡°Bad dog.¡± echoed through the hall.

 Third Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 9)- Werewolf Down, Kids Safe, And Now The Heroes Show Up

    Third Sin: Little Red and The Wolf (Pt. 9)- Werewolf Down, Kids Safe, And Now The Heroes Show Up


    --- Mercer ---


    He briefly glanced at Bell and the girl she was holding close. ¡°You okay kid?¡±


    Bell blinked as if stunned by his sudden appearance, (she¡¯s going to have to get used to that if she¡¯s going to be hanging around me.)


    The silver eyed teen shook her head, before shakily answering, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, before glaring down at the lycan beginning to struggle against his grip. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s enough out of you.¡±


    The werewolf bucked even harder and he was forced to leap back to avoid being disemboweled by a set of claws, causing Bell to gasp as he weaved through the ensuing flurry of swipes.


    ¡°Look you¡¯re scaring the girl, and if you don¡¯t stop I am going to shoot you.¡± He warned the Lycan as he tightened his makeshift leash. ¡°And there are like a dozen people in this place willing to testify to that.¡± (Not that any court is brave enough to try me, but the point stands.)


    Instead of taking his very generous warning to heart the werewolf instead tried to bite his head off with a very awkward sort of tackling lunge.


    ¡°Ugh, you really do need to learn to fight in beast mode.¡± He sighed, as he used the lycan¡¯s head to flip over the were-beast¡¯s body before taking his grappling wire and trying to choke the werewolf out. ¡°I mean what you¡¯ve got is good enough to brute force a bunch of gangsters but any mask worth their salt is going to kick your ass¡­ like so.¡±


    He gave the wire a pull before swinging his weight in just the right way to force the lycan to slam its head into the wall before drawing his gun and kneecapping the werewolf. At which point he dropped to the ground before kicking the lycan in the ass just to prove his point.


    ¡°If you keep getting up next time I¡¯m going to shoot you in the ass.¡± He told the werewolf as it began picking itself off the ground. ¡°And you don¡¯t want to know what I¡¯m shooting after that.¡±


    --- Bell ---


    Mercer was toying with the beast and she couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    It was fairly obvious that he could defeat it whenever he felt like it but for whatever reason, he just wouldn¡¯t put the beast down.


    (He knows¡­ the beast¡­ seeks to protect¡­) Her other-selves whispered from the shadows, still inside her head no matter how many left her.


    (He knows the beast seeks to protect?) She frowned, watching Mercer continue to dance around the beast even as it tried to rend him limb from limb. (To protect what?)


    Rather than answering her other-selves simply let her question hang in her mind unanswered.


    With a sigh and a shake of her head she decided that it didn¡¯t matter at the moment. Mercer knew whatever it was the beast was after and she still had to get the children to safety before they were left on their own. After all, regardless of how helpful they were being she knew her other-selves couldn¡¯t last too long from her without dissipating into the ether, thus leaving the children not only alone but scattered throughout the warehouse full of who knows what other kind of threats.


    So with all of that in mind she started towards one of the doors her other-selves had dashed through with a child, hoping to trace its steps towards the nearest exit.


    (Don¡¯t!) Her other-selves hissed, making her aware of the fact that the sounds of fighting had stopped.


    Turning slowly, she met the golden eyes of the beast staring at her, no longer interested in Mercer despite the wire wrapped around its throat.


    ¡°Bell, don¡¯t move.¡± Mercer ordered.


    As slowly as she could she moved the girl behind her, hoping to put herself between the child and the beast.


    The beast growled before lunging at her once more.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Mercer cursed as he pulled on his wire, throwing the beast¡¯s jump off and sending it crashing into the ground. ¡°Heel, damn it!¡±


    With a snarl the beast grabbed the wires and used them to send Mercer flying into a wall before slamming him into the ground.


    Realizing this was probably the only chance she was going to get, she picked the girl up before running through the doorway hoping to escape while Mercer distracted the beast.


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Fuck, where is he?¡± She asked the world around her as she tried to track Mercer down.


    She had a vague understanding that he¡¯d be wherever the gunfire was coming from, but at the same time she was finding it hard to focus with just how (hungry) she was. Something made all the worse by the fact that she was forced to hide whenever she spotted someone she didn¡¯t recognize moving through the halls, unwilling and unable to fight in her current state.


    Another wave of pain tore through her, sending her to her knees as it felt like her very blood was trying to eat her alive, (which it damn well might be.)


    Her chest began to tighten, until eventually she was forced into a coughing fit as the pain began to slowly fade, leaving her panting with the taste of blood in her mouth as she bought herself a little longer.


    Spitting out a wad of blood that had made its way up her throat, she used the wall to help her stand back up. ¡°Fuck¡­ Forgot how bad this could get¡­¡±


    As much as she hated them, at the very least the lab had kept her and their other captives decently fed. Which when combined with the fact that after her escape she¡¯d hunted someone down whenever the hunger began to rear its ugly head, she¡¯d forgotten just how badly it could tear into her.


    ¡°Just¡­ Just need to find Mercer and¡­ get out of here.¡± She told herself as she forcibly ignored the dull ache clouding her head.


    A familiar figure rushed in front of her before tilting its head as its hair drifted in shadowy wisps through the air.


    ¡°Bell?¡± She frowned, knowing her sister would only send one of her shadows if something had gone wrong.


    The shadow continued to stare at her for a moment before pointing down a nearby hall.


    ¡°She¡¯s that way?¡± She asked, aware that her sister¡¯s shadows had a certain level of autonomy while separated from Bell.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The shadow flickered for a moment before disappearing altogether.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She cursed, running a hand down her face.


    On the one hand she was in no condition to help with anything at the moment, but on the other if Bell was sending her shadow then there must be some kind of emergency.


    ¡°Why am I even thinking about this?¡± She shook her head before starting down the hall the shadow had pointed down.


    It only took her a minute to find her sister running down a hall with a girl in her arms.


    ¡°Bell!¡±


    ¡°Scarlet!¡± Her sister blinked, stumbling to a stop before looking over her shoulder. ¡°Wait, we have to, we have to keep moving.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed as she instinctively stepped the way her sister had come from, wanting to be between her and whatever she was running from. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Th-there¡¯s this, this beast and, and Mercer is fighting it but it, it keeps chasing me for some reason!¡± Bell tried to explain through her panic.


    A roar punctuated all of that as a gray beast she recognized from earlier stumbled around the corner, clearly struggling against something wrapped around its throat.


    ¡°Step back!¡± She told Bell, as she muster up whatever Malice was still flowing through her veins before immediately lurching over as agony tore through her once more. ¡°Fuck, not now¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlet!¡± Bell yelled moving to help her keep standing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ fuck, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡± She grimaced, knowing her sister would understand exactly what she meant.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Bell gasped, her head darting towards the beast that was starting to crawl towards them. ¡°We, we need to move!¡±


    ¡°Just, just go!¡± She shrugged off Bell¡¯s hands as she watched Mercer climb over the beast pulling on the cord wrapped around its throat. ¡°I might not be able to stop it, but¡­ I can slow it down long enough for you to get away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not leaving you here!¡± Bell argued, as Mercer leapt off of the beast to keep from getting slammed into a wall.


    ¡°Now''s not the time, my healing factor is stronger than yours, if it gets me I can-¡±


    ¡°Damn it DeWolf!¡± Mercer cursed, cutting her off as he shot the Beast in the knee and slammed its head into the ground before beginning to stomp its skull. ¡°Calm. The. Fuck. Down!¡±


    She blinked, realizing that the beast was just barely struggling against Mercer¡¯s assault, but importantly she was caught up on the revelation that-


    ¡°That¡¯s DeWolf?!¡± Bell practically shrieked.


    Mercer huffed for a moment as he made sure the beast wasn¡¯t getting back up, before glancing at her. ¡°Uh, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You mean this asshole is that asshole?!¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Pretty much. It¡¯s some kind of bloodline curse or something.¡± Mercer explained as he hopped off of the beast. ¡°I Which is why his family name is DeWolf, sort of like how some people were named after their profession back in the day, just he¡¯s named after the werewolf thing instead.¡±


    ¡°And you knew and didn¡¯t say anything?!¡± She growled.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re both Malcontent and I figured the were-demons wouldn¡¯t care about the were-beast?¡± Mercer answered as if he was the confused one. And as much as she hated it, she found herself unable to really argue when he put it like that, because by comparison they were a lot scarier than an oversized beast. (When our powers are working for us at least.)


    ¡°Besides, he usually doesn¡¯t go berserk like this unless there¡¯s a blood moon.¡± Mercer sighed, as he walked over to a nearby doorway.


    ¡°Th-then why did he?¡± Bell asked, sounding more concerned than afraid now that DeWolf was unconscious.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to that in a second but first¡­¡± Mercer lunged through the doorway before grabbing a man who had been hiding and throwing him to the ground. ¡°You strip.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± The man stuttered as he tried to back away from Mercer.


    ¡°I said strip, unless you want me to lock you in a room with a naked werewolf.¡± Mercer growled, his helmet lighting up with a crimson skull.


    The man eeped before quickly taking his shirt off and grabbing his pants.


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°You know this all would¡¯ve been a lot more straightforward if you¡¯d told me it was your daughter that had been kidnapped.¡± He told the freshly changed werewolf as the man fretted over the girl Bell had been carrying around.


    ¡°Yeah, and you would¡¯ve told me I¡¯m emotionally compromised just like the police.¡± DeWolf scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning my daughter to someone else to save.¡±


    ¡°The fuck I look like, Vigilance?¡± He scoffed even harder. ¡°If I knew this was about your kid I wouldn¡¯t ¡®ve gotten Nightwatch involved and we¡¯d have just killed all of these guys before using their entrails to write out a message not to touch your family.¡±


    Admittedly he didn¡¯t have the resources for all of that, but they could¡¯ve got the kids out and burned the building down with everyone else inside. (It¡¯s the message that counts.)


    DeWolf just stared at him for a moment. ¡°You know, sometimes I forget you¡¯re a mass murdering psychopath.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a high functioning sociopath, fuck you very much.¡± He corrected, before continuing more softly as he checked on the kid himself. ¡°And everyone forgets because I¡¯ve got a soft spot for the kids of the way a mile wide.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± DeWolf sighed, before running a hand through his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Any idea how long she¡¯ll be like this?¡±


    ¡°No telling, but we¡¯re running all of the kids through Betty¡¯s clinic regardless of what the police say and her people will fix it no matter what.¡± He assured DeWolf. ¡°And if not I¡¯ll just force Covenant to clean up their mess before I start cutting off hands again. Speaking of¡­¡±


    He glanced towards where Bell and Scarlet had gathered the kids and were leading them through the warehouse, though of the two Scarlet seemed to be struggling as she gave a full body cringe.  ¡°Oi, Scarlet.¡±


    The silver eyed teen grimaced through whatever she was going through as he made his way over.


    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s up?¡± She asked, in an obvious amount of pain despite trying to cover it up.


    (Ugh, this reminds of when Virtue tried to convince everyone he wasn¡¯t hurting from that bullet through the side.) He sighed. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything have you?¡±


    Scarlet swallowed. ¡°N-no, I made sure not to eat anyone.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh again as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°There are about half a dozen dead corpses in the warehouse, find one and eat it.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Scarlet blinked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Malcontent. You need to eat people, forcing yourself to starve will just turn your powers on you. And I¡¯ve seen what happens to a Malcontent who starves themselves.¡± He explained before shaking his head. ¡°We both know it¡¯s not pretty.¡±


    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you promise that Nightwatch person you wouldn¡¯t kill anyone?¡± Scarlet frowned.


    (So that¡¯s what this is about¡­) He realized before taking off his helmet.


    ¡°I did promise Nightwatch I wouldn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± He admitted, before giving her a look. ¡°But I also promised myself I wouldn¡¯t let a kid kill themselves on my behalf, and a promise to myself is more important than a promise to her. So regardless of what mess I have to clean up, if you need to eat in a fight, then eat the guys trying to kill you, because the last thing I want is you suffering for me, understand?¡±


    Scarlet stared at him for a moment before eventually nodding. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded back before giving her a pat on the back. ¡°Now like I said, find a corpse and eat it. Preferably before the cops get here and I can still pin it on all of the monsters these dumbasses were summoning.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± Scarlet nodded once more before stumbling through a nearby door.


    As he moved to slip his helmet back on, he idly noticed Bell staring at him, having likely caught at least part of his conversation with her sister. ¡°The same goes for you, got it?¡±


    Bell blinked before nodding herself and getting back to corralling the horde of children outside.


    (Alright, let¡¯s go ahead and call this in.) He figured as he put his helmet back on, before turning on his calm and telling Kennedy to send the cops over to collect everyone, because as much as he wanted to he was going to have trouble escorting half a dozen kids to Betty¡¯s clinic on foot.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve set it as a priority call so officers should be arriving in the next fifteen minutes or so.¡± Kinsley told him, as he stepped outside into the night time air.


    ¡°And you warned them that they¡¯re meeting with me right?¡± He asked, knowing that was something he needed to double check if he wanted to avoid being shot at by the cops. (Not that I¡¯m afraid to shoot back.)


    There was the faint sound of something landing on top of a car behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to be a problem.¡± Kinsley assured him, a smile in her voice.


    Inhaling deeply he glanced over his shoulder at the sound and saw


    [X]-A furry in black watching him curiously.


    ¡°Kin-Ken¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯s a bitch.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I respect that.¡± He admitted.

 Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 1)- Unexpected Encounters And Misdirections

    Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 1)- Unexpected Encounters And Misdirections


    --- Mercer ---


    Joking aside, he knew full well that he was on a knife¡¯s edge thanks to Kennedy, seeing as how he had to cover for not only DeWolf and himself but also Scarlet and Bell. The last two of whom were both off of the Vigil¡¯s radar but would be put right at the top if they were connected to him, which would screw him over personally when Vigilance connected the three of them to the lab a couple nights prior.


    After all, his tense peace with the Vigils revolved around the fact that he mostly kept to Sinner¡¯s Way. The fact that he¡¯d gotten Nightwatch involved in this incident gave him a bit of leeway to maintain said peace, but him coming out of the Way for two separate incidents of this size would draw far more attention from them than he wanted any day of the year.


    (Right, I need to talk fast if I want to get out of this.) He told himself, thinking quick as he said, ¡°So, Swansong, Nightwatch said you were tracking Romulus. Did he manage to-¡±


    The feather wearing Vigil shot a grapple line off before using it to slowly drag a beaten and unconscious Romulus into the light.


    ¡°Ah, there he is.¡± (Right, almost forgot she¡¯s the most competent of the Vigils.)


    Which was another wrinkle in the plan to deal with this and get out before the Vigils could interrogate him. When it came to the rest of them he could easily take them be it in a fight or simply making a break for it. Swansong on the other hand was the only one he legitimately considered on his level -if not superior- as far as raw ability went, with his tech and weapons being the primary factor he had over her. (When my armory hasn¡¯t been blown to hell anyway¡­)


    Swansong tilted her head at him, the glowing white eyes of her mask¡¯s lenses staring him down with an unblinking curiosity he¡¯d find intimidating if he hadn¡¯t grown up in a city where all of the heroic Masks used fear tactics. Himself included, if with a fair bit more blood and broken bones.


    The Vigil¡¯s gaze drifted towards Bell who was standing protectively in front of the children, having not recognized Swansong as a hero and thus thinking she might be a threat.


    (Right, talk faster.)


    ¡°I guess since you¡¯ve got him in hand, you won¡¯t mind if I leave the kids and these thugs with you for pick up?¡± He tried, hoping to make a quick escape since he had no doubt in his mind there was another Vigil lurking somewhere nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll take the kids of the Way to a Deviant clinic, see if we can¡¯t snap them out of whatever effect they¡¯re under.¡±


    ¡°Effect?¡± Swansong repeated, tilting her head the other way.


    ¡°The kids are under some kind of magic effect that¡­¡± His eyes drifted to Romulus. ¡°I might actually be able to snap them out of without a doctor¡­¡±


    It¡¯d mean spending a little more time with his favorite Vigil, but it would also mean that the kids were better faster. (Which is more important than my discomfor- and I just thought of a way to make this work for me.)


    He grabbed Romulus by the collar and proceeded to slap the man across the face, earning a groggy groan.


    ¡°Come on. Time to wake up asshole.¡± He told the man with another slap to the face.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ Feel like I got hit by a train¡­¡± Romulus groaned before blinking through the pain.


    ¡°Thanks, good to know those hours of beating people unconscious are giving gains. I mean, couple months ago people would tell me I hit like a car.¡± He joked, knowing that his cavalier attitude was what the Vigil¡¯s expected of him. (Well that or the bloodthirsty omnicidal rage.)


    ¡°Fuck¡­ Mercer¡­¡± Romulus cursed before shaking his head. ¡°If I¡¯m talking to you instead of the cops that means you want something. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Blunt and to the point. That¡¯s why I prefer you Covenant types, all business instead of crazy ideologies.¡± He admitted, before getting to the matter at hand. ¡°You and your boys put a spell on the kids, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too complicated.¡± Romulus shrugged, before smirking. ¡°Though if you fuck it up you can easily wipe a kid¡¯s memory completely, leaving them little better than a vegetable.¡±


    He knew that was a lie, or at least a misdirection.


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    Few people realized it -including their own employees- but Covenant put a special clause in their employee contracts that made sure that their people followed the big rules. And if what Avarice said about Romulus being a club manager held true then he knew all about the Covenant Contract and its¡­ penalties. Admittedly there was a fair bit of wiggle room to those rules, but allowing a kid to be permanently maimed like that by your spell, even if not physically, would be a violation of those rules. One he doubted Romulus would risk when he was already in such hot water.


    (Not that I¡¯m going to tell anyone any of that.)


    He proceeded to stomp and break Romulus¡¯s leg earning a deafening scream from the man.


    ¡°Mercer!¡± Kennedy shouted over the comms, once more underlining the Vigil¡¯s squeamishness to torture.


    Though to be fair, he had found that outright torture tended to be fairly ineffiecent outside of ¡®go here to spring a trap on yourself¡¯ style information. (Well, that and distracting goody-two-shoes.)


    ¡°Let¡¯s get something straight asshole. Anything bad happens to any of those kids, and I don¡¯t care where you are or where the Vigils put you I am ending you in fucking blood and fire.¡± He growled out, to underline himself as a violent sociopath to all observers in the hopes of-


    Swansong grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him away from Romulus with a glare. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°We need to know how to cure the kids and he knows how to do that.¡± He falsely justified his actions, to cover what he was actually doing. (Then again, maybe this is one of those two bird situations.)


    The feathered Vigil met his eyes, despite the fact he was wearing an eyeless helm and her a lensed mask, her judgment echoing despite the ensuing silence.


    ¡°Would it make you feel better if we were to go somewhere they can¡¯t see the big bad beasts?¡± He asked with the theatrical presence that he knew would draw all attention to him as he gestured towards the catatonic children.


    ¡°Mercer you don¡¯t need to torture him when we can have doctors clear the children before the night is over.¡± Nightwatch told him, a plan he would¡¯ve been all for before she dropped a Vigil on him.


    ¡°And what if they get worse the longer we leave them?¡± He prodded. ¡°What if like he said, messing with the spell wrong turns these kids into vegetables? Are any of us really willing to let that happen?¡±


    Both Nightwatch and Swansong were silent for a moment, (as Vigils tend to get when you risk their black and white morality.)


    (Meaning I just need one more push.) ¡°So, unless Vigilance is willing to call a favor with Aurora and have her cure these kids, me and Romulus here are about to have a very¡­ informative chat.¡±


    Swansong inhaled deeply for a moment before giving him a nod. ¡°No kids.¡±


    ¡°Alright, no kids.¡± He nodded back, as he grabbed Romulus by the shoulder and dragged him away.


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Right, we need to get moving.¡± DeWolf told her the moment Mercer and the woman in black had disappeared around a corner.


    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± She asked, still nervous around the man after his transformation, but forcing herself to overlook it in the same way she would for any other Malcontent. (Even if¡­ He¡¯s not Malice-Borne¡­?)


    ¡°Mercer said, ¡®to go somewhere they can¡¯t see the big bad beasts¡¯.¡± DeWolf explained. ¡°He wants you, me, and the other girl to go somewhere they can¡¯t see us while he¡¯s got Swansong distracted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She glanced at the kids. ¡°Are they going to be okay, by themselves?¡±


    DeWolf gave a snort of amusement. ¡°There¡¯s two Vigils not even a street away, and the scariest two at that. I legitimately pity anyone stupid enough to threaten let alone hurt a kid this close to them.¡±


    ¡°Two Vigils?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Well, a Vigil and an ex-Vigil.¡± DeWolf shrugged, before giving a wry grin. ¡°Then again I don¡¯t think ¡®ex-Vigil¡¯ is really a thing, given why we consider Vigils a class of their own.¡±


    DeWolf shook his head. ¡°Right, anyway while I¡¯ve got Ruby you go get your¡­ sister? And we¡¯ll all meet up at Mercer¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Um, r-right.¡± She nodded, before moving to reenter the building so Scarlet knew to find a different exit.


    ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going with that girl?¡± A voice asked, causing her to turn around where [X]-a glaring boy in colorful outfit had his staff raised stood in front of DeWolf.


    --- Mercer ---


    He threw Romulus into the alley wall and crouched down in front of the man.


    ¡°Alright, now we¡¯re not leaving this alley until you tell me how to cure those kids.¡± He told the Arcane. ¡°Now how long that takes and how many pieces you¡¯re in when you leave, those questions are up to you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Romulus glared at him. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to tell you¡­ without some kind of guarantee- Ah!¡±


    He lifted his boot off of Romulus¡¯s broken leg. ¡°How about the guarantee that I am going to hurt you unless you talk? Or the guarantee that I am going to hurt you worse and worse until you talk?¡±


    Romulus looked towards Swansong. ¡°And you¡¯re going to let him do this to me?¡±


    He stepped between them, knowing that he could not let Romulus talk Swansong out of this. ¡°Ah, ah, you put kids in danger and are threatening to turn them into vegetables. As far as the masquerade is concerned you waved your rights to do this the Vigil way.¡± (Which admittedly would be throwing you off the roof with a grapple line to keep you from dying.)


    Romulus spat at him, and he wiped his helmet clean.


    (Right, now then how much time and violence am I willing to commit to this guy? And how willing am I to piss off the Vigils to do it?)

 Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 2)- Interrogations Both Helpful And Un

    Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 2)- Interrogations Both Helpful And Un


    --- Mercer ---


    After taking a moment to think about it -and stomp Romulus¡¯s face- he decided that it would be best if he used the kids gloves here. The Vigils would probably be able to figure out he was stalling things a bit, but at the very least he¡¯d be able to get an answer out of the Arcane without having the heroes on his back.


    (Which means it¡¯s time to put on a bit of a show.)


    Crouching down he pulled out his knife and set it a buzz before putting it close enough to Romulus¡¯s skin that the man could feel its heat and vibrations without it actually hurting the man.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re really not helping yourself here.¡± He told the Arcane with a sigh, his blade dancing over the man¡¯s skin.


    Romulus swallowed, eyes locked on the faintly glowing blade knowing that if he opened his mouth the blade would cut into his cheek.


    ¡°I mean first you summon an eldritch horror, and let it loose on the city.¡± He pointed out, hoping to distract the Vigils a bit with that so they didn¡¯t try to surround him while he was out of the Way (again). ¡°Then you start kidnapping kids for the ritual that would let you find and bind said eldritch horror, which is fair you were trying to clean up your mess. But now¡­¡±


    He drew the knife back before rushing forward so that Romulus was pinned between the glowing skull of his mask and the faint sparking of his knife digging into the brick wall not even an inch from the man¡¯s face. ¡°Now you¡¯re threatening to sell those kids down the river after giving half the city a reason to eat you alive.¡±


    Romulus closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and visibly steeling himself as he turned to glare at Mercer¡¯s mask, despite the fact that he¡¯d purposely made the skull¡¯s glow just the right tint of red to hurt someone¡¯s eyes should they stare at it in the dark.


    ¡°You act as if playing nice would stop them from coming after me.¡± Romulus told him dryly. ¡°Unless you and the Vigils let me leave the city, Covenant is going to throw me under the bus for everything they can and leave me to rot in prison should anyone with a grudge come my way.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He nodded, since he fully expected Covenant to throw as much of their blood and dirt as they could at Romulus¡¯s feet before the man went to trial. ¡°But forgetting one important thing.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    He stamped his knee on Romulus¡¯s broken leg causing the man to flinch into his knife before flinching away from it as he closed the distance between the blade and Romulus¡¯s flesh until it began to bite into the man¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m the one you¡¯re in a dark alley with.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Romulus cursed, his eyes getting a bit too glassy for an interrogation.


    (Damn, the pain from his leg is starting to get to him.) He¡¯d been hoping the fact that the man was a Deviant criminal would let him keep it together longer. (Need to lay off his leg or I¡¯ll send him into shock.)


    Pulling the knife back he instead grabbed Romulus by the throat and slammed him back. ¡°So make this easy on both of us and just tell me how to break the effect you¡¯ve got them under, or else.¡±


    Romulus¡¯s eyes darted to Swansong before drifting back to Mercer as he grew a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re holding back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me.¡± Romulus sighed, seemingly relaxing. ¡°Not as long as you¡¯ve got a Vigil hovering over your shoulder.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but growl. ¡°And I already told you you hurt kids, the masquerade doesn¡¯t care if-¡±


    ¡°But the Vigils do.¡± Romulus interrupted a slight slur to his voice. ¡°And you care what they think, hence why you¡¯re using the fucking kiddie gloves.¡±


    He did everything in his power not to tense at being called out.


    ¡°You know, I was there when you¡­ dealt with Wolfram¡­ I know exactly what you letting loose looks like.¡± Romulus chuckled, completely uncaring of the hand squeezing his throat tighter. ¡°You might hurt me¡­ but you¡¯re not going to¡­ do anything permanent.¡±


    (Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!)


    Wolfram was a crime boss. More specifically he was the boss who had had the gall to try and kill Mercer¡¯s adoptive sister, and in turn was the core of the incident that led to half of the way staying out of his way when- (Fire danced all around as the screams grew ever louder with the revelation that all of the exits were blocked and that they were trapped. Trapped in a burning building. Trapped with no escape. Trapped with him.)


    He took a calming breath and nodded, before slamming his knife between Romulus¡¯s legs and forcing the man¡¯s mouth shut to smother the following scream.


    ¡°Mercer!¡±


    ¡°If you were there then you were working with him.¡± He hissed, voice low and dangerous as he felt his rage beginning to bubble once more.


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    ¡°Mercer!¡± Swansong repeated as she grabbed his arm and forced him away from Romulus.


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Virtue¡­¡± DeWolf grimaced at the glaring boy, sounding ten different kinds of exhausted.


    ¡°You know me but I don¡¯t know you.¡± The boy, Virtue (?), pointed out without lowering his staff.


    Not that she was actually all that scared of it given how even with her issues with her other-selves she knew that anyone within grabbing distance of her was a non-threat. And unlike Scarlet while she wasn¡¯t running on a full stomach she did have enough in her for a single attack.


    Something she was hoping DeWolf would be able to take advantage of despite having only recently returned to his more human form.


    (The wolf may slumber¡­ but beware the cornered beast¡­) Her other-selves seemingly confirmed.


    ¡°My name is Zachary DeWolf.¡± The werewolf admitted after a moment. ¡°I¡¯m a private investigator from out of the Way, and the one who brought this case to Mercer¡¯s attention. Ruby here is my daughter, I¡¯ll be taking her home now.¡±


    She heard the ¡®I will be¡¯ and not ¡®I want to¡¯ DeWolf was underlining with that statement.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ And you aren¡¯t going to wait for Mercer to find a cure to whatever influence the children are under?¡± The boy asked skeptically.


    ¡°When he has a cure my daughter will take it.¡± DeWolf told the masked boy. ¡°Until then I¡¯d rather get her as far away from this hell hole as I can.¡±


    ¡°And walking through Sinner¡¯s Way at this time of night is safer?¡± The boy scoffed.


    Which given some of the stories she¡¯d heard Mercer talk about was fair. (Though Scarl is still more dangerous than any of them.)


    ¡°The Way is only dangerous to those who aren¡¯t from it. Those of us who are, well¡­¡± DeWolf smirked, showing off his larger than normal teeth. ¡°We¡¯re the reason it¡¯s so dangerous.¡±


    Virtue¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re really not giving me a reason to let you walk away with the girl.¡±


    DeWolf let out a sigh. ¡°Look, I just want to take my kid home. You¡¯re the one being a pain in the ass about this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make sure the girl is safe with you.¡± Virtue argued. ¡°For all I know you¡¯re kidnapping that girl from this crime scene.¡±


    ¡°If I was a threat to the kids Mercer would¡¯ve put a bullet through my head.¡± DeWolf pointed out calmly, as if he wasn¡¯t talking about his own death.


    (Then again, given how he was attacking me when he turned and Mercer didn¡¯t kill him, I¡¯m not sure how accurate that is.) She thought to herself if no one else.


    (He¡¯d burn the world¡­ to cinder and ash¡­ for even a single child¡­) Her other-selves assured her in a very un-assuring manner.


    ¡°You never know, he¡¯s working with Nightwatch on this. Maybe he¡¯s showing some self-restraint?¡± Virtue offered, still refusing to lower his weapon.


    DeWolf gave a bark of laughter. ¡°We both know you¡¯re the one Vigil who wouldn¡¯t believe that.¡±


    Virtue frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re close enough for Mercer to talk about the Vigils?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± DeWolf shook his head with some amusement. ¡°He¡¯ll just take any opportunity to bad mouth you lot, if not Vigilance then the replacement of the replacement.¡±


    Virtue¡¯s grip on his weapon grew tighter. ¡°Of course he would.¡±


    (He knows¡­ he wears the suit of a dead boy¡­)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t disrespectful, just that he isn¡¯t known for his respect.¡± DeWolf shrugged. ¡°Only reason I¡¯m with him is for my kid.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you going to meet him back at his place?¡± Virtue asked.


    ¡°Like I said, as soon as there¡¯s a cure my daughter is going to take it.¡± DeWolf reiterated. ¡°And I live close enough to Mercer that it¡¯s not a real walk.¡±


    Virtue stared at DeWolf for a moment before his eyes darted to Bell. ¡°What about you, what¡¯s your connection to all of this? He said you and your sister were going to meet him at Mercer¡¯s?¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    He inhaled deeply forcing his rage back under as he reminded himself that now was not the time, especially since he knew he killed everyone who¡¯d so much as looked at Carly that day.


    (Right, he probably wasn¡¯t actually a part of that mess¡­ Probably just had a business deal with him¡­)


    He turned away from Swansong and lifted his helmet enough to run a hand down his face, before shaking his head and lowering it once more once he¡¯d calmed down enough.


    When he turned back to Swansong he found her watching him cautiously, though likely with nowhere near as much caution as he deserved having just castra- He tilted his head to get a better look. -three-fourths castrated someone in front of her.


    Romulus for what it was worth seemed to have passed out after using whatever magic he could muster to heal what hadn¡¯t been removed.


    ¡°What was that Mercer?¡± Kennedy tuned in over the comms, her voice allowing no bullshit.


    ¡°Do you know who Wolfram was?¡± He asked her as way of answering.


    ¡°Should I?¡±


    (Yes.) ¡°He hurt someone I know so I hurt him. Permanently.¡± They all knew he was a killer so putting a name to one of his body count wouldn¡¯t do anything, especially if (they didn¡¯t bother to learn Wolfram¡¯s fucking name.) ¡°It was years ago, but I thought for a second Romulus might¡¯ve been involved in that.¡±


    ¡°And if he was?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d never talk to me again after I was through with him. But he wasn¡¯t so, meh.¡± He shrugged, fully willing to let it go.


    Kennedy was silent for a moment, and while she didn¡¯t say anything he could tell she was figuring out whether to treat him like an unstable ally or a rabid animal. (Which is fair.)


    ¡°How exactly do you intend to get a cure out of him while he¡¯s unconscious?¡± Kennedy asked him pointedly.


    ¡°Eh, bring a healer in and bribe him with regrowing what I cut off.¡± He offered, knowing from the get-go that Betty could figure out a cure to this mess. (Hopefully I¡¯ve at least bought everyone enough time to get out of here by now.)


    He could hear Kennedy audibly inhale before muting his comm.


    ¡°Not alone.¡± Swansong said after a moment of silence, a frown clearly in her voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± He asked, having not noticed anyone himself and really not liking that.


    Swansong shook her head and pointed at him.


    (Oh, fuck.)


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Kennedy¡¯s voice began. ¡°Do you mind telling me who the people trying to leave with a child are? They were there with you.¡±


    (Fucking jinxed it.)

 Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 3)- Admitted Acquaintances And Cannibals

    Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 3)- Admitted Acquaintances And Cannibals


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Uh.¡± She swallowed, trying to come up with a lie only for the boy¡¯s glare to worsen before she found herself blurting out, ¡°Mercer ¡®s been helping us with our problems, and when we heard about the kids we decided to help him save them.¡±


    ¡°What kind of problems?¡± Virtue continued to press.


    ¡°I, um¡­¡±


    DeWolf stepped between her and the boy¡¯s. ¡°The kind of problems you get in Sinner¡¯s Way: gang violence, kidnappings, murder, drugs, things like that.¡±


    Virtue frowned at the interruption, even as she silently thanked DeWolf for it.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really starting to make me question whether you actually count as a hero or not.¡± DeWolf continued, uncaring for the boy¡¯s glare. ¡°I mean, here we are coming off of what was clearly a traumatic event and you¡¯re interrogating us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re working with a known mass murdering psychopath.¡± Virtue argued. ¡°The moment you admitted to working with Mercer you became accomplices.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown herself at that, because while she¡¯d only known him for a day or two she didn¡¯t think he could be described as a mass murdering psychopath. After all, he¡¯d been far too kind and calm for that. Settling most of their problems with words and next to no violence since they¡¯d met him.


    (Though he is rather casual about me and Scarlet eating people¡­)


    (The city is hell¡­ He¡¯s the devil¡­ And we¡¯re his demons¡­) Her other-selves told her, a rare smile to their voices as their giggling echoed through her mind.


    (Okay, so maybe there is something to be worried about¡­)


    ¡°Except that Mercer is Black Listed.¡± DeWolf pointed out, drawing her attention back to him and Virtue as the boy grimaced. ¡°Meaning unless you can prove we committed a crime and not him, then you can¡¯t touch us. And we both know no station in the city would try to hold us once he walks through the front door, not with how many he¡¯s hospitalized.¡±


    Virtue scoffed. ¡°Again, for him to do something like that you two would have to be pretty close.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± DeWolf stepped out of the way so that the boy could see her. ¡°You¡¯d have to be an innocent minor who has been wrongfully arrested.¡±


    Virtue¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Meaning he¡¯d leave you to rot if I tried to arrest you?¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t mind spending a night in jail if it keeps my kid safe.¡± DeWolf shrugged. ¡°Who knows might luck out and land in one of the stations I worked out of back in the day. Might get one of the boys to pay off the tab they owe me while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    Virtue was silent for a moment before sighing. ¡°Fine, but I have one more question before I let you go.¡±


    ¡°And what question is that?¡± DeWolf asked suspiciously.


    Virtue opened his mouth before blinking as he pointed behind them. ¡°Is that girl eating a hand?¡±


    She and DeWolf turned to where he was pointing and found Scarlet stepping out of the building with a severed hand in hand and a fair bit of blood around her mouth.


    Upon seeing this DeWolf summarized the situation with a fairly apt, ¡°Shit.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He pretended to blink in confusion, despite the fact they couldn¡¯t see his face. (The acting is what sells it.) ¡°Oh, uh, the guy¡¯s DeWolf and the child is probably his daughter. He¡¯s the detective who brought this case to my attention. As for the girls, well I told you about the Deviant breaking people¡¯s legs. Apparently the sisters got themselves in trouble and I¡¯m helping them out of said trouble.¡±


    All of that was technically true, but it more importantly ignored the bits about DeWolf being a Lycan, the girls being Malcontent, and him distracting Vigilance with a criminal organization that he had unintentionally set on high alert. (Still would¡¯ve been better if they hadn¡¯t been caught within five minutes of leaving my sight. Fucking amateurs.)


    Swansong tilted her head and he used every ounce of his acting skills to hide the fact that he had something to hide, because she was one of the two Vigils who could tell when he was lying. Especially since she did it via skill rather than just hating his guts to a point of paranoia about everything he said. (Which reminds me I haven¡¯t keyed ¡®dumbass the third¡¯ into Virtue¡¯s bike this week.)


    ¡°Not lying.¡± Swansong eventually decreed.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s there to lie about? I mean, what are you expecting? That I¡¯ve taken on a pair of apprentices to make up for the fact that my apartment blew up and that I¡¯m running with little to no tech until the next time I break into one of your safehouses and steal everything that isn¡¯t nailed down. That was my friendly warning by the way.¡±


    Swansong gave him a curious look.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten a little too easy to break into your bases.¡± He explained. ¡°It¡¯s starting to be a chore.¡± (An amusing chore but still a chore.)


    He could hear Kennedy groaning through her muted comm, before after a moment she sighed. ¡°They¡¯re more or less matching your story, so I¡¯ll believe you for now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that Kin-Ken.¡± He told her, before tacking on. ¡°Oh, also they¡¯re cannibals and I have no doubt they can beat your apprentices¡¯ ass in the sandbox.¡±


    Swansong shook her head, thinking he was joking as she walked over to Romulus and started checking to make sure he hadn¡¯t accidentally killed the man. (Which, rude. If I killed him it would¡¯ve been on pur- Ah, that¡¯s why she¡¯s checking him.)


    While Swansong was distracted with that, he slowly edged his way towards the alleyway entrance to see whether everyone had escaped and Kennedy had caught them fleeing in a camera or if -more likely- she¡¯d had another Vigil stop them.


    Peeking around the corner he spotted Virtue looking at a fairly incriminating scene involving DeWolf, Bell, and Scarlet.


    (Welp, I¡¯m nothing if not adaptable.)

 Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Pt. 4)- Enraging Teenagers (For Fun And Tactics)

    Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Pt. 4)- Enraging Teenagers (For Fun And Tactics)


    --- Mercer ---


    Seeing as how Swansong was distracted with Romulus he decided it would be in his best interest to put a cap on this little mess before Virtue could burn everything down with his rule stickler ways.


    And so -after creeping out of everyone¡¯s sight- he walked up behind Virtue and calmly pointed out the, ¡°Fun fact cannibalism isn¡¯t actually illegal in most states.¡±


    Virtue nearly jumped out of his skin as the youngest of the Vigils turned around and pointed his staff at Mercer. (At least he can recognize the biggest threat in the room.)


    ¡°Mercer¡­¡± Virtue glared at him as if Mercer had shot him.


    Only he was allowed to do that. (And to be fair, that was just a concussion round¡­ to the dick¡­ for being a dick¡­)


    ¡°Virtue.¡± He nodded before glancing at the others. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lot get going? I know where to find you when I need you.¡±


    Scarlet looked like she was about to protest before-


    ¡°They''re not going anywhere.¡± Virtue told him.


    ¡°But they haven¡¯t done anything wrong?¡± He asked in a purposely curious tone.


    ¡°She¡¯s eating someone¡¯s hand!¡± The brat practically yelled.


    ¡°Waste not want not.¡± He shrugged, letting a grin slip into his voice.


    ¡°And where exactly did she get that hand?!¡± Virtue snapped.


    ¡°No idea. Guy was dead when we got there.¡± He admitted, knowing it was technically the truth. And then to be an asshole he added, ¡°It was probably that wolf monster that was running around for a bit.¡±


    From behind Virtue DeWolf made a pained face. Less because the man had killed someone who¡¯d kidnapped his daughter, and more because he was blatantly using the werewolf to taunt a Vigil. (Which he really should¡¯ve expected.)


    ¡°That wolf monster?¡± Virtue repeated, not bothering to hide his skepticism.


    ¡°Well yeah, this was a bunch of Covenant exiles or about to be exiles anyway. So of course the Arcane of the lot are going to summon a few monsters.¡± He reminded the brat. ¡°Hell ask Kin-Ken, I mentioned having to deal with a bunch of skeletons.¡±


    Virtue¡¯s eyes narrowed as the brat resisted the urge to see if anyone had heard him say ¡®Kin-Ken¡¯. Once more proving just how paranoid the Vigils were about their secret identities.


    (And here I am running around with my actual name without any of them being able to realize it. Complexity bias at its best.)


    Virtue visibly paused to listen to whatever Kennedy was telling him before shaking his head and resuming his glare. ¡°Fine, even if she didn¡¯t kill anyone that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she is eating someone¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°Which again isn¡¯t illegal.¡± He reminded Virtue. ¡°Was really surprised when I found that out. Especially with all of the Malcontent and Deadmen running around, but apparently most politicians handed the issue over to Sanctuary and the Heroes¡¯ Guild before wiping their hands clean of the mess.¡±


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    Admittedly that wasn¡¯t every state, but given how less than a dozen bothered to make it illegal to make it look like they were doing something in Deadman heavy areas while reeling in those sweet gullible voters. (Even though it did jack and shit to the actual statistics.)


    ¡°Oh, which reminds me. Did you know that Deadmen legally can¡¯t vote because they¡¯re legally dead?¡± He asked by way of distraction as he spotted Swansong carrying Romulus out of the alley.


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Virtue growled.


    ¡°Just tangentially connected, and I know you Vigils are oh so curious about everything.¡± He explained, once more making his smile audible. ¡°Especially when it comes to things people have zero intention of being helpful with.¡±


    Virtue inhaled deeply before exhaling. ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t -And I don¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t.- kill whoever that hand belongs to, and even if it isn¡¯t illegal -Which sounds like bullshit-¡±


    ¡°Ah, language.¡± He interrupted, taking a step forward. ¡°There¡¯s a child present.¡±


    Said child glared at him, knowing full well that if he was talking to anyone else he wouldn¡¯t give two shits about anyone''s fucking language. (But I¡¯m talking to this seven teen year old in particular.)


    Virtue began grinding his teeth together before forcing out. ¡°None of that changes the fact that she is desecrating the dead and tampering with a crime scene.¡±


    ¡°Well technically she was desecrating the dead and tampering with a crime scene.¡± He pointed out just to annoy the Vigil as he wagged a finger through the air while putting a hand behind his back. ¡°Given how she¡¯s no longer doing either of those, it''s past tense at best. Whatsmore once she¡¯s finished digesting it, you kind of lose all evidence of what she¡¯s doing since I didn¡¯t really see any cameras in there.¡±


    ¡°I have my mask¡¯s camera.¡± Virtue helpfully reminded him with yet another glare.


    He snapped his fingers. ¡°Almost forgot about that.¡±


    Faster than Virtue could react he stabbed the Vigil¡¯s mask with his knife. More specifically he stabbed the exact spot where he knew the mask¡¯s memory drive was, and no further as they both leapt away from each other.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Virtue screamed, earning a curious look from Swansong who¡¯d picked up exactly what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°Just me disabling your camera and destroying any footage you had of that girl doing anything semi-illegal.¡± He shrugged while playing with his knife. ¡°Hate to ruin a kid''s life over a small mistake like this, and once you get a felony your life is pretty much over with the way our criminal system works.¡±


    Virtue began to pant in anger. ¡°The footage auto-uploads to the Watchtower¡¯s system as long as it can catch a signal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to break in and destroy that footage too.¡± He shamelessly admitted. ¡°After all it¡¯s not like your latest update can do anything to stop me from breaking into all of your bases. Which belong to me.¡±


    The over-stressed Vigil snarled as he turned around, ¡°That¡¯s not going to stop me from arrest¡­ing¡­ her¡­¡± Only to find Swansong behind him and no one else.


    ¡°What? Forget I told them to run like five minutes ago?¡±


    ---


    ¡°You think this is far enough?¡± Scarlet asked.


    ¡°Fuck no.¡± DeWolf scoffed. ¡°As long as the Vigils are after us we aren¡¯t safe until we get back to the way. Keep running.¡±


    ¡°Are we really leaving Mercer all alone with those two?¡± Bell asked with more than a small amount of concern. ¡°What if he needs our help?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Mercer isn¡¯t the one who needs help.¡± DeWolf laughed. ¡°Hell, if you really feel bad about it, here''s the truth of the matter: We aren¡¯t leaving him alone with them. We¡¯re leaving them alone with him and no backup.¡±


    The werewolf let out another laugh. ¡°Honestly if the kid wasn¡¯t such a dick I might feel bad about doing that.¡±


    ---


    Virtue stood frozen for a solid minute processing through the immense impotent rage the kid felt at realizing he¡¯d been once more outsmarted by someone who had been in the game almost as long as the young Vigil had been alive.


    Swansong gave the kid a concerned look. ¡°Virtue?¡±


    The youngest Mask present tightened his grip on his staff.


    ¡°Eh, he¡¯s fine.¡± Mercer assured Swansong, even as he leaned back to avoid being struck by the staff. ¡°Might be a little hangry though. Did you skip din-din? A growing Vigil needs his vitamins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± Virtue told him bluntly.


    ¡°Meh, wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve died.¡±

 Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 5): Chasing Virtue and Deceptive Vices

    Third Sin: Swansong of the Second Night (Part 5): Chasing Virtue and Deceptive Vices


    --- Mercer ---


    Virtue uncaring about his deep past traumas -(Truly inconsiderate of him.)- swung his staff once more, this time chaining it into a flurry of blows that Mercer avoided by steadily taking a step back every time the teenage Vigil took a step forward.


    ¡°Well as fun as this is I think I¡¯m going to go ahead and call it.¡± He drew his gun and vaguely aimed low with one hand while pointing the other behind him.


    Virtue showed his own trauma off by leaping out of the way and partially covering his crotch with one hand. All while making an amusing ¡®Eep.¡¯ sound and ignoring the fact that Mercer¡¯s finger wasn¡¯t even on the trigger.


    Swaying his gun in Swansong -(The more competent Vigil.)-¡¯s general direction he said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget someone has to stay to guard the children and prisoners.¡± before firing his grappler down the street and jumping as he had it retract as fast as possible.


    Which was honestly nowhere near as fast as it would¡¯ve been if the secondary motors were working.


    (That might be a problem.) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace behind his helmet as rather than launching himself over a building and maneuvering from there he was forced to start swinging down the street.


    That wasn¡¯t to say he couldn¡¯t still escape Virtue (probably) but it would involve more outsmarting the brat than actually outrunning him given how he was limited to swinging angles rather than any sharp turns or changes in direction.


    (Note to self: Next time you have to replace the grapplers, prioritize the zip motors. Speed is more important than precision with these things.)


    This point was underlined when Virtue went flying past him, having used his own -fully-functioning- grappling equipment to launch himself via the various street lamps.


    Gritting his teeth, Mercer spun and launched his line down a side street, curling his arm into it as the sudden change in momentum pulled through his arm trying to rip it out of socket. Half way into the curve of this swing he fired his second line at another building on the opposite side of the street to keep from swinging himself into a building.


    (Alright, now how to actually escape?) He asked himself, knowing that breaking line of sight just once or twice wasn¡¯t going to be enough to escape Virtue. (Especially not if-)


    ¡°You know you wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if you didn¡¯t feel the need to antagonize him.¡± Kennedy sighed, opening her end of their line.


    (-Night watch is helping him¡­) He frowned before an idea occurred to him. (And I know how to kill two assholes with one bullet.)


    Not cutting his line at another intersection, he softly changed his direction while also taking a moment to glance back and see that Virtue wasn¡¯t even a hundred meters behind him.


    ¡°But you goody two shoes make it so easy to mess with all of you.¡± He whined opening his end of the line, figuring that she was tracking him one way or another.


    ¡°And you make it so easy to hate you.¡± Kennedy told him rather bluntly.


    ¡°Nah, you guys love me.¡± He argued, knowing something none of them did. ¡°I keep things interesting.¡±


    ¡°The city is more than interesting enough without you.¡± Kinsley scoffed. ¡°We¡¯ve all got more important things to be dealing with than whatever garbage you¡¯re trying to stir up.¡±


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    (If only you knew how much crazy I¡¯m keeping capped in the Way.) He chuckled to himself. ¡°Fu~uck, you know that attitude is why you¡¯re going to have a heart attack by thirty. You guys need to learn how to have fun with this whole Mask thing.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game.¡± Nightwatch coldly reminded him. ¡°There are lives on the line every time we go out.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you sound like the old man.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to be one of the rebels?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to take this seriously?¡± Kennedy countered.


    ¡°Yes, and it was the death of me¡­ Or one of them anyway.¡± Admittedly it was a big one, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vigilance beat that out of me before it could kill me again.¡±


    He could feel Kinsley¡¯s grimace at the reminder of just how he left the Vigils. (Serves her right.)


    Knowing he was starting to near his destination, he aimed a little higher than his previous grappler shots, connecting to a small signal tower rather than the usual building ledges. From there he extended his line as he swung into his street turn, enough that when Virtue made the same turn by grappling the same building, the younger mask flew past him and Mercer''s own boots could connect with the building on the opposite side of the street.


    A building he proceeded to kick off to change the angle and momentum of his swing so that he¡¯d go flying into the alley next to the original building with a low enough velocity. One low enough that with a few steps along the side of the alley wall, he was able to disconnect his grapple lines and hit the ground with a quick roll into a running start.


    ¡°Look Mercer I get that the way things ended wasn¡¯t the best but,¡± Kinsley began after a moment of him running through the alley.


    More precisely the moment before he extracted the live comm from his helmet and ran into the traffic waiting for a nearby light. Making sure to toss the comm -(Nightwatch and Virtue are absolutely tracking.)- into the windshield of a nearby car as he cut through the street.


    With their means of tracking him distracted, he finished crossing the street and made his way into the building of his actual destination. Once inside he entered the lobby elevator where he faced away from the security cam and removed his helmet before pressing a specific floor button and then the one below it a moment later.


    Tapping his foot impatiently he watched the elevator¡¯s floor number slowly tick away. (Come on, come on, I don¡¯t have much time¡­)


    The elevator doors opened on the first floor before closing as he slid his helmet back on and reopening as it reached the actual floor he was aiming for.


    Quickly stepping out of the elevator he made his way down the hall to a specific door he clearly remembered the owner of failing to lock behind her earlier.


    As quietly as he could he made his way through the apartment picking up one or two things he knew were stashed in the bedroom before sneaking behind said apartment¡¯s sole occupant. A red headed woman with a hand over her tired face.


    A woman whose wheelchair he proceeded to pick up with her in it.


    ¡°W-what the fuck?!¡± Kinsley cursed in shock as she whirled around to face him. ¡°Mercer?!¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± He greeted dropping her wheelchair and quickly handcuffing her to said chair at an angle where she couldn¡¯t undo the wheel lock without freeing them first. ¡°Just stopping by for a quick errand.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what the hell are you doing?!¡± Kinsley yelled at him as he removed her comm and made his way to her computer.


    ¡°Using your computer¡¯s backdoor to the Vigil¡¯s lair to delete Virtue¡¯s footage for the night.¡± He explained, quickly going through her files while looking for specific icons.


    ¡°You handcuffed me to my chair you asshole!¡± Kinsley spat at him.


    He couldn¡¯t help the snort of amusement that escaped him at that. ¡°You¡¯re a Vigil, if you aren¡¯t free in thirty seconds I¡¯ll be deeply disappointed in you.¡± He pointedly did not call her out on the fact that she already had one hand free. ¡°Besides we both know what¡¯s in your internet history, and why you have those.¡±


    ¡°Wh- N-no, these are not for me to wear!¡± Kinsley screeched in embarrassment, stalling her for a few extra seconds.


    ¡°Oh, I know they¡¯re for your -non-existent- boyfriend, but the first rule of safety is knowing how to properly use those.¡± He lectured her as he began deleting the most recent files from Virtue¡¯s cam. ¡°But since you¡¯re single I figured you should practice on yourself before using them on someone else. With a friend nearby to help if you hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wh- I- Fuck you!¡± Kinsley stuttered out in clear embarrassment as she threw a pair of handcuffs at him.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but this ship has sailed.¡± He told his former crush as he caught the cuffs. ¡°I am now happily married, to someone who knows exactly how to use these¡­ as well as every other toy you had in that box.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Kinsley whimpered.


    ¡°Daddy issues.¡± He admitted.

 Third Sin: Swansong Of The Second Night: End of The Night

    Third Sin: Swansong Of The Second Night: End of The Night


    --- Mercer ---


    The computer behind him let out a ping declaring that it had finished deleting the last of Virtue¡¯s footage from the night. Not that that prevented them from recovering the files with one of their numerous redundancies, but it still bought him a decent time. (And time is always a welcomed friend.)


    ¡°Oh, would you look at that! It seems like we¡¯re going to have to end this weeks safe sex seminar early.¡± He told Kinsley with a sad nod as he started towards the hero entrance/exit. ¡°Now don¡¯t forget what we¡¯ve talked about and I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t die a desperate virgin, Kin-Ken.¡±


    He moved to the side as Kinsley shot at him with her gun. ¡°Side Note: You should probably put in a few more hours in the gun range if you want to try for any gunplay. If you aren¡¯t careful you could really hurt your partner with that thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Kinsley ground out.


    ¡°My-my, you are a sadist.¡± He admired, fully aware her shot had been non-lethal rubber and was likely a way of stalling him until Virtue returned either after realizing she¡¯d gone silent or because she¡¯d hit some kind of emergency signal while he was busy. ¡°Sadly, as I¡¯ve already informed you, you¡¯re the only single lady in this room and I am far too faithful¡± (and spiteful) ¡°to be a part of this affair. So I must take my leave, foul temptress!¡±


    Having properly established how much of a drama queen he was he made his escape as the secret entrance (finally) finished opening, and he dove out of it into the open air of the city streets he¡¯d grown up in.


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Ugh, how long is Mercer going to be?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask as she continued to pace a hole in the floor.


    ¡°Depends on how persistent the Vigils are being, but he can only stand them in small doses so he¡¯ll probably be back soon.¡± Dewolf answered, an arm still protectively wrapped around his less than cognizant daughter.


    ¡°Who the fuck were those assholes anyway?¡± She growled.


    ¡°They¡¯re the local heroes, the Vigils?¡± DeWolf said slowly as he gave her a curious look.  ¡°Vigilance¡¯s personal team and probably family.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to mean something to me?¡± She asked, narrowing her eyes as he caught his tone.


    ¡°Just that everyone in America -Hell probably the world,- knows who Vigilance is, given how he¡¯s one of the heads of the Hero¡¯s Guild.¡± DeWolf explained.


    ¡°We¡¯ve um, we¡¯ve been¡­ away for a¡­ while.¡± Bell offered, the closest she was willing to explain that they¡¯d spent the last¡­ (Fuck, I don¡¯t actually know how long it¡¯s been¡­) in the labs being run through all sorts of ungodly experiments.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± DeWolf sighed, before shaking his head. ¡°Not my place, so I won¡¯t ask.¡±


    She nodded, before getting things back on topic. ¡°If they¡¯re heroes, why was that guy giving us such a hassle behind Mercer? He was working with the other two, but that guy looked like he hated him from the get go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± DeWolf grimaced, before looking around the room as if he thought Mercer had somehow snuck past all of them without being noticed. ¡°Again, it¡¯s not my place to talk about, but for all intents and purposes Mercer was a Vigil until he cut ties.¡±


    ¡°But w-why would he cut ties?¡± Bell frowned, her eyes briefly drifting to Scarlet before going back. ¡°You said they were family. You don¡¯t give up on family.¡±


    She felt something warm at that.


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    DeWolf on the other hand clearly felt something uncomfortable with the way his grimace seemed to tighten. ¡°It¡¯s a little more complicated than that.¡±


    ¡°Complicated how?¡± Bell pressed, her eyes actually flashing black.


    DeWolf leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting forward. ¡°Complicated in the ¡®earned himself a kill warrant¡¯ kind of way.¡±


    It was her turn to grimace at that. Even if she had essentially been living under a rock (a lot of them) she could piece together what exactly that meant. Namely because one of the lab''s early methods of dissuading them from escape was to explain just how easy it was for a Malcontent to get a kill warrant of their own.


    Which honestly was probably why she wasn¡¯t as intimidated by that detail as she probably should be. (I¡¯ll probably end up with my own before I die¡­)


    ¡°What exactly did he do?¡± She found herself asking.


    ¡°He, uh, he killed a man, a very bad man, on national TV.¡± DeWolf explained.


    ¡°While wearing the Vigil¡¯s emblem.¡± They all jumped, turning their attention to Mercer as he entered the room. ¡°He seemed particularly pissed about that little detail, given how he fought me for it.¡±


    DeWolf flinched. ¡°Uh, Mercer I was-¡±


    ¡°Legitimately don¡¯t care.¡± Mercer shrugged as he walked past and crouched in front of DeWolf¡¯s daughter. ¡°Now more importantly, your kid doing any better or she still out of it?¡±


    DeWolf watched Mercer for a moment before sighing. ¡°She¡¯s about where she was when I first found her.¡±


    ¡°Betty¡¯s clinic is open, and they should have one of the good Arcane on by now. They¡¯ll be able to sort you two out.¡± Mercer told the werewolf.


    ¡°Uh, right¡­ I¡¯ll go do that.¡± DeWolf nodded, before picking up his daughter and leaving.


    With the werewolf gone an awkward silence fell upon all three of them as Mercer just stood there.


    (Shit¡­) She grimaced, wondering just how deeply they¡¯d pried into something he didn¡¯t want them to.


    ¡°S-sorry¡­ about¡­ that?¡± Bell tried to awkwardly apologize.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Mercer looked between the two of them. ¡°What? Oh, that? Yeah, no. Legitimately don¡¯t care. Everyone knows I shot the mayor and kicked Vigilance¡¯s ass. Literally, you could ask any ten year old in the Way and they¡¯ll tell you that. They¡¯ll also tell you I kicked the shit out of every bounty hunter that invaded the way over the next few years.¡±


    ¡°Then um, if you¡¯re not upset why are you, uh¡­¡± Bell made a gesture towards Mercer¡¯s¡­ everything.


    At which point she realized that Mercer was swaying ever so slightly as he stood there.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I haven¡¯t slept in the last¡­ forty-eight hours¡­ I think? I mean I could ignore it a bit longer after visiting Betty¡¯s clinic but she gets mad at me when I use healing to skip sleep.¡± Mercer shrugged before standing still for another minute. ¡°Mm, honestly, I think I¡¯m going to go upstairs and crash before I collapse in some alleyway¡­ again¡­¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± She found herself asking with a morbid sort of curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°The kids of the Way like poking me with sticks when they find me passed out in random locations.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ That¡¯s uh, that¡¯s a thing¡­¡± She admitted, with a glance towards Bell because (I have no idea how much a non-Malcontent is supposed to sleep. It¡¯s got to be more than four hours without a healing factor, right?)


    Mercer was quiet for a moment. ¡°I think without the adrenaline I¡¯m starting to micro-sleep again.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, uh, what exactly are we supposed to do here?¡± She hissed to Bell.


    ¡°Find a room to crash in.¡± Mercer told them, before turning towards the stairs. ¡°That¡¯s-a what I¡¯m-a gonna do.¡±


    Her and Bell were both quiet for a moment as they watcher Mercer make his way up the stairs and to the rooms above.


    ¡°Uh, should, should we be worried about this?¡± Bell asked her.


    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea¡­¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    Dropping his gear haphazardly onto the floor, he kicked off his socks and shoes before falling face first onto his chosen mattress. Completely unbothered by just how run down the place was given some of the places he¡¯d had to sleep as a homeless kid.


    He¡¯d long since gotten used to needing to skip a night of sleep here and there -usually by cheating and paying an Arcane to use healing magic to top him off- but that didn¡¯t change the fact that it did a number on him and if he were anyone other than a brain damaged Vigil it would probably take a heavier toll than a normal person could handle.


    (Well, at the very least since I¡¯ve dealt with this week¡¯s crisis I should be able to take a few days off to sort everything out with the girls¡­ who I guess are living with me now¡­ Well, that¡¯s going to be a bitch to explain to Julie¡­)


    After a moment, when he found himself awake even after two days without sleeping, he cracked open his eye and saw the first rays of daylight streaming through his window. He then promptly rolled over while pulling his jacket over his head and told the world, ¡°Fuck off, day. I just spent the last two nights saving your ass so let me sleep.¡±

 Sinless Days (1): Doctors Appointments and Disappointments

    Sinless Days (1): Doctors Appointments and Disappointments


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± He sighed in relief as his safe finally cracked open, the damaged safe having required him to use a power drill to undo the lock and hinges and then a crowbar to pry the whole door off.


    Shoving the slab of metal to the side, he looked inside the safe before pulling out several lock boxes with little emblems stamped on them. The setup less to secure the contents that had been protected by his safe, (and more effectively myself), and more to keep everything at least semi-sorted in a way he could shift through with ease.


    Without even bothering to open most of the boxes, he dropped them to the side to take back to the boarding house he was now based out of and only stopped when he found the box with a money symbol next to an exploding house. (And Jules thought I was paranoid setting this up.)


    (Thinking of¡­) He grabbed a piece of something charred before going to a semi-clean wall and drawing a skateboard next to a house and drawing a bridge over both of them. (Now she can''t be mad at me since I told her where I moved all our stuff.)


    He stepped back into the absolutely destroyed remains of his old apartment, the one in which none of his stuff was actually intact and anything his wife hadn¡¯t taken with her to visit her parents was pretty much torched.


    (The stuff that survived anyway¡­)


    He gave the wreckage another once over and counted his blessings that his wife kept most of her things at a backup apartment he wasn¡¯t allowed to know the location of so she hadn¡¯t lost anything of value. (So glad I respect her boundaries and let her think I don¡¯t know where it is.)


    --- Scarlet ---


    Having woken up when Mercer snuck out to do¡­ whatever he was doing, she felt like this was the best opportunity to stretch herself out without anyone watching. And so leaving Bell asleep in their bed she made her way to the otherside of the building.


    Once alone and having stretched out her actual limbs she began figuring out how best to stretch out her powers without leaving any¡­ notable damage.


    (Guess I should just start with the usual lab tests¡­) She may¡¯ve hated them but they were efficient in getting as much as they could out of her. (No matter how much it hurt¡­)


    She shook her head, and reminded herself she was free now. (But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯ll have to fight for that freedom when they come for us again¡­)


    Taking a deep breath she inhaled before exhaling and asking her other-self, (Ready for this?)


    (Sharpen our claws, but don¡¯t waste¡­) Her other-self warned her while giving the impression of a jungle cat lazing about and scratching at the tree branch they were resting upon.


    Not wanting her powers to start eating her alive, she spiked her Malice but only in so much as it made her fingertips burn and her teeth itch. Signs that she¡¯d grown her claws and that her fangs were out.


    Unlike her sister, her transformations were always significantly more obvious as her body twisted and reshaped itself into something more¡­ (predatory). Meaning there was little to no hiding when she was using her powers, as demonstrated by a pair of glowing eyes faintly reflecting in a nearby piece of glass. But what her transformation lacked in subtlety it easily made up for in raw power, speed, and reflexes.


    (Amongst other things¡­) She thought flexing her fingers as she felt the shifting muscle and sinew beneath her skin, before frowning in thought. (But how do I test those here?)


    Frowning, she briefly considered asking Bell for help given how her sister was the smarter of the two of them. Largely because of her other-selves clairvoyance but the point still stood.


    She shook her head and dismissed the thought. (No it¡¯s my job to protect her, I¡¯ve got to figure this out on my own.)


    Looking around for an idea or some kind of inspiration she eventually spotted a long nail rusted nail on the ground before her eyes drifted to a wall socket, and as a plan began to form in her mind some faint childhood memory told her she was explicitly warned not to do this by someone.


    Not that stopped her from sticking the nail into the outlet.


    Her hand briefly seized as she felt the electricity spark into her, nowhere near enough to hurt by her standards but more than enough to give her a faint buzz between her bones. At least until the outlet sparked and burned itself out catching fire.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± She cursed, pressing her hand against the flame and trying to smother it. Something that only didn¡¯t burn her because the electrical buzz beneath her skin had replaced itself with a smooth warmth spreading out along her muscles.


    Luckily, (both in being fire proof and her efforts) she succeeded in putting the little flame out before it could expand to be too much.


    ¡°Ah, maybe this wasn¡¯t a good idea¡­¡± She admitted to herself as she collapsed back against a wall to stare at her failure.


    Inhaling, she moved the heat to her throat before breathing out a small flame, barely larger than liter¡¯s. Which was neither the effect nor the power she¡¯d been aiming for.


    ¡°Well this was a bust¡­¡± She sighed, not wanting to risk burning their home down once more since she doubted Mercer¡¯s hospitality extended to ¡®being the reason he lost his house twice in one week¡¯.


    --- Bell ---


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    ¡°Alright, you two be good for Betty. I''ll be back to pick you up in a couple of hours.¡± Mercer told them as they stood in an alley behind the doctor¡¯s clinic.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re not staying with us?¡± She frowned.


    Mercer grimaced and rubbed at the back of his neck before shaking his head. ¡°No, with my old apartment being blown sky high I¡¯ve got too much to take care of. You¡¯ll both be safe with Betty though.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure about that, given how this Betty lady was a doctor and neither she nor Scarlet had had much luck with those.


    Picking up on her mood Mercer tried to reassure her. ¡°Right, look you¡¯ll be fine with Betty. She¡¯s the best doctor in the Way. Hell, she¡¯s literally brought me back from the dead like¡­ a few dozen times now.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°I¡­ what?¡± (That had to be a joke right?)


    (He¡¯s not¡­) Her other-selves informed her, bringing up more questions than they answered. (He¡¯s¡­ in love with death¡­ Isn¡¯t afraid to¡­ dance with her¡­)


    That left her with far more questions than answers, and she couldn¡¯t tell whether her other-selves did it to mess with her or if they were actually trying to help her on this. Largely, because they always seemed to get weird around Mercer. (Maybe I could figure that out if I-)


    ¡°Bell?¡± Scarlet asked, drawing her attention to her concerned sister and the fact that Mercer had disappeared.


    (-nevermind.) She sighed, before giving her sister a sympathetic grimace. ¡°You want to go ahead and get this over with?¡±


    Scarlet matched her grimace before knocking on the door to the clinic.


    They both stood there waiting for a moment before a young woman opened the door, one that definitely hadn¡¯t been there last night.


    ¡°Um, can I help you?¡±


    Scarlet met her gaze and shrugged, signaling it was up to her to deal with this.


    ¡°We, uh, we¡¯re here to see¡­ Betty?¡± She tried, unable to hide her nerves.


    The woman gave them a cautious frown. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ we¡¯re¡­ uh¡­¡± It occurred to her that spending half of her life in a lab had done very little for her social skills.


    (Mercer¡­) Her other-selves prodded her, less to bring her attention to him and more to remind her of something.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re with Mercer!¡± She blurted out, getting what her other-selves were telling her.


    ¡°Uh-huh, and where is he?¡± The young woman asked, crossing her arms.


    ¡°He left us here and said he¡¯d be back to pick us up later.¡± Scarlet growled, her eyes flashing red as she got frustrated with whatever this was.


    The woman gave her sister an unimpressed look, before sighing as she took a step back. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll ask Betty if she was expecting you two, if she was then you can come in.¡±


    ¡°What a bitch.¡± Scarlet spat, once the door was closed.


    She wasn¡¯t so sure about that, since she felt a lot of the problems there were because neither her nor her sister were all that good in ¡®social¡¯ situations. (This would¡¯ve been so much easier if Mercer had stayed¡­)


    After a moment the back door opened with an irritated Betty standing in the doorway. The doctor leaned out of the door and looked to the right, and then the left, before looking to the sky, her face growing more annoyed as she failed to find what she was looking for.


    Betty scoffed and muttered something along the lines of, ¡°Like father, like fucking son¡­¡± before looking at both of them and letting out a sigh. ¡°Come on you two, let''s get you sorted.¡±


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Alright, everything is looking good.¡± Betty told her as she wrote something in a little notebook. ¡°From the looks of it, your passive rate of genetic corruption is low enough that as long as you don¡¯t go too far beyond whatever you¡¯ve been doing these last few days then you should be able to survive off of just these blood bags for a fair while.¡±


    The doctor slid a small cooler to her. ¡°I should warn you though, that all things considered I¡¯m not going to be able to give you much more beyond this each week. So if you use your powers you¡¯re going to need to find another¡­ source to keep yourself stable.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± She nodded, accepting the cooler while still trying to decide how she felt about this whole thing.


    For the most part the whole experience was significantly better than anything she¡¯d ever experienced in the lab, from having Scarlet in the room with her, to the lack of restraints, electrocutions, and a single blood withdrawal -Which got her a cookie!- instead of dozens of injections and extractions.


    On the other hand no matter how much better it was, there was still some underlying factor that made the whole thing uncomfortable if solely from the memory of how it could be.


    (The girl and the wolf¡­) Her other-selves whispered, drawing her attention to a nearby door where she saw DeWolf and his daughter talking with someone, the latter looking significantly more lively than she had the day prior.


    ¡°You managed to cure the kids?¡± She found herself asking.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Betty blinked before following her gaze. ¡°Oh, yeah. Had to bring in all of the magic users we¡¯ve got, and pull a favor Covenant owed me, but we figured out how to fix what that idiot Romulus broke and get the solution to the local hospitals.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She smiled, watching the younger DeWolf go on about something in exaggerated motions.


    Betty¡¯s eyes drifted between her and the father daughter duo for a moment before the older woman told her, ¡°You can go talk to them if you want.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± She asked.


    Betty gestured towards the DeWolfs. ¡°We¡¯re just about done here so if you want to talk to them you can. All that¡¯s left is for me to go over your sister¡¯s results.¡±


    She glanced at Scarlet who was watching her with a curious tilt to her head before shrugging. ¡°If you want to talk to them you can.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± She nodded and swallowed, before doing as they said and starting towards the DeWolfs.


    Only to pause after stepping through the doorway as she remembered her run in with the other woman in the clinic alley earlier, a painful reminder of just how inept she really was when dealing with new people and strangers.


    She continued to stare at the DeWolfs as she stood there trying to work up some nerve to talk to them, but finding herself unable. After all, what reason did she actually have to talk to them about anything?


    They¡¯d helped rescue the younger DeWolf but with the younger one¡¯s mind having been messed with she doubted the girl remembered her, and in complete honesty she hadn¡¯t said much to either of them outside of a couple of nervous questions about Mercer.


    And so she continued to debate with herself about whether or not it was her place to interrupt them especially when they were looking so happy without her bringing up the night before. At least until the pair eventually left without even noticing her standing there.


    (You missed your chance¡­) Her other-selves derided her, only choosing now to speak up rather than when she was figuring out what to do.


    (I know¡­) She sighed before turning around just as Scarlet started opening it.


    Her sister blinked at her before shaking her head. ¡°You done?¡±


    ¡°Uh, y-yeah¡­¡± She nodded, trying to hide her discomfort.


    Scarlet watched her for a moment, probably picking up on her mood but her sister thankfully decided not to press it. ¡°Well, Betty said we can wait for Mercer in their break room¡­ They¡¯ve got a¡­ TV?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡± She nodded, deciding to ignore the last few minutes while wishing Mercer would hurry up so they could leave.

 Sinners of the Way: The Red Son

    Sinners of the Way: The Red Son


    --- Mercer ---


    He walked into a small clothing store, one that under normal circumstances would be too small to survive for long in a neighborhood like Sinner¡¯s Way, where very few could afford expensive clothes and those that could would rather steal said clothes than pay for them.


    Of course once someone realized who was associated with the little boutique, any desire to rob the place would promptly disappear in fear of being burned alive.


    Which is why it was such a surprise that he found someone seeming to try and extort the mousy woman behind the counter. (Ooh, that¡¯s deserving of a darwin award right there.)


    (Now I¡¯m presented with the odd point of wanting to kick someone¡¯s ass, but being unable to because that would save the person whose ass I wish to kick¡­ Hmm¡­ This is going to take some deep philosophical thinking about my morality¡­)


    It was at this moment that a young man in a tank top with fiery red hair walked in from behind a curtain, bringing everything to a halt.


    The young man took the scene before him in and narrowed his eyes behind a pair of small round spectacles mounted on his nose, and hooked over his triple pierced ears. ¡°Pardon me, but might I inquire as to what you two are doing in my establishment of business?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the owner of this nice store.¡± The (idiot) clapped, completely unaware of the demon lurking in the room with him. ¡°Now, as I was telling this lovely little thing here, this is a really nice store, and it really would be a shame if something not so nice happened to it.¡± The (soon to be dead) man explained, as his compatriot stood (not so) menacingly behind him.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The young man admitted, looking distinctly unimpressed before turning to the timid young woman. ¡°Emily, if you would be a dear could you head into the back room while my associate, Mercer here deals with these two? I sincerely doubt you wish to be present for this next day.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s heads snapped to him as they finally noticed the Saint of Sinner¡¯s Way in the room with them, and both of the thugs drew guns on him. Something that did absolutely nothing to phase him or damage his amusement at the looks of terror on the two idiots¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Yo.¡± He waved, while idly noting ¡®Emily¡¯ making her escape to the back behind them.


    The young man watched his employee run to the back and waited a moment longer before turning back to the people trying to rob his store with a look of disgust.


    Rojo raised his hand and snapped his fingers, drawing the crooks¡¯ attention (and their guns) back to the young man as something -magic for the more perceptive- rippled through the air.


    ¡°Now then¡­¡± The young man¡¯s eyes -a fire seemingly burning within them- went over the two men before him. ¡°Given how you two saw fit to attempt to not only rob me in my place of business but to also terrorize the only employee I¡¯ve found in this hellhole who has even an ounce of creative talent that doesn¡¯t revolve around making the skimpiest outfits in a pathetic attempt to seduce a mate, allow me to give you some advice.¡±


    ¡°First, you-¡± The young man pointed at the less talkative of the two. ¡°Just because you are larger than your compatriot does not mean you are in any way, form, or fashion intimidating. You are a dime a dozen goon in this city and a superior -if still pathetic- product than you can be bought and sold out of any bar in the Way for twenty bucks and a pack of cigarettes. If you want to intimidate someone in this city without an anxiety disorder you are going to need far more than flashing some vanilla little glock you bought from a pawn shop because some idiot shot their own genitals off. A fate you will probably repeat given where I saw you draw that from, so I suppose I should at least thank you for removing yourself from the gene pool. Unfortunately, for you I refuse to thank people for being incompetent idiots since any good they accomplish is completely unintentional. Just like your conception.¡±


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    ¡°As for you.¡± Rojo¡¯s blazing red eyes snapped to the other crook pointing a gun at him, before swiping said gun in a single motion. ¡°If you¡¯re going to threaten someone with a gun at least take the safety off.¡± The young crime lord began to dismantle the gun as he continued to rant. ¡°I cannot believe the level of unprofessionalism and unoriginality I am seeing today, simply walking in and attempting to smooth talk the woman at the register. Tell me is this your first crime? Did you bother to case this place, check the police response times, get the floor plans, anything really? Or are you some sad little high school drop out that decided waving a gun around as a replacement for his pathetic excuse of a phallus and forcibly begging money from people was the best option? Did you realize dealing drugs requires a brain bigger than yours? Prostitution superior looks and pimping management skills you clearly lack given the state of your life? No, no. Just looking at you I can tell you actually believe yourself some kind of career criminal, thinking a cheap polo shirt gives you some concept of actual style or fashion when in reality they just underline the fact that I, just like your mother, father, and every woman you¡¯ve ever known, can summarize your entire existence in a single word upon seeing you¡­ mediocre.¡±


    A silence echoed through the shop, seemingly twice as loud given how the young man had never raised his voice beyond a harsh whisper, and only broken by the occasional sob by the two men.


    (Definitely would¡¯ve been more merciful to just kick their asses¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but admit after watching all of that.


    Rojo straightened himself out, smoothing his hair and readjusting his glasses before giving the sobbing pair another disgusted look. ¡°Pathetic. Both of you leave this place before your tears stain my carpet and I give you a real reason to cry.¡±


    Both of the thugs ran out of the store, terrified of being further burned by the young man.


    ¡°Vicious as ever.¡± He smirked as he walked up to the counter.


    Rojo scoffed, stepping behind the counter. ¡°If you think ¡®honesty¡¯ that, then I really should show viciousness at some point.¡± The red head eyed him for a moment, or more specifically his mundane jacket with a hint of disgust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m looking to replace it.¡± He assured the flaming fashionista. ¡°My apartment was firebombed and I have to replace most of my gear.¡±


    ¡°I heard something about that, but I didn¡¯t believe you were in such dire straits.¡± Rojo admitted, clearing the countertop and laying a fresh layer of sketching paper. ¡°No wonder I was your first visit once you were back on your feet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, feel naked with so little protection.¡± He agreed, not pointing out that his first stop had been for a replacement helmet. Something that while Rojo admitted brought his look together, refused to make on the principle of believing any Mask who wore a mask was reveling in banality.


    ¡°Quite.¡± The fashionista nodded in understanding. ¡°Shamefully, I must inform you that these last month or so the city¡¯s more magical supply lines have been showing some strain. A strain the less magical supply matched and still has yet to recover from since the Vigils stopped that smuggling ring a few weeks ago. So I sadly will be limited to our more stock options until I can¡­ resolve these issues.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, figured the magical supply would be under fire after the mess Covenants put themselves in.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°And what did those hedonistic simpletons do now?¡± Rojo asked, gritting his teeth in irritation.


    ¡°One of theirs decided to summon a creature from the Mists and let it escape.¡± He summarized. ¡°I¡¯ve already dealt with the summoner but apparently they¡¯ve had this creature running around for months now.¡±


    ¡°Tch, sloppy.¡± The young man frowned, whether because of how Covenant handled things or because it took everyone so long to find out about it.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°They¡¯re probably pulling back a bit until the heat dies down, but the creature is in the Way now so I should be able to have this whole thing cleared up in the next couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll clear up things on my end and be able to open a little more stock for you.¡± Rojo assured him, before putting a pen to the sketch paper. ¡°For the time being though, let¡¯s try to get you something that¡¯s a little less of a combatant¡¯s costume catastrophe.¡±

 Sinners of the Way: The Clockwork Actor

    Sinners of the Way: The Clockwork Actor


    --- Mercer ---


    He walked down the theater aisles, numerous empty seats on either side of him as the only light in the room was from a dim light over the stage, one that did little to push away the darkness of the theater.


    ¡°There are a thousand stories to tell in this world, and yet we cannot truly behold the beauty of these events from word of mouth.¡± A raspy voice whispered, the sound carrying throughout the theater despite its lack of volume, with an almost religious reverence. ¡°To truly understand the beauty of these stories would require an entire world to act them out upon. Which is why it¡¯s so fortuitous of us to be here today¡­¡±


    The voice let out a rasping laugh full of life and joy.


    ¡°After all, the world''s a stage¡­¡±A figure appeared in an eruption of smoke, its hands raised to the air as the stage lights sparked on, illuminating the entire theater for a brief moment as the figure¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°And the stage is a world of entertainment!¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I can just feel the chills you¡¯ll be giving the newcomers.¡± He applauded the figure on the stage, as he turned to Mercer with an almost inhuman preciseness to his movements.


    Something that would slowly unnerve most as they realized the figure was just a little too thin in places and a little too tall in others. An effect only just hidden by the fact his clothes were tight in some places and baggy in others, almost as if the figure were wearing two separate outfits. All of which culminated in someone who looked human but didn¡¯t look quite right.


    (Of course, the fact that he¡¯s not breathing is the real give away.)


    None of this bothered him however, as he¡¯d long since become accustomed to the figure, even taking some measure of comfort in knowing that it continued to dwell in the Way under even if going under the false pseudonym of, ¡°Clockwork.¡±


    ¡°Mercer.¡± Clockwork¡¯s whisper of voice greeted before elevating to a projected pitch a human needed to be heard in the back row. ¡°What brings you to my wonderful little world?!¡±


    ¡°Not much.¡± He answered before plopping himself down in the nearest seat and propping his feet up on the seat in front of him. ¡°My apartment was blown sky high with all of my gear in it.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that.¡± The playwright admitted with a whisper, before booming once more. ¡°Such a chaotic bass echoing in disharmony to the beautiful ratta-tat-tat of the Way! Such a shame¡­ You weren¡¯t injured were you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t walk off.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Already seen Betty after killing the ones responsible.¡±


    ¡°Good, good¡­¡± Clockwork nodded. ¡°It would be such a waste if in such a turbulent time as this that an artist of anarchy such as yourself were to be rendered¡­ unavailable, when needed.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He asked, dropping his feet as he got where the dramatic arms dealer was going. ¡°Got something you need a hand with?¡±


    ¡°A Bleed I believe, and not the kind you would use to paint the walls so raptious red!¡± Clockwork explained, throwing an arm at the back wall of his stage. ¡°No, this is the kind to bring silence to the sweet, sweet symphony of Sinner¡¯s Way!¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, that sounds¡­ problematic.¡± He agreed, leaning forward. ¡°Question is where was it to disrupt your¡­ mad melodies?¡±


    ¡°It. Was. Here!¡± The theater goer answered with a twirl, before pausing mid-motion. ¡°Or rather somewhere with enough influence to reach here. At night there¡¯s a fog drifting onto my stage that has no place being here!¡± Clockwork pointed down and shook his head with a sigh. ¡°It completely ruins the atmosphere I¡¯m going for¡­¡±


    ¡°A fog?¡± He frowned, putting two and two together and not liking it. ¡°This fog got a¡­ creeping feeling? Like something is rooting around in your head?¡±


    Clockwork tilted his head at an inhuman angle with a curious laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t really worry about things rooting around in my head.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He sighed, remembering who -(or rather what)- he was dealing with.


    ¡°You sound like you might know what plagues me, old friend.¡± Clockwork prodded, before gesturing towards the sky. ¡°Tell me my demented doctor, can you cure it?¡±


    He nodded as he stood up. ¡°Yeah, this asshole from Covenant summoned something and lost track of it. My guess is whatever he summoned is trying to nest nearby¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I hate when vermin infests my stage.¡± Clockwork grimaced, or as much as he could with a mask for a face. ¡°I trust you can play exterminator?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it might take a minute since we don¡¯t want to scare it off before it¡¯s actually nested. Else it¡¯ll just move somewhere else, and I¡¯ll have to track it down again.¡± He explained, not worried about telling the arms dealer that he¡¯d have to wait since despite -(or possibly because of)- the man¡¯s theatrics, he was incredibly patient by most people¡¯s standards.


    ¡°You¡¯re the proven professional.¡± Clockwork chuckled, before striking a pose. ¡°Far be it from me to rush your production!¡± The dramatic paused. ¡°So long as we don¡¯t miss opening night with the other artists of the Way anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it cleared up by then.¡± He assured, knowing that while Clockwork could easily handle it himself, part of their deal meant playing muscle whenever the man felt like watching rather than fighting himself.


    ¡°Good.¡± Clockwork nodded before reaching into his cloak. ¡°And before I forget, an artist is nothing without his tools of preference!¡±


    He raised his hand and caught the gun Clockwork had tossed him before inspecting it.


    (I can see all the ¡®special¡¯ parts that made up the older versions, but this one is a little more sleek. Less of a sawed-off with a large handgun barrel and more a desert eagle with a revolver chamber. Probably has a lighter recoil, but I¡¯m hoping that didn¡¯t take out too much fire power in exchange. At least the weight ¡®s still there if I want to use it as a club, though the grip doesn¡¯t make that ideal¡­ Maybe use the barrel like a roll of coins in the hand?)


    (All in all a workable replacement.) He decided after a few test swings and quick aims. (Though I am wondering why he had this done so soon. At his usual pace even if he started the moment he heard about my house he should¡¯ve needed a few more days to complete this.)


    ¡°Consider this a fitting of a new regalia. Your old gun was so last season, and someone of your acclaim must remain fashionable, darling.¡± Clockwork explained upon seeing his curious face. ¡°I was saving for the meeting but consider it a down payment for your performance.¡±


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t deny I prefer your sense of fashion to Rojo¡¯s,¡± He admitted, gripping the  gun and giving it a few quick aims. ¡°Then again, you know me CW, I prefer to be the one setting trends instead of following them.¡±


    ¡°True. Too true.¡± Clockwork laughed, before taking a seat in a chair that hadn¡¯t been there a moment prior. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what chaos you¡¯ll paint upon the canvas of the Way!¡±

 Sinners of the Way: The Back Alley Doctor

    Sinners of the Way: The Back Alley Doctor


    --- Mercer ---


    As soon as he stepped into her office Betty spun to face him before giving him a distinctly unimpressed look from her office chair. ¡°So, tell me why it is you thought leaving two highly traumatized teenagers by themselves in my clinic was a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ technically they weren¡¯t alone. They had each other.¡± He pointed out more to buy himself time than for having that as his actual answer. ¡°And your clinic is arguably the safest place in the Way -more than twenty meters from me- after that time you burned a cigarette into a gangster¡¯s face when they tried to rob you.¡±


    He felt like adding the fact that he¡¯d gone on a little rampage in the following week in which he crippled and hospitalized said gang while making sure everyone knew why, would do the opposite of helping his point.


    Betty inhaled before exhaling as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°You really are like your father, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you too.¡± He scowled, legitimately insulted by that slander.


    The doctor that had known him since he was in kindergarten, gave him another look. ¡°How often did he leave you in my clinic for hours at a time? Do you remember how that used to make you feel?¡±


    (Alone. Hurt. Not good enough. Angry. Pissed.)


    ¡°To be fair, that was back when you still gave me candy everytime I came here.¡± He jokingly argued not wanting to unpack any of those memories within the next decade, before legitimately thinking about what he¡¯d said. ¡°Actually, did you slip crack into that shit because those suckers were unnaturally good.¡± (Even better than the shit Safeguard carries on him.)


    Betty sighed and gave him an irritated frown. ¡°Don¡¯t deflect or distract me. I¡¯ve dealt with your family too long to fall for that. You were always pissed about being left here, and I doubt those girls were much better. Especially when you throw in their clear trauma with doctors prior, something that made it clear that if I hadn¡¯t dealt with so many traumatized kids over the years I would not have been able to keep them from running when you left them with a doctor.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that, since (Yeah, I did notice how shifty they were the first time we were here¡­)


    ¡°That Bell girl was down almost the entire time she was here, and I was too busy to clean up your mess on that one.¡± Betty told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to clean up my messes.¡± He frowned. ¡°Besides I doubt I¡¯m what set them off, I haven¡¯t even known them a week yet. They¡¯ve probably got other things on their mind.¡± (Such as remembering the trauma from the labs I found them in¡­)


    Betty rolled her eyes. ¡°You know as well as I how easy it is for a traumatized child to latch onto an adult who appears to give a damn about them.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He did, and he wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about it. Especially since he knew Betty was angling for him to adopt the girls the same way his family had adopted so many others. (Though I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s so adamant about these two over all the other kids I¡¯ve brought here over the years¡­)


    Given the overlap in their jobs, he¡¯d brought over hundred kids to her at one point or another, especially since given her clinic¡¯s status as a landmark of the Way pretty much anyone from Sinner¡¯s Way could find the place to pick up their kids, or for the kids to be picked up by someone the doctor trusted to take them off her hands and treat them right.


    (So what makes these girls so different from all of them? Is it because they¡¯re Malcontent? Because I¡¯m the only willing to drop a bodycount that she¡¯s willing to trust a kid with?)


    Betty let him stew for a moment before eventually shaking her head. ¡°Right, well you¡¯ll either learn your lesson or you''re not going to listen to what I¡¯ve said.¡± His family¡¯s doctor gave him a look. ¡°Just like your father.¡±


    He hissed at her, and briefly disregarded his own stance on having powers to wish he could spit acid at the doctor, just like that one snake Traveler his mom worked with could.


    Betty gave a huff of amusement before assuming a more professional air. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯d shown up earlier I would¡¯ve gotten straight to our more professional business instead of the personal stuff. A shipment of drugs for the clinic is missing, and well given how this shipment is a little less than legal Deviant drugs. It¡¯s not the kind of thing I can just re-order with ease.¡±


    ¡°This shipment through Vincent or someone else?¡± He asked, knowing that while their resident smuggler was the man their¡­ associates went to when they needed something from out of the city, they all also had contacts more suited to their personal specialties.


    ¡°I got the drugs from one of my regular suppliers, they said the shipment was stolen by a rival so they¡¯ll probably end up on the streets if you don¡¯t find them.¡± Betty answered, before pulling out a file and adding that, ¡°I did order something from Vincent that I¡¯m going to need you to find quick though.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± As he accepted the file and found several photos within.


    ¡°There¡¯s a kid that needs a transplant. Parents can¡¯t afford it, but given how they live in the Way I¡¯m giving them our¡­ discount procedure.¡± Betty explained. ¡°Problem is the heart was caught by the police trying to earn back points after the Vigils one-upped them on that smuggling op a while back.¡±


    He scoffed, snapping the folder shut. ¡°You mean, they¡¯re trying to cover up the fact they were covering for it.¡±


    One of the first things any criminal operation in the city did was get at least a dozen cops on their payroll. A task that was significantly easier than it should be, and typically worth every dollar spent in information, evidence disposal, arrest of rivals, or even the occasional murder if you tipped well enough.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± Betty agreed, having seen it all before. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to need that heart back by the end of the week, and while I could find a way to get it out of evidence. I can¡¯t do that before they transfer it to an actual hospital or they''ve let the heart rot.¡±


    ¡°Might luck out with them selling it to the highest bidder, in which case they¡¯d keep it longer.¡± He threw out more to play devil¡¯s advocate than refuse the job. (After all, we both know I won¡¯t.) ¡°I¡¯ll get this taken care of as soon as I¡¯m able.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Betty nodded before spinning her chair back to her desk.


    Taking that as his cue to leave he started towards the door only for Betty to stop him, ¡°I ordered those candies from this potion maker a few blocks over. She slips a weak calming agent into it as well as some compressed nutritional formula, helps with that malnutrition you and a bunch of other kids had. Get things done fast enough and if the kids are still alive, I¡¯ll give you her number.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± He grinned, already thinking of rubbing his superior candy in Safeguard¡¯s face the next time the Vigil decided to annoy him. (Not that I needed another reason to smash some dickhead¡¯s skull, but candy makes for a sweet little bonus.)

 (3) Sinless Days: Trying To Help

    (3) Sinless Days: Trying To Help


    --- Bell ---


    She found herself pacing in her room. This wasn¡¯t exactly strange for her given how whenever she was locked in her cell without being chained down, she¡¯d probably do the same thing. The fact that she wasn¡¯t in a cell anymore probably wouldn¡¯t have changed that habit too much.


    What was different about this time was that she wasn¡¯t pacing to think or pass time, but rather to try and burn off some of the stress from having her other-selves constantly whispering at the edge of her awareness. Something she knew she couldn¡¯t trust, since more often than once they¡¯d led her astray or tricked her into doing something that would get her in trouble back in the labs.


    (But we¡¯re free¡­) Her other-selves pointed out in an echoing voice.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯ll try to ruin this for me and Scarlet.¡± She told her other-selves. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Bell?¡± Scarlet asked from the doorway to their room. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± She made a gesture towards her head.


    ¡°Your other-selves?¡± Her sister grimaced, once more reminded of just how different their relationships with their other-selves were, namely that Scarlet only had to deal with one while she had to deal with a (legion.)


    She shook her head and forced the thoughts down, no matter how much of a headache they gave her in retaliation.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± Scarlet asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t want to know.¡± She snapped. ¡°I can¡¯t trust them, you know that.¡±


    Scarlet made a face like she wanted to say something but wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°You know¡­ you know they¡¯re the only reason I got out of the lab, right?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but blink at that because while it was true that her voices were the only reason Scarlet was able to escape, that didn¡¯t change the fact that they had caused her so much trouble over the years. Or all of the times they¡¯d tried to tear her down and make her break under their constant whispering and berating of her every action.


    ¡°They. Can¡¯t. Be. Trusted.¡± She repeated once more, if with a little more force.


    Scarlet just stared at her for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t your other-selves help you save those kids at the warehouse?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, but¡­ but they left me to rot when DeWolf turned.¡± She reminded her sister.


    Scarlet bit her lip. ¡°What if, what if your other-selves¡­ what if they care more about doing what you want than about your wellbeing.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Well¡­ you wanted to get me out and they did but left you in the labs, and you wanted to help the kids and they did but left you with DeWolf.¡± Scarlet tried to explain by repeating what she¡¯d just said. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s like how my other-self doesn¡¯t care about what I want to do, but will do whatever it takes to keep me alive. Only yours¡­ do the opposite¡­ maybe?¡±


    ¡°So what, they¡¯ll do what I ask even if it means hurting me?¡± She scoffed, because she could remember a number of times where they¡¯d hurt her when all she wanted was for them to stop.


    ¡°I-I said, maybe.¡± Scarlet tried to defend.


    ¡°Yeah, well-¡± (You¡¯re making a mistake.)


    She blinked at the interruption as her eyes began to sting.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    (You¡¯re hurting¡­ sister¡­)


    She looked at Scarlet and realized that Scarlet looked distinctly withdrawn rather than her usual anger and confidence.


    ¡°Uh, am I interrupting something?¡± Mercer asked as he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± She swallowed, backing away from Scarlet, her sister.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Mercer nodded, looking like he didn¡¯t quite believe her before turning to Scarlet. ¡°Anyway, I need to do something and I figured you¡¯d want to tag along.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. Sure.¡± Scarlet told him before rushing out of the room in a way that underlined just how much she was screwing up.


    Mercer looked at her for a moment before leaving to follow Scarlet.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She cursed herself as she fell onto her bed.


    After a moment she flipped over to stare at the ceiling fan before asking her other selves, ¡°Why did you stop me?¡±


    (Must protect¡­ sister¡­) Her other selves answered.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess that is what I want most¡­¡± She admitted, as she wondered if Scarlet might¡¯ve been onto something. (But can I really listen to them after everything else?)


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    --- Scarlet ---


    Unsure of what she could do to help Bell, her relationship with her other-self distinctly different from Bell¡¯s relationship with her other-selves, she found herself somewhat thankful when Mercer knocked on the door and dragged her out onto the city streets with little preamble.


    ¡°Right, so Betty was telling me that your¡­ hunger is stronger than Bell¡¯s.¡± Mercer told her after a while.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, knowing that he didn¡¯t actually care about her eating habits the way other people did. (Then again Betty didn¡¯t care either¡­ Is it just them or is it something else?)


    ¡°Well, given how I actually know what a destabilized Malcontent looks like, we¡¯ll be avoiding letting you go hungry.¡± The odd man continued, his eyes drifting over everything around them with a sort of passive sharpness as if he was barely looking at everything yet taking it all in at the same time. ¡°Now given how your hunting up to this point has been, I know you can keep yourself fed. The problem is keeping yourself fed while not drawing anyone¡¯s attention. Like you did mine.¡±


    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± She was fairly stealthy, supernaturally so at times if her other-self was feeling helpful, so she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°Well for starters we¡¯re going to cover a few basics like finding prey that no one is going to miss.¡± He answered, before looking at her curiously. ¡°Based on what I saw before I¡¯m guessing whenever you got hungry you¡¯d attack anyone who came at you in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could smell the bad intentions on them.¡± She told him, though after a moment she remembered (He probably doesn¡¯t know what-)


    ¡°Actually that was more the Malice clinging to them.¡± Mercer corrected her.


    ¡°The Malice?¡± She frowned. ¡°Like the drugs or the stuff running through my blood?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well the second one. The first was named after the second given its¡­ sources.¡± Mercer explained, before looking like he was trying to remember something. ¡°Malice in its natural state is a mix of mental and spiritual energy, and is typically tied to more violent impulses. On its own this isn¡¯t notably powerful outside of those with mutations that allow them to actually gather said Malice, but it is something that ripples around everyone in the same way as every other energy that makes up reality.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve got no idea what any of that means.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Mercer coughed into his hand. ¡°My mom is a Practitioner, and even though I can¡¯t use magic she made sure I had a basic understanding of how the different Deviant energies work and interact with each other.¡±


    ¡°Your mom¡¯s a Deviant?¡± She asked, not having ever known any Deviant with kids. Though given how her experiences were limited to (that hellhole) she doubted that meant much.


    Mercer shook his head. ¡°No, she¡¯s not an Arcane, she just has this talisman that lets her use magic and a few spells. Her favorite is this one Necromancy spell that lets her drain a person¡¯s life force to heal people. Sort of like how your eating people heals you.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± (Well that explains why he doesn¡¯t seem to care about our eating habits at least.)


    ¡°Anyway, you can usually trust that sense to help you pick out any violent people in a crowd, though unless your control is really good you might mix up a wife beater who deserves to get his legs broken with a child killer who deserves to have his legs cut off and bled out.¡± Mercer told her. ¡°What that means is that today I¡¯m going to teach how to tell apart the assholes no one will miss, with the ones someone might miss¡­ if only due to stockholm.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Here, I think you might like these.¡± He told Bell as she dropped a box in front of the girl.


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s in here?¡± Bell asked him curiously.


    ¡°Open the box and find out.¡± He prodded with a gesture towards said cubic container.


    The dark haired teen gave him a look before eventually giving in to curiosity and opening the box, only to blink at the contents. ¡°Books?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I raided the local library¡¯s damaged book collection.¡± He explained, not pointing out that the librarian was more than happy to give him said collection given how much money he regularly donated to it so they could maintain their after school programs. ¡°And well, you seem like the kind of person who¡¯d appreciate this and I figured you¡¯d like something to take your mind off of¡­ things.¡± (Like whatever you and Scarlet were fighting about, because you don¡¯t seem like the aggressive type.)


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s uh, th-thanks but, uh¡­¡± Bell licked her lips clearly trying to find a way to tell him that-


    ¡°You don¡¯t like reading.¡± He sighed, figuring Scarlet would be the only one of the pair to not enjoy reading. (Should¡¯ve known¡­ I mean most kids prefer watching TV to reading¡­)


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Bell grimaced.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I get it.¡± He assured her, more than familiar with how desperate some kids were to not disappoint the person who helped them out of a bad situation. (I¡¯m not like the asshole who would take advantage of a kid like that.)


    ¡°But I¡­¡± Bell¡¯s eyes flashed black for a brief moment before she closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. After a moment she exhaled even slower before opening her eyes to reveal to them her regular silver and just a touch of determination to them. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can read them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned, feeling the scar on his face ache in familiarity and hoping it wasn¡¯t that.


    ¡°I¡­ I liked reading when I was little but¡­ I haven¡¯t actually read in¡­ years¡­¡± Bell admitted with a sigh before gesturing to the books. ¡°I recognize a lot of my letters all over the place but I, I can¡¯t really remember how they¡¯re all supposed to sound¡­ Like I remember my teachers were¡­ Before I was taken my teachers were telling us how there are certain letters that when you put them together they make a different sound than they normally would?¡±


    ¡°You mean like how an S in front of an H makes the sh sound?¡± He asked, getting a bad feeling as he realized something terrible.


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Bell nodded her eyes sparkling as he understood that she was talking about something taught to most first or second graders. (Things taught to kids six or seven years old¡­)


    He found himself just staring at the (Sixteen, fuck seventeen?) year old, hoping he wasn¡¯t showing what he was feeling on his face.


    ¡°Wait here for just one second.¡± He told her before leaving for his room where, first he punched a wall while cursing those ¡°Motherfucking Whore Sons of Bitch Ass Bastards!¡±, and second he grabbed a little part he¡¯d been saving for his helmet but decided was more important here.


    ¡°Alright, this should help you out.¡± He assured Bell as he returned to her room and held the little device up. ¡°This is a sort of auto-reader, it can read any language and turn it into english. Including english.¡±


    To prove this he shifted through the books for something a little¡­ younger than the other books before stopping on one with a familiar cover and opening it to the first chapter. With a click of a button a slight light shot out from the device and he directed it over the start of the text before the beautiful voice of a woman with a faint accent filled the room in an echo of the past.


    ¡°It was a nice day.


    All the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn¡¯t been invented yet.¡±

 (4) Sinless Days: Settling In And Sneaking Out

    (4) Sinless Days: Settling In And Sneaking Out


    --- Bell ---


    She wanted to apologize for snapping at Scarlet the previous day, but she was finding it difficult to do so given how rarely the two of them fought. A side effect of growing up in a lab with only each other to rely on.


    This lack of knowing what to say is what led her to simply going with the flow as Mercer helped them set up their room. (Which I didn¡¯t know we had to do given how we already have beds?)


    But apparently this wasn¡¯t enough for Mercer who after dealing with some nervous guy wearing glasses had begun lugging in all sorts of furniture from a large truck outside. Something Scarlet was eager to help with, while Mercer left her in charge of putting together the furniture that hadn¡¯t been assembled upon arrival. (Why get something you have to put together? Isn¡¯t furniture supposed to be already built when you buy it?)


    (We could help¡­) Her other-selves offered .


    Part of her wanted to dismiss them out of hand, but after snapping at Scarlet the other day she was tempted to give them a chance if only for her sister¡¯s sake. Unfortunately, since she still wasn¡¯t sure how far she could trust them she decided it was best to keep them on a short leash for now even if she was willing to hear the voices out. (For now¡­)


    Which is why she continued to work by herself to try and decipher the instructions that had come in the box -(thankfully with pictures)- in an attempt to use a screwdriver to assemble the bookcase Mercer had gotten her for all of the books he¡¯d also gotten her.


    ¡°How¡¯s it coming?¡± Mercer asked as he dropped a pair of bags full of new blankets -one red, and one blue- on Scarlet¡¯s and her beds respectively.


    ¡°I¡¯m uh, I think I¡¯m halfway there¡­¡± She answered looking from the page to the shelf and realizing that something looked wrong.


    (You¡­ put the middle board on¡­ upside down¡­) Her other-selves helpfully informed her.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s an easy fix.¡± Mercer assured her as he picked up the screwdriver, removed the board, and pieced it back together correctly all in the time it took her to get a single screw in and without looking at the instructions.


    ¡°Eh., don¡¯t be discouraged.¡± Mercer told her upon seeing her face. ¡°Once you learn how to break down and reassemble a gun made by an eldritch horror that thinks the impossible shapes are valid blueprints everything else becomes easy.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown at several parts of that statement.


    (Don¡¯t ask¡­) Her other-selves warned her, their echoing tone just down enough to tell her she really didn¡¯t want to know.


    Unaware of this Mercer smiled as he handed back the screwdriver. ¡°Still you¡¯re doing alright for your first time, keep at it and the rest will be as easy as it apparently is for Scarlet to lift a couch by herself.¡±


    --- Scarlet ---


    The sun had begun to set by the time they¡¯d finished bringing in all of the furniture Mercer had gotten them and set most of it up.


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    Once they were done her and Scarlet had a room with two beds, two desks, and two bookshelves as well as freshly cleaned carpet that Mercer had gone over three times with some kind of wet vacuum, each time dumping what seemed to be mud from the machine into a sewer drain on the street.


    The desks and bookshelves were both made of a black wood, and while she couldn¡¯t think of any reason why she¡¯d need them, Bell seemed to appreciate them as she unloaded a bunch of books Mercer had given her onto them.


    On either side of the room were their beds both with big blankets fluffier than any should could remember, and differentiated by a red blanket for her and a blue blanket for Bell. All of which was a distinct difference from the cold gray tiles and metal of their old lab cells. Something she hadn¡¯t fully appreciated until she put her feet on the soft carpet for the first time, and found that she didn¡¯t mind walking around barefoot on them.


    (Everything is just so soft and warm here!)


    She couldn¡¯t help but grin as she fell on her bed, increasingly glad she¡¯d given Mercer a chance when he¡¯d offered to help her.


    Rolling over she found Bell running some little device over a book¡¯s pages, causing it to read out a story to her or something. Which was cool of Mercer to get Bell but (is a little too¡­ still for me.)


    She¡¯d gotten enough stillness from staring at unmoving metal walls for the last decade.


    ¡°Hey, girls I¡¯ve got something to show you two.¡± Mercer told them from the doorway.


    She gave Bell a look since even if she ignored them her other-selves tended to know what was going on more of the time than either of them, but her sister merely shrugged.(Meaning if they know they¡¯re not telling.)


    Getting up they both followed Mercer down to the living room where a new couch sat in front of a TV notably larger than the one that had been in Betty¡¯s clinic.


    ¡°Alright, so let¡¯s see¡­ the account should be¡­¡± Mercer messed around with the remote for a moment before the screen filled with a number of colorful pictures. ¡°And there you go.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s this?¡± She asked as Mercer tossed her the remote.


    ¡°Figured if you two get bored the TV is now set up with an account for you two.¡± Mercer explained. ¡°This way you two have got something to do while I¡¯m dealing with¡­ work stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice?¡± She told him a little unsurely, since while the TV at Betty¡¯s clinic had been something to do, the shows on it hadn¡¯t been all that interesting.


    She accidentally clicked something on the remote and one of the pictures began to move as in a night filled city someone began to draw a circle in chalk.


    ¡°Oh, eh, you¡¯re the right age for fullmetal and besides you¡¯ve probably seen worse.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    With the girls hopefully suitably distracted for the evening by the TV as they binged anime, he went ahead and snuck out via the roof to deal with one of the few tasks on his plate he absolutely did not want either of them following him on.


    Namely, breaking into the police station.


    On its own this wasn¡¯t a particularly hard task for him, but if he had to take either of the girls with him it was liable to end poorly with the way he wanted to handle things this evening.


    The police station itself was located on what most people considered the southernmost edge of Sinner¡¯s Way. A relic from back when the district was still known as Saint¡¯s Way and the city was trying to build a new residential district surrounded by economic centers of growth all with a brand new police station to keep everything nice and orderly.


    Unfortunately, like with the rest of the Way rather than its intended goal as a beacon of law and order, the station of the way instead became a beacon of lawlessness and corruption. Which while not necessarily unique given how many of the cops in the city were corrupt, was a significantly worse problem in a station where the cops were closer to hired thugs for whoever footed their bill.


    He was pretty sure the only reason the hellhole hadn¡¯t been shut down, was that the city  government liked to pretend it was hard on crime and that the Vigils weren¡¯t the only thing keeping the city from becoming a government authorized gangland. (Of course hard on crime just means for profit in this city.)


    Once more he contemplated whether the city¡¯s legal system was effective enough to justify not burning the whole thing to the ground, before shaking his head. (No, better to manipulate and play the system. After all, whatever rises from the ashes will be twice as dirty and twice as vicious as the original.)


    He was proof of that.


    ¡°Right, time to get to work.¡± He told himself, as he gave the station another once over before deciding that it was best to [X]- remind them he was watching and could always get them.

 Betty鈥檚 Favor (1): Stealing Back A Heart

    Betty¡¯s Favor (1): Stealing Back A Heart


    --- Mercer ---


    Sneaking into the police station was always far easier than it had any right to be.


    Of course this was only because after several dozen super powered attacks over the last twenty years all of the city¡¯s stations had been torn down and rebuilt a dozen times over. And it just so happened that the biggest building developers in the city had¡­ an understanding with the city¡¯s Vigils. An understanding that he was fully aware of and had no problems taking advantage of.


    Currently, this included the part of the understanding where the construction crews would both reinforce and enlarge the ventilation systems of any building, while also giving a route through the building that started from the roof and did not involve passing through a single fan.


    It also included helpfully removable vent guards that didn¡¯t require unscrewing. Guards that were of course for easier cleaning of the vents, and absolutely not so that certain vigilantes can use them to open, enter and or exit the vents, before closing them in five seconds flat.


    His feet silently hit the tiled floor of the station security room, the sound covered by one of the two guards watching the monitors exiting to grab coffee for both of them.


    Careful not to be seen by the guard watching a football game on his phone, since who was crazy enough to break the police- (Actually, in this city with this number of crazies that isn¡¯t a short list. This guy really is slacking hard in a job that should be taken seriously¡­ Welp, works for me.) He made his way to the missing guard¡¯s seat before opening the computer¡¯s command prompt and entering what seemed like a string of random letters in a specific keyboard pattern.


    Hitting the enter key he closed the prompt and immediately made his way back to the vents as the backdoor program the Vigils had installed in all of the city¡¯s police stations kicked in. One in a series of programs that he had stolen and then paid someone to regularly add to the Way¡¯s station so that they couldn¡¯t just lock him out.


    This particular program would cause all of the station¡¯s cameras to loop the last hour or so of their footage for the next hour, giving him that long to make as much mischief as he wanted without there being any evidence that it was him specifically to break into the station.


    (Now I could just grab the heart and go.) He admitted that much to himself. (But! I could also use this opportunity to scare the station into remembering who they need to be afraid of.)


    (That is an even more important point.) He was forced to concede to himself, as he took a slight detour to the break room just in time to watch the security guard from earlier walk out of the room.


    After climbing out of the vents he reached a little further in and grabbed the box of donuts he¡¯d swiped on his way to the station, and then left here while he dealt with the cameras. A box of donuts that had his double tapped skull insignia lining the bottom of the box filled with laxative tainted pastries that the officers were free to take at their own risk. (After all, being a corrupt cop is a very risky business.)


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    Crawling back into the vents he proceeded to move throughout the station to continue his good work throughout the station, stopping only to place his paper emblem inside random unguarded desks where he would steal all of their pens and unplug all of their computer cords.


    But regardless of these (very important) delays, he still eventually made his way to his grand target of the evening: The police captain¡¯s private bathroom.


    Walking inside he removed the toilet paper before soaking it in the sink just enough to make it unusable once dried, while still being able to pass a cursory glance once returned to its holster.


    He then threw a few of the bits and bobbles he¡¯d swiped before flushing them down, using his extremely experienced understanding of physics and sabotage to measure once the toilet had been properly clogged without being visibly so before use.


    To wrap things up he then swiped all of the spare toilet paper from under the sink, leaving his emblem in their place, before breaking the lock on his way out so that it couldn¡¯t be unlocked once engaged.


    And because he wasn¡¯t a complete asshole he left a spare roll of toilet paper where it could easily be seen upon opening the bathroom door. A spot where it was helpfully guarded from would be poachers by a totally deserved trophy for honorable service hiding it from every other angle of view in the office.


    Checking the time, he saw he still had another twenty minutes to grab the heart and asked himself if he was feeling nice. (Yes, I am.)


    He was feeling so nice that he went back to the break room and grabbed a donut before placing it on the desk just for the captain to enjoy when he came in in the morning.


    ---


    ¡°Thanks Mercer, you really are a hero.¡± One of Betty¡¯s nurses told him as he handed over the heart secured in a cylindrical storage container, keeping it safe for transport and use by the doctors.


    ¡°I know.¡± He nodded humbly. ¡°I¡¯m happy to help in any way I can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Betty told him as she lit up a cigarette while the nurse took the heart inside. ¡°Especially since that means you¡¯ll also be finding me those meds soon?¡±


    ¡°Working on it.¡± He assured her. ¡°Just figured the heart took priority.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Betty agreed, ¡°but it¡¯s also been a minute since you¡¯ve gone on a patrol word on that kind of thing spreads fast you know. The troublemakers of the way know to take advantage if one of your ¡®trips¡¯ out of the way drag on.¡±


    (Which is why I usually get it handled before I leave.) ¡°I was hoping dropping that guy out of the Den would¡¯ve scared some of them off a while longer.¡± He admitted. ¡°Especially given how long it¡¯s been since I last did an execution in front of anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well dropping someone off a rooftop wasn¡¯t exactly memorable by your standards.¡± Betty reminded him. ¡°What¡¯s more it¡¯s been almost a week since then, that¡¯s long enough with you going to ground that people are wondering if you¡¯re sleeping off an injury or something.¡±


    ¡°Because me dealing with that asshole in the Diamond District didn¡¯t catch anyone''s attention in the Way.¡± He groaned, running a hand down his face. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°No worse than usual for the Way, but much longer and scum you keep cowering in the dark might try something.¡± Betty warned him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He promised as she took a drag of her cigarette.


    ¡°You better, there¡¯s no point in getting you back on the streets so fast if you¡¯re going to slack off and let them think you injured.¡±

 Sinless Days (5): Shadows, Fights, And Interruptions

    Sinless Days (5): Shadows, Fights, And Interruptions


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± Mercer asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m laying in the sun.¡± She told him, opening one eye to look at him wearing his helmet. ¡°Didn¡¯t really get much of it in the labs, and that weird warmth it''s got going on is nice.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Mercer nodded, before moving towards the roof ledge.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She frowned, stretching out her arms and back.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to run a quick patrol through the Way. Someone stole something from Betty and I¡¯m hoping if I dig around enough I¡¯ll be able to find it.¡± Mercer answered, aiming his arm up towards the overpass above them.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± She asked, figuring that it would let her give Bell the space she seemed to want, given how the other girl had been running from her all morning.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s honestly mostly going to be boring stuff with hours of wandering around and doing little else.¡± Mercer assured her.


    (He¡¯s lying.) Her other-self told her, and while her other-self wasn¡¯t quite as good at knowing things she shouldn¡¯t as Bell¡¯s were, she was inclined to believe her wilder side on this one.


    Which is why she narrowed her eyes and told him, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Honestly, I just want to get out of the house for a while.¡±


    Mercer paused for a moment, which was all she needed to know he didn¡¯t want her going with him. Which normally she¡¯d be willing to accept given how she now had her own room and a TV with a bunch of shows on it, but at the same time (I¡¯d rather not be stuck here with Bell in her mood.)


    She rolled her eyes and let out a growl as she felt her teeth begin to itch. ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep us locked up here forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to keep you locked up.¡± Mercer argued. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ my job is dangerous and I¡¯d rather not bring an¡­ untrained variable with me.¡±


    ¡°Untrained?¡± She repeated, remembering the numerous ¡®fights¡¯ she¡¯d been put through in the lab either against the machines the labs loved to throw at her or the other test subjects when they were feeling particularly assholish.


    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t know how the Way works, and that can be¡­ dangerous for both of us.¡± Mercer continued digging his grave deeper. ¡°Especially with some of the monsters out there.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter laugh at that, before reminding him that, ¡°I am one of those dangerous monsters.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mercer told her, his voice taking on a certain sternness as she felt the Malice in her veins beginning to bubble. ¡°You¡¯re not a monster. You¡¯re just a kid, and you should be able to live-¡±


    She kicked off the ground lunging forward to prove that she wasn¡¯t just some kid and that she was definitely dangerous enough to handle whatever monsters he was worried about.


    Mercer dropped to his back as she tackled him, something she immediately realized had been too easy as he grabbed her by her head and her arm before somehow flipping them both onto her back. A position he followed up by putting a gun to her chin.


    ¡°-like a kid.¡± Mercer finished, before tilting his head. ¡°A very angry kid.¡±


    Mercer stood up before jumping away from her just as she leapt to her feet.


    ¡°Alright, you know what?¡± Mercer asked, shaking his head. ¡°I was an angry kid too, so let¡¯s see how dangerous you really are.¡±


    Mercer¡¯s helmet flashed with a red skull and she felt the Malice in her veins beginning to heat up as she felt the faint sting of her eyes flashing red.


    They both stood there for a moment, staring each other down before once more she launched herself forward, this time aiming closer to his waist figuring he couldn¡¯t flip her if she grabbed him so low. Which he didn¡¯t, but instead jumped before vaulting over her and sending her crashing into the ground in a fumbled roll she quickly corrected with a kick of her legs and shove of her arms.


    Skidding around on all fours she turned to him with a glare, and let out a growl when Mercer faked a yawn by patting the bottom of his helmet.


    Once more she rushed forward, this time keeping her feet on the ground rather than leaping at him as she unleashed a flurry of clawed swipes at the man. Each of which he danced around while staying just out of her reach.


    Spinning on her heel she tried to hit him with a swinging kick, figuring the extra range would throw him off enough to actually land a blow.


    Which she did at the expense of letting Mercer grab onto the leg she¡¯d kicked with, before kicking out the leg she was standing on with a blow to the back of her knee and sending her toppling towards the ground.


    She slammed both of her hands into the ground to catch herself before using the leverage of his grip on her leg to send a backwards kick at his face. A kick he circumvented by shoving her captured leg upwards as he ducked, causing her blow to miss as she was forced into an awkward handstand.


    A handstand Mercer disrupted by softly kicking her wrist with the back of his heel as he righted his own stance.


    Unable to completely correct her balance from all of the different blows she found herself crashing onto her ass as she tried to keep from falling on her face.


    ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± Mercer commented as he walked around her. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got the instincts to fight and a fair bit of skill, but you also need a lot of work given how you were nothing but offense there.¡±


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    ¡°Fuck you.¡± She growled, rolling onto her feet.


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re too young and I¡¯m too married.¡± Mercer told her, before looking up at the sun. ¡°But you know what? I can spare a few hours, so if you want I can continue to fuck you up though. Let you work out all of that aggression you¡¯ve got.¡±


    --- Bell ---


    Given how much of a rarity it had been for her and Scarlet to fight while in the labs, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to go about apologizing for snapping at her sister. Something that made her every interaction with the other teen all the more awkward until she finally just started avoiding her all morning.


    At least until Scarlet decided to go take a nap on the roof, leaving her all alone in the building since Mercer had decided to disappear to do whatever he was doing as well.


    (Fighting¡­) Her other-selves informed her.


    (Well, I guess I¡¯m not really alone am I?) She couldn¡¯t help but think with some resignation.


    (We are never alone¡­) Her other-selves swore to her.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± She sighed, knowing that for better and for worse her other-selves were always going to be there.


    A fact that had her thinking about the cause of her fight with Scarlet, as well as her resolve to actually start working with her other-selves or at least to tolerate them when needed at the very least. Which in turn reminded her that she didn¡¯t really know the full scope of what her other-selves were capable of beyond the experiments the labs forced her through.


    ¡°Right¡­ okay¡­¡± She nodded to herself, trying to think of what to try first. ¡°There¡¯s the¡­ projected cognition thing.¡±


    (Scarlet¡¯s eyes flashed red, a feeling of excitement and fun flowing through her veins.


    ¡°Ooh, the scary eyes¡­ weren¡¯t scary the first time, kid.¡± Mercer taunted tapping his Renegade¡¯s Rhapsody against his shoulder. Not intending to use it unless the young Malcontent began to transform further than she already had.)


    She blinked before shaking her head, feeling like she¡¯d just been dunked in cold water as she returned to her own body. (Okay¡­ guess they really are feeling helpful today¡­)


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long that would last.


    ¡°What else? There was the healing factor, which I¡­ don¡¯t really want to test out¡­ and the shadow selves?¡± She tried to list.


    A full body spasm overwhelmed her as her entire body was forced to shake and shiver until a pitch black copy of her stepped out of her body, its details just barely highlighted by faint traces of purple and blue keeping it from being completely black.


    ¡°Shadow Legion¡­¡± Her doppelganger corrected her, its movements unnerving in their stillness as it watched her with a tilted head, only to suddenly twitch its head to the otherside with a full body spasm.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡­¡± She swallowed, knowing that if she said that name she¡¯d feel the Malice chilling in her veins as the world around her grew ever darker under their influence. A chill she could already feel beginning to build.


    Her shadow watched her for another moment before seemingly sighing as it turned to black smoke fading on a nonexistent wind.


    ¡°Right, yeah, that¡¯s enough of that for today.¡± She told her selves with a nervous laugh. ¡°Plenty of progress made¡­ baby steps and all that¡­ We¡¯ll do this again¡­ sometime¡­ maybe¡­¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°You done?¡± He asked Scarlet, the angry teen having yet again been thrown onto her back.


    ¡°Why? Getting tired?¡± Scarlet smirked once more leaping to her feet, her healing factor the only reason she wasn¡¯t exhausted after having his boot planted upon her ass so many times in the last few hours.


    ¡°Meh, pull a Hell Night or two and these last couple hours come off as easy.¡± He assured her, though even then he would¡¯ve been exhausted after so much sparring if Scarlet didn¡¯t telegraph most of her blows so much that he could simply step out of the way rather than having to actually take them. (Going to have to focus more on recon and stealth than cracking skulls when I go out.) ¡°If you remember though, I did have something I needed to try and take care of tonight.¡±


    Scarlet stared at him for a moment before, ¡°You know what, whatever.¡± The teen shrugged before stretching out her limbs.


    Now he watched her for a moment, noting that she didn¡¯t look angry at him this time which was a significant step up from before they¡¯d spent a couple hours sparring. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to try and follow me the moment I swing off?¡±


    Scarlet seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He double checked, because as good as she was against regular minions he wasn¡¯t used to operating with anyone who couldn¡¯t class as a Vigil if they felt like it and he didn¡¯t want things to go sideways because she followed him.


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Scarlet assured him. ¡°Probably going to grab something to eat and watch TV or something.¡±


    ¡°Now when you say something to eat¡­?¡± He trailed off.


    The cannibalistic teen rolled her eyes. ¡°From the fridge.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Just needed to know where you are in case things go sideways.¡± He told her, because while he was pretty sure that that was basic sense when taking care of someone he knew teenagers made those rules wonky. (You know it just occurred to me how weird my own teenage years were that I don¡¯t know this.)


    Then again his mom was pretty pro-independence when he wasn¡¯t in medical condition.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m off.¡± He told her firing his grappler up towards the overpass above as he ran for the building ledge and using the overpass to swing.


    --- Bell ---


    As Scarlet stumbled down the steps she found herself once more fighting her instincts to flee, especially when her other-selves pointed out, (Running will solve¡­ nothing¡­)


    (I know¡­) She forced herself to admit, even as Scarlet gave her a curious look before going back into the kitchen. (Just have to figure out how to apologize for snapping the other day.)


    Something she did not manage to figure out by the time Scarlet plopped down on the other side of the couch with a sandwich in hand.


    Rather than saying anything to her, her sister just stared at the screen watching the Cartoon Bell had put on after clicking a box titled ¡®Kids¡¯ after turning the screen on. Some colorful show about


    After several minutes of neither of them saying anything she opened her mouth to try apologizing-


    --- Scene Interrupt ---


    -before freezing as the front door was slammed open, causing her and Scarlet¡¯s heads to snap to a blonde woman in an oversized red jacket stomping in while dragging a suitcase behind her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve spent the last three weeks alone with my family and the last three hours wandering around the Way to find this place after you blew up our old house!¡± The woman yelled, setting her suitcase against the wall. ¡°So here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen, I¡¯m going to take off my pants, while you are going to get on your knees and start apol¡­ogiz¡­ing¡­¡±


    The woman trailed off as she finally noticed her and Scarlet in the living room.


    After a good minute of staring each other down the woman closed her eyes before inhaling deeply and exhaling it all in one long sigh as she grew a pained look on her face.


    ¡°Damn it, not again.¡±

 Fourth Sin: A Return To Sinners Way (Pt. 1)

    Fourth Sin: A Return To The Way (Pt. 1)


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± She growled, her eyes flashing red.


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened, only instead of being intimidated she smiled and snapped her fingers before pointing at Scarlet. ¡°Ooh, that is cool. That¡¯s just like that one glowing eye thing Mercer¡¯s helmet does, I think yours even got a bit of a glow.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but blink at that as the woman glanced at the TV behind her. ¡°Huh, he got that set up on his own this time? Usually he needs my help with the account stuff.¡±


    ¡°Um, you uh, you know Mercer?¡± Bell asked timidly.


    ¡°Mm, for about seven-ish years now.¡± The woman nodded walking around them before running a hand on a recliner Mercer had gotten. ¡°Ooh, Vincent really does know what mama likes¡­ well that or Mercer held him at gunpoint knowing I¡¯d be pissed¡­ again.¡±


    Bell frowned at that little note before shaking her head as she tried to get the attention of the woman seemingly distracted by the furniture. ¡°When you came in a moment ago you¡­ you said again? What¡­ what exactly do you think is happening?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, yeah, that¡­¡± The blonde woman groaned as she spun around and flopped back across the arm of the couch taking Scarlet¡¯s seat. ¡°It¡¯s not on you, but this is like the fourth -fifth?- time I¡¯ve gotten back and announced my intentions to a room full of strangers because Mercer ran off to do whatever he¡¯s currently doing. Speaking of¡­ who are you two?¡±


    She glanced at Bell as the woman pointed between her and her sister, seemingly willing to wait on an answer as she kicked her legs back and forth over the couch¡¯s arm.


    All her sister could offer was a shrug.


    ¡°I, we- ugh.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who burst in here, you can tell us who you are.¡±


    The woman looked at her for a moment before smirking. ¡°I¡¯m the one who burst in here like you said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡­¡± She growled, wondering if Mercer would get mad at her for getting blood on his new furniture. (Based on the eating thing he¡¯d probably be cool with it.)


    ¡°Now then you two are looking fairly comfortable here¡­¡± The woman noted, her eyes drifting between the TV and the half eaten sandwich on the table. ¡°So mind telling me what¡¯s going on here? You need a safehouse while Mercer beats the shit out of whoever you need him to beat the shit out of?¡±


    ¡°Why should we tell you anything?¡± She snarled, wondering what was up with this bitch.


    Bell gave her a concerned look and stood from the couch. ¡°Remember DeWolf, she''s probably like him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit if she¡¯s a- whatever the fuck he was, I can still take her.¡± She hissed.


    ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s probably here for Mercer¡¯s help.¡± Bell argued. ¡°Remember he¡¯s a hero, helping people is what he does.¡±


    ¡°Well that or killing people.¡± The woman chimed in, before gaining a thoughtful look. ¡°Then again, sometimes he enjoys just scaring criminals into submission so that they do what he tells them. Depending on how bad whoever he¡¯s going after is, he might be doing that instead.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°You know there¡¯s this old saying, about how if you arrest a rapist you take a rapist off the streets. If you arrest a drug dealer you create a job opening. Meaning dealing with a drug dealer is usually pointless from an overarching point of view, as long as they have some basic decency of course. Like, not stealing their supply from the only free clinic in the Way. In which case I¡¯d have to waste my time and deal with the drug dealer. Though I should point out that when I say deal with or arrest, I actually mean kill in cold blood.¡±


    He looked down at the man currently hanging by his leg from a five storey drop on his head. ¡°You get me?¡±


    ¡°I get you, I get you!¡± The drug dealer whimpered. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where I got my stuff!¡±


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± He smiled. ¡°You see, that¡¯s how you maintain your job security!¡±


    He glanced over the edge to look down on a couple of kids recording them on their phones. ¡°Take notes kids!¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    --- Bell ---


    ¡°Um, right¡­¡± She nodded a little unsurely, because while she¡¯d known Mercer for a little over a week she didn¡¯t actually know that much about him beyond the whole hero thing and his willingness to help them despite them being Malcontent. (Which I guess is part of the hero thing¡­)


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The woman tilted her head as she looked up at Bell. ¡°You know what? I like you. You¡¯re a bit timid but you want to be nice. I can appreciate that, especially if you¡¯re coming out of the Way.¡±


    The woman threw her legs into the air before rolling over the arm of the couch and onto her feet in a single agile motion. ¡°You two hungry? If Mercer¡¯s not here I¡¯m going to go ahead and cook something before working up an appetite like I¡¯d planned.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could eat someone.¡± Scarlet admitted with a growl.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m happily married and don¡¯t intend to lose.¡± The woman told her, getting a confused blink out of her sister. ¡°Still if you want to have dinner I won¡¯t tell you no. Especially if it¡¯s a dinner for three.¡±


    ¡°Um, uh, thank you?¡± She said, not entirely sure how to respond to the woman¡¯s wink. ¡°Do you, uh, do this a lot?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± The woman asked, walking backwards towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Whatever¡­ this is?¡± She tried, not really sure herself.


    ¡°Mm, probably.¡± The woman shrugged as she spun on her heel and into the kitchen. ¡°Mercer loves pushing people to be true to themselves for better and for worse. It¡¯s one of the nicer things to come out of his numerous daddy issues.¡±


    ¡°Daddy issues?¡± She repeated, following after the woman.


    ¡°He¡¯s got so many.¡± The woman whispered, before laughing. ¡°Even has this hot pink shirt that declares it to the world¡­ that I might need to get him a replacement for¡­ Though I think Rojo would burn that shirt if I ordered through him¡­ Eh, that¡¯s what the internet is for.¡±


    On the one hand none of that did anything to clear up her confusion, on the other hand she felt oddly familiar with the woman¡¯s rambling way of talking.


    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± She asked, watching the woman flutter around the kitchen somehow knowing where everything was, despite them moving in just a few days prior.


    ¡°Despite his occasionally messiness, Mercer is OCD as fuck.¡± The woman explained, blindly reaching into a cabinet and withdrawing something while maintaining eye contact with Bell. ¡°Stick around long enough and you¡¯ll be able to walk through his whole house blindfolded¡­ which knowing his mom might be exactly why he keeps things so neat despite the mess.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I guess we¡¯ll, uh, pick that up eventually too then¡­ maybe.¡± She told the woman who paused to give her a curious look.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The woman¡¯s blue eyes shined in the kitchen¡¯s light, before she shook her head.


    (...)


    ¡°Oh, uh, since we¡¯re staying with Mercer.¡± Bell explained. ¡°He, uh, he rescued us from this, uh, bad place and is letting us stay with him.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The woman frowned in thought. ¡°And how long have you been staying with Mercer now?¡±


    ¡°About a week?¡± She answered before smiling. ¡°He even gave us our own room with our own beds and everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice of him.¡± The woman nodded, chopping away at something on her cutting board. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing you staying here is a long term thing?¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Scarlet cut in from behind her.


    The woman¡¯s eyes looked them over as they narrowed. ¡°Hmm¡­ nope!¡± The woman smiled, turning back to the dish she was cooking. ¡°At least as long as you aren¡¯t someone who doesn¡¯t know how to use a cell phone.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why but he had an increasingly bad feeling growing in his gut, something that had been building for the last few hours of this stakeout and simply refused to leave him.


    (Right¡­ Might want to check with Tess and see if there¡¯s any more magic-y shenanigans going on in the city¡­ or this is probably that one royal mist thing acting up¡­) He figured, before sighing. (And the list of things to do just keeps growing¡­)


    Deciding that whatever was giving him a bad feeling could wait, he instead turned his attention onto the safehouse of the idiots who¡¯d thought it was a good idea to steal drugs being shipped into Sinner¡¯s Way. An act that would make anyone eligible for a darwin award given how all of the drugs were connected to one group or another that one did not want to fuck with.


    (Honestly, they¡¯re lucky I¡¯m the one responding to this. If it had been the twins they¡¯d make an example by burning this whole building down¡­ Not that I¡¯m not willing to do that myself, but these guys are clearly more ¡®poor, desperate, or drug addled¡¯ than an actual threat.)


    He¡¯d come to that conclusion after watching through a couple of windows with busted up blinds for a couple hours as the people inside smoked a bong on the table, and occasionally handed packages to people who showed up at what he was pretty sure was this lot¡¯s actual home.


    Packages he¡¯d been sure to swipe for himself after each target left to A) make sure this was a distribution point for the drugs he was after today and B) to recollect Betty¡¯s drugs for her before someone could use them to get high.


    With those points established he now simply needed to figure out how he wanted to handle this little drug den. (I can just steal the drugs back, given how stoned they are, but I doubt these guys are the end of the distribution chain given how much was stolen. Alternatively, I could kick the front door in and scare them into giving up whoever gave them the drugs that I¡¯m starting to doubt they stole themselves. Then again, if they aren¡¯t actually the thieves and are just trying to make a living then I should be a decent sort and ask, what¡¯s the word, politely? Yeah, I think that¡¯s it.)


    He rolled his shoulders before leaving his perch and making his way to the building, decision made to [Scene Choice]

 Fourth Sin: A Return To Sinner鈥檚 Way (Pt. 2)

    Fourth Sin: A Return To Sinner¡¯s Way (Pt. 2)


    --- Mercer ---


    He knocked on the door -with his helmet off- and after a few moments a man opened the door, giving him a once over.


    ¡°Uh, can I¡­ help you?¡± The (mildly stoned) man asked, looking mildly intimidated as he realized how much larger than him Mercer was. (Let¡¯s underline that shall we?)


    ¡°You know, what? Yes, you can.¡± He smiled, setting his helmet on the ground before  grabbing the man by his shoulders, picking him up, setting him to the side, and reclaiming his helmet as he entered the apartment. ¡°You see there was this shipment of drugs stolen from the local clinic. You know, the one that old doctor Betty runs? The one that does kid treatments for free and has been here for like twenty something years now? The only hospital you can trust in the Way?¡±


    ¡°Wh-who the fuck are you?!¡± Someone on the couch shouted as they stood up.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± He blinked, before putting a hand on his chin as he considered the matter. ¡°Who am I?¡±


    He lifted his helmet up and looked his reflection in the eye. ¡°Who am I?¡±


    He slipped a finger under the helmet¡¯s edge and clicked a button making his double tap skull flash over his reflection.


    ¡°You know exactly who I am.¡± He assured the men with a sidelong glance.


    ¡°M-M-Mercer.¡± One of them stuttered out.


    He snapped his fingers and gave the man a finger gun. ¡°Ding, ding, ding. Prize money goes to him¡­ or rather the money you¡¯re making off of selling the clinic¡¯s drugs will go to you if you hand them over. Otherwise the money will be going to Betty¡¯s hospital when they fix your broken legs¡­ they sadly will not be able to fix your incurable case of stupidity in that scenario.¡±


    With his piece said he made his way over to the couch and flopped down before snapping his fingers twice. ¡°Hop to it. You¡¯ve got fifteen minutes to bring me what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    At first the men didn¡¯t move, but when he reached into his jacket they started moving fast.


    Within a few moments there was a pile full of pill bags in front of him, (a pile notably smaller than it should be, even accounting for sales¡­)


    ¡°Alright, now I¡¯m going to give you boys the benefit of the doubt and assume that this is all of the drugs you¡¯ve got.¡± He told them, his eyes drifting between each of them before narrowing at one looking notably more shaky than the rest. ¡°Right?¡±


    The other two gave him a look, before the man eventually crumbled and, ¡°Th-they were for my mom¡­ she, she can¡¯t afford the price doctors gave her¡­ she, she needs lapa-lapiton- L-A-P-I-T-I-N-I-B! She, she¡¯s got cancer¡­ Our, our supplier only gave me it because I asked¡­¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s perfectly fine then.¡± He assured the dealer, with a pat on the shoulder. ¡°You were just looking out for your mom after all. As a fellow mama¡¯s boy I can not fault you that. Well unless the stolen drugs were specifically acquired for your mom, meaning if you hadn¡¯t been given them you¡¯d be making money for the people who stole your mom¡¯s meds. Now is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no.¡± The man shook his head, looking extremely pale at the idea.


    ¡°Which is why you¡¯re going to tell me who stole your mama¡¯s meds, aren¡¯t you?¡± He smiled, digging his fingers -(wish I still had claw gauntlets)- into the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Otherwise they might steal her meds when you can¡¯t get replacements for them.¡±


    ¡°R-r-right.¡± The man nodded.


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± He smiled, revealing his (stolen) phone with an open mapping app for the city. ¡°Now just enter the address here, and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    While the man shakily hurried through his task, Mercer turned back to the drugs on the table before snapping his fingers and pointing at one of the other two wannabe dealers. ¡°Duffle bag, now.¡±


    Said dealer quickly fled before the mama¡¯s boy handed him back his phone with a timid, ¡°H-h-here.¡±


    ¡°The docks¡­ Why is it always the docks or warehouses with this kind of thing?¡± He asked the dealers. ¡°I mean, I get that the trainyard is outside of the Way and the river transport has been slowing with the water levels, leaving them open, but that doesn¡¯t excuse a cliche. I mean, this is like how the Den always has drug dealers there, I can almost guarantee I¡¯ve done a bust out of this place before.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know.¡± The man admitted.


    ¡°Oh, I know. I just tend to ramble about criminal stupidity a lot.¡± He shrugged as the other man finally came back with a backpack.


    ¡°S-sorry, we didn¡¯t have-¡±


    ¡°Eh, doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He told them, accepting the bag and unceremoniously dumping all of the drugs into the bag before slinging it over his shoulder.


    He slipped his helmet back on and started making his way to the door before stopping as he remembered something. ¡°Oh, before I forget.¡±


    Turning on his heel he walked towards the mama¡¯s boy, purposely flexing his face so that his crimson double tap skull insignia would glow on his helmet¡¯s face as he neared, before handing the man a pamphlet. ¡°This should help with your employment issues.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± The man blinked.


    ¡°Clearly you had to turn to dealing drugs to this awful economy so here is a pamphlet full of jobs that take convicted felons and offer triple our state¡¯s deplorable minimum wage.¡± He explained in his chipperest attitude. ¡°I update the list every week so most of those should still have openings at the moment, meaning between the three of you you should be able to scrape together a six figure income and build yourselves up without having to resort to crime.¡±


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    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± The man said looking down at the pamphlet in (stunned gratitude.)


    ¡°Yep, that should help straighten you all out within a month with a bit of can do attitude.¡± He assured them, before shooting finger guns and a smile at them. ¡°So stop with the crime or I¡¯ll have to murder every last one with fire and brimstone. Buh-bye!¡±


    --- Julianna ---


    Mercer was insane.


    (Actually, I already knew that¡­) She was forced to admit. (I just didn¡¯t think he was¡­) stupid? (No that''s not it¡­)


    A jackass? (No, no, I knew he was that too¡­)


    Shortsighted? (No, he¡¯s less shortsighted and more impulsive¡­)


    A dumbass perhaps? (Not quite, but close enough for now¡­)


    It¡¯s not that she was overly pissed about him getting their house blown up, (again¡­) She¡¯d come to expect that, and kind of quit fearing it after her mother in law gave her a safeguard ring to survive any killshot for a full minute. (Who said Necromancers are evil?)


    Honestly, she was just using that as an excuse to establish her¡­ preferred roles for the evening. (Which probably isn¡¯t happening now¡­)


    She placed a plate of food in front of both of the teenagers that were apparently living with her for the foreseeable future, if the fully furnished rooms she¡¯d snuck away to inspect meant anything. Again not necessarily a first, given how many times he¡¯d keep a victim in the guest room until he¡¯d finished dealing with whatever was threatening them.


    (The long term move-in however is.)


    Usually if he had a long term case he¡¯d offload the person in danger to one of his numerous contacts, or in the absolute worst case scenario (his mother.)


    The fact that he hadn¡¯t meant that there was clearly more to this whole situation than she was actually aware of. Which is why as she joined the girls for a meal -something that caused all humans to let down at least some of their social guard in a weird tribal instinct- she began to poke and prod the girls a bit more than she had with her overly bombastic and blase entrance.


    (After all no one expects someone so happily blase about everything to be playing word games and getting as much information as possible and¡­) She once more realized she was absolutely picking up traits from the family she¡¯d married into. (Ugh, why does it have to be contagious?)


    ¡°So how¡¯ve you two liked living with Mercer this last week?¡± She asked, knowing that while Mercer was fantastic with children, he also had a tendency to get distracted by every little problem that cropped up around them before solving it with a -in her admittedly biased opinion- healthy dose of rage, violence, and hyper violence when necessary. (Which is why I¡¯d rather he mellow out a bit more before we have the ¡®kids¡¯ talk.)


    The running off part, she was perfectly fine with the hyper violence. (Find it kind of hot actually.)


    ¡°It¡¯s uh, nice?¡± The quieter girl, Bell eventually asked more than answered. ¡°Better than¡­ where we were¡­ by a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She accepted, not willing to push her boundaries with this one after the migraine she¡¯d earned on her last attempt. (And this is probably one of those topics Mercer tells me not to dig into.)


    Her eyes shifted to -(in my case)- the less dangerous sister as she remembered the relief she¡¯d felt after confessing spending an hour ranting to Mercer about her parents. ¡°What about you?¡±


    The angrier girl, Scarlet frowned before shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s helped us a lot but¡­ he''s always running off¡­¡±


    (That¡¯s what I was afraid of¡­) She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Yeah, he does that a lot¡­¡± (And it¡¯d be a deal breaker if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that when he does focus on you, it¡¯s like you¡¯re the only thing that exists in the world.)


    ¡°Yeah, I just wish he¡¯d let me help him more.¡± Scarlet continued taking that as a prompt to continue. ¡°Here he is getting us out of the labs, but then he goes out and gets involved in all of this shit we can help him with, and all we do is give him more and more to do.¡±


    (Okay, she has the opposite of my problem. Writing that down¡­ alongside that ¡®labs¡¯ line.) ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m guessing you know how dangerous his job is? What with all the guns, violence, fire, and scars?¡± (The oh so sexy scars.) (Not now, brain.)


    ¡°He¡¯s told me.¡± Scarlet snorted derisively, stabbing a fork into her plate with enough force to bend it.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s got¡­ issues with kids being Masks ever since the whole¡­ Virtue thing.¡± (And there are so many understatements in that sentence¡­)


    Scarlet did not look the least bit appreciative of that statement.


    ¡°Let me get you another fork.¡± She told the teen as she stood before also noticing that Bell had finished her plate already. ¡°You want seconds or are you done?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m done¡­¡± Bell glanced towards her sister before looking back. ¡°I don¡¯t eat much.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She said, forcing back her opinion on just how thin the girl was looking. (Ugh, is this what my gran meant about wanting to fatten me up as a teen?)


    She shook her head, knowing that it was too early to try that with someone she¡¯d just met and so instead just took Bell¡¯s plate before making her way towards the kitchen.


    Upon throwing the dishes in the sink and making her way back to the living room she found herself freezing as a familiar feminine voice filled the room. Instinctively,  her spine straightened as she turned towards the (woman who terrifies me beyond all reason despite loving her) only to find her absent, even as her voice continued to sound through the room.


    Curious -and extremely cautious (because it would be just like that bitch to gaslight me like this)- she continued to look around the room before eventually catching sight of a little device in the quieter Bell¡¯s hand, something that made her relax as she realized, (Oh, it¡¯s just Mercer¡¯s auto-reader¡­)


    When she actually processed that thought, her eyes snapped to the auto-reader in Bell¡¯s hand as the girl continued to use it to roam over the book, absorbing every word on the page despite her seeming inability to actually read.


    ¡°Uh, hey, heh, where did you get that?¡± She found herself asking.


    Bell blinked, before answering that, ¡°Mercer gave it to me when he found out I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m still learning to read.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She nodded, as she began putting a few things together.


    Her eyes slowly drifted to the other girl hunched over her plate of food as if someone planned on stealing it, distrustful eyes darting towards Julianna every few seconds in spite of the fact that she was the one to give the girl said food. (Meaning she¡¯s probably used to people taking away what they give her¡­)


    Several pieces clicked together, a couple of which she doubted Mercer had put together himself, given his tendency to push through a number of issues involving his¡­ complicated childhood. (Huh, they mentioned something about Betty didn¡¯t they?)


    If so she needed to get a handle on this before Mercer¡¯s mom found out. (Or rather before she visits because she probably already knows.)

 Fourth Sin: Returning to The Way (Pt. 3)

    Fourth Sin: Returning to The Way (Pt. 3)


    --- Mercer ---


    (Yeah, I definitely did a bust out of here before.) He frowned looking down at the small business building just off of a small pier.


    Back when the Way was still Saint¡¯s Way, and the people building the district thought it would be some jewel of the city, the building had probably intended as a small port side loading and distribution center for smaller businesses to get their start before moving on to bigger buildings further down river. What with the building being large enough for two or three large trucks to load up in, but still small enough to take up minimal land space.


    Now that the Way was called Sinner¡¯s Way, and the people building the district knew it was the crime center of the city, the building had been turned into a small drug loading and distribution center that the gangs were constantly trading hands on as the place built up heat until he kicked the shit out of everyone. What with this being one of the best known drug intake points in the whole city, but still profitable enough to be worth it until then.


    ¡°The more things change, the more they stay the same.¡± He sighed remembering when he¡¯d delivered a few ¡®packages¡¯ from this building as a kid on the streets trying not to starve.


    Which is why he knew the standard crew for such an operation was about four men passive, enough to fend off any small attempts at a takeover while still small enough that when he showed up they wouldn¡¯t lose the dozen or so he¡¯d take out when he first came back to town.


    (You know, I wonder if these guys get hazard pay since they know I¡¯ll eventually come around?) He¡¯d have to ask one of them the next time he passed through.


    Given how he was still running beneath what he considered his minimum gear line, and the fact that whoever was here was expected to take a token few shots at him -For the street cred if literally nothing else. (Which I can respect.)- he didn¡¯t feel like risking a direct confrontation the way he had with the stoners and Romulus¡¯s men. (Or rather I don¡¯t feel like getting shot at.)


    So instead of simply kicking in the door and shooting at everyone, or walking in and mindfucking everyone with utter insanity, he decided it would be best to simply sneak in and deal with things¡­ quietly.


    Climbing onto the building¡¯s roof was an easy feat, one that he¡¯d pulled off several times when he was less than half his current size, though he¡¯d had to take a different way up since he very much doubted the drain pipes could still take his weight what with nearly twenty years and two-hundred pounds passing since then. But still, a boot on a brick wall, a quick pull up from the roof¡¯s edge found him on the roof of the building¡¯s pier entrance and in front of a second floor manager¡¯s window watching the dock.


    A window he had to quickly duck out of the way of when he spotted the local guards playing poker in said office.


    (Right¡­ so going to have to make a bit of noise¡­)


    Standing on an edge of the roof that couldn¡¯t be seen from the window, he pulled out his gun -(The one that shoots lead, not the eldritch fuckery one.)- and held it a foot below the roof¡¯s edge before pulling the trigger three times and shooting the ground.


    Normally hearing gunshots in the Way were simply a fact of life and would¡¯ve been ignored by most. The fact that this lot was guarding the building and the gunshots were right outside meant that they couldn¡¯t do that if someone was making a play for the building.


    From inside he heard an amount of yelling ¡®what the fuck was that?¡¯, some orders of ¡®go out and check that.¡¯, and so on and so forth until after a few moments he risked another glance inside and found the manager¡¯s office was now empty.


    Opening the window was less than a problem as when he moved his knife to cut the lock, he found that said lock was still cut front the last time he¡¯d done this. (Well that makes this quicker.)


    Silently sliding the window open and climbing through the frame he looked around the office for any stragglers or anything else of note before his eyes landed on a pile of boxed drugs that he was fairly sure were intended for Betty¡¯s clinic given the logo on the side. Boxed drugs that were a little more than he¡¯d been expecting size wise, (meaning I¡¯ll have to get someone else to come and take these to Betty¡¯s for me. And that I¡¯ll have to actually deal with the guards before I leave, so her people can bring these back to her.)


    That was more an annoyance than a problem, honestly.


    He checked the manager¡¯s window to the inside of the building and spotted all four of the guards with their guns out and making their way down the stairs into the loading bay before opening one of the side doors and having two of them go out while two stayed inside to cover them.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    With his targets marked, he swiped a half full beer can off of the table the guards had been playing cards at before stepping out of the office and silently firing his grappling line at the roof above the indoor guards. With the line secured he began pulling it taut allowing him to swing through the air, until he was just a couple of meters above the guards, more concerned with external threats than internal.


    Now in place he threw the half-empty beer can at the otherside of the building, causing a loud clanging as it impacted the metal wall with a clang.


    One of the guards turned towards the sound with his gun raised. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ think it¡¯s Mercer?¡± The other asked, glancing over his shoulder.


    (Yes, I do.)


    ¡°Mercer would¡¯ve started breaking bones by now.¡± The first guard pointed out. ¡°Think it¡¯s one of the other Vigils?¡±


    (What? No, don¡¯t them give them credit!) He scowled. (I¡¯m the one torturing you fucks today!)


    ¡°No, there were gunshots, and Mercer¡¯s the only Vigil with a gun.¡± The (obviously more intelligent) guard argued.


    ¡°Might be something else¡­¡± The first guard tried, looking like he wasn¡¯t relieved by the idea. ¡°You going to take a look?¡±


    ¡°In this city? Fuck no.¡± The smarter guard scoffed. ¡°Last thing I need is Mercer putting a cap in my ass.¡±


    (Fair enough.) He accepted.


    He let his line go, not fast enough to break his legs but still fast enough that neither guard had time to process as he dropped behind the first, wrapping one arm around the man¡¯s throat as he used the other to aim his gun at the second guard''s head.


    ¡°Oh, shi-¡±


    ¡°Shhh.¡± He cut the man off by jabbing the barrel of his gun into the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Now then, we three are going to quietly move out of the doorframe and no one is going to die. Okay?¡±


    The guard in his arms began to raise his own gun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget I can snap your neck like a twig.¡± It would actually take a lot more effort, both hands and/or better leverage to do that, but he doubted either guard realized that in the face of his glowing double tapped skull.


    The guard lowered his gun.


    ¡°Good¡­¡± He nodded, as they started to move. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to close the door¡­ Quietly.¡±


    They did as he said, and he went ahead and had them lock the door for good measure.


    With a wall between him and the other guards for the time being, he proceeded to finish disarming the two guards before leading them back towards the stairs up to the manager¡¯s office.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re going to duct tape you boys to this guardrail and then you¡¯re going to stay here until we come and clear out the drugs you stole from the local clinic.¡± (And once you¡¯re secure I¡¯ll take out the two outside.)


    He kept his gun in the one guard''s mouth while he had the one with his arm on their throat thoroughly duct tape the man¡¯s hand¡¯s to the railing, using about a third of one of the most important tools in a vigilante¡¯s tool kit.


    Once he didn¡¯t have to worry about that guard escaping, he removed his gun from the man¡¯s mouth and put it to the side of his other hostage¡¯s head, before spinning the man around and shoving his hands through the railing so that Mercer could bind him himself.


    ¡°Good, we¡¯re almost done here.¡± He told them, as he started taking the final two strips of tape he¡¯d need for these two. ¡°You two have been fantastic hostages, really wish the other criminals of the Way were even half as cooperative as you, but no they alway try to shoot me and I¡¯ve got to shoot them back and I¡¯ve got more training so when I shoot them they die while when they shoot me they miss¡­ or more comically shoot each other.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a whole mess.¡± He sighed, as he finished taping their mouths shut. ¡°Now here¡¯s hoping your friends outside are as cooperative as you two so I don¡¯t have to kill them. Did you know I have napalm rounds that can burn a man alive in twenty seconds flat?¡±


    Admittedly he didn¡¯t have those round on him, and Clockwork did some eldritch-y-dark-magic-thing to them to keep them from killing if they weren¡¯t fired with the intent of violently murdering someone. A feature they only had because the arms dealer knew the pain of ¡®having to cover up an accidental brush stroke on an otherwise masterpiece.¡¯ (Whatever the fuck that means.)


    Given their whimpering he doubted the criminals knew either.


    Though the banging at the door told him exactly where the last two guards had wound up.


    Which is why he quickly rushed back up to the office before climbing out of the window and back onto the rooftop outside of it, where he spotted one of the guards fumbling with a key as the other watched in annoyance.


    ¡°Fuck, I don¡¯t like this.¡± The standing guard growled, looking everywhere but up as he searched for the threat he could just sense. ¡°The only reason to lock the door is if someone is in there with them, and they locked it.¡±


    (That is what happened.) He agreed.


    ¡°That or that coward Malone, closed the door and locked us out in case someone was out here with us.¡± The fumbling guard argued. ¡°Now shut up and let me figure out which key is to this door.¡±


    (Also, technically, what happened.) He admitted, as he silently climbed back down to the ground.


    Once in position behind the more anxious of the pair, Mercer slid an arm around the man¡¯s throat and ripped the loosely held gun from his hands before slowly backing away from the busier of the duo as he dragged the man to the ground and pinned his legs down with one of his own.


    It took him roughly a minute of holding the man down while covering his mouth and nose before the guard finally quit struggling and lost consciousness, giving him just enough time to shove the man off of him as the other guard opened the door.


    ¡°There we go.¡± The guard nodded, before turning back to where Mercer had taken the other guard¡¯s place. ¡°Now we can- oh, shi-¡±


    ¡°You guys tend to say that a lot around me.¡± He told the guard, as he wrapped both hands around the man¡¯s throat and picked him off the ground while letting his skull insignia flare. ¡°Keep it up, and I¡¯ll start thinking you aren¡¯t happy to see me.¡±

 A Return To The Way (Pt. 4)

    A Return To The Way (Pt. 4)


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°So how much did they manage to ship off before we got here?¡± He asked Betty after they¡¯d loaded the last of the drugs into an old ems truck.


    ¡°From what I can tell we¡¯re down about fifteen percent of what we should¡¯ve gotten.¡± Betty answered looking over a clipboard. ¡°Not so much to break us but enough that we¡¯re going to have to tighten our belts a bit to get through to the next shipment.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± He grimaced, knowing that he could¡¯ve knocked this all out in a day if he wasn¡¯t deeply under equipped from the explosion. ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be able to make it? I can always pull a few strings to help patch things along?¡±


    ¡°Nah, this is nothing compared to the bad old days.¡± Betty assured him. ¡°During the riots if a shipment was lost it¡¯d stay lost, barring the one in six times Vigilance would pass through the Way back then. And even then we¡¯d get maybe half the shipment by the time he got it back to us.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± He hated the idea of some poor kid getting shorted for any reason.


    The old doctor swatted him with the clipboard. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, even if I pulled a favor with the Vigils it would¡¯ve taken them this long to find the shipment. You did as good as could be expected.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± He sighed, knowing that beating himself up was a waste of time but still unable to help himself. (Need to distract myself¡­)


    ¡°How¡¯re the girls settling in?¡± Betty asked him, pulling a cigarette out.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, they¡¯re holding up about as well as could be expected.¡± He shrugged, before offering her a light with the lighter he carried despite not smoking himself. ¡°Got them about as settled as I can back home. Got them books, TV, their own room¡­ which hit them even harder than it did me when I got off the streets.¡± (At least I spent the time bouncing on my bed rather than freaking out over how soft the carpet is.)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about what I was expecting.¡± Betty admitted, sighing out a cloud of smoke. ¡°How are they doing mentally?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re adjusting better than I¡¯d expect from most.¡± He frowned. ¡°Bell more so than Scarlet, but that might just be her being better at hiding it given how she¡¯s quieter. Scarlet on the other hand¡­ she¡¯s antsy if I leave her alone for too long, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll run off on her own.¡±


    ¡°Malcontent are¡­ adaptable to unpleasant circumstances.¡± The old doctor assured him before making a face. ¡°Though that might just be desensitization to the experimentation, or their other selves forcing them to push through it all. Any idea on the personalities they¡¯re dealing with?¡±


    ¡°Scarlet¡¯s definitely got something¡­ primal, one of the more animalistic ones.¡± He figured. ¡°Gives her good instincts, but it¡¯s also probably why she gets so antsy so fast. Bell on the other hand¡­ I haven¡¯t put together what it is yet but I don¡¯t think she likes it.¡± He¡¯d overheard enough before taking Scarlet out for her ¡®hunt¡¯ to put that together.


    ¡°That¡¯s neither uncommon nor healthy¡­¡± Betty grimaced.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It¡¯d been enough to make him consider going to his uncle for help given how the older man was both a Malcontent and much better with troubled teens, but (that involves a whole can of worms that would probably just end in him kicking my kick ass and giving me the same speech Betty did about manning up.)


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    They were both silent for a moment before Betty eventually sighed and pulled out a couple of candies from her pocket and tossed them at him.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t need to give me candy to cheer me up?¡± He told Betty. ¡°I mean I¡¯m a grown ass man and everything.¡± (Not that¡¯s going to stop me from eating these suckers.)


    ¡°No, you¡¯re a grown ass bitch.¡± Betty corrected him as she wrote something down on the clipboard before tearing off a piece of paper and handing it to him. ¡°But I promised if you actually put an effort into helping the girls I¡¯d give you the supplier for my candy when you finished my errands.¡±


    ¡°Yeeesss!¡± He grinned, knowing that this would let him finally one up Safeguard¡¯s treat giving game. All other issues forgotten in the face of his pettiness towards the Vigils.


    ---


    With a bit of pep in his step at (finally) having something to hold over Safeguard¡¯s head that the himbo would actually care about he made his way back home ready to share his ill-gotten gains with the girls. Figuring that given how they basically lived off of the corpses of their enemies they could probably do with some super nutritional candy. (Which is probably why Betty gave me so many extras.)


    The moment he stepped through the front door he felt something off in the air. The kind of off that told him if he took one wrong step it would end in his death. The kind of off that, (is actually pretty common for me. Though this one has a distinct¡­ familial edge¡­)


    ¡°Damn it, did mom send assassins after me again?¡± He asked the world around him, knowing that depending on who she sent he¡¯d only receive an answer from the blue bitch. (Who I can bribe into not attacking me.)


    ¡°If only you were that lucky.¡± A familiar voice commented from the living room.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He smiled upon seeing a familiar blonde before spotting Scarlet and Bell watching curiously behind her. At which point he realized, ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, oh shit.¡± Julie nodded, walking up to him with a smile that promised pain. Or sexy times. (Sometimes both.)


    The fact that he also spotted her suitcase in the hall, reminded him that she¡¯d probably had to lug that all over the way as she tried to track down their new place of residence after their previous one had gone up in flames. Alongside most of their things. Half of which were her things. Things she was probably pissed about losing.


    (Right, so¡­ damage control.) ¡°First and foremost. I did not blow up our apartment, and I had no idea someone was going to try and blow it up when it was blown up.¡± He told her. ¡°It¡¯s just I was helping a homeless kid and people apparently wanted to blow her up. So they did, meaning it''s not my fault this time!¡±


    Bell gave Scarlet a concerned look and Scarlet¡¯s face twisted in a way that told him she wasn¡¯t sure how to take that comment.


    (Well at least they¡¯ve learned not to attack guests?) He tried to think positively in these more stressful moments of life.


    ¡°That¡¯s all fine and dandy.¡± Julie assured him, stepping close enough to (sexily) pin him against the door as she slowly thumbed his helmet off. ¡°I just have one quick question¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± He asked, getting too many mixed signals to figure out where this was going. (I mean it¡¯s been a minute and she gets affectionate when we haven¡¯t seen each other in a while¡­)


    (You¡¯re lying to yourself and you know it.)


    (A man can dream!)


    Julie gave him a smile as she ran her thumb over his lips. ¡°So, Mercer, husband, love of my life, and my personal fetish sex toy,¡± He felt a knife against a place he did not like feeling a knife. (Groin knife means bad! Groin knife means bad!) ¡°Mind telling me why in the month I¡¯ve been gone you went ahead and let two -honestly kind of cute- teenage girls move in with you?¡±

 Fourth Sin: A Return To The Way (Pt. 5)

    Fourth Sin: A Return To The Way (Pt. 5)


    --- Mercer ---


    Now while he was at least forty percent sure, she wasn¡¯t actually angry with him, he also knew that she was willing to stab him -(If not there because it¡¯s too valuable to her. Wouldn¡¯t stop her from stabbing my leg though.)- which is why due to the perfectly normal desire to not be stabbed (even by a hot blonde) he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a sucker before-


    ¡°What¡¯s tha-oom!¡±


    -shoving it in her mouth, fully aware of her lack of a gag reflex.


    Julie blinked before glaring at him, only to blink again as she actually tasted the candy. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s actually pretty good.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but agree as plopped one in his own mouth before tossing a pair of suckers at the girls. ¡°Just got ¡®em from Betty, finally got her to give me her supplier.¡±


    ¡°And only took you what, eight years?¡± Jules taunted, before withdrawing her knife and stepping back. ¡°Also was kind of hoping you¡¯d escalate given how I¡¯ve been gone for like a month.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± He made a vague gesture towards the girls who were cautiously opening the candy wrappers.


    ¡°Since when do you care about witnesses?¡± Julie scoffed with a bit of amusement. Probably referencing both his violent impulses as well as their¡­ rooftop antics.


    ¡°Since they¡¯re kids and once we get started neither of us are stopping.¡± He admitted, giving her a look. ¡°And you know we wouldn¡¯t stop.¡±


    Julie merely gave him a little smirk that almost had him picking her up girls be damned, but¡­ (they deserve an explanation.)


    Then he¡¯d carry her upstairs.


    ¡°Right, so¡­¡± He coughed into his hands and turned back to Scarlet and Bell. ¡°You girls have met Julie, and assuming she half assed her introduction, as she tends to do.¡±


    ¡°No, I troll my introductions, and even then only half as badly as you do.¡± Jules interrupted him.


    ¡°Exactly, you half ass it instead of going all out. You need to make a whole production of it or else they won¡¯t remember it.¡± He agreed with a disappointed shake of his head. ¡°We both know you can do better.¡±


    Julie muttered something along the lines of, ¡°Drama queen.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the drama king. You¡¯re supposed to be the queen and you are clearly failing your duties.¡± He attempted to keep his follow up to himself, but, ¡°I¡¯m going to have to punish you for that later.¡± he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Julie disagreed, shaking her sucker in his face. ¡°You¡¯re the one in trouble for bringing two teenagers home.¡±


    He gave her a mild glare before tabling that for later when there weren''t two underage teens watching them.


    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your wife?¡± Bell finished for him, causing him to blink.


    ¡°Of five years in a couple months.¡± Scarlet added, causing him to blink again.


    ¡°We had girl talk while you were running late.¡± Julie explained for him. ¡°They¡¯ve got the broad strokes, I¡¯m your wife. Yes, I¡¯m aware you¡¯re a vigilante. And no they have yet to meet your mom.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve only been here for a couple weeks, why would they have met my mom?¡± He frowned more in confusion than anything else.


    ¡°Because you take after both your parents apparently.¡± Julie shrugged.


    ¡°The fuck does that mean?¡± He frowned in far more legitimate anger because (the fuck?!)


    Julie stared at him for a moment before glancing back to the girls and giving him an even dryer look. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship to your parents?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Want to shoot him and want her to spot me when I do.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, your oedipus complex.¡± Julie nodded, as he forced himself to keep his mouth shut despite the fact that (I do not have an oedipus complex!) ¡°But no, I was talking more about the¡­ circumstances of your family¡­ and your siblings¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He realized before, ¡°Oh, damn it, not you too!¡±


    Julie raised her hands in defense. ¡°Look I¡¯ll admit, I kind of wish you asked me first before you-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening here!¡± He interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ helping them out!¡±


    ¡°The addiction runs in your family all the way back to your grand-pappy.¡± His traitorous wife reminded him.


    (Just because my dad, uncle, grandfather, and somehow my mom all have that addiction does not mean I do!) He grumbled to himself, knowing that if he voiced that thought he¡¯d be admitting she had a completely valid point against him. (I¡¯m not getting dommed tonight.)


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    ¡°Uh, what addiction?¡± Bell asked, finding something to focus on despite both girl¡¯s blatant confusion.


    ¡°I have an addiction to violence, and so does the rest of my family.¡± He answered, completely honest if in the completely wrong direction of what Julie was implying. (Because that is the addiction we all do in fact share ever since gran-pappy got a taste of killing nazis.)


    Scarlet¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°You can be addicted to violence?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked, the teenage cannibal, earning himself a shrug. ¡°Then you can¡¯t judge me¡­ feel free to judge my dad though. And judge him hard.¡±


    ¡°He is something of a hypocrite.¡± Julie agreed, reminding him once more why (I love this beautiful blonde bitch.)


    None of his siblings took his side in that argument.


    ¡°R-right, anyway the point is¡­ you met my wife, she¡¯ll of course be living with me-¡±


    ¡°Until I kick him out to the couch.¡±


    ¡°Which she won¡¯t actually do for¡­ reasons.¡± He assured the girls through grit teeth.


    ¡°I brought plastic.¡± Julie informed him with a little smirk.


    He inhaled deeply before exhaling and giving her a look. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± (And the fact that I need some duct tape¡­)


    Her grin merely grew.


    ¡°Anyway, the fact that there are no new claw marks on the wall lets me hope that you three have gotten along well enough to live together until we get¡­ something, sorted out in this¡­ whole situation.¡± He finished explaining with a gesture towards the girls.


    ¡°We already know how it¡¯s going to be settled.¡± Julie taunted him.


    ¡°How?¡± Bell asked innocently.


    ¡°Yeah, Mercer, how is this going to be settled?¡± Julie prodded with a grin as everyone focused on him.


    (...)


    (...)


    (Fuck, I¡¯m blanking.) He swallowed, very much having not thought about this beyond ¡®help the teenage girls in trouble¡¯ given how he had the slightly higher priority of ¡®reestablish myself as a threat before someone pops a cap in my ass¡¯.


    ¡°Uh, I¡­ am¡­ going to try and¡­ find your family!¡± He answered, given how that was usually a default response for him after rescuing a lost child.


    ¡°Uh, our parents are dead.¡± Scarlet bluntly informed him, reminding him of a suspicion he¡¯d had but hadn¡¯t actually confirmed. ¡°Have been for¡­ years¡­¡±


    (Fuck!) He grimaced despite the fact that neither girl seemed overly heartbroken by that detail. (Which kind of makes it worse!)


    Having finally achieved the maximum level of misery and awkwardness his wife found her amusement switching to pity, Julie took over and told the girls that, ¡°If your family is gone we¡¯ll help the two of you establish yourselves and readjust to¡­ whatever lifestyle makes you most happy.¡±


    Scarlet gave them a confused look. ¡°And that means¡­ what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Eh, no clue.¡± Julie admitted. ¡°Biggest secret I learned about this hero stuff is that all of them are just making it up as they go and none of them are actually functioning human beings.¡±


    He gave Julie a glare for that, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to argue when she was the one bailing him out of this mess.


    ¡°Seriously, you girls need any life stuff come to me, not him. His solutions to his problems are always violence, bribery, or blackmail.¡± Julie continued uncaring of his offense.


    ¡°Those are all important life skills.¡± He tried to defend. ¡°I mean my mom and I both made a career out of those skills! Hell, I could have them both set up for an extremely profitable lifelong career if I taught them!¡±


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re volunteering, I was a bit worried I¡¯d have to do this single rent style.¡± Julie clapped, her meaning and her smirk both flying over the girls¡¯ head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening¡­¡± He whined.


    ¡°Either way it¡¯s all stuff we¡¯ll get settled over the next few days.¡± Julie assured the girls. ¡°I just need to have a talk or two about where we stand after he incinerated all of our shit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°It is what happened.¡± Julie told him, shoving her finished sucker into one of his pockets- (Gross!) - before taking his hand and leading him towards the stairs. ¡°So you two just go back to your books and cartoons while I talk to him upstairs¡­ Oh, and good night since we¡¯re probably going to crash once we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Uh, good night?¡± Bell waved looking just as confused as her sister.


    The moment they were out of sight of the girls Julie shoved him against the wall.


    ¡°You asshole!¡± She quietly hissed, before slamming her lips against his.


    Understanding exactly what was happening he rolled his eyes, before spinning them around and slamming Julie into the wall.


    ¡°So¡­ how much of that was¡­ you playing nice and¡­ how much was¡­ legit?¡± He asked just as quietly as he moved his lips to her neck.


    ¡°They¡¯re sweet girls in a bad spot¡­¡± Julie answered, before pulling his hair and dragging his head away. ¡°But would it have killed you to call me or barring that have someone call me to tell me that you were taking two strays in?!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t exactly planned, and I thought it¡¯d be a temp thing.¡± He reminded her as he freed his hair and put her arm in a lock. ¡°You¡¯re the one making it permanent.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Julie laughed, dragging him towards the stairs despite the lock. ¡°Top floor?¡±


    ¡°Top floor.¡± He nodded, as she threw him into the railing before going up the steps.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the red one following you like a puppy and you gave the quiet one your auto-reader.¡± Julie told him, walking up the stairs backwards. ¡°If you tell me that isn¡¯t you making this permanent I will slap you.¡±


    He frowned following her. ¡°It isn¡¯t me making this-¡±


    They both froze his head to the side and her hand raised.


    He growled before tackling her into another wall, their mouths meeting once more as they bit, grasped, and clawed at each other.


    ¡°Fuck, I missed you¡­¡± He told the love of his life as he came up for air.


    ¡°Me too love.¡± Julie smiled at him, running her hand through his hair before glancing at the next flight of stairs. ¡°Fuck, how tall is this building?¡±


    ¡°Uh, another flight or two.¡± He couldn¡¯t really recall with more important matters on hand. Namely the parts of her he had in hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a pain¡­¡± Julie moaned, before wrapping her legs around him. ¡°Carry me up.¡±


    Hearing -and sharing- the impatience in her voice he quickly made his way to their room before once more pinning her to the door of their room.


    ¡°Hold up¡­¡± Julie called breathlessly as  her hands found their way under his shirt, just as his did the same to hers.


    ¡°What?¡± He gasped, pressing his forehead to hers.


    ¡°If we¡¯re keeping the girls¡­ I¡¯ve kind of got to wonder¡­¡± Julie began, before growing a little smirk. ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m a MILF now?¡±


    He pulled back to look his wife in the eyes, because while he was still figuring out what to do with the girls, in the moment his more immediate response was a resounding, ¡°Yes.¡± before throwing her into their room.

 (5) Sinless Days: Family Talks, Dont Need To Be Too Serious

    (5) Sinless Days: Family Talks, Don''t Need To Be Too Serious


    --- Julianna ---


    ¡°Right, okay, I¡¯ve now got all of our utilities sorted out.¡± She told Mercer, hanging up the phone as he continued to rub her feet while she dealt with his bullshit. (And not the kind that makes me laugh.)


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get why you couldn¡¯t use what I had set up.¡± Said drama queen pouted as he drove the knuckle of his thumb into the arch of her foot.


    ¡°Because everything you had set up was either siphoned off of our neighbors or illegal.¡± She pointed out.


    ¡°A, you act like either of us gives a shit about the law.¡± Mercer noted dryly as he cracked her toes one by one. ¡°B, I rigged it to drain the electricity and water from the city not our neighbors, because fuck the parasitic utility comp-¡±


    Mercer leaned back as she tried to gently kick his face.


    ¡°Yeah, no.¡± She told him. ¡°No ranting about the flaws with society before I leave the bed.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t left the bed at all.¡± Mercer frowned. ¡°In fact you had me bring everything here so you wouldn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°And now you know which of us is the smart spouse.¡± She explained, completely and purposely ignoring which of them collected online degrees as a hobby and solved murder mysteries as a profession. (At least I have the common sense not to run around and let people shoot me.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I mean I did marry you.¡± Mercer pointed out, needing to win any argument he entered. ¡°While you said yes despite knowing how much of a train wreck I am.¡±


    She let out a moan as he chose that moment to dig his knuckle in just right. (Because he¡¯s a cheating bastard¡­) But given how she was a stubborn bitch she found the willpower to ask him, ¡°Do-do you know how hard it is¡­ to find someone with a six pack, college degree, a decent salary, and is good with kids?¡±


    ¡°Uh, you just described like half my family.¡± Mercer scoffed, before pausing. ¡°Also I don¡¯t think my money counts as a Salary¡­¡±


    She picked a specific page from her scattered paperwork. ¡°According to this company I¡¯m laundering our money through you¡¯ve got six figures.¡±


    ¡°Ew, that makes me middle class.¡± Mercer recoiled in disgust.


    ¡°Given how much of the Way you technically own, I could say you¡¯re upper class.¡± She teased, aware of just how profitable he and his mom had made this whole vigilante set-up (well before you take out the expenses of said vigilante work.)


    Mercer shivered, before giving her a glare. ¡°Gross. Do you want me to stop rubbing your feet?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to put more clothes on?¡± She asked, gesturing to herself.


    Mercer narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not particularly¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that, though it died with a groan once she looked back at all of the paperwork she still had to go through. ¡°Ugh, you know all of this would be significantly easier if you just came back from the dead.¡±


    ¡°And we both know life is significantly easier as long as I¡¯m legally dead.¡± Mercer argued. ¡°I mean, if I was still alive and using my government shit the Vigils would be all over this place.¡±


    She gave him a look. ¡°Aren¡¯t half of them already?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Mercer frowned. ¡°Can you just imagine how things would turn out if they found out about you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I can imagine what a threesome with you and Safeguard, would- wait where are you going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being gross, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Mercer explained as he walked towards the door.


    ¡°You know that means I won, right?¡± She called.


    ¡°You know this means I won¡¯t do your other foot, right?¡± He called back.


    ¡°... Damn it.¡±


    --- Scarlet ---


    ¡°Uh, S-Scarlet¡­¡± Bell called, awkwardly sounding nervous as ever.


    Something she¡¯d never quite understood herself, given everything she knew they were capable of. (Then again that¡¯s just Bell¡­ Too nice to get angry, even when someone deserves it.)


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She asked upon noticing her sister was waiting on her response.


    ¡°I, um, I wanted to¡­ apologize¡­¡± Bell explained (in a way that explains nothing.)


    ¡°Apologize for¡­ what, exactly?¡± She legitimately couldn¡¯t remember Bell doing anything that needed an apology. (Hell, she isn¡¯t even capable of doing anything she should be sorry about.)


    ¡°For, for snapping at you last week¡­ about, about my¡­ other selves.¡± Bell grimaced, only to slowly grow confused at Scarlet¡¯s own continued confusion.


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ that¡­¡± She¡¯d completely forgotten about that.


    ¡°I, I shouldn¡¯t have d-done that.¡± Bell stuttered out. ¡°B-but when it comes to, you know when it comes to my other selves I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Get¡­ defensive?¡± She thought that was the phrase for it.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Bell nodded, looking ashamed.


    (Which she shouldn¡¯t¡­) Scarlet sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I mean, if anything that was pretty tamed compared to how me and my other self get.¡± It was hard to tell whether she ripped people¡¯s throats out because she was a Malcontent, or because she couldn¡¯t rip out her other-self¡¯s throat. ¡°It makes even more sense when you consider how¡­ talkative yours are.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    (If my other self talked that much I¡¯d probably go insane.) As was she was lucky her inner beast kept quiet whenever she wasn¡¯t in the presence of something dangerous.


    ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t have-¡±


    ¡°Bell.¡± She interrupted, wrapping an arm around her sister. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    He waited outside the door, just out of view of the girls as they wrapped up their moment, knowing better than most how important the moments between family could be. Especially when those moments included an apology of any kind. (Can¡¯t let those kinds of wounds fester¡­) (Hypocrite¡­)


    Deciding he¡¯d given them plenty of time and stepping into the room as loudly and obnoxiously as he could, figuring that if they couldn¡¯t sense him with their heightened senses then they needed a reality check before reality checked them out.


    His eyes immediately shot to Scarlet as he pointed a finger at her. ¡°Go grab your shit kid.¡±


    ¡°W-why?¡± The teen stumbled hopping to her feet.


    ¡°I feel like killing someone and figured you¡¯re probably getting peckish, figured we¡¯d kill two criminals with one bullet.¡± He answered before pausing. ¡°Actually, the mood I¡¯m in, that sounds fun. Let¡¯s go try to set that up. Though I warn you it is a bitch and a half to make it happen semi-naturally.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Bell asked, looking confused.


    ¡°I mean, using a guy as a body shield and a semi-effective silencer is one option but I personally feel like that¡¯s cheating even if you get bonus points for basically doing blind fire. Meaning the best solution is to try and lure two guys into a semi controlled kill field and wait for them to stand next to each other.¡± He explained, before elaboration that, ¡°Honestly, I would prefer if we could find two guards of similar height standing next to each other but the one¡¯s we¡¯re going after aren¡¯t professional enough to stand at attention and usually end up sitting on the stairs. At which point it becomes this whole thing about people leaning forward or backwards and¡­ it¡¯s just a pain in the ass.¡±


    Bell looked increasingly confused as he went on.


    ¡°Uh, wouldn¡¯t you need like a lot of people to pull something like that off?¡± Scarlet asked, slipping her shoes on. ¡°I mean, in case you mess up or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would.¡± He grinned, more amused that the teen was just rolling with his crazy rather than trying to make sense of it.


    ¡°But, uh, I thought this whole ¡®hunting¡¯ thing was supposed to be picking off acceptable targets?¡± Scarlet continued, remembering their last ¡®hunting¡¯ trip.


    ¡°And what is more acceptable than human traffickers?¡± He asked with a grin, before frowning. ¡°The Way is sadly one of the easiest smuggling points within the city due to local ordinance pretty much abandoning this place. Even with my¡­ flexible morality, I tend to find someone who pushes what I¡¯m willing to tolerate every couple of weeks.¡±


    Scarlet nodded. ¡°So we¡¯re going after someone who¡¯s pushing it?¡±


    ¡°Well I haven¡¯t really found anyone yet, but that¡¯s not going to stop me from looking.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Um, what if¡­ what if you don¡¯t find anyone for¡­ for Scarlet to eat?¡± Bell wondered with a frown.


    ¡°Eh, this is the Way, even if I can¡¯t pull off a ¡®magic bullet¡¯ your sister isn¡¯t going hungry.¡± He shrugged, pretty sure he could find a gang hitman or someone for her to munch on if worse came to.


    --- Bell ---


    With Mercer stealing Scarlet away, she once more found herself sitting alone and hoping to at least partially get her other-selves under control, and this time she wasn¡¯t going to chicken out before actually getting anything done. (I hope¡­)


    ¡°Look okay¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t keep being scared of my powers.¡± She told herself.


    (No you can¡¯t¡­) Herself responded.


    She fought down an instinctive shiver as she felt eyes both within and without, instead she forced herself to say, ¡°I¡­ I know you guys¡­ you do your own thing, but I¡­ we need to learn to, to work together.¡±


    (We are legion¡­) Her otherselves reminded her, their voices echoing throughout her mind. (You are not¡­)


    (Right, and that¡¯s the problem isn¡¯t it¡­) For whatever reason her powers refused to listen to her, because they didn¡¯t view her as part of them. (Meaning once more I¡¯m left with more confusion than answers¡­) That¡¯s how it always was with her powers, every step forward was two backwards. (Why can¡¯t you just tell me what¡¯s wrong?)


    (You reject the legion¡­)


    She froze. ¡°What?¡±


    (You reject the legion¡­ We are legion¡­ You are not¡­) Her otherselves explained slowly, and -if she wasn¡¯t wrong- bitterly.


    She was quiet for a moment, processing that surprisingly frank explanation, before eventually saying, ¡°Look I¡­ We¡­ need to work together¡­ I want to work together¡­ Can we work together?¡±


    (Work with the legion¡­ not against¡­)


    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± She promised.


    (Work with the legion¡­ not against¡­) Her otherselves repeated before leaving her alone in the silence.


    --- Julie ---


    She stretched her legs out as she stood on the rooftop, her eyes measuring the jump that she knew she could make and that she was at least fifty percent sure she could make without cheating.


    Taking a few steps back from the ledge, she rolled her shoulders before sprinting forwards and kicking off the ledge to leap across the four meter gap. As her feet hit the ground she stumbled a couple of steps, unable to control the momentum as well as she usually could.


    ¡°Huh, feeling kind of rusty?¡± Mercer asked, from atop a stairwell he¡¯d climbed solely for the theatrics of it. (The dramatic bitch that he is.)


    ¡°Not all of us run across rooftops for a living.¡± She reminded him. ¡°Hell, I wouldn¡¯t even be up here if you didn¡¯t bully me into it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bully you into anything.¡± Mercer scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who got hooked on the air after that time you asked me to take you swinging.¡±


    ¡°True¡­¡± She admitted, looking up at him. ¡°Though I still blame you for goading me into the more dangerous things we do on these rooftops.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Mercer laughed before jumping off of the stairwell and landing in front of her. ¡°You really want to blame me for the¡­ ¡®dangerous¡¯ things we do on the rooftops?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Mostly because I know how you¡¯ll react.)


    Mercer nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before she could react, Mercer had grabbed around the waist, picked her off the ground, and jumped off the roof.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± She screamed as they fell before feeling the tell tale tug of Mercer¡¯s grappling line grabbing something as they swung through the air. ¡°You fucking asshole!¡± She cried, swatting his chest.


    ¡°Ah, ah, you really want to do that when I¡¯m holding us up with one arm?¡± Mercer taunted, swinging onto a building ledge halfway up since his other arm was filled with her.


    She slid her arms around his neck, and wrapped her legs around his waist, glaring at him all the while.


    Instead of being intimidated (like he should) Mercer merely smirked as he wrapped an arm around her before jumping off the ledge and firing another line, the action practically second nature after so many years of swinging around the city streets.


    Which each line he fired, he¡¯d switch the arm he was holding her by, always making sure that she knew he was holding onto her in spite of the dangerous situation he¡¯d put them in. And between the cycling but continuous strength of his arms, and the adrenaline of flying through the air, she found herself having a completely understandable response to it all.


    Namely biting the exposed part of his shoulder.


    ¡°And who was it doing the dangerous goading again?¡± Her love laughed.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± She growled without removing her teeth.

 Patreon Side Story # 14: The Hero Guild: Origins (Pt. 1 of 3)

    Patreon Side Story # 14: The Hero Guild: Origins (Pt. 1 of 3)


    --- Vigilance ---


    ¡°Why are we doing this?¡± Hugh asked, adjusting his blue suit.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the twenty year anniversary for the guild.¡± Aurora answered, making sure her own white suit and mask were on right. ¡°We have to do something, and this is the most watched talk show right now.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but why do we have to dress up in these¡­ monkey suits.¡± Hugh groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t I just wear my power armor?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve worn a suit before. Quit making a big deal about it.¡± He told the man, straightening his own black suit out while making sure his tieless collar completely covered his mask¡¯s neck lining.


    ¡°V you can only say that because your helmet looks good with a suit.¡± Hugh scoffed, trying to make his bulky helmet go with his fitted suit. ¡°Seriously, only you are vain enough to make sure their costume can adjust to formal wear.¡±


    ¡°I am not the only one who makes sure they¡¯re prepared for anything.¡± He argued, knowing he could name at least half a dozen-


    ¡°You¡¯re kids don¡¯t count, you helped them design their outfits.¡± Hugh shot down.


    ¡°I was talking about Aurora.¡± He lied, gesturing to the only member of their trio who hadn¡¯t needed to change their costume for the evening.


    ¡°To be fair, I did steal the original white suit from you.¡± Aurora chuckled.


    ¡°Good thing too, I¡¯d hate to see how you¡¯d make a hoodie and shorts work for this.¡± Hugh told her, giving her a once over. ¡°Seriously, did you change anything about your costume for this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing a red rose on her suit¡­ Can you change it to blue?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯ll actually match your eyes rather than contrasting.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, good point.¡± Aurora blinked her glowing eyes before changing the rose¡¯s color.


    ¡°As many of you know today marks the twenty year anniversary of the Heroes¡¯ guild.¡± The host called out suddenly audible from their space on the stage. ¡°And today we have three very special guests to celebrate that anniversary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue.¡± Aurora reminded them before stepping into the light and taking it over in a way that made things significantly easier for both Hugh and him.


    ¡°We have the founders of the guild themselves, Aurora, Vigilance, and The Iron Guardian!¡± The host introduced, earning them an applause from the audience as they made their way to their seats on the stage. The entire affair made his skin crawl in an uncomfortable way that reminded him why he stuck to the shadows in his professional life. A feeling he knew hugh shared with him despite the two of them doing this kind of thing for half of their lives at this point.


    ¡°It is so good to have you three here.¡± The host told them with a smile he could read as genuine. (Though given how everyone is going to ditch her competitors for her today, I suppose that¡¯d make sense.)


    ¡°And I know I speak for all of us when I say it¡¯s good to be here.¡± Aurora said, telling the truth for herself while lying for him and Hugh. Once more proving herself the most sociable of their trio.


    ¡°Well, then how about we get right into it then?¡± Their host asked, before a highlight reel began to play on the nearby screens. ¡°Twenty years that¡¯s quite an achievement in any field, let alone one as dangerous as what you¡¯ve all faced over the years. From the Asylum of old, to numerous Creeps and Supervillains, or even the government themselves.¡±


    He counted himself lucky that the host didn¡¯t mention any of the real threats by name, because while he¡¯d fought them and would fight them as many times as it took to stop them, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had enough unpleasant memories to not want them dragged back into the light.


    From beside him Aurora took his hand and Hugh gently tapped their elbows together, both knowing his¡­ issues were more prominent than theirs. Something he¡¯d never figured out if it was because of how dark his cases tended to be or because their Deviant psychologies let the bad memories flow off of them easier. (Or you could just be weaker than them.)


    ¡°Still, while the three of you have definitely made the biggest waves together, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the three of you also chose to become heroes on your own without any support during the height of the Rift Riots.¡± The host continued, before asking. ¡°I¡¯m sure even after all this time people still wonder what pushed you to be the first heroes to step into the light.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we weren¡¯t.¡± He forced himself to answer, if not to face his own issues than to make sure the fallen were given credit. ¡°We were just the first to come together. There were many great heroes before us, just as there have been many great heroes after us.¡±


    The host nodded, her sympathy more for show than in understanding. ¡°True, though that doesn¡¯t keep us from wondering what led you all to become heroes. A question that while asked of every hero in the guild at one point or another, has never been asked quite as many times as it has been with you, Vigilance. Why don¡¯t you tell us what was going through your head when you became not just one of the first heroes, but arguably the first non-Deviant hero?¡±


    It was a question he¡¯d been asked many times, and one he¡¯d answered just as many, if with his usual vagueness about the circumstances.


    The same vagueness he¡¯d answer with once more.


    ¡°When I was young I watched¡­ monsters do¡­ unspeakable things¡­¡±


    ---


    ¡°Baby I, I need you to stay here¡­ No matter what happens I need you to stay here. Promise me.¡± His mother begged, as she sat him in the closet.


    ¡°I pwomise mama¡­¡± He told her, not quite understanding what was going on.


    His mother gave him a sad smile as she cupped his cheek before kissing his forehead. ¡°No matter what happens, remember I love you baby.¡±


    With her last words spoken, his mother hid him away before pretending to pack a bag in a rush even as the front door of their home was kicked open.


    ---


    Aurora¡¯s hand squeezed his, drawing him out of his first real memory.


    ¡°I was powerless to stop it back then, but¡­ When the riots started, the monsters came out of hiding¡­ And seeing someone else in a similar position¡­¡±


    ---


    There was an explosion on the other side of the street as the crowd ran in fear from the rampaging Deviant, all of them powerless to do anything in the face of such inhuman power.


    He ran with the crowd, trying to keep up, but found himself falling short as he fell to the ground. The crowd trampling him for showing too much weakness in the face of a threat to them all, less cruelty and more survival instinct demanding he and anyone else too weak to run be left to the slaughter.


    As he laid on the ground his eyes caught sight of something through the stampede of the masses. A woman being dragged into an alley as one of the numerous gangs took advantage of the chaos decided to claim yet another innocent victim.


    It was a shameful thing, but¡­ Given how confident they were acting in the middle of a Deviant attack, they likely worked for the attacking Deviant.


    Meaning there was little he could actually do to stop them¡­


    But¡­


    A small child called out, ¡°Mama!¡±


    ---


    ¡°At which point I realized something important¡­¡±


    ---


    He forced himself back onto his feet, refusing to let the crowd force him back to the ground as he instead pushed past everyone, past his own pain, and perhaps past his own sanity as he forced his way to the alley.


    Looking in he found half a dozen men surrounding the woman who tried to keep quiet even as they tore her clothes and tears ran down her face, as she did everything to not draw her child into a nightmare she knew she would not survive.


    ---


    ¡°The monsters would only stop if someone made them.¡± He met their host¡¯s eyes. ¡°So I did.¡±


    ---


    His fist slammed into the thugs face as he set upon the gang seeking to take advantage of the riots to hurt people.


    The moment of surprise was enough to knock one of the thugs out, and shout, ¡°Run!¡± at the woman they¡¯d dragged into this alley.


    It was not enough to keep him from taking a crowbar to his ribs.


    Though that in itself wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from continuing to fight until he was the last one standing. Even if with a limp and more than one broken bone.


    ---


    ¡°And I found that after stopping one monster¡­¡±


    ---


    His fists slammed into the brick wall, the pain in his knuckles deadening as he took things a step further than his foster father ever had when teaching him how to box.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed, watching the blood drip from his knuckles as his mind drifted back to the mother and child he¡¯d left at a clinic of overworked nurses who could do little to help given how stretched everything had become with the riots.


    Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a flash of light, drawing his attention to the fire and smoke continuing to rise through the air as riots grew ever worse.


    ---


    ¡°There was nothing preventing me from stopping the rest.¡±


    ---


    He put the black ski mask on, knowing that if he somehow survived this, that he couldn¡¯t let anyone know it was him to do this or else they¡¯d burn his whole house down with him inside. But regardless of the consequences he couldn¡¯t let things continue the way they had been. Not when he was apparently insane enough to try and do something about it.


    ---


    ¡°And with each monster I stopped¡­¡±


    ---


    He slammed the thug¡¯s head into the wall, knocking them unconscious before realizing the other had drawn their gun.


    A crack tore through the air, as a bullet tore through his flesh.


    ---


    ¡°I learned¡­¡±


    ---


    A crack tore through the air, as a bullet collided with the vest he¡¯d stolen from one of the gangs.


    Moving quickly he rushed the man and tackled him to the ground, before punching his face until the thug was knocked out.


    Unfortunately, this left him open to the thug who slammed a two by four into his back.


    ---


    ¡°I improved¡­¡±


    ---


    He caught the two by four and tore it out of the thug¡¯s hand¡¯s before using it to sweep the man¡¯s legs out. At which point he stood with the board in hand, and slammed it down on the thug¡¯s rib cage until he broke it across the gangster¡¯s body.


    A set of nearby doors opened, and a dozen men saw the carnage around him before rushing him to avenge their fallen comrades.


    ---


    ¡°Until I became the monster, the monster¡¯s feared.¡±


    ---


    A set of nearby doors opened, and a dozen men saw the carnage around him before he rushed them to avenge the fallen innocents.


    The men ran, but they couldn¡¯t run fast enough to escape.


    ---


    Their host swallowed, face pale.


    Aurora let out a near silent huff of amusement from beside him, always surprised by the fact that no matter how many times he gave that answer it always elicited the same response for those he told.


    ¡°And you say you can¡¯t give a speech.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°R-right.¡± The host coughed, trying to regain their composure. ¡°Well, by all accounts, while all three of you founded the guild, you Vigilance specifically are the one responsible for bringing the three of you together. Given your¡­ reputation and methods I have to wonder what led you to deciding to go out and found your own team.¡±


    Hugh laughed at something. ¡°Anyone who thinks his ¡®methods¡¯ don¡¯t include teamwork, clearly hasn¡¯t seen how many Vigils there are.¡±


    (Oh, he¡¯s laughing at me. That tracks.)


    ¡°True.¡± The host smiled. ¡°But as I said, while today you are probably most infamous for bringing heroes of various stripes together. Back then you were little more than an urban legend on your lonesome. What led you to deciding to form a team? The need for more¡­ firepower in the face of greater Deviant threats?¡±


    Given how his mask hid his eyes behind white lens he didn¡¯t bother fighting his eye roll, (because of course I formed a team because I don¡¯t have powers and needed them¡­ assholes¡­)


    It was arguably the most annoying question he got in these interviews, despite his twenty years as a hero. ¡°If you must know, I formed the guild as a¡­ response to the Tallman.¡±


    ¡°A response to his power, his rampage, or the aftermath of his assault on Asylum?¡± Their host pressed.


    He considered it for a moment.


    ---


    His eye twitched as he stared at the screen showing footage of ¡®Samhain, The Tallman¡¯s assault on Asylum as he rapidly moved between cities tearing apart their various bases.


    ¡°You stupid motherfucker! Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing?!¡± He screamed at the TV. ¡°No you don¡¯t because your stupid ass is clear proof why humanity needs contraceptives to protect the gene pool you stupid excuse of a broken condom on a drunken prom night!¡±


    ---


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°I realized that there were numerous problems exposed by the Tallman¡¯s rampage and before his final attack on congress I had already begun searching the local region for the best heroes I could find.¡± He lied.


    Back at the peak of the riots pretty much all Masks were deemed villains by the media, and given the chaos left in Sam¡¯s wake he latched onto the first semi-heroic masks he found.


    ¡°It was during this time that I stumbled upon news reports of an Iron Guardian in New Haven City.¡± Which was barely an hour drive from his first base, thus making it very easy to pester the older man into joining up whether he wanted to or not.


    ¡°Yeah, still trying to figure out how you tracked me down all those years ago.¡± Hugh admitted with a shake of his head. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d gone out only a handful of times and only to deal with the serious threats.¡±


    Which was code for he kept his head down around New Haven¡¯s mafia problem, but stuck his neck out whenever there was a Creep invasion. Something that had bought him an amount of¡­ leeway from the crime families due to not getting in their way while dealing with the things they didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°All I had to do was create an activity area based on your appearances, figure out your response time to narrow that down based on your early suit¡¯s mobility. Then I scoured that area for people or locations with the means to acquire the materials necessary for your original suits. At which point I simply had to figure out who would be motivated enough to go out in a suit and pick a fight with monsters.¡± And while all of that was true, he¡¯d also spent about week running to every Creep Bleed and evacing innocents out of the hot zone waiting for Hugh to show up to one. (Which is how I figured out his motive was a little girl in danger.)


    ¡°Yeah, and I tried that while knowing the answer and still couldn¡¯t make a clean connection.¡± Hugh scoffed. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re psychic and just playing everyone.¡±


    ¡°That would be in character for him.¡± Aurora admitted, the habit of throwing a bit of doubt on his Non-Deviant status decades old even if completely unnecessary now that the secret was had been confirmed for years.


    ¡°Very true.¡± The host nodded along despite not knowing just how¡­ mischievous all of the Vigils really were.


    A fact hidden by their complete and utter bullshit reputation for professionalism that he was still surprised anyone actually believed. (Not that I¡¯m going to correct any of them.)


    ¡°Still perhaps you can tell us about your first meeting, the one that would go on to create the foundation of the hero guild.¡± The host prompted them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I didn¡¯t take having my identity outed so well.¡± Hugh began. (Completely understating what happened.)


    ---


    He gave the outside of the body shop another once over, knowing that while the place was actually a chop shop for one of the local mafia families it was more importantly the place New Haven¡¯s Iron Guardian was probably getting his metal for his suit. A conclusion he¡¯d come to after realizing that the Guardian was smart enough to make sure that wherever he was getting his metal it would stay off the books such as in the case of a business with both legal and illegal incomes, where the income lines would be vague enough to let one or two choice parts slip through.


    The fact that the Guardian had consistently disappeared in this area the last three times he¡¯d followed the Mask as well as the fact that there were no other ¡®metal¡¯ sources within a mile left him fairly certain that he had his target cornered.


    After picking the lock to the shop, he felt his hunch was further confirmed as he found someone working inside the shop despite it being far later than any sane person would be working. (Then again I suppose there¡¯s a reason they call the acronym spells MAD.)


    Moving with a silence he¡¯d been honing since figuring out that fairly obvious fact that sneaking up on people and taking them down had far fewer risks than simply rushing into a group of twenty armed thugs, he snuck through the shop until he stood behind a large dark skinned man working on what was very clearly not a car.


    Quietly hopping onto the hood of an actual car he watched the Deviant work on his armor with a skill and focus that went far beyond any mundane craftsman. Taking note of how the man moved and collected his tools, made adjustments to fine machinery, and other complex all without looking as the Guardian focused on what appeared to be a portable computer far more advanced than anything he¡¯d seen outside of an arms dealing M.A.D.¡¯s work.


    Believing that he¡¯d seen more than enough, he called out, ¡°Well hello there.¡±


    The Guardian jumped swinging a wrench through air and missing him by a decent distance. ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡±


    ¡°An interested party.¡± He answered, before taking an obvious look at the Guardian¡¯s armor. ¡°A very interested party.¡±


    ¡°Damn it.¡± The Guardian cursed before throwing a tarp over the suit of armor. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the fuck you are-¡±


    ¡°Vigilance.¡± He cut in.


    The Guardian¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care, who the fuck you are. I don¡¯t care why you came here. And I don¡¯t want anything to do with all of this¡­ costumed garbage you¡¯re involved with.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked with exaggerated surprise. ¡°Then why do you go out in that suit so much? Clearly you want to get involved with something.¡±


    The Guardian grimaced. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re working for, but I don¡¯t want to get involved with the families. I¡¯m not bothering you guys like the other masked idiots. I¡¯m just dealing with the¡­ the monsters that keep coming out and attacking everyone. That¡¯s got to be bad for everyone¡¯s business, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yes and no.¡± He argued, deciding not to point out the other man¡¯s real misconception just yet. (Need a better read on him.) ¡°In reality the appearance of real live monsters has actually spiked drug and prostitution use. Sad fact of humanity, the worse off things are the harder we try to distract ourselves from our problems.¡±


    It was part of the reason half his family turned into alcoholics when things got¡­ difficult.


    ¡°So, what you want me to just leave those monsters rampaging¡­ letting them kill people?¡± The Guardian growled, demonstrating that even if he was willing to compromise with criminals he at least partially deserved his title.


    ¡°No¡­ Nothing quite like that.¡± He admitted. ¡°I¡¯m merely interested in the man inside the suit¡­¡± He gave the armor another once over. ¡°As well as the suit itself.¡± (There¡¯s a lot I could do with this kind of technology¡­)


    ¡°The suit isn¡¯t for sell.¡± The Guardian shut him down.


    ¡°Oh, not even for say¡­¡± He briefly calculated how much he¡¯d stolen from the families while trying to find the Guardian. ¡°Two hundred thousand?¡±


    The Guardian gagged.


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what you¡¯d make in roughly six, seven years, right?¡± He didn¡¯t actually know how much a mechanic made, but he¡¯d heard it was a decent blue collar job so hopefully he wasn¡¯t too far off.


    The Guardian took a deep breath before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not selling the suit to the families. You, you guys have enough power.¡±


    ¡°People always want more power.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve found those in the criminal industry are never comfortable with what they have, even when they¡¯re at the top of the dog pile.¡±


    He gave the Guardian another look. ¡°Half a mil.¡± It¡¯d take him a bit to get that much, but if he dipped into his stash back home he could do it if he pushed himself for a couple weeks. ¡°That¡¯s a decade''s pay before the month is done. Enough to move your entire family out of the families¡¯ reach.¡±


    The Guardian closed his eyes, clearly fighting with himself over his decision, his fists clenching and unclenching before shaking his head. ¡°The answer is no. No. I won¡¯t give you the suit.¡±


    ¡°And what will you do if the families go after your¡¯s?¡± He asked, sliding off the car in case this point was taken as poorly as he was expecting. ¡°After all, they don¡¯t tend to take kindly to people telling them no. And your daughter¡­ Take it from an orphan, you don¡¯t want to leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk about my family!¡± The Guardian roared, stepping into his face. ¡°If you think this suit is a threat, you¡¯ve got no idea what I can bring to the table if you fuckers touch them!¡±


    He gave the Guardian an amused look. ¡°Oh? And you¡¯re willing to stand against the families? Just a moment ago you were all for avoiding the families¡¯ attention.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that was before you threatened mine.¡± The Guardian warned him.


    They had a stare off for a moment, each wondering if the other would break before he felt a smile on his face. ¡°Fantastic. You¡¯re even better than what I could hope for.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± The Guardian blinked, taking a step back.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I was thinking at best I would just be buying the suit off of you or paying you for all of this, but you really are a Guardian you know that?¡± He praised the man, taking his ski mask off to run a hand through his hair.


    ¡°W-what?¡± The Guardian repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯re not willing to sell out, you¡¯re willing to stand up to the families, and you aren¡¯t even bringing your best yet.¡± He explained, clapping his hands together. ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ You¡¯re exactly what I need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re not with the families?¡± The Guardian frowned, finally catching on.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I just needed to make sure you wouldn¡¯t bend the knee to them when push came to shove.¡± He was desperate, but that didn¡¯t mean he was stupidly desperate. (Yet.)


    ¡°Then the money, the, the things with my family¡­¡± The Guardian slowly put together.


    ¡°A test.¡± He confirmed, not bringing up how it was more a spur of the moment thing that the other man had handed to him. (Don¡¯t think he¡¯d appreciate that.)


    The Guardian closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down.


    And despite having spent almost two years fighting thugs and Deviants in back alleys, V still wasn¡¯t quite prepared for the fist that broke his nose.


    ---


    (To be fair to him though, I did deserve that.)


    ¡°But V is nothing if not¡­ persistent and convincing when he wants to be.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but smirk behind his mask.


    ---


    ¡°You bought my fucking job!¡± The Iron Guardian hissed, forcing himself to stay quiet despite clearly wanting to scream.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy your job.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I¡­ simply bought the place you work and am now paying you to hear me out instead of breaking my nose.¡±


    ¡°How did you even buy this place?¡± The Guardian asked. ¡°It¡¯s owned by the fucking Franchetti family!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I offered them twice what it''s worth. Which is an amount they really needed after having a dozen of their local bases robbed and their drugs torched by a Masked Deviant, thus leaving them deep in debt with the Cartels since they can¡¯t make the money back without any product to sell.¡± He explained with a shrug before giving the Guardian a smirk. ¡°And they honestly thought they were conning me as some know nothing rich kid.¡± (You can take the kid out of the streets, but you can¡¯t take the streets out of the kid.)


    ¡°You stole from the families?¡± The Guardian whispered, face pale.


    ¡°Not just them.¡± He confessed. ¡°I¡¯ve built up a fairly decent stash of cash robbing every gang I tear down. Though I do donate a lot of it anonymously to pay for the hospital bills of anyone caught up in the local Deviant attacks.¡±


    The Guardian blinked. ¡°So, when you offered to buy my suit¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was an honest offer.¡± He nodded. ¡°Though if we¡¯re going to make this work I¡¯m going to need a different suit from the one you¡¯ve been using. Something built more for stealth if you can manage it.¡±


    ¡°I already told you the suit isn¡¯t for sale.¡± The Guardian frowned, before pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you are-¡±


    ¡°Vigilance.¡± He interrupted once more. ¡°Or Virgil if we¡¯re going to be working together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to be working together.¡± The Guardian told him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your deal is, but stealing from the families is a surefire way to get yourself killed, and I want nothing to do with it. I¡¯m no thief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. After all, I¡¯m not looking to hire a thief.¡± He assured the Guardian. ¡°I¡¯m looking to hire a hero.¡±


    ¡°A hero?¡± The Guardian scoffed before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m no hero.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± He asked, opening his suitcase before tossing a number of newspapers on the manager¡¯s desk. ¡°Because these clearly say otherwise.¡±


    ¡°These don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about.¡± The Guardian grimaced as he crumpled the papers up. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero. I only fight the monsters when they get close to my home, my wife¡¯s job, or my daughter¡¯s school. If they don¡¯t get close to them, I don¡¯t get close to them.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded. ¡°And how close would you consider ¡®close¡¯ to be? The same block, street, zip code, city?¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know¡­ I just¡­ If I recognize the place, and it¡¯s close enough I go there.¡± The Guardian explained, looking distinctly uncomfortable.


    ¡°And if you could go all over the city, would you stop all of the monsters?¡± He asked, giving the other man a pointed look.


    The Guardian backed away from him. ¡°I, I can¡¯t. Moving the suit is a pain in the ass. It''s, it¡¯s honestly a miracle no one has found it hidden in the car trunks I stash it in. And, and the whole thing is too bulky to stash in just one trunk.¡±


    ¡°What if we got you a big work van?¡± He wondered. ¡°Big enough to stash the suit and any tools you need for it. That way you can drive to any threat and then drive off. Keep your base always moving.¡± (Actually, note to self get a black car for self. Something like Sam¡¯s old rum runner to keep up with cop chases.)


    ¡°That¡¯s a good¡­¡± The Guardian closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°This is crazy, I shouldn¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t be considering this.¡±


    He tilted his head. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because, because Masks are crazy.¡± The Guardian tried to answer. ¡°And I, I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve got a wife and a kid. I can¡¯t risk myself doing something like this.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already risking yourself trying to protect them?¡± He pointed out. ¡°This would just be a step up from that. Only instead of just protecting them where they are, you¡¯d be making the whole city safer for them. I mean what would you do if they went somewhere else for the day, a store or to visit a friend without telling you, you wouldn¡¯t know to show up unless you were protecting the whole city.¡±


    The Guardian scowled at him. ¡°That¡¯s playing dirty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I¡¯ve won so many fights by kicking someone in the dick, I don¡¯t think I know how to play any other way.¡± He shrugged, not bringing up how he and his brothers used to rough house in his father¡¯s gym.


    Iron Guardian was silent for a moment before giving him a look. ¡°If, and that¡¯s a big if, we do this, how would this work? Would you be bankrolling me as a hero or?¡±


    ¡°Right, and there¡¯s the hard part of the pitch¡­¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Hard how?¡± The Guardian frowned looking twice as apprehensive.


    ¡°I am willing to bankroll you, fund your suits, and everything else while you¡¯re in your city. Hell, I won¡¯t even tell you what to do or how to do your job. If you want I won¡¯t even talk to you again and all I¡¯d be to you is an unlimited piggy bank.¡± He explained as many perks as he could.


    ¡°While I¡¯m in my city.¡± The Guardian repeated.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as the other man caught the, well, catch.


    ¡°Right, so, um, you know how a few weeks ago the Tallman raided the US government?¡± He asked, just to make sure the Guardian had been paying attention to the news.


    ¡°Yeah, pulled some Malcolm X type shit and¡­ actually pulled it off.¡± The Guardian nodded, looking kind of impressed.


    ¡°Misconception, given how for the most part Malcom X preached self defense instead of outright violence.¡± He corrected the other man. ¡° A ¡®stay armed in case they come for you, but don¡¯t go after them¡¯ kind of thing. Media gives him a bad reputation because of¡­ reasons. Uh, my brother was a fan¡­ Not the point, though. Do you think what he did was good or bad?¡±


    The Guardian gave him a wary look. ¡°Is this another test?¡±


    ¡°No, just¡­ it¡¯s a big part of why I¡¯m doing this.¡± He tried to explain without explaining. ¡°So¡­ thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a Deviant so him fighting for our rights, so¡­ I¡¯ve slept a lot easier knowing Asylum isn¡¯t going to kick down my door. Honestly, I was more scared of them than the families doing this whole thing.¡± The Guardian confessed. ¡°But at the same time I know he was an extremist given how far he took things. Then again with how extreme things were getting, maybe he had a ¡®normal¡¯ reaction.¡±


    (Yeah¡­ He doesn¡¯t know how bad it got.) V grimaced internally, fully aware of how bad things had really gotten during the peak of the Riots let alone with The Tallman¡¯s rampage.


    ¡°So a net positive.¡± He summarized, before sighing. ¡°Unfortunately, this isn¡¯t going to be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Guardian frowned.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be the end of the government¡¯s response¡­¡± He began, feeling the same chill he had upon realizing what was going to happen during Sam¡¯s rampage. ¡°They¡¯re going to drag the Tallman¡¯s reputation through the dirt, and given how he¡¯s currently the most famous Deviant on the planet¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to drag every Deviant down with him¡­¡± The Guardian realized.


    ¡°Oh, it gets worse¡­¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°There¡­ There are talks of building a replacement organization to Asylum.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded, sadly. ¡°Right now they¡¯re saying it¡¯ll be¡­ softer than Asylum, but that¡¯s just while Deviants have public sympathy for side-stepping a genocide¡­ Give it a couple years of dragging him and every other Deviant through the dirt and¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be even worse off since they won¡¯t let this happen a second time¡­¡± The Guardian finished for him.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    The Guardian ran a hand down his face before quite aptly summarizing their situation as, ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He grimaced, before sighing. ¡°What I¡¯m hoping, is that if we can get enough Heroic Deviants together and make a big enough splash, then we can overshadow the Tallman, and keep the public in Deviant favor.¡±


    ¡°That, that would take a big splash¡­¡± The Guardian swallowed.


    ¡°Which is why if you agree to this I¡¯ll need you to leave town on occasion¡­ Get our names known across the country while recruiting whoever we can to this operation.¡± He explained.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ this is¡­ this is big¡­ Bigger than me.¡± The Guardian told him. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m just, I¡¯m just trying to protect my family¡­ This is¡­ It¡¯s too big for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Too big for me too¡­¡± He admitted, feeling the weight of what he was setting out to do. ¡°But I¡­ I can¡¯t let this escalate¡­ I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t let any kids feel the¡­ the hopelessness I did¡­ Not when I¡­ Not when it¡¯s¡­¡± (But maybe I¡¯ll have to¡­)


    A silence fell over them for a fair while as they both were lost in their thoughts.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± The Guardian cursed as he paced back and forth. ¡°Fuck! If we don¡¯t do this, then our kids are going to have to deal with this shit aren¡¯t they? If they become Deviants¡­ Fuck¡­¡±


    There was another silence, this one much shorter as The Iron Guardian turned to him, ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯m going to regret this but¡­ I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± He blinked, honestly thinking he¡¯d lost the other man.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I can¡¯t let my little girl go through all of this bullshit, wondering if they¡¯re going to kick in her door and gun her down before taking her kids¡­ I can¡¯t do that.¡± The Guardian shook his head, before giving a firm nod. ¡°So I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± He smiled, practically jumping in place. ¡°You have no idea how much this means! To have a real hero like you on the team! With the Iron Guardian, we might just have a chance of pulling this off.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not a real hero, but¡­ I can pretend to be.¡± The Guardian assured him, while offering his hand. ¡°And, if we¡¯re going to be working together, call me Hugh.¡±


    ¡°Well, Hugh, I¡¯m Vergil.¡± He greeted, taking the hand in his own. ¡°And I can tell this, this is the start of something amazing.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Of course, at the time V completely neglected to mention that I was the only person he¡¯d recruited to his little team.¡± Hugh continued. (I still say it¡¯s your fault you didn¡¯t ask.) ¡°Which¡­ Honestly, given what little I knew about him was completely in character.¡± (See not my fault.)


    ¡°Given what little I know about him, I¡¯d agree.¡± The host chuckled alongside the audience.


    ¡°Still, knowing a team needed more than me and him, we continued our search for other recruits. Preferably ones with abilities outside of my tech and his skills.¡± Hugh lied, because they¡¯d still been desperate enough to recruit any hero they could find. ¡°And as luck would have it, we stumbled upon a news report about Aurora.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, her famous break out feat. The one that brought her to the national stage.¡± The host nodded. ¡°A recording we actually managed to find for this special evening.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ How lovely¡­¡± Aurora smiled, the grip on his hand shifting from her supporting him, to him supporting her as she was forced to watch one of the most horrifying days of her life.


    The screens along the stage filled with a news camera inside of a helicopter looking over hundreds of Creeps tearing through city streets in what could only be described as a demonic invasion. And while he hadn¡¯t been there personally, he¡¯d been in enough similar situations to see the details the cameras were too far to catch, to remember (screams filled the air alongside the smell of blood and ash, every inhale tasting of death itself as he tried to keep from focusing on the dead bodies that littered all around him.)


    Aurora¡¯s tightening grip brought him back into the moment, just in time to watch hundreds of blades of light appear in the air in but a blink of the eyes before slamming into the ground in a veritable storm of blades. The rainfall of blades went on for nearly a full minute, each blade impaling the Creeps below with however many it took to kill all of the monster¡¯s ravaging the city.


    When the shower of blades finally came to a stop, the street seemed to glitter like a sea of stars as all of the Creeps dissolved into black ash, the blades pinning them to the ground all that remained behind.


    The camera panned over the city street trying to take in the impossible sight of an invasion stopped in but a minute, before eventually locking onto a blonde haired figure standing between all of the destruction and a handful of civilians.


    With a possible source of the phenomenon discovered, the helicopter grew closer to the figure before eventually capturing the shot of Aurora that would go into the history books. The one of her standing battered and clawed up by the hordes, but unbroken as she protected the innocent.


    ¡°Even after all these years, it¡¯s still breathtaking.¡± The host admitted with no small amount of reverence in her tone.


    (Yeah, she is¡­) He mentally agreed with a glance to his best friend.


    ¡°Heh, thank you¡­¡± Aurora smiled looking far more tired than she had a few moments before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see why we sought her out as swiftly as we did.¡± He spoke up, hoping to draw the attention from Aurora. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done this without someone as heroic as her.¡±


    Aurora squeezed his hand in thanks, before withdrawing hers as she took a moment to herself, prompting him to keep talking to keep all eyes on him, ¡°The moment we saw her we knew we needed her for our team. Something she easily proved upon our first meeting.¡±


    ---


    ¡°So how are we finding this Mask?¡± Hugh asked as they drove through the city.


    ¡°The same way I found you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°A list of her known appearances, pre-Creep invasion for real accuracy given how she¡¯s had a wider range since then. Then once we have a decent set of patrol regions for her, we start looking at locations that meet her personal needs within those regions. Then we cross reference those locations with a profile fitting our known information about the unsub. In this case a blonde woman early twenties, active for two to three years, given just how many appearances she¡¯s had over that time she¡¯s also probably had a bit of time holding down a job. Though the timing of her appearances is likely a good way to narrow down her work hours.¡±


    ¡°O¡­kay¡­¡± Hugh nodded, looking a little overwhelmed. ¡°Uh, how long do you think¡­ all of that will take? Because I only bought the weekend with my wife, if I¡¯m not back by Monday then I¡¯ll be in the dog house.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take that long. She¡¯ll actually be easier to find than you since she¡¯s got so many more appearances and has been active for so much longer.¡± He assured the other man, before spotting a diner nearby. ¡°That said, we¡¯ll probably be at it for a while once we get going so we might as well grab lunch before getting to work. How about that diner over there? I could go for some pie.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Hugh told him, clearly not caring about it nearly as much.


    Once inside the diner, Hugh decided to continue their conversation. ¡°Now you¡¯ve proven you can find someone, given how you found me, but I¡¯ve got to ask how are we actually doing this? Because I¡¯m going to be honest, I understood about half of what you told me in the car.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to talk work before we get our food?¡± He asked the other man. ¡°Because once I get going on this I¡¯m going to be going for a minute, and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll be more bearable on a full stomach or with desert in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe but I really would like to know how you know all this stuff at the very least. I mean you¡¯re what twenty-five? And yet you¡¯re throwing around words as if you¡¯re an old pro. What were you a cop or something before all of this?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that as he looked for their waitress. ¡°No, my family hasn¡¯t respected the law since they assaulted my adoptive brother for being black¡­ probably before then too. That said, I did look into how they do things when I started doing more investigation work. Really dug deep on all of that up to the FBI level because while I believe there are more crooked cops than straight out there, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the ones off the take really do know how to do their jobs. And them I respect.¡±


    ¡°So what, this whole hero thing is doing what the crooked cops won¡¯t?¡± Hugh asked.


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s pretty close even if the actual reason is a little more¡­ personal.¡± He admitted, waving down their waitress with a grin he was only half-forcing given the matters at hand.


    ¡°Hello, what can I get you two fellas?¡± Their blonde waitress asked with a smile that made his own a little more real.


    (Huh, she¡¯s got a pretty smile¡­)


    ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t even look at the menu, uh, give me a second.¡± Hugh told her, looking at a diner menu on the wall.


    ¡°How about you, hon? You know what you want?¡± The waitress asked him, looking a little more tense when she realized he was staring at her rather than the menu. (Probably used to people unwantedly hitting on her.)


    ¡°Yes, I do. I¡¯ll have a black coffee -actually make that two coffees- and a burger hold the lettuce.¡± He decided, noting how the waitress was a couple years younger than him.


    ¡°I hate coffee.¡± Hugh sighed.


    ¡°Good because both were for me.¡± He nodded.


    Hugh gave him an annoyed look before letting out another sigh. ¡°But a burger does sound good. Just with everything on mine and¡­ a coke I guess.¡±


    ¡°Right, so¡­ Two burgers, one with no lettuce, a coke and two coffees.¡± Their waitress repeated back to them with an amused smirk.


    ¡°That sounds right, to me.¡± He told her, giving Hugh a grin before looking at their waitress. More specifically her name tag. ¡°Thank you¡­ Aurora¡­ Huh, isn¡¯t that the same name as the hero who saved the city?¡±


    Aurora froze before giving a nervous laugh. ¡°Y-yeah, weird coincidence¡­ You¡¯ve uh, you¡¯ve no idea how many people have asked me that.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± He innocently asked. ¡°Because the news never reported your name, I only found out about it after talking to someone you saved six months ago over the phone.¡±


    For some reason Hugh just stared at him with a look of horror.


    ---


    ¡°You are beyond lucky I was there to smooth things over.¡± Hugh laughed, playing things up given how he¡¯d also noticed Aurora¡¯s discomfort. ¡°Somehow you fumbled things with her even worse than you did with me. It¡¯s a miracle she didn¡¯t stab you when you called her out like that.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I confronted her in a public space, rather than a private one like I did with you.¡± He argued. ¡°I am capable of learning after all.¡±


    ¡°And somehow it¡¯s always the worst thing to learn from the situation.¡± Hugh sighed. ¡°It took me an entire hour to calm her down enough to hear us out without stabbing you the moment you were alone.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Oh, god. Oh, god. You figured out who I am, and if you can figure it out so can other people¡­¡± The girl panicked as she rocked back and forth on the alley stoop, leaving him feeling kind of like an asshole.


    The fact that Hugh kept calling him one wasn¡¯t helping him with that.


    ¡°Look it¡¯s fine, we¡¯re not here to threaten you or anything.¡± He assured the young woman. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought it up in public, no one can hurt anyone else without witnesses.¡±


    For some reason that seemed to make Aurora spiral even further. (Oh, right we¡¯re in an alley with no witnesses right now.)


    ¡°Alright, you, you shut the fuck up for now.¡± Hugh told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s uh, that¡¯s fair.¡± He agreed, taking a step back.


    ¡°Now ignoring the fact that Vergil -that¡¯s his name- is an asshole, we really aren¡¯t here to cause you any problems. In fact, we¡¯re¡­ heroes like you, but if you want we¡¯ll leave and you won¡¯t ever have to hear from us again if you don¡¯t want to, right?¡± Hugh glared at him.


    ¡°Right.¡± He nodded despite wanting to protest, because he was sure he could convince her to work with them, even if it meant throwing a few hundred grand at her. (And we really do need a big name with us if we want this to work.)


    Aurora took another moment before eventually nodding herself. ¡°O-okay¡­ O-kay¡­ This, this isn¡¯t the end of the world¡­¡± The girl looked at both of them. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re really heroes?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Hugh grimaced, clearly still uncomfortable being called that. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m the Iron Guardian from New Haven.¡±


    ¡°Th-the one with the super suit?¡± Aurora asked, looking at him with a fair amount of awe.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Hugh nodded, looking even worse at being recognized. ¡°And he¡¯s Vigilance.¡±


    Aurora stared at him for a moment. ¡°I¡­ have no idea who that is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He shrugged, unconcerned. ¡°I do a lot more, uh, street work than¡­ dimensional invasion work.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s smart and an ass.¡± Hugh sighed.


    ¡°A smart ass if you will.¡± He confirmed, getting a laugh out of the stressed girl.


    ¡°That said, he can apparently track down anyone given how he found both of us in just a few weeks.¡± Hugh continued, ignoring him. ¡°And given the¡­ other things I¡¯ve seen him pull off, I¡¯m willing to put up with his personality for this.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Aurora frowned.


    ¡°Well, you know how The Tallman got rid of Asylum?¡± Hugh asked, getting a nod from the girl. ¡°That left a¡­ power vacuum of sorts, and we¡¯re hoping to fill it with heroes before another Asylum can pop up. Maybe, maybe get people to quit hating Deviants so much, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that would be nice.¡± Aurora admitted. ¡°When I first started going out to help people¡­ People were more scared of me than the muggers I stopped.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve changed your tune after what you pulled off during that invasion.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Whole town is talking you up like a hero.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Aurora grimaced. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t really gone out since¡­ that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, injuries.¡± He nodded with a grimace of his own. ¡°Yeah, after what you pulled you deserve to rest for however long it takes for those to heal. Trust me, you do not want your stitches tearing in the middle of a brawl and staggering you into a crowbar.¡±


    ¡°Um, y-yeah¡­¡± Aurora winced. ¡°But um, I actually¡­ I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m¡­ cut out for the hero stuff, honestly¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve been at this as long as me and kicked twice as much ass as him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but muggers aren¡¯t¡­ they aren¡¯t like those monsters.¡± Aurora shivered.


    He just barely kept himself from scoffing at that, and only because after picking off some local criminals for¡­ financing, he¡¯d figured out that the monsters from his city were a touch darker than the criminals Aurora and Hugh likely dealt with during their own heroics. (But pointing that out will just scare her off, and Hugh is still on the fence about being a hero so he¡¯d run off too.)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± He assured her. (In a sense a least.) ¡°But¡­ Does anyone know that you¡¯re a Mask? Family, a friend, anyone that can¡­ support you when things get¡­ difficult?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t have anyone like that.¡± Aurora admitted, looking even more depressed.


    ¡°Well, now you do.¡± He promised easily.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Aurora blinked looking up at him.


    ¡°Me and Hugh here are both heroes, so¡­ we get it.¡± He tried to explain, making it up as he did so. ¡°We¡¯ve both¡­ been we¡¯re you¡¯re at, where things get bad¡­ scary¡­ When you think you should give up because it feels like you aren¡¯t getting anything done¡­ When you¡­ when you can¡¯t save everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s, that¡¯s not when you give up¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s when you get better, learn better, do better, be better. And that¡¯s not always easy¡­¡± He admitted, running a hand through his hair. ¡°But just because it¡¯s not easy, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re on your own¡­ There are¡­ There are people willing to help if you let them¡­ Like us.¡±


    He blinked before nodding with a little more determination. ¡°Yeah, like us. If it gets too hard you can talk to us and¡­ we can help you do better or¡­ solve the problems you can¡¯t solve by yourself. Hugh, Hugh can make equipment you¡¯d only see on star trek! And I, I can help solve crimes¡­ or something? I, I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s just you don¡¯t have to do this by yourself¡­ Okay? If, if we become a team we can¡­ we can help each other.¡±


    (Fuck¡­ I have no idea what I¡¯m saying¡­) His eyes drifted between the other two Mask, with Hugh looking at him with a fair amount of surprise and Aurora looking at him with a growing resolve.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re right!¡± Aurora practically shouted as she stood up. ¡°This, this isn¡¯t when I should give up. This is when I should do better! And¡­ and I want to help people and you guys want to help me help people so¡­ I¡¯m in! I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll join your team and we can help people and each other together!¡± Aurora told him, smiling with a determined nod.


    ¡°R-right¡­¡± He smiled back. (Heh, she really is a hero isn¡¯t she?)


    ---


    ¡°And as they say, the rest is history.¡± Hugh concluded the¡­ public version of their first meetings.


    ¡°True, and what a history it has been.¡± Aurora laughed, having pieced herself back together during Hugh¡¯s story. ¡°Of course that wasn¡¯t really the end of it. We had a lot of work to do in order for us to get enough reputation to found the Guild, and we couldn¡¯t do that sticking just to our home towns.¡±


    ¡°Right, that would be when your national tour started.¡± The host nodded, following along. ¡°Where you traveled the country saving lives and recruiting heroes.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a tour.¡± He pointed out, feeling like calling it that turned the whole thing into something it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it was more of a road trip all things considered.¡± Hugh agreed.


    ---


    ¡°An RV?¡± Hugh frowned at his big reveal. ¡°You had us drive all the way here to show off your RV?¡±


    ¡°Not my RV.¡± He scoffed, before wrapping an arm around both of his fellow heroes. ¡°Our mobile base.¡±


    Hugh sighed. ¡°I know I¡¯m going to regret asking but¡­ mobile base?¡±


    ¡°Right, well, if we want to fill in the Asylum power vacuum before something worse can take over then we need to get our names out there. Meaning we need to go out there and do heroic stuff all over the country, not just our home cities. Hence the RV.¡± He explained. ¡°I figure this would work better for moving all of our stuff around than taking plane flights everywhere. I doubt they¡¯ll let you pack your suit for this.¡±


    ¡°Look I¡­ I¡¯m all for this hero team you¡¯re trying to set up.¡± Hugh told him, running a hand over the back of his neck.


    ¡°But?¡± He prodded.


    ¡°But, I can¡¯t just¡­ take off and go on a cross country road trip.¡± Hugh shook his head. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve got a family and this, this sounds like it¡¯s going to be a¡­ long term kind of deal. I can¡¯t just, up and leave them like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to.¡± He assured the other man. ¡°I fully expect us to be taking a lot of plane flights home so that we can maintain our presence at home. After all, I know I can¡¯t leave my powder keg alone for a year without it exploding. All you need to do is tell your wife you¡¯ve got a contract gig fixing things for some rich asshole a couple cities over and that you¡¯ll be home every weekend. Won¡¯t even be a lie, since I am technically a rich asshole.¡±


    Hugh didn¡¯t look entirely convinced by his argument, so he turned his attention to Aurora figuring if he could get her on board Hugh would cave. ¡°How about you, what do you think of all this?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ It sounds a bit complicated, but also like we could help a lot more people if we did this.¡± Aurora admitted, before giving him a nervous look. ¡°Though, uh, that offer to pay for everything that¡­ that applies to me too, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded. ¡°I know you¡¯ve had a bit of trouble balancing the whole work and hero thing, but I¡¯ve got enough stashed to pay you¡­ Let¡¯s see you were a waitress, so that means you were making something like two thirteen an hour plus tips right? Which is eighty-five dollars a week without tips or four hundred and twenty to five hundred and five dollars a month depending on how many pay weeks you¡¯ve got. Now I can¡¯t pay you less than Hugh, that just wouldn¡¯t be fair since you are the biggest hero between us and I need to pay him more than he makes now so his wife doesn¡¯t get mad about him working for me¡­ So he¡¯s going from fifteen an hour to a technical twenty-five over fourty salary. Meaning you¡¯ll both get paid a thousand dollars a week, which is four or five grand a month with an aggregated fifty-two a year. So for you that¡¯s a raise of¡­ eight hundred and fifty something percent.¡±


    ¡°F-fifty-two th-thou-thousand.¡± Aurora gasped.


    He snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh, almost forgot I¡¯ll also be covering expenses while we drive all over. Can¡¯t expect you to pay for everything when I¡¯m the one dragging you all over the place.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I need to sit down.¡± Aurora admitted as she leaned against the RV and slid to the ground.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ That¡¯s a lot of money.¡± Hugh admitted.


    Seeing their reactions he couldn¡¯t help but sadistically make the pot sweeter. ¡°Yeah, and your first year will be even better because you¡¯ve got a sign on bonus of¡­ Mm, does fifty percent of your yearly sound good?¡±


    ¡°How do you even have this kind of money?!¡± Aurora screamed.


    ¡°I steal it from the various gangs and crime families I come across.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is that legal?¡± Aurora asked, looking overwhelmed.


    He waved her off. ¡°Eh, being a Vigilante is illegal. And the cops confiscate the money to buy themselves new cars and guns, I¡¯m just being more cost efficient since I have less red tape and am not an embezzlement scam for the suppression of minorities.¡±


    Aurora blinked. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± He lied to his most innocent teammate before turning back to the one with grayer morality. ¡°So! Aurora is in, how about you?¡±


    Hugh was quiet for a moment, before gaining a pained look. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll talk to my wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Fantastic!¡±


    ---


    ¡°Unfortunately, while we were all on board for the cross-country heroics, we -or rather Vigilance since this whole thing was his idea- forgot one little bitty detail.¡± Aurora laughed.


    ¡°And what was that?¡± The host asked, eyes locked onto him.


    He sighed. ¡°None of us had worked with other people before¡­¡± (Which I did account for, I just didn¡¯t account for them being so¡­ soft.)


    ¡°Needless to say it was a learning experience for all of us.¡± Hugh told their host with a wry grin.


    ---


    ¡°Right, so everyone ready?¡± He checked, after making sure all of his new armor was on right.


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be¡­¡± Hugh grimaced as he seemingly stretched inside of his suit. ¡°Not used to having this much flexibility. Usually I¡¯m just a massive freight train trying to trample Creeps.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Can¡¯t do that to regular criminals, might kill them.¡± He pretended to joke in spite of his very real concern over how, (That would pretty much kill this team before we even get it off the ground.)


    Hugh just shook his head, before looking at the two of them. ¡°How about you two? New gear working alright for you?¡±


    Aurora twirled around in her new suit, causing her cape to twirl around her padded form. ¡°Y-yeah, I actually feel like a real superhero now!¡±


    ¡°Going to take a minute to get used to the extra weight but it¡¯s definitely got better protection than my old stuff.¡± He agreed, absolutely preferring this armor to the leather and hockey pads he¡¯d worn before.


    Hugh gave them both a nod. ¡°Good, I¡¯m used to working with tankier suits and wasn¡¯t sure I bound the more cloth-like materials you guys need for mobility right.¡±


    ¡°So, uh, how are we doing this?¡± Aurora asked them after a moment. ¡°I mean, I know you said you found a gang hideout or something but, uh, I usually just deal with muggers and stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve only fought those demon things myself. I¡¯ve got no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do here.¡± Hugh admitted.


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯re trying to build up our rep we¡¯re going to have to do this a bit different than my usual urban warfare stuff. So, no stealing the money, torching the guns and drugs, or leaving intimidating messages.¡± He told them both.


    ¡°Intimidating messages?¡± Aurora frowned.


    ¡°You know stuff like, a simple ¡®Murderers.¡¯¡± He shrugged. ¡°Or an ambiguous ¡®I know what you did.¡¯ or if you want to get them paranoid ¡®I¡¯m coming for you, name of a random crime lord¡¯.¡±


    They both stared at him for a moment, before Hugh spoke up and told him, ¡°Just¡­ going to ignore that for now. But, uh, that doesn¡¯t really tell us what we¡¯re supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Righ, so¡­ Hugh you¡¯re a giant bullet proof tank in your armor. Just walk towards people with big guns, let them shoot you without flinching, and then break their guns¡­ I¡¯m kind of assuming the suit gives you enough strength to do that?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried, but I¡¯m pretty sure I do.¡± Hugh shrugged.


    ¡°Good enough, but like I said, don''t actually hit anyone because I¡¯d rather not find out what that suit can do to a squishy meat bag. Just be¡­¡± He smirked. ¡°Heh, an Iron Guardian for us.¡±


    Even if he couldn¡¯t see Hugh¡¯s eyes he could tell they were rolling.


    ¡°Now Aurora, you¡¯ve got a bunch of non-lethal stuff from dealing with Muggers, right?¡± He asked the only other member of their team to deal with regular humans.


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Aurora nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple of light shields and I can make swords pin people without piercing them by adjusting the hard light ratios on contact with organic materials. Though doing that takes more concentration than the¡­ kind I don¡¯t want to use on people.¡±


    ¡°Perfectly understandable.¡± He assured her, before glancing at the wall of the warehouse. ¡°Hey, Hugh, do you think you can take this wall down?¡±


    Hugh glanced at the wall a little unsurely. ¡°Uh, if it¡¯s just brick probably?¡±


    ¡°Good, so here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± He began. ¡°Hugh will run through the wall giving us a dramatic enough entrance to take everyone off guard, then he¡¯ll stick to Aurora to make sure you can focus on pinning people down with your blades. Meanwhile, being the most used to this kind of thing, I¡¯ll rush in and deal with them up close, so they can¡¯t risk shooting me without shooting their friends. Sound good?¡±


    Despite being visibly nervous they both gave him a nod, ¡°Alright, Hugh, on your mark then.¡±


    Hugh stepped up to the wall and took a three point stance before glancing back at them.


    He gave the nervous hero a double thumbs up. ¡°You got this.¡±


    With that bit of encouragement, the Iron Guardian looked forward before running straight through the wall into a warehouse full of stunned criminals surrounding a table covered in drugs and money.


    (Game time.)


    Seeing his targets, he rushed past Aurora and Iron Guardian and grabbed the first criminal he could, dragging them forward as a human shield so that he could get closer to the center of the criminals.


    Once in range of another (victim) he grabbed his (meat shield) by the throat and slammed (it) into the ground, his sudden crouching allowing him to duck under a reflexive shot from a panicking thug that would¡¯ve killed his shield.


    From his low point he reached forward and pulled on the thug¡¯s knee, dragging it forward as he toppled the man to the ground. Leaving him free to stomp the thug¡¯s chest as Vigilance stood back up, the added weight of his new armor guaranteeing that he cracked a few ribs.


    Seeing the thugs on the other side of the table beginning to rally, he grabbed one of the two they¡¯d used for their setup, before using both hands to flip it onto the side and break sight with the thugs as he sent their drugs and money flying through the air.


    Gunshots cracked, shooting through the wood of the table and the space he¡¯d been prior to reaching around to grab another thug by his arm and pull him behind the upturned table.


    With the man¡¯s stance broken by the unexpected tug, he went ahead and brought his elbow down on the thug¡¯s shoulder, dislocating if not outright breaking it. He kicked the thug back into the open as he screamed in agony, a perfect distraction for him to twist out and under the other table in a slide that left him crouched beside a new (victim).


    Moving before the thug could spot him he tackled the man around his waist, lifting him into the air before slamming him into the ground at an angle that whipped the thug¡¯s head against the concrete floor.


    Standing up, he pushed aside a gun with his forearm leaving another thug open for several blows to the ribs before receiving a final one to the jaw knocking him back into one of his compatriots.


    With their tangle of limbs as a temporary shield he turned to another thug just as they were beginning to raise their assault rifle, something he couldn¡¯t allow as he instead tore it from the man¡¯s hands before using it as a bat to break the thug¡¯s jaw.


    On his recoil he went ahead and threw the gun at a thug he¡¯d need a second to get to, forcing them to duck to the side as he went ahead and grabbed one stupid enough to be within reach of him, before stomping their kneecap and breaking their leg.


    Finding the thug¡¯s sudden scream annoying, he also went ahead and grabbed the thug that had managed to recover from having his friend knocked into him before slamming the two¡¯s skulls together, either knocking them out or giving them enough brain damage to be out of the fight.


    Turning to the last thug a trio of gunshots cracked like thunder as an impact sent his head snapping back, and two more hit his chest. But not being the first time he¡¯d been shot let alone the first time while wearing a helmet, he simply walked it off as he stalked forward before lifting the final panicking thug off the ground by his throat and slamming him through the wooden table, shattering it to bits.


    Seeing that there were no more thugs left he clapped his hands and turned back to his friends with a smile on his face. ¡°Great job team! First outing and we got¡­ ten guys? Not bad for a first night out.¡±


    For some reason Hugh and Aurora simply stood there staring at him.


    ---


    ¡°Then again a lot of our early days were a learning experience.¡± Aurora pointed out as she and Hugh worked on her suit while he worked on paperwork. ¡°I mean, before us M.A.D.s and Arcane were so focused on the whole Magic vs Science thing that they never really worked together.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Hugh nodded, before muttering, ¡°Science for the win.¡± Solely for the audience, given how comfortable Hugh actually was with the existence of magic after twenty something years.


    ---


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why this isn¡¯t working¡­¡± Aurora growled in frustration. ¡°It worked for my old costume and I can feel it starting to work for this but it¡¯s, it¡¯s just not clicking¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the materials?¡± Hugh suggested. ¡°Your old costume was pretty much all cloth.¡±


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it because you can enchant pretty much anything.¡± Aurora sighed, shoving her costume away. ¡°Heck, I¡¯ve enchanted just about everything I own to be indestructible since I was such a clutz before figuring out how to cheat.¡±


    ¡°How to cheat?¡± He asked, his interest peaked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a light movement spell on me half of the time. Makes it easier to move around.¡± Aurora shrugged as Hugh took the costume.


    He snapped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s how you do that air dodge thing.¡± He¡¯d been trying to figure out how she was getting the leverage to pull that off. (Should¡¯ve known it was magic.)


    ¡°Did you figure out your powers?¡± Hugh frowned. ¡°On your own or did you manage to find one of those manuals the Arcane Association are popping out like candy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I got one of their old books but¡­ While the magic in it works, they were a little obtuse in the how since they were still trying to keep magic secret.¡± Aurora warned them as she began digging through her things. ¡°I was actually hoping to get some of their real books now that their printing them¡­ Maybe even take a few of their college classes once we get some more people on the team.¡±


    ¡°Right, just tell me what you¡¯re interested in and I¡¯ll order them for you.¡± He told her, going back to his paperwork. ¡°I know a couple of people in the Association and can set you up for something over the phone¡­ or spell. Whatever they end up using.¡±


    Aurora froze, before turning to him. ¡°You know people in the Arcane Association?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my sister in law is a magic teacher there or something.¡± He shrugged, since the two of them didn¡¯t actually talk all that much about her being a Deviant, more busy commiserating over his brother being an idiot than anything else.


    ¡°Did¡­ did you ask her if she wanted to¡­ to join your team?¡± Aurora asked, sounding off as she held her book close to her chest.


    He couldn¡¯t help but break into a fit of laughter. ¡°Fuck no. If you think I don¡¯t respect the law then you need to meet the rest of my family. Trust me none of them are even half as heroic as you.¡±


    The only reason he even bugged her for anything was because of the fact that the Association coming out of hiding was a massive boost in their favor, and would give his whole plan for Deviant acceptance a push on multiple fronts in case his hero angle flopped. (So glad I talked the Eds into helping with that.)


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Hugh coughed, drawing both of their attention. ¡°Uh, the manual?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±Aurora blushed in embarrassment before handing over her book. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°The Arcane Arcanum?¡± Hugh read, flipping the book open. ¡°Sounds magic-y.¡±


    ¡°You say that¡­¡± He smirked, looking up from his paperwork as he waited for it to hit.


    Hugh¡¯s eye twitched, and his smirk grew into a grin, as the man started flipping faster with a growing sort of desperation, until Hugh finally threw the book on the table as he yelled, ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t a manual, it reads like a game book!¡±


    ¡°It can be both!¡± Aurora defended, as he held back his snickers.


    ¡°No, it¡­ Magic can¡¯t simply be a bunch of nerds playing games around a table!¡± Hugh scowled, not noticing as someone pulled the book towards themselves.


    ¡°We, we needed a cover!¡± Aurora defended. ¡°If we, if we didn¡¯t pretend it was a game then Asylum would¡¯ve been all over those books!¡±


    Hugh let out a scoff. ¡°Really? And how much of this ¡®game¡¯ can really help you with your powers when you can¡¯t even use these ¡®enchantment¡¯ things it taught you for the very thing they¡¯re supposedly designed for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± He interrupted. ¡°Right, here under the enchanting section it warns that you can¡¯t actually use it on anything with too many moving parts such as cars, TVs, or Phones.¡±


    Both Hugh and Aurora just stared at him with the game book in hand, before Aurora turned to Hugh. ¡°Ha! Told you!¡±


    ¡°This¡­ This doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± Hugh (lied). ¡°We all know you can find pretty much anything when you try to!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but all of this magic stuff is laid out pretty straightforward once you switch out a few of the game variables with real world equivalents.¡± He shrugged, before spotting something interesting. ¡°You know, I¡¯m actually kind of curious how accurate their math is here since they have this entire breakthrough system laid out in the description for levels, while accounting for Crits pushing those numbers.¡±


    Hugh blinked at him. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± He nodded, forcing his smirk down. ¡°In fact, tactically speaking I think playing this game would be a fantastic way of figuring out how Aurora¡¯s powers really work.¡±


    ¡°Can we?!¡± Aurora burst, looking like a puppy as she threw away any conviction towards proving her book wasn¡¯t meant to be played as a game.


    Hugh looked between them, at V¡¯s completely (bullshit/)serious face and Aurora¡¯s hopeful one before eventually sighing. ¡°Fine. We can play the stupid game¡­¡±


    ---


    The fact that Hugh also now GMed their monthly tabletop game as well as his daughter¡¯s weekly game, was something that always made him laugh upon remembering the other man¡¯s initial reaction to the Arcane Arcanum. (It¡¯s always funny how the mad scientists love playing witches and wizards.)


    ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Aurora and me that learned a lot about each other.¡± Hugh admitted, grabbing his shoulder. ¡°Even the mysterious Vigilance couldn¡¯t keep all his secrets when trapped in an RV for days on end. Let me tell you guy¡¯s backstory is a trip.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Hey, V, I¡¯ve got a question.¡± Hugh told him, after Aurora had passed out in the back and the other man had a few beers.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s got questions.¡± He shrugged from where he was driving to hit their next town by daybreak. ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°You know how you¡¯re not actually a Deviant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware that I¡¯m not a Deviant.¡± He nodded as patronizingly as possible. (Doesn¡¯t stop me from being able to kick your ass.)


    ¡°Why¡¯s this whole thing so important to you?¡± Hugh asked. ¡°I mean, Asylum wasn¡¯t really interested in you, in fact I don¡¯t think they were that active in your city, but you¡¯re putting like ten times as much effort into this whole thing as me or Aurora.¡±


    He was silent for a moment, just staring out at the night road passing by in front of him, and at a certain point he knew he wasn¡¯t going to answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m adopted.¡± At least until Hugh began to stand.


    The other man froze, before slowly sitting back down.


    ¡°My mom -Samantha- died when I was a kid and I¡­ I was adopted by my grandfather, though he¡¯s also the only father I¡¯ve ever had, so¡­ yeah.¡± He admitted, feeling like if he stopped he wouldn¡¯t start again.


    ¡°I had two uncles¡­ brothers?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Our relationship was weird. The old man was going through this depressed phase after my mom¡¯s death and¡­ Adopting me got him through it, but my brothers came by a lot to make sure we were getting by given pop¡¯s old age and my lack of age. One of them always brought my niece -though she was more of a sister- because we were pretty close in age. She was my best friend¡­¡± He smiled before going quiet.


    It took a moment to get going again because he was getting to the hard part. (Then again no harm in stalling a bit¡­ We¡¯ve got all night¡­)


    ¡°My old man grew up Irish in a¡­ bad time to be that in America and fought at the end of the second world war when america was involved in Germany and saw things there that he refused to let stand here.¡± He explained, knowing he was dragging things out. ¡°Which is how a white man adopted my black brother Samson¡­ Having seen a few more similarities with how black folk were treated than he was comfortable with on the night Samson¡¯s parents passed, and refusing to let the kid go through life in fear of that.¡±


    ¡°Needless to say that made life¡­ hard for my family since the fifties and sixties were not a fun time for a mixed family.¡± He sighed. ¡°Of course that was all before my time, just¡­ When combined with how the old man¡¯s old man was a prohibition gangster, well¡­ it sets a tone for my family¡¯s views on things. Namely that we refused to take anyone''s shit¡­¡±


    (Can¡¯t¡­ Shouldn¡¯t put it off anymore¡­) He figured after a moment, knowing that he¡¯d let himself talk about everyone but the person he had to if kept on like this. (And she deserves better than that¡­)


    ¡°Rose, my¡­ niece, cousin, sister?¡± He ran a hand down his face, his other tightening on the steering wheel. ¡°During Vietnam, my eldest brother found out he was a Deviant. Of course, he didn¡¯t tell anyone other than the woman that he would marry, who herself was an Arcane. The only reason I found out is because Rose¡­ inherited his Deviancy¡­ Which is what got her killed.¡±


    (I¡­ I need to pull over¡­)


    For a moment all he could hear was his own breathing, before he forced himself to continue, ¡°Rose, she¡­ She protested against Asylum¡­ as an open Deviant, because of course she did with our family.¡± He laughed, not feeling the least bit of joy. ¡°Asylum¡­ Asylum didn¡¯t like that¡­ And because of that one night¡­ One night her branch of the family was just¡­ gone¡­¡± (Like mom¡­)


    He wiped at his eyes. ¡°And I¡­ I can¡¯t let that happen again¡­¡±


    A hand clasped his shoulder. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Hugh promised him.


    ---


    Hugh squeezed his shoulder. ¡°Would not believe a rich kid raised by his butler could turn into this much of a badass.¡±


    ¡°No you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Aurora smiled, bumping shoulders with him as she showed -knowing the real story- she was there for him too.


    The host laughed, people long since having realized that particular story was fake.


    ¡°Well, we all know Vigilance likes to keep his secrets, but maybe we can dig into the secrets of the Hero¡¯s Guild.¡± The host told them, before looking to the camera. ¡°So be sure to tune in after the break as we continue to talk to everyone¡¯s favorite heroes.¡±


    They all waited for the ¡®Live¡¯ sign to switch off, before relaxing.


    ¡°How much more of this is there?¡± He found himself asking.


    ¡°Well the show is like an hour long so¡­ three breaks?¡± Aurora shrugged.


    ¡°Fuuuck, kill me now.¡± Hugh groaned quietly enough that no one would hear.


    ¡°We both know Cass would kill me if I let you die.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°If you want we can do a suicide pact?¡± Aurora offered. ¡°I mean, V will be left out because of his no killing policy but we can still take each other out.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone and I¡¯ll have your son summon you from hell.¡± He warned her, before glaring at Hugh. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°And you wonder why everyone calls you a killjoy.¡±

 (6) Sinless Days: The Sinner鈥檚 Sisters

    (6) Sinless Days: The Sinner¡¯s Sisters


    --- Mercer ---


    The world was at peace.


    For him this was rarer than fuck.


    Which is why he was savoring laying in bed, limbs tangled with Julie as their sleeping selves latched onto each other like a pair of leeches trying to bleed each other dry but caring too much about the other to drain faster than the other one.


    Or rather he was savoring that very warped imagery his twisted psyche had filled his dreams with until something started poking him in the back.


    But having slept in a dumpster numerous times in the past, he was fully able to ignore it. Until it moved to his shoulder, at which point he was ignoring it more out of stubbornness than ability. When whatever it was started poking his cheek he decided it was time for violence and pointed his gun in the vague direction of whatever was poking him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve five seconds to drop it before I shoot.¡± He growled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not disrespecting the Pokey Stick like that.¡± An overly familiar voice warned him, before poking him again.


    He pulled the trigger on his gun.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Julie screamed from beside him as she shot up in a panic. ¡°Who¡¯s here?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jules.¡± The voice greeted, having completely avoided his concussion round.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Hey, you two.¡± Julie sighed, realizing this was just more of the bullshit she agreed to put up with when she married him.


    (Wait, two?) He frowned, finally rolling over to find the pale dirty blonde teen with rings around her eyes wearing a grungy hoodie he¡¯d been expecting. The slightly older dark skinned woman with blue hair was less expected. ¡°This is going to be one of those days isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± The blue haired woman admitted, sipping at a cup of coffee he was pretty sure had come from his machine.


    ¡°Les-bro.¡± He greeted, glaring at the coffee.


    ¡°Cis-ter.¡± She greeted back without looking at him.


    He shifted his glare to the other intruder. ¡°Blonde bitch.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even look at him as she answered. ¡°Prison bitch.¡±


    Frowning he tracked their mutual line of sight before his arm quickly shot up to cut it off. ¡°Hey, hey! No ogling my wife!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Julie assured him, stretching her arms in the air and completely missing his complaint.


    ¡°How would you feel if your sister saw me naked?¡± He asked his wife.


    ¡°Actually I think I¡¯d like that.¡± Julie smirked before running a finger over his pecs. ¡°Mostly because she¡¯d be forced to realize my husband is hotter than hers.¡±


    ¡°You know you really do fit in with this family.¡± The blonde girl laughed with a clap of her hands. ¡°You¡¯re such a petty bitch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Julie smiled looking quite pleased with herself.


    It was at that moment the door to their room was kicked open by glowing eyed Scarlet, looking like she was already beginning to shift as claws grew out of her hands and she snarled with a maw full of fangs.


    From beside him he noted that the blue one already had a gun aimed for dead between the Malcontent teen¡¯s eyes. The gun not swaying an inch despite being held up by a single hand.


    The blonde wasn¡¯t very far behind faint sparks already popping from a device she¡¯d pulled out of her pocket.


    ¡°Oi! No violence until I¡¯ve got pants on!¡± He told everyone, forcibly de-escalating the situation.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s boring¡­¡± Julie muttered from beside him.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Look, we can sort this all out once I¡¯ve got some pants on me and some coffee in me.¡±


    ---


    ¡°And where the fuck is my coffee?!¡± He asked, glaring at an empty machine that he knew was set to have a pot full by now.


    A loud slurping sound drew his attention to the blue haired (bitch) looking him in the eye as she downed his coffee.


    ¡°That is an act of terrorism and I will respond appropriately.¡± He warned her, reaching for his gun only to find it missing. (The fuck?)


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have left it unguarded.¡± The blonde brat told him poking him with his gun as she added an unholy mix of sugar to his coffee. ¡°You¡¯re honestly lucky we didn¡¯t do anything to it.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but scoff as he stole his gun back. ¡°She may be a terrorist but she wouldn¡¯t disrespect caffeine like that.¡± He glared at the abomination in the blonde¡¯s hands. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put that past you though.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡± The blonde nodded sipping at her sugar coffee.


    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t figured it out, they¡¯re his sisters.¡± Julie said from the actual dining room.


    Scarlet looked between the three of them with a scrunched up expression, likely trying to figure out how they¡¯re related despite the fact that she and Bell didn¡¯t look all that similar themselves.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Amari is from my mom¡¯s side.¡± He pointed at his blue sister and then to the blonde one. ¡°Charlie is from my dad¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Right, and these are Scarlet and Bell.¡± Julie introduced from beside Scarlet and Bell as she sat with said girls at the table. ¡°They¡¯re from the addiction Mercer inherited from his parents.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Charlie nodded in perfect misunderstanding.


    ¡°That is not what¡¯s happening here.¡± He glared between his sister and his wife.


    Amari stared at him for a moment. ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    He forced himself to take a deep breath before grinding out, ¡°Why are you two here? Drinking my coffee and poking me with a stick?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s fun.¡± Charlie answered without missing a beat.


    He caught the stick before she could poke him this time, only to get a raspberry as he yanked it out of her hand.


    ¡°It is, but mom wanted me to check in with you after hearing how your house was firebombed.¡± Amari answered more seriously before jabbing a thumb at his blonde sister. ¡°I figured she¡¯d know where you moved since she actually lives in this hell hole.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just mad the Way chewed you up and spat you out.¡± Charlie scoffed with a derisive shake of her head. ¡°Couldn¡¯t handle the Way of the badass.¡±


    ¡°No, she couldn¡¯t.¡± He agreed, raising his hand towards the blonde and receiving a high five.


    Amari flipped both of them off.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Charlie sighed. ¡°Blue bitch got my mom all worried about you, and I told her you were fine but she still wanted me to check in person¡­ At which point I realized I haven¡¯t annoyed you in almost a month, and I am way behind quota.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s been a busy month for both of us.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, in part because of all that garbage you stirred up a couple of weeks ago.¡± Charlie glared, before shrugging herself. ¡°Then again, it needed to be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°It did.¡± He nodded. (Even if it meant interacting with the asshole to do it¡­)


    ¡°Right, so how bad of a situation did you get these girls from?¡± Amari whispered barely loud enough for him to hear.


    ¡°Asylum bad.¡± He answered just as quietly, knowing that Charlie was leaning in to eavesdrop. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re being nervous and shifty.¡± Amari pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, and you remember how you were when Mom-¡±


    ¡°With Jules.¡± His sister interrupted.


    He closed his mouth and glanced at the girls only to realize they were actively avoiding looking at Julie who was clearly trying to ignore that fact no matter how much it bugged her.


    Having known the pair slightly longer, and aware that the two were not masters of secret keeping, he decided to just point blank ask them, ¡°Scarlet, Bell, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± Scarlet lied, looking away from him even faster than she¡¯d responded.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you need your sister¡¯s powers to know how little I believe that?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Bell grimaced, earning a finger gun from him.


    ¡°So spit it out you two. Whatever''s wrong we can just talk about it.¡± He assured them.


    ¡°Um, well¡­ It¡¯s just, uh, well¡­ You two¡­¡± Bell managed to get out.


    ¡°Amari and Charlie?¡± He asked, figuring that it was in character for the girls to have issues with new people.


    ¡°No, um, you and Julie¡­¡± Scarlet clarified.


    ¡°Okay, what about me and Julie?¡± He prodded, knowing that whatever this was couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    ¡°Um, well¡­ We know you guys had a fight because you took us in¡­¡± Bell tried to explain.


    ¡°Something I¡¯d happily do again.¡± He promised.


    He ignored Charlie¡¯s, ¡°You¡¯re such a dad!¡± to the point where it might as well not have happened at all as far as his memory was concerned.


    ¡°Look girls, having you here was a surprise.¡± Julie admitted. ¡°But you¡¯re both free to stay here as long as you want to. We bonded talking shit about Mercer.¡±


    Amari smiled. ¡°Yeah, you two might as well be family after doing that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Charlie nodded with enough solemness he was contemplating trying to shoot her again.


    ¡°See you two aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Julie assured the girls, before backpedaling a bit. ¡°Unless you want to, you¡¯re not prisoners here.¡±


    ¡°But then why have you two been fighting all the time?¡± Scarlet frowned.


    Julie blinked. ¡°We haven¡¯t been.¡±


    Scarlet glared at her. ¡°No, I¡¯ve heard you every night yelling and even hitting each other!¡±


    ¡°B-but like I was telling you, my, my otherselves say they aren¡¯t fighting!¡± Bell cried out trying to calm Scarlet down.


    ¡°And we aren¡¯t.¡± Julie agreed, looking deeply confused before her eyes went wide, ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯ve heard us¡­ every night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and even sometimes during the day! So don¡¯t try to pretend you want us here!¡± Scarlet growled, her eyes flashing red as Julie¡¯s face turned the same color.


    ¡°Fuuuuck¡­¡± He cringed, realizing what this was all about. ¡°You two have¡­ sensory abilities¡­ that I completely forgot about¡­¡±


    From beside him Charlie burst out laughing as she realized what he had, earning a confused look from everyone who hadn¡¯t figured it out yet.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?!¡± Scarlet yelled.


    ¡°You¡­you heard them¡­ Heh-heh-ha, you heard them¡­ having sex!¡± His more immature sister cackled in between gasps for air.


    Julie buried her face in her arms in an attempt to hide away from the embarrassment.


    From beside him Amari refused to look at him even as she took a long sip from her coffee to keep her mouth shut.


    As for him? Well, given how he was used to running around in a costume as a poor life choice as well as being a dramatic little bitch about things as a very good battle tactic, he stoically took the situation more annoyed with Charlie¡¯s laughter than the actual embarrassment.


    At least until Bell innocently asked, ¡°What¡¯s sex?¡± and the kitchen went dead silent.


    ¡°Heh, funny¡­¡± Charlie let out a nervous chuckle as her laughter died out. ¡°You, uh, you know what sex is¡­ right?¡±


    Bell and Scarlet glanced at each other in confusion before they both shook their heads. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Where, where babies come from?¡± Charlie desperately supplied.


    Bell¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Sex is the stork?¡±


    Closing his eyes in pain, he explained to his sisters that, ¡°They, uh, they had a very¡­ isolated childhood.¡± (And their confusion at my jokes makes so much more sense now¡­)


    ¡°Uh, huh.¡± Amari nodded, before taking one long sip of her coffee and setting it on the kitchen counter. ¡°Welp I¡¯m out.¡± The bluenette told him as she started towards the exit. ¡°I¡¯ll tell mom you¡¯re still alive and that she¡¯s a grandma now.¡±


    ¡°Same!¡± Charlie called out having already pried open a nearby window for her to climb out of.


    ¡°Wait, what? No! They¡¯re not-!¡± He trailed off realizing both of his sisters had left and in two separate directions. (Damn it! Which one is going to cause more damage? Memory says Charlie but instinct says Amari with mom and- Fuck! I don¡¯t know who to go after!)


    ¡°Come on, what the fuck is sex?¡± Scarlet growled, looking around in confused anger and apparently not understanding what she was saying.


    He inhaled deeply, and upon weighing his options in this situation decided that it was better to just bite the bullet, he exhaled before explaining that, ¡°Right, so you two need to have the sex talk¡­ And given how you¡¯re both girls it¡¯s Julie¡¯s job to explain this to you two.¡±


    Julie¡¯s head shot up. ¡°Wait, what?!¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile I¡¯ve got to go do a favor for the way¡¯s resident Eldritch abomination before he gets kill happy, byeee!¡± He called out as he dove feet first through the same window Charlie had made her escape through moments before.


    From behind him, he heard Julie scream, ¡°Coward!¡±

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 1)- The Prologue

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 1)-


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°And here I was thinking you forgot about me.¡± Clockwork¡¯s voice rasped through the air.


    ¡°Come on, Clocky you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. Your performances are unforgettable.¡± He assured the man-thing even if he couldn¡¯t see it anywhere.


    ¡°Ha-ha!¡± The eldritch playwright¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°Your praise¡­ is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°And deserved.¡± He nodded, looking around for Clockwork¡¯s ¡®body¡¯. ¡°I know we¡¯ve got a fair few hours before the fog rolls in but I wanted to check and see if anything has changed since I last saw you. See if we can¡¯t narrow down where this thing is nesting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let me think¡­¡± Clockwork told him, meaning something less along the lines of ¡®remembering recent events¡¯ and more ¡®briefly go over my domain¡¯. ¡°Ah-ha! I believe I¡¯ve found something!¡±


    A light on the side of the theater flickered on, revealing Clockwork¡¯s inhumanly proportioned body as turned away before waving for him to follow. ¡°This way please¡­¡±


    Knowing that Clockwork could see things he couldn''t, he followed the puppet deeper into the theater, instinctively ignoring the way the halls twisted and turned in patterns that had his internal map doubling back over itself.


    ¡°As the true saint of the way, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the theater¡¯s more modern modifications?¡± Clockwork inquired as he spun and began walking backwards. Or rather his torso faced Mercer while his legs continued to walk forwards.


    ¡°Not sure I¡¯d call them modern, given how they were added before my time, but yeah.¡± He nodded, looking over movie and play posters from decades ago lining the wall. ¡°Way back when -during the ¡®Saint¡¯s Way¡¯ days- the stage theater was the main draw but when things started falling apart the owner bought out the two failed stores next to the theater and converted them into movie theaters in the hopes of recouping his losses without losing the stage itself. Not that that saved this place.¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± The playwright applauded before spinning back to the normal orientations, ¡°Your knowledge anyway, it¡¯s a shame that old William couldn¡¯t keep this place afloat. Sadly, humans cannot live on but a prayer and a dream¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± He shrugged, wondering if the theater¡¯s new owner could survive on just those things, ¡°but we wouldn¡¯t have met if he hadn¡¯t gotten desperate.¡±


    ¡°True!¡± Clockwork laughed. ¡°And I¡¯d like to think I¡¯ve done the man proud. After all, the theater is more alive than ever before!¡±


    ¡°In more ways than one.¡± He agreed, watching the way some of the shadows twisted and danced as if they were alive.


    ¡°Quite right, quite right¡­¡± The puppet agreed, his limbs seemingly going limp before bonelessly flopping against a door and gracelessly shoving it open. ¡°Still! There is a point to all of this¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh, there¡¯s no point to anything beyond the point of doing it.¡± He argued, pretending not to have noticed Clockwork¡¯s mistake as he followed into the room lined with several shelves full of film reels and an old school movie projector set up in the center. ¡°And if it¡¯s point enough to do it, then clearly it¡¯s point enough. Period.¡±


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    ¡°Semantics! Even though you are of course correct.¡± Clockwork nodded, his limbs regaining traction as they began moving in something tangentially human. ¡°What I meant however was how, mind and matter are interchangeable so long as the performance is believable! And believability is determined by the actor¡¯s connection to their audience! An audience we sadly lack¡­¡±


    He processed that for a moment as Clockwork dramatically collapsed into a nearby chair. And for that moment he felt the faint tingling in his brain that told him he was treading on something as¡­ insightful as it was dangerous before what the dramatic playwright was saying finally clicked. ¡°The Bleed ¡®s infected your theater despite being outside of it.¡±


    ¡°Correct, my darlingly deductive detective!¡± Clockwork clapped, before letting his head fall. ¡°It¡¯s such an annoyance¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, and I¡¯m guessing because of that infection, removing the Bleed will just double down its presence here.¡± He sighed, wishing he wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet so that he could massage his temples. (Because it¡¯s always one more complication after another¡­)


    ¡°Something like that¡­¡± The eldritch playwright confirmed as he climbed out of his seat. ¡°Which is why instead you shall perform upon my stage! With your performance we shall cast out all who dare claim that our art is undeserving of the spotlight! A spotlight you can use to follow rats back to their nest.¡±


    ¡°Right, burn the infection out and track it down to its source.¡± He summarized for himself before crossing his arms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really tell me which ¡®stage¡¯ you want me to perform on though, because I figure if they were infesting this cinema they¡¯d be a little more visible.¡±


    ¡°Ah, forgive me! You¡¯re so quick sometimes I forget your vision is impaired.¡± Clockwork apologized, before making his way over to a shelf full of film reels. ¡°Each of these represents a stage, more than one of which has been infested.¡±


    ¡°So we play the reels and it¡¯ll set the stage.¡± He guessed, knowing how Madness spaces like the theater tended to work.


    ¡°Correct again old friend!¡± Clockwork laughed, before pulling three reels free and setting them on the table. ¡°Given how you¡¯re the artist I¡¯ll let you set the stage. Just know each time you clear one of these reels the remaining vermin will flee to their next nest, twisting it as their power grows.¡±


    ¡°Right, well¡­ letting me set the stage doesn¡¯t really help me when I don¡¯t know what each of these reels represents.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but point out despite having a fairly clear understanding of what each reel was based on the way it made him feel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Clockwork asked him with no small amount of amusement. ¡°The best stories write themselves! What¡¯s on each reel changes person to person. I won¡¯t know the twist until you do.¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± He grumbled, knowing that there was no getting out of Clockwork¡¯s eccentricities this time. (Sometimes it¡¯s just better to just roll with the Madness rather than fighting it.)


    He looked the reels over, this time noticing that each of them had a name on the side, one that despite not being in any language he recognized, was one that he could easily understand as they read themselves into his mind. (I really hate that I can read these¡­)


    There was a cruel irony to the three reels that he was sure completely flew over Clockwork¡¯s inhuman head, especially if, like the eldritch playwright said, they were as much based on him as the reels themselves. (Which explains why I know what each of these is going to throw at me¡­)


    Knowing that he wasn¡¯t going to get out of this he tapped the reels. ¡°Load them up in this order.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can already tell, this will be one hell of a performance.¡±


    With that, the world went dark.

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 2- Rebirth)

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 2- Rebirth)


    --- ??? ---


    The world was peaceful. More so than he could ever remember it in his short painful existence. No cold, no hunger, no pain, just¡­ peace.


    And that peace it¡­ it pissed him the fuck off.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure, his mind as muddled as it was, but he knew that peace like this was wrong. And even knowing that it would only get better if he simply gave in and accepted the peace¡¯s sweet embrace, his very soul raged against the idea of accepting whatever this was. (No, not now. You haven¡¯t earned it.)


    There was no telling how long he was trapped in this state, only that as he stayed like this the more of him he felt slipping away. So he forced himself to remember.


    He remembered the cold setting in, forcing him to move in the hopes of outrunning it. The hunger that left him fighting to try and feel the void inside of him. The pain that meant he was still alive no matter how broken. And most importantly he remembered the rage, the thing that pushed him to change a world that wanted to drown him in the darkest of blacks.


    And with all of this he held onto the things he could not let the peace take away from him. His mama¡¯s singing as old and forgotten as it was, his dad¡¯s encouragement, his siblings¡¯ laughter, he used the rage to burn away anything that tried to take these things from him.


    Eventually he felt a tugging within. One that he tried to resist, refusing to give into any temptation that threatened the life he¡¯d built for himself.


    The peace recoiled from the pulling, focusing more on stopping it than trying to devour what was left of him.


    (And that¡¯s reason enough to embrace it.) He thought bitterly, as he latched onto the pulling letting it drag him screaming from the peace as it filled him with a heat. So very different from the perfect temperature of the peace, the feverish warmth making the cold of the world around him all the more apparent.


    His heart pounded against his ribcage, trying to escape his expanding ribcage as he hungrily sucked in as much air as he could, as if he¡¯d been starved of the life giving substance for years.


    For a brief moment he was filled with pain unending, so much more than he¡¯d ever felt in his life. Or rather, he felt all of the pain he¡¯d ever felt in his life as the peace made one last desperate grasp at getting him to give in and come back to her.


    But he refused, enraged by the very idea.


    He shot up from the bed, ready to rip someone¡¯s throat out with his teeth and beat them to death with their own skulls.


    ¡°Shh, shh, shh, habibi, it¡¯s alright.¡± A gentle voice cooed.


    He blinked, his eyes quickly latching onto the familiar face. One of the few that could calm him his rage from its hellish proportions and down to its ever present simmer as he caught sight of his, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Tanned skin smiled beneath two faintly glowing green eyes. ¡°Mercy¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he felt something drag its fingers across his mind.


    Taking a deep breath, he exhaled before looking around the room, taking note of the (oh so familiar) spell circuit carved into the dirt. One that while he couldn¡¯t actually read, he could not mistake any other circuit for given just how deeply it was practically carved into his own soul.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± He asked, trying to get his head straight as he looked around the dark room filled with candles, everything outside of the light an indecipherable void of darkness.


    His mom gave him a sad look as she ran a hand over his cheek. ¡°Habibi¡­ you¡­ you bit off more than you could handle.¡±


    ¡°I did¡­?¡± He asked weakly, really playing it up as he eyed his mom who was wearing her usual city wear of jeans, a leather jacket, and a green scarf over a plain hijab.


    ¡°Yes, I had to-¡±


    He drew his gun and shot his mother point blank in the chest.


    She rushed back in a burst of pale smoke as she looked at him with hurt eyes. ¡°Habibi why-¡±


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    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re screwing this impersonation thing up.¡± He told the thing wearing his mother¡¯s face. ¡°And I mean really screwing it up.¡±


    The thing frowned at him. ¡°Mercy, what game are you playing?¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s start with the one you couldn¡¯t account for, my eyesight is pretty much shot in one eye so I¡¯ve got a camera in my helmet to help balance things out and it¡¯s picking nothing up from that void outside of this light.¡± He told the entity before him as he stood up. ¡°Next my mom hates wearing a hijab, and only does so because she¡¯s embroidered enough enchantments into it to make the thing bulletproof and has enough enemies to make it worth putting up with and since people expect middle eastern women to wear them it¡¯s a hell of a lot less conspicuous than my helmet.¡±


    He wrapped his knuckles on his own, just to underline the point that he was in fact wearing it. ¡°Speaking of, and this one was an amateur mistake, I felt your fingers on my face despite wearing a helmet. Might want to pull back on the mind fuckery next time if you¡¯re one of those resurrecting demons or some shit. Though thanks for telling me you¡¯ve got armor piercing claws.¡±


    ¡°Mercer, this is no longer funny.¡± The entity told him, getting his mom¡¯s voice down pat, but not quite getting the right tone of exasperated -I will stab you and heal your ass if you don¡¯t stop- fondness his mom actually had when she was reaching her limit with his bullshit.


    ¡°Going to ignore how you¡¯re giving me even more evidence, because I¡¯m enjoying explaining why you¡¯re an idiot.¡± He assured the eldritch horror before continuing his lecture. ¡°Next, yeah my mom can do that smoke dash trick, but hers is green due to all the Necromancy causing her to have a little more residual Ectoplasm in her system than is healthy. It¡¯s actually why her eyes have the glowing green thing, though they do darken to a greenish brown when she hasn¡¯t cast anything in a minute. I¡¯m guessing the fact that yours was a pale fog means you''re the entity of the Mists that clockwork sent me to run out of his theater, or part of it at least since you lot have that whole sapient hive mind thing going on most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Are you done with this farce yet, boy?¡± The entity asked, attempting to project a feeling of fear into his mind. One that ironically enough he was able to resist because when his mom wanted him to feel fear she tended to use death magic rather than psionic madness. (They are two completely different flavors of mind fuckery.)


    With his life he felt safe saying he was something of a connoisseur on that matter.


    ¡°Almost done, last point. Clothes.¡± He tugged on his jacket, before kicking the circle at his feet. ¡°This resurrection ritual doesn¡¯t work when someone is wearing clothes, or at least organic clothes like my cotton shirt. My mom would¡¯ve stripped me if she was doing this.¡±


    He stopped to think about that, as well as what he knew about the Mists and their usual modus operandi. ¡°Actually, you know what. I¡¯m going to take a step back and thank you.¡±


    The creature blinked, likely actually shocked. ¡°Th-thank me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you Mist lot are kind of infamous for summoning up peoples families to try and mind fuck them, which for some freudian reason results in your humanoid creatures trying to physically fuck them.¡± He explained. ¡°So given how the memory you''re trying to poach was like three months before my mom officially adopted me when I was sixteen and I was naked here¡­ Well, thank you for not trying to give me an oedipus complex. That bumps you up to like my sixth, seventh(?) favorite eldritch entity.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d have to try that hard, given how you feel about your father.¡± The creature scoffed, taking on an ugly look that his mom would not be able to pull off with her actual face or personality. ¡°You know that¡¯s the only reason I brought you back? I don¡¯t love you, I just wanted to make him suffer for-¡±


    ¡°Another mistake.¡± He interrupted. ¡°Two actually. First, my mom has way too much self respect to ever get hung up on a man like that¡­ Or rather if she wanted to torture someone she¡¯d do it personally while using magic to make sure they know they aren¡¯t allowed to die until she gives they beg for her permission. Thinking about it she¡¯d probably get along with you Mist folk.¡±


    He¡¯d have to find her one he wasn¡¯t planning on killing. (My mom could use some non-mercenary friends. Preferably ones she won¡¯t try to sleep w- Okay, for my own sanity not introducing my mom to any eldritch horrors.)


    ¡°Second mistake!¡± He called perhaps a little too loudly. ¡°My mom adopted another kid like two months after I moved out, and I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s already eyeing a third adoptee. I kicked that woman¡¯s maternal instincts in hard.¡±


    ¡°I took them in because I was done with you. You really think your so irreplaceable that-¡±


    ¡°My mom sends postcards to her ex¡¯s kids along with christmas and birthday presents.¡± He interrupted once more. ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t let go of her kids or other people¡¯s kids for that matter. I mean for a mind rape-y eldritch horror shouldn¡¯t you know how badly she¡¯s hounding me for grandkids? I mean if you want to bring up traumatic experiences she once had an assassin tranq me with fertility meds! Honestly, I¡¯m just glad that Julie had to leave for a family emergency two hours before that asshole got me! Oh, oh! And when I chewed her out for this shit she didn¡¯t see the problem because I¡¯m her child and that means I¡¯m hers so she can drug or enchant me if she wants as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt me! What the fuck man?! I mean as a technically twice orphan that¡¯s super nice and reassuring to some of my insecurities but still a little fucked up given the context! Especially since she tried it again two weeks later, which was even more awkward when the assassin -who I¡¯m pretty sure once had a threeway with his wife and my mom- wanted to make me the godfather because I flipped the tranq on him when he thought he was too old to have kids!¡±


    The eldritch horror opened its mouth before closing it.


    He took a deep breath before exhaling. ¡°Right, sorry about that. Kind of went off on a rant¡­ don¡¯t know where they came from. I¡¯ll do some introspection type shit later or something¡­ real big on that, helps pass the stakeout time when I get sick of my online classes.¡±


    An awkward silence descended on both of them as the eldritch horror tried to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Ugh, I totally killed the mood didn¡¯t I?¡± He grimaced before shaking his head as he reloaded his gun. ¡°You want to skip over the mind games -that you totally lost- and just get straight to the killing each other part?¡±


    In response the creature lunged at him in such an obvious way that he just ducked under it grabbed it, flipped it over, and slammed it skull first into the concrete ground.


    Leaping back he pointed his gun at the creature that was fading into mist, waiting for it to reform¡­ only for it not to¡­


    He looked around the room. ¡°Well¡­ that was anticlimactic¡­¡±


    The lights flickered off once more.

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 3- Damnation)

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 3- Damnation)


    --- Mercer ---


    He blinked before shaking his head clear, glad that this transition was nowhere near as traumatic as his previous. His consciousness remaining intact this time rather than being drowned beneath the trauma of his first death.


    A tide of cries and gasps ushered out from in front of him, drawing his attention out of his head and to the world around him.


    He found himself standing on a stage in front of a faceless crowd, barely there and barely human as their sheer numbers made their true forms bleed through. The mists visibly coalescing around them as light flashed out here and there, attempting to distract from the illusion struggling to latch onto the bits of memory he¡¯d mostly disregarded.


    Still, knowing what memory this was referencing in particular he looked down at the corpse of a man (I¡¯d kind of been hoping to shoot a second time) staring up at him with cold dead eyes.


    He went ahead and double taped it because there was a decent chance the thing would get up and try to go zombie on him. (And I¡¯ve got way too much experience with Killian to ever trust a corpse to stay dead.)


    ¡°Now then, we both know that this isn¡¯t what this memory is about.¡± He told the mists with a gesture to the swarm of monsters he was inevitably going to have to kill before all of this was over. ¡°So, we going to get to the real mindfucking or you going to keep showing me how much you suck at foreplay?¡±


    The world around him shuddered for a moment, before a wave of mist washed over him and he found himself off of the stage where he¡¯d executed a man and on the sloping rooftop of a church on the edge of the Way and the rest of the city.


    ¡°What were you thinking?!¡± A hypocritical voice asked somewhere between a yell and a snarl. ¡°Do you have any idea what the fuck you¡¯ve done?!¡±


    As much as he hated to admit it, that question -or at least the tone it was asked in- actually stung. Which is why much like the first time, instead of focusing on the hurt he latched onto the burning rage inside to steel himself against it with his usual snark. ¡°I was thinking your justice was going to take just a little too long for me¡­ and all of the mayor¡¯s present and future victims, V. And I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve given all of us a little bit of closure.¡±


    He could feel Vigilance¡¯s glare through the black mask the other man wore, the costume looking more like the hero¡¯s current costume than the one he¡¯d actually been wearing on this night. A reminder that this wasn¡¯t the real Vigilance but rather an illusion of the Mists. Something that made things easier if less¡­ desired¡­


    A silence fell over them, the nearby buildings stuttering as the Mist worked to keep him from noticing the void behind them, even as it drew attention to the fact that several of those buildings had looked significantly different five years ago before more than a dozen Hell Nights.


    He tried to ignore, wanting to actually get into this memory but as the silence continued to drag on¡­


    ¡°Fuck, you can¡¯t even get the little details right when I want you to mindfuck me.¡± He groaned, running a hand down his helmeted face.


    Vigilance watched (always fucking watching) observing and calculating, more like his normal self than the side of him Mercer had dealt with on this night.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± He grumbled beginning to pace. ¡°Get angry! If we¡¯re doing this, I want the Vigilance of that night. Not¡­ this!¡±


    ¡°The me of what night?¡± The (faker) cautiously asked, rather than ranting about how much of an idiot he was for what he¡¯d done or all the ways that this was going to damage the Heroes Guild right as it had finally hit its stride. (As the words burned the older man strode forward, and as he tried to make excuses he felt a fist impact rattle his skull inside of his helmet.)


    ¡°This night! The night I quit being a Vigil! The night that you beat me until I snapped and beat you within an inch of your life right back! The night I lost my fa-¡± His mouth snapped shut and he looked away from Vigilance.


    ¡°Mercer¡­¡± The (fake, fake, faker) began with no small amount of concern. ¡°Something is clearly wrong¡­ calm down and we can talk this out.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no we can¡¯t!¡± He scowled, pawing at his helmet as it felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe with it on. (Doesn¡¯t make a difference¡­ Mists run on magic and Madness, helmet ¡®s doing jack shit to protect me here¡­)


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    The world around him shuddered, the night briefly filling with a white fog, before being replaced with the rain clouds that had broken loose half way through his actual fight with Vigilance. Somewhere after he¡¯d drawn his knife but before (he dodged the older man¡¯s throwing dart and slipped, his boots skidding on the rain slickened tiles so much that he had to fire a grappling line at the church cross to keep from falling off the roof¡¯s edge.)


    He threw his helmet off, and yet he still couldn¡¯t feel the rain on his face, dashing his hopes of clearing his head with the rain because he¡¯d never taken it off in the actual fight and thus didn¡¯t connect the feeling with this night.


    ¡°Fuck! Now you want to get the memories right!¡± He cursed knowing full well that he was letting the mists get to him here, but unable to help himself given how¡­ complicated this night was for him.


    ¡°Mercer, I think you¡¯re under a Slaver effect.¡± Vigilance told him, sounding oh-so reasonable and concerned. ¡°If you can calm down and resist it enough for us to get back to base we can get you whatever help you need to break this.¡±


    Which is why Mercer shot him- ¡°Shut up. Shut up! Shut the fuck Up!¡± -repeatedly.


    Of course not one shot actually hit Vigilance, the man¡¯s edges shifting as he leaned out of the way of each shot. A seemingly supernatural feat if the older man hadn¡¯t taught him how to do the exact same, if without the illusory edges.


    He kept pulling the trigger on his gun even as the bullets ran out, before eventually letting his arm drop as he glared at what he knew was an illusion, hating the fact that if it wasn¡¯t a fake version of Vigilance he¡¯d be handling this a lot better than he was.


    (No you wouldn¡¯t.) A little voice whispered. One that he couldn¡¯t tell if it was his own or the Mist¡¯s.


    He inhaled before exhaling, forcing himself to think even as he grasped the rage in his chest ever tighter.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± The creature of the Mist¡¯s asked, exasperated and concerned in equal measure.


    ¡°For now.¡± He nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few cylinders that would look like glowing shotgun shells to the uninitiated. ¡°And only because Clockwork-¡± The world shuddered as he said the name of the entity this place truly belonged to. ¡°-limited my ammo because ¡®bullets are to a gun, what paint is to a brush¡¯ and he gives me a bunch of bullshit rules about the two.¡±


    ¡°Look, Mercer¡­¡± The fake Vigilance began. ¡°You made a mistake, just¡­ I¡¯m worried about you. Just come home and¡­ we can talk about all of this once you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Nice words.¡± He assured the creature as he reloaded his gun, pocketing the shells that matched the ones he put in save their glow. ¡°Not going to lie. Absolutely wanted to hear them five years ago but¡­ that was five years ago.¡±


    He locked his Rhapsody¡¯s chamber back into place before pointing it at the fake. ¡°So like the actual Vigilance you can go fuck yourself because we both know Auroura won¡¯t.¡±


    The fake Vigilance glared at him, as they stared each other down.


    At least until a thud drew their attention to a third figure.


    Between them stood a stressed looking man wearing a black and blue body suit, a strained smile on his face as his eyes darted between them from underneath his mask.


    ¡°Safeguard.¡± The fake Vigilance greeted his fake apprentice.


    Him, he just started pinching the bridge of his nose, having a decent idea of where the Mists were going with this bullshit. (If this fake tries the real one¡¯s kumbaya bullshit I am going to shoot- Actually, that¡¯s not really a threat when I was going to shoot him either way.)


    ¡°Look, I uh, I know those looks¡­ Let¡¯s, let¡¯s not do anything we¡¯re going to regret when the sun comes up.¡± The fake told them, before quickly raising his arm and having a large metal shield appear from within his bracer to block several bullets that would¡¯ve otherwise hit him. ¡°Mercer, what the hell?!¡±


    ¡°That shit is annoying when the real you tries it every other month. I will not hesitate to shoot your ass before tracking down a brothel and pimping you out!¡± He warned the eldritch imposter. ¡°I know plenty of freaks into both tentacles and pretty boys!!!¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± The fake Safeguard blinked, looking like he couldn¡¯t process what Mercer had just said.


    (Another point against him. The actual Safeguard is one of the few people who can not only keep up with but actually match my verbal bullshit.) He thought with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°I think Mercer is under some kind of Slaver effect, disrupting his thoughts and exasperating his violent tendencies.¡± The fake Vigilance explained.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s not good but it¡¯s definitely better than him wanting to shoot us.¡± The fake Safeguard grinned looking a little relieved.


    ¡°That was a lie even when I was a Vigil.¡± He told the Mists. ¡°I have zero trigger discipline with these fucks. I regularly shot everyone with rubber bullets to get them used to dodging random attacks, and I purposely aimed for the dick¡­ Except in the girls¡¯ case, I shot their boobs instead.¡±


    Both the fakes stared at him for a moment before the world around them stuttered, the Mist becoming readily apparent for a few seconds before he found himself all six of the other Vigils staring at him on the roof in a sort of staggered half circle. The roof¡¯s slant making it so they were each slightly tilted.


    ¡°Oh, fuck all of you.¡± He groaned, looking the various copies over. ¡°Safeguard didn¡¯t show up until I was leaving, and he was so busy dealing with V that he didn¡¯t notice me fumble a grapple, crash into a wall, and spend the night in a dumpster with everything hurting. Swansong was babysitting the kids who were grounded because Vigilance snitched Hardknocks out to her mom -because he¡¯s a bitch like that- and Virtue the sequel trilogy wasn¡¯t even Virtue yet.¡±


    He pointed at one of the Vigil copies in particular. ¡°And what the fuck is Nightwatch doing up on a slanted rooftop? She¡¯s in a fucking wheelchair you dumbass, if she wanted to come after me she wouldn¡¯t be here, she¡¯d be drone striking my ass. In fact, in fact, that last one is so stupid that you¡¯ve officially been demoted from eldritch horror to dumbass horror. You are no longer the horror of the cosmic void but the horror of being a cosmic dumbass.¡±


    A wave of mist rolled over them as they all reappeared on an empty city street.


    He looked to the sky. ¡°Just because you cover it up now, doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t both know you fucked up here.¡±

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 3- Damnation, Pt. 2)

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 3- Damnation, Pt. 2)


    --- Mercer ---


    Nightwatch glared at him, the illusion apparently getting fed up with his shit. ¡°Mercer, do you realize how crazy you¡¯re acting right now? You¡¯re literally talking to the air!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know this is honestly like a six, maybe a seven for me. I mean I¡¯m not running around naked trying to steal a pair of pants that halfway fit from the criminals I mug without being seen by any civies because someone blew my house up while I was in the bath.¡± He hated when that happened.


    That fact that it happened twice made it all the worse.


    ¡°Mercer¡­ you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re scaring me¡­¡± Virtue asked, looking as small as he did when he first put on that outfit several years ago.


    He shot him in the dick.


    Everyone stared at him, as Virtue turned to Mist.


    He stared right on back. ¡°What? I said I aimed for the dick. Besides shooting Virtue is like an ingrained addiction at this point, I¡¯ve been doing it for years. And if we were going to fight then I was going to open with a dickshot, would you prefer it was you Safeguard?¡± He pointed his gun at said fake. ¡°I got a caliber that cup of yours won¡¯t do anything to stop.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this he¡¯s going feral, we need to subdue him before hurts anyone else.¡± Vigilance ordered everyone.


    ¡°Oh, now you want to fight when it¡¯s five on one -well technically it was six if we count the child shot, but that just makes it worse for all of you! Shame on all of you for trying to gang up on me like this, fight me one on one!¡± He ranted, keeping track of everyone¡¯s position as Swansong attempted to subtly circle behind him and Nightwatch reached for her gun loaded with rubber bullets.


    ¡°Second rule of being a Vigil, never fight fair.¡± Vigilance reminded him, before as one everyone that could move did, Mercer included.


    Nightwatch shot at him first, (which that bitch would be the first), the rounds that landed hitting him hard enough for the impacts to bruise even through his jacket as he moved to tackle Hard Knocks, knowing she was the weak link in this fight with Virtue already down.


    As he picked the teenage girl off of the ground, feeling her slam her gloves down in a double handed strike as he did so, just before he slammed her into the ground.


    Rather than letting him pick himself up, Hard Knocks clenched him, pulling his head in close as she pulled a hand back and switched on the taser built into her glove. His hand shot out and grabbed her hand by the wrist, twisting it at an angle that would keep her from actually putting the thing to his skin. (I don¡¯t care how toned down it is, I do not need that at the start of a fight.)


    He felt a cold cutting sensation as Swansong¡¯s claws ran down his back, the illusion apparently deciding to go straight for her more lethal option, causing his grip on Hard Knock¡¯s glove to waver for a moment, letting it get close enough that he could feel the static dancing on his skin.


    Blindly he shot his leg out towards Swansong, a leg she grabbed telling him exactly where she was as he aimed his gun behind him and pulled the trigger three times over. From the sound of it, the first shot hit while she bled the momentum of the concussive round to roll out of the way of the other two.


    Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Nightwatch aiming her gun at him once more and he shifted his weight atop Hard Knocks as well as his grip, his good eye waiting for the moment that she began to pull the- (Now!)


    He pulled on Hard Knocks wrist just as he threw his entire body to the side, causing them to flip onto their sides where Nightwatch shot the younger woman he¡¯d turned into a body shield.


    Under the disorientation of both the sudden repositioning as well as the sudden impact to her back, the fake Hard Knock flinched, releasing her grip on the taser¡¯s trigger and leaving him free to let her wrist go and slam her skull into the pavement with as much weight as he could throw. Something he was admittedly only willing to do because he knew this was a Mist Mimic rather than the teenage girl that he¡¯d introduced to the Vigils himself, as proven by the fact her body began to dissolve into said mists.


    Not getting a second to breathe he spun onto his back as he deflected a stomp from Swansong sending it to the dirt next to her and leaving her standing over him as he aimed his gun at her chest before pulling the trigger.


    The concussive round barked out of his gun, only to be completely blocked as Safeguard¡¯s shield took the entirety of the impact.


    ¡°Would you look at that? It¡¯s just the old guard now.¡± He grinned, catching Safeguard¡¯s shield with both hands as the illusion tried to drop it on his throat.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to hurt the kids like that.¡± Safeguard growled, Mercer having touched one of the few nerves that would legitimately piss the usually jovial man off.


    ¡°Eh, if they were real they¡¯d have taken worse than this and kept on kicking.¡± He scoffed, knowing just how much the younger Vigils had survived over the years. ¡°And if they were still pissed at me I¡¯d just buy Hard Knocks off with candy or some shit. She¡¯s cheap like that.¡±


    ¡°And Virtue?¡± Safeguard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he continued to press down, attempting to distract him from Swansong¡¯s movements.


    ¡°His hatred only makes me stronger.¡± He grinned, before shoving the original Virtue¡¯s shield to the side blocking the shot Nightwatch had aimed at his skull and leaving him free to fire his grappling line at Swansong, forcing her to dodge out of the way rather than create an opening for Safeguard.


    When his line began to retract, he grabbed it with his gloved hand and pulled causing the line to whip around and latch onto the fake Safeguard, the twisting motions buying him enough space to grab his gun and aim it at the second Vigil¡¯s crotch.


    Rather than taking the shot, Safeguard dropped onto his knees pinning Mercer¡¯s arm between his legs and throwing some more weight into a blow that would definitely leave him with a concussion later. (Eh, I¡¯m running with worse brain damage.)


    Safeguard once more raised his shield into the air, and rather than letting him bring it down Mercer threw his weight into the man pulling him into a grapple that while disadvantageous with his pinned arm was significantly more advantageous than taking an armed blow to the face. Especially when he managed to further push it into his favor by firing his grappling line into the dirt to build up some extra torque and throw Safeguard onto his back as Mercer pulled himself into a crouch.


    He just barely had time to raise both of his arms to block a kick from Vigilance that threw him onto his ass as he lost his balance.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve known you¡¯d come to save the favorite.¡± He chuckled bitterly, before quickly aiming and firing his last few rounds, the first missing as Vigilance dodged but the next two landing as he switched targets to Safeguard.


    Unfortunately, given how much armor the Mist Mimic had as well as the fact that his rounds grew weaker the further he got from his target this wasn¡¯t enough to shatter the illusory foe.


    It was however enough to keep him from noticing Swansong until she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, before pinning him with a knee to his chest and one clawed hand raised.


    ¡°Your cape is stupid!¡± He shouted, grabbing and pulling on said cape before she could bring the claw down and briefly choking her. Leaving her disoriented just long enough for him to steal one of the feather throwing darts that comprised the cape¡¯s lining and driving it into Swansong¡¯s leg.


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    The best melee fighter of the Vigils took that with barely a grunt before gripping her cape with one arm and twirling it in such a way that he¡¯d be hit by not one of her feather darts, but all of the ones stored inside of her cape.


    Not able to block or dodge the blow he covered his head with his arm and hoped that his jacket would be enough to keep the darts from turning him into a pincushion given how they were relying on their own weight to do so rather than any momentum.


    A strategy that may have worked if this was the real Swansong rather than a Mist Mimic using Ethereal blows, forcing him to feel every single dart pierce into his skin even if they did no true damage beyond that.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed, before lashing out with his arm and wrapping it around the cape that, due to its semi-corporeal nature, hadn¡¯t anchored itself into him with its dozens of feathers.


    Using his more solid grip on the cape he pulled on it as he spun, flipping Swansong off of him before ripping out another one of her feathers and throwing it at- (Nightwatch is aiming!)


    (Damn it!) He grimaced as Swansong¡¯s claws dug into his stomach, less because of the feeling of knives in his gut and more because, (Safeguard was the damaged one, could¡¯ve taken him out with that!)


    Turning his frustration into rage, he grabbed Swansong by the bicep of the arm, digging its fingers into his stomach before slamming a fist into her face, a simple blow the real Vigil could¡¯ve deflected. An action he repeated twice more as he ripped her claws out before laying into her harder than he had during any of their spars back when he was a Vigil himself.


    By the time Swansong¡¯s mimic shattered into mist he was panting, and too focused on eliminating the most dangerous fighter, before an impact sent him toppling forward and onto his already aching stomach.


    While he was down a boot stomped on his back pinning him in place, as whichever of the Mist Mimics was on top of him held him down with an increasing amount of pressure on his spine. A pressure that was doubled as a second boot landed next to the first as another Mimic joined the first.


    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t break free by struggling in this position he instead fired both of his grappling lines into a nearby building, before using them to pull himself free. Releasing the line early, he used his sliding momentum to roll back onto his feet before spinning to face the illusionary Vigils.


    ¡°Okay¡­ three down¡­ and three to go¡­¡± He panted, really starting to feel this fight after so many intense exchanges.


    ¡°Maybe but you¡¯re on your last legs.¡± Vigilance told him. ¡°Stand down Mercer before this gets any worse for you.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ any worse for you because¡­ you¡¯re all on your last legs too!¡± He argued, fully aware that his concussion was keeping him from bringing his banter A game. (Fuck, that was stupid¡­)


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s just end this!¡± Nightwatch called as she once more raised her gun at him, and he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes as he fired a grappling line at her to keep her from firing. Before promptly using the line to pull her wheelchair out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground even as she stayed stuck to it.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t hit me once yet, Kin-Ken!¡± He called at the Mist Mimic, slowly walking over even as he kept his good eye on Safeguard and Vigilance. ¡°Really just¡­ stop before you embarrass the real you any further!¡±


    The reason the other two weren¡¯t rushing him was made apparent a moment later when Nightwatch attempted to shoot him point blank.


    Something that failed when he grabbed one of her wheels and tilted it so that she couldn¡¯t actually aim at him.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m starting to feel like an asshole even by my standards.¡± He admitted, waiting for the mimic to finally quit firing before going around and raising her boot above the mimic¡¯s glaring skull. ¡°At this point I really do feel like I¡¯m mercy killing you.¡±


    As the illusory Nightwatch shattered beneath his boot he couldn¡¯t help but be grateful that this Mist World was so lacking in electronics. (Bitch would¡¯ve drone struck my ass three times over by now if I¡¯d tried to pull half of this on her in real life.)


    Pretending to be distracted by this, he was able to easily deflect Safeguard¡¯s attempt to attack him, turning the mimic¡¯s attack into a flip as he threw the illusory Vigil onto its back.


    Not waiting for it to get back up he raised his boot to crush its skull like he had Nightwatch¡¯s a moment before, only to jump forward as Safeguard raised his shield to block the blow. This of course allowed him to put the entirety of his weight into the stomp he delivered to the first Virtue¡¯s crotch, killing the mimic via testicular manslaughter.


    With a chuckle he turned back to Vigilance with a tired smile. ¡°I know I said I¡¯d shoot him there, but my gun is kind of behind you at the moment.¡±


    Drawing his knife he made his way toward Vigilance as he inspected the blade. ¡°You know there¡¯s a certain irony to this given how I got -well, stole really- this from the real you. Not that he ever asked for it back.¡±


    Once he was close enough to both attack and defend without too much awkwardness he entered a stance with a reverse grip as the rain once more began to fall upon him and the fake Vigilance.


    For a moment he was half-worried and half-frustrated that the entity behind the Mists would keep trying to pull its emotionally manipulative bullshit, but thankfully the fake Vigilance entered its own stance as it finally decided to give him the fight he¡¯d been wanting since he got stuck in this stupid illusion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this old man.¡± He grinned, feeling anticipation for the rematch he¡¯d been dying for -sometimes literally- for years. (It won¡¯t be like last time. It won¡¯t.)


    At some unseen signal, one he¡¯d later admit was probably the Mists reading his mind, both he and Vigilance rushed forward.


    The true Vigil blocked Mercer¡¯s knife slash off his bracers, the collision sending sparks into the air, before driving his own blow forward.


    Mercer ducked to the side before using his knife hand to drive a weighted fist into Vigilance¡¯s side, his previous block having left the opening.


    Vigilance followed up with a second blow that Mercer had to hop back to avoid, before pursuing with another string of blows, forcing him to remain on the defensive.


    At least until he stepped into one of his blocks, deflecting one of Vigilance''s blows to the side before reversing his grip and grabbing the original Vigil¡¯s wrist to pull him forward and leave his back wide open to a blade to the kidney.


    That did nothing as Vigilance spun, grabbing Mercer¡¯s grip on his wrist and using it to pull Mercer off balance in turn, causing the knife to merely catch the man¡¯s cape, leaving a deep gouge inside of it.


    With neither of them wanting this to descend into a grapple where neither could reliably pin or damage the other given their current positioning they both broke apart before slowly circling each other.


    Mercer spun his knife in hand.


    While Vigilance reached for one of his throwing weights.


    Not willing to give Vigilance the ranged advantage, Mercer rushed forward spinning his knife in hand as he went for a lunging strike that he didn¡¯t expect to land.


    As expected, Vigilance easily sidestepped, before taking his throwing weights in hand and using it to reinforce the swinging blow he threw at Mercer¡¯s head.


    One that while he couldn¡¯t avoid, he was able to block taking the bone cracking blow to his forearm, and giving him the opportunity to stab straight for Vigilance¡¯s stomach.


    A blow that did far less damage as Vigilance¡¯s superior armor minimized the series of stabs to merely bruising.


    Somewhere around the fourth stab Vigilance dropped his throwing weights and used his free hands to grab Mercer¡¯s forearm, before doing the same with his other hand and Mercer¡¯s knife hand. With his grip firm, Vigilance pulled his head back before slamming his helmeted head into Mercer¡¯s unarmored skull.


    He stumbled back before shaking off the dizziness, not caring how much worse that made his concussion just so long as he could still see Vigilance in front of him.


    Deciding to go all in he rushed forward and tackled Vigilance to the ground, slamming the man onto his back and pulling back before he could be dragged into another grapple with his flagging stamina.


    As Vigilance picked himself off the ground, Mercer lunged forward and grabbed onto the man¡¯s helmet, remembering his time as a Vigil to press the emergency releases on Vigilance¡¯s helmet.


    Bucking against him, Vigilance drove an elbow into Mercer¡¯s stomach before throwing him off, but not before he could remove the original Vigil¡¯s helmet, revealing a dark haired man wearing a domino mask that did little to obscure his identity from someone who knew him. (Like me¡­)


    The pair stared each other down, both in a half crouched recovery as they waited not even two steps from each other for their next clash.


    ¡°You know V¡­ it¡¯s rare for you to make a mistake this bad.¡± He chuckled, feeling his sanity begin to slip and loving it far more than was healthy.


    Vigilance gave him a disgusted glare. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I never should¡¯ve taken you in. I should¡¯ve left you to rot in the gutter.¡±


    ¡°Well, that and-¡± Mercer threw Vigilance¡¯s helmet at his head.


    Something the man easily deflected.


    The cock of a gun hammer echoed through the air.


    ¡°-you threw me next to my gun.¡±


    Vigilance¡¯s eyes went wide, his mask doing little to hide the face of the man that was more a father to Mercer than the one he¡¯d been born with.


    That didn¡¯t stop him from pulling the trigger on the thing wearing V¡¯s face.

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 4- Revelations)

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 4- Revelations)


    --- Mercer ---


    As he stood there holding the -not actually- smoking gun he couldn¡¯t help but breathe as he came to terms with what he¡¯d just done, how he¡¯d shot the closest thing he¡¯d had to a father in the face without hesitation.


    His eyes drifted around the now empty street, as -now that no one was trying to kill him- he realized he¡¯d also knowingly attacked and killed all of the Vigils.


    And even if he knew that they weren¡¯t really the Vigils that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had¡­ that he¡­ that¡­ ¡°I one v six-ed the Vigils!!! I knew I was the biggest badass on the team! Suck it mother fuckers!!!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that little revelation. ¡°Oh, fuck¡­ and I caught it all on camera too!¡±


    Admittedly he was probably going to have to delete it since it showed him killing the Vigils, but he could at least show Julie and his sisters to really underline how badass he truly was. ¡°Heh-haa, this made my year. All the pain, agony, psychological torture, all completely worth it.¡±


    The mists around him seemed to take that as a challenge as all around him walls of white surged forward to drag them into the next of its little scenarios. ¡°Heh, bring it on! I¡¯ve been toying with you all night and there is no killing this high right now!¡±


    As the mists faded he found himself inside of what appeared to be an old bank vault, the walls each covered in rows upon rows of small lock boxes. In front of him was the door to said vault, having -and he just knew it- been freshly sealed, with the rest of the vault behind him.


    Without a trace of laughter to him, his heart pounded in his ears as he stared at the door, fully aware of what he¡¯d find if he turned around and dreading it like nothing else.


    (No¡­ No. No. No¡­ Not this¡­ Not him.)


    ¡°Oh, you were just throwing out quips and laughter like it was nothing, but now that it¡¯s just you and me you¡¯ve gone all quiet?¡± A voice he never wanted to hear again asked.


    His gun slipped from his numb fingers as that voice clawed at his mind, and brought forth a number of other voices. Ones that he knew came from his memory rather than anything the Mists were doing to him.


    (Metal hit flesh, the twisted man in front of him laughing. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want this to stop? We¡¯ve been at this for three days now¡­ you know all you have to say is three little words. No?¡± More metal hit the flesh of a boy in too much pain to say much of anything.)


    (¡°Oh, I know you kids hate shots, but don¡¯t worry this one has a special medicine that will¡­ well it won¡¯t make you feel better but it¡¯ll definitely make me laugh to see whatever it does to you.¡± The psychopath told him before driving the syringe full of drugs into the boy.)


    (¡°You think you can laugh at me? Me?! I am the only the one who laughs, you hear me?! I. AM. THE. ONE! WHO! LAUGHS!!!¡± The insane man screamed each word underlined and punctuated as he delivered more pain unto the boy who¡¯d broken, if only in a way opposite of what the man wanted.)


    All these memories and more bubbled up from the repressed depths of his mind as he undid the straps on his grapplers, the haunting whispers reminding him of the day that broke the kid he was and turned him into the man everyone knew as Mercer


    ¡°I just knew you were all talk.¡± The twisted man taunted. ¡°I mean really, you¡¯re the only Vigil so cowardly that you have to use guns rather than your fists or that stupid shield on ol¡¯ blue boy. No wonder Vig kicked you out, I bet big daddy V-V os oh so disappointed in you!¡±


    He didn¡¯t say a word as he let gauntlets fall before removing his jacket.


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    ¡°Just as disappointed as I am in my boys, I¡¯m sure.¡± The psychopath sighed. ¡°Oh, I always knew they were going to try and kill me, but this? This is their big play? You. Heh-ha, I knew those two were cowards¡­ You can beat a lot of things out of people but that, that ain¡¯t one of them. Might have to kill them and get a new set of kids, maybe a couple of girls this time?¡±


    His jacket fell to the ground as he silently moved onto his shirt.


    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t even have to make them this time!¡± The insane man laughed. ¡°Old V-V has proven you can pull any two bit orphan off the streets and do something with them, even after getting one killed! I mean seriously, he¡¯s got a third dumbass in those red tights even after I murdered the second one! Fuck, you think it¡¯s the same¡±


    He spun on his heels and saw a face he could¡¯ve happily gone the rest of his life without ever seeing again.


    The dark haired man was what many people would consider ¡®handsome¡¯ with bright blue eyes and a clean shaven face that many a model would dream of. He wore a fitted white suit without a speck of dirt on it, as if the very idea of the man being ¡®dirty¡¯ was universally objected upon.


    By contrast, Mercer was a scarred mess that would make most people flinch upon seeing him whether they meant it or not.


    Honestly, he couldn¡¯t be more proud of the contrast.


    ¡°Oh, that got your attention? You care about the little baby Virtue? Or, given how you stripped, is it me you want? Look I appreciate the sentiment but I¡¯m not into men so you can take your stripagram and shove it.¡± The (monster) told him, before rolling up his sleeves. ¡°I mean, sure I¡¯ve broken more than one woman with my looks and I¡¯ll still break you because that¡¯s what I do, but you¡¯re clearly making this sexual when it¡¯s never been that. I mean it is pleasurable for me, don¡¯t get me wrong, just not that way and-¡± The (abomination) rolled his eyes. ¡°Eh, fuck it I¡¯ll just stitch a shirt onto you or something later so you can¡¯t pull this weird shit again.¡±


    The (demon) pulled out a switchblade before rolling his shoulders and assuming a stance. ¡°Now back on topic, I¡¯ve got to wonder if daddy V-V will even be surprised that you were the Vigil to break? I mean, he already kicked you out for being a killer and that¡¯s only half of what you need to be broken. The other half just needs you to bleed a bit!¡±


    With a laugh the (nightmare) lunged forward, rushing his unarmed opponent with the knife.


    Mercer didn¡¯t bother dodging, in fact he stepped into the slash making sure that it would catch and stick into his flesh rather than being drawn for another strike.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s different¡­¡± The (devil) blinked, before Mercer grabbed him by the throat and slammed him onto the ground.


    He sat on the (corpse) completely uncaring of the blows being laid upon him as the (dead man) struggled against him, having felt far worse by those same hands that hit him now.


    Before they broke him, now they did nothing to stop him as he pulled his fist back and slammed it into the thing¡¯s face, not once or twice, or even thrice, but dozens upon dozens of times. His blows continued even as his knuckles split open, even as the (still breathing corpse) quit moving, and when that hand could no longer punch he simply switched hands until that one was in just as brutal a shape.


    He had no idea how long he continued like this, switching between bloody hand and bloody hand as he let out every ounce of rage and fear that had consumed him since the moment he heard that horrible, nightmarish, voice. The one that would echo in the background of his every thought so long as its owner drew breath.


    And so he continued punching the man¡¯s face, long after it could be considered as such, and far beyond the point where the dead man had drawn breath, its body slowly dissolving into mist but still held together not by the Madness of the Mists but by the Madness of Mercer instead.


    For hours he continued on like this, until whatever eldritch force made up the Mists simply ceased to exist.


    And so sitting there in the bank vault that was slowly dissolving into a theater room, with his knuckles bloody, his hands damn near unusable, he simply leaned back and listened to the world around him.


    There was no taunting laugh.


    There was no metal hitting flesh.


    There was no whispering darkness.


    There was only silence.


    And much like he had several years prior, he realized he didn¡¯t give a fuck what Vigilance thought, if killing someone could bring even one victim something like this than he¡¯d murderer ever monster in the Way without an ounce of guilt, because this. This silence. (It¡¯s divine¡­)

 Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 5- Conclusion)

    Fifth Sin: Performance Past And Present (Pt. 5- Conclusion)


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo!!!¡± An ecstatic clapping echoed as he found himself on a theater stage, the seats empty save for the applause Clockwork standing in the front row. ¡°Such a beautiful performance!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he climbed to his feet, finding himself in an odd place emotionally both empty and overjoyed simultaneously, before taking a tired bow towards his audience of one. ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked the show¡­¡±


    ¡°Liked? I Loved it! I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I gasped! What more could an audience ask for?!¡± Clockwork asked as Mercer made his way to the edge of the stage.


    ¡°A conclusion to the Mists?¡± He suggested. ¡°I was expecting something a little¡­ more than that ending if I¡¯m being honest. Did they sneak away somewhere else or¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the vermin¡­ Don¡¯t worry!¡± Clockwork laughed as he pulled a jar of white mist from behind his back. ¡°I¡¯ve already caged the rats.¡±


    He stared at the jar part of him wondering if the playwright was putting on his own little performance, before from seemingly nothing a bloodshot eye opened within the mist, disappearing as it blinked shut.


    ¡°Truthfully, when I contacted you¡­ I was expecting something a little more¡­ Spectacular!¡± Clockwork confessed, offering him the jar. ¡°Unfortunately, the vermin disappoints even now¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this thing have turned into a Boss Creep or something? That¡¯s how these things usually work when you kill the lesser creatures.¡± He frowned, taking the jar from the eldritch playwright and noting how it was cold to the touch, a layer of dew clinging to it already.


    ¡°That was the twist I was expecting.¡± Clockwork admitted, his body taking on a disappointed sort of limpness. ¡°Best theory? An amateur challenged a master in the art of violence¡­ and as we both know on the stage¡­ art always wins!¡±


    He considered it himself for a moment, before coming to a logical conclusion. ¡°When we started the ¡®performance¡¯ your theater cut it off from the Bleed and the greater Mists in turn. Then with me not reacting the way it wanted, it essentially starved out before it could grow into a proper threat.¡±


    ¡°If you must give the boring answer¡­¡± Clockwork shrugged, the expression exaggerated on his puppet body. ¡°I almost wish you¡¯d let it fester a little longer¡­ allow it to grow into a proper co-star!¡±


    He let out a brief laugh at that. ¡°I¡¯m sure that would¡¯ve been something, but given how I still have to deal with a Royal of the Mists¡­¡± (This isn¡¯t anywhere near over¡­)


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    ¡°This is merely¡­ an amateur warming you up for the real performance!¡± The thespian realized, an excited smile growing into his voice as it echoed through the theater. ¡°A wetting of the appetite before the true feat begins!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that¡­ though given how jarring this little fella probably alerted them I¡¯ll have to move fast if I want to keep them from escaping.¡± Mercer sighed, still able to feel the ache from his ¡®performance¡¯ even if some of the pain was dampened by the effects of the two eldritch entities in the room differing healing abilities.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that too much.¡± Clockwork rasped, tapping three of his four fingers on the top of the jar. ¡°Like seeks like and I¡¯m sure this little actor would love to return to its troupe if given the chance.¡±


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time I followed a rat back to its nest.¡± He figured. ¡°Though those rats were usually a little more¡­ corporeal.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a fun challenge. A new experience to expand your creative limits!¡± The eldritch entity suggested before spreading the arms of his puppet wide with a smile to his voice. ¡°It¡¯s what I do with corporeality.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough¡­¡± He shrugged, after all he wasn¡¯t too worried about the thing actually escaping the jar. While Clockwork may¡¯ve enjoyed chaos, the eldritch entity preferred giving others the tools to create it and seeing what they did with those tools than simply causing it himself. (Plus I doubt he wants this thing reinfesting his stage¡­)


    ¡°That said, I suggest you take something of a break tonight.¡± Clockwork told him, giving him a once over. ¡°You need your rest if you are to perform for the Way. Let your foil run now that you can track them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse.¡± He reminded the eldritch entity as he set the jar down and started picking up the discarded bits of his equipment from around the stage. ¡°Besides, are you saying that because you¡¯re concerned about me or because you want the Royal to grow into something I¡¯ll have to bring the big guns out for?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it be both?¡± Clockwork laughed, the sound echoing through the theater before his raspier voice whispered,¡°Though speaking of big guns¡­ How is the Renegade¡¯s Rhapsody treating you?¡±


    ¡°Well enough.¡± He answered, picking said gun up. ¡°It does its job, but I¡¯m not going to lie and say I don¡¯t want its other half to balance it out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose you did capture the vermin, and if you¡¯re satisfied with the work then¡­¡± Clockwork admitted, before pulling a gun that mirrored his own from behind the puppet¡¯s back and offering it with a half bow. ¡°Then there is no reason to cruelly leave the paramours parted.¡±


    Reaching out he grabbed the gun by its grip before noticing he couldn¡¯t make it budge from Clockwork¡¯s hands.


    The eyes of Clockwork¡¯s mask stared out like the abyss. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll take time to properly acquaint yourself with your newest tool before setting foot upon the stage, yes?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at the eldritch entity, knowing that whatever he said the anarchistic arms dealer would accept his answer. (Though there¡¯s no need to be pissing off the guy I get my guns from.)


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the Royal go¡­ for now.¡± He wasn¡¯t against letting non-humans roam the way, his current company conclusive of that fact, but given how intentionally harmful or not the Royal was leaving bits of the Mist behind that made it something he needed to have words with. (But dealing with it tonight won¡¯t get rid of whatever Mists are already here, if anything it might make them more aggressive¡­)


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± Clockwork cheered, releasing his otherworldly grip on the gun and letting Mercer take it. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how you hunt this creature through the way! I hope it runs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be an awe inspiring sight.¡± He scoffed, less to mock and more because he wasn¡¯t looking forward to fighting what was arguably royalty to an entire hell dimension, especially after the emotional ringer a lesser put him through. (I¡¯ll have to make sure I¡¯m ready for that¡­)

 (7) Sinless Days: The Wife, The Mimic, And The Memories

    (7) Sinless Days: The Wife, The Mimic, And The Memories


    --- Julie ---


    (Hope Mercer loses a fight to an eldritch tentacle monster¡­) She grumbled for not the first time since her husband had left her to an extremely awkward conversation with two deeply traumatized and isolated teenagers.


    A conversation that while she didn¡¯t go into the¡­ intimate details of, she still managed to explain the broad strokes of how her and Mercer weren¡¯t fighting, lots of people did what they did, but it should only be done between consenting people. And if they ever did things themselves and got uncomfortable they were free to say no, and if someone wouldn¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer they were both free to kill and eat the person in question.


    That conversation was then followed by several others that had assured her that in spite of the numerous cruelties the girls had been subjected to that hadn¡¯t been one of them. (Thank god and the Pale Lady Mercer prays to.)


    Unfortunately, it also informed her that the girls had no idea what puberty was and thought most of those changes were because they were Malcontent while ignoring others because they were so used to pissing blood after a fight. (Which is just all kinds of messed up¡­)


    It was after that last conversation that she decided to take the girls out on a shopping trip to buy the various things they needed but had no idea about. Something that had her reluctantly agreeing with Mercer that this was a thing she needed to take care of. (Doesn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t have stayed to have the talk with them¡­)


    ¡°Alright, so Scarlet you¡¯re set with the grunge and punk look, right?¡± She double checked as the temperamental redhead held up what Julie knew was a knock off of her husband¡¯s jacket. (Which is so cute that I¡¯m going to tease Mercer to no end over this.)


    ¡°Uh, I guess?¡± Scarlet frowned, more in confusion than anything since neither teen seemed to know what different ¡®styles¡¯ really meant. ¡°I mean these are comfy, I guess?¡±


    ¡°And the fact that those jeans are already torn at the knee means you won¡¯t have to feel bad if they get torn up more.¡± She nodded, before turning towards Bell. ¡°And how about you? Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, um, I like the colors.¡± Bell nodded, with a faint blush as she pulled at white shirt covered in random splashes of paint. ¡°There, uh, there weren¡¯t a lot of colors in the labs.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± She nodded once more, since she couldn¡¯t really think of anything else to say there. (Really wish I¡¯d seen that coming¡­) ¡°Well, you can wear as many colors as you want now. A, uh, a new color every day even!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Bell admitted with a small smile but joy filled smile that stood in vast contrast to the face and emotions she¡¯d made at Julie¡¯s first offer of a more gothic attire. (Really thought she¡¯d like how it all went with her shadow clone things.)


    ¡°Great, then in that case we can-¡± She paused, tilting her head just a moment before the front door opened and closed.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Mercer called from the ground floor.


    ¡°-go kick Mercer¡¯s ass now!¡± She finished with a smile as she started marching down the stairs, knowing that tonight he was going to be the one chained to the bed while- She froze as she saw the sheer amount of hurt her husband was wearing.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d your girls¡¯ day go?¡± Mercer asked, moving in a way that told her he was covered in bruises no matter how many of them were hidden by his jacket and clothes.


    ¡°Uh, Julie explained¡­ a bunch of stuff to us and then we went to a store and got a bunch of clothes.¡± Scarlet answered with a nonchalant shrug, not having known them long enough to tell when her or Mercer were acting off, no matter how big of a fan she was turning into.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mercer nodded with a grin that shifted in several ways as his eyes looked the three of them over, before pausing on Bell who now that she looked was giving Mercer a concerned look.


    (Huh¡­ someone is perceptive¡­) She¡¯d have to remember that.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d your¡­ thing go?¡± She asked, just barely holding back a frown as she walked up to her husband.


    Mercer made a face halfway between a grimace and a smile. ¡°Could¡¯ve been better, but could¡¯ve been a lot worse too.¡±


    All she could do was frown at that before giving him a quick -since she didn¡¯t want to aggravate his injuries- kiss. ¡°Love you.¡±


    Mercer kissed her forehead. ¡°Love you too.¡±


    Remembering that they had observers, Mercer coughed into his hand as he took a step back. ¡°Now then, since you two are going to be living with us for a while we need to establish a¡­ couple of safety rules.¡±


    ¡°What kind of rules?¡± Scarlet frowned, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Too fucking many¡­¡± She groaned, remembering just how many rules there were when your superhero husband decided to make your house his base of operations.


    Mercer gave her a half-hearted glare before rolling his eyes as she raised a single brow. ¡°Okay, yes there are going to be a lot of them, but we¡¯ll only cover them as they become relevant to keeping everyone here, safe, sane, and happy.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s rule, sometimes I¡¯ll be bringing back random junk that¡¯s extremely dangerous to mess with, such as this.¡± Mercer withdrew a glass jar full of (a cloud with eyes?) from behind his back. ¡°This little guy is a Mist Mimic, if set free he¡¯ll shape shift into someone you know and say horrible things to you that you really should ignore.¡±


    She gave Mercer a look and he mouthed later, while the girls were distracted with the monster in a jar.


    (¡®Damn right, we¡¯ll be talking later. Even if I have to chain you to the bed.¡¯) Admittedly that was the plan before, (but the point stands.)


    Now Mercer gave her a look, having picked up a little more than she¡¯d meant there.


    ¡°So this¡­ thing is, uh, it¡¯s like my other-selves then?¡± Bell asked, looking more than a little concerned.


    ¡°Uh, that, uh, that depends on how often they try to claw out your eyes?¡± Mercer admitted, looking a little concerned himself.


    ¡°They¡­ haven¡¯t done that in a while.¡± Bell frowned, despite looking a little more reassured.


    (Okay¡­ going to have to remember that too¡­)


    Before she could inquire any further about this new facet of the girls¡¯ trauma, Scarlet instead cut in with the very good question of, ¡°Why are you bringing this thing here?¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°It¡¯s bait for another, more dangerous, monster. One that I¡¯m going to have to stop by Betty¡¯s before I track down and pick a fight with it.¡± Mercer explained, hands on his hips as he resisted wincing at his various injuries.


    ¡°Surprised you didn¡¯t go see her before coming here.¡± She admitted, unable to help the concern bleeding into words because while Mercer usually only bothered the back alley doctor for injuries he couldn¡¯t walk off, (the fact that he¡¯s saying he needs to go see her¡­)


    Mercer shook the jar in his hand, uncaring for either the wellbeing or the glare of the creature trapped within it. ¡°She has a rule against me bringing murderous monsters into the clinic.¡±


    She gave her husband a once over, knowing how often he visited Betty¡¯s clinic. ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Mercer exaggerated, before rolling his eyes. ¡°You know what I mean. Only things polite enough to not attack other patients are allowed in her clinic.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re leaving that here while you go to the clinic?¡± She checked, taking the jar so he could leave if he really had to.


    ¡°No, I just need a check up before I pick a fight with a Mist Royal. The worst I have right now is a few bruises.¡± Mercer assured her as he took the jar back before picking up the tv remote and shifting through their streaming services. ¡°I¡¯m just letting you guys know you shouldn¡¯t open the jar or listen to anything it tells you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but blink when she saw what he was putting on. ¡°And why are you putting My Little Pony on?¡±


    ¡°Because creatures of the Mist are empowered by pain and trauma. Things like friendship will starve it.¡± Mercer explained with a shake of the jar and a smile. ¡°And I want it to suffer. So it gets kid friendly entertainment until it begs me to kill it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, aren¡¯t there¡­ better shows for that?¡± She found herself asking in morbid curiosity.


    ¡°Maybe, but I wanted something the girls might actually watch since we¡¯ve only got the one TV.¡± Mercer shrugged.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She guessed, seeing that Scarlet and Bell were watching the TV with a level of distraction she¡¯d normally only expect from a four year old. (Then again, given how they were probably raised, the concept of TV probably is new and exciting to them¡­)


    She shook her head, getting back on topic. ¡°Either way, uh, you want to talk about¡­¡± She gestured to all of him and then the mimic.


    Mercer grimaced, and she knew if she was anyone other than his wife, he¡¯d probably wave her off with a ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯. Instead he waved her to follow him out the front door, where he took a seat on the stoop stairs.


    ¡°So¡­ a whole bunch of the mimics were infesting Clockworks theater.¡± Mercer started as she took a seat next to him. ¡°And you know him, he wanted to watch me make art with them.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m guessing it got more complicated than just bloodstains on the wall?¡± She sighed, taking his hand in hers and removing the gauntlet on it.


    ¡°Yeah, I knew they were going to be creatures of the mist, but thanks to the nature of Clockwork¡¯s theater the whole thing basically became flashbacks of some of my¡­ lower moments.¡± Her beloved admitted, sweeping his fingers between hers.


    ¡°Lower like Killian, or lower like¡­¡± Feeling the apprehension coming off of him, she was fairly sure she knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°First it was my mom¡­ the day she¡­ you know.¡± Mercer continued, making a gesture where his free hand was laying flat before exploding and waving his fingers at himself.


    ¡°Did you get flashbacks of¡­ before?¡± Because she knew that the before of that was something she never wanted him to relive and she¡¯d torture that mimic herself if that¡¯s what it put Mercer through.


    Thankfully he just shook his head. ¡°No, no¡­ though mimic mom tried to kill me and said some bullshit that I know is bullshit, like not even tripping on that¡­ though it did remind me of that aphrodisiac garbage¡­ which I¡¯m a little irked about but that¡¯s whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever¡­¡± (I really need to ask her if that stuff is addictive and if not where she got it.)


    ¡°Mm, hmm, and uh after that I got into a six v one with the Vigils after Vigilance refused to fight me on that fucking night!¡± Mercer growled, before taking a calming breath. ¡°Bright side I kicked all of their asses!¡±


    ¡°Was there ever any doubt?¡± She smiled, holding back her real feelings given how she knew even if he¡¯d do it all again, Mercer still had¡­ complicated feelings about that night. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was cathartic to shoot Vigilance and the other Vigils.¡± (Wish I could¡¯ve seen you shoot Vigilance at the very least.)


    ¡°Little bit.¡± Her own Vigil nodded as he played with her fingers. ¡°Still opened a bunch of stuff and mixed some other stuff up in my head¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to talk about that?¡± She offered, not sure if this was what was causing his underlying distress or something else.


    ¡°Mm, maybe later¡­ I want to say kicking everyone¡¯s ass helped me deal with it but¡­ I might just be compartmentalizing given what happened next¡­¡± Mercer grimaced as he trailed off.


    ¡°What happened next?¡± She asked cautiously as she gripped her husband¡¯s hand in support.


    Mercer let go of her hand and leaned back as he looked up at the darkening sky. ¡°Bedlam¡­ the night I killed him¡­¡±


    She remembered that night, the night he¡¯d come back to her covered in blood after having ghosted her for months. The night where he broke down and told her everything¡­ (But that¡¯s not what this is about¡­)


    Uncaring about the concrete, Mercer layed back on the ground, his eyes locked onto the porch light above. ¡°When I heard his voice I¡­ I sort of just blanked out and¡­ it, it was like I was right back there completely¡­ Everything I did, just the same¡­ and I killed him again and¡­ I came to the same conclusion again¡­¡±


    She twisted around and put her upper body on his, her chin to Mercer¡¯s chest. ¡°Fuck Vigilance?¡±


    Mercer gave a small chuckle. ¡°Fuck Vigilance¡­ the world needs heroes, but it also needs monsters to take out even worse monsters.¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯re not a monster, right?¡± It was something they talked about from time to time, but it was also something she felt needed reiterating. (¡®You may be a sinner, but you¡¯re not a monster.¡¯)


    Mercer gave her a small grin as he ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°You know I love you, right?¡±


    ¡°Well you did put a ring on it.¡± She pointed out, holding her hand up to show off the black band on her finger.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that was an even better conclusion than telling V to go fuck himself.¡± Her husband agreed, showing off the ring made from her name tattooed onto his finger the same way his was on hers.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled before admitting that she ¡°Really wished you¡¯d figured that out without having to beat a guy to death with your bare hands¡­ or that you¡¯d proposed while not covered in his blood.¡±


    Mercer gave her a look. ¡°You still said yes.¡±


    ¡°You were covered in blood!¡± She reminded him.


    ¡°Bitch, we both know if you were actually scared you¡¯d have stabbed me in the kidney!¡± Her asshole argued.


    She swatted his chest as she sat up, not caring that he winced. ¡°That¡¯s not the point! What girl wants her boyfriend to propose while covered in the blood of a mass murderer!¡±


    ¡°A Slasher.¡± Mercer argued with (his stupid logic!) ¡°Or one of the murderer¡¯s victims! Like I know you¡¯re not native to the way, but trust me I could¡¯ve had any woman in the Way while covered in Bedlam¡¯s blood.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°We both know you don¡¯t got the game for that!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I got the best girl in the Way to marry me. I think that means I¡¯ve got plenty of game!¡± Mercer continued to argue with (his stupid logic~)


    She gave him a huff of amusement, if only because of the warmth she felt inside. ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got some game.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Mercer nodded, his smug ass feeling vindicated.


    Feeling her own warmth beginning to spread, she straddled him. ¡°Speaking of game, I¡¯ve got one we can play~¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer glanced behind her at the currently empty street. ¡°On the porch?¡±


    ¡°You can zip us to the roof if you¡¯re scared~¡± She smiled, her hands gently measuring where he was too bruised and where he wasn¡¯t quite bruised enough.


    Mercer shifted her as he sat up, his eyes narrow. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re playing this game.¡±


    ¡°Amongst others.¡± She grinned, still in a certain mood as her hands pulled his shirt from his belt and she felt his breath on her lips just before a series of gunshots tore through the air.


    ¡°Motherfuckers!¡± They both cursed with a growl, knowing that they¡¯d have to put this on pause until whatever this was was settled.


    ¡°I am going to kill a bitch.¡± Mercer confessed as she was forced to get off of him.


    Returning to her previous seat she asked if he could, ¡°Double tap them for me, will you?¡±


    ¡°For you anything.¡± Her husband promised as he started down the stairs, grumbling about how he was going to feed this asshole to the girls before suddenly stopping. ¡°Oh, before I forget!¡±


    Mercer rushed back up the stairs and kissed her with a sudden deepness that stole her breath away before pulling back. ¡°Love you.¡±


    She gave him a quick peck back. ¡°Love you too.¡±

 2024 Patreon Quest Demo 1 of 3 (Simon Lorde, The Overlord)

    Simon Lorde, The Overlord (An Isekai Overlord Quest)


    -Synopsis: The Overlord is an infamous figure who has risen and fallen numerous times throughout history, conquering kingdoms, kidnapping princesses and unleashing an army of monsters.


    Simon Lorde is an archeology professor who wants nothing to do with any of that, he''s content being a teacher, the only princess he''s interested in is his wife, and the only monsters he unleashes are on D&D night.


    Unfortunately, he''s now woken up in world simultaneous very familiar and very foreign with no idea how he got here, a magic gauntlet on his arm that won''t come off, and half a dozen bickering overlords talking inside of his head.


    -Tags: [Voices In Your Head], [Kingdom Building], [Multiple Fantasy Kingdoms]


    Simon Lorde, The Overlorde


    Prologue: An Innocent Mistake


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    In his hands was a metal gauntlet with a large gem embedded in the back, the artifact far more intricately detailed than something of its age had any right to be, the metal having survived millenia without any form of rust, wear, or tear upon its surface.


    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯ll be fun!¡± Annabelle, a brown haired woman with glasses, egged him on with a grin from where she sat beside him.


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll be that fun.¡± He argued despite the slight smile on his face, something that he was rarely without while in his wife¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Look, you''re handing it over to the university in a week, and we¡¯ve got a D&D game tomorrow night. You¡¯ve got to wear the King¡¯s Hand, it¡¯ll make the whole thing so much more epic!¡± Annabelle explained for what had to be the third time.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we a little old for dress up games?¡± He asked.


    His wife gave him a look.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± He told her, his laughter quickly joined by her own.


    After a moment he shook his head. ¡°But seriously, wearing a thousand -possibly two thousand- year old gauntlet to our D&D group would be massively irresponsible.¡±


    ¡°Or, hear me out, massively awesome!¡± Annabelle refuted, as she shook his arm. ¡°I mean, can¡¯t you just see yourself wearing the King¡¯s Hand while being the Dungeon Master?! And, and aren¡¯t we doing that boss fight with the evil king, you can take our game to the next level with this.¡±


    He adjusted his glasses, as he looked at the gauntlet picturing it in his head. (It would be kind of cool¡­)


    ¡°Come on~ Be my dungeon master and I¡¯ll be your dungeon mistress~¡± Annabelle teased him.


    ¡°Oh, you are a terrible influence¡­¡± He moaned, feeling a bit of heat come to his cheeks even after all these wonderful years of marriage.


    He gave the gauntlet another glance while biting his lip. ¡°We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll fit. I mean, I can¡¯t damage this thing and as big as this thing is, if I put it on it might go flying during all those theatrics you love.¡±


    ¡°We love.¡± His beautiful wife corrected. ¡°We both know you were doing those long before you met me.¡±


    ¡°I got worse about it because of you.¡± He reminded the love of his life.


    ¡°True.¡± Annabelle conceded as she looked at the glove herself, before taking it from his hands. ¡°How about this? We¡¯ll put the King¡¯s Hand on you now, and if it doesn¡¯t fit I¡¯ll quit bugging you, but if it fits then you¡¯ll wear it to our D&D game.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He frowned.


    ¡°And if the King¡¯s Hand doesn¡¯t fit you, well¡­¡± Annabelle leaned in with one of her grins. ¡°I¡¯m sure my queen¡¯s hand will~¡±


    He closed his eyes, trying to resist the vile temptress in front of him before, ¡°Oh¡­ fine. I¡¯ll try the stupid glove on.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Annabelle cheered before kissing him over and over again. ¡°Love you. Love you. Love you!!!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes as he lined his hand up with the gauntlet, before Annabelle pulled it down over his hand.


    ¡°Well, how does it fit?¡± Annabelle asked excitedly.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a bit of a tighter fit than I was expecting.¡± He admitted, trying to move his hand and feeling the gauntlet sort of fighting him to do so. ¡°Also, it really does not want to move.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ but the fingers were all flopping about a minute ago?¡± Annabelle frowned. ¡°Maybe your fingers take up too much space inside of it, I mean, wasn''t there that whole thing about the average human being bigger now than a thousand years ago?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ I can feel the glove starting to give¡­¡± He told her as he put a bit more force into his movement. ¡°Just¡­ needs¡­ a little more¡­ force!¡±


    He made a fist with the King¡¯s Hand and-


    [System]: Reset Complete.


    [System]: Welcome back, Overlorde.


    What does Simon find when he wakes up?


    [Magician]- A pair of twins cautiously watching him. (Wait, why are they armed?)


    [Caretaker]-A grinning¡­ creature with fangs and a tail. (Why are they calling me boss?)


    [Scientist]-An eccentric young woman cackling about her ¡®Success¡¯. (Why is there lightning?)


    [Rogue]-An angry looking trio dressed up for a renaissance faire. (Why are they glaring at me?)


    [Warrior]-A mad beast with tears running down its face. (Need to move!)


    Winning Vote


    []-A grinning¡­ creature with fangs and a tail. (Why are they calling me boss?)


    ---


    A/N: Aka the one who will not ease you into this.


    ---


    Chapter 1: The Overlord¡¯s Reawakening


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    [System]: Reset Complete.


    [System]: Welcome back, Overlorde.


    His eyes drearily parted, taking in the empty void that surrounded him even if his mind couldn¡¯t quite understand where he found himself. But despite the emptiness of the void, some small instinctive part of him knew that in this vast abyss of nothingness¡­


    He was not alone.


    ¡°Fresh meat is waking up.¡± A gruff voice noted as a red outline briefly highlighted someone in the darkness, their body covered in both weapons and armor forged from the blackest of steels.


    (The Warrior¡­) The clashing of metal on metal told him, and even if that Title just barely scratched the surface of who this was he knew without a doubt that it fit him completely and utterly as thousands of blades struck true.


    ¡°So the new one awakes at last!¡± Another older voice laughed, a light blue outline to the form of a hunched figure in a heavy leather robe clinging to a large walking stick, numerous white bandages visible beneath the robes.


    (The Magician¡­) Raw power thrummed, one thousand arcane secrets begging to be discovered once more.


    ¡°Good, the experiment can continue once more.¡± An almost metallic voice rasped, as green highlighted another figure with a walking stick, albeit one clearly much younger despite a purple gas mask and long coat obscuring them.


    (The Scientist¡­) Electricity cackled as a thousand impossibilities were made possible by metal, imagination, and will.


    ¡°Must you describe it so coldly? This is more a legacy for the future than anything.¡± A kind voice pointed out, yellow highlighting an unassuming figure who looked more like a kind farmer than anything else with the way his eyes glowed a warm orange.


    (The Caretaker¡­) The warm mumbling of newborns assured him from a thousand sources taking their first breath.


    ¡°One I doubt the world remembers fondly.¡± A fifth raspier voice mocked, a smile to their voice as the cloaked figure¡¯s thin frame was outlined in gray and a flash of flickering gold revealed a coin dancing across his knuckles.


    (The Rogue¡­) A knife whispered in the dark as a thousand shadows danced around it in the coin¡¯s light.


    As these five continued to bicker amongst themselves a sixth figure stepped out from the void, one whose face was simultaneously so familiar he felt like he¡¯d known this scarred man for all his years and yet just foreign enough that he couldn¡¯t recognize them.


    (The Survivor¡­) A thousand dying voices wailed even as the man continued to walk, death itself not even slowing him.


    When the scarred man stepped forward the other figures went silent with a sort of awed reverence that he knew was rare for them. ¡°The cycle continues once more¡­ Don¡¯t forget¡­¡±


    As one the six spoke, their words echoing through his mind, so much so that he said the words with them.


    ¡°The Great Evil Must Survive!¡±


    ¡°Ah-ha! The Boss haz returned!¡±


    He jolted finding himself somewhere new and his head too fuzzy to remember how he got here or where he just was. (I¡­ I was¡­ I was just home with Anna¡­ Annabelle¡­ wasn¡¯t I?)


    Before he could figure that out, a number of hands pulled on him forcing him to his feet, their owners darting away before he could get a clear look at any of them.


    He blinked, some of the fuzz clearing as he realized he was in a large stone hall of some kind and that there was someone staring at him with an excited grin.


    A second blink had him realizing that someone had green skin and very pointy teeth.


    He closed his eyes before shaking his head, and seeing that yes the person in front of him did have green skin, pointy teeth, and a long tail swishing through the air behind them.


    (She¡¯s also a woman and you¡¯re staring.) A warm voice whispered with a touch of amusement.


    ¡°Um, sorry¡­ I think¡­ I think I¡¯ve had too much to drink¡­¡± He confessed to the woman, because regardless of any hallucinations or similar he did at least try to be a gentleman.


    The woman took on a thoughtful look. ¡°Huh, yah, ah zuppoz it would be like a hangover wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Despite his many travels -and an odd feeling of familiarity with it- he couldn¡¯t quite place the woman¡¯s accent. (Wait, that¡¯s not important¡­)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ who are you?¡± He asked, his head pounding a bit as he tried to remember anything that could help him with the current situation.


    ¡°Ah, yah, I forgot to introduce myzelf!¡± The woman gasped in an exaggerated way as she bopped her own forehead before giving him a smile full of (very pointy) teeth and offering him her clawed hand. ¡°The name iz Jaqueline Bandersnatch!¡±


    ¡°Um, Simon, Simon Lorde.¡± He nodded, taking her hand and promptly noticing just how tight of a grip the woman had in spite of clearly not trying.


    ¡°Pleazure to meetcha Boss!¡± The woman -Jaqueline- grinned like this was the best day of her life.


    ¡°Uh, Boss?¡± He repeated questioningly as he rubbed the pain out of his hand.


    Even if Jaqueline didn¡¯t quite lose her grin, she did give him a confused look as if she wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°Why are you calling me boss?¡± He clarified.


    ¡°Because you are the Boss!¡± The woman laughed as if that explained everything.


    ¡°Okay¡­ why am I the Boss?¡± He tried instead.


    Jaqueline gave him another confused look before bopping her head again and giving him an understanding nod. ¡°Ah, yah, yah, I get it. You¡¯z the Boss because you¡¯z the Overlord!¡±


    ¡°Um, overlord?¡± He blinked.


    ¡°Yah, you know conquer the lands, zteal the princezzez, fight the ztupid heroez.¡± Jaqueline elaborated as she waved a hand through the air.


    He narrowed his eyes in confusion, before continuing with, ¡°And making dungeons, raising monsters, casting spells, and so on?¡±


    ¡°And zo on.¡± Jaqueline nodded.


    He ran a hand down his face. ¡°And why am I the¡­ the ¡®Overlord¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯z got the Overlord¡¯z hand.¡± Jaqueline smiled before gesturing to his left hand where he wore the metal gauntlet that was the King¡¯s Hand.


    (How didn¡¯t I notice that? I mean I was just¡­) A pulse of pain interrupted that thought as he remembered putting the gauntlet because of Annabelle¡¯s nudging. ¡°Right, I put the gauntlet on and¡­¡± His mind was still fuzzy about what happened next, cutting straight to waking up a few moments prior.


    Staring at the metal hand that he just knew was responsible for his current predicament, he tried to pull it off before finding the gauntlet forced his hand into a fist every time he tried, keeping it all firmly locked in place.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve zcrambled you¡¯z brainz harder than I thought.¡± Jaqueline told him as she scratched her head with another confused look.


    He bit back his more frustrated response to that, before giving the woman another once over. His mind once more dismissed her¡­ additional features as if he¡¯d seen them a hundred times before. The same way he had when working with a new colleague with an unusual feature or missing limb, he noted it, classed it as unimportant in the grand scheme of things and then promptly moved on.


    A part of him knew that her being a different species wasn¡¯t such a small detail, especially given how often he¡¯d fantasized about such things as a fantasy loving teenager. But he felt that fumbling first contact because he let his inner nerd make a fool of himself would not help him in this situation. (I just have to roll with all of this¡­)


    Instead he focused on her clothing, taking note of how her clothes seemed to almost resemble a blue and red colonial uniform. Something that seemed to serve more for appearances sake than for practicality. (Though I guess it does go nicely with her hair and skin.)


    ¡°Ah, ah, Boss are you how do they zay, ¡®checking me out¡¯.¡± Jaqueline blushed, looking not at all displeased in the slightest.


    His eyes jumped to the woman¡¯s forehead. ¡°I am a happily married man!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯z not a dealbreaker~¡± Jaqueline smiled, stepping closer.


    He actually frowned at that, feeling fairly insulted rather than flattered. ¡°I am not going to cheat on Annabelle.¡±


    ¡°Who zaid anythin¡¯ about cheating?¡± The woman in front of him smiled with a mouth full of fangs. ¡°She can join whenever she wants, in fact I can show you both all sortz of fun things~¡±


    This statement was highlighted by her waving her tail in front of his nose.


    He grabbed Jaqueline¡¯s shoulders and gently pushed her back several steps. ¡°Please stay at least this distance from me at all times.¡±


    ¡°Ah, boo¡­¡± Jaqueline pouted before letting out a sigh. ¡°Well, can¡¯t blame a Jaegerjacque from trying.¡±


    ¡°Jaegerjacque?¡± He repeated questioningly.


    ¡°The Overlord¡¯z ever faithful minions.¡± Jaqueline bowed, before looking up as her yellow eyes flashed, the pupils disappearing as a dozen more eyes appeared hiding in the shadows. ¡°Every last one of us.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ how many of you are there?¡± He found himself asking as he eyed the numerous eyes hiding in the shadows, not feeling an ounce of fear in himself as if he instinctively knew these people meant him no harm in spite of their claws and fangs. (Still should know how many I¡¯m dealing with¡­)


    ¡°Not as many as I wished.¡± Jaqueline grimaced as she stood, a few of the eyes disappearing and others revealing themselves to be fireflies of some sort. ¡°We¡¯re all faithful, yah, but it¡¯z been a hundred years zince the previous Overlord¡¯z Era ended, and given how one of our orderz iz to live free and happy we¡¯re kind of everywherez and nowherez right now.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded sympathetically, because he didn¡¯t really know what else to do.


    ¡°Zpeaking of, we had to move da throne because those stupid heroez kicked us out of our old place¡­ again¡­¡± Jaqueline sighed before shaking her head and motioning him to follow as she started towards some stairs. ¡°Ztill, while we lost our old city, and a few¡­ dozen otherz we¡¯ve built while you were out -because them fookin¡¯ heroez won¡¯t leave uz alone! Forcin¡¯ us to keep movin¡¯ and bein¡¯ attacked by monsters or chased by pitchforkz and torchies all because we tryin¡¯ to find a new home!¡±


    He decided it was best not to say anything because while part of him felt bad that these ¡®Jaegerjacques¡¯ had to keep moving, the fact that it was ¡®heroes¡¯ that were making them move and that the ¡®Overlord¡¯ was usually the bad guy had him wondering if he should feel bad for them. (For all I know they¡¯re killing and pillaging half the countryside¡­)


    Still as Jaqueline continued to rant about even more troubles her people had gone through while remaining loyal to the Overlord, he couldn¡¯t keep himself from feeling some sympathy for their various plights.


    ¡°But like the sayin¡¯ goez, evil alwayz findz a way!¡± Jaqueline laughed as they came to a large set of wooden doors that the woman kicked open. ¡°Zo what to do ya think Boss?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but swallow as he stepped past the doors, his eyes taking in the scenery around him and forcing himself to admit that, that (I¡¯m a lot further from home than I thought¡­)


    Choose Your Starting Biome (Hint: Each of these has currently hidden pros and cons, such as which Kingdom will be your neighbor.)


    (Note: Picking the Jaegerjacques means you have no scouting time before your base is set, but that you get them -an elite general purpose unit- as your starting minion as well as some low level infrastructure.)


    []- Plains


    []- Forest


    []- Swamps


    []- Mountains


    []- Dessert


    []- Ocean


    []- Ruins


    ---


    A/N: Okay, there was a tie between Ruins and Swamp¡­ I can make that work.


    ---


    Chapter 2: Jaegerjaque¡¯s Tour


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    In front of him was what appeared to be a marshland of sorts, dark swampy waters and scraggly black trees all around their vines hanging low as they grew over structures of stone and metal that looked centuries old.


    The space he and Jaqueline stood on was a small patch of dirt, and one of only a handful of islands he could see floating between the water and trees. Though on the other islands he could make out a few more structures that hadn¡¯t been consumed by the water.


    ¡°I know, I know, it don¡¯t look like much but ya gotta trust me when I zay we¡¯ve done a lot with what we¡¯ve got.¡± Jaqueline assured him. ¡°Admittedly, we¡¯ve taken over the ruinz to do a lot of that, but we¡¯ve ztill done a lot.¡±


    Rather than expressing his doubts, he instead told her, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have.¡±


    The jaegerjaque waved a finger in his face, clearly having caught his disbelief. ¡°Look, look, I¡¯ll give ya a tour and you¡¯ll zee how much we¡¯ve done. Now come on, come on.¡±


    Using what was more of leaping stride than what could be called a walk, Jaqueline made her way to a small wooden raft off to the side. ¡°Now first off, while we don¡¯t really need them, we made a bunch of these raftz here for ya and any other minionz ya recruit to get around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ kind of you.¡± He smiled, even if he didn¡¯t really feel it. (It, it might be best to just roll with things until I get a moment alone.)


    ¡°Ah, lezz kindnezz and more efficien-z.¡± Jaqueline admitted, using a large stick to keep the raft in place as he tried to keep balance on the ship. ¡°We¡¯ve been doin¡¯ thiz long enough to know what any Overlord needz to get the job done without needing a zmack to get movin¡¯. Though zpeaking of needing a zmack¡­¡±


    The Jaegerjaque inhaled deeply before suddenly screaming, ¡°The Overlord¡¯z here for an inzpection, get your lazy arzez movin¡¯ before ya make me look bad!¡±


    From inside of the stone building they just exited a number of creatures looking similar to Jaqueline -save their skin colors and clothing- leapt out from the doorway and into the trees before making their way to the various other islands and structures.


    ¡°Zorry about that boss, the boyz all wanted to zee you when we realized you were waking up.¡± Jaqueline apologized. ¡°After all, it¡¯z not every day that you zee the return of the Overlord.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± He lied, albeit sympathetically.


    ¡°Anywayz, back to the tour.¡± Jaqueline used her stick to get the raft moving before using it to point back at the building they¡¯d come out of, one that almost looked like a cathedral of some kind. ¡°We zet the throne up in the basement of that building because it¡¯z big enough to work for both houzin¡¯ and a gatherin¡¯ point. Alzo, the acoustics. Them be important we ya¡¯re giving a big zpeech and zome zuch. ¡±


    ¡°They are.¡± He nodded, remembering the few lectures he¡¯d given at the college, and the one time he¡¯d done so with broken speakers.


    ¡°Aye.¡± Jaqueline nodded back, before moving the raft a bit further and pointing towards what from a modern perspective looked like a half collapsed and half submerged parking structure of some kind. ¡°We¡¯re turning that into a farm of zortz, each level will have different thingz, and with zome netz we¡¯ve built a fish farm at the bottom with some cropz on the top level.¡±


    ¡°I see. The multi-floored structure is a way of maximizing the small amount of land here.¡± He realized. ¡°What a marvel that must¡¯ve been in the past.¡±


    ¡°Eh, you would know better than me.¡± Jaqueline shrugged, before pushing their raft towards another half-submerged building with several holes in the wall where he saw a number of Jaegerjaques coming and going from with their arms full.


    Their raft entered the building through one of the larger holes at water level and he found the inside of the building to have several floors, each with a massive hole in the middle that he was having trouble deciding whether it was due to the wear and tear of time or the Jaegerjaques themselves given how they were simply leaping and climbing through the holes.


    Not that that stopped several from stopping in what they were doing to stare at him with excited looks and grins full of fangs as some seemed to vibrate in place just from seeing him. (They¡­ really are happy to see me for some reason¡­)


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Jaqueline told him just a moment before grabbing him and leaping off the raft.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± He cried as they soared through the air, before Jaqueline caught the edge of the lowest hole and flipped them over it.


    ¡°Ah, zorry boss.¡± Jaqueline apologized as she set him down. ¡°We haven¡¯t really built ladderz zince we don¡¯t really need ¡®em, but we can get on that once you¡¯ve got more minionz than uz.¡±


    ¡°R-right, I suppose that makes sense.¡± He smiled shakily as he tried to calm his pounding heart. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re an agile lot aren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Juzt the way the Caretaker built uz!¡± The jaegerjaque preened proudly. ¡°Juzt like we built all of thiz!¡±


    Adjusting his glasses took a look around the building and found what looked like a makeshift cross of a smithery, the heat and smoke both being dissipated by all of the holes in such a way that there was no visible smoke from the outside.


    ¡°We¡¯ve turned this building into a crafting diztrict, all the holez give us ventilation for the smoke and make it eazy for uz to come and go.¡± Jaqueline explained before picking him up and leaping to the next floor. ¡°We¡¯re uzing the different floorz here to set up a different crafting type on each, that way no one be ztepping on anyone else¡¯z shoez.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way of keeping the wood from catching fire.¡± He blinked, a little surprised by how quickly he was getting used to being carried around. (I guess this is sort of like riding a rollercoaster.)


    ¡°Aye, though that doesn¡¯t always stop the boyz from catching fire.¡± Jaqueline admitted before they both watched a burning Jaegerjaque dive through the hole in the floor and into the water down below.


    ¡°Is, is he going to be okay?¡± He frowned while cautiously leaning to look through the hole.


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s the zaying? Ya can¡¯t kill a good Jaegerjaque unless ya cut their heads off and even then ya gotta make sure they ain¡¯t making faces when ya ain¡¯t looking!¡± Jaqueline laughed at that (rather disturbing imagery¡­)


    Yet again swallowing down his most immediate response, he instead voiced a question that was weighing on him since the start of this tour. ¡°So¡­ while all of this is very impressive.¡± He assured the fanged woman who could throw him across the room. ¡°What exactly is it you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like that night with ya and your wife, but since ya zaid no to that¡­ I juzt want ya to be the Boss that ya are!¡± Jaqueline smiled at him.


    ¡°And¡­ what does that entail exactly?¡± He asked, because while his immediate desire was to get home, he got the distinct feeling that wasn¡¯t happening until he settled things with¡­ this lot. (I hope Annabelle doesn¡¯t worry too much¡­ Or murder anyone while trying to find me¡­)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we go over thiz?¡± Jaqueline frowned. ¡°Zteal the princezzez, conquer the landz, unite the monzta kin, and prezerve the great evil!¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ and how am I supposed to do all of those things?¡± (That I have zero intention of actually doing.)


    ¡°With da Overlord¡¯z Hand of course!¡± Jaqueline answered in a way that said she thought he was playing the fool for some reason. (Though the fact that I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on kind of says I am the fool here¡­)


    Instead of admitting to that though, he looked down at the metal gauntlet still stuck to his hand. ¡°And how am I supposed to use the¡­ Overlord¡¯s Hand?¡±


    ¡°To do Overlord thingz!¡± Jaqueline told him, beginning to sound like she was getting frustrated despite the friendly smile on her face.


    ¡°I understand that, but I mean how do I use the Overlord¡¯s Hand?¡± He elaborated, believing that (when in an unknown magical place the best thing to do is listen to the possibly magical creature.)


    ¡°That¡­ is actually a very good queztion.¡± The Jaegerjaque confessed, seeming to think about it for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Zince I¡¯m not the Overlord, I don¡¯t know how to uze the Hand, but it¡¯z Overlord Magic, zo juzt follow the Overlord¡¯z Golden Rule.¡±


    ¡°The Overlord¡¯s Golden Rule?¡± He repeated skeptically.


    ¡°Ah, well it¡¯z not an official rule, but everyone eventually figurez out that if the Overlord Willz it, it happenz.¡± Jaqueline explained while looking a little sheepish. ¡°Juzt decide what ya want and will it zo.¡±


    (Just decide what I want and will it so¡­) He frowned, figuring this was going to be one of those things that he¡¯d just have to figure out for himself.


    Upon examining the gauntlet once more he found his gaze locking onto the large gem embedded into the back, the gem sparkling far more than it had prior to his appearance here, and as he gazed into its depths, instinct told him what he had to do.


    What color is the Overlord¡¯s Gem? (Freebie Overlord Perk. Have to complete a Big objective for these but they are literal game changers.)


    Hint: This color scheme is common in my other stories.


    []- Red.


    []- Blue.


    []- Green.


    []- Black.


    What does the Overlord will for? (Freebie Overlord Ability. Have to train to get these, they¡¯re useful but won¡¯t change how you play.)


    []- A weapon in hand.


    []- Power unleashed.


    []- Controlled force.


    []- Domination.


    Chosen Starting Biome: Swamp Ruins


    -Pros:


    --Ruins can be converted into structures, gaining bonuses based on the ruin used.


    --Lands natural defenses will make most people reluctant to search the area.


    --Native creatures -possible minions- of the swamp will be hardier than most.


    -Cons:


    --Limited Building space, but you can fix this in time.


    --Harshness of the Swamp biome will limit some minion options.


    --Ruins will attract adventurers if they find out about them.


    -Neutral:


    --Swamp biome reduces mobility of all units lacking a special Mobility.


    Starting Buildings


    Throne Room (Ruin Bonus: Underground. Above building must be conquered for non-stealth enemies to enter.)


    -The Throne Room and your personal chambers.


    Barracks/Living Space (Ruin Bonus: Acoustics. Gain an additional D6 when giving speeches.)


    -A living space for your minions, will house all humanoid Minions so long as Population is [Small] or less.


    Farm Tower (Ruin Bonus: Can build up to 5 ¡®Farms¡¯ on one plot.)


    -Produces different types of food to feed the population. (Surplus will be converted to Gold via trade. (When we set that up.))


    -Current Farm Production


    --Basic Field (+1 Vegetation Food)


    --Fish Farm (+1 Meat Food)


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Starting Minion


    (Basic) Jaegerjaques


    -Worker Tags: Humanoid, Base Builders


    -Combat Tags: Scrapper, Infiltrators, Scouts


    -Social Tags: Friendly, Blood Knights, Loyal, Fearless


    -Special Abilities:


    --Agile: Mobility. These units can climb and leap distances that allow them to work around a number of terrain obstacles. Walls actually help them rather than hindering.


    --Healing Factor: As long as they aren¡¯t killed, this unit can heal from any injury with time.


    --Adaptable: This unit can survive in any biome without suffering a physical penalty, and is immune to all but the most extreme environmental hazards.


    ---


    A/N: Okay, we had two voters -I think- so I¡¯m going to pick one from each option, and hopefully pick one from each person.


    -Blue


    -Domination


    ---


    Chapter 3: The Dominant Problems


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    The blue gem glowed as he raised his hand in front of him and followed the instinct running through the back of his mind, instructing him on what to do as if it was an old habit ingrained over centuries.


    Power that was somehow both hot and cold surged through him, flooding him with an unbreaking conviction as he focused on the world in front of him, not even thinking about what he was doing, he willed the world itself to, ¡°Bend the knee.¡±


    All around him every Jaegerjaque stopped what they were doing and dropped to a single knee as they kneeled, their eyes all overcome with a glowing blue that overwrote everything else.


    Seeing this and feeling the intoxicating power that flooded through him, he just knew that with this gauntlet on his hand, he could make the gods themselves bend to his will. A thought that brought a mad grin to his face as he thought about- (What am I doing?!)


    Cold clarity flooded him as the gauntlet lost power, leaving him surrounded by the Jaegerjaques all on their knees and all with a fading glow to their eyes. Horror washed over him as he stared down at the seemingly inconspicuous gauntlet on his hand, realizing what he¡¯d just done and just how far he could¡¯ve taken that addictive power. The atrocities he could have committed while under its influence.


    (I need to get this thing off of me¡­) He swallowed, gripping the glove and finding that it once more refused to let go of his hand.


    ¡°Aw, why¡¯d ya ztop¡­¡± Jaqueline whined from where she sat on her knees, a look on her face.


    He froze. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°You were doing zo good~¡± The (woman) purred, her look somehow becoming even more than it already was.


    ¡°Uh, I- what?¡± He found himself repeating, unable to do much else as Jaqueline slowly stretched herself out.


    ¡°Mm~ I haven¡¯t been dominated like that in a while.¡± The Jaegerjaque told him with a satisfied grin. ¡°Didn¡¯t know how bad I waz needing that.¡±


    ¡°What is happening?¡± He whispered to himself, feeling his sanity begin to fray as he realized that all the Jaegerjaques were in a similar state of lazed relaxation as Jaqueline. A state that was a little too similar to a state of relaxation he¡¯d seen Annabelle in.


    ¡°Ya used the Overlord¡¯z Hand to Dominate uz.¡± Jaqueline answered, apparently seeing no reason to stand back up. ¡°Me and da boyz be needing that in a bad way with az rough az the lazt few yearz have been.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am deeply uncomfortable with everything you just said. Aren¡¯t you mad that I just¡­ I just mind controlled you!¡± There really was no other way to say it.


    Jaqueline gave him a confused look. ¡°Ya didn¡¯t mind control uz, ya Dominated uz like a propa Overlord.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± He scoffed, sure that there was none.


    ¡°Mind Control iz when ya go in and twizt zomeone¡¯z thoughtz around, make ¡®em into zomethin¡¯ they¡¯re not. Domination iz where ya link ya mind with zomeone and make clear who da boss iz. The perzon iz still the perzon, they juzt zee thingz your way.¡± Jaqueline explained. ¡°It¡¯z not like ya can make zomeone be zomeone other than who they are.¡±


    ¡°That just¡­ that just sounds like mind control with extra steps.¡± He told her, while wondering if denial was a side effect of this Domination thing.


    ¡°Nah, nah. Domination iz way zimpler than mind control.¡± The Jaegerjaque assured him. ¡°All ya doing iz making yourzelf the boss. No one iz going to do anything for ya, they ain¡¯t willing to do for another boss. Hell, zome people are even immune to it, but they got to be really loyal to their current boss to do that.¡± Jaqueline gave him a fanged grin. ¡°Like we are to you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He inhaled before exhaling. ¡°This is very clearly a Dark Side power.¡±


    ¡°Ya mean the fun zide?¡± Jaqueline blinked with a tilt of her head.


    ¡°What I mean is that, I¡¯m not going to be doing this¡­ Domination thing again.¡± As much as he may¡¯ve fantasized about magic over the years, he was not going to use magic that overwrote someone¡¯s will. (That¡¯s how you turn yourself into a monster.)


    Jaqueline shot up suddenly looking alarmed. ¡°Okay, okay, now let¡¯z not be hazty here. Domination iz one of the bezt toolz of the overlord trade, you can¡¯t juzt cut uz off- I mean, you can¡¯t juzt not uze it!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He frowned. ¡°I get that you want me to be this overlord thing, but I¡¯m not going to remove people¡¯s free will-¡±


    ¡°Of courze not, which iz why¡­ you¡¯ll only uze it on wild thingz and willing minionz.¡± Jaqueline smiled with a hint of desperation. ¡°Thingz that either lack zapience or want you to dominate them. That way there¡¯z no moral quandary to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that sounds like a very slippery slope.¡± He admitted, remembering just how intoxicating that power had been.


    ¡°Perhapz, but there are zome truly dangerouz beaztiez out there.¡± Jaqueline warned him, before her eyes went wide. ¡°Ah, yez, that¡¯ll prove why ya need to uze every zword on the rack!¡±


    Before he could react, Jaqueline had once more grabbed him before leaping through the hole in the floor and with a few clawed grapples against the crumbling ceiling and walls had landed them on the raft they¡¯d been using previously.


    After taking a moment to try and catch his balance, only to fall on his ass, he turned a glare to the Jaegerjaque as she began to once more maneuver them through the swampy waters. ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    ¡°I told you there are dangerouz beaztiez out there. There¡¯z a couple that are a bit clozer to camp than we like, but we were going to leave them be zo long az they did the zame for uz.¡± Jaqueline explained without breaking from her rowing.


    ¡°What kind of beasts?¡± He asked, because while he had dealt with a few dangerous animals during his expeditions for the university he wasn¡¯t sure he could handle something that a creature like Jaqueline would consider dangerous. (Hopefully it¡¯s just a few alligators or something¡­)


    ¡°All kindz of beaztiez made by the Magician, the Scientist, and the Caretaker.¡± Jaqueline answered, causing him to grip his head as he felt something wriggling around inside of his thoughts.


    ¡°I¡­ I know those¡­ those titles?¡± He frowned, not sure how he knew them or what they represented beyond a few vague mental outlines.


    ¡°Of courze you do, ya the Overlord!¡± Jaqueline laughed, not noticing his discomfort at this little aside as she continued to elaborate that, ¡°Their beaztiez roam all over the world, zome doing their job and zome having forgotten it az the zenturiez dragged on or their jobz quit needing doing.¡±


    ¡°What kind of jobs?¡± He wondered, his mind conjuring up the kind of magical constructs or scientific abominations he¡¯d use as enemies in various tabletop games.


    ¡°Like dealing with thoze ztupid fookin¡¯ heroez!¡± Jaqueline growled before putting on a chipper smile. ¡°Or working to be the bezt minionz eva like uz Jaegerjaquez!¡±


    ¡°So you were created to be minions.¡± He realized, eyeing the woman in front of him and wondering if she even realized what it meant that her race was designed to be servants, slaves even.


    (No.) (Wait¡­) ¡°You¡¯re meant to be the Overlord¡¯s minions but you said earlier the Jaegerjaques were spread out because you were ordered to live free and be happy.¡± He remembered.


    ¡°Aye.¡± Jaqueline nodded. ¡°Ever Jaegerjaque followz the overlord because we choose to, not because he ordered uz to.¡±


    He considered that for a moment, before pointing out that, ¡°Earlier you said you wanted me to use Domination on you and the other Jaegerjaques. The way you were all acting¡­ How do you know you¡¯re not conditioned to be controlled by his power? An addiction built into your species to keep you loyal.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯z not like that.¡± Jaqueline assured him with a distasteful frown, before crouching down and letting the currents carry them. ¡°Domination connectz uz to you, and it¡¯z¡­ Ya got a god ya believe in?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± He admitted, the topic having always been odd for him given how he was raised alongside how much of the world he¡¯d seen that wasn¡¯t limited to the churchyard.


    ¡°Well, ya rather they have a plan or no plan at all?¡± Jaqueline tried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He answered once more, because there were pros and cons to both paths.


    ¡°Well, I zay it don¡¯t matter if there¡¯z a plan zo long az ya know ya god iz on ya zide, that he¡¯ll try to do right by ya whether he got the power or not.¡± Jaqueline confessed, not quite meeting his eyes. ¡°When ya Dominate uz, ya connect to uz, we zee your will, and know zuccezz or failure you¡¯ve got our back. That¡¯z¡­ comforting.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what he could say to that, the entire thing sounding far more¡­ intimate than he¡¯d been expecting. Especially since, (I barely know them and for all I know they kidnapped me here¡­ Yet, she¡¯s so confident after that I¡¯m on their side¡­)


    They both sat there in silence as the raft continued to carry them through the swamp, each with their own thoughts on the matter drifting through their minds. Eventually he was drawn from the depths of these thoughts as Jaqueline once more stood up.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    He looked around and only saw more of the ruins and swamplands that they¡¯d been surrounded by for their entire trip here, though something did tell him there were more Jaegerjaques lurking about nearby. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Jaqueline pointed to a large island floating in the middle of the water. ¡°One of the beaztiez is over there.¡±


    ¡°On the island? Is that its nesting grounds?¡± He frowned, wondering why a creature on that island would worry the Jaegerjaques. (We¡¯re a bit far from where they¡¯ve set up their camp, surely even if it makes the waters more dangerous it can¡¯t be a threat to them. Not when they don¡¯t really get in the water.)


    ¡°No, that¡¯z not itz neztin¡¯ ground.¡± Jaqueline chuckled before putting two fingers in her mouth and whistling.


    A handful of Jaegerjaques stood up on the edge of a nearby ruin rooftop and made several gestures.


    Jaqueline made a couple of gestures herself before pointing towards him and then the island as she gave a decisive nod.


    The other Jaegerjaques disappeared for a moment before coming back while carrying what from a distance looked like it could be the carcass of a bear given how many of them were needed to carry it before throwing it a decent distance into the water.


    (Ah, they¡¯re baiting it out.) He realized, his eyes locking onto the island as he waited for the creature to come out of hiding.


    Only instead of a creature moving on the island, the island began to move. (Oh¡­)


    From the water a massive set of jaws opened wide, revealing the brown scaly flesh of the creature, before slamming shut and devouring the bear carcass in a single bite with plenty of room to spare.


    ¡°What. Is. That?¡± He asked, unable to take his eyes off of the swamp monster even as it went back to pretending it was an unassuming island.


    ¡°Ship Eaterz. They¡¯re a guardian of the swampz, they mostly harmlezz but they eat anything that get near them.¡± Jaqueline told him, before continuing to explain that, ¡°They¡¯re not very dangerouz while fed but should we get more minionz running around here, we¡¯ll need to do zomething about them zinc they eat any ship that getz near them. We got zome scoutz watching thiz one because if it getz hungry it¡¯ll ztart moving around more and with our base being the closest¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll come after you if you don¡¯t keep it fed.¡± He grimaced.


    ¡°Aye, which keepz a few too many hunterz wrapped up with thiz mezz.¡± Jaqueline nodded. ¡°Zince we knew ya were coming zoon, we didn¡¯t want to kill it in caze you wanted to do zomething with it.¡±


    He looked at the Jaegerjaque wondering if she was crazy. ¡°What can I do with¡­ that thing?¡±


    ¡°Dominate it for one.¡± Jaqueline suggested with a shrug. ¡°You can zend it away and make it zomeone elze¡¯z problem, or we can keep it around to zcare off any one getting too close for comfort.¡±


    ¡°Why Dominate it if we¡¯re planning to keep it around?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°I mean can¡¯t we just keep feeding it like this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jaqueline nodded. ¡°But if ya Dominate it we can keep it clozer to base and we could even build zomething on it¡¯z back. Make it a mobile building of zortz.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s either insane or ingenious¡­¡± He had to admit, easily able to picture a small mobile fortress on the Ship Eater¡¯s back.


    ¡°Well it iz an overlord classic.¡± Jaqueline grinned, before giving the beast a considering look. ¡°Though doing that¡¯ll eat up a lot of food, no more than now, but ztill¡­ Hmm, there¡¯z another option too but it might be a bit rizky until ya get a better handle on thingz.¡±


    He glanced at the Jaegerjaque. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°If you use Domination to rally da boyz, we could kill the beaztie.¡± Jaqueline answered. ¡°Normally I¡¯m againzt killin¡¯ any beazt we ain¡¯t eating, but Ship Eaterz have all zortz of goodiez in them from the shipz they ate. Metalz and zuch that are hard to find in the swamplandz.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can kill it?¡± He asked, having seen what kind of monster was pretending to be an island.


    ¡°Of courze!¡± Jaqueline scoffed, before proudly puffing up. ¡°And even if we can¡¯t, we can alwayz heal and try again later.¡±


    ¡°Then why would it be risky to go after it?¡± He frowned.


    Jaqueline rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Ah, well, if we make the beaztie angry and don¡¯t kill it quick, it¡¯ll let out a call for other ship eaterz to come this way. They¡¯ll zcatter again when they find nothing but given how cloze our base iz¡­¡±


    ¡°They might head that way themselves.¡± He grimaced, picturing the waters around the Jaegerjaques¡¯ home swarming with these monsters.


    ¡°Aye.¡± Jaqueline nodded with a grimace of her own. ¡°One ship eater iz manageable right now. Half a dozen though iz a whole other story.¡±


    How should Simon and the Jaegerjaques handle this problem?


    []-Leave the beast for another day. (Can pick any of these later, or send it somewhere specific.)


    []-Dominate the beast to send it away.


    []-Dominate the beast to work with it.


    []-Dominate the Jaegerjaques to kill the beast.


    ---


    Scene Consequences


    New Overlord Skill: Dominate


    -Simon can Dominate the will of any creature with both a Lower Martial and Magical level than him. Each Combat Turn you keep a unit Dominated will cost MP equal to its Minion Rank. This ability does not affect units with the [Loyal] or [Strong Will] traits.


    Hidden Jaegerjaque Trait Revealed


    -Love Being A Minion: These units can be Dominated by their chosen boss. Doing so will restore Morale and grant their boss¡¯s relevant Skill Level to their own checks of that type.


    Overlord¡¯s Gem: Anima Blue


    -Unit Bonus: Simon¡¯s MP will fully restore with any Rest AP. Additionally, if Simon runs out of MP he can use Sanity in its place.


    -Settlement Bonus: ???


    ---


    Chapter 4: A Big Friend And A Big Party


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    He stood there thinking the matter over and (really wishing they weren¡¯t putting this on me¡­) but at the same time he could tell by the expectant look Jaqueline was giving him that neither she nor any of the Jaegerjaques were going to make this decision for him.


    Eventually his eyes fell upon the Ship Eater pretending to be an island, the creature relatively peaceful in spite of being a massive omnivore. An almost (majestic) entity that reminded him of the elephants and whales he¡¯d seen on some of his travels. Massive creatures that were at peace with nature, right up until some human came along and harmed them.


    And while he¡¯d never been overtly involved in their preservation, he found that, (I don¡¯t want to hurt it if I don¡¯t have to¡­)


    Which is why he finally decided that, ¡°If one ship eater is manageable then¡­ let¡¯s keep him around.¡±


    ¡°Ah, youz going to Dominate him?¡± Jaqueline asked with no small amount of glee.


    He glanced at the gauntlet on his hand, before giving the female Jaegerjaque a conflicted look. ¡°Do¡­ do I have to? Isn¡¯t there a way to¡­ domesticate it so it won¡¯t attack you? I mean, I know this isn¡¯t the usual kind of animal to domesticate but¡­ this is a world of magic¡­¡± (There has to be another way.)


    Jaqueline let out a huff of amusement before giving him a nod and a grin. ¡°Aye, there¡¯s this spell from a few hundred years back used for domesticating particularly mean beasties to be more friendly.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He smiled with no small amount of relief. ¡°What is it? Can you, can you teach me it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to. After all, you already know it.¡± Jaqueline assured him with her hands on her hips.


    (I already¡­) ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Domination spell¡­¡± He realized in annoyance.


    ¡°Ja.¡± Jaqueline laughed with no shame. ¡°Long before we Jaegerjaques came into the picture, that spell was made to keep people from the beastiez of the night. After a few improvements, it even made the beastiez view people az part of their pack. A few more and they started following orderz. A few more and well, even the zmarter beastiez figured out who da boss waz.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that little history lesson as looked between Jaqueline and the Ship Eater. (That¡¯s not what I wanted to hear¡­)


    ¡°Now don¡¯t look zo down, if ya really don¡¯t want to use Dominate on the beastie or uz then we could juzt leave it here.¡± Jaqueline assured him. ¡°Of course, that¡¯z juzt kicking the can down da road.¡±


    ¡°It is¡­¡± He sighed, running his ungloved hand through his hair before holding the gloved one up in the air.


    Eventually he let the hand fall to his side. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll Dominate the Ship Eater.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Jaqueline cackled, before beginning to maneuver their raft around. ¡°In that case we need to get closer to the beastie.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Why?!¡± He stumbled, under the sudden raft movements having to fight to keep from falling into the water.


    ¡°Dominate iz kind of tricky about da range.¡± Jaqueline explained, as she sailed their small ship closer to the Ship Eater. ¡°While it can ztretch pretty far once active, the further ya are from the target the harder it iz to Dominate them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that makes sense.¡± He admitted, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why we¡¯re sailing towards its head instead of its flank!¡±


    ¡°Because the beastie will rezpect ya more if ya look it in the eye when ya show it who''z boss!¡± The mad woman explained, curving the raft in such a way that it stopped with them staring the Ship Eater dead on from the front.


    From this angle it didn¡¯t take him long to find a pair of beady black eyes staring out from the beast pretending to be an island, each surrounded by foliage that would keep them hidden if one didn¡¯t know that it was alive.


    Unfortunately, he did know that he was staring at an omnivorous island, thus allowing him to see the exact moment that the Ship Eater realized that there was a rather small ship floating in front of it. Something that made it all the easier to see how the water surged as the ambush predator made its way towards them.


    ¡°We, we need to move before it eats us!¡± He told Jaqueline.


    ¡°Nah, ya can take him easy, boss.¡± The Jaegerjaque disagreed with a confident smile. ¡°Ya just got to show this beastie what for, and he¡¯ll be followin¡¯ ya orderz in no time.¡±


    ¡°How?!¡± He yelled back as he felt none of that misplaced confidence as the Ship Eater began to open its mouth.


    ¡°We already covered dis, all ya gotz to do iz Dominate it.¡± Jaqueline reminded him, without a single twitch to her mad grin.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed as the moving water began to shake the raft, forcing his eyes back onto the beast about to eat them.


    With no other recourse he raised the Overlord¡¯s Hand towards the beast and closed his eyes as he gave into the hundred instinct before feeling the cold-hot power of the gauntlet begin to flood through him, reminding him that he was the one in power here (not some upstart little salamander!)


    Grasping this power tight, he opened his eyes and with a conviction that would make a god flinch ordered the massive monster before him to ¡°Obey!¡±


    The world around him shook as the power within him rushed forward, leaving him to gasp at the sudden loss of power.


    Despite all of this the Ship Eater continued to rush forward with its maw opened wide.


    Realizing that in spite of the power in the gauntlet, and Jaqueline¡¯s confidence, he¡¯d still failed, he closed his eyes in preparation to become this beast¡¯s latest meal. (I¡¯m sorry Annabelle¡­)


    After a moment with no sudden impact, he wondered if the Ship Eater had eaten them whole in a way that would¡¯ve given Jonah flashbacks of the whale, only to realize something was gently nudging against his gloved hand. (W-what?)


    Cautiously, he slowly peeked through his eyelids before fully opening them as he found the Ship Eater gently nudging against his hand in spite of their massive size difference.


    ¡°Zee, look at him, he¡¯z little more than a mazzive puppy now!¡± Jaqueline laughed from beside him, having apparently waited until he was actually looking at the results of, of (my magic¡­)


    ¡°He, he is¡­ isn¡¯t he?¡± He huffed with no small amount of awe as he continued to pet the Ship Eater¡¯s snout.


    ¡°Yep, and now that he¡¯z all docile like we don¡¯t have to worry about him eating any of da boyz back home.¡± Jaqueline nodded, walking over and giving the Ship Eater a couple pats of her own. ¡°Zpeaking of¡­ Boyz we¡¯z bouncin¡¯!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but flinch at the sudden yell from beside him, something that the Ship Eater luckily didn¡¯t care about in the slightest as it continued to nudge itself against his hand. Something that became harder as Jaqueline picked him up and climbed them both onto the Ship Eater¡¯s head.


    The living island made a rumbling sound that had both of them shaking from the sheer force of it.


    ¡°Now, now big guy. We¡¯z gotz to get movin¡¯ but you¡¯re coming with uz.¡± Jaqueline assured the beast as she rubbed its head, before turning back to Simon. ¡°You¡¯ve got to point him in the direction we¡¯re goin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± He looked around trying to remember which way they came from after all of that¡­ excitement.


    ¡°That way.¡± Jaqueline helpfully pointed.


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± He nodded before pointing towards the Jaegerjaques¡¯ base.


    Not needing any other direction the Ship Eater began slowly turning the way he was pointing without any more words.


    While they moved he found that from all around them the Jaegerjaques that had been watching them came out of hiding, and moved closer. Some of them even going so far as to jump onto the Ship Eater completely trusting that they¡¯d pacified the giant beast. ¡°Aren¡¯t, aren¡¯t they scared the Ship Eater is going to get them?¡±


    ¡°Maybe if they were ztupid and the beastie wazn¡¯t Dominated, but they know it¡¯z zafe for now.¡± Jaqueline shrugged, before letting out a dark chuckle as she began to once more move the raft. ¡°And if any of dem are ztupid enough to mezz with him after the Domination wearz off then they dezerve to zpend a week or two getting digezted.¡±


    ¡°Would, wouldn¡¯t that kill them?¡± He frowned with some concern.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Jaqueline smiled with nothing but fangs.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if that made it better or worse.


    Deciding that he didn¡¯t really want to dwell on that at the moment, he instead asked, ¡°So, um, what now?¡±


    ¡°Now we go back to baze and celebrate the Overlord¡¯z latezt victory!¡± Jaqueline answered, raising her voice into a cheer that was matched by the rest of the Jaegerjaques hitching a ride with the Ship Eater.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not really what I meant¡­¡± (And I think you know that¡­)


    ¡°Ah, ya mean what are we doin¡¯ with da Ship Eater?¡± Jaqueline nodded, without actually meeting his eyes. ¡°Hmm, well like we waz talking about earlier there are a few optionz there. The mozt obvious would be to build zomething on his back zo that we have a building we can move around the swamp.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He held his tongue, getting the feeling that Jaqueline was purposely avoiding what he wanted to talk about.


    In the face of his silence Jaqueline glanced his way and winced upon seeing his frown. The female Jaegerjaque bit her lip for a moment before subtly moving her head towards the rest of her kind and shaking her head as she tried to pass a message to him.


    He glanced towards all of the Jaegerjaques that he couldn¡¯t actually name, before giving her a nod and mouthing the word ¡®Today.¡¯ to which Jaqueline nodded back with a relieved look.


    Figuring that it was best to¡­ play along for now, he instead asked Jaqueline, ¡°What kind of things do you think we should build? I mean more building space is useful with how limited it is out here, but that means we have to be mindful of what we put there.¡±


    ¡°Right, well, right now we don¡¯t have a whole lot we can build, but everything we could build would be really uzeful right now.¡± Jaqueline assured him. ¡°The easiest would be a zupply tranzport to help da boyz move building zuppliez around da swamp, which given how we have to carry everything right now would pretty much double our gathering of wood, ztone, and similar.¡±


    ¡°Which would be a massive boon if you¡¯re planning on turning this place into a proper home.¡± He agreed, figuring that in a place with more water than land a ship was -from a civilization stand point- about as valuable as roads in the ancient world. (And until they get a shipyard this big guy might be the closest they have for a while.)


    ¡°Ja, but alternatively we could zet up a¡­ zort of hunting and fishing ship on his back.¡± Jaqueline offered. ¡°Given the zituation we¡¯d barely be breaking even on the food that bringz in but, given how keepin¡¯ him around iz already eating a hefty chunk of our food zupply¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll at least mean he¡¯s pulling his weight to stick around as it were.¡± He nodded in understanding, aware that his desire to not kill the Ship Eater was going to maintain the sink in their food supply they might¡¯ve been hoping he¡¯d get rid of.


    ¡°When we¡¯re more eztablished we could zet up zomething more efficient but right now it¡¯z what we¡¯ve got to work with.¡± Jaqueline admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°Similarly, we could build another farm on his back. The mozz and dirt Ship Eaterz gather iz zurprizingly good for farming, nothing fantastic but enough that we could have farm we could move if¡­ thingz go badly.¡±


    ¡°Badly how?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Fookin¡¯ heroez wrecking our home¡­¡± Jaqueline grumbled.


    ¡°If¡­ you¡¯re in danger of being attacked¡­ wouldn¡¯t a sort of mobile fortress be an idea?¡± He wondered, remembering his earlier idea for the Ship Eater.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ We don¡¯t have the zuppliez for a proper fortrezz, and if we did that¡¯z the kind of thing that once we built we wouldn¡¯t be able to take down. The big guy would be ztuck with that for life.¡± Jaqueline explained while patting the Ship Eater.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that bad for them if we build it light.¡± Jaqueline admitted. ¡°Zome of the older onez actually have a more zteady food zupply because stupid fookin¡¯ heroez think the fort has treasure baiting them for the Ship Eater¡¯z next meal.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± (That¡­ is a survival strategy.)


    ¡°But like I zaid, we don¡¯t have the zuppliez for that. At best we could build a zmall watchtower, and we could remove that easy.¡± Jaqueline shrugged. ¡°Though of course we could build nothing, and zave the zpace for when we really need it.¡±


    ¡°Which could be a waste, especially if we can tear it down and build something else.¡± He pointed out.


    ¡°Perhapz,¡± Jaqueline nodded before climbing back to her feet. ¡°But that¡¯z zomething, we can zettle after the celebration.¡±


    ¡°Celebration?¡± He blinked, before realizing they were nearing the old cathedral-like structure the Jaegerjaques had built their home around. Something that was mostly pointed out by how many Jaegerjaques were standing around and staring at them.


    Before he could realize what was happening Jaqueline had already grabbed him by his wrist, pulled him to his feet, and raised his gloved hand into the air. ¡°Boyz and Galz Ya Overlord Returnz Victoriouz!!!¡±


    All around them the Jaegerjaques erupted into cheers as they all came out of the woodwork to inspect the Ship Eater that was preening under all of the attention.


    Cheers that he hadn¡¯t heard in¡­ ever. (There weren¡¯t even this many cheers when I married Annabelle¡­)


    An arm wrapped around his shoulders, drawing his attention back to Jaqueline. ¡°Come on, boss. Now ain¡¯t the time for that mopey stuff, now¡¯z the Time To Party!!!¡±


    The cheers renewed once more.


    ¡°Someone get out the booze!¡±


    That just made them louder.


    New Minion Acquired


    Ship Eater


    -Worker Tags: None


    -Combat Tags: Transport, Bruiser, Infiltrator


    -Social Tags: Lazy, Puppy-Like


    -Special Abilities:


    --Living Island: This unit is essentially a living island and can be used as a Construction space. Anything built here can be transferred to any location that this unit can move to.


    ---(Note: If a building progresses too far down its upgrade tree it will become a permanent attachment.)


    --Ambush Predator: Unless scouted this unit begins Combat [Hidden]. This unit deals double damage when attacking from Stealth.


    --Massive: This unit has higher HP and Attack than other units of its Rank, but rises in population caps faster. (I.E. 1 Ship Eater is the same Pop Level as 2 Dozen Jaegerjaques.)


    Construction Tutorial


    -From time to time we¡¯ll be given the option to expand or upgrade our base, in order to do this we¡¯ll need to meet certain requirements be they producing certain materials or having certain worker types.


    -Worker Tags are non-negotiable, and you must meet the minimum requirements in order to build something. That said, Production can fall short at the price of extending how many Turns it will take to build something.


    -Should we exceed the Production and Worker requirements of a project, then we¡¯ll be able to assign the excess to a second completable project. (Just as if with lower Production levels.)


    What should the Jaegerjaques start building?


    Current Productions In Use: 2/2 Meat, 2/2 Vegetation, 0/1 Wood, 0/1 Stone


    Current Workers In Use: 0/1 Humanoid, 0/1 Base Builder


    []-Supply transport. (Build Time 1 Turn, Requires: 1 Wood, 1 Stone, 1 Humanoid)


    []-Food transport. (Build Time 1 Turn, Requires: 1 Wood, 1 Stone, 1 Humanoid)


    []-A defensive post. (Build Time 1 Turn, Requires: 1 Wood, 1 Stone, 1 Humanoid, 1 Base Builder.)


    []-Mobile Farm. (Build Time 1 Turn, Requires: 1 Wood, 1 Stone, 1 Humanoid, 1 Base Builder)


    []-Leave it be for now. (Can choose later when you have more options.)


    []-Write-In: Don¡¯t forget to suggest names for the Ship Eater in the comments.


    ---


    Chapter 5: Inconvenient Truths


    --- Simon Lorde ---


    In spite of the general lack of land to stand on, this did little to actually slow down the Jaegerjaques from unleashing a party with an enthusiasm he¡¯d seen in only his wildest of students or shied away from on his own time.


    As the sun set, bonfires appeared all over the section of swamp that the Jaegerjaques had claimed as their own as several Jaegerjaques pulled out instruments and began playing a wild and lively tune that he found oddly familiar despite the clear mixing and mashing of whatever sounds the Jaegerjaques liked.


    While some of the Jaegerjaques did stand on stable ground many more could be found hanging off of tree branches, out broken ruin windows, or dancing on the back of their camp¡¯s newest acquisition. Apparently uncaring of the fact that the Ship Eater had been eating a disproportionate cut of their food, instead finding fun in riding the massive beast as it climbed onto an unused piece of land and began to do some sort of waddling dance to the music.


    The fact that the Ship Eater could and would dance at all was a big enough surprise to almost distract him from the fact that he very much was not a party person. Which was the reason why he was sitting on the steps leading into the living hall for all of the Jaegerjaques nursing the same glass that Jaqueline had shoved into his hands hours prior.


    (Thinking of¡­) He glanced at the female Jaegerjaque as she made her way over.


    ¡°What¡¯z wrong boss?¡± Jaqueline asked as she proceeded to flop onto the stairs next to him, her drink sloshing about. ¡°Ya been over here all night by yourself. It¡¯z a party ya need to get out there!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really been one for parties.¡± The few he¡¯d been to had been more because Annabelle dragged him to them.


    ¡°Really?¡± The female Jaegerjaque blinked in confusion. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t think it with how infamouz the Overlord¡¯z partiez can become.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t think it¡­¡± He frowned, before deciding, (I¡¯ve let her put this off long enough.) and adding, ¡°Then again it¡¯s not like I chose to become the Overlord, or even that I really want to be one.¡±


    Jaqueline grimaced, before sighing. ¡°I guezz we¡¯re havin¡¯ this talk¡­¡± She finished her drink as she stood up before motioning for him to follow her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯z do this where the boyz won¡¯t zee.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, leaving his drink as he got up and followed back into the cathedral and then into the basement where he found a large throne sitting atop a set of stairs in the middle of a stone hall with a large faded red carpet leading to it and torches burning with blue flame lining the walls.


    ¡°We should be good here. Jagerjaquez may be randy and dizrezpectful but they won¡¯t diz the big boss.¡± Jaqueline assured him as she took a seat on the steps leading up to the throne. ¡°Juzt be careful about raizin¡¯ ya voice, they probably won¡¯t hear ya over the muzic but¡­ better zafe than zorry.¡±


    They were both silent for a moment, him because he didn¡¯t know where to begin and her because she very clearly didn¡¯t want to be here.


    ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯z get thiz over with¡­¡± Jaqueline eventually sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware ya don¡¯t want to be here, and that from ya perzpective the Overlord¡¯z Hand bazically kidnapped ya.¡±


    ¡°What else would you call what happened to me?¡± He frowned, finding something about the way she said all of that irked him.


    ¡°Lot¡¯z a thingz, none of ¡®em ya¡¯d agree with or believe.¡± Jaqueline admitted, before shaking her head. ¡°Whatzmore, none of da boyz zee what happened to ya az being kidnapped either. Now I waz¡­ cloze with the previouz Overlord, zo I got a little more know how thingz actually work than the otherz. If ya mention any of diz to dem ya juzt kickin¡¯ a puppy at that point, zo let¡¯z get to the part ya actually want to know.¡±


    He was silent for another moment, half to process what she¡¯d said and half to work up the nerve to ask, ¡°How do I get home?¡± (If I even can get home¡­) It was a thought he was trying to avoid thinking about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know if ya can, full honezty.¡± Jaqueline answered, running a hand through her hair. ¡°There are wayz to travel between worldz, but ya rizk drawing the attention of zomething ya really shouldn¡¯t. The¡­ the old boss, he had a few dealz with a few creaturez that could get ya back to ya home world, if ya knew where ya home world waz. And I know there are wayz to find out where that iz but¡­ that takez work.¡±


    He swallowed, feeling like he wasn¡¯t going to like the answer to, ¡°What kind of work?¡±


    Jaqueline gestured to the gauntlet. ¡°On the back of da Overlord¡¯z Hand, ya zee how there¡¯z more than one slot?¡±


    He checked the gauntlet and found that what he¡¯d thought were simply decorations around the core gem, could be slots for additional gems. ¡°Each slot has a gem like this one?¡±


    ¡°Ya.¡± Jaqueline nodded. ¡°Right, now ya got the gem of [Power] it givez ya unlimited magic, zo long az ya can handle channeling it. Overlordz have uzed it to power entire citiez whenever they end up building themzelves up. That thing can power any path home ya can find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just got to find one¡­¡± He thought about what she was telling him. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the fact that you brought up the other gems means I need one -or more- of them too?¡±


    ¡°Probably more than one.¡± The female Jaegerjaque confirmed, before explaining that. ¡°Early on every Overlord triez to gather them to get home, the problem is mozt of thoze gemz are conzidered crown jewelz for the six kingdomz.¡±


    ¡°Because of course every kingdom would want to hold onto a gem that grants them unlimited power.¡± He sighed, seeing the size of the task in front of him. ¡°Meaning I¡¯m guessing a lot of people want this gem too.¡±


    ¡°Aye, whoever claimz it becomez king of their own kingdom if they¡¯re zmart, or they can pawn it off for¡­ juzt about anything they can think to azk for.¡± Jaqueline nodded as he made his way towards her. ¡°Whatzmore, zince every Overlord getz zick of dealing with their bickering politicz thingz tend to get violent¡­ enough zo that just wearing that glove iz going to put a bounty equal to the gem by itzelf.¡±


    ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic.¡± He groaned collapsing onto the steps next to her.


    ¡°It really iz.¡± Jaqueline agreed, as she stretched out and pulled a bottle out from where it was hidden beneath the throne. ¡°Old boss decided that keepin¡¯ a bottle in armz reach when dealin¡¯ with people¡¯z shit waz in everyone¡¯z bezt intereztz. At leazt if he wanted to avoid burnin¡¯ people alive.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a smart man.¡± He snorted, as he remembered his own bouts of politicking around the university, or rather his own bouts of having everyone else try to politic him.


    ¡°He waz.¡± Jaqueline frowned almost wistfully as she removed the cork before taking a swig. A moment later she pulled it back and shook her head ¡°Oof, that¡¯z the good shit!¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been stranded in another world, have a bounty big enough to buy a small country on my head for something I¡¯ve no control over, and my only way out of all of this involves getting ahold of magical gems owned by the people who put that bounty on me.¡± He summarized for himself.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Jaueline confirmed as she offered him the bottle.


    Accepting it he went ahead and took a swig before shaking his own head as he immediately felt it buzzing through his system. ¡°Damn, that is¡­ something.¡±


    They both sat there trading the bottle back and forth for a moment, before he eventually found himself asking. ¡°So what now?¡±


    Unlike the previous time where she tried to sidestep the question, Jaqueline instead told him that, ¡°That¡¯z up to you. You¡¯re the Overlord we¡¯ll follow ya whatever ya decide to do.¡±


    ¡°Because all of you are convinced this same glove, the one with an addictive and extremely dangerous power, makes me some kind of messiah.¡± He scoffed, before taking another swig and telling her, ¡°Let¡¯s both be honest I¡¯ve been following your lead more than you¡¯ve been following mine. I¡¯ve got no idea what any of this is supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, none of the other Overlordz did either, and they didn¡¯t dizappoint uz any.¡± Jaqueline pointed out as she took the bottle back. ¡°Bezidez, zometimez ya need advice about zomething ya don¡¯t underztand. Admitting that iz the zign of a good leader, regardless of what ya think.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then as a good leader, what do you think would be our best course of action?¡± He asked, with only a small amount of derision. ¡°And that¡¯s knowing I¡¯m looking for a way to leave all of you and go home.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m honeztly not worried if ya want to leave right now. Hell, if ya wanted to go off into the big wide world by yourzelf I wouldn¡¯t even ztop ya.¡± Jaqueline confessed, if only because of how much alcohol was running through her system between the party and the current bottle. ¡°Juzt the fact yer here iz a mazzive morale boozt to da boyz. Though I won¡¯t zay no to you helping uz find a home where thoze ztupid fookin¡¯ heroez won¡¯t run uz off juzt because we¡¯re a bit beaztly.¡±


    (Wait¡­ The way she said that¡­) It clicked after a moment. ¡°Oh, racism¡­ Fun!¡± He groaned, flopping back, pretty sure that even if he didn¡¯t think he was drunk he had had enough that he probably was half way there.


    ¡°Yeah, all ya Overlordz tend to have a problem with it. Part of the reazon we follow ya.¡± The Jaegerjaque admitted as she flopped back beside him. ¡°But if we¡¯re being zeriouz about ya regatherin¡¯ the gemz¡­ We¡¯re going to need more help than what we¡¯ve got now, and I don¡¯t juzt mean uz Jaegerjaquez. Yer going to need zomeone who haz a proper underztanding of magic and zcience in our world.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He had no idea where to even begin with that angle of things. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s a¡­ university or something where we can hire a bunch of desperate grad students?¡±


    ¡°Our baze is a bit zmall to get more than a nibble from the Collegium but if ya want to try we can go zee if anyone bitez.¡± Jaqueline shrugged, tipping the bottle back before frowning as she seemed to find it empty.


    ¡°The Collegium?¡± He repeated as the Jaegerjaque shook the bottle above her tongue trying to get a few more drops.


    ¡°Yeah, the Collegium, nerd zity? Uh, hold on.¡± Jaqueline tossed the empty bottle to the side before hoping to her feet with a stumble he hadn¡¯t once seen from any of the Jaegerjaques. ¡°Woo, that¡¯z ztarting to hit my head¡­ Come on, thiz way.¡±


    He climbed to his feet, still more or less stable given how little he¡¯d drunk in comparison to the Jaegerjaque before following her behind the throne and to a small door hidden in the shadows behind it.


    Jaqueline pushed the door open before giving him a half bow as she motioned for him to enter. ¡°Allow me ta welcome ya to yer perzonal chamberz boss.¡±


    The inside of the stonework room was lit by a fireplace burning with a comfortable glow in spite of how ever long it had been burning. The walls of the room were covered in empty bookshelves only broken up by a wooden door along one wall and small work table opposite it with a small glowing stone and mounting rack of some kind above it. In the center of all of this was a stone table large enough for a dozen people to gather around it, and with a number of curled papers and rocks.


    ¡°Your actual bed and zuch iz through that door there.¡± Jaqueline told him after he¡¯d stepped inside. ¡°While I don¡¯t know too much about magic or zcience we knew enough to zet you up a bazic little rezearch table, and gathered enough bookz for ya to hopefully pull zomething together if ya az interezted in magic az the other Overlordz were.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ thank you.¡± He said after a moment, not sure what else he could say in front of what must¡¯ve taken a great deal of work given what he¡¯d seen of the Jaegerjaques¡¯ otherwise ramshackle settlement.


    Eventually his attention was drawn to the papers on the table, which upon unfurling revealed themselves to be a number of maps of different regions. None of which he could place in spite of a nagging sense of familiarity he found when looking at them. (Then again how many maps have I read for my university expeditions? They all blend together after a certain point¡­)


    ¡°Which of these represents our current location?¡± He asked Jaqueline.


    ¡°The zecond one from the bottom, figured that would be one of the onez you uze more often than not.¡± Jaqueline answered, moving everything around so that two of the rolls were unfurled and pinned down with rocks.


    From what he could tell the map showed the majority of their current region to be made up of water with a number of small islands and nearby points of interest pinned down alongside a lot of landmarks. (The landmarks are probably from a more professionally made map, while the notes are what the Jaegerjaques thought important for now.)


    Jaqueline let this map curl shut while he was looking at it, revealing another map beneath it. ¡°The one you actually want though iz thiz one.¡±


    This map was of a clearly much larger region, divided into what seemed to be six vague regions surrounding a seventh in the center all of which was sandwiched between an ocean on one side and a larger eighth region ominously dubbed ¡®The Lost World¡¯. What really caught his interest though was the fact that there was a massive circle wrapped around everything but the Lost World with what looked like several mathematical formulas around the edge.


    Before he could begin to really contemplate what they meant, Jaqueline tapped a space near the border of ¡®The Ruined Realm¡¯ and ¡®The Shadowlands¡¯ on what a little compass in the corner marked as the southern half of the map. ¡°We¡¯re here, while the Collegium is over here.¡± The Jaegerjaque¡¯s claw tapped on a city very clearly marked as ¡®The Collegium¡¯ in the middle of a mountainous region nearly dead opposite of their own location on the map.


    ¡°That seems¡­ like a long trip.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace.


    ¡°Aye, for a human it¡¯z about¡­ three maybe four weekz on foot.¡± Jaqueline nodded. ¡°But half of that is because of the zwamp lands and the mountainz. We¡¯re honeztly in probably the worzt place to be making that trip.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He cursed, because that meant at minimum and with an obscene amount of luck it would take him an entire month to find a way back home. (And that¡¯s with me bartering the gem and hoping no one turns on me for the bounty¡­)


    ¡°A much eazier trip would be to cut into the Shadowlandz proper.¡± Jaqueline told him pointing to a much closer city surrounded by bats and a moon on the map. ¡°If ya head to Shadowfell, ya might be able to pull a favor with da Queen there, she¡¯z¡­ an old friend of the Overlordz. Fifty-fifty on if she helpz ya or triez to kill ya though. Cambion be like that.¡±


    ¡°Fun¡­¡± He groaned, fairly certain he didn¡¯t want to ask for help from ¡®an old friend of the Overlord¡¯. (Then again I might get lucky if she was friends with the ones trying to get home and not the evil ones.)


    His experience with D&D and that Shadowfell had him doubting it, but (I¡¯m due a lucky break¡­ Aren¡¯t I?)


    ¡°Depends on whether or not ya like a proper scrap.¡± Jaqueline shrugged, unaware of his thoughts even as she moved her finger to the other territory they bordered. ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t recommend it as ya are, but the Ruined Realm haz been a baze for more than one Overlord. Place iz ten different kindz of dangerouz, but ya might be able to find zome of their old workz if yer zmart and ztubborn.¡±


    ¡°So my options are a long trip through territory where I have a bounty on my head, a visit with a possible friend or foe in the middle of their territory, or walk through the probably booby trapped base of people who thought conquering the world was a good idea.¡± He listed off with no small amount of frustration as he ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t knock conquerin¡¯ the world until ya¡¯ve actually zeen it.¡± Jaqueline warned him as she set another bottle and a pair of wooden cups on the table. ¡°Ya looked like ya could uze another hit of the ztash I zet up for ya.¡±


    He looked at the bottle for a moment, seriously contemplating it, before asking, ¡°Was the previous Overlord an alcoholic?¡±


    Jaquline made a so-so gesture as she poured them both a glass. ¡°Eh, doez it count when ya can¡¯t get more than buzzed?¡±


    He considered that for a moment, before realizing how clear his thoughts were in spite of killing half a bottle early. ¡°I can¡¯t get drunk can I?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Neither can I, downzide of healing factor. Ya need really ztrong shit to put me down.¡± Jaqueline sighed before downing her bottle in a single go. ¡°Getz worze the ztronger ya are, and it really fookin¡¯ zuckz after a point.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does.¡± He frowned before doing much the same as he wished he could get drunk and sleep this whole mess off like a bad hangover.


    ¡°Yeah, be glad I ztashed the good shit for ya.¡± Jaqueline nodded as she poured their next round.


    A few more rounds in, he found himself voicing a question that had been lurking in the back of his mind. ¡°Knowing that I want to leave, why are you being so helpful? It can¡¯t just be because I¡¯m the Overlord or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Like I zaid earlier, all I need from ya iz to live long enough to keep morale up until we Jaegerjaquez have a new home.¡± Jaqueline reminded him. ¡°Beyond that, given what I know ya need to get home and how new ya are to all of thiz I¡¯m pretty sure I can work an angle that¡¯ll help my people no matter what ya do.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve had worse working relationships.¡± He admitted, remembering some of his co-workers and the politicking everyone did in pursuit of tenure. (And that¡¯s before we get to those ¡®treasure hunters¡¯ from my expeditions.)


    ¡°Zo have I.¡± Jaqueline sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll ztill play up the ¡®Bezt Minion¡¯ thing for da boyz, but when it¡¯z juzt uz I¡¯ll be more upfront. Ya want to get home and I want a home. We help each other until we both get what we want out of thiz, for better or worze.¡±


    He clinked his cup against the Jaegerjaque¡¯s, ¡°For better or worse.¡± (I¡¯ll find a way back home, even if it means grinding this world beneath my boot to do so.)

 2024 Patreon Quest Demo 2 of 3 (The Black Briar Library)

    The Black Briar Library (An Eldritch Library Deck Builder)


    -Synopsis: The Black Briar Library is a place that exists between Dreams and Reality, connected to the Akashic Records the massive library collects the stories of any person that catches the interest of its Eldritch Chairman.


    Of course ''Collecting'' means many things, and is left up to the discretion of the Library''s many librarians. A group of misfits and outcasts whose solace was in the quiet depths of the libraries that housed the fantastical stories they loved so much that the Chairman couldn''t help but welcome them.


    Which is why the Chairman turns to you and asks, will you be one of her Librarians? Will you record the story of the Black Briar Library itself?


    -Tags: [Switchable Protagonists], [Each Campaign = A Story Derivative], [Dimensional Travelers]


    The Black Briar Library


    --- ??? ---


    Books of all shapes, sizes, and colors lay upon the atrium¡¯s gray tile floors, and where they don¡¯t lay on the floor they are carefully placed upon towering black bookshelves with rose vines lovingly carved into them.


    A light shines through the atrium, filling in everything with color despite the fact that there is no visible source for it, and the shadows linger in such a way that the direction they come from cannot be determined.


    Just past this light exists a foggy darkness where anything can linger and lurk, a shifting of shadows stating quite clearly that something is doing just that.


    That something¡¯s eyes stare for but a moment before disappearing.


    ¡°Hello there!¡± A cheery voice greeted, revealing a young dark haired woman that had most certainly not been there just a few seconds prior. ¡°You¡¯re looking a little¡­ lost, is there something I can do to help you?¡±


    The young woman waits for an answer, but none comes forth.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ You¡¯re dreaming not Dreaming¡­¡± The young woman frowned, looking a little disappointed, a look that slowly shifted into curiosity. ¡°If you¡¯re not a guest, then I wonder how you wandered into here?¡±


    Once more there was no answer to the young woman¡¯s question, but this time she was significantly less concerned by this fact.


    ¡°You must really like reading if you made it here¡­ Hmm¡­¡± The young woman crossed her arms and began tapping her head while mumbling, ¡°Thinking¡­ Thinking¡­ Thinking¡­¡±


    The young woman¡¯s eyes suddenly burst open as she grew an excited smile. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s an idea! Hold on just one moment please!¡±


    With that request stated, the young woman ran off, disappearing into the darkness just past the atrium¡¯s lights.


    ¡°Here you are!¡± The young woman called from behind, appearing opposite the direction she¡¯d left via not one second later with a flyer in hand. ¡°I know you can¡¯t really answer me right now because you''re just dreaming, but I figured if you¡¯re here then that means you must really like stories! And well I could really use a bit more help around here¡­ so if you want maybe you could think about working here at the library where you can get as many stories as you want! Maybe, if you want, pretty please?¡±


    The young woman held the flyer out for a moment, the words upon it a jumbled mess, before hitting her knuckles on her head. ¡°Oh right, of course you can¡¯t read the flyer humans can¡¯t read in their dreams¡­¡± She sighed, before mumbling a quiet, ¡°I always forget that¡­¡±


    Not letting this miscalculation get her down, the young woman coughed into her hand. ¡°Alright, well since I can¡¯t really hand this to you now, I¡¯ll send it to you! The library¡¯s delivery boy, is the goodest boi in all of the Black Briar!¡±


    The young woman gave an embarrassed look. ¡°I just, uh, need to figure out who you are first¡­¡±


    Who are you? (Choose our starting character.)


    []-The Exhausted War Veteran


    -Starting Deck: Smoke of War (Spell Focus)


    -Library Days: Early (1-2 Existing Librarians), High Library Development Influence.


    []-The Runaway Dark One


    -Starting Deck: Familiar Darkness (Minion Focus)


    -Library Days: Mid (3-4 Existing Librarians), Mid-Library Development Influence.


    []-The Normal College Student


    -Starting Deck: Black Briar Basics (Mixed Focus)


    -Library Days: Late (5-6 Existing Librarians), Low Library Development Influence.


    Winning Vote


    []-The Exhausted War Veteran


    ---


    Chapter 1: A Magical Job Offer


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    Slowly his eyes opened up as he dragged his dazed mind from the delightful depth of dreams that he¡¯d been a part of and back into the world he was sadly more familiar with.


    Despite being awake however he found himself laying on his mattress for another thirty minutes, his exhausted body wishing to fall back asleep even as his mind forced him to stay awake in spite of the ache behind his eyes.


    Eventually a mix of his various morning needs was enough to get him to reluctantly roll out of bed to start taking care of them with a trip to the bathroom and a cold shower.


    Stepping out of the shower he pulled on a pair of half faded jeans, a white button up, and to at least pretend he was capable of being an adult a black vest before slipping on his glasses and taking a look at his reflection.


    A thirty-something man with brown stubble on his face and rings around brown eyes looked back at him with an exhausted grimace as he tied his shoulder length hair into a ponytail, the most effort he could put into his grooming today.


    Pushed on by a hollowness in his stomach he made his way to his kitchen before throwing a couple slices of leftover pizza in the microwave for breakfast. The paper plate went into the trash because actual plates were too much work to clean, and the paper ones were cheap.


    With all of that taken care of he stepped out of his spartan white apartment filled with used brown furniture and a couple of overflowing bookshelves, before making his way downstairs to the small repair shop below.


    ¡°Finally up?¡± Toni asked, the mechanic looking up from where she was tinkering away at a metal cylinder. ¡°Was starting to think I was going to have to drag you out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ not today.¡± He grimaced, running a hand through his hair as he reached for the cigarettes in his pocket.


    Toni spun around in her chair before giving him a once over with her hazel eyes. ¡°Well at least your clothes are clean today.¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± He scoffed, flicking his fingers towards her oil stained overalls as he lit his cigarette.


    ¡°The difference is that this is a work outfit.¡± Toni scoffed right back, before pulling out the scrunchy she was using to hold her long ginger hair out of her way. ¡°Also I got something for you in the mail.¡±


    ¡°I got mail?¡± He asked in confusion since the only person who knew where he lived was Toni and he just gave her all of his money since the building and everything in it was in her name.


    ¡°Yeah, a job offer.¡± His one friend told him as she offered him an envelope from her desk before seeing his face. ¡°It¡¯s not the usual kind, it¡¯s for a library or some shit.¡±


    ¡°A library?¡± He repeated, not with interest but with much less hostility than his normal reaction to a ¡®job offer¡¯ as he opened the envelope, uncaring that Toni had already read it.


    (Dearest Guest Gregory Fischer,


    Having caught our interest as a loyal guest, we at the Black Briar Library would like to invite you in aiding us in the preservation and distribution of stories from across creation.


    Should you be interested in this offer, please go to your preferred library promptly for a face to face interview where you can inquire any details you desire.


    Sincerely The Head Librarian, Briar Black.)


    ¡°This isn¡¯t from the local library, and that¡¯s the only one I actually visit.¡± He frowned, getting the feeling that this was going to be more like his usual ¡®jobs¡¯ than he wanted as he eyed the emblem of a black rose surrounded by black thorns at the bottom.


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s for some kind of literary preservation group or something, figure it shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous if it involves books.¡± Toni shrugged as she watched him.


    ¡°Depends on the books.¡± He grumbled, scratching at the stubble on his neck as he tried to remember where he¡¯d heard of this ¡®Black Briar Library¡¯ before. ¡°You sure you¡¯ve never heard of this group before? Because I can swear I have, I just can¡¯t place where.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you heard about them at the actual library? You spend enough time there.¡± Toni pointed out.


    He didn¡¯t think that was it but, ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°You going to look into it?¡± Toni asked with a careful neutrality that covered up both her concern and frustration to everyone but him, and that was only because he knew it could be there.


    ¡°I needed to get some new books anyway.¡± He sighed, because usually the library and its books were an escape from his work and all the other troubles he had with the real world.


    Mixing the two left a distinctly bad taste in his mouth that his cigarettes couldn¡¯t quite overcome.


    ¡°Good.¡± Toni nodded before putting her hair back into a ponytail as she went back to her work. ¡°If you do accept their job, be sure to stop back here before you go anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± He scoffed as he started towards the shop¡¯s backdoor, not really ready to deal with the people that would be cluttering the main street just yet.


    ¡°Yes you are!¡± His only friend called after him.


    Once out on the streets he found himself taking an instinctively long drag of his cigarette, the chemicals within soothing the rampant nerves he got whenever he had to leave one of the two places he actually felt comfortable. (At least the back alley isn¡¯t as overcrowded as the main street¡­)


    Not that that made him feel any better as he could still hear the hustle and bustle right around the corner and that brought him a whole other kind of anxiety, even if he preferred the anxiety of the unknown to the anxiety of people. A quantity that was nowhere near unknown.


    The fact that it took him two more cigarettes to actually get moving was part of why he¡¯d taken the backdoor rather than the front, because Toni -in her well meaning if blunt way- would¡¯ve forced him to get moving after the first if she knew he was still lingering.


    (Going to need to get more soon¡­) He frowned, realizing he was already half-way down his last pack, the skull marked carton only having a handful of the white sticks left. (Might need to accept this job just to pay for them¡­)


    With a sigh he stuffed the carton back into his pocket and started making his way towards the library, his eyes focused upward towards the numerous tall buildings that made up the cramped city streets, watching the dark gray smoke coming from his cigarette rather than the people that were around him. More than aware that if he focused on them he¡¯d end up stressing himself out far worse as he played numerous possibilities and impossibilities out in his head.


    The hike to the library was a long one that took him over an hour to make, a time he could easily half twice over if he was willing to take a bus but¡­ (That many people in that small of a space with me is¡­ it¡¯s just a bad idea¡­)


    And so after an hour of taking as many backstreet and sidealley shortcuts as he could -both to get there at a half-way decent time and to avoid the crowds- as well as killing three more cigarettes, he found himself staring up at the steps to the city library.


    His only real sanctuary outside of Toni¡¯s shop.


    Making his way up the steps, he found once more that in spite of the large amount of foot traffic on the road proper he was the only one actually going into the library. (Something about how people would far prefer to simply read on dataslates and similar than to read actual books.)


    Even Toni thought his preference for an actual book in his hands was odd, mostly keeping her mouth shut since it was one of the few things he was actually willing to leave the house for. Sometimes with a drop of enthusiasm even.


    And so like many times before he stepped into the library, savoring the way the marble walls dampened the sound from the bustling city surrounding them. (Wait¡­)


    His eyes darted around the library he stepped into, because unlike the small one he was almost intimately familiar with, this one was far grander. The smaller library¡¯s warm browns and bright whites had been replaced by cool gray and dark black as the atrium stood a dozen times larger and with a hundred times as many books as the library he was used to.


    The door clicked shut behind him as he¡¯d carelessly let it hundreds of times before, only sounding significantly more ominous and final with the way it echoed through the building.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed before rushing back and forcing the door open, afraid he¡¯d¡­ find the library steps that he¡¯d just walked up and the rest of the city as busy as it ever was.


    (Fuck¡­) He grimaced, realizing he was having one of his episodes, before turning back to the library and¡­ finding that it was still the dark library he¡¯d walked into and not some kind of hallucination. ¡°The hell?¡±


    Blinking, he stepped outside before closing the door and opening it once more to find the scene unchanged. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Taking a few steps back he gave the outside of the library a once over and noted how the building was definitely incapable of containing the one he¡¯d seen. (Not that means much given some of the things I¡¯ve seen¡­)


    He once more stepped into the library before doing the (stupidly suicidal) thing and closing the door behind him.


    After counting to ten, he opened the door once more and saw that he was still able to leave and go back to the city if he wanted to. Meaning that he wasn¡¯t trapped here, (or that whoever set this up can¡¯t kill it on demand¡­)


    Ignoring his paranoia he left the door open as he made his way into the library, his eyes darting around trying to take in every detail to figure out what was going on, before pausing as he noticed the image of a large black rose surrounded by black thorns on the floor.


    ¡°The Black Briar Library¡­¡± He realized upon matching the insignia with his surroundings.


    He took another look around the massive shelves, his eyes briefly focusing on the shadowy patches of darkness between them where he could swear he saw something move before moving on. (Definitely not an ordinary library¡­)


    This wasn¡¯t the weirdest thing he¡¯d ever seen in his line of work, but it was getting up there, if in presentation alone.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He eventually called as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded up letter Toni had given him. ¡°My name is Gregory Fischer and I was given this letter about a job offer!¡±


    There were a series of thumps behind him.


    He turned around swiftly, his hands half raised into a stance before noticing a trio of pillars standing in a quarter circle each with a medium sized book on it.


    Cautiously he approached the pillars and once he was close enough to read their covers he couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°Putting my name on a bunch of books¡­ real cute.¡±


    The fact that he could see himself using these titles for books about him was only mildly unnerving, the fact that he could take a guess at the subject matter of each book based on the titles was the thing that really bothered him.


    He blinked as a white page fluttered in front of him carried by a breeze he couldn¡¯t feel.


    Snatching the page out of the air he read, (The interview has begun, Please Select A Book.)


    He inhaled before exhaling. (I knew this was going to be a pain in the ass¡­)


    Please Choose A Book (Hint: Starter Deck)


    []-Ashes of War, The Remnant of Gregory Fischer


    []-Flames of War, The Guilt of Gregory Fischer


    []-Smoke of War, The Deception of Gregory Fischer


    ---


    Book I: The Remnant of Gregory Fischer: Chapter I


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    Deciding that this wasn¡¯t the weirdest interview he¡¯d been through given his current profession, he looked the books over once more while re-reading the titles in what he knew was chronological order. (The Flames of War¡­ No, don¡¯t want anything to do with that again. Smoke of War¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think I want to know how much they know about that¡­)


    Which left him with the third and final book, the one that he knew represented the current state of his life, (Ashes of War, the Remnant of Gregory Fischer¡­)


    The moment he took the book off the pillar, the other two books disappeared in a brief flash of light, so small that he¡¯d think it a trick of his mind if he didn¡¯t know better.


    He looked around the empty library before sighing as he realized this ¡®test¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be over until he actually read the book he¡¯d chosen.


    With no small amount of reluctance he opened the book¡¯s cover before it sprung open on its own, numerous pages flipping across, far more than could actually be contained in a book that could fit in one hand. As these pages flipped with an ever growing speed, some of them managed to escape their bindings and flutter through the air, soon followed by more and more until he was completely surrounded by a veritable storm of paper flying through the air.


    ¡°Once upon a time, there was a soldier named Gregory Fischer.¡± An echoing voice said, the paper parting just enough to show a picture of him in his brown uniform saluting.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± He yelled over the fluttering paper as the picture flew away.


    ¡°Gregory was a good little soldier who followed orders, no matter how much he hated them.¡± The voice continued as the paper parted once more to show him standing over a street littered in bodies flames eating away at the edge.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± He cried, his mind unable to help but wonder if this was all some elaborate set-up of some kind. Pay back for the things he¡¯d done, the things he regretted.


    ¡°Until he was given an order he couldn¡¯t follow.¡± The pages parted once more to show him holding a file in his hand with a terrified look as he stood in front of a smiling man in a suit.


    A chill went down his spine as he realized what this was about.


    ¡°So he didn¡¯t.¡± The voice declared as it showed him burning the file from before.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± He admitted, steeling himself. ¡°And I don¡¯t regret it!¡± (If they¡¯re coming for me because of that¡­ then I¡¯ll deal with it.)


    ¡°The men he viewed as his brothers abandoned him for failing to follow his duty¡­¡± The voice continued uncaring for his words as it showed him sitting in a canteen by himself, a clear gap between him and everyone else.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s the point of this?!¡± He asked the voice.


    ¡°Shame filled him¡­ Not because of the order he rejected, but because of all those he didn¡¯t¡­¡± An image of him clutching his head while surrounded by smoke appeared, the smoke parting just long enough to see things he¡¯d rather not remember.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± He pleaded, closing his eyes as he couldn¡¯t bear to see anymore reminders of his sins.


    ¡°Unable to do the job he was made for, they threw him out onto the streets¡­ A broken burned out husk of the man he once was¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, shut up. Shut up!¡± He begged, eyes shut to hold in the tears and hands over his ears to block out the words.


    ¡°This is where our story will begin.¡±


    His eyes shot open as he glared upwards, ¡°What sto-ry¡­¡±


    (W-what?) He blinked, finding himself back in his room, the library and the pages from before nowhere to be seen. (Was¡­ was that all just a nightmare?)


    He shifted before frowning as he realized he was still dressed in his clothes, clothes he could not fall asleep in since the collar would always choke him, reminding him of when- (Don¡¯t think about it.)


    On guard he took a look around his room before finding several oddities, the most notable being how his walls were made of blank white pages. (No, that¡¯s not right¡­ The pages have something written on them¡­)


    He got up from his bed and made his way to the wall where he ran his fingers over the pages and noted how the script, while visible enough to see, looked as if it had been written and then erased. The words too faded for him to actually make anything out.


    ¡°I¡¯m still in the library¡­¡± He realized with a frown before taking another look around.


    The book was on his bed.


    He swallowed down his apprehensions before making his way over and cautiously inspected the only real clue to whatever was happening to him. (The name ¡®s changed¡­)


    Instead of reading ¡®Ashes of War, The Remnant of Gregory Fischer¡¯ the book¡¯s title had changed to ¡®Gregory Fischer, The Black Briar Librarian¡¯.


    ¡°Not if this is what I¡¯m going to be dealing with.¡± He scoffed, hoping the voice or whoever was running this shit show heard him.


    Knowing that there was only one way forward (since they didn¡¯t give me a door out of this room) he picked up the book.


    Not quite trusting the book, he opened the cover fully ready to throw the book away from him, but unlike what he expected, this book did not force itself open and start spewing another storm of script into the air.


    The only thing he found behind the cover was a dedication of sorts.


    (For Gregory Fischer, The Man Who Burned So Others Wouldn¡¯t Have To.)


    The scars on his arm ached, as he felt something in those words¡­


    ¡°So that¡¯s what this is¡­¡± He huffed, not sure how he felt about¡­ any of this.


    Instead of dealing with any of that, he ignored the knot in his chest and turned the page to the table of contents.


    The table of contents was divided into five sections: Synopsis, Current Story, Volumes Collected, Personal Library, and Working Draft. Under each of these sections were several more chapters, though the actual names of said chapters were illegibly written in a script that almost seemed to move across the page. The exception being Ashes of War under Working Draft.


    (Okay¡­ Now the question is what any of this means¡­)


    He flipped a few pages, landing himself in the Synopsis where-


    (A scream tore loose from his throat, almost as loud as the roar of the flame that devoured his arm.)


    (Smoke flooded his lungs, choking him with every breath as he stumbled ever forward in pursuit of his goal.)


    (All around him ashes floated through the air, painting the world gray as they left him alone with the dead.)


    -he slammed the book shut, his heart pounding against his ribcage as if were trying to flee from the memories that had just been forced out from the depths of his mind.


    Desperate hands searched his pockets for his cigarette, before pulling one out and lighting it with a panicking fervor for any relief from the panic that consumed him.


    He inhaled deeply, the cherry burning bright before exhaling a cloud as dark as his terror.


    Once he felt something halfway resembling calm -a state that took him at least five more sticks- he turned his attention back to the (dangerous) book he¡¯d left on the book. Its closed cover innocently gazing up at him.


    He stared back at the book until his latest cigarette was nothing but ash, before with shaking hands he opened the book once more and stared at the word Synopsis.


    It took but a moment for him to realize what Synopsis really meant, (the Synopsis of Gregory Fischer¡­ My¡­ My entire life¡­)


    He may¡¯ve only seen a few brief glimpses of his past, but they were in such clarity it was as if he was reliving those moments. (Whatever magic makes this place up¡­ It¡¯s compressed my entire life into a single book¡­)


    Frightful eyes read over the table of contents with far more reverence, realizing that the page numbers for each section were made of the same moving script that made up the illegible chapter names.


    Taking a gamble, he put his thumb half way down the book before focusing on Current Story and flipping the book open once more.


    He couldn¡¯t help but flinch, expecting another deluge of traumatic memories as the book¡¯s contents were forced upon his mortal mind.


    When no such trauma came forth he took a cautious look at the page he¡¯d opened and found a detailed pen sketch of himself sitting at a desk while reading his book. Opposite this was more of the eldritch script from before, only this time he could parse through some of the contents as he read over what looked like a list of some kind counting or describing something.


    Given how his name was written across the bottom of the pen portrait he had a fairly decent idea what these things were in reference to, even if he had to guess what some of these words meant due to the eldritch magic plucking the closest word from his mind rather than explaining them.


    (¡°Species: Human, Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy, Classification: Cyberpunk/Practitioner/Scrapper, Derivative Addendum: None.¡±) He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what all of that meant, but from what he could understand it was all sort of fitting with what he knew about himself.


    At the very least it was significantly easier to understand than everything else on the page as words were replaced with symbols that he could vaguely recognize. (Slash, Blunt, Pierce, Mind, Spirit, Fire, Ice, Electric, Light, and Darkness¡­ With a skull over Mind, a shield over Fire and Ice, and an equal sign over everything else¡­ So Mind is bad while Fire and Ice protect and everything else is even?)


    That didn¡¯t seem quite right, even if he could see an angle where he understood it.


    Beneath that odd assortment of symbols were a number of small squares, most of which were empty but a handful of which had small ink sketches similar to his own alongside what he was fairly certain was a page number in whatever eldritch script this book was using.


    He focused on the first symbol and flipped the pages, figuring the book would open to it just as it had to whatever this overview of himself constituted.


    When the pages stopped he found himself staring at another pen drawn image that he vaguely recognized as himself -if with the details blurred- performing a rather straightforward punch.


    On the opposite side was even more eldritch writing, though far less detailed and with far less information than the one that had been focused on his entirety. (¡°Opening Strike. Cost: 1 Blank Page. Blunt Melee. An opening strike to unleash greater combos, the foundation of something greater for all martial artists. A Quick Read for Scrappers, Bruisers, and Infiltrators.¡±)


    After reading that he reexamined the picture, before recognizing that the image was of the exact same punch his style of fighting used to engage his opponent while still being capable of flowing into any other set of strikes.


    (So¡­ the book is also dissecting my abilities?) He frowned before flipping back to the Current Story and seeing that he only seemed to have five as far as the book was concerned. Which was all kinds of wrong given how he had learned, developed, and mastered his style of fighting during the war.


    Just to prove that point he set the book back on his bed before attempting one of his more advanced combos and promptly stumbling through the final few motions. ¡°Okay¡­ maybe I¡¯m a little rustier than I thought¡­¡±


    He was sure his ¡®work¡¯ had kept his edge from dulling, (then again most of my jobs are pretty straightforward¡­ Never need to bring out anything really fancy¡­)


    With a frown his eyes glanced back at the book and the few skills he had that it recognized, before clenching his fists. He wasn¡¯t a prideful man by any measure, often thinking worse of himself than anyone else, but¡­


    He let out a sigh, not entirely sure what the point of all this was. He already knew he was nothing more than a remnant of what he once was. (Isn¡¯t that what the first book underlined?)


    Deciding dwelling on his failings wasn¡¯t going to get him out of wherever he was he went back to inspecting the other sections of the book, only to find both Volumes Collected and Personal Library to be empty.


    The final section, the one labeled Working Draft, however had what could best be described as a brainstorming page with a central circle where ¡®Ashes of War¡¯ was written with a number of circles branching off from it.


    Above this central circle was one labeled Prologue and focusing on it caused him to remember the words the voice had told him during the storm of pages with perfect clarity as well as the images he¡¯d seen. An effect very similar to when he¡¯d tried to read his own Synopsis if not quite as powerful.


    Three other circles broke off from the central concept, each one with a few other words connected to them but rendered illegible due to the way the eldritch script moved across the page. These circles were labeled Act 1: Depression, Act 2: Opportunity, and Act 3: Rekindling.


    A series of events that made him more confident in his guess at just what the person orchestrating all of this wanted from him.


    He took another look around the copy of his room, fully aware that he was currently trapped in ¡®Act 1¡¯ and if he wanted out of this place he¡¯d have to work his way through all three acts somehow. (But how?)


    If he had to actually overcome his depression, then he might as well roll over and die given how long he¡¯d been battling that particular demon with no success.


    A loud thunk drew his attention behind him, where he found a small black pen colliding with his boot.


    With a frown he plucked the writing instrument from the ground before looking between it and the book in his hand. Namely the handful of blank spaces that remained untouched in spite of all the eldritch script dancing across the page.


    ¡°This¡­ is either a really good or a really bad idea¡­¡±


    What do you write in your book? (1-3 Word Prompt.)


    []-Write-In Comments Submitted By Readers


    Death by cigarettes


    Burning a library


    ---


    Book I: The Remnant of Gregory Fischer: Chapter II


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    He put the pen to the page and found his mind drawing a blank, as if all creative muse decided that now was the time to abandon him instead of aiding in his writing as requested.


    With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair before reaching for another cigarette, hoping that lighting the stick would light something in his imagination. And lo and behold it did¡­


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Unfortunately, the single muse he¡¯d gotten apparently decided to be something of a smart ass as the only thing he could think to write as he finished off his latest cigarette was the fact that his story would probably end with ¡®Death by Cigarettes¡¯.


    As he wrote the final letter of that message he watched eldritch script begin to creep and crawl away from the words he¡¯d written, slowly consuming the entire page before spreading out into the very air around him.


    He watched the writing cautiously, waiting for it to do something, anything that might help him figure out how he was supposed to get out of this apartment. All around him the cloud of script began to condense into piles of discarded cigarette packs and buds, littering the room in a level of waste that (honestly isn¡¯t as bad as my worst.)


    (Okay, so writing something in the book causes something to happen around me.) He realized, waving a hand through the air to try and shoo away the cloud of script that was slowly consuming the illusion of his room. (I just need to figure out how to work this into an escape¡­)


    He inhaled before letting out a cough and covering his mouth with his shirt. (Damn, it¡¯s getting smoky in here¡­)


    Despite some of it being spent to add to the ever growing pile of cigarettes, the cloud of eldritch script seemed to continue growing. Something that he could have dealt with if not for the fact that the cloud almost seemed to be pursuing him as he backed away, making it harder and harder to breathe as he continued to cough.


    (What the hell? This isn¡¯t how smoke behaves¡­) He gasped, unable to help but bend over as the coughing grew bad enough that he ended up dropping both the book and the pen.


    In front of him the book didn¡¯t shift a single page even as it bounced twice and the pen went rolling under the bed.


    This was how he was reminded that he¡¯d written ¡®Death By Cigarettes¡¯ into the book.


    ¡°Ah, fu-cah!¡±


    He dropped to his knees, scrabbling for the pen, his breathing grew ever more painful and shallow with every cough that tore through his throat.


    Bit by bit his thoughts grew hazy as his hand blindly grasped around for the pen only to grasp onto empty cigarette packs and burned out butts. (Shit, shit, shit! Where is it? Where is it?!)


    The world around him grew darker and darker, half because of the ever growing cloud of writing and half because of the ever shrinking air in the room.


    His hand wrapped around something cold and hard, and with what strength was still in him he brought the pen to the book and began blindly scribbling away at the page, unable to form a thought coherent enough to actually write anything down.


    As the last of his strength left him and he found himself without the strength to hold himself up any longer, the pen slipped out of his hand and he collapsed to the ground.


    The eldritch script continued to float through the air for several more minutes, even as it slowly faded away alongside the numerous cigarette packs and butts that littered his room.


    It wasn¡¯t until the last of it had finally disappeared into oblivion that he found the strength to once more pick himself up, even if he lacked enough to do much more than fall onto his ass and lean against his bed for support as he simply enjoyed the fact that he could breathe.


    He stared up at the ceiling for several moments before deciding. ¡°I¡¯m going to burn that library to the ground. In fact¡­¡±


    Yet again he took the book and pen in hand, he felt a brief moment of fear because of how close this wretched thing had brought him to death. Something that he¡¯d no doubt be inviting once more if he were to write anything else in this book, his instincts warned.


    Rather than listening to those thoughts, he promptly stamped them out before using them to feed the smoldering rage in his chest as he wrote ¡®Surviving Death¡¯ underneath Act 1: Depression, followed by ¡®An Invitation Arrived¡¯ under Act 2: Opportunity, and finally under Act 3: Rekindling he wrote ¡®Burning A Library¡¯.


    Once more the eldritch text erupted from the book, this time with far more force than the slowly creeping death that was the cloud of smoke.


    All around the room first aid kits and spent bandages appeared alongside bullet holes, blood spatter, burn marks, and dead bodies wearing kevlar, making the whole space look like a war zone shortly after the worst of it. (Really starting to feel like home¡­)


    In spite of the fact that he¡¯d nearly died to them he still pulled a cigarette out and lit it, the chemicals hidden within the burnable stick the only thing keeping him from trying to set this building on fire. Whether from fear or rage he wasn¡¯t sure. (We¡¯ll find out when I snap, I guess.)


    Opposite him, the handless door to this room swung open, leading to the rest of the house looking just as torn up as the current room and leaving him with little doubt what he¡¯d find out there.


    And so with a reluctance of expected horrors he walked through the building, making his way down to Toni¡¯s workshop where he stopped in front of the door. (So help me if they have a dead clone of Toni in here¡­)


    Knowing what he was probably going to be walking into, he put his current cigarette out on the doorframe before pulling out a special pack of smokes he always kept on him and taking a steeling inhalation of the chems coating the inside of his cigarette.


    Not even two breaths later he could feel a warmth filling his lungs as he pushed the door open and stepped inside to find a scene even more out of a horror story than the rest of the house. The entire workshop having been torn apart with bloody tools littering the ground and corpses dead upon the heavier machinery their blood still dripping onto the ground. (Fuck, is this what the book considers ¡®surviving death¡¯?)


    As luck would have it, despite his worst fears, he didn¡¯t find a copy of Toni¡¯s body anywhere, instead her main workbench had a massive burn mark with a half cremated corpse underneath it. On the wall some of the ashes had been wiped away, leaving behind a very pointed message.


    If you want the girl


    Come to the Black Briar Library


    ¡°Someone is really testing my patience.¡± He growled, before looking towards the sky. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m willing to put up with whatever sick test all of this is, but if you¡¯ve actually taken her I am going to burn all of you- Fuck!¡± He screamed as a knife embedded itself into his back.


    A ripping sound filled the air as the knife was torn out of him, pulling several pages of fluttering paper away as it did so. (The hell? Wait, no time.)


    He turned to his attacker and found a man in black kevlar facing him with a knife in hand.


    ¡°So, you friends with the corpses?¡± He asked as he rolled his shoulder checking to see how much damage that knife had done to him, only (aside from the pain it doesn¡¯t feel like it actually did anything to me. Is this all part of the illusion?)


    The man didn¡¯t say anything before rushing him with the knife once more.


    Gregory threw the book at his assailant, causing the man to deflect it with a sweep of the arm at the cost of leaving himself unprotected for an opening strike to the chest and the series of strikes that followed it.


    Unlike what he¡¯d expected, the final strike of his combination did not meet flesh, but instead tore through the air as the man erupted into a flurry of pages.


    He narrowed his eyes at the pages as he inhaled a lungful of his cigarette, the cherry barely moving as he did so, before opening his mouth and- promptly coughing as he choked on the smoke.


    ¡°The hell?¡± He gasped, eyes wide. ¡°That, that hasn¡¯t happened since boot camp¡­¡±


    Something slammed into his forehead, sending him stumbling back a step even as he caught the book that had hit him, finding that it was his own book -(of fucking course)- and that it had once more fallen open to the page describing the opening strike he¡¯d just used.


    With a frown he turned back to ¡®Current Story¡¯ before looking at the five marks that he was guessing described the various abilities he had. Not one of which really made use of his Smoke or his Fire.


    ¡°My skills may be¡­ rusty, but there is no way in hell I lost a decades worth of abilities. Especially not ones I know I could use just a week ago.¡± Admittedly, he hadn¡¯t been using that for combat so much as helping Toni with something, (but still¡­)


    Just to check this he clicked an icon that looked like his cigarette smoking, the thing that he¡¯d thought had represented the skill he¡¯d just tried to use only to find instead of his abilities¡­


    (¡°Basic Chem Smokes.


    Cost: 1 Fantasy or Sci-Fi Page.


    Consumable


    The culmination of research into creating a combat enhancement formula. Highly addictive, both due to the power and the chemicals within. This is but the simplest of the series.


    Quick Read. Increase Power and Speed of the user until their next reading Turn.


    Checkout Renewal Fee (1 Fantasy or Sci-Fi Page).¡±)


    He inhaled before exhaling and deciding that while his ¡®special smokes¡¯ weren¡¯t common knowledge, they also weren¡¯t something that a group with the Black Briar Library¡¯s apparent resources couldn¡¯t easily find out about. (What is surprising though is the fact that these aren¡¯t the smokes I had on me¡­ Though it would explain why I couldn¡¯t do what I was planning.)


    Just to be sure he double checked the pack he had on him and found that they were still the actual mix of Black Cough, Anima Blue, and Red Fury that he usually carried on him. (So why didn¡¯t the one I use work how it was supposed to¡­ Wait¡­)


    He recounted the number of Chem Smokes in the pack. ¡°This is the same amount I had this morning¡­ Then¡­¡± He pulled out the cigarette he was currently smoking. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    As if to answer this question the burning cigarette came apart, turning into several pages of paper that fell out of his hand before merging into the book he was carrying. (I see¡­)


    Once more he pulled one of his smokes from the pack -this time not doing so blindly- and lit it before inhaling deeply and breaking into another coughing fit, even as a familiar chem filled warmth entered his chest.


    ¡°Still not what I was going for¡­¡± He gasped, as he checked the pack of cigarettes and yet again found that the one he¡¯d just removed had been returned to its previous place. (Alright, so this library is even more screwy than I already thought it was¡­)


    Flipping back to his Current Story, he checked the remaining three slots that apparently represented not his skills in general but rather the things he was allowed to use for this increasingly annoying test. (Let¡¯s see, all in all I¡¯ve got ¡®Opening Strike¡¯, ¡®Swift Dodge¡¯, ¡®Heated Fist¡¯, ¡®Basic Chem Smokes¡¯, and¡­)


    He paused and reread that last one, before checking his arm and frowning when it looked no different than usual. (I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just going to ignore that one for now¡­)


    ¡°Either way, none of that included the rest of the strikes I used on that guy.¡± He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what exactly was happening here. (I guess if Heated Fist is here then that means it¡¯s only applying restrictions to some of my abilities?) ¡°But what¡¯s deciding what gets restricted and what I¡¯m allowed to do?¡±


    Regardless of anything else, he was fighting with a handicap he didn¡¯t understand (and that¡¯s the kind of thing that can get you killed.)


    Then again, he was already planning on burning down the library for putting him through all of this, and given everything it seemed capable of (that might be a suicide mission all it¡¯s own.)


    Shaking his head he made his way to the door to the workshop before walking into it as it refused to open for him. ¡°Gah, what is it now?!¡±


    He flipped the book open to Working Draft, trying to figure out what the stupid thing wanted from him now before once more finding the words he¡¯d added to the second act. ¡°An invitation arrived¡­ Right¡­¡±


    Looking up from the book, his eyes searched the room for wherever the invitation could be hiding, (since apparently it¡¯s not the literal invitation on the wall.) Eventually he found an envelope sitting atop a small pile of pages that he was guessing had once been a part of the construct he¡¯d killed.


    After picking the envelope up and finding it to be the exact same one Toni had given him earlier that day, just with more ash and blood on it, he also noticed that the pages underneath the envelope looked familiar for some reason.


    He folded and tucked the library invitation into his vest before also picking the pages up and going over them. Idly he noted that the door to the workshop had swung open not when he picked up the library invitation, but instead when he picked the actual pages up. (Meaning this is what they wanted me to actually grab.)


    Going over the pages he found that similar to the other ¡®Skill Pages¡¯ in the book, these ones described one of the many skills he knew and should¡¯ve been able to perform rust or no rust. More specifically he found that the technique depicted by the pages was a simple-


    ---


    Scene Choice


    A/N: Before we go into the Boss Fight, pick a Card.


    []- Parry.


    []- Grapple.


    []- Kickback.


    ---


    Book I: The Remnant of Gregory Fischer: Chapter III


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    (¡°Simple Parry.


    Cost: 1 Blank Page.


    Defensive.


    A basic defensive maneuver that deflects an incoming strike, while hopefully leaving space for retaliation. A step further than blocking, but only the beginning of the defensive arts.


    Reactive Read. Negate an incoming attack.


    Checkout Renewal Fee: 1 Blank Page, for Scrappers and Infiltrators.¡±)


    Once more he understood most of what was written down, but there were still words that he lacked context for no matter how familiar they were becoming. (It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve got enough to work with for now.)


    Deciding it was best to hold onto the page, given how it was the thing the Library actually wanted him to collect, he moved to put it in his book for safekeeping. Only when he brought the page close to the book he began to feel a force trying to pull it out of his hand.


    With a frown he tugged the page away from the book and felt the force stop before growing stronger as he brought it closer to the book. (They¡¯re almost magnetic with each other¡­)


    Figuring this was part of what the Library wanted him to see, he let the page go before watching it get sucked into the book where it seamlessly merged with the rest of the book, looking no different than any of the other skill pages he¡¯d read within.


    Just to check that he went back to his Current Story, and found that (yep, six marks for my¡­ Skills? Equipment? Both?)


    He shook his head as he closed the book, knowing that either he¡¯d figure out what was going on with the book or he¡¯d burn down the Library and the point would be moot. (Preferably the latter¡­)


    With nothing else left to do here, he turned his attention back to the exit door hanging open while leading out into a void that he was even more reluctant to deal with than the overcrowded city that he lived in.


    He pulled out one of his regular cigarettes, and found that the pack was almost empty. (If they gave infinite refills of these then I might¡¯ve forgiven them for all of this shit.)


    Still he lit up one of his cigarettes, more to calm his nerves than infuse himself with power, before stepping out into the void as confidently as he could, ready to kill whatever he found on the other side.


    Outside of the Library¡¯s recreation of Toni¡¯s workshop he found himself on an empty black street with a recreation of his city¡¯s library in front of him. (If this was how the city was actually laid out it would make my life a hell of a lot easier¡­)


    Not letting his guard down, his eyes instinctively searched the street for any hidden enemies as he crossed it, only to find the half-hearted recreation of the city to be apocalyptically empty. (Well, at least I don¡¯t have to deal with people, small mercies I suppose¡­)


    As he started up the stairs to the library he found his eyes drifting up to the sky above, before really wishing he hadn¡¯t.


    While the world around him was illuminated well enough to pass for the evening, the sky above him was an abyss of nothingness darker than black and emptier than the void. At least until you realized the abyss was moving.


    A massive bloodshot eye opened, staring down at him before a maw full of fangs grinned at him.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He decided, running up the stairs two at a time so as to get some cover between him and the thing that could crush him like a roach.


    He shoulder tackled the door to the library open, before slamming it shut behind him, and (really hoping that was just some kind of mind fucky illusion.)


    With his luck he knew it wasn¡¯t but¡­


    He shook his head, and took in the library he was inside of noting how instead of being the actual Black Briar Library it was a recreation of itself made from pages scrawled in so much text that might as well be black.


    Cautiously, he started forward until he was standing in the middle of the atrium over the insignia of a black rose. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here. I got your invitation. I¡¯m playing your little game. What do you want to do now? More men in black to try and kill me?¡±


    Silence was his only answer.


    Finishing off his cigarette, he dropped it on the ground and put it out under his heel. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡±


    Aware that the book had been the source of or answer to everything that had happened to him thus far, he pulled it out and began flipping through the pages until he once more found the ¡®Working Draft¡¯ section. (Okay, I survived Act 1, and I got the invitation from Act 2¡­) ¡°So why isn¡¯t the Library Burning for Act 3?¡±


    He was missing something.


    (Alright, so¡­ Library, Book, Story, Chapters, Drafts, and Acts¡­ Clearly there¡¯s a theme to all of this¡­ I survived death, thus beating Act 1: Depression. I got the invitation in Act 2 from those guys trying to kill me¡­ Which tied Act 1 and 2 together¡­ So to progress, I need to¡­ continue the narrative?) ¡°Which means burning the library down in vengeance.¡±


    While he wasn¡¯t one for book burning, he could happily make an exception in this case. (What¡¯s more they didn¡¯t take that particular option away from me either.)


    He flipped his book open to the page depicting his Heated Fist with a smirk.


    (¡°Heated Fist.


    Cost: 1 Fantasy or Science Fiction Page.


    Blunt Melee Fire.


    A technique born by fusing Martial Might with Technology or Magic to infuse one¡¯s fists with the power of the flame. The first true step to mastering the Fist of The Flame.¡±)


    He clenched his fist and drew on the power of the heat that was always smoldering within him, be it real or a hallucination. The air around his right arm began to shimmer, the heat bending the light around it before eventually actual flames began to lick away at him.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t as much as he¡¯d been hoping for, (there¡¯s plenty of kindling here to make it work.) All he had to do was introduce the fire to the pages around him and-


    He paused as he watched the shadows around him dance in the flame¡¯s light, quickly realizing that something was wrong about them. (The angle is all wrong, as if the flame was coming from-)


    With wide eyes he spun on his heel, and just barely managed to deflect a flaming fist before it could impact him. Not that that did anything to prevent the follow-up strike from hitting him in the chest and sending him flying with a trail of burning pages erupting behind him.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He gasped as he hit the ground and bled the momentum to roll back onto his feet. ¡°Alright, who the hell¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but trail off as he saw the figure in front of him.


    For before him stood a man whose flesh was covered in flames that slowly devoured him as his face was trapped in a richter of rage and hate that wanted little more than to burn the entire world around.


    A face that he had worn once upon a time¡­


    (His world was nothing but pain and rage as he lashed out at anything in arm¡¯s reach, uncaring if they were friend or foe¡­)


    A face that was his¡­


    ¡°So we¡¯re doing more of this memory lane bullshit.¡± He swallowed before standing once more and taking a stance against his burning doppelganger, all the while trying very hard not to think about what had sent him into this particular rage.


    Around him the library shifted and swirled as his doppelganger¡¯s flames slowly devoured it all before leaving them standing on a burning street with bodies littering the ground unmoving.


    Small bodies.


    He flinched.


    The Hellish Echo of who he was rushed forward with a fist full of flames, and all he could do was raise his guard to defend against the onslaught of strikes that devoured him. Unable to bring himself to do much more in the face of his¡­ (failure.)


    Another blow impacted his face, hard enough that he knew it should¡¯ve broken something, but while he did feel the pain (I deserve) his body kept no damage as more and more pages burst from his body.


    With every blow the flames consuming his doppelganger grew brighter and brighter, the heat building to a sweltering point he hadn¡¯t felt in years.


    As the flames began to flicker white, the Hellish Echo¡¯s fist hit him once more, only this time instead of pages erupting from his form he felt his glasses crunch as the fist hit his face, filling him with a pain far more real than anything he¡¯d felt since stepping foot into the Library.


    The moment real heat touched him, instinct took over and twisted the flames away, minimizing how much of his flesh they could eat away at before he twisted to move via his Smoke. Only instead of the Smoke following his will, he found the world around him shifting with the fluttering of pages before finding himself behind his Hellish Echo with a trail of paper leading between them.


    (W-what?) He blinked, regaining some lucidity as he found his Book once more in his hands.


    One of the pages fluttered in front of him and he realized he recognized the page¡¯s contents from within his own book.


    (¡°Swift Dodge.


    Cost: 1 Blank page.


    Mobility.


    The most important thing any combatant can learn is how to move to avoid being hit. Even better if they can do so swiftly.


    Reactive Read. When attacked, move a short distance away.


    Checkout Renewal Fee: 1 Blank Page, for Scrappers and Infiltrators.¡±)


    He frowned as he read that, more so when the page faded into nothingness as it touched the ground. (That¡­ that¡¯s not what I thought that meant¡­ That was almost like my Smoke Dash but¡­ with paper¡­)


    Paper was not something he could work with. At least not the way he could Fire and Smoke.


    This¡­ oddity was enough to have him reevaluating the world around him. A world that while extremely similar to one of his more traumatic memories, was also just off enough to remind him that this was all some kind of fucked up illusion from the Library messing with him, not the usual night terrors that he subjected himself to.


    Something that just served to piss him off once more. (And I can work angry¡­)


    With a growl he snapped his book shut before tossing it to the side, not really caring if it burned or not as he glared at the Hellish Echo whose right arm was wreathed in white flames that seemed to lash out at the very world around them.


    He inhaled before exhaling as he once more took his stance. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try this again.¡±


    The Hellish Echo snarled a sound inhuman, before rushing forward with another Heat Fist from the blazing white arm.


    Instead of letting it hit him this time, he parried the blow off with his own right arm before using an Opening Strike on the Echo¡¯s solar plexus and following up with a flurry of body shots that ended with a hook to the Echo¡¯s jaw.


    The Hellish Echo stumbled back a step before swinging its arm with a clawing motion.


    One that he more than recognized as he ducked under a wave of flames before delivering a Heat Fist infused uppercut of his own.


    A blow that touched nothing but smoke as the Hellish Echo Smoke Dashed away, before entering a boxing stance and punching out a series of crimson fireballs in his direction.


    More on returning instinct than anything else, he pulled on his own power to use Smoke Dash, only to instead use the odd Swift Dodge again to avoid the spell series that detonated behind him as he closed the distance between him and the Echo.


    Reappearing in front of the Hellish Echo he slipped one of his Chem Smokes into his mouth before ducking under a sloppy hook from the Echo and taking it a step further by twisting its flames to light his own cigarette.


    Inhaling deeply, he felt the power of the Smoke flood his body as he firmed his footing on the ground before delivering another Heat Fist to the Hellish Echo¡¯s stomach, the flames blooming twice as far as any of his previous blows.


    The Hellish Echo skidded back on its heels, not being sent flying like he himself had, before turning a snarling glare upon him.


    ¡°What? Getting tired?¡± He asked in between rough breaths of his own as took note of the slowly spreading patches of burned flesh on his doppelganger.


    This question seemed to only enrage the Hellish Echo further if that was possible, as it took a stance he recognized even if he hadn¡¯t used it in years. The doppelganger drawing its blazing arm back with its right leg as the flames dancing around it began to circle around the echo.


    He couldn¡¯t help but scoff, even as phantom pains began to eat away at his body, ¡°Trust me, when I say¡­you really don¡¯t want to do that¡­¡±


    Rather than heeding his warning, his doppelganger¡¯s arm grew even brighter, enough so that he couldn¡¯t look at it directly as he rushed forward, knowing that he could not let that spell hit him.


    The Hellish Echo punched, causing the entire world to flash a blinding white as a destructive white flame devoured everything in front of his doppelganger rendering everything it touched nothing but ash.


    Something that he was quite content to not witness again as he dropped to the ground and dove through the far less dangerous red flames that had gathered around the Echo¡¯s feet. Even if he could still feel them burning him as he worked his magic to keep the white flames as far away from him as possible.


    When the light finally died down he found himself lying on the ground in a world much darker than before as all but the most stubborn of cinders had been snuffed out by the white flame that had for a moment devoured all the air on the street, leaving it hard for anything to breathe.


    Next to him his Hellish Echo fell to its knees, all of its fire having been consumed by the Morningstar it had unleashed.


    With what strength he had left he forced himself onto his own knees so that he could get a better look at the damage.


    The massive crater filled with embers stretching down half the street was something he¡¯d expected, as was the fact that Hellish Echo was now down an arm.


    ¡°Warned you, you didn¡¯t want to do that.¡± He sighed, looking at his right arm. Something he hadn¡¯t been expecting to get a page in his book even if he really should¡¯ve.


    (Toni¡¯s Prosthetic Arm


    Cost: 1 Science Fiction Page.


    Tech Equipment (Arm).


    A simple creation of a technological genius. The mere beginnings of what she could create, only held back due to fear of burning what remained of her friend.


    Restriction Read: This Page may only be equipped to a Cyberpunk unit with an (Arm) equipped or an ability equipping an (Arm).


    If this unit has any Heat stacks, increase the power of their Melee attacks and abilities by that amount.)


    With a wistful sigh he lowered his metal limb before climbing back to his feet and looking down at his Hellish Echo. The doppelganger no longer consumed by rage or fire, looked completely and utterly burned out a mere husk of what it had been a few moments prior.


    He lit one of his last two cigarettes before offering the last one to his doppelganger, knowing that if it felt anything like he did then he couldn¡¯t hurt it anymore than it already was. (My anger always did burn hot and fast I suppose¡­)


    To his surprise the doppelganger actually took the cigarette and put it to its lips before struggling to light the flame, something he always did with-


    He gripped the end of the Echo¡¯s cigarette and snapped the fingers of his right hand, lighting it.


    They both just sat there for a moment, watching ash drift through the air, the only remnant of the things that had gotten them into this fight in the first place.


    ¡°Do¡­ do we¡­ quit burning?¡± His younger self asked, sounding as lost as he had for years.


    Which is why he actually thought about it for a moment, perhaps for the first moment even.


    He didn¡¯t think about the events that burned him out until he became little more than a husk of himself, because he thought about those daily. But rather he thought about where he was, where he¡¯d been since the day he burned.


    The way he just went through the motions of it all, waking up, pretending for Toni¡¯s sake, working so that she could live as she wished in spite of him holding her back, drowning himself in stories so he wouldn¡¯t have to think about his own.


    He stared into the cherry glowing at the end of his cigarette for another moment, before telling his younger self,


    []- ¡°Yes.¡± (It has to¡­)


    []- ¡°No.¡± (It won¡¯t¡­)


    Book I: The Remnant of Gregory Fischer: Epilogue


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    His younger self stared at him for a moment before letting out a huff of grim amusement. ¡°We¡¯ve always been a terrible liar¡­¡±


    ¡°We have.¡± He admitted, standing where he was and looking at where he came from. ¡°But if hope is a lie¡­ then I don¡¯t mind believing in a lie¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe if we believe it enough it¡¯ll even become true.¡±


    His doppelganger was silent as they both continued to smoke until their cigarettes had burned away to nothing. ¡°Yeah¡­ Hope isn¡¯t the worst lie to believe in¡­¡±


    From beside him his younger self began to glow before slowly unraveling into a number of golden pages that floated through the air as the world around him rapidly dissolved into a storm of pages much like the one that first constructed the world around him.


    Unlike before there was no echoing voice from all around, or images from his past, instead the pages leaving behind nothing but an empty void as they aligned themselves, stacking together until they¡¯d formed a coverless book. One that read, (¡°Ashes of War, The Remnant of Gregory Fischer.¡±)


    The book floated there, waiting for him to take it as the shadows danced around them despite nothing being visible outside of a spotlight with no source shining down from above.


    He inhaled before exhaling and taking the book into hand.


    And so with an odd mix of feelings that were half resignation and half acceptance, he opened the cover of the book much like he had before all of this and when the book didn¡¯t move on its own he began to read.


    ¡°Once upon a time, there was a soldier named Gregory Fischer.¡± He swallowed looking down at the image of him in a uniform he¡¯d burned long ago, the picture almost moving from how lifelike it was.


    ¡°Gregory was a good little soldier who followed orders, no matter how much he hated them.¡± He continued his eyes going over the page of what had once been just a burning street covered in bodies but was now shifting between the numerous things he¡¯d done while ¡®just following orders¡¯.


    ¡°Until he was given an order he couldn¡¯t follow.¡± He growled, looking at the picture of how scared he¡¯d been of a man in a suit who could only make others fight his battles.


    ¡°So he didn¡¯t.¡± He declared, feeling the same sort of resolve he had when he¡¯d first burned those documents before doing what he¡¯d had to.


    ¡°The men he viewed as his brothers abandoned him for failing to follow his duty.¡± He frowned, at the image of him sitting in a canteen by himself, a clear gap between him and everyone else. And for the first time he broke the script. ¡°And he accepted that, unwilling to have ¡®brothers¡¯ who chose ¡®duty¡¯ over ¡®morality¡¯.¡± His mind flashed to Toni. ¡°Especially when not all of them abandoned him for this.¡±


    To his surprise his additional words carved themselves onto the page, and the image of his forlorn self sitting alone was replaced by a determined version of himself marching away from the table as Toni pursued with a concerned look.


    Something¡­ Something filled his chest at this, his mind beginning to grasp a revelation he couldn¡¯t put into words yet.


    Which is why he continued with a voice of steel despite the shaking in his chest.


    ¡°Shame filled him¡­ Not because of the order he rejected, but because of all those he didn¡¯t¡­¡± The image of him clutching his head while surrounded by smoke of the past still hurt to look at, (but¡­) ¡°Each a mistake he could not afford to repeat¡­ Which is why he wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    The day his military career ended be it officially or unofficially played out with him emptying his locker before slamming it shut as he marched away with a smoldering glare just looking for something to burn.


    ¡°Unable to do the job he was made for, they-¡± He paused, remembering that day really remembering it. Not simply the fact that they¡¯d washed their hands of him, but the fact that that had happened after¡­


    He swallowed before starting once more. ¡°Unable to do the job they demanded, he left it all behind, happy to leave it all a burned out husk of what he¡¯d once seen it as.¡±


    For a moment he was scared that whatever magic was fueling all of this wouldn¡¯t accept his new version, but the old words were removed and his new ones were written as he watched his younger self march out of his old base with a fire in his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± He whispered, as the shifting in his chest settled and he finally realized what the point of all this was.


    Instead of writing this down, the book in his hands flipped to a new page, one that was blank of any image or writing.


    He could remember what the voice had told him before, about how this was where his story began, but¡­ (That¡¯s not right¡­)


    ¡°Gregory Fischer, lived his life as best he could alongside his best friend Toni.¡± He told the book and whoever else was listening. ¡°Unregretful of the choices that he¡¯d made those days.¡±


    A picture formed alongside the text of him helping out around Toni¡¯s newly opened workshop they¡¯d both paid for.


    He licked his lips before continuing, feeling like a sinner in a confessional as the book turned to a new page. ¡°Sadly, this was not the beginning of his happily ever after¡­ For as much as he wished otherwise the guilt of the past continued to burn away at him.¡±


    An image of himself walking through the streets with a cloud of smoke behind him came into existence, the smoke filled with bad memories that burned at the world around them.


    ¡°Eventually, he became little more than a husk of himself¡­ Scared to go outside¡­ Not because of anyone else¡¯s grand scheme, but¡­ because he was scared he¡¯d burn the world like he¡¯d burned himself.¡±


    The page revealed one of his more shameful moments, an image of himself lashing out at someone in the middle of the street because the memories had become too much and someone who didn¡¯t deserve it got too close.


    ¡°Every day was a fight with himself to get out of bed, let alone do much else¡­ And for years he lived as little more than a husk of himself.¡±


    A picture showed him sitting in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a cigarette in his mouth as his room slowly filled with cigarettes, until the whole place looked like he really was going to die via ¡®Death By Cigarettes¡¯.


    He was silent for a moment before once more steeling his resolve. ¡°At least until he was given an invitation to a certain library.¡±


    The new page showed Toni offering him the invitation that had brought him here.


    ¡°An invitation that prompted him to face his demons, whether he liked it or not.¡±


    The image changed to one of him fighting a burning version of himself in a mirror, something that¡­ bothered him more than it should.


    ¡°Demons he sought to make peace with in spite of everything.¡±


    Once more the picture shifted, this time to show him and his younger self sharing a smoke. (That¡¯s better¡­)


    ¡°This¡­ This is where our story begins.¡±


    Intermission (1-1): Welcome To The Black Briar Library


    --- Gregory Fischer ---


    ¡°Well done! Truly brilliant!¡± A voice called, applause echoing as a light flashed and he found himself back in the library atrium standing in front of a smiling young woman with dark hair wearing glasses and black button up vest over a white long sleeved blouse. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I was a little worried things wouldn¡¯t work out for a moment there, but you managed to turn it all around!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ thanks.¡± He managed to get out as he dealt with something of an emotional whiplash, before slowly pulling himself together. ¡°But, um, who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry I got so caught up in your story telling that I almost forgot.¡± The woman grinned wryly as she adjusted her glasses. ¡°I¡¯m Briar Black, The Head Librarian of the Black Briar Library.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded slowly as his eyes narrowed. ¡°And going by your name I¡¯m also guessing you¡¯re the owner of the library too?¡±


    Briar winced as she gained a sheepish look. ¡°Heh, sort of¡­ We were, uh, we were named for the same thing¡­ Sort of¡­ Let¡¯s just¡­ move on from the name thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He acquiesced, figuring the oddity of her name was less important than her admitting she was near the top of the food chain for this place. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing that means you¡¯re the one I should be¡­ thanking for my invitation here?¡±


    ¡°Heh, you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Briar assured him bashfully as she twirled some of her hair, clearly wishing he would.


    Regardless, given the emotional rollercoaster of the last hour he wasn¡¯t sure whether he actually should thank her, even with his recent resolution. Which is why he instead asked, ¡°If I may, what made you decide to send me that invitation?¡±


    Briar looked vaguely disappointed before giving him a smile. ¡°Well, you see, we¡¯re still building the library up. I was only recently put in charge and I still need to staff it with Librarians who can do everything we need doing around here.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded once more. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really explain why you invited me, given how I¡¯m not a librarian.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Librarian, yet.¡± Briar corrected him with a wag of her finger. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say after your performance here you are clearly Librarian material. Enough so that I¡¯m surprised no other library has tried to scoop you up yet.¡±


    He inhaled and exhaled almost wishing he hadn¡¯t given his last smoke to his younger self as he tapped his fingers against his leg. ¡°Alright, but how did you know I was going to be ¡®librarian material¡¯ before¡­ all of this.¡±


    Briar rolled her eyes, and gave him an amused grin. ¡°Because you found your way here on your own, of course!¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t bring me here from my normal library?¡± He asked as plainly as he could.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I did this time.¡± Briar admitted, before adding, ¡°But I didn¡¯t do that the first time you came here!¡±


    ¡°The¡­ first time?¡± He frowned, fairly certain he hadn¡¯t stepped foot in this place prior to getting his invitation.


    ¡°Yeah, you know when you wandered in here while- Oh!¡± Briar hit her forehead. ¡°You were Dreaming and people forget those!¡±


    He pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I came here in a dream?¡± (Which fits since this whole thing has been a fever dream.)


    If not for the pain he¡¯d been feeling he¡¯d think he was actually in one.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Briar grinned as if what she was saying made perfect sense.


    He took a deep breath before reaching for one of his ¡®special smokes¡¯ less because he needed the firepower and more because he needed something to take the edge off of his mounting frustration. Which in turn led him into thinking about something he¡¯d been wondering about. ¡°So, moving on¡­ I¡¯ve got to ask about the whole book thing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s something I¡¯ve set up for all of my Librarians to help them with their work.¡± The Head Librarian explained with no small amount of cheer or confidence. ¡°I figured giving you your Book during your test would help you with reading your story volume.¡±


    ¡°My story volume?¡± He repeated, having an idea of what that was given the book in his hand but not entirely sure.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured proof-reading your own story would be easier than doing it for someone else. After all, since it¡¯s your story you can more easily fix any issues that you find.¡± Briar elaborated. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve workshopped the final draft of the current volume, I¡¯ve gone ahead and added it to your collection so you can more easily reference it in your book.¡±


    He looked at the book in his hands, not really surprised to find that it had reverted back to the book he¡¯d carried throughout his previous trial. With next to no effort the book fell open to its table of contents, where he once more spotted a section ¡®Volumes Collected¡¯. The moment he focused on it the paged began to flip before he found a secondary index with his name at the top and three lines things listed in eldritch text beneath it.


    (¡°Gregory Fischer


    -Overarching


    -The Black Briar Librarian


    -The Ashes of War.¡±)


    He focused on the ¡®Overarching¡¯ text, and just as it had before the pages flipped until he found himself staring at a swarm of shifting eldritch writing far denser than anything he¡¯d seen before barring his synopsis. Enough so that he was fairly certain that if he were to actually turn the page¡­ it wouldn¡¯t go well for him.


    Which is why he instead focused on what text he could actually understand, slowly piecing together something that roughly read as, (¡°The Man Who Burned: At the start of every combat chapter and whenever this unit plays a card, this unit gains a stack of Heat. Additionally, at the start of a Reading search your Library for a 1-Cost Arm Equipment Page and equip it to this unit for free.¡±)


    He couldn¡¯t help but close the books as he felt an ice pick driving itself through his eyes as he tried to process the words he¡¯d just read. ¡°What¡­ what does any of that mean?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­ You aren¡¯t used to reading Eldritch truths¡­¡± Briar grimaced in sympathy before giving him a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry it gets easier as the psionic scarring builds.¡±


    ¡°The, the what?¡± He blinked, his head still pounding.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± Briar assured him as she got him to sit in a chair that wasn¡¯t behind him just a moment ago, before handing him a cup of coffee off the table that had appeared in between his blinks. (Damn, I must really be out of it¡­)


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Briar asked him after a moment of nursing his drink.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so¡­¡± He slowly answered. ¡°My head is feeling a lot clearer at the very least.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡± Briar nodded, sipping at her own drink. ¡°Since you¡¯re a little more here, how about we get back on topic?¡±


    ¡°Back on topic?¡± He frowned, his head briefly wincing as he even thought about opening the book again.


    ¡°Yeah, I mentioned before that all of this was an interview to see if you¡¯d be a good fit for the Black Briar Library, and¡­ You are!¡± Briar grinned with a small cheer.


    He gave the librarian a confused look. ¡°And¡­ and what does that mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you accept the job your work will alternate between in house work helping to structure and clean up the Library and more field inclusive work collecting stories and proof reading them as you do so.¡± Briar explained in a more professional tone than she¡¯d been using, almost as if she¡¯d rehearsed this part.


    ¡°And collecting stories¡­ I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s going to be like what I did today?¡± He grimaced.


    ¡°Yes, and no. While you will be going out and collecting stories, we shouldn¡¯t have to recreate someone¡¯s past the way you did today. Unless you think it¡¯d help with your proof reading?¡± Briar asked with a tilt of her head, as if she wasn¡¯t sure whether or not it would help him.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± He admitted, not actually sure what ¡®proof reading¡¯ would entail if not what he¡¯d just been through. (Thinking of¡­) ¡°Will I have to¡­ proof read myself like that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to but if you do I can help you collect more volumes of your story.¡± Briar answered with a look half way between concern and regret.


    (Okay, so¡­ I won¡¯t have to go through all of that again.) While he may¡¯ve been glad he found the¡­ closure that he did, he was confident saying, (I really didn¡¯t want to go ripping anymore emotional wounds open.)


    The fact that he wouldn¡¯t have to, went a long way in soothing his nerves. (Making this just like any other job interview now, meaning it¡¯s time for the most important question.)


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the pay?¡± Because even if he would¡¯ve let them low ball him while depressed, he had enough spine right now that he was going to be damned if he was going to work for chump change.


    ¡°You get to read all the books there are!¡± Briar smiled as she stood and raised her arms towards the massive shelves full of books surrounding them.


    He waited a moment, before realizing she was waiting on his reaction. ¡°Okay¡­ and?¡±


    Briar blinked in confusion. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and? I mean, being able to read on the job is a perk but¡­ it¡¯s not really pay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not?¡± His would be boss frowned, sounding even more confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± He confirmed, only staying because of her clear confusion and the bit of gratitude he felt for helping him find the spine to question this.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Briar looked around, before pointing at his book. ¡°You get your book and all the perks I packed into it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this thing is keeping me from doing more than it¡¯s helping me with.¡± He admitted, trying to form a fireball in hand only to get sparks.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll look into that.¡± Briar promised, even as she began to look around with a bit more desperation. ¡°Trust me, by the time I fix it you¡¯ll be so wowed you¡¯ll be shooting for employee of the month! Heh-heh-heh¡­¡±


    He raised an unimpressed brow.


    ¡°Um¡­ what¡­ what exactly do you want to be paid?¡± Briar finally asked, looking both pained and embarrassed to be doing so.


    ¡°Money.¡± He answered dry as a desert.


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    He gave the visibly sweating librarian a flat look, before taking a deep breath and letting it out. ¡°You haven¡¯t been running this place for long have you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Briar admitted without meeting his gaze.


    He took another breath as he looked the nervous young woman over, before looking over the library atrium and thinking about how much it must have cost to set all of this up. (And that¡¯s before we get into however much magic it¡¯s taking to run¡­ everything I¡¯ve seen today.)


    The smart thing to do would be to get up and walk away, given how he had no idea whether or not he was going to get paid, but¡­


    ¡°How important is this library to you?¡±


    ¡°It is everything to me.¡± Briar answered with no small amount of conviction.


    He ran a hand through his hair before pulling out one of his now seemingly unlimited special smokes. (Which given how much these things cost¡­)


    Lighting the cigarette he kept circling around a thought and a memory, something he¡¯d just told himself.


    (I¡¯d have to work a lot more than I like to make this work the way I want but¡­)


    He gave Briar another look, the librarian giving him a hopeful look as she waited for his answer.


    ¡°Fuck it.¡± He finally decided. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out, if only because you clearly need it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Briar cheered, before launching herself forward and wrapping her arms around him. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!¡±


    ¡°Just remember, the moment you start making money off of this, I¡¯m going to demand a pay check.¡± He warned the surprisingly strong librarian as he tried to pry her off of him, not mentioning the thing the library had already given him.


    (¡°Hope isn¡¯t the worst lie to believe in¡­¡±) He smirked as he finally got Briar off of him.


    It¡¯d been a long time since he¡¯d had hope.

 2024 Patreon Quest Demo 3 of 3 (Smile Like You Mean It)

    Smile Like You Mean It (A Demon Razing Hell Quest)


    -Synopsis: They say Hell is where bad people go, and that Home is where you make it, so what does it mean when you make your Home in Hell?


    Booker is a capital D Demon. That is one of the few things he remembers after waking in an alley with a static filled hole in his skull and the instinct that he needs to find something that''s missing.


    And so he sets out in a Hell very different than the one presented by religion trying to piece together who he is and what happened to him. To do so he''ll research forbidden knowledge, make demonic deals, and kill whoever gets in his way all with a smile on his face.


    --Tags: [Affably Evil Demon], [Functionally Dysfunctional Urban Hell], [Taking The Whole Show Over]


    Smile Like You Mean It


    Prologue


    --- ??? ---


    The world was on fire, and all he knew was agony as his skull was pierced.


    For an eternity the flames continued, eating away and devouring his mind, body, and soul as they left nothing behind. Inflicting a level of pain and agony unending so great that his mind shattered again and again as it tried to futilely piece itself together.


    But it was in this state of shattered sanity, that some tangential part of him had looped around through the pain, feeding the rest of his mind into the flames in an attempt to try and salvage some piece of himself, retaining only that which he would never give up even if it meant the death of everything that made him, him.


    Those things were far more important to him than any thought in his head, any bit of personality that described his ego, or even all of the power that he¡¯d accumulated over the years.


    Which is why the hellfire consumed all of it, everything he was, before they could touch that which was precious to him.


    Sadly though, this was not enough to stop the hellfire from eating away at these things that he clung to more in insane instinct than any conscious thought. Dimming recollections of what he was after, what he desired more than life itself, what he¡¯d make his own even if he had to raze all of heaven and hell to the ground to do so.


    But still he clung on to what he could, even as all that remained was the knowledge that there was something out there that he desired with all of his being, something that he could acquire if he found it once more.


    Something that he knew he would find so long as the desire to do so remained, that longing emptiness that would drive lesser men to the abyss, it would push him to find what he could not even remember any more and he would make it his.


    Which is why, as he hit the ground, his consciousness fading into the darkness, his power brought down to that of a lowly worm, his sanity a figment of the imagination, his body broken utterly, and his soul barely a spark of existence¡­


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    So, which District are we starting in? (Please Choose 2)


    Hint: Each district represents both of the Sins that make them up in some way.


    []-Pride


    []-Greed


    []-Lust


    []-Envy


    []-Gluttony


    []-Wrath


    []-Sloth


    ---


    Vote Results:


    -EnvyxWrath= Kids, who wants to kill a nazi?


    ---


    Ira Invidia (I): A Warm Open


    --- ??? ---


    When an eternity of hellfire finally came to an end he found himself fading in and out of consciousness, the shambles of his mind trying to stitch itself back together.


    In these intermittent bouts of darkness and thought he saw a number of things, and thought about an even greater number of things as his body refused to work for him.


    The first of these things was the graffiti covered brick wall of whatever filthy gutter he found himself thrown in, his body clearly left to the rats by whatever power thought him dead.


    (But I¡¯m not dead¡­ I won¡¯t die¡­ until I can do so with a smile¡­)


    It was a powerful thought, and arguably the first real revelation about who he was as an individual.


    The second revelation was the fact that it was the only thing he knew about himself, the agony of whatever had left him in this alley having devoured every other thought and memory in his head, save for those that had formed in said alley. (Troubling¡­)


    It was this second revelation that allowed him to realize his third, namely that whatever he¡¯d forgotten was important because of¡­ reasons he wasn¡¯t actually all that sure of, beyond a bone deep longing of sorts.


    These were quite the big thoughts for what in some ways could be considered a newborn mind, which is likely why the darkness so gracefully dragged him back into slumber so that mind could cook just a little longer.


    ---


    When consciousness next returned he found himself looking up at a young woman bundled up in an oversized coat. Her gracious green eyes glittering out from beneath long brown hair in a mix of compassion and desperation as she regretfully attempted to rob what she thought to be a dead man.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this¡­¡± She told him as she dug through his pockets. ¡°I know you¡¯ve already had a bad day because of the Smiling Man but I¡­ I really need to get out of here¡­¡±


    (The Smiling Man?) He thought, a sense of familiarity coming from the title. One that filled him with an odd mix of satisfaction, admiration, boredom, hatred, and perhaps most curiously hunger¡­


    For the first time since arriving in this alley, who knows how long ago, he found his fingers twitching, wishing to reach out and¡­


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure but part of him wanted the girl to flee (protect your innocence¡­) While another part wanted her to stay (don¡¯t leave me alone!) And yet another wondered (what does your flesh taste like?)


    It was a disconcerting set of feelings to say the least.


    A sentiment the girl clearly shared if the way she stumbled back with wide eyes meant anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re waking up?¡± The girl clearly grimaced, despite how much of her face was covered. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Was her response before running off on her own.


    Whether that was rude, smart, kind, or cruel he wasn¡¯t sure. His understanding of those concepts¡­ still a little mixed at the moment. (Something is clearly wrong with my head right now¡­)


    A worrying thought, given how his mind was the only thing with any sort of power at the moment as he was just gaining the ability to move his fingers.


    Thankfully, the darkness decided to force upon him another comforting map before he could become too distressed by that point.


    ---


    Once more his mind struggled free of the comforting embrace of nothingness, the empty feeling inside of him beginning to gnaw at him in a way it hadn¡¯t while he was distracted by that girl from earlier. A gnawing that was quite painful in truth, as he found it wasn¡¯t quite limited to the emotional sense of the word. (Need to¡­ need to find a distraction¡­ Something to numb the emptiness¡­)


    Believing this to be quite the brilliant idea he began testing his limbs, finding them to be much closer to working order than they had been during his previous bout of consciousness, for this time he was actually able to use his long limbs to pull himself to a standing -if slightly uncoordinated- position by leaning against the wall he¡¯d been propped up against.


    Actually walking proved a¡­ more difficult task than he¡¯d initially assumed, if only because of how his limbs seemed to want him to act like some newborn lamb rather than a fully grown¡­ (human?)


    He paused at that, wondering why that thought seemed to be a question rather than a statement of sorts. (I mean, of course I¡¯m a human¡­ aren¡¯t I?)


    In front of him was a window, the glass dark and dusty due to both the light and disuse, but thankfully seemed to reflect the alley proper.


    Meaning when he stepped in front of it he was able to quite clearly see what he believed to be a handsome enough man with short -albeit long for a male- hair, his bangs covering his forehead even if they did nothing to hide his dark eyes. (See a human.)


    Sadly the makeshift mirror and the alleyway were both too dark to be too precise with the coloring of anything, but from what he could see of his own scarred skin by rolling his pale sleeves up to a position he was more comfortable with at the moment, he was of a tone that could pass for a tanned white man or a pale black man beneath the paler scarring that littered his arms.


    (I wonder which one it is?) He considered his limbs for another moment before taking another glance at his reflection.


    Only instead of a somewhat handsome human he found himself staring at a dark brown rabbit man with glowing red eyes and a pair of horns.


    A brief inspection behind him proved he was alone. And a second of his cloths proved that he was wearing the same half charred white button up he¡¯d seen on the rabbit man.


    Returning his gaze to this new reflection he found himself staring at a now white rabbit with red eyes, dark stitchwork visible all over his fur.


    He raised a hand to his cheek, feeling smooth flesh even as his rabbit reflection ran clawed fingers over the stitches on its cheek, the motion pulling the fur slightly, and revealing something hidden beneath the fur.


    Rather than being intimidated by this he found himself thinking (interesting) even as a blink of the eye returned the reflection to that of a human.


    ¡°So I¡¯m either not actually human or I¡¯m insane¡­¡± For some reason he felt completely comfortable with both of those possibilities.


    It was as he pulled back from this closer inspection that he realized he had a smile on his face, one that he hadn¡¯t even been aware of, one that now that he noticed it filled him with (love/hate/fear/hunger/joy/despair/acceptance).


    He blinked, not having expected such an extreme reaction from just noticing the smile.


    It was the extremity of this reaction that had him do something that he¡¯d come to realize was the height of foolishness¡­


    Namely¡­


    He tried to stop smiling.


    (The pain kept coming, but he¡¯d keep smiling because¡­)


    (Her smile made the pain go away¡­)


    (And it came back when she finally stopped¡­)


    (He smiled, his eyes wide as he realized that monster¡¯s smile was the same as his¡­)


    (Despite the whole building burning around him¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but smile¡­)


    (Two fingers pressed up against his cheeks, forcing them into the shape of a smile he didn¡¯t feel¡­)


    (And so he¡¯d continue to smile because if he didn¡¯t¡­ well¡­)


    The Smile Didn¡¯t Like That¡­


    Shattering glass and pain snapped him out of it as he found his fist half way through the glass, sending massive cracks through it and fragmenting his reflection into seven very different eyes, before turning into seven reflections of a man who was very clearly shaken in spite of the smile on his face.


    ¡°Right¡­ not doing that again¡­¡± He chuckled, leaning a little more towards the insanity diagnosis than just a few moments prior.


    Pulling his hand free of the glass, he found he¡¯d done quite the number to the poor thing.


    He also found his flesh pushing the glass free through no action of his own, the small cuts they left behind quickly stitching themselves shut. (And that¡¯s a point in the ¡®not a human¡¯ direction as well¡­)


    ¡°Come on, I think it was over here.¡± A voice called from one end of the alley.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t get why we¡¯re heading towards the broken glass.¡± A second added. ¡°People are breaking into shit all the time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but around here our people. Meaning either it could be some of our boys who we can a cut for helping or it could be some other fucks thinking they can do something in our territory.¡± The first voice explained with something resembling logic.


    (Need to hide.)


    (Or charm them.)


    (Easier to just kill.)


    (Am getting hungry.)


    (Could play dead.)


    (Bargain maybe.)


    (Too many unknowns.)


    He stuttered a step, the cacophony of his own thoughts far more disorienting than he¡¯d been expecting as his mind went in more than half a dozen directions at once.


    Unfortunately, given how he was still getting used to ¡®walking¡¯ that single stuttered step was enough to send him crashing to the ground.


    ¡°Huh, who is this asshole?¡± One of the voices asked.


    ¡°Probably just some junkie drugged out of their mind.¡± The other dismissed him, (how dare he?!)


    He blinked, not sure why he was so offended by that when (better they underestimate than over, it¡¯ll make things easier.)


    ¡°Bet this is the one breaking glass and shit.¡± One of them said, as he felt a kick to his side. ¡°Fuck, man looks like a fucking Smiler¡­¡±


    Several of his thoughts aligned at once, with the single plan to (kill them both.)


    Not even really thinking about it he reached out with one of his hands and pulled on the leg of the man who kicked him with an amount of force that he hadn¡¯t expected from himself as scrawny as his reflection had been.


    Still it provided him with an opportunity he wasn¡¯t quite willing to throw away as it brought his attacker down to his level, where with surprising ease he grabbed the man¡¯s throat before ripping it out with a clawed hand.


    He felt a burst of something inside of him as he watched the man rapidly bleed out, almost as if the life was leaving the man and instead entering him.


    With far more ease than before he managed to climb to his feet, where his (victim¡¯s) compatriot punched him across the jaw.


    A few moments prior this would¡¯ve been enough to knock him back to the ground.


    Now it just made him growl in rage/hunger/excitement.


    Faster than either of them realized he grabbed the man by both his shoulder and his head before burying his teeth, his fangs, into the man¡¯s throat and ripping it out.


    Once more he felt a burst of something filling him with energy he hadn¡¯t had prior, even if the sensation was less noticeable than the first time. (Because you were weaker/emptier/poorer/hungrier.)


    He shook his head as another wave of thoughts crashed down on him, and he tossed the man to the side as he tried to steady himself against the brick wall rather than once more falling to the gutter like the two men he¡¯d just killed.


    For whatever reason be it that they struck him first, that they were clearly ne''er do wells, or simply because he wasn¡¯t human he found he wasn¡¯t all that guilty or concerned about the killing bit. In fact some part of him wanted more of it.


    His eyes drifted to another nearby alley window, where he once more saw his reflection.


    Only this time he saw a smiling man with a bloody maw full of fangs and a hole filled with flickering static beneath his now parted bangs. The entire visage quite clearly answering the question of ¡®is he a monster or is he just insane?¡¯ (Clearly it¡¯s both.)


    And he couldn¡¯t help but smile at that.


    We¡¯re a not-human in an alley with two corpses and no memories. What now? (Hint: Question marks are our undiscovered skills. They¡¯re all Lv. 1 right now.)


    []-Study these men, something is clearly odd about them. Maybe they have something worth learning/taking? (P????/G????)


    []-Study the alley, there has to be some clue about what happened, be it how we got here or what happened to us. (E???/P????)


    []-Stalk/Observe the locals, see what we can learn about this place on our own. We need to test our mental faculties if we are to rely upon them. (P????/E???/G???????)


    []-Speak to the locals, ask some questions. Attention can be good or it can be bad, it can also mean less work for the common question of where we are. (L???/?????)


    []-Seek out that girl from before. She seemed the kind/easily manipulated sort and she might be able to help us. (L???/E???/G???????)


    ---


    A/N: Fun Fact, I wrote Smile Like You Mean It¡¯s chapter first, and by the time I finished the other two the chapter poll had shifted so I had to re-write it. (The original draft is a free patron bonus chapter for anyone who is curious.)


    ---


    Tutorial Skill Checks


    -As a base each skill check will consist of me rolling a number of dice based on our current character Rank (Based on Total Class Levels: Lv > 0 = 1, Lv. > 5 = 2, Lv. > 15 = 3, Lv. > 30 = 4, Lv. > 50 = 5, Lv. > 75 = 6, Lv. > 105 = 7.)


    -As a Demon our power revolves around Advantages and Disadvantages, with the former granting a Dice and the latter taking one away.


    -Additionally, should the total +/- of Advantages and Disadvantages tilt so that one side has a 3 Dice advantage or no Dice at all, then that will be an auto-success/fail.


    -Lastly, our success and failure will be tiered based on how far over or under our roll is, with ties being an outright reroll of both in clashes.


    -After all of this we gain 1XP to all of our used skills in the rolls.


    Example:


    -Study the locals.


    --They¡¯re not on alert so no roll on their end, but on ours we roll 2D6+1=10 for knowledge , 2D6+1=9 for more esoteric observations, and then 2D6+10 for our more predatory observations.


    ---


    -Find the girl.


    --For her escaping: She has a Survivor level of 5 so that¡¯s 2D6+5 = 12.


    --For us: We¡¯re Lv. 7 since we have 7 Lv. 1 classes, but we also have advantage due to tracking her down immediately, meaning we¡¯re actually rolling 3D6+1 = 12, which would have us reroll for 2D6+5 = 10 vs 3D6+1 = 16. (Note: Added the tie rule after this.)


    --The second ???? was a backup roll in case we failed to track her down with ???????? that wouldn¡¯t have given us advantage on this next check.


    --Due to us finding her on the first try the girl has a double Disadvantage on the Social roll due to both being Guilty for robbing us and the fact we caught her so quickly meaning we auto-auto win the challenge of whether or not she tries to run again since she now has no dice to roll with. (Her Lv. 5 Survivor does give her a perk for negotiations on the next roll depending on your choice though.)


    ---


    A/N: Also, quick warning, pretty sure this story is going to be the most experimental of the three if it continues until the end.


    ---


    Ira Invidia (II):


    --- ??? ---


    (G???????: We need to leave.)


    His eyes darted around the alley, searching for the source of the voice he¡¯d heard.


    (E???: We¡¯re not even going to pretend to be sane are we?) A second voice drawled, almost mockingly.


    (S????: That would be too much work for too little gain.) An exhausted third pointed out.


    Once more he checked all around the alley, but no matter where he looked he couldn¡¯t find the source of these voices. At least not until he noticed his fractured reflection staring at him and telling him exactly where the speakers had disappeared as his eyes changed color flickered between several colors.


    ¡°Voices in the head¡­¡± He huffed in amusement. ¡°What fun!¡±


    (P????: Yes, yes, we¡¯re insane. We¡¯ve already discovered this, but there¡¯s more new things to learn! I mean, look! There¡¯s something odd about these two¡­ Why aren¡¯t you investigating!) A fourth (more sophisticated) voice cried.


    Part of him -(the one you should absolutely ignore)- wondered if it was a good idea to heed the words of these voices, but given how they were him in a sense he decided to listen to them in so long as the ideas they voiced were intelligent or beneficial to him at the moment. (Smart man!)


    (G???????: No, we need to leave before someone finds us with these bodies.) The first voice growled.


    (W????: He has a point, if we don¡¯t leave people will seek vengeance.) A fifth agreed. (We aren¡¯t in a condition where we can fend off everyone who seeks us.)


    (G???????: We need to learn more about our prey before we hunt them down.)


    (P????: Oddly reasonable for you two, but I¡¯m always in favor of bettering ourselves. We can learn on the move.)


    ¡°So that¡¯s three in favor, out of¡­ how many?¡± He asked.


    (L???: There¡¯s seven us in total!) A chipper voice answered. (Oh, and you don¡¯t have to listen to us if you don¡¯t want to!)


    (G????: He¡¯s right, for once, you should just ignore everyone else and search this lots¡¯ pockets. We can¡¯t afford to be wasteful in a world like this!) The final voice threw out.


    (E???: We also can¡¯t afford to be caught until our work is done.)


    ¡°That one has a very good point.¡± He admitted before looking down both ends of the alley. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure which way we should go to avoid attention.¡±


    (L???: Ooh, ooh, go the way the girl went!)


    (G???????: He¡¯s got a point¡­ The men you killed came from the other, if someone sees you walking out covered in blood they might put two and two together.)


    (L???: Oh, no, I just wanted to make a new friend!)


    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s a good enough direction.¡± He decided before heading in the same direction as the girl, only to pause as he came to a street with more people than he¡¯d been expecting. (Or perhaps not¡­)


    (G???????: No look at them. More than one person is covered in blood or openly carrying a weapon¡­ They¡¯re all ready for violence, but look at them¡­ They watch their fellows with fear hidden behind anger¡­ They¡¯re merely prey pretending to be prey¡­ How delectable¡­)


    He found himself salivating as he boldly stepped onto the street, his eyes meeting a man who startled at his sudden appearance before putting on a bold facade as if the man wasn¡¯t scared.


    (G???????: Go ahead¡­ Take a bite¡­ Show everyone here what a real predator looks like!)


    He began to open his mouth, feeling his teeth itch as they turned into fangs ready to rip into the meat and-


    (P????: Now isn¡¯t the time for bestial violence!)


    His mouth snapped shut as he shook his head clear and started in the direction opposite the man. ¡°What was that?¡±


    (E???: That is what happens when you lean too hard into one of us. You start to behave the way we would, were we the ones in control.)


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if that was something to be concerned about or not. (After all, they¡¯re already me and they¡¯re already in my thoughts, so who could say who is really in control.)


    (P????: An interesting philosophical, but right now we should focus on the actual project at hand¡­ Look around and we¡¯ll see what we can learn shall we?)


    He nodded to himself, before taking a proper look around as he wandered through the streets. All around him were a number of tall buildings made of concrete underlining that he was in a rather dense city of some kind. The architecture all painted various hues of red and black while also being oddly pointy and damaged to the point where the buildings should¡¯ve been abandoned but for some reason were not.


    It was while looking at this that he noticed the blood red sky up above, alongside what appeared to be some kind of runic script. (Is that real, or merely another hallucination?)


    (E???: It¡¯s real. It¡¯s also a spell circuit¡­ Too big to read from here -can¡¯t even take a guess at what it does- but it¡¯s probably not why the sky is red.)


    (P????: Perhaps it¡¯s a reaction similar to how water particles normally turn the sky blue¡­ Though that wouldn¡¯t answer what particulate is causing the red¡­)


    (G???????: Blood¡­ Can still taste it in the air despite leaving the alley¡­ There¡¯s been so much bloodshed it¡¯s stained the very air¡­ Not as good as true blood, but still a mouth watering flavor, wouldn¡¯t you agree?)


    ¡°I do¡­¡± He admitted, unable to help but lick his lips.


    As his gaze came back down to street level, he found his eyes locking onto an odd insignia of an X of sorts with an additional line capping the end of each that was hanging off of banners here and there, or painted onto the buildings if they lacked said banners. A symbol that he found quite common on those who walked near him, be it stitched into their clothing or tattooed onto their flesh.


    (P????: Clearly every person or business here affiliates with whatever organization this represents, but what does the symbol actually mean?)


    The answer was staticy feeling in his mind as if he remembered it, less by definition and more with his emotions towards it, emotions that were most clearly defined as (annoyance/disgust/rage.)


    He frowned. ¡°Well that wasn¡¯t very clear at all¡­¡±


    Regardless of clarity of definition, he felt like even associating with whatever this symbol represented was sapping at his own intellect, as if whatever it represented was such an extreme form of stupidity that it was somehow contagious.


    (W????: The symbol is for idiots and pathetic wretches who¡¯d rather blame the innocent than take responsibility.) An angry voice growled, filling his mind with red.


    (P????: Now, now, we need a clear head to think. I¡¯m noticing another oddity on the fellows surrounding us.)


    He blinked before taking another subtle look at the people around him, for a moment thinking them no different than an ordinary person before spotting the thing the voice was talking about.


    Namely that while the people around him for the most part looked human, almost everyone also had several traits that were distinctly not. The most common of which were claws and fangs, glowing eyes, and in a few instances even horns and tails. (At the very least I shouldn¡¯t stand out too much.)


    (P????: I¡¯d think not. They¡¯re all like us, both human and not¡­ Though with a less clear divide between the two¡­) The other voice mumbled, piecing together his thoughts for him. (Nice of him to do that.) (You¡¯re welcome, still this means that they can''t turn off whatever phenomenon causes our transformation¡­)


    (E???: We can only manage that because everything is so shattered in here, and even then only just barely.)


    (G???????: Should just cut loose, restraint is pointless. Revel in the Madness of it all.)


    ¡°That does sound fun¡­¡± He admitted, thinking about loosing his claws and fangs into those near him.


    (E???: It may be fun, but it won¡¯t see our work get done.)


    ¡°A valid argument.¡± He sighed, feeling smaller than a moment before as he felt a sort of longing in his chest for something he couldn¡¯t quite name.


    (L???: Oh, oh, I¡¯ve got an idea!) The happiest of his voices shouted.


    ¡°Oh, do tell!¡± He grinned.


    (L???: Well, we¡¯ve got no direction at the moment, right? So why don¡¯t we try talking to the people around us, maybe they¡¯ll give us some?)


    (P????: No. Caring about strangers¡¯ opinions is how you end up tied to a worthless organization full of idiots.)


    (S???: Though getting someone else to do some of the work for us would be nice.)


    ¡°The question is who?¡± He wondered, taking another look at those around him and finding all of them wanting be it due to either their affiliation with that (annoying/stupid/vile/disgusting) pinwheel or because they were just bland and blended into the scenery.


    (L???: Well what about that girl that we woke up to? She seemed nice in a ¡®desperate street rat trying to survive¡¯ kind of way.)


    ¡°Well, at the very least she was more interesting than anyone here.¡± He noted with a wry grin, before taking another look around. ¡°But how are we supposed to find her when she¡¯s run away and we¡¯ve moved in a different direction?¡±


    (G???????: Hmm, it¡¯s more fun when they run¡­ The fear makes their meat so much sweeter.) That one purred as his stomach growled.


    (Are we a cannibal?) He idly wondered, while considering his delight in the taste of blood.


    (P????: That would depend on your definition, but¡­ probably.)


    (W????: You¡¯re not eating her, she¡¯s innocent.)


    (L???: Yeah! She¡¯s going to be a friend not food!)


    (G????: Innocent? She stole from us! That¡¯s worthy of a death sentence!)


    The red voice scoffed. (W???: She stole nothing of value.)


    (G????: Nothing of- Everything is of value as long as it''s ours!)


    ¡°Regardless! None of this explains how we¡¯re going to find her.¡± He pointed out as he came to a stop, uncaring for the various eyes on the mad man talking to himself in the middle of the street.


    (G???????: Hmm, her scent ¡®s in the air, still fresh enough that the blood and filth of humanity has yet to consume it. The innocence makes it stand out against the rabble.)


    He inhaled, but (I can¡¯t smell anything¡­)


    (W????: I smell the blood of the innocent and the damned alike, but not the girl.)


    (G???????: Grrah, need to feel the beast¡­ let it guide you on the hunt¡­) The feral one growled as his skin began to feel a little too tight on his bones.


    (E???: Dangerous route this one, be careful not to over indulge it lest it consume you.)


    (W????: True but the Beast has purpose, value we shouldn¡¯t neglect.)


    ¡°Alright, the ¡®beast¡¯-¡± (It uses a capital B.) ¡°Ah, apologies.¡± He coughed into his hand. ¡°Ahem, the Beast is a valuable tool, but that doesn¡¯t tell me how to use it.¡±


    (E???: The Beast is a state of mind. Leave it to the unconscious mind, you¡¯ll just direct it as the conscious mind.)


    (P????: So long as you remain more man than Beast at least.)


    Before he could parse that ominous thought, he found himself hunching over as his stomach began to growl, the tightness of his skin growing even worse as his mouth began to water. All around him the world grew brighter, the darkness fading so that he could see through the darkest of shadows as well as the shadows cast by every person he saw.


    (G???????: Not the time. Time to hunt!)


    His heart began to pound in his chest and he began to move, his eyes taking note of recent scuffs picking apart the ones that were too big and too heavy, before seeing the ones that were smaller than the rest. Small enough to be the (prey/friend/girl) he was after.


    Moving in pursuit his calm walk slowly shifted into a spiraling sprint as he sought out his (prey) not caring in the slightest about the people around him or the fact that several flinched away from his bloodstained form and snarling maw, (all that matters is the hunt!)


    A trail of something floated through the air, unseen by all but the mad man following it, through back alleys and streets as he barely took notice of the people and things that surrounded him. Details that in a clearer state of mind might¡¯ve meant something or triggered some sort of response from the voices in his head but currently meant nothing in the face of his growing (hunger.)


    Coming into an alley walled off by a chain link fence, he easily leapt over said fence in spite of it being as tall as he was, before finding that the cloud of (scent/emotion/madness) that he¡¯d been following expanded into such a large thing that it consumed his vision.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    (She¡¯s nearby¡­) He growled both internally and ex at that thought, not sure whether it was him or the voices making the sound.


    His eyes darted around the brickwork alley, taking note of the various filth and debris that littered the ground, the torn up posters depicting odd imagery, and the overflowing dumpsters before falling on a large wooden board lying against the brickwork, too close to really hide anything of import and yet¡­


    (G???????: The rabbit¡¯s den is buried, need to dig it out.)


    The voices seemed to disagree.


    The only places he could see the girl hiding would be inside the dumpster, which while viable in the short term was not somewhere he could see her staying in long enough to cover this entire alley in¡­ (whatever I was tracking.)


    ¡°Which leaves you¡­¡± He smiled, before grabbing the edge of the board and tossing it aside to find a small alcove in the alley brickwork.


    An alcove just big enough for a sleeping bag, a backpack, and a terrified green eyed girl who could be no older than ten and four bundled up in a heavy scarf and jacket.


    (G????: There¡¯s the thief!)


    (G???????: Food!)


    He growled, ready to rip into her throat and- (Enough/Enough/Enough!)


    The voice¡¯s echoing presence was enough to force him to flinch.


    (W????: She¡¯s a child!)


    (L???: Friend not food!Friend not food!!!)


    (E???: What would your mother think of this behavior?)


    He found himself flinching once more as the voices that weren¡¯t all for killing the girl reprimanded him.


    (P????: As I said, will you be a savage beast or a proper gentleman?)


    (Right¡­) He inhaled, before exhaling. (Need to be sure of whatever choice I make¡­)


    You found the girl. Now what will you do with her? (Top 2)


    Note: Some choices will resonate with certain classes while repelling others. In such cases the names after the + will grow stronger, while the ones after the - will grow weaker.


    []-Kill Her. (+G????/G??????? -L???/W????/E???)


    []-Leave her alone. (P????/E???/W??? -G????)


    []-Recruit Her. (L???/S????/E???)


    Any Questions -for her- before we do that? (Max 3)


    []-Write Questions In Comments. (+Depends on the questions asked.)


    Submitted Questions:


    -Recruit Her (Lust/Sloth/Envy)


    -Do you have a name? (Lust)


    -May I have my things back? (Greed)


    -Do you know anything about restoring lost memories? (Pride)


    ---


    Quick Tutorial Add On: Forgot to mention it last chapter, but no skill can go below 0XP, meaning if you¡¯re at Lv. 5 (0/12) then losing an XP in that skill won¡¯t cost you anything.


    ---


    Ira Invidia (III): Considering Questions And Offers


    --- ??? ---


    (First and foremost I suppose¡­)


    ¡°Hello, child. It was so terribly rude of you to run off earlier.¡± He greeted, forgoing his own introduction due to not actually having a name to give at the moment. ¡°Now then, I believe you and I could have quite the intriguing conversation¡­ So long as you know not to run this time?¡±


    The young woman shivered, not answering his mostly rhetorical question as she tried to make herself as small as possible.


    ¡°Glad to see you agree.¡± He grinned, enjoying the way she squirmed as he looked down on her.


    (En??: You¡¯re scaring her.)


    (Lu??: Don¡¯t be a meanie. Give her a smile and assure her you aren¡¯t going to hurt her.)


    (Gr???: Yet.)


    (Glu?????: Heh, fear makes the meat taste so sweet¡­)


    (Sl???: Whatever we¡¯re doing, scare her too much and she¡¯ll stab you. Street rats are like that.)


    (Lu??: If we want to calm her down, we need to start with something simple and non threatening.)


    He considered that for a moment, the girl saying absolutely nothing as he considered her, the only sound coming from her being her frightened breathing. ¡°Come now child, aren¡¯t you going to introduce yourself?¡±


    The girl audibly swallowed, visibly considering whether or not she should lie to him as her face creased in worry before letting out a quiet, ¡°Lydia¡­¡±


    ¡°Lydia.¡± He repeated, tasting the name and wondering if the flavor would ignite any memory of his own.


    (Pr???: Still can¡¯t recall our name, but I can tell you that Lydia means-) ¡°Noble one, or beautiful one¡­ I wonder which your parents meant for you?¡± He idly asked, dismissing the more boring meaning of ¡®from Lydia¡¯ while not actually expecting an answer to his question.


    Not that that stopped him from noticing how the girl flinched at the word ¡®parents¡¯. (Interesting¡­)


    ¡°Now then¡­ Lydia, while I may not have been or currently be in the rightest of minds, I am aware of the fact that you took something from me.¡± He growled, not quite meaning to as he felt the desire to-


    (Gr???: Kill her and just steal it back from her corpse already!)


    (Glu????: Eat her while we¡¯re at it¡­ She may be more bone than meat, but we haven¡¯t had a proper meal in who knows how long.)


    (Lu??: Hey, let¡¯s at least give her a chance to give them back, please?)


    (Well since you said please.) He ignored his more violent thoughts as he leaned down at the waist, taking not of just how much taller than her he was before sticking his hand out and kindly requesting, ¡°May I please have my things back?¡±


    He liked to think that the ¡®before I take them back¡¯ was best left unsaid, and the fact that she cautiously put something in his hand meant that it was rightly heard.


    ¡°This, this is all I got¡­ and the, the Sin from stealing it.¡± Lydia promised, her voice soft and fearful as she quickly withdrew her hand, almost as if she were afraid he¡¯d bite the hand off.


    (Glu?????: We still could.)


    Standing back up, he inspected the object she¡¯d returned to him.


    Fitting perfectly in his long fingered hand was a silver pocket watch with two rabbits chasing each other on the cover, one with antlers and one without. A number of chains circled and connected the two in an intricate knot that would bind them together forever even as they were both slowly choked to death by the bond.


    His thumb traced the chains as he felt a set of emotions he couldn¡¯t quite name.


    (Glu?????: Longing¡­)


    (Wr???: Guilt¡­)


    (En??: Regret¡­)


    (Lu??: Love¡­)


    (Sl???: Peace¡­)


    (Pr???: Acceptance¡­)


    (Gr???: Satisfaction.)


    More on reflex than anything else, bloodstained fingers gripped the lid of the watch. His index and middle finger pressing down before pulling up and snapping the watch open to reveal the engraving hidden on the other side of its cover


    Booker H. Freeman.


    You are both the second worst and the


    second greatest thing to ever happen to me.


    I will always hate and admire you,


    Emilia Lafayette.


    The watch snapped shut once more, the storm of emotions inside of him far wilder than anything he¡¯d felt in the short time since his awakening. With emotions so complicated that he found himself desperate for anything else to think about.


    A shifting brought his attention back to the young woman in front of him, looking like she wasn¡¯t sure if she should flee while he was distracted or stay still in case it angered him once more.


    ¡°Thank you, my dear.¡± He told the girl with no small amount of honesty as he slipped the watch into one of his pockets for now, deciding to deal with those feelings when he was alone and knew more about his situation.


    (Lu??: Oh, oh, introduce yourself!)


    ¡°Ah, yes! It occurs to me that I¡¯ve yet to introduce myself, Booker H. Freeman at your service.¡± He informed her as he bowed with both a smile and a theatrical flourish of his hand.


    While it wasn¡¯t overly apparent, he could tell by the slight relaxing of the girl¡¯s shoulders that this introduction had done something for her nerves even if he wasn¡¯t quite sure what.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve put this unfortunate business behind us, perhaps you can help me with another issue plaguing my person?¡± He asked, taking a step back so that he wasn¡¯t quite looming over the girl any more.


    Lydia watched him cautiously, her eyes darting around a bit as she climbed to her feet. ¡°What, what exactly do you need help with?¡±


    ¡°Well as embarrassing as it is to admit, I¡¯m currently missing a few¡­ memories involving the where, why, and hows of how I found myself in that alley earlier.¡± He explained, keeping the fact that he¡¯d forgotten far more than that to himself.


    The girl stared at his face for a moment, more specifically his mouth before asking him if, ¡°Can you, uh, stop smiling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± He confessed, some instinct telling him that to do so was a terrible mistake.


    ¡°Then you, uh, you might be a victim of the Smiling Man?¡± Lydia offered, looking uncomfortable.


    He tilted his head. ¡°You mentioned him before, and those ruffians you fled from called me a Smiler I believe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Smiling Man is a, a Demon that runs around these parts feeding on people and leaving them as little more than smiling husks.¡± Lydia explained with a shiver. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t heard of any of his victims being able to talk once he¡¯s done with them.¡±


    (Pr???: The question is whether that¡¯s because you¡¯re the exception or the cause? The fact that you don¡¯t doubt her when she calls him a Demon could be a point in either direction.)


    (En??: The Beast makes it pretty clear which direction we should be leaning.)


    (Glu?????: Smiles are nice, but they don¡¯t matter nearly as much as the hunt, the kill, or the feast.)


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Taking all of that into account, he decided it was best to point out that, ¡°If none of the Smiling Man¡¯s other victims can talk, then there¡¯s no telling if he¡¯s responsible for my memory loss or merely someone who exploited said memory loss.¡±


    ¡°On the uh, bright side, if you¡¯re walking around you should get your memories back once you¡¯re done healing.¡± Lydia offered with a wry grin of her own.


    (Lu??: Aw, she¡¯s trying to give us hope. How cute!)


    (Sl???: People like us don¡¯t deserve hope.)


    (En??: Everyone deserves hope. The good to get them through the day, and the wicked to make their suffering all the greater.)


    (Sl???: Show her your bullet hole. Street rats are made of stern stuff. Might be able to point us towards a back alley doc to get it fixed.)


    ¡°A valid point.¡± He nodded, before parting his hair over the hole in his skull. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure how long this¡¯ll take to heal.¡±


    Lydia grimaced, but didn¡¯t flinch away as would normally be expected of a child her age. (Told you.) ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s, uh, that looks like you¡¯re still under something¡­ surprised you¡¯re walking around with that¡­ Especially after the Smiling Man got to you.¡±


    ¡°So the two aren¡¯t connected then?¡± He asked, letting his hair fall since it clearly made the thus far helpful child uncomfortable.


    ¡°Not as far as I know, but¡­ I don¡¯t normally go looking for Smilers.¡± Lydia admitted, looking away as she guiltily brought up the point about robbing his incapacitated corpse.


    (Gr???: Still say we should gut her for that.)


    (Priorities.) He told himself, before asking the girl if, ¡°Given my little¡­ problem here, I don¡¯t suppose you know where I can find someone nearby to mend this injury of mine?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± Lydia frowned, causing his eye to twitch once more. ¡°Healers aren¡¯t common around here¡­ And I haven¡¯t really left Ira Invidia since my¡­ dad brought me here.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. No need to frown just because you can¡¯t help me child. You¡¯ve been plenty of help as you are.¡± He assured Lydia, getting a weak smile out of the girl. (Better¡­ shame we¡¯ll have to end it.) ¡°In fact, as helpful as you¡¯ve been I can¡¯t help but be curious as to why you felt the need to steal from me during my incapacitated state?¡±


    That got a flinch out of the girl as she refused to meet his eye, instead rubbing at her wrists as she looked at the ground. ¡°Sorry¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I, I don¡¯t want to be here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, am I such terrible company?¡± He grinned, knowing that wasn¡¯t what she meant but not having the context behind what she actually meant.


    Unexpectedly, the girl glared at him for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s not-!¡± before flinching once more. ¡°Sorry¡­ I meant, Ira Invidia¡­ I¡¯m not, I¡¯m only here because my dad dragged me here¡­ I don¡¯t believe in that stuff.¡± Lydia tried to explain as she gestured towards a poster with that windmill insignia or the one beside it bearing before more quietly confessing that, ¡°I¡¯m not a nazi¡­¡±


    The girl flinched once more at that confession as if she was expecting him to physically lash out at her, only to relax near completely when he didn¡¯t. (Interesting¡­)


    (Pr???: Based on context, Nazi is likely the name of those represented by that idiotic windmill.)


    (Wr???: They¡¯ve also hurt her. She¡¯s more scared of them than of a strange man covered in blood cornering her in an alley.)


    (Gl?????: Insulting. We¡¯re clearly more intimidating than those maggot filled wretches.)


    ¡°Quite right.¡± He smiled, more to himself than anything though by Lydia¡¯s grateful smile she seemed to think he was encouraging her.


    (Sl???: Let her think what she wants as long as it keeps her loyal.)


    ¡°Any, uh, anyway you need a lot of Sin to buy your way out of Ira Invidia.¡± Lydia continued to elaborate. ¡°It¡¯s cheaper because I¡¯m still young but if I can¡¯t get the Sin in another year or two¡­ It might as well be impossible after that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So I¡¯m guessing my exit from this place will be ¡®impossible¡¯ as you put it.¡± He guessed with a tilt of his head, fairly certain that just because something was impossible to the girl didn¡¯t mean it was impossible for him.


    (Pr???: It really doesn¡¯t.)


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Lydia grimaced once more. (That¡¯s such an annoying habit¡­) ¡°Um, you¡¯re uh, you¡¯re not from Ira Invidia, right? I mean I don¡¯t think you are but¡­¡±


    ¡°No I¡¯m not.¡± He answered, fairly certain that if he was he¡¯d have killed more people and burned down any building clinging to those annoying symbols.


    (Wr???: We¡¯d have burned them all alive.)


    (En??: Needless to say, you¡¯re not here because you live here.)


    (Glu?????: Though this wouldn¡¯t make the worst hunting ground with all the prey wandering about.)


    Lydia smiled, (looking much better) as she told him, ¡°Then you should be able to buy your way over the wall¡­ I think¡­¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll need a decent amount of¡­ Sin,¡± He was assuming that was the local currency based on what she¡¯d said, ¡°to get anything done.¡±


    ¡°Uh, we?¡± Lydia asked, looking like she was once more ready to flee. An extreme shift from her previous countenance to say the least. (I wonder why?)


    (Sl???: She¡¯s scared we¡¯re going to take the Sin she¡¯s saved up already. Losing what little they have is the greatest fear of all street rats.)


    (Gr???: An option for quick funds, but probably not the most profitable in the long term. As much information as she¡¯s given it might be better to make her work off that debt of hers.)


    (Pr???: Yes, a source of information would be invaluable given the current lack of memories.)


    ¡°Look, you uh, you seem like a nice enough guy but there is no us¡­ I, I felt bad for stealing your watch, that¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m helping you now.¡± Lydia lied, not bringing up her blatant fear of him after how easily he¡¯d tracked her down. ¡°And as is, I¡¯m thinking we¡¯re just about even on that.¡±


    (Gr???: Regardless, she¡¯s not going to go anywhere with you unless you can offer her something she wants. Only idiots work for free after all.)


    (The question is what to offer her?)


    (Lu??: Ooh, ooh! We can offer to be her best friend forever!)


    (Wr???: She¡¯s hurt and scared. The honorable thing would be to aid her.)


    (En??: Or we can teach her how to help herself. Give her the power to fight her own battles without us.)


    (Glu?????: Hmm, rats are predators to some creatures. Might be entertaining to teach her she doesn¡¯t have to be a scavenger.)


    (Sl???: Both of those options are too much work. All we need to do is take her with us when we leave and she¡¯ll be ours for no extra work.)


    (Pr???: Yes, she¡¯ll merely be a tool to our goals. No need to become too invested in her.)


    (Lu??: Or, we can become super invested and work our magic a bit.)


    (Gr???: Doubt she¡¯d say no if we do that, but the question is if it¡¯s worth the price.)


    (What do you mean?)


    (En??: You¡¯ve got more tricks than just the Beast, if you want you can draw on them but you¡¯ll need to be careful lest they turn you into a slave to your own power.)


    (Lu??: Oh, don¡¯t scare him like that. This is just us giving our offer a little more razzle dazzle to get her to say yes.)


    (En??: Addiction is always a slippery slope with consequences we can¡¯t see.)


    (Glu????: Better to indulge while you can, rather than waste your life on regrets.)


    (Pr???: Philosophies aside, you need to make a decision. You might think faster than most but time is still passing for the girl.)


    His mind snapped into focus as he looked at Lydia as the girl began to creep away from him.


    (Gr???: Don¡¯t let her run.)


    ¡°Stop.¡± He said, causing the girl to freeze in place as he offered her a hand and a smile full of teeth. ¡°Tell me child, how would you like to make a deal?¡±


    Sinful Boost Tutorial


    -In hell Sin is both currency and power, with many uses for both. There a number of ways to gather Sin and even more ways to spend it.


    -One such way is the Sinful Boost, where we use Sin to guarantee that we¡¯ll hit the maximum success, at the cost of consuming however much Sin we need to reach that level after our base Roll. As an added bonus however we¡¯ll also gain double XP for any choice we use Sinful Boost on. (Tempting no?)


    -Now, currently our Sin is based on those two kills earlier. Those two were E Rank lesser Enemies, meaning they were each worth (2D6) so at ((2D6=10) + (2D6=8)) = 18 Sin.


    Our actual goal for this check will depend on what we offer her, one has a goal of 5/10, one 8/16, and one 10/20


    []-Offer Friendship. (Lu??/Wr???)


    []-Offer Power. (En??/Glu?????)


    []-Offer Freedom. (Sl???/Pr???)


    []-Sinful Boost.


    []-No Boost.


    ---


    A/N: Remember that experimental note? Here¡¯s the really experimental part. (Also that three way tie is going to make it really clear that we¡¯re insane by the way. (Good job to whoever switched their vote.))


    ---


    Ira Invidia (IV): Start Of A Metamorphosis


    --- Booker H. Freeman ---


    Lydia stared up at him, her caution and fear plan for all the world to see, ¡°Do¡­ do I have a choice?¡±


    His eyes widened in shock that she would think him so ungentlemanly, before putting on an amicable smile to reassure/disarm her. ¡°Why of course you do! You¡¯re free to leave whenever you want, all I ask is¡­ that you hear my offer before you do.¡±


    (Gre??: We¡¯re not really going to let her go with her debt unpaid are we?)


    (Of course we would, it¡¯d be rude to hold a young maiden captive!)


    (Slo??: Besides we lack the resources to hold her captive.)


    (That too.)


    Lydia gave him another once over, her eyes darting to each side as she searched for a way to escape before she eventually swallowed and asked, ¡°What offer?¡±


    He straightened out his clothes to try and make himself a little more presentable, a means of stalling for a moment as he in turn asked himself, (How do I do this¡­ razzle dazzle, as it were?)


    (En??: We¡¯ll take care of the actual ritual here, all you¡¯ll have to do is direct it and keep it going. If you stop too early we¡¯ll face both a backlash and be unable to start it up again without an even greater cost.)


    (Gre??: Which¡¯ll make this investment a little too expensive, for multiple reasons.)


    (And again, how do I start this¡­ ritual?) He wondered, not quite sure what he was working with yet but willing to trust the voices for the moment.


    (Lu??: With style of course! Snap your fingers twice and then just follow the flow!)


    (En??: There¡¯s a lot more to it than that but¡­ we can talk about that later.)


    ¡°Well?¡± Lydia frowned with an impatience born more from anxiety than anything else.


    Giving his audience a smile, he raised one hand into the air as if it were a centuries old habit and told her, ¡°How about a little¡­ demonstration of what I can offer you?¡± before snapping twice and feeling an immediate shift in the ether around them.


    Something that the girl clearly felt too given the way she was looking around. ¡°W-what are you doing? What¡¯s that sound?¡±


    He tilted his head and raised an ear before noticing that there was in fact a jazz sort of tune slowly building. (I¡¯m curious about that too¡­)


    (Pri??: Our power is vibrating the air molecules around us, thus generating a sound indistinguishable from music.)


    (Lu??: The real fun is how the song changes based on what we¡¯re doing!)


    (En??: Speaking of, you really should start directing the power before it slips us.)


    (How?)


    (Lu??: By singing of course!)


    He blinked, drawing a blank at that even as the magical music began to build in power.


    (En??: You¡¯ve got five seconds to start singing before we explode.)


    It was at this moment that he also realized that the young Lydia had pulled a knife on him, her hands shaking with clear fear at what she could feel coming from the air around her.


    ¡°Now, now, there''s no need for that, my dear. I assure you that with this offer there is nothing to fear.¡± He promised, feeling the power around him shift as he wagged a finger through the air before pushing aside the blade. ¡°I¡¯m aware that your situation here is rather quite severe, but don¡¯t worry because I''m here to make all your problems disappear!¡±


    ¡°And how do I know you¡¯re sincere?¡± Lydia asked in song before blinking and gaining a panicked look. ¡°Wait, why am I singing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be irate for it won¡¯t be too long, just while we¡¯re clinging to the power of the song¡± He assured her as the music dimmed. ¡°But let¡¯s reinstate the actual point, because I¡¯d hate to disappoint.¡±


    ¡°Now then,¡± he coughed into his hand as he led her from the alley as the song once more began its rally. ¡°From where I stand, you seem to be in dire need of a friend. An ally upon whom you can depend to help you ascend from this pit full of those who do nothing but offend.¡±


    In front of them a group of men covered in those windmills walked down the street with weapons in their hands so as to force all who crossed them to meet their demands.


    Lydia pulled away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t condescend, I don¡¯t need you to protect me from them¡­ This offer of yours you can just rescind!¡±


    (Slo??: Look at the way she trembles, she¡¯s clearly lying.)


    (Lu??: Right, everyone needs a friend, we just need to keep trying!)


    (En??: No, she resembles someone pretending they don¡¯t spend their nights crying in fear of the creatures lurking near.)


    He grit his teeth at this new insight. ¡°Quite right, I didn¡¯t mean to slight. I can see that all you need from me is someone to help set you free from the world that brings you so much fright.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you!¡± Lydia growled, beginning to march to their right.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s true.¡± He confessed, as he moved to pursue her down the street. ¡°But allow me to offer you another view in case we never meet again?¡±


    Lydia simply ignored him, his power dimming as she continued to walk.


    (Gre??: You¡¯re losing her, we need something that won¡¯t make her balk. Hold on¡­)


    ¡°Hey you!¡± A voice squawked, drawing their attention to one of the men from before. ¡°I know you!¡±


    (Ugh, what a chore¡­) He growled through his smile. ¡°That¡¯s clearly untrue, just looking at you I can tell that down to your core you¡¯re something to abhor.¡±


    ¡°Not you!¡± The man snarled, before pointing at Lydia. ¡°Her, I know her¡­¡±


    The girl squeaked, trying to make herself small as the men¡¯s friends turned their attention towards the pair.


    (Gre??: Perhaps this is how we¡¯ll ensnare¡­)


    ¡°From her reaction I can infer that you¡¯re but a source of despair. So kindly leave.¡± He told the man, hoping to repair his standing with Lydia.


    The man gave him a disgusted look. ¡°The fuck are you talking like that for? Doesn¡¯t matter, you can go ahead and scatter she¡¯s what I¡¯m after.¡±


    (Wra??: Which is why we should send him to the hereafter.)


    Lydia flinched away as the man unswayed reached for her, though not as if to attack.


    Regardless and without a thought, his hand shot to the man¡¯s wrist before pulling it back.


    ¡°You know Lydia, I just realized what it is you really need to be freed.¡± He grinned through a smile full of fangs as the man began to grimace and the child stared on as if in a trance, one borne of fear, awe, and most importantly envie.


    Now with something he could levy, the music began to advance once more as he felt his power re enhance with this brand new chance to seal this deal.


    ¡°Right now, my dear, you¡¯re so filled with fear.¡± He sighed as he stomped the man¡¯s knee and forced him to kneel. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, with me here we¡¯ll make this fear disappear like this easy kill here.¡±


    He grabbed the man¡¯s throat and tore it out in a single swipe, uncaring of the many witnesses that may gripe.


    ¡°What did you just do?¡± Lydia gasped.


    ¡°Something that you could do too.¡± He laughed, before turning towards the crowd rushing towards them, taking longer than they should¡¯ve thanks to the curse of the current verse.


    ¡°Right now my dear you¡¯re filled with fear, but don¡¯t you worry with me here, will make all that fear just disappear.¡± He promised with a smile as he felt the power flow. ¡°You see, I¡¯m a dangerous foe, while you are a defenseless little doe, but don¡¯t you worry and don¡¯t you woe because I can tell this is the start of something great! Oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    ¡°Wait? For what?¡± Lydia frowned, looking between him and the men in the distance. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The start of your metamorphosis my dear!¡± He grinned, taking the girl¡¯s hand in his and giving her a spin. ¡°The way you are is such a sin, that in order for you to win we really must begin!¡±


    ¡°Begin what?!¡±


    ¡°Your metamorphosis!¡± He answered once more as he let the first man come to fore. ¡°You see you can be dangerous, but you need to change for this!¡±


    The man swung on him but he easily danced around the strike, and kicked the man¡¯s knee out like he had with the first.


    Moving on instinct he swiped Lydia¡¯s knife from where she hid it before putting it in her hands. ¡°Now, you¡¯ve a knife. Tell me, can you use it? Or will you recuse it for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not going to kill him!¡± The girl told him, backing away until her back hit a store front.


    He shook his head and gave her an affronted smile. ¡°Not with that attitude you won¡¯t!¡± Which is why he killed the man for her and began pushing more power into his magic.


    Dropping into a crouch so that he was eye level with Lydia he asked, ¡°Tell me child, aren¡¯t you tired of being afraid? Don¡¯t you want that terror to end? To do this you must learn to defend!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­¡± The girl (finally) realized.


    ¡°True, but not the point.¡± He reminded her, before standing back up. ¡°Allow me to appoint myself as your mentor, your tutor on how to deal with your tormentors! Like these two!¡±


    Lydia looked down at the two men on the ground before turning to the crowd of men who had stopped trying to get closer, but were talking amongst themselves while glaring their way. Eventually the girl¡¯s eyes drifted to one of the larger windmills on a building near them, the same one that marked most of the buildings around them, before finally meeting his eyes with a determined look.


    ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile, as the music suggested he started up the chorus.


    ¡°Right now my dear you¡¯re filled with fear, but don¡¯t you worry with me here, will make all that fear just disappear. You see, I¡¯m a dangerous foe, while you are a defenseless little doe, but don¡¯t you worry and don¡¯t you woe because I can tell this is the start of something great! Oh I can¡¯t wait!¡± He laughed, while searching the bodies of the two he¡¯d killed. ¡°This is the start of your metamorphosis!¡±


    He gave Lydia a meaningful look, as he briefly paused and let his magic begin to bubble beneath the surface.


    Lydia licked her lips before swallowing and admitting that, ¡°The way I am is such a sin, that in order to win we really must begin!¡± allowing his magic to wrap around her and sink its hooks in.


    ¡°Yes! This is the start of your metamorphosis! You can be dangerous but you need to change for this!¡± He felt his magic twitch before finding an old flintlock on one of the bodies. ¡°Ooh, a gun, what fun! Here you take it!¡±


    ¡°W-what am I supposed to do with it?¡± Lydia asked as she fumbled the gun between her hands.


    He rolled his eyes, before swiping the gun back and pointing it at the various windmill wearing men. ¡°You take it and you go bang, bang with it!¡±


    One of the men dropped to the ground, as the rest jumped at the sudden sound, before returning their attention to him and the girl that was now holding the gun again. ¡°Your turn! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the hang of it!¡±


    Lydia held the gun up and shook her head. ¡°I-I can¡¯t!¡±


    He gave her a kind smile and a pat on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can learn. After all, this is just the start of your metamorphosis!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I can be dangerous?¡± Lydia frowned up at him, not noticing how he was letting the thugs rush towards them.


    The first man reached him with a bat full of nails raised, and he caught the bat before ripping it away and slamming the nails into the hooligan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Right now my dear you¡¯re filled with fear, but don¡¯t you worry with me here, will make all that fear just disappear.¡±


    Another man tried to get Lydia before having the hooligan¡¯s back broken by the bat.


    ¡°You see, I¡¯m a dangerous foe, while you are a defenseless little doe, but don¡¯t you worry and don¡¯t you woe because I can tell this is the start of something great!¡±


    The third stumbled back in his tracks after seeing how quickly his friends were dispatched by the smiling mad man and swiftly deciding to try running instead.


    ¡°Oh I can¡¯t wait!¡± He laughed, before swinging the bat and removing the man¡¯s head. ¡°This is just the start of your metamorphosis!¡±


    He gave Lydia a confident smile, only to find the poor girl staring down at the ground with a frown. ¡°The way I am is such a sin, even if we begin, could I possibly win¡­ I-I don¡¯t think I can be dangerous¡­¡±


    He gave Lydia a confident smile before noticing what was behind her. ¡°Hmm, I have an idea for this problem¡¯s panacea!¡±


    With a quick step and a swing he broke the window open, an act that surprisingly required a decent amount of magic, before stepping over the broken glass and grabbing a bottle of alcohol and some cloth.


    ¡°This is merely the start of your metamorphosis my dear, there¡¯s no need to fear. I think you just need to change your mindset for this.¡± He explained as he lit the cloth. ¡°Perhaps some fire will inspire you to be a little more dangerous? If you can¡¯t kill yet, perhaps you can burn this?¡± He pointed to one of the windmill banners. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s something you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    Lydia stared at the offered incendiary before taking it from him with shaky hands, and glaring up at the windmill. ¡°I hate everything that swastika stands for, I¡­ I want to burn it and so much more¡­¡±


    ¡°Then do it.¡± He encouraged the girl, before reaching down and pulling up a bag of marshmallows. ¡°We can roast smores as the fire roars!¡±


    ¡°Right now I¡¯m filled with fear, but I won¡¯t worry with you here, we¡¯ll make all that fear just disappear.¡± The scared girl promised herself. ¡°I see, you¡¯re a dangerous foe, while I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a defenseless little doe, but¡­ I¡¯m not going to worry or woe because¡­ Because I can tell this is the start of something great!¡± Lydia smiled a grin full of fangs before laughing as she threw the incendiary. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    He felt his magic twist propelling the bottle further than it should¡¯ve gone before smashing into the banner and setting it on fire.


    ¡°This is the start of my metamorphosis!¡± Lydia grinned at him as she took his hand and he gave her a spin. ¡°The way I was was such a sin, and now that we¡¯ve begun my battle will be won!¡±


    ¡°This is the start of your metamorphosis!¡± He agreed as they continued to twirl to the music his magic produced.


    ¡°I can be dangerous, I just need to change for this. I won¡¯t be filled with fear, with you here, we¡¯ll make all that fear disappear. I won¡¯t be a defenseless little doe, I¡¯ll become their most dangerous foe, I¡¯ll become the source of their worries and woes!¡± Lydia sang as she spun. ¡°This is the start of something great!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see how dangerous you become.¡± He told her as they both stared up at the fire while surrounded by the bodies of the people he killed, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°After all, this is but the start of your metamorphosis, my dear!¡±


    ---


    A/N: First, this one was technically something we should¡¯ve gotten last chapter, but I kind of want to limit it to one Tutorial per chapter.


    Equipment Tutorial


    -Occasionally, we¡¯ll come across items of power that the different members of our Cadre can equip changing some of their stats.


    -As a base each member of our Cadre has three gear Slots for: 1 Offensive, 1 Defensive, and 1 Accessory. These numbers can be raised through different Perks available to different characters through their Classes.


    -Lastly, we can trade out all of our equipped items in between events or a single slot type upon acquiring a new piece of equipment.


    New Item:


    Fey Feeling Stopwatch


    -Bonded Accessory, Booker Only.


    +/-1 To Checks involving Emilia Lafayette: Our feelings are mixed.


    -1 Wra??: We burned her world down.


    +1 En??: And watched her rise from the ashes.


    []-Equip the Fey Feeling Stopwatch. (Net: +1 En??, -1 Wr???)


    []-Don¡¯t equip it. (Net: No change.)


    What do we do now? (Pick 2)


    []- Get to looting. (Gre??, +Loot)


    []- Keep on rioting. (Wra??/Glut????)


    []- Look for somewhere to lay low. (En??/Slo??)


    Are there any questions you have for Lydia?


    []-Write-In.


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    <div>


    Ira Invidia (V)- End Of The First Day


    --- Booker H. Freeman ---


    ¡°So¡­ what was the deal with all of that singing?¡± Lydia asked as she squished a half melted marshmallow between two graham crackers.


    ¡°What, you didn¡¯t like my singing?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wonder with a smirk before plopping his own smore into his mouth. ¡°I quite liked your little verse myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Lydia scoffed, before stuffing her own treat into her mouth with a touch of color to her cheeks that was from neither the fire nor the blood of the bodies that littered the street around them.


    (Lust: She¡¯s embarrassed, but she really does have a nice voice. Bit unrefined but we can work on that.)


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± He admitted, before explaining that. ¡°It was a ritual of sorts, that allowed for¡­ an alternative use of the power I had on hand.¡±


    Lydia considered that for a moment before swallowing her snack. ¡°Okay¡­ I get what you¡¯re saying, but¡­ you started using it on me before those guys started causing trouble.¡±


    (Greed: Good thing too, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have gotten our claws in her.)


    (Hmm, is the magic that invasive?) He wondered.


    (Envy: It¡¯s more the idiot¡¯s domain than mine, but the Sinner¡¯s Song is a means of manipulating casualty in our favor. The more we need to do so the more power it costs.)


    (Lust: Don¡¯t worry, the song can¡¯t force people to do things they don¡¯t want to. In fact if people sing along they can even use it to nudge things in their own favor!)


    He couldn¡¯t decide whether that soothed or troubled his thoughts on the matter.


    (Greed: The fact that it costs us something for something that might not even get us anything makes it a fool¡¯s deal.)


    (Sloth: Then again, empowering our allies will make it so that we don¡¯t have to do as much work ourselves.)


    (Envy: Be it this or the beast, power always has a price.)


    (Lust: At least my way we can make friends.)


    (Valid points. Valid points.)


    (Pride: In case you¡¯ve forgotten, the girl is still waiting on an answer.)


    He blinked before turning his attention back towards Lydia. ¡°Ah, apologies, my dear. During our initial debate, you were quite reluctant to hear me out so I began my¡­ song so as to prevent you from exiting before my offer could be made.¡±


    Lydia frowned. ¡°So you used a slaver effect on me?¡±


    ¡°NevER.¡± He snarled, ready to rip impudent whelp¡¯s throat out for suggesting that-


    (Wrath: That¡¯s not what she meant.)


    He felt his rage immediately evaporate as he caught sight of the terrified girl in front of him, before coughing into his hand. ¡°Ah, apologies, my dear¡­ I have issues with¡­¡±


    (Lust: A lack of consent.)


    (Gluttony: Kleptoparasites.)


    (Greed: Theft of person.)


    (Sloth: Forced labor.)


    (Wrath: Strawman beatings.)


    (Envy: Enforced misery.)


    (Pride: Stunted potential.)


    ¡°All of that¡­¡± He summarized, a bit surprised by the strength of these varied reactions but far more curious about what those reactions said about him.


    (Envy: We may be a mad monster¡­)


    (Pride: But we¡¯ve standards thank you!)


    ¡°I¡­ I think I get it¡­ I mean if someone called me a nazi¡­¡± Lydia grit her teeth as she glared at one of the nearby corpses before shaking her head.


    The young woman reached for another marshmallow to console herself of whatever thoughts were in her head before finding the bag empty. ¡°We¡¯re out¡­¡±


    (Lust: Aww¡­)


    ¡°I suppose that means it¡¯s time to get to work.¡± He nodded as he began examining their surroundings.


    (Sloth: Aww¡­)


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Lydia asked, doing the same as she tossed the bag into the fire. ¡°Looting the bodies?¡±


    (Greed: Yes.)


    ¡°Hmm, tempting.¡± He admitted, eyeing the various fallen ¡®nazis¡¯ he¡¯d killed during his little song.


    (Sloth: No, we need to move.)


    He paused. (Why?)


    (Sloth: People like this, they find safety in numbers. If their friends show up, they¡¯ll keep showing up until we¡¯re dead.)


    (Greed: A sunk cost fallacy that¡¯ll leave them dead and us broke. If we¡¯re lucky.)


    (Wrath: Unless we slaughter them all. With the way the girl acts around them, I¡¯m sure they deserve it.)


    (Envy: We were only so dangerous due to the song. If more people show up we¡¯d have to actually fight them at a disadvantage.)


    (Gluttony: They¡¯d be lambs to the slaughter if you gave into the HuNgeR¡­)


    (Envy: Hmm, we¡¯ve enough sin to do it but¡­ I¡¯m not sure it¡¯d be worth the cost¡­ Then again, none of us are in charge here are we?)


    No they weren¡¯t.


    As insane as he seemed to be he was still cognizant enough to make his own choices, which is why he decided that, ¡°It¡¯s best if we find somewhere to lay low for now. We¡¯ve been here for a while and the last thing we need is for one of their friends to find us.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just kill them like you did these guys?¡± Lydia frowned, looking quite ugly as she did so.


    (Lust: Ah, she thinks we¡¯re stronger than we are!)


    (Sloth: We need to keep her thinking that. Turn it around, make it about her rather than us.)


    He nodded more to himself than to her question. ¡°I could but the real question is if they¡¯ll be smart enough to bring reinforcements after seeing us surrounded by the dead. While I could handle a decent number of them, at a certain point their numbers may overwhelm my ability to protect both of us, and I prefer an outcome we¡¯re both in favor of.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± Lydia nodded back, looking at their surroundings with a little more caution.


    (Sloth: Good it¡¯ll keep her alive.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve somewhere we can properly reconvene and discuss how we¡¯re leaving this city? I¡¯m sadly not very familiar with this locale at the moment.¡± He confessed, as he took in their surroundings with some distaste. ¡°Preferably somewhere without that¡­ insignia you burned.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that, just about everyone here is a racist asshole.¡± Lydia warned him as she rubbed her shoulders. ¡°I¡­ I had my alley nook, but¡­ it barely fit me let alone someone as tall as you.¡±


    (Pride: And we¡¯ve yet to fall so far as sleeping next to the trash.)


    (Envy: But we have fallen low enough to not be picky.)


    (Greed: Doesn¡¯t matter where we stay so long as it¡¯s ours.)


    (Sloth: Preferably a place we won¡¯t have to work to maintain.)


    ¡°There might be some abandoned buildings or something nearby.¡± Lydia offered anxiously as his silence dragged on. ¡°People tend to avoid refilling wherever the Smiling Man is roaming until he¡¯s moved on.¡±


    ¡°A fantastic idea!¡± He assured the girl with a smile. ¡°Barring my own situation, I don¡¯t suppose you know where he was most recently active?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I might, but¡­¡± Lydia shook her head. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± He prodded with an encouraging grin.


    ¡°But it might be dangerous¡­ or at least it would be for me.¡± The young woman admitted. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen you should be safe.¡±


    ¡°I should be.¡± He agreed, giving the girl a smile. (Especially if I am in fact the Smiling Man brought low.) ¡°Why don¡¯t you lead the way, my dear?¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± Lydia nodded as she took one more look around them before setting off. ¡°It should be over this way.¡±


    He easily followed the young woman, finding that thanks to their height difference his long stride allowed him to keep up with her jog while maintaining a brisk walk.


    After several minutes of wandering through the streets Lydia slowed her pace with a(n ugly) grimace on her face. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re in the right area now¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, how can you tell?¡± He wondered, unable to really tell this area apart from any of the previous ones.


    (Envy: I can feel it¡­ The shadows are deeper here than elsewhere.)


    (Pride: That could just be the passage of time and the setting of the sun.)


    (Envy: No. There¡¯s something here. A lingering darkness¡­ It feels like home.)


    Rather than pointing any of this out Lydia gestured to the ground where a number of bloodstains streaked off into an alley. An alley that upon closer inspection was filled with a pile of dead bodies.


    (Sloth: Corpses swept to the side because it was easier than stepping around them. Human apathy at its finest.)


    (Wrath: To be fair, dishonorable curs like them deserve little better.)


    ¡°People may kill each other left and right down here but¡­ you only see piles like that where the Smiling Man has been.¡± The young woman explained with a shiver. ¡°If we keep moving we¡¯ll probably see some more in the other alleys.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know it isn¡¯t simply a little bit of street violence like our own little slaughter this morning?¡± He asked her, wondering if the bodies they¡¯d left littering the street would be swept into a pile like this.


    ¡°Because when someone kills you it only takes like a day to wake back up but when the Smiling Man kills you¡­ you stay dead for a lot longer than that.¡± Lydia elaborated before shaking her head as she started once more. ¡°Better than being left a Smiler I guess.¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡± He agreed more to add a somber silence to the conversation as he instead asked the voices in his head, (Did she just say people wake back up after dying?)


    (Pride: She did. Curious¡­ Especially since she mentioned it as if it were common knowledge, almost.


    (Envy: Maybe that¡¯s what the circle in the sky is doing? Bringing people back to life?)


    (Gluttony: A hunt eternal. A buffet unending¡­ How delectable.)


    (Greed: No meal is free, there''s a price we¡¯re not seeing.)


    (Envy: If that¡¯s the case the shadows could be something suppressing the effect? Putting the payment on pause?)


    (Wrath: A pause to the cycle of violence. Tch, a mercy they don¡¯t deserve.)


    (Sloth: Unless it¡¯s tactical. Dead hands aren¡¯t working hands.)


    (Pride: There¡¯s too little information for a proper hypothesis.)


    ¡°Okay, this should be far enough.¡± Lydia noted, drawing him from his thoughts as he found himself looking at a hotel of sorts composed of red brickwork and gray cement in a style that lacked much in the way of flash.


    ¡°Hmm, yes, I do believe this will do quite nicely for our purposes.¡± He grinned in agreement as they stepped into the lobby and found it empty of both patrons and staff alike. ¡°Though I will admit I didn¡¯t quite believe you about them abandoning the area on this scale.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, like I said, everyone is scared of ending up in a body pile. I¡¯ve never had it happen to me but I¡¯ve heard plenty of horror stories about people having to climb out from the bottom.¡± Lydia nodded as she ran behind the counter and began searching through everything.


    He rang the hotel bell before asking her if she, ¡°Found anything of value, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Register is open and empty so someone already got the stacks of sin, and the place is old school¡­ but it looks like whoever was staying here ran with the keys.¡± Lydia gave an unseemly frown in frustration as she continued searching.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she meant by ¡®old school¡¯ (whatever that is) but he wasn¡¯t overly worried, knowing they could simply break down a door or two if it came down to it.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Found some!¡± Lydia cried in triumph as she held up a pair of keys.


    ¡°Very good.¡± He applauded with a grin since the girl seemed to deem this some kind of achievement even if he didn¡¯t quite see it himself.


    (Sloth: Encouragements keep the minions working so you don¡¯t have to.)


    (Lust: It¡¯s also the friendly thing to do!)


    With a theatrical half bow he gestured towards the nearby stairs. ¡°Shall we find our rooms, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Lydia nodded, looking a little off put for some reason he couldn¡¯t quite decipher.


    Instead of moving towards the stairs Lydia instead moved towards a set of handless double doors and pressed a button on the wall, causing them to open what he believed to be an elevator.


    He couldn¡¯t help but blink as he followed her before watching as she pressed another button causing the elevator to begin moving before stopping and opening on another floor after a few moments. ¡°Ha, quite the little elevator operator aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lydia gave him a confused frown, but didn¡¯t let whatever was bugging her keep her from stepping into the hotel hall and looking for their room.


    Once it was found Lydia seemed to pause before glancing his way with something a little nervous as she opened the door.


    With the door open he could almost understand her nervousness. ¡°Hmm, not the greatest of accommodations¡­¡±


    The room itself was serviceable with a bed big enough for two, a small table and chair, balcony, and some glass box on the wall. Off to the side was a doorless lavatory with what he believed to be a shower off to the side. (Perfectly fine for a gentleman on his own, but definitely not for a young woman on the road.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s definitely nicer than the alleys I usually crash in.¡± Lydia argued, sounding a bit depressed as she did so before giving an (ugly) frown at the photo on the wall of a parade surrounded by banners of that (idiotic) windmill he¡¯d been seeing everywhere. A photo that Lydia promptly grabbed and threw out over the building.


    An act that left her with a beautiful grin on her face, at least until she saw the newly revealed bloodstain on the wall. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s much safer honestly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if anything causes us trouble, I¡¯ll¡­ deal with it.¡± He promised unable to hold back a smile full of teeth. ¡°For now we should get some rest. We¡¯ve a big day tomorrow after all!¡±


    ¡°Working on getting out of Ira Invidia, right?¡± The girl checked once more, an almost desperate edge to her voice as she held onto the edge of her jacket.


    ¡°That was our deal I believe.¡± He chuckled, amused by her paranoia and the fact it would likely grow worse until he delivered on extracting them from this city.


    ¡°R-right¡­ this is for getting out of Ira Invidia¡­¡± Lydia told herself once more as she removed her jacket with a resigned look.


    ¡°Quite right.¡± He nodded, before spotting a magazine with a woman wearing far too little clothing on the cover and a fake smile.


    (Lust: Eww, gross.)


    He glanced at the young lady¡¯s way before subtly throwing out the magazine and hoping she hadn¡¯t seen such deplorable material.


    (Lust: I don¡¯t get why people like that stuff.)


    (Gluttony: There¡¯s no artistry to it. No emotion to revel in.)


    (Lust: Yeah¡­ Sex is boring.)


    ¡°So¡­ how are we doing this?¡± Lydia asked him, fiddling with the hem of her shirt as she stood there looking deeply uncomfortable with his silence.


    ¡°Ah, well, I suppose I¡¯ll sleep in the chair while you take the bed.¡± He answered with a terse grin as he realized just how uncomfortable these chairs looked.


    Lydia blinked before turning to him. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not¡­¡± She made a gesture towards the bed.


    ¡°What? No, no, no.¡± He wagged his finger at her. ¡°It would be truly improper for a young lady such as yourself to share a bed with a non-relative. As is, we''re already pushing the boundaries of decorum by sharing a room, but needs must given our current situation.¡±


    Truthfully, he was still considering breaking down a door but if he could sleep in a room with a lock then that would be far safer for both of them.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lydia said, looking stunned for some reason. (Why, it¡¯s almost as if she¡¯s never met a proper gentleman!)


    (Wrath: Given what we¡¯ve seen, that''s fully possible.)


    (Pride: Something we¡¯ll have to rectify!)


    ¡°Um, uh, if¡­ if you want I¡­ I grabbed a second set of keys for af¡­ nevermind.¡± Lydia half way explained, refusing to meet his eyes as she held the keys out.


    (Why didn¡¯t she mention this before?)


    (Envy: You don¡¯t want to know.)


    (Sloth: You really don¡¯t.)


    ¡°Al-right.¡± He accepted the keys, deciding to let it go as he checked the room number before realizing, (Ah, this is on a completely different floor. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t share them, she was worried about us being too far from each other!)


    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ just get out of here so I can, uh, bathroom!¡± Lydia shouted in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± He nodded, not wanting to be anywhere near any of that.


    He quickly departed, not feeling an ounce of offense when Lydia promptly slammed the door behind him.


    Deciding to completely ignore the matter, and not trusting himself to operate the elevator, he made his way to the stairs before locating his room. All while either ignoring the various stains on the walls and carpet or admiring the ones he was fairly certain were comprised of blood.


    (Pride: That one was¡­ three gunshots. First one merely clipped and the last was to make sure.)


    (Sloth: Ugh, headshot would¡¯ve been less work.)


    (Gluttony: Claws on that one. Tackled them to the ground and ripped them apart.)


    (Envy: Hmm, looks like someone was crucified there.)


    (Wrath: No, they just impaled them. Crucifixion requires the entire pose.)


    (Lust: The splatter makes such a pretty color¡­)


    (Greed: Cheaper than paying for paint I guess.)


    Eventually he did locate his room and found it to be basically the same as the one he¡¯d left Lydia with. More so once he removed the painting and yet another one of those magazines of ill repute. (Well, at least if I ignore the lack of bloodstain.)


    (Lust: I wonder if she¡¯ll trade rooms with us?)


    (No, no. Let¡¯s leave her the good room. She¡¯s clearly had a rough time of it and deserves it.)


    (Lust: When you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.)


    (Pride: Of course.)


    After a moment of simply standing there, he realized that this was quite possibly the first time he¡¯d found himself both alone and without a goal of some sort since first waking up.


    With nothing to do but take in the world around him, he stepped out onto the hotel balcony and took a deep breath of that bloodstained air as he took in the city in front of him.


    A place with blood red skies, crumbling buildings, where bodies seemed to litter the streets, and the smoke of burning flames seemed to dance their way into the air much like the sound of screams and gunshots echoing all around.


    To most people all of this would scream of something nightmarish, but him, he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he looked out at this city full of opportunity and said, ¡°Laissez le bon temps rouler.¡±

 (8) Sinless Days: A Transitional Period

    (8) Sinless Days: A Transitional Period


    --- Julie ---


    ¡°Um, what exactly do you need us to, uh, do?¡± Bell asked, once she¡¯d gathered the girls together.


    ¡°We are going to clean this place up, because¡­ Honestly, this place is filthy I mean like, look at this¡­¡± She wiped a rag on part of the wall and a dark streak of dust came off.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Scarlet asked, in an attitude similar to Mercer, whenever she made him clean anything deeper than the dishes and floors.


    She frowned and pointed at the rag. ¡°You do see this, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d get worse in any of the streets I slept in.¡± The teen shrugged.


    She inhaled before exhaling. ¡°Maybe, but you live indoors now and that means we need to keep the filthy outdoors, outside.¡±


    ¡°Is that why they, uh, they kept the labs so clean?¡± Bell frowned curiously.


    She paused, feeling like she was stepping on a landmine. ¡°Uh, what about¡­ the labs?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, they always made sure the labs were spotless.¡± Scarlet explained with a groan. ¡°They were constantly hosing everything down with this¡­ chemical filled water that made the whole place stink even worse than if they¡¯d just left the blood everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded, sucking in her lips to keep from saying anything because (what are you supposed to say to that?)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mind it as much¡­¡± Bell admitted. ¡°As long as they weren¡¯t spraying us with the room.¡±


    She inhaled and exhaled again, this time having to clench her eyes shut as she fought down the desire to march over to Mercer and make him call in every favor he had to burn down whoever hurt these girls. (He¡¯ll get to it. I know he will. He¡¯s already sicked Vigilance on them. He just¡­ needs a bit more time.)


    ¡°Uh, are, are you okay?¡± Bell (the sweetheart) asked.


    ¡°No, but I will be.¡± She assured the girl. (I just need Mercer to kill some people for me.)


    That was a perk of being married to a violent vigilante that most people overlooked for some reason.


    ¡°Either way, why don¡¯t we clean up y¡¯alls room and then you two can take the rest of the afternoon off to do¡­ whatever you to do?¡± She frowned, realizing she wasn¡¯t sure what the two liked to do beyond books and TV. (Then again, they might not know themselves¡­)


    ¡°In fact, since you guys are still getting used to the Way, why don¡¯t you go out and explore a bit?¡± She suggested.


    Bell frowned. ¡°Is¡­ is that a good idea¡­ I mean going out without Mercer, or uh, you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure between the two of you you can handle anyone that bothers you.¡± At least if what Mercer had told her about them held true. (And he doesn¡¯t lie to me so¡­) ¡°Just be careful of who you eat. There¡¯s some slimy creeps out there that¡¯ll give you indigestion if you eat them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ really¡­ hungry.¡± Bell admitted with a grimace, and a ping of something more¡­ troubling.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll still be good for you two to get out a bit later. Especially since if you don¡¯t Mercer is going to force you to watch this video while he and Charlie bicker about it.¡± (Which is going to be such-)


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Charlie yelled, throwing her candy at the tv screen as he skull slammed the Mist Mimic of Hard Knocks into the pavement. ¡°That is such bullshit!¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s true shit.¡± He argued with no small amount of smugness.


    ¡°That¡¯s a poser ass mimic and you know it, you bitch!¡± His younger sister growled. ¡°This does not count as you one v sixing the Vigils!¡±


    ¡°I clearly have video footage saying otherwise!¡± He disagreed as he watched his video counterpart¡¯s standoff with Safeguard.


    ¡°All I see is you getting stomped by a fake.¡± Charlie shot back, before being forced to eat those words as he started properly fighting Safeguard.


    ¡°Hey, out of curiosity how would you guys actually rank the Vigils in a line up?¡± Julie asked, more entertained by the bickering siblings than the fight footage on the screen. ¡°And I mean without the ¡®I¡¯m number one¡¯ bias you insist on.¡±


    ¡°Eh, depends on the situation.¡± He answered as he plopped down next to his wife.


    ¡°Yeah, everyone is good at different things.¡± His sister agreed as she plopped down on top of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m probably the best if we go all out, as seen here.¡± He elaborated as he glared at his sister knowing what she was pulling.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°But if it¡¯s just fisticuffs then Swansong can kick his ass.¡± Charlie tacted on just before he shoved her off of them. ¡°Oof! Asshole¡­¡±


    Julie gave him an unimpressed look and he shrugged before leaning on top of her so that his sister couldn¡¯t. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, the asshole- Wait, need to narrow that down. Vigilance would be in the top three no matter how you look at it, but I wouldn¡¯t call him number one in anything these days.¡±


    ¡°If weapons are allowed I¡¯d say it¡¯s a tie between Mercer and Safeguard, since shield beats gun and Safeguard is more experienced.¡± His sister added as she climbed over them and atop the back of the couch.


    ¡°Ah, but I have an eldritch horror gun.¡± He reminded her, even as they started swatting at each other. (Fall damn it, fall!)


    Charlie scoffed. ¡°Can it shoot through an M.A.D. alloy shield?¡±


    ¡°I had these weird phase shots once that could, but uh, Betty said if I ever used those on someone again she¡¯d quit treating me.¡± He admitted, unable to help but remember what those phase shots did to a person if he wasn¡¯t shooting through something.


    ¡°What do they cause cancer or something?¡± Julie frowned, before glaring at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring cancer bullets into this house did you?¡±


    ¡°No, I did not bring cancer bullets into this house.¡± He honestly answered.


    His wife narrowed her eyes. ¡°What about our old houses?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± He looked around before spotting the screen. ¡°Hey, look there¡¯s footage of me beating up¡­ someone in a wheelchair¡­ This, uh, this really isn¡¯t a good look for me.¡±


    Charlie gave him a dry look. ¡°You know if Nightwatch ever sees that, she¡¯s going to swarm the Way in those drones she stole from Network.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the one who could kill me from a country away if she wasn¡¯t a goody two shoes.¡± He nodded, glad for the change of topic. ¡°Luckily her black and white morality, while often fucking me, prevents her from actually being a threat to me.¡±


    ¡°Meaning thats two things she¡¯s unwilling to ever do with you.¡± Charlie pointed out just before he shoved her off the back of the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯m over her.¡± He scoffed, nuzzling his wife.


    ¡°Would you say no if I offered a threesome with her?¡± Julie asked with a little smirk.


    He froze. ¡°I¡­ feel like¡­ this is a trap¡­¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°For multiple reasons.¡±


    ¡°It was.¡± His wife admitted, with a pat of his cheek. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you and Vigilance now.¡±


    ¡°What no! We missed like, the second best part!¡± He frowned, before swiping the remote so that everyone could see him kill Safeguard via crotch shot.


    Charlie winced. ¡°Oof, I like that, but I still felt that.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I need to send that to one of those funniest video shows.¡± He chuckled, because even if they¡¯d never air it having that clip floating about might make the overly nice Vigil leave him alone for once. ¡°Oh, and here¡¯s the part that proves I¡¯m more badass than any of the Vigils.¡±


    The screen played out his fight with Vigilance, the whole thing going far faster now than it had in the actual fight when he was riding an adrenaline rush to keep going.


    Which unfortunately allowed him to process Vigilance¡¯s line about him and the gutter, something that made Julie hold him a bit closer as Charlie leaned over the couch and slightly onto him.


    The gunshot wasn¡¯t as cathartic the second time, but¡­ he wasn¡¯t hurting as much this time around either.


    --- Bell ---


    The two of them made their way through the streets of the Way, easily able to hear gunshots, screams, and more echoing from far off as they went. Normally it wasn¡¯t something she could hear, if only because the sounds of the city drowned it all out, but today she wasn¡¯t simply hearing these things with her ears, rather¡­


    (In that alley¡­ Three weeks ago a boy bled out¡­ A victim solely because he saw too much¡­)


    Her other selves were whispering a thousand miseries to her as they walked.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Scarlet frowned, noticing how she was stumbling every so often.


    She swallowed down a grimace and tried to smile. ¡°Y-yeah, just getting¡­ a little too much from everything.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a problem she¡¯d really had in the labs, because while her other selves would tell her everything going on in the lab all of that was rote enough that she could ignore it all. Or rather, she did ignore it all¡­


    (This city is to alive¡­ And we¡¯re too free¡­ Neither can be ignored¡­)


    She took a deep breath when she noticed her sister¡¯s worried look. ¡°Sorry¡­ there¡¯s just, there¡¯s just so much going on that it¡¯s messing with my head.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I know what you mean.¡± Scarlet admitted with an expression halfway between worry and excitement as she led her to a stoop. ¡°There¡¯s so many more sounds, smells, and everything else out here that it¡¯s all¡­ so much more than back in the labs! I could barely move when I first got out but¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± She prodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the worst thing.¡± Scarlet confessed. ¡°I mean, back in the lab there was nothing but the thrum of machines or the¡­ screams of others. While out here we¡¯ve got¡­¡± Her sister gestured towards everything.


    (Within a hundred paces¡­ A dozen souls lost¡­ To the monster that refuses death¡­)


    ¡°I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m still hearing screams¡­¡± She had to point out, her vision briefly flickering as she saw a dozen shadows watching, none of them her own.


    ¡°Maybe but¡­ at the very least people seem to be trying to stop them¡­ Or Mercer is at least.¡± Scarlet shrugged, her eyes gaining an angry sort of focus as they began to glow red. ¡°That¡¯s better than the people who just make more screams.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it is¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t argue, her eyes beginning to drift around as she looked at the buildings around them. ¡°But¡­ a lot of people have died here¡­¡±


    Her sister grimaced before nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it but¡­ this place is still standing after all those horror stories Mercer keeps telling us¡­ Like, like how we¡¯re still standing after everything we¡¯ve been through and I¡­ I like that? I think¡­ and I like how Mercer has done the same? I, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t really know either, while she knew her current situation was significantly better than before, and she was quite happy with that but¡­ That didn¡¯t change the¡­ feeling she got from walking these streets for too long without anything to focus on.


    (A land abandoned by law¡­ Burned down time and again by monsters¡­ But preserved through blood and spite¡­ And open to all willing to accept its ways¡­)


    (Preserved through blood and spite and open to all willing to accept its ways¡­) She repeated to herself, while thinking about what Scarlet had said.


    The world flickered once more and saw the shadows watching her again, only this time she realized there was no hostility in their gazes like she¡¯d seen from all the shadows in the lab. Merely acceptance of how things were and the place she and her sister had in it.


    As the world returned to the normality her sister had never seen beyond, she found herself climbing back to her feet. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to keep exploring if we don¡¯t want to get lost.¡±

 Sinners of The Way: A Load Of Crawk

    Sinners of The Way: A Load Of Crawk


    --- Mercer ---


    He peered over the edge of the roof and down onto the handful of thugs moving unloading product from the river that would from there move on to be distributed to the rest of the city. And while he¡¯d normally be a little less concerned with the movement of drugs over murder, assault, and all the other crimes he could be stopping, the fact was that this shipment meant that someone was trying yet again to get a foothold in the Way.


    ¡°Damn it, how many times do I have to teach you people this lesson.¡± He growled at the would be invaders of his home, thinking they could step in and profit off of it without ever being a part of it.


    He was about ready to jump down there and show off just how much damage he could do now that he had two guns when something caught his eye.


    Carrying a crate big enough to need a forklift was a man in a tight fitting hoodie. Something that was only mildly odd if one didn¡¯t notice the way the man¡¯s skin glistened a yellowish green in the light in some places while looking like it was covered in scales in others.


    (There are only two Amphibios in The Way and only one of them wears hoodies¡­) It also changed how he was going to be dealing with this whole mess.


    Firing his grapplers off he twisted through the air, using the two to form a makeshift zipline so that he could drop down into the center of the lot. More specifically, directly on top of the crate that the Amphibios was carrying and forcing the Traveler to drop it to the ground in an impact that echoed all around the lot drawing the attention of everyone with the sound of breaking wood.


    ¡°Hey, Crawk just thought I¡¯d drop in.¡± He told his friend with a cocky grin that could be heard even if it couldn¡¯t be seen through his mask.


    ¡°Figured as much.¡± The Amphibios scoffed as all the other thugs in the lot scrambled to aim their guns at the pair.


    ¡°Who are your friends?¡± He asked, looking the thugs over before flashing his crimson double tap skull at one of them, causing the man to stumble back and fall on his ass. (Ha!)


    ¡°Guys were looking for some local muscle.¡± Crawk answered as he rolled his neck and shoulders, knowing full well how this was going to go down. ¡°Pay was good enough to keep the camp fed on the good stuff for a month and get a couple families off the streets.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± He nodded, after all as many problems as there were in the Way there was no way Crawk could subsist off just the money he could throw the amphibious reptile man¡¯s way. ¡°It¡¯s just business.¡±


    ¡°So, no hard feelings when I stomp your ass.¡± Crawk grinned, showing off his many fangs.


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You know that¡¯s not how this is going down.¡±


    ¡°Eh, you never know.¡± Crawk shrugged before loosing a sudden jab at him.


    One he easily avoided by hopping backwards off the crate as he drew his eldritch guns and fired blindly at the traveler.


    ¡°Concussion rounds all you¡¯ve got?¡± Crawk laughed, unphased as he ripped the top off the crate and threw it at Mercer.


    He leapt to the side landing on a car hood as the lid crashed into one of the thugs before firing off a round in the opposite direction and shooting another that had been aiming a gun at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? My house got blown up last month. I¡¯m still building myself back up from that shit.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Crawk grimaced as he rushed forward before bringing his fists down with enough force to shatter his ribcage if it didn¡¯t hit the car engine instead. ¡°Isn¡¯t that like the fifth time that¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think Julie is starting to get annoyed by it. I mean she says she isn¡¯t but you know.¡± He shrugged from where he crouched on the ground before idly shooting the tire of a nearby car popping it at the same time he fired another round at the Amphibios¡¯s scaly hide.


    ¡°I get you, but she knew what she was signing up for when she married you.¡± Crawk reminded him before charging him and decimating the door of the car Mercer had been taking cover next to.


    ¡°Scars, daddy issues, and a great sense of humor?¡± He joked, shooting another thug off to the side just before Crawk grabbed him.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Yeah, some people feel they can fix people.¡± The Amphibios nodded before throwing him at the windshield of a car on the other side of the lot.


    ¡°Gah, no. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± He groaned, before shooting a goon on either side of the car in the head. ¡°Fuck, did you have to throw me that hard? I lost my armored jacket.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Crawk cursed as he sprinted after the vigilante. ¡°Sucks to be you, man.¡±


    ¡°No, no. My life is awesome.¡± He disagreed, rolling off the car hood and slamming into the ground in a way that hurt all of his newly forming bruises.


    ¡°Sure it is.¡± Crawk scoffed, as he hopped to bleed off his momentum by butt slamming the hood of the car next to the one Mercer had been thrown into.


    ¡°Better than yours.¡± He argued, shooting out a tire on the same car and firing another round at the leg of a guy on the other side of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s really bad, is my life is still significantly better than what I had back home.¡± Crawk admitted as he grabbed Mercer by the back of his jacket.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± He asked before going limp. ¡°Also, do you have to keep throwing me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, and do you have to keep shooting me?¡± The Amphibios shot back.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He answered just as he fired a round into Crawk¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°The fact that you hume have that on the outside of your body is a massive design flaw.¡± The other man told him completely unphased.


    ¡°You know¡­ given how often I exploit that flaw¡­ it¡¯s really surprising I never put that together¡­¡± He admitted, just before being thrown at a thug a couple of cars over and using them to cushion his own landing as best he could, and if that broke a few of their bones. (Well, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.)


    ¡°Oof, how many guys were with you?¡± He asked, being sure to aim underneath the car to shoot the head of the guy he¡¯d also shot in the leg a while back, sure that the distance would make the concussive non-lethal. ¡°Because I only counted six out here.¡±


    ¡°Think there was one inside, but with all the gunfire he might¡¯ve ran already.¡± Crawk shrugged as he once more picked Mercer up.


    ¡°Oh, come on! At least let me deserve it!¡± He whined, self-aware enough to know that he gave the people in his life plenty of reasons to want to punch him. (Or throw me across the room as the case may be.)


    ¡°Fine.¡± The Amphibios sighed before staring at him.


    He thought about his options for a moment, and eventually his academic curiosity won out. ¡°So I know your junk is on the inside, but since your species is like half amphibian and half reptile does that mean like reptiles you¡¯ve also got a pair of hemipen- ugh!¡± That was as far as Crawk let him get before promptly throwing him head over shoulders into the nearby warehouse.


    Of course this odd angle made it exceptionally difficult to right himself before he crashed into the ground and rolled into one of the bollards for the dock.


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± Mercer yelled as he picked himself off the ground, his eyes darting around and looking for the last guy. (Boat ¡®s still here, so maybe he¡¯s on there?)


    Just to check he climbed on board and did a quick lap, finding nothing beyond another crate full of whatever they were using to smuggle in their drugs. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing the guy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I found him already.¡± Crawk¡¯s voice told him over his comm.


    ¡°Where was he?¡± He frowned, as he got off the boat and pulled out the new cellphone Julie had gotten him.


    ¡°Hid in the manager¡¯s office with the money. Ran out once he saw you get on the boat and I clotheslined him, knocking him out.¡± Crawk explained from where he stood over the last guy, already picking up the briefcase full of bills.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t see you helping me, right?¡± He asked, because while he only killed people who needed to go, someone who could figure out Crawk¡¯s side hustle needed to go.


    Crawk snorted with a kick to the fallen thugs¡¯ side. ¡°Nope. Was too busy running, but I can probably buy his boss¡¯s favor by saving a few packages and throw him under the bus.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡± He nodded, as he clicked the name on the list with a pair of handcuffs and boxes. ¡°Be sure to really rub in how much this venture cost him, so he¡¯ll think twice about trying again.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll give me a bonus for it.¡± Crawk grinned with a mouthful of fangs.


    ¡°Either way I will.¡± He shrugged as the other end of the line picked up. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. Shut down a drug operation by the docks and need someone to cuff the guys and confiscate the stuff.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make the usual arrangements.¡± A coldly professional voice told him as he began zip tying the guys they caught while Crawk went to grab a couple of packages from the crate.


    ¡°Know you¡¯ve got it.¡± He assured the man on the other end. ¡°Speaking of arrangements though, you got anything I need to know about?¡±


    ¡°None that I¡¯m aware of at the moment.¡± The voice answered. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± He admitted before the line went dead.


    ¡°Everything set up?¡± Crawk asked, suitcase over his shoulder and pockets clearly stuffed full of what appeared to be stuffed animal limbs. (Probably grabbed a few for the kids at the camp.)


    ¡°As can be.¡± He shrugged, before giving his informant a nod. ¡°And thanks again for letting me know this hit your radar.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m not stupid enough to think letting these guys into the Way is going to help anyone. Not with how they are to people outside ¡®the family¡¯.¡± Crawk scoffed before starting to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I hear about anyone else that deserves to be screwed over.¡±


    ¡°And you let me know if the camp needs anything else!¡± He reminded the leader of said camp.


    Crawk gave him a wave over the shoulder as way of answer.

 (9) Sinless Days: Pasts Good, Bad, And Mystic

    (9) Sinless Days: Pasts Good, Bad, And Mystic


    --- Bell ---


    She stayed up with Scarlet, waiting for Mercer to come home from whatever he was doing Julie having already gone to bed after warning them ¡°That Mercer keeps ¡®odd hours¡¯ and I may be married to him but trying to keep up with his broken sleep schedule is just asking for a miserable day. He can only put up with it because he cheats via toxic levels of caffeine and Deviant healers.¡±


    Regardless though, she was still hoping to talk with him.


    Though Scarlet and her were currently watching some show that her sister vaguely remembered watching as a little kid. (Something about talking ponies, dragons, and friendship or something?)


    She honestly wasn¡¯t paying as much attention as her sister, the TV for once not enough to distract her as her mind instead focused on everything her other-selves had told her about ¡®the Way¡¯ as they explored their new home in the daylight.


    All of the shadows of the dead, the general scent of blood and violence in the air that no one seemed to shy away from, even as everyone around them offered an odd sort of friendliness so long as they kept a comfortable difference. (No wonder Scarlet likes this place, it''s so¡­ her.)


    More specifically it was the parts of her sister that she kind of wished she had as well.


    It was as she was pondering this that Mercer finally limped in through the front door, looking like he was in a fair amount of pain.


    (He¡¯s had worse¡­ Far, far worse¡­ He still endures¡­) Her other-selves assured her.


    ¡°Mercer¡¯s here.¡± She told her sister as she moved to stand.


    ¡°Yeah, you go ahead and talk to him, I¡¯m waiting to see how Dash got her mark.¡± Scarlet waved her off, eyes never leaving the screen. ¡°It¡¯s got something to do with that rainbow everyone¡¯s seen, I know it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± She nodded, before chasing after Mercer as he started up the stairs.


    ¡°You¡­ need something?¡± He asked, easily noticing her.


    ¡°Um, yeah¡­¡± She swallowed not sure how to word this.


    (Be blunt¡­ Be honest¡­ He only judges the wicked¡­) Her other-selves encouraged, something that in itself brought her up short.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Mercer frowned, the action tugging at the scars on his face as he took a step closer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Er, no, wait¡­¡± She took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°I want to help people.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Mercer asked as much as he said. ¡°When you say you want to help people, what do you mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°I mean that¡­¡± She ran a hand down her face. ¡°When me and Scarlet were exploring earlier, we, uh, my other-selves showed me a bunch of stuff¡­ bad stuff¡­¡±


    Mercer¡¯s eyes locked onto her with an intensity. ¡°What kind of bad stuff?¡±


    (He¡¯ll take on the world¡­ If it saves a single soul¡­)


    ¡°The people who¡­ died around the Way¡­ I saw them, heard them? I-I don¡¯t know, I just¡­ I want to help them.¡± She tried to elaborate.


    ¡°You sensed dead people¡­ In the Way?¡± Mercer repeated, looking confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s one of my other-selves¡¯ powers¡­ I know it sounds¡­ crazy, but¡­¡± She trailed off, not sure how to explain something that she knew only she could see. Even Scarlet had thought her crazy when she first mentioned seeing shadows that weren¡¯t a part of her, (and that was nothing compared to the men in white¡¯s reaction¡­)


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not doubting you about that, not with my mom¡¯s necromancy shit, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Mercer¡¯s face twisted awkwardly. ¡°There¡¯s only one Deadman walking in the Way.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what that means¡­¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Mercer grimaced. ¡°Just, uh, you want to help these¡­ shadows, right?¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± She nodded, because she wanted to help people. To stop the pain she could sense from all of them, to help them (the way Mercer helped us¡­)


    ¡°Alright, then¡­ I need to see someone about that jar of mist anyway so¡­ I¡¯ll see if they¡¯ve got any ideas about your¡­ shadows tomorrow?¡± Her savior offered, sounding unsure in a way she wasn¡¯t used to seeing from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± (Not quite what I wanted¡­) But she didn¡¯t really know how to say that, not with how poorly she¡¯d explained everything else.


    Mercer apparently saw some of this however as he rested a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll figure this out. I know it might be a bit scary right now, but me and Julie will help you figure this out. Helping out Death Echoes -if this is what I think it is- is never a bad thing, kid. Hell, they¡¯re more harmful to themselves than anyone else.¡±


    She gave Mercer an awkward smile, because even if he wasn¡¯t quite getting what she was trying to say, (he¡¯s still doing more than those doctors ever did.)


    --- Julie ---


    ¡°Can you believe the shit those assholes put these girls through?!¡± She yelled into her phone as she walked through the halls of the storage facility she was renting from. One in a far nicer neighborhood than the Way she and Mercer lived out of, and far less likely to be blown up like their previous apartment.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yeah.¡± Mercer admitted, having seen far worse from humanity than her. ¡°This is honestly par for the course from what I¡¯m guessing was an Asylum remnant facility. Trust me when I say the shit in V¡¯s old files was ten times worse than the stuff we¡¯re hearing here.¡±


    She knew Asylum was bad, what Deviant didn¡¯t, but, ¡°Were the facilities that bad? Because I¡¯ve heard you talk about ex-Asylum prisoners joining Sanctuary before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, those are the ones ready to burn the place down if they cross the line, but like with Sanctuary the scale of bad was dependent on the branch, even if on the whole they were worse.¡± Mercer explained as she finally found her unit. ¡°Malcontent facilities though, those were universally bad.¡±


    ¡°How bad?¡± She asked as she undid her lock, because while she knew she wouldn¡¯t like the answer -especially not given what she now knew about the girls- (it isn¡¯t fair to leave that weight on him alone.)


    Mercer may¡¯ve been the hero between them, but she¡¯d still support him however she could.


    ¡°You know how the girls have to eat other people?¡± Her husband checked as she opened her unit.


    ¡°Uh-huh, vampire-Deadmen rules.¡± She doubted she could help them ¡®hunt¡¯ like Mercer, but her teenage love of the supernatural had desensitized her enough to be okay with the idea of ¡®heroic monsters¡¯ eating ¡®villainous monsters¡¯. (Just so long as I don¡¯t have to watch them.)


    She switched Mercer to speaker, so that she could use the light to look around the storage unit¡¯s many boxes even as he grimly pointed out that, ¡°Well, it was a good way to dispose of bodies, be they prisoners, failed experiments or¡­ witnesses¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you think they¡­?¡± She couldn¡¯t really bring herself to finish that thought.


    ¡°Probably not. The girls are both first Generation Malcontent, meaning even if they triggered early, their hunger wouldn¡¯t have gone into overdrive until puberty really hit them.¡± Her husband assured her.


    ¡°Well, small mercies I guess¡­¡± She -and most people really- didn¡¯t know too much about Malcontent, the Deviancy being insanely rare in spite of its infamy.


    A heavy thud sounded out from Mercers end followed by a string of cursing, ¡°Fucking bitch ass- Wait, no get back you little!¡±


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± She frowned, knowing her husband had a bad habit of leaving her on the phone even when he was ¡®working¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah, fine. Just¡­ alright, I¡¯m good.¡± Mercer assured her with a slightly strained voice. ¡°Footing wasn¡¯t as good as I thought, is all.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± (Meaning whatever he did was twice as funny as he¡¯ll admit over the phone.) ¡°Anyway, any word on how the hunt for those assholes is going?¡±


    ¡°Since I threw it all at Vigilance? No.¡± Mercer admitted with one final heave before losing the tension in his speech. ¡°Though some of my informants were talking about how active he was in the area without actually stepping into the Way.¡±


    ¡°Good, I know you beat that fake him but I¡¯d rather you not fight the real him if you can.¡± She told him, unable to help but remember how badly their last fight had messed her husband up, even if the damage was more mental than physical. ¡°Though, since we¡¯re talking about things that should stay out of the Way, I¡¯m looking around the storage unit and it doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s been stolen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to bring that up every time you have to check the place out aren¡¯t you?¡± Mercer sighed.


    ¡°Nope.¡± She nodded to herself as she disabled one of the traps Mercer had taught her to set up. ¡°After having everything stolen out of the Way, I¡¯m always going to be paranoid about it because in this city-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not paranoia if they are in fact out to get you.¡± Mercer finished the saying that he¡¯d repeated to the point of her memorizing it.


    ¡°Your family¡¯s motto.¡± She chuckled dryly, as she began opening boxes looking for the things she couldn¡¯t just order from Vincent or pick up from a corner store.


    ¡°No, my family¡¯s motto is ¡®messing with people is fun¡¯.¡± Mercer corrected her.


    ¡°It is.¡± She agreed, picking up a couple of their photo albums alongside the cook book she¡¯d gotten from her grandmother, and a couple of other things that while not quite irreplaceable did require her to make new copies whenever her vigilante husband got their house firebombed. ¡°Which reminds me, how are you planning on messing with Triss this time?¡±


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m going to-Pfft,¡± He broke into a fit of laughter. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t say that with a straight face¡­¡±


    ¡°Figured as much.¡± His lovable wife admitted, her smile audible through the phone even over the sounds of the Way around him.


    ¡°Yeah, no, no.¡± He shook his head before actually answering Julie¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out, she¡¯s not like the Vigils who I can get a rise out of any day of the week. She¡¯s more like Crawk or Rojo, I¡¯ve got to see what I¡¯m working with today to figure out what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    ¡°Fine, just make sure she doesn¡¯t hex your ass too hard. That¡¯s my property and I¡¯ll be pissed if someone else breaks it.¡± His wife warned him.


    ¡°Noted.¡± He smirked, as he glanced at a nearby gargoyle that he knew could come to life if he pissed off its mistress badly enough. ¡°Though right now I¡¯m kind of just waiting on her to deal with whatever light show I¡¯m seeing through this window.¡±


    As if to accentuate this point a spray of blood blotted out some of the rainbow colors he¡¯d been watching refract through the opaque window. ¡°And we¡¯ve got blood!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point you usually just break through the window?¡± Julie checked.


    ¡°Well yeah, but uh, I don¡¯t want to accidentally lose the mist jar.¡± He explained, without mentioning that he had almost lost it because when he tried to smash through the window he instead bounced off an enchantment Triss had apparently set up to stop him.


    The eyes in the mist blinked at him.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Julie answered in a way that told him she wasn¡¯t buying it.


    (Quick switch topic.) ¡°Anyway, I should warn you when you get back the girls were going out to ¡®hunt¡¯ when I got up.¡± He was finding talking about the girls was the easiest way to distract his wife, barring certain methods that would not work over the phone.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early for that?¡± Julie wondered.


    ¡°A bit, but I think Scarlet is honestly just trying to get Bell out of the house more than anything.¡± He admitted. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen she¡¯s not really in a hurry to leave without one of us with her, and they¡¯ve got a decent amount stored up in the girl¡¯s freezer.¡±


    ¡°You mean the murder fridge?¡± Julie dryly asked.


    ¡°Yeah, the murder fridge.¡± He nodded, before hearing an ear splitting roar from the otherside of the glass.


    Figuring that this was something he was going to have to deal with, he hooked a grapple line to the gargoyle before repelling to the main door of the library.


    ¡°Actually there¡¯s an idea, since I¡¯m at Triss¡¯s library you think I should grab some books for Bell? She seems like she¡¯s a reader.¡±


    ¡°Aw~ She takes after you!¡± Julie cooed.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± He shot back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see how I¡¯m feeling tonight.¡± She chuckled.


    He rolled his eyes knowing how that was going to go before retracting his line, and opening the door just as a massive monster twirled down the staircase.


    ¡°Well, Triss¡¯s monster has gotten loose, might have to call you back.¡± He warned his wife as he drew his gun and aimed it at the beast slowly picking itself off the ground.


    Before he could hang up Julie yelled, ¡°Wait!¡±


    He waited.


    ¡°Is it a sex demon?¡± His wife innocently asked.


    He looked at the monster as his face scrunched up in thought and he considered the creature in a new light before finally deciding, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not I¡¯m going to tell everyone it is.¡±


    ¡°Pics?¡±

 (9) Sinless Days (Pt. 2): A Famished Flora

    (9) Sinless Days (Pt. 2): A Famished Flora


    --- Mercer ---


    Long viney tendrils lashed out at the air as they creeped and crawled across the ground, gripping everything as the core of the floral creature looked his way, a flower-esque shape that could¡¯ve been mistaken as a massive daisy if not for a large slitted eye and a mouth full of trichomes long, pointed, and marking this plant as predator.


    The blooming beast watched him, possibly aware of the fact that he was something dangerous. Or possibly the instincts of an ambush predator waiting for the idle moment to act as the plants body slowly quit moving, waiting for the idle moment to strike.


    A bright light flashed through the room as his phone decided it was dark enough to justify something the flora took offense too.


    He went ahead and sent the picture to Julie, before sliding the phone into his pocket and ducking to the side to avoid several tendrils attempting to impale or capture him. With his free hand he fired his gun at them, more to test its effect on the plant than any expectation of hurting it.


    The tendrils recoiled upon being struck, but didn¡¯t take much visible damage from the Renegade¡¯s Rhapsody.


    Drawing the other gun with his now free hand he started firing both at the main body hoping that that would prove more effective, and while the plant did move to protect its body with a wall of vines it did little in the way of deterring it from firing more vines at him.


    (Note to self, get Clockwork to get me some incendiary rounds.) Concussion was nice for non-lethality, but they weren¡¯t as versatile or damaging as his favorites.


    When both rhapsodies clicked empty, he in turn clicked his tongue before holstering one and reloading the other as he dashed behind the library¡¯s checkout counter.


    (Additional note to self, get new auto-loaders.) Dual wielding guns -even custom made eldritch horror guns- was just impractical otherwise.


    By the time he pocketed and replaced the ammo cartridges, he could see vines beginning to curl around the side of the counter as they searched for him.


    (Probably didn¡¯t see me get behind her while covering its face/) Part of him was tempted to simply stab a knife into them to spite the blooming beast, but given how no self-respecting infiltrator would give up their stealth without a clear shot he instead stayed low and creeped around the opposite side of the counter.


    Once no longer in danger of being seen, he stood and silently ducked into another wing of the library before sprinting as swiftly as he could to another door closer to the plant in the hopes of flanking it from the side.


    Peeking through the door, he watched as the flora began to slowly creep its way forward, the creature clearly having trouble doing so between the harder library floor, and the less stable bookshelves that it kept knocking over. (Triss is going to hate that. Luckily, that¡¯s a her problem.)Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Some of the creatures vines began to creep his way, even as the plant moved away from him, its head snapping every time it knocked over a bookshelf before looking forward once more. (Odd¡­)


    Deciding to test a theory, he grabbed a book off a nearby shelf and tossed it at some of the vines on the opposite side of the lobby from him, before watching as the plant¡¯s head snapped to the vines that quickly ensnared the book.


    With a swiftness far greater than its previous creeping crawl, the blooming beast appeared above the book before eventually the vines tossed it to the side and it returned to slowly creeping towards the exit.


    (So likely a blind hunting instinct.) He figured after that little observation. (Feel out everything it can¡¯t see and depending on how much it moves when caught it¡¯ll either eat it or toss it, while being twice as proactive with what it can see.)


    Just to double check, he tried the book trick a second time just to test the flora¡¯s intelligence, only to get pretty much the same reaction. The plant seemingly forgetting about the books the moment it quit seeing them. (So not very smart¡­ Good~)


    He grabbed another book before carefully maneuvering around the vines without disturbing them. Once in a decent enough position, he fired a grappling line into the air and pulled himself up until he was a higher elevation than the massive plant¡¯s head at which point he dropped the book directly below him.


    Like both times before the flora rushed over to examine what it had caught.


    Unlike before however, he was in the perfect position to drop down on its head with a knife in hand.


    The beast didn¡¯t scream as he drove the knife into its face, but it did thrash and struggle as he used his weight to try and decapitate the thing.


    Feeling his grip starting to slip he fired his grappling line point blank into the flora¡¯s flesh to try and keep himself anchored as he was forced to let his knife go so that he could draw his gun and fire at some of the vines reaching for him.


    With dozens of the tendrils reaching for him, he loosened his grapple line without actually dislodging it, thus giving himself enough room to swing and shimmy around the plant.


    As he moved, he was forced to pull and tug his limbs free of the vines that managed to break through and latch onto him. At least until he¡¯d gone full circle around the blooming beast twice over, at which point he once more grabbed onto his knife and started retracting his grapple line.


    In feat of both strength and dexterity, he pulled his limbs together and threw his weight onto the knife as his line pulled him around the blooming beast, dragging his blade through the plant¡¯s floral flesh as he encircled it twice in an even quicker fashion than before.


    By the time he was done the plant¡¯s stem was pouring out a sap like blood as its vines twitched and spasmed, doing nothing to stop him as he climbed atop the blooming beast before stomping down and snapping what little remained of its stem.


    The flora¡¯s flower fluttered to the ground as he slid down its stem, keeping a careful eye on all of the vines around him just in case the plant¡¯s ¡®head¡¯ wasn¡¯t as mandatory for it as it was for humans.


    After a ten count without anything else happening he let out a breath before resheathing his knife and fully retracting his grapple line.


    ¡°Glad to see you had an easier time of that than I did.¡± A feminine voice told him, drawing his attention to the library staircase where a tall man with horns and a tail helped a Filipino woman down the steps as she gripped her bleeding shoulder. ¡°Then again you only had the one that got away.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He nodded, before telling her that, ¡°The next time you want to enact a tentacle hentai, can you please make sure your sex demon doesn¡¯t escape?¡±


    Arguably the Way¡¯s best Demon Hunter let out a pained sigh, even as her familiar let out a bark of laughter.

 Sinners Of The Way: The Magkapat铆d Hunters

    Sinners Of The Way: The Magkapat¨ªd Hunters


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with flower power?¡± He asked after helping Kur¡¯silo drag the monster¡¯s corpse up two flights of stairs and into Trisha¡¯s workshop. Said workshop being filled with half a dozen more flower corpses as well as several toppled shelves, tables, and bloodstains on the ground.


    ¡°We need to burn the flowers.¡± Tris told him before explaining that. ¡°I¡¯ve been tracking a malicious source of nature magic for the last week. Found a unique grouping of flowers, after bringing them back to examine them they promptly blossomed into these.¡±


    He kicked one of the corpses as he gestured to the elaborate spell script on the workshop ceiling above them. ¡°Think your mystic defenses set these things off?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡± Kur¡¯silo shrugged as he started making a corpse pile out of the flowers. ¡°Downside of creating a magical vacuum, if something is being kept asleep externally bringing it in wakes it up. Usually we catch that kind of thing, but¡­¡± The Inferni-Sa¡¯tyr glanced at his partner.


    ¡°The plants were stasis locked until we collected them.¡± Tris continued as she flipped through one of her ¡®restricted¡¯ books. ¡°We didn¡¯t realize they were being kept under because there was no magic affecting them, and we thought the fading residual was merely a remnant of whatever was done to them.¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t feel bad. My house got blown up and Clockwork¡¯s place had an eldritch pest problem. Speaking of¡­¡± He moved beside the huntress and sat down the jar of mists he¡¯d recollected from outside the library entrance where he left it. ¡°That pest problem seems to be spreading to all of the Way.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Tris sighed, snapping her book shut. ¡°What do you know about this ¡®problem¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A Royal of the Mists is wandering around the Way. Already dealt with the guys who let it in but I need to track it down before it lets more of its Misty Minions through.¡± He explained, before glancing at the dead flora in the center of the room. ¡°What do you know about that problem?¡±


    ¡°This was likely a test run for whoever is responsible for them.¡± The Hunter answered as she picked up a jar of black powder from the ground and offered it to him. ¡°I can track them down and deal with them, but they already know I¡¯m after them.¡±


    ¡°Meaning you¡¯d be walking into a trap¡­ if you walked into it.¡± He finished popping the top off the power for her.


    Trisha gave him a nod as she took some of the powder in hand. ¡°Exactly. You and Kur¡¯silo can deal with the threat directly while I work on a ritual to deal with whatever is causing this before it can spread these flowers across the city. Then we can deal with this Mist Royal.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± He agreed, watching Tris put the powder to her wound. ¡°Any idea where we should start?¡±


    ¡°Sunugin gumal¨ªng.¡± Tris whispered before gritting her teeth as the powder ignited, briefly filling the air with flames and the scent of burning flesh, before fading to reveal the Hunter¡¯s shoulder was completely healed. ¡°I first got a line on this because of an old couple buying an exotic flower from a nearby florist that turned into a smaller version of these. That florist sent me to their supplier who in turn sent me to the Botanical Garden on the other side of the river.¡±


    ¡°Meaning someone is using the Way as a testing ground because they know the Vigils aren¡¯t here.¡± He figured, unable to help but frown at the idea that, (The city¡¯s problems always find a reason to make it the Way¡¯s problem.)


    ¡°Possibly, though it could also just be the closest ¡®nature¡¯ hotspot within the city.¡± Trisha pointed out as Kur¡¯silo doused the plants in gasoline. ¡°Even if you left the city, you¡¯d find more plains than forests. Which given the kind of magic here is a necessity for most floral rituals.¡±


    ¡°I guess how calculated this is depends on whether they¡¯re spreading these flowers all over the city or just in the Way. So you think they¡¯re still at the garden or that they¡¯ve moved on somewhere else?¡± He asked, watching the Inferni set the Blooming Beast bodies on fire.


    ¡°Magic grows stronger the more of it you use, slowly turning a location into a place of power for that type of magic. That¡¯s why my family has used this library as our workshop for so long.¡± Tris reminded him as they both watched the smoke be contained and purified by the various magics baked into the very foundations of the building. ¡°Changing locations will set them back months if not years, depending on how long they¡¯ve been working at this.¡±


    ¡°And no one willing to do this is going to be patient or sane enough to lose that much progress.¡± He sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°If anything they¡¯re about to double down on whatever crazy plan they¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we need to act fast.¡± The Huntress nodded. ¡°Thanks to how insulated the library is I doubt they know whether or not their plan succeeded but the moment any of us steps outside they¡¯ll have their confirmation.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He nodded back as he began to think out loud. ¡°Right now, they¡¯re probably gathering their forces in case ¡®subtlety¡¯ is off the table, meaning if we¡¯re lucky dealing with the problem at its source will let us deal with the problem completely.¡±


    ¡°And if not that¡¯s what the ritual I¡¯ll be setting up with these ashes will accomplish.¡± Tris assured him. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯ll be very noticeable when I start it, unless the mastermind is distracted.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can do distraction.¡± He chuckled, already wondering how best to troll a magical nature enthusiast. (Actually¡­) ¡°Silo, bring a few extra cans of that gasoline!¡±


    The Inferni blinked before looking at the gas can and back at Mercer. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not actually gasoline, though?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, to Tris¡¯s amusement. ¡°It burns things, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, organic things that aren¡¯t treated.¡± The Inferni shrugged, gesturing to where the flames were devouring the plants but leaving the rest of the room alone.


    ¡°Good because only we can cause forest fires.¡± He smiled, letting his helmet¡¯s double tap skull flicker on.


    Kur¡¯silo gave him a confused stare for a moment before asking, ¡°Are¡­ you making a reference, tol? Because I¡¯ve been on earth for ten years and have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Tris let out a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to tell Julie that one.¡±


    He glared at the Demon Hunter before marching past Kur¡¯Silo and taking the gas can. ¡°Let¡¯s just go burn a building down.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, fun!¡± The Inferni laughed following after him. ¡°Just let me grab my guns!¡±

 Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 3): Conservatory Conflicts

    Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 3): Conservatory Conflicts


    --- Mercer ---


    ¡°So how are we doing this, tol?¡± Kur¡¯Silo asked as they sat on a building overlooking the sixty acres that made up the conservatory nearest to the Way.


    ¡°What kind of kit are you carrying these days?¡± He doubted it had changed much since the last time he¡¯d worked with the Inferni but given how Tris was arguably one of the most versatile practitioners in the Way, (that could change really fast.)


    ¡°Still got my Magnums from Clocks.¡± Kur¡¯Silo told him pulling one out to it off, the handle of the gun having been modified to fit the Inferni¡¯s larger than human hands with ease and carrying a charm on the end. (Not too different from how mine were built for mine.) ¡°Baks, made these charms to add fire to my rounds but I need to channel magic for them.¡±


    ¡°Got any other charms on you?¡± He wondered, more than missing the variety of ammo he usually carried.


    ¡°Yeah, got plenty.¡± The Inferni nodded, pulling out a handful of the charms from inside of his suit jacket. ¡°Won¡¯t work for your guns though. Need a sympathetic connection.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no sympathy for wanting to torch a place?¡± He sighed.


    ¡°No, but we¡¯ve got this?¡± Kur¡¯Silo offered, shaking the container of magical gasoline they¡¯d brought with them.


    He shook his head. ¡°Save it for when we find wherever they¡¯re growing these things. We¡¯re going to want that place to be cinder and ash as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Kur¡¯Silo shrugged, before looking the garden over. ¡°See anything noteworthy on that fancy helmet of yours?¡±


    ¡°Helmet¡¯s cracked still.¡± He answered with a tap to his head before explaining that he¡¯d, ¡°Fixed the basics but I don¡¯t have any of my fancy stuff. How about your Mask?¡±


    Kur¡¯Silo pulled a simple rounded face mask with two holes near the top before sliding it down his horns so that his entire face was covered. ¡°Not seeing any magic out here. At least no more than was floating around the last time we were here.¡±


    ¡°Shame, having some more intel on what we¡¯re walking into would be nice.¡± He admitted, before firing a grappling line at the garden and another near his footing. ¡°Let¡¯s sneak in through the roof and see if we can¡¯t find anything inside.¡±


    Kur¡¯Silo gave him a nod before using his Inferni physiology to easily make the leap that he needed his grappling hooks to manage with twice as much effort and time. Upon rejoining his accomplice tonight he opened a skylight that he knew was always open from his days running with the Vigils. (Wonder how many people realize just how easy their heroes have made it to break into public buildings?)


    Quietly they both dropped onto one of the support beams holding up the glass walls and ceilings of the garden and took the place in.


    The entire building was filled with far more green than could be seen anywhere else in the concrete jungle that was the city. A number of colorful flowers that neither of them knew the names of littered the green that was broken up only by small paths and sidewalks for the guests to walk between it all.


    After a moment they both looked at each other before shaking their heads, neither seeing anything like the feral flowers they¡¯d fought back at the library.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you guys find the flower before?¡± He asked, figuring that that was the best place to start.


    ¡°Over there, near where they¡¯ve got those weird trees.¡± Kur¡¯Silo answered, pointing a fair bit deeper into the garden before beginning to hop along the support beams.


    He frowned, seeing no easy path there. (At least not without being as agile as an Inferni.)


    ¡°Actually, you stick to the high road. If they¡¯ve really got a trap of some kind set up here, I¡¯ll spring it myself. You only jump in when the big bad comes out to play.¡± A perk of being an ex-Vigil was that every Mask he ran into outside of the Way always wanted to talk to him about them. ¡°Hopefully, I can get something out of them or just stall them until Tris finishes up her thing.¡±


    Kur¡¯Silo gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Sounds good, tol.¡±


    With that plan established he hooked his line on the rafter before slowly dropping to the ground and retracting the line as he dusted himself off.


    Looking around he couldn¡¯t help but frown to himself, the whole place being harder to navigate from ground level. (Eh, nothing major, but I¡¯m still not seeing much of anyone.)


    It was still early enough that there should¡¯ve been someone here, a groundskeeper or guests of some kind. (Then again most of the richies can¡¯t stand coming anywhere near the Way and they¡¯re the only ones who¡¯d come here outside of schools.)


    Still it was enough of a red flag that he¡¯d have been on guard even without knowing he was about to spring some kind of trap. More so the longer he went without anything happening even as he stepped into the grouping of trees that Kur¡¯Silo had pointed out to him.


    The ground in the center of the trees had been dug up recently, and sloppily enough that he doubted it was just for collecting the ones that had gone crazy at the library. (If Tris was right, the one running this show should know I¡¯m here and be watching me by now. Question is how to get them to attack me¡­)


    (Back right.) He drew his Rhapsody and aimed it where something had just moved, only to watch a handful of leaves fall to the ground.


    He took a calming breath, before forcing himself to walk forward rather than pulling the trigger on his gun. Rejecting his every instinct he slowly looked around, before a faint snapping had him reflexively leaping forward unable to let himself get caught by such an obvious ambush.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Spinning so he fell on his back as he drew his second gun he aimed them both on another blooming beast, this one notably different from the sunflower looking thing he¡¯d fought at the library. Namely in how this one seemed to be bundling its vines around its main body rather than spreading them out, this one looking like a pair of large venus flytraps had grown out of an even larger tumbleweed.


    He narrowed his eyes at the dog sized plant before pulling the trigger on one of his guns.


    The Tumble Trap easily avoided the concussive blast, small vines shooting off from the bottom of the plant and allowing it to quickly skitter out of range unless he charged a shot that wasn¡¯t worth the ammo just yet.


    Making a show of checking to see if there was another one of the plants hiding in the tree, he actually glanced past it to see Kur¡¯Silo looking down from above. The Inferni pointed to his eyes and the direction the weed had scampered off while counting up and down with his fingers.


    (Well, I knew there was going to be more than one of these things in here.) He grimaced, part of him wishing he knew just how many there were if they were all going to come in different strains but more than used to not having that wish granted.


    On the right track he move to follow the plant deeper into its trap, not needing long to realize that the plants around him were looking a bit big, even for a conservatory full of exotic plants. (Meaning someone ¡®s been busy¡­)


    Regardless, he still wasn¡¯t at the center of whatever was causing all this nor had he seen any actual sign of the one responsible for it all.


    ¡°Come on¡­ where are you¡­?¡± He grumbled under his breath, the foliage around him giving him the distinct feeling of being surrounded under the current circumstances.


    Unlike he¡¯d hoped, asking that didn¡¯t tempt any of the creatures he knew to be lurking to take their shot at him.


    Instead they waited another three minutes to jump him while he was halfway down a one way path with no exits that weren¡¯t in the middle of the green.


    Not that saved the first Tumble Trap he blasted to bits or the second that he stomped under foot. Though it did allow a number of vines to wrap around him from behind while he was distracted.


    The moment he realized what was happening, he was ripped off his feet and dragged into the foliage, before finding himself staring into a large eye and an open mouth.


    A concussive round to the eye was enough to have the Blooming Beast rearing back, but not enough to get it to let go of him. For that he was forced to drop one of his Rhapsodies -unable to holster it with the way the vines had wrapped around him- before grabbing his knife and cleaving himself free as he held the trigger on his gun down.


    Spinning on his heel he released the trigger, unleashing the charged shot he¡¯d been building at the cost of burning through the last of the rounds in that gun. A price that was relatively worth it when at point blank range it blew the carnivorous sunflower¡¯s head off.


    More than aware that he wasn¡¯t clear of the threat, he ripped the last of the limp vines from him and swapped his spent Rhapsody for the one that was still loaded on the ground. The knife in his hand having proved itself more valuable than dual wielding, especially given just how difficult he knew it was to reload these things one handed.


    Something he wouldn¡¯t have had time to do anyway, given how he promptly found himself being knocked to the ground by something the size of a dog before it disappeared back into the foliage around him.


    A place that a trio of Tumble Traps were happy to jump on him from, the teeth of their traps latching onto him hard enough that he was sure they were starting to tear holes in the jackets.


    ¡°Back off! I just got this thing!¡± He growled, grabbing one of the weeds on his chest by their stems and cutting both off as he sat up before dropping all of his weight onto the one trying to eat his helmet.


    His knife stabbed into the core before ripping it open and spraying his shirt with a sappy sludge inside the pest. Shoving the corpse away and idly shooting the one he¡¯d mutilated he watched the third run off disappearing into the rest of the surrounding flora, escaping his wrath.


    ¡°Shit like this is why I stick to the concrete jungle.¡± He cursed, forcing his way through the brush while hacking away with his knife. The blade¡¯s heated edge glowing brighter and brighter as he was forced to keep it active for a lot longer than recommended.


    (Not going to be able to use this thing for like a week after this mess¡­) That or see if he could steal another one from one of the Vigil¡¯s safehouses.


    He kept expecting whatever had knocked him off his feet before to try it again, but eventually he managed to make it back to the main path of the garden. Only to pause as he noticed a faint trail just a little to his left, one that while not pronounced did stand out when compared to the density of the flora around him.


    Which is why after making sure there were no other Blooming Beasts near him -and that Kur¡¯Silo was still following from above despite being unable to see much through the foliage- he went ahead and reloaded his rhapsodies before starting down the path that had to lead to somewhere someone here wanted easier access to.


    Something that was more than apparent given how little had to fight the natural plants in spite of how wild everything else in the area was. Especially with the fact that even with more than one of the feral flora lurking nearby none of them came at him while on the path. The one massive eye he¡¯d seen, near promptly dismissing him.


    (Yeah, definitely something important at the end of this.)


    After a few more minutes of walking he found what he thought that was, as he paused to look over an oddly assembled pile of flora. A pile that he almost would¡¯ve dismissed if he hadn¡¯t had to build more than one shelter in the wild during the less ¡®urban¡¯ bouts of training his mother had insisted on after taking him under her wing.


    He glanced upward and considered getting Kur¡¯Silo, before deciding, (Nah. The mastermind hasn¡¯t shown up yet. Best to stick to the plan until he does.) And entering the hut on his own.


    Inside he found a large spell circuit on the ground alongside a number of books, jarred flowers, seeds, and other magical catalysts. Which was all to be expected, given how this was Tris and Kur¡¯Silo case.


    What wasn¡¯t expected however was what was very clearly a chemistry station.


    At first he was prepared to dismiss it as a modern ¡®potion¡¯ station of some kind, but then he noticed a number of sealed containers with chemical formula on them. (Interesting¡­)


    It wasn¡¯t particularly uncommon for people to mix magic and science, especially given how the current ¡®Arcane Era¡¯ (or whatever pretentious title those assholes are using) was born by the near extinct Arcane lines taking on modern apprentices who in turn applied modern science to learn more about magic. It was however rare to find someone who mixed them beyond applying the scientific method to magic, or using science as a jumping board for their magic.


    Whatever was going on here though was clearly a lot more in depth than that though.


    (Hopefully, these photos will help Tris figure out the magic side of things at least.) He frowned as he went ahead and sent the Hunter photos of everything in the room, hoping that it would speed up her time table a fair bit.


    Of course, he only got to the fourth photo before the entire hut began to shake.


    ¡°Alright. We finally doing this?¡± He asked the room, having been looking for the ¡®trap¡¯ to really spring for a while now.


    In response the door to the room snapped shut and his phone light revealed the walls to have begun leaking a steaming sap like substance.


    ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded to the plant he was currently in the stomach before his helmet flashed his double tap skull in the dark. ¡°We¡¯re doing this.¡±


    Out of curiosity, which should Mercer do?


    []-Put up a token fight and then let himself be captured.


    []-Put up a real fight until he wins or is captured.

 Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 4): Escaping Traps And Setting Them

    Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 4): Escaping Traps And Setting Them


    --- Mercer ---


    Not expecting it to do much, he fired a quick concussive round at the door¡¯s hinges just to see if whatever floral muscles the plant used there would give.


    When it didn¡¯t he instead fired a few more probing rounds at various structural weak points, be it the floorboard, ceiling, or walls. All of which shifted but did little else as he began reloading his rhapsody as he slowly began gathering the pieces of a plan to escape.


    He glanced towards the floor as the sound of sizzling hit his ears, grimacing as he realized it was already covered in an inch of the plant¡¯s digestive fluids. A fact that had him hopping onto the chemistry station to buy himself a bit more time.


    Another look around the room revealed that everything was covered in the sap, something that made him wonder, (How flammable is this stuff?)


    He grabbed a beaker before dabbing the glass against the plant¡¯s wall and coating it in enough of the substance that he could test its flammability by igniting one of the station¡¯s burners. Something that caused the beaker to quickly catch fire, before he dumped it.


    ¡°And you are the fun kind of sap!¡± He grinned, zipping his jacket shut before gripping the station and kicking against the wall to slide it closer to the door.


    Ignoring the faint sizzling coming from his boots he stretched the burner¡¯s cord taught as he put it to the door, setting the sap on fire in a semi-controlled blaze. One that he quickly realized wasn¡¯t all that controlled given how the flames began to spread much faster than he¡¯d been expecting.


    (Shit. Really going to have to get this timing right.) He noted, as he hopped back onto the station, his eyes briefly darted towards the containers of chemicals behind him. Chemicals that were probably even more flammable than the sap. (Well hopefully those containers, that buys me a few seconds¡­)


    Unfortunately, he needed each and every one of those seconds to let the fire eat away at the door, weakening it bit by bit as he charged his Rhapsody revolver so that when the moment came- (Now!)


    His eyes narrowed as the door began to shift and shiver, the plant¡¯s motor cells not taking well to the flames. Which is why when he unleashed all six rounds of his revolver in a single shot of concussive force the door shuddered open, letting in the briefest gap of light from the outside, and with that light fresh oxygen for the fire.


    The flames leapt around the door doubling their blaze as they and the rest of the fire continued to eat the plant alive from the inside out. An event he¡¯d rather not be inside the plant to witness.


    (Shit that wasn¡¯t enough¡­) He grimaced, as he began to quickly reload his revolver, only to have the expression tighten as he also realized. (And I¡¯m starting to run low on rounds¡­)


    His eyes briefly glanced over his shoulder, where he found the fire had begun to lick away at chemical containers. (Yeah, I need to get out of here. Now.)


    Drawing his second revolver, he held the trigger on both down, ammo conservation pointless in the face of a pending explosion. One by one the chambers of each eldritch gun began to glow as he aimed them both at the ideal leverage point for the gun. (Really hoping this works this time¡­)


    Releasing the triggers, he couldn¡¯t help but stumble back from the force of the kickback greater than a shotgun in either arm. (Definitely cracked something there.)


    More than used to the various aches and pains of the vigilante lifestyle, he ignored the pain and ran forward tackling the door that was barely hanging on. A feat that ripped it off of its hinges as both it and he were sent crashing to the ground outside.


    A freedom that did nothing to keep his jacket from catching fire, as he promptly rolled off the burning door and across the ground to put the flames out.


    Once the last of the flames -on him- were smothered, he let out a sigh of relief as he fell on his back. (Should¡¯ve paid for the fireproofing¡­)


    More on reflex than anything, he took a look around him as he caught his breath. Only to find himself surrounded by a number of Blooming Beasts, all of which were staring at him even if the fire kept any of them from getting too close. (Okay, there¡¯s¡­ more of them than I thought there¡¯d be¡­)


    Pushing himself onto his feet, he rolled his shoulders as he considered the small horde of feral flora trapping him between their fangs and the fire¡¯s flames. (Alright, I¡¯m surrounded, low on ammo, have some kind of fracture, and they¡¯ve no weapons for me to steal¡­ I¡¯ve got this.)


    While these weren¡¯t the best odds he¡¯d ever fought, they most certainly weren¡¯t the worst either. (Especially since I¡¯m just stalling for Triss and Kur¡¯silo is on overwatch.)


    He considered the small army of Blooming Beasts, before nodding to himself as he began to reload his revolvers with the last of his ammo. (Best to just make this look good. Not worth tiring myself out when I still need to get my hands on the one responsible for this mess.)If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A quick glance behind the fire showed that the plants had fully encircled him, even as they kept their distance. A distance that was slowly shrinking as they grew less fearful of the fire in the center of the grove. Fear that was likely to disappear any moment as the sprinklers above began to rain, the smoke of the fire setting them off.


    Putting one of his guns away and drawing his knife, he searched out arguably the weakest spot in the circle. A space between two of the carnivorous sunflowers where only one or two of the smaller plants could be found in front of a tree. (Right, let¡¯s go ahead and get this ass kicking over with.)


    He slowly turned away from his desired escape route and made like he was getting ready to rush for a trio of the smaller flora. Only to instead blindly fire his grappling line between the sunflowers and into a tree behind them.


    Quickly reeling the line in he sprinted and skidded across the ground with several long hops before with a grapple boosted jump he leapt over the line of blooming beasts and dove into the foliage behind them. A terrain that he knew favored him less than the grove, but still offered enough space to make the horde thin itself out to chase him rather than just swarming and overwhelming him.


    (Still wish I had some grenades or something to drop though.) He was sure he could talk Clockwork into giving him a few after this mess.


    Needing to keep the pace going, but also needing to put up a token fight, he fired a grapple line into a tree branch above and ahead of him. Then just before his feet could leave the ground he spun so that he was facing the horde behind him as he was pulled into the air, even if the angle did awkwardly twist his shoulder to keep.


    A price that was more than worth it as he was free to shoot and kill a couple of the smaller flora that had begun to near him. Though the worsening of whatever was in his wrists made it less so.


    With a grimace hidden behind his helmet, he released his grapple line using the built up momentum to instead swing ahead before crashing to the ground in a controlled roll that ended on one of the garden¡¯s paths. (This¡¯ll do.)


    Back on his feet before he could regret otherwise, he sprinted down the path making as if he was trying to escape the garden. An escape that could¡¯ve been thwarted by a Blooming Beast lunging out of the foliage, if it wasn¡¯t small enough to gut with a single stab and twist of his knife.


    The larger one that followed it however, was a bit more of a problem as its larger weight tackled him to the ground and sent both his gun and knife flying.


    ¡°Come on, I thought you were an ambush predator not a pursuit.¡± He growled at the wannabe sunflower as he hands shot out to stop the flower¡¯s trap from snapping around him.


    The flower being a near-mindless plant of course did not deign to respond as it was far more concerned with trying to eat him.


    Something he wouldn¡¯t let happen, instead throwing his and the blooming beast¡¯s weight so that he could roll on top of it. The sudden shift in position freeing him to punch the flower in its eye, stunning it just long enough for him to lunge for his knife.


    Vines wrapped around his waist and dragged him back to the flora, where with blade in hand he stabbed the knife into the plants stamen before using his hand to rip them out and then shove them down the emasculated plant¡¯s throat.


    The last thing it¡¯d eat as he killed the reeling flora with a blade through the eye. Whether it was the first stab or the fifth that did it neither he nor the plant particularly cared.


    What he did care about however was the fact that at least dozen more blooming beasts had surrounded him during that little struggle. A struggle he still wasn¡¯t free of as he began to hack away at the vines still clinging to him.


    Vines that were soon replaced by more as they shot out from three different directions, one for each arm and a third around his throat. All of which left him completely pinned when combined with the way the dead sunflower clung to him with its cold dead vines.


    With his head pulled back he was able to see Kur¡¯silo gazing down with a concerned look on his face and a gun in hand.


    He quickly flashed his double tap skull twice.


    Kur¡¯silo gave him a nod, trusting him to know what he was doing.


    (And I really do hope I know what I¡¯m doing¡­) He grimaced as several snarling plant maws began to grow ever closer.


    Marginal spikes grew ever closer to him, and he began to faintly struggle against the plants holding him down. (Come on. We¡¯re on the main path. Easy to get to¡­)


    A maw wrapped around each of his arms, the teeth of the blooming beasts digging into his skin even through his jacket, before a third maw began to wrap around his head. (Hurry up already¡­)


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    (Finally¡­) He forced himself not to sag in relief as a tall thin man in a black suit walked towards him, a mask like a flower covering his face.


    ¡°A Vigil¡­¡± The newcomer noted, unseen eyes going over him. ¡°Mercer if I¡¯m not mistaken. I suppose it makes sense that you¡¯d become alert to our presence.¡±


    ¡°Unleashing feral flora all over the way would do that.¡± He nodded, hoping to keep his connection to Trisha and Kur¡¯silo underwraps if he could. ¡°Actually, thinking about it. Before we do the whole villainous monologue and you fail to kill me in some elaborate death trap, do you mind answering a question?¡±


    He could feel the man staring at him even through the flower mask.


    ¡°Come on, you know that¡¯s how this is going to go.¡± He told the man. ¡°After all, that¡¯s how this whole song and dance always goes with you fuckers. You capture a vigil, you try to figure out what we know, and then you either try to have us immediately killed or use our pending death to distract the other vigils. Which you know would work if the other Vigils weren¡¯t a bunch of little cry baby bitches who can¡¯t take a little criminal killing.¡±


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s not like I kill all the criminals just the irredeemable ones¡­ or the ones that are sad casualties because they either tried to kill me or were working for the irredeemable ones. And I feel like I balance it all out by using the money I steal from their cooling corpses to pay for the various welfare programs that they Way would not otherwise be able to afford with the criminal and wealthy elements of the city draining it dry.¡±


    He could now feel the man staring at him through the mask. (And there is a difference.)


    Coughing, he got back onto topic. ¡°Anyway, about that question?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He was fairly certain that it was more towards his previous rant, but¡­


    ¡°So there was this thing with a friend and well, I¡¯ve got to know.¡± He looked the man in the eye, or what would be the eye if neither of them were wearing masks, and asked. ¡°Are you a sex demon?¡±

 Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 5): Speaking With A Floral Father

    Sixth Sin: The Blooming Beasts (Pt. 5): Speaking With A Floral Father


    --- Mercer ---


    Silence reigned for a moment, until at last the other masked man said, ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s a whole thing¡­ but yes or no, are you a sex demon?¡± Mercer asked once more, a smile on his hidden face as he reveled in the sheer confusion pouring off of the other man.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± The suited man audibly frowned.


    (Because it¡¯s funny.) ¡°Because your minions have tentacles that are currently pinning me in place and¡­ my wife is into some stuff. Some stuff that makes me very wary of tentacles.¡± He explained, forcing himself not to laugh. ¡°So I¡¯ll reiterate, are you or are you not a sex demon that is about to do unspeakable things to my innocent body? Things that my wife would absolutely steal my helmet to watch later while providing commentary that neither you nor I want to hear. Most notably about how vanilla you are for a tentacle sex demon while insulting the acting I¡¯m using. Which would mostly be because she thinks I¡¯m cute when annoyed, which mutual, but still.¡±


    The flower masked man simply stared at him again, the sheer level of ¡®what the fuck¡¯ the villain gave off more than enough to refuel Mercer¡¯s forbidden power of trolling.


    Eventually the floral villain shook his head and waved a hand towards Mercer, ¡°I-I am not going to do this¡­¡±


    He let out an affronted gasp. ¡°Why the fuck not? I am a fucking catch thank you very much. I¡¯ve got a six pack of muscles and degrees. You¡¯d be lucky to score a stud like me, you limp stamen fucker.


    ¡°You¡­ you do realize I¡¯m holding you captive, don¡¯t you?¡± The floral mask checked, clearly nearing a breaking point. ¡°That I can kill you with but a snap of my fingers, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t realize that¡­¡± He sarcastically confessed, while making a show of his bindings, mostly to test and see if the plants had loosened their grip at all. (Nope, need to keep the distraction going.) ¡°What I did realize however is that the only pollination you do is with your own pistil, verbascum!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was wishful thinking -or is undeniable if mild psychosis- but he could¡¯ve sworn that several of the blooming beasts around him let out a wide eyed gasp at that. (At least the plants that aren¡¯t asexual anyway¡­ Then again, I did bring race into it too.)


    The Mask stared at him for a moment before slowly telling him that, ¡°I was expecting a Vigil to be a little more¡­ serious than this.


    ¡°Well, I am an ex-Vigil.¡± He explained with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, everyone makes that mistake¡­ before I shoot them. Which I will be doing by the way.¡±


    Rather than being intimidated by his double tap skull, the villain simply noted that, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that once I kill you I don¡¯t have to worry about the other Vigils coming to stop things.¡±


    ¡°Possibly, then again they are just as nosy as me¡­¡± He paused to consider that. ¡°Actually, they¡¯re worse than me. I at least respect the boundaries of the Way and stay inside while they stay outside of it.¡± Then he remembered that he was technically outside of the Way for the third time that month. ¡°Until it inconveniences me anyway.¡±


    ¡°And you are such an inconvenience.¡± The mask told him.


    ¡°That I am.¡± He nodded, using the exaggerated motion to check on Kur¡¯silo¡¯s position. (I¡¯ve been stalling for a good minute now, why hasn¡¯t he set this fucker on fire yet?)


    He knew for a fact that Kur¡¯silo would not hesitate to douse him in accelerant if it completed their goal, that very strategy having won them at least two separate fights. (And no matter what Tris says, a plan isn¡¯t insane if two out of three people think it¡¯s a good idea.)


    Unfortunately, when he looked up he couldn¡¯t find the Inferni Hunter. (Where the fuck did he go?!)


    If he was on his own, or worse Kur¡¯silo had gotten himself captured, then he needed to flip the script quickly. (Don¡¯t react and survive, adapt and thrive.)


    Thinking quickly he put on his usual devil may care attitude and doubled down, pretending that he was still in complete control of the situation. ¡°So, before I make my daring escape, shoot you, and burn your army alive, what exactly is the point of all this? Like is there an evil corporation in the city that wronged you, are you simply planning on conquering the city, selling minions for profit, or what? I like to know what level of crazy I¡¯m dealing with so I know whether to put that bullet in your leg or your head.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m not crazy, but I am self-aware enough to know that all of this is not the work of a sane man.¡± The mask confessed with a gesture towards his gruesome garden.


    ¡°Yeah, the moment you think putting on a mask and solving your problems with violence is the solution you¡¯re legally crazy by society¡¯s standards.¡± He sighed with a sympathetic nod as he began to subtly undo the straps on his grapplers. ¡°I mean, there are certain problems that deserve violence, what with the whole paradox of tolerance, but hey I get it. Can¡¯t have the guy who carried around a duffle bag full of decapitated crime lords ruining christmas¡­ even if Santa invites me on the Holiday Run every year.¡±


    The masked man stared at him for a moment. (A pattern is forming.) ¡°I¡­ increasingly feel like I¡¯m not the crazy one between us.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡± He admitted while vaguely shifting his hips to try and loosen the dead flower¡¯s death grasp on his waist. ¡°Though speaking of the scale of crazy, have you gotten to the point of giving yourself a punfully punny name yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see the point in bothering.¡± The floral villain answered with a shrug. ¡°After all, fame and infamy hold no value to me.¡±


    ¡°Then what does hold value?¡± He wondered, adjusting his footing in the hopes of getting some kind of leverage, in both senses of the word.


    Withdrawing a small locket the man solemnly answered, ¡°My wife and child¡­¡± before snapping the locket shut and shaking his head. ¡°Unfortunately, dreams of that life have since passed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, vengeance.¡± He realized with a grimace. (So not one of the ¡®shoot ¡®em in the head¡¯ villans¡­)


    ¡°In a sense¡­¡± The floral villain sighed almost wistfully. ¡°Though I doubt things will stop at that point.¡±


    He¡­ was almost glad Kur¡¯silo hadn¡¯t set everything on fire.


    ¡°And what if¡­ I kidnapped whoever is responsible for the death of your wife and child?¡± Child killers were very firmly on his ¡®don¡¯t care if they die¡¯ list.


    ¡°If this was just two months ago I think that offer might¡¯ve worked.¡± The man admitted. ¡°Unfortunately, things have progressed a bit too far to be able to stop here.¡±


    ¡°Never too late to do the right thing.¡± He reminded the other man, as cheesy as it was.


    ¡°Unless you believe you are doing the right thing.¡± The floral villain pointed out, adjusting his flower mask. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re trying to kill me, isn¡¯t it? Because it¡¯s the right thing to do?¡±


    ¡°Eh, stopping you is the right thing to do. Killing you¡­ is just the easiest way to do it, not necessarily the best.¡± He explained, because people always mixed that up with him. (If I could save the Way without killing I would, but¡­ it isn¡¯t that easy.)


    The floral villain let out a huff, somewhere between amusement and resignation. ¡°I suppose I should hope you still feel like that in a few hours.¡±


    His eyes narrowed at that red flag. ¡°What¡¯s happening in a few hours?¡±


    The masked man stared at him for a moment, this time more considering his question than questioning his sanity, before eventually telling Mercer. ¡°The Way was a testing ground of sorts. Similar plants to these have been sent throughout the city. In a few hours they¡¯ll all be waking up.¡±


    (Unless Tris¡¯s ritual kills them all before they can wake up.) No matter how much he might sympathize with the widower, he had no intention of pointing that out until after the fact.


    ¡°After that¡¯s done¡­ I¡¯ve no idea.¡± The floral villain confessed. ¡°We¡¯ll probably end up with a pair of kill warrants, a life on the run, but¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    He froze for a moment, briefly glancing towards where Kur¡¯silo should¡¯ve been, before asking, ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yes, me and my wife.¡± The masked man nodded. ¡°She¡¯s currently out dealing with¡­ another obstacle.¡±


    (Shit! She must be after Tris, and if his sister SOS¡¯d him¡­) Well he wouldn¡¯t blame Kur¡¯silo for doing the exact same thing he would if it was his sister.


    That did confirm Mercer was on his own however. (Meaning I can¡¯t waste anymore time.)


    Not wasting another moment, he dropped his gun and threw his knife at his hip, the blade faintly piercing his own flesh as it dug through the dead vines holding him in place. Then after blindly firing his grapplers, uncaring of what they hit, as he used their new found momentum to pull his arms free of them and in turn buying himself enough space to free his arms.


    With his hands free, Mercer quickly grabbed his knife and severed the vines tightening around his throat, vaguely nicking his own neck as he broke free. With nothing restricting his movements, he quickly crouched to the ground to grab his fallen gun before just as quickly taking three steps forward and putting it beneath the masked man¡¯s chin.


    All around him the various blooming beasts froze, half-way through lunging at him, somehow aware that if they followed through they¡¯d be attacking their own master. (Was fifty-fifty on that step of the plan.)


    Now sure that he wasn¡¯t going to have to make a mad scramble to recollect his grapplers while under siege from all sides, he proceeded to wrap an arm around his new meatshield, making sure the floral villain couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. You are going to walk me out of here, and you¡¯re going to help me to stop your wife from killing a lot of people. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to have to shoot you and hope for the best.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d rather you not do that last part.¡± A (way too familiar) voice interrupted, drawing both his and the masked villain¡¯s attention down the garden path.


    Standing in front of them and blocking arguably Mercer¡¯s easiest exit was a masked man with his hands on his hips. The black and blue suit, and vague V insignia on both the man¡¯s chest and the large shield strapped to his forearm left little doubt about who this was.


    Which is why Mercer couldn¡¯t help but think, (Ah, fuck it¡¯s the himbo.)