EXTORTION

"We have a problem," Kenny stated as he stood on the roof of one of his operations bases.

"When don't you have a problem?" Levi asked snarkly.

"Brat," Kenny replied fondly. "There's a syndicate coming up from Stohess tonight with a gun shipment. They're looking to set up operations here in Mitras. Their leader is a fellow named Rod Reiss. Have to really watch out for that fellow. Human life doesn't mean shit to him. Thing is, he's gained the support of Ian's syndicate and there's strong evidence that the two'll be merging under Reiss. Needless to say, I can't let Reiss get a stronghold in this city. It'll be a thousand times harder to protect the people in my territory. With Reiss in charge, they might actually be too strong for us, so I need to stop them now. And if I get a nice shipment of guns to boot, well that's just icing on the cake."

Levi shook his head. "That's nothing particularly new. Why're you telling me?"

"Reiss has a Super with him. Guy by the name of Pillager."

Now the raven just rolled his eyes. "Where do these idiots come up with their lame-ass names?"

"Probably the same place you got yours, Raven Knight," Kenny teased.

Levi groaned in response. "Don't remind me. So, what's Pill's power?"

"Water manipulation."

"Shit." That's not good. "Please tell me ice is not included in that."

"'Fraid so, boy."

Double shit! Water is easily the most powerful force on earth. It shapes the landscape and breaks rock. "How good is he with it?"

"He can drown people without any visible source of water around. Just uses naturally occurring moisture in the air. Can do it real fast, too."

Triple shit! How am I supposed to counter that? May have to go straight for the killing Thunder Shock.

It was well past midnight when Kenny's men, hidden in the buildings and alley's around the meeting place near the river docks saw a group of eight vans led by a limousine approach Ian and his waiting gang. Rod Reiss stepped out of the limo at the front of the caravan. He was a small, round faced man with impossibly big eyes and a thinning moustache.

Behind him, another man, average height, slender and with short, spikey, electric-blue hair got out. Everything about the kid was spikey. His hair, the earrings in his lobes, the collar around his throat and around his wrists. He had black eyeliner around his vibrant blue eyes and black lipstick on. His clothing was a ripped black t-shirt, ripped black jeans and black combat boots. What a fucking cliché looking punk. Looks fresh out of high school . . . or even still in school.

Levi detected something at the edge of his mind. Figures those four would be here. Don't tell me Reiss has something to do with Titan! /Kenny, the Scouts are here. Tell your men to watch their step!/ Levi told Kenny telepathically.

/Will do. Thanks, boy./

He watched as Reiss and Ian shook hands and greeted each other with false platitudes and fake smiles. Given half a chance, those two wouldn't hesitate to stab the other in the back.

The men went to the back of one of the vans and opened it. Inside were cases, each filled to capacity with a wide variety of military issue guns and ammunition. Holy shit! There's enough in just that one van to start a small war! Just what are these asshole's planning? Suddenly, one of the men who'd been standing by Ian and staring openly at Pillager, started to choke. Within seconds, water began coming out his mouth and nose. The man soon collapsed to the pavement, dead.

"Pillager, we discussed this," Reiss chided.

Pillager just shrugged. "I didn't like the way he was looking at me."

Not even Ian seemed very disturbed by the sudden, unprovoked death of one of his men.

As Reiss' men got out of the vans and Ian's men went to take over, Kenny's people struck. In the chaos, Levi swooped down off his perch and went straight for Pillager. Don't waste time fooling around with this fucker. Doing so will mean people dying like last time with Bombastic. Chances were that Pillager never knew what hit him. As soon as he was close enough, Levi's jet-black wings snapped forward and the result was almost as spectacular as when he'd hit Harbinger. Some of Kenny's men had already driven off with four of the vans, but the firefight continued. Ian took a bullet through the heart.

Kenny's men suddenly backed off. The Commander, Bloodhound, Static and Codex showed up on the scene. Reiss' and Ian's men scattered in all directions. Reiss himself had left in his limo the instant the fight had begun.

Levi left the scene as well, his job done. Kenny had gotten only half the guns, but that was more than enough. As he flew off in the direction Kenny had gone, he stopped on a rooftop when he began to wretch. Luckily, he'd not eaten anything today, knowing that his purpose tonight was to kill a Super villain. It took him a couple minutes to catch his breath and continue on.

A few blocks away he spotted Kenny atop an apartment building in a fighting stance facing The Commander. The Commander was more than a little surprised when Levi suddenly landed between him and Kenny and snarled, "Back off, Commander."

"This man is Kenneth Ackerman. He's the leader of this city's largest crime syndicate," Erwin explained calmly.

"I'm aware of that. He's also the reason that Reiss won't be getting a foothold in Mitras. He's the reason the small business district is so prosperous now. He's the reason all of the citizens and business owners live and work free from extortion and gang violence. He's also the best source of information on criminal activity in this city. I won't let you take him in," Levi challenged.

There was no mistaking the surprise on Erwin's masked face. "So, you're protecting him? I see. You never cease to amaze me, Raven Knight."

"Don't call me that."

Erwin ignored him, seeing the opportunity he'd been waiting for. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll leave Ackerman and his syndicate alone if you will join the Scouting Regiment. I'll even let him keep the guns he took tonight."

"What?" Levi snarled in venomous fury.

"Join the Scouts, Raven Knight. Help us take down Titan and protect Mitras. My only condition is that you not kill anyone. If you don't join, I will turn Ackerman over to the police. With the list of crimes currently attributed to him, he would never see the outside of a prison again."

Levi's growl was threatening. "You bastard. This is extortion."

Erwin's face remained expressionless. "True, but I will use any leverage I can get. I need your strength."

Levi glared at the blond furiously. "You fucking bastard."

"You already work with us much of the time anyway. Now our resources will be combined. Lend me your strength, Raven Knight, and let us lend you ours. Let your strength cover our weaknesses and our strength cover yours. This arrangement will benefit all of us. You see, not only will we turn a blind eye to Kenny's criminal activity; we will also protect him as you do and support him in protecting the people in his territory. There really isn't a downside to you joining us."

Levi's glare never wavered. That arrogant blond bastard! I hate when he's right! "Fine," he snarled. "I'll join the Scouts."

"Excellent. Come by headquarters in the morning and we'll get you orientated and set up with a uniform and equipment." With that, The Commander flew away.

"I hate to admit it," Kenny started. "But the blond fucker's right. You already work with them quite a bit, and if you're gonna end up going against Titan, the more backup you have, the better."

"Yeah. I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't like working with my hands tied."


Levi was still fuming when he arrived at Scout headquarters just before sunup. Hange was waiting for him in the shadows by the alleyway door. They let out an excited squeal and threw their arms around him and spun him around. "I'm so happy! Now we get to work together."

"We already work together, you idiot," Levi bit back breathlessly.

"Yeah, but this is different. It's better! We get to share the same workspace and see each other every day!" they gushed as they released him.

Levi rolled his eyes as he followed them inside. Hange indicated the only door in the hallway before stairs and elevator at the end. "That's the locker room. There's a shower and workout room and firing range and laundry and mini kitchen and sofa in there. There's a separate room in there for treatment of injuries and such." They led him to the stairs. "Downstairs are the holding cells and interrogation rooms. And you already know what's upstairs. Let's go."

As they entered the common room at the top of the stairs, Hange immediately pointed out doors on either side of the freight elevator Levi had used a few weeks ago. "The one on the left is the kitchen. We often have dinner and/or breakfast here. The one on the right is a bathroom. Upstairs is the apartment and storeroom. So that's Scout headquarters."

Mike approached them with his hand extended out to Levi. "Welcome to the team."

"Thrilled," Levi said dryly.

Mike lowered his hand and chuckled. "Erwin said you might be a little testy about it. Either way, I'm glad you joined us."

"Frankly, I'm not so sure this short, dark and scary asshole is worth it," Static commented as she came in from the kitchen. In spite of her acid words she offered him her hand. "My name's Nanaba, by the way. I'm Mike's wife."

Levi actually accepted her hand. "You must have a thing for big noses," he stated flatly.

"I think it's his best feature . . . well, second best. The man's hung like a horse," Nanaba responded.

Mike turned dark red in an instant and mumbled, "Nana, please!"

Levi decided in that moment that he liked Nanaba.

"Ah, Levi. Glad you could make it," Erwin greeted as he came out of the bathroom, dressed in a business suit.

"Can the pleasantries, Eyebrows. We all know you blackmailed me into this," Levi snapped.

"I think you'll find that it's not so bad working with us," Erwin stated seriously. "Working with a team of people you can trust has considerable advantages. You'll find that you are far more effective with a varied team to back you up. Our strengths will compensate for your weaknesses and vice versa."

"I fail to see why you would want a monster like me on your team," Levi argued. "Why would you ever trust someone like me?"

"Because your single purpose in life is to protect others. You've become a monster to protect the innocent from even more terrifying monsters. All of us have done the same. Regardless of my beliefs on killing, Levi, my hands are no less stained with blood than yours. Working with us, you'll gain self control and reach your full potential as a protector of humanity. You'll become even stronger than you already are."

I really hate that this smug bastard is right. "Fine. Whatever. I've had a long night and need some sleep, so if that's all, I'll be going."

"Just a moment, Levi. I have a few things for you." Erwin went to a door beside entrance. It turned out to be a closet. The blond returned with a bag and a uniform.

Levi glared at the black costume that he was certain would leave no part of his physique to the imagination; the others' costumes sure as hell didn't. On the left breast of the costume was a pentagonal grey shield with a pair of stylized wings over it; a white wing overlapping a dark blue wing. Identical insignia were on the costumes of the other four. The back had slits to allow his wings through and there was an equipment belt that was in much better condition than the frayed one Levi currently wore. There was even a holster for his gun. The boots were black and went all the way up to the knees. In the bag was a communication ear piece, a laptop computer, a phone, a fake driver's license, three credit cards and . . . "Is that a freaking chocolate kiss?!"

"That was my idea," Hange sang.

Levi groaned. "What a weirdo," he mumbled under his breath. "Well, if that's all, I'll be going now. See you tonight." He left no room for argument as he walked out the door.

Erwin watched out the window to make sure Levi had left the building, then turned to Hange. "Are you sure you haven't been able to find a residence or identification for him?"

"Nope. He just doesn't exist. I thought maybe he stayed at one of Kenny Ackerman's many homes throughout the city, but he doesn't seem to. No driver's license, no credit cards, no bank accounts, no fingerprints, no aliases that I can find; it's like he's a figment of our imagination."

"There's a mangled Super in the downtown morgue that proves he's not a figment of anyone's imagination," Erwin countered. "A very unusual attack."

"I call it a Pressure Bomb," Hange announced. "He's using a highly compressed sonic shockwave combined with what seems to be a gravity well to keep the shockwave localized to crush the target. It's quite remarkable, really. I've seen him use a less powerful version I like to call Thunder Shock."

Mike and Erwin just shook their heads at Hange, and Nanaba returned to the kitchen, knowing there was no stopping the tide of scientific excitement now spilling from Hange's mouth.


As promised, Levi showed up that evening. He complained about how ridiculous he looked in the costume and "wasn't indecent exposure illegal" and he that was "unaware that the Super Hero business was all about kinky sex fetishes". In spite of all his fussing, the suit was comfortable, and he mentally admitted to himself that he looked totally hot in it. At least my wings cover my ass, but I'll have to wrap my wings around me if I suddenly pop an awkward boner while out there. I may look hot in this, but that doesn't mean I want to be seen in public like this!

The scouts did possess a car, a rather ordinary looking dark blue Chrysler Town and Country mini van. While it looked ordinary on the outside, inside was a whole other story. Hange'd had great fun retrofitting the vehicle. It had a powerful V8 engine with a nitro-booster installed. The tires were slash proof and bullet proof. The glass and body of the van were the same. It could withstand a rocket or a grenade explosion. It had countless sensors that detected weather conditions, temperature, infrared and ultraviolet light as well as X-ray and electromagnetic fields. It had both defensive and offensive weapons, including flares and an electric discharge that would stun any people in contact with the outside of the vehicle. It was its own traveling Wi-Fi hot spot, with satellite and cellular communication abilities and had security codes and firewalls that were even tougher than the Brigade's.

Levi's, "Not bad," was high praise and Hange knew he was impressed. They took his car and added a number of extra features to it as well. The unassuming little grey Kia Soul had extra weight added to the undercarriage to lower the center of gravity and reduce rollover risk. It received the same chemical bonding that made the van knife, bullet and explosion proof. Many of the same sensors were added. The windshield now had an infrared matrix that would allow him to drive at night with the headlights off and still see where he was going. Like the van, the windows could be blacked out, so no one could see in. Hange also added a secure Wi-Fi hot spot and satellite communications system and a more powerful, though compact V6 engine with 4-wheel drive on demand.

In all honesty, Levi had to admit that life didn't really change much now that he was 'officially' a member of the Scouting Regiment. One advantage he really liked was that he no longer had to use the local YMCA to work out and get a shower. He just worked out and showered every morning in the locker room at Scout headquarters before returning to his little corner of an abandoned warehouse to sleep. One morning, however, he discovered he'd been followed. Damned smug bastard, Levi thought.

"Is this really where you live, Levi?" Erwin asked in disbelief as he walked across the open space towards him.

"Yeah. So? What's it to you?" Levi snapped defensively. "And what gives you the right to go nosing into my personal business anyway, hmm?"

"I worry about you."

"Why?"

"I always worry about my friends."

"We're not friends, Erwin. Now what are you doing here? Those bank robbers last night were tougher than usual. Not to mention every seedy scumbag and their uncle was out last night. I'm tired and I'd like to get some sleep if it's all the same to you."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Regardless of how you feel about me, I consider you my friend. As such I worry about you. You don't seem to have any life at all beyond sleeping and crime fighting; no home, no day job, no identification other than the fake one I gave you. You don't even use the credit cards I gave you."

Levi watched the blond, no expression to indicate what, if anything, he was feeling. "Those are for work. So far, my job with the scouts has not required me to used them. As for a day job, my job is protecting the people of this city and it usually requires me to work at night. You are standing in my home right now. And, I don't exist, therefore do not require identification. Makes life a damn sight easier if you ask me."

"This place is hardly a suitable home for anyone except rats and cockroaches," Erwin stated. Levi wrinkled is nose in disgust at the comment, but Erwin continued, "and it's far from safe. I don't imagine you sleep very well here, seeing as you need to remain alert at all times to possible intruders . . . such as myself before you say it. The apartment above headquarters, it's yours if you want it. The facility is secure since only handprint and retinal scans allow anyone to access it. You would be safe, warm and I should think you'd sleep far better than you do here. Perhaps, with time, you'd lose those dark shadows under your eyes. Furthermore, the fridge in the kitchen downstairs is always stocked and there's a kitchenette in the apartment, so you'd probably eat better. I don't see evidence of any food around here, so I imagine you never eat here."

"Grocery stores throw out perfectly good food every day. It's easy enough to come by. It's called being a Freegan. Lots of people do it."

Erwin shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. "Indeed. You just don't seem the type. You're not happy unless headquarters is spotless, so you taking disposed of food comes as something of a surprise to me. Use the apartment over headquarters. I'll feel better if you do."

"As I recall, you use it for when you don't have time to go home before your day job."

"Rarely. I can use the sofa bed in the locker room or one of the sofa's in the common room just as easily. Take the apartment, Levi."

Silver eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you get out of it?"

Erwin grinned. "One less worry."


He wouldn't admit it out loud but having the apartment right above headquarters was beyond convenient and he did sleep better, knowing that the place was secure. Of course, he'd spent the entire first day scrubbing the place from top to bottom, not satisfied until not one speck of dirt or dust could be found. The following day found him cleaning and organizing the storeroom on the other side of the elevator. When teased about how much he liked cleaning, he scoffed and said that "like" had nothing to do with it. "I work every night out in a shitty, filthy city with shitty, filthy criminals. It's a shitty, filthy job that's surrounded by blood and sweat and God only knows what else. I refuse to live in filth too."

Unlike the others, who worked late at night, but when home to sleep a few hours before daylight, Levi worked the entire night and slept during the day. While Levi slept, Hange worked as a computer sciences and chemistry professor at the university. Erwin was a very successful businessman who'd inherited a massive stock portfolio ("How fucking cliché," Levi told him). Mike worked at the local brewery. He was one of the top 'cooks' in the plant. He was in charge of quality control and development of new recipes. Nanaba worked at a local music store and gave violin lessons.

Levi, being as organized as he was, kept headquarters clean and organized as well as keeping track of things they needed to stock up on as they ran out. He often found himself in the unenviable position of doing the shopping with Hange, the most disorganized and excitable person alive. He also found himself frequently teamed up with Hange on the job. He couldn't figure out why he even found them as tolerable as he did, but they did work well together.

One afternoon found Levi and Hange alone at headquarters. Hange was trying to identify a mysterious black powder they'd found during a drug bust, and Levi was just lounging on one of the sofa's working on something for Erwin on his laptop.

Hange's frustrated "Aargh!" filled the large room.

"When was the last time you slept?" Levi asked. "Between grading final exams, staking out the drug dealer's lab and updating headquarters' security, you haven't even eaten, never mind slept. Suppose I should be grateful you take a shower at the end of every night."

They whined pitifully as they tried to drink from their coffee cup only to find it empty. "I don't know. I think I picked up a couple of hours yesterday evening before going out. And now my coffee's broken."

"And you've been working nonstop since. That's more than 24 hours with only 2 hours sleep beforehand. No wonder you're having trouble identifying that stuff. You need to take a break. Relax. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I care or anything, but my ass is on the line if I think you have my back out there and you've fallen asleep."

"You know you love me," Hange retorted.

Levi shook his head, an unconcealed smirk on his lips. Hange was the only person to see him drop his guard at all. "I have an idea. We've both been stressed out and frustrated lately. I seem to recall you once telling me you'd enjoy playing with my ass sometime, and quite honestly, I could go for playing with someone's ass right about now too. What do you say?"

Bold as their words had been back then, they hesitated now. "But you don't even know what sex I am."

"Who cares? Both sexes have asses," Levi countered. "I told you before that I don't care what sex or gender a person is. It's just sex."

"So, you won't be disappointed if I turn out to be a guy?"

"Nope. These idiotic costumes of ours don't conceal much, so I already know you've got a nice ass."

Hange smiled as if genuinely touched. "Aw! Thank you! That's the nicest compliment I've ever received!"

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? No one's ever told you what a nice ass you have?"

"Nope. You're the first."

Levi shook his head in disbelief. "So, what do you say; shall we go blow off some steam together?"

Hange got that devious look they so often got when they became too excited over an experiment. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"