Chapter 11: Setting Up the Board
Jon Chung liked to think of himself as a man played by the hands of fate.
He hadn't been anyone special; just an ordinary Chinese-American. He would've been full Chinese if his parents hadn't decided to move out to the States. He didn't have a family, didn't have a high end expensive job, but he made enough money to live comfortably. The ABB came round one day, checked him out. Luckily, they considered him too weak to be gang material; all he needed to do was pay some protection money. It was easier not to argue; the sum they asked wasn't worth the trouble. Even those became routine quickly enough; just another bill in the mail. His life continued on, as normal as you get.
Then Bakuda showed up. And his luck took a turn for the worse.
She had him abducted, his pleas falling on deaf ears. He had feared that they chose him because they needed more members. Instead, they had him strapped to a table. The Tinker cut open his head, planted some kind of bomb against his skull, and then sewed him back up. He had been handed a gun, and was told that if he didn't fire, didn't do as he was told, or if Bakuda felt a bit bored, that bomb would go off. And take his whole head with it.
If he was lucky.
And then they went up against some kid villains and a new face. Some guy named Blacklight. He had feared for his life during the hour they gave chase. It wasn't that he had any strong feelings about Capes and parahumans. He kept out of their way, they were nice enough to keep their fights away from him. He knew that he would have no hope of ever matching one of them in a fight. He'd likely end up dead, or mutilated.
If he was lucky.
But then his luck took a turn for the better. Blacklight killed Bakuda in such a way that the bombs didn't go off. He, and many others like him, threw down their guns and ran to the nearest hospital. Those long hours were the most nerve-wracking moments of his life. Always worried that the next minute would be the one where the bomb exploded, where it killed him. But despite his fears, he went under the knife, and came back up with the bomb removed. The city was under siege by the ABB, but at least he wasn't going to die.
Then the ABB were wiped out. Their gang members were killed, locked up, or dropped their colours. Flag. Or whatever gang members dropped when they quit and run. He could breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, there were other gangs out there. Yes, they were fighting. But the gangs had always been fighting. They always will. Even if one side won, eventually new gangs would form, or arrive, or splinter off. And then they'd be fighting again.
Better to just ignore it and buy yourself that nice laptop you've been wanting.
But then Leviathan happened. His cushy job was ruined, his home damaged. Homeless forced him out, and he was in danger again. A man like him had nowhere to go. The PRT were too busy to help him; The Chosen would lynch him on sight; he wasn't skilled enough to join Coil, or Faultline.
So all that left… was the Merchants.
He hated it there.
Every damn day was the same. He would wake up to shouting, or fighting, or drinking, or people having sex. He would join a line to grab some food for breakfast; strictly limited. If it was all sold out, you had to take it from others. He was never strong enough. He could only grab it while others were busy, sneak away before they noticed him. But most times he was found out, or left starving. He had to go on raiding parties for food, loot the homes of those more fortunate to not have their homes destroyed. He usually tried to get in first, find the families before the others did. Scare them off, get them out. Sometimes, he was lucky. Other times, not so much. A few times, the others would divvy up the loot. That was what they called everything. Loot. Food, riches, technology, women. Anything that was a status symbol back at the Mall was considered loot. And sometimes, he got some.
Getting a woman was the worst part. They would be scared, fearful for their lives. Fearful of what would happen to them. When he could, he would get himself a room. Tell her to make some noise. Simply sat on the bed, never getting close to her. But always guarding the door. The woman would moan, would make noises, and when he thought it had been long enough, he would let her out and act like he had used her enough. The others would laugh, and give him a pat on the back.
But one day, they had found a family with three beautiful daughters. Young things, fearing for their lives already. They had divvied them up, but they all wanted to use them right there and then. One of them, the leader, he wanted the mother and the daughter. Force them into lesbian sex before they jerked him off.
Something inside of him broke that day. He had enough. The limited training the ABB put him through came to life; he killed all the Merchants. The women fled, and he let them.
When he came back, he told them about how he wanted all the loot to himself. The Merchants just laughed and patted him on the back. They didn't even care; it just meant four less men to share with.
On that day, the mild-mannered pencil pusher turned into a warrior.
His rage and hatred was tempered by his sorrow for their victims and his sense of justice. He would use his anger, his coolness, to force the others to kowtow. When they spoke up, or threatened him, he simply put a bullet into their heads. Cold, unfeeling. It was enough to draw them back into line.
Bakuda had been right about one thing. Prove you're the scariest son of a bitch in the room, and people did whatever you said.
He feared he would go mad in there. Always paranoid, always looking over his shoulder, always giving into rage.
And then Blacklight showed up, again.
He killed Skidmark and the Merchant capes; hunted down the worse of the lot. He actually saw one of his monsters near him, a scorpion of monstrous proportions. It moved far too fast, and killed far too easily.
But fortune smiled down upon him that day. He was left alone. He joined those choosing to stay. At least with Blacklight he had somewhere to stay, someone to protect him.
And now here he was, living in a real home again. It had been so long since things had been so peaceful. So quiet.
He couldn't go back to that though. Everything that happened broke something inside of him. He was a warrior, and he couldn't change that.
So he instead played the role of peacekeeper. Blacklight had not asked it of him, but he still did it. Anything to make things easier on him, make things stay peaceful.
Like right now. There was arguing coming from the house just up the road. Angry arguing. The kind that only ended with one person lying in a broken heap. He stomped over and slammed the door open, the arguing stopping as he announced himself. He somewhat recognised the two men arguing. One was a former Merchant, just like him. The other was one of their victims.
"Gentlemen, you are both disturbing the peace." He said, his soft voice at odds with his reputation. "Explain yourselves, before I find reason to believe you both guilty."
The Merchant pointed a finger at the other man. "This asshole's been using up all the water." He complained. "There's barely anything left in the reservoir now."
"That's rubbish. You used it all up. I can hear you running the damn thing for hours on end. And you stole cellphone." The victim retorted. He saw the Merchant's face turning red. He was a large man, maybe a former body builder. But he had seen the man running once.
The victim though… he was sure he was from the wealthier side of the city. Some of those people seemed unwilling to change, to adapt to the circumstances. He and his teams found some homes still running giant hot tubs, still throwing out half-eaten food.
Either party could be in the wrong. Either party could be simply mistaken, or lying. He would have to get to the heart of the matter.
"It is simple enough to check water, if you know how. Come, with me." He used the tone that few disobeyed. Both men swallowed, but joined him at the back of the house.
They had all been given some instructions; Blacklight had grown poles around the village, a list of rules and instructions on them. He prodded the reservoir with his gun, poking at three nubs sticking out of the ground. The bulbous ground before them opened like some giant mouth, a reminder that they stood on ground made from living things.
Inside, the water level was very, very low.
He shook his head. Well, he knew that the water was the problem now. But he still needed to find a suspect. There had to be something he could do. Some way of finding out.
Wait. He remembered something about the Merchant. He always fought for a shower, when they had enough water to use it. He always used it only for five minutes; you could set your clock to him. Every day, like clockwork.
He pointed at the man. "You. I remember you from the showers. You like short showers, do you not?"
"I do." He replied. "Was part of a big family; twelve people all in one home. But everyone was using up too much water. Not enough for the rest of the day. So I imposed a rule; only five minutes per shower. No longer. Anyone broke that, they had to sleep outside. I made sure of that. Then the Merchants showed up, took everyone… I fought against them, but there were too many. Must've impressed someone, because the next thing I know, they're offering me a job. And they made it clear…"
"You could not refuse." He had seen his old leaders doing something like that. "You are sure you are keeping to your limit?"
The Merchant pulled out his phone. "Phone's water resistant. I time myself, every day. You can check if you want." And so he did. He scrolled through the timer, noted the dates. All nine days since they got here, a five minute shower at eight o' clock on the dot. "This asshole, though, I can hear him singing for like an hour. Sounds like a damn girl. He's the one wasting out water."
"That's a fucking lie, you cheap money-grubbing bastard." The victim replied, moving forward for a punch. Chung fired a bullet into the ground. Both men jumped.
"Sing." He ordered.
"What?"
"Sing for us. Now." He raised his gun higher as he said that. The victim took one look at it, and started singing. His voice was… shaky. Low. He turned to the Merchant.
"That's… definitely not the singing I hear." He admitted. He liked that. It could be so easy to lie, to blame the victim. "When I said it sounded like a girl, I kinda meant that. Really high-pitched. And kinda screechy too."
"Is there anyone else living at this property?" He asked. "A woman, perhaps?"
The Merchant shook his head. "Nope. Most ladies don't like hanging out near a Merchant. Too many bad memories. Don't blame them for that."
The Merchant had no lady friend. But what about the victim? Did he long for female companionship? Did he have a wife in this crowd? But why not say so? Why look so shifty?
Both men started, looking at something over his shoulder. He turned to see Athena walking towards them. He felt the urge to go the other way. Old habits from when a parahuman approached him.
"Jon Chung?" She asked as she approached, her voice rather normal compared to her appearance.
He put on a brave face. Never let them see your emotions. Always remain calm, and in control. "Yes, Lady Athena?"
"Seen you playing peacekeeper. You're doing a good job." She nodded at the other men. They were standing as still as statues. "You're putting in some real good work."
"Thank you. Though I have hit a roadblock on this one."
"The lady friend? I can help with that." She tapped away at her wrist, and the floor near them changed colours. A screen. It had changed into a screen. It showed the house they were standing outside, the victim talking to a woman. She was clearly once beautiful, though likely everything that has happened has aged her. "This is your friend's wife. She chose to sleep elsewhere on account of his roommate." The image changed slightly. The same house, the man standing outside again. Only a different woman was talking to him.
They kissed, and he shoved his hands down the back of her pants.
He shook his head sadly. "Man was having an affair. Woman likely used water; stole phone. Did not want to admit it."
"And probably worried about what would happen if his wife found out his phone went missing." Athena finished. The Merchant glared down at the victim. He was opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words. "Blacklight might not care about adultery, but I get real pissed off about it. Consider yourself evicted."
"But… But... B-B-But you can't do that!" The man turned to face her, face alternating between pale and bright red. "Blacklight promised me safe passage personally, young lady. Said I could do whatever I wanted. And I don't care what power you have, you cannot order me around. I was important, you know. I was a goddamn CEO. I made more in one hour than most people saw their entire lives." He kept going on like that, boasting and threatening and outright lying. He was exactly as Chung feared. Too used to getting his own way, too used to being able to throw money and his weight at problems. But Chung wasn't listening anymore.
Instead, he was watching a very angry woman marching towards them.
His fellow Merchant chuckled. "And here comes the fireworks." He said in a low voice.
"Indeed. We should stand far away. Don't want to get in the crossfire."
"Amen to that." And they both stepped away, letting her pass.
To say her rage was short and swift was like saying that the Chosen have issues with coloured people. It just did not capture the full meaning.
It ended with the wife stalking away, the husband lying on his back, and two creatures carrying him between them. They moved to the edge of the village, and tossed him away like a sack of rubbish.
Athena nodded, and turned to the Merchant. "Well, guess that means you've got the house to yourself until we end up moving someone else in. We'll let you know when or if that happens. Also, we'll get some more water shipped over to here."
The man nodded politely. "Thank you, ma'am." And then he returned to his house. Chung turned to return to his rounds.
"Hold on there, Chung." Athena said. "I actually came looking for you for a reason. Not just to help out with that argument." He turned back to face her. "Blacklight's interested in recruiting people to work for him as lieutenants. Asked me to help him keep an eye out for good people."
He understood. "And you think I would be a good choice."
"If you're interested, of course. We're not going to press-gang you into joining. But think about it; instead of trying to sort things out half-assed and having people tell you to fuck off, you could be an official form of order around here."
He nodded. "Order sounds good. And I do not mind working for Blacklight. He's saved my life twice now. Only fair that I repay that kindness."
Athena nodded. "Great. I've got a few other people I need to follow up on, but if you make it to the throne room in an hour, that would be…" She stopped, looked at her wrist. The screen was flashing about something. "Hold on. Something's going on. Need to check it out."
He nodded. "Of course. I will join you then." He didn't know what he could do to help, but maybe he could at least do something. They hurried across the village, Athena outpacing him easily. He saw the commotion before he got close though. One woman was wading through the creatures defending them. They were smashing her, biting her, clawing at her. But she barely budged; just kept walking. Her hands lashed out, and she tore them apart with her bare hands. As they backed away for a moment, he had a chance to get a better look at her. She was naked, her skin striped black and white.
His blood ran cold. There was only one person that looked like that.
The Siberian.
"Oh shit." Athena gasped. "Chung, get people moving. There are bunkers underneath the palace; I want you to get everyone there now." She tapped at her wrist, and the entire place started wailing. The roads turned a bright red, linking together and heading towards the palace. "Follow the roads, and you'll find the entrances. Lead everyone there now."
He nodded. There was nothing else he could do. There was nothing else any of them could do. Siberian was a boogieman come to life; a monster that killed everything in her path. The PRT could stop her; the Protectorate couldn't stop her; not even the Triumvirate could slow her down. Even Alexandria, invincible against almost anything, was injured by her. Lost an eye to her; Siberian ripped it out when she slashed her face.
You don't fight Siberian. You just run, and keep running.
As he turned and ran, he looked back to see Blacklight rising from the ground before her, his beasts standing on either side.
Could he even do anything to slow her down?
Alex already knew who he was facing. Siberian was famous enough – or at least infamous enough – for most people to recognise on sight. And he had plenty of people in his head who could do that.
Question was, what was she doing here?
The first clue that she was here was when his eyes picked her approaching. Then she had stepped onto his land, and he immediately noticed that she was walking through his biomass. It had felt like a grater was being run over his skin.
He sent out some monsters to drive her off.
Imagine his surprise when they experienced pain. To find that their claws weren't doing anything to her, while she just pushed through them.
Dana was close to that area. He had to keep her away from her.
So here he was, standing in her way. A wall was forming behind him, cutting them off from the rest of the compound. He knew it wouldn't stop her for long, but it should stop her from seeing where everyone ran off to. Maybe confuse her, allow him to lure her away.
All he had to do was keep her busy, and maybe try to scare her off.
"What the hell do you want?" He growled at her, his voice even more distorted than normal. He had bulked himself up, growing bigger. Big enough that he need to crouch to keep his centre of balance. Armoured enough to shrug off a lot more than normal. Spikes and blades poked out of everywhere. To anyone else, it would look incredibly intimidating.
But the Siberian ignored him, moving lazily towards one of his monsters. A hunter. It growled at her, but she ignored its threats. Instead, she rested her hand under its chin, admiring it almost. There was a smile on her face.
"Such beautiful creatures." He heard her say. "So dangerous, so animalistic. Fury and violence given flesh." She turned to look at him. "Much like the one who made them."
"I asked you a question. Answer it, now." His spikes grew larger.
She walked towards him, hips swaying. An aura of seduction perhaps, of power. A lithe animal amongst prey. He refused to back away though. To do so was to show weakness, to show fear. As she approached, she spoke again. "I want you."
What?
Did Siberian – one of the most wanted people on the planet, and certainly one of the most dangerous – did she seriously come all this way to ask him out?
"You're not my type, freak." He replied. The Siberian just laughed at him, moved a few steps closer.
"You misunderstand. I am not interested in romance, or procreation, or your genes." She stepped closer again, almost at arm's reach of him. "We are known as Slaughterhouse Nine. And yet there are only eight of us." She moved forward yet again, rested her hand against his chest. "I want you as our ninth."
Oh. Recruitment. She wanted to recruit him. Well, that made a lot more sense. If he didn't have Dana, he probably would be exactly the kind of person they'd be looking for. A monster, a killer, someone who could slaughter hundreds without stopping. Near unkillable, near unstoppable, someone you'd run from.
Someone a lot like the Siberian.
"Aren't you tired of pretending?" She continued, always moving closer. "Aren't you tired of playing by their rules? You hide your real self behind these walls, these ordered buildings. Make them appear like everyone else. But that is not your nature. You are a hunter, you are a warrior. You live to fight and kill. Why lock it away from the world?" She was close enough now that her face took up his whole view.
He grabbed her by one arm. It wouldn't stop her from moving, but it got his point across. "There's a damn good reason I keep myself on a leash. You and I aren't as alike as you pretend. We can operate on different levels of killing. You kill by the dozens, maybe even the hundreds, if you went all out. When I hold back, I start with hundreds. If I go all out, if I let my nature free… I move onto millions. Billions. I could destroy the world."
"Then why don't you?" That kind of question made him glad he had a mask on. It made it easier for him to hide his expressions.
Destroy the world? Why the hell would he willingly do that?
"Maybe because I'm not a nihilistic psycho fucker like you. Maybe because I accept that as fucked up as the world is, it's not enough reason to kill off everyone indiscriminately. Maybe because…"
Maybe because I've got someone I care about. And I'll kill her along with everyone else.
He couldn't say that. Because if the Siberian knew that Dana was all that stopped him from giving up, she would hunt her down. She would kill her. And then he'd be fucked. The world would be fucked.
He glowered at her. "Maybe because I want to prove I'm better than the asshole that made me."
Siberian kept smiling. That same little smile, like his words were amusing. "You are… an oddity. You have the body of a wolf, of a tiger or bear. A body built for only violence." She rested a finger against his head. "But you have the mind of a sheep. Mindless prey, too naïve to know that they are being hunted. To know that death stalks them." She lashed out, the side of her hand slicing through his arm like a sharpened blade. He could actually feel his biomass being pushed aside by her flesh. She stepped back a step; his severed hand still hung off her.
He regrew his hand and had the old one detach from her. Rejoin his biomass.
"This city will be home to our trials, as we weed out the weak from the strong. Then we shall see what you are. Are you a pet trapped in a cage? Or a monster feasting on the weak like a king?" She smiled again, and turned away. Despite her words, despite saying that she was a predator, she wasn't going after his… people.
Did she believe that he could beat her if pushed? Or was she just not interested in the hunt right now?
Well, whatever it was, there was definitely three certainties.
Slaughterhouse Nine was coming. The city would be their plaything. And people were going to die.
And it was up to him to make sure Dana was never one of those people.
Amy kept very still as she watched the little girl cooing over her father. Mark had been injured during the battle with Leviathan, nearly crushed between The Endbringer Killer and a building. He had survived, but only just. She had healed his body completely.
But his mind was still damaged. Things didn't connect properly anymore. She doubted he was even aware of what was happening around him. Could he even recognise them anymore?
Her mother and Victoria had begged and pleaded and ordered her to fix his brain. But she refused. Always refused. It was the biggest rule she had made for herself. Never alter the brain. She would rather her family hated her than break that rule.
Because once you started affecting one brain, it was all too easy to alter others. Like flipping switches, you could change it completely. And the final result was always horrible.
Not because of how messed up they would become. But because of how easy it was.
So she made up for her refusal by working the hardest to care for him. Helped him to the bathroom, changed his channels for him on the TV, fed him his meals. Anything that could make his life easier, she did it instead.
It was her penance for not being able to help him where it mattered.
But tonight was different. Tonight, she felt fear she hadn't felt for years.
Bonesaw was in her house. Standing over her father.
She wanted to run into the room and protect him. But her body refused to obey her. It wanted to run, to leave her father to die.
"I know you're there." Bonesaw said, startling her. She turned and frowned at her direction. "You know, it's really rude to hide in the shadows when you have guests. Come out and say hi. I want to meet you." Amy refused to move. She was a statue. Frozen. "Now don't be like that. I don't want to be here either. But my first choice was taken, and Jack always says that we should have a second choice. So please, come out and play." She pulled out a rusty saw from her apron. "I promise I won't make any changes to him if you come out now. I'll give you till the count of three. One… Two…"
Her legs finally jolted awake. They pushed her towards the living room, into the light. Bonesaw smiled as she stepped out, put her saw away. She stepped away and smoothed out her apron, bouncing on her feet.
"Oh goodie. I thought you weren't coming. Come closer, come closer. I want to show you some of my work." Shambling shapes stepped out of the shadows, jittering slightly and swaying like puppets. Her breath caught in her throat she saw them.
One was a woman, her spine made far longer. Long enough that it bent in the middle, the weight of her upper body too much for it. Her face had been cut apart and put back together again, made to resemble the face of a rat. Her fingertips had been replaced by machetes, clicking and scraping against the ground.
The other was two people fused together. The lower half was a strong man with large arms, walking on all fours like an animal. But his head had been replaced by another man. A thin man, with long hair and a beard.
They made her sick to look at. Things like this shouldn't exist.
Bonesaw beamed at her. "Do you like them? Don't they look amazing? Murder Rat here was some heroine called Mouse Protector. Acted really campy all the time. Bad puns, silly costume, all things Silver Age. Liked to embarrass her enemies, make them look silly. So we got hired by her arch-rival to find and kill her. And then we grabbed the other lady too, just to prove a point. Didn't want people thinking we're errand boys or anything like that." She turned to the centaur. "The other guy, I haven't come up with a name for yet. The guy at the bottom was called Carnal. Healer. Pretty strong, and healed by bathing in blood. He thought he was tough enough to join us, but he failed his tests. Jack gave him to me to have fun with. The top guy though, he was named Prophet. Crazy dude; thought he was Jesus reborn. Can you think of anything to call them?"
"I…I…" She stammered. Her mind was whirling away. Was there anything she could do to get out of this nightmare? Maybe if she killed herself before Bonesaw did. End her life before she became one of her creations.
Anything had to be better than that.
"No? Yeah, it can be a bit tricky. I was hoping to ask Blacklight when I went to see him. Maybe I can get Siberian to ask for me, next time they meet up. Or he could tell me when he joins."
"Join? Bl-Blacklight's… What?"
"Oh, right." Bonesaw slapped her forehead. "Duh. I forgot to tell you why I'm here. We're recruiting." She beamed at Amy. "We had to pick someone we wanted to join, and see if they were good enough. I wanted to go and get Blacklight, because he works with meat just like you and me. But Siberian chose him first, and she was here first. So I had to choose someone else instead. That left just you." She clapped her hands together. "Ooh, do you think Jack would let both of you join? Then we could be a family."
"Family?" She squeaked.
Bonesaw nodded. "Yeah, a family. Siberian's the mommy; Blacklight will be the daddy; and you and I are the sisters. One big happy family. Isn't that swell?"
"I… I… No." She finally stammered. "I have a family. I'm not leaving them for… whatever the hell you're making." Bonesaw gasped, lip trembling and eyes tearing up.
"You… You don't want to be my big sister?" She whimpered.
"No. Never." She replied firmly.
Bonesaw took a deep breath, maybe trying to stop a tantrum. "Alright then. Jack gave me instructions for things like this." She smiled again. "Jack says that if they've already got a family, you just need to replace them."
No. No, no, no.
Bonesaw turned towards Mark. "I think I'll start with the fake daddy. He's right here after all." She pointed, and Murder Rat scrabbled over to him.
"No!" Amy screamed, rushing over and crashing into Murder Rat. She felt the blades raking for her, tried her best to ignore. She felt for the joints, the connections. She took them apart, dismantled them and destroyed the cells that made up the ligaments.
Murder Rat fell into a heap. But then the centaur approached. Stomped towards her and Mark. She jumped up and pushed against him, felt the joints again. Tore them down.
The first one healed up before she got to the third.
Desperation and fear bubbled up inside of her. He was a regenerator. She worked quickly and harshly. Tore him apart, inflicted pain. Tried to make him stop. He just healed and kept going.
She crushed his heart and disconnected the metal frame controlling him. He fell into a heap.
"Yay! Got him!" Bonesaw cheered. She turned around in horror. A metal spider-thing was crouched over Mark, needles pressed into his chest. She smashed it aside with a nearby lamp, but the damage had been done. He was dying from poison.
She reached out to him, started fixing the damage. But she knew it was a temporary thing. She could fix him as much as she wanted, but he was still vulnerable. Bonesaw could just keep sending more monsters against him, or invite the rest of the Nine around. She was just delaying the inevitable.
She could run for it. Leave him to die, warn Victoria and Carol and Uncle Neil and Aunt Sarah and…
And become more like Bonesaw. She couldn't do that. She couldn't live with herself if she did that.
So she broke her rule. She reached into his head. She saw the broken pieces, the flips that needed switching. She fused them back together, rebuilt his memories. Restored all the skills he had lost when he had been damaged.
Mark blinked, and stared at her like he was only just seeing her.
Then he flung one hand out, and the nearest robot was destroyed by an orb of light.
He jumped off the couch, throwing more orbs around him. Spiders exploded, or were crushed against the walls by concussive force. Bonesaw scrabbled away, another monster jumping out in the way. It was large, with long roots for hands. It stomped down the hall towards them, smashing the pictures on the walls as it passed.
Mark didn't back down. He simply kept firing, blasting holes into it as it got closer, backing away to make more room. Always keeping himself between it and Amy.
After an eternity like this, the creation finally fell into a burning heap. Bonesaw had plenty of time to get away. They both stood there, panting for breath. Tears ran down her cheeks.
"Dad. I…" She started to say. But Mark pulled her into a big hug.
"Thank you." He whispered into her ear.
She didn't deserve that. How much pain could've been avoided if she did this earlier?
How many more people might she hurt with this rule now gone?
Mark put her back down, told her to pack. Home wasn't safe anymore; they'd have to go to the Protectorate for help. She nodded silently, stumbled towards her room. Behind her, she could hear Mark on the phone, telling Carol the news.
Shame welled up inside of her.
Then it was overwhelmed by rage.
Blacklight. This was his fault. If he hadn't been so monstrous as to attract two members of the Nine, if he hadn't drawn them here at all, none of this would've happened. She wouldn't have had to break her one rule. She wouldn't have to run the risk of destroying people.
She wouldn't have ever been considered as monstrous as the Nine.
When Mark came to check on her, he found her room empty.
Amy was already running towards Blacklight's territory.
Incredible. Simply incredible.
Ragland knew he had hit a veritable gold mine when he was granted permission to study the Blacklight Gene. A quick test and study already showed that it was on a completely different level from normal biology. But the things it could do, the things Blacklight could accomplish with it, was simply staggering. He looked back at the samples and pictures he took of Blacklight's territory. Homes made entirely from the gene; an organic generator, a water filterer; beasts designed solely to transport water from the sea. Simply incredible to think that one simply gene, working alongside billions of its fellows, could accomplish so much.
And people like Piggot wanted to use it as a weapon. A crude and barbaric use of the gene. It was like watching someone using the Mona Lisa or a hadron collider to break stone.
He sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. He had lost track of time again. It was so easy to do when you were devoting most of your waking hours to learning more about an amazing substance. As was his duty as caretaker of Fireteam Prometheus, he checked up on them quickly. Petra was talking to Fort in the entertainment quarters, both seemingly at ease. He smiled as he saw them chatting away. Ah, young love. Of course, he was still enforcing the rule about no dalliances. Didn't want any bad reactions to happen. In fact, until he got full testing done, he told them all to keep wearing their suits.
Fredrick was sleeping away in his quarters, snoring away and holding onto some contraband adult magazines. He shook his head ruefully. How that man managed to keep getting those things in was beyond him. He noted down a reminder to talk and confiscate the magazine, and kept looking. Grey was in the arena, going through a training mission. He had been a lucky man. If Blacklight hadn't decided to help them, then he'd still be on the table, dying a slow death.
Of course, there were others who hadn't been so lucky. He looked at the camera set up inside Kim Sharpe's quarters. Poor girl; dead on the scene. Blacklight punched right through her, and the gene did the rest. They didn't even have so much as a finger to bury. Beside him on the desk was a set of files containing possible replacements for her.
He hadn't look at them too closely yet. He didn't want to force anyone through the process just yet. Not until he found a way to make it safer, make it symbiotic.
Getting to there would make Piggot happy. But that was just the first step. From there, the gene could be made into something great.
But it was slow goings at that.
He would poke and prod the gene, forcing it through different scenarios to try and create a new strain. Most of the time, it danced to his tune. Followed the scenarios and changed. But then it would go berserk, killing off the new genes and evolving to be resistant. As though it was reminding him that it wasn't some dog he could put through its paces.
But he was getting there. Slowly, but surely, he was getting somewhere.
His computer started flashing a distracting red light and making a low rapid beep. He frowned as he turned back to it. There were so many different alerts and warnings that could pop up here, that he couldn't even keep track of them all. Was this an alert of an outbreak? A warning of a failure in his latest test? Some new alert that the team was ignoring a rule or something?
It turned out to be an alert that one of the guards hadn't reported back at his post after a patrol.
He frowned and sighed as he saw it. Damn thing. The guard was probably dawdling or something like that. Or maybe he had joined Petra and Fort. He'd reprimand the man, but he would hardly report it to Piggot.
His comms crackled. "Doctor, Grey here." His rumbling voice came out. Ragland grabbed the comms, pulling it close.
"Hello Grey. Done with your workout now?" He asked.
"Doctor, we have a problem. I've just found one of our guards lying down on the floor. His throat has been slit open."
Ragland frowned as he heard that. Dammit. Someone's infiltrated the building. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't Blacklight. "Understood, Grey. Inform Petra and the others. I'll begin security protocols immediately." He hung up and reached out for the button. The Big Red, the team had called it. Immediate lockdown of the building, and a secondary button outside the facility that would cleanse the compound with fire. Extreme, but necessary. But as his hand hovered over it, he thought he saw something reflected in the wall before him. A white figure, holding one finger up. Waving it. Completely faceless…
He gave a resigned sigh. Oh, just fantastic. Mannequin had broken in.
He'd actually prefer Blacklight in here. At least he could be reasoned with. And make this quick.
"Alright, alright. I'm moving away from the button." He said, raising his hands above his head and rolling away. When he was a good distance from it – far enough that he couldn't reach it before Mannequin reached him – he stopped and turned towards his executioner.
He had heard about Mannequin before. Originally Alan Gramme, a Tinker specialising in biomes, terraforming, and ecosystems. Going under the name Sphere, he had started a project to create biospheres on the moon. A way for people to move to beyond our world, and maybe even further. After that, he said he would find a way to solve world hunger, and build aquatic cities for places suffering from overcrowding. It all sounded too good to be true.
And thanks to an attack by the Simurgh killing his wife and child, it was.
He went mad with grief, and became a serial killer focusing on rogues, Tinkers… and people trying to make the world a better place. People who could succeed where he failed.
Ragland knew which category he fitted into.
Mannequin swayed where he stood finger still wagging. His body had been… well, altered was too mild a word. He mutilated himself, replaced almost everything with self-contained limbs. Each connected by chains and other hidden connectors. He was like a puppet, dancing on someone's strings. Of his face, only slight indents marked it out on his face.
Ragland found himself feeling a bit thirsty. It'd be a shame if he died with a parched throat.
"I… I think it's obvious why you're here." He said. Fireteam Prometheus could take Mannequin down. Maybe if he talked, he could keep him busy until they came to check on him. Surely they're wondering why he hadn't engaged the security measures. "You somehow found out about my work. Don't know how you did, though." Mannequin tilted his head. "But I suppose that's not what's important right now."
"We both know I'm nothing special. I'm not a Tinker, I'm not a rogue. I'm just a man chosen to oversee the project. Sure, there will be setbacks. The next men will have to learn anything all over again. But there will be others. This is too big to just ignore, to just throw away. Killing me is going to stop things short-term, at best. Why, I'd imagine that the director already has someone lined up to take my place. If you leave now, you could probably get out before anyone spots you. But if you stay, if you try to kill me… Then I'll at least have the pleasure of taking you with me."
Mannequin responded by extending blades from his arms and legs. Ragland jumped towards the button; hopefully he could hit it with his corpse when he died. Mannequin jumped towards him, moving much faster.
But then the door was smashed open, and smacked into Mannequin, sending him crashing to the ground in pieces. Fireteam Prometheus stood in the doorway, ready for combat.
Ragland smacked into the button, pushing it down before falling off the desk. Alarms blared loudly as panels slammed down over the windows. Prometheus stepped inside as the secondary door slammed shut behind them.
He may have just locked them all in with Mannequin. But at least he won't get out of here.
Being the civilian, he considered it a matter of preservation to cower under his desk like a child.
"Fireteam, surround and engage." Petra ordered. They all spaced out, Fort standing before Ragland to guard him. Mannequin tossed the door aside and pulled himself together. He noted the team, likely saw how they had him outnumbered.
They all knew how this was going to end. They weren't going to try and bring him in alive. A kill order had been placed on all members of Slaughterhouse Nine.
He jumped up to the ceiling, latching on like a lizard. Scurrying towards Ragland's position, he spun as he dropped down again, blades extending as he did so. They raked over the team's armour, he dodged Fort's acid blasts, and then ran him through before somersaulting over.
Unfortunately for Mannequin, that wasn't enough.
Fort grabbed him by the leg and slammed him down, jamming his acid gun against his chest and firing it. Mannequin fired off an electric charge, forcing Fort back as his body spasmed. Mannequin fired his arms at Ragland, the chains holding them melting away. Ragland tried to roll away, but there wasn't a lot of room beneath his desk. One blade pinned his arm against the wall; the other went through his stomach. He yelled in pain as Prometheus engaged. He didn't really see what happened down there, but he didn't need to. Acid dripped on the ground; melted plating followed. He saw Mannequin's leg get pinned by a series of spikes, Grey grabbing him before he could escape again. He slammed his armoured fist against his chest once, twice, three times. It cracked apart, and fluids leaked out everywhere.
And then he kept going, until Mannequin was pounded flat like a pancake.
Things became a bit brighter as his desk was thrown aside, Petra standing over him. "Get this lockdown aborted and a medic in here!" She shouted to someone. "Hang in there, doctor. We'll get you through this."
Everything started getting darker. The pain grew weaker as he felt blood pressing against his side.
"Don't… Don't remove… the blades." He remembered ordering before he passed out. "Can… cause… bleed… out."
Theo Anders was watching TV when he first felt that something was off. First it had been his little sister Aster crying. Then it had been her being quiet. Likely their foster parents were taking care of her, keeping her quiet and fed or whatever she needed.
After Purity went missing, he and Aster had been taken into Child Care. They started doing that before, but at least now Purity wasn't around to try and take them back.
But then he heard a dripping sound. He turned round to see a dark liquid flowing out into the hallway. Curious, he had gone to have a look at it.
He rounded the corner to see his foster mother hanging by her ankle, blood dripping from her slashed throat.
Theo had seen enough horror films to know to get out pronto. But as he ran towards Aster's room, he stumbled over something. His foster father. Except that he was missing his head.
But if they were dead, then who was keeping Aster quiet?
He peeked into the room, saw a man standing over her and tickling her with his index finger. He was the kind of man that girls considered handsome, with slicked back long dark hair and a little trimmed beard. He wore tight jeans, and a white shirt.
In his free hand was a bloody knife.
Theo nearly gulped aloud. Jack Slash. Jack Slash was in his house, with his little sister.
This was a good time to run. He knew he'd hate himself forever for leaving his sister to die, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he could somehow distract Jack Slash and lead him away, grab Aster, and then make it out without being seen… Well, just one of those would be tricky. And if he got spotted, forget about running away. Jack Slash could just extend the edge of his blade, cut him down before he took three steps. No, he couldn't help her. He had to get himself to safety. He had to warn people.
He took a single step back, and something went crunch under his foot. There was pain, and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop from screaming. He glanced down; his foster father's glasses lay shattered under his foot. Glass and blood was everywhere.
He was just about to pray that Jack didn't hear anything when he peeked round the corner. The hand with the knife swayed before him, at ease and calm. He smirked as he spotted Theo.
"There we go." He said calmly, like Theo was an old friend of his. "Wondered if I'd catch anyone with that old trick. Glad to see that I did; I'd feel a bit embarrassed if someone noticed the glasses right there." Theo stood stock still, ignoring the pain. If he tried to run, Jack would cut him down before he even started moving. By standing still, maybe he could avoid setting him off. "Well, don't just keep standing out there, boy. Get in here and check up on your sister. Little monster made a mess, and I don't change babies. Kill them, yes. But I don't do nappies." His tone was still civil, but he had stopped spinning the knife around. Holding it still.
The implications were clear.
Theo nodded shakily, and limbed inside. Aster's face was crunched up, a sure sign she was about to have a tantrum. And it might be enough to set Jack off, get him to start killing. He started trying to calm her down, grabbing the new nappy and getting to work. He hoped that it wouldn't be too smelly, hoped that it wouldn't waft towards Jack.
As he worked, Jack started talking. "Now, a bright kid like you is probably wondering what I'm doing here? 'Why would the great Jack Slash be doing in this little home, talking to someone like me?'" he kicked at a dark heap in the corner. "Well, I was originally here to recruit. Grab some new members. We make it a bit of a game; have everyone pick out a target, and see if they're up to snuff. Sometimes they survive; most times, they don't."
"My choice was a lovely little thing. Already broken inside, a ferocious beast that can carve a man in seconds. Sounds perfect for our little band. So I killed her hubby to get her riled up, ready for a fight. Some bland guy dressed in grey. Think his name was Fog, or something like that."
Fog. A former teammate of Purity's. Then that meant… He glanced at the heap again. If he strained his eyes, he could just make out a face…
"I even turned away to let her get changed; make things fairer. She put up a good fight, but I managed to win in the end. Since she failed, she had to die. Them the rules. So now I'm left with nothing to do while the others start having some fun." He snapped his fingers. "But then I remembered something I read. Kaiser's kid was put into a foster home a while back. There aren't many parahuman kids in this city; at least not ones that haven't joined the Wards yet." He shook his head ruefully. "Silly idea, really. A junior league of heroes, meant to make the world a better place. No seems to have any problems with the fact that they're putting minors into deadly situations. And they call me a monster."
Theo had finished changing Aster, and now had her resting against his shoulder. He jostled her a bit, trying his best to keep her quiet.
"Now, where was I?" Jack wondered.
"You were saying why you came to see me personally, Sir." Theo replied.
"Ooh, you're a polite one aren't you? But yes, I came to see you. See, I'm always thinking about all the lives I've impacted. The futures I change." He waved his knife into the hallway. "Take these two, for example. What would they have done if I hadn't arrived here tonight? How many other kids would they have looked after? How many kids would their kindness touch, turn away from being bad? How many potential heroes have I killed off or twisted before they even knew they were heroes? That's what I'm interested in. Seeing just how many lives I can ruin from a few small acts." He pointed the knife at Theo. "So you and I are going to play a little game. You're a third generation parahuman; that means that you're certain to gain some powers. All you need to do is gain those lovely powers and kill me before you're officially a man. How old are you, boy?"
"Fif…Fifteen, Sir."
"Two years. Two years for you to do that. If you win, then well done. You get a pat on the back for killing one of the scariest people on the planet. But if you fail, if you don't get your powers, if you don't get strong enough to kill me? How many lives will you affect in your life? Dozens? Hundreds? A thousand?" he nodded. "Yeah, I'd say a thousand at least. So, if you fail, I'll kill nine hundred and ninety-nine people in your name. Your dear sister will be the nine hundred and ninety-ninth. And then you'll be Mr. One thousand."
A thousand people? It was such a huge number, something he almost couldn't imagine. So many people dead. And he didn't have any say in the matter. If he refused, Jack could very well kill those thousand people today.
There was only one option available to him.
He looked Jack in the eye, glaring at him. "I will kill you. I will bring you down for everything you've done."
Jack smirked at him. "Good boy. Your time limit starts the moment I leave this building. Better get started." And he walked out the room, pausing only long enough to grab Night as he passed. He hummed a jaunty tune as he left.
Theo didn't react until he heard the door slam shut behind him. Then he placed Aster on the table and fell to the ground. He felt like his heart would burst.
Two years. Two years to gain powers, train, and kill Jack. A man who survived everything people had already thrown at him.
A fierce determination burned within him. He wasn't going to lie down and feel sorry for himself. He was going to do something. He pulled himself to his feet, and stumbled towards the phone.
He had to call the PRT. He had to get their help.
Jon Chung had done good work before. When the Siberian had attacked, he had led people down into one of the shelters. She had left shortly afterwards, but he still considered what he did to be good work. If he hadn't led people there, then it was likely that Siberian would've attacked. Athena herself had congratulated him for his quick actions.
So now here he was, standing outside Blacklight's throne room with at least five other people. Good people, hardworking people. Former Merchants and victims and newcomers alike. People who had gathered under Blacklight's protection, and were ready to fight to defend their new homes. They stood there, waiting for the moment Blacklight would let them in… and they would become his enforcers. His knights, Athena had called them.
They had been waiting for seven minutes now.
"Do you think they've forgotten about us?" The young woman next to him asked. "Or that maybe this is all some prank of theirs?"
"Could be a test." Someone else said. A tall man, lanky and thin. "Gather us here, make us wait, see who sticks around and who leaves."
Another man, shorter and wider, scoffed. "Well, if we have to wait for ten minutes, then I'm leaving no matter what. We shouldn't have to do this big ceremony bullshit just to become enforcers. Why couldn't he just have Athena swear us in and be done with it? Hand us out a badge or something?"
"Our reasons are not to wonder why." Jon said. "He has granted us safety and supplies in this troubled time, without asking anything in return. It is only fair that we sit and wait." Some of the others grumbled, but they all kept standing.
Fortunately, it only took another minute before the doors opened before them. They were giant things, heavy too. There was a sculpture on the front; some kind of monster, similar to the large beasts outside. Shrugging his shoulders, Jon led the others inside. They entered a large ornate room, all black and red. Light streamed through the large stain-glass windows on the walls, bathing the room in red light. At the far end of the room, sitting on a large tall throne, was Blacklight. Athena sat beside him, on a smaller throne. Two armatures extended before her, likely a screen of some kind.
The six of them kept marching forward, until they stood before them. Then, Jon knelt before Blacklight. The others looked at him in confusion. Blacklight shifted, as though he was uncomfortable.
"You don't have to kneel." He said tersely. Jon got to his feet again, standing ramrod straight. Blacklight shifted forward, leaning towards them. "Alright then. You lot know why you're all here. I need lieutenants, and Athena and I agree that you lot fit the bill. But before we begin, there's some things I need to go over with you." Jon nodded; he was willing to wait, and listen. After all, Blacklight thought it was important.
"First off, we should do some introductions. Just so that we all know why we chose you." Blacklight turned to Athena; the six of them followed suit.
She looked up, and nodded. "Ok then." She cleared her throat, and tapped something. A light shined down on the woman furthest away. She was of stocky build, looked rather mannish. She had long red hair, one side shorn. There was some beauty there, but it was hard to see through all the muscle. "Jean Kenneth. You were part of a team heading into the city to recover furniture and necessities from peoples' homes. Along the way, your team came under attack by surviving Merchants. You immediately moved to stop them, and protected a woman with a limp. Took out most of the team through being an intimidating warrior. Scared them off by yourself. Our Hunters gave chase, and you protected the others from a second team trying to ambush you." Athena nodded. "Good job. You saved some lives during that."
Jean nodded. "Always hated the Merchants. Was glad to pound some heads in."
Athena nodded again, the light moving to the next person. The tall man from before. "Mathieu Vance. Before you moved here, you lived in an area considered safe. Until the Merchants showed up and attacked the house next to you. A mother and her daughter, father divorced and living elsewhere. You could've run away; got yourself to safety while they were distracted. Instead, you grabbed a baseball bat and charged in, attacking the Merchants and getting your neighbours to safety. Then you ran, and you've been on the run since then."
He nodded. "Spent some time in Chosen territory. Kept out most of the Merchants.
The light moved to the next person in line. The short man. "Jonah Bennet. You too were living at home when the Merchants game to seize it. Instead of running, surrendering, or joining, you instead laid siege to them and kept the Merchants away for four days straight. They lost dozens of men, and they never took an inch. It was only when they threw Molotovs at you that you final ran."
Jonah shrugged. "I would've beaten out the fires and kept going. But I had some explosives in a chest. Fires started spreading to them."
"Yeah, we figured that out when the house exploded."
"Well, I wasn't gonna let some ratty bastards chase me outta my home and take my shit. I figured it was time to show them that they're not as scary as they thought." He nodded to Blacklight. "Good job finishing them off, boss. Liked watching them run."
"Glad to hear it." Blacklight responded. The light moved again. Another man. Dark skinned, stocky. "Greg Nate. Another who defended the team of civilians with him. Volunteered to be their guard; brought everyone back safe and sound after the Chosen tried to attack. Even managed to help the team's beast drive off Cricket.' She looked at Greg. "You're a brave motherfucker, aren't you?"
"I don't know about brave. My friends always called me the Leeroy." Greg explained, a wry grin on his face. "I'm the kind of guy who picks a fight with something bigger than me just because they're hurting someone. They even said that if Behemoth showed up, I'd charge right in with an axe and punch him in the balls before I realise who it is."
"Well after this, you should be able to survive your 'bad decisions'." Next was the woman standing next to Chung. A slim thing, also of Asian descent. "Natsumi No. According to our reports, you…" She coughed slightly. "Erhem, used your feminine wiles to convince the Merchants team that attacked you to leave your best friend go. Offered your body to him and his team, and managed to… tire them out before grabbing a knife and slitting their throats." If Jon had to guess, Athena was blushing under her helmet. He knew he was, and he had seen many women offer their bodies to escape pain and torture, and gain status. "Doing it once was… kinda heroic. Using your body to get close to other teams, though? Do the same thing? Blacklight and I agree that that was damn brave."
Natsumi bowed. "Thank you, ma'am. I just hope I'm remembered for more than just sleeping around though."
"So do I." Blacklight said. The light moved to Jon. He suddenly felt rather sweaty. Compared to the others, his deeds weren't quite as heroic. He may have saved some lives while in the Merchants, but for everyone he saved there were at least three or five he couldn't. And since leaving the Merchants, all he did was act as local police.
"And finally, Jon Chung. Forced to join the Merchants for protection, he worked his way up the chain so he could be in a position to help the victims of the Merchants. Ever since their dissolve, he's been helping police New Olympus and deal with the problems Blacklight and I don't notice." She nodded to him. "I know that tempers are high with all that's been going on, and Blacklight doesn't always know when there's trouble going on. Every little bit you do helps out so much."
Jon felt his throat become very dry. He nodded back. "Thank you, ma'am. I am honoured to be helping in any way."
Natsumi bumped her elbow into his side. "At least you weren't chosen for sleeping with people." She said with a grin.
Blacklight rapped his knuckles against his armrest. "Ok. We all know why you were all chosen. Now we need to talk about serious matters."
"Like if we're being supported by capes?" Greg asked. "Because even with your beasts, they're still going to tear through us if they give us a moment's attention."
"You'll be supported in a sense." He said evasively. "And don't interrupt me again. Now, you all are probably aware of my powers. I can move faster, hit harder, survive hits that would kill others, form weapons from my body, and create biological tools and creations. What you don't know is that these powers are not because I'm a parahuman. Because I'm not. I'm a bioweapon that appears human-like." He held out his arm, and the armour shifted away. It had changed into a large meaty… thing resembling the general shape of an arm. But one that had been grinded into paste inside a crusher. Or a wood chipper. The armour reformed, hiding the arm again. "Every last cell of my body is constructed from a virus, working together to form a humanoid shape and appearance. The upside of this though? It means that my abilities can be gifted to others. At the most basic level, I can use it augment you. To change you into the peak of human potential, and maybe even surpass it. But I'm offering something different. You will need to be stronger than human to fend off possible threats."
"To that end, I want to make you like me." The six of them looked at each other in shock and surprise. Jean and Jonah looked a little green; Mathieu was sweating.
"What's the catch?" Natsumi asked suddenly. "I mean, there has to be a catch, right? You wouldn't be acting so serious otherwise."
"There is a catch." Athena said. "In order to make you guys strong enough, the Virus is going to take you apart on a cellular level, and replace the consumed cells with more of itself. In layman terms, it's going to kill you and make a complete copy of you in your place. It'll have all your memories and thoughts; but you're still kinda… you know…"
"Dying?" Greg offered.
"You won't feel much." Blacklight said. "The process only takes a few seconds to complete. From your perspective, you'll have just passed out."
"But something else is gonna take our place." Jonah pointed out.
Blacklight shrugged. "I could go on about some philosophical crap about whether or not a copy is a real person, or whether your souls will live on, or something like that. But the bottom line is that if they remember what you remember, think what you think, and act like you would act, then they are you."
"What if it doesn't work?" Mathieu asked.
"The process will work. The strain inside of me has mastered the process. You'll all be reborn successfully."
"What are the advantages and disadvantages of our new forms?" Jon asked. He was going through with it; he would finally be strong enough to stop the people who threatened him. Help defend his city, and clean up the monsters that roamed it.
"The advantages can easily be considered worth the price. You'll show many of the same abilities as I have. Not all of them though; that won't end well when someone decides to take over. You'll survive lethal wounds with ease; if you are ever injured to the point of death, you can just gather more biomass to heal. You can do that by eating something organic. Anything. And you'll all be hooked up to a Hive Mind. From there, you can command the lesser creations through thought, learn what they learn almost instantaneously. And thanks to the Hive Mind, if someone out there were to kill you, it can load your mind into another Infected form. It will recreate you from nothing." He held out a hand, and several pedestals grew out of the ground next to him. On each was a head, marked with a different symbol. "And of course, thanks to your new physiology, I can load parahuman powers into your cerebral cortex."
"In non-nerd speak, he can grant you any power he's harvested. Only one of each, but that's still pretty damn useful." Athena explained. Jon could see the others glancing at each other. It was certainly a damn fine offer. No more worrying about dying; and they could finally become capes themselves.
Blacklight had been right. They would be supported by capes in a sense.
"Of course, there are some disadvantages." Blacklight continued. "You won't be able to swim anymore; your density will be far too great, and you'll just sink to the bottom. If the PRT manage to create a… unique type of scanner, they can detect the Virus making up your bodies. And there's also a more selfish disadvantage."
"You already mentioned it." Natsumi said. "You don't want us as strong as you so we don't try and take over."
Blacklight shook his head. "There's that too, but this is more if my body ends up destroyed. The Hive Mind allows you to be reborn in any Infected body; but so can I. And I place myself as higher priority than you."
"Meaning that if you die, and we're the only ones in the area, you'll possess us." Greg guessed.
He shrugged. "You'll be reborn in my territory if it makes you feel any better."
"And there's also the fact that you're made completely out of a potentially deadly virus. So no sex anymore."
"You can live without that." Blacklight said tersely. "So then, we've gone over this. Time to make a choice. You'll still be my lieutenants if you refuse, but know that anything that wants to cause trouble with me will have no trouble killing a normal human."
They stood there silently, likely still debating whether or not the process was worth it. Jonah shook his head and stepped back. Mathieu did the same. But Jon took a single step forward; Natsumi joined him. Jean and Greg shrugged, and stepped forward too.
Blacklight nodded. "Alright then. Jonah, I want you to go and organise our munitions stores. I know I've got organic weapons, but I'd still prefer to have guns in case someone's got an immunity to my creations. Your codename will be Ares."
"My choice." Athena said. "Where we came from, the guys that made Blacklight called him Zeus. Thought I'd go with a Greek theme to match it."
Jonah nodded. "Sure thing boss." And he turned and walked away.
"Mathieu. Your job is to organise a police force. Find people you're willing to trust, people who are interested in a pay check. You'll be going under the codename Themis."
"Yes sir." Mathieu followed Jonah out. As soon as they left, the door slammed shut again. Blacklight stood up before them.
"Whatever you do, don't panic. The adrenaline's always a bitch to work through." He said. The floor beneath them started rising, forming a pod around them. The air filled with some kind of dust, but Jon didn't start coughing from it. As he breathed in, a dull pain started up in his chest. It spread outwards to his limbs, and the world started getting darker.
When he came to, he was still in the pod. But nothing ached anymore. He heard Blacklight snap his fingers, and the pod melted away. He landed on his feet, feeling energised. He could see that the others were much the same. Athena and Blacklight nodded at them.
"Welcome to my pantheon." He said to them.
Jack Slash stood on a balcony, looking out upon the city. Areas of the city alternated between lit up, and completely dark. Those who had light, who had power, and those who didn't. In the room behind him, the rest of the Nine had gathered. Only one still missing was Mannequin; he went off to attack some scientist in the PRT. Mostly obvious fate was that he didn't make it.
No matter. That just meant that they had enough room for two new members.
"Everything's finally fallen into place." He said to himself. "Now the games shall begin.
And like the man said, the games shall begin. Only they're already not going the way Jack probably wanted.
Yes, I killed off Mannequin already. And Night, and Fog (Jack busted into the PRT to get Night). Ragland's been wounded; going to flip a coin on whether or not he survives. Sorry if Mannequin's death was too anti-climactic, but when you're seeing it from under a desk, you kinda miss the finer details. Plus, that is some strong acid Fort has.
Made some new OCs for Alex's team. Going to name them all after Greek gods, to try and stick to a theme. Most of them I'm choosing as I go along. Felt it would make sense not to have everyone become Evolved to begin with; after all, they're going to die and be resurrected. That would be pretty scary. But when – or if – Jonah ever evolves, I'm definitely giving him Lung's power. That's an Ares power if I ever saw one.
And yeah, Amy has a hate-on for Alex. I figured that quite a few members would want to go for Alex. Siberian because Alex is a monster, Bonesaw because he can alter the human body (imagine her with his kind of power. Brrr. Scary.) Crawler would be interested because he'd want to see if Alex could kill him to try and make himself stronger. And since I ended up cutting out some of their original choices, I had to spread them out a bit.
And yeah, no one responded to my questions, so I did the best I could. I still don't really get why Jack showed up at Purity's place in canon, so I had to make up some guesses.
Hope you guys all enjoy this.
