Hey Ya'll Welcome to another installment of The Wizard of Brockton Bay! I don't wanna hold anything up, so let's jump right into the chapter. Check the bottom for a longer A/N.
Last Time:
Not being able to contain his excitement at the prospect of his new items and ability to begin brewing potions, Jack made his way over and pulled out his Aspen wood wand before tapping the two small boxes and his small shrunken trunk.
Knowing what was inside the trunk Jack turned with a small grin building on the right side of his face and looked down to his left at Tonne.
"What do ya say Tonne? Wanna help me brew some Potions?"
BROCKTON BAY MASSACHUSETTES – INSIDE JACKS CASE
September 13th, 1998. 10:30 AM EST.
Jackson's POV:
Jackson took a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the strong smell emanating from the bubbling and simmering contents of his cauldron only a couple of feet away from him on the workbench as he brewed another new batch of Strength Potion to store away; hoping that he'd be able to put one of his plans to make money here on Earth Bet into action relatively soon.
From the moment that his extra small bit of potions supplies had arrived the other day thanks to Hermes, he'd committed himself to sorting through helpful draughts and potions, not only for himself for later use; but for potential sales so that he could establish himself a greater and more robust savings.
'I'm definitely going to need it. It's not like the potions can be replicated by anyone else anyway, which will go far in helping me get them designated as 'Tinker tech'. That should help me get past any laws that would hamstring me over the sale of them, as they're made specifically by me and they're unable to be replicated by any kind of mass supplier. So it's not like I'm putting anyone out of a job by doing what I'm doing. I'll just have to be careful about keeping my head down if anyone unsavory starts to poke their noses into my business. Thankfully, all of my other works have been helping so that I can mitigate that very thing.' Jack thought as he moved back to his concoction, briefly stirring the orange bubbling vat.
From the point that the idea had crystalized for him, Jack had easily segmented his day into what he foresaw would be his routine for the foreseeable future.
He'd wake early in the morning and ready himself, eat breakfast, and from there the first few hours of the morning would consist of him either preparing potions ingredients; or the actual art of brewing itself. Some of the potions he could and would eventually brew, often took days' worth of management so it wasn't as though he was wasting time with his work; and at points he had lulls to focus on his other efforts.
From that point he'd then spend a decent amount of his early and even sometimes the late afternoon with Agnes, bonding all the while working hard on his mental shields. He'd say himself that he'd made quite the bit of progress, as Agnes had commented the day prior that he was just about ready to start the venture into his mindscape proper as to begin its reconstruction.
'Once that's done I'm gonna feel a lot better about being out and about. Last thing I need is some 'Thinker' being able to get in my head. I know that that's not necessarily how it may work when it comes to 'Thinker' abilities, but I'd rather not take any chances.' Jack thought as he gently tapped his silver stirring spoon on the rim of his cauldron before setting it down a smidge away from the simmering brew.
From there, after his work with Agnes and into the evening Jack would work on his actual spell casting work, while mixing in some mundane workouts so that he could maintain his body. Jack had come to the conclusion that for his spell work he would focus on Transfiguration spells at first, as well as any and all avenues related to healing; all in the hopes that he'd be able to quickly and confidently go about mastering independent Apparition.
'The small audience I typically have for any of that not being at all distracting.' Jack thought with a rueful shake of his head, knowing that Tonne and Agnes both would typically watch him as he performed both his physical and spell related workouts.
Jackson's twenty-year-old body had been one of the times where he had been in better shape in his life back on his earth, as he was still young and actively in a more physical role for his time in the military. As such he didn't wanna become complacent here, and had decided to keep up as best as he could with the prior routine alongside his new abilities.
He'd probably never be a bodybuilder, but then again with some of the advantages through potions themselves and possibly through the avenue of rituals later on; Jack knew that he wouldn't necessarily need to be.
Sorting through his attained memories and what materials he did have access too had not only birthed the idea for his possible future business, but also clarified his own original thoughts up about how potions themselves actually worked; and he found the whole thing fascinating.
Potions effects could not be stacked, not in such a way that you could multiply their already sometimes staggering effects.
Attempting to take more than one of the same kind of potion would result in nothing more than horrible sickness for the taker as one could wind up consuming too high a volume of the assembled magical ingredients.
'Thank Merlin for Purging Potions I guess.' Jack thought, as he briefly remembered the potion that could be used specifically to counter said effects.
The Potion was quite basic, and its effects for helping protect a consumer's insides from Potion Poisoning was quite useful.
'That…or its ability to get rid of hangovers.' Jack thought, letting out a small snort at the idea of one day selling that same Potion as the patented cure that some adults would possibly kill for.
The same chance of poisoning backlash existed on the flip side of the coin, that being something that needed to be considered as well, as the same effect could easily be attained from taking multiple potions with the hope that the multiple magical effects would stack and give the consumer multiple enhancements at once.
One would normally think and hope that they'd be able to do such a thing, by going ahead and drinking a big stack of potions to make themselves a paragon among wizards and witches…
But said thing was again, not at all possible. At least not in the way that Jack himself was sure that some children going through the beginning of their magical education would believe once they began to discover the art of brewing Potions.
Some potions could be taken in tandem…but the list of what would work without making one sick was short.
Certain ingredients were actually quite common among most brewed potions, and in that particular vein things didn't become too worrying; though the possibility for overdosing on certain combinations of combined ingredients was still quite possible.
'For example: Billywig Stings with that horrible nausea they cause… not to mention the possibility of simply floating away.'
The biggest problem Jackson came across with ingesting multiple Potions lay in the fact when one considered the more exotic ingredients in certain potions, and just how they would react when mixed into the consumer's body with other mixtures that had already been taken.
Knowing what he already did know, Jack wanted to try and corner the market on not only selling what healing potions he could produce; but enhancement potions as well. Considering as far as he knew, there weren't many Parahuman healers to begin with…
'Pretty sure Panacea isn't even born yet? I may have to look into that sooner or later.' Jack thought, doing his best to consider what little Meta knowledge he had while knowing that if he could discreetly check on any of its validity he should.
Shaking his head of that particular train of thought, Jackson put himself back on track while gathering together his crystal vials.
The list of possible Potions that Jack found himself wanting and being able to brew and sell was a short but effective one, and while he was no businessman himself he knew that after sitting down with a lawyer to ensure that he understood things better; he'd be able to have a reasonable contract drawn up that would hopefully not only allow him to offer a bit of help to the police force and the local PRT branch of Brockton Bay… but also provide himself with a steady influx of cash.
'If that doesn't work out right away, there's always a few other options that I can run with to make myself some more money.' Jack thought as he considered his long-term plans and possibilities for a moment while removing his newest batch of Strength Potion from the heat to allow it its proper cool down time.
The level of planning Jack found himself having to commit to after really taking a moment and thinking things through was a bit ridiculous in his own estimation, but at the same time it seemed like the only way he'd actually be successful in his overall endeavors.
'Considering Earth Bet's a shithole, and everything just tends to not go well.'
The key thing that Jack needed at the moment besides more potion brewing materials, was money.
Enough money so that if and eventually when he needed more supplies, he'd be able to provide not only for himself and his magical beasts; but enough to provide so that he could execute his now budding plans to help try and course correct Earth Bet's downfall.
'After all, I'm not just looking after myself while working towards helping to try and keep the world alive am I. Every little bit is gonna help. The whole thing may not hinge on me per se, but I can make a serious impact.' Jack thought as he picked up his notebook to briefly go back over his notes from the past couple of days.
His work with Agnes in the 'Mind Arts' wasn't going to progress any faster unfortunately, as there was no feasible way to cheat the system and increase his productivity. It had to happen organically over what time he had to devote to the practice.
'Unless I had myself a Time Turner on hand… but it's not like I have one of those laying around now do I?' Jack lamented again at his lack of the powerful magical artefact for a moment, before moving and sitting down at his desk to refocus.
Outside of his 'Mind Arts' work, Jack felt things were going rather well.
His Alter's book collection hadn't actually all been of Wizarding fare.
In fact, quite a few of the assembled books had simply been mundane ones showing that his Alter had probably been a bit of a bibliophile; but amongst what books that were available that were for magical purposes Jack had found a book on dueling.
It not only covered the typical rules, regulations, and practices of the sport; but it also listed ideas for basic spell combinations and exercises to help build endurance for those that were uninitiated in the practice of the sport.
Since discovering the book Jack had taken his time to ensure that he was competent at casting every spell he could think of from memory; while also ensuring that he was able to cast without fail. Jackson also made sure that he was able to send the spells as close to back to back as possible, knowing that he didn't want or need a repeat of what had happened when he had attempted to use Homenum Revelio for the first time.
'Especially if I'm in the midst of a fight. I need to make sure that my casting is fluid, accurate, and above all fast.' Jack thought as he considered the building spell repertoire he currently had at his disposal.
After going over the finishing touches for that Jack considered the time, and that thought reminded him of how long he'd been here… and after dwelling on that thought he still couldn't believe that he had been on Earth Bet for a week now; even though it had been a very productive set of days.
Since gaining his Standard Potioning Water and implementing his new schedule he'd gained five newly owned 'Motes', as between his potions and spell work he had gained a wealth of experience; and the newly minted wizard knew that every acquisition was going to prove to be an absolute boon for him.
The thought of two of the specific acquisitions caused him to look up quickly and call out to Tonne, as although they had only still recently arrived…Jack as of yet had not communicated with one set of said recent arrivals.
"Tonne? Have you caught a glimpse of any of the Merpeople since their arrival? I've already taken care of the Graphorn's, but outside of the one quick glance I got I haven't really seen the Merpeople at all." Jack asked as he considered the two 'Motes' that had brought him the newest living additions for the inside of the 'Enclosure' in his case.
'Endangered Species: Graphorn, and Diverse Diversified Culture: Merpeople, had both brought him new occupants for the case.
'Endangered Species: Graphorn- You've acquired one of the few still existing and breeding families of Graphorn's. Graphorn's are still on the 'Endangered' species list even years after Legendary Magizoologist Newt Scamander did his best to begin breeding the majestic beasts, to combat that practice that put them on the list in the first place, as the wondrous species is often hunted by poachers. Graphorn's skin is known to repel all but the most dangerous of spell work, as they have hides that are stronger and more resilient than even a Dragons. Not only are they hunted and killed for their spell resistant hide which over the years has been turned into wizarding clothing and armor, but they are also hunted for their two primary golden horns; which are utilized as a rare component for some of the more exotic Potions on the market. You have in your possession an older adult male, a healthy young adult female, and their two recently birthed calf's. Raise them well!'
'Diversely Diversified Culture: Merpeople- Your underwater expansion of the 'Enclosure' has now been taken up as the dwelling for a group of Merpeople! The waters in the 'Enclosure' are of the kinder and warmer variety, and as such the group that has come under your protection is more akin to the fabled 'Siren's' of ancient myth from Greece! They are a wonderful people with a vibrant culture, and at the depths of the Underwater dwelling they will begin construction of their own city. Be warned: that they are a proud and capable warrior culture, and will only respect you so long as you respect them. You have much you can learn about them, and if you can gain they're trust you may even gain some help in handling any future underwater acquisitions. Like underwater grown Potions ingredients for example! Things like Gillyweed come to mind.'
Both of those 'Mote's' had left Jackson reeling, as he had not even once considered that he could gain creatures that counted as beings; nor had he thought he'd have ones that were considered 'Endangered'.
'The Wizarding World's system of how magical people treat other sentient beings still rankles me.' Jack thought with a bit or derision before he turned his thoughts to the other three 'Motes', and what they'd done for him.
While the first three 'Motes' had been taken from the 'Useful Items/Beasts' branch, his next two points had been spent in the 'Knowledge' branch.
The first 'Mote' had left him feeling underwhelmed at first, but after some delicate consideration of it…that opinion had changed.
'Understanding: Advanced Arithmantic Studies- You've devoted your time to the study of Arithmancy and are now considered a Master of the subject! Arithmancy is the understanding of the telling of the future through numbers! Your understanding and mastery of the subject makes it easy to make on the fly predictions based upon the numerical statistics of the probability of an events outcome. This can also be applied to long term planning of any kind that you would devote yourself too, and will help you reach your desired outcomes all the easier, as you will easily know the numerical chances of your success; and how to change it with other actions that you can take. Something to also keep in mind, is that Arithmancy is also a key component within the study of Runes, and your mastery will help you understand this secondary subject as well!'
Processing Arithmancy's actual value had taken some time, but once he had Jackson had been happy with the acquisition.
'After all…it's a far more practical way of telling the future than being a Seer outright. Last thing I need is to make a prophecy, since I wouldn't even know the contents of it.' Jack thought, as he considered how he'd already applied the new art to his plans; before turning his thoughts on to the second of the three other 'Motes' he'd gotten.
Said second 'Mote' he'd gotten had thankfully fallen right in line perfectly with the first, and opened some very interesting possibilities for the future for him.
'Ancient Understanding: Runic Mastery- You've devoted your time and energy to the study of ancient languages! For those in the mundane world this is simply a feather in the cap of the one studying, a benchmark showing high intelligence depending upon the language studied; exemplified by whether or not it is a dead language. Within the Wizarding World however, the study of the ancient languages of Runes opens many doors (some of the doors even being physical); the most common of all being to the realm of the branch of magic known as Warding. Ancient Runes is the basis for the understanding of how spells not only work, but how they can even be altered; so long as one has a proper understanding of the Arithmancy behind it. You now have the Understanding of a Rune Master, and can utilize this skill to interpret, utilize and combine Runes. A recommended place to begin with this new understanding would either be Warding, or even the branch of magic known as Enchanting. An important notation: Remember that Artifacts are not the only thing that can be Enchanted.'
Further reflection had brought his mind to the third and final of the three spent 'Mote Points' that had been used in the Useful Items/Beasts section, as he reached down to the inside left breast pocket on his leather jacket and pulled out the very last thing he'd received via his newly gained and spent points.
'Dumbledore's Deluminator: A curious artefact created by the legendary wizard Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The Deluminator is a curious object, one that is not only capable of taking light straight from other sources and holding onto it; but it is also capable of giving light where it is needed. Upon closer inspection one will see intricately carved Runes along the outer case of the marvelous magical object, as well as upon the metal casing on the inside. The Deluminator is not only interesting and useful due to its abilities, but in that of its appearance. The magical tool almost looks like an overly large cigarette lighter, and you can even sense the slight muggle repelling ward that is upon it; such a thing hopefully guaranteeing that even if one were to seemingly misplace or lose the tool it would not simply wind up disappearing into the hands of someone unworthy.'
"This thing will come in handy. I've already got some ideas on how to use it." Jack said out loud to himself as looked at the artefact, his attention being pulled up as Tonne apparated right in front of him.
"Tonne has not seen the Merpeople yet Sir, but Tonne will keep an eye out for them." Tonne said with a small bow as he looked back at Jackson.
Jack could only smile a bit at his diminutive friend before making sure that his journal was secure on his desk, before moving back over to the small potions station.
It only took him a few moments to vial his newest batch of Strength Potion, before cleaning his cauldron along with the rest of his tools that he used for his brewing.
Upon finishing that task Jack grabbed a snack before turning and addressing Tonne again.
"Alright Tonne. I've been cooped up long enough. It's time for me to head back out into the world. The biggest thing I need to do is ensure that I've got a passable identity here on Bet, so that may take a while. I've gotta do that so that I can set some things in motion for myself here. Can you keep an eye on everything in here while I'm gone?"
Jacks question was met with a slightly frantic nodding of the head by Tonne before the elf answered the question verbally.
"Sir need not worry about anything while he is gone. Tonne will keep a close eye on things until Sir returns."
Jackson smiled while nodding to his friend before turning and ensuring that everything was settled in before making his way to the stairs leading up and out.
Ascending the stairs and coming up and out of the case was a surprisingly surreal experience, as once again Jack was struck by the thought of not only the amount of time that had passed; but where he had spent the time.
'Hard to believe that I've really been here this long already.'
After taking the final step out of his case Jackson turned around and ensured that the lid was securely closed, before casting "Reducio" upon his mobile dwelling; shrinking it enough so that he could stow it into the inner left breast pocket of his leather jacket.
After that Jack turned back around and took in the room he was in…
And was quickly reminded of the promise he'd made before descending into his case for the first time.
"Homenum Revelio." Jack said as he raised his right hand slightly, bringing his wand to bare while keeping his voice low as he cast the first spell he'd tried on Earth Bet again.
As opposed to the first time that he'd cast the spell, this time he received results.
Slightly glowing dark blue orbs appeared within his vision, but upon closer inspection Jack realized that the two that he could see closest to him were probably in the house next door to the one he had taken refuge in.
'And they both seem to be on the ground floor and aren't moving.' Jack thought before moving forward and undoing the spell work on the bedroom door.
Making his way to the downstairs of the house Jackson came around the banister, and proceeded to make his way towards the kitchen before stopping himself.
'Now would be as good as a time as any to put a part of my plan into action. I'm gonna need to keep my identity as secure as I possibly can until I have my actual papers.'
Going back through the downstairs Jack found a brown wooden door that he hadn't bothered with the first time he'd toured the house, and upon opening it he found himself in a half bathroom.
Finding the white switch on the wall he flicked it up and found himself having to adjust to the added light.
After a moment he was easily able to look himself in the face via the white box cabinet mirror mounted on the wall in front of him.
Taking a deep breath and settling his own confidence, Jack turned his Aspen Wand back upon his own face and focused.
Over the past week he had practiced, delved through the memories of his Alter, and gone through the Grimoire that had been left behind.
Self-Transfiguration was often considered a fairly difficult, if not one of the Most difficult branches of magic to utilize; as well as one of the most dangerous.
Thankfully, his practice at Occlumency helped him to remain calm as he began to make the necessary changes to his appearance.
His slightly squared off jaw became slighter and more angular, his chin becoming finely pointed.
His cheekbones rose up slightly higher on his face, and became far more pronounced then they typically were.
His nose though not the largest to begin with, narrowed and became slightly more delicate looking than what a man would typically have.
The entire process felt strange, feeling as the bones and skin changed shape to match what he was willing his looks to now emulate via his mind's eye. Jack could only link the feeling of what was happening to his face, to the way it felt to play with kinetic sand.
After that first bit, came the easiest part of the whole endeavor; as he carefully changed the color of his irises from their typical deep and dark brown to a light almost lilac color.
The final touch that Jack added for his looks came when he turned his wand upon his hair and cast "Crinus Muto".
The very structure of how his hair sat changed from the typical low cut or shaggy style into something completely different.
Brand new hair sprouted off of his head in a steady wave, the line for the parting of it shifting so that it sat down the center line of his head. His hair lengthened and thickened slightly, coming to rest just slightly below his shoulders in a wave as the color shifted from its normal dark brown to a silverish white.
After taking a good moment to examine his looks to ensure that his physical transfiguration settled properly he then set about the next parts of his new task.
His wand waved over his clothes, changing the fit and style of his black polo as it morphed the shirt into a traditional black button down shirt with silver accents trailing down and around the buttons and across the collar and the ends of the sleeves. His cargo pants shifted in the fit to be that of a more formal kind of pair of pants, with slightly more open bottoms at the end of the legs. The boots shifted into a more stylistic form, the form taking on a more gothic look as layered edges formed at points along the back and by the tip of the foot.
The final change to his ensemble came when his jacket shifted to a slightly longer and more classical and Victorian looking style, with a set of sharp and thick lapels forming at the front.
After drinking in his new appearance for a moment Jackson made his move into the kitchen and looked to the knife block sitting on the black speckled countertop next to the sink, moving towards it before pulling out the steel and a long and thin carving knife.
Another quick set of transfigurations turned the single sided carving knife into a beautiful and intricately compact black handled stiletto dagger, which after ensuring that the edge was fine across the steel; said tuning instrument was turned into a small single silver plated walking cane with a black handle.
A quick transfiguration saw the once plastic handle turned into a sturdy wood, and a few complex charms for gouging and forming made it easy to make a place for his new dagger to be concealed in case of emergencies.
After a bit of inspection to ensure that things were up to a somewhat posh seeming standard, Jack made his way out the back door of the house and down the small gray three wooden step deck that was there to the now highly overgrown backyard.
With a few deft swishes and flicks of his wand the grass seemingly trimmed itself down to a respectable length, and any and all of the gathered trash that had been there vanished.
A single tree sat at the edge of the property from the one neighbor's yard to Jacks left, the tree sitting right behind the six-foot-high deep brown privacy fence; while a large branch was hanging from the tree which put it hanging slightly over onto the back yard.
With a quick set of 'Diffindo' and 'Evanesco' incantations, the large branch was felled and then cut down into a few workable pieces with any and all unnecessary remnants being discarded.
'I'll make sure to do something with a little more permanence soon enough. I'd go for an actual tombstone now, but conjuring a full granite tombstone may be a piece of magic that's still just a bit out of my range. For now, at least.' Jack thought as he went through the process of working on the divided pieces of wood, turning them into separate pieces while making them finely shaved before finally piecing them together as a full on cross for the fallen young woman's burial marking.
After using a dark 'Gouging' charm in the dirt that he'd read about in his personal Grimoire, Jack set the cross marker into the spot and then replaced the dirt; before casting a quick 'Orchideous' charm alongside a 'Color Changing' charm to make the flowers white instead of the traditional pink that would be made with the flower producing spell.
After ensuring that he was happy with the setting of the grave marker and its offering, Jack took a few moments to once more send a prayer to whomever was listening; the hope that the young woman's soul had found peace being the last thought he had before he strode back into the house.
After re-securing the back door again, Jack once more stepped into the bathroom and took a few minutes to look into the mirror, doing his best to mentally prepare himself for what the rest of the day may be like.
'After all, the image I'm trying to give off is a very specific one; and I need to be in the right headspace to give it.'
After finishing his mental preparations, Jack used 'Homenum Revelio' once more as he stepped towards the front of the house as to ensure that no one would see him step outside of the domicile; before quickly again repeating his actions to ensure that no one would be able to just walk into the house while he was away.
'Not that I should be terribly worried about it.' Jack thought morbidly as he walked off the property and to the left, making his way towards the marked bus stop about a block and a half away.
It only took Jackson a few moments to reach the stop itself, and as fortune would have it, not only was he the only one waiting for a ride at the stop; but the bus came from beyond the direction of the house not even a minute after he'd arrived.
The public transport wasn't in awful condition, though at parts along the bottom of the white painted frame there were obvious rust spots building; a clear sign of the vehicle being used heavily in a coastal setting like Brockton Bay.
The double doors slid in on themselves and Jackson stepped up the three steps to find himself standing before a wispy blonde haired, overweight, and deeply pockmarked man.
His dark blue bus driver uniform was disheveled and wrinkled, and the light blue button up shirt that he had on underneath the jacket was no better; bearing what looked to be grease stains from pizza if the lingering smell in the air was anything to go by.
The man went to speak, but Jackson only had eyes for the inside of the bus at that moment.
The bus had only one other seeming passenger than himself who was clearly passed out drunk at the very back, so Jackson quickly brought his right hand up; his grasp loosely keeping his wand right behind his new cane in an effort to keep it out of direct eye sight.
A quick swirl of the cane in the air while focusing on the feeling of a memory of his Alter using the desired spell he wanted saw it seemingly go off without a hitch.
"Confundus." Jack said as he focused upon the bus driver briefly, watching as the man sat and stared at him; his mouth hanging half open in his own attempt to speak for a moment.
Jack watched as the driver's eyes glazed over for just a brief moment, before the large man shook his head in a clear attempt to reorient his own thinking before his gaze settled upon Jack again.
"Your all good sir. Take a seat." The man said as he began to close the door and start the bus forward so that it could head towards the Docks.
"Thank you my good man." Jackson said with his best attempt at a posh yet drawled British accent while moving to sit in the seat directly behind the yellow line and the driver's seat of the bus, wanting to keep the best vantage point possible while on the trip.
As the bus began down the street Jack began to go over his plan for how he wanted the rest of the day to go, knowing that this would be one of the first big steps he'd take in all of his journey.
'Let the games begin.'
BROCKTON BAY MASSACHUSETTES – GIDEON'S PAWN SHOP – SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE BOARDWALK
September 13th, 1998. 12:20 PM EST.
Samuel Gideon's POV:
He stood behind the glass pane counter counting a decently sized stack of twenty-dollar bills as his meatball sub from Pirelli's down the boardwalk cooled, a burning cigarette hanging from his lips; half of the cancer stick already having progressed to an ash like state.
Thirty-eight-year-old Samuel Gideon stood at 5'8, and around 235 pounds.
His once dark and thick hair had receded deeply, and he barely had much more than a layer of light fuzz across the entirety of his head that now had a bit of a salt and pepper kind of tinge to it.
His once muscular and put together body had softened some, a slight pot belly now showing his overall lack of physical activity and consecutive weight gain.
He'd once been a member of the dock workers union, but times had started to change, and most of the commercial shipping business was now on the outs thanks to the arrival of the 'Endbringer' Leviathan; most companies shifting their transport methods to that of land or air based transport instead of by sea so that they wouldn't have to risk lives or millions upon even billions in dollars to see they're companies continued prosperity.
Gideon had cut his losses and left the company early as to avoid possibly being downsized, and with having already having put in the initial twenty years to the job it had felt like the right move at that time; as even though he wouldn't be getting his fully projected pension check it would still be a sizeable payment.
He was even now, already collecting the pension check; though it wasn't nearly the kind of pay out that he'd originally been hoping for.
The received income was barely enough to cover the meager payment he needed to make to keep his business running, and this wasn't the first time that he found himself thankful for the fact that he'd been frugal in his youth while working on his savings.
'Though in being honest, it's not like I don't make enough money…all thanks to this other crap anyway.' Gideon thought bitterly for a second.
At the very least he owned his building outright and it made it simpler for him that he owned it in its entirety, including the rooms above the pawn shop as it allowed him to not only have a place to live…but made it so that he could make his own hours.
'Not that the shops been the most lucrative thing overall. Damned gangs and they're damned freaks driving away all the legitimate business.' Gideon thought as he continued to count his money from the recent sale of the Stratton guitar he'd just sent off; taking only a moment to put out his cigarette in the nearby crystal ashtray before continuing with his counting.
His grey wife-beater clung to his torso with a thin layer of sweat building up underneath, the need to remove his unbuttoned and loosely hanging orange and yellow Hawaiian button down becoming pressing as the moments continued to pass.
Gideon took a second and did remove it, before picking his slightly sagging beige cargo pants up some; wiping at his forehead as to remove the slight layer of perspiration that had built up as he brought his gaze up onto the visage of his singular "employee".
Gideon's shop was not really the largest of pawn shops, and he didn't have the largest variety of stock if the truth were told about it.
The only reason he'd even hired the tall Albino looking man that was keeping him company was quite simple.
'Because I didn't have a choice. God's damned E88.' Gideon thought, a derisive snort almost slipping out.
He could ill afford to let the noise out, but he was sure that the man who was meant to be his "security" was already aware of his opinion.
'The bastard just doesn't give two fucks.'
Gideon was a 'Brocktonite', through and through. His family had lived and worked in the city of Brockton Bay for three generations already, with him being the most recent of the said generations.
But unfortunately, life was not always kind. Families rise and fall in America every day, and Brockton Bay seemed to be worse by a factor of five when it came to how terrible it was when compared to most other cities in America, though there were of course competing outliers.
Gideon was now the very last to carry his family name, with his mother Ingrid having passed only six months prior.
Upon the end of his work with the union and the beginning of his shop, Samuel had been riding high; thinking that he'd have the chance to hit it big and change things for his own fortune if anything. Maybe take the chance afterwards to settle down and try and have some sprogs of his own.
He'd forgotten that Brockton boasted a serious criminal element in his naivety, and within six weeks of having fully opened the shop he'd been approached with a 'business opportunity'.
Said 'opportunity' came via the Neo-Nazi gang, the Empire Eighty-Eight.
They're offer of protection had come swiftly, and at first Gideon had attempted to remain a hardliner.
Having grown up in Brockton and being of Italian descent, Sam hadn't been at all interested in the shakedown he knew that the scumbags were trying to put forward onto him.
At first the rebuttal had worked, as the two young men that had first come calling were just a couple of punk kids. Gideon had kicked their asses good and sent them packing, thinking that that would be the end of the matter.
'Or so I'd hoped. Pffft. Like a moron.'
Sam had been in better shape then, and though he could still say he boasted a decent bit of strength; what he was like now was nothing compared to how he'd been just a year or so prior.
The rebuttal he'd put up saw the gang send an 'enforcer' for the return visit to his shop.
The same s.o.b. that was now his security/minder.
He'd come in like a wrecking ball and hadn't even said anything, he'd just handed him the mother of all ass whupping's.
Oh sure, Sam had fought back and fought back hard; hell, he'd even drawn his .44 Magnum and plugged the bastard twice.
The world was a decidedly different kind of place though, and his assaulter had been a 'Parahuman'.
The Albino was dressed now as he had been on the night he'd met him.
Black wife beater, black cargo pants, and steel capped combat boots. The entire ensemble standing out as a severe contrast with his skin.
The guy stood at 6'4 and was a walking mass of bulging muscle, and rippling veins.
His bald head shined a bit, and if the almost bright white complexion wasn't eye catching enough; his eyes were the final selling point in the overall unsettling picture the man put forward.
Deep blood red irises stared out at the world, the eyes giving off the vibe of a predator lying in wait.
The Albino had been the first 'Parahuman' that Gideon had ever met in person, and he was by far the most unpleasant.
He hadn't said much of anything the night that they'd met and had said just as little in the whole year and a half since Gideon had met him.
The guy was stronger than Gideon believed most people could be, being able to pick grown men up with a single hand and toss them about as if it were easy. He wasn't much faster than a normal person as far as Sam could tell, but the one thing that truly set him apart and marked him as a 'Parahuman' besides the freakish strength was what he could do with blood.
He'd demonstrated the first bit of what he could do on the night that he'd lain the beat down on him, as Gideon had sustained some superficial wounds himself throughout the entirety of the fight. The man had lifted a hand and actually somehow stolen the very blood from him out of his wounds, said substance in turn healing the two gunshot wounds and the visible bruises he'd received via the baseball bat Gideon kept on hand even now beside his right leg below the counter.
After the beat down had happened, Gideon had been settled into routine. A slight depression had taken hold of him, and that was why he'd turned to food and drink to get over his new lot in life; leaving him to now stand in the condition he was.
His shop now kicked up twenty percent of whatever it made in general sales, and it was also used as a staging location for some of the E88's budding business.
The Neo-Nazi gang used his shop to stash and sell drugs, guns, and other kinds of illicit activity; the big one being that people would come in and speak with him for contact and contracts with the Empire.
The group was growing, and while the process was slow going, they were moving up at steady pace even though it could be considered slow to some.
Gideon hated to admit it, but even though he couldn't stand the fact that he'd been taken in by the gang; he was making more money than he probably would be on his own through the running of the shop.
Even though he was kicking up twenty percent from his shop as his 'protection fee', he overall seemed to pull in more business due to the extra services that he now seemingly offered.
'Even though I really want no part of any of it.' Sam thought as he finished re-counting out his newest stack of acquired cash before divvying it up for later.
His attention was pulled up and away from his thoughts and the money before him as the bell on the secondary glass door chimed, a new possible patron walking into his domain.
Upon getting a look at the guy Gideon almost found himself doing a double take.
Long silver blonde hair, high aristocratic features, fancy looking attire…
'And holy hell…those eyes. Are they…purple?!' Sam thought as he watched the man begin to slowly stroll through his shop, said eyes coming up every once in a while, to take in the overall view of the shop.
Gideon watched as the admittedly pretty man walked slowly through the couple of rows of scattered appliances and miscellaneous items his shop had to offer, before making his way to the left side of the shop proper and slowly walking up along the length of the segmented glass cabinets that held an assortment of jewelry, knives, and even a few guns.
The man's stride seemed slightly forced, but there was no denying that the guy was definitely of a different class than most others that had ever come into the shop before.
After a few moments the man reached the counter that he was standing behind, and though his gaze had yet to raise up to meet his own; Gideon got the distinct impression that the man before him was fully aware of his surroundings.
'This guy's cased an area before. I can tell. He's playing it off well enough, but he's paying close attention.' Sam thought as he continued to look at the man as he stared at the assorted jewelry on display in the case before them, meanwhile catching that his Minder was acutely focused on his newest patron.
'Oh, that's not good.' Gideon thought before clearing his throat and finally speaking to the man.
"How's it going? Can I help you with something?"
The man didn't answer for a beat, his eyes remaining transfixed on the display case and its contents.
Only another beat passed before the man's eyes came up to lock with his own, the lilac stare penetrating in a way that Gideon had only experienced with the Albino.
'Is this guy some kind of freak too?'
Gideon's train of thought was derailed as the man finally spoke.
"That…remains to be seen."
The accent was a little rough, but he was most assuredly British. The slow drawl of how he spoke made Sam feel as though his worth was being judged by the man, and he would have pondered why someone was that far from home had the man not continued speaking.
"I'm new to the area. Fresh off the boat you could say, but I'm rather good at keeping an ear to the ground. I hear…that you are the type of person that may be able to help me. You see with my recent…well… let's call it 'relocation', I find myself in need of some new papers. Not only for myself, but for one other as well. Are you following me, Mr. Gideon?"
At the end of the man's small speech Sam found himself having to take a breath, as there was something truly unnerving about the stare of the man before him, though he couldn't put his finger on it.
'It's gotta be the eyes, only other person I've met with weird eyes is the asshole.' Gideon thought as he briefly looked up and saw that the Albino was still laser focused on the man standing before him, before rubbing his eyes with his right hand and pushing on with the conversation.
"Yeah, I get what you're saying. I also do happen to be able to put you in touch with somebody, for a fee of course. You're not some kinda Narc are ya? It's not every day that I get a random Brit walkin in here askin after identity papers." Sam said, doing his best to be scrutinizing of the man.
If the line of questioning or tone bothered the man, he didn't show it; his face seemingly carved out of marble for all the reaction he gave away.
The man set his walking cane against his side of the display and reached into his inner right breast pocket of his finely crafted jacket; the action causing the Albino to stand up a bit from his more slouched position.
Gideon found himself having to try and discreetly wave the man down, as his patron pulled a small leather pouch out into his hand; his deft looking fingers undoing the string while causing a slight metallic clinking noise to sound out.
Gideon's mind wasn't even able to try and contemplate what the noise could be, as his visitor quickly pulled out a small stack of three golden coins; before lightly setting them on the thick glass top of the case.
"I have a few more of those laying around. Your more than welcome to test them, but I assure you; they are one hundred percent real. If you can put me in contact with someone who can help facilitate this for me, I feel I would find myself being very…charitable."
The man had the slightest of smiles on his face, the kind that Gideon would more deign as a smirk as opposed to a true smile; but upon looking at the coins again Sam could understand why.
The piece's size was nothing to scoff at, and if they proved to be real, he could make himself a nice little profit depending on the number of coins the man had to part with to pay for the service.
He could drag the whole thing out a bit, haggle and play coy, but he decided to expedite the whole thing as having the stares of his patron and the Albino on him at the same time was something he didn't want to have drag out.
It took only a few moments to get his things together, and he not only solution tested the coins; but did the rub test as well.
'Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I think these things are just as he said. One hundred percent pure.' Gideon thought to himself with some mild shock before looking into the man's eyes again.
Holding that gaze was difficult for him, and he'd admit that to anyone if he was asked.
It felt like a small pressure was building at the front of his head, and after a moment he once again dragged his eyes from having full contact with the clearly wealthy and affluent Brit in front of him.
"Ahem. Well, the coins definitely check out. I can absolutely take em' as payment for setting something like that up for you, and you've got my word that it'll hold up to the highest of scrutiny. I met a guy; he works for that new organization… Toybox? My contact specializes in creating identities for people, but I gotta warn you up front; it ain't gonna be cheap. You'll probably need a couple dozen of these coins if that's how your lookin to pay him…think you can handle that?"
That particular question saw a full-blown smirk pull up on the man's face, even as his left eyebrow rose up on his forehead in a slightly imperious way.
"Yes. I can surely handle that. How long would it take you to get me a meeting with the man?"
"Depending on his workload I may be able to get him here as early as tomorrow. Let me just make the call."
The man gave a slight nod to him, and Gideon quickly stepped over to the white wall behind him, half stepping behind it to pick up the receiver and dial out.
The line only rang twice before being picked up, the brisk yet terse voice of his contact coming through the line.
"Go for Myriad."
"Hey Myriad. It's Gideon from Brockton, how the hell are ya?" Sam asked in a slightly hushed voice.
"Time is money Gideon, what can I do for you?"
Under any other circumstances Sam would be offended that the man was being as short with him as he was in the moment, but he had to admit that the man was right in this very instance.
"I got a guy here, a Brit. Says he's lookin for some new identity papers."
Before he could go any further Myriad cut across him.
"Can he even pay for this service? I'm a busy man and I don't like to waste my time, as you well know Samuel."
Gideon once again found himself annoyed as the two of them weren't so familiar that he should be using his first name, but he also didn't wanna inadvertently offend the man and miss out on a possibly decent payday.
"The guy just dropped three golden coins on my counter Myriad. They're just a smidge thicker and larger than a Krugerrand. I told him he'd need around a dozen or so, and the bastard smirked at me. Smirked! This is a serious possible payday for the both of us. Are you available sometime soon?" Gideon whisper shouted through the phone at the man.
The line went silent for a moment, but then Myriad's voice came back over the line.
"I will see him today. Tell him that I will be at your shop within the hour, I have some work to finish up before I gather my tools."
CLICK
Gideon shook his head quickly before hanging up the phone and walking back out with his arms splayed wide, a happy smile splitting his face.
"Great News! Apparently, my guys available today! He says he'll be here within the hour. Think you can get the payment together before then?"
The man never lost the smirk that had been sitting on his face as he responded.
"I can handle it. I'll see you in an hour."
The man spun on the spot as he picked up his cane, his long jacket billowing behind him for a moment as he took his leave of the shop.
Gideon was about to fall into a daydream regarding the possible payday he was thinking he'd get when the most unwelcome noise accosted his ears.
"I need to make a call."
The deep and slightly guttural voice of his minder sounded out as he almost shoulder checked him while moving towards the same phone that he had just moments ago been on.
'Well…the thoughts were nice while they lasted.' Gideon thought, as he considered why his latest patron now may have the attention of one of Brockton's premiere gangs.
AND FIN! Well, that's the chapter ya'll! I hope that it reads to satisfaction. I appreciate each and every one of you for taking an interest in this, or any of my other works. Thank you for all the faves and follows, and if it please you leave me a review on what you think. Until next time, I hope that all of you stay safe, happy, and healthy. This is Sojiro, Signing off. Laters Gators!