After Lisa left and the alcohol had fully evacuated my system, I just did a quick trip to the liquor store. Steve was working that night, so of course I stayed for a little chatting with him about classes and other shit coming up. Good dude. But yeah, went home, got absolutely hammered again, and woke up sometime in the afternoon the next day.
I'd like to say I did something productive. I personally would say taking the dog for a walk then playing with him for the rest of the day was very productive. Yes, I was productive on Sunday.
Went to sleep early that night, classes early the next morning yadda yadda. And so I find myself staring soullessly in the mirror as I brush my teeth. Fuck Mondays. Nine out of ten dentists say Mondays are ass, the last is dead, killed by the other nine when he tried waking them up early on a Monday.
Shitty internal monologuing aside, I finish cleaning up for school, going a bit extra admittedly. Today is the thing Vicky invited (forced) me to agree on accompanying her to, so I thought I'd try and look presentable. I feed and water the dog, grab my bag of books, and take a step outta the lighthouse. Why is there a limo outside my lighthouse? Looooong black limousine just a short ways from the door on my gravel. Oi! This is private property! Fuck off!
Fuck em, I ain't dealing with this shit. I just give the vehicle a glare then lock my door. I've had my dog for like, a week almost two weeks but if anything happened to him I'd go John Wick on everyone including myself. Fuck that guy.
"My boss would like a word, Mr. McGrath." A dude in a suit says after getting out of the driver seat when I tried to just walk past.
"Ha ha ha, no. Fuck off." I just keep walking by and he doesn't move to get in my way.
"Ha, exactly like your uncle." A gruff voice sounds from the slightly opened window. Gruff in it sounds like an old dude that spent most of his life kissing a pack of cigarettes. "I just want a moment of your time Rory, and to give you a ride to school."
I find I already stopped walking at the mention of this version of mine's uncle, this family shit then? Thought it was cape shit. The fuck did my uncle here do? Was he some fucking old time mafia dude? I do know the Irish mafia was fairly big in the states. Fuck it, might as well get something outta the way first.
"You gonna try and kill me?" I turn back and glare at the fully tinted window as if I could see through it which I cannot.
"Good heavens, no." The old man sounds a bit miffed at that.
"That's a shame. Eh, whatever free ride is a free ride." I shrug and walk back over to the limo.
"You… Want to die?" The chainsmoker asks as his driver opens the door for me and I slip into the seat, tossing my book bag onto the one next to me.
Spoiler:not a hot blonde for once, it's a old man this time
Ah fuck, his eyes are near glowing. I got conned into cape shit. "Sir, are you aware your eyes are glowing blue?" Is what I ask instead of leaving.
"Upgrades, I'm a tinker and the old ones we're failing me in my age." He says with a short chuckle. "While the Cape stuff is relevant to what I want to say I would like to introduce myself first. Shane Parkes, a good friend of your uncle's. Also known as Uppercrust."
"Oh, Elite guy. Am I getting bullied in or something? Thought you were a good guy?" I ask with a blink at him. He blinks back.
"No, I'll give you the offer, yes. But I'll not bully my dear friend's heir into my employ." He shakes his head. "Kenneth McGrath, it might shock you to know, helped me and friends build Uppermost, then consequently The Elite when the government saw to hamper us."
Aight, old guy was a member of the Elite. Did not see that one coming. And I assume Uppercrust here wants to recruit me, after me being a cape leaked from the leaky sieve that's the PRT. "So my uncle was a cape, and part of the Elite then, okay sure why not. The fuck you want me to do? I'm not interested in the cape shit. And assuming you can know what my gimmick is, it ain't rogue viable." Uppercrust grins at that, the blue sparkling in his eye in a way I assume a certain headmaster does it.
"Straight to business first? I'm fine with that. I don't care if you play with the Heroes and Villains. But you being as strong as you are? That's useful, even more useful on a young man of good character."
"The fuck I ain't, I take pride in being an asshole."
"I said character, being a prick or not doesn't factor into that." He answers my outburst with a grin. Fuck this guy's good. "I myself am not a shining beacon of morality, Rory. I sell safety for money, my empire is built on that."
"Still no idea what you're asking me here, the fuck you expect me to do?" No seriously, the fuck does he even want? At my words, he sighs and leans back in his seat.
"You're a lot like your uncle, you know? Brutal, straight to the point, a bit abrasive really."
"Thanks, for the compliments." He chuckles as I say that.
"I met Kenneth in San Francisco, just out of our teens. He had run away from the family tradition of staying at a dingy lighthouse. Too many things happened, I won't bore you with the details now. But, looking at you reminds me of the early days back then. After watching you for a while I figured I would offer you a chance to do something good."
"I mean not really bored, still, get to the point please." Being an asshole comes naturally yeah, but Old man Uppercrust here hasn't warranted me being a dick.
"A job, apprenticeship under me until I find you're experienced enough to lead a branch."
"I don't really need money. I'm kinda rich."
"I'm well aware of your Uncle's company. I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about The Elite. I want you to be the new branch manager here in Brockton. And eventually, take over for me. I'm not going to be here for much longer, something I'm well aware of."
"I'd really rather not. This place is gonna be sunk by a big green scalie in May. So you probably don't want to set up a branch here." Fuck man. Why do people keep trying to do stuff for me? Could be a bunch of bullshit to get a powerful cape on their side. More likely he actually means all this. If it was anyone else I'd call bullshit. This is Uppercrust, Wibbles word of godded that this guy was basically more heroic then some heroes. God fucking damnit.
"You can predict Endbringers?" Oh shit! I fucked up. Fuck it, let's give old guy here a few tests of my own then. After this I might actually have to think about his offer.
"Nah, just the next two. Simurgh hits Canberra in a few days, Leviathan in May." I tell him, leaning forward I stare him dead-on in his surprised, tinker-tech eyes. "If you say anything about this and get me locked in a room I'll find a way to kill you sooner. Other words? No deal if you fuck me over with this. Cus you'll be dead."
"Rory, what you told me just makes me want to create the Brockton Bay branch far more quickly then I had planned. I won't betray this secret. But I refuse to stand by when I know I can better prepare to help the victims." His own eyes harden at that. Showing his conviction. Fuck, why do decent people exist on this shitty ass world?
"Fine. Last thing, can you make a shield for the lighthouse? Not an always active one but one I can turn on?"
"I don't see why not." He answers with a nod as he leans back into his seat.
"Good, do that and I'll think about your offer."
"You'll think about it, huh?" The grin returns to his face, only now do I notice the laugh lines on his skin.
"Yeah. I'll think about it." I nod.
"Sir, we have arrived at the University." The driver says through a radio.
"Good, thank you Charles." Uppercrust, no, Shane offers me a hand. "It was good to meet you, regardless if you accept or not. I have a gift I made for your uncle originally. I'll have it dropped off at your home."
I take his hand. "I'll say this was one of my better encounters so far, and I was surprised you weren't a hot blonde."
"Beg your pardon?"
"It's a common occurrence for me."
"I don't think I understand, but very well."
/
University went by quick, I had some morning classes, then just took a nap until my afternoon ones. And now, criminology just ended and I'm free! Time to go get drunk and think about Uppercrust's offer! And why is there a hand grabbing my wrist? Why does said hand not break its grip when I shake said wrist?
"Stop trying to escape, you agreed to this." Victoria taps her foot as I struggle to rip my wrist from her grasp. Man I made it to the hallway and she just jumped me, I call bullshit.
"I'm stress testing your shield." I tell her as I passive-aggressively attempt to remove my arm from her grasp.
"Oh hey Rory- Oh your busy, my bad. Have a good day man." Steve says then starts walking away. Steve you fuck don't leave me here, brother please don't betray me so.
"Stress testing. Got it. Come on." Vicky rolls her eyes and starts floating away, me being dragged along behind her all the way outside the building.
"Vicky, Vicky, you look really pretty today." She stops and lets me go as she turns to look at me.
"You really think so?" Gahaha, freedom is mine! I bolt as she asks her question. Only to immediately feel two arms wrap around my waist and suddenly the ground is very far away. "That wasn't very nice."
"Well I didn't lie, I just used your lapse in concentration to escape." I tell her with a shrug, as she flies us out of the University parking lot and further into the city.
"You do that often, don't you?" Victoria leans down to rest her chin on my shoulder, her chest pushing into my back. "Dragon was easy to figure out as Tin Mother with the clues you dropped. And you taking out Lung? Wasn't much harder." Victoria states in a whisper right next to my ear.
"I didn't say shit. And you're supposed to be the dumb blonde. Keep doing that."
"You drop hints for things constantly in the form of a throwaway sentence or a joke. After our last talk I went home and thought about everything you told me."
"You're wasting time trying to find hidden shit in everything I say? That's fucking hilarious. Vicky, I don't even know half of what I say so if you can find meaning in my dumb shit, please inform me as well."
"Always a snarky comeback." She sighs. Good, I've won again. But that was closer than I would have liked.
/
"I hate you."
"You agreed to this."
"I agreed to going with you, not whatever the fuck this is." I motion to the discount Triumph costume I had been put in. Apparently the photoshoot was some weird thing where a buncha rich, smart, and athletic kids with achievements or money, get to dress up as Heroes. And the actual Heroes here are all in ballroom clothes. Yes, Vicky isn't the only Hero here, there's a few Ward's as well.
That Shadow Stalker is here is making me reeeeee at the fact I stumbled into a shity PR event. Only good news is I had managed to talk the costume people into letting me wear a Triumph costume. Cus it's funny, to me at least.
"Do you not like seeing me in a dress? How about if I do this?" Oh no, I don't like the sound of this.
Spoiler:best attempts at hot blonde
I was right not to like the sound of that. Vicky don't stand so close to me. She's invading my personal space. Not cool Vicky. Oooh a cocktail don't mind if I do. I grab said drink off of a passing tray, some green fruity thing but alcohol is alcohol.
"It's non alcoholic." I send Vicky a glare as she dashes my hopes so easily. Then take a sip of the drink. And so it was. Non alcoholic. Fuck.
"I hate you."
"Nah, you think I'm pretty." Vicky shrugs off my words, letting the dumb blonde energy get to her head.
"Pretty people can still be hated."
"Heya GG, who you got here dressed up as Mr. Lion King?" Clockblocker approaches us with his mask held to his face via a hand stick. Aegis isn't long to follow behind him.
"Oh hey, this is Rory. Rory, here's Aegis and the clown he's stuck babysitting." Instead of commenting on the clown thing, Clock pauses for a second, then starts laughing. See! I fucking knew it was funny!
"Yeah yeah, Rory McGrath. Pleasure to meet you, mister superhero." I offer Aegis a hand. His turn to pause, then he takes it after said moment of hesitation.
"Pleasure, hope you enjoy the event. I think we'll be getting started once everyone is ready with their costumes." His words make me look around…. That's Madison and Emma isn't it. The pair hanging around Sophia, Emma in a Miss Militia costume, and Madison just in regular fancy cloth-
"Vicky, you told me I had to wear a costume!" I whisper shout at her when I see Madison and a few others, not in fucking costumes.
"I did?" She tilts her head. I give her a look and she grins. Then she leans in close again and whispers to me. "Sorry, I'm a dumb blonde."
"I'll just leave you two to whatever this is." Clock motions with his one hand that's free. "Yo Agy, can we just have normal masks? Why they gotta make this thing so heavy?" He asks Aegis as he starts pulling him away with him.
Well that confirms it. Photoshoot thing, the one where Vicky went off on the Trio for being asshats to a girl in a wheelchair. Glad I read Glow-worm. Looking around, I still have some time left before Vicky gets set off by the trio. That and the fact I've likely fucked everything up considering I have Vicky hanging off my arm as she plays with her stick held masquerade mask. "Wait, why the hell do you have a mask?"
"Felt like it?" She puts the mask up to her face then giggles.
"This is going to be a long night isn't it?" I sigh, then chug the non alcoholic cocktail. Fruity, this one has kiwis in it.
/
"Are we seriously still waiting?" There it is. Knew it was coming. Clockblocker just had his mask tied to his head by Aegis and the hairdresser started panicking. I knew Emma would start her shit up any second now. Well good, I could only drink so many shitty juice cocktails. That Vicky likes more than me, considering she's had almost double the amount I've had.
"Can't someone just roll her away and have a normal person get dressed in like two minutes?" Madison coming in hard! Oh Vicky is looking her way with a really pissy glare. Vicky you don't need to drag me stop doing that. I slap her arm and her glare turns to me. Fuck it, I spent three years using a cane with crippled knees. I'm offended by this shit on a personal level.
"Wouldn't be that hard yaknow? Like, just one good push and she's zooming away." Emma follows up.
Ah fuck this. I throw off Vicky's hand which she actually lets me in her surprise, then I stomp over to the assholes bullying a kid literally in front of a bunch of heroes. "Ayoo! Who's sassy teenagers are these? They're throwing off my groove here." My voice is loud enough that quite a few people turn to look at me. Aight, this is fine. "No seriously, can we throw these two out? They wanna be vapid bitches they can be vapid bitches on the sidewalk."
"Who the fuck are you?" Ah, small redhead glaring daggers at me. Five outta ten her sister's hotter. And not a child.
"Does it matter? You're the small sassy child tryna pick on people at what's probably a charity event." Ah that pissed her off. For a moment it looks like Sophia is gonna do something, then Aegis flies over and pulls her aside. Honestly I can't be bothered dealing with this a moment longer. So I just point at Madison and Emma. "Boooo, down with bullies, booooooo. Shame, feel shame." Then I shake my head and start walking to the girl they had been making fun of. A younger girl, probably around the same age as Emma and Madison. "Hey there, which Heroine did you get?" As whatever her costume is supposed to be, it's still being adjusted.
"Alexandria." She says with her hands bunched up on her lap looking down.
"I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Alexandria as soon as they finish up. Do you mind if I take a seat? I'm feeling lethargic after too many fruit cocktails." She nods with a chuckle and before I can I feel an arm wrapping around my waist in a side hug.
"Do you mind if I join as well? I like the ambiance on this side of the room much better." Vicky asks with a wide grin at the girl. "And this guy here needs someone to make sure he doesn't drink too much. Sugar changes people I swear." She pulls me a bit closer before letting go.
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much." I tell her with a scoff. "I only slipped in sixteen gummy bears today."
"That's not so bad."
"Packs, sixteen gummy bear packs." I say with a deadpan as Vicky takes a seat next to me and the girl. Said girl has been gigging from my and Vicky's back and forth.
"Gotta sign you up for sugar anonymous. I can't stand to see you like this." Vicky shakes her head.
"Then quit looking." I motion one of the caterer's over and take three of the cocktails. "Join me in my sugar addiction Miss soon to be Alexandria, it's safe, I promise."
"Okay." She nods with a laugh.
"Let me check that first." Vicky takes the red one, I wanted the red one aw. And she downs half of it. "It's safe." The girl laughs fully at that.
"Of course, oh glorious hero." I just shake my head at her antics, then start sipping at my own drink. Kiwi, another fucking green one.
Least I managed to make someone elses night better.
/
Rest of the night was fairly pleasant, I still wish there was alcohol. The photoshoot went without a stitch, just Emma looked bummed out with a visible gap between her and the people standing near her in each picture. Save for Sophia who stuck with her friend which I can respect.
Doesn't change the fact her and Emma are seriously fucked in the head. Madison is just a dumb fucking kid, but she doesn't have anyone telling her how messed up the things she's doing are. Hopefully this makes her think about it earlier than it did in canon. Doubtful, regardless, not my problem. Canon was fucked well past the point of return.
"That was nice of you, Rory." Vicky says next to my ear, breaking me from my thoughts. She had offered me a lift home after giving goodbye hugs to Aegis, Clock, and Alexandria Girl. Obviously I accepted. I love the feeling of flying even though I can't do it on my own. The best part of jumping off of my lighthouse is the wind pushing my skin.
"It wasn't anything hard. Dumb kids not knowing what they're saying is rather common, really." I just shrug the best I can with her arms wrapped around my waist.
"Well, Gracie appreciated it. I got her name when you were egging Clock on to chug all those cocktails." He got a solid three down before coughing the fourth up. Admirable, really.
"People all have their own shit going on, it's a cheap price to not be a dick." I explain as we near my lighthouse. "Then again, it's free to be an asshole."
"You're not as much of a dick as you try to paint yourself as." Vicky lets me down. I spot a tallish brown package at my door. The gift Uppercrust gave me most likely. Or a bomb. Hopefully a bomb. "Hey."
"Yes?" I turn back to Vicky, she just grins then gives me a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks for a good time tonight. I'll be around for more therapy."
"Fine. Sure. Whatever." I just sigh and let her do what she wants. Vicky is a force of nature.
"Good." She nods to herself. "Have a good night!" And she's off. Neither bird nor plane, it's a flying blonde in the sky. That thought fills me with fear of the potential blonde jokes. Wait, I should make more of those around her. Good plan. For now, I just walk over to the package and carry it inside with me.
"Stay back Boy, if this is a bomb I don't want you getting caught in it."
"Borf!" Big Boy calls from his place on the loveseat.
"You're a good boy." I tell him as I open the package up. It's not a bomb. A small part of me is disappointed. Instead I found something I hadn't really expected. Well, along with a note with Uppercrust's phone number.
Spoiler:Portrait of another old guy
You and your uncle remind me of a saying. Sometimes simple is best. -Shane Parkes
Right, if the old man looked like this I'm not very surprised he was a cape anymore.
Now? Now I have a lot to think about.
"Woof!"
And a dog to feed.