Chapter 4: Clubs and Kidnappings
"Here you go, baby, whisky on the rocks," the waitress said with a flirtatious smile as she set the glass in front of me. Her unusual attire included three exposed breasts, and she swayed away, I had trouble keeping my eyes off the oddly erotic sight.
Next to me in the booth, Translucent, now fully dressed in casual attire, observed with a smirk. "Yeah, that's Veronica," he said, nodding toward the waitress as she mingled with other patrons. "Her superpower is that she can grow a third tit. That's pretty much it. Still fun to look at, though. A third tit is still a tit after all."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Sometimes I forget that most Supes actually get trash powers," I remarked, taking a sip of my drink.
Translucent laughed, a sound as cold and sharp as a knife. "Yeah, bro, there was this crazy super who came in here a few years ago. He marched right up to me and asked if he could be my sidekick. His power? He could distort light around himself and turn invisible. The catch was he couldn't see while invisible. I just laughed and told him to fuck off. What's the point of being invisible if you can't even use it? Everyone laughed at him, and he ran away crying. I heard he ended up committing suicide a few days later. What a fucking pussy, am I right?" he asked with a laugh.
Wow, that was kind of fucked up even from my perspective as a devil. Translucent was an obvious sociopath. And he was one of humanity's top superheroes…
An awkward silence stretched between us. I took the opportunity to scan the club, my eyes moving over the scene of indulgence. Supes were everywhere, lost in a perpetual party of drinking, drugs, and debauchery. Some wore their full costumes, oblivious to the security cameras capturing every lascivious detail. The club was a haven for excess, a stark contrast to the disciplined world of the underworld I was used to.
No one immediately recognizable caught my eye. To be fair, I didn't keep up with many Supes other than the Seven during my time in the underworld.
"So, new guy, what's your name? I'm Translucent, obviously. I prefer to go by my Supe name nowadays."
"I'm Marcus Sitri. I don't have a Supe name yet," I replied. I had been mulling over a few possibilities, but most of the best names were already taken.
"Right on, no rush," Translucent said with a nod. "You seem pretty young still. So what brings you to the big city? I figured you were aiming for Vought."
I nodded, a slight grin tugging at my lips. "Yeah, I was. My father actually works there, so I probably wouldn't have been kicked out. Plus, I own a bit of Vought's stock." I chuckled internally at my understatement. Fifty-three percent was hardly 'a bit.'
Being born with the golden spoon to end all golden spoons had its perks. The Sitri family managed all the devil hospitals and had numerous contracts with humans outside the underworld. Wealthy human CEOs often paid handsomely for a few extra years of healthy living. The Sitri clan's abilities went beyond simple hydrokinesis. We could manipulate all the fluids in a human's body to cleanse it of impurities, diseases, or sicknesses with just a touch. Though it was much harder with supernatural beings, for humans, it was almost effortless. I hadn't learned the technique yet, though. It took years of practice to perfect without inadvertently causing harm.
Translucent nodded, his expression shifting to one of satisfaction. "Nice! I've bought some of their stock too. Yep, thanks to us Seven, Vought's been raking in the profits. We should also be expecting a big payday if Madelyn can pull off the military contract," he said, a trace of bitterness creeping into his tone. "That is, if she can get her shit together…"
I raised an eyebrow. "Madelyn Stillwell?" I asked, confirming his implication.
Translucent grimaced. "Yep, that's her. The nanny of The Seven. Ugh, I hate the frigid bitch. One moment she'll smile at you nicely, and the next, she's chastising you and threatening to dock your pay because the tabloids got a few photos of you naked. Honestly, I'm an invisible superhero! Of course, tabloids will occasionally get a shot of my junk! It's not my fault my clothes don't turn invisible," he grumbled, taking a swig of his whisky.
Madelyn Stillwell—the woman I had a vested interest in getting rid of. My father was still obsessed with her at this point, and that was a problem. My mother, surprisingly, still had some lingering feelings for her old paramor. Of course I wanted her to be happy. If there was a chance of rekindling something between my parents, I needed to clear the way. Madelyn had to go.
"Hey man, you alright? You spaced out for a second there?" Translucent's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I nodded, shaking off my distraction. "Sorry about that. It's nothing. So, is there anything else this club offers?" I changed the subject.
Translucent's eyes lit up with a knowing grin. "Hah! I knew you and I were two peas in a pod. Listen up, this club–"
WOOSH!
A sudden gust of wind cut him off. "Hey, Translucent. What's up? Listen man, I'm running a bit low on—oh, you have a guest." A-Train materialized in our booth with a burst of speed, he looked exactly as he did in the posters.
He was fast. Almost faster than even I could perceive. I was impressed, especially since I remembered that he currently had a bad heart. How fast was he in his prime?
"Hello, A-Train. Yes, I've got more of the 'stuff,' but you really gotta start going easier on it. It's not meant for prolonged use…" Translucent warned, his tone laced with concern.
A-Train, visibly sweating and twitchy, was clearly in rough shape. I suspected they were talking about Compound V. My x-ray vision confirmed it. A-Train's internal organs looked like utter shit. There's a reason people say drugs are bad for you… Especially unstable drugs like compound V.
A-Train turned to me. "Listen man, do you mind leaving for a couple of minutes? Translucent and I have important Seven business to disc–HOLY FUCK, IT'S YOU!" His eyes widened when he got a better look at me. Why the hell was the guy here of all places!? A-Train hopped out of the booth with super speed and started looking at me warily.
"You know my new friend Marcus here, A-Train?" Translucent asked.
"Do I know him!?" A-Train exclaimed. "Of course I know him; it's Homelander fucking junior!"
Translucent's eyes widened at the declaration. He turned to me in shock and quickly stood with his fists raised, prepared to fight if he had to.
I just sat back in the booth and chuckled. "Relax, you two. I thought we were having fun here?"
Translucent eyed me warily before letting out a heavy sigh. A-Train, having calmed a bit from my words, eased back into his seat. "Sorry about that," A-Train said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been a bit jumpy lately. You know your pops is literally flying all over the city looking for you, right?"
I hadn't known that. "He wants to meet me?" I asked, a hopeful edge to my voice. I wasn't sure what to expect from Homelander's reaction.
"Yeah, man. In a twisted and fucked-up way, I've never seen Homelander this happy," A-Train explained, a hint of unease in his tone. "It was kinda getting weird in the tower so I've decided to steer clear of Homelander for a few days. That didn't work out though since I somehow ran right the fuck into you. What even is my luck sometimes, man?" he asked sarcastically.
I smirked. "I was planning on going into Vought earlier to meet him, but someone warned me off." I threw a playful glance at Translucent.
Translucent gulped nervously. "Hey, man! I didn't know whose son you were. If you want to walk into Vought, feel fucking free to do so at any time. I doubt Stan Edgar would be able to do anything to you anyway… although he might still try," he mumbled, the last part barely audible.
I nodded. "I hear he's done good work as Vought's CEO. You think I should keep him on?" I asked, watching their reactions.
Both heroes looked at me with confusion. "Keep him on?" A-Train echoed, puzzled.
"Yeah, my mother's side is filthy fucking rich, and as a graduation present, they decided to buy me 53% of Vought's shares. As the majority shareholder, I pretty much own Vought right now," I dropped the bombshell.
"Holy shit…" Translucent's eyes widened. He was clearly at a loss for words. "Is that much money even possible for one family to have? That had to be hundreds of billions…"
A-Train was equally stunned. "You're not thinking about making any changes to the Seven, are you?" He asked, a touch of trepidation in his voice. He was aware of his recent struggles and his reliance on Compound V.
I gave A-Train a scrutinizing look. "I'd prefer not to… though I might kick Maeve out if I'm being honest. I hear she's been a total downer lately. She'll need to shape up or else. As for you, A-Train…" I glanced at him critically. "I can see that your body is a mess. Your overuse of V has left you in really bad shape."
–A-Train–
A-Train cursed silently. How the hell did he know about that? Oh wait, he probably has X-ray vision like his pops. A-Train had seen his own X-rays a few weeks ago, they did not look good. He wanted to quit using V, but at this point, the damage was already done…
"Fuck, A-Train! I told you to go easy on that shit!" Translucent's voice was sharp. "That's why I never used V more than a few times! It's incredibly addictive to Supes!"
"Luckily for you, I might have a deal that could sort you out," Marcus chimed in. "I know someone who can completely heal you. Your body will be restored to perfect health, and your addiction will be purged completely."
A-Train's eyes lit up. His heart had been acting up lately, and pushing his top speed was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Alright, what do I have to do?" A-Train asked urgently. "And who can heal me? I've never heard of a Supe with healing powers before."
"In the heart of the Vatican, guarded by the church's finest warriors, is a young woman who can heal you. Her name is Asia Argento. With your super speed, you should be able to get in and out without being caught," Marcus explained.
"The fuck?" Translucent looked incredulous. "Warriors in the Vatican? What, like nuns running around with katanas and hunting vampires?" He chuckled. "I've seen that movie, it was trash."
A-Train couldn't help but agree, it did sound like complete bullshit. But Marcus seemed to believe what he was saying.
"Exactly," Marcus said, still with a straight face. "The church does have nuns that run around with katanas, and they do, in fact, hunt vampires—which are, in fact, very real. The world is a lot more dangerous than either of you know. You think Supes are on top? You think humans are the top of the food chain? I hate to break it to you both, but the truth is a lot darker," he added with a vicious smirk.
The two Supes exchanged uneasy glances. "Well shit…" A-Train said with a faint smile. "You've definitely got me curious now. So this Asia girl? Is she like some kind of Holy Maiden who can heal people?" The church had a literal miracle girl and they were hiding her away from the world?
Marcus nodded. "Exactly. She's under guard at all times. I have it on good authority that someone will be making a move for her soon. Their goal is to cast her out of the church as a heretic and then snatch her up for themselves. Obviously, a girl with such amazing healing powers would be far more useful working for us when that happens," he explained his plans for the girl.
Even if she was too young to join the seven, having a healer like her would be an amazing PR boost for Vought. A-Train also thought it would be a good boost for himself once the news got out that it was he who rescued the girl…that is, if things went according to Marcus's plan.
"So what does A-Train do exactly?" Translucent asked, equally curious. "Just run in there and grab the girl? What if she doesn't want to come willingly?"
"Yeah, what if she doesn't want to be rescued?" A-Train asked.
"It's quite simple," Marcus said. "She'll do pretty much anything you ask, provided you do one thing for her first. Become her friend…"
"What!?" A-Train's eyes widened in disbelief. "Become her friend? Seriously? What is this an anime?"
Marcus shrugged. "Asia Argento has been trapped in the church for 16 years, slaving away healing people without any praise from her guardians and without having ever made a single friend in all that time."
Ok, when Marcus put it like that, A-Train had to admit that was pretty fucked up. As an African American himself, he was not ok with any form of slavery.
"Sneak into the Vatican, get her to heal you, and then once she does, promise her your eternal friendship or whatever. She's so starved for affection that she'll latch onto you immediately—probably as an older brother figure, if I'm being honest. Then you'll bring her back to New York," Marcus said.
A-Train's brow furrowed. He wasn't thrilled about taking advantage of an extremely lonely kid, but he would be saving her. "Alright, I'll do it," A-Train said as he stood up. He knew his condition was only getting worse. He figured he might as well head to Europe as soon as possible. With Vought currently in turmoil searching for Marcus, A-Train doubted anyone would even notice if he took off across the ocean for a few hours anyway.
–Marcus–
I watched as A-Train bolted out of the club with the same speed he'd arrived. The guy doesn't procrastinate, that was for sure.
Translucent turned his attention back to me. "So, you wanted to know what else this club has to offer? Let me tell you about this one girl, Destiny. Her power lets her split into five identical copies of herself. I think you know where I'm going with this…" he said with a big grin.
I perked up instantly. Now that was definitely a girl I'd want to meet!
…But, my father was apparently out there searching for me desperately at the moment. I was at a crossroads. Should I go and meet up with him? Or should I stay and indulge in a six-way with what could be considered identical quintuplets?
The choice was clear.
Sorry dad, you're going to have to wait a few more hours. There are some opportunities a man just can't afford to turn down…
XXX
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Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 283-287
The Fox Hole ch 8
The Blood Queen ch 3
The Supe Devil ch 5
The Titan ch 3
The Fox Hole ch 7
The Blood Queen ch 2
The Fox Hole ch 6
The Fox Hole ch 5
The Titan ch 2
The Blood Queen ch 1