NeoNazo356: Okay, readers, time for some fanmail!
ThatGreenDooredBookshop: "Grunkle Rick"...
I'm curious, is this a throwaway scene for comedy relief, or is this a thing? Like a proper, 'it's one of the Ricks from Rick n' Morty'.
If it's the latter, will a multiverse element (more so than it already has) factor into the equation later on?
NeoNazo356: You have to remember that DC pretty much embraced the idea of the Multiverse after the Infinite Crisis storyline. And like Rick himself says, "infinitely happening across infinite timelines". If you take what Rick says to the most-literal extreme, then that means that every piece of fanfiction is "canon" in another universe, or more-importantly, it could be considered the REALITY of another universe; similar to how in Barry Allen's universe where he became The Flash, The Flash as-portrayed-by Jay Garrick is a comic within his universe, fiction-within-the-fiction.
Guisniperman: Please, tell me there's not some immoral scientist somewhere with Nearly Complete Schematics of a Power Armor. That being said, can't wait to see Virgil being forced to do something UTTERLY STUPID in the Armor because of Criminals Shenanigans.
NeoNazo356: To be fair, powered suits of armor are a common thing in DC Comics. The Series Alpha Police Battle Suit, while more-streamlined than Fallout's T-45, is technically still a powered suit of armor, not unlike the Ironman Mk [Insert Model Number Here] armor. In-context, Tony Stark's suits following the Mark I variant are like Lamborghinis compared to Fallout Power Armor which are more like Ford Trucks.
Superpierce: love this chapter their was some really good humor in it.
NeoNazo356: Thank you for the compliment. I try to blend a bit of slice-of-life into this because DC Comics isn't ALWAYS about the action, it's about what happens behind-the-scenes, and the off-the-action activities of the hero are just-as-important as the on-the-scene scenes.
Guest: Very good chapter but I do have a question; Was the ratio that you made for the power-armor's movement compared to Virgil deliberately such a small change and overdramatazised on purpose or would that ratio truly make that big of an impact on his movement?
NeoNazo356: You have to understand that the Power Armor from Fallout 4 and the Nanosuit from Crysis are in completely different "leagues" from one another. If the Nanosuit is contextually the Batmobile in regards to all the balance-adjusting and traction-controlling gear it has, the Power Armor is basically like a Semi Truck WITHOUT any form of Power Steering.
Basically, the DESIGN of the Power Armor is "slow and clunky" compared to the Nanosuit.
Blaze1992: "A Bunch of Readers run away screaming when schoolwork popped up"
Also quick question here can the nano-suit fuse with the costume and become better?
NeoNazo356: The short of it is No. The Nanosuit (2.0) has never displayed the propensity for external "cannibalization" of mechanical or biological components, so it's safe to assume the Nanosuit Prototype (aka 0.0) would also not be able to do something like that.
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
"Hey Virgil, isn't the company Halloween Party supposed to be tomorrow?" Rina asked off-handedly.
This question of course, caused Virgil's fork to fall out of his hand mid-bite, silverware meeting porcelain with a light *clink*
"Oh fuck! I completely forgot about that!"
"Swear jar!" Tina yelped.
"How could I have missed tha?!" he yelped as he opened his phone and found the message he'd received on Monday. The very same message he'd forgotten about in his haste to get a head-start on his "homework". "What am I gonna wear?!"
"Weren't you and Athena going to do a Fallout thing?" Shaula asked languidly. "Just wear your robot suit."
"First off, I'm really sure that the T-45 will utterly break the elevator's weight limit," Virgil stated. "Secondly… A giant robot suit is not the sort of thing you bring to a company mixer. Too much stuff to be knocked over."
"So you'll wear something else then?" Shaula hummed.
"I don't really have a lot of choice in the matter," Virgil sighed. "Seems like I'll have to wear those threads again," he lamented.
"Did you say something?" Tina asked.
"N-to-the-ope nope," Virgil shook his head, criss-crossing hishands rapidly in front of himself. "So…" he said looking over his invite one more time. "Any of you want to come along?"
"Wait, really?" Rina asked. "You want us to come with you?"
"Leeron was really vague with the invite, but he did say something to the effect of, the more the merrier," Virgil replied. "Mind you, this is where I work, and if you want the rent money to keep coming in, you'll behave yourselves," he said with narrowed eyes, his foot put down as he angrily jabbed a finger on the table.
"I still find it hard to believe you're a fashion model," Shaula said skeptically.
"Gee, don't hide all your disbelief."
"It's just… when we first met, you seemed really plain," she amended. "Though I suppose everyone in the industry has hair and makeup to make them look better."
'Some more than others,' Virgil hummed idly as he thought back to the time he met both Ororo and Mari, natural beauties without compare. 'Assuming they're at the party, I'll have to suck it up and ask the question about them that's been bugging me for so long. Though their attendance in-of-itself is a bit of a long shot,' he added to himself idly. "You're not wrong. I too am quite surprised to find myself in that line of work, but apparently, confidence is just-as-important. Though I suppose my red eyes do offer up possibilities for what I can model that others can't."
"Yeah, red eyes like those are a rare eye color," Rina hummed. "You almost look like a vampire," she chuckled. "Or an edgelord from an anime."
'Note to self: Don't go to alternate dimensions based on anime. Red eyes are like two bulls-eyes-for-trouble lodged in the eye sockets,' Virgil hummed jokingly to himself. "I admit, I sometimes find myself perplexed about my unique eye color. Neither of my parents as-I-remember-them had similar eye color, so the possibility exists I was simply adopted and they didn't get around to telling me before they died. For now, I may never know… and I've made peace with that."
"Dude, that's heavy," Brick hummed.
"Hm. Quite," Virgil hummed. "So, show of hands, who wants to be my plus-extra at my workplace Halloween party? As for dress code, I'm told it'll be casual, though costumes can be worn."
"If you want, I can whip up a Vault 101 jumpsuit for you to wear," Athena offered. "You certainly have the body for it~" she cooed with lidded eyes, only for a blush to slowly dominate her face before she hid it with her hands.
"Great pillow talk, sweetie," Moxxi cooed. "I'm so proud of you~"
"A-Ahem…" Virgil said coughing into his hand. "So… Anyone want to come?" he asked. "I would like it very much if you'd be my date, Athena," he said turning his attention to the girl he most-fancied.
"O-Of course I'd like to be your date," Athena replied.
"Great!" Virgil said with much enthusiasm, more than he'd intended to show. "So… Anyone else?"
"Ooh! Ooh! Me! Pick me! Pick me!" Tina whooped.
"I wouldn't mind going to a fun party," Rina nodded.
"Meh, not really my scene," Shaula shrugged.
"I have work that day, but you all go have fun," Moxxi waved off.
"Will there be hot ladies there?" Brick asked hopefully.
"Well, it is a modelling agency, so I'd hope so," Mordecai nodded.
"Roland and I have plans that day so we won't be around to keep them in line," Lilith stated. "You think you'll be able to reign them in without us there?"
"Well…" Virgil hummed as he looked the two man-children over. "As long as they don't show up shit-faced drunk, I think I'll be able to keep them in line."
"You're a braver man than I am," Roland said good-naturedly. "I'd never be able to make that kind of promise."
"Who the hell said I promised?"
"Swear jar!"
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
"So… You just happen to have blue jumpsuits lying around?" Virgil asked as he sat in Athena's lab, the drunken Rick long-gone to god-knows-where.
"In case I ever have a jumpsuit emergency," the girl said fishing around in a large walk-in closet. " . . . It was Tina's idea," she said noticing the odd look she was getting.
'Honestly, I just need to stop being surprised by anything anymore,' the teen hummed to himself before a bundle of leather-like material was tossed into his lap.
"Sorry if it's a bit of a tight squeeze in some areas. It's the closest one I have in your size," Athena said dusting off her hands. "The jumpsuit does have a bit of stretch in it, though if I'd known about the party in advance, we would've been able to break it in a little more."
"As long as no-one can tell what religion I am and it fits, I think I'll be fine," he said glancing briefly at the crotch. "So how do you suggest I get into this thing?" Virgil asked.
"My money's on eeeasing into it. Like a latex gimp suit."
"And how do you suggest I do that?" Virgil asked, ignoring the fact that the words "latex gimp suit" passed the normally-mousy girl's lips.
*Beep*
"Well, some people use baby powder, but I'm a firm believer in corn starch."
"Okay, how the hell does she keep hearing through these walls?" Virgil asked as he stared at the wall separating Athena's workshop from the Red Light, taking note of the considerable soundproofing in place on the one wall above the others.
"I don't know. The thought of it is brain-melting, even by my standards," the genius sighed tiredly.
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
Bludhaven
October 30, 17:00
The following afternoon after Rina had been taken home from school and Tina was called back from… wherever she spent her days when not vegging out in front of the TV, Virgil and his plus-extras made the final necessary adjustments to their costumes before catching the bus that would take them to the Real Fashions' Halloween party.
Virgil, clad in a fitted and modestly-corn-starched Vault 101 jumpsuit, was additionally wearing a black Kevlar vest, a matching riot helmet, and a police baton, giving him the unmistakable silhouette of Vault Security. Athena likewise had found and adjusted a blue jumpsuit for herself, draping one of her white lab coats over her shoulders making her look like a Vault scientist, the glasses and ponytail hiding her true beauty.
Tina's attire… was a mite disturbing because the Mad Max-esque leather it only consisted of came extremely close to being "improper" on the thirteen-year-old. In addition to the gas mask she was wearing, she was decked out with road flares and what he hoped were fake Frag Grenades. As for Rina's costume, since hers had been made in advance, hers was a tailor-fit Vault Jumpsuit with the number 23 emblazoned across the back, at her own request, a bandoleer of bullets going across her chest with a single shoulder guard on the left, a leather pouched belt around her waist, and bits of leather armor spread across making it resemble the Armored Vault Jumpsuit.
For Brick, he wore his usual outfit, but additionally had green body paint crudely spread across his arms, chest, neck, and face, while large bolts had literally been super-glued to the sides of his neck making him look like Frankenstein's monster. Mordecai, foregoing his usual outfit, especially the mask, was clad head to toe in an army green gilly suit, a large rifle draped across his back making him the picture-perfect image of a military sniper.
Any other day of the year and they'd all look quite odd, but with Halloween quite-literally around the corner and decorations on many storefronts, they were able to make it to the bus stop relatively undisturbed. A couple passerby tried photographing Virgil and Athena after being recognized as characters from Fallout 3, but the hulking form of "Franken-brick" was able to chase them off after Tina manically screamed- "Sic 'em, Franken-brick!"
Of course, it was when the party of six arrived at the aforementioned bus stop, that Virgil noticed something out of place.
"Mordecai, are you seriously bringing your sniper rifle with you?" Virgil asked with a flat stare.
"Hey, as long as I've got this orange zip-tie around the end, no-one'll be the wiser," the drunken sniper said off-handedly.
'Damn, why didn't I think of that?' Virgil thought before returning to the real world. "Well, at least you had the good sense to leave the bird at home," he sighed.
In a way it made sense; in every cosplay picture involving a firearm he'd ever seen, a fair amount of them on-con-site had orange zip ties around the barrel, or in the case of swords, at the hilt. This was to let security know that it had been screened and was not in fact a lethal weapon.
"Where does Bloodwing go anyway?"
"Probably to brutally maim small animals or something," Rina hummed. "The feral cat population does take a dip whenever Mordecai and Bloodwing are back in town."
"So that's what that caterwauling I heard last night was…" Virgil hummed, realizing he'd picked up on something going off down the street the previous night.
Well, from the way he saw Bloodwing preening herself the following morning, at least none of that feral cat or-whatever went to waste.
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
"Alright guys, remember, these are my coworkers, so either you all behave yourselves, or I'm dragging you back home," Virgil asserted one-last-time as they stood in front of his workplace, Gothic Renaissance.
"Yeah, yeah, homie, we gots the mess'," Tina butchered as she sauntered on in.
"I… am so sorry about her," Rina said clasping her hands together before going in.
"Maaan… Why are doors always so tiny?" Brick asked as he bowed his head and sidled on in, Mordecai a veritable twig next to the giant redwood-like tower of muscle that was Brick.
"Well… So far no-one's died yet, so I guess that's a start," Virgil noted, seeing the usual lack of mayhem that followed him wherever he went.
"Let's just hope the rest of the evening goes this smoothly," Athena nodded. "Sh-sh-shall we?" she asked, rigidly extending her elbow towards him.
"Yes… Yes we shall," Virgil nodded, linking arms with the pretty blond and entering the door.
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
Between the five quote/unquote "normal" people, the massive Anti-Material Rifle slung over Mordecai's shoulder, and the towering mountain of muscle that was Brick, the party of six almost exceeded the elevator's weight capacity, if the way the metal box bobbed downward was any indication. The fact that the doors closed and the elevator rose after pressing the button on the wall, was proof they'd be able to get to the party without any major issues.
Thankfully.
The party itself took place on the 4th Floor, sandwiched between Reception on the 3rd and Advertisement on the 5th. Of course, when you stop to think about it, the Food Court was the only real choice in the building for where you'd have a party, because it was the only area with enough open floor space that would stop it from feeling like a cramped office Christmas party.
The elevator opening with a *Ding*, the party of six was met with a clamor of noise.
Normally, the people who worked in the Gothic Renaissance HQ were divided by occupation, and as-a-result rarely interacted with one another beyond passing off relevant information to one another. However, the joint function allowed everyone to literally get on the same level, and interact with one another outside of meeting in the elevator during work hours.
Based on their attire, Virgil was able to suss out who worked in Reception, Advertisement, Data Retention, Website Management, IT, Business & Accounting, Photography, and Design. However, there were people that were laid-back-enough to arrive in-costume, so for Virgil who only interacted with a select-few, it was understandably difficult to parse out who worked in what department.
And of course, for anyone who ever picked up a Real Fashions magazine, the silhouettes and profiles of some of the attending models weren't ones to be missed.
"Vincent, glad you could make it!"
Of course, what the attending models were wearing took back-seat as Yoko made her way towards him, followed shortly after by Leeron, though obviously his eyes were fixated heavily on what Yoko was wearing.
'Oh my god…' Virgil gawped at what the busty photographer was wearing, the teen suddenly feeling very confined inside his jumpsuit.
"Holy crapbaskets! Check out those gazongas!" Tina gawped rather tastelessly when presented with Yoko's attire. Yoko's hair was pulled back in the same style it was always in, but her attire or lack thereof left little to the imagination.
The upper part of her body was clad in -and I use the word "clad" extremely loosely- a leather black bikini top with red flame-like designs, while synched around her waist were a pair of black rubber-leather short-shots not that much wider than the white-studded belt wrapped around it. Running up succulent legs that went on for days were baby pink thigh-high socks, white mid-calf zip-up boots with red flames emerging from grey soles on her feet. On her hands she wore black open-knuckled half-gloves complete with yellow studs, her left arm bearing a rubber leather sleeve running up past her elbow. Lastly around her neck she wore a tall white and pink patterned scarf with vertical thin red stripes. Synched across her back was what appeared to be a large navy blue-colored anti-material ripple that was longer than she was tall, the extendable stock of the weapon bearing black-and-yellow hazard stripes.
"Yoko… What the heck are you supposed to be?" Virgil asked with a red face as he snapped the riot helmet's tinted visor down, struggling to keep his eyes above the red-head's neckline.
"I'm a sexy sniper of course~" Yoko said with a grin, no shortage of confidence evident in her tone.
With the way she was proportioned, her confidence in how she carried herself was as-evident as her… womanly features.
"Then that makes you a…" Virgil said turning to Leeron. "Sexy spotter?"
"Got it in one, hon'," Leeron cooed as he flaunted what he had. Wearing even less clothing than Yoko, Leeron was clad in an orange puffy vets and white short-shorts with a dark blue utility belt synched lopsided around his waist, a pair of red high-heel sandals on his feet, and orange-lensed white-rimmed glasses on his face, a set of binoculars hanging down over his exposed chest.
"And here I am feeling really overdressed," Mordecai hummed as he adjusted his sniper rifle over his shoulder.
"Well, as long as you aren't wearing the same thing as me under there, neither of us will have to go home and change," Yoko chuckled. "So, these are the friends you brought along?"
"Y-Yes…" Virgil answered as he turned away, at least under his visor. "These are Mordecai, Brick, Tina, Rina, and Athena," he introduced gesturing to each of them.
"It's so good to meet you all. Vincent doesn't talk about his home life very much, so it's good to see he's surrounded by such nice people," Yoko said shaking their hands.
"And who might you be, you hulking wall of man-meat you~?" Leeron cooed approaching by far the largest person in the room and/or block.
"I'm Brick," the large man answered, completely oblivious to Leeron's flirtatious subtones.
"Well it is just lovely to meet you~"
"Imma hit the buffet table!" Tina squealed as she ran off, employees scattering in the face of her Mad Max-esque attire.
"I'll make sure she doesn't cause a bomb scare," Rina said following behind.
"And I will hit the mini-bar," Mordecai said walking off.
"And I'll give Brick here the grand tour~" Leeron cooed, Brick following behind since he wasn't presently hungry for the buffet line.
This of course left Virgil and Athena alone with Yoko, whose outfit was causing more than one male present to feel a tad uncomfortable.
"Yoko, can I be brazenly honest with you without having to worry about human resources breathing down my neck later?" Virgil asked, eyes off to the side so his gaze wouldn't fall into her exposed cleavage like light into a black hole.
"Of course, Vincent. I value the opinions of my peers very greatly," Yoko said sweetly.
"Your outfit is giving me a really uncomfortable boner right now."
" . . . You want me to give your girlfriend a copy of this outfit?" Yoko asked after looking toward the only one who'd remained by "Vincent's" side.
"Yes… I mean no! I mean- Fuck!" the brunette swore as his mouth ran ahead of his brain.
"Well, at least you know what you want," Yoko chuckled. "If it means anything coming from me, I think he has excellent taste in women," she teased, causing Athena to blush bright red.
"Yoko, in what possible universe could a sexy sniper outfit that sexy be considered appropriate for the workplace?" Virgil said staring at an unoccupied corner of the room.
"It isn't the clothes that make a woman sexy, it's the woman that makes the clothes sexy. And do you know what makes a woman sexy? Confidence," Yoko smirked. "And sure, out on the street this might upset some delicate sensibilities, but put this outfit on a beach and I'd be practically invisible."
"Somehow I doubt that," Athena huffed, glaring a little enviously at the red-head's bombastic body.
"Anyway, I'm sure the Real Fashions' swimsuit section has stuff like this in it too," Yoko went on to say. "We do of course carry tasteful material to offer as well, though tasteful doesn't always sell."
"Yeah, I can imagine…" Virgil said glancing over his shoulder, trying to keep his eyes out of Yoko's cleavage.
"You don't have to be so squeamish about it. I know you aren't trying to ogle me," Yoko chuckled.
"And I'll reiterate my previous statement," he went on to say, able to look her in the eye this time. "Most. Uncomfortable. Boner. Ever. Of all time."
"Don't worry. As long as you don't try anything, I won't sic HR on you," Yoko giggled teasingly. "Besides, I wouldn't even be wearing this thing if I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. It's just like how everyone needs to be able to laugh at themselves from time to time."
"Somehow I doubt this and that are the same thing," Athena hummed.
"Anyway, it seems like some of the other models in the lineup are here. Care to help me break the ice?" Virgil asked.
"Don't see why you'd need my help. They've wanted to meet the fresh blood since your debut," Yoko returned.
"Oh please, I doubt I'm that big a deal."
"Not yet, but someday you could be," Yoko returned. "You have this… spark in you that most boys your age don't have."
"That or I look really good in-post."
"Come on, don't be like that. Re-l wouldn't have recruited you without a reason."
'The reason being no-one will think twice if a model decides to travel abroad to the far ends of the Earth,' Virgil thought bitterly, feeling disconnected from this farce he was leading, all for the sake of his cover. Made his friendships thus-far feel cheapened somehow. " . . . I'd still really appreciate an ice-breaker, if it's all the same to you."
"Of course. I'm sure meeting new people, let alone famous people, can be a bit frightening."
"Oh trust me, you don't even know the meaning of the word," Virgil muttered as he was led off, Athena trailing behind while keeping an eye on her sisters from afar. "So… Am I diving headfirst into the shark tank while wearing a life vest made of ham, or…?" he said casting an eye towards the… half-dozen models he spotted off in their own clique talking amongst themselves.
"Don't worry, I'll peel a couple away so you aren't overwhelmed," Yoko said kindly. "Wait here."
"So… They're all… really hot," Athena hummed.
"I noticed."
"And what they're wearing…" she paused as she noted their choice in attire. "Are they…?"
"That's what I'm going to find out," Virgil returned, Yoko returning a minute later with a man and woman in tow.
"Vincent, I'd like to introduce you to Angela St. Grace, and her fabulous sidekick, Arrigo Fiasco," Yoko introduced. "You might also know them by their stage names, Agent Knockout and Go-Go Fiasco."
"Uh… Stage names?" Virgil asked as he gave them the once-over, feeling something at the back of his brain, but coming up short. Dredging through the silt, he scrutinized their costumes, hoping that would prompt an old memory to surface, because while his brain told him he recognized them, it was the from where that he was coming up short.
The woman, Angela, was a beautiful shapely blond with hair like spun gold, bronzed skin, and dark blue eyes. Her attire consisted of a yellow skin-tight sleeveless bodysuit that looked like it'd been painted on, conforming to every swell and dip in her figure without-fail, a plunging V-neck giving an unimpeded view of the centerline of her cleavage. On her ears she wore golden hoop earrings, a matching gold-colored belt around her waist, matching yellow fingerless gloves, and ankle-high high-heel shoes.
Every inch of the woman spoke of sensuality, but the glint in her eyes, and the black 10mm holstered at her side, spoke of a confidence few could exhume.
The underlying muscle beneath her womanly curves only added to her beauty, though that could've been Virgil's own tastes talking.
The man, Arrigo, appeared to be of Italian descent with jet-black hair, a thin moustache wrapping around his mouth into a thin goatee at his chin, his eyes colored brown. His attire consisted of extremely short-shorts which may as well have been spanks, said short-shorts held up by a black silver-studded belt with a golden buckle, his upper body clad in a fishnet shirt that stopped at the biceps with a black leather vest draped over it, a brown Stetson hat with a feathery plumage on the front atop his head, black fingerless gloves on his hands, and black slipper-like shoes on his feet.
Suffice it to say, between the openly homosexual nature of his outfit and the Greek letter lambda (λ) tattooed on his right arm, Arrigo was the living definition of the gay stereotype. However, the man seemed to hold no reservations about his implied sexuality, comfortable in his own skin in a way only someone completely accepting of their own sexuality could be, not unlike Leeron who never let societal preconceptions put him down and stop him from being Leeron.
"I uh…" Virgil said scratching his hair as he racked his brain. "No offense, but I'm coming up short."
"Did you ever watch the TV series Codename: Knockout?" Arrigo, aka Go-Go, asked.
"That train wreck? I could barely stomach the plot of one episode, let alone watch the series," Virgil blurted out without thinking. "Um… I didn't mean for it to come out quite like that, but…" he said turning to Angela, trying to run damage control.
"Don't worry about it. Codename: Knockout isn't for everyone," the woman waved off, seemingly not offended by the teen's statement. "The whole 50s-and-60s-reminiscient absurdist spy comedy isn't for everyone."
"Well… glad you're not offended."
"I learned a long time ago that you can't please everyone," Angela shrugged. "Just isn't possible."
"I can understand that," Virgil said turning back to Arrigo, his eye falling onto the Lambda tattoo on his arm. "So, Arrigo, is the tattoo real, or just a stick-on?"
"Oh, it's real as I am, sug'~" Arrigo replied.
"Okay, then the openly-gay thing wasn't just an act," Virgil hummed. "Well, I'm getting used to Leeron. I can get used to you too."
"It is so nice to find a little acceptance, especially from someone so young."
"I'm not that young," the brunette pouted.
"Maybe, but most boys your age are utterly revolted by homosexuals," Arrigo said with a shake of his head. "Unless they're lesbians. Talk about double-standards, am I right?"
"Yes, well, everyone has 'em," Virgil returned. "As long as you don't touch me inappropriately, I think we'll get along just fine," he said extending his hand.
"Oh, don't worry, hon', I know where to draw the line," Arrigo said returning the gesture.
"Good to know," Virgil nodded before turning to Angela. "So… Has Code: Knockout changed any since I stopped watching, or is it still more of the same?"
"Well, sometimes we have a little shift in genre from time to time, but the overall premise is still the same," the leading actress replied. "Sometimes we have a two-parter, but most plots get resolved in under an hour give or take."
"Hm. I see," the teen nodded.
"So I take it you model on-the-side?" Athena questioned, if only so she wouldn't feel out-of-place in the conversation.
The Real Fashions' Halloween party was rather sparse of people her own age, after all, hence she chose to remain by those she did know.
"In a nutshell. Ms. Mayer has been very accommodating ever since I signed on," Angela replied. "Even when I'm filming overseas for an episode, she always manages to bring me everything I need to keep up my work here. The fact that my boss is a woman means she's more receptive to any… issues, I might bring up."
"Yeah, I get where you're coming from," Athena nodded. "Even though I make my own hours, I can still understand where you're coming from."
"A business owner? At your age?" Angela asked, amazed.
"More like small business, but yes. I do commissions for custom-made electronics through the mail."
"Custom-made, hmmm…?" the woman hummed. "Would you happen to know what kind of quality work she does?" she asked turning to the new model.
"Top-of-the-line, hands-down," Virgil replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, the fanbase isn't always receptive to gratuitous use of CGI in post, so the studio's always looking for new talent when it comes to our props and the like," the spy actress answered. "If your friend here's as good as you say she is, maybe we could cut a deal."
"Me? Help in show business?" Athena asked with wide eyes.
"Why not? Spy gadgets basically are custom-made tools. Think you're up for it?"
"Well… It honestly depends on what the studio wants," Athena said fishing a business card from her coat pocket. "If you're really serious, here's my contact information. Of course, for the sake of client confidentiality, I don't exactly keep a portfolio of past wares. Most of my clientele is from word-of-mouth."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. It was a pleasure meeting you… Ms. Moxxi," she said looking down at the card, Athena nodding in turn before Angela turned back to Virgil. "So, Yoko told me you wanted to meet the others, so Arrigo and I will I will give you a little space. Wouldn't want the new kid feeling overwhelmed, would we?"
"That'd be appreciated, yes," Virgil nodded, Angela and her sidekick walking off leaving "Vincent" alone to face his next hurdle. 'Calm down, man. Whatever they've got under the hood, it can't be any worse than what Carolina had going for her,' Virgil said pumping himself up as he approached them. The thumbs-up he was getting from Yoko meant other than Athena who was on his arm, he was on his own.
Quietly making his way over to them, his ears were able to catch the tail-end of the conversation they'd been having before he'd arrived. Stopping a couple yards away, the brunette tried to make himself as inconspicuous as he could as he waited for them to finish; something easier said than done given he was clad in a skin-tight blue bodysuit, Kevlar, and riot helmet.
Eventually one of the women from the lineup noticed his presence, followed by Ororo who kindly waved him toward them. Gulping audibly, Athena gave the teen a pat on the back, ushering him forward. Approaching his peers, a nervous knot formed in Virgil's stomach as the distance between them closed, his eyes settling on the attire that Mari and Ororo were presently wearing.
Mari, wearing the same necklace as before, was now clad in a skin-tight catsuit that covered everything from the neck down, sans her arms leaving her shoulders bare. The majority of it was a dark gray, but running around the back of her neck and down her chest, slightly wider than the crook of her neck, was a band of dark orange that ended in a V-shaped end that went just below her naval, a pair of beveled "teeth" fanning out along her ribs beneath her breasts. From the knee down she was clad in tight-fitting black boots ending with a single claw tip, while on her arms she had matching gloves that went up to the bicep, each finger also ending in claws.
Ororo's outfit was the very definition of majestic. Colored the same shade of white as her hair, her costume consisted of a skin-tight white bodysuit that covered everything from the neck-down, a thin line of gold trim around her neck, waist, and ankles. Her sleeves billowed from shoulder to elbow, a pair of white gloves with gold trim on her hands, and draped from her wrists to the small of her back were a pair of billowing crescent-shaped capes with gold trim. Her shoes were high-heeled, and a tiny added detail that most might miss were the small golden lightning bolt-shaped earrings dangling from her ears.
"Mari, Ororo, it's good to see you again," Virgil greeted.
"It's good to see you as well, Vincent. I'm glad to see you got into the spirit of things," Ororo said kindly as she took in his costume. "I'm guessing… some kind of space police officer?"
"Post-apocalyptic actually," Virgil corrected, seeing no reason to go in-depth about Fallout. "Honestly, I didn't expect to see this many models at a company Halloween party. No offense, but I assumed you'd be at something a little more high-end."
"You'll find that the models here are less stand-offish then at other firms," Mari replied. "Speaking of which, I believe some introductions are to be made. Vincent, I'd like to introduce you to Beatriz da Costa, and Tora Olafsdotter."
"It's very nice to meet you," Virgil replied as he took the next two in. Compared to Ororo and Mari, Beatriz and Tora's outfits were less conservative, but still tasteful in nature.
"It's nice to meet you too," Beatriz replied.
Beatriz was a tall shapely Brazilian beauty with a womanly athletic frame and emerald-colored eyes, a somewhat shocking detail about her being that her eyebrows and long mane of hair matched her eyes, and it didn't look like a dye-job from where he was standing. Her attire was predominantly the same shade of emerald as her hair and eyes, a mini-tube top cupping her bosom, wrist-length gloves, and tight pants with high heels, a golden belt around her waist leaving her arms and midriff bare.
"So, how're you finding things at Real Fashions?" Tora asked.
Tora on the other end of the spectrum looked Norwegian in descent, possessing a more petite build than Beatriz with soft blue eyes and shoulder-length shock white hair. Her attire consisted of an ice-blue tank top with white sides, a V-line collar, and an upside down white three-pointed crown on her torso, her skin-tight pants matching colors with a small lining of fake fur around her waist and ankles, her midriff left exposed. On her arms she had bicep-length ice-blue gloves with a small lining of fake fur around her biceps and wrists, leaving her shoulders similarly bare.
"It was a little overwhelming at first, but I'm getting used to it," Virgil replied. "Though honestly, I never really envisioned myself getting into this line of work. Especially not before I got out of high school."
"Well, you aren't the first person to be scouted early," Mari hummed. "And by the look of your tagalong, I'd say you're already quite the lady-killer," she said pointing over Virgil's shoulder, the teen looking to Athena who was fidgeting off to the side, casting furtive glances his way until she was caught, the genius whirling around. "So, how long've you two been going out?"
"I'll answer your question if you answer one of mine," he said weathering through the teasing. "Ororo, Mari, this has been bugging me for a while, so I'm just going to come out and say it…" he said, composing himself before blurting out- "How the hell can you be superheroes and still have a day-job when everyone knows your not-so-secret identities!?" he man-shrieked as he pointed to their superhero outfits.
"Oh, so you did know about that," Mari hummed.
"I did, but I didn't want to be that tactless at our first meeting," Virgil replied. "I wasn't really sure how to bring it up, but the two of you being here in-costume has made it much easier for me to broach the question while still being tasteful."
"Well, at least you made an attempt to be tactful about it," Mari nodded, thinking back to the reporters who were less-than-such. "Thank you for your discretion."
"I just wanted to be polite, is all," he replied, not seeing general politeness as anything to be thanked for. "So… How does it work out, if you mind me asking?"
"Well… as the highest-profile hero with a public identity here, I think Ororo should be the one to explain," Mari said turning to her white-clad colleague, the woman raising a brow before turning to Virgil.
"To answer your question, there are a few factors as to how we're able to have a civilian identity and a hero identity when they aren't actually exclusive to one another, while still maintaining a semblance of a normal life," Ororo began. "The first is that there's an unwritten rule between heroes and villains; you don't go after family. Both heroes and villains can relate to this, because villains have family too. It's similar to how child abusers have the life expectancy of cockroaches in general prison populations."
"What about when there's villains willing to break that unwritten rule?" Virgil asked.
"The only villains that are unstable-enough to break the one rule are the most-insane and the most-dangerous, the inmates at Arkham being a prime example," Ororo replied. "Fortunately, the lot of them seem to be too-fixated on the Bat Family to be a problem for any other heroes with public identities."
"And the next factor?" Virgil asked, noting how Arkham inmates' obsessions could be their own Kryptonite. Something he may very well have to exploit someday.
"The next is that the superhero community is a very tightly-knit group. For some it's a meeting point for passionate people with similar ideologies, while others bond over adventures most would consider the works of fiction," Ororo returned. "Attacking one of us in our civilian identities is a very good way of riling up the whole of the superhuman community; if you attack one of us, you're attacking all of us. It's similar to how police will become more-aggressive toward cop-killers, escalating aggression levels above the normal baseline. Only the really desperate kill a cop, and more often than not they're made to regret that decision."
"So because you literally have friends in high places, you can walk down the street without having to worry about a random villain attack?" Virgil asked.
"Some higher than others," Ororo chuckled. "Mari is currently dating the Green Lantern, John Stewart. You don't get any higher-up than a space police officer who can trade blows with Superman."
"Hey, I might be dating a space cop, but you're engaged to actual royalty," Mari traded back good-naturedly. "Marrying into the royal family of the undisputed most-technologically-advanced country in the world, I'm amazed supervillains will fight you at all, what with how-aggressively Wakanda responds to invasion attempts, or even thefts of their Vibranium reserves."
"To be fair, even if Ororo did marry into the Wakandan royal family, the most she'd ever be politically is "Royal Consort to the Crown Prince". And even if T'challa succeeded his father as king, the most Ororo would ever be in that case is "Royal Consort to His Majesty, the King". She still wouldn't be in contention for the throne as long as there was someone with even a drop of royal blood in their veins," Virgil hummed thoughtfully.
"That's actually quite correct, though I have to know… Why do you know so much about the rules of royal succession?" Ororo asked, curious about the teen's unusual amount of insight into the topic.
"See that little nutball over there by the snack table?" Virgil asked pointing to Tina as she ravenously dug into the snacks with reckless abandon, the Real Fashions employees nearby stepping away like she were a rabid animal. "She's got a thing for random British trivia. Hang around her long enough… and the rules of succession will be the least-interesting thing you'll learn."
"Well, knowledge can come from many sources," Ororo acknowledged.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd actually like to get back onto the topic we were discussing earlier," Virgil groused, trying to remain as-polite as possible. The sooner he got the blanks filled in, the sooner not-knowing would stop driving him up the wall. "How else does having a publicly-known identity when you're a superhero actually work in the long run?"
"Hmmm…" Ororo hummed as she regained her last trail of thought, acquiescing the young man's reasonable curiosity. "I suppose the last major reason is the most-obvious; because being a superhero with a publicly-known identity makes you a very high-profile individual. Because people know you, and you're able to reach out to them, you have a very wide net through which to draw resources from, even moreso than the hero community at large."
"So… if a bad guy managed to get away from you, all you'd have to do is put out an APB on your Twitter feed, and suddenly everyone Following you is helping you to find that bad guy because you're able to collaborate with the people?" Virgil asked. "Moreso than the police on their own could because your fanbase isn't constrained by the same red tape?"
"That's exactly it," Tora said with a nod. "Recently, a rather young hero with a public identity, Doreen Green, was attacked by a petty crook while she was out grocery shopping. There wasn't any permanent damage, but the fact that he attacked her while she was at her most-vulnerable did not sit well with her fanbase."
"Within the hour, an angry mob using social media to sweep the area found the guy, hunted him down, and then handed him to the police after breaking both arms," Beatriz went on to add. "As the story goes, quite a few of the other prisoners had children Doreen's age, so her attacker was violently beaten once he was put in prison, and the guards had to relocate him to solitary confinement for his own safety."
"I see," Virgil nodded, making a mental note to look into this Doreen Green character when he had the chance.
Knowing what kind of people SPBs were when they put the capes down really helped to humanize them in his mind, and made it easier to share the same world with them and not be scared out of his mind every waking moment. Especially when many of them could level a city block on a whim and at a moment's notice.
The very reason that extraordinary people like Superman or Wonder Woman inspired equal parts awe and fear.
"Still though…" he said drawing his thoughts back to the present. "Doesn't having throngs of people who know who you are in and out-of-costume give you a lot of trouble? Isn't it a huge hassle having random strangers bug you for a picture or an autograph the moment someone recognizes you?"
"No more than any other kind of celebrity. It's just something that comes with the territory of being famous," Mari hummed, Virgil nodding in recognition. "Heck, Batman is literally the only member of the Justice League who doesn't sign autographs, yet even he has a loyal fanbase."
"In fact, there's a few stories floating around from the time he started out as Batman, and how he inspired ordinary people to action; the greatest thing any superhero can hope to accomplish," Tora said enthusiastically. "He might seem dark and brooding on the surface, but he really does care about people, even if he doesn't show it all that well."
"So… you've met the guy?" Virgil asked.
" . . . No," Tora said, deflating visibly. "And I really do admire him. Not just because he's one of the founding members of the modern Justice League, but because even though he doesn't have any superhuman abilities, he was still able to better himself to be able to fight crime as well as if not better than his peers with superpowers. Knowing hard work can give you tangible results keeps me motivated to keep training and bettering myself, not just with my ice powers."
"Potential insanity aside, I will concede that what Batman's been able to accomplish does a great deal of proving just how powerful ordinary humans can actually be," Virgil nodded. "Steve Rogers may've started out ordinary, but everything of note he ever accomplished only came about because of superpowers. Whoever Batman is literally built themselves up with their own efforts," he went on to say. 'Unless he too is hopped up on super soldier serum, but everything he's ever been noted to accomplish is still within the realm of ordinary human ability, albeit Olympic-level,' he then thought to himself. "So then…" he hummed as he shelved those thoughts. "Being a superhero and having your identity known… You're content with that?" he asked, wondering whether they regretted going public or not.
His curiosity compelled him to ask.
"Some of us didn't really have a choice in the matter," Beatriz said flipping her emerald-colored hair over her shoulder. "A few of us have a harder time than others concealing ourselves."
"As for those of us who chose to go public…" Mari began. "It's a really big decision to make, and not one you can make lightly, because once the cat's out of the bag, there's no getting it back in."
"That being said, I don't think any of us really regret divulging our identities like this," Ororo hummed. "We've had our fair share of troubles because of it, but obstacles are a part of everyday life, and through the act of going public with who we are, we've been able to do a great many thing our costumed peers with secret identities simply cannot."
"Like testify in a court of law, for one," Beatriz hummed. "You can't really do that if you refuse to state your name and occupation for the record."
"And plus, if you're able to reach out to the public, you can get a lot of people behind you to help do a lot of good," Tora nodded with a smile.
"Right… Now that I think about it, wasn't there an issue of National Geographic where you were cuddling a baby seal with half-frozen poachers in the background?" Virgil nodded. That particular issue really stuck with him.
Then again, anything with a superhero's image on it will stick to memory.
"Yes, exactly! Getting people to care about the issues it'd be easier to look away from is one of the perks of having a public hero identity!" Tora said enthusiastically.
"Of course, any celebrity can use their fame in this way, though unfortunately, many squander their fame for more-selfish pursuits," Ororo said morosely.
"Well, given I'm not a superhero, nor do I plan on becoming one, this isn't really an issue I need to worry about," Virgil said with a shake of his head. "It's noble and all, don't get me wrong, but I don't really have it in me to put my life on the line for a complete stranger. Especially if they might not even be grateful in the end."
"Well, you are only sixteen, and expecting someone so young to make that kind of sacrifice isn't exactly fair," Ororo said putting a hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to live a little selfishly, just remember that a little charity can go a long way too."
"I'm not really sure I'll get that famous in the future, but if I ever do have the people's attention, I'll try to do right by it," Virgil said as he took in all the wisdom his peers had to offer.
To be honest, other than meeting Aquaman and Aqualad under such dire circumstances in Happy Harbor, he hadn't really had the chance to speak to a superhero at-length like this, so it was actually quite the novel experience to learn from them, see what made them tick and just how human they could really be.
Made it easier to let go being "let down" when his parents had died right in front of him as a kid.
Maybe someday he'd be able to get over it completely, but he wouldn't flat out hero-worship even if he did get over it.
"So, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Mari asked, happy to get the new kid out of his shell like this.
"Well…" Virgil hummed, tapping his chin idly. "Beatriz, I'm not sure if you get asked this a lot, but it's been bugging me for a while…"
"No, Tora and I aren't dating. We just have a very strong team dynamic," Beatriz chuckled, Tora giggling off to the side.
"Not even remotely what I was going to ask," Virgil retorted with a shake of his head. "When you… flame on…" he said trying to find the right words, "where do your clothes go?"
"Oh, the clothes are still there, just obscured by my fire," Beatriz said holding a tongue of emerald-colored flame in her hand; the ease at which she answered this question indicated having had to answer it in the past, and that answering said question never really bothered her anymore.
Of course, it was also quite humorous to watch Tora snuff that flame out with a blast of her ice powers before Beatriz' fire could set off a smoke alarm and ruin the party.
"Of course, my earlier outfit did make it look like I was naked underneath, so I can understand the misconception."
"Speaking of superhero outfits…" Virgil went on to turn to Tora, only as-comfortable as he was talking about this to superheroes because they had actual names. "Obviously by your superhero name, Ice, you have ice powers… yet you aren't bundled up in the slightest like Captain Cold or other ice-users. How do you not get cold with an exposed midriff like that?" he said pointing to her flat stomach. "I'm not trying to be a prude or anything, but I feel like I'm missing some context."
"Hmmm…" Tora hummed putting a finger to her chin. "I guess the cold just doesn't bother me," she replied after a moment.
"Well… Since you have ice powers, I suppose that is a given," Virgil hummed in agreement. If an ice-user wasn't immune to the cold, the mere act of using their abilities could be life-threatening if proper precautions weren't taken. "I doubt anyone else wearing your clothes would be able to say the same," he said off-handedly.
"It actually is a lot of fun to see people cosplay as us. Some of the twists people take at hero conventions could easily be new costume designs," Tora said with a smile.
"Of course, the merchandising rights don't hurt either," Beatriz chuckled. "Though if you want to talk about merchandising, just look at how well Wonder Woman is doing."
"Oh right, Wonder Woman's identity is publicly-known too," Virgil nodded.
Of course, he'd never met her, but then again, there wasn't a whole lot of reason for him to cross paths with a UN Diplomat, let alone her Amazon superhero persona. And maybe he did give her a lot of crap about her outfit, but it was only because her current choice in superhero attire made her look like a World War Two show girl.
Of course, given recent videos of her carving up rampaging metas like thanksgiving turkeys or shield-bashing their faces in in ways that'd give Captain America a raging patriotic erection, talking smack about her costume to her face was probably a really good way of getting hurt.
If not by her, then by her fanbase which could prove extremely territorial about Wonder Woman's choice in quote/unquote "empowering" attire.
"So, was there anything else you wanted to ask us?" Mari asked.
" . . . Why are you guys being so open with me?" Virgil asked tensely. "Why tell me all this so-readily?"
"Is it wrong to be open with one's peers?" Ororo asked with a tilt of her head.
" . . . I guess this just feels too good to be true," Virgil answered honestly. "Being a model and rubbing shoulders with superheroes, I guess I just never saw myself in this position, so it's just a little hard for me to believe."
"You'll get used to it. Eventually," Mari hummed.
"Like how you got used to dating a space cop?" Virgil asked with a smirk.
"It's the little things that endear him to me out-of-costume. Like the fact that he folds his socks," Mari chuckled.
" . . . I feel like I heard something that was meant to be kept private," Virgil stated a few seconds later.
"It's just one of those little things us girls talk about around the wine cooler," Mari chuckled.
"If you're trying to make superheroes less god-like so I'm less-paranoid about them… it's working," Virgil admitted, getting a chuckle out of his peers. "Anyway, I'll get out of your hair. I've taken up enough of your time."
"Before you go, why don't we swap numbers?" Tora asked. "If there's ever trouble, you'll know who to call."
"You're sure about this?" Virgil asked with a raised brow.
"It doesn't have to be about work. If you need someone with an ear to bend, we're always willing to help," Beatriz replied. "Ever since Simon and Nia retired and moved to Metropolis, we'd been wondering when Re-l would get some fresh blood into the stables."
" . . . Alright, you got me. Don't need to twist my arm over it," Virgil said handing over his phone, the superheroes Fire and Ice both putting their information into his phone before seeing him off.
"So… How're the co-workers?" Athena asked rejoining him.
"They're nice," Virgil returned. "When I found out they were superheroes, I was a bit wary of them, but… I guess I'll have to get over my dislike of SPBs eventually."
"Hey, don't go hero-worship on me. I like the skeptical side of you," Athena said with a smile.
"Relax, I won't be joining any fanclubs," Virgil dissuaded. "Though if any of my peers openly support a charity movement, I'll be sure to throw in my two cents. Not literally of course," he chuckled nervously. "So how're the others holding up?"
"Rina is keeping an eye on Tina over at the snack bar, Mordy is getting sauced over at the mini bar, and Brick is… Oh! He's back," she said pointing to the side of the room where "Franken-Brick" was returning, a dejected-looking Leeron trailing after him.
"So… The fish aren't biting?" Yoko asked as Brick went to join Mordecai over at the bar.
"Now I know how Ahab felt when he lost his white whale," Leeron sighed dejectedly.
"To be fair, even if he was gay, the moment you decide to play catcher he would wreck your ass," Virgil said flatly.
"Hey, homosexual men don't do only butt-stuff," Leeron whined.
"But you still do butt-stuff, right?" Virgil returned.
" . . . That's fair," Leeron admitted. "Still, he didn't even recognize my flirting, which might be the cruelest jab of all."
"More like a non-job," Virgil chuckled wittily.
"Ah, you sassy little bitch," Leeron pouted, he, Virgil, and Yoko getting a good laugh out of it before moving on. "So, how're the girls?"
"They were very nice. Made me feel right at home," Virgil admitted.
"Well, you are the young blood after all. They just want you to turn out as well as Simon and Nia did," Yoko returned. "Most young models in other company's stables tend to self-destruct after a couple years."
"As far as coworkers go, I could do worse," Virgil admitted.
"So who is that little rascal?" Leeron asked pointing to Tina at the buffet table.
"The little sister of the household. She's actually the one who helped me get my foot in the door at Athena's place," Virgil answered.
"Well she is just precious~" the sexy spotter cooed.
"Sure, that's one word for it," Virgil admitted. While Tina was precious in a way, she was also a bit unnerving. The fact she made fertilizer bombs on the regular and strapped incendiary rockets to stuffed animals was logical cause for concern. If there were a reward for "World's Deadliest 13 Year Old", she'd be the shoe-in, runner up, announcer, and judge's panel simultaneously. "So is there anyone else here I should meet and greet before the evening's out?"
"Two other models and the boss herself," Yoko answered. "One's just a model, the other's a retired vigilante."
"Huh. And here I thought the only retired vigilante was a dead one," Virgil hummed.
"Most wind up getting themselves killed before they can," Yoko sighed, a sad, distant look in her eyes.
" . . . I'm sorry I dragged up such a bad memory," Virgil apologized.
"Hey, no need for that," Yoko waved off. "You had no way of knowing."
"I'm still sorry," the teen insisted.
"Maybe someday I'll tell you the whole story," Yoko said off-handedly.
"Said story seems really important. You sure you can trust me with that?"
"Hey, if there's anything I know about Re-l, it's that she's a really good judge of character. No-one she's hired so far has turned sour. I'd like to think that's a trend that'll hold out."
"I'll make sure to live up to everyone's lofty expectations," Virgil returned, a bit touched to have people putting their faith in him again. "So, anything I need to know in advance about the two meeting with the boss?"
"Other than the fact that they're both drop-dead gorgeous and you should keep your jaw firmly attached?" Leeron asked rhetorically.
"Oh c'mon. I get that they're models, but they can't be that attractive," Athena dismissed assertively as she linked arms with her date.
A moment later and the soft *Ding* of an elevator's chime gave way to renewed murmuring, Virgil and Athena's eyes turning to the elevator as three figures stepped out. In the center was Re-l, clad in her usual black business suit and blue eyeliner, an aloof, untouchable beauty in her own right. However, it was the two at her side that really got the blood pumping.
The woman on the left stood five foot nine with green eyes and wild golden lochs of blond hair reaching her waist. Her athletic form and impressive bust were curvy in all the right places, clad in a tasteful black cocktail dress that drew the eye just as easily as any less-than-tasteful article of the same type. Her fluid, almost predatory movements of a great cat inflamed the lust of the men (and some women) that saw her. Dangling from her earlobes were a pair of silver curled-up cat-shaped earrings, an obvious throwback to her vigilante days.
The woman on the right, contrasting the first, was a mature aristocratic beauty with sensual curves standing taller than her peer at an impressive five foot ten. Her long dark-red hair , almost black, cascaded down her back in curvy, flowing waves. Her amber-brown eyes, beautiful and captivating, held a cunning and intelligence that bellied her age. Clad in a silky blue-gray evening dress that flowed down the curves of her amazing body…
If gorgeous women turned heads, this one spun them in circles until they snapped off.
"Who… are they…?" Athena gaped as she lifted up Virgil's dropped jaw, she and most everyone else in the room drinking in their beauty in silent awe.
That or just flat-out drinking to settle their nerves.
"The one on the left if Joan Jordan, retired vigilante," Yoko answered. "On the right you have Raven Wagner, a long-time acquaintance of Ms. Mayer and first model she ever scouted."
"Holy cow do pictures not do them justice," Virgil gaped, trying desperately not to.
To any passing-by insect, his tongue may as well've been a landing strip.
"Part of why fashion shows always have such a huge turnout, hon'," Leeron replied. "A picture's worth a thousand words, but the real McCoy's worth a million."
" . . . You think you'll ever be that hot?" Athena asked, a hopeful spark in her eyes.
"As hot as them?" Virgil asked with a raised brow. "Not in this lifetime."
"Ohooo! Challenge accepted~" Leeron cooed, his mind brimming with ideas to make the fresh blood even more marketable and visually palatable.
" . . . Just don't make me too frilly," Virgil sighed, thinking back to his most-frequent fashion shoot.
Before he could say more on the matter, the hairs on his neck suddenly stood on end. His back arching as a shudder ran up his spine, the teen looked over his shoulder, his shoulders hitching at the sight that greeted him.
Raven Wagner's gaze had been known to stir the hearts of all who received it; beautiful eyes filled with deep intelligence that could make men and women alike melt under them. Seeing such eyes solely fixated on him, Virgil flushed, nervously swallowing as Raven strode toward him with the gracefulness of a great cat stalking its prey, a faint smile on her face as she closed the gap between them.
Her companion, Joan Jordan, followed Raven's gaze before donning a trickster's smirk, making the brunette teen even more nervous.
Virgil Valentine, a young man who'd seen more horrors in NYZ than most army veterans would in their entire military careers -at least during peacetime-, reeled back in fear. Though not the typical primal fear, more like the kinda fear a boy on the cusp of adulthood has when talking to a girl "for the first time"; just cranked up to eleven.
"So, you must be little Re-l's newest catch," Raven spoke to him, a faint European accent in her tone, her voice a perfect match for her aristocratic beauty. "In case you aren't already aware, my name is Raven Wagner. You must be Vincent Valentine, correct?"
"Yes, that would be correct," Virgil returned, calming his heart with the same mentality he used when nocking an arrow against a bowstring so he could line up the perfect shot. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Wagner," he said giving a small bow.
"Please, call me Raven," the red-haired woman replied with a winning smile.
"Impressive~" Joan cooed with the playfulness of a cat as she circled around him. "Re-l managed to find someone who doesn't turn to mush when we meet them. At least one that doesn't flirt with Leeron," she added mischievously.
"I apologize for anything my friend says or does. When she gets playful like this, she's as bad as a misbehaving kitten," Raven said running damage control.
"Relax, a little mischief isn't a huge deal-breaker for me," Virgil waved off. "I've made many strange and unusual friends since coming to Bludhaven."
"Hey, I heard that, nigga!" Tina yelped, the blacks in the room snapping their heads her way the moment the N-word left her mouth.
"SPECIAL NEEDS!" Virgil said frantically with a hasty point of his finger, attempting to defuse the situation as-best he could by blurting out literally the first thing that came to mind.
Thankfully, it appeared to work. Between her manic appearance and hyperactive bearing, it certainly was easy to think Tiny Tina had a mental disability that could cause her to say stuff like, well... that.
'Thank god that worked,' Virgil, Athena, and Rina sighed, happy the mob was staved off. "Like I said, strange and unusual."
"You have my sympathy," Raven returned with a small laugh. "So, what made you come to Gotham's little sister?" she asked gesturing out the window.
"I... didn't really have anything waiting for me back home," Virgil said in a practiced tone, readying himself to recite the backstory he and Re-l had concocted so he wouldn't have to outright reveal he was a fugitive who'd broken the NYZ Quarantine. With something like the "Mercer Virus" floating around, that would've easily made him a super-terrorist. "When I drifted into Bludhaven, all I really had were the clothes on my back. After helping Athena's little sister out of a bind with some of the... local flavor," he said putting one hand on Athena's shoulder, the thumb on his other gesturing to Tina who was presently pestering the two stars of Codename: Knockout like a rabid fangirl, "her mother took me in and set me up with a paying job. By the time Re-l found me, I was a courier working part-time, the other part a utility worker at the local gun store."
"Hmmm..." Raven nodded. "What interesting webs we all weave."
"So how did you react when Ms. Mayer approached you for the new job?" Joan asked as she jabbed a thumb at Re-l, who was presently going around and thanking everyone for their continued hard work.
"To be honest, I was extremely shocked about the offer. I was always a bit of a wallflower in high school, so getting asked to model clothing in front of the camera... I wasn't really sure what to think," he admitted truthfully before lifting his riot helmet from his head, turning it around and looking at his reflection in the visor. "I'd seen myself in the bathroom mirror my whole life, so seeing myself staring up at me from inside a fashion magazine, wearing the trendiest clothes when I'd spent my whole life wearing resale... It's still a lot to take in," he said turning his eyes up at the senior model.
"Well, as I'm sure you've heard before, Re-l has an eye for talent," Raven said with a soft smile on her features, a delicate hand with perfectly-manicured fingers suddenly settling atop his scalp and ruffling his hair. "She wouldn't have reached out to you without good cause."
"Y-You don't say..." Virgil returned nervously, his face flushing the slightest shade of red at the motherly gesture.
That and the way her perfectly manicured nails raked their way across his scalp.
The next moment there was a crashing noise from the mini-bar; apparently, someone had reached their limit.
While everyone turned to the source of the noise, to Raven's piqued interest, Vincent's gaze was the first to land its source, his eyes suddenly laser-focused and a hand going to his hip reaching for a firearm that wasn't there, the economy of his movement simply astounding.
The sound of his discarded helmet hitting the floor meeting her ears, Raven blinked her eyes as a memory from many years before surfaced, the new model's likeness suddenly superimposed by slightly softer features, shoulder-length wind-dried brown hair in a ponytail, and piercing green eyes.
Virgil, seeing that nothing major had happened requiring his personal attention, and scolding himself for being so damn jumpy at what was supposed to be an informal company mixer, bent down to scoop up the helmet he'd dropped. Just as he was about to put it back on, the teen suddenly froze with his arms locked above his head as Raven pinioned him with a look that caused him to freeze in place.
While before her eyes were filled with intelligence and even a bit of motherly warmth, now however there was a bottomless curiosity to them, her eyes slightly wide as she gazed into his own, seemingly seeing something he himself would never find in his own reflection.
"Vincent. Have we... met before?" the woman groused, her head tilted to the side quizzically as she continued to examine his every feature.
"I-I don't think so," Virgil said fighting against the butterflies suddenly propagating in the pit of his stomach.
"Are you sure? Because there's something about you that seems eerily familiar," Raven went on to say, leaning forward into his personal space and cupping his cheeks, turning his head from side to side, scanning him with an analytical eye, taking in his every feature in greater detail as she furrowed her brow in concentration.
"T-Trust me... If we'd ever met before, I think I'd remember it," Virgil returned, trying to keep his stuttering under control as she tilted his chin upward to look under his jawline. 'What is it with beautiful women and touching my face?' he yelped to himself, thinking back to the beautiful women from recent memory who'd given him similar ministrations.
"Hmmm... I suppose you're right," Raven hummed, relenting much to Virgil and Athena's relief, albeit for different reasons.
"Vincent, how are you doing?" Re-l greeted as she came up to them.
"I'm fine, ma'am," the brunette returned, happy to get a break from Raven's rather intense gaze. "Getting lots of exercise, plenty of sleep, and eating as-healthy as I'm able."
"That's good," the woman replied. "Work can come up at any time, so I need you in peak physical condition at all times."
"Of course, Ms. Mayer. You can count on me," Virgil nodded, her underlying message blatantly obvious.
Re-l nodding in turn as she headed off to speak to her other employees, the brunette let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in.
"So… That's your boss?" Athena asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Virgil returned.
" . . . Well, at least she cares about your general welfare," the genius nodded. "I approve."
"Nice to know you two'll get along, though I don't think you'll need to cross paths with her that frequently."
"All the same, she seems like someone I can trust," the girl nodded.
"So…" Rina said coming into the conversation, a Real Fashions magazine in her hand. "This is the kinda thing you do when you leave the house?" she asked opening it to a specific page, one in which "Vincent" Valentine was the model, looking every bit like a Dhampir Prince or a young Lord of the Night.
"God this is embarrassing…" Virgil said with a red face as he tried to confiscate the periodical, only for Athena to snatch it away and bury her nose between the pages. "Athena, quit staring so intently, it's embarrassing!"
"He's cute when he blushes," Joan chuckled off to the side. "So..."
"So...?" Raven returned.
"Did he remind you of a past lover?" Joan asked cheekily. "You don't normally get so handsy with boys you just met."
"I'm an expert when it comes to faces," Raven said plainly. "I can remember every detail of every person I've ever encountered."
"So you have met him before?"
" . . . No," Raven returned after a moment. "He just... reminded me of an acquaintance, is all," she elaborated. "Stimulated a sense of nostalgia as it were."
"Are you sure nostalgia's the only part he's stimulating~"
" . . . You need to lay off those Bludhaven Cocktails, Joan," Raven said with a small pout.
*HALLOWEEN SPIRIT*
A few hours later and the party was beginning to die down. The partygoers were herding out, the crowd thinning while a few remained behind to clean up the mess. What was surprising to Virgil was that Mari, Ororo, Tora, and Beatriz chose to remain and help clean up as well, though given the rigors being a superhero entailed, a bit of post-party cleaning may as well have been a drop in the bucket for them.
"Hey, is it just me, or is the sky getting darker than usual?" Rina asked looking out the window.
"Hold on, let me check the weather," Athena said pulling out her phone. "Hmmm… Looks like we've got storm clouds rolling in all of a sudden."
"Aw maaaaan! It's gonna rain tomorrow! No fair!" Tina whined.
"Why are you distressed?" Ororo asked.
"We were all going to go trick-or-treating in the better-part of town tomorrow," Athena answered. "Of course, if it's raining, it's going to be a completely miserable affair."
"That and my costume might rust," Virgil stated, much to the other models' confusion.
"You won't have to worry about that, I coated it with water-resistant paint," Athena reassured. "Although… I didn't exactly anticipate having to water-seal it, so you might end up getting water-logged, and the internals aren't exactly water-proofed, so…" she trailed off worriedly.
"If the weather is the issue, I might be able to lend a hand," Ororo offered.
"Wouldn't that get you in trouble or something?" Virgil groused.
With an alias like "Storm", it was obvious what her superhuman ability was. Hell, there were loads of YouTube videos showcasing Storm calling down mother nature's wrath on the wicked. Many a comment said the bad guys smelled like "cooked hotdogs" after getting the business end of a lightning bolt "up the ass" as some commenters were wont to say.
"The weather changing on a whim is hardly anything new, as is the weatherman getting the forecast wrong. And besides…" Ororo said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, a shushing finger raised to her lips. "I won't say anything if you won't."
"Comes in real handy when we hit the beach," Mari added. "I say take her up on her offer."
"But isn't something like this a grievous misuse of your power?" Virgil asked, Tina glaring holes into the back of his head at that remark. "Wouldn't forcing rain clouds out of the way have negative consequences on the surrounding area?"
"Mother nature isn't so fragile that a last-minute change in plans would hurt her," Ororo reassured.
"Well, I guess you would be the one to know what's good and not good for the environment," Virgil accepted. " . . . If it really isn't too much trouble, clear skies tomorrow would be appreciated," he stated, the sensation of Tina staring holes into the back of his head abating.
"Don't worry, you can count on me," Ororo said with a smile, heading out once her due was done.
"So… I guess trick-or-treating's still on, huh?" Virgil asked.
"That's right. The good part of town might be a little out-of-the way, but not only is it infinitely safer than hunting for candy in our part of town, the quality of the candy will be infinitely better as well," Athena stated.
"Yeah, no cheapos handing out candy corn in the good part of town," Tina nodded.
"Though they do have the money to splurge on large amounts of fruit," Rina added, Tina deflating at the F-word.
"All that's left for me to do is run one last system's check on your Power Armor, and we'll be good to go," Athena nodded.
"Here's to hoping I don't wind up becoming some sort of pack mule," Virgil hummed. "Or that anything bad happens tomorrow."
"Hey, c'mon, what could possibly go wrong?" Rina asked with a grin.
Famous last words.