Chapter 9 (Patreon)

So, the good news about my latest magic perk - my ears didn’t grow into sharp tips, and my hair didn’t lengthen to cover my lower back. Explaining that away as yet another Trump thing to Cass would’ve been nigh on impossible.

The decidedly neutral news that I wasn’t sure would come and bite me in the ass later? Well…

All around me, unseen to my normal human eyes, but apparent to the more esoteric peepers at the back of my head, the Winds of Magic thrummed and flowed through the night’s sky like wispy, smoky tendrils of beautifully cryptic colors. Describing these ‘Winds’ seemed almost impossible to my novice eye, other than the very solid color each discernible energy seemed to be composed of. They thrummed and moved randomly, fading in and out as they flowed in directions all around me to different areas of Brockton Bay.

The magic wasn’t superimposed enough to make the other aspects of my second vision useless, thankfully. The more common ones like Aqshy appeared more like red-tinted heat waves, or the thin gray of Ulgu appearing as smoggy gray mist that wouldn’t be too dissimilar to old factories blowing out fumes.

Suddenly having this new seventh…’sense’ forced upon my being was dizzying. Nauseating. And it wasn’t just sight - I could practically taste the magic in the air now. Something tasted like burnt cinnamon rolls.

‘And just when I thought I was getting used to having four eyes…’

I dropped flat on my ass on the dark, nondescript rooftop that I’d landed on minutes ago, once the Winds started getting noticeable and the weight of knowledge the Grimoire force-dumped in my head became too obnoxious to temporarily ignore. I needed to get back to Cassie’s bunker with the loot, I knew this more than anything else, but if I didn’t at least index the sudden lump of arcane knowledge plaguing my brain I felt like flying would not go as smooth as the first time around.

Exhaling softly, I allowed my senses to reach out, only barely stroking the surface of the different Winds as I went through them in my mind.

Aqshy, the Red Wind, and the Lore of Fire.

Azyr, the Blue Wind, and the Lore of Heavens.

Chamon, the Yellow Wind, and the Lore of Metal.

Ghur, the Brown Wind, and the Lore of Beasts.

Ghyran, the Green Wind, and the Lore of Life.

Hysh, the White Wind, and the Lore of Light.

Shyish, the Purple Wind, and the Lore of Death.

And finally, Ulgu, the Grey Wind, and the Lore of Shadows.

Omni-Disciplinary Mage gave me a burgeoning understanding and connection to each of the eight Winds of Magic, alongside what felt like a big ass headache-inducing crash course on the overall study of the Aethyr. I wasn’t an all-encompassing master by any means, but if I had to throw a lowballing guess out there I’d say that I was probably the equivalent to a newly minted, fresh-faced Asur mage with high potential.

It was exceedingly rare for a human to juggle just two Winds of Magic without fucking up and creating a chaotic mess that just wasn’t worth the effort…but I wasn’t just a normal human. I was a human with a Celestial Grimoire, and for the measly sum of a fairly insignificant charge, it saw fit to give me the same potential and talent for the Aethyr as a pureblooded High Elf.

The threat of corruption and mutation was still there, I was pretty sure. I had no intention of going too fast with my new power-up, because the knowledge of what rushing and being careless with the Winds of Magic could do to you was something that made even me green at the gills, but the effects of what I could do with this was…immense.

Fortunately I was in Worm, not Warhammer, and I was pretty sure the Celestial Grimoire didn’t allow unfair bleed-through with existential, demonic entities of Corruption and Chaos. At least, my gut instinct was telling me that I was safe in that regard. The Aethyr was most definitely brought along for the ride, just as the Winds of Magic now flowed through Earth Bet, but I was almost certainly the only one capable of harnessing its power.

Hopefully that meant whatever Gods or Daemons that were frolicking around in the Warp in the actual Warhammer Fantasy universe stayed their scary asses over there. I had my hands full enough with overpowered aliens with hacks over here.

Over-all, this did nothing to change my original plan. Sure, I had more tools in my toolbox to fuck over the big bads of this universe, but more tools were just that - tools. I had no interest in attempting to venture into and study the Warp, or to check and see if my assumptions about the Chaos Beings were actually correct. I doubted that the Celestial Grimoire even plopped Warp Gates down into Earth Bet anyway, because that sounded like a whole different ball game from the perk I received.

I thought about it for a second and shook my head. Yeah, nah, I was good on that. I just wanted to beat up assholes, train and enjoy my motherfucking magic, and get the Hell off of Earth Bet. The Winds of Magic could either come along for the ride or fuck off, but I wasn’t about to change everything about myself to suit anything I collected from the Grimoire. It was there to assist and supplement me, not the other way around. I would treat the Aethyr with due respect as I practiced and studied its magic and spells, but that was all.

The resoluteness of my thoughts bolstered my flagging energy. It was getting late, and my latest perk was a fucking mental drain to inwardly wax on about. ‘That’s it then,’ I nodded to myself, a smile growing on my lips. More soul-searching and magical experimentation could wait until I was in a secure location.

For now, I allowed my bootleg Second Sight to fade away, immediately feeling the lack of pressure in the back of my head as the illusionary eyes sank back into my skin. With them deactivated, the Winds of Magic were once again hidden to my naked eyes - though, with a bit of extra focus, I could feel the energy flowing around me.

Fortunately, It wasn’t like I needed it for my current favorite method of travel.

I shrugged the duffle bag off of my shoulders and reached inwards, grasping for that ever-shifting nugget of power nestled snugly amongst the other motes of light in my soul. Animal Form was a perk I’d gotten during some point last night, and it was, quite possibly, my favorite magic from the Grimoire so far. It wasn’t the strongest, of course - the creature I shifted into could only be twice the size of my body and it lacked any magical properties, so I couldn’t just shift into Godzilla and turn Medhall into a radioactive crater.

It didn’t need to be strong, though. Being able to fly and move, unimpeded for the most part, as any unassuming animal was worth its weight in gold! I wasn’t sure how many beast-shifting Capes there were in Brockton Bay, but considering the only animal-themed person I could remember reading about was Bitch, I was leaning towards ‘not many’.

It was the ultimate disguise!

If…I hadn’t chosen a fucking flying serpent as my first form.

In my defense, who wouldn’t choose something positively badass if they could turn into any creature, mythical or mundane? My instinctive first thought had immediately been ‘dragon’, but that whole song and dance had already been picked clean by both Lung and the AI chick that was quite literally named ‘Dragon’, so I went with my second thought and chose a Quetzalcoatl. The fact that the perk allowed me to choose its coloration was just icing on the cake.

The transformation was seamless and magical, as expected from an ability that originated from an anime like Lyrical Nanoha. My body began to glow a bright white, like I was a Pokemon in the middle of an evolution. There was no snapping of bones or pulling of muscle - one moment I was glowing white, and the next I was slipping high into the cloudy night sky with the hefty, cash-filled duffle bag wrapped around the end of my tail.

In that moment, if one had night vision, incredibly good eyesight, and a penchant for randomly looking up at the night sky, they would see a midnight black, twelve foot long serpent with large, soft-looking wings that barely seemed to move as it slithered its way through the air. Long, beautiful plumes of feathers the color of the rainbow flowed back from its regal, snake-like skull and flowed gently with the wind, the shimmering of colors seeming almost unnatural in its vibrancy.

I was waxing poetically about my own animal form inside of my own head, but how could I not? I looked fucking majestic - as expected of the Feathered Serpent God - and pride dictated that I flower up my own mental description a little bit.

Still, I made sure to coast closer to the clouds as I flew back towards the bunker. I doubted anyone could see me, even with the colorful plume of feathers around my neck. That was one aspect that I curiously couldn’t change about the form, not that I minded overly much. Utility and stealth was important, but so was looking fly. Plus, with a bit of practice I could shift into other animals too. I wasn’t stupid - if it was a one-off thing, I definitely would have chosen something more practical for the situation I was in, but that was the thing with the Grimoire.

More often than not, you had choices. There were almost always going to be choices. That’s what made being a mage so fucking awesome.

I’m not ashamed to say that I let out a cacophony of trills and whistles as I twisted and shimmied through the night sky, as free as a…well, mythical snake-like bird of legend.

__________________________________

“What’s the password?”

Cassie’s tiredly amused voice was tinny and a bit robotic as it came through the blank black screen on the bunker’s sole entry door.

Back in my human form once again, I adjusted the duffle on my back and let out a sigh. My Second Sight - which I’d started to call my second pair of eyes - was activated just in case someone had actually managed to keep track and follow my journey through the clouds, and so far the coast seemed pretty clear. The bunker was in a nicely hidden spot anyway, though, so I guess the paranoia was a bit unwarranted.

“...C.I.T.G.H.” I finally spoke up after letting the silence build for a few moments longer.

“And what does that acronym stand for?” There was a hidden glee in the girl’s voice as she practically purred the words out. She was enjoying this little roleplay. It sorta made me wonder what other situations she enjoyed roleplaying. Nerdy chicks were some of the kinkiest bitches in the fucking world.

I grinned, entertained in spite of my physical and mental tiredness. As hot as the thought of more salacious roleplay was, I wanted to needle the brat a bit more. “Damn, I think I forgot. Something ‘bout a chicken’s indigestion?” Boredly, I scratched my fingernails on the dried bloodstain littering the sleeve of my borrowed leather jacket, flaking off the burgundy pieces.

“...Say it or no entry pal. Rules are rules.” The deadpan on Cassie’s face was felt, even through the screen. My grin grew.

“I actually forgot. Scout’s honor.” It was impossible for me to forget things.

There was silence for a couple of beats, and then…

“Jaaaay!” Cassie didn’t scream, which me and my ears were thankful for, but her voice pitched upwards in that natural way it did whenever her cool girl persona was prodded apart. I could practically see her little red lips pouting already. “We came up with the code together, asshole. Why you gotta shit on my fun? Huh?”

I tapped the screen lightly with my index finger. My voice was composed and dry when I responded. “If you don’t open up I’m gonna miss the window to grab the pizza bagels. Plus, I still gotta grab some things from your list.” I’d only come back to drop off the duffle bag full of looted money, stolen jewelry, and illegal weaponry. Something told me that entering a bistro masked-up and carrying a duffle wasn’t the greatest look in the world, and I was still hoping to avoid the PRT until I had a bit more of a positive name for myself as ‘Avalon’.

Stormy silence was Cassie’s only response. I sighed again, but patience cooled any and all vestiges of annoyance. I was cool with playing our little game…whatever that game was. Women, as a whole, were fairly easy to understand once you’ve experienced a wide enough variety of ‘em. Cassie needed a little bit of give and take.

“But if my amazing and adorable hacker wants to eat coffee beans and dollar coins tonight instead, I could just stay out here. Alone. Without your soft, pliable little butt to keep me comp-”

Only my sharpened reflexes, honed from the night’s drug bust and yesterday’s nazi struggle, kept me from being smacked by the bunker’s door abruptly swinging outwards. I calmly stepped back just in time, which coincidentally sync’d with the Celestial Grimoire offering me another mote of light in the guise of Oneiromancy, which seemed to be another sorcery from the World of Darkness. It was the magic of…peeping into others’ dreams? Rather unimpressive compared to my last few purchases, and I did not want to get into the habit of just accepting any shiny new spell.

I had a decent amount to work with right now, in addition to the veritable score of spells that the Aethyr introduced to me. I needed time to study, optimize, and ultimately synergize the things that I had so far. ‘I’ll pass for now. Not really the type to go lurkin’ in dreams anyway.’’

Inwardly shooing the mote of light away from my All-Star team of magical abilities, I closed the large metal door behind me and headed down the hatch into the bunker proper. Cassie was waiting expectantly at her usual computer setup when I slid down the ladder, her cheeks flushed and her arms crossed over the mosquito bites she called tits.

She looked like she wanted to say something, especially when her eyes drifted over the duffle bag, but curiosity faded immediately into concern when she noticed the blood on my sleeve. “Hey, welcome back. I was gonna call you a perv when you came down but…you okay?” The usual fake spikiness was gone, replaced by a stubborn gentleness as she rolled her chair closer. Her hand reached out to touch the bloodied sleeve.

I pulled the arm away before she could touch it. At her hurt look, I waved a hand. “It’s not mine. I don’t want you catching gonorrhea because you touched a druggie’s blood.”

Understanding passed over her face and her mouth opened into a cute little circle. “Ohhhhh.”

“Yeah,” I smirked amusedly, pulling the jacket off and leaving me in a plain white t-shirt and jeans. The jacket was promptly tossed to the side. “Remind me to burn that and the rest of my clothes later on. Daddy’s gotta go get cigs.” I was still on a time crunch after all, and I was really fucking hungry. Like, nauseatingly so.

Ignoring Cassie’s embarrassed sputtering of ‘daddy?!’ and dropping the duffle bag on the ground near her computer, I began making my way towards the ladder again. The hacker watched me, stupefied, but I wasn’t really one to hesitate with my fingers up my ass if I could help it. The quicker I got these chores done and food in my belly, the quicker I could look a bit further into the Winds of Magic and see exactly what sort of spells I could do. Already I could think of a couple from Hysh that could help Cass with her dislocated ankle.

Whether or not I would risk my first attempt at channeling the Winds on healing my hacker was up for debate, but I’d get to that point when I got there.

“Wait!”

I paused at the foot of the ladder, my hand already resting on one of the cold metal rungs. I didn’t need to turn my head to see Cass, slowly and tenderly, rising out of her chair in order to limp over to me, but I did so anyway in order to avoid creeping her out with my Second Sight.

“Hm?”

I tilted my head, watching as the petite asian girl shifted demurely on her feet in front of me. ‘Demure’ would not be a term that I used to describe the exterior she puts out as a self-defense mechanism, but once you dug into the layers…my instincts were usually pretty on point when it came to women, and ever since I met Cassie I had a feeling that she was a complete bottom. A closet one, maybe, but a bottom all the same.

“What, I get a kiss for good luck? Fast Food lines can get a bit brazy at night.” A rakish grin pulled at my lips.

“Shut up,” she huffed loudly, though there was no heat in her words - only on her cheeks. Taking another step forward, Cassie steadfastly ignored my staring and wrapped her arms around my waist. I caught only a glimpse of her eyes squeezing shut and her teeth worrying anxiously at her lower lip before she slammed her face into my chest and practically tried to crawl into my skin with how tight she hugged me. I let out a grunt at the impact, staggering back a couple inches.

“Woah,” I raised an eyebrow in bemusement but wrapped my arms around her in turn. Warmth coalesced in my chest, toasting me to my bones and filling me with a heady, giddy feeling. I smiled in spite of myself. “What’s this for?”

Cassie mumbled something into my shirt, but it came out like ‘uhhhhwanyutobesef’, so I gently pinched her on the ass to get a better understanding of her words. It was unfortunately over the draping lapels of her pink hoodie, so I didn’t get to actually touch it. For fuckin’ shame.

“Ow!” she jumped in surprise, but didn’t detangle herself from my arms. Her face peeled back, however, showing the disgruntled scowl on her lips. “You smell like shit, jerk. And I said…” Her stubborn frown puckered into an embarrassed pout. “...I want you to be safe. You did good tonight, but you’re tired and hungry. I can tell. Don’t do anything crazy, Jay...just be safe.” The earnestness in her voice was strong, bulldozing straight through the clear anxiety and nervousness she was feeling, and I could practically feel her concern for me.

It…felt nice. Better than nice.

I inclined my head and cleared my throat. “...Yeah, I can do that. Thanks, Cass.” My voice definitely did not almost crack at the end. I’d spear anyone who says otherwise.

“Good.”

Neither of us mentioned how we may have stayed in that hug for longer than what was strictly necessary for a platonic send-off.

It felt right, and that was all that mattered.

__________________________________

“That one? Ah, kid - that phone’s one of the newer models - a NuTek 6, brand new. I only got that particular one in stock because of a rush order that was canceled too late. Lowest I can go is 500.”

I eyed the pot bellied pawnshop owner with a dead-eyed stare, not even bothering to say what was going on in my mind in that moment. I wasn’t a technological genius, but a brief scroll through the exceedingly generic smartphone on the counter showed that it was nothing crazy to write home about. Fairly advanced for what was effectively 2011, but Earth Bet did have Tinkertech to influence the world’s technological advancements.

Regardless, the front glass was lightly scratched and someone had forgotten to clear out the photo library. I’d even caught a glimpse of an uncircumcised dick pic before I managed to scroll past. It was not worth no 600 dollars.

Perhaps it was my glare, or maybe it was Force of Spirit passively increasing the aura of intimidation around me, but something in the man broke. He sighed, exaggeratingly loud, and pretended to peer at something in his ledger. I could read the minute emotions flashing through his face - clearly working as a shopkeeper didn’t give him any actual talent at schooling his features.

First it had been greed when I’d walked into the store. A lean black teenager with messy black dreadlocks and bargain-bin clothing? He probably thought I was gonna sell some stolen goods he could fuck me over on.

Then, it was annoyance when I opened my mouth and spoke in a tone of voice that practically oozed with self-confidence and intellect. Every attempt to swindle me with random knick-knacks and oily deals were rebuffed.

And now, it was a despondent acceptance when he realized that this transaction just wasn’t worth pissing off a potentially dangerous client. He eyed me nervously as he spoke. “I, er…must have gotten the order mixed up with a different one. That NuTek has been here for a while, and it’s one of the older versions. Lower quality camera…or somethin’. I can let it go for 300.”

I raised an eyebrow. Half the price was pretty substantial, but that probably meant that the actual value was still much lower. Your first lowered price was never the actual worth of the merchandise - ample amounts of fanfiction taught me that. Plus I’d never purchased an old, hand-me-down iPhone for anything more than 200 back at home. “100.” I responded evenly, crossing my arms.

The store owner snorted, shaking his head with an ugly smile. “They go for 750 when they’re factory new. I’m only going down to 300 because it’s well-used and people aren’t really picking ‘em up like hotcakes anymore.” He eyed me oddly, then. “Not that people often go to pawn shops for quality phone selection.”

There was probably shit that he wanted to unpack there, but I ignored it. The take-out bag of pizza bagels were starting to cool, and even though I’d already eaten a few inbetween store visits I still wanted to get back before the cheese became all plastic-y and gross.

“150, then.” I decided with finality.

The man’s face became cloudy with bubbling over annoyance. “Did you not hear what I just-”

“The phone had some loser’s chode in the photo gallery,” I cut him off, leaning forward against the counter. He leaned back in response, eyes widening at my sudden intensity, and I pressed my finger down on the smudged screen of the smartphone. “Shit hasn’t been cleaned out so I’ll probably have to buy a new sim card. The screen has scratches all along the glass, and dirty, dead skin cells tucked into the corners.”

A scowl formed on my lips. “The least you can do is sell it for 150, what with all the bullshit I’m gonna have to do to dress it up.”

As if in response to my frustration, a tug in my gut temporarily brought my attention inwards. The Celestial Grimoire was starting to surge once again, hyping itself up after my last rejection in order to grab yet another magical ability. That, at least, improved my mood a little.

The portly man grimaced. For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but then thought better of it when he looked up at my frowning visage. “Fine,” he agreed sullenly. Just like that, I accomplished the last chore of the night - purchasing a phone that Cassie could Tinker with to her heart’s content. I was looking forward to seeing what sort of programs she had in store for me to try out.

As the clerk was ringing up my purchase, alongside a couple things that I figured I’d grab as well - like a charger, a matte black case, and a pair of wireless earbuds - the ring of the door opening and closing behind me had me turning my head to check. My Second Sight was obviously deactivated, considering the fact that a second pair of eyes while inside of a brightly lit store would spell me out to be a Cape to literally any civilian.

“Heyyy Joe! If it isn’t my favorite scam…artist?” The girl’s voice slowly trailed off when she realized that there was another person in the pawnshop despite the time quickly nearing midnight. I tilted my head and slowly grabbed the bag offered to me.

“Oh great, just what I need…another freakin’ hard nut. Whaddya want tonight, Lisa?”

It was a blonde girl around maybe sixteen years of age, with fair skin, a cute dash of freckles across her nose, and bottlecap green eyes. She, for all intents and purposes, looked completely normal in a snug-looking gray hoodie and black yoga pants, but I knew better. My bodily control was better than it used to be, but even I couldn’t stop the sudden lurch in my heartbeat when I recognized just who she was.

What other blonde-haired, green-eyed teenager with the name ‘Lisa’ was there in Brockton Bay, after all?

I wasn’t scared or anything, but suddenly seeing a character that I’d read so much about online just…exist there, in the flesh, surprised even me. Dully, I was beyond thankful that I had replaced my mask with Cassie’s sunglasses. Hopefully that kept the nosy girl from getting all up in my business with her Sherlock Holmes bullshit, but I couldn’t really know for sure. As loved as she was by countless readers in my previous life, I couldn’t imagine that she could be anything but a headache for me right now.

I just had too many secrets, and her power was just too fucking unpredictable.

“...Just the usual, old man. My, uh, dog chewed up the last bundle of ethernet cords I got from you.” Lisa responded to the old man distractedly, still staring dead at me without any sense of propriety or tact. I shrugged, turning away from the girl, and slid a couple hundred dollars out of my pocket - remnants from the fallen nazi, may he never rest in peace.

“Keep the change.”

‘Joe’ stared hard at me for a second before begrudgingly nodding his head, seemingly satisfied with the trade. “Hmph, thanks…good luck with the phone. Now let me see here…cords, cords, cords-”

The Grimoire finally wrangled in the mote of light it had been searching for, and as I turned away from the counter and took a step towards the exit of the door. I couldn’t check it out, however, as the blondie almost immediately intercepted me. Her gaze was inquisitive, green eyes almost glinting as she stared me down - which was crazy, ‘cause I had a full head of height on her. She uttered no words - other than the sound of old Joe moving boxes of electronics around in the back, there was only silence. I probably could have counted the amount of freckles dotting the bridge of her nose in the time it took her to finally speak.

Just as I was about to physically grab her by the biceps and move her ass out of the way, she addressed me with a cocked eyebrow. “So…what’s your name Mister Tall, Dark, and wears sunglasses at night? It’s not often that Joe’s the one losing out on a deal.”

“I’m the one walking outta here with no more cash,” I smiled wryly, adjusting the mass of plastic bags in my grip. “Don’t know if I’d call that winning.”

That actually got a dry snort out of her. A distinctly vulpine smile formed on her lips, creasing the corners in a way that implied she smirked or grinned quite often. “Money can always be earned,” she waved dismissively, “Just like names, which I guess you’re going to make me work for. Fine.”

Straightening her back and smiling a bit more with her teeth, the criminal shoved her hand out towards me. Her voice was a smidge more confident when she spoke again. “My name’s Lisa, although Joe already spoiled that unprompted. Asshole. It’s nice to meet you.”

Polite and straightforward…I really couldn’t blow her off without seeming like a straight up asshole. Which, to be fair, I sometimes was, but what harm would shaking the chick’s hand cause? It wasn’t like this meeting meant anything in the overall scope of things, and after she lost interest in me and my riveting presence we’d both go our separate ways and probably never see each other again. Somehow, I doubted the Undersiders were gonna be moving in the same circles as me.

Sigh.

Fuck it, we ball.

Forcing on a teeth-baring grin of my own, I reached forward and grasped her hand in mind. “The name’s Jason. It’s…nice meetin’ you too, Lisa.”

As we shook hands and she stared pinpricks at me once again, something eased up in her shoulders. Her smile turned positively radiant. “Heh, you seem like a pretty interesting guy, Jason - very…quiet. Chill. I think we’re gonna be good friends.”

Maybe it was the way she said it, or the way that her eyes seemed to sparkle in curiosity, but those words gave me an odd feeling in my gut. Anxiety? No. Anticipation, maybe? It could just be that I was completely and utterly drained, and my mind was jumping at shadows.

Her words sounded innocent and genuine, but something was telling me that I was missing something happening in the background of our interaction.

Something pretty damn important.

__________________________________

Perks Received:

Sleight of Hand (DC Occult - 100): You've had a good deal of practice at stage magic, street magic, or something in between. In addition to great skill at card tricks and various other illusions, you're none too shabby at picking locks and pockets. With some practice, you may even be good enough to do things like steal a watch right off of someone’s wrist. [/spoiler]

900 CP Remaining.