Greedy Cataloger 5 (NSFW) (Patreon)

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Greedy Cataloger
Chapter 5

-VB-

"You want to leave Earth?" Kayden asked incredulously. "Wait, you have a way to let you get to parallel Earths?"

I nodded. "I have multiple options, including Earths that are much safer than Bet."

Today was April 12th, 2011 on Earth Bet. The news of Lung's incarceration just hit the streets.

"But what about my job and -?"

"I can provide for you, you know that."

And yes, she did. The day I wiped the Merchants as a parahuman gang, Kayden came home to find the bounty money. It was far more than what she earned in a month and i had done it in a single afternoon. Sure, the Empire and Medhall might make more, but those weren't hers nor were they money she could have used easily, even back as the Empire's cape lieutenant. The bounty money I brought was.

"But … hoe can you just leave?"

"It helps that I don't have attachments to this world," I shrugged. I wasn't born here, after all, and had no family but her and Milly. "Besides, I have been thinking about how our family will become, and having a family on Earth Bet with its gangs, warlords, and governments didn't make me feel good. Why raise a family in Brockton Bay, Earth Bet when we could raise a family on an Earth without any parahumans and where stability and peace has reigned for decades in most parts of the world?"

She bit her lips. "What about identity? Social security?"

"The network I have covers that, too. Or at least, the perks I purchased from them should.

She sighed in defeat.

"Okay. Fine. That's… good. It lets me and Aster leave this place, but what about… I have a stepson."

"Theo, right? You told me about him before."

She nodded. "His father is-."

"Kaiser."

She grimaced. "Yes. I don't think it's right for me to just leave him here. If you and whatever this 'network' can help us, then surely…?"

"I can't help him with his identity, but I can take him with us."

"That's all I ask."

Of course, I wasn't going to hold back on capturing more girls for myself since I wasn't going to stay here for long.

For the sake of family dynamics, some of the candidates fell from my list of prospective targets. Lisa Wilbourn, aka Tattletale, tended to cause interpersonal issues. Jessica, Nessa, and Clarissa, aka Fenja, Mental, and Rune, were Nazis. Sophia and Emma were low level crazies. Missy, Aidha, and Dinah were too young. Miss Militia was rumored to be married. Alexandria could not have sex even if she wanted to. Dragon was an AI. Bakuda was boom crazy. Damsel in Distress couldn't control her own power.

Yeah, maybe more than just "some" and more like almost all of the candidates didn't make it. Seriously, Kayden was the best.

That said, Taylor was still available and the bank robbery has yet to happen, which allowed me to stake out. I may be able to rescue Dinah at the same time, but I would need her picture to keep track of her and … that required me to go and stalk her soon, making me look and feel like a pedophile. Just because I didn't want to be a pedophile didn't mean I couldn't save her. Victoria Dallon and Amy Dallon would also be at the bank, and both of them were probably going to be easy. Hell, I could probably use them to lure Crystal Pelham as well.

Alright, I had my target.

-VB-

I found Dinah's school and got a picture of her after some time. There weren't just a few girls in a school, after all.

Once I had her picture, I was set and staked out across the bank as a civilian and made sure I wasn't anywhere Tattletale could spot in a glance.

The first day was a bust. The newspaper talked about some sort of a battle in the Docks, though.

The second day was a hit.

Bugs acted oddly and that gave me enough signal to move in.

Still acting like a civilian, I walked across the street and entered the bank. Actually, I ran inside like how a normal person in need of a hurried cash withdrawal might -.

I stopped the moment I entered the bank. Most of the banks’ customers sat on the ground as hostages already and the Undersiders were looming over them. Tattletale in particular looked about to say something witty or confounding when she saw me.

"... who -?" she muttered before she narrowed her eyes. "Gru-"

Ah, she noticed. Whatever.

Molten lava clawed over me as they tore out of nothing to armor me. The air sizzles and embers flickered away from me as the transformation ended in under a second.

Then I jumped over the civilian hostages and landed among the Undersiders as a foreboding oblique dark cloud burst forth from the black leathered and motorcycle helmeted cape, Grue, to cover the entire bank floor.

Before it could even cross halfway between us, I created a spear of lava and hurled it at him. He rolled out of the way, but bits of the spear flew off and struck him. Those lava bits ate away at him, and he screamed to get his leather jacket off.

Tattletale pulled out a gun-.

And I was in front of her, grabbing and tossing the gun in one hand while grabbing and Shrouding her with the other. She began screaming as the Shroud surrounded her.

Bugs descended on me, but they all immediately died as soon as they got close to the armor.

My free hand twitched as a monster dog charged me.

I tanked the hit as I tore away at the veil of my human form and embraced the Elemental Shroud's nature. My human body instantly morphed into hyperdense fire, and the dog burned the moment it touched me. Tattletale did not burn, however, because that was what I willed of my fire. The monster dog yelped as it backed away from me even as it's skin regenerated from its burns.

"Undersiders," I ground out as Grue finally got his act together but remained cautious with Tattletale in my grasp. "Petty thieves being pawnas for Coil. Making a distraction so that he can kidnap a little girl."

This was directly aimed at not-yet-titled Taylor.

I felt it. The Shroud completed turning Tattletale to my Shrouded. I released her and she collapsed lifelessly.

I charged the remaining Undersiders.

"Hurt!" the butch girl I assumed was Bitch barked out, and her three dogs attacked me. I batted them aside and gunned for Taylor. I grabbed her and began to shroud her. She fought back, kicking and punching and commanding her insects. They burned and fell away in vain while Grue tried to cover me w8th his darkness. Oh, he succeeded, but I already had captured both of my prizes. Well, Taylor was taking a while. The girl had spirit. She fought back against every single tendrils of my will forced down upon her, unlike Tattletale who was only clever and not determined enough.

Just then, the roof of the bank caved in, and Glory Girl came through.

Perfect. A distraction

"Ah, Glory Girl. Nice of you to drop by," I said to increase the time I had to shroud capture Taylor. "Can yo-"

That was all I managed to get out before she rushed me.

I tanked the attack, and she stared up at me in shock. Her face grew hard and she began to throw a rain of punches with her enhanced speed and strength.

I parried all of her attacks, though they chipped away at my armor. Each meeting of our fists created small booms from the forces of our strikes. Then I abruptly kicked her away. She allowed herself to gain distance, going with the flow of the kick. She had some moves.

"... what was that for? I'm asking you to help me arrest these villains," I growled at her faux-indignantly. I was somewhat miffed by Collateral Barbie's attacks, but I was happier with my second acquisition of the day.

I grinned, hidden underneath my knight-like armored helmet, as my Shroud connected me to Taylor, whose final defiance petered out.

"He's helping, Vicky!"

I looked to the side and saw, oh, was that Panacea?

"Sorry, big guy!" Glory Girl quickly apologized before she rounded on Grue, Bitch, and Regent. She flew but her hand twitched -.

Oh dear.

Grue's arm just tore off.

"Holy shit!" Regent shrieked as if he wasn't the one at fault.

From there, it was a quick arrest.

"I need to be somewhere. I will be back," I told Glory Girl as she finished tying up the Undersiders while Panacea healed Grue by reattaching his arm.

"Waiit, uh, big guy-"

But I was gone, flying away. I pulled out my phone mid-flight and checked Dinah's location. She was rapidly moving away from her home at speeds a kid couldn't possibly run. This meant that she was already in Coil's hands but not yet at his base.

I dropped down as soon as I was above the van the signal came from and slammed into the street right in front of it. The van crashed into me almost instantly.

I quickly stopped it from tumbling away and tore the side of the van apart. Oh, they made sure she had a seat belt. Good on them. I won't kill the mercenaries for being safe.

While the mercenaries were dazed, I reached out and unclipped the seat belt on Dinah and scooped her out. "Let's get you somewhere safe."

I flew away from the scene, not even bothering to arrest the mercenaries. It wasn't like any of them had bounty.

I handed her off not to PRT ENE but PRT Boston. Flying there took me fifteen minutes, but PRT already had me in their national registrar, and I was recognized. I explained the situation,  and Dinah, who'd woken up mid-flight and cheered at flying, showed off her power.

I then flew away once again but opened a portal to my pocket dimension, flew in, and checked my phone. The Company had sent me points for the captures. Good.

Taylor and Lisa were now my Shroud-bound. They would feel my intent and come.

So I waited while preparing a cup of coffee and another of tea.

-VB-

Taylor sat with her knees pulled up against her chest and her back against the wall.

She'd failed.

She had tried to infiltrate a group, but they went under in the very first job she participated in.

Worse, there was something else inside of her. Something that the other cape had done to her.

The other cape was a master and he mastered her. She remembered fighting back inside her own mind, but she was too weak just like she had been in the locker.

Now, she had his "presence" inside of her, a small ember waiting for her to use it even as she heard his "will."

She looked across the cell and saw Lisa, sitting on the cell bench and looking tired.

They saw their embers. Both of them knew what was coming.

She wondered if this was how Heartbreaker's victims felt or did they experience something totally different?

"Guys."

The PRt had been stupid enough to put them all in one cell.

Taylor looked up towards Lisa. Lisa smiled sadly. Both of them felt their new master's will.

But she would not waste this oportunity.

She opened a portal, and Taylor rushed her other shocked teammates through the portal as the cell's turrets began to spray containment foam.

But they were through, Lisa too, and the portal closed.

The five of them found themselves in a comfortable living room.

"Ah, you're here… with guests."

Grue whirled around and saw an unmasked man sitting by a thin and oval dinner table. Dressed in a gray long sleeve button-up shirt and a black slacks.

"Who are you?"

The man grinned. "No one you need to worry about. Milly, can you throw the broody, flamboyant, and buff out?"

Taylor paused as a beautiful blonde girl, prettier than Emma and Lisa combined, walked into the living room from one of the hallways. And that … bust.

Were those real? 'I mean, they are within the realm of possibility,' she thought in her post-battle and post-pseudo-escape shock while staring at the girl's honest-to-God J-cups.

"Wait-!" Grue hissed but Lisa held her hand up.

"Don't bother. He's a master."

Three of her team froze. 'Former team,' she thought blankly. She didn't know how she should feel about this. Just yesterday, she lost her dad to the remnants of the Merchants. Today, she lost a team and …. And she was now a slave to this cape.

Lisa gave the three of them a sad smile. "He just wants me and Taylor. Go. You can't win against him."

Grue - no, Brian - looked lost. "I…"

"Go," Taylor sighed as she pushed Regent - no, Alec.

Even Alec hesitated. Probably thinking about how he was going to lose his entertainment.

But the man gestured again, while producing a fiery claw, and the message was received. The three walked out and the door closed.

She knew that they won't be able to reach them again, not unless her new master wanted them to. She knew instinctively somehow that this was a pocket dimension.

She was trapped with a man … who wanted things from her.

She could feel his will.

"Welcome to your new home, Taylor and Lisa," he said with a grin. "Sit and enjoy some snacks and a drink of your choice. We will discuss our relationship after that."

She let out a sigh of relief - and loss of anticipation? - as she realized that he wasn't going to … do them right here and now.

Lisa sat down and grabbed a cup of coffee. "So you mind if we snack and talk?"

"Sure. Should we start off with introductions?"

"Yes, please," Taylor muttered as she sat down, too. Milly, the girl that was here before them, winked at he man and walked back towards from where she came from.

"Alright," he said. "I am Alan Marris, a free agent of the Company, a multiversal conglomerate that deals with a lot of goods." He leaned forward just a bit but still meaningfully. "Flesh, included."

Oh. Was she… was she going to be sold?

"And powers," Lisa snarled after a sip of coffee. "You did something to my power." A pause. "I'm … Lisa Wilbourne. That's what I go by now "

"I'm Taylor Hebert."

Alan nodded. "You are correct. The Company deals in powers and flesh. What I did to master you two at the bank also made copies of you for cloning while I got to keep you for myself."

Lisa grimaced. "So what, we're just things you can do as you please?"

Taylor wanted to fight back against what controlled her right Noa, but her willpower wasn't there. Lisa must have felt it, too.

"It isn't without benefits, you know," he shrugged. "For example, you two are now Shroud-bound, which allows you to do some new tricks. Those embers inside you? Call them out."

Taylor hesitated before she closed her eyes and saw that ember again. She coaxed it and pulled it-.

Her eyes snapped open and she felt stronger.

"New fire powers for the two of you, flight included."

"What are you going to do to us?" Taylor asked as she felt this power - his power - coursing through her veins. She knew even more now that escape was impossible.

"... you want to get right to it? I'm perfectly fine with easing you in."

Taylor met his gaze.

She knew what he wanted. She felt that will inside of her. His Mastering made her want to reciprocate it. She hated it. She hated being forced to do this.

She wanted it done now. She wasn't going to sit and wait for him to choose. She still had a choice, as pathetic as it was.

"No. You already brought us here," she hissed as angry tears fell.

"Alright then. You two are already my girls. I intend to fuck you as well."

Taylor bit her lips and looked down. Her fists clenched on top of her thighs.

He stood up and came around the table. He draped his hands around her shoulders and leaned down.

"The Shroud … ages my partners enjoy the act. Just like Milly, you'll be walking into my bed for your nightly sessions."

Taylor saw Lisa bristle from the corner of her eyes.

"I won't just be naking love and fucking you, though. I very much intend to impregnate you. You'll be making babies every year, and thanks to the Shroud and my other perks, you won't tire, age, or weaken. You will be happy."

He then walked over to Lisa.

"Mmmm!"

Tsyloe's head snapped up and she saw... he was kissing Lisa. She didn't fight back, though. Her hands were up and pushing against his chest, but that resistance ended quickly. Taylor watched as Lisa kept kissing and kissing, letting his hands roam down the sides of her skintight costume.

He broke the kiss and Lisa gasped for air. She sat there, staring blankly with wide eyes and gasping not just for air but… need.

Taylor fidgeted as she realized that she wanted to be kissed, too. Her first kiss…

Oh, it was already happening, wasn't it? When she first came here, she was .. she wanted to fight back. Defiant.

All it took was a touch and a show for that to come crumbling down.

All she was now was a useless teen orphan, ready to spread her legs to the man who Mastered her.

Ah, she was pathetic and weak. She said she wanted to be a hero, but she hadn't changed at all from before she triggered with her power, hadn't she? Bookish nerdy Taylor running from her life.

Being a sex slave was just her new lot in life.

At least, he promised she'll be happy.