Right of Retribution 3 -CH4- (Patreon)

Warner felt weird.

Looking to the ground he idly kicked a rock out of the way and toward the wall. It bounced and clattered about before vanishing over the curb.

Right now he was standing in front of a coffee shop that wasn’t that far away from the local Fed building. One that was full of people that were more than likely looking for him in one way or another.

And my dumb ass is walking into the lion’s den with someone who’s going to be the director of the Fed. For the entire damn state.

This is just stupid.

Shaking his head, Warner considered leaving and not for the first time. The longer he stood out here the more he felt like this was just a giant mistake.

“Hey! I’m so so sorry,” said a familiar voice.

Looking up, Warner found a man coming toward him at a fast walk.

He was dressed in a suit that screamed “Fed” and looked exactly what Warner would expect from the person described to him as “Mark”. Not to mention he really did look like what someone would expect from a Fed agent.

Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, muscular, handsome, and with an air of danger around him. Warner wouldn’t be able to deny that Mark was a handsome man that likely had great luck with women.

“I know, I know. I said we should get here early so we could make this work and I’m the one who ended up late,” Mark apologized coming to stop in front of Warner. “I had a tail though and had to shake them. There was no way I was going to lead them back to you.

“Though with that said, let’s get the fuck out of here before someone spots us. The last thing we need is someone seeing you with me just before we shock the world.”

Before Warner could even respond, Mark put a hand behind his shoulder and hustled him into a nearby clothing store. Then straight into the bathroom as if he were guiding a drunk to somewhere he could throw up.

“What’re-”

Mark got down in a hunch and looked at the bottom of the stalls. Then stood back up and went one by one, pushing each one open and checking the contents.

Once he was satisfied everything was empty, he nodded his head and then turned around to look at Warner.

“Warner!” Mark said and held his arms open and came at him.

Standing there awkwardly, Warner got hugged by a man he’d just met.

“Thanks again for making sure my Gussy got out of there safe,” Mark said, squeezing him tightly. “And beyond that… thank you for telling him that his… his past didn’t weigh him down. That his actions were righteous.

“You have no idea how much that took the weight off his shoulders. That his actions weren’t right, but they weren’t wrong either. Thank you, Warner.”

“Right, uh, yeah,” Warner said, standing there, being hugged in a men’s bathroom by a man he barely knew. “Should we… get going?”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, we totally should,” Mark said, letting go of Warner. “Go ahead and get into your Yellow-Eyes thing and we’ll head over that way. You can pick me up and carry me to the front of the Fed building. It’ll look great for me.”

“Not here. Alley or somewhere behind a building. Less cameras and people watching,” Warner argued as Mark let him go.

Retracing their steps, they headed back out to the street, then down a small alley to the side of the buildings.

Warner only had to look around for a few seconds to see they were outside of view. There were no cameras or prying eyes here.

Reaching down into the well of his power, Warner called it up. Let it flood into him fully and completely. Vengeance, Retribution, and Redemption were all equal parts of him.

Holding onto Retribution, however, Warner let it be the dominant force. It was the one that he was the most familiar with, but also the one he could directly control.

Redemption relied on others and Vengeance was a loss of control.

“Okay, that’s pretty cool,” Mark said, watching Warner as he became Yellow-Eyes.

“It is indeed quite glorious to witness,” said Warner with a chuckle. “Though I’m no longer alone. I have a junior-partner who will be assisting me going forward, Yellow-Wings.”

Warner felt like the name wasn’t very creative, but it was something Alina came up with and was happy with. Who was he to naysay what she wanted to be called.

Alina chose that moment to land next to Warner and Mark. Her yellow wings were spread white apart on each side of her. The yellow glow that distorted Warner’s visage did the same for her.

She’d been staying at Aelia’s house and practicing the use of her newfound powers. The basement in Aelia’s home was very well suited to letting her power rip and testing it.

“I see. Well. Given how many there are of you now, that’s not surprising,” murmured Mark, looking at Alina. “Will Blue-Eyes be joining us as well?”

“Yes,” said a voice from above them. Perched on the edge of the building and staring down at them was Dayine. Her wings were wide spread and Warner had the impression she was staring at him.

Not Mark.

“Okay! Well, this’ll certainly be exciting for me,” Mark said, rubbing his hands together with a grin. “I honestly wasn’t expecting to have three of you, but this’ll be perfect. Showing up with you three behind me will lend a great deal of weight to my claims. More than I ever expected.”

“Did they offer you the job yet?” Dayine asked from above.

“Indeed. Paperwork is already signed and done,” Mark replied, looking up at Dayine. “This is my first day of work where I meet the national director of the Fed. They’ll be my boss. There’s no one higher and I report to no one else.

“I’ve already gotten permission to begin investigation other state director’s as well from them. I’ll be digging deep into the Fed to find the council. Because I bet they’re there. In fact, I know they’re there. I’ve already told my boss that I’ll be working with Yellow-Eyes to root anyone out that doesn’t belong.

“This won’t make us allies or anything, but you’ll be playing the part of Internal Affairs in a way. Pulling out anyone that would be a problem for the Fed. Then we’ll go through the PID once that’s done.

“Well, if you have time. This won’t be that quick I imagine. Not very quick at all.”

“Yellow-Wings can act as my proxy,” Warner said, reaching over and laying a hand on Alina’s shoulder. “I trust her implicitly with my powers and discretion. She holds the same portfolio I do, but is my trusted subordinate.”

Alina nodded her head quickly at that. Her wings rising up and stretching out slightly.

Positive reinforcement went a long way with the young woman. A very long way.

It seemed she received very little to none at all during her life up to this point. She was rapidly looking toward Warner as more a paternal figure.

“Shall we be away?” Warner asked, looking to Mark and tilting his head to one side.

“Uh, sure. Just go easy on the suit. This one was kinda expensive and it sits really good on me,” Mark said, taking a step toward Warner. “Makes my wife gooey, ya know?”

Warner only raised his eyebrows at that, then moved behind Mark. As casually as one might lift up a child, he wrapped an arm around Mark’s middle, then flapped his wings.

With rocket like force Warner took off into the air, his wings pumping hard and propelling him skyward. Moving high into the sky in only moments.

Alina and Dayine quickly joined him.

“Holy shit I need wings,” Mark said in an excited and loud voice. “This is way better than anything else. I always feel sick when I’m in the air but this isn’t bad at all!”

A smirk on his lips Warner quickly found the Fed building. It always stood out to him like a sore thumb given the amount of magic circling around it at all times.

Angling his body around Warner began to descend toward the front of the Fed building. On his sides he could feel both Dayine and Aline flanking him.

Seconds before landing, Warner flapped several times to slow the descent. He wanted to deposit Mark as delicately as possible given their future relationship.

No sooner than they all landed then the front doors of the building opened and several people in suits came outside with firearms. All of them raised and pointed toward Warner.

“Whoa, whoa!” Mark said, holding his hands up in front of himself. In his right hand was a badge set in a leather wallet. “State director Mark Ehrich! I’m in charge of every single person in this building and I’m ordering you right now to withdraw!

“Anyone who doesn’t withdraw, I’ll be firing you this afternoon after I’m done eating lunch! I’ll sign your damn paperwork with my ketchup stained fingers!”

The agents who had seemed quite fired up and ready to pull triggers were now very quickly reconsidering how to proceed. A few looked like they wanted to argue about the situation, but it was also apparent that this wasn’t what they were expecting.

“Again, I’m state director Mark Ehrich. I was hired last week, today is my first day,” Mark said again, still holding his badge above his head. “Unless you want my first day, as your last day, you’ll holster up right now. This instant. I won’t even count to three.”

That seemed to do the trick and the Fed agents began to slowly put their weapons away.

“Great, thank you,” Mark said, letting his arm down. “I believe national director Ames is expecting me. You know, Corey Ames? Signs all of our paychecks? Even mine?”

Whatever doubts the agents had vanished in the mentioning of the national director. Not only did they put their weapons away, but they then moved to hold open the doors and adjust their suits.

“Fantastic. Thank you,” Mark said with some sarcasm to his tone. “Now, who wants to escort me to where director Ames is? Because I’ve only got about ten minutes before my meeting with him and I really don’t want to be late.”

Dayine, Alina, and Warner fell in behind Mark as they entered the building. Moving together with him, their wings folded on their backs, created quite the spectacle.

Countless agents from the Fed, even some officers of the PID who were on site, watched from anywhere they could. From open office doors, to the open cubicle layout, and even from hallways.

The procession marched straight down the main entry and lobby to the elevators.

Standing there at the elevators and waiting for one to arrive, Warner began to casually inspect all those around. Those who were watching and especially the ones who were trying to hide.

Except Warner could sense their injustice even from here.

An injustice of betrayal. Of working for one yet serving another.

“Wings, follow that trail and bring them before me,” Warner commanded, peering off to a far distant hallway. “Director Ehrich, I believe we’ve already found someone who serves the council. Is there an emergency fire-exit? And can we restrict access to it?”

“I… yeah, we can do that,” Mark said, looking away from the elevator and then around himself. Then he pointed to a hallway that dipped off to one side. “It’s right there. It leads out to here, that’s the only other way down. There’s no other way out. Its a new building that everyone just moved into a week or two ago so the layout was easy to get.”

“Blue, hold the exit. Anyone who comes out, hold them, make Wings check them here in front of the elevators,” Warner said. While he phrased it as a statement, it was also clearly a request.

Not a command.

“Of course, it’ll be my pleasure,” Dayine said with a soft growl of pleasure in her tone. Apparently she was enjoying herself. Summoning a fiery blue sword from nothing, she marched over toward that hallway.

“Uh, yeah. ‘Kay. This is just… you know… a normal first day at work,” murmured Mark, turning his gaze from Dayine and back to where Alina had gone.

She was now returning with an unconscious woman held in her grasp. Dragging her by the collar of her suit-jacket like something out of a cave-man caricature.

“She is a hidden member of the Council,” declared Alina coming up to Mark. “There are no others on this floor that I can sense. She is a Boogieman and attempted to attack me. Unfortunately, her magic did nothing to me, as justice has no fear.”

Coming to a stop in front of Mark, Alina lifted her arm up. The agent dangled in the woman’s grasp as if she were a child’s toy.

Warner reached over and took her from Alina’s grasp then casually flipped her over his shoulder. Laying a hand to the woman’s thighs, Warner looked to Mark.

“I will carry the traitor for you director Ehrich. Wings will remain here at the elevators and check those who come, or those Blue brings,” said Warner. “It would seem we must begin the hunt today. Do you have anyone I can work with to coordinate this accordingly?”

Mark was staring at Warner now. It was obvious he hadn’t been expecting to find someone so soon. That perhaps it wouldn’t have been that easy for Warner and his people to find those who belonged to the council.

“Not yet,” Mark murmured slowly.

“Mind you, this person here has done no true wrong,” added Warner in regards to the woman on his shoulder. “She is a traitor to justice, and that is how I was able to identify her, though she’s done no true wrong. This will be a case of your court systems, not my own justice.”

Rather than say anything, Mark nodded his head, then turned back toward the elevator doors. Clearly he was reassessing his early plans for his job in the Fed.

With a bing, the elevator doors opened.

Standing inside the elevator car was Althea.

Much like the last time he saw her, her black hair was pulled up behind her head in a very tight ponytail. Her lightly browned complexion was mostly hidden now underneath what looked like the kind of suit Warner would imagine federal agents wore.

As soon as she saw him her dark eyes widened.

“Well, look at that. It’s my lucky day,” Mark said with a bark of laughter. “You know, it actually really is. Very lucky day. Agent Frias, remain with me. My name is director Ehrich.

“I’m your boss as of today and I’ll be promoting you to be the assistant director. Congratulations. Let’s talk about your first task for me.”

Moving into the elevator Mark looked to the young-man who was guiding Mark to director Ames.

“In or out, Sport, time to go,” Mark said.

The agent entered and then Warner finally did as well, ending up next to Althea.

“Agent Frias, Yellow-Eyes, Yellow-Eyes, agent Frias,” Mark said as the other agent pushed an elevator button. “You’ll be working with one another while we root out the council. Any questions?”

“I… no, director Ehrich,” said Althea in a tight voice.

“Glad to hear it. I look forward to working with you,” replied Mark. “And before you get nervous, I already read your file. You’ve got a real problem with authority. Trying to tell your bosses what to do and not listening when they try to stop you.

“I like it. Keep doing that. Especially if you find a problem. We’ve got corruption here and the only way we’re going to fix it, is with cutting deep. That means really looking into our own people.”

“Yes, director Ehrich,” Althea responded.

“Great, repeat the key highlights for me. I promise I’m not being condescending, just making sure I haven’t missed anything,” Mark said, watching the lights above the elevator doors as they went higher and higher.

“You’re the state director, I’m the assistant state director, work with Yellow-Eyes, dig out corruption,” ticked off Althea.

“Perfect. Get yourself an administrative assistant to handle the crap you don’t want to deal with like paperwork,” Mark said with finality. “Sure as fuck hiring one myself. I can tell already this is going to be a cluster-fucker of paperwork if we’ve already found a council member.”

Shaking his head, Mark reached up and adjusted his tie. Then he lightly pulled down on the sides of his jacket. As if realizing he wasn’t alone he turned and looked at Warner.

“Hey, Yies,I look good?” he asked, meeting Warner’s eyes directly as if it were only them in the elevator.

Yies…? Is that supposed to be Yellow-Eyes? Yies?

“Ah, you look fine, Mark,” Warner answered, feeling like Mark was asking him like that deliberately. As if he wanted to make a point that he and Yellow-Eyes were on a first name basis.

“Fantastic, thanks,” Mark said a second before the elevator doors opened.

“Director Ames is in office number one-thousand and one, Director Ehrich. It’s likely going to be your own office,” said the agent who had escorted Mark this far.

“Oh? That makes it easier,” Mark said and then walked out of the elevator. Warner and Althea took up position at his sides and a step backward.

Behind them, the agent remained in the elevator, the doors closing and taking him from view.

Althea caught Warner’s eyes and held them for several seconds.

“He knows,” Warner said after a pause. Indicating that Mark knew who he was which was likely what Althea wanted to know.

“I do know,” Mark agreed. “Secrets are amazing. I promoted you because of what you were trying to do, agent Frias. Not because of him.

“So don’t even think about believing that this was favoritism. I need someone to shake things up and you’re exactly someone who can do that.”

Well… shit.

I owe Mark a little bit more, don’t I?

Mark walked up to the office door that was numbered correctly and knocked on it twice.

“Enter,” called a voice from inside.

The three of them, and one unconscious Boogieman, entered.

Here we go then. No looking back.