Super Sales on Super Heroes 4 -Ch14- (Patreon)

Felix really wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that he had Miu go collect the drugs and the money in broad-daylight.

He believed in her ability to do it without being seen, but there was no way to really know she’d managed it. There was no magical indicator to tell her if she’d been spotted.

Admittedly she’d only had to hop over the community wall, go into the trailer, and come right back out, but it still felt like an incredible distance.

Sitting there in the bushes, wearing a mask Felix felt really awkward. Unsure of the orders he’d given her.

Then Miu oozed out of a bush right next to him. Her masked face didn’t hide the fact that her eyes were practically staring a hole through his head.

His fears about her being spotted were completely obliterated.

As was his heartrate.

It was beating hard and fast in his chest now. She’d gone full horror movie on him in that moment.

“I think I’ve gotten better at this, even without the abilities,” she murmured. She began pulling bags through the undergrowth and setting them down in front of him.

“Yeah, you definitely are,” agreed Felix. “Damn, Miu. We should hire you out as an assassin or a thief.”

“I’m whatever you want me to be. I’m yours, Felix,” whispered Miu, her voice pitching a bit oddly. Then she grunted and dropped the last duffel bag in front of him.

Leaning over, Felix lifted the bottom part of Miu’s mask. He gave her a brief kiss and patted her cheek. It was a simple enough action but it would go a long way to making Miu feel appreciated.

Twitching as he pulled away, Miu just crouched there, her eyes now fastened to the grass and dirt beneath them.

Pulling the mask back down over her mouth, Felix laid a hand on her knee and then looked to the bag in front of him. He had no idea what lying in wait for him, but he imagined David was probably going all in on this.

The duffel bag looked to be stuffed to the point that the zipper was straining to keep itself shut. In fact when he looked at it it almost looked like the teeth might be slipping.

Using one hand, Felix tugged at the zipper and found it to be stuck.

Before he could take the hand off Miu’s knee she’d unzipped the bag. As if in doing so would keep his hand right where it was.

Laying inside the bag were a number of hard plastic sealed white bricks. Their was a rather large number of them in the bag. Felix didn’t really want to bother counting the number of them.

“The… that… ah… two other bags are filled with drugs, too. I was wrong. Only one is filled with money,” corrected Miu quietly. With her right hand she indicated a bag that certainly looked different than the other two.

Her left hand however had landed atop his own. It felt like she wanted to cage his hand right there.

To be fair, I haven’t been intimate with her since we got back here.

Admittedly that was her choice and feeling shy around the others but… she probably needs the physical connection.

Pulling his hand away from her knee, Felix set it down instead on the middle of her lower back. He began to lightly stroke her as he moved forward to the bag she’d indicated had held the money.

When it popped open, Felix found hand-packed money. It was all in one’s, fives, tens, and twenties. There was no note or indication of how much it was.

Some of it looked like it’d been pulled from other last minute sources, and several bundles looked like they’d been pulled open and some removed.

He did it in a hurry based on what I told him. He didn’t want to wait for the next step in the deal. This was all done on what he could do in a hurry.

He probably had a lot more drugs as well but not enough to cover it all. I should probably expect this to be much bigger next time.

Felix concentrated on the money. He wanted to know how much was there and who owned it. Additionally, he wanted to know how much it’d cost to purify the drugs.

Two windows popped up for him.

Holy shit.

Well… that’ll… certainly help. Money talks, bullshit walks.

Need a lot of money to get the plans in order as well.

That won’t even cover the cost of a new garbage truck but… might be able to get one used. Then I can move forward with my plans.

After we spent thirty-thousand to modify Andrea though, this’ll bring our points down to about five-thousand. Not a lot left.

Whatever, money first. Points will flow in as we go.

Earn points, spend points, make money, get even more points.

That’s our loop.

Continuing to stroke Miu intimately, Felix converted the drugs over. The money would be useful and immediately.

He’d probably have to bribe the clerk and there was no telling how much that’d take.

Except regardless of the price tag, so long as it was in a hard currency, he’d pay it. He needed a birth certificate.

***

Andrea quietly opened the door to the clerk’s office and stepped in side. She was taking her role of body-guard seriously at the moment.

Given what’d happened to Goldie and her choice to change she’d gone all the way back to how they’d first been. She was his bodyguard and personal secretary.

She looked over her shoulder and gave him a wide smile, holding the door open for him. He was still getting used to seeing her with human ears, rather than her triangular beastkin ones.

She was dressed in one of the hoodies Faith preferred. More than likely she also had a pistol in the pocket as well as several magazines in another.

Surprisingly, she even had a purse on.

In all the time he’d known Andrea, he couldn’t actually remember her carrying a purse. Though if he had to bet, she probably had an SMG in it, knowing her.

Their haul of weapons from David’s goons had been useful to say the least for the gun-users in their group. Felix had accepted a small pistol that only had a single magazine to go with it.

It wasn’t something the others would rely on, but it was something he could use if he had to.

Beyond that, he knew he could rely on what’d been drilled into him by Miu, Ioana, Victoria, and Andrea in hand-to-hand fighting. He wasn’t at the level they were, but he could hold his own against an unpowered or special forces.

Oh.

Actually.

Doesn’t that mean more or less most of everyone on the planet? How interesting. I never considered that.

Entering the lobby Felix went right up to the desk and smiled for the young woman behind the counter. Andrea came right up beside him and took his hand in hers.

She was an older woman with a dark bronze skin-tones. Her dark hair was pulled behind her head in a short pony tail. Her warm brown eyes had been measuring him since he walked into the office.

“Hello, ma’am. Good morning, that is. I… uhm… we have an appointment. About my birth certificate. Or, ah, that I don’t have one,” said Felix, trying to work an uncertain and unsure angle. He knew that more often than not the secretary or receptionist could end up having pull all on her own.

If they decided you needed to be run around in circles, they’d make it happen. If they wanted you to be helped, they could open doors you never knew were closed.

The receptionist blinked, then smiled back at him.

“Name, sweetie?” she asked.

“Felix, ma’am. Felix Campbell,” he replied with just a hint more spine in his words.

“Right. You just go take a seat. I already have all your information from the form you filled out on the portal. I’ll let him know you’re here,” she said and then spun in her seat. She pulled out a folder from a filing tray and then got up.

Andrea grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to sit down in one of the seats. She plopped down right next to him and scooped up his hand in hers, though after glancing down at her own rear end.

“It’s so weird with it not being there,” she said with a frown on her face. “I normally have to be kinda careful with chairs so I don’t sit on it or crush it against the wall.”

“You’ll get used to it I imagine. Though… do you hear any different? Is it better? Worse?” Felix asked with genuine curiosity.

“You know, I hear about the same if I’m being honest, but it feels weird. It’s not the right place at all but it sounds the same,” she said, reaching up to touch her very human ear that didn’t exist this morning. Normally she just had hair there where a normal ear would be.

Sticking a finger into her ear she then pulled at her earlobe.

“I don’t like that I can’t tune into something. They don’t move. I have to turn my whole head,” Andrea complained, turning to look at him.

“You’re still just as cute as ever, Andie. Whatever ears you have doesn’t matter,” he assured her.

“Oh? Well. Maybe I should—”

The door next to them opened and the older woman gave them a smile.

“He’ll see you now. He’s ready. Just be direct with him. He’s pretty helpful so long as you’re direct,” warned the woman.

Felix and Andrea got up and followed her as she led them down a short-hall and to another door. She knocked twice, opened it, and stepped aside.

Sitting behind a desk that looked very cluttered and well worked was a man in his late thirties. Dark brown hair, eyes that were a blend between blue and green, and looking exactly like a clerk.

Thin, intelligent, and awkward.

Smiling Felix walked in as the man stood up.

“Ah, hello Mr. Roberts,” Felix said. He’d already confirmed the name on the door matched the one he’d found online, Dylan Roberts.

Reaching the desk as the man stood up, Felix held out his hand to him.

“Mr. Campbell, it’s good that you put in your request when you did. With everything normalizing to a degree a lot of the temporary measures were starting to run out,” said the clerk, shaking Felix’s hand though with some hesitation. “In a few months it’ll be just as hard as it used to be. We had a lot of mad shuffling going on as people popped out of the woodwork all over the place.”

Felix had no idea what the man was talking about, but he only smiled and nodded his head. It was starting to sound like he’d just missed a massive event in this world.

Not for the first time he felt like he wanted to sit down and question someone. To find out what’d happened. Though whatever it was, didn’t particularly seem to be holding him back.

For now, it was more of a minor footnote that something earth-changing had occurred, but that it wasn’t going to impede Legion’s rebirth.

“Yes, yes I imagine. Uhm… I just… hopefully I’m not part of the mad shuffle for you,” Felix said then turned to indicate Andrea. “This is my soon to be wife, Andie. Err, Andrea, that is.

“Problem is we can’t get married cause I don’t have a birth certificate. When I asked my ma about it she said I never had one. Not at all. None of my brothers or sisters had one except Dolly but that was because it happened when she was shopping.”

Andrea had reached across the desk and shook Dylan’s hand after being introduced.

“Point of truth, she doesn’t have one either. We just… it never really came up. Ya know?” asked Felix in a odd tone.

“I do know, actually,” Mr. Roberts agreed and then indicated the seats. “We call them delayed birth certificates. We just need some paperwork from a few places and we can actually get moving on that.

“I’m pretty sure Theresa sent you a document request? Did you happen to get that?”

“I… don’t… err…” Felix faltered, realizing that he’d given an email address in the form but hadn’t actually checked it.

“We don’t own a computer,” Andrea said, stepping into the silent gulf that was growing. “Had to use the library one to get stuff done. We’re renting a trailer now though so we can probably get a library card.

“We do have some medical records though. Medical records, statements from our parents, and a couple other things that might help. Not sure.”

Andrea had pulled the purse she’d been carrying around to the front of herself. She opened it, rifled through it for a second, and then came up with a large pack of papers.

Dylan took the papers and laid them out on his desk. Slowly, he began to work through them. He was even nodding his head as they went.

Glancing to Andrea he saw her look back at him.

She gave him a wink, a smile, and stuck her tongue out to the side.

Still Andrea, but… also not. How interesting.

“You know, we might actually be able to put in for a delayed birth certificate with all this. Well, not really, actually,” confessed Dylan with a chuckle. “But there’s enough here that I can get it to happen. Won’t take much more than a little wiggle on my part and having Theresa grease a wheel or two. She’s got more connections than anyone would suspect.”

“There’ll be some fees of course and—”

Felix took out the envelope he’d prepared and set it down in front of Dylan as the man changed the subject. He knew exactly how much the fees were for this kind of thing.

It would total out to be around two-hundred dollars, give or take the cost of postage.

The envelope however had five-hundred in it. On the outside of it was written “500” as well. It wouldn’t be needed, really, but it would give Mr. Roberts a chance to simply accept it without counting it.

“This is what my da gave me to pay for it,” said Felix as he set it down in front of Mr. Roberts. “For both of us, that is. We really appreciate your help, sir.”

Dylan looked at the envelope for several seconds, then opened it. He thumbed through the money inside, pulled out what looked to be about two-hundred dollars, then gave the envelope back.

“That’ll be enough,” said Mr. Roberts, giving Felix and Andrea a wide smile. “It’ll take about four to six weeks but it’ll happen. I’m pretty sure you included your address in your file so we’ll send the documents there.

“I’ll need to hang onto all this for a time. To fill in some things here and there, that is.”

Dylan had gestured at the paperwork on his desk while speaking.

“Of course, we expected that. It’s perfectly fine. We’ll be workin’ anyways,” Andrea said and stood up, pulling Felix up with her. “Well, tryin’ to work. Still lookin’. Any suggestions?”

Blinking, Mr. Roberts looked thoughtful than gave her a sad smile.

“Lot of entry level openings right now. Whatever you get into though you’ll probably be over-worked and under-paid. Lot of people quit recently. Across the board.

“I’d say check with the rec-plant. With everything that happened they’re struggling.”

“Thanks!” Andrea said and then gave the man an energetic wave goodbye. Felix was pulled from the office physically.

They were outside faster than he realized with Andrea pushing him into the passenger seat. She skipped her way around the front of the truck and got into the driver’s seat.

“Oh! That went so good!” she said with a rapid clap of her hands together. “The timing stinks on how long it’ll take, but that was rather easy!

“He was a bit too trusting, but I can’t fault him for that. It’s just how the world is with those who are kind.”

Felix nodded his head.

He was still thinking about what the clerk had said though. That the rec-plant, or recycling center that was, was having some issues.

I wonder if I could swoop in and take the contract. What if I could become a government service on one side, all lower end things that just help, without taking control.

That’d balance the underworld side of things quite well.

It’d fit in with my want of buying a garbage truck. Steal people’s trash for myself and convert it all to points.

Speaking of, the meeting with the mayor is later today.

What do I do until then?

A thought bubbled up from the back of his head. Faith could bring in small game and things. There was no way she’d be able to grab an entire deer like Goldie could.

That meant they were going to run out of fresh red meat, which was very likely what Goldie would need to recover.

“Need to grab a quick suit from that local thrift store. I’m sure they have one that I can modify to fit me and clean up a bit. Then a butcher as well. We need to go to get some red meat,” Felix said, turning to look at Andrea who had been happily humming to herself and doing a little dance in her seat. He pulled the truck key out of his pocket and held it out to her.

“A butcher? Wh-ah! Goldie! Nn! We have to care for our lovely and amazing Dragon!” shouted Andrea who took the key from Felix’s hand and stuffed it into the ignition. “Meat, meat, meat for our Dragon!”

Turning the key over Andrea brought the engine to life and got them moving. She did it while obeying the rules of the road as far as he could tell, but she did it with a great deal of speed and driving that belonged in a high-speed chase.

Felix wasn’t going to complain, though. Andrea was as she was and would never really be anything different.

No matter which Elex it was, no matter what her first name it might be, she was always the same woman to him. He could always tell them apart, but to him, they were all one in the same.

In time, he imagined they might even recombine into a whole person again.

A whole, healthy, and singular individual. Instead of one fragmented out into three different people.

All of which he suspected were built from a traumatic and violent childhood.

Then Andrea ran over a stop sign as she blew through a dirt-road intersection.

“Oopsie!” she squealed excitedly while turning the steering wheel end over end to correct for the drifting turn they were now in.

Felix hung on tightly to the ‘oh shit!’ bar while bracing his feet to the floorboard. Though he did smile the whole time and couldn’t help it.

Andrea was Andrea.