Super Sales on Super Heroes 5 -CH4- (Patreon)

Felix couldn’t deny that he was actually impressed.

The president had followed through with his promise.

There was a large four lane road that ran right up to the association building. It was a straight and well laid out. Heading off into the distance and likely to the nearby interstate freeway.

“Still feels weird they picked Kansas,” Carlotta said over the radio. She was currently running a patrol through the nearby areas with an army of plant golems.

“ I already t-told you. Easy to roadblock, surround, and surveil,” Alma replied while providing front door security to the building.

“She’s right. It’s more like having a super max prison in the middle of your country, in the middle of a desert,” agreed Felix, turning his head to look at the mass of people in front of the building. They’d all been brought here at his own expense.

These were all the people who’d passed a resume over-view and a generic phone screening. He’d paid to have them all brought out one way or the other. The nearby local hotels were completely filled with them.

Actually that’s not a bad idea. I should have a hotel put in. Then buy up all the other hotels, motels, and possible rest spots nearby.

I could put in surveillance to everything.

“Edmund, you there?” Felix asked.

“What’s up, boss? I’m in the lobby. Almost done here and then we can start ripping through interviews,” replied the young man. His Legion armor had been finished up and he was now assisting directly.

“I want to buy all the hotels near here and have a really big one built,” murmured Felix, marching toward the front of the building.

It was a large and modern looking thing. With glass doors, glass entry way, and several very large monitors above the front.

Information would be displayed there as needed. He’d read a number of opinions on the idea of data presentation in the workplace and most employees found it helpful.

So long as it didn’t show how bad they were failing, that was.

More cars pulled past him and moved into the large parking lot that was looking almost full already.

He imagined that there would still be a stream of cars showing up to the building as more and more people arrived.

Likely quite a few were those who wanted to get here under their own power rather than relying on him. There would also be those who wanted to just see the building, government spies, or spies from other governments.

Please do come in. All of you. I can’t wait to gather all the delicious information on you all. Just a quick note here and there about who you are and what you’re about and then done.

In fact… we should probably make sure Tribune is ready.

“Tribune, status?” asked Felix.

“Ready, Legate,” the VI immediately responded. It was a feminine voice that sounded quite human. Human to the point that it actually bothered Felix.

He’d been very careful with the program but he still felt like he’d possibly crossed a line or two.

He wanted it to assist him and provide him with more tools, but he desperately didn’t want a Sci-fi story to start up because of him.

The very last thing he needed was an AI to go rogue on him.

“Legion systems ready inside the association?” he asked.

“Yes, Legate,” answered Tribune.

The chatter and talk of people began to die away as he made his way to the front. Reaching the doors he paused in front of them.

“Good morning,” Felix called out.

He knew without looking that the monitor above his head would be spitting out everything he was saying.

“Good morning,” came the response from the crowd.

“Welcome to the Association. I’m sure at some point someone clever will joke about ‘Ass’ in some way or another,” Felix said wryly and got a smattering of chuckles from people. He could feel the mood starting to ease up a bit. This was where he wanted them. “First, some of you are here for an interview to work for the Association. It’s a facility and group that owns, runs, and maintains this building, Legion tech, and Legion information. They’re not part of the government or Legion, but they’re a third party I own that will be operating the inbetween space of Legion and the government directly.

“You’ll enter and proceed to the left. Please follow this Legionnaire if that’s why you’re here.”

Felix held up his hand and positioned it over Alma’s helmeted head. He knew Tribune would be posting an arrow on a monitor behind him along with a brief bit of information.

“If you’re here to be evaluated for a super power, you’ll be coming with me to the right,” Felix continued, letting his hand drop back down. He gestured to the other side now. “You’ll be coming with me and going that way. I’ll be performing your evaluation and interview personally.

“Now, you should have received an invitation to be here along with a number. You will be allowed to enter the lobby, but moving further than that will require your invitation, and waiting for your number to be called.

“Refreshments will be provided throughout the day. The wi-fi is ‘Ass’ the password is ‘withclass’. The bathrooms are of course open to everyone. There are no remotes for the TV, but you can tune in to the audio for the movie through the wi-fi. It’ll push you to a webpage that’ll link you to the audio. Just let it run in the background.”

Turning, Felix moved into the building. Alma was on his left now as they entered the lobby.

Edmund was standing behind a podium in his armor in front of them. Likely inside the podium was a Legionnaire’s rifle. One of the few Felix had spent the points to have made just in case something happened.

Really need more people. Once we start hiring people into Legion we can have everyone move about more freely. Just another Legionnaire in the Legion.

Even I could start moving around a bit more.

Partition glass began to slide up from the floor and then sank into the ceiling. Separating the back of the association, and Edmund, off from the lobby. A lot like how a bank had barriers designed to pop up.

These could go much faster, but for this situation, going slow was closer to the desired goal. To show people that approaching the front desk in the future wasn’t going to be easy if someone wanted to assault the place.

Felix turned off to the right as Alma moved to the left. She’d be in charge of hiring people onto Legion with Faith as the leader interviewer.

Together the two of them would be able to find the right personnel for the association as well as picking out potential Legion candidates.

Felix would be working by himself until Carlotta joined him. He hoped she wouldn’t take too long.

She was a bit stronger with determining how others felt than Alma so she’d be a useful asset to him.

Not for the first time he lamented he’d given Goldie a task he needed her to finish. If they didn’t have the drug money coming in, they’d have a lot greater problems.

Though, overdose deaths have significantly decreased in the area. The violence over turf also more or less ended.

If it wasn’t for Stephen there’d have been no violence at all really.

Entering the room he’d be conducting the interviews in, Felix sat down at the desk and tapped the computer’s identity login with the back of his left wrist.

The Legion armor provided whatever coded signal was required and unlocked the terminal. It was just another change he’d made with his powers and points to help secure everything.

Someone could log in normally to the computer, but it’d be with the false-front end OS rather than Encampment.

“Tribune, send the first one in for me,” Felix commanded and then sighed.

It was going to be somewhat of a long day he imagined.

***

Felix felt rather strange. He knew he was projecting the mannerisms of a middle-manager at the moment, but he was also wearing the full Legate armor. On top of that Tribune was keeping him updated with how things were going elsewhere while also taking information down for him.

Carlotta had joined him quickly and was at his side, providing what information and assessment she could on the candidates. It helped, but it didn’t make it as easy as it would be with Goldie around.

Or Kit. But… Kit’s not really an option.

Though that does raise the question. We haven’t come across a telepath yet. Once we do, we need to make sure we get them hired in quickly.

“Done,” Carlotta said and then shifted to one side. She lifted up her right arm and shook out her hand. She’d taken off her gauntlet so she could take notes freely.

Felix had actually done the same and removed both gauntlets so he could type on the computer. He was mildly concerned about the idea of leaving fingerprints behind so he’d been incredibly diligent about touching nothing, except the keyboard and mouse.

“Transcribed,” reported Tribune. “Dryad Carlotta, it is advised that you simply speak your notes aloud.”

“Yeah, I heard you. Thanks. I wanna write’em out, alright? Alright. Great. Thanks,” growled Carlotta. She didn’t much like Tribune from what Felix could tell.

“You’re welcome Dryad Carlotta,” answered Tribune, the sarcasm lost on the VI.

“Next, please, Tribune,” Felix asked.

“Right away, Legate. Reminder, it is now approximately lunch time,” responded Tribune. “You should have lunch, check in on Dragon Goldie, and then reply to Assassin Miu.”

Felix sighed and nodded his head.

“Thank you. Just prod at me again after this interview with those reminders,” grumbled Felix.

“You have already requested this twice before. I’ve been instructed by Dryad Faith to intervene if you attempt to do this a fourth time,” reported Tribune. “Your orders do not supercede your own health. I will be forced to comply with Dryad Faith’s directive as she is the acting medical officer of the Legion when it comes to you.”

Groaning, Felix looked up to the ceiling.

“Fine, okay. Fine. Send the next candidate in,” he said and then looked back to the door.

“Already done. Their name is Georgia Marin,” announced Tribune. “Fifty-five years old. No living family recorded.

“Suspected of possessing a super power that gives them uncanny identification per the candidates own admission.”

Felix’s head snapped to the door and he stared hard at it. As if it would explode inward and slam into him, smashing him to the wall behind himself.

Instead it opened in a timid way and a woman entered. She closed it behind herself and smiled at Felix and Carlotta.

She looked exactly as she did in his memory. He hadn’t seen her in so long that his heart ached and he felt his lungs seize up.

“Ah, hello,” she said, nodding her head. She had dark brown hair that was pulled up in a small bun behind her head. Her eyes were the same grey that that he saw so often in the mirror.

“Good afternoon Miss Marin,” Felix said after forcing his body to cooperate. “Thank you for coming. I believe you suspect that you own a super-power?”

“I do! Yes,” Georgia said, coming over to sit down in the chair directly in front of Felix. “I’ve always been able to identify something. Especially if it had a connection to me.

“Things that shouldn’t have been possible, really. Like knowing exactly which coat is mine at a glance if it’s hung near others.

“Or knowing perfectly which order happens to be mine when someone gets lunch for the office. Those things come real easily and almost without trying.

“I can also figure out what an item is by touching it and focusing on it. It doesn’t always work but it works often enough that it’s… it’s always been uncanny.”

Felix nodded his head.

Identification did indeed sound like a super power.

“Have you tried envisioning it as a popup window?” he asked curiously.

“What… like… in those video games?” asked Georgia with a laugh and a shake of her head. Then she paused and looked thoughtful. “No. I’d never considered it. It was always just a voice in my head.”

Felix picked up a gauntlet he’d taken off and set it down in front of her.

“Please, identify that,” he asked of her while pulling up her character sheet.

Felix felt his eyebrows crawl up partly. There didn’t seem to be a limiter or a break in her power. It was fully active from what he could tell. He had no idea what that actually meant in the grand scheme of things, but it was note worthy.

Up to this point he’d found a great number of people who would have super powers but they’d all been limited.

Georgia was staring at the space between herself and the gauntlet. She was holding it in her hands but had gone completely still.

In fact, it seemed a lot like she wasn’t breathing.

“Ah… it worked,” she said after a few seconds. “The… window… popped up.”

“Oh? Wonderful. As to your power, you most certainly do have one. You’re correct as to what you think it is. Identification,” Felix confirmed for her. “I’d suggest taking on a role here at the Association directly.

“We’d be happy to hire you on here. I imagine your power would easily be able to identify people as well. In fact, I could easily modify your power so you could identify people at a distance without touching them. That’d be if you signed the appropriate contracts with the Association, though.”

Because right now… super powers aren’t owned by anyone. There is no case law or precedent for it. I’ll have to do my damnedest to make sure there never becomes any as well.

So long as that never happens, I can own other people’s powers so long as they sign it over to me. That means I can modify a power, but not a person.

“I— alright. I think… that would be best. I wouldn’t mind having a job come out of this. I’ve spent most of my life just… working in an office. Data entry, to be specific.

“Pretty boring and honestly I could use a change in my life.”

Georgia had set the gauntlet down, then placed her hands to the desk. Likely she was identifying that as well.

“Not a problem. I’ll have the paperwork drawn up tonight and presented to you tomorrow morning,” Felix said with a small nod of his head.

He was having a bit of a difficult time dealing with what was essentially his mother. Just a different universe version of his mother who never had kids.

“That’ll be fine,” murmured Georgia, finally looking back to Felix. “You… do realize that you told me how to figure out who own’s a thing.

“The way you described it presented me with a lot more information than I originally would have.”

Huh. I guess that means she knows my real name.

“No, I hadn’t considered it. It makes sense though,” Felix admitted.

He could feel the tension coming from Carlotta next to him. Even if she hadn’t moved, he could feel it bleeding off her.

Though that was likely due to the fact that her tree was planted inside of him.

“There’s more to it. That’s of course… not… the end really. My power is a bit different than just that,” Georgia said with a slow nod of her head. “I can also properly identify whats related to me more clearly. That made it a lot easier to figure out what people were to me.

“Like… never finding the right man to marry. Never finding that person that would complement me perfectly. That I never found him no matter how hard I tried.

“I’d sit in near busy areas and just watch people flow by me. If they were related to me I could feel it, even if I couldn’t quite identify them. I found a cousin that way once. One I didn’t even know I had.

“Apparently my grandfather had an affair and didn’t tell anyone. It was an interesting experience to find them. Never found the right man though.”

Felix had an ugly feeling right now that he’d misjudged the situation.

If she could figure out who an owner was of an item, yet also discover if someone was related to her personally, there was the distinct possibility she had an inkling of what he was to her. Perhaps only a nebulous feeling of connection but not one of being a direct link.

“You feel like my cousin did. A relation but… not directly to me. Someone related to me but also not. Could you explain that to me?” she asked.

“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Felix said with a chuckle, his voice catching slightly. This wasn’t how he expected this interview to go at all. Not in any way shape or form.

“Oh, that’s hogwash. There’s a lot I’d believe right now. The very world around us is changing. Super Heroes! Powers! Abilities!

“A Dragon was even on tv! A Dragon! I’m sure I can allow for a little bit of belief to creep into my world view for whatever it is you could tell me.”

Felix snorted at that and shook his head. He looked away from the woman who was this universe’s version of his mother.

Then she clicked her tongue, let out a soft huff, and sighed.

“Don’t be that way. Communication is how everything get’s solved,” said Georgia.

“Because all relationships fail when communication dies,” Felix said at the exact same time as Georgia did.

It’d been a common phrase of hers. One that’d followed her after she’d died and been told to him even from others.

So much so that his response had been automatic.

“We’ll talk about that tomorrow with the paperwork,” Felix said and then stood up. “Please… forgive me, but I need to have lunch. I’m afraid that if I put it off any longer one of my Legionnaire’s will likely try to brain me and drag me off to feed me.”

“Not a problem,” Georgia said and stood up with a hand wave. She adjusted her purse and then chuckled. “I look forward to hearing your answer.”

“Before you go, how much were you expecting to make? What would it take for you to accept the first offer made to you?” asked Felix as Georgia began to exit.

“I don’t need much, really. Just above my current rate of pay would be fine. I only make about ninety-thousand right now,” she answered. “That’s mostly because they can’t really get rid of me. Their back-end would fall out if I left.”

Opening the door, Georgia exited.

“Aprentice Edmund has reported that he needs you to assist him. He believes he’s witnessed suspicious actions and needs you to review video footage,” Tribune declared.

I… okay. That’s better than thinking on my not mom.

“Additionally, Dragon Goldie left instructions that you needed to be taken off site if two names showed up in the admissions and testing lists,” Tribune continued. “Both names have showed up. Lillian Lux and Kit Carrington are in the next batch to arrive, next week.

“Miss Carrington has applied to be a psychologist in the Association while Miss Lux has applied to join the legal team.”

Wincing, Felix looked down to the ground in front of himself.

Of course. Because they’re both driven individuals why wouldn’t they apply?

I mean, that’s seems perfectly logical, Felix. You’re clearly trying to make more work for yourself.

Oh! Hubris! How kind of you to join me. Seems like you’re right. Really outdoing myself, lately.

I know, I know. It’s getting to be pretty amazing. You really were just so confident that you could handle it all and didn’t even consider it.

Yeah, I’m just awesome like that. Anyways, gotta go, Hubris. I’ll see you later.