Super Sales on Super Heroes 5 -Ch6- (Patreon)

Taking a sip of his coffee, Felix leaned into the arm of the couch.

The TV was on and the morning news broadcasters were doing their thing. Rehashing any relevant updates to older stories and what happened overnight.

“— see where this ‘Association’ goes. So far, they’re positioning themselves as a separate entity entirely. Or at least that’s what they claim.

“We were able to get some footage of the Legate welcoming everyone inside. The video stops just as they enter the lobby, though they were able to take some photos. We’ll be reviewing those later,” reported the anchor.

Felix smirked and shook his head.

Tribune had told him that they could disrupt recording devices, but not photography. If someone had a regular analogue camera than they’d be able to take photos without a concern.

The screen flipped to a video still of him standing in front of the doors. Then he began to talk.

“It’s been on the news quite a bit,” reported Goldie, walking into the living room of the trailer. She’d brought him back here in the end after they ditched all forms of identification at the farm.

While they were here, they were operating as their underworld personas.

“I mean, it’s a big change so it isn’t a surprise,” Felix replied as the Dragon sat down next to him on the couch. She snuggled up to him then laid her head down to his shoulder.

When she didn’t have her horns out the gold chains simply rested across the top of her head almost like a golden shawl of sorts. It blended quite well with her bright-gold hair.

She was wearing it in a very simple way that hung straight down without any braiding, ties, or bands, other than her bridal gold.

Her normally elongated ears were quite human looking at the moment. She was in her fully disguised form and blending in with humanity.

Though even in this form her full, hourglass figure continued to demand the attention of everyone nearby.

Regardless of her mask, Goldie would always be a woman shaped from fantasies and artistry.

“Artistry? Well, that’s rather flowery. Though I do like it,” Goldie murmured, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. “I’m afraid this is just how I was born, though. I was quite blessed in my physical appearance.

“Amusingly though, there were many times throughout history and across cultures where I’m not very attractive. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, after all.”

“Stupid. Anyone who wouldn’t think of you as beautiful is stupid,” grumped Felix, laying an arm around the Dragon’s shoulders.

The TV flipped to a commercial break and began showing a soda product.

“Well… thank you. Anyways… I haven’t been able to really get this all worked out because there’s something going on,” murmured Goldie. “Every time I got them stable, people would just start acting strange. Strange to the point that it was obvious something had changed.

“Then after a week or two, or when I started to look into them a bit more closely, they vanished. Without a trace.

“When I looked into their thoughts I found there was a connection between all of them. There was a strange… gauzy like… blanket over their thoughts. They were thinking quite normally, but it felt like a set of rules had been put into them.”

“Rules?” asked Felix, curious and concerned in the same breath.

“Thats the only way I can describe it. I’ve never encountered it before. No matter what I do I can’t get ahead of it either, which is why I asked for help,” Goldie said then sighed. “I really don’t like asking either. I wanted to solve this on my own. It feels like a simple turf-war, but there’s most definitely a super involved.”

“Nothing wrong with asking for help my Golden One. I ask for help as well, you know,” Felix murmured comfortingly. “Asking for help from your companions is a perfectly normal thing.”

Goldie nodded her head but didn’t respond.

The TV flickered from one commercial to another and suddenly Alma, Carlotta, and Faith were on screen.

“Feel like maybe you’re not just Joe Schmoe?” asked Alma with a beautiful smile.

“As if there’s something more in you that hasn’t been brought to the surface?” asked Carlotta with a purr to the question.

“We’ve all applied to the Association to determine just that,” Faith said with a smile, wrinkling of her nose, and a nod. “You should too! Just fill out a form on the website!”

Then the commercial turned off and went to another.

“I hate how single-minded it is, how stupidly simple it is, but it’s worked,” growled Felix. They’d hired several male models to do a female aligned version of the commercial as well.

“Humans are no different than any other race, you know. We’re all animals in one way or another,” Goldie mused. Then she sat up and gave him an inspecting look. Her eyes moving from his head down to his waist and back up. “Speaking of animals… wanna do it like they do on the discovery channel?”

Unable to help himself, Felix laughed.

“Andrea has completely corrupted you,” he said, though he did put his coffee cup down and then gestured to the bedroom. “Though… not as much as I plan on corrupting you, my Golden One.”

Goldie’s eyes flashed and they began to glow a golden color. Breaking through the illusion she was wearing.

Then her ears began to elongate out and her horns started to grow in.

The purr she was letting out was loud and obvious.

***

Sitting at a table outside the property that Zach had last been using as his headquarters, Goldie and Felix were acting more like a couple out to eat.

Considering that the property itself, a cafe that specialized in coffee and bagels, was now closed and they had the remains of their meal in front of them, the disguise worked rather well. Or Felix thought so at least.

Goldie was rummaging around in the minds of anyone who passed by. Their goal today was simple. Find whoever had this “gauzy blanket” over their thoughts and follow them for a bit.

It wasn’t a great plan, but given that Goldie hadn’t been able to determine anything from their thoughts or memories, their options for figuring the situation out were limited. Doubly so since the number in Zach and David’s gangs had been steadily decreasing since they died.

“You know, it’s a bit odd,” Felix remarked with a shake of his head. “Every time the police bust a dealer they just open up the door for others to take their place. Where those people can move into the vacancy or expand their own operations.

“It’s almost like… a form of consolidation. Where it becomes further and further strengthened and concentrated. Almost like the waste disposal industry.

“There’s a bunch of big corporations running most of it. We lucked out that we got dropped into a city that had such a rickety contract we could take over.”

“Oh? I wouldn’t figure you for the type to think law and order wasn’t the best course of action,” murmured Goldie, taking a sip from her coffee.

Apparently it was the last sip because when she set it back down it sounded rather hollow. That meant that they could only stay so much longer without raising suspicion.

“I’m a big fan of law and order. Especially rules that are easy to understand and move through a society,” Felix confessed, followed by a small shake of his head. “But this is stupid. This is right up there with prohibition.

“All they’ve done is move everything into an underground market. You might as well compare it to… eh… it doesn’t matter. That’s just politics and I don’t care. None of it will matter once I take over.

“But yeah, it’s just like prohibition. If their goal is to stop the dealers and the market, legalize it. Commercialize it. Make it no different than pot. I mean… I can’t speak to this world, but in my own, heroin used to be sold over counter. They put it in cough medicine and all sorts of things.

“If the goal is to put drug users in jail then mission accomplished. They just happened to create a massive organization of power and money at the same time. Outside looking in to the decision made, it seems almost silly.”

Goldie laughed at that and then sighed.

“I don’t care about any of this. I just want to be a house-wife, put around in my little garden, admire my gold, and occasionally knock over a casino. Or a bank if I’m feeling grumpy,” the Dragon admitted. “This is all… all that stuff just isn’t something I worry over. Laws, politics, government. It’s whatever.”

Felix smirked and couldn’t help but nod his head. He could certainly understand how she felt. Many people felt like that.

They just wanted to make their way as best as they could in the world. Everything beyond the circle of overlap to that wasn’t important to them.

“Hello,” said a young woman, stepping up to their table.

She looked mildly attractive with light-brown hair, blue eyes, and a normal physique. If Felix had to guess he’d put her at about twenty-six.

“Afternoon,” Felix said a bit suspiciously. There was no reason for her to approach them as she had. Not unless she was a lookout of sorts.

Well. Let’s pull up her character sheet and go from there. That’ll be more than enough to… I… what?

A slow and strange force was pushing on his mind as he stared into the woman’s face. Gazing into her eyes he felt like they were infinitely deep and without end.

That force circled up around his mind and began to solidfy itself there. In moment he felt like this woman was the very center of his world. That he had to do whatever he could to make her happy.

For her to smile.

“Perfect,” said the young woman. “Can I join you? Or would you two rather go elsewhere?”

“Elsewhere,” Goldie said firmly. “We’ve been here too long and will raise suspicion if we remain.”

“Elsewhere,” Felix agreed. “Same reasoning.”

“I see,” the woman said with a slow nod of her head. Then she turned and started walking away toward a work-van. “Come on then. Let’s get going.”

Felix felt a pull on that command that came with a sense of completing the duty as quickly as he could. That doing anything else was the absolute worst possible choice.

There wasn’t a single thought in Felix’s head of resisting, either. That this was exactly as it should be.

Clambering into the van Felix took a seat and then buckled his seat-belt. Goldie sat down next to him and did the same. Her eyes were the dull illusion color at the moment and she seemed almost bored.

The woman got into the passenger seat and looked the the driver with a smile.

“Let’s start heading back. They didn’t want to stay here because they might get noticed,” said the woman with a chuckle. “Betting their cops. Wouldn’t hurt to add more of them to the collection but… well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” grumbled the man. He put the transmission into reverse and began moving them out of the parking space and into the street.

Sitting there, Felix was quite happy to have completed the task she’d given him so easily. That all was right with the world and all he had to do was keep following orders.

Then there was a golden and warm poke against his mind. If anything, it felt a lot like someone testing water with a finger.

It retreated after a second, then a much larger presence oozed down around his mind. It created a shell around the suffocating slowness that’d locked Felix’s thoughts into place.

Several seconds drew the feeling out before Goldie’s presence snapped through the barrier in his mind. It crushed it completely and discarded the remains as one might crack an egg.

Oh… uh… huh.

Huh, well… I guess that answers that.

Super power or magically enhanced power, but still the same thing in the end. Some type of… come hither spell.

A charm I suppose.

Next to him, he caught Goldie as she gave him a glance, then focused ahead again. From the very beginning she likely was unaffected by the power.

Dragons are extraordinary creatures.

Should always keep you at my side, Goldie.

The corner of Goldie’s mouth turned up a fraction, before it flattened out again.

Yes… we’ll play the part of the charmed man and woman for now. I say… gang associations. People who were doing drug mule runs between Zach, David, and the ‘supplier’.

That way we can propose a linkup to the supplier again.

Beyond that, I say play it straight other than our names. You can be Dee. I’ll be… Bruce. Seems fitting somehow.

Bruce Campbell.

Goldie made a small nod of her head to that, yet remained motionless otherwise. Staring ahead just as he had been.

“— on the way, can we swing by the store? I need to pick up some things,” said the woman.

“Michael should do it since it’s all for him,” complained the man. “Its not like he’s got anything else that’s pressing in on him.”

“He’s doing all he can to lead us. You should trust him more,” replied the woman.

The man said nothing, but he spoke volumes just by shaking his head.

***

“Alright, both of you come with me,” announced Anya. Felix had checked her character sheet and found that she was quite normal in every regard.

Other than the fact that she had a Super power and that it was “limited” in activity, labeled as “Dire Charm”.

Which meant she could probably begun significantly stronger in the future and could hold anyone in thrall. Though Felix was curious if there was a numerical limitation.

As in how many people she could have charmed at the same time.

The man was named Thomas Todd and was equally as normal as the woman. He had a limited activity Super power as well. His was listed as EM Field control.

Felix took that as to mean he could effectively go after any electronics within a certain distance to him. That perhaps he could even feel electronics and then take care of them.

You know… putting their powers together would make it nearly impossible to break into their organization.

Felix stepped out of the van after Goldie and began following Anya inside.

Charm anyone and everyone who comes close and find out who and what they are. If anyone has electronics on them, Thomas can just wink them out of existence I bet.

That means surveillance in person, and by electronics, would be difficult to say the least. If I had these two working for me I could easily build up a mafia like outfit.

Or… is that the whole point? What they’re already doing?

I wonder if this Michael is another Super or just someone they trust to manage the whole thing. Could go either way.

Though it seems like Thomas isn’t a fan of “Michael”.

I can probably use that to my advantage later.

Anya led them into a bar of some type though it looked like it was a restaurant as well given the layout.

Felix didn’t look away from Anya’s back and was just trying to play the “charmed doll” role that he imagined everyone would expect, while also trying to keep an eye out and notice everything that he could as they went.

He’d noticed that someone had flipped a placard in the window as they entered as well. Possibly to indicate that Thomas and Anya had returned, but Felix wasn’t sure. He’d have to look into that as he went.

Moving through the dining area and by the bar, they quickly got to the back. A small private dining area and open door that led into an office.

A man was sitting in one of the booths there fiddling with a phone.

He had dark black hair, pale brown eyes, and a face that looked to have been in more than a few fights. He even had several small scars about his mouth and cheek.

Must be Michael.

Anya walked up to Michael, bent down, and kissed him wordlessly. Then she slid in next to him, all while the man in question just sat there. Receiving the kiss as if it were as simple as a wave or a handshake.

Right.

Is that it?

Anya is dating Michael, Thomas wants Anya, Michael doesn’t give a shit but wants to use her. That’d be the likely scenario, right?

Hm. Also need to investigate that.

“Found these two outside Zach’s base. They didn’t belong and looked out of place so I snagged’em,” Anya explained, watching Michael with a smile. It was obvious she was infatuated with the man. “If they’re just nobodies we can take a small donation from them and send them off.”

Michael finally looked up from his phone.

His eyes moved to Felix, then flicked away from him to Goldie. Then stayed on Goldie. In a way that was more like a buyer looking at merchandise.

As if realizing what he was doing, Michael quickly looked away from Goldie and to Anya. While he clearly didn’t feel the same way about her as she did him, it was just as obvious he wasn’t going to endanger his meal ticket.

Felix used the moment to open up a character screen for Michael.

Which after reading the popup told him exactly what he needed to know.

The man was ordinary.

With a bit more strength than the average person and lower wisdom. Otherwise he was interchangeable with the vast majority of men on the planet.

Meal ticket indeed. Without Anya and Thomas, the man would probably be swimming in bad ideas and in debt from going off with too many half-cocked plans.

“Alright. Makes sense,” Michael said gruffly. “Just make sure you get them out by nightfall. I’m still feeling weird that the gold horned lady hasn’t come back. It’s been almost forty-eight hours.

“She’s never been gone that long and no-one’s reported seeing her. I told you we should have moved on her first.”

“If we hadn’t kept pulling people out that we got into their organization it’ve been fine,” Anya countered with a pout. “Besides, if she’s gone, that just makes it easier for us. She was able to identify all our people far too easily.”

“What? We definitely did the right move by pulling people out. You probably just didn’t do it right,” Michael said with disinterest now. “You even said it yourself. That you’d probably given them bad information.”

Anya’s face clouded in what looked to be confusion and disagreement. She didn’t fight him though.

Gas lighting, maybe?

That’ll be hard to break. Gotta go about it carefully.

But… I think I can make this work.

I’ll become the advisor to Anya and Thomas after removing Michael. Become their supplier, tell them everything they need to do to succeed, and let it run.

Then in a while… turn them into the League of Villains.

Perfect.

“Do you work for the government? In any way?” Anya asked, looking to Goldie.

“No. I was an exotic dancer until I met my husband,” Goldie said almost blankly.

Dancer? Damn.

That’d be a sight to see.

Anya turned to look at Felix.

“You’re her husband?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered directly.

“And what do you do?” Anya prompted.

“Waste management,” Felix said with a sour tilt to his mouth.

“Ask about the dealers,” growled Michael, his eyes sliding back to Goldie before jumping away.

“Did you two have anything to do with the dealers around here?” Anya asked.

“I was the connection to the supplier,” Felix said as Goldie answered with a negative.

“How?” Michael demanded.

Felix didn’t respond.

“How were you the connection?” Anya asked.

“Supplier only talks to anyone electronically so I was the inbetween. He wouldn’t talk to anyone but me after there was an attempt on his life. He doesn’t do face-to-face. Ever. For any reason,” answered Felix.

“Well. There we go. We’ll keep them so we can get that connection,” Michael said, his eyes moving back to Goldie. Then quickly away.

“Alright. We’ll… have to be careful though,” Anya said, looking at Goldie and Felix. “They feel like they’re still under charm but… they’ll break if we try to push them too far. To do something they wouldn’t want to do.

“We’ll have to treat them like guest-members than just workers.”

Michael had a disappointed look to his face but he nodded to that.

“Let’s go get some more information from you in the office and then get you settled,” Anya murmured and then stood up.