Super Sales on Super Heroes 5 -CH9- (Patreon)

Chapter 9 - Enforcer -

“Who’s next?” Felix asked, feeling worn out. After going through a bank, a franchise fast food joint, a hospital, and then a warehouse, they’d nearly exhausted the list.

Of those they’d investigated they’d found a number of people with super powers, but no one that was actually using them or abusing them. More often than not they were small powers that helped them in day to day life.

Nothing that would actually put them crosswise with the government.

The only real issue they’d come across so far had been the bank.

Someone had been actively targeting both the bank and those who investigated it, but they weren’t involved with either. They were a third party that was outside of it.

Half of the Andrea’s Felix had started with were now running down that lead to see where it led. Hopefully it’d culminate with someone to hand over to the government.

The rest of them had left in a second truck that’d appeared at some point.

Felix really wanted to have something to show for such a wide and quite honestly illegal act the government had passed.

What they’d opened the door to was going to make a great many people very angry. Angry, upset, and calling for the blood of elected officials.

Except when it came right down to it, the government’s hands were tied. There were people out there who could literally charm someone out of an investigation.

While Felix didn’t quite agree with their approach and clear blurring of the lines of personal freedoms, he couldn’t fault them completely for the knee-jerk reaction. It reminded him of Skipper and how she’d taken power, in fact.

Or even how he ran Legion, really.

Well. I wonder. How would I even want a country to be organized?

I’m a bit more like a monarch than a democracy, aren’t I? Having people being able to subvert my will is quite an issue.

It’s not like I even disagreed with what Skipper did. I just disagreed with a number of her policies regarding supers, her execution, and… well… that I wasn’t in charge.

“No-one, the list is finished,” Goldie answered.

Blinking, Felix wasn’t sure how he’d missed that, but it was certainly possible. For most of the investigations he’d just spend his time checking people for powers and what they were.

“The last one listed turned themselves in. Was an electronic scam apparently. They could read people’s minds. A telepath,” Goldie explained, pulling the thought from his head easily. The irony of the power in question wasn’t lost on him. “There’s quite a bit of news going around about the Association rapidly investigating a number of businesses for criminal super behavior.

“The government got ahead of it to try and push an angle beneficial to them. The Andrea’s are still hunting but they seem to think they’re making progress.”

“Oh,” Felix said, frowning. It made sense when he considered it. He’d just been in too deep in the action and lost sight of the whole picture.

“For our first outing this was a success, though… not so much for the government,” Goldie continued. “They’re facing a great deal of backlash for the laws they passed. A lot of people are saying it violates their rights and the constitution directly.”

Felix shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t really care.

Their problems weren’t his. He was here to take over this place, not to help the government. If anything, them collapsing was more to his benefit.

In that moment, Felix promised himself that he wouldn’t get involved in politics or the government more than he had to. He’d learned his lessons.

He was here to take over, and build up Legion.

That was it.

“Home again, home again,” he said as his mind cleared.

“Yay! Back to the Association! I like it there. I can train with the Dryads a lot!” cheered Andrea. “That and I keep kicking every other Andrea’s ass!

“I’m the Andrea champion! I get to dictate who goes in what order on Andrea Felix sexy nights.”

Now Felix knew exactly who it was driving.

“Third, are you bullying them?” Felix asked with a chuckle.

“Damn right I am! Imma pow and whap them until they whine and go no more Third, you’re the champ. Then I’ll go get kisses from Felix and lots off mm mm mmnnnn sexy time,” explained Third excitedly. “All while I know he has a secret place in his heart for me and I can’t tell the Others about it because I was a Death Other.”

Andrea took in a sudden gulping breath as she ran out of air, followed by a smattering of coughs.

Only for it to be replaced by laughter.

“And by being the champion, you can give me all the special attention you want! I’m the champion! I’ll never lose to anyone,” Andrea said in a happy voice. Followed by her voice dropping to a low tone. “I’ll never lose my position as champion. Not for anything. It’s how I can be given special attention, without it being viewed as wrong.

“As much special attention as you want to give your favorite, Felix.”

“Don’t mind Third, nest-mate. She’s just having a bit of a fall after having yet another energy drink,” Goldie murmured, her voice coming in quietly over the helmet coms. “They all think they’re the special one to you. Never realizing that they’re all special to you. Even if you think you have a preference, you don’t. You just identify more with the Death Others.”

Nodding his head, Felix didn’t argue that. He just wanted to get back to base and get back to work.

Anything to keep his mind off this world’s version of Kit and Lily meeting up with him soon enough.

***

“You know, every now and then, when we went in the dining room, I felt a couple women glaring at me. Their thoughts were quite aggressive, too,” Goldie said suddenly as they pulled into parking lot of the Association. There wasn’t anywhere to actually park a business vehicle here now that he thought about it. “It reminded me of Dragon courting.

“Well, what little I saw of it and what my mother told me. I never actually participated. I stayed away from all of that.”

Blinking, Felix looked up from the newspaper he’d been reading.

Since finishing the work for the government they’d been somewhat occupied filling out paperwork for their actions.

While legal, and backed by an act specific to their needs, it still left a great deal of paperwork that had to be put together. Especially with so many litigious people and companies.

Thankfully all lawsuits would be taken on by the government on Felix and the Association’s behalf.

“Uh, er, that is,” sputtered Felix before his mind clicked into gear. “I mean, I guess I get it? You showing up looking the way you do would be distracting. Your Helen of Troy value is rather high.”

“My what value?” asked Goldie with a laugh, looking over to him. A second passed and then she started to laugh harder. “Oh! I see! What a lovely comparison. I don’t need you to launch boats or anything like that though.

“I’d really love it if you went plant shopping with me though. There’s a couple things I can plant regardless of season. My little garden is turning out to be quite a bit of fun!”

Felix could only laugh, nod his head, and get out of the truck. Goldie was always a surprise.

Just as he exited the truck he spotted something out of the ordinary. A number of people were all sitting in their cars.

Fiddling with phones, dozing, or reading something.

But sitting in their cars, rather than in the lobby.

Now Felix wasn’t going to say that every single person would be willing to wait in the lobby. A few would want to get out, stretch their legs, or just have a minute alone.

He was looking at a group of at least twenty-or thirty though.

Not one or two.

Nor did they look like they were here for an organization or anything else. Their vehicles weren’t in the best of condition.

Something… off… here. Should do a quick check.

Felix targeted the nearest person and did a contract check. Wanting to know who he’d have to work through if he wanted to hire this person directly.

Once more a window popped up for him.

Government of Zhongguo.

Surprised and not able to completely get his mind working, Felix forced himself into action. He shut the door to the truck and began moving around to the back of it.

As he did so he made the same contract request to all the others he could see.

Each and every one of them came back as the same government name.

Felix had no idea what Zhongguo was or even where it was, but he had to assume they were a hostile nation at this point. That this was likely an operation for them to either assault, infiltrate, or destroy the Association.

Alright. Get inside, see if we can’t get Tribune to break into their shit, go from there.

Felix nodded at Goldie as she met him at the back and they started walking toward the front of the Association building.

Today was the day for Super interviews. They’d likely already all be in the lobby and waiting since they were due to start in roughly ten minutes after all.

“Yes, they’re here to assault the building,” Goldie said over the helmet com. Felix wasn’t sure if they were close enough for it to transmit to the Association building or those inside. “They want to attack during the middle of the interviews and take all the data they can. It’ll start with a vehicle bomb being rammed through the front door.”

“Tribune, do you read me?” Felix asked. There was no response. “Faith, Alma, Carlotta, we have foreign actors in the parking lot who plan on causing trouble. Do you read?”

Again there was no response. Felix was starting to suspect that there was some type of communications jam going on in the parking lot.

Keeping his pace steady and unfaltering, Felix did his best to look unconcerned. The last thing he wanted to do was to alert these people to the fact that their cover was blown.

As soon as he entered the lobby he heard the tell-tale click of Tribune linking to his helmet.

“Tribune, we’ve got hostiles in the parking lot,” Felix said, moving into the lobby and then turning left. Toward where Faith would be conducting her interviews, rather than to the right.

“Acknowledged, Legate. Spinning up all passive defensive measures and readying active,” Tribune reported. “Permission to take control over all electronics within rang of my network and include all Legion owned lands and facilities?”

What Tribune was asking was to infect any and every device she could reach.

Tribune was a VI, but a very dangerous one. One that could act a lot like a virus and hijack electronics that were within range of signal.

She couldn’t get too far from her actual server. It was a technology that didn’t actually exist on this world yet. Pushed ahead by decades through the use of Felix’s power.

“Granted, but only for those who are suspicious. Don’t infiltrate anyone who appears to be a non-issue,” Felix allowed. He didn’t want to reveal Tribune to his friends. His enemies could make any claim they wanted and he could refute it.

It was harder to refute the claim of an ally, friend, or neutral.

“Yes, Legate. Initializing take-over,” Tribune answered.

Felix had just put his hand on the door knob when someone shouted out.

“Gun!” called a woman behind him.

Felix spun to his left, snatched at his pistol and drew it in the same motion. By the time he’d visually spotted the target they’d already leveled a strange looking device at him.

It looked more like a TV-remote than a gun.

Then it launched a dart of some sort, to which Felix responded by pulling the trigger as fast as he could.

The boom of his pistol was loud in the small room.

Whatever projectile had been fired at him had failed to do anything at all to him. Though his response had likely just set off everyone in the parking lot.

Slumping to the ground, the woman who’d fired the device at him looked shocked. Shocked and disbelieving of the situation.

Her blood was splattered all over the wall behind her. A spray of it from Felix striking her multiple times.

“Activate defenses!” Faith called out over the com lines. “Secure the building and guests!”

All the lights turned a pale red, a number of security glass panels slammed into place, and steel doors blasted into place. There was a grinding and popping throughout as the building activated fully.

Felix had spent a lot of time making sure the Association building could defend itself. He didn’t want to station what few people he had into defensive positions.

“Engaging known hostiles,” Tribune declared a moment before the sound of heavy caliber weapons opening up.

Extremely heavy caliber weapons that made the ground vibrate and actually penetrated through his helmet.

Ah… those must be the Avenger cannons.

I was wondering if it was overkill to put them in but… I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Walking over to the woman who’d been downed Felix looked her over once. She was already gone. He’d hit her repeatedly in center mass. He imagined her lungs and heart were little more than fleshy chunks.

“Disengaging, weapon ineffective,” reported Tribune a second after the oppressive sound of the guns ended. “Super powers have been utilized, Legate. Conventional weapons may not be effective.”

“I… what?” asked Felix, feeling stupefied.

Other countries already found out about supers and started wrangling them, didn’t they? Turned them into agents and weapons.

We’re not ahead in this race.

We’re behind!

“Alright. How did they defeat the rounds?” Felix asked, moving to the front doors and then outside. He began to scan the parking lot but there was a great deal of dust, black smoke from a car that’d caught fire that made it a bit harder to spot anything.

“Some type of shielding, Legate,” reported Tribune. “I have scoured their electronic devices of information, locked their coms, and then deactivated all their devices.

“While I cannot effect them directly, I’ve removed all their means of support and assistance.”

Goldie stepped outside a few moments later. She’d stripped herself of her Legionnaire armor and was now standing there nude.

Her eyes were blazing and her golden horns were protruding from her head.

Damn. It’ll be awkward to explain how Goldie ended up with me to the government later. Not looking forward to that one.

Maybe I can play it off as her becoming my personal prisoner, and my property. Therefore no longer beholden to their rules?

Eh… have to think of it.

For now though… I do need her as a Dragon. I’m lacking in Supers at the moment which puts me at a disadvantage.

There was a tap to his left as someone landed and moved into his peripheral vision.

Turning his head slightly he saw it was Miu.

The dark eyed, dark haired, athletic, and extremely lethal insane woman. An assassin that had somehow decided that Felix was her reason for existence.

“Welcome back,” Felix murmured.

A second after that another Miu appeared, standing right next to the first one. They looked identical in features, figure, and presence.

Though one was prettier than the other, though Felix couldn’t quite explain that. Other than to assume the prettier one was his own Miu since she’d taken his order to “keep herself healthy” and applied it to everything.

“I’m back, F-Felix,” said the pretty Miu, looking at him. “I brought… me, with me.”

“Hello, Felix,” said the second Miu. She was looking at him in a very different way though. A neutral expression that reminded him of when he’d first met Miu.

“I see,” he said, looking back to the parking lot.

He could now see a large dome that’d been erected out there. It was a shimmering blue that looked to be made of interlocking hexagons.

“We’ll have to figure it out later, I guess,” muttered Felix. “Is she just like you?”

“In every way,” reported his Miu. “But also… not. It’s interesting.”

“Well. You two get out there and see if there’s anyone else we can’t see. If you find them, subdue them,” commanded Felix. “But not at the risk of your own lives. If they’re too much to handle, just kill them.”

The Mius nodded and then sprinted off. One went left, the other right.

Well that’s just fucking weird.

This day is weird and lame.

Goldie had transformed into her full Dragon self next to him. She was unmistakable as anything other than the Dragon that’d been seen on TV. There really was no going back from this.

A horde of Andrea’s all came running out from the far side of the Association building. Many of them were in Legionnaire armor but not all of them. Quite a few had their ears and tails on full display, all armed with rifles or SMGs.

They were moving in squads and rapidly deploying through the parking lot.

Ah… hahaha… well… this is just getting worse all the time.

Let’s not forget our Dryads. They’ll be here shortly as well I assume. Using their Christmas themed magic and revealing it all to the world.

Tribune took that moment to open up another full barrage from her cannons. The heavy 30-mm guns shattering his thoughts with the boom and crackle of their firing.

The dome became a much brighter color as the rounds slammed into it. The concrete and cars around it being dug out, smashed, or obliterated from deflected or wide shots.

Then it cut off once more.

“That is so uncomfortably loud!” shouted a voice from behind him. A familiar voice. One he didn’t actually want to hear.

Slowly, Felix turned his head.

Kit was standing there with her hands on her ears, peering out from behind him. Just behind her was Lily. He did his best to not register their details.

The way they looked.

That they were exact duplicates of the women he loved and looked to be clones of them.

Kit’s brown curls were pulled back from her model like face. Her eyes flicking back and forth across the parking lot.

Lily’s black eyes were doing the same. Her black hair pulled back in a pony tail. She had one hand up and was slowly building magical runes out beside herself.

“I can’t read any of their thoughts!” Kit called out. “Or yours, actually! Everyone is shielded here!”

Taking in a slow breath, then letting it out, Felix didn’t know how to react at all to this situation.

A trio of Andrea’s ran past, the one closest to them waving excitedly with one hand.

“Hi Kit! Hi Lily! Love and miss you both!” called the Andrea, moving past quickly.

“Uhm, yes, hello,” Kit murmured, looking very confused.

“Hi?” asked Lily at the same time.

Ah… shit. This is… this is all so wrong.

She’s not wearing Legionnaire armor. Or a Legionnaire’s ring.

Shit.

Hahaha… ah… fuck. She’s going to scour Andrea’s mind and know it all. Fuck.

Fuck!

Ha.

And I thought I could just handle all of this without much prep.

Right, Felix? It’s such a surprise! I thought you wouldn’t summon me up for a little while.

Oh… well… you know me, Hubris. You know me.

I just… can’t live without you. Me and Arrogance are room-mates at this point.