Super Sales on Super Heroes 5 -ch22- (Patreon)

Flipping to the front piece of paper he looked it over.

Right now Goldie and her Wing would be preparing for the visit that would be coming directly after this one. One that was being paid to a branch of the government that really didn’t like to answer to anyone.

Most especially another branch.

Thankfully, that wasn’t this meeting.

This first one was to help break in Juno a bit more into her role.

In being so close to Andrea, Goldie, Faith, Miu, and himself as the Legate, it was a guarantee she’d discover his real name. Who he actually was.

Pushing the angle that “Felix Campbell” was just a case handler for the Association when it came to non-violent, and perhaps mistaken, offenders would be the perfect cover for him. More so that he could work with Juno and act as her superior directly.

Though it was still weird the way she’d been staring at him for the last minute.

“Romina, what is it?” Felix asked, looking away from the report.

“Just… uh… just… you’re so normal. I expected you to be… err… more… anything else,” admitted the young woman. The camera mounted to her armor was off and wouldn’t be turned on till they were ready to begin filming.

This was her own “body cam” for this interaction. Felix had one himself, but it was embedded into a button of his suit-jacket.

“I mean, you’re quite normal yourself. Aren’t you?” he asked, giving her a smile. Then he tapped the paperwork. “Any questions on this? Really seems pretty normal to me.

“Likely used his power to his own benefit, Tribune picked him out, here we are. Not much to read between the lines. Looks like it’s a predictor type of ability. Lots of scratchers in the state.”

“Yeah. That all makes sense. I’m kinda low-key impressed by it,” Juno admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. “Kinda neat. Tribune isn’t just gonna sleep on her job. Didn’t realize she was actively digging.

“All hustle and no play. Can’t say I get the reason but I kinda get the determination?”

“She’s always digging. I just had her doing it in a passive way for a while there,” Felix confessed and then turned the vehicle off. “She had some time so I put her in an active state. Went hand in hand with figuring out about the guy who blew himself up. Kinda curious about what happened.

“So now she’s really pushing some newer programs she wanted to their fullest capabilities. She can’t ever really learn, but she can utilize any tool you give her pretty well.”

Like a program.

“Oh yeah! That’s a mood lots of people are feeling about that explosion. Everyone wants to really know what went down,” Romina agreed with a rapid nod of her head.

Shaking his head, it took Felix a bit to really process what was being said. He wasn’t into the slang and lingo of the younger generation here. He could puzzle it out he found, but a lot of it was just unfamiliar to upon hearing it.

“Right. You’re… ready then?” he asked, pushing a bit. He wanted to get this one done quickly and get over to the next location.

“Ah! Yeah, sorry. I’ll pop it on,” Romina said with a laugh and then reached up to tap her camera. The red light flickered to life and began to flash. A few seconds of that and it became a solid color. “Set!”

Felix opened the car door and got out. Not waiting he moved around it and started heading up the steps to the front door.

There were so many facets of the world of Supers he had to balance to get everything to this very point. So many inconsequential bits and pieces he had to watch out for and move accordingly.

Michael had nearly derailed everything Felix had wanted, but the man had also provided a suitable means to corner Anya and Thomas. To push them into the final space Felix needed them in.

Stepping up to the front door of the quiet suburban neighborhood Felix rapped on the door several times.

“Bad boys, bad boys, watcha gonna do,” Romina whispered to herself. Her voice was so quiet it was only audible because she was nearly standing on Felix’s heel. To the point that her armored hand bumped into the back of his hip. “Sorry. Didn’t actually make a play on your ass.”

“Eh… Andrea does it all the time. Or Miu,” Felix said dismissively.

Right now the two of them weren’t far off.

Andrea was in a second vehicle, ready and prepared to storm the house if she needed him. Miu was more than likely nearby.

Glancing around Felix wasn’t quite sure where she’d ended up.

While she didn’t have her wraith like powers anymore, she’d clearly developed a keen ability to hide even in plain sight without it. Chances were she was here and was now glaring at Romina.

“You’re not allowed to harm her, Miu,” Felix said firmly, speaking to Miu. Regardless of where she was, he imagined she could hear him.

“Err, sorry, yeah, I didn’t mean to and—”

Juno stopped talking as the lock on the door clicked and then slowly opened.

A man Felix expected was standing there in the doorway. This was early in the morning so he hadn’t had a chance to head off and meet up with Anya yet.

“Good morning,” Felix said with a wide smile. “I’m with the Association of Supers. Or more commonly known as the Association. We’d like to discuss a clear and recent change in your status as a citizen.”

Thomas was staring at Felix as if he’d told him that the sun would rise from his belly button and set in his asshole. So obviously dumbfounded was the man that he just slowly nodded his head.

“Great, then we’ll move this to the living room,” Felix said and then moved past Thomas and into the home. Romina entered as well and then shut the door behind herself. She put a hand to the back of Thomas and gestured toward Felix as he walked further away.

He’d watched it over his shoulder just to make sure Thomas didn’t try to bolt. The last thing he wanted to do was dispatch Miu to run him down.

Taking a seat in the living room Felix settled into the couch. He’d deliberately made sure to leave the case file in the car as well as only bringing his phone with him.

Other than the camera on his person, there was no other electronics on him.

Thomas was likely already struggling with the fact that the camera on Juno’s shoulder wasn’t turning off. That it was actively recording him despite his quite expected struggle to force it to shut off.

Except Felix had long ago made the camera impervious to all abilities and skills. To record true and without error so long as he wished it.

It was Legion property and technology, after all. He was the master of it.

“Come, Thomas, have a seat. We suspect that you actively have a power that allows you to modify, change, alter, and control electronics,” Felix said amicably. “Let’s just skip through a lot of the denials, the back and forth, and get to the heart of the matter here.

“The Association doesn’t care what activities you take with your powers. In fact, it’s irrelevant to us. Our jurisdiction isn’t the utilize, usage, or control of powers. Only their documentation, understanding, and recognition.

“Once you’re in the Association system, we provide only the must have information to the government, and the rest is guarded. Protected from everyone and anyone. Even the government.

“That’s our purview and the end of it. Now… shall we talk?”

Thomas took a seat on the love seat while Juno slowly walked to the corner of the room. She positioned herself so that she was more like a tripod. Capturing the entirety of the scene with the camera.

While she was here to film it, she was also a low-ability security guard for him. This was all part of getting her more experience in Legion as well.

“I know you,” Thomas whispered, looking at Felix.

“You sure do. Everyone knows the Association. We like to look into people and things. Find out what we need to. Then get out,” Felix confirmed with a small head nod. “We also do have an informant I’m afraid. Or at least, the police do.

“I have it on good authority that his first name is Michael. He was picked up on an aggravated assault. The woman is of course pressing charges and… well… Michael is starting to sell people out. Your name and… Anya’s… came up.

“We’re going to be visiting her tomorrow. It’d be wonderful if you could contact her and tell her how well your own interview went. It’d be best if we went through this as easy and simple as possible after all.”

Thomas just sat there, staring at Felix.

Well… time to swoop in and save the day. This time as the supplier for these two. Just what I need is a small break in time from Romina.

“Err… this is embarrassing,” Felix murmured and looked to his hands, then Romina. “I’ll be right back, I left the case file in the car.”

“I’ll get it!” she offered even before Felix could leverage himself up. She was off in a flash, not waiting for him to agree to her doing such a thing.

Which was what he expected her to do.

When the door slammed shut Felix looked to Thomas and smiled.

“I’ll be dropping by to see Anya tomorrow in the morning. Make sure you’re both there,” Felix commanded the man. “We can discuss the supplier contact of mine again. Then maybe how he can get you out of this mess since Michael is going to sink you. Now… let’s pretend like we haven’t said anything at all. You just keep looking awkward. Alright?”

Thomas nodded his head in short choppy motions.

“Perfect, just like that,” Felix said with the wide smile he often practiced.

Working out perfectly.

Another plate spinning just the way I want it.

Romina came storming back into the house a minute later, grinning from ear to ear and looking incredibly pleased. The whole look reminded him of Andrea or Miu.

“Here you go!” she announced proudly, holding out the case file to him. There was a determination to her that was growing.

One that he’d be able to use to get viewers just as determined.

Spinning, spinning, spinning.

***

“We’re in the middle of jobs right now,” announced Juno to her viewers. They were watching her as she currently went through all the different functions of the new combat rifle she’d been presented with. “So this is a great time to show this off. Legate gave it to me this morning since we’d be doing some raid work in the near future.

“He said he couldn’t afford to have me running around without at least being able to defend myself. I mean… I’m not really a combat Super, ya know?

“That’s my Jupiter though. Loading me up with the drip till I beg him to stop. Which… we all know I never will.”

Felix snorted at that, his helmet filtering out the noise and thankfully not broadcasting it. He knew that was true because the microphone icon in the bottom right of his HUD was still quite red.

So long as it was red, nothing he said would be transmitted outside of his helmet.

“I mean, he’s my Jupiter so it isn’t that surprising,” Juno answered what sounded like a question, then she laughed. She, her camera, and everything in frame was at the back of the truck they were traveling in. It was done in such a way to not reveal anyone with them, or where they were. “No, sorry ZootSuitMan. I don’t accept donations, gifts, or bytes. Nothing like that at all.

“I’m purely here to promote Legion and the fire that it is. Not here to scrounge nickels off you.”

Juno tilted her head to one side, likely listening in to whoever it was on the other end of her earpiece. That person was constantly feeding Romina with information of what chat was saying and if there was anything relevant.

Since she couldn’t see the feed at all without wearing her helmet. Which she avoided as often as she could.

“Yeah, no. No hot-tub streams, no ASMR ear-licking, none of that. I mean… don’t get me wrong, I hard Simp for some of those ladies, too… but I’m not one of them. I’m just here for Legion and my Jupiter,” Juno explained with a warm and rich laugh. “But hey, thanks for putting that out there. Maybe we can get like… an emote for something like that.”

Turning his head to the right, Felix found seven or eight Dragon Maidens there. They were all staring hard at him.

Watching him.

To him, they all felt incredibly eager for something. What he didn’t know but he was sure it was something Goldie put into their heads.

Today’s trip was all Dragon Maidens, Felix, and Romina. Miu and Andrea were keeping an eye on Thomas and Anya.

There was no telling what the two of them might do and he needed people he could trust watching them.

Faith, Carlotta, and Alma were of course at the Association. Ever working to keep the whole thing’s foundations whirring and grinding away.

I need to reward my poor Dryads. I’ve had them locked away for a while now. Imprisoned behind paperwork and pens.

“Can I get you something?” asked the Platinum Goldie had pummeled with her knee. Felix was fairly certain her name was Carol but he wasn’t positive.

“No, I’m quite fine, thank you,” Felix answered after making sure the microphone had turned green. He hoped it wouldn’t be picked up by Juno’s feed but he wasn’t sure.

Carol and Lucille were here with Goldie. The three of them were taking the leadership roles. The rest were all here to do what was asked of them.

“About a minute out,” called the only Andrea with them in the driver’s seat. All the rest were on various duties and responsibilities.

Sighing, not wanting to do this, yet having no other real option, Felix opened up his wrist panel again. He navigated his way over to the link up he had with the truck itself.

Atop it was a receiver and transmission dish that was powerful enough to keep a steady internet connection. Using that through the Legion apps, Felix had brought Tribune along for this ride.

This was her first real world adventure beyond her own networks. Something Felix had never wanted to do. He was terrified of one day Tribune slipping the leash and going wild.

Pushing the executable file Felix knew there was no way to go back. Tribune would now be on the internet itself. Pulling all the data she wanted and infiltrating any and every system she wanted to.

She was a VI from so far in the future that she might as well have been magic. There wasn’t any way a system from this day and age could stand up to her.

“Legate, I’m ready,” came Tribune’s voice from inside her helmet. “The update is complete and I am now ‘unshackled’, as the program called it.”

“Great. I need you to hit the local area networks and break in. We’re heading into the heart of the Central Intelligence Agency after all.

“No telling if they’re going to even let us in the front door, let alone answer my questions. Need you to pin all their systems, lock everything down, and trap them inside hteir own networks. Cell phones, laptops, computers, seal it all and lock it down,” Felix requested. “Do it in such a way that they’re not even aware it’s happening as well. Let benign transmissions or data go through. Anything that might be an issue for us, end it.”

“I’ve received your orders, Legate. I have breached their network and am currently taking it over,” Tribune stated. “I should have full control within twenty seconds.”

Twenty… full control over the CIA in twenty seconds… right.

Okay… okay.

I have quite literally the E-Pocalypse at my beck and call. I need to be very careful.

Andrea turned them up the road and began moving them toward the iron gate and guarded perimeter of the building.

“Complete. Legion is now in control. Should I move further, Legate?” Tribune asked.

“Err, further into what?” asked Felix with a sinking feeling.

“Should I begin downloading their data?” inquired Tribune.

“Oh, thats… yeah. Do that. Start downloading all of it. Never know if we’ll need it and it’s better to have it than not. Especially since technically speaking you’re more secure than they are,” Felix said, feeling a lot better.

He’d been mildly concerned that Tribune was going to go break her way through the entirety of the country. Which he truly believed was possible for her at this point.

“Downloading. Uploading Legion Fortification application for future access,” reported Tribune.

“Hi, we’re with the Association,” Andrea said as they came to a stop at the guard house. “Here’s my badge, and a list of everyone with me. We’re here to conduct a Super Power Audit on behalf of the President of the United States.

“You’re welcome to contact the President if you have a question, or you can pass the message on to the current director of the agency.

“We won’t be leaving until we can speak with the director, by the way. If we must, we’ll be forced to enact the Association Investigative Act. Which would require us to use force to conduct the Audit.

“Up to and not limited to deadly force. I’m required to let you know we have eight Dragons on board as well as the Legate himself to perform the audit.

“Right now.”

Felix could practically hear the gears in the guard’s head grinding as they tried to process what he’d just been told. The teeth of them slipping and pulling at one another in opposite directions.

“I’ll… reach out to the director,” the guard muttered after a few seconds.

“Wonderful. We can wait a few minutes for him to make up his mind if this needs to occur through force or not,” Andrea said brightly. “By the way, that’s a nice red-dot sight on your rifle. Who’s the manufacturer?”

Well… here we go.

There’s no going back after I kick over the CIA.

My jurisdiction must be respected though. Even if I have to force everyone to respect it.

Because once everyone respects it, then no one will question it. We can be the neutral party that follows the line and nothing else.

Even at a global level.