Supplying Supers - Ch. 17 - The List - Beta (Patreon)

Tuesday June 13th, 2025 Mazuma City, Mazuma Amerika

Gunner Webb

OSDB Hero Rank: N/A - Civilian

OSDB Threat Rating: N/A - Civilian

Gunner felt a renewed sense of vigor after his second shower of the day. The summer city heat mixed with the combat left him covered in sweat. He’d already gone through one pair of dress clothes for the day, and had no further plans of venturing back out into the city.

He felt it appropriate to dress down. An oversized sweatshirt of the Mazuma State Warlocks and plaid sleep pants was a comfortable fitting dress in his generously air-conditioned high-rise home. His fur-lined slippers kept his feet from the freezing cold flooring that lined his home.

While he enjoyed wearing fine suits, it was more so to keep up with appearances for the clients that he worked with. Politicians, celebrities, and supers all gravitated toward the finer things in life. Going into a multi-million-dollar deal in the clothes he would have preferred to wear would have him laughed out the door. He saw it as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Playing the game required a certain level of commitment.

He’d grown accustomed to it over the years, moving from fisherman to businessman to fixer. His life had taken him on quite the journey. And while the day to day could sometimes feel monotonous, it was those sparks of unexpectedness that made it all worthwhile.

The buzz of his front door brought a smile to his face. Gunner walked from his study and passed Flux’s humming from her bedroom. He crossed the living room before opening the front door.

Velocity had changed into a dark green plaid shirt and jeans, but still wearing the same boots he’d seen her in before. Her braided ponytail had been undone. Once the door opened,

“Something wrong?”

“Oh, no,” Velocity laughed. “I’ve just never seen you outside of a suit. Part of me wondered if you slept in them.”

Gunner chuckled. “No, I can assure you I have other clothes.”

“Are you sure you didn’t have one of your people go grab you something before I came up?”

Gunner brought his finger up to his lips and shushed her. It garnered a small laugh, and he reveled in it. Their business always kept things very professional. But seeing her standing at his door wearing more casual attire made it all that more intimate. He wanted to hear her laugh more. It added to her attractiveness.

In fact, there were few superwomen who Gunner didn’t find attractive. He assumed it was a byproduct of the Gale’s doing, but all men and women supers tended to be higher on the attractive scale. As long as the viewer found the additional tail or fur charming, which most people did.

“Well, come on in,” Gunner said, stepping to the side. When she entered the room, he closed the door behind her, sending the twisting sound of gears and clicks throughout the room. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Velocity took a few steps in and looked around the room. “This is a nice place.”

“Yeah? Do you like it?”

“It’s… nice.”

“Sounds like you’re just being kind.”

“Well, in my line of work, once you’ve seen one high-rise penthouse, you’ve kind of seen them all.”

“Ouch,” Gunner said with a slight chuckle and covering his heart. “Am I really that stereotypical?”

“Not to call you out, but you’ve kind of got all the signs of someone with a lot of money.”

“And what are those?”

She walked around the room as she pointed things out. “Well, you’ve got the top penthouse suite on a skyscraper overlooking the city. There’s priceless modern art on the walls. That front door of yours is probably the gaudiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Gunner laughed. “It serves its purpose.”

She looked around the room before stepping behind the couch and pointing at the opposite wall. “And judging by the size of this living room compared to the assumed size of the building, I’d say you have something hidden behind that wall. My guess? You’ve probably got some kind of safe room, I bet.”

“You’re quite perceptive, Velocity.”

The assassin shrugged. “Habit of the profession. Most people don’t think about that kind of stuff. But I do.”

Gunner walked to the kitchen. “Would you like anything to drink? I heard a rumor that you like cherry nastoyanka.”

When he pulled out the bottle and set it on the counter, Velocity’s eyes lit up. “No way. Are you serious? Where did you get this?”

“The nice thing about Mazuma City being the largest city in the world means you can get pretty much anything.”

“I know it’s stupid of me to ask, but how did you know?”

“Remember the Nissen job last year?”

“Of course. William Nissen, son of Mikkel Nissen, the Danish billionaire. The playboy was sleeping his way through all of southern Europe and spending all his father’s money. His father wanted us to bring him back home.”

“And after you finished, Mikkel invited us to his estate in Copenhagen for dinner, payment, and a thank you.”

“Yeah, I remember, but what does this have to—”

“I picked you up at your hotel. I saw three bottles on a table in your suit.”

“You remembered that? Looks like I’m not the only one who’s perceptive.” Velocity crossed the room, glaring at him with a sign of admiration. She grabbed a bottle and removed the metal paper seal before popping the plastic top. “Come. Let’s share a drink.”

Gunner opened his cabinet and pulled out two glasses. He placed them on the counter, allowing Velocity to pour them a drink. When she finished, he raised his cup. “To friendship and health.”

“Za druzi na zdorovya,” she said in her native tongue.

They both took their drinks. The cherry vodka wasn’t his favorite drink, but it wasn’t terrible. It was sweet and strong. He made a mental note that it was probably a good idea that they eat something.

“Technically, you’re skipping a step,” Velocity said.

“What do you mean?” Gunner asked, tilting his head.

“In my homeland, we’d usually toast to the occasion first.” Velocity poured them another drink. “You’d raise your glass and say Za Zustrich.”

“Za Zustrich,” Gunner said, downing the red cherry liquid. The second drink was better than the first.

She poured one more. “Then there’s the third. Za lyubov.”

“Za lyubov,” Gunner said, finishing the glass. “What does that one drink to?”

Velocity snorted and poured them both another drink. She looked up at him through the glass with her vibrant blue eyes as she downed the remaining contents. It was a look he’d seen plenty of times before. One that hinted at intrigue and interest.

Gunner felt conflicted. While he didn’t completely oppose mixing business with pleasure, it always made things more complicated. Business always came first, and he enjoyed the relationship he had with Velocity. She got things done.

However, he wasn’t heartless, and understood the heart wants what it wants. He obviously found her short, athletic body attractive. It was like that of a deadly gymnast: petite, but toned. He was certain they would have fun together as his mind wandered to what positions her flexibility would allow them to explore.

Rather than answering his question, Velocity asked another. “Where’s Flux? Isn’t she supposed to be joining us?”

“She’s in her bedroom. She told me to come get her when we’re ready to start going through the lists.”

Velocity leaned back and furrowed her brows. “Wait? She lives with you?”

“Yeah, did you not know that?”

“No… I mean, she’s always with you, so I’m not really surprised. I just thought she worked for you.”

“She does.”

“But she’s not just a regular employee. She’s more than that?”

“Oh, definitely. We’ve been inseparable for years.”

“So, you’re married?”

Gunner coughed as he took another sip of his drink. “What? No. It’s not like that.”

“What is then?”

Gunner wiped his mouth and thought for a moment. He wanted to say it was more like two best friends who had considered each other family. But then he remembered the last time they were both alone. She hinted she wanted more.

“Uh… it’s complicated?” Gunner shrugged.

“Hm.” All the emotion left Velocity’s face. She picked up her glass and walked toward the couches in the living room.

“Hm? What does hm mean?”

“Nothing. You should go get Flux and the files. We’ve got work to do.”

Gunner cursed to himself. All that built up tension vanished. He didn’t blame her, though. She was right. He didn’t have an excellent answer to an important question. He made one more attempt to help clarify his status.

“I’m not currently seeing anyone, if that’s what you were wondering.”

When she didn’t respond, he shuffled to Flux’s room. His knocking silenced her humming. “Hey Flux? Velocity and I are in the living room. We’re going to go through the lists and discuss options.”

Flux slithered underneath the door frame and popped up in front of Gunner without opening. When her purple body solidified, she was wearing a comfy pair of sweats to match him.

“Ready!”

“Why did you go under the door instead of opening it?”

Flux’s eyes darted to the side, and her cheeks turned a slight red. “Um… no reason.”

She’s lying to me? Gunner thought. Why would she lie? Is she embarrassed about something?

Rather than press this in front of their company, Gunner tabled the thought for the time being. He turned around and entered his study, retrieving the stacks of folders from his briefcase. When he returned to the living room, Flux was already sitting next to Velocity.

The two were whispering back and forth. When he rounded the U-shaped couch, both sets of purple and blue eyes darted to him as they continued their secret conversation. Their small laughs and hushed left him feeling uneasy.

After setting the folders in the middle of the coffee table, Flux scooted over and tapped the cushion in between the pair as she said, “You can sit here.”

“I’m fine,” Gunner said, sitting diagonally from the two. Flux groaned like a puppy who’d just be told no.

He didn’t want to set the wrong impression with Velocity, and Flux’s behavior was abnormal. She hadn’t thrown the same tantrum when Justice visited their home. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the discussion they’d had prior or because they’d gotten closer since Tecto’s mission. Either way, he figured he’d play it safe by not sitting between the two.

“Before we get started, should we get food?” Flux asked. “I could eat a horse.”

“Yes, me too,” Velocity said.

“If we want something quickly, we can order from one of the hotel’s restaurants.”

“I’m fine with that.”

Gunner stood from the couch and returned to the kitchen. He grabbed some spare menus he kept and handed it to each of the girls. After choosing the Italian restaurant, Gunner took both their orders.

Flux wasn’t lying. She ordered three family sized portions, two appetizers, and an order of cannolis. While she always had an appetite, this was something else.

Gunner picked up his phone and called down to the restaurant. After putting the order in, he rejoined the two super women on the couch.

“You weren’t kidding,” Velocity laughed. “You ate a bunch at the airport, too. Do you always eat this much?”

“Not really,” Flux said. “I eat more than the normal person, but I’d say in the last few weeks my appetite has increased tenfold.”

“You’re not pregnant, are you?”

“No… I told you I’ve never had sex.”

“I remember, but I didn’t know if you came back and celebrated on a job well done.”

“Velocity! Stop!”

While the pair wrestled around, laughing on the couch, Gunner questioned what he’d just heard. Flux told Velocity that she’s never had sex? I’ve never heard Flux tell anyone anything so personal. She’s never really talked with me about it either. They must have gotten along on the drive down. Maybe it’s because she’s always spending so much time with me that she just hasn’t had the chance to really make a friend.

When Flux bit her lip and looked over toward Gunner, he redirected the line of questioning. “Are you feeling sick?”

Flux shook her head. “No.”

“Maybe it was the physical exertion from the mission?”

“No… this started a bit before that.”

“Well, let’s monitor it. Speaking of the mission, we never had our debrief.”

“There’s not much to tell,” Velocity said. “We got the job done.”

“I’m more interested in hearing about this super that showed up,” Gunner said, leaning back on the couch.

Flux’s eyes widened, and she pulled her legs underneath her bottom. “Did I do something wrong?”

“From what I’ve heard, you handled it well. So it sounds like he was a hero, moonlighting as a security guard?”

“Yeah, we found out who he was during our flight to Anchorage. His name is Steelheart. He’s a Class - C hero, almost a Class - B, who works out of Miami.”

“Makes sense why he was holding a secondary job. It isn’t until B and higher that heroes start making real money.”

“I honestly thought it was safer to kill the guy,” Velocity said, shrugging.

“Normally, I’d agree. But given the sensitivity around the matter, I’m happy to hear it was resolved without a death.” Gunner looked up at Flux and smiled. “It seems your quick thinking paid off. I’ve been monitoring the situation closely and so far there have been no concerns.”

Flux glowed with a wide smile. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re welcome,” Gunner said before leaning forward and opening the folders. He handed a stack of papers to Flux and Velocity and took a bundle for himself. “While we wait for the food, we can get started on putting together a list of individuals.”

“Are these three stacks all the same?” Velocity asked, setting down her drink.

“Yes. We each have the same copies. It’s a hundred dossiers of heroes, villains, and everyone in between. I’ve sorted them by the OSDB threat level. Each person on this stack is selected because I believe I can bring them to the table.”

“You mean you have dirt on them?”

“Yes. However, I’m giving everyone a chance to take the job. They’ll get paid for it, no questions asked, or they get to see option B.”

“What’s option B?”

“I reveal what they do not want to be revealed. I know what I’m asking. Bringing enemies under one roof, to put aside their differences for the greater good. They aren’t going to work together freely. I need to give them a reason to. And if that means blackmailing them, then so be it.”

“Isn’t that going to put a big target on your back?”

“It is. But that’s what you two are for,” Gunner laughed. “I need you two to be my shield and sword.”

“You won’t have to worry about a thing, Sir, we’ll protect you,” Flux said with conviction. “Isn’t that right, Vel?”

“I’ll certainly do my best,” Velocity said, flipping through the papers. “But I’m much better at taking out targets than protecting them.”

“Then you will be my sword and Flux will be my shield,” Gunner said.

Velocity sighed and nodded. As she flipped through the pages, her eyes widened. She increased with speed, cycling through each one with licked fingers. “You have dirt on all these people?”

“Yes,” Gunner stated. “But I hope to win them over with the payment first.”

“How much are you paying?”

“A hundred thousand a head per week.”

“That’s not bad. How many do you want?”

“Ten total. Including us three, we’ll need six more. That would give us two teams of five.”

Velocity’s head popped up. “Wait, you’re going to be with us? Like boots on the ground?”

“I would prefer that. This investigation is going to require a specific kind of expertise. As I’ve told you previously, the Gale is classified information. There are only so many people that know of its existence. Not to mention having spent enough time with it to study it. I’m one of those people.”

“You said there are others. Wouldn’t we want those kinds of people on our team?”

“Typically, yes. But given the nature of the investigation, they’re all currently suspects.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“I’m not as helpless as I may seem,” Gunner chuckled.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Mr. Webb. But I’ve only heard of a few instances of a civilian going up against a super and surviving. And from what you’ve told me, our targets have potentially kidnapped members of the Paragon Alliance, making them some of the most dangerous people on the planet. When we run into them, it’s going to be a shit show.”

“I’m fully confident in yours and Flux’s ability to protect me.”

Velocity crossed her arms and lowered her head. She chewed on the inside of her cheeks as she thought for a moment. Having decided, she looked up and said, “I don’t like this one bit. We’re technically going to be surrounded by enemies at all times. Once they find out we’re investigating the disappearance of kidnapped Paragon Alliance members—”

“Hold up,” Gunner said, raising his hand. “We will not be divulging any information regarding our pursuit, the Gale, anything. All they’ll know is we’re investigating murders. They will be there to provide support.”

“If they’re smart, they’ll realize ten bodies is a lot of power for a simple investigation.”

Gunner snorted. “You’re not wrong.”

Velocity let out another sigh. “I… I just don’t like this.”

“No one is forcing you to commit. You—”

“No,” the assassin glared. “I gave you my word. We made a deal and I honor my commitments. The only thing I’d ask is that if you’re going to be in the field with us, you can lead the investigation, but let us lead if things get busy.”

“You have my word,” Gunner said, placing his hand over his heart.

Velocity lowered her head and flipped through the pages as she said, “Okay, so we need six.”

“Six?” Flux asked. “If it’s including us, that would be nine. Who is the fourth?”

Gunner let out a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re not going to like my answer.”

Flux’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “No! You’re not bringing her back.”

“We don’t have any other options, Flux. I haven’t even asked her yet, so I don’t know if she’d be willing.”

“Good! Get someone else. I don’t want her here. She’s not good for you.”

“She’s the only person who knows more about the Gale than I do. She’s also one of the few people I can trust with this.”

“You can’t though!”

“Wait a minute,” Velocity said, sitting up. “Who are you two talking about?”

Flux stared at Gunner, flaring her nostrils as he reached into a second folder and pulled out another dossier. He handed it to Velocity.

She looked at him like he’d just shot her cat and jumped to her feet. “Are you insane? You want to bring in Yokai?”

“So you’ve heard of her?” Gunner asked.

“Of fucking course I know of her. Everyone does. She’s been number one on the SOC’s top ten most wanted since before I was born.”

“True. But I promise she’s not as evil as the media makes her out to be.”

“Now I know you’re lying. You don’t build up a reputation like hers without a sea of bloodshed.”

“I’m not saying it’s allfalse. But the majority of it is.”

“I don’t know. I’ve heard some horror stories.”

“Like what?”

“Like the Shanghai Massacre?”

“That was Long Fingers, who is currently in Level 9.”

“What about Tunisia?”

“That was Sand King.”

Velocity thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. “There was that orphanage in Portland. I know she was there because there are pictures of her all over the internet of her leaving and the carnage she left behind.”

“She was there exercising a Gale spirit that had possessed a child super that had just come into their own.”

“What?”

“Yup.”

“That can happen?”

“It’s rare, but yes. Basically, what I’m getting at is a lot of what she’s been blamed for, she has either been the one who was issuing justice in the situation or not been involved at all. People enjoy treating her as some sort of boogeyman because it’s convenient.”

Velocity slumped back into her seat. “Well… if you say she’s fine, then I’ll trust you.”

“She’s not fine, though!” Flux shouted. “She’s a manipulator. You’re not the same when she’s around.”

“Flux, that’s enough,” Gunner glared. “Just because you don’t like her doesn’t make it right to make things up.”

“Well, it’s true,” the slime girl grumbled.

“There sounds like there’s some history there,” Velocity pointed out.

In a moment of saving grace, the doorbell rang. Gunner seized the moment and leapt over the back of the couch. After exchanging pleasantries and tipping the delivery man, he brought the food inside and set the containers on the wide kitchen island.

He grabbed some plates and silverware from the cabinets and handed them out to his companions. Everyone made their plates and grabbed new beverages before returning to the living room. Gunner dug into his chicken alfredo, hoping the pair would forget about the conversation. They did not.

“So tell me more about you and Yokai,” Velocity said before taking a bite of her lobster risotto.

Gunner set his fork down and let out a heavy sigh. “Yokai and I—remember the mentor that I told you about that taught me everything I know about the Gale?”

“She was your mentor?”

“Yes… but not just my mentor. She’s also an ex.”

Velocity gasped. “You dated Yokai? You’re either brave or crazy.”

Gunner let out a short laugh. “We’ve had a long on again off again relationship over the years. I’ve never said my love life wasn’t complicated. Like I said, she’s not what everyone makes her out to be. She is powerful and deadly. But she’s not some supervillain going around murdering people or kidnapping children for fun, like some people make her out to be.”

“It’s just going to make the sell that much harder.”

“I never assumed this was going to be easy.”

“It’d be nice if we could get a powerful hero to help balance things out. All the Paragon Alliance members are out. Someone like Omen would be good, but he’s more of an urban legend at this point. I’m not sure how he still holds the number one rank. I don’t think anyone has seen him in years.”

Gunner caught Flux’s glance before nodding. “You’re not wrong. But most of the S-class heroes have pretty guarded lives, even from me. The best ones I have are Mach10 and Hailstorm. I’d think they’d be sufficient.”

“Yeah, I see them now. They would be a good start.”

The group continued to eat as they flipped through the documents. Even with the amount of food she had, Flux finished first. She’d almost made the mistake of just absorbing it, given they were at home.

But the stern glare from Gunner reminded her of their company. Instead, she slurped and inhaled the food with limited manners. Velocity rewarded her with looks of astonishment and disgust.

When they finished, Velocity flipped her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder. She flipped through the remaining dossiers before tossing them back onto the open folder. She stood up, walked to the kitchen and brought back the rest of the bottle of cherry nastoyanka with her.

After taking a sip, she sat down and pointed at the stack. “I don’t feel like I have much to contribute here. All I can say is that I wouldn’t recommend any of the freelancers in that stack. My advice is to pick who you want. Either whoever you think is ideal, or whoever you have enough dirt on to make them stick around.”

“I agree with Vel,” Flux added.

Over the next ten minutes, Gunner went through the list multiple times, pulling out individuals. He added as many as he could that he thought would be valuable and the rest he filled with those that he felt had the most to lose. Desperation could always be exploited. Once he got his initial stack together, he weeded it down to six candidates.

“Okay, I think I’ve got my list,” Gunner said, looking through them one more time.

“Show us who you’ve got,” Velocity said.

As Gunner spoke, he raised each of the dossiers to display them. “Okay, first up we have Catherine Erikson aka Hailstorm. She’s the heiress to the Erikson Family who owns one of the largest clothing companies in the world. While she’s off playing hero, her family has been getting into some very illegal dealings. We’re talking about bribes, political manipulation, and third world slavery of workers. Given the fact that she leads the Egalitarians out of New York, I think she wouldn’t like this news getting out.”

“I’ve heard of her. She’s a powerful ice manipulator, if I remember, right?”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, pun intended. She’s got thermokinesis, cryokinesis, and hydrokinesis. She can fly and has limited control over the weather. I know for a fact she was supposed to be recruited into the Paragon Alliance, but she turned it down because she wanted to stay in New York.”

“Yeah, she has a cult following in NYC. But if they heard about what you just listed off, they’d turn on her in a heartbeat. That’s a solid motivation to stick around.”

“My thoughts too,” Gunner said before picking up the next dossier. “Second, we have Mr. fastest man alive, Johnny Carter aka Mach10.”

“God, I hate that guy,” Velocity said.

“Yeah, me too,” Flux added. “He’s a piece of shit.”

“And a womanizer. And you can’t escape him. He is on every sports commercial and billboard. No matter what he’s done.”

“All very true,” Gunner said, nodding. “Which is why Mr. Carter is going to want to work with us. He’s got a pending court case for hitting his ex-girlfriend. He’s on thin ice with California’s three strike rule. Considering his hands are considered legal weapons, he could be looking at life without parole. Right now, the case looks like it will be dropped out of court because of insubstantial evidence, but I just so happen to have a video that would flip the case on its head.”

“You should just let me drop him and pick someone else,” Velocity said bluntly.

“We need monsters to fight monsters. Now I don’t like him either, but having the fastest man alive is a boon. Should this investigation turn into a chase, we’ve got the best man for the job. But what happens after the mission is done… I’ll leave that in fate’s hands.”

“Fair enough. He just better keep his mouth shut and know how to take orders.”

Gunner set down the paper and picked up another. “Moving on, we have Kerry King aka MartyrDOM.”

“Oh, I love her music!” Flux shouted. “Apostasy is amazing.”

“I thought you two said you didn’t know these people?”

Fluxed rolled her eyes. “You’re just picking the ones we do know.”

“Well, Ms. King is currently preparing a tour for her next album, Purge the Pain. Unfortunately, the punk rocker’s fans would literally shit themselves when they find out her entire backstory is fabricated.”

Flux gasped. “No!”

“Yup, she didn’t grow up in queens. She grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, to two wealthy parents who’ve bankrolled her entire career.”

“Well, that just ruined her completely for me.”

“What are her powers?” Velocity asked.

“She’s got regeneration and wound transference. So any damage done to her, she can redirect to her attacker. She can also heal others by taking on the damage herself.”

“If I shoot her in the chest, I get shot?”

“Kind of? My understanding is that she would still get shot, but she would then just transfer the wound to you before her body heals it.”

“So she’s unkillable?”

“I’d theorize she could be killed should she take enough damage to overwhelm her regeneration or kill her before her regeneration activates. It all depends on how thorough it is.”

“Sounds useful if she plays well with others.”

Gunner set the sheet off to the side. “Number four is Deacon Bass aka Blast Wave. Mr. Bass is a man who I hope takes the money. He’s a powerful super who has stayed out of the hero business thanks to guidance from his grandmother. He followed in her footsteps as a community leader, building a non-profit working with youth called Turning Tides. However, Mr. Bass was in a recent righteous altercation that left a man dead. His community has rallied behind him. Their support has limited Seattle PD’s investigation, instead, treating the matter as resolved. Unfortunately for him, I have a witness who I’ve paid to sit out. This would be murder at worst, manslaughter at best.”

“What was the altercation about?”

“Presumably the father of a boy in his programs was abusing him,” Gunner said. “Mr. Bass confronted the father. Things got heated, and the father ended up dying. Right now, the evidence is circumstantial, but with the witness testimony, it’d be detrimental.”

“Sounds like the guy deserved it. But I’m not familiar with him,” Velocity said before looking at Flux. “What about you?”

Flux shook her head. “Me either.”

“That’s because he’s stayed out of the hero limelight based on his grandmother’s wishes. He’s instead chosen to concentrate on his Seattle suburb. The OSDB Rank has him as an O, registered but unranked. But an OSDB Threat Level of eighty-one would put him against a B - Class hero. He’s got supernatural strength and stamina. His skin and muscle tissue are extremely dense, which makes him almost invulnerable. He also can build kinetic energy into his arms, allowing him to send blast waves from his punches, hence the name.”

“Sounds like a good soldier,” Velocity said.

“Number five is Tinker Titan, a 4x - supervillain. He’s a genius when it comes to technology. Expert hacker. And wanted by over fifty different countries for cybercrime. He pilots bi-pedal drones using his mind.”

“What do you have on him?”

“I know where his base of operations is. One phone call to the right party and he’s gone.”

“That’s excellent motivation,” Flux said.

“Then finally we have number six, Whisper. A B - Class hero, famous for the number of hostage rescues and suicides that he’s stopped. As you can guess from the name, his power comes from his voice. He produces Calls which can range from suggestions that can compel someone to do something, to shooting fireballs from his mouth, to calling forth a storm.”

“How powerful are the suggestions?” Velocity asked. “Could he compel you to just ignore what you’ve found?”

“It depends on the suggestion and the person. People with weak minds are easier to influence.” Gunner knocked on his head and smiled. “So that wouldn’t work on me.”

“And what’s he in trouble for?”

“As you’ve probably guessed, using that suggestion power of his to get a little too much. Nothing too serious at first glance, but when you add up everything over time, it’s in the tens millions. That’s supernatural abuse, stealing, and likely fraud. Nothing the SOC would be happy about. I don’t even want to think what the IRS would find if they added it all up and treated it as income.” Gunner shuddered as the two women laughed.

“So that’s everyone, yeah?” Flux asked. “Are we done?”

Gunner dropped his stack and pulled out a few more papers. “Almost. Here are my current subjects of interest. The first is Flay. He’s a sadistic megalomaniac obsessed with body torture and soul weaving which is taking one’s soul essence and manipulating it. I noticed when reviewing his files, some of the scars on his body are Gale runes. So, he definitely has knowledge in that area. He’s been missing for the last three months when his criminal transport vehicle was hit on his way to Level 9.”

“Sounds like a peach,” Velocity groaned.

“Sure is. Then we have Doctor Carlos Santiago. He’s a shunned scientist who has shown keen interest in alternative energy technologies. He’s done a few presentations hinting at leveraging the occult as a way to power the world. I’ve seen some of his presentations and last I saw he’d gotten the SOC involved when some of his recommendations involved repurposing the dead. He’s grown a small following online preaching to his own fans. His heart is in the right place, but he’s going about it wrongly. Checking his recent upload schedule, he hasn’t posted in the last few weeks except for some vague messages.”

“That’s a shame. Honestly sounds like he trying to do the right thing.”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions…” Gunner mused. “Now the last one is Abaddon.”

Velocity snapped her finger. “Oh, I’ve heard of this guy. He’s like a modern-day vampire or something like that.”

“More like a ghoul. He eats those that he kills, believing that he can absorb their power. From what I’ve heard that’s actually accurate. His body acts like a conduit, able to merge himself with others. Evidence is hard to find because he leaves nothing behind. I’m not sure if his original power was shapeshifting or not, but that’s why it’s been difficult for the authorities to find him.”

“That would be nerve-wrecking. Not be able to trust anyone around you?”

“Yeah… which is why I take trust so seriously.”

“Is that everything?” Flux asked.

“Yeah,” Gunner chuckled. “We’re done.”

She jumped up and grabbed the remote from the table. “Good, because I want to watch a movie. Velocity, do you want to stay and watch a movie with us?”

Velocity’s eyes bounced between Flux and Gunner. “Uh… I guess? I don’t have plans. I’m just living in this building, waiting for you two to tell me where you need me.”

Gunner stood from the couch and picked up his folders. “You two go on ahead. I need to pick a neutral meeting spot and get these calls out. I’ll catch up when I’m done.”

“Okay!” Flux said.

It brought a smile to Gunner’s face, seeing Flux with Velocity. He couldn’t believe how they’d been together all this time and he only now realized just how much she needed an equal to lean on. Any time they were separated, she stayed at home, alone.

He’d never trained her how to make friends. This is something she’d done on her own accord. She was growing. He pushed away the thought of what would happen when the mission was over, and Velocity left them. For now, the laughter that filled his home was good enough.

After he entered his study, Gunner closed the door behind him, silencing the TV playing behind him. He wanted silence for this next part. It’d been decades since he’d seen Yokai, and years since he’d heard her voice in his mind. But that connection never left. At least that’s what he’d hoped.

It's been so long since we communed, he thought. Trust has always been important to me, and she's never broken it. I refuse to believe that she's become the monster she was always blamed to be. I'm one of the few people who truly knows that's not who she is. But that was decades ago... However, if she really wanted to hurt me, why go through such an elaborate plan? This feels vindictive. If she wanted to really hurt me, there's so many ways she could do it instead. In my heart I just don't believe she is capable of this. I just hope I'm making the right decision.

Once he filed his papers away, he sat at his desk. He closed his eyes and let himself drift into the silence that fell around him. And when he was ready, he called her.

“Yokai?”

His voice carried endlessly into the void. But just like every time he'd done before, he felt her soft voice caress the back of his mind.

“Koibito. It’s been a long time.”