Gacha God: Picking Fights (ch. 35) (Patreon)

Zarathos was one of those guys that you just didn't fuck with. It was like sticking your dick into an anthill -- sure, you might fuck up the anthill, but your dick would get covered in bites. It was a bad idea all around and even when you won, you still lost. The list of people that I genuinely would never fuck with was a rather short one, but Zarathos was a hundred percent on that list.

The Ancient One only smiled at my refusal, but made no move to take the Eye of Agamotto back. "Disappointing, but not unexpected. The Eye of Agamotto is yours, Sebastian, for however long it might be until its next owner arrives." She said but I was already shaking my head.

"Nu-uh. I might be stupid, but I'm no fool -- I don't do unspoken favors, strings attached, or anything that makes you feel like you can send me at Zarathos. Or send him at me. I'm not playing that game, so," I very pointedly took her hand and pressed the Eye of Agamotto into her palm. "You can have that back. And have fun with the Hell Rider. Your best bet is to drop a hint that he's working for the devil and hoping that gets him to change course. Otherwise… well, that's your problem. Not mine." I took a big step back, giving her a wave, before promptly pivoting on a heel to head towards the exit. "I'll show myself out."

"Were it so simple," The Ancient One replied, not sounding particularly surprised by my reaction. She shouldn't be. It was a perfectly reasonable reaction. Zarathos was scary. Genuinely terrifying in a primal way. A demon of vengeance that couldn't be contained or controlled -- he would always, relentlessly, pursue the guilty to punish them for their sins. In the right hands, he was more of a force of nature than a demon. So, yeah, I didn't want to be near him. Honestly, I found it a little concerning that we shared a planet. Preferably, I'd rather be in another universe entirely than share one with him.

"It is that simple. You see what I'm doing? I'm walking away," I stressed, taking large exaggerated steps towards the exit. "You should too. I mean, there's dedication to the grand old cause, then there's committing suicide with extra steps." I continued to walk towards the exit, only to find that the distance wasn't shrinking. Magic. Fucking magic bullshit. When did I step past a threshold? I didn't really have a solid hammer to break out of the mirror dimension.

"I will accept your refusal, Sebastian," the Ancient One replied, making it sound like she had the option to not accept my refusal. "And I will leave you be in exchange for one thing. The necklace." Was that her plan the entire time? My Time Turner was one of my greatest items. It was the one thing I had taken with me because it was necessary for me to escape. In another's hands, it was just a fancy way to be in two places at once, but in mine…

A sigh escaped me, "I think you know the answer to that." My stuff was my stuff. I had no problem giving it away. It was a very different thing to have someone try to take it.

"You would sooner make an enemy of me than Zarathos?" She questioned lightly, not exactly sounding like she was about to throw down but there was an edge to her voice.

"Absolutely. One hundred percent. Look, lady, in the vast multiverse of limitless variations of choices -- there does not exist a single universe that I would rather fight Zarathos over you. Not a single one," I stressed, turning around to face the Ancient One. "So, step up or step off."

She was the kind of person that I hated the most, I was quickly starting to realize. The kind that always seemed to have all the answers, and were just smug enough to let you know that they were playing 5D chess while you were playing checkers. The big red flag for that was never seeming surprised by anything and that general posture of 'I knew you'd say that, and you just activated my trap card.' I hated them simply because it felt like I was having to play catchup in a conversation I was participating in.

"It's no simple thing to escape your past, Sebastian. It is not yet done with you," she informed, the world twisting around us and I tensed. I was willing to throw down, but I didn't exactly like my odds. I didn't know exactly how strong the Ancient One was, but you couldn't slam the door in the face of most of the extra dimensional beings out there if you were weak. However, as she stepped forward, the Ancient One pointedly stepped past me.

Around us, shards of glass fell as the dimension barrier shattered. She was good, I thought -- I hadn't even noticed when I stepped in the dimension.

"Never said it was," I replied, my tone flippant as the Ancient One led me to the exit. "But I'm not eager to confront it either."

"Astoria will come for you," the Ancient One remarked and that just about made me trip over my own two feet. I stopped dead in my tracks, looking at her, my heart lurching in my chest. The name inspired a primal reaction in me, just a very different one than Zarathos did. Zarathos, in the end, I only knew by reputation. Astoria, on the other hand… I knew quite well. Too well, even.

The Ancient One paused, knowing the effect that the remark had on me. This bitch. I really hated her now. She was the kind to tease out the information that she had no right knowing. Information that I could only guess at how she knew. Because, at the end of the day, I was the only one in this universe who should know that name.

I worked my jaw for a moment, "So. She won?"

"Not yet," the Ancient One replied. I wasn't surprised that she would though.

My big sister Astoria.

I sucked my teeth, my good mood gone like smoke in the wind. I didn't at all care for the reminder, even if it was inevitable. "Well, I'm sure I'll find out when she does one way or the other. So, don't go thinking you can manipulate me by dropping some crumbs in a trail. Ned's taken care of, yeah?" I asked, continuing past her, determined to end the conversation there. In response, sparks danced before me before a portal opened up.

New York. Probably.

Kind of sucked that I wouldn't get to tell him bye, but I would see him sooner or later. If for no other reason than he was going to have to split his time up between boring school and magic school. I stepped through the portal, but before it closed, the Ancient One was compelled to get the last word in. "When the time comes for you to face the last of your siblings, know that you have an ally in the Kamar-Taj." Then, with that, the portal closed and I was left standing in a back alley.

I dragged a hand down my face, blowing out a heaving sigh. "Why can't she just leave me alone?" I whined, allowing myself a moment. There had never been any doubt in my mind that Astoria would claim the crown after I decided that I didn't want it. It had been a foolish hope that dipping out of the competition would disqualify me from the running. But… Zarathos and Astoria. I genuinely couldn't tell who would be a bigger pain in my ass.

With a shake of my head, I dismissed the conundrum entirely. Zarathos wasn't my problem at all. I mean, sure, it sure did suck that we were on the same planet, but it wasn't like he knew that. Astoria… that was going to be a problem. Eventually. Buy, you know what?

That was a Future Me's problem. Sucks to suck, loser. Procrastination was awesome when it didn't mean that you would have to deal with the can you kicked down the road.

Turning to head out of the alley, I shoved my hands into my pockets, only to pause misstep. My lips thinned when I pulled the Eye of Agamotto out of my pocket. "That sly…" I muttered under my breath, tempted to just hawk the thing and not deal with it at all. But… cool loot. It was part of an SSSR collection edition set. Of which I apparently had four of, these Infinity Stone things. But… pain in the ass. And everyone knew the best part of loot was the looting itself. Being given an ultra rare didn't feel as good as finding it myself.

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. The caller ID said Peter. Making a split second decision, I shoved the eye into my pocket as I answered the phone call. Immediately, I heard the sounds of absolute chaos coming from the other end. "Peter? Everything okay?"

"Not really!" Peter shouted in my ear, sounding alarmed. "I followed up with the thing for Miss Jones, and when I told her what I found- I shouldn't have told her when she was drunk!" He yelped as something heavy smashing echoed through the receiver. It was followed by the sound of glass breaking. That immediately caught my interest.

Jessica, for all that she drank, wasn't an angry drunk. The closest she came was when she lost control over her strength, but actually lashing out? Violent mood swings? It would be a stretch to say that I knew her particularly well, but I saw enough of her to get a feel for her character. Which made this reaction stand out.

"Alright. I just dropped Ned off. I'll open a portal over to you -- you're at her office, right?" I said, opening a portal to the Fortress of DOOM and hearing a brief warble as the connection got interrupted.

"What's left of it!" Peter exclaimed, sounding like he ducked under something before glass shattered. "Get here fast!" With that, the call ended and I just shook my head. Heading to the Cave of Wonders, I took a quick look around at my stuff. With a careless throw, I tossed the Eye of Agamotto over to the other Infinity Stones, the artifact bouncing off a wall before it landed near the Scepter. Focusing on more important things, I walked over to my money and grabbed two duffle bags stuffed with about a million dollars each.

Slinging them over my shoulder, I headed back to the teleporter and imputed a command. The portal opened, and the first thing I had to do was side step an empty whiskey bottle being thrown at my face. It shattered behind me, but I stepped through the portal into Jessica's office. And Peter wasn't wrong -- there wasn't a whole lot left of it. There was a massive hole in the wall that divided the kitchen to the living room. Glass shards were everywhere, along with paper, the desk was upturned and the chair looked like it went out the window.

I could hear banging coming from the front door as the other tenants were on the verge of losing their shit at the commotion. And, in the corner, was Peter trying to box in Jessica. Her eyes were bloodshot, she looked a true mess, and she seemed almost pitiable as she raised another empty whiskey glass, ready to throw it, but only paused when she gaped at my arrival.

First things first. I headed to the front door and yanked it open, seeing a half dozen people standing on the other end looking mad as hell. I dropped a duffel bag at their feet, "Fuck off." Message delivered and I pointedly slammed the door. The only thing I heard from the other end was excitement about the money, meaning that I could deal with Jessica in peace.

"So," I began, grabbing a chair and righting it so I could take a seat. "Would anyone like to share with the rest of the class?"

I guess lobbing the whiskey bottle at me was technically an answer. Even if Peter saved me from getting domed by catching it. Jessica was an absolute wreck, "I'm gonna kill 'em." At least that's what I thought she was trying to say. It was difficult to tell on account of how slurred her voice was. "You… punk- otta way," Jessica said, squaring up with Peter, who sent me a pleading expression.

I just sighed. I stead turning my attention to the pieces of paper scattered about. My gaze landed on one to see one of them was a blow up photo of two guys sitting at a table. One I recognized at the guy that started this whole mess, and the other was unknown to me. Brushing off the broken glass, Jessica hissed the moment that she saw it. I knew hate. Real hate. People threw the world around like they knew what it meant, but if they did, then they wouldn't ever use it.

Hate was something that was more serous and insane. It was one of those things that defined you as a person. When your life could be split into two parts -- before and after. Hate was something that consumed you, infecting every thought, and guiding every action. And, with a single look, I could see that Jessica hated whoever was sitting with Malcolm.

"Kilgrave," Jessica snarled, taking a step forward, only to prove so drunk that she immediately listed to the side and nearly collapsed if it wasn't for Peter. That didn't stop her from shoving him away with enough force that he nearly went through the wall.

"Kilgrave? A bit redundant, don't ya think? I mean… might as well name yourself Murderdeath," I remarked. There was a story there. And it wasn't one that went well for Jessica.

Jessica just snarled in my direction, snatching the photo from me. "He's supposed to be dead," she slurred the words out, heading to her cabinet and ripping the cupboard door off. She cursed when she didn't find any booze. "I watched him die. Fuck. Fuck! How the fuck am I- how-" she rasped out, and beneath the anger, I could hear the panic in her voice. My eyes widened a fraction -- Jessica was afraid. Terrified, even.

I leaned forward in my chair, exchanging a concerned look with Peter. "How about we take this from the top? Who is this guy?" I questioned while Peter went to the kitchen to fill a glass of water. Jessica just continued her search for more alcohol.

"He's a piece of shit. God damn puppet master. What the fuck is it to you, huh?" Jessica half snarled at us, snatching the glass of water from Peter and knocking it back. Only to spit it out when she realized it wasn't whiskey. "What the fuck is this?"

"Water," Peter stressed, sounding put out. He didn't know how to handle the situation. He wasn't used to seeing people in a mental tailspin, and it showed. Jessica glared up at him, her expression twisting as dozens of emotions flickered over her face.

Jessica narrowed her eyes at us, her expression twisting into something dark and ugly. "Why are you two even here, huh?" That, I suspected, was a rhetorical question. That didn't stop Peter from answering it, however.

He puffed out his chest, "We're heroes." It was a simple declaration, but one that he was clearly proud of. It was just immediately undercut by Jessica letting out a bark of laughter.

"Heroes, huh? Should have called yourselves suckers," Jessica remarked, giving up on finding booze and instead choosing to sit on the floor against her half demolished cabinets. "I was a hero too, you know? And look where it got me. A washed up PI that can't sleep at night unless I go through a bottle. All because of him." There was the hate again as she crumpled the photo until it ripped.

"Who is he?" I repeated, letting her get it out.

Jessica chewed on the answer and that's how I knew that she never would answer if she wasn't at least this shitfaced. "He has powers," she confessed, her tone low and dark. "Mind control. You just have to be around him and he can make you do whatever he wants. He can make you be whoever he wants. All he has to do is ask. All the while you're stuck in your head, screaming at the things he makes you do." Jessica pulled her legs up to her chest while Peter looked at her with horror.

I leaned back in my chair, "The shitty kind of mind control, huh? I've had all three flavors. Might not believe it, but I prefer locked in your head kind. The gap in memory is always a pain in the ass to figure out what happened and what you did. The worst kind is when your actions make sense to you, but you only realize the fucked up logic after the control drops." I told her and Jessica looked at me with wide eyes. She couldn't imagine anyone could have empathy for what she went through. Not sympathy. Empathy.

"You…" Jessica trailed off, not sure what to say. Peter didn't know what to say.

"You know this guy is out and about. You know he's having you followed. So, the question is what do you want to do about it?" I asked her, cooking my head to the side. Jessica went still and Peter frowned.

"We have to stop him," Peter said with conviction. "We wait until he wants more photos to jump him and bring him to the police-" Peter instantly realized the problem with that. "We call the Avengers."

"Mind control is a hell of a thing, you know? It's a temptation. 'If only they would do this, or say that' -- it's absolute power over another person. We can kick his ass and hand him over to the Avengers, sure. They'll put him in a specialized prison cell. But, how long do you think he would stay in that cell? How long until someone offers a deal to shave off some time in exchange for his talents?" That's why I hated mind control. I hated it being used on me and I hated using it.

Peter seemed stricken while Jessica slowly rose to her feet. He was smart enough to know where I was going with this. "Sebastian, you-"

"We kill him." I voiced my preference out loud and Peter looked like he was going to be sick. His opinion, however, wasn't the one I was looking for.

It was Jessica's and she gave it freely.

"I'm in."