The Good Life: Bowing Out (ch. 31) (Patreon)

Something was wrong, Cinder thought as she looked down at the message that Law had sent her on a burner phone. There wasn’t any reason to suspect that he suspected her. There hadn’t been any change in their interactions and he seemed to believe her excuse that she was kept entirely out of the loop because Vought suspected that they had a mole. A completely reasonable excuse, and a likely one given the amount of information that she had been giving Law. Or rather, Heartless.

The plan had been a rather simple one -- by taking Devil’s Child out of the picture, she would make Law vulnerable. You couldn’t rule a criminal empire on your own, not to mention to carry out what must be hundreds of contingency plans. The capture of Devil’s Child destabilized his position, thus making him more reliant on her and the information that she provided. Then, with the arrangement of a favor, she could reveal where Devil’s Child was. A perfect arrangement that left her on top and Law properly chastised for using his power on her.

That was the plan. Only it would seem that she had underestimated Law, ever so slightly. Devil’s Child was rescued within a few hours of her capture, and worse, he managed it without contacting Cinder at all.

Cinder fought the urge to bite her perfectly manicured nails as she reread the message. Was it her own imagination? Did she suspect something merely because she suspected that Law could suspect something? There was no trail leading back to her. The only one who knew that Cinder pointed the finger at Devil’s Child was Stan Edgar, and she couldn’t see him working with Heartless in any capacity.

The information was valuable. Exceptionally valuable. The kind of value that lent credence to the fact that he wouldn’t give it to her unless she still had his full trust, because Cinder struggled to see what he had to gain otherwise. Her finger tapped on the arm of her chair, a frown tugging at her lips-

“Got somethin’ on your mind, luv?” A distinctly British voice spoke up, making Cinder’s eyes flicker to William Butcher. The leader of Taskforce X. In his thirties, a former member of the SAS, a trained member of the CIA -- they’d met once before. Back when Cinder was undercover with a handful of others, a shortlived assignment, Butcher had been at the fighting ring. The smile on his face might have been charming if it wasn’t for the look in his eyes.

Cinder knew hate. And Butcher hated her. It wasn’t personal. He hated Queen Maeve, Black Noir, Starlight -- he simply hated ‘Supes’ in general to an uncompromising degree.

Cinder considered withholding the information. Her instincts honed during her time in Salem’s inner circle, a cesspit of vipers and ego, told her something was off. Yet, at the same time, she had no real reason to not believe the information, and she would gain much by sharing it. Taskforce X was still new and freshly minted without so much as a single mission under their belt. Establishing herself early would pay off in the long run. “My mole within Heartless’ organization provided me with some intel. Heartless intends to strike the UN security council.”

The reaction she got wasn’t surprise, Cinder reflected as she looked around the room. The same room that once belonged to the Seven now belonged to Taskforce X, and at the very least, they didn’t bother bringing in an X shaped table.

Queen Maeve blew out a breath, “Of course he is. That’s not news. How is he going to attack it?” Queen Maeve ventured and Cinder fought the urge to narrow her eyes into a glare. Heartless’ MO was well established by now.

Cinder offered a thin smile, “With the combined might of eight of the ten most powerful terror organizations in the world. Simultaneous attacks across the globe against every member of the UN,” she continued and that certainly got everyone’s attention. Butcher, however, simply smiled as he took the phone from her. She decided that would cost him his hand as he looked at the message.

Susan Raynor spoke up, “How reliable is this source?” She asked, ready to jump on it. After all, the reason why they were all gathered was for the sake of easy transport over to Europe. The UN general assembly in New York was currently a ruin, thus it was being held in Paris. Taskforce X was put on security because everyone fully expected something to happen. For that very reason, Black Noir was already in Paris.

If not Heartless and his band of criminals…

Then Homelander and his cult of Supes.

Cinder was testing the waters. At the moment, Homelander didn't have the base of support necessary to fend off the world. She was certain that he personally could generally survive anything that the world threw at him, but the same couldn't be said for everyone that supported him. Thus, she decided to hedge her bets until one side of the now three way conflict started to pull ahead.

“They gave me Devil Child's location,” Cinder answered, her tone ambivalent about being questioned. Her gaze flickered to MM, which stood for Mother's Milk. A curious nickname to be sure, but she wasn't so curious to hear the story behind it. He shared a look with Butcher and French, the three normals on the team. They shared a longstanding history with one another.

“I'll pass this along, but your goal doesn't change -- you're there to protect the diplomats in Paris. Things are hanging together by a thread, and I cannot begin to tell you the consequences if you fuck this mission up,” Susan stated, looking at Butcher, who simply smiled, but her words were directed at the Supes in the room. It was frustrating, Cinder had to admit. She started this career due to the promise of stardom, and now she faced becoming a persecuted minority.

In all honesty, maintaining a relationship with the heroes was losing its charm. She just needed an opportunity to shift things in her favor -- to make Heartless or Homelander need her before she switched sides. If she didn't, then she would join them from a position of weakness, and that was entirely unacceptable.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Butcher said, giving a locking salute that Susan didn't at all seem to appreciate. Then he turned to everyone in the room, “You lot heard the lady -- let's get this show on the road,” he instructed and Cinder rose to her feet. Starlight followed along, almost like a lost dog.

Cinder suppressed a smile every time that she saw it. Starlight was a well trained dog, and she didn't have an ounce of defiance left in her after the last lesson. She wasn't as amusing, but it was nothing less than incredibly gratifying to see that she had been broken in entirely. It was undeniable proof that Cinder had surpassed her step-mother and sisters, even Salem herself, when it came to breaking people down. She never even needed to get violent.

Taskforce X made their way down to the basement of the building where a van would be waiting to transport them to a private airfield, where they would then fly over to Paris for the meeting. Everything hinged on the outcome of it -- undoubtedly, both Homelander and Heartless were looking to make a scene there.

And perhaps that was the point of the meeting in the first place. To act as a stage that neither Homelander nor Heartless could resist stepping onto. In any case, Cinder suspected that a rather harsh-

Something was wrong. Cinder felt it the moment the elevator doors opened to the underground garage. Her instincts screamed at her even as she pretended nothing was wrong, stepping out of the elevator as she brought up her Aura just in case. And, not a second later, a flashbang went off.

Cinder lashed out blindly, using her semblance to superheated the ground around her, causing an explosion of molten rock and glass. Despite the measure, Cinder felt a powerful kick strike her ribs, sending her flying across the parking lot and slamming into a car that warped around her. Her vision was hazy, and she heard the pained screams of the few agents that had been nearby. Even through the haze, she saw Mirko standing, ready to continue the fight.

Something inside Cinder snapped. “What is this!?” Cinder demanded, superheating the car as she stepped forward, forming Midnight with the materials of the vehicle. Starlight was being attacked by Queen Maeve, and the more experienced Supe was handily winning the fight.

Butcher was all too happy to explain. “You're a traitor, luv. We know all about you and Heartless. Even little Starlight here too.” He stated and Cinder felt her blood turn to ice. How? How could they possibly know? She was careful. She took all the proper steps to ensure that there was no trail to lead back to her. “That was some sloppy work you did. Rippin’ Madelyn Stilwell apart, shovin’ her into a bloody couch of all things, then ya’ dump her body in the bay. All cuz’ she found those cameras Starlight put up all around her office. You blew up the office to cover your tracks. Did good. Not good enough, evidently.”

What?

“I didn't-” Starlight protested, only to be cold clocked by Queen Maeve before she was thrown to the ground and kicked in the cunt.

Cinder held Butcher's gaze, her mind racing a mile a minute. She saw it in his gaze. The hate. And the lie.

Butcher knew they weren’t responsible for Madelyn's murder or the disappearance of her baby. He just didn't care. He probably even knew that Starlight was completely innocent, but he didn't care. Was it just happenstance that he chose her as a target for this farce? Had she inadvertently painted a target on her back by being too well informed? This was planned in advance. Meaning that they had already suspected her of being a traitor.

Her grip tightened on her weapons as her gaze turned to Mirko, who wore a frustrated expression. The frozen blood turned to anger -- all her efforts, wasted. The time she spent maintaining her image rendered pointless. Her career? Gone like smoke in the wind. Her assets were likely being seized at this very moment. All of her effort, all of her hard work, all of her ambitions… gone. Rendered moot.

Again.

Cinder's face twisted into a hateful snarl that earned Mirko's full attention. Now, she would have no choice to but attach herself to either Homelander or Heartless, only she would come to them from a position of weakness. On her hands and knees, begging for help. Fire and hate flowed through her veins as every muscle tensed, and she found the perfect target to unleash it all on. Mirko. Her rival. Who would undoubtedly take her place in Taskforce X. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

Cinder superheated the ground underneath Mirko's feet and before the explosion rang out, Mirko was on the move, barely more than a blur as she shot towards Cinder at high speeds. Each step she took formed a crater in the asphalt and Cinder flipped backwards over the car, Midnight becoming a bow while her costume became three arrows that fired out. They struck the ground where she stood, but Mirko wasn't just fast. Her reflexes were sharp and she dodged the explosion.

As Cinder expected. The rubble in the air condensed into sharp spikes as Mirko closed the distance and Cinder fired them off. Even as Mirko wound up for a kick and even as Cinder blocked it… she was sent flying, smashing through a van entirely, and just barely managed to flip onto her feet. All the whole, Mirko was forced to block the spikes that flew at her.

Mirko lacked Aura, so all she could do was cover her vitals as a good half dozen spikes skewered her. The rest shattered on impact or missed entirely. Cinder allowed herself a small satisfied smile, seeing Mirko's blood stain her white costume red. However, that smile quickly fell when she saw the expression that Mirko wore.

“Ha…!” Mirko laughed, a crazed smile on her face that was every bit as joyous as a child in a candy store with a credit card with no limit. “You don't suck! Fuck! I woulda been a villain if I knew that's what it took to have fun!” Mirko laughed loudly, ripping one of the spikes from her stomach, uncaring of the squirt of blood that splashed onto the ground.

Cinder tensed, readying Midnight as she considered her options. Starlight and Queen Maeve were still fighting. In Butcher’s attempts to take out two Supes, he divided the battle enough to prevent Cinder from being overwhelmed. Starlight was fighting back, understanding that her excuses would fall on deaf ears. Her choices had been robbed from her-

“Pay attention!” Mirko shouted before nearly taking her head off with a kick that Cinder managed to lean away from even as she drove a blade upward, intent on skewering Mirko. She managed a shallow gash, only for Mirko to pivot midair and kick her in the chest. The only thing she could compare the hits to was Hazel Rainart, and Cinder was certain that Mirko could beat him in a contest of raw strength. She skidded a half dozen feet, but was able to deflect the attack that Mirko quickly followed it up with even as Mirko narrowly avoided losing a foot when she tried to drop an axe kick on her collarbone.

Cinder fell back a half step, avoiding a roundhouse before Cinder attempted to sweep her leg, only for Mirko to flip in the air for a bicycle kick. Cinder was forced to block the blow, a fatal crack forming in Midnight as she did. The moment that the kick landed, Mirko spun sharply before lashing out with a kick to her stomach that Cinder just barely managed to block but she might as well not have for all the good that it did her. She slammed into one of the support pillars, sending it crumbling down in chunks of concrete.

She lacked a Scroll to measure her Aura, but already, Cinder knew that she was closer to red than she was green. Thirty to forty percent. That kind of power was virtually unheard of in her world. Cinder’s mind raced, hate boiling her blood as she rose to her feet. She should kill Maeve, and then her and Starlight could team up against Mirko. That was the smart thing to do but when she saw Mirko’s smiling face, completely oblivious to her injuries that freely wept blood, Cinder saw red.

“I’ll fucking murder you!” Cinder snarled, superheating the concrete rubble. These wouldn’t break on her body. These would tear her to pieces. Cinder would make sure of it.

Mirko’s smile only grew, “Give it your best shot!” Mirko yelled back and with a wordless roar of hate, Cinder flung the spikes right at her with all the force that she could muster. They tore through what was left of the concrete pillar, barley slowed and just when they were about to strike Mirko…

She did… something.

For the briefest of moments, it was like Mirko vanished, only for her to reappear far too close with fist raised. Cinder barely had time to react before Mirko punched her in the face, snapping her head to the side. “Finally figured it out!” Mirko cheered, not giving her any time to recover. Cinder tried to block, only for Midnight to break and allow Mirko to bury a fist in her gut.

Cinder grit her teeth, the sound that escaped her barely sounded human as she lashed out with the broken blade, only for Mirko to stop it cold with her hand, uncaring that it pierced through it as she leaned her head back. Cinder knew what was going to happen, but she was helpless to stop it. Mirko slammed her forehead against Cinders with a deafening crack, the last of her Aura fading away…

The last thing she heard was Mirko’s triumphant cry as everything went black.

…

“Oh, swanky,” I muttered, looking at the building that would hold probably one of the most important votes in human history. The actual voting would come in a few days time, but today would merely be the first day of debate for the ‘Supe question.’ The building itself was a big building that probably had some historical reference given how old it was. It had a great view of the Eiffel Tower, and was conveniently located near a coffee and pizza place… in short, it was a great location.

It was just a damn shame the vote would never happen, I thought, taking a bite out of my buttery croissant while Robin and Yoruichi sat across from me, enjoying their own treats. I was pretty curious to see what exactly they would decide on.

Robin's phone vibrated and she quickly checked it. Based on her smile, I'm guessing the plan worked out without a hitch. “It seems Cinder has been captured and detained alongside Starlight,” She informed, making Yoruichi laugh.

“I'm surprised she was taken alive,” I admitted. I saw Cinder as someone willing to bite off her own nose to spite her face. I was also a little surprised that Starlight had managed to get roped into the mess. It was a simple thing, really. Cate embedded the order into Stan, pointing to where Cinder left a trail and to connect the dots. From there, he would give the order. I liked Cinder, I did, but I wasn't so attached to her that I'd shed a tear if she went quietly into that good night. I had played with fire and Robin was the one that got burned instead of me, so punishment was necessary.

“Mirko was brought in and defeated Cinder quite handily, though not without sustaining injuries.” My heart dropped like a fucking rock. Did that mean she wouldn't- “She’s being treated, but is on the flight over at her own insistence.”

I could hold in the breath of relief I felt at the news. Rumi deserved to be here for the final curtain. It would be such a shame if she ended up missing the finale.

“You could be a little more subtle, you know. A girl might get jealous,” Yoruichi teased, shooting Robin a mild look as she sipped her coffee to hide her smile.

“I have the black site that Cinder and Starlight are being taken to. It would be prudent to rescue them,” Robin said, her smile becoming a tad colder. “Though, it may be best to wait until the interrogations begin. Otherwise, it could hardly be called a punishment, now could it?” Robin wanted to destroy everything that Cinder had built and I made it happen.

“Want her to come crawling on her hands and knees?” Yoruichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Cinder does look her best on them,” Robin remarked ambivalently. Not sure if that meant we were taking her with us or not, but I decided to let it be Robin’s call.

My attention was stolen when I felt a pair of familiar presences enter my Room that encased the building while we sat a block away from it. Asami Sato and Stan Edgar. The latter was here to be roasted over a fire about Compound V and Supes in general. The latter… honestly, I couldn't think of a good reason why she was here. The Dias worked. She already had one foot out the door. Yet, all the same, she was jumping through hoops like she still needed something from this world.

Maybe she was working an angle that I couldn't see, but I didn't really get it.

President Neumann should have been with them, but she was… heh… a little indisposed, so some diplomat was with them instead. Which was fair, considering that the building was pretty much exclusively filled with diplomats, soldiers, and supes.

There were quite a few that I recognized. Black Noir was posted up in the rafters, waiting for something to pop off. There was Sam’s brother Golden Boy too -- he was wearing some golden outfit made of something that wouldn't burn off of him. Mirko and Queen Maeve should be arriving shortly too. They were all gathered up for a single reason -- the whole world expected us to do something. Both me and Homelander.

I had to live up to their expectations, of course. If Homelander showed up, then all the better. We could wrap things up with a bow.

The last of the attendees trickled in one by one. Taskforce X was amongst them, and I could feel Rumi’s injuries through my Room. They were more severe than I expected, but Rumi was simply ignoring them for the sake of not being left out of everything that would come next. She really was a treat. A real light in the darkness. When everyone that was suppose to be there was in their seats, a speech kicked off.

I was guessing that it would have been rather impressive if I understood a single word of French. However, I could guess what was being said as I got myself mentally prepared for what would be my last act in this world. One last show. It was almost bittersweet, in a way. I had had a lot of fun here, but it was time that I left the nest.

There were a few more speeches, all in languages that I didn't understand, but the tone conveyed what they felt well enough. Anger. Fear. They had stepped into a brand new world, just as much as I was going to, and they were clinging to the door frame instead of embracing it. It was normal. It was perfectly understandable. It was also pathetic. I listened to them drone on and on and on until I heard something of interest. A name.

Stan Edgar.

I smiled as he walked up to the podium in the round room that was flanked on all sides with seats filled with people. He seemed calm as he approached the podium, his gaze scanning the hundreds of faces and the cameras, knowing damn well that the entire world would be ripping every word he said to shreds. And whatever he might feel, it wasn’t enough for it to register in my Room. He took his place and I couldn’t help but smile.

Stan. You were an ice-cold bastard until the very end. I’ll miss you.

I pressed a button and whatever he was about to say was drowned out by the sound of his adoptive daughter cumming so hard that her brain practically leaked out of her ears. Stan flinched. The whole building flinched, but my attention was zeroed in on Stan. His eyes narrowed, his lips thinned -- I could tell he suspected it was me behind this, but he didn’t see the full picture yet. So, I gave him a helping hand.

A projector turned on, broadcasting the tape that was in it, plastering the video Robin and I took with President Neumann. A gasp rang out through the building as Stan slowly turned around, looking at the wall where the video played.

“I-I'm a g-good li-little s-slut tha-t does w-what m-m-my m-master co-commands. V-vought… I-I-Industries w-will e-effe-effectively b-be t-terrminated,” Victoria stuttered out and I felt it. The stirrings of emotion within Stan as he looked up at his adoptive daughter getting her back blown out by his most hated enemy. “My a-appointment as President was by the will of my M-Master. I've tricked the American p-people into thinking that I'm anything more than H-Heartless’ cocksleeve. Above all else, I've d-deceived my f-father -- Stan Edgar -- who b-believed that I would rescue his company.”

The chaos that erupted fell on deaf ears. The fear, the confusion, the shouting and screaming in a hundred different languages -- none of it could compare to the show that Stan was putting on for me. Emotions welled in his chest, his expression tightened…

“I've b-een ly-ing to him. I-I've been H-heartless’ f-f-f-f-fuck p-pet sinc-e t-the ver-y be-beginning. E-everything h-has been i-in acc-ordance w-with Heartless’ pla-n. And I-I d-did it a-ll in the h-hopes that m-my M-Master would p-paint my womb w-white.” Victoria continued, and I felt it. Almost as if I were holding it in my hands.

I felt the moment that Stan’s heart broke.

A hand went to his chest, his expression tightening as I gave Victoria a creampie. His breathing became ragged and for the very first time, I saw something other than cold disdain on his face. Someone raced to his side, realizing what was happening. Stan fell to a knee, clawing at his heart as bullets of sweat started to appear on his skin. Just as the man arrived to help him, I swapped places with him, letting me stand over Stan Edgar.

“H-Heartless!” Stan hissed between clenched teeth, falling to his side as he glared at me. Never before had I ever seen an expression of pure hatred. Utter contempt. People were panicking, but even as his heart gave out, Stan reached out to claw and my leg, gripping my ankle in an iron grip. I squatted before him, smiling down at the sorry state that he was in.

I took off my mask so he could see my face, letting him see my smile as his heart lurched in his chest. Pounding… and pounding…

Then, silence.

“I had fun, Stan. I’ll miss you,” I told him, watching Stan Edgar breathe his last as his heart gave out. I breathed in, a small smile on my face as I stood up. I looked down at the mask in my hand and my smile grew a fraction before I tossed it to the side. I wouldn’t be needing it anymore. Looking over, I saw that my arrival went everything but ignored -- The only thing stopping the approach of the Supes was Yoruichi, who stood confidently in spite of their numbers.

My gaze met Mirko’s and she gave me a savage smile that promised pain. However, it wasn’t her that held my attention. She couldn’t. Not when I registered someone smashing through the ceiling to land heavily nearby. Even as I registered their presence in my Room, even as I saw them with my own two eyes, I couldn’t believe it.

A shield marked with the eagle of freedom.

“Soldier Boy?!”