Super Sales on Super Heroes

Chapter 6 - For Sale -

“Do you think we should talk to them?” Felix asked, looking at the information displayed on terminals in front of the conference room.

Kit was standing next to him, flipping through a similar terminal.

“Doesn’t matter. I can read their minds. I think we’re better served by you using your hypothetical screen to get an idea of what we’re working with.”

“That almost seems like cheating. Reading their mind for every answer you’d like.” Felix looked at the men and women in the first conference room.

Kit sighed and looked into the room as well. “It made dating impossible. No room for white lies. Let’s start with this group, then. Give me a bit. You read through the terminal while I sort through them.”

Felix shrugged and started to read through the information available to him. In minutes, he wasn’t really reading it anymore. It didn’t matter.

Kit would tell him if these people fit the bill or not.

“Hey, Felix.” The voice jolted him from his wandering thoughts.

Looking up, he grinned as he realized who it was.

“Leon. How’s it going?” Felix asked, holding out his hand.

“Good, good. Holy shit, is that… it is,” Leon said, shaking Felix’s hand.

“Yeah,” Felix said, looking back at Kit as she did her thing. “So what’s up?”

“Huh? Oh. Nothing. Working the crowd. Building contacts. Apparently the brass were real pleased. Getting rid of their castoffs and making money at the same time really turned a head or two.

“You’ll have to tell me some time how you managed to—”

“You’re welcome,” Felix said, interrupting him. Then he turned to look back into the conference room. “Thanks for the invite, by the way. I’ll not forget it.”

“I’ll hold you to that, man, I’ll hold you to that. Alright, I’m going to go keep making rounds. Most people think she’s dead, by the way, so make sure you stick to that story.”

Felix nodded, glancing back at Kit and then to the terminal as Leon left.

Fuck that. Marcus, Caldwell, Leon, whatever. From now on he’s Mr. No-Name.

“See ya later, Mr. No-Name.” Felix tapped at the screen, pulling up the rap sheet on the woman he was looking at again.

Felix shifted in his seat and adjusted his tie again.

“Stop, it looks fine. Besides, no one can see you,” Kit said, lounging in the recliner next to him.

Being invited here by No-Name had provided them with a few benefits he hadn’t expected. Like being sequestered in a small office and watching the auction on a TV screen.

“Though this is going to be a lot easier to talk. I was a little concerned about how we were going to do this.” Kit sipped from the soda can she’d gotten from somewhere.

“Yeah, true. Hey, should I be concerned about people recognizing you?” Felix asked, putting his thoughts out there. He’d been mildly concerned about it for some time but kept putting it into the back of his mind. He hadn’t wanted to consider it.

“Not really, no. Most people who knew me as Augur knew that without my helmet, I was fairly susceptible to forced thoughts.”

“Forced thoughts?” Felix asked as the announcer on the screen rambled on and on. Until they got to the actual auction portion, he wasn’t that interested.

“My helmet protected me from what basically came down to people thinking nasty thoughts at me. I don’t have a way to block them out. Er, well, didn’t have a way to block them out. Now I just have you turn down the volume.”

“So… you don’t think we should worry because most can’t recognize you without the helmet, and the ones who do would try to break your brain?”

“Yup. Besides, you can always change my hair color with your fancy powers, can’t you?” Kit asked, swiveling her head around to peer at him.

“Actually, I think I can do that.”

“So, yeah, not worried about it. Wouldn’t matter if they did. Oh, here we go,” Kit said, turning back to the TV. “Lucky us, it’s even one we were thinking of.”

Felix nodded his head. They’d spent most of the time in the conference rooms figuring out who they were interested in and how many points they’d give back to him.

The man on the screen was a big, brutish thing. He looked more in line with a classic representation of a caveman than a modern-day human.

Before Felix could press the button to bid, the price listed over the man’s head jumped into the twenty-thousand-dollar range.

“Damn,” Kit muttered. “Not surprising, though. To be perfectly frank about this whole thing I think I already know the three we’ll end up with. Mostly because others will see them in a certain way, even if we know better.”

Felix sighed as he watched the price go ever higher. He’d wanted this one. If nothing than for the simple fact that he was worth in excess of eight thousand points.

“I never dealt with him personally. I’d heard of him. I hadn’t realized he’d come into the city,” Kit said conversationally about the man on the screen.

Felix wasn’t really interested in him anymore. He was far and away out of his price range.

“What was Miu, exactly? She clearly knows you. Well, it seems like she knows you, but you don’t know her,” Felix said. The auction closed out on the man and someone he wasn’t interested in took their place.

“Miu. She was internal security forces. For civilians. I knew of her, but didn’t really interact with her. She’d applied for higher-end teams but never put in the training or time to do it. She’s actually got a good power. Anything she is, or can do, is multiplied.

“If she could normally lift eighty pounds, she’d be able to lift one-sixty.

“So if she became a real bodybuilder, she’d probably be on par with the one we just saw get purchased,” Kit said, with a small frown curling her lips.

“That’s… odd. I wonder why she didn’t do just that, then,” Felix said.

On the screen, the auction continued, sale after sale concluding, none of which held any interest to him.

“I probed her once. A little. She’s… different. Her brain works in a way that I wasn’t really familiar with. Got out of there quick after that. Unique minds are touchy things. Think of the geniuses of an age and those are all unique minds.

“Her motivation isn’t there, though. It’s like she’s lacking one key thing.”

Felix shrugged his shoulders at that. “Maybe I could order her to train more vigorously?”

“Oh, oh. Here we go. We liked this one. She was the magic user.”

“Magic us—oh. Her.” Felix didn’t really care for this one. She was a powerful magic user alright. One that had fed on the souls of other supers to increase her own abilities.

She was a powerhouse. A powerhouse who was a walking demon.

Long black hair flowed down her back and shoulders, and an aura of energy crackled around her. She had black eyes that seemed too big for her face and skin that was as pale as porcelain.

Her features were sharp and elegant, something you’d expect more out of a fashion model than a villain who tore the souls out of the living.

She’d been called many things, but the name that stuck with the masses was Mab. The fairy queen of legend and story.

No one seemed to know her actual name.

Felix didn’t really get the connection or care what name she used. What he did care about was the fact that her point value was significant.

Two thousand five hundred. A cool thousand above Kit even.

That and he was pretty sure people weren’t going to bid on her. Something about stealing people’s souls made everything touch and go.

The opening bid was set at five thousand.

Nothing happened.

After a minute, the bid dropped to four thousand.

Again, nothing happened.

As if sensing the problem, the moderator in control of the bid dropped it down to a thousand dollars.

Felix thumbed the button, his own number of forty-two popping up in the top right of the screen.

The bid locked in a green color. Below that, an increment bid of five hundred appeared with a question mark.

There were no counter bids. They’d underestimated how much people had been unnerved by the soul-taking thing.

The number turned black and “sold” was written across the screen.

Mab was taken away and the next person was brought up.

Curious, Felix mentally opened his “point account” as he had taken to thinking of it. He also deliberately tried to skew his thoughts about tomorrow’s projected point values, rather than what they were today.

Today’s points were a mess of body parts and other things that he’d have to put to rights before the day ended.

PROJECTED

Received

Spent

Remaining

Daily Allotment

150

0

150

Miu Miki

400

0

400

Ioana Iliescu

800

0

800

Kit Carrington

1,500

0

1,500

Lilian Lux

2,500

0

2,500

DAILY TOTAL

5,350

0

5,350

“Her name is Lilian Lux. Lily.” Felix shook his head and closed the window.

“I doubt her parents knew what she’d become when they named her.”

“Yeah, but Lily Lux? That’s just…” Felix snickered, shaking his head.

Next, a man was brought up. He had the look of a man in his thirties who’d spent his life working outdoors.

This was another person they’d decided on trying to pick up, Aeric.

His power had been rather straightforward—he could move with unheard-of speed and grace. It put quite a strain on his body, so he’d trained himself to cope with it.

The bid started at ten grand, which Felix happily pressed his button for.

“Oh good, we might have a sho—” Kit started when there wasn’t an immediate incremental bid.

Then it jumped to fifteen thousand.

Felix gritted his teeth and thumbed the button again. They’d gotten Lily cheap. He could spend a bit more on Aeric.

He saw his bid flash on the screen, then vanish as it was replaced several times, ending at twenty-two thousand.

Felix hit the button again. It was probably his last possible bid he could throw up.

Before his number had even finished materializing, it was gone, the bid rocketing up to thirty thousand.

“Fine, whatever. For fuck’s sake,” Felix grumbled.

“It’s alright. I wasn’t expecting to get him anyways.”

“And who are you expecting we’ll get, then?” Felix asked, still grumpy.

“Andrea Elex and Felicia Fay.”

“Those were… the multiple one and the inventor?” Felix asked after a moment.

“The very same. Felicia was at my own point value, I think, and Andrea just under it, right?” Kit asked, tossing her empty soda can across the room to clatter into the trash bin.

“Yeah. I think they were about that. Why so sure on those?”

“Mind reading. There’s some seriously bad vibes going through here. But those are two names I haven’t really heard from anyone else. And those that are interested are going for the lowball bid.”

“Huh. You’re way more useful than I gave you credit for. Sorry, Kit.”

Kit shook her head and then started to laugh softly. “Yes. World’s strongest telepath. Useful for getting good buys on slaves.”

“Sorry. You’re not… er, I don’t care that you were Augur. Never paid much attention to supers anyways. You’re just Kit,” Felix said, slinking into his chair.

“No, I get that. It’s fine. Just… unexpected. Ah, here’s Andrea.”

Felix looked up to the screen as a young woman stepped into frame. She looked like a college student to him. Or so he thought, based on her face and demeanor. It made her seem out of place.

That impression was ruined when he took in her clothes.

She was wearing what looked to him like a harness and webbing for military hardware.

You could easily call her cute, maybe bordering on the side of “girl next door” pretty.

Two large ears peaked through her mess of dirty blonde-colored hair. One eye was a crystalline blue and the other a dark brown. Behind her was a limp, bushy tail that swept outward. She looked to be about five foot six and held herself awkwardly.

“Huh, she’s a Beastkin.” Felix thumbed the bid button the moment her price of five-thousand popped up.

“Yes, and she’ll be very useful for us. She’s a multiplier. Creates clones of herself.

“I think you’ll get her for six or seven, but our last one will cost us.” Kit sighed and pressed a palm to her forehead. “Can you dial me out to ten percent?”

Felix nodded and flipped her draw up to ninety.

“That… is so special,” Kit murmured, melting into her chair.

Looking back to the screen, he realized Andrea was now at seven thousand. Felix thumbed the button, pitching it up to eight grand.

The bids stopped and nothing further came through. Then Andrea was his, and she shuffled off the stage.

The camera shifted its view to center a young woman who couldn’t have been taller than five feet.

She had dark brown curls that hung short around her face. She had a petite look to her and a small hourglass frame. Her face was on the cute side of the equation, but held a fiery look to those light brown eyes.

“Oh, there’s Felicia. Lucky us. She’s an inventor. After this, we can relax.

“I almost forgot, there’s supposed to be a new season of that dating show starting tonight. The one we were watching last week. I forget the name,” Kit said, snapping her fingers as if trying to remember.

“You said she’ll be pricey?” Felix asked as the woman lifted a hand and yelled at someone off stage.

“Think so. Probably about twenty. She’s worth it. The Fiancé? What was it again?”

Felix acted quickly when the screen flashed to Felicia’s starting price of five thousand. He jammed the button ten times.

And up her price jumped. From five to fifteen in a second, with Felix’s number in the corner.

Someone else pushed it to sixteen, to which Felix flicked the trigger twice. Pushing it straight to eighteen.

The bids ended as quickly as they came in. He was pretty sure he’d made his point to whoever else was bidding.

With a buzz, Felix now owned an inventor.

Then the channel switched as Kit held up the remote, changing the channel to normal cable.

“Wish we had snacks. Snacks would be kickass. Dial me to zero?” Kit asked.

No-Name popped in eventually with his three new slaves in tow.

“Sorry, Felix. Didn’t realize they’d put you in here.”

“I know, awesome, right? No need to be quiet or even worry about eavesdropping. Remind me to get you to invite me again next time,” Felix said, standing up.

“Yeah, really helped. Hey, are there any snacks around here?” Kit asked, leaning her head back on the headrest of the recliner

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Across the hall, actually. As long as you’re happy, then, Felix.”

No-Name stepped to the side and let the three newcomers file in.

“I’ll need the purchase amount in full. Once I’ve got that, these are yours. I’d recommend using your Pit immediately.”

Nodding his head, Felix picked up his briefcase and counted out twenty-seven stacks of one thousand dollars. They were still wrapped in the numbered bands from the bank.

No-Name pulled up a briefcase Felix hadn’t noticed and transferred the money into it.

“Great, pleasure doing business with you, Felix. I’ll hit you up again if I hear of another auction. Similar merchandise? Willing to settle for less? Or more?” No-Name asked.

“Sure, hit me up for any of that. Not a problem. Let me guess, you get a cut with me as your guest?” Felix said with a grin, holding his hand out to him.

“Damn skippy,” No-Name said, shaking Felix’s hand. “See ya, Felix.”

“Later, No-Name.”

“Leon.”

“No-Name.” Felix shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes as No-Name left.

Turning to the three newcomers, Felix fished out his owner’s box. “Index finger please, Felicia.”

Felix held it out in front of the diminutive woman. She said nothing, but glared at him as she stuck her finger into the box.

“You’re up next, Andrea.”

The Beastkin’s ears lay flat to her head as she glared at him from under her bangs. Then promptly put her finger into the box.

Moving to the beautiful magician, he smiled and held out the box to her. “You’re up, Lilian.”

Lilian’s eyebrows drew together and she stared at him for a long second. “And how do you know that name?” she asked finally, pushing her finger into the hole of the box.

“What, that your name is Lilian Lux? Does it matter?” Felix put the small box back into his coat and then adjusted it. “Time to go home. You three need to earn your keep tonight.

“First, though, we need to go buy some things.”

All three women eyed him.

Opening the rear van doors as he passed by, Felix picked up the weights and went inside house.

He’d already taken the time to revert Kit to how she was pre-auction. He wanted to put Miu and Ioana back together to a more normal state before the newbies saw them.

Both Miu and Ioana were in the living room, watching TV. He targeted Miu and put her back together, then Ioana.

If he didn’t get them put back to rights before the points reset at midnight, they’d be lost points.

Waste not, want not.

Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as Kit herded his new recruits into the house.

Setting the weights down onto the coffee table, he activated his current point balance.

Received

Spent

Remaining

Daily Allotment

150

0

150

Miu Miki

400

0

400

Ioana Iliescu

800

0

800

Kit Carrington

1,500

0

1,500

Lilian Lux

2,500

0

2,500

Andrea Elex

1,300

0

1,300

Felicia Fay

1,550

0

1,550

DAILY TOTAL

8,200

0

8,200

He’d bought a bunch of fishing weights that weighed out at about half a pound each. They looked more like cannonballs than fishing weights.

Then again, he’d never been fishing.

Seemed boring.

Focusing on the first half-pound fishing weight, he pulled up the upgrade screen and selected the material.

To convert a half-pound fishing weight to gold was five thousand points.

It’d leave him with over three thousand points left over.

Hitting the confirm button, Felix chuckled as the weight became pure gold.

“Damn,” Kit said from over his shoulder.

“Yeah. So that works. Can’t keep doing this, though. Someone will eventually wise up. Hence the pawn shop idea.”

“Pawn shop?” Kit asked.

“Miu and I were talking about it the other day. A pawn shop would be a great way to launder my powers into money, without raising the ire of our overlords.”

Felicia’s hand shot forward and she picked up the golden ball. She smacked it into one of the other lead weights. She immediately pulled it up to her eye, intent to inspect it.

The dent it had caused was easy for everyone to see.

“This is gold,” she said, her voice a surprisingly low tone.

“Yep. It sure is. It’s also how we pay back the bank, the loan shark, and get our pawn shop.” Felix leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head.