Super Sales on Super Heroes

Chapter 25 - Clearing the Field -

“I object to this. There’s no reason to put yourself in harm’s way,” Miu said sternly, trailing at Felix’s heel.

“Noted, but I really think I should be down there. So I’m going.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. What if you get hurt?” Miu’s voice had changed pitch entirely, her voice bordering on breaking.

“Really, it’ll be fine. Everyone is there. I’ll stay back, but there’s nothing I can see from the control room that’d help me.”

Miu’s breathing became irregular, rapidly speeding up over the course of ten seconds. Then suddenly it returned to normal, the sound of it being replaced by the sound of their shoes striking the floor.

Andrea skipped ahead and thumbed the elevator button. “It’s okay, Miu. Everyone up there wants him to live as much as we do.” Pressing her back to the frame of the elevator, Andrea pulled out her tablet and started to tap her screen.

“You alright, Miu?” Felix asked, turning his head to Miu.

“Yes. I’m fine. I don’t like you risking yourself. It’s troubling. You risk everyone.”

He couldn’t exactly disagree with her. She wasn’t wrong. But nor did he really want to sit back the entire time and do nothing.

Her reaction was also pretty strange.

“I get that. I promise I won’t take unnecessary risks.”

“I’ll kill anyone who gets close to you.”

“I don’t think you need to go to that extreme, but please do watch over me. I’m in your care.” Felix gave her a smirk.

The elevator chimed and all three entered. Nothing was said as they rode the elevator up.

With a chime, the elevator stopped and opened up into a landing behind the security hall’s opening lobby. This was meant as a fallback position and sheltered enclave to take wounded.

And wounded there were.

Laid out all around were his wounded. Those who suffered so that Felix could remain in power. Telemedics, medics, and doctors were working through everyone there. It was clear the truly worse off had been triaged to the medical facility, the rest being held here.

More of Felicia’s beds would be needed in the immediate future.

When resources were available.

Heads turned his way as he exited the elevator. Bloodstained and weary, they looked to him.

“I appreciate your service. All of you. You will receive the best care to put you back to rights in every way possible.

“I will personally make sure you all are healthy, mentally and physically. There isn’t anything I cannot fix given a day or two.”

Heads nodded slightly, fingers unclenched from sheets, eyes softened.

“Let our very talented medical staff take care of everything they can. And everything that’s beyond the purview of modern medicine will fall to me. Trust in your peers, trust in Legion.” Felix bowed his head to everyone, then moved on.

Turning the corner, it was like walking into a slaughterhouse. Bodies, body parts, and blood were liberally smeared over and on everything and everyone.

It looked as if a massacre had taken place.

Meeting the eyes of anyone who looked his way, Felix refused to turn away from them. This was all for him and everyone in Legion. He’d feel shame to not meet their gaze.

Lily and Ioana were organizing what he could only guess was a counteroffensive near a back wall.

Before he even made it halfway across the room, a bubble of protective magic snapped into place around him.

“Felix!” Lily shouted, jogging towards him. Her corporate attire was gone, and in its place was tactical gear the likes of which he saw many of his people wearing. It gave her a different look, especially with her hair pulled back into a tight bun behind her head.

“What in the seven hells are you doing here? Miu, I thought we agreed to keep him out of this?” Lily turned her glare on the woman who had escorted him here.

“He overruled me. I pleaded with him.”

“She did, and I did. I’m here. Deal with it. Might I also say you look rather fetching?” Felix tried for distracting her. It worked elsewhere, why not here?

“What? Don’t be stupid. Fine, you’re here. Come. You’re staying with me and Ioana for now.” Lily turned around and headed back towards Ioana.

She started talking into what he guessed was her mic to someone else.

Miu, Andrea, and Lily escorted him to Ioana, who gave him a death stare down the bridge of her nose.

“You are not to be here, Felix. Your strength lies elsewhere,” said War Maiden, speaking from her old persona to the inch of it.

“I know, Ioana. I know. But I couldn’t sit back and not show up at this point. Not after everyone already fought and bled for me. I can’t. I won’t.”

Ioana narrowed her eyes, then suddenly nodded her head. “Good. I dislike you being here, but your reasons are good. Stand beside me.”

Ioana turned her head and snapped her fingers, and pointed at someone in the crowd.

Felix wasn’t tall enough to see over the sea of heads and bodies.

Then Victoria appeared, garbed in her lightweight tactical vest and sword baldric.

She was very similar to Kit in build and body type. Athletic supermodel sprang to his mind as a good definition. Tall and lanky, she had a body that looked lithe and swift.

She was also rather pretty. Not as striking as Lily or “girl next door” as Andrea, but definitely pretty. Certainly above the average.

Her hair was pulled back from her face in a similar style as Lily’s, though a few dark brown curls had slipped free.

Probably when she got turned into a Christmas tree.

Large dark green eyes peered at him, her face turning a light pink in tone, her lightly tanned skin darkening.

Victoria stood in front of Ioana and went to attention.

“You’re on guard duty under Miu. Keep Felix here out of trouble.” Ioana jerked a thumb at Felix as she spoke. After having given the order, she turned back to the people she’d been working with when he’d arrived.

“Felix?” Victoria said softly, her eyes locking on to him.

“Heya. Sorry for ending up as my babysitter. I couldn’t sit behind and wait.”

“You’re on point, I’ll take the rear. Remain at his side,” Miu said from behind him.

“Of course, Miu.” Victoria bobbed her head, not taking her eyes off Felix.

Felix gave her a smile and then turned his attention to what was going on around him.

Teams of supers were working to haul the damaged armored cars out of the open area and to one side.

He imagined Felicia would get them to a garage somehow and rebuild them. She enjoyed those kinds of projects.

“Idiot. What are you doing up here? Don’t you know your place? I know mine, and it sure as hell ain’t here,” grumped the woman he’d just been thinking about.

Meeting Felicia’s stare Felix couldn’t help but smile. “Ho there, friend Dwarf. If this isn’t your place, what are you doing up here?”

“Doing your little princess a favor. She called me all worried about you getting your dainty ass hurt. Your mark two armor is this way.” Felicia did an about face and marched over to where a team of her people were unpacking.

Felix was surprised.

Mark two?

From those boxes and crates, a suit of armor emerged. One that looked nothing like the set he’d worn previously. This one looked more between the first suit, an exo-frame, and the Warden.

“Uh… pretty sure I’m not going to be going to Mars to slay aliens or anything. So what’s up with the Space Ma—”

“Shut up.” Felicia slapped a hand onto his wrist and jerked him closer. “Stand there, and be silent. We’ll get you outfitted. We’ve already put the pod in your room. That’ll strip you of the armor and put it back on when you’re ready.

“The mark two isn’t completely done, but all that’s left is getting the heads-up display debugged. It has a couple graphical glitches, but that’s it.”

Felix grunted and did as instructed. There was no point arguing with them. He’d either end up ordering them to stop, and pissing them off on a whole new level, or letting them do as they wished.

The latter option was easier.

He did as they asked, letting them guide him along the process. They had him step into the heavy boots and greaves first. Judging by those alone, it looked like this suit would completely cover him from head to toe.

Around him, Ioana and her team were getting ready, arming themselves and making plans with Lily’s team.

The two groups were starting to work very well together. Training had definitely set the foundation for them, but nothing worked better than live firsthand experience.

“Chin up.” A male tech prodded Felix in the jaw. Lifting his chin, the tech pulled a helmet down over Felix’s head.

The helmet was depowered and dark, giving with him a view of absolute blackness.

Then the screen in front of his eyes popped on and flickered before stabilizing.

Amazingly enough, it was as if he were looking through holes in the helmet.

“Damn, that’s impressive.”

“Volume’s a little low. You’ll need to key that up. The helmet is tied into the electric impulses your brain puts out. So think about moving the volume up.

“As to the suit, my team thanks you. I’ll relay to them your appreciation of their efforts. I’ll be sure to remind you about this when budget time rolls around,” said Felicia.

Felix chuckled at that and mentally thought about turning up the volume as she’d suggested.

“Mr. White is a smart man, but he’s more built for outfitting a mass of people. My team and I are better at one-offs. Or stuff like your damned Wardens.

“We downloaded the footage from them, by the way, and will be going over it later for improvements.

“Anyways. Don’t get killed. We’re done here. Tell your princess to stop worrying.” Felicia waved a hand at him over her head and left.

As she went, she stopped next to Ioana.

The big warrior looked down at the Dwarf, then gave her a truly kind smile. Ioana and Felicia shared a quick kiss, then separated, both going their separate ways.

“Ha, good for them. They make a great couple,” Felix said. He’d been trying to keep his voice down, but apparently he’d pushed the volume up way too high.

Every head in the room turned to him, including Ioana and Felicia, at what to them had been a shout.

Ioana gave him a frozen wide-eyed gaze, while Felicia grinned at him.

“What?” Felix said, the helmet turning it into a shout.

Something slammed into his helmet, the servos in the neck whining under the impact.

“Lower the volume stupid,” Miu told him.

Felix mentally tried adjusting the volume again.

“How about now?” he said.

“Better. It’ll do.”

Felix shook his head in annoyance and looked around. It was strange. He knew he wasn’t looking at things, but at a display. Yet everything looked normal. As if he were simply looking through eyeholes.

Reaching up, he waved his fingers in front of the faceplate. Whipping them back and forth quickly, he saw no delay from action to visual relay.

“Huh. She outdid herself. A lot. Remind me to see what she wants as a reward.”

“You give rewards?”

Felix turned his head to find it was Victoria asking him the question.

“Why wouldn’t I? Best way to encourage people is with rewards. Only a fool thinks that the stick is the only way to motivate people. Luckily, I’m the owner of our experiment, so I don’t have to run anything through anyone.”

Turning back to the security hall, he saw the Wardens moving out.

They were lined up two by two, moving at a pace equivalent to an easy jog for a human.

“They’re impressive,” Victoria said softly.

“Yeah, they are. I told Felicia I want one for my own use, but with replaceable power units. She’s working on it.

“I imagine this suit was a prototype that came before the Warden. She probably just built it halfway and then left it.”

“You want a Warden?” asked the swordswoman.

“Of course. I mean, shit, what kid didn’t grow up saying they wanted a mech? Didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

“I mean, what if we made a super lightweight one that was built around using an elongated sword?”

Victoria fell silent at that.

Felix started walking forward, taking up position behind the last team entering the security hall.

“Felix, n-no. Stop. You can’t. You said you’d stay back,” Miu said, her hands clamping around one of his arms. Her voice wasn’t as firm as it normally was.

“And I will stay back, just not back here. Come on, Miu. Between you, Victoria, and this suit, I’ll be fine.” Felix kept walking, the servos and powered limbs not even slowing down despite Miu’s immense strength.

“Damn it, Felix!” Miu cursed. Moving in front of him, the diminutive and deceptively deadly woman kept herself alert. “Fine, you’ll remain in the entryway and not a step beyond.

“Or I will finally join Lily in turning Andrea on you.”

Andrea made a chirping sound behind him. “Turning me on him how?”

That drew Felix up short. “I understand. I will obey,” he said automatically.

The Wardens split off into the lobby up ahead. The individual teams that Lily and Ioana had put together broke off to assist in clearing the room.

After a minute, Ioana held up her hand in the center of the room. “Clear. Move to the exterior and sweep.”

Intricate glowing runes filled the doorway leading to the outside. Flowing script swooped and circled endlessly as Lily called it forth into being.

As his people marched through the door, and the runes, blue glowing shields wrapped around them. The Wardens were too big to exit through the lobby door, so instead they took up defensive positions in the lobby.

Team after team filtered out the door till only Ioana and Lily remained of the assault group.

After a minute, Felix started to worry.

Then Ioana turned her head to one side, her hand pressing to her ear. Nodding her head, she looked to Lily, who held up her hands in an “I don’t know” gesture.

Ioana swiveled her head to Felix. “Nothing out there. There’s signs that the entire street was full of combatants, and the pawn shop across the street is a ruin, but that’s about it.”

Felix let out a breath and relaxed. “Good. This is over, then. Let’s see about purchasing all the buildings on this street and get it all locked down.

“Lily, please let me know how much money we’ll need and I’ll get that together. I’d like to do this quietly and without people realizing we own everything, if possible. Money isn’t an issue there either, so… yeah, just let me know how much we need.”

Felix nodded to Ioana.

“You’re on duty to make sure this area is a fortress. I don’t want this happening again. Our defenses held, but I don’t like it. Work with Felicia and her team to get it set up. Multiple fallback points, security bulkheads, traps, turrets, mines, whatever.

“And if we need something that we can’t provide, I’ll use points to get it done.”

Shaking his head, Felix turned back to the security hall and went back into his complex.

He needed to get out of his armor and get to the medical wing. There were injured and wounded people who would need to see him.

First, those Death Others and our guests.

“Andrea, I want to meet your Death Others. Let’s get me out of this suit and head there.

“Miu, go take care of your teams. I’ll be fine from here on out.”

“I understand. Victoria, you’re now on detached duty to Felix for the day. Felix will not give you orders to the contrary, or my earlier threat will be carried out.”

Fine, she can come. So grumpy.

“Understood,” Victoria said loudly.

It took him thirty minutes to figure out how to get out of his new powered armor.

He didn’t deny it was exactly what he needed to stay safe, but he still didn’t like being closed up in it.

It was pretty fricking cool, though, by his own estimation. The armor made him actually feel like a superhero instead of a manager.

The elevator doors pinged open into the sausage room.

Hard-faced Andreas looked up from around the room.

They all wore different clothing in different styles and tastes. Every single one of them bore Andrea’s face, but not all of them were Andrea. They weren’t even an Other.

They were all battle scarred. A number of them looked like they’d been burned, shot, broken, or worse.

Before Felix could do or say anything, Andrea stepped out in front of him and immediately crossed the space between the two groups.

“Hello! Thank you all for coming. Thank you for helping out. It wasn’t my goal originally, but things happened.” Andrea wrung her hands in front of herself, her tail hanging low between her legs.

“I… I want to start by saying sorry. You all volunteered for your burden, and I allowed you to take it. That doesn’t make it right, or any better.”

The Death Others had taken a few steps back from Andrea when she’d entered. He finally came up with a reasonable assumption that made sense as to why.

They weren’t afraid of her, they were afraid for her. Absorbing them would bring back everything they had taken on themselves to begin with. Their sacrifice would be nullified.

“I…” Andrea trailed off, her head dipping down.

Felix cleared his throat and stepped up beside Andrea. Setting his hand on her shoulder, he gave it a light squeeze.

“I’m Felix, Felix Campbell. Andrea is my slave. She has been my trusted lieutenant as both Myriad and herself. She’s also my friend.

“I have the power to modify the abilities of any person I own at a cost. Andrea asked me for only one thing. To be able to selectively choose what memories come back to her when she absorbs an Other.

“I granted that wish.”

Felix gave the Death Others his best smile, trying to meet the eyes of each one.

“To that end, one of the first thing Andrea did after getting that power was to call all of you. I believe she wants to ask if you’d be willing to return to her and rejoin the Andrea collective. She’d probably weed out any and all memories neither of you want, and you’d simply return to being an Other.

“Please keep in mind that Andrea is still a slave. And if you were to rejoin her, you would become a slave as well.”

Felix released Andrea and stepped back into the elevator.

Putting his foot in front of the doors so it wouldn’t close, he continued.

“I’ll have a conference room set up in ten minutes for you to discuss this situation at length. I’ll also have food and drink sent up.

“As well as Andrea’s mini traveling kitchen, if you suddenly decide you want pancakes.”

A number of Death Others smiled at that. At least a little.

Pulling his foot out of the door, the elevator dinged and closed.

Felix sighed and hit the button for his office. He’d need to go book a room and move some things around for them to get what he had promised.

“You can modify powers? I mean, we’ve heard about it, but… hearing it from you directly…” Victoria said slowly, as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to say anything at all.

“You’re alive, aren’t you? You got turned into a goddamn lightbulb. You should be dead.”

“I… I was dying, wasn’t I? I was. My heart… it hurt so bad.”

Felix moved his head a fraction to catch Victoria out of the side of his eyes. She looked pale.

“Yeah, you were dying. Fixed you all up, though. Good as new, no damage at all.”

Victoria shook her head, and then smiled. “You saved me.”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”