Super Sales on Super Heroes: Book 2 - читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги автора William D. Arand (ч. 24)

Chapter 20 - Faust -

“Come on, Mikey. Let’s see if you can get a strike,” Felix said loudly.

He stared down the lane in front of him, at the man with the baseball held tightly in his hands. The distance was twenty feet, give or take a few inches.

Felix’s job was to rile up the crowd, and get them to spend game tokens for the honor of trying to dunk him into a pool of ice cold water with ice-cubes floating around in it. The ice-cubes were a present from Felicia.

Seeing how annoyed it had made him had only enamored her with the idea of punishing him. She’d gone ahead and dragged out an ice maker and set it up nearby for an eternal supply of ice.

“Maybe when you’re done getting yourself into the zone you could let someone else try!” Felix cat-called.

All around people laughed. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves with the picnic, and watching their CEO and founder being dropped into an ice bath seemed hilarious to them. Even though it had already happened twelve times, everyone acted as if it were the first time, each time.

Michael, who was a janitor by trade, was all seriousness. Winding back, he hurled the ball downrange towards the target. A circle no bigger than a catcher’s mitt.

Felix didn’t see it hit, but he heard the clang. The seat he was perched on dropped out from under him, and Felix was dumped into the vat of near freezing water.

He could hear the cheer of everyone around even under the shockingly cold water.

Rising as quickly as he could, Felix came sputtering to the surface, gasping for breath.

“Cold!” Felix squeaked and scrambled out of the tank. Flopping to the ground he shook himself out, trying to soak up the sunshine instead.

“Good throw, Mike!” Felix called out from the grass.

If they managed to hit the target and send him to his watery fate, they were awarded twenty raffle tickets to spend as they saw fit on the prizes.

Getting to his feet, Felix shook himself out.

“You’ve got a thirty minute break,” Andrea said, sliding up next to him. “Here’s a towel. Go get something to eat and maybe wander around. Say hi to some people. Have fun!”

Felix could only shake his head with a smile. Taking the towel, he draped it over his shoulders. He was glad he wore a simple t-shirt and shorts for this. Otherwise it’d be unbearable to be this cold, and this wet.

Sunshine or not.

“Thanks. I’ll go for a walk then. I heard Ioana is queen of the pugil sticks right now and taking all challengers. That might be fun to watch for a spell,” Felix said.

“Nn! That’d be fun! I think there’s a corndog stand near there, too. I’ll come check on you when it’s time to get you back up there. Right now it’s Kit. People seem just as eager to put her into the tank as they were you,” Andrea said.

Felix had a momentary flash of a thought to stick around and watch, but then realized she’d probably dig through his memories later at some point. He didn’t want her reliving him enjoying her in a bathing suit.

“Good luck with that,” Felix said, pulling the towel up over his head. Felix gave Andrea a smile and started walking towards the pugil arena.

“Hi Mr. Campbell,” said a female voice on his left.

Looking to his side from inside the towel, he found a female Beastkin keeping pace with him. She had long rabbit ears sticking up from a mass of dark black hair. Light brown eyes and a pretty face looked up at him. She had soft features that invited someone to confide in her.

“Hello there, Miss?” Felix prompted.

“Call me Erica! I’m with channel thirteen,” said the woman excitedly. She pulled a recorder out from an inside pocket and checked that it was running.

Of course she’s a reporter. All the smart networks send me young Beastkin types to see if I might give them more info.

Surprising it’s only one of them, though. I thought I’d get swarmed.

“Erica, then. What can I do for you?” Felix asked, looking forward towards his destination.

“I’d love to ask you some questions. If you don’t mind?” asked the young woman.

“Sure, if you answer me one first. How’d you manage to catch me alone?”

“I planned which way you’d probably exit from the tank, put myself on the far side, and bet on the fact that someone would run blocker for you,” said Erica. “Sure enough, Myriad had a number of security personnel screen your departure. Everyone else was too close.”

“Smart. Ok, ask away.”

Felix wormed his way past the crowd and into a corner area. The arena was rather crowded and it didn’t look like there was much room to see from.

He made his way to one side where an area looked rather clear, only to find a security guard and a closed gate. The security guard noticed him and opened the gate immediately, smiling.

“Sir, I guarantee no one will bother you here,” said the female security guard, her eyes flicking to Erica.

“Eh, let her come with me. We invited the media after all, and she earned a few questions,” Felix said. “Thanks a bunch, by the way. Appreciate it.”

The guard nodded as Felix and Erica slipped through the gate, then shut it behind him.

They were in an alcove set aside for some purpose Felix couldn’t discern.

“Why did you invite the media, by the way?” Erica asked.

“Everyone always asks what Legion is like. This…” Felix said, gesturing to the arena, and everyone around it. “This entire thing is Legion. We’re more a family at this point than an organization.”

Ioana stood atop a column in the middle of the arena. In her hands was a pugil stick. She remained there, waiting for someone to challenge her.

“It definitely feels that way! Everyone is so kind and charitable to each other. Is this more of a publicity stunt then?”

“Not at all. This is a company picnic, that the media was invited to. That’s really about it.”

A smaller man took a pugil stick from one side and stepped up onto the column.

Ioana had a feral grin plastered to her face as she swung her weapon lazily in an arc.

“What do you think about the accusations that your opponents have made about you?”

“Which ones? Some are true, some aren’t. The fact that I’m in a relationship with a Beastkin is quite true.”

“How about the one that you’re secretly in league with Skipper? And spying for them? That Legion is actually a front?”

“Lies, all of it. I don’t work with Skipper in any capacity. Legion supports Legion and the people who are its customers. That’s it,” Felix said sternly. “I dare anyone to show me proof at any level. Any shred of evidence at all.”

“Ah—” Erica said, her voice cutting off in a squeak at his tone.

“Sorry. I’m not mad at you for asking, I’m mad at them for making the accusation. It’s so patently stupid, it’s infuriating. Skipper doesn’t need my help or anyone else’s. She took Skippercity all on her on. Now she has even more power than she did,” Felix said, his tone softening.

“That’s ok. I understand completely. I take it from your tone you don’t care for Skipper?”

Felix didn’t respond at first. He watched Ioana toy with her opponent for a minute. Even going so far as to offer advice to him, before promptly knocking him off the column with a jab of her stick.

“I neither like or dislike Skipper. Skipper is a government entity that I work within the scope of in her city. That’s the extent of our relationship,” Felix said.

“Anything to add about the fact that Skipper has been massing their forces? It almost looks as if they’re planning to make a move to the east. Do you think they’re looking to expand?”

That was a bit of a surprise. He hadn’t heard anything about that.

Need to link up with Dimitry and get some of his people in position to watch this.

“I have no comment. I’m more focused on my work and my governor bid.”

“Speaking of work. Any chance I could get you to talk to me about this business security venture we’ve heard about? There’s been a few things here and there, but nothing really about what it is. What it does,” Erica asked, pushing for her story.

Reaching over without looking, Felix hit the stop button on her recorder.

“What do I get, Erica?” Felix said, not taking his eyes off of Ioana.

“I-I-I beg your pardon?” Erica asked.

“Say I give you your story. What do I get? What I did with Jessica wasn’t on accident.”

“I don’t—I’m not, I’m not willing to sleep with you for a story. That is, it’s not that I’m not attract—”

“Stop. Not what I meant. What I want is your support. Will I get a positive story out of it? Spin it in my favor? You do that, and we can talk about the story, and future stories,” Felix said. “I need long-term relationships in the media. Pretty young girls don’t normally get story breaks, or opportunities to get them. I know what my direction is, and I know I’ll be in the news. I need a few more reporters in my corner.”

Turning his head, Felix finally met her eyes and gazed into them.

Erica stared up at him with wide eyes. Her ears were rigid, her face pale.

“If you don’t want this offer, just say the word, and it never happened. You want your story? I want you,” Felix said.

Blinking rapidly, the Beastkin slowly nodded her head.

“I’m yours. Your reporter,” Erica said. There was a touch of shock in her voice that Felix detected.

Well, she is incredibly young, isn’t she? Need to get her the same contract I had Jessica sign.

“Good. We’ll draw up a Legion contract later. You and Jessica will be welcome to discuss it amongst yourselves of course, and any others I include. Though I’ll be looking to only pick up one or two more,” Felix said.

He thumbed the recorder back into the on position. “Why not? The business security idea is something we’re putting together for companies. After watching what happened with that prison break, I realized that I could offer a service. Security. Wholesale security tailored to the needs of each business and reasonable pricing. If they’re afraid of a super attack, they could easily hire super security from Legion. Expecting normal everyday bank robbers? PMC trained security officers ready to take the job. This would be at every level of businesses.”

Erica took in a quick breath and then gave him a smile. “Got it. Any chance of that expanding to a residential side? I imagine there might be some interested parties after what happened in the city.”

Felix shrugged his shoulders, looking back to the arena for a second. Ioana had just cleared another opponent from the column. Turning his eyes back to the rabbit, he smiled at her.

“Maybe. Residential is harder since the scope would be much more limited. At that point, I’d rather buy an existing security company, run it into Legion, and have it as a branch company. Starting up completely new departments is the pits.”

“I could definitely see how that’d work out. It’s certainly an interesting project,” Erica said. Then her face locked up. She turned off her own recorder and stared at him with a sense of panic that was obvious.

“Why me? I know they only hired me a few weeks ago because I’m a pretty Beastkin. They hired me and sent me over here to you because of it. I’m barely out of college! They were hoping you’d make a move or give me a story. All because you clearly show a preference to female Beastkin. Is it just because I’m a Beastkin? Is it because I’m pretty? I don’t understand. I don’t want… I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but…” Erica paused, her mouth hanging open.

Felix snorted at that.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re definitely… yeah, definitely beautiful, but I’m already in a relationship. As to why, partially your determination, partially your intelligence. Now turn your recorder back on and stop worrying about it. I’ll also be paying whatever your salary is today, and then tripling it, by the way. So I’m effectively your employer,” Felix said, tapping the recorder. “So how about we keep this moving?”

“I, yes. Yes of course. I’m sorry. This is just all so unexpected,” Erica said. She turned the recorder back on. Staring at it, she was visibly collecting herself.

Felix exploded backwards flipping through the air. A blue glow came up around him as he crashed into a back wall.

He could faintly hear Erica shrieking, and the sound of sustained gunfire.

With a shake of his head, Felix got to his feet and stumbled to one side. Trying to get out of the line of fire. Or so he assumed. There was only one direction a clear shot could have been taken on him.

He didn’t know if it was a rifle, magic, or a power, but regardless of the source, he didn’t want to stick around.

The charm resting on his collarbone popped loudly and shattered.

Damn, that was strong, whatever it was.

Taking a leap and a guess, Felix rolled in a tumble behind a crate. Laying flat to the ground, he squirmed around until he limited what could be seen of him. Then he did the only thing he could in a set of bathing shorts and a towel.

Wait.

Felix had been well trained, but he wasn’t an idiot.

“Erica, get out of sight and behind cover!” Felix yelled

He could hear the sound of gunfire, shouts, and the pounding of feet as every member of Legion acted.

Deafening booms and the crackle of power punctuated the annoyance and fear in Felix’s mind.

The explosions and sound of gunfire fell off sharply.

It only took a few seconds after that before Felix could hear verbal commands being issued. Then the PA system that’d been setup came to life with a crackle.

“Security check, gather the sheep and begin shearing,” Kit said over the loudspeakers. The sheep would be the reporters, and the shearing would be their memories of the attack.

No one would be the wiser as to Legion suffering an ambush. That’d been the plan when they invited the media in case something happened.

“Code Black, Eagle is missing. Repeat, Eagle is missing,” said Kit over the PA.

“Damnit. I need to get up and flag down a security officer so they don’t start ripping everything apart,” Felix said to himself.

Getting up to his feet, Felix went back over to the gate he’d come in from. When he’d taken only a few steps in that direction, the female security officer broke into the alcove and immediately locked eyes with him.

“My charm broke, but I’m fine. The attack was directly on me,” Felix said quickly, trying to reassure the officer.

Apparently it worked, because she stopped dead in her tracks. Her left hand shot up to the microphone on her shoulder and she began speaking into it.

Looking around, Felix needed to find Erica. He’d have to take her over to the Fixers to have—

She was laid out on the ground, blood pooling around her rapidly.

“Code Black canceled, Eagle has been sighted. Need a TM and a SB to section forty-two, south gate. Fro—”

Felix tuned Kit’s voice out and ran over to Erica’s prone form.

She was breathing hard, her hands pressed to her stomach. Her large eyes darted to him.

They were large, dilated. Full of fear.

“I’ve been shot,” she said, as he came to her side. “I’m shot.”

“Yes. You have. You’re also in shock,” Felix said. Looking over his shoulder he saw the security guard. “Hey! Tell the Telemedic to bring a number three contract with them. And to hurry, that’s an order.”

The guard immediately began talking into her mic, moving to exit the alcove quickly.

Grumbling, Felix knelt over Erica and pressed his hands to hers.

“Hey there. A little bit more truth for you than most people get before they sign a contract with me. I have a super power. I can modify or change anything I own,” Felix said, trying to hold her eyes with his own.

The sheer amount of blood seeping into the ground beneath her was unnerving. He couldn’t imagine she had much blood left in her at this point.

“You’re a powered,” she said. “That explains so much.”

“Yeah. So, with that said, I have a modified contract system that gives me temporary ownership of you, as my employee. Which lets me modify or edit you as a person,” Felix said slowly. He was trying to keep her with him. An explanation of why she needed to sign her contract immediately seemed like a great place to start.

“I? I need to sign?” Erica asked, her voice getting softer. “What do I sign?”

“A contract. I need you to sign a contract,” Felix repeated. She wasn’t anything to him, but he didn’t want to see her die. She’d only been trying to get a story on him.

A victim by being in his vicinity, only.

“Oh. I already signed a contract. I got a job! I didn’t think I’d… I’d get one so quickly. Beastkin have to try harder,” Erica said.

“Yes, but you have to sign another. As soon as it gets here.” Felix looked around as soon as he finished talking.

If they don’t get here soon it won’t matter a damn bit. I thought we pla—

A young male Telemedic popped into being a few feet away from Felix. In a heartbeat, the man had crouched down beside Erica and handed the contract to Felix.

“Erica, I need you to sign this, ok?” Felix said, pulling the contract open.

It was the right one.

Thank goodness for small miracles.

“I don’t have my pen,” Erica muttered. “It’s with my… my notes. In the car. It’s cold here. Can I have a blanket?”

Felix looked to the Telemedic, who stared back at Felix.

There’s no pen.

“That’s ok,” Felix said, taking Erica’s right hand away from her stomach. “Pretend your finger is a pen, and sign right here, ok? Sign your agreement. I can’t do it for you.”

Erica’s hand lifted up and pressed into the page. She grabbed it with her thumb and forefinger and lifted her left hand instead.

“Left han…ded,” Erica whispered, then her hands dropped down to the ground at her sides.

Her eyes fluttered, and she let out a slow rattling breath.

And died.

Felix blinked, staring at the bloody contract in his hand.

Her bloody fingers had left a smeared trail along the signature line.

Blood counts, right? People used to sign with blood. That’s right.

People signed in blood back in the day. Before the populace could sign, right

“That’s fine, Erica. Signing in blood is fine. That’s fine,” Felix said to the corpse. “This’ll work. I’m sure.”

Felix looked at the contract and then tried to call up her character window.

“Get back to HQ and get the appropriate resources for however many people we need to raise, plus one,” Felix said to the Telemedic.

He didn’t want to see him right now. The lack of a pen was an oversight on both their parts. Felix didn’t ask for one, and the Telemedic didn’t think to bring one.

Resurrect Erica. Bring her back to life because she signed her contract. She’s an employee. Bring her back.

The Telemedic got up and immediately vanished, flitting away through the space between places that they zipped through.

No screen popped up.

Felix wasn’t looking for a hypothetical, he was looking for an actual screen. Which meant it’d only come up if it was a binding contract.

“Come on, Erica. You signed in blood. You even used a fingerprint. That’s a valid signature, right?” Felix said, trying to pull up the screen again.

Nothing.

“Oh, come on!” Felix shouted at Erica’s cooling body. “Look, I know… I know my power isn’t normal and it changes by my wishes at times. The only way that’s possible is if someone is watching up there.”

Felix waited for a few seconds and tried to pull up the window again.

Nothing.

“Come on… she was willing to sign. She wanted to sign. She put her bloody thumb on it. That’s a signature,” Felix muttered, sinking down into a sitting position.

“Consider it a favor owed,” Felix said.

Erica wasn’t anyone to him other than a resource. But she died because of him, and had done him no wrong.

For the first time in a long time, Felix felt some guilt.

Regret.

“I’d owe you two favors?” Felix asked, a bitter smile crossing his face as he realized no one was listening.

Name:

Erica Newberg

Power: --

Alias:

Secondary Power: --

Physical Status:

Decaying