Super Sales on Super Heroes: Book 2

Chapter 21 - Separation -

Felix stared at the machine dully. He’d had a hard time functioning since the picnic ended. Somehow he’d managed to keep it all together during the event, but only just barely.

Legion’s morale was riding high. Especially when Felix had resurrected everyone who died at no cost.

With every attack on them, every assault, every insult, Legion proved to be the stronger.

They came out on top.

Stomped their foe to the ground and tore its head off.

Confidence could be a dangerous thing, but as long as there was a reset button that could be hit, his people would always learn from mistakes.

Especially fatal ones.

But that’s the problem.

Felix shook his head, his thoughts going back to the debt he now owed whoever controlled his powers. Or influenced his powers.

Or made me.

Shuddering from head to toe, he could actually feel the anxiety and panic washing over him.

There was nothing comforting in knowing there existed a higher power for Felix.

Lily had once told him that she didn’t sign the form because she’d feared what would happen to her in an afterlife. At the time Felix had dismissed it.

There’d been no reason for him to believe. Sure, Lily was eating souls, or what people believed were souls, but there had been no proof of that.

Now Felix believed it.

Believed in souls.

That something was watching him. That modified his powers so that he could bring a young Beastkin back to life.

To put her soul back into the husk of her body, and allow Felix to put her body back to rights.

That wasn’t something casual.

Someone else held a power that controlled how his own interacted with the world.

“Felix!” Felicia shouted in his ear, causing him to start.

“What?!” he shouted back, staring down at her. His annoyance was plain and his ear was ringing.

“You’re not listening to me! You arse-faced idiot. I’ve been talking to you for at least a minute. Did you hear anything?” Felicia asked in a raised voice.

Freezing up, Felix couldn’t answer that. He actually hadn’t heard a word she’d said. The existential panic he’d been floundering around in had consumed him.

“No,” Felix said, his shoulders dropping. “I didn’t.”

Felicia’s eyebrows came down and she put her fists on her hips. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Her face went through a series of emotions he couldn’t identify, but it settled on something surprising to him.

Concern.

“I’m no good at figuring out people,” she said finally. “Give me a toolbox and a machine and I’m good. But… I’ll help how I can. Ioana would say the same. Just tell us what we can do.”

Felix felt his lips flicker to a smile and he huffed.

“Thanks. It’s not something anyone can fix, though. I just had someone upend my plans is all. I have to do some revisions, just kinda stuck in a negative loop. I’ll be fine,” Felix said. “Now, I’m sorry for not listening. How about you tell me again what you were saying.”

Felicia considered that, glaring at him for a moment more. “Fine. It’s what you asked for. A security function and an override.”

Nodding his head, Felix looked to the portal machine once more. It looked like a tunnel entrance that led nowhere. Directly behind it was a wall.

“The security function is that it’ll only process people with Legion rings. Anything within a foot around them will go with them. Including air by the way, that was fun to find out. Makes a boom with each person. It’s why we had to move it down here to its own level. Shook the goddamn teeth out of your head. We’ve minimized it as best as we can.”

“Great. That’s definitely a good way to handle a security lockout. What happens if someone goes through without a ring?”

“They get dropped into a holding cell deep under SC:HQ. I figured it might be a good idea to simply not tell anyone about the security function. Everyone in Legion has a personalized ring after all. It only works for them. There’s no reason for them to ever take it off. This becomes a passive feature, and we never have to worry about it,” Felicia explained, patting the control panel.

Felix couldn’t deny he saw the appeal in that. It’d be an unspoken security feature that anyone of Legion would always pass without ever knowing.

“And the override?” he asked.

“Three different lockouts. First is a retinal scan. Go ahead and cozy up to this here,” Felicia said, pointing to what Felix couldn’t see as anything other than a submarine periscope viewer.

“Uh huh…” Felix muttered. Stepping forward he pressed his face to it and was instantly blinded by a red flash. “Holy fucking shit.”

Felix jerked away, rubbing at his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. It’s a bit bright. You’ll be fine. Next is—”

“Voice confirmed. ‘Holy fucking shit’ registered as the passcode for Felix Campbell,” said a robotic voice.

“Next is voice registration. Good. The last is a simple typed mechanical password. Use the boxed in keyboard there.”

Felix opened his eyes and could barely see beyond the white spots in his vision. What she’d been talking about was a keyboard with raised walls so one couldn’t see what was being typed from other angles.

“And what do I type?” Felix asked, putting his hands into the keyboard.

“Whatever your network password is,” Felicia said from the other side of the panel.

Grumbling, Felix typed in the code.

Immediately the portal machine activated and a giant blue wall sprang to life in front of him. A second after that, it flashed brightly, and all Felix could see was an endless sea of green grass.

“This is the world we ended up going with. It matches everything you listed. I have it set and locked it for now as the destination. I have other things that are more important than babysitting you,” Felicia said, stomping off towards the door to the elevator.

Staring through the portal, Felix wasn’t sure of himself anymore.

This was something he’d arranged the day before the picnic started. In fact, Felix had forgotten about it, right up until Felicia booked the slot on his calendar for a six hour meeting.

Exactly as he’d requested.

“Well, shall we go?” Lily asked from behind him, causing him to look over his shoulder.

He hadn’t heard her enter. With her was Victoria, a squad of Legion security, three squads of Legion employees in work clothes, a Fixer, a Telemedic, an Other and Andrea. They were all dressed for combat, wearing the equipment and gear they’d put together specifically for combat engagements.

Felix himself was in combat armor, and wearing all the various charms and things his people had prepped for him. They’d decided it wouldn’t be good to make the trip in his usual armor.

From Andrea’s scouting reports, the world was inhabited by tribal humans who were barely starting to enter large farming communities.

Though their system of government seemed barely to scratch the surface of feudalism.

It was likely that his usual armor would cause more of a problem than relying on other defenses.

“Yeah… let’s head in. Everyone, follow your orders. Lily, hang back with me, I want to ask you a few questions,” Felix said. Making a sharp turn, Felix walked into the portal, and onto another world.

It was more or less another Earth, as far as they could tell.

Everyone went through the portal and spread out, going about their tasks.

“Something’s been on your mind for a bit,” Lily said casually, standing beside him.

You don’t fool me. You’ve all known something’s up. Kit has been the most persistent, asking twice to get the ability to read my thoughts turned on.

“Don’t make that face. I’m trying to be nice. Kit said I’m still coming across too strong at times,” she said. Apparently he hadn’t been as neutral as he’d thought reacting to her statement. “I’m still getting used to this whole, everyone isn’t trying to scam me, kill me, or rape me thing. Corporate life is certainly more fun than being a villain.”

“You and her have certainly been getting along,” Felix said. “I almost wonder if that friction I imagined ever so long ago even existed.”

Lily blew out a breath. “Don’t change the subject.”

“I think you were right,” Felix said, watching his people working. They were putting out stake markers, measuring off distances, and general prepping what would be their base camp. “There is a higher power. Or at least, one that has control over my own powerset.”

“I… don’t understand. What do you mean?” She sounded concerned to Felix. He could only imagine her dilemma, as having taken the souls of a number of people certainly wouldn’t endear you to the heavens.

“Erica didn’t sign her contract. She tried to, but died before she could.”

“But if that were true, you wouldn’t have been able to bring her back. And I know you did. We watched her report yesterday evening. She’s on Legion payroll.”

“And that’s all true, and correct. Except the part where she signed her contract. She managed to press a bloody thumb to it. That was it. She died. And I wasn’t able to bring her back.”

One of the Legion employees leaned to one side and spoke into a microphone.

They must be getting the materials ready.

“Then I started talking aloud. Arguing that she signed the contract. With her blood and thumbprint,” Felix said.

Behind him he could hear carts being rolled out of the freight elevator as everyone began getting ready for the second phase.

Watching them go by, Felix took in a slow breath. “I said something about knowing someone was there. That my power was too… directed, for there not to be. I offered up a favor, if they’d agree that Erica had meant to sign.”

A breeze came through the plain and ruffled Felix’s hair.

It was strange to have the interior of a building behind him, and an open field in front of him.

“Then I offered two favors. I don’t know why I did, but I did. Then a window popped up after that. It had a point cost, and said that I owed two favors, and Erica would come back to life,” Felix said. “The point cost was rather low. Far too low. Which means that the favors had some type of value attached to them. That’d mean that it was a choice. Planned, calculated, and thought out.”

Large wheeled carts skirted around him and Lily, moving to the designated area markers. Stacks of bricks, paving stones, steel, bags of cement, and all sorts of construction materials were being hauled over.

“That… that definitely sounds like you’ve come into contact with a higher being. A god? I don’t know how to take that, really,” Lily said after the last cart trundled by.

“Yeah, pretty much where I’m at myself. It throws a number of things out of perspective for me. I was never one for religion… not really. It all sounded so strange growing up. Now I find that not only was it not so strange, but real. Where does that leave me? And why did it, they, him, her, whatever, decide to answer me. That seems really… the whole thing feels weird.”

“Ok… so… what did you want to ask me? I’m guessing you wanted to talk about souls, given the conversation.”

“I did. But I’m not sure it matters anymore. I kinda answered it myself. There’s not much I can do. Until such a time as they decide to collect a favor, at least.”

“That’s true,” Lily said. “How about a subject change. I’ve read the reports that Andrea sent back. I read through the basic outline you put together for department heads. But you always hold back and keep your thoughts out of those. As if you’re worried they might go further than you want.”

Felix snorted at that and started walking off to one side of the area his people were working in. He wanted to keep moving.

Standing still didn’t feel right anymore.

Victoria noticed him moving immediately. She made a gesture he didn’t recognize to Andrea, and began to move parallel to him.

She kept her distance as he’d requested though.

“Honestly, my plan was to turn this world into a recruitment drive. As far as we can tell from what the scouts sent back, it’s a world inhabited by humans and beasts. There aren’t any other humanoid races. At all. Not one. Just humans,” Felix said. He gestured to the west. “The closest settlement is several rather large tribes over that way. Large enough that you could probably consider them the local powers. With any luck, we’ll be able to start working with them.”

“You want to… work with the locals?” Lily’s skepticism was palpable.

“Yes. I do. And not in the conquering explorer kind of way either. I want to offer them things in exchange for service, materials, and other things. I don’t plan on giving them any technology, or letting them into our encampment without being in Legion. But I’m not against giving them food. Leather, hide. Basic cloth, even. I wanted to turn this world into Legion’s world. Now though…” Felix trailed off, staring westward.

“Now you worry that you might piss off a god who doesn’t take kindly to you mucking around on different planets,” Lily finished the statement.

“Yeah. I mean… in the ancient history of our world, it’s said many times that originally it was just humans. Medieval humans.

“Then the humanoid races came. From where they’re not sure, but they were just there one day. In cities, villages, and homes as if they had always been there. Everywhere, not just in localized places.

“I have to wonder if that wasn’t an intervention. And if I’d be provoking another one.”

“I’d say let the god tell you that when they decide to talk to you again. If they didn’t want you to, would they even have let you come here?” Lily asked. “Assume the answer is permission granted, until shown otherwise. In fact, I would argue just by having this conversation aloud, you force the god into an unstated acceptance until otherwise said.”

Leave it to the lawyer.

Felix smiled and shook his head. “I suppose that’s about right. At least, that’s all I can do until otherwise stated. And the day after tomorrow, the Death Others will be returning with the three leaders of those tribes.”

“Death Others? How do you know?” Lily asked.

“They all volunteered for security, guard, or interrogation work. Apparently being on your own for that long gave them a different outlook on life. I can’t imagine their personalities would have merged very well with Andrea after that. It’s the very reason she cut them out to begin with. The memories will be gone, but does that change the personality?”

“Hmph. That’d explain why the Security Others are separate from the Corporate Others now,” Lily said.

Stopping in his tracks, Felix glanced over to Lily. “What?”

“Huh? Oh. Probably not my place. You should talk to Andie about that. I’m going to head back to the site. I have a few jobs of my own to do, you know. My boss gave me a list of things he wanted done, and I’m clearly not working on them,” Lily said, giving him a grin.

“Uh huh. Maybe I should order you more often.”

“It’s a wonder you don’t. Talk to Andie.”

And with that, Lily left him there, heading back towards the setup area.

As if knowing that they’d been talking about her, Andrea Prime came over.

“Felix? Are you better now?” she asked, moving in close to him.

I must have really worried them all. I’ll let Kit inside my head when we get back so she can pick through my thoughts. Once that’s done, everyone else will end up being better off as well.

“Yep. Doing much better. But I wanted to ask you a question or two if you don’t mind,” Felix said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Nn?”

“Did you separate Myriad out from yourself?” he asked directly.

Andrea went rigid in his arms, her shoulders as stiff as a board.

“What?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Did you separate Myriad out?”

“I… that is…”

“You did.”

“Nn…”

“Why?”

“Because, Myriad isn’t me. And I’m not Myriad. You were right. We’re all the same person, but we’re also not. We talked it over. A lot. We weren’t going to tell you, because we want you to treat us all the same as you always do. But… but the Security and Combat Others are all going to be in a different… Prime… of sorts. And everyone else is coming to me.”

“So… there’s an Andrea Prime, and another Prime, now,” Felix said, trying to clarify the situation.

Andrea hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. “Yes. We… we’ve successfully split and everything is working. In fact. I played her part the other day, and they were me, and no one noticed. We can still perform each other’s functions, memories remain after all because we split them, but… the Others…”

“Were swapped around. Ok, I think I get it. And you want me to treat you two as if there was no difference?”

“Nn…” Andrea said, pressing her face to his shoulder.

“I can definitely try to do that. I think you might find that as time goes on you’ll become further and further separated. Though regardless of that, I think the new Prime needs a regular name if only to designate who I’m trying to talk to. If you’re Andrea, and she’s your twin sister, how about… Adriana?”

“Adriana?” Andrea repeated. “Adriana.”

“Adriana and Andrea Elex,” Felix said.

“Twin sister. Can… can you try something for me?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Could you try to pull up Adriana’s window? As if she were her own self?”

“I can do that,” Felix said, smiling down at the Beastkin.

Taking a step back from Andrea, since it was just easier if the window didn’t go through people or things, Felix focused his mind.

He conceptualized the idea that Adriana Elex, formerly Andrea, was a separate entity. Equal in every way to Andrea, but not Andrea.

That he wanted to modify her, and not Andrea.

Nothing came up at first, and Felix was afraid that it wouldn’t work. That Andrea and Adriana weren’t able to be separated in the way that Andrea wanted, and would always and forever be Others.

A window popped up suddenly.

Status Correction: Joined Personality -> Separated, yet able to Join, Personality

Correct Status? (20,000 points. I would have chosen Alexa instead.)

Felix took a slow breath, reading the window again.

The panic that had threatened him previously fell away in a rush.

Lily had been right.

This… thing… whatever it was, would intervene or interfere if and when it decided it wanted to.

For now, it seemed content to watch.

Felix hit the button to accept the change.

“Andrea, you’re officially twins, though I suspect you could still reform into one person if you wanted,” Felix said, looking up at the now smiling Beastkin.