Chapter Twenty-Five

 

“Do you want us to start spreading the word to the rest of our people?” Vulcon asked. I shook my head.

“There’s a reason I’m only telling you three,” I said. “It should be no secret to you, but I do not trust Antonio. Vice feels the same.”

He nodded to confirm.

“And we don’t know much about Titon as of right now, so there’s no reason to trust him either,” I continued. “I’ll only trust him to do hits I pay him for.”

“Who would need to put a hit out on?” Vice questioned.

“Well, Antonio himself. If this distraction plan works and Asai sends her people to a false location I proclaim we’re going to attack, we’ll know Antonio worked for her. Past tense. First, I need to bring him in to inform him of ‘the plan’. Aura, would you kindly?”

She eagerly nodded and couldn’t help beaming on her way out, but I stopped her because of this. “Actually, you go Vulcon.”

She sat back down disappointed I changed my mind, but with her not being able to help but smile, I didn’t want him to think anything was up. Less than a minute later, Vulcon returned with Ant by his side.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Pull up a chair.” He did as I commanded and awaited further instruction. “We’re going to be blowing up Blade Industries Headquarters.”

Blade Industries Headquarters was in the heart of Haven City, close to the center and far away from any of the forest areas surrounding the outskirts of the city, where the Alpha Corps HQ was located. I could have planned for this “bombing” to be on the opposite side of the city, but something that far away from Alpha HQ would look way more suspicious in the eyes of someone who might work there. 

His reaction was calm, but it seemed as if he was holding something back. 

“Any particular reason?” he asked.

“I want to send as powerful a message as I can to Asai that I am not to be fucked with. I want her to know I’m capable of so much more than removing her Nobles from this Earth one-by-one,” I explained. 

I felt sweat begin appearing under his arms. Must’ve been a new ability, since sweat is water. I wondered if I could freeze it without needing to make contact with it. I decided to let him know I could tell something was wrong, but was sure as hell not gonna tell him I knew how.

“Something wrong, Antonio?” I asked. I used his full name to put even more fear into him. He shook his head and pouted his lip; the cool way of shrugging something off. He was trying way too hard. 

“Nah, not at all. I’ll, uh, have some goons get some c4 to plant at the base of the building, and, uh, guess we’ll go from there,” he said. He began to get up to leave, but stopped. He was desperate to leave this situation. Couldn’t wait to tell his boss, I assumed. “Was there…anything else you needed?”

“That was all. Prepare for the attack. Let me know when the bombs are planted and the rest of us will be near the site when ready,” I said. “I’d like to watch the magic happen.”

He nodded and hobbled off, leaving my three associates with me alone. 

“And while that happens?” Vice asked.

“We wait for his call, then make our way to the Alpha Corps HQ. If their forces have dwindled, we have our answer about Ant,” I said. 

“If that is the case and we’re in a different location,” Vulcon began. “How do you plan to deal with Ant?”

“Vice, grab Titon for me, wouldya?”

In less than a minute, Vice appeared with Titon at his side.

“So you’re loyal to money, correct?” I asked him.

“That’s right.”

“So, if I pay you to kill Antonio when I command you to do so, would you do it?” I questioned.

“Without a second thought.”

“Good. He’ll be going to Blade Industries Headquarters, planting bombs on the base of the building with a few of the goons from the Durante Family,” I informed him. “When he leaves, trail him and call me to confirm there are a number of Alpha Corps forces waiting there.”

“You suspect he’s working for them?”

“We all suspect him.”

“Consider it done,” he said, then paused before he spoke again, tilting his mask ever-so-slightly. “What do you want me to do if this doesn’t go as planned? What if there are no forces there?”

“Then assist him in blowing up the building and escaping,” I said. I wasn’t too fond of this part of the plan. “We’ll get those Alpha Corps forces away from their HQ one way or another.”

“You’re the boss.”

With those words, he walked out, leaving me to ponder the second half of the plan with my associates. 

“You don’t like it. You don’t like what has to be done in order to draw them away,” Aura Ray read.

“I never gave you permission to use your aura reading on me.”

“I didn’t have to.”

“If some innocent lives have to be sacrificed in the grand scheme of my plans, then so be it,” I said. I didn’t like what I was saying, but in front of them, I wanted to seem like I knew what I was doing. Vice saw through my bullshit.

“You won’t go through with that,” he said.

“There’s gotta be another way to do this without harming innocents in and around the building,” Vulcon suggested.

“How would we clear out the entire area before we plant the bombs?” I asked.

“Tell…them?” Vulcon suggested.

“What?”

“Yeah, actually. Get the goons to threaten the people in and around the building as far away as possible,” he further explained. 

“I’m sure the cops would respond faster than the Alpha Corps,” Vice said. “And S.W.A.T.”

“With the weapons we have access to now, though, it wouldn’t be a problem holding them off,” Vulcon defended.

“Logically, they wouldn’t be able to use any sort of force should the detonators be within the vicinity. Or even away from it,” Aura chimed. I stared down at my desk into the empty, but shiny wood.

“But what would their priority be? Making sure all the civilians are as safe as possible? Or ridding Haven City of public enemy #1 to avoid any further casualties past this escapade?” I asked myself. 

“You think anyone that’s dealt with the Haven City police force would know the answer to that?” Vice asked. I shook my head.

“That information wouldn’t be reliable enough,” I responded. “I’m almost 100 percent sure that something like this has never happened in the history of Haven City’s existence. Perhaps a serial killer. But those only happen because the police don’t know the identity of the killer at first. With this…well…I haven’t exactly kept my identity a secret.”

“So, it sounds like if it comes down to option two, we’d have to rely on the priorities of the police,” Vice summed. 

“There has to be another way. One that puts me in a position of power over the cops,” I pondered. “And the Nobles.”

“What about Titon?” Aura asked.

“What about him?”

“Do we know the full extent of his capabilities?” she asked. I placed a hand on my chin. I was wondering whether or not he would disclose that information in the first place.

“We have a while to wait. Call him back in here, Vice.” 

Both returned. 

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“Your powers. I need to know all of them,” I said, then gestured to Aura. “Aura Ray here will be testing you to see if you’re lying.”

“I’ve got no reason to. Few are able to stop me whether they know my abilities or not,” he said. “Telekinesis, tactile telekinesis, enhanced strength, speed, condition, combat, leap, durability, dexterity, reflexes, flexibility, senses, stamina, accuracy, swordsmanship, thievery, unmatched agility, mind control immunity, sickness immunity, omni-lingual, hyper intellect, accelerated healing.”

“Jesus fuck, is that all?” Vice asked. That sarcastic comment meant a lot coming from someone who had a lot of powers. Like me. 

“That’s it.” I looked to Aura. She nodded.

“Everything he’s said up until this point has been true,” she affirmed.

“‘Omni-lingual’?” Vulcon echoed. 

“Been around a lot. But, that’s all you’ll get outta me on that,” Titon stated.

“And the sword?” I asked. 

“A sword made of Nebula Metal. I call her Genny.”

“Genny?” Vice parroted.

“Short for ‘Genocidal Plague’,” Titon said. I could almost hear the proud smile underneath his mask-helmet.

“Comforting.”

“Isn’t Nebula Metal from space?” Aura Ray questioned. 

“Yeah.”

“And you had someone make it into…a sword?”

“Yeah.”

“H--”

“It’s not necessary for you to know that type of information,” Titon said sternly. “To put you at ease--more for the reason of you all not questioning me further--my business is highly sought after, so you’ll have to keep me well paid. I’ve been hired by the likes of governments here on Earth, aliens, gods, and alien gods.”

“Understood,” I said. “Let’s say--hypothetically--you had to defend you and some comrades against the entire Haven City police force and possibly some Nobles. Maybe even the Archs. How would you say you would fare in a battle of that caliber?”

“I’ve conquered worse odds. Sounds like a cakewalk.”

“Good to know,” I sighed. “You may leave us for now.”

He slightly nodded his head and walked out. 

 

A few hours later, I lay awake in Madame Maker’s old quarters, deep in thought about what was to come of this next big move. It could spell the end for everything should things go wrong. I could lose my…friends. Even though everything I had done had been revenge for my brother and all those innocents lost in the countless battles the Nobles have fought, it felt strange to care for people I viewed as tools at one point or another. And now, here they were again, ready to lay their lives down in service of my plan. Was it because they believed in it? In me? The question was gnawing at me so much, I ended up falling asleep without realizing and waking up to the sound of my new phone plucked fresh from Maker’s pocket ringing. It was Antonio. 

“The bombs have been placed in areas where no civilians nor cameras can spot them around the base of Blade Industries,” he told me. “Give me the word and we blow ‘em sky high.”