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Got the Grimoire, Chapter 23
🕑 Added 2024-12-16 06:01:05 +0000 UTCChapter 23
Once the meeting was concluded, I was free to go. Piggot hadn’t just given me Saturday night off like I’d requested, she’d gone ahead and blocked me off for the entire day barring an emergency. I appreciated how generous she could be.
That’s when the nerves hit.
I had an honest to God date. With a superhero. A really hot, really cool, superhero.
I needed to keep myself distracted so after getting myself all ready to go, I went for a walk through the Docks. I had a destination in mind of course, but I was still unfamiliar with the streets, so it turned into a bit of a wandering session as I just searched for a building matching a vague description that I only somewhat remembered. As I wandered, I let my fingers trace along the sides of buildings, tapping into my psychometry to get a vague feel for the neighborhood. Emotions bombarded me, some of them containing a lingering sense of nostalgia for the good old days, but mostly I got impressions of misery and despair. The rotting corpse of a city, only carrying on through momentum and stubborn will.
Finally I spotted a building that matched the description in my head. Kind of. Maybe. My friends used to say that I have a swiss cheese brain because of all the seizures I’ve had and while I hadn’t had any on Earth-Bet, I think the damage still lingered. I walked up to the large metal door and then knocked hard enough to leave the whole thing vibrating. Of course, I wasn’t wearing my real face, instead casting an illusion that turned me into the definition of an average white guy with sandy colored hair and rather plain features.
I stood in front of the large door for a few minutes, wondering if I’d knocked on the wrong place, when inky darkness covered my vision, my sense of hearing, smell, and touch fading a small amount, the very air taking on an almost oil-like quality. Grue’s darkness, I assumed. I felt the barrel of a gun against my back.
“Who are you and what the fuck do you think you’re doing here?”
I had to hand it to Brian, when he was in ‘Grue’ mode, he sounded completely different from the affable teenager I’d briefly met.
“No need for the gun. I’m just here to see a friend,” I said calmly. “I already know that Tats lives here. She’ll know who I am.”
“... Don’t move a muscle. I still have my sights on you,” he said.
The feeling of cold steel pressed into my back faded, but I still felt an itch between my shoulder blades. I thought about doing some impressive display of magic to just scare the crap out of him, but refrained. I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the other Undersiders, more neutral, but I didn’t want to make trouble for Lisa later by pissing off her team.
After a minute of waiting, the gun returned. “She wants to know why you’re here in person, rather than just calling or texting.”
“I’ve got some information I thought better to deliver in person. Plus a job I want to throw her way. I already knew where you lived, if I wanted to do something more nefarious, then I wouldn’t have knocked,” I pointed out reasonably.
Grue was contemplatively quiet for a moment. From what I remembered, he was honorable for a criminal (and considering some of the capes on this Earth, maybe just in general here) and respected the Rules. Coming here in peace wasn’t necessarily a breach, but it was definitely touching on some gray areas, not to mention flaunting that I knew where their hideout was. I was also a complete unknown, meaning I could be anything from an unpowered civilian to an A-class threat playing nice. I figured that civility and reasonableness would win out in the end.
The darkness faded, revealing Grue in his motorcycle leathers and skull-painted helmet still leaking black smoke. “Call ahead next time. I could have blown your head off,” he said.
I cocked my head to the side and smirked in the same exact way I’d seen Lisa. “You wouldn’t have.”
He just shook his head and muttered something about Thinkers under his breath before waving for me to follow. We went up the staircase and then into the loft apartment that the Undersiders kept. It was… actually pretty neat, considering a bunch of teenagers lived there. A couple of empty soda cans and a half-eaten pizza sat on the coffee table, the t.v on a pause menu for a game of some kind. Guess I’d interrupted Regent’s playtime. Lisa had on her Tattletale mask and hairstyle and looked extremely irritated at me.
“Why the hell did you show up at our front door?” She asked. “And how long have you known we were here?”
“Answer one: To let you know some sensitive info that might be important and offer you a job. Answer two: Like a month now. I know weird and random stuff, you already knew that though,” I said.
She eyed me, but finally sighed. “Grue, can you give us the room? It’s fine, we’ve unmasked to each other.”
Grue looked like he wanted to object, but gave a small nod and moved down the hall to one of the make-shift bedrooms. I watched him leave, then threw up a sound baffle and an outer illusion still projecting my false-face, but let the one immediately surrounding me drop.
Lisa took off her mask and rubbed at a portion of her face where it looked like the skin had been pinched. She’d probably thrown it on in a rush. “Not cool. Scared the hell out of Grue and even had me worried for a minute, but you have the same body-language, even if your face is different.”
“Cameras outside?” I guessed.
“Of course. Well hidden ones that even I missed. Coil had them installed before we even moved in here. Coffee?”
“Sure.”
They had a surprisingly nice coffee machine, but then again they were a group of teenage supervillains that probably had more money than I’d ever made in my previous life.
I took a sip as Lisa set the cup in front of me and nodded in approval. “Damn good stuff.”
“It had better be with how much I paid for the thing. So not to be rude, but it’s a little weird to see you… here. What’s up?”
“First off, Coil never made it to the Birdcage.” I saw the panic forming and held up a placating hand. “I think a third-party has him. He probably isn’t getting thrown into a hellhole for the rest of his life like he deserves, but he isn’t going to be running free either.”
Lisa took in a long, slow breath, though her hand still shook a little as she picked up her own mug. “Okay. That’s… concerning that you know that. Does that have to do with the email and files you sent me that mysteriously vanished?”
Oh shit.
“I… completely forgot about that,” I admitted. “The last few days have been really busy. You didn’t open them?”
“Give me a little credit, I was curious as hell, yeah, but I figured you put some kind of passkey or timer on it in case I tried to open it before you’d actually died.” She paused at the look on my face. “Wait, it was totally open? Son of a bitch. Well anyway, it vanished from my email this morning. Guessing you did some fancy tinker thing?” At the continuing look on my face, she winced. “Sooooo… What happened then?”
“You’ve heard about… Well, a certain group that may or may not sell powers?” I asked tentatively.
“Holy shit, they’re real?”
“Real and extremely dangerous, with access to some of the best Thinkers I know of, barring you of course. A lot of the information had to do with them as they’re rather important in the future. I guess they didn’t want that info getting out.”
Lisa remained silent for a moment before standing, going to a nearby cabinet and pulling a bottle of whiskey out of the back. She put a healthy amount in her cup, then calmly returned it. “Regent’s stash. He doesn’t think that I know where he hides his booze,” she said calmly by way of explanation, though I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was still reeling from the information I’d just shared. “Shit, powers in a bottle are real… but if these people are so protective of their secrets and as scary as rumors say, how come we aren’t dead yet?”
“Well, there’s a number of reasons for that. One: I’m on good terms with them. As questionable as some of their actions have been, their ultimate goals are beneficial for humanity in the long run. Two: We haven’t actually said their name. They’re not all knowing, just very well informed. And three: We aren’t actively spreading their secrets to the public. I’m sure if one of us started spouting this from the rooftops we could expect some repercussions, but a private conversation like we’re having now? We should be safe,” I said.
“Well that’s… comforting, I guess. Alright, enough about that. What’s the job you told Grue about?”
“Ah, right.” I pulled out my phone and texted her a picture I’d taken that morning.
“A map of the U.S.A and lots of little markings…” Lisa scanned the map and it didn’t take a Thinker to piece together what the data was, just a working internet connection. “The Slaughterhouse Nine?”
“Yeah. Those are just the latest sightings of them and places I think they might have been, but can’t verify 100%. I was hoping to pick your magnificent little brain to see if you could pinpoint their exact location.”
“And then what?”
“And then I go kill or contain them all,” I said matter of factly.
Lisa’s eyes widened. “You’re insane. Mak, they’re an S-class threat for a reason. The Siberian alone killed Hero and shrugged off everything the remaining founders threw at her. Bonesaw is a walking plague dispenser. Crawler is basically unkillable as well. What makes you think you can take them on?”
“Eh, I wasn’t planning on taking them on so much as nuking them from orbit,” I said nonchalantly.
“You got that much stronger at Canberra then?”
“More than you can fathom. Unpracticed and half-dead, I was able to help chase away an Endbringer. Give me some practice… I’m all but certain I can kill one.”
Lisa remained silent for a moment, then finished her boozy coffee in one go. “Something tells me that things won’t be good for villains in this city pretty soon,” she said wryly.
“You’d be correct. If it makes you feel better, you guys are at like… the utter bottom of my list. Not because I think you’re weak, but because you’re the most harmless. Empire and ABB are first, anything else is secondary really.”
Lisa was smart enough not to take my words as either threat or belittlement, simply fact. “I might try and get my team into an early retirement anyway. Bitch only cares about her dogs, Regent his creature comforts, and Grue his own personal reasons, but they all just require money and influence. Money, we’ve got in spades now thanks to Coil’s fortune. Influence can be bought or leveraged with my Thinker powers, but doesn’t necessarily require me to be Tattletale anymore.”
“Well you won’t have to worry about money so much either after my offer. If you point me in the direction of the Slaughterhouse Nine, I’m willing to give you half the reward money.”
Lisa’s eyes widened. “Half?”
“That’s what I said.”
“That’s… The Nine’s bounty has been getting bigger every year. That’s easily millions of dollars.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’d be willing to give me half just like that?!”
“Eeyup.”
“That’s…” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “You are so freaking weird, you know that?”
“Because I don’t give a shit about money beyond what I need to live comfortably?” I asked innocently.
“Sure, we’ll go with that. Alright, I’ll see what I can do, but it might take a while. In the meantime, enjoy your…” Her eyes flicked over me, studying, scanning, power analyzing. “A date huh? Nice.”
“That was a fast deduction.”
“You’re dressed nicer than you usually are and you’re wearing a bit of cologne. You usually remember the deodorant, for which all those you interact with in public thank you for, but I’ve never smelled cologne on you. You just aren’t that type of guy. Also, you actually combed your hair.”
“I always comb my hair!”
“No, you brush it to the side so that it doesn’t get in your eyes, but do you know how often you have hair sticking up in the back? The answer is a lot. So who’s the unfortunate soul you’ll be taking to dinner and trying to woo?”
“...Crystal Pelham,” I said hesitantly.
Lisa burst out laughing. I waited patiently, a little hurt at her response, but once she calmed down, she noticed my face and started cracking up again.
“It’s not that unbelievable, is it?” I asked.
“No, it’s not that, just the way you said it, like a man walking toward his doom.”
“Despite some words of encouragement from a friend, I still feel like I’m way out of my league,” I admitted. “Just nerves is all.”
“I mean, from a normal civilian point of view, you kind of are out of your league. I mean, I’d give you a 6/10, maybe 7 when you’re cleaned up nicely, but goddamn the Pelhams and Dallons have some fine genetics.”
“Thanks for the confidence booster,” I said sarcastically.
“I’m not done. You aren’t a civilian though and neither is she, you guys are capes, heroes and you’re more of a hero after just a month than most in my books. Not to mention that power is attractive in it’s own way, no matter what anyone might tell you and you are definitely powerful.”
“So you’re saying I have to impress her with my deeds of manly prowess like I’m a fucking viking or something?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m saying that capes and civilians have different viewpoints on what makes a person attractive, so you might have a shot after all.”
“...Thanks.”
“No problem. Now shoo, I got things to do.”
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I nervously wasted some more time around the city, stepping in as Kage to help with a petty crime or two, before it was finally time to face the music. I stepped through the shadows to a spot I’d seen weeks ago during some of my early days of exploring the city, a nice flower shop that was just outside of Empire territory. It was nice to see minorities walking freely without that lingering sense of fear or ducked heads like in the heart of the Eighty-Eight’s power.
I walked in and greeted the florist politely and asked if she had any flower recommendations for a first date. I got a crash course on flower symbology and meanings, some of which I’d known, others I hadn’t, but I finally settled on a bouquet of various pink flowers that all evoked the same shade of color as Crystal’s forcefields. Plus deep red usually symbolized a deeper romantic intent and while I certainly liked Crystal a great deal, that felt like I’d be coming on a little too strong for a first-date.
The romantic in me wanted to go for the single red rose, a symbol of love at first sight (I have a type and I know it) but once again, a little too much pressure for a first date. Besides, I didn’t want things to be weird if it didn’t work out and we decided to just stay friends.
So with all that in mind, I purchased the bouquet and once I’d stepped out, threw up an illusion and took to the skies toward the Pelham home. It was a familiar neighborhood, just barely a few streets away from the Dallons. Once I had my bearings, I was easily able to locate the correct home, helped by the fact that Crystal’s beat up old Bug was parked on the street outside. I landed on the sidewalk, then nervously walked up and knocked. I had an illusion up so that anyone looking from a distance would see my basic white-guy disguise, but anyone within it would see just me. I barely had to wait a moment before a hulking monster of a man opened the door.
He eyed me and then sighed. “Crystal didn’t mention she was going out with a boy tonight,” he groused, but extended a hand. “Neil Pelham.”
“Mak Inouye, sir,” I introduced myself politely, shaking the offered hand firmly. I had a feeling that he was being very delicate, even with the force behind his own shake.
He ushered me into the house and once I was inside, he gave me a stern look. “You aren’t going to be taking my daughter to fight a supervillain again, are you?”
Ah, he still held a grudge about that… “No sir, just dinner and a walk around the Boardwalk,” I said with definitely no nervous shiver in my tone. “What time would you like her home by?”
“No later than midnight,” he said, only half joking I think. “She’s still getting ready.” He led me into the living room and gestured for me to take a seat. “I’m going to be frank with you, Mak, you seem like the kind of guy who can take it.” He looked me dead in the eye. “We both know you are when you wear a mask. Not like you spent much effort hiding it when you were still new. Not sure if it’s because you’re being genuine and you like New Wave or because you were trying to seem cool to my daughter and nieces and it doesn’t matter either way. What matters is that you’re a powerful cape and powerful capes make enemies. So, that being said, will my daughter be safe if she’s close to you?” He asked bluntly.
“Crystal is a hero first and foremost. She hasn’t been safe since the day she triggered and joined the family business, no, since the day New Wave decided to take off their masks and put a target on their backs. I’m not judging, because I respect your team and your ethics, but that’s a hell of a burden to put on your kids. What I mean to say is that Crystal can handle herself, but she won’t be in danger from any enemies I might make.” I allowed my eyes to shimmer slightly with power and I allowed some of my mana to leak into the air. “Keep your eyes on the news. There will be some… interesting information given about what happened in Canberra.”
Neil considered me for a long moment and I thought I was possibly going to get punted through a wall, but the big man just chuckled and slapped me lightly on the back. “Well said. None of that macho ‘I’ll protect your little girl Mr. Pelham!’ crap that some of her other dates have tried to feed me. Like she needs their protection. You’re welcome to patrol with us sometime, I’d like to get to know what kind of a hero Magus is for myself.”
“I’d like that. I told Crystal I’d have joined you guys, if not for needing the stability a Protectorate contract provides and I mean that.”
“Heh, good taste in heroes then too,” Neil said. “Alright, well speaking of patrols, I have to go prep for mine. Oh and just because it’s tradition…” He put on another ‘stern father’ face. “Keep your grubby mits off my girl or else, ya here?”
“Uh… or else what?” I asked curiously, wondering where the threat was going.
“Or else nothing,” Crystal said as she glided into the room, fixing her dad with a sharp look. “Because if he does anything I don’t like, then I have superpowers, Dad.”
Neil grinned, gave me a wink, then backed out of the room. “Alright, alright, your old man is getting lost. Have fun you two, but not too much fun!”
Crystal rolled her eyes as he left. “Sorry if he gave you too much crap. He’s a dad.”
“I get it.” Wow, she's beautiful. Oh, I should probably… Girls like compliments right? “You um, look great by the way.” She really did, dressed up a bit nicer than casual streetwear, but still functional and good for walking around or in our case, flying, plus her make-up was immaculate. “N-Not that you don’t always look great, but I um,” I floundered, feeling a bit embarrassed. I wasn’t used to being overly complimentary in general, let alone with girls. Didn’t want to come off as flirty or worse, creepy.
Crystal smiled and did a little twirl. “Thanks. You clean up nicely yourself. Actually combed your hair for once.”
Goddammit, her too?
“That I did. Oh, before I forget…” I made a quick motion with my hands and a bit of power escaped as I reached between dimensions and plucked out the bouquet of roses. “For you.”
Her smile turned brilliant as she took a deep breath of them. “They’re nice. You picked them out yourself?”
“I had a little help, but for the most part, yeah,” I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly as she used her forcefields to float the bouquet over toward a vase that had already been prepared.
“My mom bet me that you’d be the kind of guy to bring flowers. Guess she was right.” She placed them into the vase, showing off her rather delicate control. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah,” I said nervously and stepped out into the backyard with her. More privacy for take offs and landings.
“Have you flown much?” She asked.
“Not really. I got used to teleporting and jumping mostly, but I flew here, just to get a feel for it. Flying during the Simurgh fight was more like… floating upwards really fast.”
“Well come on, we can get you more practice on the way there.” She floated slightly off the ground and offered me her hand.
I tentatively took it, enjoying the warmth of her skin against mine and together we began flying off toward the Boardwalk.
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A/N: This is kind of a new area I'm exploring, that is to say, romance. I've written some character interactions before in some of my own private writings over the years that are romantic, but they were always pre-existing relationships, not a budding new romance. Any advise on how to write believable chemistry would be more than appreciated.
