Chapter 31: Imp-ortant Transfer

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Beans, Mike God of Lore, Malcolm Tent

The Guild of Gamers: The Supervillain

Chapter 31: Imp-ortant Transfer

– Tammi Herren (Rune) –

Now was not a good time to be in the Empire Eighty-Eight, and everyone knew it. Things hadn't been easy since the Golden Syndicate had burst onto the scene, but now?

Hookwolf and his little band of 'warriors' had always been the most brutal in the Empire. Now, even Cricket and Stormtiger were keeping a careful distance away from their pseudo-leader. Hookwolf was a dead man, and everyone knew it. Eidolon and Alexandria themselves had arrived in town for the express purpose of killing him, and as much as Kaiser boasted of the Empire's might… they weren't that strong, and everyone knew it.

The capes, the rank and file, the other gangs. Everyone knew Hookwolf was going to die, the scowling asshole himself having hidden away somewhere as Kaiser tried to find a way to get the Empire through this mess. The funniest part was the realisation that Purity's return meant Kaiser was far more willing to sacrifice Hookwolf. They had a new heavy hitter, so why keep the problematic one?

Sure, Kaiser wanted all hands on deck for the upcoming fight with the ABB and the eventual fight against King Midas, but Hookwolf was more trouble than he was worth.

Sitting in the back of the car, she said nothing as Kaiser stared forward, his face hidden by his helmet. Kaiser remade his armour constantly, and while he often left parts of his face on display to help his image, now he was in a full suit without an inch of skin to be seen. This was his war armour, more intimidating and protective than the types he'd wear for his speeches.

Arriving at the Oriental, he got out, and she followed behind without a word being spoken, the air tense as they headed up the elevator. Masked men in black and gold suits led them deeper into the fortified stronghold of the League of Villains, and as they entered the conference room, she got her first real look at the talk of Brockton Bay.

Midas was lounging in his seat, a drink in his hand and a casual smile on his lips. Beside him, an attractive older woman with caramel skin gave them a curious look, dressed in a smart suit. Jaina Hudson, the White Rabbit. There'd been some talk going around the Empire after it turned out the girl behind the White Rabbit was Indian, but nothing ever came of it beyond grumblings.

"A pleasure to see you again, Kaiser," Midas greeted as he rose, putting his drink down and offering his hand, which Kaiser shook. "I wasn't expecting you to deliver Rune in person." 

"I thought it best, given the recent developments. I wanted to see if our agreement to take out Lung was still in effect," Kaiser admitted, making Midas nod.

"It is. I admit I didn't see this development coming, but assuming the Empire remains in a position to assist with the removal of the ABB, I plan to have things continue as originally agreed. Of course, if the Empire's combat potential is decimated by this event, I will have to subjugate you. It's nothing personal," Midas admitted, and Kaiser just laughed darkly.

"Of course. If you don't, somebody else would," Kaiser agreed, not offended by Midas' casual threat. "What is the League and the Syndicate doing about the PRT's presence?"

"That's a simple one. I've suggested the League stand down and stay out of this at the request of the PRT. Chief Director Costa-Brown requested our neutrality in this matter, and I agreed on the demand that the PRT and especially the Triumvirate stay out of my territory," Midas explained. "If the PRT heroes come for us, we'll fight back and give no quarter, but this is between them and the Empire. I'll not endanger my people or territory protecting someone like Hookwolf. At the risk of stating the obvious, I told you to rein him in."

Kaiser only nodded, not arguing against the way Midas was talking down to him slightly.

"As for the Syndicate, the same applies. If the PRT comes into my territory, they'll be driven out. Beyond that, this isn't my business," Midas continued. "Fighting Alexandria and Eidolon would be far too costly for the potential benefits, even without the rest of the reinforcements. It goes without saying that if you try to move him into my territory to drag me into this fight, I'll have you killed."

"Ha. Kreig suggested that. I shot it down," Kaiser admitted, making Midas nod easily. "Rune has agreed to join the Imps for the next year, as we negotiated."

"Excellent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Herren," Midas said, and she didn't react to the use of her real name. Kaiser had warned them that Coil had planned to expose their real identities. Of course, Midas knew her real name.

"Hi?" Rune tried, honestly having no idea how to act around him. He was a gang leader, but he was also a chink and the boss of her white supremacist gang was standing right next to her. She crossed her arms over her chest, playing the aloof teen but Midas just smirked.

"Hi indeed," Midas agreed. "As agreed, I will empower Rune right here. You are also owed one power upgrade on a cape of your choosing. I take it this is why you chose to come yourself?"

"It is. Originally, I planned to have Othala upgraded, but we both know Hookwolf is not long for this world. I will need to fill the gap he'll be leaving," Kaiser admitted, removing one of his gauntlets and offering his hand. Midas accepted it, removing his own glove.

"A logical decision. Now, the most obvious option I can see is to call upon the powers of your sister, Iron Rain. I can easily upgrade your power to allow you to create your objects from thin air instead of having to make them out of surfaces, as well as give you minor ferrokinesis to go along with it. Don't expect to do any fine control, but simply aiming and firing would be well within your capabilities," Midas explained, getting a thoughtful hum from Kaiser. "Alternatively, I could improve the durability and sharpness of your conjured metal, increase your speed and control or give you Allfather's ability to impart considerable velocity onto his conjured objects."

"I believe you're correct. Iron Rain was never the most creative with her power, but I am sure I can put it to better use than her," Kaiser finally agreed, making Midas nod as he focused. There was no outward show of light or anything flashy, but Kaiser shuddered slightly as the work was done. "I have to say, your power is as impressive as they say. Already, I can feel the improvement in my power."

"I'm the best at what I do," Midas replied easily. "Miss Herren, it's your turn."

She took his hand, feeling his power touch hers.

"Let's see here," Midas mumbled while she waited. She didn't like being so passive, but she had no delusions about the power balance here. She was a pawn being traded between two kings. Kaiser may have asked her opinion on the deal, but she knew that his mind had been made up before he'd asked her. She was basically being pimped out to another gang. "I could increase how many objects you can control at once, the maximum weight you can control, or give you the ability to place your mark upon things you can see without needing to manually carve it."

It actually took her a moment to realise that he was waiting for her to choose.

"I- the marking with my sight thing," Rune answered, almost feeling Kaiser's disapproval of her less-than-elegant showing. This was the first time an Empire cape was being loaned out to a group that wasn't the Gesellschaft, and she'd had to sit through a lot of discussions about her duties and where her loyalty should be from both Kaiser and the clans. The first time she'd seen her parents in months, and it was to have them lecture her on loyalty and the cause. As he worked, her entire body shuddered with… pleasure, the alien sensation coursing through her veins as her power sang to her.

"There we go. Now, I'll be taking you to meet with the Imps once we are done here. I take it you won't have any issues working under me or with your new teammates?" Midas asked, and she could hear the warning he didn't say. She was a neo-nazi, he was Asian, and Imp herself was black.

"No, sir," Rune agreed. Whatever her opinion on his race, nobody could deny that Midas was terrifyingly effective at his job without the barbarism of Lung or the patheticness of Skidmark. Kaiser had made it clear that she was to play nice. The upgrades Midas had promised for her services mattered more than the Empire's ideals, apparently.

For the next year of her life, she would be under Midas' command. As long as it wasn't acting against the Empire or the Clans, she was basically supposed to lie back and think of the Empire. Of course, she had no desire to be a part of the Empire while fucking Eidolon was coming for them, so she was treating this more like a vacation than anything else.

Naturally, she was also supposed to spy on the Imps and the Syndicate for Kaiser but Midas had probably seen that coming before he'd even asked.

"I do believe we should talk more about how the increased PRT presence is going to affect our plans going forward," Midas said, making Kaiser agree with a grim tone. "Rune, why don't you head down to the leisure centre for a while?"

As Kaiser nodded, she quickly thanked him for the upgrade and got out of there. She knew a dismissal when she heard one, and as the doors were closing she saw a map appear above the conference table, Kaiser and Midas moving to it.

The Oriental really did have everything, she thought as she wandered the place and made use of the many amenities that it offered. It was a little bizarre to see so many villains in one place, but they didn't give her more than a single curious glance before they ignored her. She was a small fry in a place like this, and as someone who had learnt the importance of keeping her head down in prison, she was happy to be ignored. 

It was still weird to see someone like Deathstroke the Terminator in a fucking tinkertech massage chair. 

The high-class establishment reminded her of an unwelcome truth. The clans were white trash. Kaiser's parties were classier than the Clans, but Midas just oozed elegance and wealth and she felt laughably out of place here. 

She didn't miss that her guide never let her out of their sight. They were happy to take her wherever she wanted to go, but she hadn't missed the armed guards watching her every move. She wasn't a league member, just a guest, and she was one wrong move from a really bad time. She tried not to think about how Killer Croc, wearing a fucking suit, had licked his lips when he saw her.

She'd gotten used to people staring at her with lust, but his gaze held a different kind of hunger altogether.

The rich surroundings, expensive food and general opulence honestly made her uncomfortable. The seat she was on probably cost as much as all the money she'd ever held.

She didn't know how long she was left to her own devices before their meeting came to an end, but Kaiser seemed oddly pleased as he said his goodbyes to her and Midas. She'd gotten good at reading his body language, even when he was armoured up.

Sitting in the back of a limo, she bit her tongue as Midas worked on his tablet during the ride. He didn't seem the type for small talk.

"Do you have any questions before we arrive?" Midas finally asked, putting away his tablet as she considered his question.

"What exactly will I be doing?" Rune asked after a moment.

"Primarily causing disruptions to waste PRT resources, as well as harassing the Wards… assuming they ever get let out again," Midas laughed. "The Imps are very much not a serious criminal organisation, by design. Petty crime, juvenile actions, as well as occasionally harassing minor gangs that attempt to get established in or near my territory. My goal is to tie down the Wards so the likes of Vista and their new bug master, Aurora, cannot be utilised to their full potential. By keeping the teenage villains out of serious situations, the PR-obsessed heroes will be forced to follow suit. I really should thank Hookwolf before he is executed. His recklessness has only made this easier."

"Did you know that would happen?" Rune asked, making him blink before he laughed. It was a gentle but highly amused laugh. It didn't sound mocking, just genuine.

"I do appreciate the faith, but despite rumours, I am not all-knowing. Hookwolf ran into Oni Lee by accident, and Oni Lee led Hookwolf to PRT territory in the hopes of drawing in the nearby Armsmaster. Neither knew the Wards were there," Midas reminded her. "This was a tragedy caused by a thousand tiny things going wrong in quick succession, including a program Coil slipped into their systems before I even arrived in Brockton Bay. I'm good, I'm not that good. What I do specialise in… is weaponising tragedy and turning it into profit."

He wasn't wrong. The sheer amount of moving pieces would be nearly impossible to balance. If he could do that, the Empire and ABB would already be gone or under his command.

"Anyway, as I was saying… you will be placed under Imp, the leader of the Imps. She's a… unique personality and has a special gift for causing frustration in her targets. I will be monitoring things, as I do with all the groups under me, but she is effectively your boss for the next year," Midas continued. "I understand that as a member of the Herren Clan turned Empire Cape, you have certain preconceptions about her due to her skin colour, as you do with me thanks to my narrower eyes, but I take it you can act professionally during your time here?"

"I- yeah, I can," Rune agreed, flushing slightly at his knowing tone. Of course he'd noticed. 

"Excellent. If it becomes apparent that you are incapable of working with Imp, I will reassign you to another duty for the year. I'm sure I can find a place in my Syndicate for you that will suit my plans the same as if you were with the Imps," Midas reassured her, but there was something in his tone that put her on edge. He wasn't saying the reassignment would be a punishment, but she could tell that her life would be far more relaxed with this Imp than working directly under him. 

"Like I said, it won't be a problem," Rune promised as they pulled up at their destination. As they got out, her eyes were drawn to where someone had graffitied a large golden gremlin creature on a nearby wall. It looked weird, but it was oddly well done. "I thought you didn't permit graffiti on your turf?"

She'd seen the pictures of the Syndicate's territory, all repainted and repaved, buildings fixed, and trash cleaned up.

"I don't. This is Imp's turf, and she has different rules. She allows graffiti as long as it is well done. Someone painted a penis on the side of her building. She kidnapped them and painted them entirely purple before tying them upside down to a lamppost," Midas explained with a chuckle. "She painted that herself, I believe. Come on, she's waiting."

Entering the building, they headed down into a not-so-secret underground base, and she instantly saw the difference between Midas and Imp. Midas' building was opulent and elegant, oozing class and wealth…

Imp's place looked like a teenager's bedroom gone wilder.

"This the new girl?" a curious voice asked, her eyes drawn to an unmasked girl with short black hair which had a single golden streak. Dark skin, dark eyes filled with amusement. Despite her clear youth, probably a couple years younger than Rune, the chick had tits that had no place being on a girl her age. She sat on top of a desk, kicking her legs.

"No, I just thought I'd bring a random stranger to your base on the day I promised you a new member," Midas replied, making Imp snort in amusement. "Imp, this is Rune. Rune, this is Imp, leader of the Imps."

"Ah, our new Neo-Nazi. This is gonna go hilariously," Imp said, hopping down from the desk. "I'm Aisha; I don't bother with a mask in base, so you might as well know my name. How does it feel to be working for a lesser race?" 

Aisha's face didn't shift from a wide grin, but Rune felt herself scowl at the question. 

"Aisha, play nice," Midas warned, making her roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, play nice with the nazi," Aisha agreed with a lazy wave.

"Tammi Herren. You might as well know it since he already does," Tammi said, removing her hood with a hesitant look as she nodded toward Midas.

"Ooh, a Herren and an Empire Eighty-Eight-er? Hey, is it true that the clans are super incestuous?" Aisha asked, making Tammi clench her fist before she realised the question wasn't mocking. She seemed genuinely curious.

"No, not my part of the clan anyway. I won't lie, even I've heard some rumours about what the clans more to the south get up to, but we don't do that shit," Tammi replied.

"So calling the Empire thug who tried to rape me an inbred sister-fucker wasn't accurate? Shame, insults hurt more when they've got some truth in it," Aisha replied with a carefree grin as Tammi blinked. "Don't look so surprised. It turns out dumb thugs like fat tits even when they're more chocolate than vanilla. I stabbed him in the leg, then kicked him in the dick. Honestly, I figured the guy would come looking for me with some friends, but I guess he was too embarrassed to admit he got his ass beat by a teenage girl. It's a shame we're all best buddies now. I was gonna track him down now that I'm a badass."

"They'd never let him live it down, and depending on who he worked under, they might have just killed him. I've heard of Hookwolf and Krieg killing people who embarrass the gang too much, plus Krieg would kill him for sullying himself with a n- someone like you," Tammi admitted, being able to picture the type of guy she was talking about. Probably one of Hookwolf's men, they tended to be more barbaric than most. Hookwolf would punish any of his underlings who got bested by a kid, so she wasn't surprised the idiot had kept his mouth shut. She was an Empire cape, and she didn't feel safe whenever she was in Hookwolf's turf.

Of course, it was going to have to be redivided soon. Stormtiger might take over, but he wasn't really a leader. He'd been running it while Hookwolf was busy being Ivy's attack dog, but he was shit at it. Cricket wasn't a leader either. She didn't know who would end up running it, but it'd probably be absorbed into one of the other lieutenants' turf. Or maybe Purity would take it over now that she was back. Either way, it wasn't her problem.

"Heh, the only thing he sullied was his pants," Aisha snorted. "You're fun for a racist bitch. Come on, I wanna introduce you to Brian and watch him have an aneurysm. He's my brother and also totally my bitch now that he's in the Imps. I wouldn't have to be so hard on him if he'd get it into his thick skull that I'm the boss around here. Total control freak. Do you have any brothers?"

"No, just a lot of cousins," Tammi admitted, recoiling slightly as Aisha threw an arm around her shoulder.

"Lucky. Anyway, it's movie night tonight, and since you're the new girl, you can pick the movie and food type as long as it isn't Thai again. It's supposed to be Regent's turn but fuck him. Not literally, unless skinny femboys are your type… but then again, he is white and pretty. If you do, I'd suggest gagging him first. He's cute but ruins it the moment he opens his mouth," Aisha babbled. "Oh, later, boss-man, gotta introduce the new girl to the gang."

Midas just chuckled.

"We do have some business to conduct, Aisha, but that can wait until another day. I'll send it to you. Before you run off, I am assigning Celia to your hideout as your maid. This place is filthy," Midas said, face scrunched up as Aisha snorted.

"So I get to order around my mom and brother? Love ya, boss," Aisha replied, not denying the allegations. "Now fuck off, you're too old for my base. I only let adults that work for me in here, so unless you wanna be under me as well, get lost."

"I'll pass, thank you. Though, I may need to remind you who is in charge again, but that can wait for another day," Midas drawled, giving her a nod as he turned and walked away. "Do take care, Miss Herren, Miss Laborn."

"You can talk to him like that?" Tammi asked, making Aisha laugh.

"Oh, Midas? Yeah, he's fine with it. He's a big boy and can take some banter," Aisha laughed. "I mean, don't get me wrong. If I ever actually crossed him, shit would hit the fan expeditiously, and all these fun benefits I get for working for him would vanish just as quickly. Midas ain't that scary, as long as you do your job and do it well."

For just a moment, she imagined telling Kaiser to fuck off. She'd never seen anyone brave enough to do it, but she doubted he'd take it quite as well. Meeting the rest of the group, she found herself agreeing with Aisha, oddly enough.

Brian seemed like a bit of a dick, and he did look like he was going to have an aneurysm from learning their new member was part of the Empire. Puppeteer kept to himself, keeping his mask on, but he was also clearly uneasy. Regent… really was pretty.

Then he called her K. K. Katie, and she found herself wanting to gag him. This wasn't where she wanted to be, but it also wasn't anywhere near Hookwolf so she could work with it.

– Emma Barnes –

She wasn't as naive as some people thought.- As Sophia thought, more specifically. King Midas was a powerhouse, and while he was seen as a relatively benevolent version of a Godfather figure, he was still a Godfather, and placing yourself in his debt meant you'd never get out of it.

Sophia had tried briefly to warn her before she'd stopped. Emma wasn't stupid, she knew Sophia was handing her over to him on a silver platter. She was pretty sure that Sophia had forgotten that Emma was the social one of their group, and Sophia was hardly a master of manipulation.

But in the end, she didn't care what it cost. This was all she had ever wanted, starting when she and Taylor had used to play pretend. She was always Alexandria, and her desire to be strong, to be able to protect herself, had only grown over the years as her naivety had died. The ABB had taught her that being pretty just made her a target, and she couldn't always sweet talk her way out of danger. Some people couldn't be convinced.

But King Midas could be convinced. She knew she was making herself another of his pawns, that she was collaring herself and handing him the leash, but if he could make her dream come true?

Naked as the day she was born, Emma bit down on the pillow to muffle her moan. The most powerful villain in Brockton Bay showed no mercy on her virgin body as he took her from behind, one hand reaching around to grope her large breasts as the other held her head down.

She'd be lying if she said she'd never used her looks and charm to get out of trouble before, but she'd never had to actually do anything beyond some flirtatious looks and words. Midas wasn't going to be convinced because she'd batted her eyelashes at him, and she had promised him that she'd do anything for a chance to be a Cape.

"Gods, Emma, you're such a slut," Sophia taunted, making Emma scoff as Midas let her lift her head up.

"Look who's talking. You've been selling your ass for longer than I have," Emma countered, giving her friend a look as Sophia knelt on the bed, equally naked.

"Nah, that's different. Midas came for me, and he gets what he wants. I didn't stand a chance. You came here knowing the only thing you had worth bargaining with was your body," Sophia countered with a smirk. Midas simply pulled her against him, her smaller breasts pressed against his bare chest. Emma just grinned as Midas briefly pulled out, only to flip her onto her back before he sheathed himself inside her again.

"Girls, play nice," Midas drawled as his handsome face looked down at her. He was wearing a domino mask, but it barely covered anything, leaving most of his features on display. Midas really did have sugar daddy energy, the rich, handsome and incredibly powerful older man rewarding the younger girls he kept around.

"She started it," Emma said, acting a little bratty as he raised an eyebrow at her, giving her tit a light slap and making it jiggle.

"And I'm ending it. Sophia, sit on her face," Midas ordered, making Sophia laugh as Emma pouted. She didn't complain, even as Sophia moved on top of her. She wasn't really interested in girls, but as Sophia said, Midas got what Midas wanted.

As he continued to pound into her teenage cunt, she obediently lapped at Sophia's dripping slit, trying her best to put on a show for their boss. She wasn't unused to pleasure, having long since discovered the joys of self-pleasure and more adult toys, but she couldn't deny that Midas blew her little plastic friend out of the water as he hit spots she hadn't even known she had. Each powerful thrust sent a shudder through her body, her moans muffled by Sophia's body as her best friend sat on her face. She came first, unsurprisingly given her inexperience, and she was caught off guard as Midas pulled out of her clenching pussy.

Her surprise didn't last long as he readjusted his aim, the tip of his large cock pressing against her virgin butthole. She couldn't exactly try to stop him in her current position, and with no hesitation at all… he was back inside her. 

He pushed forward slowly, thankfully, inch after inch of his hard cock pushing into her backdoor, her own arousal lubricating his passage. 

"Keep licking, bitch," Sophia ordered, grinding her pussy against Emma's face as Emma tried to focus despite the strange fullness she was feeling. She'd been a virgin an hour ago. Now she was taking the entirety of an older man's cock into her ass. Maybe it was a test of her dedication, or maybe Midas just liked breaking teenage girls on his cock, but either way, she endured as he began to fuck her ass at a rapidly-increasing pace. Her uncomfortable grunts slowly turned to surprised moans as the small amount of pain faded and was replaced with pleasure.

Midas and Sophia kissed as they both used her body for their pleasure, and Sophia was the second to cum as her athletic body shuddered and Sophia fell to the side, having left a mess of honeyed arousal coating Emma's lower face. A part of her was disappointed they hadn't brought Madison along. The little slut would have loved this.

With Sophia lying down, she could see Midas again as he leaned down and captured her lips for himself, his hand on her breasts as he toyed with her sensitive nipples. He gripped her thighs and moved them up as he folded her in two until her ankles were above her head so he could truly begin to pound her tight anus. If this was a test, it was one she planned to pass with flying colours as she moaned and screamed in pleasure, cumming again from the rough anal fucking.

She lost track of how long he fucked her, eyes rolling back in her head from the waves of pleasure, but finally, he slammed forward and stopped moving. With a satisfied sigh, flooded her backdoor with his seed. The warmth felt weird but enjoyable as he began to pull out with a small smirk on his lips. His cock twitched, the last spurt landing on her stomach as Midas looked over his handiwork for a moment.

Then, he grabbed Sophia and tossed her on top of Emma. Their breasts rubbed against one another, hardened nipples brushing together, and Sophia immediately let out a surprised moan as Midas claimed her pussy. Emma reached around her friend, her hands groping Sophia's toned buttocks as she squeezed and spread the chocolate cheeks, a grin on her face as she captured Sophia's lips in a rough kiss.

– Later –

Dressed again, if one could call the tight golden bikini an outfit, she stood before Midas in his office with a hopeful smile. They'd all showered since, and she'd taken several loads from the crime lord, but she knew that it would take more than sex to get what she wanted.

"Sophia, I've given you the ability to drain vitality from other people. When you are in your shadow form, you can move through them, and doing so will drain their health and heal you," Midas explained, making Sophia's eyes widen in shock as she beamed. "As before, you're free to act as you please. I will be watching, but you do good work and do not need me babysitting or micromanaging your actions. I would request you focus your efforts toward the ABB for a while, the Empire is on high alert thanks to this mess with Hookwolf. Do not give them a reason to make an example of you."

"Got it," Sophia agreed, looking over to Emma briefly. "Thanks, Midas."

"Now, I'd like you to leave so I can continue discussions with Miss Barnes," Midas ordered, and Emma nodded to Sophia despite her pounding heart.

"Yeah, sure. Is this gonna take long? Should I wait downstairs for her?" Sophia asked, and Midas shook his head.

"I believe it will, yes. Once I'm done with her, I'll have my driver take Miss Barnes home," Midas promised. Sophia barely hesitated before she waved goodbye and made her retreat.

"D-did I do good, sir?" Emma asked demurely, breasts pushed out, and head bowed as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"You certainly proved your willingness to please, which is a trait I appreciate. However, you are effectively a teenage girl with extremely limited self-defence training. If you wish to truly be a cape, you will need far more than that," Midas answered, continuing before she could panic. "The rest of today will be dedicated to testing your willingness to learn and your discipline. I can provide you with the training you need to utilise whichever power you gain, but it will not be easy."

"I can do it, sir. This is the only thing I've wanted for years. You can work me as hard as you want," Emma promised, her tone a mixture of sultry and desperation.

"Then I have an offer for you. I will give you the same deal Sophia is currently enjoying. You will be a free agent whether you team up with Sophia or not, but while your cape identity will be free to act as you please, you will belong to me, Emma Barnes. You will be at my beck and call. I may never call upon you for anything more than pleasure, but make no mistake, if I want something from you, I will get it," Midas warned, and she simply nodded. She could be a hero like Sophia, but her civilian life would belong to him.

"I understand that sir," Emma agreed, her tone submissive and eager to please. He simply pulled out a contract, on black paper with golden ink. Handing it over, she read through it with the eyes of a lawyer's daughter. It was by no means legally binding, but she would essentially be signing away her freedom for power as he handed her a fancy pen. Without hesitation, she signed her name on the dotted line.

"Good girl. You're spending the night. Make an excuse for your family," Midas ordered, and she simply bowed as she searched through her clothes for her phone. Mads would cover for her, and her father wouldn't suspect anything if she said she was staying with Madison. "Now, follow me. It's time to turn you into a hero."

Despite the metaphorical shackles she'd just willingly bound herself in, his simple words made her beam as she watched him rise.

– Jin Yukimura (King Midas) –

Taking Emma to my island base, I start simple. Like Greg, I can fix her inexperience with a skillshard and the training programs, and Pump It can make her into a minor brute, but the question is what power to give her.

See, I've got a rapidly growing collection of potential powers thanks to one simple trick. I was considering having minor Capes from all over the world kidnapped and hit with the Soulkiller, but it would have drawn too much attention in a world of Thinkers… and then I realised the truth.

I didn't need to.

Noelle has gone from being an annoyance to a threat to the biggest asset I have. You see, I had a question that needed testing. What happens if I use Soulkiller on an Echidna clone? Naturally, I wasn't going to test it on one of my assets, but having one of my PMCs grab a minor cape from Africa wasn't even difficult.

The answer? The Echidna clone dies, but the original remains unharmed, and their power is unaffected by the copy. I had worried that Soulkilling the clone would kill the original as well, but my fears were unfounded.

This led to a new and exciting possibility because all of a sudden, I could Soulkill everyone and digitise their personality, memories and powers for further use. Doing this while keeping Echidna a secret has been difficult, but I've placed a reward in the League for any cape willing to take part in a study on Cape powers, including a free power upgrade once it is done. People were hesitant, but the simple fact that the first few to take me up on that offer underwent anaesthesia and came out with a lot of money and a free power upgrade without any side effects has caused more and more to accept my offer.

Echidna is my cape factory, and once she makes a clone, I simply need to knock it out instantly so I can have it implanted with my tech and wipe its personality. As for how I wipe its mind?

Well, it's safe to say Amy has fallen deep into villainy at this point. She mind-wiped Echidna itself, leaving it as a blank slate that is only capable of spewing out capes of anyone I want. Any clone I make, Amy just mindwipes instantly, leaving their brains a blank slate. Eventually, we made a clone of Amy who she wiped and made into an obedient slave to do the job for her so she could relax more. It was even her suggestion.

Well, I thought of it first but gently guided her to reach the same idea.

Anyway, once I have a power digitalised, all I have to do is alter it once I implant someone with it. That way, it is different enough to prevent people from realising that I can copy powers. I can even mix and match, making custom-built capes with a set of powers that synergise well together.

I can't just stick every power in everyone because the amount of implants required to do so gets egregious after three or so powers. It varies on the power I'm replicating, Tinker and Thinker powers require the least amount of tech so far. 

This has also led to me getting a metric ton of memories that I can play with for the sake of Braindance. Obviously, I have to have my people edit the faces and places enough to stop people from realising that they're stolen memories, but soon enough, the first Braindance club will be opening up to the public. Already, they're available within the Oriental, and they have proven to be a hit. For public release, I've had to allow the PRT to test them, but that's fine. They'll find nothing out of the ordinary, and my tech can't be replicated.

As I watch Emma run through the combat training system, I smile as the skillshard begins to kick in. Her fighting goes from flailing to something resembling combat. Going over my growing database of powers, I pick the ones I feel best fit as I custom-build Brockton Bay's newest hero.

Sophia doesn't know it, but her own power is in my system now. She fell asleep after a rigorous session with me and woke up none the wiser to having been cloned. Emma is going to be my own personal advertisement, proving that I can grant powers as well as modify them. 

Soon, gangs and PMCs all over the world will have new capes handcrafted to suit the client's needs. The League is only just getting started, while the PRT uselessly spins its wheels, buried in red tape and corruption.

— Bonus Scene — Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria)

Hookwolf was an infamous villain who had honestly been Birdcage-bound even before this happened. Many people in Brockton Bay believed that this Kill Order operation would be long and arduous, plunging the city into chaos.

Crushing his core, she watched the mass of metal blades fall to pieces with a cold expression. Kaiser had sold out his minion, giving up Hookwolf's location to the PRT in an attempt to lessen the damage this would cause the Empire.

Cricket was loyal to the Empire and Hookwolf, but she quickly threw down her weapons as Eidolon stared down at her with a blank expression.

This was never going to be any more than a swift execution, even without Kaiser handing Hookwolf over to them. His best attacks failed to even inconvenience her, and Eidolon had been overkill. A few dozen thugs were in containment foam, ready to be transported out of here but most had simply given up when she and Eidolon arrived. 

"Tell Director Piggot the kill order has been successfully carried out," Alexandria ordered, landing as she walked away from the corpse. Miss Militia simply nodded, a look of grim satisfaction on her face at the death of Hookwolf.

The extra reinforcements would hang around the city to make sure the Empire didn't act out, but she had her own reason for being here. It was time for her to finally meet Jin Yukimura face-to-face. In his Prophet facade, since she was to negotiate on behalf of the PRT for access to his power upgrading.

Eidolon practically vibrated with impatience. It had taken a lot to get him to wait this long to meet with the potential solution to his power problem, and now that he was in the same city as Jin, his already frayed patience was dwindling by the minute.