– Silas –
"Thanks for saving my dad," Taylor told Alexandria sincerely once we all got back to the Rig. It had taken a bit longer than planned, of course, because of all the crazy shit that went down at the docks. There were a lot of injured gang members to round up and arrest. A couple sweeps had to be done of the area as well, to make sure no one got away.
Of course, that was more of a formality with my senses and Taylors bug powers.
Alexandria nodded behind her mask. "I was happy to help, Weaver. You both handled yourselves extremely well out there."
"Thank you so much!"
"Of course, Weaver, you deserve it."
I shifted uncomfortably in place as I watched them interact with each other. Taylor was actually smiling brightly at Alexandria, talking to her like they were old friends. It was throwing me off my game a bit, because this wasn't at all how things had gone down in canon between these two women.
Not that anyone besides me would ever realize that, of course.
As we continued walking down the brightly lit hallways inside the Rig, excited PRT agents kept passing us by, whispering eagerly to each other.
"Did you hear? Iron Rain and Oni Lee captured in the same night! Crazy!"
"Yeah! Alexandria, Dragonborn, and Weaver totally wrecked their shit!"
"Lately, our heroes have been getting way more effective and bad ass!"
I smiled upon hearing their excited comments, feeling a bit of pride swelling in my chest.
Meanwhile, Taylor's dad Danny was hanging back a bit, walking silently near me. His expression was dark, and he kept shaking his head, muttering angrily under his breath. "I still can't fucking believe I was sleeping with a Nazi," he grumbled bitterly, voice filled with embarrassment and regret.
I glanced over at him. A mischievous grin spread across my lips under my mask as I leaned in closer. "Sooooo—like…? Was she any good in the sack at least? I hear crazy chicks are absolute freaks in bed…"
Danny stopped walking completely, eyes widening in shock, mouth dropping open slightly as he stared at me. His face flushed bright red, clearly mortified by my question. But, interestingly enough, I noticed he didn't immediately say "no."
Taylor immediately spun around to face us, her mouth hanging open in a scandalized gape. "Silas! Don't ask him that! I don't want to know those details!"
Before I could react, Alexandria surprised the hell out of me by smacking my arm firmly with the back of her gloved hand.
I jumped slightly in surprise.
"A Ward shouldn't talk like that," Alexandria said sternly.
"Hey, come on," I protested lightly, rubbing my arm that now stung a bit. "I'm just a grown man having a conversation with another grown man." I gestured toward Danny, who still looked thoroughly uncomfortable and was now looking anywhere but at me.
"I'd really rather not talk about it…" Danny muttered awkwardly, shaking his head with clear embarrassment. "Goddammit, the dockworkers are going to rip on me about this for years to come…"
I couldn't help myself. "Hehe, he said cum."
Taylor instantly smacked my other arm. Her face was flushed bright red beneath her messy curls, her eyes flashing with irritation. "It's not funny, Silas!" she snapped, stomping one foot in frustration.
"It's pretty fucking funny, Hebert." Sophia Hess appeared suddenly, casually stepping right through one of the nearby walls. She wasn't wearing her usual costume, since she'd already been outed, just street clothes that fit her casually aggressive style. I watched her strut toward us with an amused grin plastered across her face. Sophia stopped near us. "I was just taunting the Nazi bitch in her holding cell on my way over here," Sophia declared proudly. "This is officially one of the best nights ever!" Then Sophia's eyes suddenly snapped over to Alexandria. She went still, her tough-girl expression vanishing instantly, replaced by wide-eyed excitement. Her mouth hung open slightly, and I almost laughed at the sudden fan-girl energy she radiated. "Oh my god—Alexandria! Hi!" Sophia practically squealed, voice pitching up awkwardly in excitement. "I'm Sophia Hess—I mean, I'm Shadow Stalker. I'm such a huge fan! You're seriously badass!"
Alexandria paused, turning slightly to look down at Sophia. "That's nice," Alexandria said flatly, voice dripping with boredom.
Sophia's excited smile immediately faltered, her eyes widening slightly in surprise and embarrassment at the dismissive tone. "Wha—?"
Without another word to her, Alexandria turned toward me. "Silas, could we have a bit of a chat privately?"
I felt a bit bad for seeing the crestfallen look on Sophia's face. "Sure thing…?" I said. Also feeling a bit nervous that I was once again gonna be in a private room with Alexandria. So far my image of her—was not adding up to what I'd been expecting though.
As I started to follow Alexandria down the hallway, I overheard Taylor snort behind us. "See that, Sophia? Looks like your favorite hero doesn't actually like you."
"Shut the fuck up, Hebert!" Sophia snapped, her embarrassment quickly shifting into anger. "She doesn't like you any better!"
Taylor scoffed loudly, "Oh yeah she does! Did Alexandria even look at you? She literally saved my dad!"
"Well at least my dad doesn't fuck Nazis!"
"Yeah? At least I actually have a dad, Sophia!"
"Fuck you, Hebert!"
"No, fuck you, Hess!"
As the argument exploded behind us, Alexandria noticeably sped up her walking pace, clearly eager to get away from the escalating shouting match.
—
Alexandria settled herself gracefully onto the plush black couch in one of the Rig's private offices, crossing her legs comfortably. "You know, Silas," she started, "you're really going to have your hands full if you're serious about making a harem with those two girls at the same time…"
My eyes immediately widened, and I nearly choked on my own spit, sputtering helplessly from the chair across from her. Heat rushed to my face, and I ran a hand nervously through my hair, completely caught off guard. "A—a harem?" I finally managed to gasp out, blinking rapidly. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Okay, sure, a bunch of girls seemed interested in me lately, but it wasn't like I was actively trying to build some kind of harem! I mean, seriously, it was just... sort of happening. My mind spun as I struggled to understand how this had become a topic Alexandria, of all people, wanted to discuss with me.
Is this why she pulled me into a private room? I thought she'd wanna talk about Iron Rain or possibly invite me into the Illuminati!? Something else!
Alexandria tilted her masked head slightly. Then she let out a quiet sound, something so unexpected from someone usually so serious and commanding. It was… a giggle. Alexandria, the legendary Alexandria herself, giggling. It threw me off completely, leaving me staring at her in confusion.
"Oh, relax, Silas," she said softly. "I'm definitely not judging you. Especially not in a world as dangerous as ours. Most heroes don't even expect to survive past their twenties or thirties."
I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure, though my heart was still pounding awkwardly in my chest. "Uh… yeah, I guess that's true…" I murmured uncertainly, still feeling blindsided.
She leaned forward a little, resting her elbows casually on her knees, her voice dropping slightly as she spoke again, sounding genuinely sincere. "Listen, you're doing good work out there. Important work. So you should live your downtime however you want, and not let anyone else's dumb opinions stop you from doing that."
My eyebrows shot up under my mask, and I paused, staring blankly at her for several seconds as her words sank in. Did Alexandria just actually… encourage me to have a harem? Was this real life? Or had I seriously hit my head way harder than I thought tonight?
I shook my head slightly, baffled and oddly amused. "So… wait," I began slowly, trying not to laugh nervously. "You, Alexandria—are telling me it's okay if I end up with, like, multiple girlfriends? Isn't that gonna be bad for publicity?"
"I'm saying life's too short to worry about what anyone else thinks," she explained smoothly. "As long as everyone's on board, what's the harm?"
I shifted nervously in my seat, feeling my cheeks heat up. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I decided to quickly change the subject before things got any weirder. "So, um...is this really all you wanted to talk to me about?"
Alexandria let out another soft chuckle, taking her hands off her knees and once again leaning back casually against the couch cushions. I noticed she crossed one leg over the other again.
Damn, she had some toned thighs up close under that costume.
And oh crap, did she just catch me staring. Damn my dragon hormones were making me even check out members of the Illuminati now. Fuck, I think I really needed to get laid...
– Amy –
Far away across the city ...Amy was in the middle of getting ready for bed after a very cold shower. For some reason, she felt the urge to smack Silas the next time she saw him!
– Silas again –
"...As fascinating as an eighteen-year-old's anime-style love life is, Silas, no, that actually wasn't the main point of our conversation."
"Then…what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked.
Her playful demeanor faded slightly, her voice taking on a more serious and cautionary tone. "I wanted to talk to you about your decision to publicly out Iron Rain tonight. That was... Not a good move," She said after trailing off and pausing for a moment.
I straightened slightly. "I thought it was a good thing. You know, everyone should know who she really is, right? We caught her too."
"You're not wrong about that. But the Empire won't take kindly to having their Empress publicly humiliated and captured like that. You just escalated things dramatically. And then there's the fact that everyone knows Iron Rain and Kaiser are siblings even though no one knew who they were under the Nazi masks. You didn't just out one cape, you outed TWO of them tonight. The empire will retaliate in force..."
"Oh…shit." Were a bunch of deaths going to be on my head for a single comment? What was I supposed to do? Keep my mouth shut and let Taylor's dad keep fucking the evil leader of the Nazis? How was Kaiser going to retaliate? Shouldn't we go attack him right now then?
Alexandria must have seen the troubled look on my face, because she leaned forward slightly again, her voice gentle and reassuring as she spoke. "Listen, Silas. All new heroes make mistakes. It comes with the territory. Hell, even I...I've made so many mistakes myself." Her voice became softer, quieter, almost fragile. It was strange hearing Alexandria sound vulnerable, even sad. Her mask turned slightly, facing away from me and staring blankly at the far wall.
Without even thinking about what I was doing, I suddenly stood up, my feet moving automatically toward her. My heart was pounding, but my brain was completely fogged over as if I had no control. Before I knew it, I was standing beside her, gently wrapping my arms around her shoulders in an impulsive hug.
She stiffened instantly, and to my shock, I heard a tiny squeak of surprise escape from behind her normally imposing mask. My senses snapped back instantly, and a wave of panic flooded through me.
Oh god, what the hell had I just done?
My face flushed with embarrassment and I quickly started stammering, "I—I'm sorry, Alexandria. I didn't mean—"
But before I could pull away, I felt her grip tighten, her arms suddenly wrapping firmly around me, holding me close. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Don't. Can we just stay like this for a moment? It's...nice."
My heart skipped a beat at her words. This was really dumb and insane but all I could do was go with it. "Yeah, of course. As long as you need..."
—
I quietly stepped out of the room first, gently closing the door behind me. Alexandria stayed seated, her posture slumped slightly as if carrying a heavy invisible weight. Even though I couldn't see her expression behind that mask, the tension in her shoulders and the way she held herself made it clear she needed some space to gather her thoughts.
My mind buzzed with disbelief as I stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the door I'd just closed. That had definitely been one of the experiences I'd ever had.
Actually... It was kind of nice? Who would've thought I'd see such a soft and vulnerable side to Alexandria—the formidable right-hand woman of the illuminati and this world's most feared boogeywoman. I doubted anyone else had ever witnessed what I just did. Or if they did, then they were dead...
Still lost in my thoughts, I barely registered Miss Militia calling out to me. "Silas, there you are!"
I waved back at her as she signalled me to follow her next.
I had a sneaking feeling I was about to have another deep, heart-to-heart conversation with yet another experienced heroine tonight. Following Miss Militia, I climbed the stairs up to the roof of the Rig. As we stepped out onto the rooftop, a cool ocean breeze immediately brushed past us, making her long dark hair ripple slightly around her shoulders.
She walked to the edge of the railing, leaning against it quietly for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Then she did something I wasn't expecting at all. Miss Militia reached up slowly and gently tugged down the dark green bandana that always hid her lower face, revealing her features to me for the first time.
She just unmasked!
I froze in surprise, my breath catching in my throat as I stared. Her features were strong yet gentle, with softly curved lips and high, elegant cheekbones. Holy shit—Miss Militia was seriously beautiful, and suddenly it was hard to remember exactly what I was supposed to say next.
I'm glad she spoke first.
Miss Militia took a slow, deep breath before turning toward me, her eyes gentle and filled with concern. "Silas, I'm really sorry," she said suddenly, catching me off guard. Her voice was quiet, sincere, carrying just a hint of regret.
I blinked, confused for a moment. "Wait... sorry for what exactly?"
She sighed softly, leaning against the railing as she looked away, out over the shimmering ocean water. "For the last time we talked. I think—I might have overreacted," she admitted slowly. "Assigning you Console duty with Vista like that, I realize now it was rash. Because of that, I almost ended up losing both of you..."
I smiled softly, quickly shaking my head. She was apologizing for that? "Hah, I've honestly already forgotten about that." I waved her off. "It didn't even bother me in the first place," I reassured her gently. "Besides, you know how my powers work. They're gonna end up spiriting me away regardless of where I am or what I'm doing. Hopefully it doesn't happen while I'm on the toilet or something..."
Miss Militia chuckled quietly, a relieved expression crossing her face. "I suppose that's true," she agreed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her gaze softened again as she looked down at her hands. "I never expected being in charge of the Wards would make me worry so much all the time. Damn Armsmaster for passing the responsibility onto me," she joked lightly, her tone playful even though I could tell she didn't genuinely blame him.
Miss Militia suddenly turned toward me again, her expression becoming more nervous than before. A cute blush tinted her cheeks, visible even under the dim glow of the rooftop lights. She fidgeted in place, gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles turned slightly white.
"Silas, I—um, I owe you another apology," she began hesitantly.
I chuckled lightly, both amused and curious. "Wait, another apology? What's this one for now?"
She bit her lower lip for a moment, eyes flicking up to meet mine briefly before darting away. Taking a deep breath, she muttered softly to herself, "Oh, to hell with it," and straightened up, facing me fully. "Do you remember the first time I drove you to Brockton Bay High? You rode behind me on my motorcycle," she began, her voice quiet but steady.
Instantly, my face felt hot, remembering exactly what she was talking about. "Uh, yep," I admitted awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck and shifting my weight. "Definitely remember that."
Miss Militia blushed even harder, clearing her throat softly. "Well, I could—obviously—tell you were, um, aroused while holding onto me."
I winced slightly, embarrassment burning through me. I wondered anxiously where she was heading with this.
She continued hesitantly, her gaze fixed firmly on the railing between her fingers. "The truth is, it had been a long time—a couple of years actually—since I'd been with anyone. And honestly, riding together like that... it had gotten me very aroused too."
My eyes widened in surprise, and my pulse jumped nervously. "Wait, what?"
Miss Militia quickly rushed on, clearly uncomfortable but determined to speak. "But with me being in charge of the Wards, it felt incredibly inappropriate—even though you're technically an adult. So instead of talking about it openly or handling it properly, I avoided you. And because of that, I didn't mentor you the way I should have, the way I've always mentored the other Wards... You've been pretty much sent out on patrols over and over again with no training."
I mean, she wasn't wrong about that. "It's not really a big deal," I replied.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, the tension visibly easing after finally confessing. "It is a big deal, and I could have handled it better. I know that we're both adults and people have normal reactions like that all the time..."
I smirked slightly, deciding to push my luck with a bold question. Leaning casually against the railing, I looked at her with an innocent expression. "You know, my ghost bike got blown to hell by Oni Lee, and it's probably gonna take a couple days to fully repair itself. Think you might give me another ride on your bike tomorrow morning?"
Miss Militia's eyes widened slightly in surprise, her cheeks flushing an adorable shade of pink that was very visible under the soft rooftop lighting. She quickly turned her gaze away from me, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "I... suppose that could be arranged," she murmured softly, clearly flustered by my forwardness.
My grin widened at her cute reaction. I hadn't expected her to agree so readily. "Great! Looking forward to it," I replied smoothly.
She shook her head lightly, a fond smile still playing on her lips as she turned fully back to me, regaining some of her usual professionalism. "But now, Silas, you really should get some sleep. It's already late, and after the night you've had, you definitely need rest." Her voice grew firmer, but still held an affectionate undertone.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I admitted with a soft sigh, realizing how tired I actually was.
She nodded in approval. "I still need to go speak with Taylor and her father, anyway," she continued, her expression growing thoughtful. "And then I need to make sure Sophia doesn't spend the entire night taunting Iron Rain in her cell."
I snorted a laugh at that, easily picturing Sophia heckling the captured Nazi relentlessly all night long. "Heh, yeah. Good luck with that."
– Simurgh –
The unit designated as the Simurgh by the primitive beings on the frail blue planet below felt an unusual sensation. Confusion? The Simurgh always meticulously planned every move and reaction of those pathetic, easily manipulated humans. Her intricate schemes numbered in the millions, each one carefully crafted to maximize the combat data she could extract from humanity's desperate struggles.
If the so-called great thinkers and strategists of Earth truly understood the scope of her influence and foresight, they would likely fall into madness from sheer terror and despair. Yet now, an inexplicable sense of dread disturbed her carefully calculated thoughts. It was a strange and unwelcome feeling, as though something below had subtly shifted, becoming dangerous in a way she couldn't precisely identify or anticipate.
The Simurgh reached out with her mind, peering deep into the threads of the planet's possible futures. But no matter how many times she searched, no scenario emerged showing herself or her Endbringer siblings facing defeat. Even so, that nagging feeling of imminent danger persisted, like a constant whisper at the edge of her awareness. Like a threat was growing that she was not aware of.
Was this anomaly a flaw buried somewhere deep within her own vast coding? Or was there something truly unexpected lurking down there among the feeble, insignificant humans?
With an almost irritated curiosity, she resolved to investigate the anomaly firsthand. Her siblings, Behemoth and Leviathan, had already taken their turns these past months, unleashing devastation and chaos upon the humans. Next, it would once again be her turn to descend and dance once more among the screaming humans, unraveling their minds and cities alike.
Soon enough, she'd uncover the source of her discomfort, and if necessary, erase it completely along with another pathetic human city...
XXX
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