30 The Pure

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 Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu, Mike God of Lore, Beans

The Guild of Gamers: The Supervillain

Chapter 25: The Pure

– Kayden Anders (Purity) –

With her arms tied to the headboard, she glared as Coil entered the room. Her last few days had been torturous, with Coil taking pleasure in punishing her for her failure to kill Midas. She genuinely feared she was pregnant again, given his refusal to pull out of her when he was taking his pleasure from her body.

She could free herself, of course, but as long as he had Aster, she was helpless against him. He knew it as well, taking pride in her compliance.

"Ah, so welcoming, Mrs Anders," Coil taunted, intensifying her glare. "But that's not why I'm here today."

"...it's time, then?" Kayden realised, making him nod. 

"Kaiser is going to be giving a speech to his men today. He does like to talk. You will kill him while he is blustering to his yes-men," Coil explained. The twins would be with him; they always were when Max delivered one of his speeches.

She might not be able to hold back enough to stop herself from killing them as well if she wanted to be sure. She actually liked the twins, even if they were her ex-husband's mistresses, but for Aster, she'd kill them both without batting an eye.

"And then I'm free to go? With Aster?" Kayden asked, making Coil nod easily.

"Go and leave this city. Never to return because you are no longer welcome in my territory," Coil warned, but she already planned to get far from here. Not that she could stay after she killed Max. She'd be public enemy number one, with the Empire hunting her down.

She'd have to drop her Purity persona entirely and hope the Empire were too badly wounded to chase her as Kayden. The Unwritten Rules wouldn't protect her from them, not after she killed Max.

"Fine. Untie me then; I can't attack Kaiser tied to a bed," Kayden spat, making him chuckle, running his hand up her leg as she shuddered in anger and disgust.

"Too true, but Kaiser's speech isn't for a few hours yet, and I have to admit I might even miss you when our business is concluded," Coil said, the smirk obvious in his voice even with his face covered. 

Untying her, she rubbed her wrists with a glare, the rope-burns stinging. 

"Get on your hands and knees; we have time to kill before it is time to kill," Coil said, making her roll her eyes at his self-satisfaction, even as she obeyed. "Good girl."

Gripping the sheets, she reminded herself that she was almost free. Just a few more hours until she could be reunited with her daughter. If Coil tried anything, she'd expose his actions, the kidnapping and blackmail; the Unwritten Rules only protected those who followed them, after all. Hookwolf and Lung might get away with breaking them, but Coil's secrecy and goons wouldn't be enough to save him.

Biting down on the sheets as her face was pushed into them, she grunted from his thrusting into her again, rage and hatred filling her. Once Aster was safe, she might just come back and kill Coil herself. 

But for now, she had to obey.

– Max Anders (Kaiser) –

The loss of Hookwolf and their failure to drive Poison Ivy out of their territory was the start of their issues, but hardly the end. Midas' meteoric rise gave them another serious rival instead of the trash that was the Merchants. The formation of the League meant there were some serious Capes just hanging around, ready to be called on by Midas if they actually pushed into his rapidly improving territory.

The defeat of Lung was a good thing, but even with having his power changed by Prophet, he had managed to drive them away from his territory. Lung now grew much faster to rival the strongest threat, which was unfortunately him. It capped his growth, but Lung had still managed to drive him away when they'd tried to capitalise on the ABB's defeat at the hands of Prophet and the Birds of Prey.

They hadn't had any real wins since Midas had arrived, and it was hurting morale to the point that Purity's attack on Syndicate territory had caused some deserters. People feared Midas was going to attack them in return and didn't believe that the Empire could prevail. Even his capes were worried, because his moles in the PRT had found out just what Prophet's power was.

If Prophet could weaken powers like he had with Lung, then so could his brother. His capes were worried that a single touch from Midas would ruin their power, while Syndicate capes were only growing stronger.

In truth, he shared that fear. His attempts to get in contact with Midas had failed. Midas had gone to ground after Purity's attempt on his life; no one knew what Midas was planning, and it genuinely scared him. Of course, he couldn't get into contact with Kayden either, which was equally worrying. What was she playing at? This wasn't like her; someone was pulling her strings.

But he couldn't show his fear, as he gave a speech he didn't believe about the Empire's superiority. He didn't like exposing himself like this, but he needed to show face to the men.

His true power had always been his skill with words; it was what had gotten him where he was today. Continuing his speech, he froze as he saw a bright light approaching from up high.

They all looked up, his blood running cold as Purity stared down at him, her features hidden but her posture aggressive. The strongest blaster in the Bay powered up as he went to call out to her, making his heart pound as he watched her unleash an attack without a word.

Directly at him.

His mind raced, but Purity had not held back as she unleashed her blast at full power. Time almost seemed to move in slow motion as he watched the beam of death approach. He couldn't get out of the blast, the Twins couldn't withstand the attack, and his power couldn't protect him.

He let out a strangled shout, but to his shock and utter relief, he watched a violet barrier form in the air. Purity's blast struck it, causing an explosion in mid-air; Purity was clearly surprised as she looked around for who had saved him.

He did the same; that wasn't one of his capes. His eyes locked on the woman in a black and pink revealing outfit floating in the air, hand extended. Star Sapphire?

A League member had saved him?!

The surprises continued as a second figure crashed into Purity, his eyes wide as he watched Blackfire engage Purity in a brutal battle. Blackfire was one of the strongest Blasters around, something she'd proven when Lung had tried to forcibly recruit her, and right now, she was engaged in a vicious aerial battle with Purity.

Star Sapphire stayed out of it, her purpose clear as Purity made a second desperate attack against him, Star Sapphire immediately blocking it again.

His men scattered, knowing that a single stray shot could kill dozens of them, and he knew he had to do the same. 

Because today wasn't surprising enough, an armoured car drove onto the scene, the door opening.

"Oi, get in," someone shouted. After sharing a look with the Twins, they nodded, and all three scrambled for the car. Getting in, the doors closed, and he looked towards his saviour.

"Squealer?" Kaiser asked, making her shake her head.

"Not anymore; I go by Overdrive now," Overdrive replied, looking up at the fighting blasters before she put her foot down and started driving, swerving as Purity tried to simply fly down and attack them up close. 

Blackfire struck her again, but as they turned a corner and Overdrive pressed something on her console, the car seemed to shimmer, and Purity threw a desperate blast at them that missed by a mile.

Huh, so that was what Squealer's cloaking tech looked like from the other side.

"Where are you taking us?" Fenja asked, making Overdrive snort.

"Away from the crazy fucking Blasters, this baby is armoured, but we could take maybe one hit from those overpowered bastards," Overdrive scoffed. "After we get away? You've got a meeting; the Boss wants to see you."

Midas.

His saviour. Midas had arranged for him to be protected from Purity's attack. He was missing something, and it was driving him mad, but he didn't show it.

Giving the twins a look, he straightened up as they left the danger. 

"To the Oriental, then?" Kaiser guessed, making their driver nod easily.

"The Boss is waiting for you," Overdrive agreed. He hated dealing with anyone from a weaker position, but it was unavoidable. Midas had saved his life and now had him by the balls.

Settling in for the smooth drive, his mind raced as he planned out how to go about this meeting.

– Kayden Anders (Purity) –

No, no, no, no, no. 

She'd failed again. These bitches had interfered, and Max had survived, out of her sight in one of Squealer's cars. What would happen to Aster once Coil heard about this?!

Violet chains formed around her, giving the flying brick a chance to punch her directly in the face, Blackfire laying the beatdown on her as Purity desperately blasted her away.

Breaking the chains, she let out a frustrated growl. Why could nothing go her way? The pair circled her, both powerful capes in their own right, but as something struck her neck, she gasped.

The pair just smirked as her vision blurred, her hand swiping at the tiny needle she had been shot with. Looking around desperately, she spotted a figure in black and orange putting his rifle back on his back, a single eye watching her as she started to fall, someone catching her before she could hit the ground.

– Max Anders (Kaiser) –

Being led into the luxurious meeting room, he spotted Midas looking out of the window at the city, a glass in his hand.

"You know, this isn't how I pictured our first meeting, Kaiser," Midas admitted, sipping his drink as he gestured for them to sit. He didn't, choosing to remain standing. "Would you care for a drink?"

"I have to say the same; it's a pleasure to see Brockton Bay's rising star in the flesh, Midas," Kaiser said imperiously, walking towards him. The twins flanked him, but Midas was alone. "And I will pass, but thank you for the offer."

He didn't seem to find that fact worrying, a small smile on his face.

"Allow me to be blunt. You saved my life despite us being enemies; why?" Kaiser asked, deciding that bluntness was his best course of action against a social thinker. 

"Isn't it obvious? Sometimes I forget that others don't see the big picture," Midas said, lips twitching. "Do you know why I prioritised securing and reinforcing my territory once I took down the Merchants? We both know I could have gone on the offensive, pushing into your territory while I had the element of surprise."

"To stop the Empire or ABB from moving in," Kaiser replied, making him chuckle.

"I'm afraid not; neither of you were in a position to make a move and couldn't expose your flanks to the other," Midas replied. "I did it to stop anyone else from moving in, seeing weakness. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does the criminal underworld; if there were any opening, another gang would have taken it. I didn't fear you. I feared the Teeth or some other organisation would use my moves as an opening to try and take a chunk of Brockton for themselves. I could deal with it, of course, but it would be a frustrating setback."

"My death would do the same," Kaiser realised, making him smile.

"Now you're getting it. Who would take your place? Krieg, perhaps, but that would be the equivalent of just handing the entire gang to the Gesellschaft, Victor? No, he's a good right-hand man, but not a leader. Hookwolf is busy being Ivy's pet dog, and with no strong leadership, the Empire would fall to pieces," Midas stated, making him nod. He wasn't wrong; he had no true successor. "Lung would attack, of course, but the mayhem would invite all sorts of opportunistic vultures hoping to take your place. The Teeth, foreign gangs hoping to use Brockton as a staging ground, it would be utter pandemonium, and I detest chaos. You are my rival, one of them anyway, but make no mistake. You're more useful to me alive."

"How did you know Kaiser was in danger?" Menja asked, getting Midas' attention.

"Because I'm a very talented man. After Purity levelled one of my bases and killed one of my body doubles, I got to work. Unravelling this mystery barely took me an hour," Midas replied with a scoff. "Coil does have an overly high opinion of himself, doesn't he?"

And there it was, the one who profited from a war between the Syndicate and Empire. Coil liked to pretend he was small-time, but this had him all over it.

"Why would Purity work for Coil?" Fenja asked; they both served well by asking the questions he didn't want to admit he needed to ask.

"Because Coil kidnapped Aster, but I imagine you already worked that out, Max?" Midas asked, his blood freezing.

"I suspected. Only Aster would be enough to make her act like this, and both have been missing for a while. At first, I thought she'd just fled the city," Kaiser admitted, giving him a stern look. "Should I ask how you know my name?"

"I learnt your name the same way I learnt every Empire cape's name. You may have heard, but I recruited the Undersiders. They secretly worked for Coil before, Tattletale in particular doing so under duress. He made her use her powers to learn your identities, something she informed me of when I stole her from him," Midas explained, Kaiser's fists clenching. 

Coil had been planning this for a long time.

"Fear not, I have great respect for the Unwritten Rules," Midas said, reaching up and taking off his mask. "My brother has made my identity something of an open secret, but I will keep your civilian names secret and have no desire to weaponise them. I have standards after all."

"Wait, Prophet broke the Unwritten Rules?" Menja asked, making him shake his head.

"He told people that we were twins, then exposed his own identity. Technically, he has not done anything wrong, as there is no rule against exposing his own identity. He always did think he was clever," Midas scoffed. "As the heroes will learn in time, Jin is a backstabbing little shit. I almost pity those putting their trust in him."

"If he tries anything with us-" Menja started, but he cut her off.

"Prophet will learn the consequences of his actions, but he will learn them from me. I will deal with my brother with my own hand. Harm him, and you'll wish Coil had succeeded in killing you," Midas warned, a dark look crossing his face.

"Family will always be a soft spot, even for people in our positions," Kaiser agreed, making Midas snort.

"Jin is a little shit, who is only playing at being a hero because he is obsessed with beating me, but he is still my brother. If he targets the Empire, feel free to bloody his nose a little, but if he dies or is grievously wounded by the Empire, it will be war," Midas said, waving his hand. "But the copycat isn't the cause of our meeting, is he?"

"Why would Coil think this is a smart plan, surely he realises he is just handing the ABB the city?" Kaiser asked, making Midas shake his head.

"Before, perhaps. But Lung's changed power means the best counter for him would be a well-trained squad of mercenaries armed with Tinkertech weapons; he will only grow a limited amount when there are no capes around. Coil believes his men can take down the dragon now, and he no doubt thinks he can drive off any other attackers. Given his own breaches of the unwritten rules, I feel no guilt in telling you that he is Thomas Calvert, former PRT special forces and now a consultant. He's been using his position to utterly compromise the local PRT and would have manipulated them into driving away threats," Midas answered, making him frown deeply. "I suspect he intended to use the chaos to have Piggot replaced, worming his way into the seat himself with his blackmail and connections, then he'd control the heroes as the Director and the villains as Coil. An admittedly intelligent plan, but he executed it poorly. My resistance to Thinker powers caused him to falter and misstep."

 "He must die for this," Kaiser said, pausing as Midas held up a hand.

"Just a moment, our final guest has arrived," Midas said, the door opening and Kayden being pushed in with Blackfire behind her.

"Hello, Mrs Anders. Oh, stop that. Do you really think I'd be standing here if there was a chance you could actually kill me? Not that Coil ever planned to return Aster to you," Midas scoffed, making Kayden's eyes widen as she paled. "Be a good girl and behave; you've caused more than enough trouble as it is. That will be all, Blackfire, thank you."

"Got it. This was fun," Blackfire said with a sultry smirk. "I'll be in the bar. You still have to pay up."

Of course, Coil wouldn't let one of the strongest blasters in America leave; anyone with a brain could tell that.

"You-" Kayden started before she slummed forwards. "I had to! He was threatening to kill Aster."

"Oh, I know. Of course, the moment he didn't need you anymore, he'd have had you killed. He'd not leave such a powerful blaster alive when they had such a grudge against him," Midas agreed.

"I- what's going to happen to Aster? I failed twice," Kayden said, her tone despondent.

"Nothing, Aster will be fine," Midas replied, making her look up. "Coil won't kill her because she serves as a shield against you. Between Aster and him knowing your identities, the Empire has no real capability to go on the offensive, but I have no such weakness."

"You're going to save Aster. Why?" Fenja asked, making Midas smile. "And how?"

"Because you'll owe me for it, naturally. You are correct, Kaiser. Coil needs to die for this; the Unwritten rules only protect those who follow them. His protection has been, by his own hand, revoked," Midas agreed, making him nod. "He is a threat, a snake in the grass, waiting to strike again if left to slink away. I plan to deal with him before he can inconvenience me again. As for how? The moment Kayden here turned my favourite decoy base into a crater, I got to work planning my revenge. I know where Coil is hiding; my little defector was able to work out where he is holding Aster. I planned to liberate her as it was; having Purity blowing up my bases was mildly aggravating after all, and removing his leverage would fix that."

"What do you want for it?" Kaiser asked, making Midas chuckle.

"I'm glad we understand each other, but don't look so grim. I have an offer for you, one that benefits you as much as it does me," Midas replied, clicking his fingers as the table in the middle of the room lit up with a map of Brockton Bay.

The different gang turf was clearly outlined, and Midas gestured, making part of the Empire territory on the edge of Syndicate turf highlighted. He couldn't remember anything noteworthy in that part of his territory beyond the Botanical Gardens that Ivy had claimed as her domain.

"I want this territory, but in exchange, I will negotiate with Poison Ivy for the release of Hookwolf on some conditions," Midas explained, making him raise an eyebrow. "Starting with you agreeing not to pursue vengeance against Ivy. You did start it, after all."

"Name them," Kaiser stated; getting Brad back would be a godsend, but he didn't show it.

If Ivy wasn't in his territory and didn't have Hookwolf, he'd be happy to wash his hands clean of her. She had too much protection through the League to be worth trying to forcibly recruit.

"Firstly, an end to the dog fights, with the dogs being handed over to my men," Midas said, making Kaiser raise an eyebrow. "I dislike pointless animal abuse, and this will secure Bitch's loyalty to me. Hookwolf's pit fights can stay, but the animal fights stop."

"Ah, the former Undersider? I remember Hookwolf complaining about her. Done," Kaiser agreed. "They aren't profitable enough to be worth it, and they're a stain on our reputation anyway. What else?"

Stopping the dog fights was nothing, aside from listening to Brad whine. They were just a monument to his cruelty and certainly weren't worth a fight with the empowered Bitch.

"Rein him in. Hookwolf is a brute; I won't tolerate his wanton murder in my city. If you cannot keep him under control, I will place a bounty on his head to the League. We both know he's close to being Birdcaged for his crimes," Midas ordered, causing him to frown for just a moment.

"Done, I've allowed him too much slack of late and look where it got him," Kaiser agreed. If Brad couldn't shape up, he could always trade Hookwolf to the Gesellschaft for a new tamed cape; they'd train Hookwolf like they did Night and Fog. "What else?"

"Finally, a one-year non-aggression pact between the Empire and Syndicate. You stay in your territory, and I will stay in mine," Midas offered, making him nod. That was all he wanted?

"There's something you aren't telling me," Kaiser said, making Midas chuckle.

"As it happens, I have another offer for you. Two, actually. Coil is an inconvenience, but now that he has been pulled into the light, he won't survive for long. We both know he isn't the main issue we face," Midas said, causing him to narrow his eyes.

"The ABB," Kaiser said, getting a nod from Midas.

"Do you know why we are having this conversation?" Midas asked, not waiting for an answer. "It's because you don't actually believe all the tripe you spew at your men. We're not so different, Kaiser; we have standards. Lung does not. He is a brute who rules through fear, and his gang are a blight on the city."

Midas scowled as he looked out over the city once more.

"We all sell sex, but where you and I have brothels, the ABB has sexual slavery. Just one example of the ABB's depravity. They have no class, no structure; they're more like dozens of barely controlled gangs doing whatever they want as long as they give the dragon his cut," Midas scoffed. "We are stuck in this three-way stalemate because if the Syndicate attacks them, the Empire will exploit the opening. If the Empire attacks them, I will exploit that weakness. What I am offering is an alliance to change the face of Brockton Bay once Coil is dealt with and Aster is returned home," Midas explained, making Kaiser straighten up. "We can avoid leaving an opening for any other gang to move in. We can decide right here and now which gang will take which part of the ABB territory, claiming it the moment the ABB have been dealt with. We can strike hard and fast, leaving the PRT and other gangs no opportunity to take advantage of our distraction. After that, we'll have our one year of peace to solidify our control over our new territory."

A city with no Lung? 

"And after that year?" Kaiser asked, making Midas smirk.

"May the best gang win," Midas simply replied, toasting him with his drink. Midas wasn't pretending that they were allies; they were still rivals. 

Looking over the map, his mind raced a mile a minute as he considered the offer. How would the power balance change when there were only three factions in the city? The Empire, the Syndicate and the PRT.

Well, and the allegedly-neutral League.

"You should know, the Brockton Bay Protectorate has more heroes headed this way. The League has made them nervous; I make them nervous. I do believe this may be our best chance before the good guys have more firepower," Midas claimed, making him hum.

After driving out the ABB, morale would be at an all-time high. He would be able to get more reinforcements from the Herren Clan and the Gesellschaft, and he'd have a full year to build up for a potential war with the Syndicate. The PRT would truly struggle if the two major villain factions had a peace treaty for a year; they didn't have the firepower to handle the complete focus of both the Syndicate and Empire, even with reinforcements. No other gang would be able to form or move in, not when they'd get immediate attention from both major powers.

But Midas would continue powering up his capes for the entire year, which was the major threat. How strong would his capes be by the end of the year? Midas himself had to be some kind of Trump with the variety of powers shown.

"I want access to the League. You claim it is neutral, and the League does business with other gangs," Kaiser demanded, raising Midas's eyebrows.

"You already have access; you simply never utilised it. The Oriental is neutral ground for all villains; simply send someone, and our services are open to you, for a price, naturally," Midas replied easily. "We are focused on independent villains, true, but the League does not turn down clients who have not earned our ire."

Somehow, he didn't believe that the League services had been available to the Empire before, but he had no way of disproving it either.

"You said you had two offers?" Kaiser said, buying time to consider the massive offer in front of him.

"A smaller one, I would like to buy the services of one of your capes," Midas said, getting his attention. "Specifically, I'd like to hire Rune."

Rune was useful for transport, but she wasn't that powerful.

"May I ask what for?" Kaiser asked, watching as Midas grinned in response.

"I take it you heard of Armsmaster's new rival?" Midas asked, making him snort.

"Imp, was it?" Kaiser asked, getting a nod.

"Imp is the leader of the Imps, a new gang of delinquent teenagers I am sponsoring. Their entire purpose is simple: to waste PRT resources and tie up the Wards. The PRT Ward program is a worrying one; they actually fight Villains, unlike in other cities, and they have some heavy hitters. Vista, Incrediboy, the newly debuted Weaver, not to mention their attempts to recruit Starfire. I intend to make sure those powerful capes are stuck dealing with juvenile crimes," Midas explained, and Kaiser could see the value. 

He wasn't wrong; the Brockton Bay wards were far more experienced than any other Ward team, and they had some very powerful members. Taking them off the board would only help.

"And you want Rune for this team?" Kaiser asked. Midas nodded, smiling slightly.

"I want to keep the 'teenage' villains in one place, only doing juvenile crimes and mostly staying out of danger. It will serve as a powerful PR weapon when our youths are spray-painting graffiti and joy-riding while the PRT sends theirs into actual battle. I'm working on getting the Youth Guard to limit what crimes the Wards can respond to, but this would help considerably. Rune is the only other clearly teenage cape, though Othala is close. The ABB has some, but they will be dealt with soon enough, one way or another," Midas explained. "My offer is this: I want Rune to join the Imps for a year. Specifically, until the end of our peace agreement, in exchange, I will empower her as often as I can while she is with them, and I will empower one Empire cape of your choice when she joins, another six months in and one final one when she leaves."

So he wouldn't lose Rune's services for the inevitable fight with the Syndicate, though he suspected Midas planned to try and turn Rune during the year. He doubted that a Herren Clan member would be so eager to switch sides, but it wasn't impossible.

Three upgrades for the Empire and several upgrades for Rune herself. As long as he could ensure she didn't switch sides, that would be a major boon to the Empire for very little. 

"I can agree to that; embarrassing our noble heroes is always a worthy goal," Kaiser agreed. He had ways to make sure Tammi didn't forget her true loyalties. "As for your other offer, I believe we can work together, but I won't agree to anything until Aster has been returned to me."

"Naturally, I already have people on the task. Coil will pay for his actions, that I can promise you," Midas promised, smiling at him as he offered his hand.

Kaiser took it, the two true crime lords of Brockton Bay shaking hands.

– Jin Yukimura (Coil) –

Inheriting Coil's empire, small as it is, has some downsides. I've already absorbed all his moles, backdoors, and blackmail material into my intel network; his mercenaries have been relocated out of the city and replaced with my own men. 

But some of the mess he had on his hands isn't easily dealt with, starting with the two drug-addled pre-teen girls in his basement. Firstly, Eri. She's a child capable of rewinding people to an earlier state. Coil had plans to use her to make bullets capable of rewinding people to their pre-triggered state for annoying capes that would be problematic to just kill. Eri is probably around seven or eight; Coil stole her from a small Yakuza faction and eliminated everyone who knew about her power.

And Dinah, a powerful pre-cog who can predict the probability of anything. I can see why Coil took the risks in capturing her. She's eleven, and also the niece of the Mayor of Brockton Bay. I heard she'd been killed in a freak accident; Coil faked her death to kidnap her.

Both are heavily addicted to a drug Coil's 'doctor' prepares. I learnt the recipe and had him killed, obviously. This leaves me with two traumatised little girls who are completely addicted to their… candy. 

I am not a good man; I rather enjoy my villainy, but part of me wishes I had given Coil a slower death. A bullet to the head was too good for him. Perhaps it is hypocritical given that I had Aster kidnapped, but Aster is utterly unharmed and will remain so. I don't hurt babies; I do have some standards.

I dislike children; I find them unpredictable and irritating. Teenagers are the youngest I can deal with; Aisha is on the very brink of what I am willing to put up with. I can deal with brats, but actual children? They are my bane, my kryptonite. They don't follow even the most rudimentary logic; I'd rather try and train a chimpanzee to be my accountant than spend a single day with an actual child.

They have to go, which gives me an opportunity. Dinah is powerful, but I dislike precogs, and my immunity to her makes her safe to release. Her family (and powerful uncle) will be overjoyed to know she lives and grateful for her return.

Eri is equally powerful and has no family to return to. I'm tempted to keep her, but I have Power Guru for dealing with annoying powers, and I don't want to deal with a child. So, how to get rid of them?

I think it's time for Midas and Prophet to have a reluctant collaboration, the two brothers putting aside their differences to deal with a larger threat. It will help demonstrate the differences between other villains and the benevolent tyrant, King Midas.

Handing them over to the Wards won't be a problem, given that I'm already hard at work trivialising the Wards. Not to mention my plans for Prophet to continue making the PRT more and more reliant on him. I'm simply handing over the mess of having to actually deal with children to the PRT while still having access to their powers. 

Then there's the second mess Coil has left in my hands. He has acquired the services of a group called the Travelers to replace the Undersiders, which would be good if not for one thing.

They have a fucking nightmare of a cape that Coil was promising to 'find a fix for'. This Noelle is a catastrophe waiting to happen, and I doubt Coil had a plan to actually fix her, beyond me, that is. Power Guru might work, but I'm not sure I want to get within arm's reach of her. The other possibility is that Coil thought Eri would be able to help, but his power removing plans were basically nothing but theory at the moment and I don't want to put Eri near that thing..

They're travelling to the Bay, bringing their nightmare into my city. What a mess Coil has dropped into my hands. I'm half tempted to arrange for them to be blown up before they get here so I don't have to deal with them.

Genesis and Sundancer are interesting and powerful, Trickster seems like a prick, Ballistic has an interesting power, and Perdition is irrelevant. Noelle is the big problem, an S-class threat waiting to happen, making Nilbog seem cuddly.

Still, I wouldn't be me if I didn't see the potential. Trickster, I have spoken to exactly once and have already decided to kill. The rest have potential as long as I can deal with Noelle. 

Humming, I get to work. I have a lot to do.

– Jin Yukimura (Midas) –

In truth, I've been neglecting my System a little. I have just been too busy preparing for the gang war to focus on 'levelling up', but that was short-sighted of me.

I'm not too proud that I can't admit when I have made a mistake; without accepting your errors you'll never grow after all.

Fortunately, having multiple bodies made the next quest I accepted all too easy. During this entire mess with Kaiser, I levelled my Schemer class twice. 

[The Roads to be Travelled] - Thinker

By studying someone, you can accurately predict where they will be for the next day. Using a map, you can see the path they will take, knowing roughly where they will be at any time for the next twenty-four hours after you study them.

I shouldn't need to say this, but this power is useful. I have already made several new plans that can incorporate the ability to know where my target will be at any time in the next day. Isolating my prey will be far easier with this.

[Planting Seeds] - Thinker

You can choose two targets and plant a seed of emotion between them. This can be one-sided or mutual. For instance, you could plant a seed of irritation in someone, which makes everything the other target does seem just that little more aggravating, growing worse over time. 

But this? I have to be careful not to trigger Master/Stranger Protocols, but this has some very interesting potential. It's subtle and slow to have any real effect, but with the right application, it could do wonders for me.

Finally, I chose Terrorist Leader as my next Class. Honestly, given my PMCs, agents worldwide, and other assets, it wasn't even difficult to finish the quest within the hour. I truly did put this off too long.

[Weakness Analysis] - Thinker

By studying any structure, you can locate the most efficient way to destroy it, learning all weak points, escape routes and other noteworthy features.

[Remote Spontaneous Combustion] - Striker

By placing your hand on anything, you can leave a hand-print that only you can see. You can sense all the handprints you have placed and have the ability to detonate them remotely. These prints explode with the force of a block of C4.

[Extreme Methods] - Perk

To enact great change, one must be willing to do great and terrible things. Your followers will rationalise your actions, becoming more accepting of the more morally dubious actions you take.

Finally, I have taken the quest to upgrade my Warlord class. It is not difficult, and I simply need to expand my territory and defeat my rivals. Something I am working on. I should finish it once the ABB has been dealt with, something I plan to do sooner rather than later, regardless of whether Kaiser plays along.

The fact is, Kaiser isn't going to last the year he thinks I'm giving him. Midas will obey that non-aggression pact, but unfortunately for him, Prophet didn't agree to it. Neither did any other identities I happen to make up in the future. As I said, Jin is a backstabbing little shit.

It's my finest trait.

— Bonus Scene — Paige Mcabee (Canary) 

The days since she was busted out had been enjoyable; the expensive penthouse with room service was very nice, but she always knew she'd have to pay the piper eventually.

As Midas walked in, she hid her nerves. He had saved her, but she was highly doubtful that he did it out of the kindness of his heart. She knew he owned her now, more than her old record label ever had.

"I see you've been settling in, Miss Mcabee. I take it this place has been to your liking?" King Midas asked, making her nod hesitantly.

"It is. I take it that it's time for me to start… paying my rent?" Paige asked, arms crossed. She was too jaded to think that he wasn't going to use her for all she was worth.

"In a way," Midas agreed, giving her a smile as he approached. "Hold out your arm."

Pausing, she obeyed as he placed his hand on her wrist. She felt something inside of her change, making him smile.

"I have made a minor modification to your power. Simply put, I've given you an off switch, and more importantly I've added a visual indicator when your power is in effect. Both were requirements for me to get this," Midas explained, handing over a piece of formal-looking paper.

Reading it, her eyes widened at the complete pardon with her name on it.

"Why are you doing this? I'm not naive; you're a villain; you aren't helping me because you're nice," Paige challenged, making him smile. "What do you want? Gonna replace their birdcage with your own?"

"Do you want to know the real reason I had you rescued?" Midas asked, making her nod. "To embarrass the PRT and deal them a black eye for both failing to stop me and for their over-the-top response to your situation, turning your fans against them. Of course, it also spreads the word that Masters are welcome in the League, which is a side benefit that has already paid off. In truth, you may be decently talented, but you aren't that interesting."

For some reason, she believed him. It would explain why she'd just been left alone since her break-out.

"So, what happens now?" Paige asked.

"That is up to you. You may leave if you so desire. Your freedom serves as a good PR win for me, or you can stay because I have an offer for you," Midas explained, making her straighten up. "I am starting my push into the entertainment business, and as such, I would like to sign you up at my new record label. I assure you, it is entirely above board beyond being linked to my Syndicate. Work with me, and I can promise you wealth and renown in equal measure."

She hesitated for a moment before a simple truth struck her. No label was going to sign someone as controversial as her, and he knew it. She owed him for busting her out, and people would assume she was connected to him either way. 

"Do I have to wear gold?" Paige asked, making his lips twitch.

"Would it be a large change from your usual yellow?" Midas asked as she tilted her head in acknowledgement. "But no, not if you don't want to. I prefer to give my talents the freedom to make their own decisions while using my talents to ensure they don't go too far astray."

"...fuck it, why not?" Paige finally said, making him smile widely.

"Excellent, welcome to the team, Miss Mcabee," Midas said. She felt like she was selling her soul to the devil, but with Cauldron and then the Record Labels, that was just another day in the life of a star.

He'd saved her from the Birdcage, and for that, she'd do a lot more than be one of his talents. She owed him a large debt; it was nice that she could repay it with her music.

With how many hot female capes he surrounded himself with, she was convinced the only singing she'd be doing would be a very different kind, as she repaid him in an entirely different way.