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 Marethyu, Priapus, Jin, Jin, God of Lore, Malcolm Tent
The Guild of Gamers: The Supervillain
Chapter 28: Snake Hunt
– Victoria Dallon (Glory Girl) –
Heading into Jin's office, she grinned as she spotted him. She'd heard of the meeting between him and Midas from her aunt and mother and wanted to cheer him up after having to deal with his douchebag of a brother.
Moving forward, she pounced on him from behind, squashing her breasts into his back as she hugged her boyfriend, making him chuckle as he turned around. Immediately, she spotted something wrong with him. The look on his face sent alarm bells as she pulled back, frowning.
"Hello again, Victoria," he said, and instantly, she got ready to attack, thanks to the sheer smugness in his tone. His voice sounded like Jin's, but Jin always sounded calm and collected; his tone was smooth and confident… there was only one person that could put that much smarm into a simple greeting.
"Relax, Vicky. As funny as it would be to watch you break his nose, he's here on a truce," Jin said from behind his desk, a frown on his face.
"And, of course, I'd have to spank you if you were so crass as to break a truce. Honestly, Jin should train you better, Victoria," Midas replied, a smug smile on his lips as she glowered at him, looking between the two brothers in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Vicky growled, making Midas snort.
"Shush, Victoria. The grown-ups are talking," Midas taunted as she moved around the desk and stood beside Jin, just in case the asshole tried anything. "I was just discussing business with my brother; we don't need your input."
"What business could Jin possibly have with a piece of shit like-"
"Vicky, don't take his bait," Jin cut in, making Midas grin.
"Yes, Vicky, are you truly so easily taunted? Honestly, Jin, I get that you like the… brats, but you really should teach your little pet better," Midas mocked. "Maybe I will have to do you a favour and take her off your hands. Give me a week, and I'd have her nice and obedient."
Vicky went to respond before she caught herself, not rising to his mockery.
"I mean, it'd not be the first time I've taken what's yours, would it?" Midas continued, but Jin didn't rise to his bait either.
"If you're just going to ramble pointlessly, you can leave," Jin replied bluntly, making Midas chuckle again. "We're done here. I really can't stand you, but I also don't trust you to handle this alone and not fuck it up. Just this once, we have an… alliance," Jin said, his face scrunching up in distaste as her eyes widened. "Now get the fuck out of my office."
"As you wish, this is allegedly your domain," Midas said with a mocking bow, making her glare at the smug asshole as he gave her one last look, his eyes roaming her body. "Victoria, a pleasure, as always."
"The pleasure was all yours," Vicky retorted, making him grin.
"This time," Midas agreed. "We'll have to see to your pleasure another time."
She scoffed as he gave Jin another smirk, but Jin just stared at him in boredom, not rising to Midas' actions. Like she'd ever go for that… but then, he'd almost had her before. A quiet part of her brain reminded her that she'd been dancing on his strings before. Could he really arrange for her to sleep with him?
That was the part about Midas that she found so intimidating, even if she'd never admit it. If he truly wanted her to do something for him, how easily could he manipulate things to have her do whatever he wanted?
"I'll be in touch. Do try to keep your pawns in line; I'd hate for this to go wrong because you're too lenient with your minions," Midas said, turning and walking away as Jin scoffed.
"Smug prick always has to have the last word," Jin snorted as she turned to him.
"What was that about? What alliance?" Vicky asked, frowning as Jin hummed.
"Coil. Coil has left numerous little surprises for when he is taken down, not least of which is a group called the Travellers. Every member of the group is a powerful villain with blood on their hands. One of their members is an S-class emergency just waiting to happen. Coil has too many moles in the PRT to rely on them, and even inside the League itself. There are bombs under the city, ready to blow if Coil sets off his failsafe; if Coil can't rule the city, no one can," Jin explained, making her eyes widen. "Plus, a mountain of blackmail and secrets, including the identities of countless capes, ready to be unleashed if Coil is captured or killed. Coil has been preparing for this for decades; Midas has had less than a month to counter it. He's good, but he's not that good, and as much as he hates it, he knows he can't handle this alone. Too many pieces and countermeasures for one man to handle, especially when he can't guarantee that any League member he hires for the job isn't a double agent. Midas is very good at spotting moles, but if he misses even one, the city dies."
Vicky's eyes went wide, her anger at Midas' words washed away by the seriousness of the situation.
"So he came to you?" Vicky asked, making Jin nod.
"You have to understand just how much Midas hates needing help, especially from me. He wouldn't ask me for help if he had a gun to his head and no way to save himself. It hurt him to admit he couldn't handle things alone, but that's just how serious this is. If he fails, if we fail, everything we've both been building will be for nothing. Sure, Midas could rebuild in another city, but after all his work in Brockton, he can't see it all washed away by a sore loser. Our rivalry means nothing compared to the severity of the crisis we're facing. He wants my help, along with New Wave and some others I can call upon, to make sure that Coil's death throes don't take us all down with him," Jin explained, running a hand through his hair with a slight frown on his handsome face. "Specifically, he wants me to help handle the rescue of Kaiser's child, Mayor Alcott's niece and this 'Eri' and help neutralise the Travellers who Coil has guarding them while Midas and his people work at disarming the many traps Coil has set."
"What about this S-class threat? Does he expect you to handle them as well?" Vicky asked, stroking his hair softly as he laughed.
"As if the control freak would ever let someone other than himself have control of that operation. If we fail, there's a chance that the children die, something he could push onto our 'interference' and 'incompetence'. If Midas fails, there won't be a Brockton Bay left to fight over," Jin explained. "He's psychologically incapable of letting anyone else handle the most serious parts of the operation."
Vicky let out a deep breath as the sheer weight of the situation hit her, before she gasped as a terrible thought struck her.
"Wait, what if Midas is planning to make sure you fail, to make you seem incompetent and pin their deaths on us?" Vicky asked, making Jin chuckle.
"Vicky, I know my brother. As ruthless as he can be, and make no mistake, he can be brutal at times; he wouldn't hurt a child. He fucking hates children, can't stand them, finds them impossible to predict or control, but he'd never arrange for a child to die just to spite me. Not to mention, while Kaiser would likely want me dead for the failure, any alliance between the Empire and the Syndicate would be dead in the water. He has too much to lose to play such dark games," Jin said soothingly. "That doesn't mean I don't hate the fact that he just walked into my office and got me dancing to his tune; that alone was enough of a win for him. If he has to ask for my help, he can at least take solace in his ability to have me follow his orders. Smug prick."
"But you'll do it?" Vicky asked, making Jin sigh.
"It's a lose-lose situation, but while one loss hurts my pride, the other hurts everything. If I refuse and things go wrong? Do you think I'd be able to take comfort that I didn't dance to his tune as the city burns around us? Not to mention, he'd happily push the blame onto me for being so petty that I couldn't put my pride aside and accept the olive branch when my brother came to me for help," Jin sighed. "Well played, you smug cunt."
If Midas could even get Jin to dance to his tune, what chance did other people really have?
"Do you think mom will be willing to help?" Vicky asked, making Jin nod.
"I can handle Carol. She'll probably find the situation as pleasant as I do, but she is a hero at heart. Still, me, you, Carol, Sarah and Crystal won't be enough for this. That's fine; I have contacts I can call on," Jin said, rubbing his forehead as she frowned.
"Not Dad?" Vicky asked, making Jin pause.
"Ah, I didn't tell you yet. Damnit, too much is happening too fast," Jin said, looking annoyed and stressed. "I spoke with your father, and frankly, I did what your mother should have done years ago. He's been booked into a world-class mental health clinic. Frankly, his depression makes him too unreliable for this. He needs true professional help," Jin explained, making her eyes widen as a mixture of emotions overcame her.
"He'll be going away?" Vicky asked, making Jin nod.
"I'd guess for a year, at least. He'll be able to stay in touch digitally, but at the rate he is spiralling, I'd be surprised if he was still around in a year if nothing changes," Jin admitted, making her gasp at the insinuation.
"But- he isn't that-"
"Vicky, you're too close to see just how bad he really is. When you see him every day, the tiny changes aren't as obvious. He's just a tiny bit worse every day but from the outside? It's clear he needs true help beyond a thinker playing psychiatrist," Jin explained gently. "I told Amy about it, and Carol was there when I discussed it with him; I honestly thought I'd told you already."
Looking at Jin, she took in how haggard he seemed. It was hard to notice, with how composed he always was, but he had so much on his shoulders. Still, Dad getting some professional help beyond some pills he would constantly forget was a good thing; Jin was right about that. A dark part of her pointed out that he was barely there anyway; would she even notice his absence? A darker part agreed that this was something her mom should have done years ago before it got this bad.
"You're stressed," Vicky whispered, making him laugh.
"I'm constantly playing catch-up with Midas, and it's becoming clear that my focus on him is blinding me to too many other things. The Coil situation blindsided me entirely," Jin admitted, pausing as she leaned in and kissed him before she slipped into his lap.
"I can't really help with all that; this is all outside of the realm of things I can punch to make better," Vicky admitted with a self-deprecating laugh before she smiled slyly. "But I can think of a few ways to help you relax~"
Reaching up, she pulled down the top of her dress and kissed him again, feeling his hands wrap around her body to reach down and grope her ass; she grinned against his mouth. Jin was carrying so much weight, more than he ever let anyone see; the least she could do was show him how grateful she was for all his help.
– Barbara Gordon (Oracle) –
"I wondered when you would come. Here to scold me for getting manipulated?" Oracle asked as Prophet approached her. She'd expected this sooner after she got tricked by Midas into triggering Lung's rampage.
"No. You may be young, Oracle, but you aren't a child that I need to spank for misbehaving. Frankly, I planned to approach you sooner, but I've been entirely too busy," Prophet retorted. "I imagine having time to think about your actions has done more to reveal your mistakes than any scolding from me."
"You're not wrong. We got played and damn near started a gang war because of it," Oracle admitted. The room went silent, her Birds of Prey watching as Prophet walked closer. Wonder Woman also remained silent, giving Prophet a look. Wonder Woman wanted revenge for her defilement at Midas' hands, something she and Black Canary shared, and had approached her about potentially teaming up, given the PRT's seemingly unwillingness to challenge Midas. "That's not why you're here. You're planning to start your own organisation, similar to your brother's League, but for Independent Heroes, and you want us for it."
Starfire flew beside Prophet, giving them all a wave as Prophet nodded.
"Correct. Frankly, in most cases, independent heroes don't have the intel and resources to truly make a difference and often find themselves pressured into joining other organisations, whether it is the PRT or a gang," Prophet agreed easily. "You had the same idea, but on a much smaller scale. I plan to make a nationwide alliance of independents, but as you know, we're already stuck playing catch-up. The League of Villains opening its door to Rogues has already seen some independents bite the bullet and start dealing with the League, and once Midas has his claws in them, it's a slippery slope from being an independent hero dealing with the League for the intel and resources they need, getting indebted to Midas in the process, to a not-so-independent villain being aimed wherever Midas feels like."
She'd already seen evidence of this in her investigations into the League. Heroes making a deal with the devil for power upgrades, intel to take down 'more serious' villains, or other resources, getting entangled in Midas' web.
"You already have New Wave, maybe the Incredibles, given Elastigirl's visit, and I'm guessing Starfire, given her presence here," Oracle said, making Starfire nod seriously. Prophet didn't seem even remotely surprised by her admitting that she was spying on him.
"The PRT will not go after my sister, but she must be made to pay for her crimes. If only Prophet is willing to challenge his brother, then I must help him," Starfire said with sincerity.
"True, but despite my desire to recruit the Birds of Prey as founding members of my new organisation, that's not why I am here today. I need your help to both stop Coil from destroying the city and to stop Midas from making his lead so great we'll never catch up with him," Prophet admitted, making her pause.
"Midas visited you recently, and I know about the meeting he had with the PRT. He wants your help dealing with Coil," Oracle guessed, getting a nod from him. "It's a trap or one of those lovely lose-lose situations, isn't it?"
"You guessed it in one," Prophet agreed. "He wants me to help take down the Travellers and free the captives, freeing him up to disarm Coil's many traps and take Coil down, but he's also trying to make sure I'm tied up dealing with the rescue," Prophet explained. "I'm sure you can work out why."
Oracle went silent for a moment, working through all the information in front of her before she gasped.
"The blackmail. Coil has a mountain of blackmail material on damn near everyone, including the local heroes names and addresses from his infiltration of the PRT. Midas wants to stop it from being released so that he can get it for himself. Aside from Wonder Woman, the Birds aren't heavy hitters; we can't help that much against the Travellers; you want us to hit Coil and get rid of that blackmail before Midas can get it," Barbara concluded, making Prophet nod. She couldn't see his face with the facemask, but she could sense his grim smile.
"I'd give you a golden star, but I'm a little sick of gold at the moment. I did plan to ask Wonder Woman for help taking down the Travellers and to use this as a chance to get some fame for my new alliance, but if Midas gets that information? We might as well just move out of the Bay and let him have it because as much as he pretends to be the gentleman godfather figure, he wouldn't hesitate to use that blackmail to pressure everyone against his enemies, us included," Prophet agreed, making her lean back with a frown.
This was the type of job the Birds were best suited for. Infiltration and espionage were their areas of expertise, and she could tell just how bad it would be if Midas got what he wanted.
"Gentleman?" Wonder Woman scoffed. "After what he did to Black Canary and me, does he still think he can keep up this facade? He is a lustful beast, a defiler of heroines."
"Ah, but you're forgetting something, Wonder Woman. Did he force himself upon either of you?" Prophet asked, making Diana go quiet. "Or did he put you in a position where you willingly, if reluctantly, slept with him? We both know that he has a recording sitting around, just waiting for you to accuse him."
"I- he had Wonder Girl; after he captured us, he offered to free us both if I went along with his perversion," Wonder Woman admitted after a moment, shame crossing her face.
"In my case, I had to keep my cover to get out of there," Dinah admitted, scoffing. "I tried to infiltrate his organisation as a prostitute, so that's how he treated me."
"Exactly. Midas is a perverted man who gets off to power, but he wouldn't risk his persona by indulging in his desires in a way that could hurt him. If either of you went public with your experience at his hands, he'd be ready to destroy your reputations in return, with his own only getting slightly marred. Wonder Woman, the arrogant heroine who led her teenage sidekick into a villain's lair and got captured, bartering for her freedom with her own body, and Black Canary, so dedicated to her infiltration that she let herself be used like the whore she was posing as, even taking Midas' money for her services," Prophet pointed out, seeing Wonder Woman and Black Canary flinch back. "I found the recordings in his systems; I don't blame you, frankly. Better to take the money and not have it be in his hands, even if it made such a minor dent in his bank account. It's the type of situation Midas loves, where even the best possible 'victory' against him tastes like bile in your mouth. Sure, you could expose that he pressured you for sex after capturing you, but he'd respond by releasing the video of you stripping and collaring yourself, of a brute capable of breaking down walls with a punch locked in a wooden stockade. It would become a PR war, a battlefield where he excels."
"He's been waging a PR war from the start, and he's infuriatingly good at it," Oracle agreed. "We'll have to discuss joining your alliance as a team, but I do agree with you. We cannot let Midas get his hands on that information."
"As an olive branch, I'm willing to offer a power-up for every member of the Birds of Prey, along with Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl, for your assistance," Prophet offered, and she couldn't deny her interest in the famous power-ups that Prophet and Midas could grant.
Her Birds perked up as well, and even Wonder Woman couldn't hide her interest as Prophet smiled at them through his mask.
"Anything to stop your brother from winning this game, huh?" Rose asked, making Prophet chuckle.
"I am a sore loser," Prophet agreed shamelessly.
"I will assist you against these Travellers. No matter what else happens, I will not leave these children in the hands of a villain, not Coil or Midas," Wonder Woman agreed.
"I have to agree, if Midas gets his hands on blackmail material on everyone, we're fucked. He's already close to winning; we can't let him get the final piece he needs," Huntress agreed as Oracle nodded.
It would be devastating to let Midas get his hands on that much intel. Coil had been going under the radar for so long, gathering blackmail and planning for every eventuality. Midas was a master planner; what could he do with the fruits of a decade of intel gathering and networking?
He had to be stopped, even if she didn't entirely trust Prophet. Still, maybe joining this alliance was the right move to ensure that it really was exactly what Prophet claimed it was.
– Jin Yukimura (King Midas) –
Going through Coil's expansive blackmail collection, I chuckle to myself as I delete certain parts from Coil's systems. Taking control of Coil's massive network of moles and contacts has been a time-consuming process, but it will be worth it. Many of his moles don't even know they work for Coil, so absorbing them into my network is easy enough.
The important part is to remove the evidence of those I want to keep, so when the Birds get access to Coil's system and 'prevent' Midas from gaining this information, the truly vital blackmail and contacts remain undiscovered.
I cannot have the PRT know that I have access to this information. As idiotic as they may be, with the information I gave them, it won't take them long to find out just how deeply Coil had his claws in their systems. It isn't a large jump in logic to assume that I would take Coil's information for myself, which would get me a lot of heat. If they realise that I know the names and addresses of every hero and Ward in Brockton Bay, they'd be forced to take me much more seriously, even if I claim I don't plan to do anything with it.
The Birds will get the information instead, placing the PRT further into the debt of my new independent alliance and Prophet who arranged it. All part of the plan to help get the Incredibles out of the PRT's grasp and into mine. The Alliance will get a 'win' over Midas, something nobody else seems to be able to do, furthering their legitimacy.
The Travellers are a problem; they are just a bundle of issues and a disaster waiting to happen. Even with me taking the role of Trickster, guiding them is a nightmare because half of them don't even like Krouse, and I don't blame them. I plan to dismantle them entirely; some of them will be captured and taken down by the heroes, and others will be absorbed into the Syndicate. I considered just having them all killed, but I do hate wasting potential resources, especially attractive ones.
Leaning back, I let out a groan as I let myself cum, my seed being rapidly swallowed by the girl kneeling beneath my desk, a pair of green eyes staring up as Punchline swallows my cum.
Punchline is a spy, leaking information on the League to Prophet. Next to her, Circus is less eager but still willingly takes my cock into her mouth, her mask still on as I smirk down at the pair.
I hired the Jokerz to provide some extra security for my base, but I've offered each of them an additional fee for some more personal services. I've got something of a reputation among the League for my weakness for women, especially villainesses. Circus would not have accepted money to whore herself out, but she did accept for another reason.
She was Coil's spy in the League, and she used the new position to get access to more information about me. She's gotten very rich from leaking my information to Coil and is currently planning her exit from Brockton Bay, no matter who wins in the upcoming match between Coil and I.
It's not going to go the way she expects.
Everyone has a weakness; nobody is perfect. By exposing my hedonistic tendencies, I've given people an avenue to 'exploit' that weakness.
"Come on, Mista M, you've got three hot babes in your room, and you're still playing with your computer," Harley complains from my bed, making me chuckle as I close my documents.
"True, I am something of a workaholic," I admit. Harley is spying… for no one. I'm not even paying her to be here. She does want to try and get me to bust the Joker out of the Birdcage, but she's also just horny and rather easy.
"You work hard, Mista, but that just means you gotta play hard, too," Harley drawls, her Brooklyn accent becoming more pronounced, waiting in my bed in nothing but a thin red nightie as I get up and undo my shirt. "And don't worry, I can play real hard, boss."
"On your hands and knees," I demand, watching her gasp in faux-shock as she obeys, wiggling her clown booty at me as I remove my trousers and climb onto the bed, Punchline joining us and kneeling next to Harley as I grip her hips.
"No, use her pigtails," Punchline encourages, touching herself as the pair of painted villainesses prepare for a long night of fucking, my hands gripping Harley's hair roughly as I thrust into the chaotic woman, making her moan.
Distracted as I am, I pretend not to see Circus snap a picture of some files on my desk before hiding her phone in her hammerspace, moving behind me. Unlike the other two, she's only mostly naked with her mask and panties on as she moves behind me, an almost flat chest pressed against my back as they watch me start to rail Harley.
As I said, exposing a 'weakness' is just inviting people to take advantage of it. This isn't the first time Circus has 'gotten away' with stealing from me.
Her hands roam my body as she kisses my neck, encouraging me to go faster and be rougher with Harley. She doesn't like sleeping with me, but I shut down every other avenue for her to get as close as 'Coil' wanted her to, and the money soothes her wounded pride at becoming an incredibly well-paid whore.
One hand on Harley's waist and another clutching both her twin tails in my fist, I yank her hair back as I sheath myself into the tight, hot confines of this freaky clown, rutting into her with no care or consideration for her pleasure. Harley's hips come back to meet mine with each thrust, her breasts swinging from the rapid movements.
"Ugh, harder boss-man, fuck my clussy!" Harley screams, making the room go quiet for a moment.
"...clussy?" I ask, actually stopping as I look at Harley. Something tells me I don't want the answer.
"You know, Clussy? Clown Pussy?" Harley asks, flipping onto her back and looking up at me. "Ain'tcha supposed to be clever? It's just clussy, honk honk," Harley explains, 'honking' her breasts as I stare at her for a moment.
"Harley, if you ever say the word Clussy again, I'm going to shoot you," Punchline says bluntly, making Harley pout.
"But it's mrrph-" Harley tries, but I move forward and shut her up in the best way I can think.
With my dick.
With her pinned under me, I slam my hips forward as I start to fuck the mouth that said such stupid things, hoping to fuck some sense into her despite the impossibility. I wish she weren't so hot, but she is well placed on the crazy/hot scale.
"Feel free to facefuck her into unconsciousness; we don't mind," Punchline drawls, slapping Harley's tits as she watches the scene. Harley makes a sound that sounds like agreement as she chokes on my cock, my hands gripping her head as I refuse to let up and abuse her throat, making her choke and gag as I feed my dick down into her, trying to make her shut up but never quite achieving it as she makes lewd noises that fill the room.
With a groan, I cum straight down her gullet with a sigh of relief, pulling back to notice that she'd been touching herself all the while, easily swallowing my load with a lick of her lips and an exaggerated pop.
"Yummy. Please, sir, can I have some more?" Harley purrs, making me pause as I grab Circus and toss her on top of her teammate.
"You can wait your turn; don't be selfish," I say, ripping down Circus's boring sports panties and spreading her legs. She may not want this, but she plays the part well as I sheath myself inside the second clussy of the day.
…I make a note to have Harley gagged indefinitely for adding that word to my vocabulary as I start to move, Circus' tight lower lips clenching around me as I begin to hammer into her. Unlike Harley, she squeaks in discomfort before she can stop herself, and I don't hold back.
Sure, I'm the one she's spying for, but she's still a traitor, so I don't hesitate to punish her a bit. Not to mention, it helps encourage her to spy more for Coil to get back at me. Yes, I realise I'm punishing her because she accepted money from me to spy on me, but that's just my life now.
Gripping her hips, I speed up as Circus's squeak gets muffled by Harley kissing her teammate, Punchline pressing her breasts against my side as she watches and waits her turn.
– Later –
With a final grunt, I bottom out inside Circus' abused asshole and let myself climax, flooding her back passage with my seed.
She collapses onto her front, in between an equally fucked Harley and Punchline, and I climb off the bed, looking over the trio. Cum leaks from three creamed cunts, coating their bodies as Circus pants, and Punchline is flat-out asleep.
Sitting back in my chair, I snap my fingers and point down as Harley, the only one who hasn't collapsed, moves to obey my command, moving beneath my desk, taking my cum-coated cock into her mouth. Amy's alterations have saved me from being worn out by this semen demon, but I just smile smugly as I get back to work.
If Circus were awake to see what I'm looking at, she'd be very worried, but she's a little worn out and is pretending to be asleep to avoid another round. Meanwhile, five feet away, I'm sealing her fate.
Patting Harley's head as she gets to work, I smile to myself. Sometimes, it's good to be the King.
— Bonus Scene — Max Anders (Kaiser)
Before he said a single word, he could feel the tension building amongst the Empire capes.
"First of all, it is good to have you back, Brad. You and your skills have been missed," Kaiser started, seeing Hookwolf seething now that he was no longer Ivy's pet.
"Yes, all it took was us getting indebted to a chink," Krieg spat, the truest believer of the cause giving Hookwolf a dirty look. "Truly, you outdid yourself."
"You're the fuckers who told me to bring Ivy in; nobody warned me the fucking whore was a Master," Hookwolf growled back. "I'm going to rip that leafy bitch into pieces-"
"No, you are not. Ivy is officially off-limits. Her membership to the League of Villains makes her too inconvenient to attack. You will stay far away from her; we don't need the League coming to defend their own," Kaiser warned, seeing Hookwolf's rage. "Part of the deal for your release consisted of me getting you under better control. We are no longer unchallenged in strength; I cannot have you endangering the fragile peace between us and the League."
"So you rolled over for this shiny chink? You think I haven't heard that you dismantled my pit fights because he told you to, and the almighty Kaiser just said, 'Yes sir, of course; anything else you want?" Brad snarled, making Kaiser share a look with Krieg. The Gesellschaft had agreed to indoctrinate Hookwolf if he proved too unruly, even offering them a new brute to replace him. Brad didn't realise how close he was to being sent away to a training camp.
"I did not roll over, though I won't deny that Midas is very good at getting what he wants. The fact is, we treated him like another Skidmark or Lung, and we paid for it. Chink or not, he is a… worthy adversary, and one we can't afford to fight as we are now," Kaiser admitted, seeing Hookwolf spit in disgust.
"Speaking of the self-proclaimed king and rolling over," Krieg cut in smoothly. "Care to explain why my agents saw you meeting with him, Purity?"
"Because I wanted to take part in the attack on Coil, and kill the bastard myself," Purity shot back, making Krieg's eyebrows raise.
"Not very heroic of you. Are you done pretending?" Cricket mocked. Purity's return was met with very mixed results, but it was good to have her power back, even if many of the members saw her as a traitor.
"I wasn't pretending, but Coil taught me more than any of you ever did. You know he's a fucking coon under that mask? And when he kidnapped Aster, who you swore would be safe, Max, he spent weeks reminding me of just how degenerate those animals really are. Weeks of nonstop abuse, being used however that bastard felt like, while none of you even noticed what he'd done, assuming I'd just run off," Kayden spat out, the hatred clear on her face. "You're damn right that I want to murder that piece of shit with my own two hands."
It was almost funny. Kayden had lost faith in their cause, and then Coil had proven that the Empire was right.
"I take it Midas refused?" Kaiser asked, making her sigh.
"Of course, and rightly so. As long as Coil has Aster, I'm a liability. The best thing I can do to fight Coil is stay away," Kayden agreed, slumping down as Menja and Fenja went to her side. Coil may have actually done them a favour because he could almost taste Kayden's rage and hatred; now, he just needed to direct it.
"What about this peace treaty? Are we actually going for it?" Alabaster asked, making Kaiser pause as he took in the various people around the table. To no surprise, Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket seemed the most opposed to it, but he already had plans for that. If Midas saved Aster, Kayden wouldn't oppose it and, by extension, Night and Fog. Alabaster wasn't a thinker; he didn't see the pros or cons, Rune didn't care, plus Midas had impressed Menja and Fenja. He'd discussed things with Victor, and Othala would follow suit.
"I plan to, if the engagement against Coil goes as planned and Aster is returned safely. The fact is that we no longer have the most Capes; the League has us beaten, and Midas can call upon all of them. We need entry to the League, which comes with our non-aggression pact. After that, the League should not involve themselves in any fight between the Empire and the Syndicate," Kaiser explained. "Both the Herren Clan and the Gesellschaft have expressed an interest in the League and their services, with the Gesellschaft promising us more forces if we can negotiate for the League to stay out of Germany."
"But we'll be paying the bastard we'll be fighting a year later for his services," Stormtiger argued, making Kaiser nod.
"The rules of his own League bind Midas because if he breaks them, the League falls apart as people can't trust it anymore. We need upgrades to survive in this evolving cape scene, and the only options are Midas or Prophet, and Prophet would not endanger his control of New Wave by working with us. This way, both sides have the upgrades; if we decline his offer, only our enemies will," Krieg explained, making Stormtiger start to respond before sitting down thoughtfully. Stormtiger was the least opposed of the trio.
"So we're just gonna hand Rune over to the… Imps?" Cricket tried.
"I'm cool with it," Rune said with a shrug. "Honestly, a year of fucking with the Wards and causing the PRT trouble sounds like a vacation, plus a bunch of upgrades for barely doing anything?"
"You'd work with that animal that leads them?" Hookwolf mocked, though most knew he was not quite the supremacist that he pretended to be.
"I've got this magical thing called self-control. I don't have to like Imp, but I can put up with her for a year. Hell, we're getting paid well for me joining up, aren't we? I get constant upgrades from King Midas, and we get three more upgrades. Shit, I'll be more valuable to the Empire while playing delinquent than you will be with the Empire," Rune mocked back, making Hookwolf growl and move towards her.
"You-"
"Brad."
Hookwolf cut off at his stern word, spotting the way several capes had positioned themselves to protect Rune if he tried anything before he scoffed and stormed off.
"So, Lung?" Stormtiger tried, making Kaiser nod.
"Once Coil has been dealt with, it will be time to truly remove the stain that is the ABB from the city. Regardless of their race, we can all agree that the Golden Syndicate make better neighbours. One year of peace, with the city split between the Empire and the Syndicate, one year to drive the heroes and other rivals away before the true battle begins and we go to war against the Syndicate, and Brockton Bay will truly be ours," Kaiser monologued, watching the reactions carefully.
With the League being made neutral and their support from the Clans and Gesellschaft, it would not be impossible to drive the Syndicate away and succeed where no gang had ever managed to do. To achieve what his father and Marquis failed to do.
Brockton Bay would be his.