10 advanced chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.
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(General P.O.V)
In the Dungeons below Angel's Mansion, an empty cell gained an occupant. Said occupant seemingly appeared from the floor, deposited through the shadows cladding the cell.
"Ah, what's this?"
A man shrouded in the darkness curiously asked from the next door cell.
"Another roommate so soon after Bane? The Young Master has been busy."
Outside the cell, Shade silently materialized. His blank eyes staring at the speaker.
"The Young Master wishes for you to read his mind and discover who else was involved in a failed scheme to assassinate him."
"Assassination attempt?"
The man in the cell repeated skeptically.
"Which fools tried that? And how many pieces are left of them?"
"It's not your job to question."
Shade responded dryly.
"But if you must know, read his mind and find out for yourself."
With that, he sank into his shadow and left.
The mysterious man chuckled, staring up at the ceiling.
"So they've begun to take notice huh? Unfortunately, it's too little too late."
-0-
A few hours later, Kobra stirred from his unconscious self, groaning in pain as he brought himself up to a sitting position.
Despite the bleeding from his groin subsiding, his entire hip and a part of his thighs was encased in a layer of Ice that was yet to melt.
Kobra stared at his lower body and begun trembling.
Whether it was from the pain of losing something precious or the fact that he had failed in his task, or even those cold eyes that had prevented him from dying with dignity, only he knew.
"Welcome new guy."
An amused voice called out from the left, startling him.
"Who's there?!"
Kobra yelped in fright, using his hands to shift his body closer to the far wall, as his legs were totally numb.
"Hahaha, you look worse off than the last guy."
The mysterious voice replied with laughter.
"But don't worry New Guy, I'm not like the Young Master."
There was a tired grunt, followed ny the scrape of shoes on the cold floor. Steps sounded out as the mysterious man walked closer to the wall separating them.
There was the sound of a double tap on the bricks making up the wall and with a grinding noise, the entire middle section of the wall rose up, pulled to the ceiling by a hidden mechanism.
An opening was revealed and through it, a figure walked out.
Kobra's eyes widened.
"I know you. You're..."
"Psimon, in the flesh."
The telepathic supervillain spun in place, hands spread out.
"And this...prison is my playground. In other words..."
A sadistic grin spread across Psimon's face. One that made Kobra glad he didn't have a penis or else he would have soiled himself.
"Welcome to your rehabilitation and reformation. Once I'm done with you, you will wish the Young Master had killed you."
Loud screams filled the dungeons, the sound confined to the cells due to the sound proofing on the walls.
(Angel's P.O.V)
Having a good assistant is invaluable. Especially with how many things demand my attention.
That said, good assistants are rare.
Usually anyone working for my Father in that capacity had been put through extensive indoctrination and subjected to having their memories read by the resident Telepath. Who I had working for me. Though our cooperation was...tentative.
Psimon had needed a firm hand and lots of convincing to jump ship from working for my Dad to work for me. The fact he was stuck in the dungeons showed how flimsy our cooperation was.
But as long as he was useful, I was determined to keep him around. And if he proved himself, maybe I would let him out. But trusting a Telepath like him without insurance was something I was wary to do.
Especially with how many of my secrets he knew.
And that was the thing. Insurance.
I dropped the CV documents on the table between me and the three individuals who had made it past the final phase of the Interview.
From the left was a middle aged brunette in a gray office suit, a man dressed in a creased black suit and finally, another woman- a redhead in a flowing blue dress that reached the middle of her thighs with black stockings.
They were sat on the couch in the top most office of my company's headquarters which happened to be in Washington D.C.
Shade stood to my back vigilantly.
I had just finished going through their accomplishments and to say I was surprised was a bit of understatement.
Still, I kept my face blank, even with the flirtatious looks the Redhead was throwing my way.
"Your CV's are impressive."
I begun, leaning back on my seat.
"But without cultivating loyalty, I need more than assurance that you will not betray me in any capacity."
I could see them listening with rapt attention, and whenever I paused the middle-aged woman would jot something down on a notebook she had.
"As you are all aware before you applied for this job, Savage Inc is a global power. We have our hands in basically everything. Both Legal and Illegal."
I decided to go for the full truth, to ensure we were all on the same page.
And even if one of them tried to betray me, well...
"You might be wondering why I'm so open. The truth is,"
I leaned forward.
"You all have skeletons in your closet that you would not want...exposed."
The mood in the room changed.
The Middle-aged woman stiffened as my gaze fell to her, the pen in her hand hovering above the notebook.
"For starters, Mrs. Arya Gordon, formerly known as Arya Sechkov. You worked for the KGB as an undercover spy dealing in intelligence gathering. But when a failed mission pronounced you dead, you took that chance, changed your identity, fell in love and you've been living in the United States for 10 years. You have 2 kids, are highly trained with different weaponry and currently work as a science teacher in a local middle school."
She sucked in a breath but remained silent.
Next, I looked at the man.
"Christopher Tresser. You were part of the Mafia, acting as the accountant to the top brass, up until 2 years ago when it was discovered you were stealing money from them to finance your daughter's medical expenses. The Mafia are after you and if they get their hands on you or your daughter..."
I let the statement hang.
He looked away, his hands clenching into fists.
I decided to throw him a bone,
"I can offer protection for you two if this goes well."
He looked at me like a man saved from drowning.
"The fact you've evaded them for two years means you're smart and have decent connections."
A man like that could be useful.
"And finally we have you."
I turned to the last candidate.
The Red-head in question smiled genially at me. It was equal parts seductive and meant to come off as warm. Even pre-puberty me felt something stir down there. She was just that alluring. And even more dangerous.
"Natasha Romanov." I said her name, my tone incredulous.
Could it be a coincidence that she shared a name with the Black Widow? Maybe.
But why did she resemble her so much then? It was like I was looking at Scarlet Johansson's more beautiful twin.
And even her past was something that just didn't make sense in the context of this world.
"Part of a secret soviet program called the Red Room, you defected and joined Argus, scouted by Amanda Waller herself. During a mission in Cuba, you failed to bring in the target, Snow Flame alive, putting a bullet through his brain after you found out his operation utilized Young girls to transport cocaine into the US. I have a single question for you, why did you apply for this position? You do realize a part of my...business involves drug trafficking, right?."
A frown appeared on her face.
"May I speak frankly sir?"
"Go ahead."
I allowed it.
"Just as you have looked into my past, I have looked into yours."
She said,
"At 6 years old, you were instrumental in providing a safe passage to refugees escaping Bialya, even though you were singlehandedly responsible for quelling the rebellion opposing Queenbee's rule. At 8 years old you let it slip a shipment full of trafficked Asian women and Young girls was due to arrive at a private dock in New York. The authorities managed to catch the criminals. And at 10, you not only took over your Father's entire criminal empire but you also abolished all human trafficking, or similar degrading practices he was involved in."
She took a second to breath, sincerity pouring out of her.
"To the rest of the world, you're a villain. But to me, I see someone not trying to save the world, but at least make it a little less worse to live in. That's why, I want to follow you."
Mmh.
That explains her motives, but it's too soon to tell if I can fully trust her. Or any of them for that matter.
"Now, Shade here has already informed you that only one position is available. A sort of combination between C.E.O, C.O.O and C.F.O. Someone that can lead Savage Inc and delegate over the branch companies without my oversight."
Hopefully someone that I will also leave the burden of choosing more executives as the last ones were all dead.
Damn fucking Kobra.
Arya was back to jotting down on her notebook.
"All of you are highly intelligent, you wouldn't have passed the test in the final phase otherwise."
They were all attentive, hanging onto my every word.
"And the fact that I know of your past ensures some measure of loyalty. So with that said, I have decided to hire all three of you."
Their faces instantly lit up. Despite changing the plans at the last minute, letting go of such talent would be remiss.
"First of all, Arya I place you in charge of my sister. You will work with her bodyguard and ensure that Candie grows up as normal as a child trained and raised by an ex operative can be. That means, she needs to learn how to protect herself in a stint, but should also have friends. The childhood I never had."
Arya seemed to deflate in relief. Out of everyone here, she was the one who didn't want anything to do with the illegal side of my business.
I could respect that. And it was what was best for my little sister.
"Now Christopher, I know you work best under pressure."
The man gulped, loosening his tie.
"But I also know you want to be the best father for your child as you can be. And I don't think there's a bigger showcase of love than trying to make the world a better place for her to live in. Which is the main goal for Savage Inc. Therefore, you will be the Company's C.E.O and will directly manage all operations. In other words, use that Havard degree and become the face of Savage Inc. Let's work together and change the world."
With every word, his eyes kept widening and the look of disbelief only added.
Immediately, the man prostrated himself before me, his forehead touching the coffee table.
"T-thank you. Thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down! On my daughter's life!"
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I expect you to work hard Christopher. Use your connections and take this company past Wayne Enterprise and Lexcorp."
"I will sir! I promise!"
He replied.
Once more, I looked toward Natasha.
"As for you, I have something a bit more special planned. You'll be my personal assistant and my direct link to Christopher. But besides that, your other duty will be as the Head of my Criminal Empire."
The smile that spread out across her face made me shiver.
"And in the underground, you shall be known as the Black Widow."