Chapter 5 - 4 Noble Rage - Interlude Cornell Stokes

As Shades stayed back, I was told to wait outside. I had no idea what their communication entailed, but I had a suspicion that Cottonmouth didn't trust me, at least not fully. Deception worked wonders in bringing me where I stood, but the foundation built was shaky.

I waited for five minutes before the door opened and Shades walked out. He closed the door behind him and turned to me. "Boss said to take you with me."

"Where?" I asked.

"To the base." He replied and walked toward the door. I followed close behind the man as he led me through streets that I wasn't familiar with.

"Boss told you to help him find the secrets hideout of that bitch Morgan." Shades said. "He must not have mentioned how long you've, so let me tell you."

Shades stopped at the intersection and I, with him. He didn't turn but the way he was behaving I could tell it was a useless effort at intimidation.

"You got before Friday to finish your assignment, otherwise..." He didn't finish the sentence but I could tie up the loose end. Once more it was a threatening gesture on his part which felt flat to my ears. I had to play the part though.

"That's too short." I protested. "And we need to have protection. You can't have me sniffing around like a dog and expect no retaliation from the other side.."

It was a daunting prospect no doubt. I didn't exactly have a criminal sonar built into me, so I couldn't just walk around the neighborhood and hope to stumble across Morgan's warehouse. That would be idiotic no doubt, and Cottonmouth should know better. This was something else, a ploy that I was meant to innocently fall into, or to circumvent and risk suspicion.

"You get protection when you get your goddamn job done!" Shades glared at me, but I didn't back down. He snorted and turned to leave.

"Whatever." I followed the man to the base, which was a club as it turned out. Well the club part was the front, and the back-part was loaded with men and guns. Men with guns. We didn't take anything from the place aside from a piece of paper provided by a guy called Mr. Slick.

He told me that these were the suspected locations where Moran might keep his hideout hidden. He also mentioned that Morgan or any competent crime lord usually didn't keep their merchandise in one place. They did take them to the ultimate location which wasn't completely hidden. I must say I had no idea what he was talking about, aside from what he said about using a time-based opportunity to strike.

I nodded and told him that I would do my best.

"Best ain't gonna cut it." He spoke while taking a drag from his cigar. "You either do it, or you don't."

I nodded once more as if to acknowledge his words, but they were trash and so was he, and I kept quiet. Shades didn't speak much but I could tell that his feelings of wanting to beat me were considerably lighter. It was getting late and I needed to get going.

We stood outside the club near the parking lot and I took a look at the document in my hand. "I gotta get going." I sniffed and made to touch my nose. "But I don't got no place to stay at, nor money."

Shades frowned but didn't say anything. Cursed bastard, I yelled in my mind and stared at him intently. "See you tomorrow then."

It had become clear to me that Shades didn't care about my thoughts or welfare. They probably thought that I was either lucky or pretending. Whichever the case, by keeping me focused on Morgan they were keeping my focus off of them. Clever little trick, but useless one in my opinion.

Cornell Cottonmouth was all of a human had to offer. It was too bad that he wasn't up against a normal human. My walk back to my house was once more taken through tricky routes and with quick change of pace. I even climbed a wall and a house to stave off any normal human pursuer. With my supernatural vision, it was far easier for me to find crevices or ledges to step on even in the middle of a night.

Mid-way through the places, I took off my wig and wore a mask to look a bit different. It wasn't until I was behind the door of my apartment that I took a deep breath and let it out, feeling relaxation wash over me. It was stressing, but weirdly exciting.

The weight of my adventure finally caught up to me and I resisted the urge to laugh out loud. The fact that I had fooled a mob boss into believing that I was a willing person to induct into their ranks. That I could help him bring down his rival. Maybe he didn't believe all of it, but just the fact that he allowed me to follow up on their investigation was proof enough that he was inclined to believe.

It wouldn't be easy to gather evidence on both, but if I pretended to go after Morgan and used Cornell's resources to facilitate the process then it wouldn't be so difficult. And since I was already in their ranks, it was only a matter of time before I caught all of their secrets.

I decided to test one of my latest powers that let me cling objects to my body. I used one of the knives for the experiment and watched in fascination as the knife glued itself to my palm. It looked absolutely magical. And when I pulled it off, the 'Static Cling' offered some resistance. Not full on denial, but it was still enough to keep things from accidentally falling, like my mask.

My powers failed a connection and I moved to my laptop. With my new knowledge, looking at the device in hand was an entirely new perspective. I wasn't looking at the hunk of plastic junk anymore, but a series of hardware components that all facilitated the existence and process of software.

It was weird opening your computer screen and knowing that it was all about 1's and 0's. My power even delved all the way into Binary, that's why i knew how to create a program from the base components. It was all so easy.

I took to browsing through the internet, checking over any remote job or freelance work that I could do. Web or App Development was all over the place. There was a decent demand for those and they earned a pretty penny. Game Development was also within the scope of my skills, but only on the level of simple one's. Anything too complex I was barely able to understand, much less apply.

With Basic Engineering Training, I might be able to combine the two to create some good tools. It was unfortunate that I lacked the wealth to buy the required components. I shelved the idea for later and decided to work on my costume. Since I wasn't in any hurry for that one, I only spent an hour on the work before retiring to my bed.

.

.

.

Money was supposed to be a new start for my business, at least according to what I told mom. Instead it started with me doing push-ups on the ground. The act itself might be moot, but the repetition had instilled a exhaustion deep within me. It might not be the best, but I had no other method to train my stamina.

I finished the workout and stretched a bit. Colleen might want an update on the work so I had to meet up with her too. This was still her original mission, even if I had butted in more than common courtesy demanded. Once more my hate for the drugs carried me through.

It was still early in the morning, and I didn't need to eat breakfast. Instead a walk in the park might let me focus on the world around me. A connection to the nature itself was enough to rouse my creativity and intelligence. To prepare for the day that was to come.

Taking a bottle of water with me, I left my apartment and jogged through the streets. There were a number of individuals engaged in similar activity around the park. I took to stretching and felt the tension melt from my body. The early morning air had a certain quality of freshness to it, especially when in presence of greenery that revitalized a human being.

Sun was rising in all of its shinny glory and heat would become worse as the day rolled forward. I took a sip from my bottle just for the sake of using water, rather than feeling thirsty. It was still unnerving that I had no hunger or thirst anymore, though it was more manageable when I was focused on other tasks.

I walked my way back to my apartment and took a shower to wipe all the sweat. My hair had been growing long for a while now, so I might need to hit the barber. On second thought, how difficult was even hair cutting. I bet I could learn at an accelerated pace and save myself some pocket money. The backside might be a bit difficult, but not that much if I used the machine.

Well, I reasoned that I still had around a week's lease on that and focused on another much easier matter. After finishing washing, cutting off my nails and scrubbing my feet I was feeling a lot more relieved. Even if the dirt and grime had no real weight to them, there was a psychological benefit to keeping your body clean. A sort of weightlessness envelope me.

I changed into my clothes and thought about mom. I needed to visit her one of these days, but I couldn't leave the work unfinished. Cottonmouth had given me a week, I might as well have less than that. The pressure from the task was almost frustrating but it would prove to have me focused wholeheartedly.

Once I was ready, I picked up my backpack with my costume in it and left the apartment. By now the route to the safe-spot was far easier to remember and I quickly changed and left the place. I wasn't going to meet her at the office like yesterday as it would surely rouse suspicion from Misty and once again I didn't want anyone else involved until I had a firm grasp on the entire matter.

If Misty knew, then Daniel and Luke would surely follow. While I knew they were all good guys, they would no doubt want in on the case. Whether that would be to ensure my safety, or help take down the entire gang, I didn't care. I mean even if they gave me some space, they would want frequent reports, hidden cameras and mics to boot. I was not that generous of a hero to explain my entire operation to them.

Since it was still early morning Colleen might've just arrived at the office. I could take a vintage from afar and lookout for anyone leaving the building. In case Misty hadn't arrived then I can make a quick drop-by, and if she had, then all I could do was wait.

Before leaving the club yesterday, Shades had given me the time for meet-up. It was late in evening at 10:40. He had said to rest up for the day as I would need to keep wake all night. So I had all day to myself which meant I could afford a couple of hours lazing around. And hey, I might just stop one or two robberies from happening. Lost in my thoughts, I had already arrived atop the roof that provided clear view to the building which housed their office.

I felt my power form a connection and consume all my twice-base potential. As the implications of this new power settled in I felt myself lean against the parapet. This was a major disruption despite not being the strongest power to date. It didn't grant me physics defying powers or anything. Just a better vision which when compounded on my already enhanced eye sight granted me true-blue night vision. It also gave me enhanced reaction to catching fast things, alongside better balance. If only it hadn't changed my entire genetics and turned my eyes from original black color to icy blue, and given me a tail.

I looked with shock at the furry appendage extending from my waist. This was a tail, a white furred wolf tail. On a human. I gingerly put my finger on it to feel the fur and gulped at the realization that this was real. That all of this was real, and I wasn't dreaming.

The power was called 'Animal Hybrid' and given the implications should I say aptly put. I felt conflicted at the fact that my powers were great and something I very much appreciated in this world. Yet, I did not for one second like the tumultuous waves it was introducing in my life. I mean, I was gosh darned animal hybrid! What the heck did that even mean?!

If I had children in the future, they would also be hybrids. Wait, wrong line of thought. The present situation was that I was atop a roof dealing with the fact that I had suddenly become an Animal Hybrid. Now I could dwell in the shock of it all and continue to stroke my unbelievably soft coat of fur, Or I could focus on the present task and deal with the fallout later.

One good thing about my not-so-tight costume was that I could now hide my tail beneath the jacket. It wouldn't be visible, but something about the act itself roused discomfort from me. On the other hand, it was my eyes that were going to be a problem. I hadn't gone for the whole mask thing because I didn't feel like it, but that might've to change. Or I could go for contacts, but I wasn't sure how much they would cost.

My focus was broken when I saw a cab stop near the building and out climb the familiar form of red-headed girl. She wore long coat instead of dogi, but carried her katana in her hand. As she started walking, I only took a moment to contemplate before leaping from the building and gliding down to the road.

My appearance must've startled a few, because they scrambled back and spoke in hushed whispers. I didn't care what they spoke about me, actually I did but that was mostly my insecurity talking. They wouldn't know it was James under the suit, my disguise was just that good. What did they talk about though?

Colleen looked my way and raised a brow. She waved her hand and smiled, then pointed toward the building making a circle probably to indicate the backside. I was getting more attention than I liked so I nodded to her suggestion and ran toward the other building.

People didn't follow me when I took to climbing the building with the grace of a monkey. That and they were probably just intimidated by my eyes. It took me no time to find Colleen leaning against the wall.

"Good Morning." I greeted whilst dropping on the ground. "Fine weather we got today, no?"

"That we do." She nodded. "How long were you waiting for me?"

"Why would you think I was waiting for you?" I teased.

"I don't know. Probably because there was no commotion before I got off the cab." She gave me a smug smile.

"Alright, stupid question." I sighed. "Actually I came to tell you something."

"About Cottonmouth?" She asked, to which I nodded. She stepped closer and squinted her eyes. "I thought I was seeing things from distance, but jesus; how the heck did your eyes turn blue?"

Yup, totally expected that. "Um this is a side-effect of my powers, sometimes." I wasn't exactly lying, it was a side-effect of Animal Hybrid. "Don't worry about it, it will go back to normal in an hour or two."

"I don't know how you aren't worried." She scrunched her nose. "I mean your eyes looked a bit bigger too, can't tell if that's an effect of color change or they really did get bigger."

Bigger? That wasn't what I felt at all. "I don't think there's anything to worry about." I assured.

Colleen nodded and stepped back. "If your powers are harmful to you, then I don't think you should use them indiscriminately. What if your eyes kept getting bigger?"

Valid concern, no doubt. "They wouldn't." I said with complete confidence. I mean sure my powers were weird and all, but they wouldn't do something like that. If my eyes kept getting bigger and bigger, then they would explode. But that wasn't something I needed to worry about, right? Right?

We were getting off the topic and I really didn't want to face existential crisis in a back-alley. "Colleen, about Cottonmouth?"

"If it's important we should talk about it in the office. Misty isn't there yet."

I wondered if it was a matter of comfort or confidentiality. It didn't matter either way, because I was sure no one was currently keeping a watch on us, at least no normal human was. If there was a mutate involved, then we might as well be fighting a loosing war.

"Nah, don't worry about that." I shook my head. "Yesterday I made contact with the guy himself, gave him the proof of Morgan's illegal holdings. He wasn't impressed, but I think that was more of a front than his actual stance. He probably doesn't trust me fully and that's why he proposed a task."

"And what's that?" Colleen asked.

"I help him find a good base to raid on." I said. "He's still bitter over the loss of that ship and wishes to take a pound of Morgan's flesh before he can let loose the wolves."

My powers expanded with the addition of an ability called 'Fertility Control'. I didn't know whether that was a joke on my behalf or something, neither did the prospect of my powers having humor seem appealing. It was just earlier that I had been made into an Animal Hybrid, and now I was given the ability to control the fertility of myself and my partner to avoid any unwanted accidents. On that thought, why the heck was there even ability called Fertility Control.

Distraction successful and another point added to already mounting bucket of suspicions. Colleen was looking at me with a knowing look. She wasn't going to ask, I knew, but then again she didn't need to. Not with that look at least.

I had time and again decided on keeping away from others when my powers made connection, but I kept failing each time. I mean they were expanding so rapidly that I had no choice then to accept the results and hope I didn't grow a third eye. Which was real possibility now that I knew my powers didn't care about my consent or circumstances.

"It's a side-effect of my powers." I spoke gingerly.

Colleen narrowed her eyes at me, making an expression that I could easily read. She wasn't buying my bullshit. I could just avoid all this and tell her a convincing lie, or I could come clean about the mechanics of my power. I knew which option I had.

"My powers operate by weird mechanism." I said. "Just like a supernatural sense, I can always tell of ebb and flow of my powers. And sometimes they are more active and other times they are calm. When they do get active it usually causes me to become distracted."

A lie mixed with just a bit of truth. The only reason I even entertained her was mostly because her worries were real.

"Won't that become a problem though?" Colleen asked. "I mean if you're distracted in the midst of a battle, it can be quite dangerous."

While she wasn't wrong, it was actually rather easy to ignore the effect of the power as long as I paid it no heed. Unless it proved disruptive like manifesting a book in my hand then, yeah it can be dangerous. Hopefully I would've a better solution at that time. Sorry, not sorry future me.

"I can choose to ignore it if I am in tight circumstances." I said.

Colleen nodded and sighed. "That's good then. Anyway, we became distracted again. You said Cottonmouth wants you to find a base of Morgan's?"

"Bases. Plural." I corrected.

"Yes." She said. "Bases. How are you going to do that? I mean, do you have anything that can help you or something?"

I honestly didn't. But then again I didn't need anything. I might not have the logical acumen to find clues but I had superpowers to facilitate my search for the hideouts. Morgan would no doubt suspect my actions, but by time he realized something was wrong, cops would be knocking on his door.

"I have my ways." I said. "But I need your help. Once I find the base, I would no doubt be under scrutiny by Cottonmouth's men. I want you to do the digging. It might alert them, but that is good. A distraction will give me enough time to pick apart Cottonmouth's place."

"The timing is a bit tricky." Colleen said. "We would need to coordinate when the time comes. For you to inform me, and for me to create a distraction."

She wasn't wrong, and I had already thought this through.

In Marvel identity didn't hold as great a value as it did in DC. Most of the superhumans were known people, whether villains or heroes. Even in the case of Spiderman the whole secrecy thing came from the fact that it provided him with a mystery gimmick. Which in turn helped him sell his circus show. Although over the years it had grown to be an integral part of his existence, that now the mask unveiling had every reason to go wrong.

My main reason for choosing the mask was to avoid any fame and exposure. I didn't want to walk into supermarket and have all the heads turn toward me. I didn't want to become a talk on the news channel where they dug into every part of my life from birth to college. I didn't want my mother to suffer because of that, or be laden with heavy weight of responsibilities. I just wanted to be me.

Yet, there were limits to how close a person could get to someone without making them a part of their life. I couldn't just be a face behind the mask even if there was every possibility that supported it. It wasn't as much the situation forcing me as much as me extending my own hand toward someone.

Colleen must've seen my hesitation because she stepped forward and grabbed my hand. "I am not going to ask you to do something you don't want to. This shouldn't have been your burden in the first place." She was wrong about that, but I didn't say anything. "If you aren't comfortable with sharing names, then here." She fished out a cellphone from her pocket. "It's a spare one, you can contact me through this. It has my number in it."

She was being generous and understanding. I really wanted to tell her but in the end I just couldn't. The fear that my life will be upturned if I stood without my mask paralyzed me. Even if I knew that I could trust her, I just couldn't trust those mind reading psychos who thought every mind was their backyard to walk into.

"Thank you." I said with sincerity and gratitude. She thought I was almost willing to disclose my identity for a noble mission. She was wrong. She didn't know me. Ultimately, I was no hero. Just a selfish guy with powers.

.

.

.

I left Colleen soon after and hopped my way back to the safe-spot. During that time I felt a missed connection. I had to take my powers a bit more seriously going forward. As much I didn't like the whole gene altering scenario, I could still live with blue eyes and a tail. But what worried me the most was if it would impose any mental alteration on me.

If I considered the Training powers then they were already in the realm of memory tempering. But it wasn't serious enough, just surface level stuff that granted me knowledge and skills. What worried me though was if it instilled me with a desire for other things, like more power, conquest or pride. Would I still be me when operating under the false desires.

It was a worry that many wouldn't bother acknowledging. What happens tomorrow at least didn't happen today type of mentality. It was a loosing battle no doubt; there was nothing I could do to stop the incoming powers, and honestly did I even want to?

Marvel was a comic world, sure. But it wasn't to be underestimated. Beings like Galactus could rip planets apart, but what of those who inhibited that planet? Gone. Dust in the cosmic space. Even when considered from the local perspective, tens of people would sometimes die due to villains rampaging, sometimes hundreds. Even the likes of Electro or Green Goblin killed indiscriminately even if only in collateral.

In such a world being granted a power was a boon that many wished for, even if some would show outward disgust towards the freaks of nature. It was a chance and a hopeful future yours to make. I didn't want to refuse this gift. I wasn't going to.

The walk back had let me ponder on the intricacies of my power and my developing mindset. It was no use hiding away from others when my powers were expanding. I would still try to when in my civilian mode, but I didn't care about much with the mask on.

I didn't take the phone with me. Instead I hid it in the same crack in the wall where I usually kept my costume. After changing, I walked back home. It wasn't that I didn't trust Colleen, but the fact that Morgan had been aware of my identity put me on the edge about some mastermind planning to use me for their evil plans. Anything that could compromise me would need to stay out of the house.

At home I was finally able to lift my head after dodging any attention that was accidentally directed at me. I had squinted so hard while walking that my eyelids hurt now that they were more relaxed. Thankfully I was used to wearing loose clothing so that had helped hide my new appendage also.

It was still disconcerting to know and feel that a new appendage sprouted from my back and that I could feel and control it. It had provided me with enhanced balance that I could incorporate into my combat style. It was certainly a valuable boost, but I could've done without the decorations.

Looking in the mirror finally let the reality sink in. My irises were icy blue with a glossy sheen to them. They weren't shining or anything, but the reflected light gave them a magical glow of sorts. And they were slightly big.

This was bad. Normal eye contacts probably wouldn't work. I would need those scleral lenses that covered an entire eye. I just didn't know how much it would cost.

As it turned out, pretty high. Even normal eye contacts would've weighed heavily on my pockets, but the scleral one's were pure madness. I mean $2,000 for one pair, that was my entire life savings. Do I need to raid a bank to get enough money to buy a pair of contact lenses? Jeez, I was poor as a beggar.

This was certainly bad. I might be able to don tainted glasses to cover my eyes for the time being. At times like these being anti-social really helped, at least I didn't have to explain why I was wearing sunglasses on a perfect day to every person I met while leaving this building. But I would need to address the issue sooner rather than late. I still had the meeting with mom coming up.

I sighed and leaned back into my bed. I was in much deeper shit than I thought, and there was so much to handle that I shuddered at the notion of failure. If only my powers provided something useful for once. I didn't mean to criticize but this entire mess was the result of my powers not caring about my opinion or my circumstances.

There was no use blaming something that I had no control over. Instead a look into the news showed another bank robbery thwarted by the local vigilante Moon Knight. Man, Manhattan was teeming with all these heroes and villains. I might just run into the egyptian themed hero one of these days. What should I say at that time? Probably act confident.

Speaking of money, I had been thinking of looking over those remote jobs in I.T sector. As someone with programming knowledge, I could probably worked as a freelance developer and earn some quick buck. In fact most of those programmers earned pretty good, so it might just solve my financial needs.

I wondered if it was my powers that were making things difficult for me, or if it was because I wasn't living up to their potential. I mean, I already had so many powers that could lead me to getting a good job. One that paid well enough to afford to buy a pair of lenses. But I had just been postponing the decision till now.

I felt my powers miss another connection and decided to open my laptop. With sufficient coding skills I should be able to build a strong portfolio and act as a freelancer. Who knows, I might not need to work day jobs at all.

It took some time to set up, but in an hour I was looking at the complete profile of my skills and a number of certificates that only required one to complete certain tests. I had just created a portfolio but it would require more credibility in the form of projects and completed assignments.

Even with my level of skills it would take me time to get the thing done. The only grace I had compared to a normal programmer was that I didn't need to google or anything to build a program. I knew and would remember everything my powers facilitated, and my skills were a result of my powers so they were less to doubt against.

It was unfortunate that my skills fell short of creating an Artificial intelligence. Otherwise I could've gotten myself a reliable assistant that could micromanage all the things I had been lacking behind in. I could only hope that Training skills didn't stop at Advanced rank but proceeded further. It was only a wish though, as I wasn't exactly sure what level after Advanced would look like in terms of Marksmanship, Combat or Martial Arts. Even Disguise Training that hadn't been pushed to Advanced was already awesome, but a level beyond that... I could only say that it would've to be something supernatural.

For the rest of day I spent building projects and engaging in chat with other computer science experts. There were sites where they posted their questions and those who had an understanding would answer. I took time to go through a bunch of questions and answered them all with short concise explanations.

Even in such a short time people were getting to know me, acknowledging my skills. It wouldn't be hard for me to push for collaboration with some of them. With the way things were proceeding, I would say I had a high chance of attracting an interested party. They could use my expertise while I could use their fame and recognition as stepping stone.

I didn't ask for a collaboration though, it would be pushing my luck too much. As much impatient as I was being, there was still a limit to how much I could get done in one day. The dusk was approaching and so was my meeting with Shades. Tonight would be trying, but I would need to pull through.

At 8 in the evening, I changed into my disguise but wore a jacket over my tee-shirt. My tail was easier to hide, but with a jacket it would make it more inconspicuous and in case of heated activity, keep it from being seen. The only problem were my eyes but I had already decided on how to deal with them.

While on my way to the club, I entered a mall and bought a pair of tinted eyeglasses. It cost me around $20 but it sounded way better than having to spend hundred times that amount. The glasses managed to hide the color of eyes, in fact they hid my entire eyes from others. With thick curved frame, it wasn't easier to look from the side or down to glimpse at my eyes.

It took me less than ten minutes to arrive at the club after having bought the glasses. The music was blaring in the background and people drank without a care in the world. I marched toward the backroom where Mr. Slick sucked on his cigarette while fondling a blonde haired woman.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat to voice my existence. The shorter man straightened his clothes while the woman took her leave.

"You're here." He said, a bit lamely. Probably still high on hormones to think properly.

"I am to meet Shades." I said. "Where's he at?"

He stood from his place and moved behind the desk. "I will call Shades for you. You can take a seat for now."

I sat on the sofa while he phoned the taller guy. I took this moment to sweep my eyes around the place. It looked like an office, but clearly for drug management. If any place had sufficient proof like an entry book or something on Cottonmouth, then this place ought to be it.

"You stay here all day, Mr. Slick?" I initiated the talk. "I can't fathom how you do your work in such a distracting environment?"

It looked very impressive to me for being able to work in an environment where distraction was added bonus in the form of blaring music and always available alcohol.

"You learn to work with what you get." He said. "I have been in this place for years now. Always got my work done on time."

"That's impressive." I mentioned sincerely. "You do the accounting stuff for Boss?"

Slick nodded at that and gestured to the office. "This entire place ain't worth anything without me. Boss trusts me to be the sole keeper of his treasure vault."

Well now, that was certainly a useful piece of information. Still, where the heck did this guy keep all the documents. It looked suspiciously clean for a supposed office where all the records were being made and organized. Did they clean this place? Unlikely.

"You sure do keep your place clean though." I praised and nodded at everything with respect. "Unlike those people with less than half your work and their entire place littering with gosh-darned papers everywhere."

Slick grinned at me and spoke. "They just aren't as smart as me to remember it all."

Remember it all? I considered his words carefully but just to avoid any misconception I still chose to ask. "You remember everything Mr. Slick? Like every transaction, deal and whatnot?"

He nodded with a grin on his face and I let the implications wash over me.

"Where's the washroom?"

Slick told me the way to the place as I felt my powers form a connection. And I was glad he did because I consumed 2/3rd of my potential to connect to the piece of power that would finally let me use Heliokinesis. The power was called 'Manipulation' and it granted me the ability to control the movement of my attribute. Basically the kinesis part of the ability that I had been lacking up until now.

With Heliokinesis being my strongest power to date, I could finally understand why that was the case. This was straight up mutant power that just granted me the power to manipulate solar energy. That meant hard-light weapon projection, force fields, and even flight. The only problem was that I lacked the raw knowledge and skills that my other powers usually provided me with.

With the way I was, I would probably be able to control small bursts of solar flares. Force fields meant my defensive magic would become moot, but I wouldn't be able to use those without some practice. This was essentially solar energy manipulation and that meant decent light control and high-temp fire control. I would need to train in usage of all of those abilities.

Heliokinesis might not have let me touch the ranks of Alpha level mutant, but I was pretty close. This was still Escanor level shit, that meant full on solar energy empowerment all the way to creating miniature pseudo suns. And that was just scratching the surface of Heliokinesis. Because it was ultimately Heliokinesis and everything that could be done using the solar energy I could do.

It would take time to discover the full scope of my abilities. And as it turned out I was much weaker at night due to having low reserves of Solar Energy. During day when ambient sun light is present I could freely control the energy and empower myself all the way. That didn't meant I was weak.

Unlike before when I could only use Secretion in short bursts, now I could allow it continue for much longer time. With my limited control, I allowed a small portion of solar energy to seep through and form into a glowing needle in my hand. Since my own attribute couldn't harm me I was holding a very high temperature needle in my fingers that could poke a hole through steel as easily as it could through foam.

It was a good thing that I went to the bathroom. I didn't want to space-out while talking to the guy. That would only rouse suspicion. If someone were to pick out a pattern that this particular superhero had a tendency to go into daze, then my identity might as well become a neon flag.

I realized that I had spent quite a while in the washroom. Shades ought to have arrived, and while unfortunate I could finish work and leave early or late—whatever term suited best—to start fiddling with my new powers.

Shades hadn't arrived when I went back. It took another ten minutes of wait on my part before the guy peeked through the door, looking at me and nodding. Mr. Slick and him exchanged some talk and we were soon leaving the place.

"You know the assignment." He said. "Find where that bitch keeps his goods and report back to the boos. If you are gonna prove yourself, then is this the way to do it."

I nodded at his words and thought about our next course of action. Finding Morgan's hideout wasn't going to be easy at all. I might be able to sniff out the place given enough time, but work like this tends to remain mobile. What I needed was a wide-spread net to help me get the feel of general area.

What Cottonmouth had provided me was something he would never act out on his own. It would be a provocation if he did, and would lead to gang war and lots of death. If that were to happen both sides would loose more than they wished for. But I was different. If Morgan tried to shot me down, Cottonmouth would only watch from afar without any remorse. I was disposable.

Unlike Cottonmouth, Morgan didn't know me. He knew my superhero persona, but he didn't the punk look I was going at. He would assume me as a member of The Rivals and deal with me accordingly. Only problem was that since Cornell didn't care about my well-being he could just deny any association with me. If Morgan didn't shoot me at that time, it would prove his assumptions that I worked for the man. While if he did, nothing was lost.

Unfortunately for both of them, they thought I was a chess piece on a board of their game. What they didn't realize that I was much bigger fish than they could dream of. Cornell Cottonmouth might have some off-shot backing from Kingpin, and Morgan might have capital to tangle with Falcon. They wouldn't be able to handle Aevitas.

On second I should change my name to something like Wolf, or Fenrir. It would go well with my new animalistic look, complete the whole theme and all. Ok, got off the track for a second there. Where were we? Ah yes, Morgan and his drug cartel.

"We are going to look around the neighborhood." I said. "I have a rough idea where he operates from. We split from here, and you look near the docks while I look near the park."

"That's your strategy?" He asked, frowning. "That ain't gonna take us anywhere."

"I know what I'm doing." Technically I did, but that was more of an effort at distraction rather searching for anything. "You do your job, while I do mine."

"You gotta be kidding me." He spread his hands in exasperation. "Whatever."

I watched him leave and turned toward the place I had chosen as my target. It was one thing to raid your average drug lord and it was another to gather convincing evidence to convince cops that this was the guy they were looking for. I had to do both, former for Cottonmouth to put a candy in his mouth and later for the cops to put them in Ryker's.

I felt the miss of connection and walked till I was at the Diner. With my sunglasses and my getup I got a few looks while passing by the tables to sit on the other side. In this aspect the glasses actually helped hide the fact that I was looking at the two men in suits eating on the other side. There was a case lying near one of the men who pushed it to the other man. I recognized the man as Boss Morgan.

The waiter put a glass of water in front of me but I wasn't looking at him. Instead I fiddled with my pocket for a brief moment before turning to leave. Just in time to watch the man who accepted the case to also walk out.

He looked around himself, moved into the car and drove away. I waited for a brief moment before rushing toward one of the buildings and climbing it. One good thing about having enhanced vision was I could keep track of the vehicle even from distance. Having better balance proved monumental in parkour as I moved with grace of a feline and leapt at heights I would've felt apprehensive of before.

My plan had been simple. Morgan operated at a higher level, kept a certain amount of distance from everything. There was nothing explicitly connecting something illegal to him, but he had connections and those connections were people who didn't just stir the gutter, but swam in it. These were the people who actively sold drugs and stood watch over the operation. These were the people I needed to go after.

Normally people like these had protection and were cautious. Not to mention cops didn't usually touch them because they had backing and were somewhat 'friendly' to them. But it was another thing if supers got involved. Unlike Morgan Cottonmouth operated more discreetly because he was a known factor among the NYPD. His records were more properly hidden. But Morgan, he was the boss. The one everyone respected. A businessman. He lacked the paranoia even if his caution had served him well.

I hopped from another building to see the car stop near the street, then steer into the driveway before coming to complete stop. The man stepped out carrying the case and walked into the house. His house, no doubt.

This was probably where I would differ from a normal hero who at least respected privacy. Heck, with the way their story unfolds I doubt they go around digging into the life of others. Usually they would just come across a conflict and try to resolve it.

I didn't care about any of that. Instead I flared my Heliokinesis for the first time and jumped. With Levitation giving me a boost, I directed the thrust to be upward making it far more effective at slowing down my fall. With my enhanced balance I landed perfectly on my feet.

Moving quietly in the dead of the night, I slid into the shadows to keep away from prying eyes. With my skills climbing the backside of the house was easy enough. The window was locked but I had a solution to that. It would be difficult, but between my talent and enhanced genius of Swift Learning I should be able to do that.

Using Heliokinesis in a way I had never before, I used the properties of solar energy to try to alter the magnetic field. It proved easier thanks to my Static Cling ability. The electromagnetism helped turn the lock around and with a click the window was open.

I slid inward and eyed the hallway cautiously. There was some coming from downstairs but nothing I could sense from the rooms around me. I kept the window open and moved toward the first door. I gently knocked on it a few times. If someone was inside they would come to open it, and I should be able to heat their footsteps. In which case I could quickly escape without alerting the family.

When nothing happened, I repeated the process on the other two and sighed in relief at prospect that they were probably busy eating dinner. Now I had to make it quick so that they wouldn't suspect anything.

Opening the first door showed it was the bathroom. The next had a ton of posters and music equipment. It was clearly a kid's room judging by the books and clothes. I gently closed it shut.

The next one proved to be a pristine one with clear sheets and draw curtains. There was distinct lack of things one usually saw in use. Like the jug on the nightstand was empty, bookshelves too.

I frowned and opened the last door. The bedroom. I glanced back and then gave the whole room a curious glance. Before moving inside I closed the window in the hallway. With the help of my night vision I was able to skim through the trash strewn on the table. I had no delusions of evidence against Morgan here. My only objective was to find anything that could prove helpful in seeking out their hideout.

One of the documents gave my anonymous victim the name of Jordan. I had to thank Jacob for that. It was good thing we let him go that day. Thanks to that I was able to find where Morgan usually dined at. I could've found that easily by myself, but it would've taken precious time from my already limited reserves.

After looking through most of the documents, I finally found a piece of paper which read some renovation work. Well, what do you know? Turns out Morgan did have a house, but it got wrecked somehow. I had a sneaky suspicion that a superhero was somehow involved.

Just in time I felt my powers connect and an ability similar to the one that granted me super strength was secured. The power was called 'Peak Human Durability' and it granted me anything but a human durability. I could take a beating from a thick metal bat, and the bat would be more damaged than me. I could jump from seven stories without breaking a single bone and that was just the surface level stuff.

I already had Dense Flesh and with this new ability, I might not be able to withstand bullets yet, but I was certainly the second closest option. After all I could have a building collapse on top of me and walk out with some bruises or at worst a fracture. This was insane levels of durability, but nothing in grand scheme of Marvel verse.

The power had proven a distraction but thankfully I was able to get a rough summary of some deals and the records on the sale. It wasn't much to go of from, but my real objective wasn't to uncover some groundbreaking evidence in the first place. One last task to complete before I leave. Thankfully I didn't have to sneak around or hide in a closet. What I needed was right here.

Jordan would never know someone was in his house and by the time he got ready for bed, I would be half-way across the Harlem. I spotted Shades smoking in the corner and went close.

"Got anything?" I asked.

The man didn't answer. He didn't even look at me, jut taking a deep smoky breath that filled his lungs with dust and chemical aerosol.

"Hey, I asked you something." I repeated. "Did you find anything?"

Shades let loose his smoke all over my face. Then he flipped his middle-finger at me and stood up. "You made me waste my time, is what I found."

I wasn't angry at his behavior, just amused. There was something he clearly didn't like about me, I wondered what that was. "So you found nothing. Just say so, dude."

He shot me an irritated look.

"Look, if you hate me or something. Just spit it out." I spread my hands to make it clear I was being frank. "It wouldn't bother me. But if you do half-assed work, then I can't trust you. Then I would've to asked Boss for a more reliable partner."

"The fuck you say." He stepped closer. "You think you understand how things work around here. You ever seen a real fight break out. You know what death looks like?"

He was angry. I understood him better now. He was angry at the fact that I had come and disturbed their lives and put his own at risk. Morgan would kill me no doubt, but Shades would go down with me. I smiled at that.

"Listen here, you retard." I pushed my face closer. "I don't give a rat's ass about your life or safety. But I don't want to have someone idiotic watching my back. So you better get your shit together, shelve your issues and work with me. Because if you don't, I'm going to die. But I won't be alone. You understand?"

He sneered at me but I wasn't backing down. I might not have the sheer muscle mass or stature to match his, but my presence was enough to instill a sense of dread. Shades took a step back as I stepped closer.

"You understand?" I repeated.

"Don't waste my fucking time." He snarled. Turning around he took off on his own. I stood there for sometime before turning to leave also. Our work for today had concluded and I was ready to go home.

Today had been as usual unusual. If I wasn't busy dealing with this business I could've taken a day off to practice my powers. Only good thing about my powers was that I had a surface level understanding of their uses. Like I knew the extent of my Heliokinesis even if I had never used it. This would help understand my limits better.

At home I took off my disguise and felt relief as my tail brushed free. I didn't like confining that particular appendage at all. Actually I didn't like covering anything in particular. I wasn't an exhibitionist per say, but I would much rather not have to wear a costume if I could help it. Or at least not wear the mask. If only my powers provided a Clark Kent effect or something.

Using disguise would surely work but it would require an extensive need for makeup which would translate to more money. On the other hand I still needed to those eye contacts, so that was something to think about.

Considering that it was middle of the night and there was distinct lack of sunlight, practicing my Heliokinesis wouldn't produce any results. I decided to instead focus on my work as freelancer.

There was still a possibility for collaboration and it would surely pay me enough to cover for the money required to buy me some good contacts. I decided to finish a project and proceed with another update. I was still an unknown in this field, but given enough time I could make a name for myself.

It took me time to finish a small project but by 1 in the morning, I was looking at a pretty neat program. With my level of skills I could tell that it would work pretty well and the code was very well optimized. It was about time for people to start noticing my skills.

That would've to wait for the tomorrow for me to wake up. Before that I still needed sleep. I decided to take a bath and changed into my sleepwear. I didn't have any power to help with my sleep but I wasn't feeling particularly sleepy right now. I could read a book, but then I might fall asleep halfway through.

Just as sleep was to overcome me, I fell a connection to one of the smaller stars. It was called 'Basic Firearms Training' and granted me with knowledge and skill to safely handle, maintain or use any mundane firearm. I could with the help of this power now use guns, any type of mundane guns actually—from a Glock to a Bazooka. Not just that I had formal education on how to maintain them. Cleaning, assembly-disassembly and storage, I could do it all.

With my Basic Engineering Training, I could build or even fix a gun with sufficient equipment. Heck, I could create bullets if I had proper equipment. On the other hand using Combat Training, I could incorporate it into my fighting style.

There were ton of applications but they would've to wait for tomorrow. For now I needed my sleep.

.

.

.

A night's sleep had done me wonders. I woke feeling refreshed even if the sun was beating down on me. It was past noon and I was still in the bed, perks of doing shady activities at night. My very first thought after waking up was to look over the results of the project I had submitted. Of course that would come after I refreshed.

Turns out my work had caught some good eyes. I was looking into the prospects of collaboration as it would suit to further my renown in the field. After going over some things I closed the tab and stretched for a moment.

With the number of powers I was now supporting you would think that I didn't feel sore or anything. Too bad none of my powers worked to enhance the comfort except for Clothing Manoeuvrability, and even that was more directed toward preventing any lack in flexibility or movement. I guess Self-Sustenance could count, but I wasn't exactly sure.

I needed to take some time to review the new additions to my powers, especially Manipulation. That was big one but worthless without some training. In fact I could already feel the influence now that it was daylight again. With just a thought a golden fire spread around my hand. This was the basic stuff, uncontrolled and wild. It would prove more detrimental to me than to others. First of all, my clothes had no protection against this kind of heat.

Considering I was short on time and the fact that my powers didn't exactly align with the job I needed to get done, I decided to focus on my other powers. Firearm stuff was very important and with me being affiliated with a gang I could score a gun or something. More than that though it was the prospect of using a projectile weapon with my Marksmanship Training that endeared to me.

It was going to be hard to keep a track of all my powers but thankfully most of them worked passively. Like the defensive stuff or the Training stuff. With the way powers were coming though, I couldn't keep playing in the garden if I didn't want to limit myself. That meant interacting with the likes of Avengers or X-Men. Again, living for fun and thrill only while doing some good on the way.

That would've to wait though. My foremost priority was still shutting down both Morgan and Cottonmouth. I didn't plan on just busting their operation, I planned to make them go extinct. It wasn't a hard decision to come across and I had to thank certain someone for giving me the last push. Too bad they were already dead.

I took a look at my savings and found them close to $2,500. Just last week, I think on 9th I still had more than $3,000. With the amount I currently possessed, it would be just enough to buy me a pair of lenses. There still time for the month to end, so no rent yet. Bills might pose a bit of a problem, especially my phone bill but again I still had more than two weeks of time. Question was should I just go for it?

Hesitation wasn't easy to get over to, and I ultimately decided to not be decisive. There were still powers coming, and I might just get some cash in hand from this small business. No matter how distasteful I found it, whatever kept me going would be godsend.

Considering it was around afternoon, I had half a day to kill. Well, technically I had work to do but that was for later. For now I needed to meet with someone.

The phone Colleen provided me proved to be useful and we decided to meet near the place where we caught Jacob. I got there a bit early but that was mostly my paranoia moving me to take control of the scene.

I saw Colleen before she saw me and waited for her near the doorstep. She waved at me and walked forward. Unlike before she wore a tube top with a jacket over it, leaving only her collar bone and flat belly exposed. Her bottom consisted of a long pair of jeans with kitten heel sandals covering her feet.

"Good afternoon." I greeted. "You look wonderful, are you going out somewhere?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I came because I was supposed to meet someone. Can't be the only one looking a bit underdressed for the occasion."

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, and honestly I didn't even want to understand. Not right now, and not with what I was dealing with. Instead I smiled politely. "Well you do look great. But the reason I called you here is because of this." I took out a thumb-drive and handed it to her. "This contains some loosely-not-official documents that might be related to Morgan."

Colleen took the drive and eyed it for a second. "Where did you get this?"

"One of his men. From his place to be precise."

"Wait a let me get this straight." She gestured. "You are telling me you broke into someone's place with the intent of stealing this." She held the drive. "And now you're giving it to me. Why?"

I felt a missed connection as I considered her words. "Well, not exactly to steal that. I was looking more for the hard evidence but then I found this and people are usually forgetful about their things." I said. "Nothing wrong with a missing drive. And as for why I gave this to you? Simple, I want you to track the reports and see where they lead."

"You want me to do digging on Morgan?" She asked.

"I want you to dig into this man who's behaving in a suspicious way." I corrected.

Colleen considered my words and I felt a bit bad about her. For her this wasn't supposed to go so far. But now I was reaching for things that were hard to take back; I had to see this through. If things went wrong and our involvement was discovered this could end up blowing up in our faces. So, I understood that this was a difficult decision to make.

"Listen, Colleen." My words grabbed her attention. "I can't do this for long. Either Morgan becomes suspicious and I become that common enemy we hear in metaphors. Or we finish it before any of that comes to light and walk away content."

"These are dangerous people." She said. "But that's not all there's to it. They have contacts and if we land on the wrong foot we could end up breaking our own leg. So, if we are doing this, then I have to tell the others."

This was something I had been expecting. Engaging with one gang was something to be concerned about. Tangling with two at the same time, you would better prepare for the mess that would unfold. This would very well devolve into a gangster shootout and you know what those affected the most. Innocent people.

If we wanted to leap into the fire, then we needed every protection we could get. Even if I was of the higher weight class than these guys, it was a matter of availability, damage and crowd control. Which I couldn't handle all by myself.

"That's the other thing actually." I sighed. "It's as you said, if we are going to do this we need to be thorough but careful. You can get Iron Fist and Power Man on board, and Misty will be with you. And one last thing, I need you to contact Falcon for me."

I explained the outline of my plan going forward to Colleen. I didn't want others involved but considering the fallout I was willing to compromise. Still I wanted the proceedings based on my directives. With their help I should be able to get both Morgan and Cottonmouth in time and shut them up for good.

We talked at length about the things; Colleen asked about why I wanted to meet Falcon and I explained my reasoning. It was all part of a plan that I hoped would work, because if it didn't I might have bigger problems to deal with. After all I couldn't say the Avengers will be happy to let me get away with a murder. Well they might, but who's to say that a certain baldy wouldn't consider my act of manslaughter as a possible mental case and pressure me into some questionable act.

"You've thought this through." She nodded. "Which is good and all, but don't you think we should we take it a bit more slowly?"

I wish I could, but I was running on borrowed time here. Unless I punched them all into oblivion this was my only option to keep it clean, and the chaos at bare minimum.

"I told you that Cottonmouth put me on a time limit." I answered. "It's now or never."

"Alright, I will help however I can." She said. With that dealt I would've felt relief only for her to point at my face. "But why the heck are you waring shades? Are you eyes still blue?"

'Here we go.' I thought. This was exactly the situation I had been dreading and something I wasn't a fan of. "Well you know how my powers can overflow a bit." I said. "It happens from time to time, so I thought to better prepare myself in case it does happen."

"You sure you don't want that looked over?" She asked, clearly in concern. With the way things were going and considering where I was, I did not want myself examined by a doctor, any doctor for that matter. Who knows if my evil clone would come swinging by someday and give me a warm hug. Since I had no idea how my powers worked I didn't know if my clone would exhibit similar abilities. And honestly not a big fan of having little me's running around the Manhattan.

I shook my head and we talked about a few other things before we parted. I watched her leave and touched my mask. My secret identity was still secret but the question was did I want it to remain secret. Especially from the people who could become my colleagues or even friends.

Overthinking never helped but I couldn't help something that I was born with. Cornell Cottonmouth would die and so would Morgan. After that perhaps I can overcome the shadows of my past and look toward the future. Maybe then I could finally live in a real world with real people.

My walk back home was interrupted by the ongoing mugging attempt in an alley. I looked at the men, three skinny and tall looking men with knives in their hand terrorizing a school boy who was shaking like a leaf. I glanced around me and pulled up my hood.

"Those things are dangerous guys, you could cut yourself!" I shouted.

The men scrambled back while turning toward me. One of them clearly the boss with his bigger knife scowled and stepped forward. "Who the fuck are you?!" He put his knife before him. "Get the hell lost, shitass. Or I will poke half a dozen holes in your ass."

"Rude." I muttered. The other two were right behind the guy while the school-boy was sulking off in the corner. I smiled as I looked over all of them and felt my powers miss another connection.

"You are so about to get your ass handed to you." I ran.

.

.

.

With the left over time I decided to spend it on the costume. It was still under operation and probably would be for another few days. The reason being that I had barely touched it over the past few days. On the other hand I had just looked over another project to make and was thinking of finishing today. That way I might be able to approach others tomorrow which could prove to be better the sooner I dealt with.

I may be being a bit hasty, but between the growing excitement and the anxiety from poverty I could safely say that I was being perfectly reasonable. That said I do intend to live up to a certain standard which should at least help my case.

When the night arrived I once more changed into my punk outfit and left when no one was paying attention. Once more I was glad that my lack of connections and neutral relationships with my fellow residents kept them at bay from prying into my personal life. I'm not sure they would've liked the me with my getup on.

Today's goal was simple enough. With Colleen's help in finding Morgan's hideout, my task was to get more information about Cottonmouth himself. There was something about Mr. Slick that bugged me. If what I heard was right then that guy was the key to bringing him down. Of course Cornell couldn't keep all the records on one person. While safe it lacked the practically and also posed the risk of loss.

When I arrived at the club, I didn't find Shades anywhere near. That guy was late yesterday too, I was counting on that for today's venture. My walk took me directly into the short guy's office.

"Yo!" I waved my hand and entered the room. "How's everything going?"

He didn't have a woman in his room this time. Instead he seemed busy with a folder and a drink in his hand. He glanced at me and waved with his can held hand. "Fine as a wine. How about you?"

"Cool." I nodded. "Shades not here?"

"I don't think so." He said. "I think you're a bit early. Do you want me to call him over?"

"No need." I shook my head. "Is it ok if I wait here for the time being? I mean the noise has always been too much for my ears."

He looked up from his folder and spoke. "No problem, dude. You work for the boss now. You can stay here if you want."

"Thanks." I said with a nod. "Though I don't know about the work bit. I mean I do want to work for the boss. But Shades thinks I'm suspicious as hell. I mean, I get where he's coming from; but I'm earnest here by doing exactly what the boss tells me."

"Don't worry." Mr. Slick said. "It doesn't matter what Shades thinks. If you're honest and loyal, I'm sure boss would recognize your hard work. As for Shades, that guy's a coward who cares more for his life than anything. You do you."

Mr. Slick seemed to be the type of guy who was laidback and took life at easy mode. I bet this came from the assurance of his life thanks to being a living breathing record keeper. He probably didn't give much thought to anything aside from passing another day in leisure.

I stroked the bridge of my nose and looked down. "I really wanna meet boss right now, update him on my progress and all." I said with the best effect my Deception Training enabled. "I've always had this fascination since young, to join a gang as big boss' and make a name for myself. I'm sure my uncle would be proud of me."

Slick looked at me and picked another can from his side tossing it over. I caught the tin with a perfect grip and looked back at him. "You can't meet the boss right now." He said. "But if you keep up the good work, he gonna call you soon enough."

"That's kind of Mr. Slick." I looked appreciative at his gesture. "You must've been with boss for a long time. Can you tell me more about him?"

"You wanna know about boss?" He asked; I nodded. "Sure. Boss Cottonmouth was at the top of Harlem underworld at one point. But then that bitch Luke fucked it all up."

"Power Man?" I asked.

He nodded and walked me through the bits and pieces of his story. It was quite a story if I say so myself. I could now finally place where Morgan was coming from. Luke hated Cornell as much as the sharp-toothed drug lord hated the hero. Mr. Slick was all against Luke from the beginning but Cottonmouth had wanted to recruit the guy, until it had backfired in his face.

What he told was certainly something most people already knew. What it meant for me didn't change anything. However there was one piece that I going to juice for all it was worth.

"Mr. Slick." I began. "You've been with the boss since the beginning, no? You must have always been the one to record the deals and all."

"You bet!" He grinned at me. "There's nothing Slick here doesn't know about."

"I...Um" I put hesitation in my voice. "Are you one of those mutates everyone's talking about?"

He looked at me for a moment and then forward. "I don't know." He said. "You're curious how I remember everything."

I put on a intrigued expression.

"Photographic Memory, is all." He said and leaned back.

"Is it safe for you tell others?" I asked, feigning worry. Man, I was killing this deceptive exchange.

"Don't worry." He waved his hand. "Most people in the gang know. Besides, I'm not much use to anyone if I don't talk."

That was certainly true and I nodded. I felt my powers reach their threshold and move towards one of the stronger stars. I was praying that nothing monumental would happen.

The power I connected to was I think the fourth in that category. And it changed a lot of things and opened up new possibilities. I so wished I was at home for this moment because I so wanted to test out the limitations.

The power was called 'Energy Storage' and unlike what the name might suggest, it didn't make me an energy storage or grant me one. In fact what it allowed was for me to store any type of energy I possessed into objects to make them more durable. That didn't sound much and the durability boost wasn't that great. But there was one thing where it would prove to be absolute game changer.

Magic.

I might have gotten two methods on how to use magic, and one great school focused on defense and sealing. But what I lacked was both proper understanding and a greater magical pool. This power had just saved me all that time.

For some time now I had been debating on using a Rune on my costume to provide an instant shield in case I needed one. The only problem was that my magical energy was so low that the shield I made would be for one, low grade and two quick to dissipate. It was a conundrum I had no solution to so, I had taken a backseat in the magic department and focused on other things for now.

With Energy Storage though, that changed. I could now store my magical energy in my costume a little at a time. Then using the rune I would draw, I could make the costume as it own magical battery to power the rune, effectively making a super suit that could conjure magical shields. An ability that would no doubt prove monumental to my career.

That was just magical energy. I could use Heliokinesis to store solar energy in the costume too. It would make it more durable, resilient and most of all heat and cold resistant. It might also solve the problem of having less energy at night to properly use that ability. The only problem was I didn't exactly have measure on how much I could store at any given time without damaging the item.

There was a hard limit to how much an object could store and pushing those limits could potentially damage it. However, if I used the stored energy to make it more durable to store more energy in an infinite loop, I should in theory be able to store infinite energy. It was absurd concept which would definitely not work in real life. Too many factors to consider.

Over time there would be diminishing returns, the material could destabilize, and start decaying and leaking energy. Maybe if I had a good material like Uru or Orichalcum I could extend the limit to potentially higher levels, but I had no idea how to even get hold of them, much less on how to process the runes on them.

I looked up at Mr. Slick and found him engrossed in his reading. "Surely though—" I spoke after having finished considering my new power. Hopefully it would only come out as me thinking about what I was going to ask next. "—You can't handle everything by yourself. I mean, there ought to be others to help you, right?"

Mr. Slick looked at me and sighed. "If you are asking to help, then forget it. Do you even know how to read?"

I looked embarrassed at that.

"Thought so." He nodded. "There are others of course. Unlike me though, they have to keep everything recorded."

What he didn't tell was that they recorded even what he memorized. There was no way in hell that Cornell Cottonmouth would put his eggs in one basket. Mr. Slick here was only a single bullet away from erasing all tradings and transactions of Cornell, I wouldn't believe if he actually possessed all the details by himself.

What I needed was exactly that backup. Or there was no backup at all and this guy was everything I could get. What then? He seemed loyal enough, but would he remain the same if given proper treatment? This was a bit more complicated.

"If I could learn to read and write, do you think I could join them?" I asked. "Although I wish to work for boss, fighting those freaks just gives me chills. Dude can have bullets bounce off of him. That's just not human at all."

"Right about that." He nodded in agreement. "I don't know though. Usually those guys are with boss at his place, but I can't guarantee they will take you in."

With the boss at his place. I smiled inwardly at that. This guy was a bit of an idiot I reckon to trust me so easily even if I was using my deception training to put on a trustworthy face, convey sincerity through body language and circumvent sensitive topics by asking in roundabout way.

"Thanks for your opinion." I nodded. "It would prove a great deal helpful in the future."

We sat in silence after the talk.

"Shades hasn't arrived yet." He glanced at the clock. "Do you want me to give him a call?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "I feel much better after talking to you, Mr. Slick. You might say I'm in good mood and happy about my future prospects. So, I don't want to ruin my mood by going on any meaningless search today. If Shades comes, can you tell him that tonight is canceled."

"Sure thing." He nodded in affirmative. "And I'm thankful that I could provide help."

"I should get going then." I exchanged goodbyes with the shorter man and left his office. The club was booming as usual and I made haste in leaving the place. Noise has always been something of pet peeve of mine.

Just as I stepped foot on the asphalt my powers made connection to one of the smallest stars. 'Inhuman Metabolism' granted me well inhuman metabolism to be able to consume any type of creature or material and digest it fully. The catch all term 'any' covered literally anything in existence, be it metal or toxin, it didn't matter.

It was a minor power but a welcome one. Who knows it might come in handy some day. For now I needed to head home and get ready for tomorrow. These few days would no doubt prove hectic.

At home I took some time going over the details of my new project before I started the work. Considering my expertise I was confident in creating what I had chosen. It wasn't until recently that I fully understood the scope of my ability 'Advanced Computer Training'.

I had been disappointed at the prospect of nothing having the ability to create an A.I. Turns out I could create so much more. With the time constraints I wasn't going to able to finish an Algorithmic A.I model—because yes, I could create those—anytime soon. Instead I chose something difficult but that could be finished in no time. It was only a matter of time before I started my first venture as a freelancer.

.

.

.

Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes took a drag out of his cigar and leaned back into the comfort of his chair. It had been a trying day, as was the case for the past few days. He would have to pay Morgan a visit and thank him personally for the generous gift. All in due time, he thought.

He placed the document on his desk aside, something for Mr. Slick to memorize later. The man had been a valuable asset for his organization and the reason why he was not in Ryker's.

Running a drug empire wasn't easy, especially in a locality like Harlem where heroes where abound. Just the other day he had heard of a new guy in a costume running around the neighborhood. If it still the previous him he might have pushed for the recruitment. But after the whole fiasco with Luke he was more cautious of accepting a new guy.

On the other hand Eddie had proven to be godsend opportunity that he was going milk for all it was worth. Now if only Shades could nudge the new guy to be a little more provocative.

On that matter he realized he had a visitor waiting for him outside. He straightened the wrinkles on his blue coat and tapped the cigar atop the ashtray. "Come in." He called out.

The door opened to reveal the tall and muscular form of Shades wearing his eponymous shades that matched the color of his jacket. "Good evening, boss." He greeted.

Cornell let loose a breath of smoke and nodded. Pointing to the chair before him, he spoke. "Sit, and tell me why you've requested for the meeting?"

Shades nodded and took a seat. Despite his stature he always seemed meek in front of Cornell. He smiled at that and set his cigar aside.

"It's about Eddie, boss." He began. "He's just wasting our time, I tell ya. The guy doesn't know shit about what he's doing." He paused. "The other day he had me patrol the docks, without anything go on from. I mean if everyone could just find things by walking around, then why would anyone bother hiding. He's a fake."

Cornell considered the words of his man. He had had suspicions on Eddie since the moment he stepped foot in this place. But then the guy had given him something that was irrefutable and honestly he was somewhat willing to believe his narrative. The only problem was that the guy had presented him with a perfect opportunity to try out something and he wasn't going to waste it.

"I know what Eddie is." Cornell said. "And I know what he's doing. You don't have to worry about it."

"But boss!" Shades protested. "The way he does things, Morgan is gonna catch on. If he finds out it was us behind him, then it could escalate into an all out war."

Sometimes Cornell envied their simple mindedness and others he found them pitiable. What Cornell saw, Shades didn't see. He only saw war, blood, and death. He didn't see the opportunity it presented.

"I know." Cottonmouth smiled. "Morgan is sure to know. And I want him to."

He could see the color drain out of the man's face. On some level he could even understand the worries Shades was harboring. He was probably thinking that he would be sacrificed as a lamb to further his goals. He didn't realize he had already sold himself out the moment he decided to work beneath him.

As for Morgan, that bastard would know for sure. Then he would demand compensation from him, only he wouldn't be expecting what he would be getting.

When he had told Eddie to look for the hideouts where Morgan kept his stashes at, he hadn't expected any hit. Even if by some long shot the boy managed to score a location, it would only give him an extra opening to strike at.

"What..." Shades paused, looking uncomfortable. "What do you want me to do, boss?"

Cornell felt no pity for him. That just wasn't how the business worked. Shades could die if things went the direction they were heading in, but his death would be to further his cause. It wouldn't be meaningless. Cornell stroked at his moustache and wondered.

Harlem was a dark place. Especially the darker side where all the trash festered and grew into what people called criminals. He had been one of them. Long before Morgan had taken hold of the underworld when Stone-face ran it. He had been there.

Luke Cage had been an unexpected variable that had proven to him how he should've dealt with the mutate. He wasn't going to repeat the same mistake with Eddie, even if the boy was a normal human. He would make use of him and when the time came, he would dispose of him.

According to what he planned, all he needed was to provoke Morgan into running fumes and he could strike with all he had. What he had given Eddie was a mere copy of the real thing. All of Morgan's assets were already mapped out and ripe for the picking and the only thing needed was a distraction.

He looked at Shades and grinned. "Don't you worry Shades." He said. "I won't put you into danger. I just need for Eddie to perform a bit better than he's doing. I need him to get a reaction out of Morgan."

Shades nodded with a heavy head. "I will try my best."

Cornell nodded at that. If the cops arrived on time for the first time then Shades here hadn't have a lick of worry. He would be saved before he could get himself injured or worse, killed.

Running a drug empire wasn't easy. Even with the backing of other more powerful crime lords, Cottonmouth found it hard to tangle with the heroes. More often than not, they would spoil his business before it even took off the ground. But this time they would prove to be best distraction for him to finish his business. They may be a nuisance to deal with, but they did make a hell of street-show to keep people occupied.

In his line of business a strict chain of command was necessary. He had to oversee every node of transaction to avoid the cops from knocking on his door. The only saving grace was that he lacked any sort of record in terms of papers that could prove him guilty. Once again, he was grateful to Mr. Slick.

Honestly, Cornell wouldn't have tried something so desperate as striking Morgan's base. He might've taken things slow; snoop around and find clues, and all that stuff. However, after the last month's fiasco with the sales plummeting, he had been getting a bit itchy. Then that guy had turned up dead and he was back in the business. Just as he was preparing to stock up and make some handy profits that bitch Morgan had stuck his nose where it didn't belong and now they both had to pay.

It still confounded him that cops would arrive and play the opportunist. He didn't think it was Morgan's idea, there were better ways of doing that. Someone else was involved and they clearly didn't like the both of them. He intended to be careful but if someone was keeping an eye on his movements then he could only hope that it would act in his interest.

For now, Cornell Cottonmouth would play it low and watch as his new guy poked a response out of Morgan. When the time came he would reveal the real guns and finish everything before anyone can register what happened. As fast as a snake's reaction, he snickered at the thought.

"If that's all you can leave." He looked away from the figure of Shades and focused on the documents in front of him. These came from the other guys who handled the transactions, but would need to be handed to Mr. Slick later on. He knew the importance of keeping records and what would happen if he lost them. The only problem was that he would much rather start from the beginning then spend the rest of his life lamenting his life choices in a prison.

Shades nodded and got up to leave. It was at this moment that he remembered something and called out to the leaving figure. "Wait a minute, Shades."

Cornell watched as the man stopped and turned to give him a quizzical look. He smiled. "On your way out, get a weapon for yourself and your new friend in case of an emergency."

At least that way they could put up a fight. What use was a bait if it didn't last even a second. He needed someone to hold down the fort while he did the work from the background. If his meat-shield turned out weak, it would only prove detrimental to his work.

"Yes, boss." The man nodded and left the room.

Cornell watched as the door was closed shut and leaned back to rub his bald head. This was just how the business went down here. Most of the time they would never resort to guns if they could resolve the problem with words. Sometimes though, war was the only option.

He hadn't realized it back with Luke, but he should've known that the man could only be fought, not reasoned with. It was too bad that he couldn't get his hands on a living tank, but in the end it didn't matter. He was still here, still breathing after all.

Time to get back to work.

.

.

.

Powers gained this chapter -

- Animal Hybrid [200 PP] — You may select one type of animal, and gain some of its physical features, such as the gills of a fish, the silk spinning ability of a spider, or the smell and capabilities of a dog.

- Fertility Control [100 PP] — You have control over the fertility of yourself and anyone you are being intimate with.

- Manipulation [200 PP] — You can directly control the movement of your Attribute Type making the Power function as a true kinesis Power.

- Peak Human Durability [300 PP] — Your Body is now incredibly durable, being able to survive being beaten by a thick metal bat and doing more damage to the bat than to you, you are capable of surviving a fall from 75 feet without breaking any bones.

You are capable of surviving a brutal animal attack, getting clipped by a train at full speed and even having an entire building collapse on top of you, however you may have severe injuries from these instances.

- Basic Firearms Training [100 PP] — You have had enough training to safely handle and maintain any mundane firearm. This training focuses on the education and the best practice's of firearm storage, maintenance and usage.

- Energy Storage [300 PP] — You are able store any type of energy you possess into objects making them more durable and susceptible to your relevant powers.

- Inhuman Metabolism [100 PP] — You are able to consume any type of creature or material with your body digesting and utilizing the material without causing any issues to your body or digestive system.

- Peak Human Balance [100 PP] — You are able to retain your balance and perspective of direction, even when in a moving vehicle in any mundane direction, including up down, spiraling, allowing you to keep an eye on your intended direction and targets.