"So Paris is really causing problems," Jase sighed. June floated in front of him, a twisted expression on her face.
"Should I kill him?" she asked.
"No."
"Why not? It'd make things easier for everyone. I can kill the rest of his new friends while I'm at it."
Jase shook his head again. Juney was still so young. She didn't quite get what she was offering. At least, that's what he thought. He knew better than anyone that she'd been forced to grow up too fast, but that could leave some warping in her personality and perspective. Hell, the first time he'd met her that twisted perspective had left him speechless.
He'd never asked her to take lives. He couldn't bring himself to. She was so brilliant. If the chance came, he'd happily let her go free.
Yet she insisted on staying with him no matter what. When she got her Miracle, the first thing she'd thought of was how she could be more helpful to him. Not that she might be able to live freely. Not what she could do for herself.
"Juney, we don't need to worry about Paris any more. I made sure that even if he turned on us, we wouldn't suffer for it. He can't get us. I want you to keep focusing on what comes next. Has Aubrey gotten back to us yet?"
"Nope. I asked her yesterday and she said she'd need maybe another week. Stuff's also complicated a bit by some other schmo. Some other gang got their mitts on a Miracle and they're using it to rob a couple places blind."
"Any idea who they are?"
"Nope. Wears a mask and hood. Snaps his fingers and everyone falls over sleeping."
"How many?"
"One. Man."
"That can't be," Jase growled. "He needs to have some kind of team behind him."
"I can try and get Niko to dig something up."
"No, he's busy enough as is." Jase sighed again. The Phalanx had gone dark after Paris left, but they still had to make a living somehow. Niko was working on a new email scam, making sure the authorities wouldn't be able to trace it.
"Okay. I'll see if I can dig up any more on the mystery sleepy man myself."
"No, Juney. I want you to stand by. I don't want to make any big moves until we're ready. Niko says he thinks others are trying to dig us up. Specifically, it looks like Angela."
June's face contorted in disgust.
"You think this sleepy man's in league with her?"
"No idea. But we can't rule it out. I don't want to do anything risky right now."
"Got it. I'll stay low. If Angela shows up, can I kill her?"
"No. I'll do that myself." Jase looked firmly at June until she nodded. He thought to the knife hidden in the back of his belt. The one he never went without.
If need be, Angela's heart would be its sheath.
When Ferry got them back to Chaos HQ, Paris had doubled over in laughter. The others had looked at him like he was crazy, but it was just too perfect.
James! Achilles! One and the same.
Destiny was so much more interesting than he could have thought.
Now, a day later, he still found himself giggling over it. And James' face! Well, if Louise had sided with him, Paris could perhaps forgive her. Yes, forgive her, but now that he knew she was working with his rival, he'd have to make her life difficult on principle.
They hadn't done any real damage, but the information was far more than enough. Even if taking out Lightning would have been the icing on the cake, he could live without it for now. They'd scared her, scared that nobody with her, and made it clear that they were a threat.
What to do next?
Paris grinned at the possibilities. Would Tim still be willing to help him out? He hadn't spoken to him since he'd borrowed that locker to communicate with Phantasma, but they were still pals, right? Of course Tim would help. And if he didn't, well, they had methods of persuasion.
He scribbled notes down on his tablet. The address of Evening Bustle, everything he could remember about Tim, everything he remembered about Louise...
Yes. The villain attacked the hero's friends and family. Used them against the hero. Even better if there was a love interest, but Paris didn't have that information right now. Maybe if Achilles found one...
At the very least, they knew of the woman living with Lightning. She'd make good bait.
Possibilities danced around his mind and Paris had to keep himself from giddily dancing as he considered them.
"Boss?" He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Ferry, who was standing in the door.
"Yes?" Within a few moments, he was back to apex villain. No giggling fanboy to be seen.
"Twin's wondering what your plan for the next few days is. We kind of failed the last plan."
"Not a failure. A stepping stone to future success. Does he have that information on James Flores yet?"
"Should be ready for your perusal, I think."
"Excellent. Now we know everything there is to know about Achilles. It was quite kind of him to reveal himself, wasn't it?"
"I take it you know him?"
"Knew. Haven't seen him in a couple years, but we were quite close in high school. As I said, though, I have no intention of playing buddy with him anymore."
Ferry grinned.
"He looked rather upset at that."
"He did, didn't he? But, every hero needs a villain. And I'm going to play my part to perfection."
"Whatever crazy movie you think you're in, I'm in as long as we're trying to win. Don't make us lose at the last minute or something stupid."
"Nonsense. This game will be more fun if the villain wins for a while. I'm not going to make his job easy. That's not my job. My job is to make things as hard for him as possible. I'm going to send an email. Hopefully it leads to another ally." Paris walked past Ferry, his tablet under his arm.
"Sure thing, Boss. Oh, and unless you order them otherwise, Cold Snap and Corrosion are going to start taking shifts in the 'cause random destruction' zone of operations."
"Sounds like fun. Pencil me in as well." Paris didn't look back as he replied to Ferry, but he didn't need to see her acknowledgement. They were all his people, after all. They did what he asked.
Now what kind of place would be good for his next confrontation with Achilles?
"So? What're you asking from me?" Jumbo asked, looking across the table at Odin.
"Team Chaos, as they call themselves, are causing too much trouble. I want you to stake them out. Predict their moves. Send me a confirmed location and I'll take care of the rest."
"What, you'll sic the military on them?"
"Maybe. If the situation calls for it, I might also just set up a sniper drone."
"Since when does anyone have those?"
"If I told you the answer, I'd have to kill you." Odin pointed at Jumbo's chest, where the implant was.
"Fine. But I'd really like to be let in on this a bit more."
"Are you willing to accept everything that comes with that? Some of the information I carry is so top-secret not even major government officials know about it."
"That makes you even more terrifying."
"Good. Last attack was Saturday. I'll send you the details. I'll also be tracking Lillie Buchanan and Louise Morris in case they try to start something again."
"And what if we can't catch these freaks? That Ferry chic seems pretty slippery."
"Worst case scenario, I'm not against gassing the entire city and killing every last person here." Odin's expression didn't change a bit as he said it.
"Hell if I'm gonna let you do that. I live here too, y'know."
"I guess I could just unleash a small particle that would eliminate a large portion of the population. Get that into Team Chaos and they'd fall like dominos."
"What kind of crazy particle does that?"
"Study up on your history. Its ilk has caused mass death in the past. And that's when we weren't interfering to create something destructive."
"Seriously, what kind of monster weapon stash do you have?"
"I'd give you immunity to it of course."
"That's not the point!" Jumbo heaved a sigh.
"Anyway, those are possibilities for if the situation worsens. Right now, I think a patrolling sniper drone is as extreme as we need to get."
"Okay, okay. I'll do whatever you need. Just...don't unleash that particle, okay? How could one particle even cause that much destruction?"
"It reproduces."
"How?"
"Using a host body. Duh." Odin rolled his eyes, but the motion looked strangely off.
"I quit. You make as little sense as ever." Jumbo stood up and checked his phone. Somehow the report was already there. With one last glance at Odin, he left with another sigh.
