Broker

The shockwave hit first. Then, the literal wall of platinum scales collided with his body. The follow-up shockwave sent what could only be described as a warning signal through his entire being, his body twitching once in the back-and-forth impact of his body colliding with solidified air. The sonic boom followed him through the first building, then the second, then the third as he drove into the ground and dirt dug up around his body. For a moment, there was only pain. His mind flickered between sense and an almost primal instinct to survive.

One backhand from that monster.

Nietz lay underneath a divot that may as well look like a burial plot for a few moments, his eyes unseeing as the healing factor bounded against his evolutionary ability. Healing, readjusting, popping, tearing - the pain of pulling himself back together was so much worse than the impact. The instant flash had been so intense that shock had overridden practically the whole thing. He jerked, and a punctured lung closed, his rib slotting back into place as he let out a gasp, his chest rising until he snapped up into a sitting position, dirt falling around his face. The source of thɪs content is Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

A gray-skinned man rising from a hole in the ground did not elicit confidence in the woman who had run from the chaos and stumbled into the small open plot of land. She let out a scream and ran as he popped his neck and shook off the delirium. “...ow…” was the only word he could manage while his brain tried and failed to wrestle with the logistics of what he’d just been through. Did I… just get bitchslapped through the sound barrier? His eyebrows narrowed in frustration as he dragged himself to his feet. The comm in his ear fizzled and crackled. He clicked his tongue and tore it out. Gonna ask Amos to make something that can handle those kinds of forces… he thought grumpily as he staggered to his feet.

He flicked his eyes up towards the distant shape of the monster still raging in the distance. A snap and bang of another impact from one of Dragoon’s spears sent it staggering. Then he saw the enormous shape of Kong’s staff whip down to strike its head. Nietz reached up and grabbed his chin, it felt off. He frowned and reset it with a pop. He grunted as the pain dissolved into his healing factor.

“Woah!” a slightly quavery voice caught his attention, and he shifted, glancing towards a figure leaning against a wall. A pair of glimmering lenses and a shadowed face greeted him from beneath a small cluster of windswept trees. “You took that hit like a champ!”

Nietz’s eyes narrowed, and he stood up straighter. “Civilians shouldn’t be out here,” he grunted. “Hurry and get to safety.”

The guy ignored him, reaching up to adjust his glasses and leaning forward a bit. “That’s interesting… I thought I was seeing things. You’ve got a big ass cloud of karma around you, buddy.”

Great, a lunatic. Nietz shook his head and turned away, pulling his feet out of the divot beneath him. He shook it off and frowned at his damaged shoes before marching towards the battle. His legs coiled as he built up strength.

“Woah, woah! Hold up! We were making a connection!” the weirdo called.

Nietz rounded on the guy. “I told you, Civilians-” His words cut off as he spotted the shiny metal card held between the guy’s fingers. He could make out the Pandora logo on its gleaming surface. Nietz’s eyes narrowed even more. “Why aren’t you helping?” Nietz demanded. “There are people in danger.”

The guy shrugged lazily. “I’m on a separate assignment. Can’t be interrupted.”

Nietz’s jaw tightened, and he turned fully, marching over towards the guy. The unhelpful hero chuckled out what almost sounded like a nervous giggle as Nietz came to a stop and grabbed him by the shirt. A coppery smell wafted into his nose, and he examined the guy much more critically. Blood clung to the guy’s clothes, most of it spreading out from a sleeveless arm that surprisingly carried no injury. “Bullshit,” Nietz growled as he searched the guy’s face. He had glasses, brown hair, and his eyes were like rainbows. His lips were curled up in a manic smile as he reached up and grabbed Nietz’s wrist instinctively with a gauntlet-covered hand. Nietz’s frown deepened as he felt his evolutionary ability react to an invasion. A new form of attack. “What did you just do?”

The guy clicked his tongue. “I am just batting zero for finding suckers today!” The guy laughed and gripped a bit harder. “Your Karma is amazing to look at. Did you know about that cloud hanging over you?” He asked. “It’s like it's yours, but it’s not. Incredible.”

The monstrous Erebus roared nearby, and Nietz blinked a few times, trying to let go of the guy. I need to focus on helping the others, but I can’t…

“Can’t take your eyes off me, huh?” the guy chuckled. “Isn’t that interesting?” His lips curled up into an even wider smile that showed feral teeth as he reached up with his free hand towards something Nietz couldn’t see. Then… tap.

Images flashed through Nietz’s mind - memories that didn’t belong to him. It was just a flicker, mixed concepts that didn’t make any sense to him. He jerked back like he’d been burned and, without even thinking, reared back with a punch. His fist drove down, and when it collided, he felt an explosion of force rock up his own arm. No pain, but he felt it happen. His eyes widened as he met the gaze of the creepy dude whose own eyes were wide with surprise. “Oh my!” he laughed. “I found something really interesting! What are you?”

Nietz snarled and pulled against whatever was holding his focus. It felt like a noose around something in his chest. He grit his teeth and tried to force his hand to let go of the man’s shirt. The man reached up again. No! Nietz recoiled. EVOLVE!

He had already pushed himself to the gray-skin stage, just at the edge between his peak and that bestial instinct. The rope around his ‘chest’ snapped like a twig as the man let out a cry of pain, yanking his hand back and grabbing the side of his head as a well of blood dripped down his nose. Nietz staggered backwards, instinct pounding in his skull; he shook his head and bared his teeth as the glasses-wearing man scrambled to his feet, a snarl on his face.

“The fuck is wrong with this damn mission?” he snapped. “Every fucker I meet!”

Nietz lunged.

Something red crackled next to him, and he whipped his head towards a blank-faced man that looked eerily familiar. He dove beneath it as another roar from Erebus drew his attention. PRIORITIZE, FOCUS, ELIMINATE, PROTECT. His mind snapped away from the pair of them entirely, a lightning fast punch slamming into the blank-faced man’s solar plexus. Red lightning danced across Nietz’s skin, but he barely noticed as power surged through his legs, and he jumped, launching himself up and away. He hurtled through the air like a comet, wind rushing past him as the words kept playing over and over in his head. PRIORITIZE, FOCUS, ELIMINATE, PROTECT.

In the back of his mind, another flicker, but he grit his teeth and fought it down. It was a new feeling. Not like the focused fury he’d always known when he pushed himself. It was rage. He opened his mouth in a roar as he collided with the side of his target, platinum scales creaking beneath him as he reared his fist back again and struck.

–

Riot wiped his upper lip and scowled at the disappearing freak show. He spat on the ground and glared at the twitching Rift Amalgam that was slowly pulling itself to his feet. “...fat lot of good you did.” He rolled his eyes and turned away from it. “Well, that interesting fellow was a bust.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and coughed, spitting blood on the ground again. “Maybe I should let His Majesty upgrade me. Heroic-tier power just isn’t enough for this league.” He burbled out a laugh and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a notepad. “Still… that was a new karmic anomaly. A dark cloud…” His eyes sparkled. “It almost looked like Otis’ aura but much thinner.” He tapped his chin. “Was it dissipating? I need to see that guy again.”

He laughed and started walking, snapping his fingers at the amalgam. “Get up. We’re still hunting,” he commanded. “Get me closer to the action.”

A portal opened, and he stalked towards it. Felwinter better be having just as hard a time as I am.

–

Ishtar crossed her legs and leaned back in her throne, chin tilted up as she watched the heroes push themselves. He should be weakened enough, she thought absently as she rested her chin on her knuckles. Her foot flicked left and right as Kong went in for another strike, and the other heroes threw themselves at Erebus. The powers on display were fascinating, especially their commander’s. Protean’s limbs dug into exposed flesh, absorbing it. Protean grew in size with each moment, using their mass to restrain Erebus even more. Interesting, I wasn’t aware of that application. Must be a new trick.

Her eyes drifted down towards the spreading wave of gold. This is going to be a mess.

You don’t seem concerned about Nietz, Erina said.

Ishtar’s lips thinned. Majordomo, she corrected. He lives, or he doesn’t.

We’ve been over this about Chunhua, Sonya. Perhaps-

She clenched her fist and slammed it down on the armrest. No. I won’t- She shook her head and exhaled, pushing the rage back and letting it dissipate. She was better than that now. Regardless of my previous feelings, he is Majordomo. I need every upgrade to Broker I can get. I’ve already said this, she thought.

It sounds like you’re just trying to convince yourself, Erina argued back.

Ishtar opened her mouth to retort out loud when a roar split the air. She glanced towards the new sound as a gray streak ripped through the sky and collided with Erebus’ leg. Majordomo. He was as big as he’d been in the past now. Kong let out a whoop somewhere down below only for the sound to die as Majordomo began furiously slamming his fist against Erebus’ knee joint. Each blow bent the scale beneath his fist a little bit at a time. It was an absolutely feral assault marked by a furious roar that never seemed to stop.

Ishtar snorted. See? That beast is still in him. Just took a good slap to get it out.

Sonya…

Ishtar crossed her arms smugly and chuckled. She raised her voice to broadcast again. “Hurry up, heroes!” she taunted. “You’re going to lose city blocks at this rate! The gold is spreading!”

Erebus thrashed, shifting and actually taking a step for once. His tail whipped and cracked against one of the few buildings still standing nearby. A light began to build in his maw and turned his head towards the latest flicker of one of Dragoon’s spears. Ishtar leaned forward, her finger twitching. The spear collided with Erebus and exploded, and the titan let out a howl, a column of light erupting from his maw. Ishtar nearly surged to her feet. Dragoon!

The light stopped; it looked for a moment like it was vanishing against a perfectly flat plane. Then the beam flickered and died, only to erupt from that very same point. Her eyebrows shot up. Glint! Her lips curled up into a smile. Well done, she thought as the beam collided with the side of Erebus’ head. The mighty and broken titan let out an indolent roar as his own attack was reflected against him. He staggered away and nearly toppled before snapping back to his feet, relentless, unstoppable.

He snapped one arm up and away, swatting at Kong as the young man dove towards him. The blow collided with a clap of thunder. Ishtar’s jaw tightened. Did I overestimate them?

Sonya, they weren’t ready for-

A flicker of gray intercepted Kong as he was hurled away. Ishtar watched, dumbstruck, as the feral Majordomo caught Kong out of the air and hit the ground with him. She sat forward again and watched Kong hop out of the crater that they’d made. He looked himself over, and he almost looked surprised as Majordomo climbed out next and stood over him. The big, bestial looking lump of gray muscle crouched with his hands out like he was fretting before jumping away with another roar towards Erebus.

What? Was her only thought. What just happened?

He saved Kong’s life while in that berserk state, Erina said bluntly.

Ishtar bit her lip so hard she tasted copper. She clenched her fists. Damn it, boy, don’t make this harder on me! She thought angrily. She’d seen enough. She should just declare and put Erebus down already. The heroes had wasted enough of her time with this slow take-down. They were making progress, but it just didn’t seem like it was going to be enough. Her thoughts raced, and she clenched the arm of her chair.

Stop trying to think of excuses to intervene. You know half of them are helping civilians right now, Erina chided her. You’re just angry.

HE’S RIGHT THERE! She finally snapped, crushing a portion of the hard light throne beneath her grip. And I made him nearly indestructible! I can’t even act against him myself! She snarled and slumped back in her chair as Majordomo finally punctured that plate over Erebus’ knee and pulled his fist back one more time. A faint glow of ki energy built around his knuckles before he punched one last time. There was a burst of sound, Erebus let out a howl of pain, and his leg buckled before he toppled forward towards the ground.

She clenched her fist again as Majordomo leaped away to find another point of attack. Brutal, precise, but… attentive. She let out a shaky breath, and she forced herself to tear her attention away to the situation as a whole. Fine. He lives this time. I’ll try again later. Heroes were piling on now. Cannonfire erupted from somewhere distant as Armory joined the attack. As if in response, she heard Companion’s voice in her head.

<”Mistress, heroes just confirmed that all survivors have been moved to a safe distance.”>

Explosions rocked the side of Erebus’ body. The once great man that had been turned into a monster shuddered as he tried to move. Ishtar closed her eyes and looked away for a moment. Damn it. Why doesn’t this hurt more to watch?

Riot severed your connection, Erina said quietly.

Killing him isn’t good enough for me anymore, Ishtar snarled before deflating. Do we have any evidence to use against him right now?

Recordings of a young hero attacking and disabling the queen of villains, you mean? Erina said dryly. Because giving that to anyone would be good for our image.

Ishtar clicked her tongue. Tch. Point taken. I need to restrict his movements somehow. Her eyes turned towards Majordomo as he hammered away at the side of Erebus’ head. A pang of guilt that had multiple sources she didn’t even want to consider ripped through her, and she rose to her feet. We’re done here.