Mage Among Supers 2, page 26
Might and magic. There was one easy way for me to draw those things together, and a fitting way after everything we’d been through. I raised Riken’s sword.
“Goodbye, Li Han.”
I swung the sword, pouring my own power through it. As it hit the amulet, there was a flash of cold light, and a burst of power rushed out around me. The amulet shattered, pieces of silver scattering across the steps, leaving only a few links of chain in my hand.
The voice in my head was gone.
“Are you OK?” Mind Game asked softly.
I looked around. The ladies had stopped when I did and were looking at me in concern.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just had to fulfill a promise.”
I swung the sword, spinning it through the air in an elaborate arc. I didn’t remember ever learning that move, but apparently, I knew it. Li Han really had left me with something of value when he went. I was no super soldier like Hoplite or balletic angel of vengeance like Stiletto, but I’d hold my place in the line a lot stronger for having known him.
I gave the sword one last spin, then headed on down the stairs.
Crypto hurried to walk beside me, then leaned in to whisper.
“I’ve been talking with Mind Game,” she said. “We think that we should invite Stiletto to join the Offenders.”
“I’d been thinking something similar,” I replied. “I think having her on board could be good for us… and for her.”
I looked over my shoulder, and Stiletto was smiling at me.
“I hear my name there?” she asked.
“You might have done.” I smiled back. “We were wondering, how would you feel about joining our team full-time?”
She took a deep breath, and for a moment, I thought that she was going to say no. After all, she’d been running solo for a long time, and we were a tight-knit group. Joining us might be an intimidating prospect, as well as a dramatic change of pace. But to my happy surprise, she nodded.
“Count me in,” she said. “Now my vengeance is done, I need a new mission. “You guys go out every day stopping the villains who pick on people like my family. What could be better than helping other folks avoid the sort of tragedy I faced?”
“That’s fantastic,” I said. “Welcome on board.”
The others expressed their enthusiastic agreement, even Crypto hugging Stiletto, a surprising moment of warmth from the prickly hacker.
“What about you?” I asked Hoplite. “Care to switch allegiances to the city’s newest team? I know Prime Guard’s a big deal, but we’re up and coming now, the disruptive startup of super heroics. That’s got to count for something.”
“It’s kind of you to offer,” Hoplite replied and shook her head, “but my answer is still no.”
“Oh, come on!” Crypto exclaimed. “You hang out with us all the time. Would you really rather be working with the hairy guy and that stretchy creep?”
“Service is important to me, and being a member of Prime Guard is part of that. I was called to that duty. I don’t just fight supervillains or help the helpless. I act as a source of inspiration. That’s not something I’m willing to give up. You guys are amazing, but that’s my life.”
She looked at us nervously like she was afraid we’d all get mad or demand that she go away. Instead, I squeezed her shoulder.
“It’s OK,” I said. “We understand. And though we’d have you on the team in a heartbeat, what matters is that you’re happy and that you’re with us. If nothing else, you should join us tomorrow in celebrating this success.”
“And how are you planning on celebrating?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know yet, but we’ll think of something.”
“Oh, I know how we’ll celebrate,” Stiletto said with a grin. “And it’s the perfect end for an adventure like this.”
* * *
The next evening found the five of us in the spa that Stiletto and I had saved. She’d had a word with the owner, who’d been more than happy to let us have the place to ourselves for the night in gratitude for our help. No other customers, no staff, just the five of us relaxing in a hot tub.
Ria had been right; this was the perfect way to celebrate. With swimsuits on instead of super suits, I got a great view of the ladies in my life: the athletically sculpted bodies of Sophia and Ria, Mel’s smooth and fulsome curves, and Jade’s petite perfection decorated in an eye-catching mix of tattoos.
“We should do this more often,” Mel said, pouring champagne into glasses and handing them around.
“The drinks or the pool?” I asked.
“Both, preferably at the same time.” She leaned back, eyes half closed, her long blonde hair trailing over her bare shoulder.
“At the very least, the swimsuits,” Ria said with a wink. “I could get to enjoy this view.”
Her eyes ran across my body but also those of the other women. She was going to fit in perfectly with the Offenders.
“Personally, I’m wondering if the swimsuits might be a bit too much,” Jade said. She pressed her hands either side of her breasts, wriggling them back and forth. “It’s all so constricting. What do you think, Ben?”
The look she gave me set my pulse running stronger, taking blood where it would be needed. I watched water drip from her purple hair down across the tattoos on her breasts and down the gap between them.
“I like the sound of that idea,” I said, “but I’d hate to be celebrating with one of you this evening and miss out on the rest.”
“Oh, there’s no need for anyone to miss out.” Sophia ran a finger down Jade’s arm, then leaned in toward her. “I’m sure we’d all be on board for really celebrating together, right?”
“Sounds like fun.” Jade turned her head, leaned in, and caught Sophia’s lip between hers. Across the hot tub from them, Ria slid an arm around Mel, who leaned in toward her while crooking a beckoning finger at me.
“You don’t want to be the one left out, do you?” she asked in a husky voice.
I grinned. This was looking like becoming a night to remember, and I felt like we’d all earned it. The city was back in order, even if it would take time to rebuild. The Scorpions had been shattered, their remaining bases apparently abandoned, and the other criminal gangs were weakened by the war.
At that very moment, the police were out mopping up what remained of them, taking this opportunity to clean up the streets. In his rush to rule the city by crime, Riken had instead fatally weakened the gangs, so peace and order would be the strongest they’d been in years. All of that was thanks to what we’d done.
I slid across the pool and wrapped an arm around Ria. Mel moved to my other side, and the two of them ran their hands down my body, heading under the water. I grinned.
The tattoo on my chest tingled, my geas reminding me that we hadn’t achieved everything we were after, that there was still important work to be done. We didn’t manage to catch Fenton Ashbearer like I’d hoped or even get hold of the altar he’d been using his powers on.
An opportunity had been missed to learn more about my target and to come closer to fulfilling my mission. But we’d set Ashbearer’s schemes back for now, and we’d saved Caliber City again. That was enough for the geas to leave me in peace for a bit while I sought new leads on the magic in the world and a chance to unravel Ashbearer’s longer plans.
Mel’s hand slid past my waist and into my shorts. I tugged at the tie on the back of her swimsuit, which came unfastened, and I leaned in to catch her nipple between my lips while she and Ria kissed over the top of my head.
“So is this how it works now?” Mel asked in a lazy, contented voice. “A free-for-all of everyone in the team groping whoever they get their hands on and take it from there?”
“You mean tonight?” I asked, moving my lips to her other breast, then on up her neck.
“In general.”
I looked around at the others, and they all smiled at me.
“I’m good with it if you are,” I said.
They all nodded.
“Well...” Under the water, I slid my fingers up Ria’s thigh, then hooked the edge of her swimsuit, tugging it away from her hip. “Maybe we could get a little more champagne and then—”
The bleep of a phone interrupted me. I ignored it, slid my fingers around, and enjoyed the moment as Ria tipped her head back and let out a happy noise.
The bleeping grew more insistent.
“Shit, sorry.” Jade disentangled herself from Sophia and climbed out of the pool. Dripping, she walked over to where we’d left our clothes. “I switched most of my alerts off, but that one’s set up with an override.”
“Why?” I asked, caught by the worry in her voice. If she was taking the alert seriously then we should, too.
“Because, and I hate that I’m now the sort of person who cares about shit like this, it’s an alert for the threat of super dangers to the city. I figured that we’d want to know when a new one comes up.”
She took a tablet from her bag. As she pulled up a news feed, the rest of us gathered at the edge of the pool, where we could get a view. A live stream appeared, showing vast monsters stomping through the streets, then attacking a building.
“That’s Prime Guard headquarters,” Sophia said, scrambling out of the pool. “I have to go help.”
“We all should,” I said, climbing out behind her. “The celebrations will have to wait. The city’s in danger, and that means it’s time for the Offenders…”
End of Book 2
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Dante King, Mage Among Supers 2
