Author's Note: The next update will be another chapter for "The Greatest Cool" and then I'll move to "Fisting For Fun".
I stood in front of the door to my apartment, one hand in my pocket, phone in the other.
Ten in the morning. This should be fine.
I couldn't hear anything from inside, but this was late enough. It was only two in the morning when I sent her here.
Pocketing my phone, I knocked on the door a few times, just hard enough to hear.
Still quiet.
I knocked a few more times, a little louder.
A quiet groan answered my efforts, followed by a shuffle of feet on hardwood floor.
The door unlocked with a sharp click, then opened.
I held back a grimace as I saw the barefoot, bleary-eyed Emily standing there with her curly hair looking like a bird's nest. She was wearing a plain white shirt and a pair of blue pajama pants, both rumpled from sleep.
Maybe I could've waited another hour or so...
"Morning, Emily." I greeted with a light smile, keeping my tone gentle.
"Mornin'..." she said, absentmindedly scratching at her neck. Her eyes were barely open, squinting against the hallway light like a vampire facing dawn.
"Sorry if I woke you up, but I didn't want to just pop in and scare you."
"'S fine."
Emily walked back inside the room without waiting for me to follow, plopping herself on the bed with the grace of a falling tree. A grumpy look settled on her face as she stared at the wall.
I kinda felt like a dick for waking her up...
Sighing, I took off my shoes and stepped inside.
The apartment looked the same as when I'd left it, except for the empty glass on the nightstand and the tangled bedsheets.
By the time I dropped my shoes on the tray and closed the door, the atmosphere had turned slightly awkward.
"So..." I broke the silence, walking deeper inside the apartment. "There's something we should talk about."
A flicker of unease crossed Emily's face, her shoulders tensing as she gripped the edge of the mattress.
"It's nothing to worry about," I quickly added, holding up a hand in a reassuring gesture. "Just some stuff about my powers and our team."
"Ah." She relaxed a little, tension bleeding from her frame. "Okay."
"Take your time, though. Freshen up, do whatever you do in the morning." I gestured with my chin towards the desk. "I'll sit here and check PHO for now."
Emily gave a nod, her gaze trailing down to her lap. Sighing, she pulled herself up and stretched her arms above her head, her shirt riding up enough to expose a hint of pale skin.
I looked away and took a seat at the desk while Emily grabbed her backpack from the foot of the bed.
I should take her shopping tomorrow or whenever the businesses opened again.
"The red towel is clean," I said as she made her way to the bathroom.
She paused at the door, meeting my gaze. "Thanks," she said, then stepped inside, locking the door behind her with a click.
Kinda redundant when I had portals and could be a creep in ten different ways with my new powers, but whatever made her feel safer. The illusion of privacy was important for the mind.
Moments later, the sound of running water reached my ears.
I took another brief glance at the bathroom door, a whisper of temptation worming itself through my thoughts.
I shook my head and pulled out my phone, unlocking the screen. I wasn't a horny teenager. If I wanted to see a naked woman, I had plenty other options.
A few swipes later, and I was staring at the newest Brockton Bay threads on PHO.
My lips twitched as I saw the titles.
New Cape Team Takes Down Three Empire Capes — WHO ARE THEY?
Hookwolf saw Jesus full video NO CLICKBAIT
Hookwolf Ranting About God and Holy Fire — Master Effect?
Is Beacon Part of a New Hero Group?
A chuckle escaped me as I clicked on the second thread, bookmarking it for later.
Whoever leaked that camera footage was a real trooper.
Smiling, I scrolled through the other threads.
Last night went about as well as I expected. Sophia was in the clear. People suspected it was the work of a new team of capes, with 'Beacon' included. Some tinfoil hats were making the usual doomsday scenarios or claiming that the cape behind the new group was a Master and that they had 'Beacon' under their thrall.
Greg got banned from yet another thread for being Greg.
And Blasto had yet to hit me up.
As I stared idly at the BB news board, a sudden thought stirred a thrill deep in my stomach. An eager smile settled on my face as I went to the search bar and quickly typed in Sophia's username.
BlackPanther
Sadly, she wasn't online, but I sent her a friend request anyway, along with a short message.
[Wibbles]: Hit me up when you wanna team up to clean more trash.
Short, casual, and left the ball in her court.
As I was about to close PHO, that old conversation with Lisa caught my eye.
It had been a while since we'd last talked, but... maybe another time. Emily could come out at any moment, and it always irked me when I talked to someone only to have to cut it short for whatever reason. I enjoyed talking to Lisa despite her being an insufferable smartass, so I'd rather not have anything interrupt us.
As if on cue, a soft click came from the bathroom, and a moment later, I heard the door opening.
"I'm ready." Emily spoke as I turned around.
I closed PHO, pocketed my phone, and gestured towards the bed.
"Take a seat."
Emily made her way back, springs creaking slightly as she settled onto the mattress. She looked at me expectantly, hands folded in her lap.
"So, about my powers... I'm what the PRT calls a 'Trump'. Kinda like Eidolon, but with a lot more defensive options and utility." I paused, watching her process that. "Aside from that, I can also grant five small powers to anyone I touch. They're permanent, unless I consciously take them away."
Emily's eyes widened, a flash of surprise flitting across her face. Then, something clicked behind those blue eyes, her mouth opening slightly.
"That's what you meant when you talked about 'pulling my own weight' back then."
"Yup." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "I can give you some Thinker powers so you can earn money doing online stuff like coding. You don't have to fight if you don't want to."
"So you want me to help you make money?" She said, voice flat.
"You could help with logistics and management if you want, but as long as you pitch in some money, you can laze around the whole day and I won't complain." I shrugged. "We'll be good for a while with those five grand from Faultline, but it's good to have a small passive income, just in case."
Emily went quiet. Her gaze drifted down to her lap, fingers absently tugging at the hem of her blouse.
Then her face lit up.
She looked back at me, lifting her hand to show off that Enchanted ring. "If you need money, couldn't you just make an item that gives you money? Or something that helps you make money?"
I stared at her, expression flat.
A schematic unfolded in my mind. Then another. And another.
A wand of repair; to fix random junk and pawn it off.
A glove that turned stone to gold.
A compass of lost valuables.
And many more.
I bookmarked the cascade of schematics with a frown as I stared blankly at the wall.
I'm fucking retarded.
I'd been bumbling around, trying to figure ways to make money, when I could've just made money.
"I could." The admission tasted bitter. "I just never thought about it."
I thought I was smart. Clearly, I needed to add more wrinkles to my smoothbrain. Those Thinker powers were just sitting there, catching dust.
"Thanks for the wonderful idea, Emily."
The warmth in my voice was genuine. She'd just saved me even more wasted time with one simple question.
The freckled girl smiled back, though quickly averted her gaze, red creeping up her cheeks as her fingers knitted awkwardly in her lap.
"You're welcome," she mumbled as I watched in amusement.
Teenagers.
"So..." I leaned back in my seat, crossing my legs. "Change of plans. I'll take care of the money like you suggested. What would you like to do as part of the team? I'll give you those five powers based on that."
Emily looked up, worrying her bottom lip. "Umm..."
I could almost hear the gears turning in her head even as the silence stretched.
"You can pick something now, but it doesn't have to stay final," I said. "I can mix and match the powers until you find something you're comfortable with."
Her shoulders loosened, some of that nervous tension bleeding out of her posture.
"You could be a Thinker who stays at home. Or, if you want to go out as a cape and fight, I can make you stronger and tougher, so you won't have to worry about guns." I ticked off options on my fingers. "Or you could be a Tinker based on cosmetics, fashion, or games. Or a super paramedic who can diagnose anyone with a touch and share a high-speed healing factor through blood transfusions."
That last one would be pretty metal, actually. Emily showing up to fights with bags of her own blood, playing vampire medic and Doctor Frankestein while everyone stared uncomfortably.
She nodded along, mouth pressed thin. "Can I think about it?"
"Sure. I'll ask you again later."
"Thanks."
I pushed myself up from the chair and walked over to the bed, holding out a hand, palm up.
Emily blinked, her eyes flickering from my hand to my face, confusion written clear across her features.
"There's a power I'll give you regardless. It's an amazing quality of life." I smiled. "Power Nap. You'll get eight hours worth of sleep in two and doze off whenever you want. It'll save you a lot of time."
I expected excitement; maybe a grin or that teenage spark of enthusiasm. Instead, her mouth twitched, displeasure flitting across her face before she smoothed it away.
"That power would've been great last night..."
The words came out quiet, but still loud enough for me to hear.
Oh...
Something cold and unpleasant twisted in my gut. "Did you have trouble sleeping?"
"Not really, but it took me a while to fall asleep."
And then I'd woken her up...
"Sorry about that."
Of course she'd have trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar place.
"It's fine."
Her attention shifted back to my outstretched hand. She lifted her own hand from her lap, her fingertips hovering just above my palm for a heartbeat before settling there, light and tentative.
I reached inward, the mental catalogue unfurling behind my eyes, and focused on Power Nap, dragging it over to one of the five empty spaces on Emily's avatar.
"Done." I let my arm drop back to my side, flashing her a smile. "You can take a quick nap if you want. I'll be off for a while."
She could have the whole apartment for herself at night. I could just take my power nap on the beach. I preferred chilling there more than in my room anyway.
Enchanting was eating up a lot of my time, but it'd be worth it. And between my new powers and that Ring of Gains...
I could speedrun getting jacked like an anime training montage.
A grin tried to break its way onto my face. Wrestling it down, I walked to the fridge, grabbed a sandwich and a soda, then made my way to the door and slipped on my shoes.
"There's plenty of food in the fridge." I glanced back at Emily. "The keys are on the desk if you wanna go out for a walk."
"Thanks."
"See ya later."
I gave her a little wave, then opened a Portal in front of me, golden sunlight spilling across the floor.
The humid, tropical air buffeted my face as I stepped through.
A quick breakfast and then back to work.
<[]>
I held the steel band between my thumb and forefinger, the symbols etched into its surface pulsing faintly in my mind's eye as I weaved the Enchantment with meticulous care. All-round protection and durability for physical damage.
I traced a finger along the metal, adjusting one of the glyphs.
Almost there. Just a few more hours of work and—
A ringing sound broke through my focus. My face twitched in annoyance.
I bookmarked my current progress in the schematic and pulled out my phone, unlocking it with a thumb.
A text from Faultline. It had all the specs I'd asked for, listed neatly with bullet points. Basic measurements, face shape references, skin tone preferences, and a bunch of other notes to keep in mind for Newter and Gregor.
Right. Almost forgot about this.
Emily's idea had literally opened my eyes, but a deal was still a deal. I'd honor it even if I had no reason to sell stuff to Faultline anymore.
Buying, on the other hand...
Magical bling was nice and all, but I couldn't be a real Paladin without some heavy armor and a decent weapon. And Faultline could help me with that. I could make do with titanium or tungsten, but why settle for subpar when she could hook me up some nice, exotic stuff?
I brushed my thumb along the smooth metal in my hand.
I'd freed that Skin slot just in time. The Endow update came with so many goodies to try out. Accelerated gains. A tougher skeleton and better muscles. Five slots would never be enough...
My gaze drifted to the ocean, lips pursing. Waves rolled in that steady rhythm, foam catching the sunlight.
I had to finish this Ring of Protection. And those Rings of Agility. And a bunch of other stuff I really wanted to make...
But I should make these bracelets first. I wanted to get back to Faultline as soon as possible and see if she could hook me up with some Tinker goodies.
My attention drifted back to my phone. I pinned that message for later and fired up PHO. May as well check if Sophia gave me a reply.
A notification badge caught my eye as soon as I logged in.
A thrill fluttered through my stomach.
Sophia had accepted my friend request and sent me a message.
I tapped the notification, bouncing my leg while watching the page load. Two messages from Sophia greeted me, sent roughly an hour ago.
[BlackPanther]: Maybe next week. I'm busy this weekend.
The wind left my sails.
Busy? What was she up to? Family stuff? Emma?
If only we could all hang out together. Doing cape stuff with Sophia and her hot redhead friend would be a fantasy come true. Dark chocolate with a strawberry on top, I could eat that all day long.
A longing sigh escaped me. One day...
[BlackPanther]: Damn... what did you do to Hookwolf? Some weird Master shit?
Another smile worked its way onto my lips.
She saw that video, didn't she?
Whoever leaked that camera footage had my respect.
Hookwolf raving about holy fire and divine judgment while getting foamed inside his holding cell? Peak comedy.
Chuckling at the memory, I quickly typed a reply.
[Wibbles]: Nah, just made him see Jesus. Didn't think it'd be so effective.
My fingers hovered above the screen.
A minute passed yet she didn't show up online.
I closed PHO with a disappointed sigh, pocketing my phone.
That was fine. She probably had things to do. Ward shit, school shit, track practice, whatever teenagers did on weekends. I just had to be more patient.
We'd only met three times so far.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
Yeah.
My gaze drifted back to the ring in my hand. The ocean breeze ruffled my hair, carrying that scene of beach and salt.
I had plenty of things to do too.
A few more Rings of Protection wouldn't hurt. One for Sophia, one for Emily, and the rest for later, just in case. Some Rings of Agility too. They'd stack with Graceful and Reaction Time, but more importantly, they'd free two Endow slots for Sophia.
I had so many new powers I could give her now. I couldn't waste those precious slots on stuff I could just Enchant in a day or two.
A smile worked its way onto my face.
I held the ring between my fore and thumb, an eager feeling twisting in my stomach as I pulled up that mental bookmark.
I couldn't wait to see her again.
I'd have so many gifts ready for her.
<[]>
The sound of running water stirred Emily from her nap.
A shower?
Her eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar ceiling, orange light bleeding through the blinds in strips.
The memories flooded back. The party and what came after.
Right. Alex's place.
She lived here now.
Emily pulled herself upright, the cover pooling around her waist. Her eyes flickered back to the bathroom door as she chewed at her lip.
He must've entered through those portals.
Part of her wished he would've knocked just like the first time, but this was his apartment. And her new power would've woken her up if he got too close.
Emily rubbed the sleep from her eyes, gaze drifting across the room.
This was better than she expected.
The place was clean and organized. The air didn't smell like cigarettes or worse.
Alex was nice. He was patient, understanding, unlike that woman who'd snap at her for every little mistake, and—
She pushed that thought away before it could finish unfolding.
That was in the past. She'd left. She'd moved away from that awful place. This was a fresh start. Things would get better.
Alex didn't take advantage of her, even though she'd made it so easy.
The memory surfaced, unbidden. A clumsy kiss, a warm embrace, and that flash of brilliant, golden light.
Emily felt heat crawl up her neck. Getting drunk like that had been stupid, but... it worked out in the end.
He didn't do anything to her, even when she practically climbed in his lap. She'd caught him looking a couple times after that, so it wasn't that he found her unattractive...
He was a good person. Good enough that she could go with him without having to worry much.
And he wanted to be a hero, so—
Emily's attention snapped to the bathroom door as it opened with a faint creak. Her brain stuttered to a complete stop as Alex walked out.
Shirtless.
He noticed that she'd woken up and paused, his muscles rippling as he turned towards her with a smile.
"Hey Emily. Slept well?"
A droplet fell from his damp hair. She watched it trail down his chest, then further down his abs, until it disappeared in the waistband of his pants.
She looked away, feeling her face heat up like she'd stuck it in an oven.
"Yeah."
Why was he walking around like that when sharing a room with a girl? Did he have no common sense? Did guys just not think about these things. Or maybe this was normal and she was being weird about it?
Thankfully, he went straight to the closet, and she heard the rustle of fabric. When she risked a glance back, he was decent again. The white shirt clung to his frame like a second skin, catching the lingering moisture on his body.
Alex moved to the desk, rummaging through his jacket. He pulled out a folded paper with some writing all over it.
"Here." He unfolded the paper and pushed it towards her. "A list with all the powers I can give."
She took the rumpled sheet and skimmed through the list. Dozens of entries filled the page on both sides, all in tiny, handwritten script. Some were straightforward, like a sharper mind, enhanced strength, or faster reflexes. Others were plain bizarre.
Projectile vomit?
Her lip curled in distaste. Who needed that?
"I was thinking about a power that gives you near perfect accuracy," he said, tapping a line near the middle of the page. "If you're ever in a situation where you have to use your fire, you won't accidentally hit anything you don't want to."
Her stomach twisted unpleasantly at the casual way he said your fire. Like it was just a tool. Not the thing that burned half her house—
"That could be useful, I guess?"
She didn't know what else to say. She needed to sit down and figure out what role she wanted to play in this team. If she even wanted to go out and fight at all. The thought of spitting that liquid again and setting everything on fire made her throat tighten.
"Well, go through the list and pick whatever you like. Four powers." He straightened up, grabbing his jacket from the desk chair. "I'll be off again."
She looked up from the paper, meeting his gaze. "You're not staying here overnight?"
What was the point of having an apartment if he spent most of his time on a tropical island? Was he just being considerate and "taking the couch"?
"Nah, you can have the room for yourself at night." He shrugged. "Tomorrow, we'll go shopping, so you can buy whatever stuff you need. Toiletries, clothes, maybe a laptop so you don't get bored."
"You don't have to go that far." Her eyes flickered to the backpack at the foot of the bed; everything she'd managed to grab before running. "I brought some stuff with me. It's fine, I can manage for now."
"Hey, didn't I say to let me worry about money?" He pointed a thumb at himself, smiling.
He did say that.
"Okay." A small smile worked its way onto her face. "Thanks."
Alex gave her a two-finger salute and headed for the door, opening a portal.
Emily watched him step through, the paper crinkling slightly in her grip.
Yeah. He was really nice.
<[]>
I lounged on my beach chair, scrolling through a PHO profile with my thumb. Most of the post history was shit-talking, betting, and challenge accepted threads.
The Pug. Or more formally known as The Pugilist.
I didn't remember hearing about a guy like this in the webnovel, but then again, it's been years since I'd read it, and I'd only skimmed through some parts. Especially the stuff from That Sequel Which Shall Not Be Named.
But that was besides the point.
Trumps were rare and good Trumps rarer still. Finding one on the internet was a stroke of luck.
His power was simple, too. He could make a boundary in which powers ceased to work. Straightforward and safe enough.
A smile settled on my face.
Yeah. This should do.
I really had to check if I was immune to Trumps, and I probably wouldn't find a safer pick than this guy. Like, he's been dueling people based on online bets. I could just pay him for five minutes of his time, and we'd be cool.
He was even online at the moment. I couldn't miss this chance.
If I could no-sell Trump bullshit, I could do something awesome for my hero debut, like beating the shit out of the Butcher and giving them the canon Cherish treatment. That would be top ten cape kick-offs right there.
I opened a new message window and started typing.
[Wibbles]: Hey. I'll pay you $200 to use your power on me for a few seconds.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
Should I have offered more? I had the cash, but two hundred seemed reasonable for basically five seconds of work.
The answer came faster than expected.
[The Pug]: nice try. ur not stealing my power that easily
I blinked slowly at the reply.
Bruh.
Was he trolling or just next level paranoia?
[Wibbles]: I don't steal powers and I'm not a copycat either. I'm a Trump who can select from a list of powers, and I want to see if other Trumps like you could counter me.
Other people should've asked him stuff like this in the past. Maybe he was just being cautious—
[The Pug]: go ask Hatchetface
My jaw tensed. What was this guy's problem?
[Wibbles]: Do you want more money?
[The Pug]: are you slow in the head?
My grip tightened around the phone. This motherfucker.
On impulse, Endow unfurled behind my eyes, though as I scanned through the list, my frown only deepened. Over a dozen Thinker and Master powers yet none of them worked over the internet.
[Wibbles]: Why are you acting like a dick?
[The Pug]: didn't i tell you to fuck off?
Heat crawled up my neck. My fingers moved before my brain caught up.
[Wibbles]: I can send you to the Birdcage in your sleep.
[The Pug]: cool
My thumbs blurred across the keypad as my pulse thumped in my ears. I hit enter, and—
Message failed to deliver. You have been blocked by the user.
I stared at the notification at the bottom of the chat. A violent flash of heat erupted in my chest, spreading through my body like molten lava.
He blocked me. This paranoid piece of shit blocked me.
I took a slow, deep breath and exhaled quietly. The phone screen blurred a little as I stared at it, that stupid message just sitting there. Mocking me.
This just got personal.