Chapter 30
The day after that, I had a day off. Technically, all my days were days off, since most of my work was at night, but Amos had decided he was going to just go fishing and invited me to join him. So I went, taking along a good friend.
"Ah, kid, this is the life," Kalini chugged a beer, leaning back on his chair. "Nothing but the ocean, the sun, and all the beer that money can buy!"
The three of us were on Amos' boat, sitting on some beat up old chairs with fishing rods at the ready, floating just off the coast of Oahu. It was a nice sunny day, the weather was warm but not overbearing, and our drinks were cold.
"And it's GOOD beer!" Amos chuckled, chugging his own bottle. "German, dark, and as stout as my wife. Maika`i loa," he looked over at me. "You actually going to drink with us, kid, or just keep enjoying your dainty cups of pussy juice?"
I looked over at my martial arts teacher, then at my non-alcoholic malt beverage, before shaking my head. "I'm good, teach. Just enjoying the sun."
A bite came to Kalini's line. He whooped, moving quickly to begin reeling her in. "Ohhhh, I got it! I got it! Yes!!!"
He pulled, hard cheering at the bright flash of silver! Then he fell mentally. "Awww…"
A fish about the size of my hand wiggled excitedly at the end of the line.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Amos laughed, long and hard at the sight of the tiny specimen at the end of the line. "Oh god, the look on your face! At least it's longer than your pecker! HAHAHA!"
"You are the worst person I've ever met," Kalini grumbled, pulling the tiny thing off the line and tossing it back. "It felt bigger!"
"That's what she said!" Amos said proudly.
I felt a tug on my own line. I started pulling, taking my time with it.
"Oh, here it goes!" Amos laughed, watching me work. "Hope whatever you get is worth a damn."
"I hope it isn't," Kalini mumbled.
"You're a sore loser, aren't you?" I asked Kalini with a grin.
"I am dammit!" he clenched his fist, glaring. "Come on, come on, come on…"
I pulled the fish out of the water. My arms shook. I staggered briefly, then finished pulling, getting it into the boat. The three of us stared down at it.
"...You cheating bastard," Kalini said, shocked.
"Damn!" Amos whispered. "That is a big fucker!"
A four-foot long blue marlin wiggled in place, staring up at us. I guess he was as surprised as Kalini and Amos were.
"What can I say, I have a knack for this," I said with a wink at Kalini. Behind me, while Amos wasn't looking, I knew Mudkip was popping up to give Kalini a wave as he bounced in the ocean.
"You…" Kalini pointed at me, glaring harshly. "Ghhhhh."
All in all, it was a good fishing trip. I wondered how everyone else was doing while I was hanging with my friend and my teacher though.
------
Sam Mokoa
Sam sat in a conference room, staring at the four cork boards in front of him. "...Okay. Let's figure this out."
He walked over to the board of the far left. The papers on that board were old. Some were yellowed. Photos from all over Hawaii, maps, names. At the top, two words rested. Silicon Dragons.
In a box under the board, more rested within. Arrests, crimes, wins and losses. He eyed one of the names on the board. Lady Dragon. The unknown. The myth. His worst enemy.
He glared at it. Then he moved on.
The next board was different from the first. Every paper there was brand new, pristine. At the top, the words Kahu Kiaʻi rested. Photographs of him in action were all across the board, along with a list of his appearances. He'd been active recently, all across the islands. The kid was fighting almost everyday. Not just against the Silicon Dragons, but also regular day to day criminals.
Sam scowled, looking at the next board. That one was labeled Pokemon? The weird animal creatures that followed him around were the most dangerous thing about him. Super Strength, durability, various energy projectiles, control over the elements. Sam had taken care over long hours to try and figure out the abilities of each. It was a tougher task than one would think. Kahu's own abilities were simple. Durable, strong, and slowly getting more skilled in martial arts, something Sam was using to try and track any practitioners of Lua who might be training him.
But his Pokemon? They were a smorgasbord of abilities. Five of the creatures, with overlap in their powers as well as things specific to them. He had them listed out now.
Mako was the one he knew the most about. An aquatic creature with enhanced strength, speed, durability, hydrokinesis as a primary long range power, some form of geokinesis that Sam had yet to figure out, and cryokinesis. That alone was an example of how ridiculous these creatures were.
He also had a suspicion that one of the creatures, or perhaps an unseen one, could teleport. That would explain how fast Kahu managed to travel across the islands.
That said… there was yet another fly in the ointment.
He looked at the last board. Blurry photos rested across it. A picture of destroyed rooms and broken objects, another from an old security cam that caught the action. A tall dark figure was ignoring the baseball bat that had shattered on his head as he was stomping down on the crotch of a female gangbanger. And one very clear picture.
He'd been caught on a cell phone camera. Apparently one of the Silicon Dragons had managed to get the bright idea that if they caught a photo of the vigilante, they could send it to their bosses. It hadn't worked, but it did give them a hell of a clear picture of him.
Namely, it told them two things. First, that he WASN'T Kahu. He was larger all around, taller and more muscular. And his mask wasn't the original painted hockey mask Kahu had worn, nor the recent and more angular mask he'd taken to wearing with the same half-red half-white paint.
Instead his mask was painted a bright overbearing yellow, with blood spattered across the surface of it. A crooked pale smile of wicked sharp teeth ran along the bottom half of the mask, a disturbing facsimile of a happy grin.
The second vigilante. One who had been travelling around beating people until their bones and bodies were broken. They lived. Even recovered in some cases. But the damage was immense.
And then there was the way he acted. Like an absolute lunatic. He never spoke to his victims, but those who talked mentioned a voice from a device he carried that would speak for him, using either a synthetic woman's voice or lines recorded from movies, games, and TV. Sam hadn't heard back from the shrinks, but based on the lines alone he would have pegged the guy as a looney.
Nothing like this had popped up in Sam's day. Not until Kahu. There had been groups of people ready to fight back. Cops, gangsters, and citizens. But nothing like the concentrated effort he was seeing in these guys.
He'd been working under the possibility this new vigilante was just Kahu with a new mask. But now, with a confirmed difference of identity, the other officers had given him a dumb superhero name. It made Sam sick.
Smiley. "Fucking Smiley. Like he's a cartoon character," Sam ripped the name off the board, crumbling it up and tossing it aside. "Am I the only cop who takes his job seriously in this town?"
Taking solace in the short pleasure destroying that paper gave him, he crossed his arms, glaring.
The Dragons. Kahu. Pokemon. Smiley. There was a lot. He needed help. He needed like minds. Tech. Maybe something of… another nature.
He'd refused to do something like it before. Getting that sort of help would have led to the Silicon Dragons to raise the stakes in turn. But right now, they already were raising the stakes. Over the last week, reports of Silicon Dragons carrying powered armor had begun to arise. That was just the start.
If he had a chance to take down the Dragons and Vigilantes plaguing him, he'd need to step up.
Sam loosened his tie and left the room, scowling. He entered his office, lifting up the phone and carefully putting in a number and extension he barely remembered. Time to call some old friends.
------
Lady Dragon
In a cargo ship off the coast of Maui
"YAAAAAAAGH!"
Electricity ran across flesh. Three twitching bodies, sitting in chairs, flailed and screamed as the volts ran through them. After a few seconds, a switch was flicked. They stopped twitching. One of the men sobbed. Another had passed out. The last stared listlessly.
Lady Dragon slowly strode forward. She was wearing a silk green dress, her hair done up high, lips painted green. She wouldn't have looked out of place at a high roller event, such as a fashion show or movie premiere. Instead, she stood on emerald high heels in a wet and cold room, pressing a manicured fingernail to her lips as she looked at the three men being tortured. She stepped carefully away from a pool of urine one of the men had released.
"Gentlemen. I'm torn, to be honest," she sighed, her other hand going to her hips. "It's a conundrum that I face. Do I allow you to live? That has merit. You can spread word of my wishes for our organization, knowing all the well that my eye is on you. But then, killing you would do much the same for me. And it would remove three thorns in my side. Hmm…"
"...bitch," one of the men spat out.
"Now, that is a point in the favor of the latter option," she said, unfussed. "Really. I do not mind experimentation. Innovation. But if you kill someone, I require it to be for a purpose. If you torture, maim, murder, I only allow it if it benefits us. If life is currency, then it must be spent frugally. And yet, according to what my people in the force tell me, it seems you killed for… nothing."
She shook her head, sighing. "I am not a good person. I have long made peace with that. Honorable, yes. But not good. Despite that, what I saw in those reports…" she laughed. "My god, what useless, absolute waste! If Kahu hadn't revealed your actions… And now, I am in the odd position of needing to thank my enemy. Which, in all honesty, is not the worst part of this, but still not to my taste."
Lady Dragon nodded to a man behind. He strolled over to the switch on the wall. "I've decided to kill you. Your research, what little you did when you weren't playing out your sadistic games, will have some benefit to my scientist. But I cannot allow men who have besmirched my organization as you have further spreading your influence. I'll need to pull back any of the benefits your families were getting as well. What a mess…"
The switch was flicked, and the men began to shake. Smoke started to rise from their bodies. Lady Dragon ignored them, instead speaking to herself. "Still. Something good came of this. We know much more about Kahu's capabilities. At least the cameras within the facility worked somewhat."
She left the room, the man who had flicked the switch for her following subserviently. "His power, and those of his followers, is formidable… but not impossible to compensate for. I believe I may have to see them for myself."
At that, the man following blinked in surprise. "My Lady? You're going out into the field?"
"Yes, I believe I will. Not just yet. But I do wish to test him for myself," she smiled just a bit. "First, all operations will need a thorough clean-up. I want nothing like that," she spat like a curse. "Happening again. I'll be taking full control of the Silicon Dragons."
"My Lady!?" the man asked, shocked. "I-I thought-"
"It is done," she said with some satisfaction in her voice. "If Kahu Kiaʻi will rise against us, then I will be there to watch him every step of the way. I must admit… I'm rather excited to see what sort of fight he brings. In some ways, that is the best part of all this. With Kahu's continued attacks, I finally have an excuse to begin moving."
She suddenly stopped, thoughtful. "I wonder… what will Sam think?"
------
Grace Balin
When Giovanni said he would hire Grace as his scientist, she'd expected a few things. Contracts to sign. Lawyers maybe. Maybe an orientation.
She was not expecting a giant beach party with reporters gathered. She was behind a cloth just behind the stage, watching as her future boss spoke to a crowd of people all underneath the canvas tent set up for the occasion.
"-our newest employee, Grace Balin!" Giovanni said proudly. He stood on stage in casual shorts and a button up shirt, somehow still looking just as debonair as he always did. "Come on up here, Ms. Balin!"
"...I hate him," Grace sighed. She came out from the cloth tent, knowing what was coming. Someone gasped in the crowd. Another person, a woman, screamed. Giovanni gestured to her, smiling just a bit. After some hesitation, she walked forward. On the advice of Roxy, she was wearing a purple dress that she felt somewhat ridiculous in, and stumbled a bit as she joined Giovanni.
"Now, I know. Her appearance may be shocking to some. But her story is one I think we can all empathize with. A dedicated scientist, a woman of focus and drive, working in a laboratory in the Maui Ocean Center."
For a moment, Grace was glad that Roxy had walked her through all the legal hoops her sudden disappearance had caused. This whole thing was going to be troublesome enough as it was without having to go through all the legality that was coming her way.
"Then, one day, she found herself under the eye of the Silicon Dragons," Giovanni said, really playing it up as cameras continued to flash. "They tried to force her to use her serum to create weapons. A serum she made to cure paralysis, that they would only use to cause death and destruction!" Giovanni snapped his hand to her. "So she made the only sacrifice she could! She took the serum herself, removing it from their hands. And her reward was to be changed forever…"
Giovanni paused for a moment. Grace felt so awkward, but the crowd seemed to be eating it up. "So because of the Silicon Dragons, she was turned into this. Because the police are too cowardly to put a stop to them, because the local government refuses to step up, the Dragons are allowed to operate with impunity! To attack those simply trying to help humanity!"
He chuckled. "Well, I see great value in Grace's research. Because it worked!"
Behind them, a projector snapped on. Grace didn't look at it. But she knew what it showed. A picture of herself as she was. Tiny, blonde… and wheelchair bound. A buzz of sound from the audience.
"That is right. This young woman, now walking, was once paralyzed from the hips down," Giovanni declared. "And she will continue the research that healed her at Rocket Unlimited! We'll be working on the side effects of course," Giovanni added with a little smirk. "But I imagine I don't have to tell you why perfecting the serum is so important?"
No, he didn't. People started shouting out questions, flashing their cameras. Grace's eyes had to fight to stay open. Giovanni had warned her about that, said that if she squinted at the bright lights she would look very predatory.
"You there," Giovanni pointed at the person in question.
"Jayne Delare, with CNN Business," the reporter said. "Giovanni, are you worried about the consequences of directly challenging the Silicon Dragons like this? They've been known to target companies and businesses that attack their reputation."
"I'm already a target," Giovanni said with a smirk. "My company's shipments and facilities have had to update their security measures dozens of times to stop them from stealing our products. Numerous times, life saving medication has been stolen from local hospitals to be used to heal criminals," his amusement was gone. For a moment, just a moment… Grace was certain there was real anger in his eyes. Rage she hadn't expected.
"If helping an innocent woman leads them to believe that I might be an enemy of theirs, then let me clear up that misconception. I am an enemy of theirs. Make of that what you will."
A little chill ran up her spine at that. That… wasn't the plan. He wasn't supposed to just out and out challenge the Silicon Dragons!?
But somehow, it also seemed to fit him. As much as they spoke about working in secret, Giovanni seemed more… well, more like Kahu, as much as they might have hated that comparison. Both had an air of… well, leading from the front. Technically, Kahu could have stood back from every fight he had been in. Grace had thought about that a few times. With Alakazam to connect him to his Pokemon, Kahu didn't need to be at a fight to guide his Pokemon. But he never did. He might delegate certain tasks. But if there was a fight, he was somewhere in the thick of it.
As Grace was thinking on that, another reporter spoke up. He was a thin man, with a sparse mustache and dark tan skin. "Giovanni. Goji Ditan, NBC Hawaii. Speaking of criminals, Floyd Lawton better known as Deadshot has been seen working as a bodyguard for you. Including at this event," Grace looked to her left. If the aforementioned man had heard his name, he wasn't acting like it. He continued to watch the crowd, eyeing everyone and everything.
"Care to comment on hiring a known killer and mercenary to work so closely by your side even as you continue to bash the Silicon Dragons?" the thin man asked, a mic lifted high.
Giovanni didn't even flinch, nor look towards Floyd as people in the crowd began to stare at him. He only chuckled. "Well done on your research, Mr. Ditan. It's nice to see a reporter do some serious investigation for once. Yes, I did hire Mr. Lawton to become my bodyguard. I believe in hiring my employees based on their skillset. Mrs. Balin's scientific brilliance, Mr. Lawton's experience and skill in the art of combat. I found them valuable, for obvious reasons."
"No matter his skillset, he's still-"
"No, he isn't," Giovanni snapped. "Floyd Lawton paid his dues. I found the idea of a man of his ability struggling to find legitimate work because of a criminal record to be wasteful and stupid. He has done good work for me and has become a valued member of my organization. And in truth, the idea of a criminal record making anyone incapable of working a legitimate job is foolishness to the extreme. Redemption is something we can all believe in after all."
Giovanni continued before the reporter could get another word in. "Now, does anyone have any questions for Mrs. Balin?"
Grace winced, feeling eyes shift onto her. That was when the flood of questions began.
"What does it feel like being a whale!?"
"Were you really paralyzed before!?"
"Do you still eat the same foods!?"
Grace stepped forward and tried her best to weather the storm.
------
After Grace's new nightmare was done, everyone broke up to enjoy the food and drinks that Giovanni had set up. The man seemed to be in his element, speaking to a group that had surrounded him. Reporters, a couple of rich businessmen, women, and their spouses, and some people who had walked over, all listening carefully as he spoke to them about something Grace couldn't hear.
On the other hand, Grace was on her own. Not because people weren't interested in her. She could see them taking pictures, whispering about her. But that didn't mean they weren't afraid. At one point, a small girl tried to come over to Grace, only for her parents to pull her back. It was cliche, something Grace had seen a dozen times in movies. Pull back a kid from the scary innocent monster.
It still made a hot pain fill her chest.
Then, someone sat down with her. Grace was so surprised she nearly jumped, and looked at the person who sat with her.
"Wassup," Mahmoud said with a grin.
Grace stared at him, uncomprehending. Then she felt panic fill her, hissing. "What are you doing here?"
"Sitting, technically," he said casually.
"B-But, you're here!" she hissed under her breath. "Shouldn't you be, you know, in hiding or something?"
It was so strange, seeing him like this. In all the time she'd known him, she'd only seen him in casual clothes in the cave. Outside, he was always in that costume of his, with the skull-like mask, long coat, and durable jeans. Here, on a sunny beach, with flip-flops, board shorts, and a t-shirt displaying a pineapple with a thong on with the word 'SLUT" underneath in gaudy pink letters, he looked so out of place to her.
"I have a secret identity, what's the point of it if I can't enjoy being in the identity?" the young brown-skinned man said, his grin softening. "Plus, I wanted to check up on you. You doing okay? What with all this?"
The earlier hot feeling returned, but it wasn't painful anymore. Grace hesitantly nodded. "Yeah… I mean, it's hard, but I expected it."
"So did I, but just because you expect people to be dicks, doesn't mean it isn't annoying when they are," he said, running a hand over his head. "Still. After all the time you've spent underground with me, it must be nice to be on a beach."
That was true. It had been a bit since she'd sat in public like this. Even with everyone staring at her and Hawaii's only superhero, she was happy to enjoy the sea breeze across her skin, the warmth of the sun on her skin. All she needed was a nice swim and everything would be perfect. If only it could always be like this…
"It will be," Mahmoud said. Grace jumped startled. Had he read her mind with Alakazam's help? He smiled. "Sorry. I could read it on your face. But yeah. People are going to be awkward around you. Some will be dicks. But now that you've gone public, and we'll be looking after you, you can go where you like. Even get a nice apartment of your own if you want."
She thought about that. "Somehow, I don't think things will be that easy."
He winced. "Uh… yeah, maybe. But things will get better. I promise, okay?"
Grace smiled. For some reason she could believe him. Even as awkward as he was sometimes, the fact he was trying did help. "Thanks."
"Um, ma'am?" Grace and Mahmoud turned to see a young woman standing there nervously. She flinched, but stood her ground, a cameraman behind her. "Can I ask you some questions about your… well, about everything to be honest?"
Grace nodded, rising up. Mahmoud stepped away, and Grace readied herself for another round of questions, feeling much better than she had for the last one.
------
Author's Note: Next chapter, some more of Sam and Lady Dragon, as well as the intro of a long forgotten DC Comics character.
Chapter 31
Sam Mokoa
"-Kahu Kiai has my support! Despite being a vigilante, he has been dealing with the criminal element on our great islands efficiently and aggressively, protecting the downtrodden, the poor, and those who society has forgotten!"
Sam scowled at the screen in front of him. On a large tv set up in his conference room, a pudgy white man with thinning blonde hair and a wide grin was waving his hands about. "On my platform, heroes like Kahu Kowai," the man stumbled over the name a bit but continued speaking quickly. "Will become the norm! After all, why shouldn't we have our own little Justice League, right here in Hawaii!?"
Sam could think of a thousand reasons why. And he hated the man on the screen, for a thousand reasons as well. But mostly for what he represented. Kahu Kiaʻi was becoming a political issue. The people in power were noticing him. And because they noticed Kahu, they also noticed the FBI agent trying to hunt him down.
Some people were on Sam's side. Some weren't. And on both sides of that sat people Sam hated. You'd think he would have liked the ones who supported him, but more than a few had… 'suggestions'. A few military types had started snooping around, trying to convince Sam that when he captured Kahu that maybe he should think about letting them… borrow his Pokemon. Let them run tests, all for the public of course.
Bastards. Kahu's Pokemon were dangerous, but they didn't deserve to get thrown onto a table and sliced apart so that someone could make biological weapons out of them.
Sam pulled himself out of his funk when someone knocked on the door. For the first time in a long time, he felt real happiness fill him. They had arrived. Sam walked over to the door and opened it. Two men were waiting for him. Sam held back a smile, instead stepping back. "Come on in. It's good to see you, Ishido, David."
"You too, Sam," David, a tall black man entered first, wearing a tailored white suit that fit closely over his muscular form. While the top of his head was shaved bald, he had a well groomed salt and pepper beard, his eyes an eerie, almost golden, shade of brown.
"I don't know about that,"Ishido, the other man, said snarkily. He was Asian, wearing an entirely black suit, with short cropped dark black hair and was clean shaven, shorter than the other men, but just as muscular, with calloused fingers. He smirked up at Sam. "Anytime you call us, things get crazy. Also, the lady at the front desk didn't want to let us in. Told us we didn't exist."
Sam sighed, shaking his head. "Damn. Sorry."
"We're used to it," David said with a hint of sorrow in his voice.
David Fite and Ishido Maad, of the DEO. The Department of Extranormal Operations.
A joke organization, in many eyes. Formed in the wake of World War II, they had always been underfunded, overworked, and unappreciated. They were technically under the auspices of the FBI, but they were never treated as such.
The history behind the lack of respect the organization had was complicated. When they were created, it was with one goal. To fight off the 'not normal'. Superhumans, aliens, strange technology, the works.
It was just that something always kept them out of the loop. Sometimes it was superheroes taking down a threat before they could step it. Sometimes the FBI, Interpol, or some other group would step in. As the years passed, and they kept getting upstaged, the organization had become less and less respected. They'd even been replaced by a few other organizations that had the exact same mandate to fight the extranormal. Like a sick joke.
And yet, Sam had enormous respect for David and Ishido. He'd never have called them in otherwise.
"Wow… you really upped the crazy, didn't you?" Ishido asked, walking over to Sam's boards.
"Yes, I did," Sam said without missing a beat. "What do you think?"
"That you really stepped in it," Ishido sighed, looking over the boards as David and Sam joined him. "Okay… you got the Dragons and Kahu, huh? And the problem is that we aren't sure what their full capabilities are… David. You ever hear about anything like this? A kid followed by a bunch of nature spirits."
"All the time," David said. "But nothing exactly like this. In magic, summoning things to help you out is old hat. Even using a summoning token or tablet, like these things," he tapped a photo of one of the red-white orbs Kahu had been seen summoning his monsters from. A couple others were different in color, but the red white design was most common. "I've even seen some images exactly like this from planeswalkers that have gone to other realms. But it's rare. More rumor than anything."
"Magic has rumors?" Sam asked skeptically.
"Gandalf is a gossipy bastard," David said with a hint of humor. Then he became more serious. "I'll need to see him in the field. This might be magic, might be mundane. I need to get a feel for it first though."
"Fair enough," Sam said, grumbling a little. Magic's rules were such strange things to him. But then, the same could be true of science in so many ways. "Then we'll need to keep an eye out. Kahu seems to frequent certain areas on his patrols. We won't be able to arrest him of course, not without finding counters to things like that… teleportation ability he appeared to display."
"Well, we've got your back there," Ishido said. "We may not get much respect, but we do have the massive amounts of government funding that the taxpayers provide."
"See, when you describe that way I don't like it," David said uncomfortably. "We don't waste funds."
"Except on private jets."
"One time, and that was to get to the Moth Man before the prophecies were fulfilled," David said in the tone of a man fighting an ancient fight.
"You still enjoyed the caviar-" Ishido's comment was interrupted when the door opened. The three men turned around to face it. Ishido's face went from a snarky and almost playful smile, to a far softer and more gentle one. "Hey, Miss America. What are you doing here?"
A young woman stood there. For a moment, just a moment, Sam pictured her as she once was. A tiny and happy young girl, dark skin glistening in sunlight, her hair pulled back into braids as she held up a small frog she'd 'saved' for him to inspect, knees scraped from when she'd gone digging for it through the brush.
That image faded immediately. The once tiny girl was now taller than Ishido, almost as tall as her giant of a father. She wore a cheetah print crop top that displayed her muscled abdomen just above a pair of black jeans. Her hair was still black, pulled into a tall braid atop her head, but now also had red tones running through it. Her eyes were the same golden color as David's, her smile the same wise crinkle.
"Just wanted to see Uncle Sam," the young woman said, striding in.
"Anita," Sam said, hiding his fondness under a tough glare. "This may not be a secure conference room, but it certainly isn't public. How did you get here?"
"I told the lady at the front that I was an agent," she said without a hint of shame.
"And she believed you?" Sam asked skeptically.
"I'm very persuasive when I want to be," the teenager said without a hint of shame. "Oh, and I stole someone's badge."
David sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Anita Fite grinned while pulling out a badge and waving it about, an absolutely shameless and proud grin.
Somehow, as David began to 'discipline' his daughter, who reacted to it by jokingly tossing him the stolen badge, Sam got the feeling things had gotten more complicated. Cop instincts at work, maybe.
------
Kahu Kia'i
In the streets of Makawao Town, the island of Maui, I ran for my life, a sensation I had become more than a bit used to. Same with screaming my throat raw. "YAAAAAH!"
The town we were in had a weird modern cowboy kinda vibe. All low buildings with that saloon shape I recognized from John Wayne movies. Except for the asphalt of the street and the modern cars.
Oh, and Tyrunt running after me. "Tyrunt, Ty!!!"
And the robot replicas of Tyrunt chasing after me. One bit at my ass and got a chunk of my sleeve instead. I swung my arm around towards Tyrunt, who headbutted it off of me.
They were a bit bigger than him, shaped like miniature t-rexes the way he was. Except they were made entirely of metal, shining a bright silver in the light of the Hawaian sun. They were also missing their arms, their only weapons being the massive clanging jaws that they were trying to rip chunks of my flesh off with.
Granted, I wasn't the only one getting attacked. My other Pokemon were running around town, taking down these things. Also, these guys kept giving me nostalgia for some reason, on top of the general fear and anger I was feeling. Call me crazy, but dozens of tiny biting robots were insanely worrying.
A trio of them busted through the walls of a house to join the hoard following. One of them leapt towards me. I ducked under it, sliding along the ground on my knee pads while spinning around to face the horde, pulling out my handgun. I fired quickly as I slid, hitting some of the robots as best as I could. Tyrunt jumped off my shoulder and smashed into one bot, swinging a tail of stone into the next. My bullets bounced off the armored shell of another before a lucky shot pierced it's red eyes. When my handgun was empty, I quickly reloaded, accidently jamming my skin on the magazine before I adjusted. "Tyrunt, Bulldoze them!"
"Ty!" he smashed his claws into the ground, the asphalt cracking apart as the earth beneath rose up and smashed into the bots-MOUSERS! They looked like those little robots from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! That's why I'd been feeling nostalgic.
The low wave of dirt crushed the bots, tearing apart steel and damaging the circuits and servos beneath. I reached out mentally along our mental link. "This is Kahu, we've got the main bulk of the horde on us. Anyone got their main controller in their sights?"
A little delay was followed by Alakazam's voice in my mind. "Deadshot has found the man controlling them. Should he take the shot?"
"Non-lethally if possible," I said with a bit of hesitation. Not because I was eager to kill people, but because I wasn't sure if Deadshot would listen.
He wasn't supposed to be on missions with us. Best for him to maintain his distance, to keep Giovanni and me as separate entities. But today was an exception. Giovanni had been sending a big shipment of Super Potion to hospitals in Maui, and had asked us to keep an eye on it. Which made perfect sense, considering his recent challenge to them. He'd been proven right when the shipment was attacked.
I'd been proven right when I told him they'd do something weird.
A small army of metal robots rushing the truck to try and rip it apart was pretty weird if you ask me.
After a moment of silence over the mental link. While I waited, Tyrunt ran forward to confront his robotic clones. One snapped at him as Tyrunt approached. He ducked under the biting metal jaws and snapped his own teeth up into the robot's false throat, stone crushing metal before ripping through wires. Another slammed into him from the side, stone scored by steel, before Tyrunt twisted around to hit the thing with his tail, crushing it.
Another one leapt for my throat. I fired my handgun at it, missing a couple of shots, before swinging the gun at the airborne bot, smacking it out of the sky.
But there were more. Dozens more. In the distance, the sound of ice, fire, and the crunch of steel, as well as the waves of robots ripping through concrete, metal, and wood to attack me and mine was louder than I could believe. Then… it stopped.
A robot hit me in the chest, but fell to the ground in a limp heap. The rest of the bots acted like puppets losing their strings, crashing to the asphalt.
"Tyrunt!" as I looked around at the bodies, Tyrunt let out another cry, and began smashing the dead robots with glee, destroying them. The little guy was wounded. Had some deep scratches, some cracked sections across his stone scales, but otherwise looked as happy as he'd ever been. A whole army of robot clones wasn't something he got to fight everyday.
I turned around to focus on Alakazam's voice, the sound of Tyrunt gleefully massacring robots in the background. "I hope that means our guy is down."
Deadshot's voice in mind link was always so strange. It was so normal. Not accented with mental pollution like others were. Like my own was. There was a hint of something though. Something underlying his mental presence.
There was something wrong with that man.
"He is. Unfortunately, I had to shoot him in an awkward way. He was a little bit out of my line of sight."
"Awkward way?"
"I had to shoot him in the ass. Through one buttcheek and out the other."
"..."
"But he is alive, so there is that. I've got him knocked out now, and his tech is in front of me. Want me to do anything with it?"
I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or sigh at how Deadshot hit a man through both cheeks and went right back to his professional attitude. Poor bastard wasn't going to be able to sit down for a LONG time.
"You got anything nice and explosive?"
"Plenty. So we're going to destroy it?"
"I'd suggest against it," Alakazam said, cutting in. "We may need to counter the Dragons if they send more of these creatures out to us. Having some idea of the code would help us find a counter."
"Sure, but none of us are tech guys. Even you said you have trouble with hacking."
"I… might have a solution to that," Deadshot said. "It'll take a bit to get it together, but I know some people."
Likely criminals, mercs, or worse. But hey, if they could do the job and weren't monsters, I was down.
"Gurdurr, let's meet up with Deadshot and bring the tech somewhere far away from any other tech."
"Any other tech?"
"For all I know, the stuff is carrying a virus that can enter computers and make them turn to slag. Or take them over."
"I'm fairly certain that's not how that works," Deadshot said with some amusement.
"And I'm fairly certain that humans don't fly, lift trucks over their heads, or ignore bullets, but that's the world we live in," I turned to look over at Tyrunt, who was chewing on a robot head as he joined me. "Lets grab that tech and then help the trucker go on his way. Tell Giovanni his shipment will get there. Late, but it's on his way."
"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."
A happy Giovanni. I felt a bit of distaste at that, but put it down to me still being real sour towards him for his latest big idea. That was a problem for later.
"Come on, bud," I told Tyrunt as he swallowed the chunk of robot. "Let's get this night over with."
------
Gurdurr
Once they got home, everyone went to sleep.
Except Gurdurr and Tyrunt. He'd catch up later, but he was too obsessed with his latest project to want to leave it alone. Tyrunt was… helping. Sort of.
He'd been working on the base for weeks. Preparing it on every level, making it perfect. He'd dug out room after room, making them as structurally sound as possible.
Gurdurr knew he was… odd. For a Gurdurr. For most Gurdurr's, when they evolved from Timburr's, they lost the love of construction, instead excelling at demolition.
And Gurdurr still knew a lot about demolition. But for some reason, when he evolved, he never lost his love of building. Of starting with an empty lot and slowly creating something magnificent there. Putting together the ingredients and watching them come together to make a home, an office, or anything else.
So building a base was a dream come true in some ways.
If only his partner would cooperate.
"Gurdurr!" the fighting type shouted.
Wearing a hard hat and holding a blueprint, he was pointing at Tyrunt, then at the blueprint in his hand. Scowling, the dinosaur spun around and began digging. The pair was deep in their work, designing a barracks level, currently digging out the bathrooms. Which meant creating places to put pipes. Which meant Tyrunt was being lazy.
The dinosaur was a hard worker. But in his mind, some things took priority over others. And if a hole in the ground was fine for him, then it should be fine for others.
Gurdurr scowled, staring down at the blueprints. They weren't close to being done with the base. He'd had to spend a lot of time fighting crime alongside the others. But hours of work, digging, putting up supports, smoothing out issues, putting in electricity, plumbing, and other necessities, had led to real progress.
Master had told Gurdurr about the bases of other superheroes. Batman's cave, the Justice Leagues satellite, the Avengers Tower.
He might never be able to make it as advanced as those ones. But he could make it almost as spacious.
With a little smile, Gurdurr looked up at Tyrunt. Then his eye started twitching.
Tyrunt was asleep.
"GURDURR!"
------
Slugma
While Gurdurr was screaming at his 'partner', Slugma was also awake. She was diving through magma, swimming along the waves of melted earth. Soon she found herself back at her friends home. Slugma swam to where she was waiting, and found her sat upon a throne of iron, the metal melting and solidifying underneath her friend.
"Ah… little one," she smiled at Slugma kindly. "How was your day?"
Slugma smiled back and began to explain. She spoke about their day, about training at Giovanni's building, eating lunch together, Grace studying them, and finally the last part of the day.
Fighting dozens of robot copies of one of her friends.
"...If I did not know you, little one, I would believe that was some sort of joke," Slugma wouldn't have blamed her for that. Her friend leaned forward, a thoughtful look on her face. "And has our training been to your benefit?"
Slugma nodded. Her friend seemed happy about that. Then she was thoughtful again.
"I wanted to give you something. A boon. Something to aid you… It is not something I do often. But it would be in my power to do so."
Slugma thought about that. A gift from her friend! That was so nice of her!
When she shared that sentiment with her friend, she seemed taken aback. Then she smiled slowly.
"Yes… I suppose it is a gift. A way to allow you to carry a portion of my power wherever you go. Here," she took her right hand and brushed it through her hair. Some strands of it came off, floating in the magma flowing around them. She took her other hand and pressed it to her eye. A single tear came forth. Somehow, despite the immense heat around them, the tear managed to float unimpeded, solidifying into a black glowing stone. She wrapped the stone in her hair, creating a necklace and rising from her seat, stepping forward to join Slugma. "Here, little one. My tear. My hair. Gifts that will form into protection, into power, for you."
As Slugma felt joy swell in her until she felt like she was going to burst, her friend gave her a hug. "May the power of Pele protect you until your dying day."
"Slugma!"
------
June 28, 2010
Kahu Kiaʻi
Having finally gotten some sort of routine in my life has been good for my mental attitude. While things had been busy, they'd also been regular. Fight bad guys, train, take care of my family, and take some time to take care of other things. Overall, I was a lot less stressed out as June was coming to an end.
I had been doing bicep curls when Giovanni gave me a call. I put down the barbell and walked over to my phone, passing by Gurdurr as he curled an engine block for some light reps. I picked up my phone and answered it.
"Giovanni, what's up?"
"And a hello to you as well," Giovanni said with some amusement. "I was checking to make sure you were still coming over for the gala tomorrow."
I felt some annoyance. "I promised I would, didn't I?"
"You did. But something tells me you're reluctant, to say the least."
"To go to a party where I get to watch you schmooze with your fellow rich guys and awkwardly stand around in full costume as people stare? No, I'm super excited for that," I said with all the sarcasm my cold heart could summon.
"I'm happy to hear that," Giovanni said, still sounding amused. "Really though. I do appreciate you taking a night off to watch me 'schmooze' as you said. This promotion will be a huge boon to my company."
I grabbed a towel and took a sip of water before speaking. "And the fact the Silicon Dragons might show up in some way if they find out about it."
"An unintentional side effect at best," he said. "I am hopeful we can have an actual gala without any interruptions. But if we're forced to contend with more we will deal with it. That aside, I also wanted to let you know the tech expert I reached out to has accepted my offer. He'll meet you once we have him transported to Hawaii."
That was good news. Ever since the mouser attacked us, we'd been preparing for the next tech innovation to come rushing at us as a horde. While we had Grace working on the biological side of things, having someone who could interfere with the Silicon Dragons tech would be awesome.
"Great. In that case, I'll see you soon," I hung up, sighing to myself. A gala. Could be fun. More likely was going to have some unexpected surprises.
Mudkip struggled past me, pushing around five hundred pounds as I mused to myself. He gave me a look. "Kip?"
"Nah. Just… I'm getting the feeling our current routine is gonna get an upset soon."
He gave me a glance, then shrugged.
Yeah, Mudkip had the right idea. Routine was nice. But it was never going to last. Best to roll with the punches.
Time for a party.
------
Author's Note: Giovanni and parties aren't going to be a constant thing, but it ain't a comic book thing if a superhero doesn't show up at a fancy rich person party. It's like tradition at this point for it to happen. Usually while they're undercover, but it can happen in costume too.
Place your bets on who shows up!
Chapter 32
June 29, 2010
The Gala was at Giovanni's yacht. I didn't know he had a yacht. But in retrospect, I was not surprised that he had one. Made sense. The fact that it was HUGE was the real surprise. The thing was less a boat and more of an island. Giovanni said it was 330-feet long. 330. Most yachts were 30 feet. A few were a hundred.
And I had my suspicions on how this thing had come about. It was luxurious, with soft chairs, hardwood flooring, and tons of extras. It also had walls that looked like they were made of armor plating. Like I said. Suspicious.
I also wasn't expecting it to be as big an event as it was. There were enough rich people there that the room had a higher net worth than a few small countries put together, but there were also a bunch of servers, security guys, and a few reporters.
That was the crowd that stood in front of Giovanni as he spoke at a podium, wearing a simple suit that still cost more than a modern car.
"-In my time in the business of medicine, I've discovered three things. First, it's profitable," he said with a chuckle. "Second, it's rewarding. Few things can make a man smile like knowing not only is his work beneficial to himself, but a thousand times more beneficial for the world around him. And finally, it is a field that requires constant advancement. As a doctor once told me, when a student has been out of medical school for five years, everything he learned in the classroom has become obsolete. And my Potion is no exception. It has saved thousands of lives, allowing surgery to be done with little to no risk compared to the past. Now, thanks to the great work of my researchers, that wonder medicine has become obsolete!"
He raised a hand. A familiar red and orange spray bottle showed up on a projection screen behind him. "Super Potion! One of the most powerful healing chemicals ever made! At least double the power of my Potion! Now finally approved for sale and distribution, after extensive testing!"
There was an immediate buzz as people began talking quickly in disbelief, a few reporters putting down their drinks to quickly begin writing notes.
In truth, Giovanni was lying to them. Super Potion was a lot better than that.
"But, of course, I wouldn't have presented just an improvement. Rocket Unlimited isn't satisfied with simply improving products, not when we can innovate in new ways. Thus, we have created a trio of new medicines. Burn Heal, Antidote, and Ice Heal! I'd explain what they can do, but I suppose the names are a good indicator," he said smugly. "Antidote in particular has shown real promise in helping those who have undergone chemo-therapy recover from the more serious side-effects. Burn Heal will be available not only to medical personnel, but is being sent free to fire departments across the world! And finally, Ice Heal, made to aid those affected by frostbite of multiple levels, helping preserve the flesh and prevent damage. Now that one has found some interesting parties in the avenue of cryonics. Personally, I'm not sure why people are so obsessed with freezing themselves for a thousand years, but It's nice to know I'm helping."
As the last image of his new products disappeared, Giovanni chuckled. "Any questions before I move on?"
A bunch of hands snapped up, some people shouting. Giovanni pointed at a reporter, an older woman with a black dress on.
"Mr. Giovanni, as revolutionary as these medicines would be if they work the way you've explained them-"
"I'm a man of my word," he lied with a smile.
"I'm sure you are," she also lied with a smile. "Aren't the names for them a little… ridiculous? Super Potion? Burn Heal? These all sound a little juvenile."
A little chuckle rose in the room. Giovanni joined in, not the least bit ashamed. "Yes, I do acknowledge that. But I would rather that I know exactly what something is supposed to do rather than list off some jumble of 20 odd letters. There are more technical chemical terms of course. But let us be honest here. Those are only going to be used by medical personnel anyway. For the people it benefits, these could all be called 'garbage tin'. I find, in the end, appearances do not matter as much as results, as my hiring practices should prove."
That little reminder of his latest whale-girl employee brought another chuckle from the audience.
"And if these products do not work as advertised?" A familiar sounding voice said from the back. I couldn't see the speaker, but Giovanni had a momentary scowl at the sight of him. "We all know these claims of yours are outlandish at best."
"I'm not the type of man to do foolish things," Giovanni sneered a little bit. "My medicine works. And in the coming weeks, they will prove to be quite effective."
"We'll see," the speaker said slowly.
"Yes," Giovanni continued. I took a moment to wonder who had been speaking before Giovanni continued. "Now, I have another announcement. In recent weeks, Rocket Unlimited has been negotiating with a new celebrity in Hawaii, someone who has been making waves in the islands. And I'm happy to say, negotiations have been completed. Allow me to introduce the newest business partner of the Rocket Unlimited team! Kahu Kiaʻi!"
That was my cue.
I stepped out from behind a curtain, looking around at the audience. People immediately started whispering aloud, trading stunned looks and staring at me en masse as I walked forward in full costume. I ignored it best as I could, just walking to join Giovanni as he continued hamming it up.
"Hawaii's new shining light, battling the underworld of our fine state, now backed by me in the fight against those who would harm the innocent," oh dear god, my eyes were starting to hurt from the strain of keeping them from rolling. "As much as the law allows me to aid this promising young hero, I will back him in all his endeavors. Starting with the merchandising deal we have entered!"
God, kill me now.
The projector behind me came alive. At the same time, around the room, doors opened. Guys in tuxes came out with carts. And on the carts were Pokemon.
Mudkip stuffed dolls. Mimikyu costumes for kids. Tyrunt and Gurdurr figures of varying types. But it wasn't just stuff for kids. There were some classy handbags, perfumes, a few suits on racks, things that were 'technically' for adults, that the rich snobs at the party might be inclined to respect.
"Exclusive to Rocket Unlimited, the Pokemon Merchandising line," Giovanni said smugly. "What you see here are exclusive prototypes, available only to those of you who are here today, and therefore worth quite a bit. Yours, free of charge," he said grandly. "Soon, stores across the island will begin selling these items, and 65 percent of all proceeds will go to funding hospitals and charities across the world."
As the buzz arose again in the room, someone raised a hand. Giovanni pointed him out.
"I'm sorry, but how can we tell that's the real Kahu?" the guy asked skeptically. "That you aren't just putting on a dog and pony show for cheap advertisement?"
Giovanni smirked, looking over at me. I sighed. "I'm real. Here, look."
With no ceremony, I pulled out a Pokeball and activated it. In a flash of light, a certain blue Pokemon came out with a flourish, back-flipping in the air before landing on all fours in front of me. "Mudkip!"
If the rest of the display had caused a stir, this one was like a hurricane. I think, on some level, those at the party had known I existed. But that was different from seeing a real Pokemon right in front of you.
As the mostly stunned audience watched Mudkip hop onto my shoulders, Giovanni whispered to me. "Could have used more flair."
"I'm not a flair kinda guy."
The rest of Giovanni's speech went well after that.
------
Once Giovanni was done, it was time to schmooze with the people.
"-A whole line, yes, made just for the discerning eye," Giovanni explained as I stood behind him, Floyd next to me. I held up a shrimp from a plate I'd gotten, and Mudkip chomped down on it happily, ignoring the dozens of eyes on him. "Of course, despite everything you may believe, the fashion industry is far harder to get into than the medical one, if not quite as lucrative.
His little audience laughed together with him. I looked over at Floyd, the former merc dressed to the nines. "How do you stand this?"
"I once stood in the rain of a tropical storm for 36 hours to get a shot on a military despot, with mosquitoes biting me every second of that time and no chance to use the bathroom," he replied calmly.
"Ah. Guess that makes this easier?"
"On the contrary. I was just thinking how happy I'd be to go back there."
Was that a joke? When I looked over at him, his face was stone-cold, not showing a hint of humour, but I still found myself grinning under my mask.
"Ah, Giovanni!" someone stepped out of the crowd. Floyd noticed him, his face hardening further. Those around Giovanni parted in front of the man in question. They shouldn't have. They were all spoiled rich folks, the type to step over orphans to get to the caviar without a hint of shame.
But they stepped aside for him. Maybe because he was on a different level when it came to being rich, and thus they stepped aside, like an Alpha effortlessly exerting his dominance. Maybe because, instinctively, they knew the truth, even if the appearance of him screamed something else.
I stared at him. He had a woman on each arm, both model-level beautiful, one with black hair and dancers form displayed by an elegant green dress, the other blonde and curvy with a white dress, both looking happy to be sharing the man between them.
And the man himself wore a black suit, his black hair slicked back. He was built like an athlete and carried himself with a confident but lazy demeanor, a dumb smile on his face. His eyes glittered. But… there was something else. Maybe I was imagining it, or maybe it was because I knew who he was, who he really was.
"Mr. Wayne," Giovanni said with a small smile. "I'd shake your hand, but I see they're occupied."
"Can ya blame me?" Bruce Wayne said without a hint of shame, hugging the girls at his side tighter to him as they giggled. The blonde gave me a wink, then blinked in surprise when Mudkip returned it. "But here, I'll sacrifice some time with Yelena here for a second."
He let go of the black-haired girl, reaching out and shaking Giovanni's hand. "Gotta say, Giovanni, you throw a hell of a shindig."
"Ah, in truth it was my party planner. Always best to delegate to the experts."
"Don't I know it," Wayne chuckled. He glanced at me, then at Mudkip, looking like any other fascinated rich kid. "Man, I thought Gotham had some weird types. So you're a superhero, huh?"
"That or a really amazing cosplayer," I said as best as I cou-
Okay look, I was geeking out internally, all right? It was Batman! Batman! Do I really need to explain why I had an internal moment of squealing as I stared at him? He wasn't my favorite hero or anything. In truth, I always thought DC added him to his stories way too often. But still.
I mentally pushed back as much of my shock as I could and thanked god the mask I was wearing covered my whole face. Probably didn't work on him, but it was better than nothing.
"Ha! That's funny," Bruce chuckled lightly. "Gotta say, I tried getting Batman to work for me, but the guy just kept refusing. What made you say yes?"
"I offered him enough money," Giovanni said snarkily.
"Is that so?" he gave me a look.
"I wish I could say I had the resources to take down a criminal syndicate on my own, but I don't," I shrugged. "And despite everything, at least he's doing something. I'd work with the cops if I could, but I'm at risk of being arrested."
"Really?" Bruce said as though he was surprised. "You aren't worried, Giovanni? I mean, not to make this awkward, but I'm pretty sure your bodyguard tried to kill me once."
The rich folk around us tried to pretend they hadn't been listening, but they clearly reacted to that. Floyd and Giovanni didn't flinch on the other hand.
"In my defense Wayne, there isn't a Gotham merc that hasn't been hired to kill you at least once," Floyd pointed out.
"That's a weak defense," Bruce and I said in unison, only to look at each other in surprise.
Giovanni chuckled. "Well, that's honestly why I hired him. If someone tries to assassinate me, having a former assassin just makes sense, does it not? Anyone who knows how to kill me also knows how to stop it. A rather valuable job skill for a bodyguard to bring to the table, wouldn't you say?"
Bruce raised an eyebrow at that before looking over at Floyd. "Well, Mr. Lawton, as long as you don't feel inclined to finish the job, I believe I can be a lot more comfortable at this party."
"If you want, I can pretend," Floyd said dryly. "I hear life or death situations make sex more fun."
Bruce smirked. Somehow, it was the most honest look he'd shown thus far. "Don't worry. I don't need the help."
The girls at his sides giggled. Bruce looked at me. "Good luck, Kahu. We'll all be watching your career with great interest."
"I'll do my best. If you need to reach out to me for anything, I'm available through Giovanni."
"Wonderful! Mr. Giovanni, I'll likely be reaching out to you about a mass order of your medicine. Do you have a card for your secretary?"
"No need for us to speak through intermediaries. Here, take this," Giovanni reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold-embossed card. "My personal number. Reach out to me and I'll make a deal with you."
"That's quite an offer," Bruce said, taking his card. "Considering the value of your product."
"Not at all. Your business has an excellent reputation, Mr. Wayne," Giovanni paused for a moment. "As CEO however, you have a less savory reputation. Meeting you now and seeing how you interact with others, makes me think there is something more to you than the rumors would have one believe, Mr. Wayne."
Bruce noticed. I could tell he did. He didn't flinch. But there was something in his eyes. "We all have reputations to live up to or live down to. Comes with being rich. You know something about that, don't you Giovanni?"
Giovanni smiled softly. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I do. Well, enjoy the party, Mr. Wayne."
The two of them eyed each other. For a moment, just a moment, I felt a chill in the air. The girls at Bruce's side watched them stare at each other with confusion. For a moment, I wondered if they would reach for their waists. Giovanni for a Pokeball, Bruce for a Batarang.
"Mudkip," the little blue guy on my shoulder said softly, looking at me.
I didn't move.
The tension stopped when Bruce nodded, then walked off, looking as lazy as ever. Giovanni looked over at me.
"I have never met that man," he said softly. "But I heard of him. Lawton spoke of his experiences with him. I expected a soft and lazy billionaire playboy. But you acted like he was more than that. And just now… I've met master trainers who had none of that presence."
"Solving that mystery would be a waste of time I think," I said with a shrug.
"Would it be a waste?" Giovanni looked intrigued. "If it wasn't for you, my impression of him would have remained the same. The way you acted combined with how he responded. I wonder… Mr. Lawton?"
"...I wasn't lying when I said a lot of mercs have gone after Bruce Wayne," Lawton said softly. "He should be an easy kill. Or at least, easier than most. He doesn't even have dedicated bodyguards. But something always happens to stop it. I thought he was just lucky. Hell, Batman makes any assassination attempt in that town a gamble. But still…"
God fucking damnit. I wanted to punch myself. I was so bad at this shit man. Now Giovanni and Lawton were trying to figure out one of the most important secrets in the world.
"Just tell me this, Kahu," Giovanni said. "If I enter a deal with that man, will I be cheated?"
I didn't hesitate. "Just look at his business history really. If you don't hurt innocent people, Bruce Wayne will do right by you. He doesn't cheat people for kicks. Tell you what, when we encounter a billionaire who might cheat you, I'll let you know."
"I appreciate you sharing your oddly deep knowledge of the billionaires of this world," Giovanni said with a smirk.
"Al[a] spends a lot of time on the web," I said. Technically that was true.
"Bruce Wayne," Giovanni chuckled. "And here I thought this party would be boring."
Floyd stilled when he saw who was approaching us. "Well if you wanted interesting…"
I turned around. And I felt my hackles raise immediately.
He wore a suit much like Bruce and Giovanni's. His head, unlike their black manes, was entirely smooth, a bald dome the same tan as his skin. He had a calm look on his face, but exuded his presence. Those around us kept their distance, but all eyes were on us as he approached.
"Mr. Luthor," Giovanni said with the fakest smile I'd ever seen him show, holding out a hand to shake. "So glad you could come."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Lex Luthor said, chuckling. "I've been wanting to meet you for some time, and today felt like the best excuse to do so."
Behind him, a brown-haired woman with a suit and red tie kept close. She and Lawton shared a look. Then she looked at me, raking her eyes across my build, then rising back to eye Mudkip. Assessing the largest threats. Her eyes panned the room, sliding over Bruce without a second thought, stopping on one of the other guards, then coming back to us.
Well, this had to be Mercy Graves. Kinda shorter than I would have expected. Then again, I think only one version of her was an Amazoness like Wonder Woman. The rest were just badass.
I snapped my own gaze back onto Luthor.
"I should apologize for how I asked my questions earlier," Luthor said as he and Giovanni separated. "While I'm sure you are confident in your products, your claims are quite extravagant."
"Oh, I'm sure you were simply making sure of my honesty. After all, with how long your company has shown aggressive interest in my few interests in Metropolis' surrounding areas, you would want to make sure anything you could acquire from me had value."
Luthor chuckled. "Mr. Giovanni, are you accusing me of something nefarious?"
"Not at all, Mr. Luthor. Merely complimenting your strategy," Giovanni said simply.
"I see. Well, I will admit to having some small interest in your company," Luthor said, shifting his stance casually. "And I do understand why you decided to make it an Unlimited. Not opening up your firm to offering stocks is a bold move to keep absolute control of your work."
He paused for effect. "Not everyone has the confidence they can keep control of their company after all. It does take a certain strength to hold onto power in such circumstances."
Giovanni didn't rise to that dig. "I'm sure a lack of confidence could be a reason. In my case, I simply believe in my products and their abilities. I have no need for investors when I know the value of what I have to sell."
"And it is indeed valuable," Luthor agreed. His lips rose lazily. "It does make one wonder, how such things came about. To say that your product is revolutionary would be severely understating it. A chemical compound that can miraculously heal cuts, abrasions, can assist during surgeries to prevent death? It's almost supernatural."
"Ah, but can't one argue that all great advancements look supernatural to the weak-minded?" Giovanni laughed. "No, Mr. Luthor, my Potion and it's fellow medicines are all products of science, tried and true. After all, I'm sure the same has been said for some of your own products. Despite rumors they were derived from alien technology, we both know they were simply made by human ingenuity… Don't we?"
Both men smiled. I got the feeling they didn't like each other. Call it a hunch.
"Ah, but where are my manners," Luthor turned to look at me. "I've been ignoring your guests. Kahu Kiaʻi, was it?"
"That's what I've been called," I said to Lex flippin Luthor. "And this is Mudkip, my friend."
"Kiiiip," Mudkip was looking between Luthor and Mercy, cocking his head to the side. "Mudkip."
"So you are sapient," Luthor said, eyeing Mudkip. "How intriguing. But I had heard you had five?"
"The others are doing their own thing," I said. It wasn't a lie, but not the full truth either. Mudkip was the least problematic of all my Pokemon to bring. Alakazam was still a secret. Gurdurr and Tyrunt would both likely lose their tempers if some rich idiot tried to poke at them. If a rich idiot tried to look under Mimikyu's costume, well, problems would ensue. And finally, if a rich idiot tried to touch Slugma, he/she'd lose body parts to her heat.
Basically, my other Pokemon weren't here because I didn't trust the people at this party. Mudkip was the calmest and safest of my Pokemon, while still able to shatter concrete if some random villains attacked the party.
"I must ask, Giovanni, have you done any research on these creatures?" Luthor asked casually. "I'd be interested in their biology."
"I have," Giovanni said. "In fact, one might say I'm one of the foremost experts on the Earth on these beings. Sadly, I cannot share any of that due to a non-disclosure agreement with Kahu here."
"A shame. The applications for such powerful beings as you are great," he said to Mudkip with a complimentary smile. "As well as for you, Kahu Kiaʻi."
"Me?" I said, genuinely a little surprised.
"I hope you're being coy," Luthor said with a chuckle. "While you may not have the durability and strength of some of the more extreme examples, you've displayed some coveted abilities. Many scientists are still struggling to create stable forms of enhanced ability. Our current options are rather undesirable."
Luthor flipped out a pair of business cards, handing one to Giovanni and I. As we took them, he continued. "Mr. Giovanni, give me a call if you ever want to do business. I believe we can make quite a profit together. And Kahu. If you ever show up in Metropolis, look me up. There are a lot of opportunities for a man with your unique skills."
"What, like fighting Superman?" I said sarcastically before I could think better of it.
Mercy looked over at me, eyes widening just a bit. Luthor only chuckled. Despite that, I could see a hint of anger, the first bit of it, simmering in his eyes. "Now, why would I do that? Superman is a hero after all."
He turned and walked away. "Have a pleasant night, gentlemen."
Giovanni looked over at me, smirking. "Huh. I didn't realize he hated Superman. How did you?"
"A narcissistic multi-billionaire essentially buys a whole town, only to find out that the most beloved member of it is a superalien with insane power that refuses to work for him? It's not a stretch to imagine he dislikes him."
"So this is a billionaire you wouldn't recommend I do business with?" Giovanni said with some sarcasm.
I opened my mouth, then closed it as I thought. "...Lawton. You've run in similar circles. What do you think, can Giovanni trust him?"
"About as much as Emilio Barzini," he said.
"Not the most ringing endorsement," Giovanni mused. "I suppose I could look into it anyways. Depends on how profitable it would be."
He chuckled. "I must say, this was far more interesting than the last parties I held."
I looked over at Bruce. He was flirting with yet another woman, who was slowly getting pulled in with the other two he'd come in here with, and not seeming to mind much. "That's nice. I'm gonna get some air."
Giovanni waved lazily. I walked off, heading to the outside front of the boat. As I entered the open air, I reached out along the mental link still open to my Pokemon.
"Okay. Say it again."
"Robin is currently fighting the Silicon Dragons. Tyrunt and I are on the scene. What should we do?" Alakazam asked.
I thought about that, then nodded.
"You don't need me to tell you."
I could feel Alakazam's amusement. "No. You do not. This should be fun."
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Author's Note: Soon, Robin's perspective on things. Then, July 4th, the events of the first episode, and the involvement of the Pokemon in it. Should be fun!