With my head still fragmented like a discarded eggshell, I had to pause once I saw what was actually waiting for me outside. There was a high chance I had become delirious or perhaps was still in a dream state. No, couldn’t be that simple.

My ears had been on the mark, as several motorbikes stood across the part of the arid land that I’d class as my front yard. Seven of them, if my tired brain could count the number of bright beams illuminating the area via their headlights. To add to the pain currently flooding through my eyes, hovering orbs of light acted as spotlights, plunging the nearby into a faux daylight.

Now even thinking the word light was giving my brain a sharp needling.

A dozen figures either sitting atop their bikes or slowly walking over to the leader of this bunch. It took me a good second to clock that none of them were facing me. Some of the tension in my muscles softened out at not being immediately under siege. Definitely wasn’t the cops having tracked me down, nor anything worse.

The other oddity about this group, that had me more relaxed, was because they were all wearing robes rather than something more cliche. At the front, a red wizard’s hat sat atop a flowing gray beard. The rest had more simple attire, but overall it looked more like they were on their way to something and had gotten lost.

It took another couple of my lumbering steps toward them before one of the middling gang members caught sight of me - their attention otherwise too focused on Roxy's house, it appeared. Once spotted, their murmured focus slowly turned to me like a creeping wave. I kept on going toward the head honcho, who turned with sparkles in his eyes - and slight surprise at the sight of me.

"Heavens! I didn't think we were far out enough for mutants." He cast an eye up and down me as a hand ran through his beard. It wasn't one of his hands, so it added fuel to the possibility I was imagining all this. "Or have you come to challenge the foul Rockslide as well?"

I took a glance over at her house, windows still pitch black despite the harsh light from those gathered. Either she was out, or slept like a rock. That put this picture more in the frame, however.

This man was a villain.

Despite the name, it didn't necessarily mean he was a bad person. I, of all people, could understand that. A designation given to those with powers who shunned the League and actively worked against society. I didn't kill innocents, and was currently running through my memory to try to remember if waking me up with a migraine was a crime.

Jury was still out.

I looked back at the head wizard, realizing that he was after some kind of response from me. I pointed to my neck and shrugged.

"Mute, eh? I have a spell for that, but unfortunately I did not prepare it this morning." He ran his tongue around his lips. "Say, you look rather villainous - are you looking for a group to join?"

I glanced at the gathered mages. They looked like acolytes, the hoods on their robes up and shadowing their faces. While they each had a book or wand to hand, most also had firearms and tactical gear on. An odd juxtaposition.

Neither a very law-abiding look, nor anything close to helping with my sanity.

I mimed rubbing my chin before gesturing at Roxy's house. I'd need to hear a sales pitch before I signed off on anything. Not that I needed to buy any of the parties involved some extra time. Were the super here, I was sure I'd be complaining about the headache received as she pulped these costumed halfwits into the dirt instead of having to play pantomime with these weirdos myself.

"That's right! We're here to kill the supposed hero! Foolishly, she has stepped outside of the jurisdiction of the League - so we shall grasp out at receiving the honor of being the ones to end her reign of tyranny."

While I certainly didn't agree with her social graces, I wasn’t fully onboard with joining an attempted murder against her. I tried to signal that she wasn't likely at home.

"No? That is no matter, we will simply destroy her house so that it looks no better than the rusted—and frankly appalling—abandoned shed behind you."

Whether it was the mania in his eyes or the terrible lighting of the area, he didn't seem to be able to read my facial expression very well. Of what little amount of face I could use to express my thoughts, anyway.

"So what say you, friend? Care to join an unstoppable force fighting for change? You might not have magical powers yet, and we'll have to source some robes that are large enough, but I can see you going places in no time."

I shrugged and gave him a brief nod. Didn't have much else to be doing at present. Boss had been lukewarm with the super. Perhaps he'd be the same with a villain in my life? Wasn’t like I had the opportunity to update him on proceedings. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

"Perfect! Grand Magus Barthélemy Béraud." He held a hand out to be shaken. "Let's fuck this bitch up."

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I placed the muzzle of my gun-arm in his hand, which briefly confused him. The expression deepened as a couple inches of reinforced steel gave parting regards to the insides of his heart before jettisoning out into the dark of night. He clutched at the near-perfect hole punctured through his robes as they darkened with crimson. Any spell failed to exit his mouth as the spark left his eyes.

Was it because he interrupted my sleep and insulted my house? That he wanted to recruit me to kill someone who was potentially innocent? Or just because he called her a bitch? It didn’t matter - could be one or all of the above. Short answer was he had outstayed his welcome, and now his body was slumping over, dead. Littering my yard.

I turned to his shocked group and fired off a quickly racked shot from my drum, shredding through the leg of the first acolyte. Now that prompted them into action. Against the idling motors and the panicked yells as weapons and spells were being brought to bear, my pained mind screamed bloody murder.

Hit the dusty ground into a roll, as a sharp prickle of lightning arced across the ground where I had been standing, drawing a line of charred stone. Muzzle went up, and I shot one of the vehicles. Headlight went out, dimming the area slightly. A hiss from the guts of the noisy machine that didn’t give the two standing beside it much chance to move - before it exploded.

A wave of heat washed over those left standing, but as I went to move, my feet stuck in place. Ice had appeared and froze me to the ground. I twisted to see the perpetrator. Looking rather pleased with themselves, they were charging up another ice-based attack. Unfortunately, I was terrible at one-liners, so I just put a shotgun blast through his face. Bang.

Up ahead, another wizard with a chest rig had just finished loading up a submachine gun and was aiming it my way. Empty shell out the side of my arm as a fresh one entered the chamber. Almost felt sorry for them - that they came so under-prepared. They wanted to take down a strength based super with light ammunition and party tricks?

A large ball of fire enveloped me from the side, just as the gunner opened fire - a spray of bullets entering the torrent of heat that surrounded me.

Flames lapped at the outer layers of my clothing as I stepped out of the inferno, putting a shot in the gut of my first assailant. He dropped his gun to clutch at his wound, and I racked a second that went into his head.

Had received five shots of my own in the process. The spray had swerved to the left, one stomach, one upper torso, and three in my arm. Stims were earning their first paycheck, not a day on the job and already on overtime.

I dove to the floor behind one of the motorbikes to avoid a barrage of magic bolts; the attacks zipping overhead into the darkness like fireworks. A couple more dead and the rest should turn tail. At some point, self preservation won out over…

Quickly, I spun and placed my feet against the bike just before it was struck by a heavy force. Gravel biting through my clothing, I slid on my back, propping the vehicle up as it pushed me along the yard. Back up to my feet, I saw that one of the mages now had large ethereal hands that were glowing a light green.

Fighting out in the open was one of my least favorite things. I preferred my enemies to be compartmentalized, my success measured out room by room. No cover and little to use as impromptu weapons soured my mood even further. Even with all the bravado in the world, I wasn’t confident I could win in a shoot-out against… half a dozen or so wizard-bandits.

I ducked back behind the bike as I heard my opponents getting ready. It must have belonged to the Grand Magus, as it was the larger and better equipped. Through the gaps in the bodywork, I caught a glimpse of my dejected looking car attempting to shy away from the bright lights.

Perhaps it was time.

A handful of loose dust clouded my movement as I threw it into the air, two bolts of sharp fire zipping past me into the night, while a third struck my gun-arm to no effect. Under partial obscurement, I straddled the bike and flipped the go switch.

The beast roared into life as I became its new owner. A row of buttons just beneath the handlebars was eager for my attention. Blast from my muzzle flashed and burst the gun from the hand of one acolyte. One of the main lights overhead faded away. As I reloaded, my barrel came in and jabbed at the blue button.

Back tyre spun in place as the bike turned ninety-degrees toward my assailants, kicking up further clouds of dirt. The bubble of a magic shield warped around my vehicle, deflecting the next couple of spells volleyed toward me.

This was their turning point. With curses and yelps, the remaining few turned their attention to getting away from me. Too late. Their first mistake was waking me up. Everything else after was just a miserable narrative written in owed blood.

A shot that shredded the nearest bike’s back tyre, and then I surged forward. Slid across the loose gravel to slam into a panicked mage. Empty cartridge out, new one in. Center mass, before my bike bit into the terrain and lurched me forward again.

One wizard had started their machine up and was in the process of turning it to escape back to the city. Muzzle pressed the red button. Arcs of static electrics burst out along the ground, rolling up the discarded vehicles and the mages unlucky enough to be in the way.

The neck of the one about to escape twisted and snapped as I struck him with my arm in passing. With another power slide, I looked back at the carnage. All overhead lights had now faded away, and the hellish scene was only lit by a couple of headlights on inert vehicles.

A few injured to take care of, but all threats had been subdued. Aside from my own brain trying to exit my skull, of course.

I flipped my bike off and stepped down. Spatters of blood fell from my wounds as a dull ache radiated from my left arm. Stims could only do so much, and I’d start hurting now that the combat had abated.

Next part was the biggest downside of fighting right outside where I lived. Wouldn’t be much of a secluded out-of-the way abode if vultures started circling the corpses strewn around the place.

With a long exhale through my re-breather, I accepted that I needed to complete this self-imposed contract properly.

Spent some time digging a hole. Between the sweat and growing pain, I didn’t know how long it took. The sun started to peer over the horizon and I was keen for my sins to escape the judgement of the scouring daytime. Shallow grave, but I disabled all vehicles except for my claimed bike and piled them up over the turned earth. Swept under the rug.

Barely any feeling in my left arm now, even if I could move it. Numb from the constant movement while still injured. Migraine had its sharp claws wrapped around my brain, digging in at any change of light or sudden movement.

Stumbled into my house. Flipped off the light as it flickered on. Into my chair. Removed shrapnel. Fresh cannister. Back into bed, not realizing I hadn’t even ejected my drum yet.

Didn’t matter, as now I was safe. Rest could be had amongst the swirling vortex of pain and exhaustion.

How long until further annoyance darkened my doorstep? No doubt it would be in no time at all.