While much of the fighting had stopped in the streets of Chancery Hills, it hadn’t stopped completely. That meant that while it was generally safe to walk the streets, it was best to do so with hands to your weapons and your head on a swivel. If you couldn’t do that for some reason, then your best alternative was to move quickly and quietly, sneaking through the shadows to keep enemies ignorant of your presence.
Lightforge was not built for stealth. His enormous frame was simply too large and heavy to do much sneaking. He also couldn’t have weapons at the ready. That was due to the Villains that he was carrying around inside his hidden base. The exploit allowing him to do that would also prevent him from using most weapons. With self defense and stealth effectively ruled out, the only tool that he had left was speed.
He didn’t sprint, instead opting for a quick jog that he knew he could maintain for as long as he needed to. He sent his robots to scout the route ahead for him. The drone was purpose-built for such a task and quickly scanned in all directions for anything that might cause him problems. The other was not a scouting bot. It was a very large gun with legs that the system insisted was somehow a dog. While it didn’t have any specialized equipment for scouting, it took to the task with an enthusiasm that was decidedly not robotic.
That was not a subject that he cared to spend a lot of time on. It was an uncomfortable reminder that his gadgeteer powers did most of the crafting, not him. There were always little quirks and unexpected details that he had no way to explain or replicate. It just happened, and he had no control over it. He forced that line of thought away as he focused on the task at hand.
After all, he didn’t actually have a destination in mind. Not really, at least. Circe loved her secrets, and so she’s never given him a way to contact her. She appeared when and where she chose and nowhere else, which had been working so far. But now things were different, and he needed to find her.
This was a very difficult task considering that he had no idea where to look for her. The only real plan that came to mind was to find some of his other friends and enlist their help to find her. It wasn’t much of a plan, but seeing them all run around looking for her was probably a good way to get her attention. After all, she always seemed to know what was going on in and around the area; that was how she knew when to make her dramatic entrances.
He wasn’t a huge fan of the prospect of explaining his reasoning to her, but it was the best that he could manage so it would have to do. He was mentally running through what he planned to say in hopes of not stumbling over the explanation and sounding like a fool. So, naturally, that was when Circe decided to appear.
She simply appeared next to him, walking along the street beside him. He suddenly had the vague sense that they’d been walking together for a few minutes and he simply hadn’t noticed her until that moment. She grinned as he nearly stumbled before catching himself.
“Hi there,” she said, “This is new. You don’t generally come looking for me. I have to assume that something’s happened, right?”
“Yeah, you could say that. I have some people who I think you should meet.”
“Oh, really? Are they back in the shop?”
“No, my base. I even brought it with me.”
“Gate Controller exploit? I haven’t seen that one in a while. If you were willing to go that far, then I’m guessing that they’re in some sort of trouble?”
“I should probably let them explain.”
He created a new portal and watched as his Gate Controller started to smoke and hiss. As expected, it was completely fried. But it had done the job that he needed it to do, so he wasn’t going to complain.
Circe didn’t hesitate, immediately stepping through the portal and finding the guests inside. She turned to give Lightforge a wicked grin.
“And here I was concerned that you weren’t going to help villains anymore.”
“There are extenuating circumstances. Let them explain the situation.”
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Despite her usual attitude, Circe was both quiet and attentive as the other villains explained what had happened to them. The more they spoke, the more laser-like her focus became. She would occasionally ask for further explanation or clarifications that Lightforge hadn’t considered before. He thought he could see the wheels turning in her head as she processed the new information.
When they were done, they all sat in silence as they waited for her input. She closed her eyes and sat wordlessly for a long time, considering the situation as it had been explained to her. At last she nodded and opened her eyes, looking straight at Lightforge.
“You’re still Neutral, right?”
“What? Um, yeah, last I checked at least.”
“Good. This might get out of hand fast, so we need some outside help. Leave them here and come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll explain when we get there.”
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There was no levity or playfulness in her eyes, which stopped any protests before they could reach his lips. He just nodded and told the other villains to stay put while they tried to sort something out.
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Circe led him on a winding route through the back alleys far from most major streets. The layout of the city blocks made little rational sense; they had been designed less like a city for people to live in and more like a video game dungeon with lots of places to sneak around and hide in. That was obviously on purpose, but that knowledge didn’t make walking around there any less aggravating.
Lightforge felt uncharacteristically antsy as they moved. Circe had flatly forbidden any suggestion of using his drone to scout ahead, or even having his weapons at the ready. He was walking into the situation completely blind, with his only reassurance being his vague trust in Circe. At the very least, he believed that she wouldn’t do something so convoluted just to stab him in the back. Probably.
She had a few ironclad rules for him, wherever they were going.
“We’re going to meet some shady people. Let me do the talking.”
“Uh huh. Sure.”
“Don’t be flippant. These are people for whom information is the only currency that they recognize. They’ll take every drop that they can get.”
“If I’m supposed to be silent, why am I even coming?”
“You’re the source. Secondhand information is less reliable, and this is a big deal. So tell the story and then let me do the negotiating.”
“Alright. Any other rules I should follow?”
“They’re criminals, so don’t be surprised and don’t look down on them. Don’t mention neutral, you’ll make it come across wrong. And, if you can, don’t show your reactions.”
“Oh, is that all?”
As they talked, they came to an intersection that looked like any number that they had already passed, down to the homeless people huddled up against the buildings. This particular intersection only held one such person, an older man sleeping on a piece of cardboard. If he listened closely, he could faintly hear footsteps moving away, so he guessed that this area had been busier very recently.
Circe walked up to the old man and bent down close to him.
“Doesn’t it get hot back here?”
The man stirred and shot glances at both of the newcomers before mumbling out his reply.
“Better than the cold.”
“Maybe, though I don’t know if our friend over there would agree.”
“Oh really? You sure about that?”
“Very sure.”
The man finally nodded and pulled himself to his feet. Lightforge wasn’t sure what exactly had passed between the two, but it had clearly been some sort of code. Whoever this man was, he was no ordinary homeless man.
The old man proved that almost immediately as he stood and straightened, revealing a lean frame and piercing, dangerous eyes. He looked over the pair one more time before nodding and idly kicking aside the cardboard that he’d been lying on. Beneath it was a vent that would lead down into the sewer system. Or at least that was what it appeared to be.
The old man leaned down and twisted a few places on the grate before heaving upward, revealing a ladder that led down into a secret space. The opening was actually larger than the vent, the rest of it expertly blending into the surrounding concrete when closed. He motioned for them to follow and quickly scrambled down the ladder.
Lightforge raised an eyebrow towards Circe, who silently motioned for him to hold his questions for the moment. They followed the older man down below the surface of the street and the vent closed behind them.
The room that they found themselves in looked exactly like the dingy sewer office that it was. The vent was set high in the wall, letting in just a little bit of natural light from the surface. They sat around a plastic desk that was sitting beneath a single bare lightbulb. The old man sat and casually wiped away a puddle of filth from the corner as his guests took their seats.
Circe cleared her throat and said, “Now that we’re behind closed doors, I think some introductions are in order. Lightforge, this is York, he deals in information for the less savory types in the area. And York, this is Lightforge, he’s a Gadgeteer who’s gotten himself involved with some big fish.”
The old man, York, raised an eyebrow at that comment and said, “Ah, yes. I’ve heard rumors of the new gadgeteer in the area. But what kind of attention are we talking about?”
“Well, do you remember those rumors about Anarchy Unleashed sticking their noses into this area? Not rumors.”
The information broker sat up a little straighter and showed a distinct interest for the first time.
“Tell me everything.”
They told him the story, and he listened in complete silence. His face was carefully neutral throughout, not giving away any of his own thoughts on the matter. The biggest reaction came from the mention of Lightforge’s personal encounter with Bloodwing, and even that was little more than a slightly raised eyebrow.
As soon as the story was told, York closed his eyes for a few moments before he spoke.
“This is a lot of information. How sure are you that this goes back to Bloodwing?”
“Don’t insult me, York. Shattered Chains are stooges for Anarchy Unleashed, and we both know it.”
“Fair enough. So, Bloodwing is taking an interest in the low level areas? That is fascinating. What sort of payment are you looking for, Circe?”
“I found the ‘what’, now I need to know why.”
“Looking into big players like that is a big deal. Maybe even for what you’ve told me.”
“Don’t even try that. I’ve given you more today than you’ll get in a week. And you still owe me.”
The old man finally nodded and seemed to accept that line of reasoning. He glanced over at Lightforge with a glint in his eye.
“One more thing to make the trade fair. I would like to know the details of your quiet friend here. Name, level, and alignment. That’s all I ask.”
“Oh? That seems steep if you ask me,” Circe said. She looked ready to fight tooth and nail over all of the details, but a message came in that sent a chill down Lightforge’s spine.
Cannoneer: We need to meet ASAP. Razorhawk is looking for you, with high level backup. Sunbird has a place to lay low. They already found your new base entrance.
He could feel the color drain from his face as he cut into the ongoing negotiations in front of him. He blurted out, “Lightforge, level 10, neutral alignment. Circe, we’re leaving. Now.”
Circe and York both read his tone immediately and ended their argument with a simple nod. The old man headed for the entrance that they had used while Circe opened a panel in a back wall to lead him out through the sewers. There were a few options for who might be looking for him, but it wasn’t good. He was lucky that he had friends to look out for him.