Chapter 06-02

Obsidian rushed down the flight of stairs from the center observation room to meet Alex as he walked in the front door of their factory. The place was up and running and there were nearly a hundred people working hard on the machines throughout the building. He noticed that some of the machines looked upgraded, being shiny and new.

“I’m so glad that you are ok.” She said grabbing him in a tight hug. Then she realized that he was wearing nothing but a sheet and backed off a little blushing for the first time that Alex had seen since the two had met.

“I’m glad to see that you were as dumb as I was and took your leave to that ass hole.” Alex said with a smile.

“Yeah, I yelled for you, but you either didn’t hear me or you ignored me. I did go back after the fact and get your body.” She said with a solemn look over her shoulder towards the observation level.

“Well this should be interesting.” Alex said awkwardly and started to walk towards the stairs. He’d seen his avatar before after a death, but this felt different. His stomach leapt into his throat and he had to swallow hard to force himself to keep walking.

On the landing for the observation room Alex quickly noticed that it was different from how they had left it when they had fought the Kymos and his strong-arms. He assumed that it would be repair, but this was something else entirely. Before there was only one level that was split into three rooms. That same level still existed, but there had been the addition of a flight of stairs that went up to another two levels. Obsidian led Alex up to the second floor.

To say the next thing that he saw was weird would be a massive understatement. It kind of took his breath away when he walked through the door on the second floor landing and his body was sitting in the corner still wearing his equipment. He actually felt physically ill. With a loud throat clear and a head shake to right himself he approached his body.

“That is messed up.” Alex said. He held the sheet with one hand and rubbed his face with his other hand.

“Yeah, I kind of panicked and didn’t know what to do.” Obsidian said shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“Alright, well.” He said breathing out a long breath through his nose, “Give me a minute.”

“Sure.” She said with a nod and disappeared down the stairs.

Alex stood for a long moment looking down at his body. He had no desire to touch it, but he needed his armor. After a deep breath be began to disrobe himself and don the pieces of armor shaking his head the whole time. In the back of his mind he repeated ‘this is so messed up,’ over and over again. He left his dead form laying in a pair of boxers deciding that he could get knew ones and he would leave himself a little dignity.

They were still going to have to get rid of the body before it started to stink. Before calling Obsidian back he took a moment to examine the room. The second story of the observation deck was a living quarters. The room with his body was a living room, nicely furnished and clean, not accounting for the dead body. From where he stood, he could see a nice kitchen that went off onto a patio outside the back of the factory. It wasn’t much of a view, but it was something. There was another flight of stairs going up to a third floor.

There was a knock at the door.

“Yeah come on back.” Alex said.

“What do you think?” Obsidian asked when she notice Alex looking around the room.

“It looks great.” Alex asked.

“Well with the Hero Bureau gone there really wasn’t anywhere else for me to go. I didn’t know exactly want to do. I came here and Calson told me that there were upgrades to the observation level that could be used for anything. With his help I threw together this little place for us to stay until something better comes along. Cost me about twenty thousand thread, but I had some saved up, so it wasn’t a huge deal.” She said looking around.

“Don’t worry you’ll get your money back.” Alex said holding up his hand in assurance.

“I’d say I’m not worried about it, but that pretty much wiped out my lifesavings. I kind of took this job to make money not spend it.” She said with a half-smile.

“Don’t worry about it. If you have something to say, or you need something, you don’t hesitate. I’ll get you your money back.” Alex said. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. A great deal of tension released in her shoulders at his declaration.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“So, what’s next boss?” She asked with a little more levity in her tone.

“First I need to let you know that I’ve made a decision for myself. I will allow you out of our agreement if this doesn’t align with your resolution, but I have decided that I am going to be an Anti-Hero. This town needs a bit of a firmer hand that a squeaky-clean hero cannot offer. At least when it comes to what I can do. I’m a person with many flaws and there isn’t much that I can do about that.” Alex explained with his hand rested on her shoulder.

Obsidian didn’t respond at first. Her face screwed up in thought and consideration. Alex couldn’t blame her for needing to consider the situation. If she wanted to be all hero then staying with him while he pursued the path of Anti-Hero would not help her alone her goal. They would both be getting Villainous points. She already had to combat the points that she had gotten growing up in her villainous family.

“I don’t want out. I’ll follow you. I mean, my own mother tried to kill me, so I get what you are saying.” She said shaking her head.

“Excellent! I don’t know what I would do without you. You’ve saved my life at least once so far.” Alex said breathing a sigh of relief, “Next I think we need to make a trip to the Tailor’s Guild. I’d like to pick up some upgrades.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Obsidian said with a nod and renewed resolve.

“What are we going to do with that?” Alex asked pointing at himself in the corner.

“There is a furnace in the basement.” Obsidian suggested with a shrug.

“I guess that will do the trick.” Alex said with a sigh. He walked over to himself and knelt down. With a heave he tossed his own body over his shoulder, “Lead the way.” He pointed towards the door.

They walked through the main production floor. No one seemed to look twice at the body that was dangling from his shoulder. Alex didn’t know if he was happy that they worked without question or worried that they didn’t question a body.

After another long flight of stairs, they arrived in the dark basement. In a corner at the far end of the building there was an old building furnace that was burning faithfully. They walked across the room in silence. Obsidian reached up and pulled the door open with a loud creak.

With a deep breath Alex tossed his body into the flames. The fire immediately began to build as his remains began to burn. He shook his head grabbing the door from Obsidian and pushed it closed. A notification appeared on Alex’s HUD.

­-+0 Villainous Points (0)

-Disposing of a body

-Note this action would normally result in villainous activity points, however since you are disposing of your own body the normal points have been reduced to zero.

“After the fight at the factory I got to level six.” Obsidian said as they climbed up from the basement to the main production floor.

“Nice! I did too.” Alex said excitedly. He also remembered that he had stat points and Power Points that he needed to spend.

Calson met the duo near a group of working men. He smiled when he noticed Alex and held out his hand to shake.

“I’m glad to see you not dead.” Calson said as the two shook hands.

“Yeah me too.” Alex said with a nod and a smile, “How’s our factory running?” Alex asked.

“I think you will be please with our progress. We have sales going out this evening. I was not able to sell all of the back stock that was stored in the warehouse. I don’t exactly know what the Kymos was up to, but the had tons ready to sell.” Calson said. The three of them began to walk the line of machines that were hard at work.

“I wonder if they were trying to play the market. How many facilities around the world create this component do you think?” Alex asked.

“I’d say there are only a few and judging from the prices I got from what I sold yesterday I’d say that you are on to something. Perfect grade components were selling for twenty percent higher than market value. Poor grade was still selling at thirteen percent increase.” Calson explained as he began to rattle off numbers.

“So, you think the Kymos has assumed ownership of all of the electronic component factories?” Alex asked.

“I’d say most if I had to guess.” Calson said with a nod.

“Well maybe we will get a few weeks that we get good prices before the market equalizes.” Alex said with a nod, “With Kymos out of the picture who knows what will happen next.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Calson said in agreement.

“Excellent work. Keep making me money!” Alex said clapping Calson on the shoulder.

“Yes, sir.” Calson said stopping as Alex and Obsidian walked outside into the air.

Alex couldn’t say that it was fresh air per say. His mask did a good job at cleaning out pollution, but in the district where they were the air was horrible. The whole city needed a massive facelift.

Obsidian led they way through the city to the Tailor’s Guild. Alex was starting to figure out his way around, but he didn’t mind that the more experience traveler was in the lead.

It was only a half an hour walk until the duo was approaching the building that they were looking for. Alex was practically salivating thinking of the potential upgrades that he needed. He also thought about the money that he now owed Obsidian and considered holding back so that he could pay her back more quickly.

Alex slowed as he climbed the stairs that surrounded the building. Something was wrong, completely off. It didn’t matter what time of day it was the Tailor’s Guild was always jam packed full of activity. As he looked around Alex saw that there was no activity. He stopped holding up his arm to stop Obsidian.

“What?” She asked looking down at his hand, but Alex didn’t have to say anything for the peculiarity of the situation registered with her.

“Something is not right.” Alex said taking a step back while pushing her back away from the building.

Cracks of blue light began to appear on the walls and windows of the building. More and more they spread until the whole thing looked like it was shards glued back together. From the street they watched as the cracks began to glow white and heard as it sounded like air rushing into a vacuum.

With a crack like a whip a bright flash of white light engulfed the whole block. Alex would have had to look away but the lenses on his mask filtered out the harmful light levels. He watched as the building was sucked inward as if it were imploding, but instead it just vanished. Faster than an instant it was all over. The building was just gone.

“Well that is definitely not good.” Alex said clenching his fist.