The Occultist, Ch05: Meet the Heroes

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old Man of the Mountain, TheDonFluffles, Malcolm Tent, Mike, God of Lore and Beans.

The Guild of Gamers: The Occult

Chapter 05: Meet the Heroes

– Hannah (Miss Militia) –

Getting reports of Ebon fighting the Merchants had come as a surprise; Brockton Bay's vampire cape was known for avoiding cape fights, and the man was almost as fast as Velocity; it would be a hard task for Skidmark to manage to pin him down.

She'd only seen a glimpse of him before, hearing that he was hunting Merchant thugs not far from her patrol, but her bike was insufficient to keep up with him, and Ebon simply fled up a building and out of sight.

They'd been trying to get in touch with him for a while since he started stalking and attacking civilian women to drink their blood, but Ebon was good at avoiding them, which was why she was so surprised to see him just idly standing there as she turned the corner.

Pulling up, she shared a look with Armsmaster, who stopped his Armscycle a short distance away from Ebon, wondering what had changed Ebon's approach to them. Normally, he'd be long gone before they could get this close.

Ebon himself was barely wearing a mask, a small domino mask covering his eyes but doing nothing to hide his striking features, long black hair going down to his shoulders, and red eyes that almost seemed to glow as they turned to her, giving her a once over. 

Glancing down at Skidmark, her eyes widened at the sight of the ripped-off arm just casually on the floor next to the pale villain.

"You're Ebon, right?" Miss Militia started, making him smile at her, flashing her a fanged grin. 

"I am, and you need no introduction, Miss Militia," Ebon agreed smoothly.

"This level of… brutality comes very close to breaking the Unwritten Rules," Armsmaster barked, making her wince at the very undiplomatic tone. "He requires immediate medical attention."

"If it's any consolation, I didn't actually mean to rip his arm off. He is just so… fragile," Ebon said with an utter lack of worry, kicking Skidmark in the side lightly. "Feel free to take him off my hands. Maybe this will serve as a better warning for him to stay in prison; you might even be able to hold him for more than a month this time."

Ebon's taunting tone made Armsmaster's eyes narrow, even as he applied some containment foam on the stump to stop the bleeding. Ebon wasn't wrong; Skidmark had been arrested three times before, and he never stayed in prison for long, but he also wasn't a serious enough villain to warrant the Birdcage. Panacea wouldn't heal a villain unless they were at risk of dying, so Skidmark was likely going to remain armless. 

"Ebon, you're wanted for questioning over the assault of several women," Armsmaster said with his usual bluntness, Ebon simply raising an eyebrow in amusement, even as Armsmaster's stance changed subtly.

"A man has to eat. I'll admit I got a little out of control while I was learning about my new… diet, but they escaped with a little fear and some lightheadedness, no permanent harm done," Ebon said with a shrug, amusement clear in his tone.

"Diet, you need blood then?" Miss Militia asked, placing herself between the two as she gave Armsmaster a look. He was a brilliant fighter, but his social skills were notoriously bad.

"Regular food and drink has no effect on me anymore, only blood," Ebon admitted.

"You still assaulted almost a dozen women, feeding on them," Armsmaster retorted, making Ebon smile innocently. "You're coming with us."

"Hm, no, I don't think I am," Ebon said confidently, his own stance changing. "I don't plan to follow Ghoul's example."

"Ghoul?" Miss Militia asked, making him smile.

"A Case 37, that's a Parahuman who has dietary needs caused by their power. He needed human flesh, much like I need to have blood. He fed on corpses, didn't hurt anyone, and when he turned himself in to the PRT, you Birdcaged him. There was an entire legal act formed around it, though too late to help poor Ghoul," Ebon explained, making her blink as she tried to recall if she knew anything about that.

"...he's right; the laws were changed to give some leeway to capes who commit crimes to fuel an unorthodox diet," Armsmaster said, clearly looking it up on his helmet's computer. 

"Ah, is that Dragon I hear whispering in your ear? Does she normally have to babysit you?" Ebon asked, head tilting as Armsmaster froze. 

"If the laws were changed, you wouldn't meet Ghoul's fate. The PRT can help you-" Miss Militia started, pausing as he cut in.

"You'll forgive me if I don't trust that the PRT will play by its own rules," Ebon scoffed before smirking. "And I am entirely capable of helping myself; I have a new source of blood, a willing one when I'm not using the criminals of this city as blood bags. It's not like I'm going to run out of criminals anytime soon."

Ah, the mistrust so prevalent in independent heroes. 

"I only waited so you could take this stain off my hands; I am done here," Ebon explained, taking a step back. 

"You aren't going anywhere-" Armsmaster started, making her pause and wonder what the hell he was thinking.

"Is that a threat, tin man?" Ebon asked, his fangs bared as he stared at Armsmaster menacingly. "You won't like how that ends for you. As I've said, people can be so fragile, even when they clad themselves in scrap metal. Even your babysitter is telling you to play nice. I'd listen if I were you."

How good were his senses that he could hear Dragon on the comms? They were designed to be extremely hard to hear; his senses must be incredibly powerful.

"It isn't a threat; there's no reason for two heroes to fight," Miss Militia said, giving Armsmaster another look. "I don't suppose I could convince you to come in for power testing?" 

"Had you arrived alone, I imagine you'd have been able to convince me quite easily, but I don't feel like going anywhere with that prat," Ebon scoffed, gesturing towards Armsmaster, who scowled but remained quiet. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Militia. Maybe muzzle that one if you're going to have him come along," Ebon mocked, giving them a slight bow.

Turning, he practically blurred as he sped away, too fast to track with her eyes.

"I don't suppose you want to tell me why you decided to antagonise an independent hero?" Miss Militia asked, turning to Armsmaster, who frowned. 

"Ebon isn't registered as a hero, and he's attacked civilians," Armsmaster countered, making her roll her eyes as she called for a van to pick up the unconscious Skidmark.

"Registering with the PRT is highly recommended, but it isn't required. You know that," Miss Militia scolded, sighing internally. Armsmaster had not taken being replaced as the head of the Brockton Bay Protectorate well, even if Maeve was doing an undeniably good job. 

Maybe he felt threatened by another cape who only seemed to be growing stronger; they hadn't missed the way Ebon's power seemed to be increasing, comparing footage and reports from his earliest appearances to how he was now.

Shaking her head, she watched the PRT van approaching and wondered what she was going to say later. She didn't really want to throw Armsmaster under the bus, but if Ebon was telling the truth, Armsmaster's personality had prevented Ebon from coming back with her.

Still, there was one thing she could say for certain. That was one stupidly attractive man. They didn't have any clear pictures of him yet, and grainy footage didn't do his beauty justice. Her hidden camera and Armsmasters helmet would have both captured him in high definition.

– Rebecca 'Annie' Anne January (Starlight) –

Looking at the picture of Ebon, she felt her heart start to pound at the sight of that oh-so-familiar face staring back at her, Alex giving the camera a mocking smile. His 'mask' wouldn't fool anyone who had actually met him; surely he knew that?!

…okay, her own identity was basically public knowledge, so that was a little hypocritical of her, but she knew what she was getting herself into; Alex had to be a new trigger.

"Something wrong, Rebecca?" Emily asked, seeing her freeze up as she decided how to respond.

The Unwritten Rules existed for a reason, but Emily had clearly already worked out that she knew something as the rest of the BB Protectorate capes stared at her, Jaime giving her a questioning look.

"I know who Ebon is under his mask. We only met once, but he's rather hard to forget," Annie admitted, not giving any names even as Emily stared at her expectantly before she frowned. 

"Do you think he knows your identity?" Emily asked, making her pause before she shook her head.

"No, that was almost a month ago, and it was just a chance encounter. I didn't think anything of it at the time, and he didn't do anything to make me think he knows my identity," Annie answered. "He didn't seem to recognise me, and let's be honest, most cape fans have already worked out who I am." 

"Do you think you could get him to join up?" Emily asked, making her pause. Everyone knew Emily hated independent heroes; she didn't trust any cape that wasn't directly under the PRT's command (and barely trusted those under it).

"I don't know. I have his number, but that was a month ago. He may have forgotten me entirely," Annie admitted, blushing slightly as Assault made a sound of recognition, immediately getting elbowed by Battery.

Dauntless paused before his eyes widened, coughing awkwardly and looking away. She'd briefly dated Shawn, but it hadn't worked out; at least he didn't seem upset about them breaking up. He'd definitely put two and two together, as they'd broken up just over a month ago. He didn't look thrilled, but she imagined that it came down to her dating him for two months without so much as a blowjob and then jumping into bed with a stranger right after they split up.

"I want you to try. Tell him you recognised him and are worried about his safety," Emily ordered, making her pause before she nodded. She honestly was, so it wasn't a lie. She wasn't worried that this would expose her identity; she didn't mind Alex knowing since she imagined most of the villains had already worked it out. 

"...is it worth mentioning that he's a professional model? I looked him up after spotting a photo of him on the wall of my favourite clothing store," Annie admitted, making Emily face-palm.

"So he's both not even bothering to try and hide his face and a public figure? Wonderful," Emily sighed. "Are the Empire still hunting for him after his attack on Rune?"

"No, or at least they seem to have given up the hunt. They may have worked out his identity and are planning on using it to force him into the Empire, but at the very least, they've called off the search for him," Queen Maeve explained, an uncomfortable silence follows.

"And we are sure he is growing in power?" Emily asked, making Armsmaster look up.

"His speed and strength from the earliest sightings were far less than they are now. He was able to outrun my bike nearing its top speed, and the sheer strength he would need to rip Skidmark's arm off is far more than he's ever shown before," Armsmaster reported, frowning. "It's possible he was holding back before, but I doubt it. He clearly doesn't know his own strength, which would make sense if he's only getting stronger. Without a chance to put him through power testing, we don't have exact figures to work with, and that's without the suspicion he has some kind of Stranger power. Frankly, we don't know what he can do, only what he's shown."

As they moved on to the next topic, she considered how she was going to approach this. She definitely didn't want Alex getting dragged into the Empire, and she knew better than anyone that they did not forgive. 

Would he remember a one-night stand? Would he be annoyed that she never called?

Her reason for not wanting a repeat was that it was dangerous to drag him into the Cape life, which seemed so funny now. If she'd called, they'd be friends with benefits at the very least, and she'd be in a better position to deal with this.

The meeting continued, but her mind was elsewhere; she had nothing to add anyway as they discussed the disappearance of some PRT consultant she had never met. She vaguely recognised the name and could put a face to it, but beyond spotting Calvert around, she'd never actually interacted with the somewhat creepy man.

As it ended, she wrote her message to Alex, deleting and restarting a couple of times. 

Alex didn't reply, but she wasn't surprised. He was always active during the night; in fact, he'd never been seen during the day, which only added to his vampiric image. She didn't know if he was sensitive to sunlight, but she remembered him leaving her house before sunrise. 

Going on patrol in the Merchant territory, she had to admit it was unnerving how quiet things seemed. Merchants were never quiet. Usually, they went wild when Skidmark or one of their capes was captured, but it seemed like they'd gone to ground hard. 

Rooting out the merchants was nigh impossible because of how they functioned. The Empire and ABB had strongholds, hideouts, stashes, places that the PRT could target… but the Merchants? They just squatted in run-down buildings that they could abandon without a care.

Much of Brockton Bay was run down, and countless buildings and factories had been abandoned for years, which gave the Merchants hundreds of hiding places that they could use to stay below the radar. Plus, the Merchants didn't wear anything to identify them. The Empire and ABB thugs tended to be tattooed, but Merchants looked like typical bums. 

They had drug labs and garages, but even they were low-quality and easily abandoned when the Merchants scattered like the cockroaches they were. It made actually looking for them much harder than any other gang; they could be literally anywhere.

Still, the level of quiet in the Merchant turf was… unnerving. Where was everyone? Sure, she could see the hookers, but even their pimps seemed to be missing in action at the moment. What the hell was going on?

As the night went on, things got even stranger. The Empire pushed into Merchant territory, as they always do when another gang suffers a setback, but nobody responded. She drove the skinhead thugs back herself, but this was incredibly wrong. 

Squealer should have shown up. The Empire weren't exactly subtle about their approach, and she'd done the same before, using her creations to drive back the Empire and ABB alike. One time, she'd even driven one of her Killdozers into Lung, actually managing to hurt him. 

And yet, no Mush, no Squealer, not even some drugged-up Merchants to come and try and drive the Empire off. They were up to something, and she didn't know what. That made her nervous. The Merchants were particularly unpredictable because how can you try and guess what a bunch of idiots who are probably on seventeen different types of drugs at any one time were going to do?

This was the same gang that one time tried to give drugs to a bunch of pre-schoolers because Skidmark had the genius idea that if he got them addicted young, he'd have customers for life. How he thought they'd pay was anyone's guess, and he was quickly driven off, but you couldn't predict what someone that dumb would do, and Squealer wasn't that much better. 

As her phone vibrated, she paused and came to a stop, hesitating slightly as she pulled it out and saw Alexander's name on the caller ID.

"Hello?" Annie said, hesitant.

"I was wondering if I'd hear from you. Do you know how rare it is for me to give someone my number and for them not to call?" Alexander chuckled, and somehow, she knew he wasn't quite as casual about it as he sounded.

"Hey, Alex, sorry about that. I wasn't sure you'd remember me, to be honest," Annie admitted, hearing a laugh over the line.

"Exactly how many one-night stands do you think I have in a month?" Alex asked, making her blush at his blunt statement. "You aren't that forgettable, but I doubt you called to arrange a repeat performance. That said, it is a nice night. Are you hoping for a star-lit encore?"

She paused, sighing at his unsubtle hint that he knew her identity.

"You know," Annie stated simply.

"It wasn't exactly hard to work out; your mask barely covers any more than mine, and I never forget a face," Alex admitted, not even hiding that he was Ebon. He wasn't wrong; Her mask was just a simple white and gold domino mask, not unlike his black one, though not quite as thin. "So, I take it that it is Starlight, the PRT hero, calling, not Annie?"

"You aren't wrong. I recognised you during a briefing today; the others know that I know your identity, though I haven't told anyone your name," Annie promised.

"Considering how little effort I've put into protecting my identity, I'd be shocked if they don't work out my real name by the end of the week, but that's by design. I don't particularly like the concept of masks to begin with," Alex explained. "But I don't think we should have this conversation over the phone. Are you free for a face-to-face?" 

"I'm on patrol now, keeping an eye on the Merchants after you took down Skidmark, but I can take a break," Annie agreed, as Alexander sent her a location not that far from her current location. He must have been doing the same thing himself.

Saying goodbye, she ended the call and set off towards the meetup, wondering what she was going to say when she met up with him.

The location he'd picked was near the Merchant territory, but not quite inside it, a secluded part of the Boat Graveyard where she could already see him looking out at the Bay itself. Knowing how good his hearing was, she knew he could hear her approaching even as he stood facing the water.

Landing nearby, he finally turned to look at her. Seeing him in person, she gave him an awkward wave as he smiled.

"A pleasure to see you again, Annie," Alexander said before pausing. "Don't worry, nobody is around. I'd be able to tell. I have very good senses, and the residents of this particular part of the city have a rather… noticeable smell."

The slight scowl on his face, his lips curling up in disgust (exposing his pearly white fangs), made her smile.

"Ah, the downsides of super-senses? I have a normal sense of smell, and even I don't like the lovely scents of this part of town," Annie said playfully, making him nod.

"True, but it has its benefits, too many for me to regret the downsides," Alexander agreed. "So, what can I do for the PRT today?" 

"Let me be upfront. The director has asked me to try and recruit you into the PRT; she… isn't particularly fond of Independent Capes," Annie admitted, making him laugh.

"That would be the impressively corpulent Emily Piggot, yes? I'm not surprised; anyone that crippled in a city with Panacea has to have some severe issues," Alexander said with a smirk, making her nod ever so slightly.

Emily Piggot's injuries were well-known, and Panacea was often in the Rig several times a week, and yet Piggot still remained crippled. Panacea had fixed far worse in a matter of minutes, but Emily refused any parahuman healing. That didn't exactly look good for a woman put in charge of the PRT parahumans.

"As for recruiting me, again, I'm not particularly surprised. I had considered joining up myself, but I decided to go my own way for a while," Alexander explained. 

"Being an independent in this city isn't exactly safe, especially one that has already picked a fight with the Empire," Annie warned, making him chuckle.

"Ah, my… slip up. I had just gained my powers recently and didn't understand my new hunger. I was very thirsty, and Rune was injured by the Merchants. Her blood drove me into a… feeding frenzy of sorts," Alexander admitted with a hint of shame on his face. "I was able to regain my senses before I drained her, but in truth, I was new to the city and didn't even know who the Empire were at the time."

"Accident or not, the Empire aren't the forgiving types," Annie said, making him smile.

"You'd be surprised. Kaiser has called his hunters off, both because of their lack of progress in tracking me down and because he realised that I'm growing stronger. I'm a handsome, white, powerful cape. That's practically his favourite thing in the world, only missing the word 'subservient'," Alexander scoffed. "He's going for the soft sell, not realising I heard him talking to Fenja and Menja, who have been put in charge of recruiting me."

Annie's eyes widened at Alexander's blunt words, making him grin.

"My hearing is very good, and I can enhance it further; it is hard to keep secrets around me," Alexander explained smugly. "Stop looking so worried. I have no interest in becoming a white supremacist; I'm just glad not to have to avoid Hookwolf anymore. He's far too slow to chase me down, all the Empire capes are, but he was certainly persistent."

"You realise they won't give up? The moment the soft sell fails, they'll go back to hunting you. If they can't get you to join them willingly, they'll try to use force. If that doesn't work, they will try and kill you, rules be damned," Annie said, well aware of the Empire's cruelty. "Kaiser only pretends to follow the Unwritten rules, and they won't hesitate to come for you in your civilian identity."

"They will certainly try," Alex agreed, utterly confident. It wasn't hard to see that Alexander was a little arrogant. Trying to convince him of the danger wasn't going to work. He was too prideful to admit he was in danger.

"I don't suppose you'll at least register as an Independent hero? It would save a lot of hassle and make working with the PRT a lot easier," Annie asked as Alex gave her a smile.

"I already planned to do so, but frankly, Armsmaster annoyed me, and I felt like being contrarian," Alexander admitted, making her chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about him. He's a brilliant fighter, but his people skills aren't… great," Annie admitted, making Alex smile playfully.

"I could tell," Alex replied. "Shame they didn't send you. You're far more charming. You'd have easily smooth-talked me into the PRT."

"I think we both know you're the smooth-talking one here, given how our last encounter went," Annie teased, making him grin.

"Ah, but not smooth enough, apparently. It's been a long time since I've gotten ghosted," Alex pointed out, making her cheeks darken ever so slightly. 

"It wasn't anything you did; I didn't want to risk putting you in danger. My identity is barely a secret, and I didn't want to pull you into the cape life; funny how that worked out," Annie said with a slight laugh. Of course, the guy she avoided for his own good turned out to be a cape as well.

"Oh, and now that I dove into that life entirely of my own accord?" Alex asked with a cocky smile, one finger running along her cheek before he forced her to look up into his deep ruby eyes.

"Dating is rarely a good idea for capes," Annie reasoned weakly, not doing anything to stop him as he came in for a kiss, his other hand running down her side as she pushed her body against his. Pulling back, he gave her a smug smile as she rolled her eyes slightly.

"Being a hero is rarely a good idea, given the sharp decline in life expectancy," Alex pointed out, making her laugh darkly. He very much wasn't wrong about that.

"I- I don't normally hook up with people like that. Casual flings aren't really for me," Annie countered, making his eyebrow raise.

"And if it isn't casual?" Alex asked, making her pause. "How about this: I'll join the PRT in exchange for a date," Alex offered, making her blink in shock before she snorted. She really couldn't predict what was going to come out of his mouth.

"Seriously?" Annie asked, making him nod.

"I considered trying to join New Wave, since my identity isn't going to stay secret anyway, but I don't know enough about them, and staying independent isn't the best idea, as you've pointed out. I can't guarantee I'll stay in the PRT. I have high standards, and to be perfectly honest, I don't play well with others, but I'm willing to give it a try."

Aunt Sarah would probably accept Alex into New Wave, but Carol… well, her other Aunt had issues, to say the least.

"In exchange for a date?" Annie asked, amused despite herself.

"As I said, I have high standards," Alex replied, giving her a slow once-over. 

The logical part of her said that it was a bad idea to try another relationship or get in a relationship at all. The little voice in her head that sounded a lot like Crystal told her to stop being so serious and relax. The last time she listened to that voice, she ended up sleeping with a complete stranger, but she couldn't deny she'd enjoyed it.

"...what the hell. Fine, you have yourself a deal." Annie agreed, annoyed at how red her cheeks were getting at the look Alex was giving her.

Mission complete, right?

– Alexander –

Nothing gets public attention like a power couple (other than an affair, but that's a different story). Annie is beautiful, and Starlight is an incredibly popular cape. She polls as one of the most popular capes in Brockton Bay, just behind Glory Girl and Miss Militia. Female heroes always poll better, and if I want my own star to rise, a relationship with her will help speed things along.

If it goes well, we'll be a power couple. If it doesn't, then the drama can still be used to boost my popularity. There is no bad publicity and all that. That saying isn't entirely accurate, but it mostly works.

That isn't to say I'm not interested in Annie; I'm just a pragmatic guy. Why settle for just a happy relationship when I can have a happy relationship that also benefits me. Well, happy by a certain definition. I don't plan to give up my adorable pet Emma, or settle for just one lover.

I deserve the best, after all, and it would be cruel to let the other beautiful capes of the city lose out on a chance to be with me.

But I'm sure Annie will come around to my point of view, and so will everyone else.

— Bonus Scene — Sherrel Bailey (Squealer)

Watching the men fight, she sat on the throne she'd made of junked cars, smiling to herself at the brutal display. The Merchants were too weak for his plans, but she could make them better.

Inside the cage, several merchants already lay unconscious, possibly dead, but she didn't care. Those who came out of the cage victorious would be rewarded with their next hit, while the weak would be weeded out. 

In the back of her mind, she could sense him. Watching through her eyes, his disgust at their weakness shamed her, making her swear to do better, in fear that he'd cut her off. Like a true junkie, she'd gone through her supply of that crimson nectar entirely too fast, his annoyance stabbing into her like a knife.

But she'd had her reasons; the blood cleared her mind like nothing else, and plans for bigger and better vehicles filled her mind, her hands moving on auto-pilot as she easily bypassed the roadblocks she'd run into under Skidmark's control. She was truly herself when she drank that red, sticky elixir, and she needed more.

Alexander listened to her inner thoughts, weighing her as she mentally pleaded her case, impassively judging her as she promised him whatever he desired, whether it be her creations, her body, or anything else. Whatever it took to get more of the only drug she cared about anymore.

Orders filled her head, and she had to stop herself from nodding fervently, not wanting to give away her secret master. His presence was within her mind and body, making a more intimate connection than she'd ever felt before. She knew he could take away her free will and puppet her body with a thought, but that only made her wetter. No secret could be kept from him, his mind delving through all her memories, the good and the bad, even her darkest moments dragged to the forefront of her mind for his perusal. 

She knew he found her distasteful, wasted potential, beauty marred by years of bad choices, and it made her shudder. She'd fix it, his blood restored her beauty day by day, and she wouldn't ruin his property again. She'd be worthy of him, of his touch, his blood, his love. 

Whatever it took.

Whispered words sang into her mind, the flash of a face, and she mentally nodded. She knew what she needed to do, how she would earn her next fix. Seeing her obedience, he retreated from the forefront of her mind, his presence still lingering as it had since he had first made her his.

Hard nipples sticking through her tank top and her thong soaked, she panted heavily as she watched two of her men violently beat each other, getting some strange looks, the fools unaware that it was him who elicited such feelings in her. 

She knew what she had to do. Nothing else mattered.