76 Interlude: Multi 2 Electric Boogaloo

In all my time as Access, parahuman thief extraordinaire, I have been hired quite a lot of times to steal quite a lot of things.

From random, personal stuff like a phone or an item of sentimental value to more obvious things like property deeds and literal gold that one time.

And really, what else am I going to do with these powers of mine? All I can do is unlock things, not exactly a power suitable for a fistfight.

Point is, it's nothing new for me to be hired to relieve someone of something.

Which is exactly what makes this job stand out from the others, because for once I haven't been hired to take something but to 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 instead.

Or maybe plant is a better word. I can't be sure since I don't know what exactly is inside the manilla folder I've been told to deliver, only that I'm getting paid a lot of money to make sure it is sitting on a specific desk only at midnight when the 20th ticks over to the 21st.

Frankly speaking, I don't 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to know what's inside the folder.

I've managed to make a living by not asking questions and someone who is willing to spend a hundred grand to deliver a folder is not someone I want to be unhappy with me, whoever they are.

So, at midnight I do exactly as told. I sneak into the building specified, the locks all clicking open as I approach, not a single alarm being set off, if there even are alarms and I leave the folder on the desk specified.

Then I simply leave and go home.

They already paid me upfront, another reason I don't want them upset at me. Because anyone willing to pay one hundred grand upfront is clearly not worried about being crossed, which means you don't fucking cross them.

Maybe I'm just a coward, but actually doing the job is easy and doesn't result in anyone wanting to kill me, probably, don't shoot the messenger and all that, so it's a no brainer really.

I make it home without trouble and quickly make my way over to my computer so that I can spend a few minutes staring at my bank account before going to sleep.

So many zeroes...

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As the leader of the locale Protectorate, Jemal often finds himself getting stressed on the behalf of others, namely the Heroes under him.

Extinction especially.

Not just because of his frankly awful trigger, but also because the higher ups want constant assurances that he is in good mental health and not going to turn villain.

No one wants another Sphere incident after all.

But happily Extinction is generally doing well. He always has an air of depression around him, but it's been getting better every week.

The more people he helps the better he feels and that is something that I truly admire about him. He is kind to a fault and so full of guilt that he is willing to do just about anything to help others.

It's both pitiable and admirable at the same time.

The point is, he is generally morose but otherwise calm and happy to help. Hence why it is so concerning that today seems to be an exception.

He came in today looking tense and worried, like something hideous is about to happen and he can do nothing to prevent it.

Suffice to say, that is an incredibly worrying expression to see on a Blaster of his level's face.

Worse yet, despite him being a generally open person, when asked if anything was troubling him he only gave a terse "everything's fine" before ending the conversation.

Obviously, everything is not fine. But I don't want to push him, so I figured I'll let the Director know that something might be wrong and deal with it then.

Who knows? Maybe he just had a really bad coffee or something. A man can hope.

Unfortunately, that hope only lasted until about seven in the afternoon.

Extinction and I usually do our patrols solo, but I insisted on him having a partner this time and as the only one who can keep up with his flying speed, that left the two of us together when the call came in.

"Console to Jet, we have a report of a bank robbery happening down on 27th. Suspect is reportedly a cape in prison garments and a clown mask, identity unconfirmed but suspected to be a Changer/Brute from Columbus. She has a history with a similar instance that was resolved peacefully, so both of you are to head over and try talking her down. Though do keep in mind that she is noted to be deceitful and exceedingly dangerous, so proceed with caution, over."

I remember hearing about that story on the news, about how she surrendered without a fight and no one knew why. Until a couple days later and that tragedy happened.

Then she went over to New York and fought the damn Butcher a few times just for fun apparently.

Obviously, I am not overly happy about someone like her being in my city, especially if she is really planning on doing something similar to what she did in Columbus.

To put it simply, she is not going to a cell here. The first thing that is going to happen once she locked in a box is that I am going to fly that box straight to the birdcage myself, damn what anyone else says.

However despite all of that, the look I see on Claude's face is not one that matches mine. Instead, there seems to be a sort of grim determination radiating off of him, like he knew this was coming or something.

Now that thought is a scary one so I hurry to end the conversation with Console so I can check with him.

"Roger that Console, we'll be there in a minute." That done I reach out to Extinction's arm before he can blast away and I look him in the eye, doing my best to convey how important it is that he answer honestly. "Extinction. What is going on?"

The question is vague, but I know he knows what I mean, which makes what he actually says all the more unnerving.

He doesn't respond immediately, just looking solemnly back at me before he turns away, as if he can't bare to see me, and focuses in the direction of the bank being robbed.

"Let's go. We have a job to do," is all he says before shaking off my arm and blasting away, making me spit out a curse even as I engage my own power to follow after him.

God I really hope this terrible feeling growing in the pit of my stomach is not prophetic in any way.

================

Sarah Livsey is not having a good day.

Her brother Reggie has been drifting away from her more and more as of late and she doesn't know why.

All she knows is that it sucks. School sucks. Maybe it's just her being a moody teenager, but everything just seems to suck.

So when she came across another link from 'Fool' while browsing through PHO after school, forgive her if she clicked it.

She remembers what happened last time and frankly she hasn't been the same since.

Something about watching real people literally get torn to pieces really fucks with you.

Yet, like a car crash, you can't bring yourself to look away.

But that's not the only reason for her tuning in. Her life is being really sucky recently so even if it's a horrible thing to do and she's going to be hating herself for it afterwards, maybe watching other people having a sucky time of their own will make her feel better.

Not in a sadistic way though, just in that it's an assurance that the world isn't simply out to get her specifically. That the universe hates everyone equally.

Either way, she has been sitting on her phone for the past half hour as her computer shows the livestream which thus far is just a black screen with a chibi style clown doing a two frame dance and nothing else except for the slowly rising view counter.

There is even a live chat this time that seems to have given everyone a random number, probably for the sake of anonymity. But there are too many people sending too many messages, so she doesn't bother trying to read or participate in it.

Eventually, the screen changes. It goes static for a moment before changing to show Fool's mask in all it's lacking glory. He is dressed like a clown after all, not exactly the epitome of intimidation by image alone.

"Greetings!!~ My dear viewers!~ Such a pleasure it is to host you all once again.~" As he dramatically swings his arms around, ending with them over his chest like he is deeply moved, Sarah's phone rapidly finds itself set down by her side as her focus hones in on the probably insane Clown.

"Now, I'm sure you are all curious about what today's show will be all about, but don't expect a repeat!~ Things won't be quite the same as last time.~ For one, you will have to go without my delightful commentary. I know, I know, it is truly a tragedy, but needs a must and all that.

"You see, today's show is going to be something quite special and I simply won't be able to keep up!~ Thus, I am going to give you dear viewers all the background details now so that we may simply enjoy the show together!~"

Sarah doesn't even realise how intensely she was focusing on his words until he pauses to take a breath and she corrects her posture, mindful about slouching too much.

"First of all I want to give a special thanks to the lovely Tear who has once again organised this exciting show for us. Well, mostly for herself, but she's happy to let us enjoy it too anyway, so can I get some love in the chat for her?~"

Amusingly enough, a majority of the chat does actually fly by filled with hearts and other more detailed declarations of love, only interrupted every few messages by another who is clearly less of a fan.

Though one has to wonder what they are doing here if they think she's, and I quote, a 'reprehensible and vile being that should have a Kill Order by now'.

After a short pause, Fool continues where he left off.

"Now! The backstory! I shall begin by introducing today's players.~ On one side is the lovely, the scary, the Clown of all time who truly needs no introduction, TEAR!!!" As he shouts her name, the screen splits in half with one side showing Fool and the other a rather impressive photo of Tear, taken while she was off fighting Butcher.

"Believe it or not, but our crowd favourite is actually the underdog in this show!~ Because on the other side is a man of pure destructive might! A man who, upon first unlocking his power managed to turn his entire hometown into a molten crater! With the power to manipulate a specific type of energy that puts him almost at the level of Legend himself! It is none other than Denver's own EXCTINTION!!!"

The screen changes again, this time with Fool's half being replaced with another impressive photo, this one of a man dressed in a pure white suit, decorated only with some black accents so as to avoid the white being too overpowering. In the image he is floating in the air with the moon behind him as an aura of blue plasma like energy dances around him.

Then a big VS appears between the two pictures with a brief, poor quality animation of sparks flying.

It's amazing how they can make something so serious in real life seem so stupid and silly.

A moment later however, the screen goes back to showing Fool.

"Now you know the players it's time to know the game! This one is a lot more simple than the last one with far less players, but I have no doubt that it will be far more exciting.~ I've even had to set up a bunch of drones all over the place just to record it, because I have no doubt that a simple camera will work this time around. As for the game itself? Well it's simple~ Tear has to rob a bank and Extinction has to stop her. It's old school baby! Classic Hero Villain action!~"

It really is a throwback too. Villains don't really rob banks anymore. Not only are there just better ways for them to make money but thanks to it happening so much, banks don't hold nearly as much money in one place these days, so there just isn't really much point from a financial perspective.

Clearly, they are only doing it for the theatrics.

Still, that doesn't change the way Sarah and many others around the globe, though mostly America, watch with bated breathes as the screen flashes once more and changes to show the inside of a bank lobby.

The camera shows the lobby to be mostly empty with only a single woman sitting in the middle of it playing cards and dressed like a prisoner, as if she's already given up and is ready to be arrested or something.

Nobody really believes that's going to happen.

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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

I have been hyping myself up mentally for the next fight and I am gonna be so mad at myself if it doesn't live up to what I have in my mind.

Edit: My god it is so fucking hot all of a sudden. Like, I have written 400 words today because my brain feels like it's frying :(

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