23

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 Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Marethyu, Beans, Old man of the mountain

The Celestial Roulette

Chapter 23: Burning Desire

– Felix Dallon (Sugar Rush) –

100cp Granted, 600cp needed for [Boundary of Reality].

Ignoring my regular income, I continue my work as I look over Burnscar. 'Fixing' her power is no easy feat; unlike with my father, there isn't anything technically wrong with how her brain works; this is how her power is supposed to be.

She's literally addicted to her power, getting depressed and showing withdrawal symptoms whenever she isn't using it, but unlike a regular addiction, this isn't nearly as easy to fix, but that doesn't mean I can't fix her.

[Skills of Miach] alone wouldn't be enough, but with [Earthbones] and my increasing divinity, I can do this. Mimi rises, the infamous villain, Burnscar, staring at me through blank eyes as I get to work, forcing her to use her power so I can study how it affects her brain.

In truth, I do fuck this up a little as I go, changing things too much or making it worse as I experiment on Burnscar with no hesitation. I even give her a Heart-Shaped Herb to connect her to Bastet so the goddess can help me work. The bonuses it gives her won't be enough to save her if she tries anything. She gets one chance, and only one. If she betrays my trust, I'll crush her brain like a rotten grape.

It's a good job that I don't need to sleep anymore, because I just don't have time to lay around for eight hours a day when there's just so much to do. I can't stop Mimi's power from affecting her brain chemistry, but I can change how it affects her mind. It took me a while to decide how best to go about this, but Bastet is the one who eventually gave me the answer.

I hesitate, but her reasoning makes sense because as ridiculous as it is to make her power make her horny, Bastet can help me ensure it works because it is part of her domain. Either way, it's better than her power driving her into a murderous frenzy, and after some more debating with Bastet, I decide she's got a point.

– Mimi (Burnscar) –

Waking up with a gasp, she looked around and almost immediately went to call on her powers before her body locked up.

"No. Sit down; we need to talk first," someone said, her eyes widening as her body forcibly sat down. She didn't need an introduction as Sugar Rush stared at her, though he looked taller than he had in the videos.

"You- it was you who was attacking us," Mimi realised.

"You were coming after me; surely you didn't think I'd just sit there and patiently wait for you to plan my corruption," Sugar Rush scoffed, making her flush. In honesty, she had. It was how it had gone with everyone else, after all. "Allow me to update you on what has happened since I captured you. I have killed all of your former associates, with the single exception of Bonesaw, and I very nearly killed you as well. You are responsible for countless deaths, but I also understand that your power has had an adverse effect on your mind, so I've decided to give you a chance."

Mimi stared in shock and disbelief, but he just smiled grimly, and her mind flashed with visions of the deaths of her comrades. Shuddering, she stared at the cape sitting opposite her, realising just what her victims must have felt when the Nine came to town.

"W-what chance?" Mimi asked, huddling into herself.

"I have altered your power, shifting how it affects your mind. Instead of removing your empathy and impulse control, it now causes arousal when used," Sugar explained, making her blink as he gestured for her to do so. Calling on her flames, she felt her body gain a new type of heat as she blushed slightly, rubbing her thighs together. What was Sugar that he could just decide he was going to change how someone's power worked? "You have four, well, five, choices going forward. One, I can hand you over to the PRT, where Alexandria has assured me that they can have your appearance altered, and you'll debut as a new hero in Los Angeles to make up for your many crimes. You are on your final warning; if you slip, even once, you will be killed."

Sugar's voice held little sympathy, but why would he have sympathy for a member of the Nine? The guilt of her crimes was immense, and no longer could she use her power to dull her emotions and escape from the memories of all those she'd incinerated.

"Secondly, I can return you to the Parahuman Asylum with a limiter put on your powers to prevent any escapes," Sugar continued, but her entire body shuddered at the idea of going back to that place. "Thirdly, you can join Candyland on the same final chance as I previously mentioned. I will be monitoring you closely, and any attempts to go villain again will end long before you can even begin them. Fourth, the Birdcage. A one-way ticket."

"What's the final choice?" Mimi asked, already knowing.

"Death. A swift, painless end. It's the coward's way out, but a way out all the same," Sugar admitted, going quiet as he watched her go over her choices. The Birdcage and the Asylum, she'd rather die than go to either of them… but she didn't want to die. Death scared her despite her having dealt out so much of it over the years.

The PRT or Candyland. Could she really be a hero? After everything she'd done? Sugar said it would be to make up for her countless crimes, maybe- maybe that would assuage the guilt she could no longer dampen.

– Felix Dallon (Sugar Rush) –

I feel somewhat guilty as I give her the illusion of choice because I've made the choice for her. My mental prowess has grown rapidly, and implanting thoughts and guiding her choices is child's play. I can't risk letting her go anywhere; her only real choices are to stay with my group- where I can keep a close eye on her mind at all times- or die. She's a member of the Nine, the Slaughterhouse Nine.

If I let her go to the PRT, and she relapses, people will die before even Alexandria can stop her. Letting Mimi make her own choice and risking the lives of innocent people to rehabilitate a mass murderer versus a little telepathic nudging? The choice is obvious.

This isn't like my brief thought of puppeting Shatterbird for a quick fuck before I put her down; it's not about me getting more points; it's about making sure nobody dies because I decided to give someone a second chance they very well might not deserve.

In truth, I've done some work in her mind, not least of which was removing her friendship with Shatterbird to stop that from becoming an issue. Shatterbird was the only one of the Nine Mimi got along with, but I altered all her memories to remember things differently, having a more distant relationship with Shatterbird, more like what she shared with the other members of the Nine.

Besides, I've found something in her mind that might help me control her without needing to rely on [Moondragon]. She has one person she sees as an actual friend, Elle. Also known as Labyrinth of Faultline's Crew.

Faultline is technically a villain, but she's far more professional and respectable than most. She's a merc through and through, and a quick trip back to the city let me have a peek into that mind of hers, and I found plenty I could use to bring her in line.

"C-can I stay with you? Won't people know I'm Burnscar?" Mimi asks, making me shake my head and send a message.

Amy walks in, giving Burnscar a look before she hides her misapprehensions. Knowing I'm doing this with Triumvirate permission has made Amy relax, but nobody really wants to be near a member of the Nine.

"This is Panacea, and she is going to make some cosmetic adjustments to you, altering your appearance to help distance Mimi from Burnscar," I explain, making Mimi hesitate before she nods. It's almost sad that this depressed, terrified mess has so much blood on her hands. I think I'd have been happier if she was just a monster I could slay.

I don't miss Amy giving me a look, my nearly golden skin and increased height giving me one hell of a change, not to mention the sheer beauty I have gained from becoming Part-Veela. I have a plan for that, but it's not the focus right now as Amy approaches Mimi.

"Panacea? Bonesaw mentioned you…" Mimi admits, and Amy visibly recoils at that simple statement. "She thought you'd make a good member of the Nine."

"What Nine?" Amy replies with a scoff. "For the record, if I was Sugar Rush? I'd have killed you without a moment of hesitation," Amy admits, placing her hand on Mimi's shoulder. Amy doesn't ask for permission or even give Mimi much of a choice in her new look as Amy does her work.

It's similar enough to Mimi's old look, the same short brown hair and pale features, but her hair recovers from how badly it was cut, and her malnourished and drug-ridden body heals with Amy's magic touch. Mimi's scars heal, her features soften as Amy makes Mimi more beautiful, her curves grow as she gains a couple of cup sizes, and her ass becomes a true bubble butt. I hear Amy's thoughts, and how she did it for my enjoyment. She's even made changes to Mimi's internals to make her the perfect cocksleeve, which tells me just how much Bastet is whispering in her ear.

'I have no idea what you're talking about~'

"Burnscar is officially dead, Amy made a fake body, and Alexandria is going to announce your death. You'll lie low in the castle for a while, come up with a new name and then we'll announce you at a later date. Fortunately, pyrokinetic capes are laughably common, so it won't be impossible to pass you off as a new trigger," I say, making Mimi nod hesitantly.

Feat Achieved: Recruit Mimi (Burnscar), 200cp. 400cp needed for [Boundary of Reality].

"R-right," Mimi says, and I relax and remind myself that she won't be rehabilitated if I spend the entire time being a dickhead to her. Reaching up, I unmask and give her a soft smile.

"My name is Felix, and I genuinely hope this is the start of a beautiful friendship. You've done a lot of bad, Mimi, but you've got something that most people don't ever get. A chance to make things right," I say, making her nod. Dragon can keep an eye on her, and we've implanted her with a little bit of Tinkertech that can neutralise her if she tries anything. I've taken every precaution with Mimi; all that's left is to give her enough rope. Either she'll pull herself out of the pit she's dug for herself, or she'll hang herself with it.

"I-I'm Mimi, but you already knew that," Mimi says quietly, making me smile at her gently.

– Later –

Bonesaw is going to take a lot more work than Mimi to fix because Jack did a number on her, and I can't just remove all her memories because then she'd be back to being a child with no idea of where her family went. For now, she remains asleep while I settle Burnscar in.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," I say, making my guest nod as she admires the grandiose meeting room. Faultline looks at me with some caution. Labyrinth, Newter, Spitfire and Gregor sit next to her, but we all know the power balance here despite me being outnumbered.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect to hear from the Endbringer-slayer himself," Faultline says, making me smile. "In truth, we've been debating just leaving Brockton Bay. We are technically villains, and well… we don't want to step on any toes that could step on us and crush us entirely."

She means it; she's a very pragmatic woman and finds the idea of being targeted by Candyland very unpleasant.

"I'm aware," I say with a smile. "As you likely know, my clinic and cafe are going to be opening soon, and I've decided to approach you to offer my services, not to run you out," I admit, making her pause.

"Your services? I can't deny that I was interested in your buffs, but I didn't think you sold to villains," Faultline says, making me chuckle.

"You misunderstand. I'm offering my services in your quest for a cure and an answer towards the Case 53 situation and to examine Labyrinth and see if I can help her regain a little more lucidity," I say, seeing them all freeze up except for Labyrinth herself. "Unlike Panacea, I can do brains, and I'm getting rather good at them."

"You think you can do something about Case 53s?" Newter asks, making me smile.

"I've recently learnt how to somewhat modify powers as I helped another cape whose power was seriously harming their mind. I can't guarantee that I can do anything immediately but with my rapidly growing powers? Even if I can't help now, I will be able to cure you in time," I say with such confidence that they can't refuse my words. "But even if I can't fix your bodies yet, your minds are a different matter entirely. Your memories aren't completely gone, just… hidden away, and I'm very good with memories."

That gets both Gregor and Newter's undivided attention, making me smile softly. I am not foolish enough to expose Cauldron, not yet, but as we've been speaking, I've been rooting around in Newter and Gregor's heads and while the Slug did good work in editing their brains…

I'm better. I've found their memories, and while I have edited out the memories of their visit to Cauldron, the rest is still there, ready to be unleashed.

"So, what do you want? I doubt I've made as much in my entire career as you did in a single day. The Nine and Behemoth combined should have your great-grandchildren living comfortably, and that's not mentioning anything else you've got going on," Faultline finally says, making me grin as she gets to the point.

"What I want is to hire your group on a long-term basis," I explain, making her pause. "I assure you, I can more than match your usual rates, and the employee benefits are substantial."

"Hire us for what? We don't normally do jobs in Brockton Bay," Fauntline replies, making me grin.

"But there can always be exceptions. I want you to join the good guys. Villains won't be tolerated in Brockton Bay soon, and I want your team to serve as peacekeepers alongside my growing robotic forces. Your job will simply be to help ensure Brockton Bay remains villain-free once I finish with the Empire and the ABB."

"You sound confident that you can handle Lung and Kaiser," Faultline comments, though she doesn't sound surprised.

"I could end Kaiser with a single phone call. Lung? He's going to be a bit more complicated, but I assure you… he's less durable than Behemoth. If it comes to that, I will end him, and nobody will mourn him," I say coldly. "If I fail to take out the Empire and ABB, we can call our contract null and void, and you get to leave with Labyrinth's mind in better shape, along with Gregor and Newter's memories, while not having to do anything. Alternatively. if you do not wish to do business, I'd advise you to leave."

"Why do I get the feeling you don't mean Brockton Bay?" Gregor asks, making me smile grimly.

"I am very strong. Brockton Bay will be villain-free by the end of the week. Do you think I'm just going to sit on my hands once that's done? If you stay as villains, we will fight eventually, and you will lose. You are leaving villainy; whether it's retirement or to join my employ is up to you," I say simply. "You are free to leave and continue your mercenary ways, but know that I won't hesitate when the time comes."

They share some looks, a silent conversation between Faultline and Gregor before Faultline turns back to me.

"May we have some time to discuss this?" Faultline asks, making me nod.

"Of course. There is one last thing before I'll leave you to decide. I have recently recruited a former patient from the same Asylum that Elle once attended, which is partially why I approached you now instead of waiting until after I have dealt with Kaiser and Lung. Mimi misses Elle, and I believe that it would be good for Mimi to be reunited with her. I will do my best to heal Elle regardless of your decision," I explain, making Faultline freeze.

Elle looks up, but she's having a bad day, and her entire mind is focused on not using her power.

"Mimi… Burnscar?" Faultline asks.

"Mimi's power drove her to commit her acts, and when it came time to decide her fate, I decided to give her a chance. I modified her power so that it no longer removes her empathy and impulse control, and she will be joining Candyland on a probationary status. Alexandria has agreed to this, and you will keep her identity a secret," I order, seeing Faultline hesitate. I know that revealing Mimi has given her second thoughts, but the temptation that I'm offering is too much for her to truly turn me down. "If you'd like, I can see what I can do to help Elle while you discuss matters. I don't believe she is going to be much help in making a decision, is she?"

"Spitfire, go with Elle," Faultline finally orders, making the silent Spitfire nod. I can tell that she's the newest member without needing to look into her mind, and Spitfire is currently in shock because she was homeless a month ago; now, she's sitting opposite the Endbringer slayer himself. The fact that I want to hire her, even if it's as part of a group, has her dumbfounded at how her luck has changed.

– Melanie Fitts (Faultline) –

The truth was, the moment Sugar Rush had put the memories on the table, he'd had them by the balls and he knew it. Videos didn't do Sugar justice. The fucker was easily seven-feet tall and just radiated power, and she knew she very much didn't want to find herself on the other end of that power.

The simple fact was that she'd only asked for time so as to not look too eager because she didn't even need to discuss it with Newter and Gregor to know that they wanted this. Switching sides wasn't exactly how she saw things going, but when your city gets its own Triumvirate-tier cape, things had to change, and her group could either change with them or get swept away.

The discussion was short, even if they dragged it out to buy time, enjoying the snacks and drinks that Sugar had supplied. In truth, they would essentially be hired muscle, not heroes. Corporate capes working to keep Brockton Bay villain-clean. She could work with that if it got her closer to her goal.

As Sugar returned, she immediately noticed a change in Elle. Elle wasn't shrinking into herself, instead looking around with a small smile.

"Did it work?" Newter asked, making Sugar chuckle.

"Somewhat. This was only the first session, and all I really did was start to separate her power from her mental state and give her a little more control," Sugar admitted, making Melanie share another look with Gregor. "Have you come to a decision?"

"We have. If you are able to restore Newter and Gregor's memories as you claim, we'll do it," Melanie explained, making Sugar nod.

"Of course. As I said, I'm very good with memories. You may want to brace yourselves; I worked out how to release the locks on your memories during our earlier conversation," Sugar said, walking around the table and placing his hand on Newter's shoulder. Unaffected by Newter's poison, Sugar did something, and Newter immediately gasped as his eyes widened. Sugar moved on, doing the same to Gregor before stepping back. "Give them a moment; the rush of memories can be rather intense."

"Fuck," Newter cursed, his face pale and a cold sweat covering him.

"Ah, you caught up? Yes, the circumstances that led to you becoming a Case 53 were rather dark. I'm sorry, I should have warned you, but any warning wouldn't have quite prepared you for that, would it?" Sugar asked.

"It worked?" Melanie asked, shocked despite Sugar's assurances that he could do it.

"It did," Gregor said, slumping in his seat with a faraway look. "I have a daughter. I had a daughter; I don't know what happened to her."

"Hmm, I don't think I currently have a way to find the world you came from, Gregor, but again, I suspect that I will be able to handle something as small as that eventually," Sugar said, rubbing his chin. "I think I'll have something soon, in fact."

Faultline looked between the two dumbstruck Case 53s and the amused Sugar Rush, gulping slightly as it finally truly became clear just how powerful he really was. He seemed to think he'd be able to do anything soon enough, and she was starting to believe him.

"Then congratulations, you just gained the best cape mercenaries in America on retainer- once we've hashed out the numbers, of course," Melanie stated, making him grin. Sugar Rush was a very dangerous person to have as an enemy, but something told her that he was very good to his employees. Plus, it'd be nice to be on the same side as Dragon instead of having to work around her.

Shaking hands with the large demi-god of a man, she looked between Elle, Newter and Gregor with a small smile. This wasn't perfect, but for the first time since she'd started this quest, she had actual results, and maybe Newter or Gregor remembered something that could lead them to the answer she was looking for.

– Felix Dallon (Sugar Rush) –

Feat Achieved: Recruit Faultline, 100cp. Recruit Gregor, 100cp. Recruit Newter, 100cp. Recruit Labyrinth, 100cp. Recruit Spitfire, 100cp. Return Gregor and Newter's Memories, 200cp. 700cp gained. 400cp spent to unlock [Boundary of Reality]. 300cp remaining.

It was actually [Farsight] that pointed me to Faultline as part of the path to ensure that Brockton Bay is made villain-free and actually stays that way. There's a lot more to do, but this is just the start. Elle is also part of the path to help Mimi be rehabilitated, even if Elle herself is very hesitant since their 'friendship' was mostly one-sided, but she's willing to at least meet with Mimi.

With my new power, multiversal travel is laughably easy. All I have to do is change the boundary between whoever wants to travel and wherever they want to go. I could change the boundary between Gregor and 'home' and have him back within his original world in an instant.

I could also change the boundary between Lung and a Black Hole, but maybe let's practise with something a little safer before I do anything too risky with my new, very powerful ability.

[Rod of Asclepius] - 300cp, 0cp remaining.

An ancient and potent artefact. This golden rod is imbued with incredibly powerful restorative magic. By simply channelling magic through it, even a novice magician would be able to heal nearly any physical or spiritual malady short of death. It is also bound to you, meaning it can be summoned with a thought.

A rod that lets a novice do what I can do? Well, I can't wait to see what I can do with it then because I can tell that it works well with both my [Paladin] spells and my Skills of [Miach].

Faultline takes over as we discuss numbers because, at their core, they are still mercenaries, but I am laughably rich, and Dragon has assured me that even with just the basic materials from my [Mundane Supply World, she can make us a massive profit. She's already started scanning with the Omnitool Scanner and finding the good stuff, getting ready to have the Machine army start their mining operations. The constant supply of gold and gemstones for my Vault will be helpful in the long run as well.

Basically, money is never going to be a problem with Dragon already looking into mining asteroids with no Simurgh inside my pocket universe, an entire infinite galaxy that I alone have the material rights to.

— Quest Section —

Should Felix use Boundary Control to allow Gregor to go back to his original world?

Yes

No

Author's Note: I'll be honest, this heat is kicking my ass. I find it harder to write when it's hot. Autumn can't come soon enough.

Beans' Note: Bro, it was so hot the day you wrote this, UK aint built for this

Written: 13/08/2024

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The Advance Chapters

Diamond: The High Roller Ch07, The Celestial Remnant Ch09, The Celestial Professor Ch04, The Gambler Ch14

Plat: The Illusive Mage Ch08, The Supervillain Ch28, Guide to Conquest Ch09,

Gold: The Cursed Ch05, Sorcerer's Legacy Ch09,

Basic: The Planeswalker Ch09

Quest: The Celestial Roulette Ch24-26, The Celestial Inquisitor Ch01-02

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