The High Roller, Chapter 08: Aftermath

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 Marethyu, Priapus, Mike God of Lore

The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller

Chapter 08: Aftermath

– Amelia Lavere –

As much as she wanted to hate Sebastian for 'making her a villain', she just couldn't. Sure, he'd admitted that he was poking the Empire to see what they'd do, which had led to her kidnapping, that he'd known where she'd been the entire time and was just watching to see what she'd do…

But it was her that had caused the S-Class Crisis that had enveloped a good part of Brockton Bay before the PRT had managed to stop it. She had killed thousands in a fit of rage and despair. 

Sebastian's stopping of the crisis she'd caused was enough to put her in his debt, and that was before he'd brought back Vicky for her. She owed him everything, and in truth… throwing away the facade of Panacea just felt right.

She didn't want to ever go to a hospital again, not now that she'd truly started to use her powers.

She meant it when she promised Sebastian that if he brought back Vicky, she'd become whatever he wanted her to be. His villain, his monster, or just his toy. If he'd decided she was going to be chained up as his little sex-slave, she'd have done it to save Vicky.

Laying on her new bed, she let out a moan as her hands gripped the hair of the head that was currently nestled between her thighs, naked and sweaty from the exertion. As she moaned, her sign-on bonus obediently ate her out with vigour.

Vicky stared up at her, beautiful blue eyes filled with lust as the replica of her sister obeyed her orders. This was so wrong, but what did it matter anymore? She was so past the point of wrongness now that it didn't matter at all.

When he'd suggested that they use his power to give her a copy of Vicky, she'd tried to refuse, but Sebastian had a way with words. She'd spent so long trying to deny what she was that having someone gently coax her true self into the light was far too tempting.

Replication clones were normally mindless, but that was where her power came in. The clone was biological; it had a brain, so why wouldn't she be able to make her own personal Vicky exactly as she wanted it?

Every boundary she had once tried to follow, every rule she'd stuck to, was tossed to the side now. As Vicky's unnaturally long tongue explored her pussy, she prayed that the real Vicky never learnt of this, but she was past the point of pretending that she didn't want this.

The world had seen her for the monster she was, their endless expectations replaced with dread and accusations. But, despite the horror, she felt so damn good. Her Vicky was her test subject, who she could alter without a care or any risk, and Sebastian had encouraged her to experiment, while Carol had demanded that she only ever heal.

Sebastian was the devil on her shoulder, but every time she gave in and pushed herself a little further, it felt so damn good. It felt right.

Plus, the guilt from not healing was gone because Panacea still lived. Sebastian had given the heroes their Panacea, a mindless slave who would heal all day without rest and never give in to temptation. Panacea would do what the world demanded of her, but she wasn't Panacea anymore.

That title, those responsibilities, all fell on the shoulders of someone else now.

She'd seen people online saying she'd sold herself to Sebastian, and they weren't wrong. She was his now; she might as well wear a collar around her neck that announced her as his property, but if she was a slave to a villain, then why did she feel so free? 

Being Panacea was a worse slavery than belonging to Sebastian, and the benefits of her new position were far better. As Amelia Lavere, she'd never been freer. How he'd known her true parentage, she didn't know, but Sebastian seemed to know far too much about everyone. It didn't feel right to call herself Dallon anymore, not that she'd ever felt like a Dallon to begin with.

Flipping them over, she smirked down at her Vicky with a lustful look in her eyes, her hands running along the curvy body of her beautiful sister.

"Who do you belong to?" Amy demanded, slapping Vicky's breast as her pet blushed and mewled. Her Vicky was perfect, in mind and body. Not that Amy hadn't made more and more modifications to her for Amy's own pleasure.

"Y-you, mistress," Vicky's voice replied, filled with need and lust as Amy smirked, silencing her words by sitting on Vicky's face.

Villainy felt so damn right.

– Ophelia Herren (Othala) –

When Sebastian put a bounty on Hookwolf, she knew that Brad was going to die. She also didn't care because, allies aside, Brad was a monster, and everyone knew it. He was Kaiser's attack dog, nothing more.

But then Sebastian told her that Victor had killed Brad, and her hope skyrocketed. The Empire was dead, but Victor was going to free her, and they could leave this place and be together.

Right?

Throughout her time with Sebastian, she clung to the fact that she was keeping Victor alive. It was all that kept her going when Sebastian decided he wanted her body; her obedience meant Victor would survive while the gang was destroyed. She'd given up the Empire and her pride to protect Victor, so the fact that he was going to free her had filled her heart with love. Sebastian had soiled her body, using her for his own sick pleasure, but he couldn't touch her heart; her feelings for Victor were unchanged. She loved Victor, and it made anything Sebastian did to her worth it. It was what she told herself when Sebastian was on top of her to ward off the shame and degradation. It was all worth it because it would save her love.

It was amazing how quickly love could turn to hate as she listened to the recording of Victor's meeting with Sebastian, tears ruining her make-up.

She'd given up everything to keep him safe, and he'd tossed her aside. She'd known Victor still had feelings for her late cousin, that she was the second choice after his first love had died… but she'd been sure he loved her.

Maybe he did, but the chance to see his first, his true love again was too much for him to resist. He had the opportunity to save her and chose another woman instead. Sebastian had even told Victor that she'd protected him, and on the recording, she watched the moment of indecision cross Victor's face as he stood before Sebastian with two bodies.

Then, he spat on her sacrifice and love, asking for the corpse of her cousin to be returned to life. The prize for Brad's head. She wanted to claim it was fake, but she wasn't so naive. Sebastian didn't lie; he omitted the truth and used his silvered words to deceive people with the truth, but he never lied. 

Victor had chosen to leave her in the hands of another man. Dinah had even told her that there was a 93% chance that Victor would have her legally divorced by the end of the month so that he could marry her cousin. Everything she'd done to try to make him happy, everything she'd sacrificed to keep him safe, and his gratitude came in the form of a divorce so that she could be replaced.

"Whatever you want, I'll do it willingly, eagerly," Ophelia swore, making Sebastian raise an eyebrow. "Please, do this for me, and I'll never complain again. I know I'm already yours, but if you do this for me, you'll have my loyalty, not just my obedience."

"95% chance she's telling the truth. 2.4% chance she ever betrays you if you fulfil her request," Dinah said without needing prompting, making Sebastian ruffle her hair. As Sebastian sat on his throne, Dinah was sitting on its arm, dressed in a pure-white Grecian dress, like the oracles of old.

Of course, Sebastian had one of the rooms altered into a throne room to celebrate his victory, the only crime lord remaining in Brockton Bay. 

"Othala will go to the reformed Empire to assist Eleanor in her task," Sebastian finally said, making Iron Rain smile from her position by his side. "But you will remain with me forever. A life for a life."

"Deal," Ophelia agreed, hatred and rage burning in her chest in a way she'd never felt for anyone. She told herself that she hated Sebastian when he took his liberties with her, but she hadn't understood hate. Now, she did. "Kill that bastard, and I'm yours."

"And your cousin?" Sebastian asked, making her hesitate.

"Her only crime was dying. She had nothing to do with this," Ophelia reluctantly admitted, making him smile proudly at her.

"Lee, see it done," Sebastian ordered, making Oni Lee bow deeply. "Lisa, support him."

"He won't live to see tomorrow," The Oni promised. It was done. She'd called a hit on her own husband. He deserved it. "Quick or slow?"

Oni Lee directed that at her, making her eyes widen for a moment as she understood the question. Sebastian waited for her to make up her mind, and that recording played again in her mind. Everything she went through to save Victor flashed through her mind, his words stabbing into her heart as Victor tossed her aside like trash.

"Slow."

Oni nodded once, marching out of the throne room to kill Victor. Maybe she'd regret it when she calmed down; perhaps she'd look back at this as the worst mistake of her life, but right now, it just felt so right.

He would suffer like she was suffering. Only the dagger in his back would be more literal.

"Eleanor, take Othala. She'll be useful for your faction. Continue preparing for the invasion," Sebastian ordered, making Iron Rain bow, her movement noticeably far less deep than Oni Lee's. 

The throne room emptied, with Lisa leaving to help coordinate the assassination and invasion plans, leaving her, Sebastian and Dinah in the room.

"63% chance you'll get over Victor within the year," Dinah helpfully added, making her blink. "85% you'll get over him within five years."

"Will I regret having him… making this deal?" Ophelia asked, watching Dinah lose focus for a moment.

"17.52% chance you'll regret it," Dinah replied, smiling impishly as she leaned up and whispered something into Sebastian's ear. His eyebrow rose before he chuckled.

"Ophelia, you promised me your loyal and eager obedience. It's time to prove your words. Come here," Sebastian ordered, making her finally rise from where she'd been kneeling and approach his throne. 

As she got closer, at his gesture, he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, making her squeak in surprise. She didn't wear underwear under her maid outfit, she wasn't allowed to, so as he undid his pants and fished out his cock, nothing was protecting her pussy from his manhood, her pussy rubbing against his shaft. She glanced at where Dinah was still lounging on the arm of the overly large throne, confused and a little put off by the younger girl's presence.

"Ride me," Sebastian ordered, and she knew better than to defy him, even with the audience. Every time Sebastian had claimed her pussy before, it had been him setting the pace, him claiming her.

This time, she grasped his shaft and lifted her hips before she dropped herself onto his length. He wasn't taking her body this time; she was giving it. The price for Victor's life, as she started to move her hips.

His hands came to her waist before sliding up to cup her breasts, pulling her dress down enough to expose her boobs for his enjoyment. His large hands groped her breasts, tweaking her nipples as she moved her hips with increasing fervour.

"Kiss him," Dinah ordered, making Ophelia flush as she looked at Sebastian. He just raised an eyebrow, making her meekly lean in and press her lips against his. They'd never kissed before, but she was his now. It was silly to get embarrassed over a kiss when he had pounded her pussy multiple times.

Even now, his fat cock was splitting her teenage pussy in two as she bounced on his shaft. His mouth muffled her moans, his beard tickling her as his hands moved to her ass.

As they continued, she deepened the kiss and her movements became more passionate. Sebastian couldn't replace the hole Victor had left in her heart; their relationship was completely different, but maybe that could be enough to mask the pain.

She could feel the way he was getting ready to burst, and she tried to pull herself off his cock, but his hands came to her hips and pushed her back down. Every time he'd finished inside her had felt like a betrayal before, having her married womb flooded with another man's cum, but this time she just nodded hesitantly as she sped up. Her own breathing became unsteady, panting as her climax approached, and as she slammed down on his cock, she felt him unload his seed into her.

With a cry, she climaxed as her master pumped his seed into her pussy, every thrust erasing Victor's taint as he painted her insides white. She collapsed against him, head on his shoulder. 

"53.51% chance you're pregnant," Dinah added, making Ophelia jump. She'd forgotten the little demon was still there, a smug smile on Dinah's face. Her eyes flickered down to where Dinah's white oracle dress was hiked up before she decided she didn't want to think about that. Ophelia blanched as she registered Dinah's words, her hand going to her stomach. "97.34% chance you get over Victor if you have Sebastian's child. 94.23% chance you become happy in your new life."

Ophelia went silent, her mind racing. She'd lost her husband, been betrayed and left behind, so she needed something new to fill that void. It couldn't be Sebastian, but maybe it could be their child.

Happiness felt so far away, but Dinah's words gave her some secret hope. Things would be okay, eventually. The Empire was dead, Victor would soon follow, and she doubted the clans would last much longer either. Sebastian had won, and she knew she was one of the spoils of war as she moved to her knees and slowly serviced him, cleaning their mixed juices from his shaft with increasing eagerness.

This was her life now, but perhaps she could grow to be happy here? 

Well, she was 94.23% sure she could, at any rate. 

– Dinah Alcott –

She had a new favourite game.

Making up numbers.

Sebastian knew she lied to basically everyone who asked her for numbers, but he found it just as funny as she did. It was fascinating how she could alter the real numbers by lying to them. A single number from her could change the future, and that was true power.

Ophelia had a fairly low chance of being happy here but being told that she was basically guaranteed to be happy made the actual number rise considerably. Ophelia was convinced that she was destined to become happy, so it made it more likely that she would.

Plus, she could ask her clone for the probability that her lying would make matters worse, which would make the odds better that her game only made things better for her and Sebby. She was the King's Oracle, but only the King deserved a truthful answer out of her.

Well, the King and Alice, who had quickly become her friend. Though, she often had to lie to Alice to keep her safe. If Alice heard that there was a 40% chance something would blow up in her face, she saw that as good odds, but if she were told that the odds were closer to 80%, then Alice would instead try to improve her projects and therefore reduce the odds of it going wrong even further.

When Alice got told she'd reduced the odds of something going wrong from 80% to 10% instead of the actual 42% to 21%, Alice was too proud and smug to question it. Of course, that didn't stop Alice from blowing up several clones a week, but it was better than the alternative.

Watching as Sebastian worked hard to increase the probability of Ophelia's pregnancy, Dinah smiled impishly. Life was good for the King's Oracle. 

– Victoria Dallon (Glory Girl) –

Amy had sold herself to a villain.

That simple fact still hurt every time she heard it because she knew that it was her fault. The crisis that had claimed thousands of lives was her fault. Amy's kidnapping was her fault. Her own death was her fault.

How could it not be?

It had been her job to look after Amy, to watch her for any attempt at things like this… but she'd let herself get distracted, trying to flirt with Dean to take her mind off things. They'd been at school. It was a normal day, like a thousand before it. Amy should have been fine. Should. But she'd taken her eyes off Amy, and when she'd looked back… Amy had been gone.

Amy had been tortured because she'd let herself get complacent. When they'd seen footage of Amy after the crisis, her sister had been utterly naked, bruised and bloodied, just wandering around the hellscape with a lost look on her face. Amy went through hell because she didn't do her fucking job.

And then, when the Empire had attacked her, she'd died because she'd hesitated. She'd gone to punch someone and just frozen. For a moment, the image of Sebastian exploding into a cloud of gore had crossed her mind, the way she'd had to pick pieces of him out of her hair, and she froze. She'd also been tired from pushing herself so hard looking for Amy. She'd refused to take a break, even when she wasn't there mentally.

She'd had no place in a cape fight in the mental state she'd been in. Dean had told her that. Her parents had told her that, but she'd pushed on anyway and died because of it. And then, her death had been the final straw that had broken Amy.

The Empire tortured Amy, brutally. They held her for days, doing who knows what to her. They probably raped her sister, given that Amy was naked during the crisis. But Amy had endured. She'd pushed through and withstood their brutality like a true fucking hero. No, once again, it was Vicky that was the problem. It was her death that broke Amy.

Amy had snapped because the Empire had killed her, and everything had gone far more wrong. Amy didn't mean to cause all that chaos, that destruction, but nobody cared that it was an accident, a Second Trigger. Nobody cared about the hell that Amy had been through. They just saw Amy as a monster who had been hiding her darkness all this time.

They wanted to Birdcage Amy, to throw her away because of something she couldn't control. It didn't matter that this was all the Empire's fault. Amy was the scary Biokinetic who could make plagues and monsters, and she needed to be dealt with. After years of work, and tens of thousands of lives saved, the world wanted Amy dead. Not even a hint of gratitude for Amy's tireless work. If anyone had earned the benefit of the doubt, it was Panacea. Hearing people call for her head made Vicky hate them, in ways she didn't think she could.

People who Amy had saved were crying out for Panacea to be Birdcaged because they'd been touched by a big, bad Biokinetic. It didn't matter that Amy had saved them. She was basically Nilbog, right? She heard a classmate who Amy had healed from being a fucking cripple talk shit about Amy, and she was damn near ready to re-cripple the fucking bitch. Dean had to pull her away.

And finally, Amy had sold her soul to the devil to save her. Sebastian had swooped in like the scheming vulture he was, offering Amy a way to save her idiot, worthless sister and Amy, sweet, vulnerable Amy, had taken the bait. Sebastian had happily announced his latest member, the biokinetic formerly known as Panacea, Amelia Lavere, the daughter of Marquis.

That the PRT had been given their own Panacea just made things worse. She'd seen that empty-eyed clone of Amy, practically a slave that would follow any order the Chief Director gave it. It unnerved her like nothing else ever could. 

New Wave was probably doomed. Amy's reputation had given them a lot to work with, and now that reputation had turned to infamy? Plus, half the team didn't even patrol anymore. Amy was what had kept them going; she was the only real hero they'd had, and without her, they were falling to pieces. 

Not that Vicky was trying to fix it. When she thought of putting on her costume and going out as Glory Girl again… she saw the gore in her mind; she felt Fog's power tearing her apart from the inside, and she just couldn't. Something inside her was broken, and she didn't know how to fix it.

After all her failures, could she even pretend to be Glory Girl anymore?

Looking down at the tiara in her hand, she glared at it. As if this stupid thing alone wasn't proof of how immature Vicky was. Flying around, pretending she was a hero, all while wearing a fucking princess tiara? With a growl, she crushed and warped the metal in her hands, tossing it aside.

But Amy was out there, somewhere. Amy had sold herself to Sebastian to save her. She couldn't leave her sister in the hands of that madman. Amy had gone from one hell right into another, owned by a deranged villain. Who knew what Sebastian planned for her sister? Who knew what Amy was going through right now while she sat around feeling sorry for herself?

– Amelia Lavere –

Humming to herself, she looked around her lab with a wide, maybe slightly crazed, smile. Sebastian worked fast. She had to admit, the employee benefits of villainy were pretty damn nice.

All her life, she'd done nothing but heal, but Sebastian didn't want a healer. Or, he didn't just want a healer. He told her that she had so much potential, and having her waste it just to play healer was ridiculous.

He was mad. Only a true lunatic would look at someone as terrible as her and see opportunity, but she'd known what she'd been signing up for. As long as she served Sebastian, Vicky would live. No matter what happened, Vicky would be brought back if the worst happened, and she wouldn't be targeted by Sebastian's rapidly growing organisation. Even if Vicky died from anything else, Sebastian would bring her back as part of Amelia's 'employee benefits'. 

But, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she wanted this. After so many years of being denied, her power was singing to her. The Genie couldn't be put back inside the bottle. She couldn't go back to just healing. All the possibilities that she had ignored, the options she had that she'd desperately pretended she couldn't do… 

She could create fruits that would cure world hunger, growing to full size in a matter of hours and enough to fill a man's belly. She could make a 'virus' that would spread throughout the world and cure cancer or Alzheimer's, or any other disease for that matter, all while being utterly safe. 

She'd even thought about it before but silenced those thoughts. How many cancer patients had Panacea healed over the years? How many more had she let die just to avoid temptation? 

She feared their cries of 'bio-tinker' and hated the idea of being compared to Nilbog or Bonesaw. But she wasn't like them, she wasn't so damn limited. They were pathetic compared to her, and it was finally time to admit it. 

She could have ended cancer years ago, but she didn't. Every person who died from it died because she let herself be beaten down and intimidated into not reaching her full potential. It wasn't her fault, but it was true. Sebastian was right about her potential, even if she didn't trust herself with all this power. But maybe, just maybe, she could trust him with it. For all his madness, there was a strange wisdom, and his words sounded so sweet.

She could cure old age itself, the biggest villain in the world, killing more than the Slaughterhouse Nine could ever hope to. But had she even tried? No, because she'd let herself be convinced to limit herself out of Carol's fear that she'd lose herself to temptation. Well, she was good and lost now. She hadn't just stepped off the path of heroism. She'd fallen off the map entirely, and here there be dragons.

Dressed in her lab coat (and nothing else), she looked over at her assistant and grinned at the sight of 'Vicky' bending over to get something, the tiny nurse outfit barely covering anything, before she shook her head. Focus, Amelia. Playtime could wait.

She hesitated as she entered her 'operating theatre', seeing the man strapped to the table. An empire thug, one she even recognised. Maybe it was Sebastian showing her just how closely he'd been watching her, but she remembered this man's leers and taunts, the beatings and electrocution, the knife on her skin as she screamed and cried.

Gagged as he was, he could only struggle on the table, but her hesitation faded as she thought back to how they'd treated her. She could still feel the phantom pains, both from the torture and the… soreness she awoke to.

She hadn't asked Sebastian if she'd actually been raped in her sleep because she liked to try and convince herself that she had misunderstood why her ass and pussy felt so sore. She didn't want to hear him confirm her suspicions. If she never asked, she could delude herself. Right?

She had dealt with far too many rape victims in her time as Panacea. She knew the signs. She knew what that soreness meant, the internal bruising. Somebody, maybe even multiple people, had violated her as she lay there, drugged and helpless. She would never know who took her virginity, both vaginal and anal. She had no way of knowing how long she was unconscious, how many had taken advantage of her defenceless state. Had it been a single thug seeing an opportunity? Had she been asleep for days, being passed around like a party favour? She didn't know, she didn't want to know.

The Empire had beaten, tortured and almost certainly raped her. This slime had taken part in her hell. Maybe he'd even been the one to leave that disgusting soreness inside her. He'd never hidden his enjoyment, the leers at her breasts and pussy, the crude taunts. He enjoyed her screams. Maybe he had been the one to take her virginity as her eyes moved to his exposed manhood. Perhaps he was her rapist. She hoped he was. He'd only survived her moment of insanity because he happened to be away during her incident. 

Why should she hesitate now that the roles were reversed? They didn't hesitate to make her suffer. They took joy in it. Her reluctance faded, hatred filling her gaze as she looked down at him. His struggles increased, seeing the rage in her eyes. He knew he was doomed. Good.

Well, it wasn't an equal exchange. They tortured her out of greed and pettiness at her refusal. She was using this scum as a test subject for ideas that could save millions. Sebastian wanted to use her in her entirety. All her potential, at his disposal. 

She expected Sebastian to claim her body at some point, but when she was already used, she didn't care. Sebastian could have her body; she might even enjoy it. Maybe she'd offer her body to him when she approached him and asked him to bring back Fleur, but she didn't want to push her luck and hadn't broached the subject yet.

Sebastian was truly mad, but maybe she was a little mad, too, as she reached forward and gently stroked her hand along her patient's face. 

"You should be proud. Today, you're going to play a part, however minor, in advancing the human race. Many will live because of what we do here today," Amelia purred, the man struggling against his restraints. "But you won't, you're going to die here… eventually. And they'll never even know your name."

With a single touch, the man gained every type of cancer she had ever encountered, all sped up by her power as it ravaged his body. 

"Nurse, scalpel," Amelia ordered, the man's eyes widening as Vicky happily brought her the requested tool. His struggling intensified as she moved further down the table, putting on a pair of surgical gloves. She didn't need all of him, and a certain part of his body was offending her.

Amelia smiled, getting to work. Unlike her patient, she found that she didn't enjoy screams. Fortunately, Vicky helpfully put some music on as they worked toward a better future.

– Sebastian Fairfax –

As Amelia gets to work, I chuckle to myself. Suppressed as she was, it is no wonder that she is rushing down the path I've laid for her.

Starting her on a more benevolent project with subjects she won't mind experimenting on will be a good start to my Royal Physician's career. In time, she will make me monsters, weapons of war, but letting her begin with something hero-adjacent is a good start. Amelia is a true miracle worker, held back by cowardice and suspicion. She will thrive here.

Feats Achieved: Turn Panacea to villainy (two rolls). Give Victoria Dallon Super-PTSD (one roll). Destroy New Wave (two rolls). Five rolls granted.

Ah, the Empire gave me a truly powerful agent with their desperation, didn't they? Her fury is something to behold as her hesitation fades, and she turns her test subject into a petri dish for every disease under the sun. 

I do not lie. One day, maybe she will ask me if the Empire thugs raped her, but not any time soon. [Injury Redistribution] is a useful little trick because it can capture more than just the direct injury.

The soreness Amelia felt belonged to Othala after a particularly rough night, saved and given to Amelia as she woke up from the drugging. I have no doubt Amelia would have been raped, but Krieg put a stop to it out of fear of what Amelia could do. He feared that she'd wake up with even a drop of semen inside her and twist it into a bioweapon. He was right to fear her, but it didn't save his life.

The Empire is dead, and now all that is left is to mop up their allies. Iron Rain is planning her attack on the Herren Clan; they will bend the knee or be eradicated. Soon enough, the Gesellschaft will follow suit. I won't tolerate the Clan living so close to my city.

And it is my city now, as much as the PRT tries to deny it. Brockton Bay is mine, with my underlings ruling parts of it in my stead. The PRT can make whatever claims they want, but while they can verbally deny my control, their wallets speak a different story as they come to me for powers. If I demanded that they leave my city, they would. They value my powers far more than they value Brockton Bay. 

Rolling. Results: Mythical Power, Uncommon Perk, Rare Perk, Rare Astral Plane, Epic Power

[Tinker Specialisation: Time] - Mythical

Your Tinker power allows you to manipulate time on a localised scale. You can create devices that alter the flow of time, either speeding it up or slowing it down within a specific area or for specific objects. This power can be utilised for a variety of purposes, including time-based weaponry, time machines, time-limited force fields, or time-accelerated manufacturing processes. 

Ooh, how interesting. I don't waste my time Tinkering much, but I'm sure Alice will appreciate her new power. I may give this to some of my Toybox allies, but I don't think I'll be selling this one.

[Lightning Reflexes] - Uncommon

You have incredible reflexes, on par with a master martial artist.

Now this, this I can sell. Every cape in the world could benefit from this.

[The Learner​] - Rare

You've got a lot to learn. You learn new things ten times as fast until you reach what would be considered an average level of proficiency. You also get a flat ×2 multiplier for any form of learning or training that you do. You can also learn the innate traits of other beings, although it will be harder to do so than normal.

Another brilliant one to sell, beyond being very useful for both myself and my followers. 

[Building: Arena] - Rare

A coliseum capable of spawning copies of any enemy you have battled, any injuries that are taken while fighting within the arena are only temporary and even death will be healed upon the end of the fight.

Sending a note to Eleanor to have her test this, I chuckle. It'll be good to get my troops combat experience for the battles still to come.

[Wonderland] - Epic

You can alter the properties of the world, making concrete act like putty, giving life to inanimate objects, and reshaping the material world to your whims. You can alter the look, colour, texture, shape and whatever else you wish for anything not alive.

I think I'll keep this one to myself as I take a run and leap into the wall of my mansion. Immediately, I bounce off the stone wall and then off the formerly hard floor. It isn't long until Dinah joins me in turning the mansion into a bouncy castle, much to our enjoyment.

Still, I have to stop before long because I have work to do.

You see, this world has a 'main character', and I find the fact that she isn't me extremely offensive. Taylor stopped being the protagonist the moment I arrived, but it won't be official until she submits to me.

But while breaking her and making her serve the true main character would be all too easy, she is so weak at the moment. I could walk up to her and offer to restore her mother to life in exchange for her service, and she'd drop to her knees in supplication.

She needs to reach her potential so that when I beat her and make her bend the knee, it will be a true victory. For her to be a worthy opponent, I need to first make her trigger.

Chuckling to myself, I go through the thousands of messages of people desperate for my services and find the one I'm looking for.

Emma Barnes made Khepri once; she will do so again. 

It's time I got the Queen to start escalating.

— Bonus Scene — Sherrel Bailey (Squealer) 

Getting employed by Sebastian was the best thing that had ever happened to the Merchants. That wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest, as she worked on her latest, well-funded project.

See, Sebastian might like them but he also needed them out of the city. It wasn't anything personal; they were just a sign of the issues with Brockton Bay, and he was trying to clean up what would soon become the jewel of his 'empire'.

So, the Merchants had to go.

For another man, that might have meant pulling back his gifts and then having the surviving Empire under Iron Rain and the Night Parade under Oni Lee attack them. They wouldn't have stood a chance, being wiped out in a matter of hours.

But that wasn't how Sebastian thought. No, he had a better idea, and the first step involved her converting an entire cruise ship he'd gotten from… somewhere into a mobile, floating fortress. Sebastian was a madman, but he was a madman with some damn good ideas.

How and why he'd gotten a cruise ship in his fucking pocket dimension, she neither knew nor wanted to know. 

It was slow work, even with two Squealers and some Toybox Tinkers working on it, but the entire gang (that had been told) were excited about the next step of their journey. Soon enough, the Merchants would have a heavily fortified, cloaked cruise ship with drug labs hidden within it from which they could raid and deal their product to far more than one tiny city. 

They were going to become the best fucking pirates the world had ever seen. Man, her life was weird now, but she wouldn't change it for anything. Not with the powers and materials that came with following Sebastian's orders. Skidmark was already calling himself Captain Skid.

The Merchants were taking to the fucking high seas.