Chapter 20: Death Knights

Mike expected a professional discussion about his contract and a list of his obligations, how he could serve the company, his potential prospects and what role he would play. *Maybe on call rescue, scouting, first responder, evacuation squad or straight up assault unit? My role of expertise is decently broad, so it will work well.* Those were his thoughts and expectations. What he didn't expect was exactly what was happening.

The discussion originally went the way Mike expected. Ashley talked about Vought and some of their specialties. But it took a weird turn after a few minutes. Ashley suddenly looked towards the door and then stood up. She took off her tie, and before Mike could even ask her what she was doing, she grabbed her top and pulled it completely down.

Along with the top came her bra and her breasts popped out. They were small, but pointy and very attractive. Mike stared at her and said "This is... Very unprofessional. I do not know how you people here discuss business, but this isn't my cup of tea. Miss Ashley, I request you fix your attire and we talk more about Vought. Off the record, nice tits."

Ashley looked slightly stunned and stopped walking towards Mike. She even blushed a bit and began stuttering after hearing his words "Y-yeah! Let's talk. Let's talk about Vought, yeah, our company we are a part of."

At this point Mike was completely blanked. *How has this happened? I get Starlight, but what's going on with her? Am I that attractive to these people? What the fuck is this world?*

While Mike could be considered quite appealing due to the sheer perfect fitness of his body most body builders can't even dream about, but his face is only decent. Even in his world, most people were more attractive than him do to the sheer size difference and the more abundant facial features.

The idea of someone seeing him once and falling in love to the point of doing something like this almost creeped even him out a little bit.

"I apologize. I don't know what came over me. *Wasn't he flirting like a serial romantic with starlight a few minutes ago? Why isn't he jumping on this opportunity? Pity, his body looks fucking hot!* Let's discuss how Vought assists our superhero."

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The talk took about 1 hour and Mike was out only after looking over the contract and arguing over almost every single wording of every single detail on the contract. His original goal was to join the seven and conquer Vought's IT, but the idea of joining the seven became less and less appealing to him every moment he learned more about them. The organisation, in his own terms, screamed incompetence and slow management. *This planet is full of incompetence. They really do need to stunt the wilfulness and learn to serve. I don't understand why I have to agree to so many secrecy clauses and they don't even do that much. They're criminal investigation is worthless anyway! I can run around and stop 5 crimes each day.

Also, can't the people, who need help just call the supers? Why have a team specifically to find people? Are their speedsters that worthless?*

Mike walked around to find Butcher or anyone he knew. Walked is a light term, he was stomping with a a twitchy brow at the idiocy he had to sit through. *Where have those rejects gone to?*

It perplexed him quite a bit, but soon he found a reason. He saw Hughie standing on a small hill, where a couple of giant crosses were erected. Mike ignored the people doing T poses near the crosses and approached Hughie.

"Hughie, what happened with the Ezekiel situation?" This sudden appearance startled Hughie a bit, but he quickly calmed down and

started acting excited. "I did it!"

Mike patted Hughie's shoulder and said "Good performance. I mostly didn't believe Butcher's plan would work. His plans are too va-"

Hughie's eyes widened after looking confused for a bit and he cut Mike off "Yeah, I did that too, but I meant the technique. When I was talking to Ezekiel something just fell into place and I... The black smoke thing just came out of me and Ezekiel nearly shat his pants and practically begged me to not hurt him! Can you imagine that? Me, being begged for mercy by a supe!"

Mike smiled at Hughie and patted his shoulder. "That's good news. You can make the miasma now, so you can begin practicing the different techniques you can use with it. I would recommend perfecting shroud of darkness first and then working on graveyard. no offense dude, but wave of fear would be wasted on you."

Hughie looked slightly disheartened and asked "But why? I scared Ezekiel. It was the first thing I instinctually used! Shouldn't I have like an affinity or talent for it?"

Mike tilted his head and looked at Hughie as if he were an idiot "I have absolutely no idea how you came to a conclusion like that, but let's ignore it. Short version of why it is wasted on you: You aren't scarry Hughie. You basically walk around with a shirt on, that says "I'm a bottom bitch". You aren't scaring anyone, even with a full wave of fear. That's not how the ability works."

Hughie furrowed his brows and took the towel on him off and screamed "But I scared Ezekiel! How could that have been a fluke?!" Mike didn't really respond and waited for Hughie to remember a crucial detail about their interaction, but he seemed completely lost and confused.

He just sighed and gave him the answer "You threatened him with ending his career and lifeline. Of course he would be intimidated, but that's not a tool you will have readily handed over to you as a death knight. Death Knights look and act to send fear into the hearts of their enemies. You, Hughie, you look like you are about to have a panic attack 24/7. "

Hughie had a wide open mouth and could only say one word and nod "Huh?" Mike patted his shoulder and took him to a secluded place, where he helped him.

With Hughie's body becoming more durable from death knight training, Mike could run with Hughie much more safely and didn't struggle getting him to a more secluded place.

They arrived within a minute and Hughie barely reoriented himself.

Mike chuckled at Hughie barely standing up and got into a wide stance, where his entire body was stretched out like a star. He breathed out and black smoke escaped from his mouth "Hughie, this technique will be the most useful to you. It isn't a combat technique, as much as a camouflage.

The shroud of darkness is the first primary technique death knights use. You need to spread the miasma around yourself and cover your limbs with it." The black smoke suddenly began moving and all of Mike's limbs were covered by it. "Remember how my body looks?"

Hughie nodded his head and the miasma began moving. The black smoke went down and touched Mike's torso and the black smoke on his legs also did the same. It looked like Mike was doing jumping jacks with the way his body was moving and the smoke was just tracing him.

Mike suddenly smiled and asked "so, Hughie, can you tell where my limbs are?" Hughie looked dumbfounded by the "snow angel" Mike had turned the black miasma into and shook his head.

The smoke disappeared and Mike hadn't even move a single muscle. He was standing completely straight, like a drill Sargent, who was training a new recruit. "No, if you were my enemy, where would you aim your firearm or attack in general? It is a complete guessing game, with the guesser at an absolute disadvantage. It's the reason Death Knight are called so, they are deadly assassins, that are almost impossible to detect." The last bit of black smoke suddenly disappeared and revealed a small desert eagle held in the right hand of Mike.

"While the opponent spends the entire time wondering where you are, you will know their exact position and cut them down with..." Mike tapped the axe on his left hip "your sword..." and then a bullet suddenly grazed Hughie's left cheek "or your gun. Remember, all these techniques are are tools, Hughie. It's up to you how you use them. Shroud of darkness is best for you to learn first for safety. Later you can focus on spreading it and hiding yourself or anyone really. The shroud hides anyone, but only the creator can "see" in it."

Hughie nodded and steeled his resolve more than ever to master this combat art and become strong enough to at least not lose out to Mike.

A.N.

I'm on time once again. If anyone is judging me for the Ashley scene, you might be forgetting she had sex with one really unattractive guy in her company bathroom after her promotion, so I ain't wrong I'll tell you that much.

Mike's home is too efficient and crime rate there is a flat 0, so he gets annoyed at the very obvious "flaws" in capitalism and gets annoyed at having to deal with them. Our dear space marine doesn't understand the concept of working only for yourself.

Give me stones and reviews, but good ones or fair ones. Like give me 5 stars and put criticism in it. Imma appreciate that and thank you all for 1K follows. That's pretty rad! Have a nice day.