Arrogance: Volume One of Ebb & Flow

The woman’s corpse is still warm, lying in a puddle of her blood. Carefully, I maneuver her body to tell the tale of what happened here. It’s environmental storytelling that will help convey the message I’m creating. She’s sprawled out, with one leg straight and the other bent forward like she was crawling to write a last-ditch message. One hand clutched her throat, trying to stem the bleeding. Her other hand is stretched out to write the message with her fingers. Rigor mortis won’t set in for a while, so there might be a slight shifting of her limbs. No matter, it will still convey the story. I grab two armfuls of photos from the chest and place them in a wide circle around the body. It is not a perfect circle by any means, but one clearly shows the shape was purposeful. I leave the chest open as I do a round to make sure that everything is perfect. The evidence, the ritualistic murder, and the message will no doubt leak out from the police. I have created something special here that will change everything.

I take one last look around, checking for anything tying me or Vivienne to the crime. I head upstairs to join her and find my minion pacing in the living room, anxiety visibly rolling off of her. I should say something to assuage her worry. I am happier when she is, and that is a strange new experience. My burgeoning affection for her is a welcome addition to my emotional picture, especially given my goals. Caring for another person doesn’t necessarily make me weak. If anything, it could be argued it makes me stronger. A bear will fight harder if it has cubs to protect than if not. If I ever give this power away, I’ll lose this feeling. I need to remember that Vivienne is important to me even if I no longer feel the same.

“It’s done, V. We can get out of here now.”

“”Is she…?” Vivienne awkwardly asked.

“Yeah, she can’t hurt anybody anymore.” Vivienne’s face looks like a weird mix of happiness and sadness. “Cheer up; we did something good tonight,” I said.

“I don’t know about good, Nobody, but certainly necessary. Sick fucks like her need to be put down,” Vivienne said icily. “And thanks, Nobody, this wasn’t exactly part of our deal.”

“One of the realities of relationships is that they change over time. Our deal is a relationship, albeit a professional one, and will evolve as we get to know each other. Maybe what we did tonight wasn’t good, but some people are just too dangerous to live, V. Most people can be reasoned with, but sometimes there are people who are too far gone. Those are the ones that need to be put down swiftly. She was a sick woman who hurt kids for fun and would’ve continued if we hadn’t stopped her,” I said.

“You’re right, and it’s not like I’m sad that she’s dead. It’s more like I’m sad that she chose to do this and has been doing it for years. Children are innocent, and for someone to target that innocence? It’s unforgivable,” Vivienne said.

“We live in a world where having power means having power over others. A lot of people cannot resist that urge to harm, to exploit, to pressure, to ruin. What are we doing if not using our powers to get what we want? The difference between us and her is that we were stronger, so we got to decide what was right and wrong.”

“Well, that’s extremely friggin bleak.”

“It is what it is. The world has more good people than bad or we wouldn’t still be here. You can take solace in the fact that you’re one of the good ones.” She at least balances me out. I will undoubtedly be one of the bad ones by the time I die, if not already.

“Jeez, man, that would probably be really heartfelt if you didn’t sound so fucking scary with the helmet on,” she said.

The conversation drops as we exit the house. It’s dead quiet at this hour, and the two of us are careful not to make a sound. As we make our way around the side of the house, Anna’s next-door neighbor’s lights turn on. Both of us drop to the ground flat on our stomachs. Thankfully, it hasn’t rained much lately, so the grass isn’t wet. The light from the neighbor’s window illuminates the stonework of Anna’s home as we lay in wait. The neighbor continues moving around, and I can hear water running from inside an open window. The woman mumbles something to herself as she moves around. A tense few minutes go by with the two of us straining our ears to listen to the woman. Finally, the water stops, the light shuts off in the neighbor’s house, and we’re free to resume our escape. When we get into her car, I remove my helmet as we pull away.

“What’s up next, Nobody?” She asked me.

It’s a good question. I have a decent list of powers I’d like to acquire, and a few of them could be used to further my fake killer. I need a Tinkerer ability ASAP to secure Kai’s obedience. Isaiah needs to be tested before I even consider giving him a power. And I need to start delegating to Isaiah and Vivienne to develop them and show a degree of trust.

“I need you and Isaiah to collect a few people for me. It’s a test for Isaiah to see if we can truly trust him. It’s important for me to have someone else besides you that I can completely trust.” It isn’t exactly true but this will help make Vivienne feel closer to me. Closeness will lead to devotion until she would take on the world for me—a nigh-unkillable fire demon to handle my enemies.

I see in the center mirror that Vivienne smiles at my comment, and it makes me feel a little happy. Are we becoming friends? Is Vivienne going to be my first real friend?

“Okay, just let me know, and I’ll let him know. After I drop you off, I’ll get started on picking out a warehouse at the docks. I’ll make it secure as hell. I’m not exactly a skilled craftsman, but I can use my power to make the warehouse more durable and, hopefully, soundproof.”

“I have no doubt you will complete any mission I give you, V.”

She exaggeratedly flexes her arm. “I won't let you down, Nobody.”

We pull into my driveway and Daniel’s car is there. He’s definitely sleeping, so I quietly slip into my house after saying goodbye to Vivienne. Maria didn’t text or call me last night and is probably still sleeping. It’s late enough that I’m just going to pass out in my bed when I get inside my bed. I wonder if I could grow to care about Daniel or Maria. As of right now, I feel nothing for either of them. Daniel is mostly a roommate, and Maria is a ticking time bomb. Until I spend some time with either of them, I doubt I’ll be able to see if I have any affection for them.

The house is silent. I slip my boots off as Vivienne’s car drives away. The Blakely home is state-of-the-art and modern, so the floor doesn’t creek or groan as I walk through the house. I check the clock in the kitchen and it’s five-thirty in the morning. My stomach rumbles loudly. I’m due for another overload of carbs. It’s too late to order any food, so I’m going to have to cook. Cooking is in the same category as working out for me. I don’t derive pleasure or enjoyment from it, but it is necessary and useful. Daniel can’t cook at all, forcing me to learn if I wanted to eat something other than PB&J sandwiches. I grab the chicken breasts I had been defrosting and begin making something to eat: spinach, pasta, and chicken in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Thirty minutes later I have a giant pan of food ready for consumption.

There is a couple of pounds of food here, and I plan to devour it all. I need to regain all my lost muscle. I still have to keep to my exercise routine. Regimented fitness and a consistent diet are the foundation of routines. A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Keeping up a strict routine is even more important now that Nobody’s activities are picking up. I need to compile a list tonight for Vivienne and Isaiah before I go to sleep. I portion out a huge bowl of pasta and chicken before walking into the living room. I turn on the television, flipping through the channels for something to watch while I eat. A news story catches my eye, and I turn the volume up.

The two hosts of NRBC12 are sitting behind a desk far too large for two people. Between the two of them is live camera footage of the shopping district of downtown Quinstin. There are fires burning and smoke billowing everywhere. There isn’t a news anchor on the scene, so the two are commenting on what we’re seeing.

“Good morning, New England. We’re here bringing you a live and developing story from Quinstin. As you can see, folks, the battle between one of the Quinstin branches of the Heroes’ Union and the Cowl group known as the Olympians has gotten out of control,” said the man.

“You’re right, Tom. After Athena’s capture and defeat at the hands of Titania earlier this summer, the group has become far more aggressive. Her presence has always kept the more destructive members from getting out of hand,” said the woman.

“I agree, Trish, but Athena is one of the heavier hitters of the group; I’m not sure why the Union group is struggling so much,” said Tom.

“Well, Tom, several members of Titania’s group seem to be missing. Now, for any of you at home unfamiliar with the Heroes’ Union structure, we’ll give a little refresher for you,” Trish said as a static graphic replaced the footage. It showed four pictures of Capes with four lines branching off each one to different photos. “The Quinstin Heroes’ Union consists of twenty Capes, four groups of five that each have a leader. Titania's team consists of herself, Havok, Legend, Veer, and Vibrance. Only Titania, Havok, and Legend showed up to try and stop the Olympians. The Traveler Caster duo of Veer and Vibrance are one of America’s favorite Cape couples, and we’ve been told that they are not at the scene. They must be elsewhere on a mission, and that’s why those awful Olympians chose now to attack,” said Trish.

“If you want more on America’s favorite Cape couples, check out NRBC12 dot com to check out our top five powered pairings,” said Tom.

“That leaves the battle as a three versus four, and I don’t think Havok has enough space to shift into his dragon form. He’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve, but they’re at a massive disadvantage. Legend’s prismatic shields are extremely powerful, but at the end of the day, they are just that, shields. You can’t exactly win a fight while being stuck in defense. When paired against Ares’ power armor, Hades’ near-endless supply of summoned creatures, and Hermes’ speed, the Heroes’ Union team is struggling. The estimated property damage is already in the millions,” Trish said.

“This won’t even rank in the top twenty-five for property damage. Check out the NRBC12 TikTok to see the rest of the list. You will not believe number one. But you’re correct; without Veer to take on Hermes, they have to fight a speedster-based Traveler without their own. Those at home might not know, but Travelers are one of the most frustrating categories of Neuvohumans for our brave Capes to deal with. When your opponent can teleport or fly, it’s hard to capture them,” Tom said.

“We do not yet know if there are any casualties. Hopefully, our cameraman, Hugh, will get a better angle closer to the action. Per the Neuvohuman Accords, we are not allowed to broadcast the fighting, but who knows what Hugh will stumble upon while showing the shopping district. That's the kind of out-of-the-box thinking you get from NRBC12; we go where the stories go,” Trish said.

The camera footage widens, showing more damage. The cameraman pivots the scene to a brief glimpse of Titania standing off against a Cowl. Unlike Athena, he isn’t wearing anything resembling traditional Greek clothing or armor. Her opponent is a light-skinned man with a box fade, wearing a white and gold skin-tight suit. He can’t be more than fifty and has a golden aura surrounding him as he floats a few feet above the rubble. Based on the aura and outfit, I assume he must be Apollo. Titania doesn’t look too good. Her metallic skin is singed and streaked with black soot. The surrounding area looks completely destroyed, and I can’t believe that the BNA hasn’t shut down the broadcast yet.

“You’re too cocky, Titania. To think you could bring such paltry resistance in your attempt to fight Mount Olympus. And for what; defending those whose only purpose in life should be worshiping those like us. We are stronger, faster, and wield godly powers. It is the law of strength that we should rule them,” Apollo said.

“Having these powers doesn’t come with the right to rule; it comes with responsibility to our fellow man. You are not a God, Apollo; you’re a megalomaniac who happens to have superpowers. You are not infallible or invincible, and Quinstin is under my protection. Now get the fuck out of here before I send you and Athena to The Pyramid as a package deal,” Titania responded.

The Pyramid is one of the few BNA Omegamax prisons made for Neuvohumans. If I could get into one of them, I’d be able to gather enough pieces to experience everything I’ve missed out on. The angle the cameraman has isn’t great, but there isn’t much to be done when you are limited to following the perspective of a person.

Apollo’s eyes glow golden as he flies at Titania like a speeding bullet. Instead of dodging or bracing herself, she rushes forward to meet his charge. The two Neuvohumans swing at each other as fists collide. The accompanying impact ruins the camera’s built-in microphone, and a visible shockwave emanates from the two opposing forces. A blue screen cuts off the fight, instead now showing the symbol of the BNA, a round planet-like sphere with the organization's letters across the center. My heart races at the sight as my aspirations are reaffirmed. That is the level of opposition I face in pursuit of my ambitions. Vivienne could be a match for either of those two, but I will help her become the kind of Cowl who could crush both simultaneously. If I can plan this right, then Quinstin will become mine by this time next year.