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The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Books » Worm Rated: M, English, Supernatural & Humor, Tattletale, Words: 55k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Feb 2, 2024 Updated: Dec 26, 2024
510Chapter 1: The Chosen One
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 Beans, Malcolm Tent, Mike God of Lore, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain, Priapus
The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller
Chapter 01: The Chosen One
Spending my credits as fast as possible, I glance over to the TV, where the news reporter is talking about a particularly audacious heist, the dashing rogue getting away with millions with a small smile. Even as I glance at the door, expecting the police to arrive at any moment, I give myself a pat on the back for a brilliantly executed operation.
Getting all that money turned into digital currency wasn't easy and cost me no small amount of my haul, but it will all be worth it just as soon as the Gacha gives me what I need, for I know the secret.
The Guild is real, and they are using the Gacha to recruit new members. I know I'm right; I've seen the signs. Recently, both a university student and the heir of some multi-million dollar business disappeared without a trace, with only one thing seemingly connecting them: they both played the hell out of this game, the heir having spent tens of thousands on Gacha pulls and the student being one of the top players before his disappearance, even skipping class on occasion to play more. Both had the game open at the time of their disappearance, both showing a pull the devs claim was just a rare visual bug.
They were taken by the Guild, I know it. Okay, yes, this revelation came to me while I was off my meds, but those are just placebos at best, or more likely drugs made to hinder my mental faculties. My mind has never been clearer than after I flushed them away, and I knew what I had to do.
The Gacha is the key, the key to a new world, to true power!
For that, I needed funds, which I now have.
The police will find me soon, agents of this failed government, but as long as I draw what I need first, it won't matter. I will leave this corrupt, decaying world behind until I have the power to achieve my ambitions, no, my destiny!
Pulling again and again, I spend hundreds of thousands in mere minutes as I watch all the Guild members get added to my collection, but as much as I admire my future senior fellow Guild members, they aren't what I'm here for.
Again and again, I blow through my stolen millions, maxing out every character and item as I just keep pulling; certain that destiny awaits me, and then it happens.
A single blank card with a golden, glowing border appears as my heart starts to pound, the same 'visual glitch' that both Arthur and Seth had on their screens.
Do you like Gacha?
I am indifferent to Gacha, it is but a means to a glorious end.
Do you enjoy your life?
Of course not; nobody could truly enjoy their life in this decrepit dying world.
Do you like your world?
No, this world has failed, its leadership is a mixture of incompetent and corrupt in equal measure. Our world is dying because of the short-sided idiocy of our so-called leaders; it needs a saviour.
It needs me.
And for that, I need the power granted by the almighty Guild.
Would you like to leave this world for a more interesting one?
Yes, though, I will return and save this world in time. I must. But the truth is clear to me: there are so many worlds out there, and so many of them are even worse off than this one. I have a lot of work to do.
May you live in interesting times.
As I am pulled into the screen, I can't help but laugh boisterously, and they said I was crazy!
Gacha System V3 Online.
You have been granted three pulls, which are guaranteed to be uncommon or higher.
All pulls will be drawn from a much smaller selection of items and will be far more likely to synergise to increase your chances of survival in the early game.
But I always knew the truth, that I was destined to rule.
I have studied the history of the world carefully and came to a simple realisation. Freedom is a dangerous illusion, one that is the source of so many of the world's problems. Democracy has failed; the only way for a world to truly thrive is under the benevolent tyranny of one person.
Me.
The people of the world will thrive under me, freed from the unpleasantness of choice, with a single mind directing the world.
And who better than me, the heir of the True British Empire? Not one of those German frauds who claim to be royalty; they are nothing but puppets placed as figureheads during the fall of the Empire after the true royalty was seemingly wiped out, our enemies not realising that one of them had escaped, my ancestor.
I know this to be true. Okay, fine, my DNA test said I wasn't related to royalty in any way, but they lied! They were probably in league with my 'therapist', hoping to prevent me from reclaiming my throne.
Yes, I will rebuild the fallen empire of my ancestors and go even further beyond, rising to the position of God-King, benevolently guiding a million worlds. Such has always been my destiny, and with the Guild backing me, I will finally have the power to achieve my goal.
Rolling Three Rolls
Results: Epic Power, Uncommon Power, Legendary Power
[Babel] - Epic
The user has a Shaker ability with a city-wide effect, capable of causing a sudden and severe loss of comprehension among those in its range. Those affected find themselves unable to make sense of the things around them, whether it be the language spoken by others or the written words on a page. It can be used individually on a single or select few targets or unleashed on everyone but those you exclude within the range.
[Free from Sustenance] - Uncommon
You no longer need to eat or drink to survive.
[Power Scramble] - Legendary
You can swap the expression of powers to any Parahuman with a touch. They will possess the same Shard but have an alternate version of what they could be; for instance, a shaker power could be turned into a related tinker power. You cannot choose what the power gets changed into, and once a Cape's power is changed, it cannot be scrambled again for one week. This works on non-Worm powers in a similar way. This power lasts indefinitely, but you cannot have more than five capes scrambled at a time.
It may not have given me any personal combat power, but such is the whimsical nature of the Gacha. Already, my mind swims with ideas, how to use my new powers to sow discord amongst the agents of The Man in whatever world I find myself in.
You can gain extra pulls by rolling a Curse; these pulls are guaranteed to be at least Uncommon. The amount of pulls gained will depend upon the severity of the curse rolled.
Aha, I can take a little risk to gain a reward? Naturally, I will do so. One can not succeed in life by being cautious; you must grasp every opportunity that comes your way. Besides, any rolls gained now will be Uncommon at the minimum and that makes them more valuable than future rolls once I arrive in my future kingdom.
In the game, you could roll Curses, and they gave you pity points and nothing else. I see no reason to believe that things will be different now that I am here in person; no, it is most likely that pity points still exist.
I will likely roll curses in the future, but right now, I can guarantee at least one roll for each curse. In the future, they'll simply grant me pity points that are less valuable. I do not fear curses; they are merely speed bumps that I will drive over with a smile!
Give me three curses, almighty system. I am ready.
Rolling. Results: Two Minor Curses, One Major Curse. Four Rolls Granted.
Ah, so a Major curse is worth two?
[Curse of the Breathlessness] - Minor
You cannot hold your breath for more than two seconds.
[Curse of Fascination] - Minor
You are easily fascinated by the arts and will become enraptured by dancing, singing or other arts, leaving you unwilling to leave or do anything else until the performance is complete.
[Curse of Obsession] - Major
You will grow obsessed with something or someone, and fate itself will make claiming this thing through normal means far more difficult than usual.
Fascination and Obsession? I can only hope that the fates do not decree that I become obsessed with something that would trigger my fascination. That could be troublesome, but even still, I do not regret my choice.
Regret is for lesser men.
Now, my glittering prizes.
Rolling. Result: Uncommon Astral Plane, Uncommon Artefact, Uncommon Knowledge, Uncommon Summon
All uncommon rolls? How quickly luck abandoned me, but such is the will of the gacha, whimsical as it is.
Uncommon Astral
[Building: Mansion]
You have gained a modern mansion within your astral plane, equipped with all the amenities for you to live a life of comfort. It has internet access and a signal to whichever world you are in as long as that world has that level of tech.
It is no royal castle, but it is good to know I will not be living on the streets.
Uncommon Artefact
[Decanter of Endless Water]
This stoppered flask has an infinite amount of water within it, and once unstoppered, you can decide how fast the water should pour out of it from a gentle stream to a forceful geyser.
An infinite source of water? It does not take a genius to find a use for such a powerful item. Yes, I can use this.
Uncommon Knowledge
[Singing Mastery: Adept]
You are a natural singer with the equivalent knowledge of someone who has dedicated a decade to this art.
Every good ruler should have a good voice, all the better to give out my royal decrees.
Uncommon Summon
[Cat: Lion]
Ah, the king of the jungle to stand alongside the king of all? Truly, the Gacha understands my needs.
And yet, despite the worthy fare, I have found myself still lacking the power I truly need. I do not know how dangerous the land I will be arriving in will be, and it won't do for me to get eaten the moment I arrive because the ability to scramble someone's powers and communications can't help against some great predator that roams the land.
So, once more, I require curses to pave the way for my grand ambition. Three more, if you would be so kind.
Rolling. Result: Minor Curse, Major Curse, Ultimate Curse. Six Rolls Granted.
Ah, there it is. The ultimate curses; in the forums for the computer game, I saw some people whining that these could make your entire account borderline unplayable. Weaklings, not seeing the opportunity that the curses represent! Such is the way of the weak, whining at every challenge. It is what separates them from those deserving of power and greatness.
[Curse of Dulled Senses: Taste] - Minor
Do you truly need five senses? This curse will massively dull one of your senses, chosen at random.
[Curse of Mana Leak] - Major
Your spells now leak mana when cast, making their casting highly inefficient. All spells cost twice as much mana to cast.
[The Apocalypse] - Ultimate
The world you are inhabiting will experience an apocalyptic event within the next six months. This could range from demonic or alien invasions, natural disasters on a global scale, zombies or any other world-ending threat. It cannot be stopped, however, once started, you could minimise the damage if you are prepared enough.
I have no spells, and I can do without my sense of taste. That said…
This is wonderful.
In the world of a man with little fingers or something like that, chaos is a ladder. How better to build my new world than to use the impending destruction of the world as my foundation? This is no curse but an opportunity that I will happily grasp. I merely need to ensure I do not fall into this world-ending threat myself.
Rolling. Results: One Uncommon Perk, One Uncommon Magic Tome, One Uncommon Power, One Rare Power, One Legendary Power, One Mythical Power.
I was starting to get worried at my inability to roll above Uncommon, but the final result makes me grin wildly. The Gacha is on my side, for now at least.
Uncommon Perk
[Conditioning]
You are in great condition for your species, in great shape in every way that matters. You are as strong as a lifelong bodybuilder and as fast as a professional runner; your senses are great for your species, and you have no inherent physical flaws.
Ah, I was already in wonderful shape, but I won't refuse a perk that helps keep me in that condition. A healthy body is a healthy mind, or so I've been told.
Uncommon Tome
[Tome of Cryomancy (Shadow School)]
My curse makes this less appealing, but even still, the power over Ice is not something I will refuse.
Uncommon Power
[Tinker Speciality: Communication]
You have a tinker specialisation in building all manner of communication devices.
An undeniably powerful ability; I can think of many plans that would take advantage of having access to incredibly high-tech communication devices, helping me spread my word to the world. Yes, I can work with this.
Rare Power
[Peace Zone]
You are able to create a field around yourself that causes anyone trapped within it to quickly lose all aggression, unable to take actions that would harm another person. This effect fades if you make any aggressive actions or they take damage from outside of the Peace Zone.
Ah, another way to defend myself from the aggressions of those who do not understand my lofty ambitions. Much appreciated, but now for the grand prizes.
Legendary Power
[Replication]
Once per day, you can make a clone of yourself, which is mindless and entirely obedient to your will. These clones have your powers (though reduced in effectiveness), and you can never have more than five at a time. You can control any clone mentally, becoming a hivemind. If you are killed, and a clone still exists, the clone will become the true you.
How fascinating and useful. Six sets of hands are far more useful than one, and as long as I keep one of my clones safe, then I can avoid death itself. Yes, I can work with this.
Mythical Power
[King Maker]
You can grant copies of any perks and powers you have access to. These copies cannot be stronger than Epic in power, any Legendary, Mythical or Divine perks or powers will be reduced to Epic.
Hm, I am the King I want to make, but I suppose the ability to empower my minions will only help in the long run. Yes, I can work with this most assuredly.
But I do believe that I have rolled quite enough; let's not overdo it. One ultimate curse is enough for me, thank you very much.
So, onwards to my new kingdom! My future subjects await.
Required Perk Added.
[Blank] - Legendary
This power protects you from Master and Thinker powers, including precognitive ones, making you essentially invisible to their powers.
My vision blurs, and when it clears, I find myself standing in my mansion. I suppose that's as good a place as any to begin, the knowledge of how to use my numerous powers entering my mind as I smile to myself.
I can open a portal to… ah, Brockton Bay. Well, I did say there were worlds worse than mine, and I do believe my system decided to prove just how right I was. Worm is the perfect example of a world that will benefit greatly from my divine rule. Earth Bet is the very definition of a dying world, from what little I know of Worm.
I'm vaguely familiar with it, but I can't say I'm an expert on anything beyond the basics. What I do know is that everything is terrible. Honestly, the impending apocalypse is probably an improvement over living in such a doomed world.
But they need not fear, for their saviour has arrived. This world will be the ultimate test of my ambitions because if I can turn Earth Bet into the utopia I envision, then I can save any world from its suffering.
Yes, this will do perfectly.
Immediately using Replication, I look into the lifeless eyes of my clone with a smile on my face. I am a handsome devil, aren't I? Well, it's only natural, I think as I stroke my light-brown beard, given my fantastic lineage. Good looks are expected.
Plus, I've spent a lot of time maintaining my fantastic beard and slightly curled moustache; good facial hair is the measure of a man. A man who cannot grow a proper beard is not a real man. My new perk has taken my already fine physique to the next level, and thankfully, my mansion comes with a large wardrobe, which I move to and search through the many styles to find one that fits me.
First impressions are important, after all.
I settle for a white shirt with a bronze-coloured tailored waistcoat and tie to match my eyes. A gentleman must be suitably dressed, after all. I'll need an overcoat; the weather is entirely too cold for me to be running around without one, black should do.
Oh, and a top hat. Obviously.
As for my 'mask'...
I'll go with none at all; I will not hide away like some coward. I shall proudly bear my face to the world, not hide behind some flimsy 'cape identity'.
Nodding to myself in the mirror, I give my first royal order to my clone and open the portal to Brockton Bay, setting out into the city that will be the start of my empire. It must be such an honour to have me begin my immense kingdom with their decrepit little city.
Now, to announce my presence.
Babel did say it was city-wide, right?
– Emily Piggot –
She really hated new triggers.
What else could this be? As she watched the entirety of the PRT devolve into panicked gibberish, not a single word making sense to her as some new cape power muddled her mind, she tried to send off a warning that this branch was potentially compromised by a master.
It wasn't helped by the fact that every word on her computer was now equally gibberish, and Dragon appeared on her screen. Unfortunately, she couldn't understand the tinker, and from her expression, Dragon could not understand her either.
Still, the fact that something had gone terribly wrong had been passed on, Dragon's access to their systems showing that everyone in the Rig was suffering the same fate as her. Wouldn't that be fun? How exactly were they supposed to put an entire branch into Master-Stranger containment?
Turning on the news, she watched with increasing anger as the nonsensical reports made something clear. It wasn't the Rig; it was the entirety of Brockton Bay that had been caught in this new effect from the panicked gibberish of the reporter showing shots of chaos across the city.
Several hours after it began, the words she heard started to make sense once more, and she was left looking over a city that had spent hours tearing itself apart, leaving her in a foul mood even as a call from Costa-Brown came through.
– Sebastian Fairfax –
This city is a powder keg, and unlike the cowardly and corrupt fools of the PRT, I understand the truth. The status quo is just a slow descent into anarchy; they cannot save the city with their passive approach, allowing all manner of scum to get dug in.
My reasoning for using Babel immediately? I want to shake the city up and see what happens. Also, it was funny. Both are equally valid reasons.
But as the city was going mad, one group was mostly unaffected.
Because the Merchants are too high and disorganised for me to make them any more disorganised by removing their ability to communicate.
"Who the fuck are you? You think you can just wander into my home, you cock-munching shitcunt?" Skidmark politely asks as I wander into his home, gun in hand, as he glares at me. My, he is poorly dressed for a leader.
The only reason he hasn't shot me is because I have Peace Zone up, but I'm not sure he's noticed yet. Finding the Merchants wasn't particularly difficult; they hold constant drug-fuelled parties/orgies, so it only took a little research from my clone to direct me this way.
"Hello, you are Skidmark, are you not? My name is Sebastian, and I've come to offer you an opportunity," I say with a wide smile, uncaring of the hostile attention of the ruffians surrounding me.
"The fuck kind of poncy name is Sebastian?" Skidmark spits, my smile unmoving. I won't be taking naming advice from Skidmark anytime soon. "And yeah, I'm Skidmark. What the fuck do you want? You some rich fuck wanting to get high?"
"No, I'm here to offer you something far more valuable than drugs. I am a Cape of considerable power, and I've come to offer you a way to gain an advantage on the rival gangs," I say cheerfully, making him blink as he looks me over.
"A Cape? You think I'm fucking stupid? Where's your mask?" Skidmark asks, making me chuckle.
"Where's yours? I don't believe in this ridiculous mask culture, but I can prove my powers easily enough. I am a Trump, able to grant powers to other people, both capes and regular civilians. I am offering you a chance to see your entire gang empowered," I explain, seeing him pause.
"And why would you do that? What's in it for you?" Skidmarks, sharing a glance with a rather buxom blonde.
"I wish to see the status quo of Brockton thoroughly shaken, and out of the many gangs of Brockton, I find yours the least distasteful. The PRT are the very symbol of what I wish to take down, the Empire are nazis, which I find distasteful, and Lung does not strike me as a reasonable person either. As such, I've picked you. As for what I want from you? I wish for you to take my power and use it to inconvenience the other factions of the city," I explain with a flourish, making Skidmark lean back.
"And what can you do?" Skidmark asks, considering my words.
Instead of answering, I simply reach out and touch a Merchant who was getting into my personal space in a vain attempt to intimidate me. Instantly, I use King Maker to grant him Conditioned, the thin, reedy man bulking up before all their eyes.
"I can grant every member of your gang bodies on par with Olympic athletes, for a start," I say with a smile, seeing the man stumble back in shock.
He's grown a few inches, and his ragged clothes barely fit his now-muscular frame; I'm fairly certain it cleared him of the diseases ravaging his body as well, for good measure.
"What's the catch?" Skidmark asks, even as he fails to hide his interest.
"In this case, there truly is no catch. Should you want to wait and see if there are side-effects, I can leave you my number and return when our friend here has proven me true to my word. I have no quarrel with you; your empowerment will make things difficult for the PRT, and that alone is enough of a payment for me," I say cheerfully.
The Merchants are just the product of the failings of the government, so I am truthful in my words. I will see them gone in time, but not out of malice.
"Heh, got a bone to pick with those PRT cunts? I don't blame you," Skidmark laughs, leaning back before he nods to the blonde. "Tits, go get some of his magic touch. I wanna see what it does to a Cape."
"Fuck you, Skiddy," 'Tits' replies even as she moves forward, accepting my touch as we watch her drug-ravaged body repair itself, her skimpy clothing doing nothing to hide her physique as she takes on decidedly Amazonian traits. "Holy fuck. Skiddy, you gotta try this. Maybe it'll even make your limp dick bigger."
"I don't need no fancy cunts touch to have the biggest dick around, you fucking whore. Maybe if you'd stop with those goddamn horse dildos, you'd actually be able to feel something down there," Skidmark shoots back, glaring at her. "Oi, Mush. Your turn."
A strange pink goblin thing stumbles forward, making me pause as I look him over. What an odd fellow.
Ah well, one more touch has him looking far more respectable, even if there is still something oddly goblinoid about his appearance. His pot belly retreats and is quickly replaced with toned abs, thin, reedy arms growing muscular, and his hairline ceases its retreat as a full head of hair grows back.
"Fuck, it even made Mush hot?" the woman, I assume is Squealer, says, making Mush preen as he looks himself over.
Skidmark can't hide his astonishment, staring at Mush and Squealer with undisguised interest.
"Fuck it, oi shitstain. My turn," Skidmark demands, but I don't let his language upset me. He's obviously a product of low education and poor upbringing. My goals are to make sure the children of the next generation do not become Skidmarks themselves; I don't hold his poor attitude against him.
Touching him, I watch as his blackened and rotting teeth return to pearly whites, the odd man bulking up himself. His followers watch in awe as their leader grows into a man who actually looks like he deserves leadership.
"Do I have your attention, Skidmark?" I ask confidently, making him turn to me with eyes no longer clouded by the drugs. "Because this is merely the first gift I offer, how would you like the ability to effectively more than double your membership?"
His eyes widen at my words, watching as I offer him a hand.
His gang cheers as he takes it, and I pass on a copy of Replication to him. Weakened as it is, he immediately uses it to create a second Skidmark, much to his gang's awe (and Squealer's excitement).
Weakened as it is, it lacks the ability to be used as a hivemind, nor will his consciousness move over if the true body dies. He can also only make two clones, not five.
"Now, shall we begin to spread my gifts through your fellows?" I ask, giving him a wide smile.
He returns it, pearly white teeth glinting as we turn to his gathered gang members.
– Later –
Skidmark considered kidnapping me, but I can remove all my gifts with but a thought, and there is an intelligent mind behind those eyes. He knew I wouldn't have come to him without a way to escape; perhaps if the drugs still clouded him, he would have tried, but he let me go in peace.
He did offer me a chance to stay for the party that quickly broke out, but I declined this time. I still have much work to do, after all.
While I was busy, the tutorials for removing curses and upgrading powers both came up, explaining that I could take quests to remove my curses or upgrade my powers. I plan to remove all my flaws, of course; a King cannot have these curses holding him back forever.
But I am more interested in upgrading my powers at the moment and chose Replication as my first power to upgrade.
The options for upgrades were interesting. One simply increased the number of clones I could make, one removed the cooldown so I could summon all five instantly, and finally, it offered me the option to make my clones no longer entirely mindless.
They'd still be subservient to me, but they'd be capable of independent thinking, which could be interesting; who could I ever trust more than myself after all? But I decided it was more important to increase the numbers first.
[Replication Upgrade Quest]
Objective: Have your clones win ten battles without any direct input from you. (0/10)
Objective: Have your clones earn you three Gacha pulls without any direct input from you. (0/3)
Reward: Replication Clone Limit Increased
As for why I was in such a hurry to leave, I have something very important to take care of before I can truly start my quest here in the Bay. There's a certain someone who I find distasteful, and I want gone.
And my clone was able to track down where he lived. I know the Unwritten Rules say not to kill or attack people in their civilian identities but I find myself uncaring of their rules made to maintain this failing status quo.
Besides, if anyone deserves what I have planned, it is this particularly unfortunate fellow.
– Thomas Calvert (Coil) –
Waking up, he immediately split the timeline. He was in his civilian identity's house, his wife next to him in bed, but he felt something was wrong as one of his timelines immediately snapped closed.
As he looked around, He had a great many questions, but perhaps the most important of all was this…
Why the fuck was there a lion in his bedroom?
As it pounced, he barely had a chance to reach for his hidden gun or even let out a scream of terror as its massive fangs tore into his skin, tearing out his throat in a single savage bite. Disbelief and horror flooded his mind, even over the pain; this couldn't be how his plans came to an end.
His wife woke up, screaming at the gory sight beside her, and as he was mauled, he barely noticed the well-dressed man watching the scene from the doorway, a proud smile on his face.
– Sebastian Fairfax –
Feat Achieved: Defeat Coil, three rolls granted.
I had worried that this might be a body double, but the moment I realised where I was, I had already decided to kill this pretender to the throne. His little simulations wouldn't help here.
Do you know the fun part of being a Communications Tinker? There's not a comms system in the world that can keep you out, and my clone was busy back home. After the Babel pandemonium, he got a message from his mercenary captain warning him that the base was compromised during the Babel attack, before he lost contact altogether.
He'd been at the PRT building himself and decided to go home for the night instead of going to the base today. From there, it was easy enough. All I had to do was open my Astral portal inside his house (I can only make the portal in places I've been, but from outside his house, I could see his living room through the open curtains, which was good enough) and summon my beloved pet to handle the rest.
Ah, shame about the wife. She was probably mostly innocent despite who she was married to, but you can't make an omelette without feeding some people to a lion.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight~" I sing cheerfully as I leave the scene, my pet following behind, well-sated from his two-course meal, the main dish being an overly ambitious snake.
Author's Note: Yes, yes. I know.
Basically, Sett is a gud boi. Arthur is mostly neutral, so I wanted a Gacha gamer who leaned towards the evil side of things and wrote this for fun since I wasn't planning on writing today anyway. I'm undecided whether I will continue this immediately or leave it on the back burner until I finish Tinker or Slippery Slope (which honestly don't have that much left to do).
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster.
I have a Discord server with a bunch of other authors and a load of porn. So much porn.
Here's the link for that: discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
If it says it's expired, it is probably your account being unable to join NSFW servers, and you'll need to fix that. If you fix that and it still says it's expired, add me (ThePumpkinKing), and I'll invite you myself.
I've finally put my Pat reon to use after months of procrastinating. My Pat reons now have the ability to vote for which fics they'd like to see updated more during the next chapter cycle. The winner of the normal tier poll gets one extra chapter per cycle, the second tier poll gets two extra chapters, and the highest tier pat reons can pick a fic that will get three extra chapters per cycle. The winning fics this cycle were Tamer (three extra chapters), Tinker (two extra chapters) and Supervillain (one extra chapter). I'm currently in the process of making the advanced chapters for Pat reon, which will slow down updates somewhat as I make the five advanced chapters.
Current Advance Chapters
Basic: Not Yet Written
Gold: Not Yet Written, Not Yet Written
Plat: High Roller Ch02, Sorcerer's Legacy Ch07
Link: Pat reon TheDarkWolfShiro
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The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Books » Worm Rated: M, English, Supernatural & Humor, Tattletale, Words: 55k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Feb 2, 2024 Updated: Dec 26, 2024
510Chapter 2: The Spymaster
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 Beans, Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu, Mike God of Lore
The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller
Chapter 02: Spymaster
Returning to my lair, I pat my lion as he licks his blood-soaked chops, stroking his mane. He came in just as useful as I expected, and he wandered off in short order to explore our home.
All in all, a productive day. I've given the stale underworld of Brockton Bay a nice little shake and dealt with a major adversary at the same time.
Rolling. Results: One Common Power, One Uncommon Power, One Common Astral
Common Power
[Bullseye]
You have an intuitive understanding of angles and trajectories, granting you nearly perfect aim. You can line up your shots nearly instantly, even for complex trajectories where the projectile bounces. You are still capable of missing if your aim is thrown off.
Ah, I am not one for firearms myself. They're too loud for me, and I prefer my fighting to be up close. That said, perhaps my new best friend Skidmark would like for his gang to get another upgrade.
Skidmark is a useful tool because I do not believe he is competent enough to take over the city himself. The Merchants will almost certainly fall (if not for any other reason, then because I can remove my boons at any moment without warning). He is an agent of chaos who exists to cause mayhem and destabilise things.
Uncommon Power
[Tracker]
Provided you either know what something or someone looks like or can get an accurate description or name, you can immediately pinpoint where it is and can figure out the quickest and/or easiest way to get there.
But this I can use, yes indeed. In fact, I can already think of a certain someone I'd like to pay a visit to.
Common Astral
[Terrain: Savannah]
Finally, my mansion is no longer floating in an endless void but in the middle of a massive Savannah, and a single thought from me populates it with region-appropriate herbivores. I have no control over them, but herds of zebras, elephants, and other creatures will give my beloved pet something to do while I'm busy.
Opening the door, I watch him prowl out the door to explore his new domain. I've given him a weaker [Blank], [Conditioning] and [Free from Sustenance], and now also [Tracker], though I doubt he needs help hunting. He will become quite the monster in just a matter of time.
Humming to myself, I nod and head back out after a little internet sleuthing to find an image of my target. I do consider going and grabbing Panacea but decide against it, the time will come for me to visit our resident healer.
No, today I want something different entirely, and I'd rather grab her before she discovers my mischief.
– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –
The Merchants were going wild tonight, Squealer riding one of her abominations around town at high speeds, seemingly just for the fun of it. She half expected to get a message from Coil ordering her to get the Undersiders to run interference on something, but perhaps she was too used to blaming him for whatever went wrong in her life.
In her apartment, she took a sip of her coffee as she continued her research into the capes Coil wanted more information on, her head already throbbing in pain. She was glad she wasn't in the Undersiders' lair tonight; she couldn't deal with Regent right now.
Brian would keep Rachel in while the Merchants were causing chaos, and Regent wouldn't get off his couch unless he were getting paid for it. Typing away, she paused as a knock on her door made her reach for her gun.
She wasn't in the roughest part of town, but nobody in Brockton Bay would answer the door at two in the morning, let alone a teenage girl living alone. Technically, her apartment was in the Empire part of town; it was safe enough for her, given her white skin and blonde hair, but as she snuck up to the door, she peeked through the keyhole and blinked at the bizarre-looking man on the other side.
A tophat? Oh, he was definitely not all there upstairs, but she froze. Her power, overworked as it might be, told her nothing about the man patiently waiting for her to answer. Fuck, a cape?
"Miss Wilbourne, I know you're there. A sneaky snake of a mutual friend of ours gave me your location, and I'd rather not have anyone listen in on our conversation," the man said cheerfully, making her frown and grab her phone, angrily texting Coil.
'I hadn't expected him to head straight to your home, but he's a new cape in my employ. You will assist him with his business. It takes priority over all other jobs at the moment.'
Sighing, she marked this down as another middle finger from Coil, opening the door as the man beamed at her.
"Ah, wonderful," he said, offering his hand. "Sebastian Fairfax, it's truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wilbourne."
"This couldn't have waited until morning?" Lisa asked, walking into her apartment with a sigh. Fucking Coil, just casually unmasking her to a strange cape.
"Oh, it most certainly couldn't. It'll be too late by then," Sebastian replied, making her wonder if that was his real name. He wasn't wearing a mask, his admittedly somewhat handsome face on display.
"Fine, but I have a headache, so what do you want?" Lisa asked, making him smile as he closed the door and then locked it.
"Oh, I just want you to help me steal Coil's empire before the PRT realises he's very dead," Sebastian admitted with a happy smile, her eyes widening. "Oh, and to get myself a Thinker of my very own."
She dove for her gun, but aiming at him, she found herself incapable of pulling the trigger. Fuck, a Master.
"Coil… is dead?" Lisa asked, glaring at the strange man in her apartment. She probably didn't look too threatening in a tank top and some sweatpants, and he clearly understood that she couldn't attack him.
"Eaten alive, quite painfully," Sebastian agreed, pausing. "Ah, there's the smile you want to hide. Yes, Coil, or Thomas Calvert, PRT Consultant, is dead. He died confused and afraid, his precious power utterly useless and unable to save him."
"I might thank you if you hadn't tricked me into letting you into my house at two am and hadn't mastered me," Lisa deadpanned, still aiming the gun at him.
"Oh, don't be like that. You see, I know you have schemes to steal Coil's empire, and I'm just giving you a chance to put them to use. The PRT will discover the connection between their very dead consultant and Coil soon, and that window will close. The master effect is just… insurance; you don't do anything silly. If you attacked me, my honour would demand I return it tenfold upon you after all," Sebastian said cheerfully.
"And change one master for another?" Lisa scoffed.
"Yes, exactly. You see, Miss Livsey, there are two paths before you. You can join me and hold a place of power and influence in my coming empire, or you can resist and… well, you're coming with me either way. I'm afraid I don't have any fancy ways of truly mastering you and bending you to my will, so I'll have to settle for a copious amount of pain. It's distasteful, I know, but needs must after all." Sebastian said, seemingly genuinely regretful, but she could see it in his eyes. He'd do it, and his knowledge of her, combined with her inability to read him, made her shudder.
She really hated dealing with other Thinkers, glaring at him for bringing up a name she'd left behind. Sarah was dead, and that was how she wanted it to stay.
Reaching forward, he plucked the gun out of her hands as she found herself unable to try and fight him.
"Now, Sarah, are you going to behave and make the logical choice?" Sebastian asked, making her glare at him before she sighed.
He was obviously planning on making his own gang, with her and possibly the other Undersiders as his first members, but if he had truly killed Coil, then he was a force to be reckoned with. He'd obviously compromised Coil's phone at the very least, and for some reason, she believed that he'd done exactly what he said he had.
"It's Tattletale or Lisa. Not Sarah," Lisa growled, making him smile. "And it's not like I have a choice. I don't deal well with pain."
"How wonderful; come along then, my dear. You won't regret this," Sebastian said, waving his hand as a door-shaped portal appeared in the middle of the room.
"I doubt that," Lisa sighed, well aware of the gun he was holding as she reluctantly moved to the portal.
– Three Hours Later –
Stealing Coil's empire was almost too easy with his phone on hand, already unlocked. Sebastian happily admitted that he was a Tinker as well, specialising in communications systems.
"It's done," Lisa said unhappily, having moved all Coil's funds to a new account made under Sebastian's name with Number Man. Property deeds had been transferred, and years of intel gathered by Coil had been collected before his main systems were thoroughly purged..
Coil never thought he could die or make a mistake like losing his phone; he was too complacent. Sebastian would benefit from it, a smile on the bearded man's face.
"Excellent work, Lisa. See, was that so hard? You'll make a fine spymaster," Sebastian said, making her blink. "That will be your role in my coming Empire, my eyes always watching from the shadows. It will suit you, and as I gain more powers, I will empower you to fulfil your role all the better."
"Wait, you're a Trump," Lisa realised, making him smile.
"Oh yes, I'd even go as far as to say that I'm the Trump. My powers have already grown noticeably in the short time I've had them and will continue to grow. I can grant copies of whatever powers I develop to other people. Why, I even tested it quite thoroughly with my new friends in the Merchants before I paid Coil a visit," Sebastian boasted, making her mind race.
A new Eidolon, who wasn't limited to three powers and could grant them to other people? If he was telling the truth, he was going to shoot to the top of the cape world.
"Is that everything, or can I finally go to sleep?" Lisa asked, making him smile.
"Oh, of course. My apologies; allow me to show you to your room; you'll be staying here in my pocket dimension; of course, it's quite safe here, away from the dangers of the world. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my new spymaster after all," Sebastian said cheerfully, reminding her that she couldn't leave this place without his help. "But first, your reward."
Touching her, knowledge flooded her mind, and without thinking, she activated her new power, looking into her own blank eyes. Oh fuck, he was telling the truth. If he could do this freely, he'd turn any gang he made into an absolute powerhouse.
"Useful, is it not? Two heads are better than one and all that," Sebastian said. "Come along, my dear."
Walking away, he led her (and her clone) to a very nice bedroom with an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe before leaving her to her rest with one last praise for her hard work. She tried not to think about the fact that the wardrobe was full of all kinds of clothes exactly her size, right down to the underwear.
Sebastian was unhinged and reckless, but… his power was obscene. The PRT would give him literally anything for it: the power to mass-produce capes. She was sure it had a limit of some kind, but Sebastian seemed to think it didn't and oddly enough, she almost believed him.
Moving to the computer in her room, she scoured PHO and stared in shock at the reports of what the Merchants had been up to. The entire gang seemed to have become athletes overnight; Skidmark was seen in two places at the same time; oh fuck, he was telling the truth.
She had two paths before her: find a way to run for her life before Sebastian plunged the entire city into chaos, or stick around as his Spymaster and reap the benefits as he grew in power. Going to bed, she felt her mind race as she left her clone to do some research, already finding her new power-up all too useful.
He was a madman, empowering the Merchants seemingly just as a test- no, to destabilise things in preparation for his own rise to power. That was why he'd empowered them, because the Merchants were predictable and frankly never going to be a true contender for control of the city even with empowerment.
He might actually know what he was doing, and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad for her.
– Emily Piggot –
"Does somebody want to explain to me what the fuck happened last night?" Emily asked, looking around the room. "The Merchants can suddenly clone themselves, and all look like models; Calvert gets murdered in his own home by a fucking lion, and this happens right after the entire city loses the ability to communicate?
"I believe I can explain two of those at least, director," Dragon said, the screen lighting up with her Avatar. "I was already investigating the source of the Babel Event, name pending."
"Go on," Emily said, making Dragon smile slightly, though it was obviously strained.
"Meet Sebastian Fairfax, which he claims is his real name, though we've found no trace of anyone by that name anywhere on the planet," Dragon said; as the screen changed to show a bearded man with a fucking top hat on. "Yesterday night, he approached the Merchants at a party they were holding and introduced himself as a Trump capable of granting powers without side effects. He offered to empower the Merchants for free, and while Skidmark was hesitant, he apparently decided to accept the offer. Sebastian then empowers every Merchant there with a power he calls 'Conditioning', which keeps people in peak condition. We know this because some Merchants recorded the entire thing, even posting it. He also granted Skidmark, Squealer, Mush and other high-ranking non-cape members a power called Replication, which allows them to clone themselves and gain a subservient version of themselves that obeys any order the original gives it, though cannot think for itself."
Dragon played the video of Sebastian speaking with the Merchants, and she felt her heart start to race.
The audible whispers around the room were unsurprising; that kind of power was obscene and in the hands of someone who apparently had a grudge against the PRT.
"Shortly afterwards, he left, and we know exactly where he went afterwards. He arrived outside the house of Thomas Calvert before he went through a portal and returned inside Calvert's living room. Reaching the bedroom, he summoned a lion with some unknown ability and ordered it to attack Calvert and his wife. Again, we have this on film due to Mr Calvert's substantial security system. I know none of you are squeamish, but you may wish to look away."
Playing the second file, she watched in mute horror as Calvert, asshole that he was, was torn apart by a large hungry lion while this Sebastian just watched with utter indifference. Even singing as he walked away, a part of her noting that he was a bafflingly good singer.
He sounded professional, which might help them find the lunatic.
"What are the chances that this Sebastian is also Babel?" Emily asked, making Dragon pause.
"It's not impossible, though it does have some worrying implications with the already-large variety of powers he's shown. Add on a city-wide shaker effect, and it doesn't paint an encouraging picture," Dragon said. "Though, Brockton Bay is also infamous for having a large amount of Triggers so it's also possible we're looking for two different capes."
Sebastian did seem to have a worrying amount of powers already, and they seemed too strong for a regular grab-bag cape. There had to be a catch with his power, but what that was, they didn't know.
"There's one more thing, though I think it would be best if we discussed it in private," Dragon continued, sharing a look with Armsmaster.
"Just spill it; everyone here knows the importance of secrecy," Emily said, uncharacteristically trusting of her other capes. With this madman around, even the most troublesome of her capes seemed reasonable.
"Very well. While digging through Calvert's security systems, we noticed a lot of tampering and following that led us to a rather shocking conclusion. There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just be blunt. It is almost guaranteed that Thomas Calvert was Coil, and someone also spent most of last night purging his systems and draining his many bank accounts. We also found a worrying amount of backdoors into the PRT itself, which Calvert would have had every opportunity to set up in his role as a consultant, some going back years," Dragon explained.
"This wasn't an attack on a PRT consultant; Sebastian was attacking another villain," Emily said, disbelief and hatred in her tone as she realised they were telling the truth. She should have shot that cowardly, slimy bastard after Ellisberg. Had he been a villain since then? "Wait, do you think Calver- Coil is why Sebastian hates the PRT?"
"It is possible, though we have no way to confirm it," Dragon agreed as Emily seethed. "Sebastian then once again left via a portal, and we aren't sure what he did afterwards. We can assume that he is responsible for the draining of Coil's accounts, and that brings me to another problem."
"Of course it does," Emily sighed.
"Coil had backdoors into all the PRT systems, and a great deal of data was copied before the systems were trashed. It is possible that Sebastian is now sitting on a large amount of data on PRT Capes. We have to assume that goes up to and includes the identities of every hero and ward," Dragon said solemnly, making the room go dead silent.
"He's already shown a complete disregard for the Unwritten rules, attacking Coil in his home and civilian identity, killing him. If he has a grudge against us, we have to assume he'll strike again," Armsmaster said grimly. "I recommend we prioritise capturing Sebastian as soon as possible."
"Due to the size of the data breach, I was required to inform the Chief Director, and while she will be in touch later, she had made it clear that she wanted him taken in alive and as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Thinker support will be unavailable due to Sebastian having an apparent immunity to Thinker powers," Dragon explained, making Emily immediately freeze.
Oh, for fuck sake, Costa-Brown wanted to recruit the mad bastard.
She really hated her job.
– Sebastian Fairfax –
You know, Lisa is very good at her new job, but I'm not sure she's royal concubine material. She's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but she's not quite what I had in mind for my first concubine.
Now, Glory Girl. She's concubine material, possibly the best in Brockton Bay, but she's also rather problematic to acquire.
As for why I need concubines, that's obvious. My empire will start here and rapidly spread across the globe, and then the multiverse. I cannot micromanage every single part of my grand empire so it's only natural then that I'd want my own blood to rule in my stead.
It's my duty to spread my bloodline, as it is a man's duty, and I intend to spread it far and put the likes of Ghenghis Khan to shame.
Naturally, I'll need the best partners to make sure my many children have the best bloodlines. That means powerful, intelligent and beautiful women. Any two would suffice; my blood will pick up the slack, but ideally, I want girls who have all three.
Lisa is beautiful and intelligent, though I'll have to see how she functions without her power handing her a cheat-sheet to confirm that second one.
Should the worst happen to me, I want to make sure my lineage survives, and at the moment, I'm the last member of my family. If I spread my children out throughout the multiverse, it should greatly reduce the risk of my bloodline meeting an unfortunate end.
"Are you fucking insane?" Lisa asks, making me look from my musing and blink at her tone.
"What is worrying you, Lisa?" I ask, making her show me her phone, my face staring back at me.
"I know you killed Coil, but I thought you'd at least be smart enough to be subtle when blatantly breaking the Unwritten rules. You murdered a PRT consultant in his own home, and now the PRT is hunting you. The only reason we don't have every villain in town looking for you is because they don't want to admit Coil and Calvert are the same person since it'd look bad for them, but that won't last with how many moles they have," Lisa says, clearly panicked.
"Ah, I see. Of course they're hunting me. It's exciting, isn't it?" I ask, making her stare at me in utter disbelief.
"You don't get it. They found out that Coil knew their identities, and they're saying you stole PRT Cape identities from Calvert. They're going to want anyone who might have seen that information, including me, you lunatic," Lisa says shrilly. See, this is why I don't think she's quite the right material to bear my children. "It's only a matter of time before they find out that you've kidnapped me; that's attention I don't need."
Far too panicky over such a little thing.
"You're quite safe here, and they'll find me quite troublesome to capture," I promise reassuringly. "Everything is going to be just fine."
"You realise they won't let this go? Even if you manage to fight off the local heroes, they won't stop. Not now that you've shown off what you can do; they'll want to force you to join them to avoid the Birdcage," Lisa says, but I just smile.
"And they'll fail; the harder they try to stop me, the faster I'll gain new powers and leave them in my dust, where they belong," I scoff, a confident smile on my face. "I do not fear those overblown bureaucrats, nor should you. They're living in my world; the sooner they realise that, the better."
— Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) —
She could see two potential outcomes of Sebastian's mad ambition.
Either he had as much potential as he thought he did and took over the city. Or, more likely, he was vastly overestimating himself, and it would only be a matter of time until his disregard for the Unwritten rules saw him getting a kill order or Triumvirate response.
But she shook her head, and she calmed herself as the lunatic that had her imprisoned wandered off. His power was unbelievable, and the PRT would never kill him when they could use him to mass produce new capes and finally turn the tides in their favour.
No, they'd want to take him alive and force him into their organisation to avoid being Birdcaged, which she suspected Sebastian wouldn't go for.
There was a genuine malice in his eyes when he talked about the PRT; whatever he was planning, he truly disliked them. It wasn't quite hatred, but it was close.
She gave it three days before people learnt of Coil's death and that Sebastian had blatantly pissed on the Unwritten rules to kill him.
Every gang would want Sebastian; the Merchants were actually pushing the Empire back on one front, and this success would be quickly attributed to Sebastian, not Skidmark.
Which was exactly what Sebastian wanted, but for what? What did he get out of inviting all the attention upon himself?
He said it himself: he would get stronger faster the harder people tried to take him down. He knew how his power grew; he was inviting them to try so he could grow from the conflict.
A Trump version of Lung? Gaining permanent power-ups from the fighting? Maybe, but she just didn't know.
If that was the case, he might just pull this mad plan off. He'd keep growing stronger, gaining more powers, which he could then use to super-power his own gang and capes. He might actually know what he was doing, a method to the madness he was inflicting on Brockton Bay.
The fact was that the Unwritten Rules only applied to those who weren't strong enough to ignore them. Lung and Hookwolf had plenty of Cape kills, but Lung was too strong to challenge, and Hookwolf had the entire Empire Eighty-Eight backing him.
The question was, could Sebastian get to that level of power before the army he'd raised against himself could take him down?
If he could, he'd rise to the top of the cape world. If his power didn't have side effects, he'd be able to demand any price and have every gang and even the heroes themselves kissing his feet and fighting each other for his attention.
And he'd drag her up to the top with him, his Spymaster, right by his side.
But it worked both ways because if he failed, she'd get dragged down with him. It was a gamble, but she had explored this place, and something told her that heading out into the savannah outside wasn't a good escape plan.
They weren't in Africa, she was sure of that; Sebastian just had an entire African Savannah outside, populated with elephants, zebras and all other kinds of animals.
His power made no sense, but she needed to figure it out. It was driving her mad, but he might just be able to do what he planned.
And if so, she was looking at one hell of a promotion. Sebastian seemed honest in his offer to empower her, and while her recruitment wasn't ideal, this was one hell of an opportunity.
Worst case, she'd have to play the victim. Going from being enslaved by Coil to being kidnapped by Sebastian should make her look nice and sympathetic.
Sebastian was serious in his decision to make her his spymaster; she'd been left with control over Coil's mercenaries and had access to the stolen funds and information.
If she could prove herself useful, she could keep getting more powers while she waited to see if she needed an exit strategy or whether sticking with Sebastian was the right decision.
The first step in her plan was to make herself useful. She needed to make sure the people Coil had by the balls didn't get any funny ideas about being free when Coil's death became public knowledge.
Then, she needed to get the Undersiders under control. It wouldn't be hard; Brian still needed help getting Aisha (which Coil had never planned to truly help him with), Rachel just needed money for her dogs, and Alec was Alec.
Handing Sebastian three new capes tied up with a nice neat bow would only help her get his trust, and it wasn't like it'd change things for the Undersiders that much.
Okay, fine. Maybe moving from a shadowy boss they didn't even know the name of to a madman who was rapidly rising on the local PRT's most-wanted list wasn't the best change, but… tough.
They'd turn on her if it benefited them; it was nothing personal.
…where had Sebastian gone, anyway?
— Max Anders —
They'd lost to the Merchants.
Sitting in his office, he seethed at the black eye Skidmark and his band of junkies had just dealt the Empire.
They'd made a surprise attack to take down territory that bordered the Merchants' dump, and he hadn't thought much of it.
Stormtiger and Rune seemed like overkill, at least with no Killdozer in sight.
They'd lost badly, the usually drunk and disorderly thugs had suddenly developed muscles that would make Brad jealous, and every single one of them had supernatural accuracy.
Rune got shot in the leg by a trickshot, some nobody ricocheting a bullet off a lamppost to hit her when she was on her platform.
That wasn't even mentioning their ability to suddenly clone their entire force, doubling their numbers and driving back the Empire.
He knew how this had happened, of course. Nothing stayed secret in Brockton Bay. Not for long, anyway.
This Sebastian was the true source of the black eye he'd been dealt, presumably empowering the Merchants as some kind of test.
This alone would have been infuriating, but it was still an opportunity. They simply needed to grab this new cape and put his skills to use for the Empire, and they'd finally be able to push the other gangs and the PRT out of the city, but no.
The blows hadn't stopped coming.
Rune was badly hurt, so they'd called for Othala, and while she answered, she never arrived at the safe house they were keeping Rune in.
Someone had intercepted her, and it didn't take long to find out that the Merchants had been responsible.
Squealer hadn't been around for the attack because it was a diversion; someone had intercepted their messages and changed the destination to lead her into a trap.
There had been men with her, of course, but they'd been easily dealt with.
This was no Skidmark; he lacked the brains for a plan like this. No, Sebastian was using the Merchants to wage a proxy war against him.
Without Othala, healing became problematic, as Panacea refused to heal villains- especially Empire capes- due to that incident with Fleur.
They could try to force the matter, but targeting Panacea was something only a true madman would do. She had too much goodwill for that to end well. Healing capes were extremely rare, and he couldn't think of any others he could get access to that didn't come with unpleasant side effects.
It meant Rune was out of commission for months unless they got Othala back, and any future fights would become far more problematic. Winning fights didn't help them if it put their capes out of commission for weeks.
It'd be death by a thousand paper cuts, and Lung wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of any weakness they showed.
They needed Othala back as soon as possible, and they needed to teach the Merchants a lesson for this insult… which was unfortunately not as easy a prospect as it sounded. The Merchants survived by their cockroach-like nature. They didn't have any real high-value places they could hit, and even the drug labs and Squealer's garages tended to be easily replaced. The Merchants would go to ground, only to spring up again later.
They'd need to hit a cape to really hurt them, but that was easier said than done. Still, priority number one was to get Othala back; they could worry about hurting the Merchants and capturing the bastard who was pulling their strings later.
For now, he sent the order for Hookwolf to take some of their men and cause havoc on the Merchant's turf.
– Sherrel Bailey (Squealer) –
"Excellent work, Squealer. The Merchants have more than kept their end of the bargain," Sebastian said, clapping his hands together happily as he looked at the bound and gagged Othala. She didn't look thrilled that Sherrel had stuck a (well-used) ball gag in her mouth.
"Considering how our boys fucked the Empire up with your magic touch, I'd say we got the better end of this bargain. The nazi fuckers are gonna come looking for their stuck-up cunt, you know?" Sherrel warned, making him nod happily.
"Oh, I'm counting on it," Sebastian said, giving her a dangerous look. She'd be lying if she said it didn't make her a little wet. There was some dark shit going on behind his smiling face. "Are you enjoying your own upgrades, my dear?"
"Are you kidding me? I feel fucking fantastic, and do you have any idea how much of a difference it makes to have another set of my hands around the workshop? It's a fucking godsend that any Tinker would suck your cock for even if it lasted just a day. Hell, pretty sure Prickmaster would let you take the stick out of his ass and replace it with your cock for a taste of this," Sherrel snorted.
"I'm sure, but he's not quite my type, even if he does have a rather nice beard," Sebastian nodded seriously. "I take it you're interested in more upgrades in the future then?"
"Damn right, I am," Sherrel agreed easily. She wondered if Skidmark even realised what Sebastian had done. He was the ultimate drug dealer, and he'd given them the first hit free. Now he had Skidmark and all of them hooked, desperate to keep the high he'd given them and get another hit.
Skidmark didn't even hesitate to agree to attack the Empire for the thirty hits of the Bullseye power-up, uncaring of the war it would start. Sebastian had them by the balls. He could slap Skidmark across the face, bend her over the hood of her car and fuck her ass, and they'd have to say, 'Thank you, Daddy, may I have another'
Not that she minded calling him daddy if he was into that because she could see where the tides were shifting, now that her new body was cleared of all that gunk Skiddy used to get her in the first place.
Sebastian was the next big thing, and Skidmark was a tool he was using for free advertisement.
"I'll keep you in mind as new options become available, my dear. I do think you have some wonderful potential," Sebastian said, giving her a smile. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement that leaves us both satisfied. But for now, I do believe I have a guest to take care of, and it'd be rude of me to ignore her."
"Heh, well, when you want to be satisfied, you know where I am," Sherrel flirted, patting him on the ass as she got into her van and started driving away, leaving Sebastian with his new pet nazi bitch.
She needed to go to ground for a while anyway; the Empire was gonna be out in force tonight.
– Ophelia Herren (Othala) –
As she was carried through a fucking portal like a bag of potatoes under the bastard's arms, she wriggled around until he simply dropped her facefirst on the floor. Her heart sank as the portal closed, and he reached down, pulling the ball gag out and letting it hang around her neck.
"Kaiser is going to kill you for this, and that's if he can get you before my family does," Ophelia said with a certain confidence she didn't really feel as she glared up at the smiling face of her kidnapper.
"Oh, I'm sure he'll try. It might even be fun," Sebastian said; what kind of mad villain didn't cover his face and used his real name? If that was his real name. "But I couldn't have you healing up the Empire capes. I do so hate it when someone undoes my hard work, and a storm is coming for you, and your fellow neo-nazis."
"You're insane, and you're going to suffer for striking at the Empire. We protect our own," Ophelia threatened, but his smile didn't shift as he lifted her to her feet, her hands still duct-taped behind her back.
"Perhaps, but ask yourself this. If I'm insane, is provoking me smart? I've already demonstrated how little I fear your Empire, and a single bullet could remove the inconvenience that you pose just as easily as my little snatch and grab. I promise you, they'd never find the body," Sebastian said with an unnerving cheer. "If you're right, your fellows will come for you, and you'll be freed. If I'm right, they'll fail. Either way, I suggest you get comfortable in your new home because you won't be leaving here anytime soon. "
She froze, disbelieving that anyone would so casually break the Unwritten rules, but something about him just unnerved her. Freeing her hands, he still had that same joyful smile on his face as she immediately turned and made a run for the entryway she'd seen.
Pushing the door open, she froze midstep as a lion stared back at her, pausing its devouring of a zebra's corpse. She was in Africa?
"By all means, go free. Run to the hills, run for your life," Sebastian said as he followed behind her. "You won't get anywhere, of course, but it'll be fun to watch all the same. Or you could come with me, and I can show you where you'll be staying as long as you behave yourself."
Staring out across the seemingly endless savannah, she turned and followed him back inside. Kaiser would find her, somehow. They had Thinker support from their European allies; they'd find her.
Another blonde paused as they walked up the stairs, blinking in shock and recognition.
"Oh, Sebastian. You didn't? What am I saying? Of course, you did. Let me guess, did you also happen to leave Kaiser an autograph and make sure there is no doubt who exactly has stolen the Empire's healer?" the other girl said, sounding resigned and annoyed.
"I did not; perhaps that's something I'll have to look into next time," Sebastian said playfully, giving the girl a smile as he continued on his way, leading her to an admittedly very nice room. "Now, as long as you are a well-behaved house guest, you'll find your time here mostly painless. Should you try anything silly, I will be forced to start… disciplining you and removing the privileges. Just consider this an involuntary vacation, with only the occasional interrogation."
"I-interrogation?" Ophelia asked, making him nod.
"Oh, I'm sure you have all manner of Empire secrets rattling about in that head of yours. I just want to pry a few free, that's all," Sebastian said with an unnerving stare. "Don't worry, as long as you don't be too troublesome, your secrets will be the only thing you lose. Not your dignity, limbs, life, etcetera."
Shuddering, she backed away from him, hitting the edge of the bed as he simply stared at her.
"Well, I'll leave you to get settled in. I'm sure you have a lot to think about," Sebastian said, clapping his hands together. "We'll have plenty of time to chat later."
Leaving her alone, she felt her heart pound in her chest. They'd find her; the Empire wouldn't leave her in the hands of this lunatic. She repeated it in her head, a mantra to try and calm herself down.
Maybe if she said it enough, she'd start to believe it.
– Sebastian Fairfax –
"So, war with the Empire first?" Lisa asked, making me smile. "I suppose stealing their healer is a good start, and Kaiser was going to come for you either way. It's not as bad as I first thought," Lisa sighs, making me chuckle.
Feats Achieved: Declare War on the Empire Eighty-Eight. Defeat Othala. Rewards: Two Rolls.
"I assure you, this will be a good thing for us," I promise. "I want you to probe Othala for information, put that thinker power you're so proud of to use."
"Got it, boss," Lisa agrees, not quite hiding her annoyance.
Hm, two kidnapped blonde teenage girls in one day. I suppose I could go for three… no, let's not push it.
Rolling. Results: Rare Power, Legendary Artefact
Rare Power
[Kid Win: Tinker Speciality: Modularity]
You are a tinker that specialises in making modular tech.
Legendary Artefact
[Belt of Storm Giant Strength]
This belt grants the wearer the immense strength of a storm giant, able to perform deeds of immense strength.
Yes, this will work nicely. The Empire will be a lovely source of rolls, and I get to inconvenience some neo-nazi bastards.
A true win-win.
— Bonus Scene — Francis Krouse (Trickster)
Coil was dead before they could even meet him. All that, for their current best chance at curing Noelle to be killed before they could even reach Brockton Bay.
Still, this wasn't the end of the world, he thought as he looked at the PHO thread about this Sebastian. He didn't know if Mush was actually a Case-53, but Sebastian had turned him from an ugly abomination to a fairly attractive and less malformed man.
Plus, the bastard owed them for killing Coil. How Accord knew Sebastian was responsible, he didn't know, but wasn't stupid enough to ask. Sebastian had stolen Coil's resources, hopefully, that included whatever Coil had planned to help Noelle.
They just had to grab him and convince him to help them.
Author's Note: The latter half of this chapter was written in France, mostly while I waited to change trains. I'm lying in bed in Hotel Santa Fe in Disneyland Paris as I type this. Yes, I love writing so much I brought my Laptop on holiday with me. What can I say, except You're Welcome?
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster.
Current Advance Chapters
Plat Tier: Sorcerer's Legacy Ch07, Game Master Ch06
I have a Discord server with a bunch of other authors and a load of porn. So much porn.
Here's the link for that: discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
If it says it's expired, it is probably your account being unable to join NSFW servers, and you'll need to fix that. If you fix that and it still says it's expired, add me (ThePumpkinKing), and I'll invite you myself.
I've finally put my Pat reon to use after months of procrastinating. My Pat reons now have the ability to vote for which fics they'd like to see updated more during the next chapter cycle. The winner of the normal tier poll gets one extra chapter per cycle, the second tier poll gets two extra chapters, and the highest tier pat reons can pick a fic that will get three extra chapters per cycle. The winning fics this cycle were Tamer (three extra chapters), Tinker (two extra chapters) and Supervillain (one extra chapter). I'm currently in the process of making the advanced chapters for Pat reon, which will slow down updates somewhat as I make the five advanced chapters.
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