Everything is just getting more complicated.
Felix adjusted the cuff on his left arm.
Out of habit he touched the ring on his right hand. He’d taken to wearing it since the prison break a few weeks ago. It was a construct Lily, Felicia, and White had built for him.
A very simplified version of the crown, which only blocked the powers of other mind readers. The only exception to that was anyone wearing a Fixer’s version of the ring.
It was a simple silver band. The crown of it was flat with a red background. Stamped in the middle of that was a black L.
Everyone in Legion was being issued one with the instructions to never take it off.
Mind reading was the easiest form of espionage. Just because Kit was the strongest, didn’t mean there weren’t others who could read your mind as easily.
Unthinkingly, Felix then checked Lily’s charm that rested on the inside of his dress shirt. He could feel it just under his tie.
“We’ll be right here,” Victoria said. “Should anything go wrong, we’ll be in there in a heartbeat.”
Miu fixed him with her flat stare.
He knew her mind now. Knew her fractured thoughts.
She didn’t want him to be alone in there and was contemplating disobeying him. Felix feared her twisted mind could rearrange his orders into whatever she wanted it to be. He’d been getting large doses of her crazy as she began to teach him hand to hand combat in a more unhinged fashion. There was no doubt in his mind she was insane.
Andrea nodded her head emphatically at his words, and the other two calmed at her unspoken cue.
Kit and Lily were already talking about something privately and had taken seats.
“It’ll be fine. I’m just meeting with the prison board. This should be a productive meeting,” Felix said with a smile for them.
Reaching out he turned the doorknob and opened the door. Stepping into the conference room, he found seven men and women staring at him.
The door shut with a quiet click behind him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Campbell,” said the woman in the center position.
She was older with touches of gray at her temples. She also looked exactly as he expected. Stern, pale faced, and bureaucratic.
“Good afternoon, chairwoman,” Felix said with a smile.
Running down the line of men and women, he found there was an eighth chair off to the side of the table, and one chair facing those eight.
Felix moved towards that chair and took a seat, unbuttoning his jacket and letting it open at the front. He set his manila folder down on the table and then folded his hands into one another.
“We’re waiting for—”
A side door opened and a man in a super hero outfit walked in, causing the chairwoman to pause.
The Hero looked at Felix, then sat down in the eighth chair.
“Ah, we’re all accounted for. A representative of the Heroes Guild asked to be here to represent their interests,” said the chairwoman.
“As you will. First, I’d like to have permission to record this meeting,” Felix said. After a pause he produced a recorder from his pocket. Laying it down on the table he continued. “With my governor bid, I want to make sure that all of my dealings are above board, and without any type of conflict of interest.”
“That is… I see no reason why not,” said the chairwoman.
There was no grounds to stop him from recording the proceedings. He’d already had Lily look into it. If they had tried to shut him down, he would have recorded the meeting anyways and released it to the public at some point.
“Great,” Felix said. Tapping the record button he glanced at the display. “This recording is a meeting between Felix Campbell, CEO of Legion, and the committee of prison affairs. The date and attendees are as follows—”
Felix said the date aloud and then read through the names for each of those attending. He paused, staring at the hero.
“We’ve been joined by one representative of the super heroes guild by the name of…” Felix paused, waiting for the man to introduce himself.
“Not needed,” said the man.
Felix nodded his head.
“The representative has refused to identify himself. He’s dressed in a dark black outfit with red pinstripe accents running up and down both the arms and legs. Estimated height at five foot ten,” Felix continued.
Without missing a beat as he talked, Felix pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a photo of the super hero.
“I’ve taken a photo of the hero for my own notes on my personal cell phone—”
“You can’t do that!” shouted the hero, standing up.
“I can do that. It’s perfectly within my rights to take a photo whenever and however I see fit. This is not a closed door meeting, and recording was allowed by the chairwoman. Nor is this under any type of government oversight. This is a contract meeting,” Felix said.
The hero continued to close in on Felix, coming around the table.
“I don’t recommend that,” Felix said. Miu and Victoria were both on the other side of the door. Both had enhanced senses. “You have no right to touch me, my person, or my belongings. I’ll ask you to stop right there.”
Apparently the hero wasn’t used to someone telling him what to do. His response was anger, and what could be seen of his face was telling.
Miu appeared between Felix and the Hero. She stood stock still, her arms hanging at her sides.
Victoria opened the door and stepped through, her blade moving backwards as she prepared to lunge forward towards the hero. Andrea was a step behind her, an SMG snuggled up into her shoulder.
“Stop,” Felix commanded.
Victoria came to a rest, her blade held at the ready and a single muscle movement away from impaling the Hero.
Miu stood as she had previously. Waiting for the Hero to get too close.
“Now, I’ll say it again. I’m a citizen, in a meeting that is being conducted publicly,” Felix said. He caught Lily and Kit entering the room and closing the door behind themselves. “You are acting in a hostile way that will force my bodyguards to defend my person. You can take your seat, and we can begin this meeting, or you can leave. It’s that simple.”
“You’re telling me what to do!?” shouted the hero. He’d stopped two feet from Miu and was glaring down at Felix. Ignoring the petite woman.
“I am. Because you have no right to do anything to me. I’m giving you the best advice you’ll ever get. And probably the only warning you’ll get,” Felix said.
He didn’t think this situation was going to deescalate. The guild of heroes was full of people who believed they knew what was right and wrong.
He doubted this particular Dudley would hear the reason in Felix’s voice.
Reaching over Miu, the Hero made for Felix’s phone.
Miu snatched the man’s wrist, bent it to one side, then turned his arm around with a crackling sound. She held his arm back behind his head as her left hand snaked down around his throat.
“Miu, don’t kill him. Release him,” Felix said.
The Hero fell to the ground, shrieking and holding his broken arm.
Sighing, Felix turned back to the committee. “My apologies. Often I find myself the target of discrimination on the part of the Heroes guild. Kit, could you get him out of here and seated in the lobby? Lily, could you notify the guild of the situation and that I’m contemplating charges?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll see it done.”
“Great. Now, madam chairwoman, could we please move on to business? I’d like to make an offer towards taking responsibility over a number of prisons,” Felix said. “We have no interest in any prisons containing super villains, as that’s the domain of the guild.”
The chairwoman was staring at him.
He imagined she was shocked at what had just happened. Heroes weren’t supposed to lose. Be overpowered. Cowed. Beaten with logic.