Chương 47: The Shady Deals Made in Rentals

"Sorry about the mess," Ice Hawk apologized to her as his wings vanished. With them out of the way, Thana could now peer through the glass door and large windows separating the patio from the apartment inside. The "mess" in question – an empty tray for a microwaved dinner – begat less concern than the apartment's sparse furnishings. She could spy maybe four pieces of furniture in truth should she overlook a few stopgap solutions used in their place.

This gave the small dwelling an appearance more barren and abandoned by the addition of the two folding chairs, a coffee table, and a lamp than it might've had should the rooms simply be empty. Nothing adorned the walls but dull paint with chips and cracks that had not the boldness to even decorate but a few scant inches along the edges. The sole creature comfort in the compact room seemed to be a medium sized television that sat atop the box it had come in.

Proudly it stood at a height that one resting in the cheap chairs would need to turn their head downwards to look at it, pretending not to sink into its cardboard throne. Her host made haste to a fridge even she knew to be ancient by the standards of modern technology. On closer inspection, the appliance seemed to match the age of the cabinets it nested between if her recollection of the previous century's later decades were to be trusted, giving her reason to believe it had been supplied with this unit.

The hero tossed open the door to reveal it to be fully stocked with a variety of beverages, almost all she believed to be alcoholic in nature.

"Before you get the wrong idea," Ice Hawk chuckled as his guest awkwardly lingered on the patio, "I actually live at the Tower and my place looks way less 'divorced' over there. I have to keep a residence on file to qualify for a non-public identity, so this is mostly just where I keep my drinks. Ground Hog doesn't want them in the shared fridge and I like to stock up in bulk so it's not worth keeping a minifridge in my room."

He proffered a can out to her, the invitation prompting her to finally duck her head and enter through the sliding door. Her hands lingered on the door before she finally closed it, unsure if the action made her feel caged by her own hand. Once he passed over the cold drink, the hero walked over to the furthest chair in the room and gently lowered himself into it.

Defying her expectations, the ugly mess of metal didn't make as much as a sound while it strained to support his muscular body, though she still noted the odd movements in its flimsy design. As such, Thana still felt it was best not to risk attempting to see if the other one would fair as well against her form. Godflesh tended to be a little heavier than mortals might think and her armor would only add to that.

She had no desire to dismiss the ensorcelled armor no matter how friendly this hero believed this chat to be. If that offended Ice Hawk, he made no show of it, "Sorry, didn't feel like you'd want to go to the tower right now, all things considered. Ordinarily I'd just bug my niece to borrow one of her spots, but she's got a lot on her plate at the moment." Thana nodded, feeling ill at ease at the idea of returning to Amberheart at the moment. The thought of being in that place after her failure to prevent harm…

Nay, worse, she had felt the urge to harm the innocent herself… The lingering anger poisoning her veins and the guilt over its very existence made the idea of walking within the halls of heroes this day feel anathema to her. So why did she not feel such trepidation towards being in Ice Hawk's admittedly meager abode? Was not this the dwelling of heroes?

"So," he stuck his teeth together and sucked air between them, "not gonna ask how you're feeling since I think I've got the general vibe, but why don't you have a few sips before we talk about it?"

"It would take far more mortal drink than this to muddle my thoughts," she told him, even as the can's opening yielded to her questing finger. He shrugged away her statement and remained silent as she spent the next five seconds draining the whole thing. It was a simple thing, made all the more so by how far away it was from the true brews of Askarvi's hallowed halls.

The closest beverage she'd ever drunk in her time on the mortal plane had been from the harvest of Diagaras, the Meditarri god having altered his own divine crop to try and match the flavor and strength she'd described to him. In truth, even amongst mortal beverages, this particular drink would no doubt be found lacking, and yet it still soothed her. Memories of celebration and of shared meals spilled through her as it passed her lips.

The moment she finished, Thana balled her fist, collapsing the weak metal and earning a smile from Ice Hawk who tilted his head towards a nearby counter, "Just leave it there, I'll clean up before I head out."

"Thank you," she said and did as he directed, carefully moving over to deposit the empty mess of cheap metal where he'd indicated.

"For the drink and for the… companionship."

"Oh, we're not friends," Ice Hawk told her with a smile.

"In fact, I hate your guts, but I'm not having a goddess spiral out in my city." His bluntness forced her to blink in surprise. Her fingers began to curl into fists.

"Calm down, I don't hate you 'cause you're a god," Hawk's eyes drifted to her hands.

"It's 'cause you're an Orion cape." His accent took on a very particular affect. A familiar one which cut his words in a peculiar way. Most mortals would need far more words to catch the way the region left its mark on the throat, but her divine ears needed few scant hints to trace it.

"So are you," she noted.

"Exactly," he pointed to her with the hand holding his beer before taking a long sip of his own.

"I know you've been hanging around villain bars so you'll get it." Thana ill liked Ice Hawk's attitude now, nor his knowledge of her off duty habits, "How-?"

"Same answer as before," he rolled his eyes, uncovered by the goggles that had never once lowered from his forehead, "it's cause I was in those villain bars doing the same thing: keeping tabs on them. And… visiting the ones I liked, just like you." Already on edge, this time the Stormdaughter had been prepared to keep her expression in check regardless of what he said. While she kept her face steady, she still felt wrong-footed by how closely his words stabbed at a truth she thought hidden.

His grin didn't waiver despite not getting any reaction from her, "I'm glad to see you there actually. Should help explain why I'm on edge about having an Orion cape here. You've seen our local underbelly and know what I know. It's different here, and we both know what that is." Thana stared at him for a moment before laughing, "Ah, it all makes sense." The hero in blue raised an eyebrow, "I… uh? So you get it?"

Thana strode to an empty section of the wall – not a difficult task in this apartment – and let herself lean against it, "I wondered why I knew you to be a warrior. Now I see the battle you wage." It was time for his eyes to narrow. And so she let him glance at the cards in her hand.

"It is an element of my domain now. Despite helping to usher in this era of peace, I am a goddess of war," she told him. Apparently he was spiteful for having his own heart witnessed in much the same way he made it a habit of espying others' and as such he loosed a venomous reply, "Right, you got that from when your dad died, didn't you?" Despite the tight hold she attempted to maintain on the muscles of her face, one nostril flared when the lip below it quivered.

The snarl it had wanted to form was smothered through the demigoddess' intense self control, but she was surprised to find that the bite of his comment did not stoke her hatred. Still, something inside her compelled her to let her own venom-tinged words pass her lips.

"No, I obtained it for violently ending his life, not just from his passing," she hissed.

"Our powers are not passed from one to the next like inheritance. A war god's mantle is solely granted for an act of war. I killed Alsun in combat after slaughtering my way through his defenders and that cursed me with his domain forever more." A pressure that had lingered on her lessened as she confessed to this. It did not exorcise the ghost of her father, but saying this aloud after so many recent nights being haunted by his shade seemed to appease the bastard.

"So if someone kills you…?" Ice Hawk rolled a hand and let the question linger, aware of the danger of the subject.

"Allegedly, that is how some 'mortalborn' gods have ascended," her eyes narrowed, searching his every gesture for hints of his true nature.

"I have spoken to more than one of my kind who has claimed such a tale. And yet, I believe to truly do ascend in such a manner, one would need to pass into legend first." Ice Hawk nearly spit his drink at her words, "Wait, are you saying the Nietzschean Heresy is true?" Thana grinned. As existentially terrifying as the idea that her entire life was actually a result of human belief, it was always entertaining to witness mortals react to her so much as permitting the idea to be spoken around her.

Whensoever she broached the subject in the first place, their shock was most amusing. She shook her head, "I lack the knowledge of this myself, to be frank. But I admit the nihilist at the center of the so called heresy raised valid points. My own history is perfectly recounted, even moments I do not recall sharing with mortals which no one else accompanied me on. My recollections are not perfect, but they never contradict stories told about myself or my kin to my knowledge.

Perhaps it is not evidence that we gods are beings created of stories but that we are beings linked to the Akashic realm. It would explain how I can sense a connection to you through my domain." He chewed on that a moment as he sipped once more from his drink. So she continued.

"I have watched as the stories of mortals have shifted and churned in their absence, and yet my story is just as I remember it. It could be that story changes and I have no knowledge, or perhaps the legend is too strong to shift with the eons," she shrugged, letting the philosophy hang in the air for a moment.

"But the passing of the mantle and your war share the same roots, don't they. The difference you spoke of between this city and Orion." The man clad in blue gingerly set his drink on the coffee table before him and stood, his countenance set in grim determination, "Yeah, the League." She eyed him, feeling the hatred bleed off him. She could not put into mortal words what it felt like to experience one resonating within her divine influence.

How does one describe the feeling of sight to the blind or the sensation of wings to one who had never been borne aloft by them? In that moment though, the waves of his battle crashed against her as though they were pleading for her blessing. Not a true prayer in nature, more like the tug of a whirlpool that sought to consume any scrap of favor that would be tossed its way so long as it could continue to rage against its enemies.

"I usually have a whole speech to talk about this since I only bother telling it to folks that I need to know it. It's… a little too personal otherwise. But the start of it feels a little odd when I'm talking to a woman who actually fought in the Great War," his anger was quickly masked with sardonic cheer as he re-assumed a guise he wore too often. Thana motioned for him to continue.

She had felt a tug on her as though the man had been petitioning her, likely not realizing what he was doing by attempting to make his case before a divinity. At least she hoped this was not some ploy to beg her favor as she had no desire to grant divine boons, especially not to heroes. The Great War had begun with gods agreeing to grant their succor to those who believed themselves wanting to fix the world.

Despite her trepidation, she still felt a warrior fighting a hidden battle deserved to lay his burdens out, much as he'd allowed her to confess the sin that had been haunting her of late. A professional courtesy, not a divine duty.

"Right, I'm keeping the recap portion of this simple all the same," he scratched his chin.

"Quick basics: The Thelees rampage over Uropa, Sian, and Azania until you guys shut that down. ¹ Then Mr. Wonder kicks off the golden age of heroes to try and heal things and things are good for, what, ten, twenty years?" Thana bit her lip. The years in the aftermath of the Great War had been… testing. She'd attempted to return to where she thought was home but… In the end she'd chosen to follow her friend's example and leave Uropa entirely to travel to the lands he'd once crossed the sea for.

In the fog of those years spent trying to adjust, she'd missed the events she suspected Ice Hawk was about to bring up. He studied her in silence until she shrugged. Disappointed he continued, "Eh, number's not important. Point is, you know what happened next." An age of abundance. One that had seen the emergence of the "Super Hero" alongside automation and broad social progress. Lasting peace for the first time in the globe's history. One that left so many idle hands.

"The Thelee holdouts dried up," Hawk reminded her.

"And people needed heroes less and less after becoming addicted to the concept. Too far out from the Age of Exploration too, so no one knows what to do with all their free time and all these superpowers." ² Thana glanced out the window at the skyline of Victory as the light of the day began to fade and the embers of dusk stretched above. The night was coming.

"And that's when the League came and invented the 'Villain'," the hero recounted, too young to have been there himself and yet his words stirred Thana's memories all the same.

"Indeed," she nodded.

"A faceless organization that promised reinforcement and aid to any that would challenge the mantle of hero and decry the condemnation regarding selfish pursuit of power. Giving rise to the dance of superheroes and their counterparts to this day." He picked up on the intended implication behind her interruption and shortened the rest of his speech, "Yeah, well, the current League is different. It's still about making us heroes get the villains antsy.

And still about making the cynical and the bored turn to villainy. But it wants them under their banner, not just wearing dark clothing. Rather than just helping out strays because there's too many bored people out there and not enough slots for heroes, they're all about the superpower arms race. You have to have seen this." She… had. Maximillion and the rest were very good at protecting Orion.

So good that in that city's boundaries one would have an easier time filching the egg from the nest of a bog basilisk unnoticed ³ than to lay siege to even the smallest of banking institutions and retreat with enough haste before a whole team of heroes descended on you. The vigilance of the city's protectors did not stop the poison temptation of villainy however. Propaganda circled constantly.

Intranet campaigns were waged like online warfare while unseen agitators would often find ways to add voices casting blame on heroes in schools, businesses, and even amongst some media organizations. Those who succumbed to the fell influence wouldn't simply see the forces of Orion's protectors and turn from crime. They sought the aid of more established villains, be that local heavyweights or agents of the League. That drew them to more dangerous elements, corrupting them further.

The heroes' own drive to protect made their enemies all the more vicious. In their efforts to defend, they fed the monsters below. After dwelling on this, she nodded, once more feeling adrift in her purpose. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Ice Hawk smiled and clapped his hands together before collapsing back into his chair, "Alright then! Honestly thought that would be a tougher sell. Let's help you kill your guy then."

Her head whipped towards him in a blur, causing his smug expression to waiver for the barest instant.

"You just spoke of the escalation of the League due to the heroes' own crackdowns," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"What game do you play?" He held up a finger, "That's the thing: you're an Orion cape. Doesn't matter that you're a goddess from across the sea, you're still here representing the Big City. And I told you that Victory's different. It's softer." His cocksure grin took on a malign edge, "And that's a good thing. Might be a good idea to show the folks out there why they don't want to start copying Orion's homework." She eyed him suspiciously, "You wish for me to scare your city away from its heroes uniting?

I do not think an outsider would cause such a rift."

"No, but it would make the Arrestors and the city governance suddenly a lot less eager to throw in with them," he pointed out.

"But also, this might get Orion to finally realize that they need to show some teeth themselves. For as quick as they are to act, they don't tend to finish the job when it comes to the League."

"That is not how-" she began. The mortal had the gall to cut her off, "Yeah, I'm not saying that we should be judge, jury, and executioner for everyone, but the League is an existential threat! The Arrestors are afraid to contain their leaders without a whole year of prep time ever since Hell Harrier busted out of Keyrock, ⁴ so they get to waltz around like they own the place. But if this whole mess has taught us anything, it's that putting the council in the ground works."

Thana scoffed, "How do you see that from the chaos around you?" Ice Hawk leapt to his feet, his arms going through a manic dance, "Because Overlab is out of the picture! I've been plugged into every scrap of news and it's clear that they're doing this without tech support despite weeks of lead time. There's only a couple of new gadgets on display across the world, not in every engagement.

Only three of the cities under assault right now have a major superweapon at the center of their invasion, and one of those is on Junea so you know they made that one over a year ago. This is a wounded animal display. They're trying to hide just how much they're bleeding!"

"Even so, if this is the response they muster for such a display then such escalation comes with its own risks," she spoke words that felt alien in her throat. These were borrowed from her masked friends, not her own and she knew it. And yet, she clung to them like a raft, unwilling to let herself slip back into her old ways, not after having seen where Alsun went on the path of godhood.

"That's the other reason I need to help you," he told her.

"If they walk away from this with a win, then no matter how many licks they take for doing this, they can justify doing it again. It's all about this one symbolic victory, just like how Azure banked on capturing Maniacal." Thana noted something in his voice and remembered the man was first on the scene in the fight that had led to Maniacal's death. She smelled sabotage but saw nothing in his eyes that led her to believe he had aided "Roger Stevens" with the deed.

Still, something felt amiss and she was determined to find out more. She let him continue to see what he might reveal.

"If we nab this guy, they might still grab him from custody, and then they get to have their public revenge and call things to rest. But if you kill him, then the League loses outright and will eventually lose on all the other fronts they opened up." She considered it. Orion's hero alliance broadly obeyed the expectations that Mr. Wonder set forth in the wake of the Great War on individual hero behavior, not to mention the AU's guidance on lethality.

Fights sometimes tragically ended in death, but it was considered unbecoming for one to seek to kill with their heroics. Her quest would have always been frowned upon by her fellows, even if they understood her motives, and she doubted that her goal to end the life of the man who had ruined her life would truly change their hearts. But… there was a chance that in the wake of the disaster the League had brought, that her actions might incite a change she had not foreseen.

In truth, it changed little of her plans, but if this was the banner that Ice Hawk fought beneath and it would enlist his help, however treacherous that might be, then perhaps it was worth humoring his goals. His words hinted at methods other heroes might spurn, similar to ArachNed. Or at the least, the man seemed just as duplicitous. Better to have him think her an ally in his secret dealings than to be kept at arm's length as the spider had done to her.

"I see," was all she committed to.

"So what aid do you offer?"

"I can at least stop you from chasing the wrong lead," he told her, straightening his posture before retrieving his drink from the table.

"I know you're watching Ned and you almost walked right into a trap he didn't even realize he was setting." Thana removed herself from the wall, taking two steps forward, "Speak." She was not surprised her actions had been noticed, but Ice Hawk being the one to do so was unexpected. More worrisome still was that even now, the man she'd misjudged was interfering in finding what she wanted to know.

"Ned tries to handle everything in this city that he thinks concerns him," the hero told her what she'd already come to know.

"You can't trust everything he searches up to be related to one case or another. Case in point, his latest obsession: Iron Menace." Despite the man's warning, Thana etched that name into her skull to find out more later. She would be the judge of what was and wasn't important if it was something the perfidious spider was interested in.

Ice Hawk must have known her heart because a frown etched itself on his face, "Look, I thought the same thing, especially with what his search queries were looking like, but it turns out I've fought this guy and he's not your man. Better yet, I know why Ned's invested and… okay, you might want to sit down for this one, considering your, uh, history." She fixed him with a glare. The man shrugged, "Okay, well, he'll probably be in the hospital regardless, because according to a…

trusted source on the matter, it's cause IM is dating Terrorantula." Thana had not been expecting to hear that of all things. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment before she finally decided to answer, "Good for her?"

"Huh, thought that you would take that worse, considering…" he met her eyes and shook his head, "Anyways, my contact was saying that her boat had sailed or something like that. Don't really get it. Anyways, Ned's cyberstalking his villain's new fling. This is between him apparently trying to look over records on the Starlight Squad and Junean heroes for some reason all while still looking up your history. It's a lot of false leads if you don't know what to look for." She chewed on her bottom lip in thought.

The revelation of Evelyn's new paramour was not what she'd expected to gain from this conversation. No, she didn't know Evelyn's villain identity. Even though Ice Hawk had- No. You. Don't. Know. Her. True. Name, she reminded herself, already feeling like this past hour had been spent too close to the line between heroism and villainy. She glanced up to see Ice Hawk's waiting face.

"So then, you want me to trust your word on which of ArachNed's searches are relevant to my quarry?" she asked, reminded too much of the spider's own promise to keep her in the loop. Ice Hawk looked at her for a moment and then shrugged, "I'm willing to let you trip over all the dead ends if you want. Or I could let you in on what I know about this city and even some things I hear on the grapevine."

He finished his drink and tossed it into the sink a few feet away before striding over to stand but a few feet in front of her, "It's in my best interest to help you wrap this up quick, but only if you wrap it up right and permanently. That's what I'm offering. Whatever I hear that's worth a damn, I'll pass to you, but I want you to tell me right now that we're on the same page." She leaned forward, finding that her height overshadowed the man without his wings, "I will kill the man who murdered my love.

No cells, no cuffs, just the death he's earned." Nothing flared in response to her divine words. No oath formed to bind her. After all, she'd already sworn this to herself before setting foot in Victory. The hero's smile broadened, "Good. Glad someone's finally got the right idea."

Arex noticed several of Over Seer's helpers eyeing him with a little more hostility than usual as he approached the penthouse. It was odd to see so many of them here at this hour. The sun had just set, meaning most of them should be scurrying around to do whatever the pasty cyclops wanted them doing for her little "grand plan". Hmm… maybe she actually is going to finally make a move, he wondered as yet another of her lackeys met his eyes.

He paid the man no mind and simply grabbed the doorknob in one meaty fist and twisted it open. Inside, Over Seer floated in front of a massive window stretching to the absurd height of the ceiling which peered out on Victory's skyline. Her back was to him as she finished a phone call while looking over the city. This hotel had generously offered up the finest suite to the League and the witch was making the most of it.

Arex couldn't stand being stuffed up here away from the troops but he supposed that was a difference in leadership between the two of them. While she finished up, Arex's eyes scanned the tall, dark room, expecting it to be empty – or at the very least that the assassins would be concealed. He was shocked to see Axgrinder on one couch opposite the standing form of Oni Overlord.

The giant hooded man fixed him with a glare, the metal slab that acted as a mask hanging from his belt so he could glower away to his heart's content. Meanwhile the ash colored yokai simply stared at the spymaster, his inhuman face fixed in a frown framed by two massive fangs but otherwise was completely unreadable. Both of the council members kept their weapons in front of them, hands resting on them with all the implied threat that came with that.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll be sure to see you well compensated for the forewarning," Over Seer said and the phone floated gently to a nearby desk.

"Any news on Steelstar?" Arex asked, not even bothering to try tensing his muscles to be ready for the upcoming attack. Let them all come. Over Seer sighed and turned around, "No one by that name was present in Victory within the last four years. There are three separate heroes around the world using it and one deceased villain, but nothing that ties any of them to here.

I am forced to maintain a ritual to dig further into the scrap for a lead, but that will likely take at least a week, if anything of value can be salvaged." The quiet that followed in the room stretched on as Axgrinder and Oni Overlord pretended not to look at him. Arex could taste their anticipation however.

"Are you going to just get it over with?" he finally asked.

"Why the hell did you leave out that bit about your fight with AnomaloCarrie?!" Over Seer gnashed her teeth.

"Do you have any idea what damage you've done?! She's told the heroes about you, you fucking simpleton!" The two other council members seemed shocked to see the Spymaster finally snap at one of them even though they recovered quickly. For Arex's part, he simply chuckled, finally seeing the woman with her fangs bared which only seemed to irritate her more.

"If you had told me then I could've included her in the spell!" she spat.

"Why the hell did you leave that out?!"

"Because she's blood, so your little trick wouldn't work on her," he explained.

"Thought she'd be wanting a rematch though. Little disappointed she-" He stopped talking as his mind reminded him, "Aw, fuck, it's Connie that's always good for a fight. Wrong niece." Magic might not be his forte, but he remembered Seer mentioning that her forgetful trick only worked if someone didn't have a long history with you. Unfortunately, his memory hadn't been so great on which of his nieces went all training montage for revenge and which one was the tattletale.

"Your. Niece," Over Seer's words hissed through her teeth.

"Second cousin, really, but everyone needs a chart to know-""I know what that means! I also knew you had some relationship with that hero, but I didn't realize you'd be picking fights with her! We could've done something! Kidnapped her! Anything!" she huffed.

"Instead, the entire plan to keep our presence here in the shadows is at risk. I had plans to deal with leaks which now won't work since you confirmed at least one council member is here and which one it is!" He looked at the glowing eye glaring at him and his grin widened, "So one of yours couldn't keep their mouth shut huh?" The eye flared. Axgrinder stood, scooping his weapon off the table in one clean motion. Oni Overlord didn't move however so Arex made no move at throwing the first punch.

Over Seer got control of herself once more, the fiery eye quieting down to a much less powerful blaze, "You're out of here. You're going to swap with Shell Breaker to hammer Nautilia since you have so much fun with that. Go loud there and-""No." This got Oni to shift his stance. The kanabō lifted from the floor to rest on his shoulders as he twirled the massive metal club in one hand. Two glowing eyes fixed on him.

Axgrinder made no movements of his own, holding the large executioner's blade ready to swing at a moment's notice. Only Over Seer wasn't ready for him, moving back as though she'd been physically struck by the words.

"W-what do you mean 'no'?!" she snarled as she regained her composure, sigils beginning to glow just behind her as she tried to secretly ready a spell.

"This-""-Comes down from Draven, doesn't it?" Arex rolled his eyes.

"Somehow we're a council of equals but the guy really likes ordering us around, doesn't he?" No one answered. Arex could tell Axgrinder was rankled by his words. The fucking bootlicker worshiped at Draven's heels and wanted an excuse to go to blows with Arex for the title of "League's Dumb Wrecking Ball" for some fucking reason. High on his own testosterone for brains bullshit. Oni… well, Arex wasn't even sure if the guy spoke Avalonian to be honest as much as he just read the room.

The yokai rarely spoke during any meetings – even in Akitsuan. But Over Seer? Here was the person who hated Draven more than he did, for as much as she ran around doing his bidding. And more than anything, like the rest of the Spymasters before her, she loved a good bout of division in the upper ranks. It was almost a shame to disappoint her then.

"Chill, I'm not planning on going rogue," he told the room. Axgrinder actually stiffened at that, as though he was planning on striking first. Tension bled off Oni and Seer, though they both refused to actually back down. He grinned, "I fucked up with Carrie, I'll cop to that, but Draven doesn't get to pull some imaginary rank." Axgrinder almost leapt at him, but to the idiot's credit, he did manage to keep some self control. That was probably why Draven had put him on the council after all.

A yes-man but one with enough smarts to not ruin his plans just to defend daddy's honor. ⁵"I'm not leaving this place. I've got a couple of my own guys here I've got running some projects on, same as you all, and they're a lot less aquatic than me. Plus I've got something I'm interested in here," he stared directly at Over Seer and ignored his fellow two council members.

No one here held power over him, that was true, but if he wanted to get anything done in this City, he needed the League's resources, and that meant making sure the one-eyed witch didn't freeze him out. So he'd play "nice."

"But, I'll take the bench, alright?" he offered his olive branch.

"No fights, no strolls around town in costume. Fuck, I'll even stick to birds instead of lizards to keep incognito." That one hurt. Turning into birds didn't feel the same. But it showed he was "reflecting on his actions." Over Seer's sigil narrowed and he felt pinpricks of arcane power questing over him. He chose not to muscle past the basic truth spell to let her know he was sincere. After a moment she spoke, "Fine, but-""What?!" Axgrinder spun on his heel to face her.

"This is not up for debate! Draven-" Oni stepped between him and the floating spymaster, shaking his head. The hooded man looked around the room and realized he was being outvoted. Snarling, he threw his axe on his back and stomped towards the door. He attempted to shoulder check Arex on the way out, only to pass through empty air as he shapeshifted out of the way, strands of muscles reforming his arm once the other man had passed him.

That only seemed to make him angrier but he at least retreated from the room rather than actually doing something he'd regret.

"As I was saying," Over Seer nodded at the other council member who silently returned to the spot in the room he'd originally stood vigil from, "keep in contact and be ready to move. You're free to do what you want otherwise, just keep it quiet." Arex grinned and she grunted with disgust as she turned away, dismissing him with a wave. He left the penthouse, still smiling as he planned his next few moves. He hadn't been lying about having a few projects started.

Mostly just pitting a few of his favorites up against Victory's better challenges, which meant doing some scouting for good fight locations. Most importantly however was ensuring some long term plans came to fruition. Arex had known he would need a change soon, but Draven pulling what he had tonight irked him. It wasn't the entitlement – gods, more villains needed to act like the world belonged to them – it was the lack of any real threat.

Axgrinder, Oni Overlord, and Over Seer wouldn't have been enough to kill him, even if they probably would be able to survive. They could've at least led by tossing on some power suppressing cuffs or poisoning him! No, the self-styled leader of the League instead just gave a light reminder that the council outnumbered him and then demanded he fuck off to under the sea with the lightest amount of carrot to accompany the twig he called a stick. That was too much of an insult. It was time for things to change.

And that meant planting some seeds and waiting for them to grow. He chuckled as he stepped into the elevator and thumbed the ground floor button, descending into the night streets of Victory.