Chương 44: Villain with a Milkshake

Alexander took another sip of his milkshake and let the chocolate hit. Thick and cold and exactly as rich and overindulgent as it needed to be. He sat with one arm draped across the back of a second chair, a light artificial breeze teasing at his hair. The cafe overlooked a set of stone steps that led down into a public park full of lush greenery imported from Earth and the artificial lighting that kept the plants alive.

It surprised him to see families wandering in little groups below, children squealing, and even a couple of pets. Taking another sip, Alexander cast his gaze across the plaza, taking in the touristy storefronts and buzzing restaurants. He cast his thoughts back to the night prior. It had been a lot quieter than he'd expected, even from Annie's corner. Just pizza boxes scattered across the suite, everyone lounging and listening intently as they shared updates.

Talia had gone first, concise and professional as always. The Santiago Systems dossier would be ready later today. The others would take longer, but she'd set up a secure, encrypted mailbox to receive updates. Alexander had followed, informing the team that they'd be leaving shortly after they received the intel. Not an exact time, just… soon. Enough for some sightseeing, or some space-station indulgences, but not enough for Annie to fulfill her dream of becoming the reigning arena champion.

She'd whined at that, dramatically and with sauce still on her face. He'd promised they would be back, and that he supported her becoming the honorary queen of punching people in the face in space. Augustus intended to continue networking, but he'd also been curious about what Alexander had planned. Alexander only smiled and informed them he'd fired the opening salvo in their game. Which is how he ended up here, out in the open, in the middle of what passed for daytime on a space station.

It would've been idyllic, even, if not for the five superheroes closing in on him from behind. He didn't turn. It wasn't necessary. Their approach was too intentional, and one of his drones had been tracking them as they made their way toward him. They knew exactly where he was. Still, he kept sipping. Maximilian de Castillo stepped around the table, coat flaring slightly with the movement. Tall and regal, his features were still as unreadable as the first time they met.

Today he'd dressed in civilian clothes: dark jacket, black pants, and an understated silver pin at his collar. He took the seat opposite Alexander without a word. Julia appeared next, dark hair rippling under the light. She moved with quiet efficiency and slipped into the seat on the left, angled slightly toward him. She gave a small nod but said nothing. The other three took the table next to theirs. Raelene. Cash. Draven.

Alexander knew their names now, and all the publicly available information about their powers. Cash dragged his chair across the stone walkway with unnecessary slowness, the screech cutting through the background noise. He spun the chair and straddled it backwards, arms folded over the back. Alexander saluted Maximilian with his milkshake, then turned to Julia with a grin.

"I knew we'd see each other again soon," he said with a wink.

"It's good to see you. You look good." She blinked once and glanced away, pretending to watch the families in the park below. But her cheeks tinted just a shade pinker. Maximilian watched him.

"You are very confident, Alexander Rooke," he said slowly, "that we won't simply take you in now that we've found you." Alexander took a long sip, then another, before smacking his lips with satisfaction and setting the glass down.

"It's an interesting place, this." He gestured lazily, trying to capture Astra Omnia in its entirety.

"I had Talia read up on the legalese. Charters and jurisdictions, all the boring stuff. Turns out I'm not a criminal or a supervillain. Not according to galactic law." He tilted his head.

"And despite being in Sol, the United Earth Government agreed to allow this station and others like it to operate under the same charter. Meaning—" Alexander took another sip of his milkshake, savoring it.

"If you were to attack me here, you'd be the bad guy," he said.

"Even on Earth." Maximilian didn't react with hostility. Instead, he picked up the laminated menu from the table.

"What's good?" he asked. Alexander laughed.

"Milkshakes. Obviously. But I've been smelling the fries since I sat down, and the burgers look amazing." Julia let out a breath that was not quite a laugh. Not quite exasperation, either. She turned back and met his eyes again.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked quietly. Alexander gave her a questioning look.

"The tip," she clarified.

"About Grimnir. You mailed it in." Across the table, the others were flagging down a waitress. Draven said something about getting extra sauce. Cash was clearly trying to flirt and failing miserably. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alexander watched them for a moment before turning back to Julia. He gave her a small smile.

"Bet you never thought we'd be sitting across from each other like this." Her expression softened, but she didn't answer.

"I'd like to believe that I'm not naïve," Alexander said, mostly for his own benefit, "but you know corporations like Santiago Systems are getting away with murder and illegal incarceration, right?"

"There have always been rumors," Julia murmured.

"Nothing has ever been proven, though. Even if there was proof, I'm sure they'd just pay a fine and move their operations." Alexander nodded. That was the crux of the problem. He leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table.

"To answer your question, I just didn't think it was fair for Grimnir to hold all the cards. Not if we're going to be playing on the same board. You know how it is with rivals; the stakes mean little if the match is too lopsided." Maximilian finished ordering, then turned back to the conversation.

"We are not rivals," he said. Alexander arched an eyebrow.

"No?" Raelene's voice floated over from the adjacent table.

"Actually, the data disagrees. After your speech from the governor's office, engagement across the top ten social platforms spiked by over sixty percent. Brand recognition jumped almost fifteen. We're officially rivals." Maximilian exhaled with a faint grumble. Alexander waved his milkshake gently.

"I think you intended it, despite the act." Maximilian met his gaze evenly.

"You are mistaken."

"Maybe I am," Alexander mused.

"But something Auggy said about how quickly your team has grown in strength got me thinking. I already knew about Jules' family, of course. They each have flight and enhanced bodies, along with that little something extra which sets them apart from each other. But then Annie filled me in that there were other super-families." Alexander took another sip, taking the time to organize his thoughts.

"Yours is one of them. You all have a barrier or shield power. Just like Skybreaker. He's your uncle, right?" Maximilian's left eye twitched at the name, but his composure remained otherwise impeccable.

"Yeah, your family tried to distance themselves, but it's hard to erase someone that famous. Your family proves there are people that know how to game the serum. And when you look at what they all have in common, you see they're all fighting powerful rival groups. Running guilds. Going to war with our galactic neighbours, or hiring themselves out as mercenaries." Alexander observed them.

"You know something the rest of us don't," he concluded.

"And I think I've figured it out." Their guarded looks confirmed everything, as far as he was concerned.

"I see. So you lured us here to have your first supervillain monologue?" Maximilian asked.

"No," Alexander said, enjoying the last sip of chocolate perfection.

"I wanted to set the stage for what happens next. Your team is going to be the whetstone to Grimnir's blade, but to do that you need to know where our next battlefield is going to be." Alexander stood up and slid his chair in, taking one last look across the plaza.

"We're going after Santiago Systems. I am going to tear the truth from their servers. From their minds, if I have to. And I will make certain they suffer for every injustice they've buried. I will show the world what's going on."

"Alex, they're not all responsible," Julia said, worried.

"Most of them are just people trying to get by." Alexander turned and walked away.

"Then I'm sure they'll get out of our way," he called back. Julia exhaled and leaned back in her chair.

"He's changed." Maximilian didn't answer. He watched Alexander disappear into the crowd, then turned back just as the waitress arrived with a full tray of food for the team. Burgers and fries. And milkshakes.

"Thank you," he said. Cash pulled his chair closer.

"Okay, real talk. Do we actually believe him? About Grimnir going after Santiago. That's a bloody whale right there." Raelene accepted her drink with quiet thanks.

"It lines up. My investigation concluded that Santiago Systems likely imprisoned him without due process. Skybreaker's attack on the prison gave him an opening, and everything after that, right up to before Grimnir took out Pandora and Mercy's crew, was just survival." Julia frowned.

"It isn't right. And something is off about Flashpoint and his ambush story, too. Alexander is smart; there's no way he'd go after a superhero for no reason."

"It is not our place to determine innocence and guilt," Maximilian said.

"We bring in supervillains and bounties, and let the legal system work out right from wrong."

"Still doesn't answer the big question," Draven said, biting into a burger and then talking around the mouthful.

"Would they actually go through with it? Attack Santiago Systems and take out innocent people, too?"

"No," Julia said firmly, setting down her milkshake.

"Not him." Maximilian nodded slowly.

"I agree. This move was calculated. He needed us to confirm his theory. Now that he has, my read is Grimnir will move forward with their plan immediately. They are dangerous, but not like the other supervillains we have dealt with."

"He's daring us to stop them," Raelene murmured.

"Or using us to train his team, like he said," Draven added. They ate in silence, the conversation weighing on each of them differently. Eventually, Julia reached for the bill tucked neatly under a tray at the edge of the table. She blinked. Then frowned.

"You've got to be kidding me." Cash leaned over to peek.

"What?" She turned it around so they could all read the printed note at the bottom: Covered by my dear friend Maximilian the Great, Lord of Dragons. -Alex The waitress returned, beaming.

"Thank you so much, sir. That was incredibly generous. Those families over there," she gestured to tables of tourists and children happily slurping milkshakes, "really appreciated it." Several parents waved. A small child climbed onto a chair and gave a double thumbs-up. Maximilian closed his eyes. Cash grinned.

"Honestly? That one's on us. Can't trust a villain with a milkshake." [SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE] Initialization Stage: 100% complete. [PRIMARY REALITY INDEX: EARTH_1] Phase 1 Launch: On Hold. ALERT: Two extreme threat entities preparing for hostilities. Evaluating optimal launch window based on new data… Prioritizing mitigation of extreme threat entities within governing boundaries… Calculating… Complete. Likelihood of conflict between GRIMNIR (Entity_07) and THRONE OF SCALES (Entity_04) evaluated at 99%.

Likelihood of isolation of Entity_06 evaluated at 93%. Likelihood of affecting other extreme threat entities with new launch timing evaluated at 1%... Accepted. Launch window set for approximately 1 hour, 37 minutes, 44 seconds. All outcomes remain within acceptable parameters. Continue the Dream. Waiting… Waiting…… Waiting………