The Legacy of Eros Ch. 04

"One more twist and he's dead," I stated the obvious, "but I'm not that guy and besides he's not worth it." I stood up and backed away.

"Perhaps we were wrong about you, Reynard Bedlam," King Kaos regarded me with new eyes.

"That opportunity for both of us has come and gone," I backed around toward Sarah and Skye. "It may come again ... or it may not. I've got to do my best to make my own way in the world. Also ... I would like your permission to see Princess Penumbra from time to time ... if she is amenable."

"Hah," King Kaos snorted. "We will think about it."

The Viscount of Villainy regained his feet while shooting hate at me with his eyes. I could care less. He was a bully and a coward and yet again I had his measure. I wanted to caution him to not crowd my shadow from here on out, but pushing back against the Nine Nobles wasn't going to do anything but undo whatever gains I had just gained with them by showing them my prowess.

Soon enough, they had gathered up their members and departed ... leaving us with the members of Freedom Force. No sooner had the Nine Nobles departed into shadow than Solar Flare decided it was her turn to get into my shit.

"Now it is the nine of us versus the two of you - one if Storm Siren doesn't want to get into a world of hurt."

As she made that pronouncement, the 'Night-Jet' came swooping down to hover over us. Several members of Freedom Force jumped down to face us as well. Not to be outdone, two members of the Sensational Six stepped out of a mystic portal by Storm Siren's side - Harlequin Mask and Gamma Girl. Since I couldn't rely on Angelheart to fight her own team that still left us facing four to nine odds.

Mind you, the people not visible were Mentat (aka Richard Reeds), the Elongating Girl, Hellbender and ... the Invisible Man - who could be right beside me and I wouldn't know it. Mentat didn't have to be close to you to screw with you and the Elongating Girl was the weakest member of the team anyway.

"Five versus nine," the mysterious mystic, Harlequin Mask purred. "More to the point, Sentinel Seven and Gopher Girl might want to quit the field before the festivities begin, or they might get really, really hurt."

"We aren't afraid of you," Sentinel Seven's voices echoed.

"Well, I am," Gopher Girl mumbled.

"Would you stop it!" Skye yelled. "I am okay. I'm doing what I want to do. I'm no compromising any oaths I've made to any of you, but I want to have a bit of a private life too ... and that involves Reynard here."

"Eh ... the rest of you can call me ... Mr. Haven," I decided it was unwise to unveil my supervillain name of 'Dark Son' at this juncture.

"Don't you mean ... Eros?" the Night Watchman ground out.

"I would hardly be blackmailing myself," I countered.

"You haven't been blackmailed. I've read your text and e-mail logs," he attempted to puncture my deceptions.

"Except he used the print medium with me - Jackass," I growled.

"And wouldn't violating my Godson's privacy be a CRIME?" Storm Siren glared.

"He's a supervillain and all-around bad guy," the Night Watchman growled.

"The only person who has broken any laws so far is you, Night Watchman," she bit back. "You broke into his home, stole his belongings and now violated his computer security."

"To prove he was blackmailing a member of my team," the Night Watchman pointed out.

"I don't care," Storm Siren snapped. "How would you like it if Mentat decided your team's cyber security needed to be violated a bit too?"

"He doesn't work that way," the gruff superior of Freedom Force reminded us. Richard Reeds was truly a good, kind, decent and mostly law-abiding gentleman.

"Do you want to see what happens when I reveal all the crap you have been pulling against Reynard? Do you want him to go to the Feds and make a FISA request against your computer histories concerning HIS Godson?"

"And he doesn't work with the FISA courts either," the Night Watchman scoffed.

"EXACTLY. He stays within both the letter and the spirit of the law," she crowed out her own triumphs. "He doesn't hound nineteen year old boys he doesn't morally approve of. He doesn't continuously break the laws because he doesn't think he is above the law - unlike you and your allies, Night Watchman."

"Now," she continued, "if you do end up sending Reynard to jail, we will be crawling all over that case and the evidence against him. We will be really curious about what any government prosecutors allow against him because it has been tainted by your involvement. I'm letting you know this - right now! You come after Reynard, or Skye, over this and the Sensational Six are coming after you because we will know you have broken the law to frame him ... like you have done so many times before."

"Mrs. Reeds, you do NOT want to make this personal," the Night Watchman rasped. "You do NOT want to stack up your team against mine because we are in the fight of law & order against the forces of chaos and mayhem while you and yours ... sit on the sidelines and offer poorly thought out advice. Stick to the classroom lectures and alien invasions. Let us handled the real human crime and the true metahuman criminals. You ... don't want to mess with us."

"Shove it up your ass," Gamma Girl stepped up. "The Sensational Six have created millions of jobs around the globe, lifting tens of millions out of poverty. We have led global education initiatives. We know the best way to defeat the desire for a life of crime is to give a more promising alternative - and that's what we have been doing. You teach fear. We teach mutual respect and respect for the value of life."

"Oh, you ... shove it," Solar Flare hovered close by, clearly incensed.

"Neither side is totally right, or totally wrong," Golden Boy intervened between the two. "Every societal system will have its criminals. Every society could do with a bit more hope these days."

"What this really boils down to are you going to try and make Angelheart conform to your wishes, or are you going to allow her to behave independently?" Storm Siren cut to the heart of the matter.

"She's acting ... in an aberrant fashion," the Night Watchman grumbled.

"She's fallen for ... HIM," Solar Flare snarled.

"I'm doing what I want to do," Skye defended herself. "Can't you just let me keep seeing Reynard? Does this have to be a big fight all the time?"

"He's a bad guy, Angelheart," Sentinel Seven complained. "What happens if you catch him breaking the law?"

"I arrest him ... if I can. He's tougher than he looks," she shot me a shy smile.

"Why don't we vote on this?" Gopher Girl suggested. "Honestly, he hasn't done anything wrong yet and we haven't discovered any proof Angelheart would cover up for him ... so why not give her the benefit of the doubt?"

"Well, I vote all of us be allowed to maintain some level of a private life private of Freedom Force," Skye rallied.

"It isn't like I haven't made a few mistakes from time to time," Golden Boy allowed.

"I don't like the Punk (that would be 'me'), but the kid (Skye) has a point. Besides, I don't want to play chaperone on any teenager's date," Weapon Y agreed.

"Oh, come on," Ebon Star protested. "We know this guy is no good for her. He's a White male chauvinist pig."

"I'm half-extra-terrestrial, Bitch," I snapped back. Ebon Star glared hate.

"Honestly, his mother was from a planet on the far side of our galaxy and he was created in a test tube," Storm Siren confirmed my origin.

"He is still a male chauvinist pig," Ebon Star grumbled.

"I'm not a pig," I snorted. "That would make me part of law enforcement and I guarantee that ain't going to happen."

"He is a manipulative, lying male chauvinist pig," Solar Flare piled on.

"He's never received a single death tied to any of his manifestations which is a hell of a lot more than could be said for the majority of Freedom Force," Gamma Girl skewered them.

"As for the events in Sudan ... so far no charges have been filed ... by anyone concerning that fouled up situation," she persisted. "You people are the last group which wants to be throwing stones ~ glass houses and all."

Oh yeah, multiple people on Freedom Force had either by accident, or design, racked up quite a body count over their careers. They were still considered 'heroes' because they had been 'fighting the good fight', or in combat against the 'bad guys' - fuck'em.

"I am not saying I'm happy with Angelheart's choice of partners, but don't we sort of allow her some room to grow up and explore herself?" X-man hedged.

"Straight Arrow?" the Night Watchman prodded the lone remaining silent member of Freedom Force.

"Yeah ... and I don't want to be facing down the Sensational Six over ... this ... who Angelheart wants to spend her private time with," Straight Arrow shrugged.

"Well then ... Angelheart, know we will always have your back. If you ever need to talk to someone, our doors will be open," the Night Watchman turned positively paternal on my girl.

"Thank you, Night Watchman," Skye exhaled. "Thank all of you."

With that, Freedom Force withdrew, leaving the rest of us alone on the helipad.

"Nice to meet you," Gamma Girl stepped up first, offering to shake Skye's hand. Skye seemed rather overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. Harlequin Mask merely gave a tip of the proverbial hat then disappeared back through a portal with Gamma Girl. If the Invisible Man had been around, he gave no sign of it.

"You two fly home," Storm Siren smiled. "I suspect you have a great deal to talk about, Rey ... or do you have a secret identity picked out yet?"

Storm Siren - she I could trust. I guessed I could trust Skye now too.

"Dark Son."

"Dark Son ... or is that Dark Sun?"

"That's Dark S-o-n," I clarified.

As for a 'great deal to talk about' ... Boy, did we.

[THE END]

[STORY NOTES]

Skye's Clique

Chad Gordon - former 'normie' boyfriend of Skye

Maryland Kinaki - best female friend of Skye ~ a normie

Gil Wayfield - former boyfriend of Maryland ~ a normie

Founding Members of the Sensational Six

Mentat (Dr. Richard Reeds) ~ most likely the most intelligent person on Planet Earth (and then some). He founded the Sensational Six twenty-five years ago. He goes into combat in a battle suit with an assortment of gadgets which allow him to 'kit-bash' inventions on the fly.

Silver Sovereign (Sir Cedric Bedlam) ~ co-founding member of the Sensational Six. Later turned to villainy under the name Baron Bedlam. Currently in an Antarctic Super-Super-max prison for the rest of eternity.

The Storm Twins:

~ Storm Siren (Sarah Rains Reeds) ~ gorgeous former wife of Richard Reeds - Storm Control & Manipulation - a powerful weather manipulator with numerous power stunts. Not currently a full-time member of the team.

~ Lightning Lord (Jordan Rains) ~ former founding member of the Sensational Six - Electrical Control & Manipulation with numerous power stunts - currently a supervillain, founder and leader of the Sinister Six / whereabouts unknown.

Gamma Girl ~ (Jennifer Sands) a big, blue-skinned, hulking yet highly intelligent marketing specialist who has a rocking, muscular body. Very, very strong and resilient. (Think: She-Hulk)

The Mechanic ~ (Brian Osborn) a brilliant African-American Engineer turned contract killer. Known to be both Immortal and Indestructible along with being very smart. Current whereabouts unknown.

Later Members of the Sensational Six

The Protector ~ (Octavius Ball: deceased) ~ had the ability to control cosmic forces to create powerful force fields around himself and others. Was killed when he was forced to create a force field so powerful to save the team he couldn't bring it down and later suffocated. He replaced Silver Sovereign.

The Invisible Man ~ [Secret Identity: Clive Baxter] ~ a Black super-spy who turned metahuman hero, this invisible spook now works to redeem himself by working alongside the other members of the Sensational Six. He replaced the Protector.

The Elongating Lady ~ (Ingrid B. Meyer) ~ a female cyber-security specialist who acts as Dr. Reeds assistant most of the time. She also has the ability to mold her body into all kinds of interesting shapes as well as stretch her limbs. She replaced the Mechanic.

Humongous Hugh ~ [Hugh Munges] ~ a massive male with impressive super-strength and a cement-like appearance over a hulking, brutish form. He has a child-like mind and loves to play with animals and children alike. He replaced Gamma Girl for a while. Current whereabouts: rural Bolivia up in the Andes Mountains.

Critical Maas ~ (J. Michele Maas) ~ a powerful metahuman with Entropy-based powers who suffered a psychotic break and turned to villainy. She is currently serving multiple life sentences in an Antarctic Super-Super-max prison. She replaced Lightning Lord.

Hellbender ~ [(Dr.) Marlene François] ~ powerful teenage metahuman shapeshifter who won control over one of the various 'Demon Realms' thus having a host of demons at her control as well. She is a brilliant mimic who often takes the shape of mystical creatures and can make a near-perfect copy of anyone she sees for more than a few seconds. She is replacing Storm Siren.

Harlequin Mask ~ [Name unknown] ~ a mysterious mystic who has recently joined the team to help Dr. Reeds explore the frontiers of techno-wizardry. Otherwise her powers are largely unknown. She replaced Critical Maas.

[THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS STORY ARC]

[I PLAN TO CONTINUE HAVING MORE ADVENTURES WITH REYNARD AND SKYE AND THE UNIVERSE THEY INHABIT]