Super Sales on Super Heroes 5 -Ch16-

Felix had been surprised to find out what Chernobyl was.

Or more accurately, had been. It was now a former shadow of what it had been at it’s peak. Now it was a warning.

A shade that lurked in the corners telling everyone to mind themselves and nuclear energy. That science was an awesome thing but a lack of respect, or even a single mistake, was enough to possibly doom an entire continent.

“Yes, this is it,” Gaia said. Looking out the window of the helicopter. Staring down at the large and impressive cylinder like structure lodged onto the side of a building, Felix felt odd. “It’s in there. Ever burning. It doesn’t ache as badly as it once did, but it still hurts.”

“Well… we’re here to fix it,” Felix murmured.

With him was Carlotta and Alma.

Goldie, Miu, and Faith were all working on things back home.

Especially the technology contracts that Felix wanted put together.

They’d decided in the end to move forward with the medical wing and the technology needed for it. In addition to that, they were moving with machines and tech to start undoing a lot of the damage down to the environment.

Those were both publicly facing and outwardly “good” things that would benefit many people. Not just the country, Legion, or the rich.

Didn’t hurt that Gaia was paying for the environmental ones.

Taking that direction in mind, they’d reached out to the government and asked if they could set up an appointment with those who owned, operated, and were in charge of the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

The offer was simple, Legion would be happy to eliminate the radiation, radiated materials, and for a nominal cost. Felix had of course stipulated that the contract would be between Legion and the government in charge of Chernobyl, not between the two countries.

“Thank you, Felix Otherworlder,” Gaia said, turning around in her seat to look at him. They’d managed to fit her into Goldie’s armor reasonably well. She wasn’t going to need it since she’d be working on paperwork.

“I… of course, lady Gaia,” Felix replied.

“Oh dear, oh dear. He’s not calling me auntie anymore. He really is thinking of me as a woman,” whispered Gaia.

“Lady Gaia, you’re speaking your thoughts,” warned Carlotta.

“I-I-I! Yes! Yes, thank you, Carlotta,” squeaked Gaia. “This is so confusing. Why does being physical change so many things? I always feel so funny, too.”

“L-lady Gaia… thoughts,” Alma reminded her.

“Yes!” Gaia said then went silent.

Grinning inside his helmet, Felix shook his head and looked back out the window.

“We’re going to land,” reported the pilot. “The hand-off ceremony will be brief, they’ll hand you a small gold plaque, and then you can complete the clean up.

“I expect they’ll be monitoring the radioactivity the entire time.”

None of that’s a problem.

Perfectly within expectations.

“Lots of… lots of reporters,” Alma murmured.

“To be fair it’s kind of a massive thing. Doing what we’ve claimed is going to really put Legion on the map,” Felix offered as an answer. “Especially if we do this as a neutral party. A non-political one that has no boundaries or borders.

“We’ll likely get requests to clear land-mine fields. Empty toxic waste problems, environmental disasters, clean polluted and unusable resources.”

“Please. To all of those. I’d… please make me whole,” pleaded Gaia as the helicopter began to descend.

“That’s part of the plan. No one will be able to look at Legion without a good spot in their heart for us if all we do is go around helping out,” Felix promised. “Doing it at the cost of transport, some funding for our time, and keeping the materials we pull… it’ll make it so everyone wants to request us.

“I’ll just have to use some of these points to give someone the power to… convert anything to points on my behalf. Not that they can do it themselves, but just do it for me. Probably keep the costs down.”

“Landing,” reported the pilot as they started to descend rapidly. Almost touching down a bit roughly with how fast it happened.

Not waiting, Felix pushed open the door and exited. He didn’t have time to wait nor the luxury of patience.

This was a risk of sorts and he didn’t want to push his luck. The longer he was in the field like this the stronger the possibility of it turning into a type of ambush.

Realistically a second reason for him granting someone the ability to take points on his behalf was to prevent him being at risk.

One of Edmund’s friends maybe? They’ve become rather reliable as of late. Him and his whole group are actually rather useful.

Waiting for him was a group of people all spread out in a semi-circle. Clearly politicians and likely the leader of the nation they were in.

Beyond that were a great many police barricades and barriers. Military and police were at it keeping everyone back and minding the line.

There were more than a few people who had what looked like devices to record the current level of radioactive activity. Felix wasn’t sure how they were read or used but he imagined that they’d be looking to see a rapid drop.

Felix hadn’t learned the name of it, anyone involved, or even really cared. This was a means to an end and it wouldn’t do him any good to learn any of it.

The less politically charged Legion could be, the better. It’d create a lot fewer concerns down the road by and large.

A man stepped out in front of all the rest. He had a winning smile, dark brown eyes, and black hair. He wasn’t that tall and seemed to be just under the average height.

Looking to be early middle aged he still had life in himself.

Shaking Felix’s gauntletd hand quickly the man made a comment that sounded a bit like a joke. More so that everyone around laughed good naturedly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak the language, but I’m quite pleased to be here to help,” Felix returned in English.

The man laughed and then shook his head quickly.

“I said if only had suit like yours, then maybe sleep better,” the man offered with a grave air. His accent was quite clearly Russian though it wasn’t too pronounced.

Felix could only nod his head at that. He knew that much of Europe was in a very tense state of affairs over the last handful of years. They’d been locked in a number of different crises that never seemed to end for them.

“More to keep my identity secret than anything else,” Felix countered. He did like the man from the get-go despite really not wanting to.

“Ah, yes. I can understand that,” the man answered then turned to someone else. He took a small item from them. It was a simple wooden plaque with a golden face to it.

On it was a globe with the helmeted icon of Legion behind it.

Ha… I like it. We’ll have to use it for our global outreach program.

“And… that is that?” asked the man as Felix took the plaque.

“Is everyone outside of… that?” Felix asked, holding onto the plaque with one hand, gesturing to the large steel tomb-like structure with the other. “And have you removed everything you would want to keep from inside it or the grounds surrounding us?”

“Ah…” stalled the man looking to several others. Someone said something in the same language as earlier, to which two others responded. Then they all looked back to their leader. “Yes. All clear. Is good. Take it all.”

All around at the barriers surrounding them, news crews were reporting the events while simultaneously recording the situation.

Felix nodded his head and then made a grasping movement with his hand, completely for show and those watching. For the cameras, to be more accurate.

Let’s just take everything inside that structure like he said. Just focusing entirely on everything that’s radioactive.

Leave everything else.

So… we’ll use our power in conjunction with that.

Let’s spend some points out of what we’re taking to make sure we don’t take anything that would cause an issue. Nothing that would weaken, damage, or destroy the structure.

We’ll replace anything we take with non-irradiated materials if it would cause a problem.

In other words… a replacement while scrubbing it clean.

At the same time, let’s take that massive structure around it. Get rid of all the shielding and use it as materials and points.

They won’t need it after this anyways.

We’ll also take all the radioactive materials from the dirt, trees, animals, air, everything inside of the “exclusion zone” as they called it.

Replace it all with clean and correct bits and pieces since we temporarily own everything here.

There was a hitch Felix felt in the world.

Then in the next moment the massive structure was gone. The entirety of the building shifted momentarily and then rematerialized itself.

Felix wasn’t sure of the differences since he’d never seen any of this before today, but in his mind he imagined this was how it should look if there’d never been an issue.

All around them the world had stuttered for a breath. The very earth flashing into a different color.

“All done,” Felix said looking back to the leader.

He was standing next to someone with one of the devices, staring into it’s display. Looking up to Felix somewhat wide eyed he then looked back to the plant.

“You fixed?” he asked in a shocked voice.

“Yes. I’m a builder. I build things. I needed somewhere to use all the materials I took away,” explained Felix.

The man laughed suddenly at that, looking at the distant building. Then he slowly shook his head in disbelief. Then he turned and looked at the areas around him and froze.

Turning, Felix looked back in the same direction the man was looking.

Distantly he could see several buildings on the horizon. They seemed quite well built to be standing as they were if they’d been abandoned this long.

“You fixed?” the man asked again, still looking at the distant building.

Felix frowned then realized what he asked.

I didn’t… specifically say not to fix everything over there, did I? Huh.

Ah well.

“I’m a builder,” Felix murmured. It was the best answer he could give. He didn’t want to admit he’d done it on accident.

Reporters began rushing towards vehicles that’d been parked nearby. Apparently they wanted to go film elsewhere, or needed something inside them.

Everyone began shouting in different languages as all the leaders of this country ran toward him and began congratulating him.

***

“We’re here,” Alma said, shaking his shoulder, waking Felix up.

Blinking, Felix felt rather strange.

He’d fallen asleep in his Legate armor, with the helmet on, wedged up against the interior wall of the Legion truck. It wasn’t something he’d intended to do but he’d gotten bored listening to the Dryads chatter with Gaia.

That and once again he hadn’t slept much.

The trip to Europe, then back, had been non-stop. Filled with reporters, heads-of-state phone calls, and doing his best to respond to everything. All in a “Legion is neutral” standpoint and willing to help anyone.

Though he’d apologized many times in advance, as he’d be forced to “triage” situations. That he’d have to pick and choose who to help and when so that the most needed assistance would go first.

All that really meant was Gaia would be picking what she wanted to tackle first. She was funding the vehicles that’d be fixing the environment directly so she got to pick where they went.

“Protesters,” remarked Carlotta. “Can I punch’em?”

“No, you can’t punch them,” growled Felix, coming out of the sleep addled fog. Sitting up more he stood up.

Or tried to. He ended up rebounding against the seat-belt.

Undoing it he stood up and quickly moved to the back of the vehicle. The last thing he wanted to deal with was protesters.

They’d do nothing to help him in his goal to keep Legion neutral and only cause him problems. Which meant he needed to nip this in the bud and make it a problem for them.

Time to push the fact that this is private property. Not government property.

The building might be the Association’s, but it’s owned by Legion through a lease agreement. As is all the property and Legion maintains the rights to that.

Felix was marching straight to the group of people standing in front of the association. They had picket signs, were chanting, and generally looked hostile.

Reaching the entrance, Felix found a man that was at least six and a half feet tall stepping in front of him.

“You have no right to —”

“This is private property. I own it,” Felix stated, ignoring the man’s words. “I’m revoking your right to be here indefinitely. Going forward, you’re not welcome here without a pass from the Association.

“As far as your protest goes, I had nothing to do with what your government did to you, or legislation they passed. That was all done by them and I had no input in it whatsoever.

“In fact, I was as surprised as you all were when it was put into law. Now… get off my land, or I’ll have you escorted off.”

“You can’t do that!” screamed someone in the crowd.

“How about you got ahead and make me manlet because—”

The man’s words were punctuated with jabbing a finger into Feilx’s armored chest.

Felix snatched the man’s wrist with his wright hand. Jerking it to the right he wrenched the man’s shoulder up while bending his arm down and back.

Pulling it up behind the man’s back Felix snapped a kick out at the back of the mans’ knee. Sending him crashing down into a kneeling position.

Moving forward Felix slammed the man into the ground and then planted his knee right in the middle of the man’s back.

Careful, careful now. Have to make sure we don’t actually harm him.

Leaning into him he put down more than enough force to start squeezing the breath out of the man, but Felix could still hear the man breathing.

“You will all disperse immediately, or you’ll also be placed under citizen’s arrest. You have five minutes to comply if you begin moving immediately. Ten seconds if you hold still,” Felix commanded. “By the way, my property runs all the way to the freeway off ramp. This parking lot, the street running up to it, and all the way to the off ramp.

“All mine. You’re welcome to protest anywhere that isn’t my land since it’s public property at that point. Otherwise… well… you can be arrested for trespassing by me, then wait for the police to show up.”

Felix listened intently to make sure the man on the ground was still breathing, which he was, and remained in his kneeling position. He had to make sure he only used the minimum amount of force necessary for a citizen’s arrest.

A number of people began shouting and one even moved toward Felix.

Who was quickly intercepted by Alma who brought the woman down to the ground in a very similar way to how Felix had done it.

By this point, more Legionnaires were streaming out of the building. All of them in armor. Quite a few were armed with firearms and others had unholstered batons.

“Five seconds!” Felix called. “Five, four, three—”

A number of people began scurrying toward the parking lot. Likely to their vehicles. Others remained stationary.

“Two, One,” Felix finished. “Arrest everyone who’s still here, anyone who’s on the way to their car can leave.”

The Legionnaire’s began snatching up protesters. Dragging them to the ground and pulling zip-ties out.

Huh, hadn’t thought of that. That’s pretty smart. We’ll need to make sure we put zip-tie cuffs as part of our standard security equipment. It isn’t like they weigh a lot.

“Move over, deaaaaaaar,” asked an Andrea who was now moving over the top of the man Felix had subdued.

Quite a few more people were now sprinting away from the dust-up. As soon as more people started being arrested the rest of them got the hint that no-one was playing this game.

Felix got off the man and stood up. Andrea snatched up the man’s hands and slipped the zipties over them. Jerking them tight she pulled his wrists together.

“Ow,” whined the man. “You’re hurting me. Get off me. You have no right—”

Ignoring him, Felix turned and looked to the building, then down the road.

“Tribune, are you active?” Felix asked.

“Yes, Legate,” answered the VI.

“Plans to build a wall surrounding our property. Routers, sensors, and appropriate monitoring equipment all the way around. Put together blueprints for it based on what’d be the most cost-efficient, but provide as much security as we’d actually need.

“I want it effective, not cheap. Do you have any questions or anything I need to clarify for you?”

“No, Legate. I have all the appropriate programs to make that happen,” Tribune answered. “Legionnaire Jay has begun pushing my communication heuristic program. You had no other directives for him to work on and he checked into the programming wish list.”

With a grunt, Felix turned and looked to Gaia. Or at least, who he thought was Gaia.

The way she was carrying herself made her look like a woman out on a stroll without a care in the world.

“Lady Gaia, can we go discuss next steps in my office?” Felix asked.

“Of course,” came an answer with a head nod from the Legionnaire he’d been addressing.

I’m over this. I hate not being able to identify anyone.

Need to upgrade the Helmets so that they can use the headsets in them to identify who’s who and push it to the visor in a HUD like thing.

Somewhat like we did with the Fist.

Turning, Felix entered the Association and went inside. He didn’t hesitate and went to the back, moving through the lobby and to the elevator.

“Felix, good timing,” came Faith’s voice over his coms. “Got a number of requests to meet with you. All for cleanup and restoration.

“Some of them sounds like company issues, others are government made. An example, before you ask, of a company one, is someone failed to treat a water supply correctly. Now an entire community has polluted water and can’t drink any of it without risk.”

Frowning, Felix looked to Gaia who’d entered the elevator next to him. He tapped the button to go to the floor his office was on.

“Is that an issue for you we should resolve, or is that more of a ‘non-issue’ since it doesn’t actually help you,” Felix inquired. “I’m prioritizing your health first and foremost.”

“Oh… no… he’s putting me ahead of others. That’s not good. He looks at me far too often. He’s even looked at my body and —”

“Gaia,” Felix prompted. “Thoughts.”

“Eeeehn,” moaned Gaia. “This is very difficult. While it’s fun to be corporeal, I’m not sure I enjoy it as much as I thought I would.”

“I mean… I’m surprised you never left,” Felix admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. “You’re welcome to stay. I’m inviting you to remain permanently with Legion, in fact. I’m just… surprised.”

“I should have left a while ago, but the cost isn’t that bad,” Gaia said with a wave of her hand. “In fact, as I’m part of Legion, I receive quite a bit of faith somehow!

“I’m growing stronger by the day you know. It’s all quite lovely. Surprising, even.”

Felix felt his brows draw down as the elevator door opened. Thinking, he led Gaia down the hall to his office.

“I’ll get back to them, Faith,” Felix grumbled. “Summarize it all and send it to me.”

“Andrea will do it. She’s your assistant, not me. I just wanted to make sure you knew. That and say hi,” replied Faith. “You have a meeting with some head honchos from the government in the capital in a few hours. They’re sending a helicopter.”

Snorting, Felix opened his office door and pried off his helmet. He set it down on his desk and walked over to the armor stand.

It was in that moment that he realized what’d happened with Gaia.

Damnit. I never got rid of the faith goes to gods, clause.

Everyone’s faith in me, on this world, is going to Gaia.

Back home it’s… I have no idea where it’s going, actually. Probably going somewhere though. I’ll have to look at that when I get home.

Turning he looked to Gaia to explain what was happening.

Looking like a woman in her late twenties, Gaia was breathtaking. Her natural good looks and ever-present warm smile gave her a welcoming and graceful look.

“Mmm? Is there an issue?” she asked curious, her head tilting to one side.

“You ah… you got younger,” Felix muttered and went back to his armor stand. He stared at it, rather than staring at Gaia.

“I mean… I don’t think you understand how much power I’m gaining from Legion. Let alone what you did for me with the… plant… thing… place,” Gaia said with a joyful laugh. “Ooh… oh, now he’s going to find it even harder to be around me. I knew I shouldn’t have modeled myself after Goldie.

“This body is far too much. But if I dispose of it, I’d lose all the power I gained. I’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t fall in love with me, that’s all. It’ll be fine.”

Felix ignored all that and cleared his throat.

“Feeeeeeeeeeeeeelix!” squealed Andrea a second before she blasted into him. Knocking him away from the stand, off the wall, and to the ground.

She then began to pepper his face in kisses.

“I missed you! Missed you so much!” declared Andrea Prime. “I’m not leaving your side anymore! I hate it. Hate being away. We’re going to be together forever.

“I have a security team just for you. We’re always going to be with you now. You need to spend some points to give me more Others as well! I want twenty more so we can dig lots and also protect you.

“And if you’re willing, nnnnn, I want a hundred more after that. An entire army of me. I’m so much stronger and smarter now I can handle it all.”

Andrea had slammed her head down into his jaw and began rubbing her face against his jaw and chin. Even as she spoke she continued to do it.

“Nn, nn, nnnnnnn, nnnnn!”

“That’s so cute,” Gaia said quietly. “I wonder if I could do that. I’m a woman, so I should be able to.

“I just need to find a man that I like. Lots of men in the world. I should do the dating app thing Miss Takana told me about.”