Chapter 437: More Focus on Nipples (1/2)

Travis skittered around to Farrah’s side of the table.

“Ohmygodthatwasterrifying.”

He warily glanced over at Ingrid.

“And weirdly kind of hot.”

Ingrid and Farrah both turned flat looks on him.

“What?” he asked them.

“I get it,” Jason said, appearing from the shadows and patting him on the back. “Not super appropriate, but I won’t go throwing stones in that regard.”

Jason turned his gaze on Ingrid. All she could see under his hood was the shifting blue, silver and gold of his eyes.

“So, this is where you kill me and all my people?” she asked.

“Yes,” Farrah said.

“No,” Jason said.

“But I promised,” Farrah said.

“We’re thieves and she’s doing her duty as best she can. Who am I to begrudge someone a bold, desperate move?”

“Yours keep getting you killed. How are people going to learn consequences?”

“How does dying teach you consequences?”

“You’re teaching the next person,” Farrah said.

“If you kill them, how’s the next person going to find out?”

“There’s usually someone who gets away. I really thought you’d come down on the other side of this after she turned on one of her own people.”

“She sucks, yeah, but you don’t execute prisoners because they suck.”

“I am never getting used to this world,” Farrah said. “I want to go home.”

“We will. Soon. You probably still shouldn’t execute prisoners there either, though.”

“What if she tries something again?” Farrah asked.

“At that point, she's just asking for it,” Jason said.

Farrah turned an eager gaze on Ingrid.

“So,” Jason said. “Where is that vault?”

Knowing he had limited time before Asano made his way into the astral space, Gerling had ‘borrowed’ the fastest magically-enhanced plane the Chinese Network had in Europe. The Chinese Network didn’t share the joint operation bases in Germany with the other Network factions, having set up their own outpost in Austria. Just across the border from eastern Slovakia, it was another zone with higher than average magic.

Gerling used the plane for a whirlwind visit back to the US, grabbing Adrien Barbou and getting back out of the country within an hour. Speed, however, came at the cost of discretion.

“You should have come along quietly,” Gerling said. “Dead superheroes don’t look good on the news.”

Barbou was handcuffed and suppression-collared in a seat of the plane. His clothes were dusty and torn, with bloodstains being all that remained of superficial wounds that had already healed. Gerling was sitting across from him, their seats facing one another over a table.

“The Building did have a door, you know,” Barbou said.

“Not on the nineteenth floor,” Gerling said. “I guess it doesn’t have a nineteenth floor anymore, either.”

“You’re a mindless thug.”

Gerling sneered.

“You kept a woman in a basement and tortured her for weeks and you want to criticise me about brutality?”

“Is that what this is about? The outworlders? You’ve run into Asano twice now, right? Are the other category fours making fun of you because you can’t catch him?”

“Let me be clear, Barbou: you’ll be doing two things during our time together. One, whatever the hell I tell you. Two, shutting the hell up. Note that neither of those things includes asking questions.”

“They do if you tell me to ask questions,” Barbou said. “You need to be more precise with your rules, Gerling.”

Barbou didn’t see the punch coming, Gerling’s gold rank speed having him back in his seat before Barbou’s senses registered impact.

“I hear Asano is mouthy too,” Gerling said.

Barbou winced as he pushed his nose back into line with his cuffed hands, which were wetted by the free-flowing blood.

“You’re going to help me access the permanent dimensional space in Saint-Étienne,” Gerling said.

“You want to catch Asano while he’s going after the vampires there?” Barbou asked with a wince. “You shouldn’t be going after him, Gerling. Not yet.”

“And why is that?” Gerling asked.

“He’s not lying about saving the world. I’ve learned only a little about what he’s doing and how. If he fails, we’re all done.”

“I do believe that he’s saving the world,” Gerling said. “He keeps getting distracted, though. Not only is he going to France to kill some vampires but he didn’t even head straight there. Right now, he’s in Germany. The vampires started the war by hitting up the Network strongholds in central Europe and Asano is there fighting them off.”

Gerling got up and left the cabin, coming back shortly with a beer.

“Picked up a taste for the German stuff while I was there,” he said, holding up the can. “Hard to get reliably, just now, but my assistant is a resourceful woman.”

He took an appreciative sip.

“Very nice. Now, Asano. He’s letting himself be distracted, time and again, which tells me that whatever he’s saving the world from, he’s not in a rush. And the fact that he’s always been vague at best about what he’s saving it from and why tells me that there’s a reason he doesn’t want us to know. This means that whatever he’s doing and however he’s doing it, it’s vulnerable somehow. The power can be taken from him and I’m going to take it. I’ll save the damn world myself.”

“It can’t be taken,” Barbou said. His bronze-rank recovery had repaired his nose, Gerling having held back to teach a lesson rather than do real harm. Healing did not clean the blood from Barbou’s nose, however, which had painted his mouth and chin red.

“What do you know about it?” Gerling asked.

“Not much,” Barbou said. “My boss never told me much, presumably because of a potential situation like this one.”

“Your boss Mr North?”

“Yes. He doesn’t share secrets but I’ve put some pieces together. Things he’s told me in passing or let slip in conversation. I think he’s lonely.”

“Lonely?”

“I’m quite sure he’s older and more powerful than anyone realises,” Barbou said, “and I’m certain he’s not human. I believe he’s older than the Network itself. He’s mentioned the Network founder few times and I think Mr North knew him well. Hated him, but loved him too, I think.”

“Would your boss want you telling me this?”

“I've ever been a vessel subject to the prevailing winds,” Barbou said. “Network, EOA. I'll jump ship to the vampires if they win. Right now, the prevailing wind is you.”

“Then tell me more. Everything you know about Asano and his secrets.”

“I don’t know what it is that Asano is using to save the world,” Barbou said, “but originally it should have been possible to take it from him. Mr North always intended for Asano to have it, but it was always meant to be possible to take it away.”