The boutique is larger than it looks from the outside. Something I notice immediately is that there is a very limited number of sizes available for both men's and women's clothes. Crepuscolo wants their Eclissi brand always to look incredible, and they clearly decided that meant only people of a certain body type. Everything in here looks amazing; not flashy at all, but with subdued colors and subtle details. Where the creativity really shines is in the designs of the clothes. A sleeveless turtleneck dress with open sides that would show off just a glimpse of side boob. Men's coats made of overlapping shreds of fabric that give off a rugged, wild look. Traditional-style vests but with sharper edges, a tighter fit, and too many zippers and pockets. Short skirts that are barely considered skirts, with attached booty shorts and bikini strap suspenders. Maybe Violet's right about my wardrobe needing an upgrade.

I follow Violet through the store, but my eyes keep getting drawn to different items. Nothing has a price tag. Probably an example of "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." With some of my plans, I'm going to end up rubbing elbows with millionaires and meeting important people, so I should prepare for the inevitable purchases I'll need to make.

"Have you never been here before?" Violet asked me.

"No, I was aware of the brand, but I've never been interested in fashion. I do like it, surprisingly."

"Oh, you have to get something. I'll help you choose, otherwise there's no telling what you'd get," she remarked pointedly.

"Again, there's nothing wrong with my style."

"Yeah, if your goal is to dress like an evil tech CEO, then your style is perfect."

"You're lucky I'm nice. Otherwise, I wouldn't let these insults go unattended. And I can be vicious," I jokingly warned.

"I had no idea I was dealing with such a dangerous villain. Whatever will I do? Who will save me?" She asked, laughing.

She holds the back of her palm to her head and falls into me dramatically. I catch her, and our eyes meet while I'm holding her against me. Shit. Autopiloting was a mistake. Getting caught up in her pace is leading to perilous situations. We've been flirting, and this is only encouraging her feelings. I never should have agreed to this. Hanging out when it's just the two of us is too dangerous and gives mixed signals. I step away from her, careful not to just drop her, and she stays on her feet as I pull my hands away hastily. While not as smooth as it could have been, it should succeed in the effect of showing her that it was a mistake.

"So what'd you want to come here for?" I asked, blatantly ignoring the hurt I see in her eyes.

To Violet's credit, she recovers quickly. "I've been needing a bit of shopping therapy to heal me."

"Then I'll join you." Maybe it'll be something I enjoy.

"That'll be $14,367.81. Are you taking this all with you, or do you want this delivered at a later date?" The manager asked me.

Why is the manager the one ringing us out? Is it because of the bill?

"I'm taking it now," I answered, tapping my card to pay.

I'm not one to spend recklessly, and fiscal responsibility comes easily to me, so my personal accounts are reasonably flush. It's not that bad, all things considered. Two button-ups, three pairs of pants, several undershirts, a vest, a new coat, a nice belt, and a decent watch. Some of it is more formal, while the rest is casual wear. Everything fits me snugly but isn't constricting. I thought that pants were too tight around my crotch, but Violet and one of the store attendants told me it was just the style. Violet was exceptionally helpful, even if she let her eyes wander too much. If she wants to objectify me, I'll let her. That's better than her falling in love with me.

"And for you, Miss Graves, your total is $3790.57. Will you also be taking your items with you?"

"Yes, and please just call me Violet," she said, face reddening in embarrassment.

Miss Graves? The manager knows her by name? So she was projecting, she is rich, like Jake Deckler rich, or even more so. The last name Graves doesn't ring any bells for a famous family, but that makes it even more likely they're some old-money type of family. Her card is black, made of metal, and has an emblazoned gold G on it. Coming from old money and being a Legacy Cape is quite the lineage. She's the reason the manager is checking us out.

A klaxon goes off outside, and the mass of people outside start quickly moving, going down the street away from the boutique. The fact that the BNA activated the alarm system means the surrounding area needs to be safely evacuated due to a nearby Neuvohuman fight. They didn't even sound the alarm for Vivienne. Granted, they might do it now that they've seen what she can do. The Crepuscolo manager looks calm, but the other employees are terrified as they hurry to the front where the doorman is waiting. His gun is out of its holster, and the safety is off. The alarm stops abruptly and then begins going off at a faster rate. The change signifies that the area we're in is no longer nearby to the fight. That is an escalation; the fight is coming here. The people outside on the street start panicking as they start to full-on sprint away.

"Miss Rachel, we can go out the back entrance. I can keep everyone safe," the doorman said to the manager.

So the manager's name is Rachel. Her and the doorman are the only ones besides Violet and I who aren't freaking out. Speaking of, the Cape in training looks excited. She is barely listening to the ongoing discussion, focusing all her attention on the street. It's pandemonium out there; people are yelling as they frantically try to escape the crowded street. What is coming here? My question is answered immediately as the street begins to darken from something looming over it. The few remaining shoppers rush to hide in the shops across from us. One woman doesn't make it inside before I discover what the shadow is coming from, as a literal dragon crashes into the street: Havok, the Shifter from Titania's team.

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The road shatters from the impact, and the force sends pieces of the road into the surrounding buildings. All the parked cars on the street are sent tumbling out from the point of impact. A large lifted Ford truck flips over and over, crashing through the storefront and heading right for everyone. The Crespuscolo employees scream and cower on the floor as the glass fragments fly at us. The shards explode into dust against Violet, and she turns to face the vehicle approaches us. She puts her left hand out and catches the truck, putting it down gently. The lights are off, the front of the store is destroyed, and parts of the roof have caved in. The sound is still blaring, but another sound is growing louder: sobbing. The manager, Rachel, is leaning over the doorman, pressing her hands against his neck as blood steadily spurts out of the gash in his carotid. The crying makes Violet turn around, and we lock eyes for a moment. I leave my mouth open in awe, eyes wide in shock, and start sputtering. In that moment, she understands that I saw her and that her secret is out. She tears her eyes away from me to look at the now deceased man, and shakes her head.

"LOOK WHAT WE CAUGHT!" A hysterical voice screamed from outside.

The voice is enough to make Violet move. She races around the store, changing her clothes and crafting a disguise. She's so fast that before I know it, she's flying out through what used to be the entrance toward Havok and whoever spoke. The pictures online from press conferences don't do it justice. Only a portion of his scaly torso is large enough to cover the road entirely, and I can't see his tail or neck from inside. His scales are light blue and diamond-shaped, and also damaged pretty badly. Havok has these festering, bloody wounds dotting his body that have a faint purple mist trailing off them.

My phone dings, sending me an alert. Heroes' Union Cape crashes into shopping district. Ambushed by the Villain's Syndicate. Avoid the area! The Villain's Syndicate, one of the five Cowl Organizations of Quinstin, along with Mount Olympus, The Triad, The Cavallaro Family, and the Lavender Club. The Villain's Syndicate is a constantly shifting group of unhinged individuals who claim to want to make villainy evil again. They stream their crimes in progress on the Internet, using layers and layers of digital obfuscation to hide the source of the video. Apparently, they have a secret, invite-only website where people can bet on the outcomes of their crimes. The mere fact that they profit off the stream proves this is more about capitalism than their supposed message.

Their roster shifts frequently because of the nature of the group, which is to provide a show at all costs. They're basically just mentally ill tablet kids desperate for attention who happened to trigger. The group's numbers range from five to ten at any time. Many Capes have been forced to break their no-kill rule just to stop the more deranged antics of the group. There isn't a single member of the original lineup still alive, but the group always comes back. There must be another member, a hidden one, who is responsible for the production and technical aspects. They're probably the founder and actual leader of the group. This mystery person is the real mastermind of the group, the producer in charge of the show. Whoever it is could be the answer to my vigilante problem. There's only one way to be sure: I have to arrange a meeting.

Havok's body stirs and then starts shuddering as he shrinks down. Did they kill him already? But instead of reverting to his human form, he's in his other form: a humanoid dragon hybrid form. He looks so similar to how Isaiah looked as Constrictor, except instead of being serpentine, he's very clearly draconic. Slightly smaller than Vivienne's Shifter form, but with a sixteen-foot wingspan, a muscular spiked tail as long as the rest of his body, and a crown of orange horns on his head. He has long black hair, digitigrade legs, and both his feet and hands end in claws. His costume in this form consists of an X-shaped orange metal harness and a matching pair of shorts. The damage he sustained while in his giant dragon form is more concentrated due to his smaller size, and it looks even worse. Large swaths of skin are melting off his bones like barbecue ribs. The right wing is full of holes, and the left is barely attached still. The Villain's Syndicate did a number on him. His mouth opens in a yawn, revealing rows of fangs and a red forked tongue. From his maw, a geyser of fire bursts out onto the road, igniting it instantly. The heat is making me start to sweat. Despite his grave injuries, Havok confidently struts forward through the flaming path he lit. As he touches the fire, it laps up at him, spreading over him and settling into place like a cloak. Every single wound starts to close as the fire cleanses whatever toxin was rotting away at him. His scales regrow as he regenerates back to top shape.

I hear a boom and reflexively duck behind the counter. That's when I realize the crying stopped; the doorman's corpse is still there, but I'm alone in the boutique. There isn't a single trace of them. They must've escaped out the back way like he suggested. From where I'm hiding, I have an angle that lets me see the street through a broken piece of a mirror on the floor. And the sound I heard was Violet coming back, or rather, Virtue arriving on the scene. The white and gold really does a good job of making her look inspiring as she floats next to Havok. That's new. Her mask is different from the one she wore previously. Instead of the full face, intimidating hockey mask look, she's got a white mask that covers the top half of her face and forehead. The eyeholes are large and accentuate her eyes, making her look friendlier. Her hair is free to hang over it, and there's a prominent golden letter V in the center of the forehead.

Things are heating up. Virtue and Havok are side by side, looking down the end of the street, but I can't see what they're looking at from where I am. An opportunity to acquire additional powers and personality pieces has presented itself to me. But I can't do it by myself, I'll need one of the others. Vivienne was just in the limelight, so she's out, especially because I don't want her associated with any killings I might do here. Kai would be entirely useless in this context unless he's made significant progress in combat-capable drones. Even then, he isn't who I really need for this. There's only one person who can help me. Someone uniquely suited to ambush tactics, following commands, and skilled enough for what I need. He's proven time and time again that he is loyal to me, and I still owe him a reward. I need Isaiah. I pull my new phone out and call Vivienne.

"Hey, what's up? I'm with Hotpants right now," Vivienne said.

She's trying to warn me so I don't say anything that might reveal my identity.

"V, give him the phone," I said.

"Are you sure? It has your contact info," Vivienne asked warily.

"Yes. He's earned it, and I need him for something time sensitive," I answered.

"Okay," she said before handing the phone to him.

"Hey, Nobody. I didn't peek at the phone," Isaiah said.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Check your phone, there's currently a BNA lockdown effect in the shopping district due to Havok being in an ongoing battle against the Villains' Syndicate. Virtue has shown up as his backup, and his actual team might be on their way as well. I want to take advantage to snatch up some powers, if not outright crush the Syndicate, and weaken the Capes too," I said.

"So you want me and Vivienne to meet you there?" He asked.

"Not Vivienne, just you. Also, I'm already here. I'm inside the Crepuscolo boutique. Isaiah, it's time for us to meet face-to-face," I said, hanging up.

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