"Name doesn't ring any bells, but considering how long Technologica was active before she disappeared, there are decades of potential enemies to sift through. I can check out libraries, book stores, and other physical records, but, and it pains me to say this, Tuesday might be our best bet at answers," Rorschach winced.

"God, hearing you regrettably compliment me is making me gush. You keep that up and I'll let you order whatever you want off the value menu, shorty. I know you love the finer things, well, I got BOGO coupons for days," Tuesday said, puckering her lips.

Rorschach audibly gags, and it doesn't even sound fake. She might genuinely be nauseous from that.

"If I can't make any headway with my usual way, having her infiltrate a Heroes' Union base could be our only possible lead. I'm assuming you don't want any of us just googling his name in case she's monitoring our internet activity," Rorschach admitted.

"Which she definitely is. There's no way she isn't spying on all of us. Like it or not, we're tied to Nobody, which means we're on her radar," Isaiah said.

"Correct. One last thing before I hear what you've all been up to," I said. "Does everyone have Thanksgiving plans?"

Everyone's heads turn to stare at me aghast. Kai's sleepy eyes are wide open, Rorschach, Tuesday, and Miles are slack-jawed. Oh, this seems like I care about their personal lives.

"Let me rephrase before you all get the wrong idea: are all of you busy for the next few days? Because I have a task that requires one or more of you to leave the state to retrieve something for me," I said.

"I would, but my girlfriend invited me to her family's Thanksgiving. It's our first holiday together, and my first time meeting her family," Vivienne said, trying to contain the giant smile threatening to spill out.

"Didn't you just start dating her like a month or two ago? Attagirl. Damn, you work fast," Isaiah laughed.

"Just singlehandedly proving stereotypes right," Kai mumbled.

"What did you just mumble, you bitchy hobgoblin?" Vivienne fired back.

I see Rorschach throw her a thumbs-up. Have they been working on Vivienne's shit talk? I'm becoming more convinced by the minute that I was right about every one of them fucking around while I was gone.

"I said that you are singlehandedly proving stereotypes right. Count on lesbians to move as fast as possible in a relationship. Speedrunning the strangers to lovers to enemies to friends to frenemies to lovers a second time," Kai chirped back.

Tuesday snort laughs, and it sounds like a goose honking. Despite how long it's been since the last board meeting, their ability to turn a business meeting into a clown fiesta.

"Holy shit, friendly fire. We might need to set up a mercy rule. V, he got your ass," Isaiah chimed in.

"Enough nonsense. No more jokes or digs to extend this meeting any longer than it has to be. Vivienne has plans. What about the rest of you?" I asked.

"I have plans, but I can cancel if you need me to go grab something," Isaiah answered.

"This matter is unrelated to Momentus Inc.; this would be a personal request from me, which you will be compensated for. This is not so important that I would have any of you cancel your plans. Are any of you available and willing to go?" I asked.

"I'm free," Miles said. "I don't have any plans, and this will give me something to do."

"I love an adventure. You can count me in," Tuesday replied.

"Alright. You two will be picking up someone from out of state and delivering them to Quinstin unharmed. You are not to speak to the person; I only need you to get them from point A to point B. I'll inform you two of the full details as we get closer to the date. Let's move on to what you've all been up to. V, you can go first."

"Kai, you can give your report next," I said.

He coughs a few times, blinking his eyes rapidly.

"You got it. Since you left, I, along with Rorschach, have finished completion of the apartment complex you wanted. Every apartment, from the one bedrooms to the three bedrooms, is fully furnished and powered. We can begin renting them whenever you give the go-ahead. I can send you a full list of the features and schematics to look over after this," he said.

"Rorschach, have you already figured out the rent lease prices?" I asked.

"Yes, but some-," she began to answer.

"Excuse me, apologies for the interruption, but Ms. Rorschach's idea of rent prices is, forgive my language, incredibly short-sighted. The whole point of the venture is to build public relations and goodwill with the city, correct? Buying up abandoned properties in low-income neighborhoods to create jobs and affordable housing is charitable and magnanimous. Meanwhile, Ms. Rorschach would like to charge 4000$ for the single bedroom apartments. That is a PR nightmare. I do not blame her for not understanding the plight of poverty, but it's another thing entirely to ignore the effects and optics of the situation. You can't look like her and dress like that without inviting people to make certain connections. A rich white woman pricing out the local population is how you end up accused of gentrifying the neighborhood," Miles said strongly.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

His voice doesn't shake, and his tone doesn't waver. He's come a long way in such a short time already. Rorschach is an intimidating woman to most, especially if you're a naturally anxious creature like Miles is. He must feel quite strongly to face his fears of public speaking, confrontation, and attractive women. Miles' confidence will only grow as he becomes more acclimated to being a powerful, wealthy, and influential businessman and Cape. His change hasn't gone unnoticed by the others. Vivienne and Isaiah are looking at him with approval. Tuesday is running her tongue against her teeth, looking at him with a lecherous gaze. I have only myself to blame for that. Giving a sex pest a sexually charged personality piece will result in her more reprehensible behaviors worsening. Kai looks surprised, but he also isn't the most engaged of the group.

"You want to give them away for free," Rorschach said, treating the word like a slur. "Just because we can afford to rent the apartments at a loss doesn't mean we should. We are a company, not the government or a nonprofit; it isn't on us to create welfare programs. If you want to donate to them, whether personally or as a company, we can, because we can use them as tax write-offs. But I am the Chief Financial Officer; it's my job to keep us profitable and in the green. I will not plunge our newly launched company into the red just so that you can get a fucking feel-good photo op," Rorschach replied venomously.

Time to step in. It's my job as a leader to mediate this.

"Both of you relax. Each of you has a very different view on the matter, and that's good. Our ideals as a group or company may not always be in complete alignment, but that's what these meetings are for. Miles, you are right that $4000 a month is quite decidedly not affordable housing, but Rorschach is also right; we can't make it free or too cheap because that will lead to problems down the line, not just for the company's bottom line, but for what we would want for the complex. We don't want people who are working part-time jobs or in school to use it as a cheap hostel. These apartments, and the future ones, are to help raise people out of poverty, giving them the freedom to save more and invest in their futures. Single parents with kids who are working multiple jobs would be able to drop down to a single job while still allowing their kids to have a safe environment and have a more present parent. This is not an issue that can be solved with a single discussion or meeting. I would like the two of you to come up with a joint plan on the price range we can afford to charge, and people can afford to pay. Understood?"

Rorschach's face loses the snarl, and Miles' features soften as well, as they both give a curt nod to me and then each other.

"Good. Kai, you were saying."

"Yes, after I finished the apartments, I began working on getting ready to run our experiments. Isaiah and Tuesday were both very helpful in acquiring our volunteers. But I didn't want to begin without you here, so I built all of this while we waited for you to get back," Kai said, gesturing to the silly room around us. "Are we going to begin soon?"

"Yes, Kai, we will be beginning immediately after I talk with Rorschach," I said.

"Excellent, I've already inoculated and prepped them. Oh, I can't wait to start. Once again, we will tread upon the realm of the scientific greats that came before us. I'm so happy I could shed a tear," Kai exclaimed.

"My boner senses are tingling. You gonna cream your jeans, doc?" Tuesday asked.

"Gross, Tuesday," Vivienne said.

"What are you, a nun? Nothing wrong with a little cream in the jeans, little froth in ya fun bits, a tiny bit of pre cum in the pantalones," Tuesday said, adopting a second different Spanish accent.

"Is the meeting over? Can the meeting be over?" Kai pleaded.

"Yes. Everyone is free to go except Rorschach. Kai, I'll be with you after this."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Vivienne said, practically sprinting out of the room in discomfort.

The rest follow shortly after, with Tuesday being the last to leave, making obscene gestures with her hands and pointing to the two of us. Once I hear the creaking door shut behind us, I focus my attention on Rorschach. It's about time to bring her power under my radar. I've let this go for too long.

"Do you have any questions?" I asked her.

"I didn't bring it up when the others were here out of respect, but is this power optional?" She asked.

"No. Sorry, but after what happened to me with Arbiter and Glow Guardian, I've realized the importance of making everyone stronger. Besides myself, you are the most susceptible to getting killed or kidnapped," I answered.

"But I'm not supposed to be a fighter. I'm reconnaissance, information gathering, finances, not another weapon for you to wield," she rebuttaled.

"Rorschach, Cassandra, I am not asking you to fight against Capes, Cowls, and the BNA. This is a precautionary measure to ensure you survive as well as diversify your skillset. Don't give me the fake outrage or surprise; you had to have known this day would come eventually. You joined a war, whether as a logistics or a fighter, that makes you a soldier," I said.

She glares at me, but her eyes lack any real heat behind them. I've given her a lengthy leash for too long. She understands there is no way out of this and will obey. I present my hand to her, beckoning her forward. Rorschach rises from her carved stone chair, her pointed heels clicking against the floor. Her outfit today is more modest than usual, but just as high fashion as I've come to expect from her. A pine colored hooded dress with a thin, oversized cowl that covers her eyes. Her arms are bare, but her legs are completely hidden among the overlapping fabrics of the dress' skirt. She stops next to me and takes my hand.

"I've extended my trust to you, but you have not reciprocated so far. This will rectify that. I will remove your original power. Once that is done, I will transfer the new power and the original back to you," I said.

"Fine," she said.

"And we're done. How do you feel?" I asked her.

"I feel the same, except for the obvious new ability you gave me. Part of me worried you'd just kill me once you had my power; that you'd replace me with someone more to your tastes," Rorschach admitted with a surprising amount of vulnerability.

"I had entertained that idea originally, but your skill with the ability made me hesitant to risk the chance that no one else could replicate your proficiency," I answered honestly.

"The way you casually speak of my death is unnerving, but the honesty is reassuring. Still, you said that made you hesitate, you aren't the type to abandon an idea just off a chance. What made you fully give up on replacing me?" Rorschach asked me.

"When you challenged me on our way to Nicholas. I told Kai once that I did not need yesmen and sycophants. I am not omniscient or infallible; I make mistakes and can make bad decisions. You refuse to censor yourself or worry about how others perceive you, and I need someone like that. I have to meet Kai now, but please keep me updated on any combination abilities you discover. Test the limits of both your powers, you never know what might come from it," I said, leaving her behind.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.