Chapter 228 – Floor 41: Part 1

  Floor 41 – Objective: Reach Rank ‘B’

  In an opulent dining room of a Mansion in the wealthiest part of New York City, shielded from the public by an iron fence, superhuman guards and adequate bribes to the most influential of the city’s officials, the notable members of the New York Branch of the League of Villains were meeting to discuss recent events.

  The flickering light from a roaring fireplace cast long shadows across the plush carpet, velvet drapes and polished wooden furnishings and drove away the evening chill. The room was adorned with works of art, stolen from museums or private collections from all across the world.

  A gathering of men and women were seated around a large, mahogany table. Wearing various costumes and outfits, they were an eclectic group that would be out of place anywhere but especially so in this wealthy environment.

  At the very head of the table sat the Branch Leader, an ‘S’ Class villain. Obsidian was known for her unmatched intellect and ruthless ambition. She wore a black gown that glimmered with specks of reflecting light from the fireplace like twinkling stars. Her dark hair framed a sharp face with piercing green eyes that carefully judged everyone in attendance.

  No one dared meet that gaze.

  “We are missing one of our number. Where is Shade?” Obsidian asked, her eyes sweeping over the others. A few flinched and looked away, only the Class ‘A’ Villains were willing to speak.

  “The fool is has been caught. We will need to adjust our plans.” The man to her right said, the only one willing to speak. Dr. Malevolence was a towering figure in a tailored black suit. He leaned forward in his chair with his elbows on the table and his fingers steepled beneath his chin.

  He was handsome, but a long scar on his right cheek detracted from his appearance.

  Across the table from him, Lady Vortex spun a lock of her bright purple hair in her fingers. Her skin-tight suit was a combination of neon colours, eye-wateringly bright pinks, purples and blues that showed off her athletic figure.

  “No biggie, I can go grab him. It’s only a prison.” Lady Vortex said, shrugging her shoulder indifferently. Her casual attitude was a stark contrast to the seriousness of the room around her.

  Next to her, The Puppeteer tapped his slender finger against the hard table top. He was deathly gaunt, his sunken cheeks and yellow teeth gave him a horrible ugly appearance. He wore a tattered cloak made of different patches of colour that he collected from the clothing of his victims.

  “Dead, preferably. He will be less trouble that way. A corpse has more use to me.” He recommended. Everyone here knew exactly how he made his puppets.

  At the far end of the table, the Titaness shifted her weight slightly, causing the reinforced and enlarged chair she occupied to creak alarmingly. Towering at over eight feet in height, her muscular frame was on display to everyone in the room. Her only attempt at modesty were thin strips of cloth that covered a few sensitive areas.

  Her deep, gravelly voice rumbled throughout the room.

  “The weak should be abandoned. We do not require someone who would so easily be captured.” The Titaness stated.

  “And by a Class ‘D,’ no less.” A high-pitched voice said.

  Ironclad’s electronic and strange voice didn’t match his formidable appearance. Larger than even the Titaness, he wore an exosuit of advanced alloys. It was imposing and gave him the strength and endurance of a tank.

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  The black suit had red accents and his helmet completely obscured his face. No one had even been able to see what lay beneath it, making many speculate that he was a robot. Whether he was man or machine, Ironclad was one of the few Villains to be directly awarded the rank of Class ‘A.’

  “Explain.” Obsidian ordered, her eyes turning to the last remaining member of the Class ‘A’ at the table. Ghost sat opposite of Obsidian, her pale face and white hair giving her an ethereal appearance. The League of Villains master of espionage, she was capable of enter the League of Heroes undetected and was responsible for gathering all of their information.

  To everyone in the room, Ghost appeared to be wearing clothing made out of grey mist, obscuring her form.

  “Shade was in conflict with Lumina, and nearly had her subdued when a newly recruited Class ‘D’ interfered with the battle. I was unable to see anything that happened after, this Hero possesses some unknown ability to block my sight. I only know that when I could see again, Shade was incoherent.” Ghost explained, her voice drifting across the room.

  “I would advise against rescuing Shade. By all accounts, he has been rendered useless to our needs.” Dr. Malevolence recommended.

  “Who is this new Hero that would dare take on a member of our Branch? Shade is no bargain basement Rogue out to make a quick dollar. I would match him against several of the League’s weaker Class ‘S’ Heroes.” Obsidian inquired.

  “Mathew Larson. I have no information about him. He doesn’t appear to have existed prior to joining the League. That in and of itself isn’t unusual; many heroes purge their identities prior to joining the League. What makes him unique is that I am unable to ascertain the limits of his mana or the extent of his abilities.” Dr. Malevolence explained.

  “He has been instrumental in the capture of Class ‘C’ Brutus, Class ‘B’ AcidFang and Class ‘A’ Shade. All within two days of joining the League of Heroes.” Ghost added.

  “His file?” Obsidian questioned, narrowing her eyes slightly in thought.

  “Incomplete. The Assessment Orb malfunctioned during his test, and he only revealed the ability to swap places with another individual. A power that he has relied on since.” Ghost clarified.

  “We can conclude that his teleportation ability is not a primary skill, but rather some secondary capability.” Dr. Malevolence decided.

  “Let’s just grab him. I can portal him here in an instant, and it won’t matter what he is capable of doing. Dead is dead.” Lady Vortex spoke while causing a small portal to appear above her finger tip. The League of Heroes could be seen inside the small gateway, revealing that she had the ability to penetrate the Headquarters defences in an instant.

  “No, he is irrelevant. The task given to us by our Patron is of the utmost importance. Shade must be removed from League custody before they have an opportunity to question him. Alive or dead, his silence is all I require from him. Make it happen.” Obsidian said, her green eyes staring at Lady Vortex until the brightly dressed woman nodded.

  “Sure, no problem.” Lady Vortex said, her causal tone cracking for a moment to reveal her nervousness. No one at this table wanted to cross Obsidian.

  “Good.” Obsidian responded before turning to look at the others.

  “Notoriety. That is what is required of all the Branches. Our Patron wants the League of Villains to be known throughout the world. Each of you will be responsible for leaving your mark on this endeavour in your own unique way. Death, destruction, and mayhem. Pillage to your heart's content, have your fun as you see fit.” Obsidian ordered.

  “Why? I am happy to participate, my collection is paramount and only the strongest corpses are fit to join it, but why would our Patron demand this of us?” The Puppeteer asked tonelessly. Aside from his pursuit of superhumans to convert into Puppets, nothing else excited him.

  “Not to mention giving us access to such lovely gifts. A way to spend Aether to enhance our abilities, to ‘Level’ ourselves.” Ironclad added in his mechanical voice. The others looked at Obsidian with curiosity.

  They had been actively recruited by the League over the past few months by their mysterious ‘Patron.’ In return for their assistance in raising the League’s status in the world, they had been provided with silver wristbands that showed a ‘status’ screen and the ability to upgrade their bodies, minds, and naturally occurring abilities.

  It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

  “I don’t know.” Obsidian said with a frown, surprising the group. They had never heard that sentence from her before. To the League, Obsidian was an endless fount of knowledge. Even Dr. Malevolence showed an expression of shock on his face. He was known to be a man who anticipated everything.

  “Our Patron seems to gain something from the activities of those associated with them. As we grow stronger in their service, they grow in turn. I have attempted to understand it further, but I lack the required information. The League of Villains Branch Leaders know very little, aside from the name of our Patron.”

  Obsidian paused for a moment in thought before shaking her head.

  “The name?” Dr. Malevolence prodded, eager to add this new information to his predictions.

  “Mischievous Depravity.”