Chapter 39

STORAGE CLOSET

THREE DAYS LATER

Alexander leaned back from his workbench, eyeing his handiwork. Admiring it, but judging it just as critically. He’d taken apart the original drone as a template and managed to build two of his own in the limited time he had.

They were inferior. Armor was the main issue. He didn’t have access to the alloys used in the original, and even if he did, he lacked the machinery to shape them. His two handmade drones wouldn’t last nearly as long in a fight. And then there was the power core. He had replaced that entirely, since the original’s sublime micro-fusion hydrogen source was far beyond his understanding. Definitely alien. He had been careful not to tamper with it.

His workaround was solid-state batteries he could recharge with Electrokinesis on the go. Workable for now, though dissatisfying. They had a few good hours of runtime, but with lower velocity and less explosive output when needed.

Once the team fenced their stolen-recovered-stolen-again goods, he’d see about a proper workshop with everything required for real hardware.

It’s a start. Be happy with that for now. And I still have the original for a team of three.

Standing, Alexander stretched stiff muscles, packed away his tools, and headed for the living area. The drones floated behind with a simple flex of Metallokinesis. For the past few days he’d used it whenever safe, steadily improving his control if little else.

He found the rest of the team crowded around the holo. At first he assumed it was more psychic corgi, until he saw the broadcast.

The governor of California was in the middle of a speech. As Alexander stepped closer, Annie looked over her shoulder.

“Ohhh!” she gasped. “Look, guys, it’s the garage goblin. He’s returned to the real world.”

Augustus laughed but didn’t look away from the screen.

“How’d your project go, Alex?” Talia asked after a quick smile. “We’ve barely seen you these past few days.”

“Serviceable,” Alexander said. “Two knock-offs, plus the original. I’ll scale up once I have better access to better tech.”

“Good timing,” Annie said. “We were about to drag you out. You’ll wanna see this.”

“…and so, it is my privilege to announce that the First Wing of the Throne of Scales guild, led by the illustrious Maximilian de Castillo himself, has accepted a six-month contract to operate out of Argentum at the request of both the mayor and Director Li of Santiago Systems,” the governor said.

“As you all know, for several years I have run on the promise of a safer California. And it is from that promise, that commitment, that we now host two of the greatest superhero guilds operating on this side of the United American Directorate.”

Polite applause filled the gap.

“But that’s enough about me. I am only here to introduce the real hero of today’s announcement.” The governor stepped aside and gestured. “Give it up for the leader of the Throne of Scales… the Dragonlord, Maximilian de Castillo!”

This time the applause was genuine, rising quickly as Maximilian stood, shook the governor’s hand, and walked to the podium. He looked exactly the same as on the rooftop: crisp uniform, perfect hair, and enough confidence to fill a stadium.

Maximilian waited with practiced patience until the noise fell.

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” he said with a disarming smile. “As you know, the Throne of Scales is a passion project of mine. We receive support from across the world, and over the years we’ve responded to many incidents. In that time I have developed a single philosophy when it comes to apprehending villains: treat each and every one as if they are the most dangerous threat you have ever faced.”

Another ripple of applause.

Maximilian’s expression hardened. “Even then, sometimes that isn’t enough.”

The room stilled.

“Our encounter with Grimnir marked only the second time in our organization’s history that a field team has failed to bring in their targets. That failure rests with us.”

He paused, not for show but to let it weigh on the crowd.

“To the people of California, and to Argentum in particular, I offer my gratitude. Not only for your patience, but for the chance to make this right. Because allowing individuals that dangerous to walk free is not a failure we take lightly. Not now. Not ever.”

His hand rested on the podium, the other gesturing as the camera zoomed in. His gaze locked through the screen.

“To Grimnir,” he said, calm and cold as tempered steel. “I don’t care what masks you hide behind. I don’t care how many of you there are, or what names you use. When you show your face in public again…”

Maximilian tilted his head slightly. Beneath the civility was the resolve of a man who could summon dragons.

“… I’ll be there.”

A pause.

“And this time, I’m not letting you walk away.”

The audience erupted.

Alexander switched the holo to a music channel with a thought.

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“I can’t believe that idiot thinks he can take us!” Annie shouted, leaping to her feet. “The only reason we had to run was because we were all beat up from fighting those monsters.”

Augustus chuckled. “I suspect they could have taken us even rested, unless we fought only to escape. Their rise the past few years has been exceptional.”

Annie flopped onto the couch, arms crossed, muttering.

Alexander turned to Talia. “What’s this going to do to our bounties? We haven’t checked in a while.”

“Yes!” Annie cried. “Show me the money!”

Talia pulled up her tablet, scanned a few feeds, then handed it over.

The first thing Alexander noticed was that they now had a dedicated page:

Supervillain Organization Designation: GRIMNIR

Tier Classification: B+ Threat

STEPS Bounty Protocol: DEAD OR ALIVE

Group Bonus Bounty: +500,000 credits

INDIVIDUAL BOUNTIES (Updated)

Alexander Rooke

Bounty: 450,000 credits (prev. 150,000)

Known powers: Technopathy, Electrokinesis*, Magnetokinesis*

Justification: Recognized as Grimnir’s leader and tactician. Publicly coordinated attack on, and escape from, a Throne of Scales guild team. Confirmed as responsible for neutralizing ‘Ripper’, deceased bounty. Led Grimnir’s assault against local superheroes. Mastermind behind ambush of Argentum superhero Flashpoint.

*Presumed power set.

Annette Sheridan

Bounty: 375,000 credits (prev. 150,000)

Known powers: MetaMetal Adaptation, Density Flux Control, Temperature Flux Control

Justification: Escapee from Argentum Supermax. Suspected as responsible for neutralizing ‘Pandora Hex’, deceased bounty. Suspected cybernetic augmentations. Deadly close-quarters combatant.

Talia Kim

Bounty: 400,000 credits (prev. 200,000)

Known powers: Cognitive Resonance, Mind Palace

Justification: Reinstated threat, previously pardoned for vigilantism. Updated to reflect her role in Grimnir’s engagements. Suspected as responsible for neutralizing Gary Lorn, deceased bounty. Considered a disciplined investigator, infiltration specialist, and assassin.

Augustus Greaves

Bounty: 325,000 credits (prev. 100,000)

Known powers: Sorcery*

Justification: Retired Special Forces Captain, Orbital Recon Ranger Division. Confirmed to wield a variable superpower capable of spell-like conjuration, including portals. Suspected as responsible for neutralizing ‘Mercy’, deceased bounty.

*Information courtesy of military intelligence.

TOTAL BOUNTY PAYOUT: 2,050,000 credits

Alexander handed the tablet to Annie.

She received it like it was a treasure, eyes wide, practically bouncing. “Oh my god. We’re such badasses now!”

She collapsed back onto the couch, kicking her legs like a kid. “Do you see this? We’re on the bounty board. A supervillain organization. I’m awesome!”

Augustus leaned over to see the screen. “And look at that. You’ve dropped to third place. Talia’s beating you by twenty-five K.”

Annie gasped as if stabbed. “What? She’s not even violent!”

“Not the way you are,” Talia said mildly, sharing a grin with Alexander. “But apparently professionalism pays.”

“That’s ridiculous! I’m literally made of metal and bad decisions!” Annie growled.

“You’re made of disappointment, clearly,” Augustus teased. “I expected you in second place at least.”

Annie groaned and buried her face in a pillow. “I’m gonna wreck so many bad guys.”

“Please don’t say that while grinning into a pillow,” Talia said.

“I wasn’t grinning!”

“You were absolutely grinning,” Augustus said.

Alexander listened with one ear, leaning against the sofa as laughter rang through the room. It was genuine amusement and camaraderie, borne of a sense of ease. The edge of a smile tugged at his mouth. Just a twitch, involuntary.

“Two million credits,” he said quietly. “That’s what we’re worth now.”

Annie lifted her head, pillow still clutched. “Damn right we are.”

For the first time, Alexander didn’t mind being called a supervillain. The laughter tapered off. He let it ride out before folding his arms.

“Alright,” he said. “Fun’s over. Today’s the day.”

Annie sat up.

Talia was already serious. “The card,” she said. “I’ve been looking into it. It leads to a supervillain organization known as The Royals.”

Augustus raised a brow. “Royals? Sounds like a bad crime drama.”

“Well, they’re not drama,” Talia said. “They’re organized crime. Structure. Modern-day mafia, if you will. They run nightclubs, casinos, legal dispensaries, and high-end black market services. They don’t deal with the cartels, and they avoid slavery. That at least means there are lines they won’t cross.”

“Are they trustworthy?” Alexander asked.

“That depends,” Talia said. “They won’t come after us if we follow their rules. That’s as close to trust as we’ll get.”

“The underworld’s always been there,” Augustus murmured. “Powers didn’t change that.”

“They just amplified what already existed,” Talia agreed.

Alexander looked at her. “Can we work with them?”

“I think we can. More importantly, I don’t think we have much choice.”

“Right,” Alexander said, glancing upward. “We need a healer. And we need someone to fence our haul without landing us in prison. That’s the price for staying alive.”

“But there’s so much,” Annie complained. “How are we even gonna move it? We can’t bring them here, and I don’t wanna get robbed carrying it.”

Alexander gave her a flat look. “You think someone would try to rob us?”

“I think they’d try,” she said with a smirk.

Augustus cleared his throat. “Speaking of that, I… have something to share.”

Annie perked up. “Are you finally gonna reveal your tragic supervillain backstory?”

“No,” Augustus said dryly, rolling up his sleeves. “I’ve developed my first technique.”

Annie gasped. “Yes! Finally. What’s it called?”

Talia and Alexander turned, equally curious. Augustus raised his left hand, fingers flicking in a practiced motion. A shimmer of energy gathered, swirling upward. With a flash of light, his wand snapped into his grip.

He pointed it at the far wall.

“STORAGE CLOSET.”

Silence followed.

A shimmer resolved into a glowing doorway etched with faint arcane script and a plain handle.

Annie blinked. “Storage closet? You’re a wizard! You could’ve called it anything! The Vault of Holding! The Arcane Armory! The Bag of Infinite Doom Pockets!”

Augustus looked offended. “It’s descriptive. Frank helped me name it.”

Alexander gave him a disappointed look. “You’re a Dungeon Master. You should be good at naming things.”

Talia dissolved into quiet giggles, hiding her face.

Augustus huffed. “Fine. The next one will be called The Pantry.”

Annie opened her mouth, but Talia waved her down. “No, let him have it. It’s done.”

Alexander walked to the door and opened it. Inside was a neatly organized space of racks, compartments, and storage crates. Everything they needed to stash or haul was now ready.

He smiled. “Function over flair. Nice work, Auggy. Let’s load up and then gear up.”