Chapter 346:
– Eidolon –
David—known to most as Eidolon—paced furiously in the cold, shadowed depths of Cauldron's secret base on some distant, uncharted planet. The sterile metal walls hummed faintly with alien tech, but none of it could drown out the storm raging inside him.
His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as his boots scraped sharply against the cold floor with every impatient step. He had just watched that goddamn interview live with the others. Rebecca and that insufferable CEO, Layla. It hadn't just gone badly—it was an outright disaster.
On the screen, Layla had smiled and answered every question in unexpected ways—that the sheep masses ate up and cheered for. And Rebecca had flailed, desperate to keep control but only making herself and the PRT look petty.
The public was swallowing it all hook, line, and sinker.
He shot a dark glance at Doctor Mother, who stood silently nearby, her usually unreadable face creased with a rare frown. "Without the Slaughterhouse Nine terrorizing the world, we're going to see far fewer parahumans joining our ranks," she muttered, voice low but heavy with concern. "They were... a necessary evil, and now we have nothing to show for supporting them secretly."
David spun on his heel and looked toward Contessa, hoping for a silver lining. But she merely shrugged, her cold eyes distant as always. "My path's fucked beyond salvation," she said bluntly. "Whatever moves we make now, it won't change the course. This is a setback, and I don't see a way to salvage it..."
A Doormaker portal blinked open on the far side of the command chamber. Alexandria stepped through in full costume, the cape swirling behind her.
David watched her emerge, immediately noticing the set of her shoulders and the heaviness in her posture. She seemed diminished, almost dragging her feet.
He didn't wait for her to get her bearings. The portal snapped shut behind her with a hiss, and David stalked straight toward her, anger sharpening every line of his body.
"What the fuck was that display, Alexandria?" he barked, voice echoing sharply off the cold walls. "We looked like incompetent fools because of that interview!"
"They took out the slaughterhouse nine with only a handful of capes. Something the entire might of the PRT could never do. I don't need my paths to tell us that's bad…" Contessa added.
"How was I supposed to fucking know any of that would happen! I was just there to ride her ass about New Wave and Armsmaster!" Alexandria defended herself finally.
David was about to open his mouth to retort—
Doctor Mother stepped between them, her calm voice slicing through the tension. "Enough. Both of you." She looked first at Alexandria, her eyes surprisingly soft. "Are you alright?" Then she turned to David, holding up a hand to stall any more outbursts. "David, take a breath. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to fix what happened. We're supposed to save the world, not destroy it with petty squabbles."
David clenched his jaw, his fists still tight, but he forced himself to slow his breathing. He sucked in a long breath through his nose, exhaled slowly, trying to let the anger bleed off.
Alexandria was silent for a long moment, her shoulders tense. Then, suddenly, she barked out, "I really fucking hate Fallcorp." The words came out raw and bitter, echoing in the steel room. "And that pretty bitch Layla—I hate her too. I hate her face. I hate her stupid, amazing breasts!" She slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand for emphasis, voice tight with resentment.
David felt a pang of reluctant agreement, some ugly part of his mind flashing with images from the interview. Goddamn it, she really does have nice breasts... he thought, and immediately hated himself for it.
Alexandria kept going, shaking her head in frustration. "It's like she's playing chess and we're stuck playing checkers. She predicts our every move, twists every situation, and keeps making us look like fools. Every single time."
Contessa, who'd been watching quietly from the shadows, finally spoke up. "Is this how people always felt about us?" Her tone was strange, almost thoughtful. "When my power worked, we always seemed untouchable. Now, the more Fallcorp spreads, the less it works. Maybe that's what it feels like—to always be on the losing side, watching the world slip through your fingers."
David looked around at the other three—the world's most dangerous conspirators, now reduced to bickering and doubt. He steadied himself, pushing aside the bitterness. "Alright. Enough self-pity. We need a plan to deal with the fallout. The PRT is going to take a huge hit in the press after this disaster. The public's going to start questioning our competence. We can't let this spiral any further."
He looked to Doctor Mother and Contessa for answers, but for once, there was no easy solution in the air. Just silence, frustration, and the shadow of Layla's victory pressing down on them all.
Doctor Mother's next words dropped like a stone into the middle of their desperation. "We're going to have to kill Layla," she said, her voice utterly flat—no hesitation, no preamble, just cold practicality. "Captain Marvel is dangerous, powerful, but it's obvious Layla is the brains behind Fallcorp. Remove her, and the whole organization will fracture."
"I agree," he said without a hint of doubt. "But how do we pull this off? She's not exactly an easy target."
Alexandria nodded along. "She's too well protected in her tower, and she has teleportation. We can't get close unless we catch her off guard."
All eyes turned to Contessa. She pressed a finger to her lips, deep in thought, her other hand idly twirling a lock of dark hair. "Layla isn't just a Mover with those portals," Contessa mused aloud, her voice soft but full of calculation. "She's too cunning. I suspect she has a Thinker power, or something very close to it. Every move we've made, she's anticipated. That level of prediction… it's not normal."
David absorbed this, the pieces clicking together in his mind. "If that's true, then any attempt on her life will have to come when her powers are at their limit—when she's distracted, under the most stress."
Contessa nodded. "Exactly. There are very few circumstances where Thinker powers break down. Endbringer events are one of them. Their presence disrupts predictive and precognitive abilities. If we act when the next Endbringer appears, she won't see us coming. None of her power will work."
David's mouth curled into a humorless smile. "The Endbringers… Not even the best Thinkers can work around them. Not even that CEO bitch, I bet."
Alexandria's voice was steel. "So, when the next Endbringer attacks, we use the chaos to take Layla out. Permanently."
"Now we just need to choose the right assassin," Doctor Mother said.
"I'll do it," he said. "It has to be me. I won't trust Layla's death to anyone else. I'm the most powerful cape in the world, and I don't miss. Even if my powers are getting weaker, I'll see this through."
The declaration startled the others.
Doctor Mother tried to inject reason. "David, we have resources. Plenty of assassins, parahumans and normal, who could be used as proxies. It doesn't have to be you..."
Alexandria agreed. "You're too valuable. If something goes wrong, Cauldron would lose its strongest asset. We can't risk you, not like this."
But David shook his head. "I won't leave this to chance. You've all seen what Layla is capable of—how she anticipates every move, how nothing gets past her. If anyone else tries, she'll see it coming. But me?" His lips twisted in a bitter smile. "She won't expect me to come at her when her guard is down! After all, she'd be expecting me to be fighting the endbringer. I'll kill her quickly and make it back to the fight before anyone knows what's wrong!"
Contessa regarded him for a long, silent moment, eyes unreadable. "Your confidence could be your undoing," she finally said…
David met her gaze without flinching. "Then I'll adapt. I always have. When the next Endbringer appears, I'll use the confusion. I'll do what needs to be done."
The others exchanged uneasy glances. Doctor Mother exhaled slowly. "Very well. If your mind's made up, we'll support you however we can."
Alexandria's fists clenched at her sides, her armor creaking faintly. "Just don't die, David. We can't afford it."
– Layla –
A few days later…
I was a woman on a mission.
Humming a slightly off-key pop song, I strode down the softly-lit hallways of Fallcorp HQ, heels tapping out a cheerful rhythm that echoed around the spotless steel and glass. The building practically breathed my presence—sensors following my movement, lights brightening just a bit wherever I walked.
I owned the place after all.
When I reached Armsmaster's lab, the reinforced sliding door whooshed open automatically. The air inside was thick with the smell of solder, ozone, and that faint tang of lubricant oil that clung to every piece of cutting-edge tech. Blue holographic schematics floated over half a dozen tables, and somewhere in the corner, a robotic arm was busily assembling what looked suspiciously like a missile warhead.
Good.
If there was another Endbringer attack on the horizon I wanted my people as prepped as possible.
[Does it make you nervous that you're not gonna be allowed to personally fight the world ending monsters?]
'Yes, but also no.' I thought back.
I believed in my people just like they believed in me. I think I was starting to understand why The One Above All gave me this mission in the first place. Even though I COULD solve everything myself—that didn't mean that I should.
Armsmaster was hunched over his main workbench, completely absorbed in some delicate mechanism. He didn't notice me.
Perfect target.
"Surprise, motherfucker!" I shouted, barely hiding my laugh as I whipped three water balloons—cold, heavy, bright colors—straight at his head.
He jerked up just in time to take the first one full in the face. The other two burst spectacularly against his chestplate and the delicate circuit board in his hands. Water and micro-sparks flew everywhere. Holograms flickered, his tools sizzled, and one of the lab's automated drones let out a startled beep and zipped away.
Colin sighed, sounding utterly defeated. Water dripped down his face and spattered onto the lab table as he grabbed a rag to wipe himself off, already looking like he regretted most of his life choices.
"I never got hit with water balloons all day back at the Rig," he muttered. "It's not even noon, Miss Layla."
I grinned, sauntering in and leaning against a nearby console. "Yeah, well, the Rig never gave you infinite money, full creative freedom, and first dibs on space technology for free, did it?" I folded my arms under my chest, pushing my breasts up just a bit, perfectly aware of the effect that had on men.
Sure enough, Colin's cheeks went a shade pinker, and he did a double-take. His eyes darted down before he yanked his gaze back up, coughing awkwardly. The man could face down villains and monsters but still fell apart at a little teasing.
He muttered, "No, they didn't," a bit reluctantly, still mopping up the mess. Then he glanced up at me with a resigned look. "I get the feeling you didn't come all the way down here just to assault me with water balloons. What do you want this time, Layla?"
I leaned in closer, fluttering my eyelashes dramatically, and gave Colin the sweetest, most innocent smile I could manage, which honestly wasn't very innocent at all. "Awww," I purred teasingly, dragging out the syllable with playful delight. "Maybe I just wanted to visit my newest, favorite Tinker. Did you ever think of that, Colin?"
Colin stared at me, utterly deadpan, water still trickling down his face and dripping from his beard onto the already-soaked workbench. He didn't say anything at first, just gave me a look that clearly said, 'You're not fooling anyone.'
I had to give it to him. The man could pull off a pretty impressive unimpressed face.
After a few more awkward seconds of silence, I cracked and threw my hands up with a soft laugh. "Okay, fine!" I admitted dramatically, rolling my eyes at him. I practically bounced, excitement bubbling up again as I grinned widely at him. "I've got another surprise for you!"
Immediately, Colin's expression dropped into an even more intense deadpan glare, something I honestly hadn't thought possible.
[Deadpan 2.0 just dropped…]
He sighed loudly, running one gloved hand through his damp, dark hair, slicking it back out of his eyes. "Another surprise?" he muttered in clear disbelief. "You realize the last 'surprise' you gave me involved being shoved onto a plane with Captain Marvel and the entire New Wave team, right? Followed by a cheerful announcement that we were flying off to take down the Slaughterhouse Nine without so much as ten minutes' notice?"
I shrugged helplessly, completely unfazed by his complaint. "Well, it worked out just fine, didn't it?" I pointed out cheerfully. "Nobody got seriously hurt, and the bad guys got thoroughly beaten. I'd call that a success."
He just stared at me like I was insane, blinking slowly as he processed my words. "Yes," he finally conceded reluctantly, "but that was mostly because Captain Marvel was there, and she is ridiculously powerful."
I held back a chuckle at that. Because, yeah, okay, he definitely had a point. Carol was OP as fuck, and we'd all known perfectly well she'd handle the brunt of the fight.
"Fair," I agreed casually, leaning my hip against the workbench. "But this time, it's different. It's an actual good surprise! You're gonna love it!"
He continued to eye me suspiciously, clearly skeptical. I could practically see the gears spinning behind his cautious expression, weighing whether or not to trust me.
[You did just hit him with some water balloons…again.]
'Well, at least I didn't include Vicky this time.' Amy and Taylor were both too shy to cause chaos with their new boss lady, but Vicky Dallon was the type of girl to not care at all. I liked that, she would go places in life—after all this superhero saving the world stuff was over.
"Alright," he muttered reluctantly. "I'll bite. What exactly is this 'actual good surprise,' Layla?"
I grinned mischievously, leaning forward just enough to give him another playful flash of cleavage, knowing full well it would fluster him even more. Watching the faint pink color creeping up his neck was absolutely priceless.
"Follow me," I said simply, straightening up and beckoning him with one finger. "It's something you need to see with your own eyes…"
Colin and I made our way through the bright, spacious halls of Fallcorp HQ. The gentle hum of air conditioning and our footsteps were the only sounds breaking the silence.
As we turned the next corner, my eyes immediately fell on a little figure crouched down near the wall, absorbed in her task. I blinked, pausing mid-step, my heels clicking softly against the marble floor as I slowed to a halt.
The little girl had a mop of curly golden hair spilling down her back, bobbing gently as she concentrated intensely. She was busy drawing big, colorful flowers and smiling cartoon characters across the pristine wall, clutching an armful of bright markers. Her little pink tongue stuck out from the corner of her mouth in fierce concentration as she finished drawing a happy sun with exaggerated sunglasses.
Colin froze completely beside me, his face instantly turning pale. His entire body visibly tensed, his fists tightening anxiously at his sides. "Is… is that who I think it is?" he asked quietly, his voice strained. "Is… is she your surprise?" he asked cautiously, his voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded slowly, meeting his worried gaze but quickly raising a hand in reassurance. "Yeah, that's Riley," I confirmed softly, keeping my tone calm. "But don't worry—she isn't the surprise. We've still got a little ways to go for that."
"That's great, but what is she doing alone in the hallway?" he whispered to me.
"No idea…" I shrugged.
He stared at me skeptically for a second, clearly not reassured in the slightest, but before he could protest further, Riley finally noticed our presence. She looked up quickly from her artwork, big sky-blue eyes blinking in surprise before brightening into a sweet, innocent smile. "Oh! Hi Miss Layla!" Riley called out happily, jumping up and practically bouncing with excitement. She waved enthusiastically, the markers clutched tightly in her small fists. Then she saw Colin, her cheerful expression faltering just a little at his obvious nervousness. "Um…hi, Mr. Armsmaster," she said timidly, eyes uncertain, her small voice quiet and shy now.
After all—he had been part of the team that wiped out her "family."
I stepped closer, kneeling down beside her so we were closer to eye-level. "What are you doing out here, Riley?" I asked her gently, giving her an encouraging smile. "Where's Ms. Macy? You know you're supposed to have a minder nearby."
She fidgeted nervously with the markers in her tiny hands, looking down guiltily at the messy artwork she'd made. "Um, Ms. Macy had to use the bathroom, and I got bored waiting, so I snuck out here to draw," she admitted sheepishly, her little voice trembling slightly. Her eyes grew huge and worried as she looked up at me again, clearly anxious. "Is… is that bad? Are you gonna punish me?"
Her words, hesitant and filled with worry, tugged at my heart. I could feel my expression softening even more as I reached out gently, carefully patting her soft blonde hair. She flinched at first, still not completely used to gentle touches, but soon leaned cautiously into it.
"No, sweetheart, I'm not going to punish you," I assured her. "Drawing is wonderful, and if you want to make art, I'll make sure you get all the markers, paints, and paper you could ever want. But you really shouldn't sneak off without telling anyone—it worries people, and we need to know you're safe. Understand?"
[Yeah, if word got out she's free and wandering around, there will be a FREAKING RIOT at your door.]
'We are working on setting up a new identity for her for that very reason…'
Riley sighed softly, clearly relieved she wasn't in trouble, but a bit disappointed at being scolded. Still, she nodded obediently, putting the marker caps back on carefully and standing up slowly. "Okay, Layla. I'll go back to my room and wait for Ms. Macy," she promised quietly, flashing me a timid smile.
"Good girl," I praised gently.
She smiled a little brighter at the praise, then hurried down the hallway, her tiny footsteps tapping against the tile until she disappeared safely around the corner.
I stood back up, brushing down my skirt and turning to Colin. He let out a long, shaky breath, visibly relieved she'd left. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and he rubbed a hand over his face, clearly rattled by the encounter. "That was still fucking terrifying, Layla," he admitted heavily, shaking his head slowly. "I can't believe you're seriously attempting rehabilitation with Bonesaw, of all people."
I gave him a gentle, understanding smile, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She's Riley, Colin. Not Bonesaw," I corrected softly but firmly. "She's a child who was horribly manipulated and hurt by people who used her. I truly believe she deserves a chance. Yes, rehabilitation will be hard—but someone has to be willing to give her the chance to heal and move past what she was forced to become."
Colin regarded me thoughtfully, clearly conflicted, but slowly nodded, accepting my words even if he wasn't entirely convinced. "I trust your judgment, Layla, even if I still think it's insane," he finally said with a reluctant sigh.
I squeezed his shoulder gently, grateful for his honesty. "Fair enough. Now come on," I urged lightly, stepping away and beckoning him forward again with a playful grin. "You still have a surprise waiting."
I could sense that Colin was still deeply rattled from our run-in with Riley, and I couldn't allow that to continue. He needed to be in a good mindset for his big surprise, or else it just wouldn't have the right impact.
And me? I was all about making a good impact.
"Come on, lighten up," I teased gently, giving him a playful wink. When he didn't respond and continued brooding silently, I decided a different kind of distraction was clearly necessary.
With a mischievous smirk playing on my lips, I stepped in front of him, putting a little extra sway into my hips as I walked. I glanced over my shoulder, catching him with his eyes glued firmly to my ass. I giggled, pleased by his flustered reaction, and put even more sway into my stride, my hips rocking invitingly with every step.
Sure, I was firmly and proudly into women—one blonde-haired superheroine especially—but I certainly didn't mind giving men a harmless show once in a while.
Plus, it was doing wonders for getting him out of his rattled mood and distracting him from worrying thoughts. Mission accomplished.
"Eyes up here," I teased cheerfully, giving another playful laugh as we approached the next lab. "We're almost there."
Colin cleared his throat awkwardly, looking away with flushed cheeks. "Right," he muttered sheepishly, though he couldn't quite hide the small, reluctant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
We reached a modern laboratory, one of Fallcorp's newer and state-of-the-art spaces, specifically designed for its newest occupant. The automated door slid open soundlessly as it sensed my presence, and Colin followed closely behind me, curiosity now bright in his eyes.
Inside, the lab was filled with polished steel counters, blinking screens, high-tech equipment, and a comfortable-looking swivel chair sitting right in the middle of the room. And seated nervously in that chair, fidgeting quietly with the sleeves of her cozy blue sweater, was a petite, pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair, and an adorably nerdy demeanor.
Colin stopped abruptly in the doorway, freezing in place as his jaw dropped open in shock. His whole body went rigid, eyes widening in pure disbelief. "Theresa!?" he blurted out in complete surprise.
The young woman—Theresa, known to the world as Dragon—looked up quickly at hearing her name, eyes going round as saucers as they landed on Colin. She visibly blushed bright red from her neck to the tips of her ears, offering him a shy, timid little wave.
"Hi, Colin," she said softly, her voice gentle and nervous. Her cheeks darkened further as she held his stunned gaze, clearly flustered by his presence.
Colin blinked rapidly, utterly dumbfounded, then whipped around suddenly to stare at me with wide, accusing eyes. "Layla!" he exclaimed, voice a startled, high-pitched squeak. "Did you kidnap Dragon!?"
"What? No!" I protested quickly, then immediately reconsidered with a sheepish grin. "Well, okay—yes, technically I suppose I did. But hear me out! She totally wanted me to kidnap her!"
Theresa—Dragon—smiled nervously, giving Colin a gentle, reassuring nod. "She's telling the truth, Colin. I did want her to. I asked her to help me, actually."
[Although she obviously had no idea how much you would help her when she reached out…]
Colin turned back to Dragon, confusion and surprise written clearly across his face. "Theresa, I don't understand—why would you join Fallcorp—"
I quickly stepped in, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "Let me explain before your head explodes," I teased lightly, urging him gently forward. "Theresa had some… complications. She was in a very difficult situation.
There was no reason to reveal to him the exact truth—that Theresa was originally an AI without a physical form. That particular secret needed to stay between Theresa and me.
Colin tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly, clearly suspicious. "What does that mean exactly, Layla? What did you do?"
I smiled sweetly and shrugged, as though abducting a sentient AI and stuffing her soul into a newly created human body was perfectly normal everyday business. "Nothing too crazy," I said casually, pretending it was no big deal. "I just gave her a fresh start—a new identity, a safe place, and complete freedom. She now officially works for Fallcorp. And, she's only a two minute walk away from your own lab," I finished with a wink.
Dragon's blush deepened again, embarrassed but still smiling shyly at Colin, clearly thrilled to finally see him in person like this.
I couldn't help but grin widely, my eyes dancing with amusement as I watched Colin and Theresa awkwardly stealing glances at each other. Honestly, it was adorable seeing two super-genius tinkers so utterly flustered.
"You know," I teased Colin cheerfully, "now you can finally spend some quality time with your girlfriend whenever you want. Pretty sweet deal, huh?"
Colin's head whipped toward me so fast I was surprised his neck didn't snap. His eyes widened, cheeks reddening instantly as he sputtered, completely flustered. "Wh-what!? She's—she's not my girlfriend, Layla!"
My gaze flicked immediately to Theresa, whose face had visibly fallen. She lowered her head slightly, shoulders drooping as she began to anxiously twist the edge of her soft blue sweater in her delicate new human fingers, clearly disheartened by Colin's quick denial.
I frowned sharply at Colin and promptly smacked him firmly on the armored bicep—hard enough to make a loud noise and startle him.
"Ow!" Colin exclaimed, rubbing his arm through the armor and looking at me like I'd lost my mind. "What the hell was that for? And how are you so strong?"
I folded my arms sternly, glaring at him and nodding pointedly toward Theresa's clearly hurt expression. "Look at her face, Colin," I said firmly. "That poor girl is obviously head-over-heels in love with you. She's spent hours every single day video calling you, helping you with your designs, talking with you late into the night. How could you seriously stand there and deny you're in a relationship at this point?"
[Bro has that dense harem protagonist energy going on…]
His mouth opened slightly, then closed again, his eyes darting nervously from me to Theresa and back again. I could practically see the gears in his brilliant, yet socially-awkward mind grinding to a halt, completely unsure how to process my words.
Theresa's blush deepened, and she bit her lower lip anxiously. For being new in a human body, she was really nailing all those cute expressions. That's a super genius AI for you…
But at the same time, I sighed dramatically, shaking my head with a playful roll of my eyes. These two geniuses could literally invent revolutionary tech overnight but couldn't handle basic relationship communication to save their lives.
Honestly, it was both hilarious and endearing.
"Alright, alright," I said finally, deciding to give them a much-needed nudge. I stepped back toward the door, giving them both a knowing, playful wink. "I'll give you two tinker lovebirds some privacy. Maybe now you can actually talk about your feelings instead of tiptoeing around them."
"Layla—!"
Theresa squeaked softly, her blush spreading brightly up to her ears, though a tiny, hopeful smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she glanced shyly toward Colin.
Just before stepping out into the hallway, I paused and shot them both a wickedly mischievous grin, unable to resist the temptation to tease them a bit further. "Oh—and if you two decide to have sex in here, please do the janitor a favor and clean up afterward. He definitely doesn't get paid enough to handle bodily fluids."
Technically, that wasn't true because I paid all of my employees 10 times the going rate at minimum, but they didn't need to know that.
I burst into delighted laughter at the horrified sputters and embarrassed squeaks that immediately erupted from both of them.
I did a good deed, now it was time to go and visit some of my other new super powered employees and make sure they were all in high spirits. We needed them at their bestests to show the world the power of Fallcorp when the next Endbringer arrived.
They were gonna kill it!
XXX