Super Sales on Super Heroes

Chapter 8 - Boldly -

The two Andreas were looking at him, unspeaking.

He’d already gone through everyone else, each person having minor requests here or there. By the end, he’d spent five thousand of his points.

“Want me to go make more pancakes?” Andrea One said.

“Let us make you more,” Andrea Prime said.

“No, no. I’ve had my share. Remember?” Felix asked. He was concerned. She’d already said that twice.

“Yes,” they said in unison.

“But pancakes make people happy,” Prime said.

“And you seem sad,” One said.

Felix shook his head and pointed at Andrea Prime. “How long can your clone remain with you? How many can you have at one time?”

“She can remain forever. There’s no time limit or anything. It can get annoying to sleep in the same bed. We often combine back together at night.

“As to how many… I’m not sure? We can’t count how many are inside of us. I think we had two hundred out at one time? That was a hard day,” Prime said. One nodded her head at that, crossing her arms in front of her.

“I… see. So, rather than clones, it’s more like multiple versions of you existing at the same time?” Felix asked slowly.

Andrea Prime blinked, and then looked at him with a smile. “Want more pancakes?”

“Ah, no.” Felix pressed the fingers of his right hand to his temple. “Andrea, do you want anything?”

He began to call up her window for her stats and powers.

Name:

Andrea Elex

Power: Multiple Self Projections

Alias: Andrea, Andie, Lex, Myriad.

Secondary Power: Partitioned Mind

Physical Status:

Healthy

Mental Status:

Happy

Positive Statuses:

None

Negative Statuses:

None

Strength:

44

Upgrade?(440)

Dexterity:

62

Upgrade?(620)

Agility:

71

Upgrade?(710)

Stamina:

51

Upgrade?(510)

Wisdom:

81

Upgrade?(810)

Intelligence:

17

Upgrade?(170)

Luck:

53

Upgrade?(530)

Primary Power:

31

Upgrade?(3,100)

Secondary Power:

79

Upgrade?(7,900)

“I’d like to get married one day,” Prime said with a smile.

“Have children,” One added.

“Oh yes, children. Dating is hard, though. We keep getting tricked by bad men,” said Prime.

One looked at Prime and patted her on the head gently.

Felix was quickly losing himself in the meandering nature of Andrea. That and it was depressing.

He’d briefly considered changing some stats as he went through the meetings, but he ended up leaving everyone with their starting numbers.

He’d almost increased Lily’s luck, since it was so awful, but had decided against it.

Here, though, talking to Andrea, he wasn’t considering it—he was already running out the numbers in his head.

For two thousand one hundred and fifty points, he could push her intelligence up to twenty-six. It didn’t seem like much, but maybe it’d put her on par with a teenager.

Quickly making the adjustments, and tuning out the conversation she was having with herself about dating, he hoped there would be immediate improvements.

Prime and One both immediately stopped talking, their heads whipping around to view him.

“You changed us,” they said in concert.

“I did. Is that a problem?” Felix asked carefully.

They looked at each other, as if they were speaking without speaking, then looked back to him.

“No. Why spend points on us? We’re not like the others. We’re not really good for anything. You covet your points.”

Felix couldn’t answer that. Yes, talking to her was annoying, but he could just as easily have sent her out of the room.

“I don’t know. They say ignorance is bliss, but… I don’t know. Never mind that. Is there anything else you want now?” he asked, diverting the question.

Mostly because he couldn’t answer it. He didn’t like the thoughts he was having. Andrea was too close to his own social ineptitude from his teenager years.

“No. But… thank you. I’m happy being me. But maybe later you can let me bring out more of me? They get crowded in there after a while and it’s easier the more I can bring out.”

“Uhm, yeah. Sure. We could work something out. Though I think it’ll be a bit,” Felix said cautiously.

“Okay! Do you modify yourself at all? I don’t think I could resist the temptation if I could,” Prime said.

“I can’t. I’ve tried many times, but… I can’t. I don’t know why.”

“Oh. What about the house? You should modify it.”

“I don’t own it.”

“Buy one, then! Then upgrade it! We need more bedrooms,” Prime explained. One nodded along next to her.

Felix started to argue with her, then realized she was right. Beyond right, even. It was so obvious it hurt. He wasn’t thinking big enough.

A pawn shop is good, but a house… A house I could build into a massive mega house with custom defenses and…

“You’re brilliant, Andrea,” Felix claimed, smiling at her.

“First time I’ve heard that,” Prime said.

“Me, too,” One agreed.

Time moved faster than Felix thought it could have. In no time at all, a month had passed since his last estate meeting.

He was dressed in a business suit again, staring up at that horrid sign that had come to represent so much hate for him.

So much anger.

Up until a few days ago when Lily had come to see him.

What had felt originally to be an unfair match now felt to him as if he had the high ground. The high ground and more troops.

And a nuke.

Grinning, he looked across to the passenger seat. Lily was dressed smartly in a black jacket, a slim black dress, and a red blouse. She’d pinned her hair up and had the look of someone going into battle.

“We ready?” he asked.

The soul-eating mistress of death glanced at him and then gave him a cocky smile. “We’ll tear out their souls.”

“I’ll leave that to you. The whole beautiful soul-eater thing isn’t me,” Felix muttered. He pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out of his aunt’s SUV.

“Remember what I said,” Lily reminded him, opening the front door and walking in ahead of him.

“Yes, dear,” Felix said in a whiny voice. Lily turned her head and gave him a piercing glare, blocking the doorway. “Sorry, yes, I remember.”

She arched a brow at him. It reminded him that she’d supposedly killed a couple hundred people in her career as a villain.

Only after having ripped out their souls to use as power.

After another second of Felix being forced to bear that heavy stare, she finally relented and moved forward.

“Felix Campbell and associate,” Lily said in a firm voice to the receptionist.

The receptionist blinked at Lily, then looked to Felix. “I… alright. Please follow me.”

They usually make me wait.

Lily gestured to the ground with a subtle move of her hand. Felix took the indicated spot, one step ahead of her and to the left.

As they moved to the conference room that he always ended up in, Lily grabbed a chair from an office that was empty as they passed.

The receptionist gave her a look, but then wisely decided she didn’t want to argue with Lily.

The looks on the faces of the normally placid board changed dramatically when they saw Lily.

Felix couldn’t place it, but he was sure they were annoyed and hoped they were afraid.

“Mr. Campbell, good morning. May I ask who you’ve brought with you today?” one of the board asked.

“This is Lilian Lux. She’s an associate of mine I’ve recently employed,” Felix explained. He’d been warned repeatedly by Lily that she was not legal counsel, but only there to provide her opinion and advice to him. Especially since she wasn’t a lawyer.

“I’m afraid that we can’t allow you to retain your own counsel, Mr. Campbell,” Joseph started.

“She’s not a lawyer. She’s here simply to provide me with her advice and opinions,” Felix clarified. “Please proceed.”

Joseph looked rattled. Clearing his throat, he looked to his paperwork in front of him and back to Felix.

“The first order of business is the discussion of the rent you owe,” Joseph said slowly.

“Good. I agree. First, do you hold to the statement that I owe payment for rent to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Yes?” Felix asked.

Joseph looked to the others on the board and they began to nod their heads. “That is correct, we—”

“Next. Who has deemed that I am the renter? In other words, who is the named landlord?”

Joseph turned his head a fraction of an inch to the side and then gestured to another person. “Mr. Jen is the landlord.”

“Good. That means you’ve collected wages for the seven years up to this point as landlord?” Felix asked, turning to Mr. Jen.

“I, uh… yes,” said the man.

The room was getting more tense by the minute. Lily had coached him very well, and it was clear she knew what would happen. Each question was provoking responses.

“Would you agree that the amount of that pay would be… roughly four hundred thousand dollars? Plus five percent of the rent as a bonus.”

Mr. Jen nodded his head.

“Could someone please provide me the document in which I agreed that Mr. Jen would be the landlord?” Felix asked, looking around the room.

Everyone froze. No one responded.

“If no one can provide that document, I’m afraid we have a problem.”

“No, no problem here, Felix. There’s no requirement that you—”

“Yes, there is. Per…” Felix had to look at the sheet of paper in front of Lily. “Section six, subsection c, listed as ‘approving of contractors and personnel,’ I’m listed as an approver. I did not approve. Therefore, the selection is invalid.”

Joseph opened his mouth and then closed it. “I… that is—”

“You are in breach of contract unless you can provide that document this very minute. Are you in breach of contract?”

Again, there was no response.

“If you do not provide the document in the next minute, or state that you can provide it in the next ten, I’m moving to have you in breach.”

Joseph swallowed and held up a hand. “Perhaps we should move to set this entire situation aside and—”

“I rule you in breach. Now that you’re in breach, under section ten, subsection a, all accounting will now be done through me. I am officially moving to hire an accountant this evening who will now be part of this board.”

“Now see here—”

“In addition, I move to elect myself the landlord of my own property,” Felix said, cutting Joseph off.

“Those in favor?” Felix asked.

No one but he raised their hand.

“Those against?” Joseph raised his hand immediately, as did Mr. Jen and a few others.

“Per my rights as the primary beneficiary to dismiss two people from the board every quarter, I move to strike two people from this board. Mr. Joseph and Mr. Jen. You’re no longer needed, thank you. Per my rights of breach, I move to strike one additional…” Felix looked at one of the men with his hand up. “You. You can leave as well.”

The three he’d selected were dumbfounded.

Felix picked up a packet that Lily pulled out of the case she was carrying.

“I have here a formal grievance for Reznik, Blacketer, and Troy. Once I send this, I’m sure I can have every one of you replaced. And have myself as the approver of every single person who comes into the board next.

“Now. With the departure of Mr. Joseph, Mr. Jen, and whatever his name is, I cannot remove anyone until the new quarter. Which happens to be tomorrow. I’ll be convening an emergency meeting tomorrow.

“Just to make sure everyone understood my previous question, I’d like to ask again to be made the landlord of my own estate and ask for a vote,” Felix said with a grin for the remaining five people on the board.

Felix raised his hand, and all five of the remaining people on the board raised their hands.

“Good. I’m glad you’ve realized the severity of this situation. Let’s hope you all remember this day.

“Now for you two,” Felix said, looking at who he believed to be the instigators of this situation. “I expect to be paid the entirety of the four hundred thousand dollars by this evening, Mr. Jen, Mr. Joseph.

“Otherwise, I will be forced to move to the next section of the breach clause, which is when I hire an attorney for myself, and you lose all access to the trust, as set up by my aunt and uncle. Then Reznik, Blacketer, and Troy get a black eye when I report it to the media. I imagine they’ll hold you liable and you probably will never work in your chosen career again.”

Lily slid a card in front of him. “Thank you, Lily,” Felix said, smiling to her. “This here is my bank account. I’ll be checking it promptly at eight o’clock tonight.”

Felix stood up and stretched his arms above his head. “Whew, that was fun. Do you have any questions for me before I leave?” he asked, addressing the five remaining members.

“No? Good. I’ll see you five tomorrow, and you three, never again.”

Felix collected his papers, leaving the card on the table, and left the room. Lily followed at his heel.

He didn’t say anything until they got back into the SUV, where he let out an explosive breath and doubled over. He rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

His stomach hurt. The anxiety and stress of the situation rubbed him raw.

He really needed to use a bathroom.

“That was well done. A little dramatic, but… well done,” Lily said from the passenger seat.

“Thank you, Lily. Without you, that would have gone much worse.”

“Not over yet. We need to get our money first. But I think they’ll pay it all up. I imagine you might even get a phone call once they’re done, asking you to please not discuss the situation with their bosses, or why you asked them to step down. They’ll probably spin it as if they themselves asked to step down.

“For what it’s worth, it’s probably worth letting it go at that point. It’d earn you a win with those who remain on the board.”

Lily clicked her seatbelt into place and crossed one leg over the other. “Take us to lunch. Then we need to hire an accountant. I’ll handle that.”

Felix nodded a bit. He felt drained. He wasn’t cut out for talking to people. Slowly, he sat up and got the SUV moving.

They’d ended up not needing to hold that second meeting after all. Lily took care of the accountant that evening, and the books were cleaned up that night.

The rent would still need to paid, as it had been initiated.

He still owed the hundred fifty grand in rent, the forty grand to Dimitry, and the five grand to the bank.

The annual salary from the landlord’s job, about fifty-five thousand, would definitely help.

The bank debt could wait, as could the rent, since he was his own renter. He’d also get that percentage back.

The only problem was his debt to Dimitry. He had about two months to get that paid off or he’d be liable to get stabbed. That or be turned into a permanent debtor.

All of this was good to know, and hadn’t stopped Felix at all in purchasing a storefront that doubled as a home.

It was more of a warehouse with an attached front office, and a set of rooms at the top level that somehow had been zoned and approved as a live/work residence.

The front office would do the job of the storefront, and the warehouse as the “shop floor” for work. Which could be anything. Or even just housing purchases.

The neighborhood was decent and seemed on the lower side of middle income. There’d be no problems with clients being afraid to visit. Nor would there be access issues, since it was right off the freeway exit.

No, the biggest problem would be spreading the word. Advertising. They wouldn’t be able to purchase ads or anything like that.

It’d cost him almost every penny he’d made from the landlord back payments, and the gold he’d been turning into cash.

Now, though, now he could really start to make money. Everything he did here, he could also disguise and legitimately pay taxes on.

First, he’d need to transmute a few lead weights into gold over a few days. That’d be the seed money to build up his pawn shop purchasing.

Then he could start converting that quickly and easily into items. Items into sales.

Word would spread quickly about a pawn shop that bought almost anything.

Hell, in this day and age, in a month he could have an online store open to sell everything he bought locally.

That’d have to wait for another day, though. Today was moving day. They’d spent some time making sure only items that he owned went with them.

The rest of the furniture they’d had to buy from wherever they could get the right piece for the right price.

Miu had been ideal to take with him on those trips. She had a knack for getting people to accept less than they wanted.

Andrea had offered herself up as the moving team. There was now something like two hundred Andreas running around the rear delivery entrance and throughout the building. Felicia was acting as floor supervisor for them and directing them as they needed.

They’d backed up a moving truck into one of the loading bays and let her have at it. In return, she’d been allowed full control of her power for the day.

Most of them were exactly like Andrea Prime, though there were a few who were clearly very different.

They carried themselves differently, spoke in a different tone of voice, or even responded in a different fashion to the rest. They’d look right at a sudden noise, and one would cower and take cover.

Ioana had simply followed him around, dressed up in leather biker clothes. He wasn’t sure when and where she’d gotten it, but the hilt of a long sword angled out from her hip.

Now that he thought about it, everyone was running around today in clothes and things he knew he hadn’t purchased

“Ioana?” Felix asked, turning to look at his escort.

“Mm?” grunted the warrior. Her eyes swept the street up one side and down the other.

“Where’d you get the sword? In fact, where did everyone get all these clothes? I don’t recognize any of it. I’m not mad, only curious.”

Felix looked back to the storefront where Miu, Kit, and Lily were setting up the interior of the store.

Ioana met his eyes and then gave him a feral grin. “We raided our own safe houses. Whatever they did to us, we didn’t give them the safe house locations. Bank accounts are cleaned out, though.”

Didn’t trust me enough to tell me, and I didn’t think to ask about it.

“Probably got that through your bank cards. I imagine they probably raided your homes,” Felix said with a sigh.

“You think this’ll work?” Ioana asked him, throwing a thumb at the building.

“Can’t be any worse than what we were doing. Not to mention, I didn’t want to sit around and wait for things to change.

“No, playing it slow up to this point was excruciating. It’s time to make it work on my own terms.”

Ioana turned her head back to the street, watching it. “Good. The bold live more freely, even if with less time.”