Super Sales on Super Heroes

Chapter 3 - It Begins -

The garage was utterly silent as he stared at the three open wooden coffins.

Without realizing the impact of what he was doing, he’d opened all three boxes, made sure each one was in a coma, and confirmed the draw at one hundred percent. Then he’d wandered off with his supplies and set up the “ward,” as he was calling it.

Dropping the money off as instructed, he’d gone back into the garage.

Only on his return did he now realize he wasn’t sure who was the one he’d bought first, and who were the two he’d just purchased.

He’d reverted all his modifications back to the baseline to get his points back.

They all looked the same. He really hadn’t paid much attention to anything that would have made the first one stand out from the others.

They all looked as if they were corpses that’d gone through a meat grinder.

Ah well. Doesn’t matter. It’s not like this is a stupid story where the first heroine on the scene gets all the fans.

Felix grumbled to himself and then set to work. That meeting with the lawyers had really thrown him off.

Pretty badly, in fact.

Felix changed his thoughts as fast as he could before he settled back into a violent anger.

He carefully lifted each woman, one at a time, and carried them to the ward. Once he settled them in the bed, he reused the slave box on each individual. Luckily, they each had at least one toe or finger he could fit in the box.

Now that he was really paying attention as he shifted them into their new homes, he realized they all had different heights.

He couldn’t really tell what their body types were, though. Especially given the fact that they’d had their entire body mutilated. They were scarred and horribly disfigured.

Whoever had done this to them truly hated them. Selling them in this condition had been the final insult, he imagined.

Sighing, with his hands on his hips, he regarded his three sleeping corpses. He’d dressed them in simple pajamas he’d purchased and had put them in diapers.

He’d have to work fast to get them to a point where he could at least get nutrients in them.

Not being a doctor, or having any clue about medicine, he gave himself two days. He could keep them going through his power and forcing their bodies to repair, but that was a short-term solution that would inevitably end their lives.

No, he had to work to get them to a point where they could drink and eat. To live and keep themselves alive.

Beyond that, everything else was superficial.

Looking around his ward, he did a mental check of it.

It was one of the big master bedrooms that had been turned into a guest room. The attached bathroom with tub and shower would be perfect for a temporary ward.

He wasn’t quite sure how long they’d be laid up, and giving them a bath close to their sick bed would probably be ideal.

He’d also attached a smart TV to the wall in case he got bored. Hours spent waiting around for living corpses didn’t sound great to him.

Three occupied twin single adjustable beds with matching sheets were the big-ticket item in the room. Not to mention they took up most of the space.

It had been a little more expensive to get the adjustable ones, but he figured being able to sit them upright would help for meal time.

Then there was a single stool for him to use, so he could sit next to those beds. Standing next to them as he worked didn’t really sound all that fun.

He’d also purchased a sleeping bag for himself in case he had to sleep in here.

There were also three rolling trays like the ones found in hospitals that could slide over beds. Eventually they’d be eating and drinking again.

And a veritable slew of supplies that he would probably need during their convalescence. Bedpans, more pajamas, diapers, cups, bowls, utensils, anything he could think of that they’d need.

Dropping down into the stool with a clank, he looked around nervously.

“Hah, they can’t hear me. What am I thinking?” Felix said to no one.

Pushing off the ground, he wheeled the stool around to the first bed.

A fraction of a thought from him and the window popped open. He cycled through everything that was wrong with her.

“First things first. The ability to eat and drink,” Felix muttered.

Two changes and she had teeth and lips. She still had a tongue, and as far as he could tell, everything was working as far as her plumbing and digestive system went.

Frowning, he contemplated some of the mental issues listed. He didn’t bother to read them off. It was apparent she’d been tortured to near insanity.

Even if he managed to get her to a point where she could eat, would she be a raving lunatic?

Tilting his head to the side, Felix focused on the idea of wanting her to lose her memories of the last month.

He’d chosen a month since that was about the time that the heroes of the city had started to take real losses.

And the sought-after negative trait appeared. “Short-term amnesia” popped up as if by magic.

In the same instant that he selected it, the negative mental problems turned gray. Gray as in no longer active. That they wouldn’t be a problem any further.

The traits weren’t really gone, but they would no longer be able to make an impact anymore.

It even had the added bonus of giving him points back, since amnesia certainly wasn’t a good thing.

“Neat,” Felix said. He confirmed the changes and slid to the next bed, repeating the process for the other two women.

Upon finishing on the third, he realized he still had about three hundred points or so left. The amnesia had really offset the costs and pushed him into a better point bracket than he’d thought he would be.

Shrugging, he looked at the clock. It was about ten minutes till midnight.

The whole midnight reset thing still bothered him, but not enough to question it anymore.

Standing up, he stretched his back and then prepped three cups of water, three bowls of chocolate pudding, and three bowls of lime Jell-O. There was no telling if they’d be hungry. Or thirsty, even. But he’d rather be safe than sorry. Not to mention, it might help him earn some brownie points with them.

Cooperative slaves were preferable.

Then he walked in front of each bed at eleven fifty-eight p.m. and disabled their comas one by one.

Deciding that he’d rather be perfectly safe without a concern for what they might do, he then took the restraints he’d purchased and looped one around each woman’s waist. They’d be unable to get up unless he undid the buckle that ran around the back of the bed.

It took only a few minutes, but they all began to stir at roughly the same time, their arms twitching and their lips fluttering as they came back to life.

“What’s going on?” one asked.

“Why can’t I see? Get this blindfold off me,” someone else said.

“My fingers, my fingers are gone!” shouted a third.

Felix bit his lip and took a deep breath. “Good evening, everyone,” he said.

All three stopped, their eyeless heads swiveling in his direction, trying to track him.

“First, don’t panic. You’re in a safe place while you recover. While you’re put back together.

“Second, there’s been some serious changes in the city. You three were captured by a villain who took over the city. They run it completely, from top to bottom.”

Felix took a breath before he continued. “You’ve been… you’ve been tortured to the point that you should be dead.”

Felix felt his stomach flip over. This wasn’t the best way to start.

“I’ve removed your memories for the last month and I’ve begun working to… to fix you. To put you back to rights. I swear I can do it. You’ll find that at this moment, you’re a normal human with… severe injuries.

“The city has fallen. Heroes are being hunted and killed in the streets for bounties, or being turned over to the government to handle. Also for a bounty. Heroes are pretty much outlawed right now, and there doesn’t seem like there is anything that can be done to change the situation.

“In fact, the population supports everything, as the economy is now booming. Unemployment is way down, economy is up, and they pushed through universal healthcare.”

Three hairless heads made tiny bobs as if they agreed or understood that.

Odd.

Now the hard part.

“The only way that I was able to retrieve you was to purchase you as slaves. Slavery now being legal, that is. Slave contracts are enforced magically and permanently binding. I can shift your ownership to someone else if I chose.

“As your slave contracts appear to be a punishment, rather than for a set limit or cost, there is no going back for you. You’re slaves for the interminable future.”

At this point, all three women sat up straighter, their spines stiffening. One lifted her battered arm to gesture wildly at where she probably thought he was.

They started asking questions at the same time, all demanding an answer of him. Loudly. Annoyingly.

“Be quiet,” Felix finally got out, raising his voice. Then he closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head.

He had to tell them exactly what was happening now. There was no room for there to be misunderstandings or changes down the road.

This was where he set it all up.

All three had fallen silent from his command.

“Sorry, but you don’t seem to understand your position. I own you. I’ve bound you in a slave contract. I’m no hero. I’m not doing this for charity.

“I don’t want you to suffer, nor do I want you to be disfigured for life. I do want you for what you can give me, though. My power seems to increase in power by the number of people I have in a contract. I imagine it works for villains or heroes. Probably even civilians, to a lesser degree.

“Oh, and you’ll not discuss any of this with anyone. This is confidential, for us alone.”

Felix sighed and put his hands on his knees. The woman in the center bed was struggling with the strap around her waist. The closest one had the stumps of her hands pressed to her mouth. The one in the furthest bed looked… disoriented but unafraid.

“You can speak now. Please don’t yell. And since none of you can see, there’s three of you here. Nor do I know your names. Let’s start there. My name is Felix.”

“I—”

“My nam—”

“Stop,” Felix cut in. “Let’s do this. I’ll touch you on the shoulder, you say your name.” He got up and walked over to the woman on the far left. He gently touched her shoulder with a finger. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Miu. Miu Miki,” said the woman.

“You may ask one question before we move to the next person,” Felix said. He was trying to be fair, but he also wanted to get moving with this whole thing.

“What do you plan to do with us?” Miu asked.

“Plan to do with you? Nothing. You’ll end up living with me while you recover. After that, I don’t know. Maybe get jobs and have a normal life? Next.”

Felix tapped the woman in the middle on the shoulder. “Name?”

“I am Ioana Iliescu, the War Maiden, and you’ll release me—”

“No, I won’t. Sorry. Like I said, this is a villain’s city now. As long as they’re in charge, you’re my property, and I’ll be using your powers to my benefit.

“Now, Ioana, do you have an actual question?”

“I have a statement. If you even try to rape me, I’ll rip it off.”

“Good to know. I have no plans to abuse you three against your will. I stand by my earlier comment, this isn’t charity. In the same breath, I’m not a villain, though. You’ll live, work, and stay with me, but you do still have certain rights. I think ‘not being raped’ is definitely one of those rights.”

Felix walked around Ioana’s bed and approached the third woman. He tapped her shoulder gently.

Her head turned up in the direction she probably thought he was, and then smiled.

“My name is Kit Carrington. I can’t hear your mind. I can’t hear anyone’s minds. Everything is silent. Is everyone dead? Are we all dead?” she said wonderingly.

“No. The takeover went rather smoothly. Only heroes ended up dead or missing. Pretty sure all the civilians were allowed to walk out with a clean slate. I’m pretty sure I’ve depowered you, and boosted my own power. Do you have a question for me?”

Her earlier question felt more like a panic response than an actual question.

She processed that and then nodded her head.

“Can you fix me completely without repowering me?” she asked.

“I can and plan to do that. You’ll be as fit as any other human out there. More so if we have the time to bump up your stats. Though even if I did repower you, and I might, depending on what my needs are, I could just as easily turn it back off.”

Kit nodded her head at that and then lay back down comfortably in her bed. “If you can keep it as quiet as it is right now, I’ll serve. Willingly. Call me Kit.”

The woman named Ioana made a sound of disgust at that.

“Kit Carrington? You’re Augur?” Miu asked.

“I was Augur. I’m Kit now. Only Kit.” The woman sighed and snuggled into her bed, adjusting her sheets. “Can I have some water, or tea, and maybe something to eat? I’m not hungry, but I think I’d like a snack and a drink.”

Augur. As in the strongest telepath? Arguably the world’s strongest? Who rumor said she spent hours at a time in a catatonic state when her gift would overwhelm her? Wow.

“Oh, yes. Here.” Felix loaded up a tray with a bowl of pudding, Jell-O, and one of the jugs of water. Wheeling over the cart to her, he set a spoon in her palm and then gently wrapped medical tape around it so she could use her mangled hand to some degree.

Then he adjusted the bed so she was sitting up, taking a moment to reset her blankets.

“The bowl on the left is pudding, the middle bowl is Jell-O, and on the far right is water.

“I wasn’t sure what condition you would all be in once I woke you, so we’re sticking to simple things for now. Things that you can digest regardless of whatever condition your insides are in.”

“Good plan. Makes sense,” Kit said, dipping the spoon into the pudding and then trying to guide it to her mouth.

“Could you get me some as well?” Miu asked, her voice soft.

“Of course, give me one second while I get that all prepped,” Felix said, moving over to her.

“So, you can fix amputations. Quite a power set. What do you plan on replacing next?” Kit asked, closing her mouth around her spoon. “Oh, chocolate.”

“Either your hands or your eyes. I can only do so much in any given day. It resets at midnight every night. Then I can do it all over again.”

“Hands, please,” Miu said. Felix adjusted her bed and then wheeled her full tray over. “Eyes can wait if I can take care of everything else myself.”

Kit nodded her head as she tried to reposition her spoon. “Maybe hands. I think maybe eyes, personally. I’m not keen on being blind so far.”

This was all rather unexpected. They were actually reacting better than he’d thought they would. That or they were playing with him, waiting for an opportunity to do something.

Wouldn’t matter, though, since they were magically bound in their contracted states to him.

Behind him, Ioana grunted and then said with a stern yet soft voice, “A tray for me as well, if you please. I admit the same as Kit. I do not hunger, but… I think I would enjoy having something to drink and eat.”

Felix grinned at that. “Sure thing, Ioana. I’ll take care of that.”