That was the most money I had ever had at once. Sure, I’d rob banks, collect protection money, and do all sorts of jobs, but even when I had a hundred grand in hand, most of it went up to the bosses. I only ever had just enough to rent my own place, buy and drink whatever I want, and not need to worry about the small expenses.
It was enough to keep me happy, at least. I lived in a one bedroom apartment growing up, and I spent a few years being homeless afterwards. After that, you’re grateful for whatever you can get. But it was only after breaking off from the Disciples that I realized just how bullshit it all was.
We filled about ten bags in that heist. That was at least a hundred grand, likely more. One bag would’ve been split between the people who did the heist, and the rest would’ve gone to the lieutenants and Agony. We did all the work, took the risk, yet they were the ones who enjoyed the spoils. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Reload spoke up, “Boss, don’t know if this’ll be enough to hire them.”
“I’m certain we can figure something out. No reason to give up before we try.”
I called Charlie’s number, each ring that filled the room slowly building up my anxiety. We needed more allies, and I didn’t want to have accomplished nothing today. Even though I tried my best to remain calm, I had no clue how I was going to convince them to help us.
It took nearly a minute before he picked up, as a high-pitched energetic voice suddenly spoke. “Yo-yo, it’s Charlie! Who this?”
“Hey, Charlie, I’m Taker. Felicity told me to call you, we need to ask for a favor. She said to count this as a favor for her.”
“Shit, if it’s for Felicity, then I’m all ears. What you need, drugs, guns, or cash?”
“No, nothing like that. I heard that you work for an underground fighting ring. I wanted to talk with your boss, see if we could work out a deal to take care of some people.”
I heard him suck his teeth. “Contract doesn’t really involve himself with that scene. Felicity is my homegirl and all, but I can’t just get some nobody, no offense, a meeting with him.”
“Taker isn’t just some dumb name, my parents didn’t hate me that much. I’m a super, and I’m looking for even more supers to work with me. Not even considering the piles of cash that I have to offer.”
He laughed, “Well, that’s a very different situation. Look, I’ll talk to Contract, see what he thinks. If he wants to talk, he’ll call you.”
Before I could get another word in, he hung up. I turned to Reload, who was listening in to the conversation. He was also aiming a pistol at the TV, tracking the heads of the Seinfeld cast.
“Shit, sounds like we succeeded,“ he said. ”So what I’m hearing is we should get some food and drinks to celebrate.”
He brought up a good point, so I got back on my phone and ordered us some dinner. We ordered pizza, but it turns out that pizza places don’t deliver beer. Honestly a damn shame that they were missing out on easy money.
While I could’ve just left to buy us some, it’d be an issue if Contract called me without Reload nearby. Even if I was his boss, we were still equals in this. It was probably best that we didn’t drink anyways, no reason to be wasted while expecting a call from someone this important.
We were in the middle of devouring some slices that were more grease than cheese when the phone suddenly rang. I rushed to wipe my hands clean before answering. I wasn’t a neat freak or anything, I just hated that feeling of grease on my fingers.
The second I answered the call, a man on the other side started speaking. He had a deep, rich voice, every word he said commanding respect. “Good evening. I hear that you have business with me.”
“Yes, I do. My name is Taker, and I’m currently being targeted by the Disciples of Agony. I’ve heard about your underground fighting ring, and I was hoping that we could work together. If you could just lend me some supers in my fight against the Disciples, I would make sure it was worth your time.”
“I have no interest in joining any war. To get involved in such a conflict would be bad for my business.”
“How much do you need? I’ll give you a majority cut of their assets. I know where their safehouses are, and I know where they keep their money.”
“It’s not a matter of money, Taker. The moment I fight against other villains, my organization will be at risk. We rely on staying out of the public eye, you see. But, I am still willing to help. That desperation in your voice is awfully tantalizing.”
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
I paused, hesitant at his comment. “How would you help?”
“Is it only you in your fight against the Disciples? I can only help if you tell me about everyone that is working with you.”
I was starting to feel suspicious. If he was working with the Disciples, then this could be a mistake. But when I turned to Reload, he gave me a thumbs up and an excited smile. “I have one ally. His name is Reload, and he’s also a super.”
“Excellent. Would you mind telling me both of your powers?”
“What’s this for?”
“It’ll all make sense in due time. Now answer, unless you no longer require my help.”
I sighed. I was already in for a penny, might as well pay the full pound. “I have minor telekinesis. It can only affect small objects, nothing more than I can hold in one hand. Reload has the ability to summon guns, but the guns themselves are ordinary.” I tried to be as vague as possible, without being obvious. There was still a chance he would be using this against us, so I didn’t want to lay all our cards on the table. At the very least, I wanted Reload’s [Super Stopper] to remain a secret.
His end went quiet for a minute, leaving a thick silence in the air, before he suddenly came back. “Well, gentlemen, I’m assuming Reload is in the room with you, I think we may be able to work something out. You see, my business is built on a very simple premise. Supers fighting supers. There’s just nothing else like it. My clients pay top dollar to see and bet on these fights. But there is a problem that tends to arise in my line of business.”
He stopped talking, and I waited for a moment before speaking up. “What is it?”
“There are only so many supers in this city. When you host a match that can turn deadly at any moment, there will always be issues with understaffing. If it was just you, Taker, I wouldn’t be offering this. But Reload’s power sounds entertaining enough that I am willing to offer you two a deal.”
“What’s the deal?” Reload joined the conversation.
“The two of you will fight against my top fighter. If you win, I’ll give you their contract. With that contract, you’ll have them under your employ. Winner is decided by knockout or surrender. If you kill them, I’ll compensate you with another one of my supers.”
“What if we lose?” I asked.
“That is where things get interesting. Upon your loss, you two will be obligated to sign contracts with me. For all intents and purposes, you two will be mine. You will fight and kill on my order, hesitation left behind. And do not make the mistake of thinking you can run away. My name is Contract for a reason.”
I turned to Reload, uncertain what to do. This was crazy. I was already fighting for my life, and this would just be throwing myself to the lions. My powers weren’t good at fighting supers, they barely helped when fighting ordinaries. There was no chance I’d survive for long in a super fighting ring.
Still, we were low on options. If we declined, that would throw away our best lead. We’d need to track down more non-affiliated supers or minor villains, hoping that we could find someone willing to fight the Disciples. if we took this gamble, we could get a battle-hardened super on our side.
“We’re in,” I accepted his terms, casting aside my hesitation.
“Perfect.” I could hear his smile through the phone. “You’ll see a contract appear in a moment. It will have all the information that you need. Until then.”
A moment before he hung up the phone, a floating piece of paper materialized in front of me. It was a piece of parchment paper, yellow and rolled at the top and bottom. In dripping wet ink, there was a contract laid out before me.
- Taker and Reload will arrive at The Super Arena by 20:00 tomorrow evening.
- Taker and Reload will enter the ring, competing in a fight against Contract’s champion fighter. The fight will follow The Super Arena’s regulations.
- Upon victory, Taker and Reload will have ownership of the champion fighter’s contract transferred to them. Upon loss, Taker and Reload will sign a contract with Contract.
There was a small line at the bottom to sign on. While Reload read, I noticed a floating quill to the side of the contract. It was a deep red feather, the tip of it dripping with ink. I picked it up, but I still felt something stopping me. The part about the contract being signed no matter what had very worrying implications. I knew we were gambling with the prospect of becoming slaves, but it was more impactful seeing it in writing.
I took a moment to breathe before I signed the contract. If I wasn’t willing to risk everything to fight the Disciples, then why was I fighting at all? Once I finished, Reload snatched the quill out of my hands and hastily signed it. I wasn’t certain that he actually read the contract.
When he lifted the quill from the parchment, it started to glow with a vibrant yellow light. Over a few seconds, the light continued to glow brighter until it became blinding. Eventually, the parchment disappeared in an explosion of yellow light, causing me to be dazed for a few seconds.
But even though my eyes stung, I still forced them open. Because something was up with my system. Normally, the system could be easily ignored, thrown out of sight until I needed it. There was now a persistent yellow box in the corner of my vision. It followed me wherever I looked, and it wasn’t the only sudden change. There were yellow arrows floating on the ground, leading to God knows where.
First Quest!
Arrive at The Super Arena within 25:48
Hint: Follow the arrows!
The timer counted down with every passing minute. The permanent pop-up was annoying, but I’d hopefully get used to it. What mattered more to me was that Contract’s powers could directly influence someone’s system. Being able to do that was rare, and I could certainly make use of that in the future.