Chapter 21: A clash with the Grand Master of the Knights of Arixxer
Ella wasn't back from work, so Jalen had to prepare dinner. Unlike his sister, cooking was never his forte. Still, he could whip up some passable pasta and tomato sauce. He even added in the rest of the frozen meatballs as well. His sister might get annoyed with the abundance of protein used in the meal, but it was necessary. It was about time they started eating well. Plus, he made her favorite scrambled eggs to appease her vegetarian palate.
The food barely maintained a sliver of warmth by the time Ella came home. She tossed her bag, washed her hands, and sat quietly at the table.
"Hey, E."
"Hey, baby brother."
"Wow."
"You saw mom?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Um… you know, we could take down—"
"No need. It can stay up, more so since it is close to mom."
She grabbed her fork, hesitating. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
The siblings ate their meal in peace. Well, as much peace as you can get when Ella complained about the rude customers found at the restaurant. He smiled and listened, happy that she failed to notice the half pack of frozen meatballs he ate.
After she calmed down somewhat, he asked his sister a question plaguing his mind. "Have you planned your trip to The Genesis Empowerment Center? You need to register your powers, you know?"
"Yeah, I just can't find the time to fit that into my schedule."
"No, E. This is serious. You have three weeks left before you are susceptible to being fined like me. Plus, you get a $5,000 reward for registering."
"Since when did you follow rules like a leashed dog?" She smiled after taking a sip of water. "OK Jalen I go next week—"
"This week." He corrected.
"Fine, Jalen. This week. Speaking of powers, I don't feel any different. Don't get me wrong, the sleep has been sublime, but that's about it."
He rested his head on his arm. "Perhaps you haven't exposed yourself. From what I gather, all you've done this past week is follow the same routine you've had for years. Plus, you probably haven't acclimated to your body fully. Give it some time."
They did the dishes and separated. He laid down on his makeshift bed, and with his phone, entranced himself in research. Ella did the same, sitting by the cramped dining table, if you could even call it that.
"So what do you plan on doing after your court case is concluded?" she asked. "I think you'd make a wonderful superhero. You may be terrifying in your other form, but people will warm up to you in no time."
He raised an eyebrow. "Me? A superhero? Nope, I'll pass."
"Really? But you could set yourself up for life. You always fangirled over The Radiant Assembly. I'm sure you'd be more than qualified to join them now."
"Wow, E. I don't know. I've changed. Besides, I have a better way to make money to pay off our debt and vastly improve our quality of life. Though, I'll admit. The prospect of joining The Radiant Assembly comes in at a close second. I think being a superhero would fit you better."
He was surprised that his sister thought along the same line as he did. Though she chose the second option. His next step boiled down to two options. Register as a superhero with HAVEN and work his way up to the top to joining The Radiant Assembly. This option would cost time and take a lot of effort. Even if he was powerful.
Ameor was one of the most powerful superhumans in the country, with a complete mastery over Electrokinesis. Yet, it took the superhero ten years to reach the top. Only Novaman, as far as he knew, debuted at the top. And he was an enigma, his past being unknown. The crux of the issue for Jalen was the long hours required and the inadequate pay if you weren't at the top. There was a saying, superheroes never had off hours. That was utterly unappealing to him.
This left the option he chose—join the mafia. This was a main reason Ella needed to become a god, so she could defend herself if shit hit the fan. Money came fast from organized crime if you proved valuable, but so did violence and a brutal end. He was prepared to play that game.
Organized crime had a habit of being very hard to find. Much more so for someone without the know-how like him. Still, he was aware of two organizations. The Black Book and the Colombo Syndicate. He reminded himself about the watchful eyes of HAVEN. Complacency could never settle in, lest it would be the harbinger of his doom.
Five days later, he made his way over to the court. Today was the big day. Hopefully, by the end of it, they would reinstate his identity. He spent the rest of his hard cash on a black tailored suit accentuated with a red floral patterned tie. Looking professional was of the utmost importance.
His phone rang, prompting him to check who it was. Throughout the week, Marco and Sarah had blown up his phone relentlessly. Of course, he had blocked them. That didn't stop Sarah, especially from using other numbers. Apprehensively, he picked up the call.
"Hey Jale—"
He ended the call. One more number to block.
At the courthouse, past the security checkpoint, he passed through the lobby, a bustling hub of activity, with people coming and going, and lawyers conferring with their clients. He headed to the gallery of courtroom three to rendezvous with his lawyer and touch up on some fine details. In a hallway before him, a woman clad in a long coat with many recesses, black pants, and piercing green eyes glared at him. By her side floated a metal ball the size of his fist, with many symbols engraved on it.
He stopped a man's length away from her, his cosmic gates primed to open.
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
"Mr. Nkanga," she said. "What does Belial, Lord of Ira, mean to you? or Therkoth."
Her piercing gaze studied him closely, waiting for a reaction from him. Jigoku Kumo, the spider demon, mentioned Belial as her former master. What did that name have in relation to HAVEN? Once again, thoughts of how much these people knew…
Ah, perhaps, Belial was responsible for the Midtown demonic massacre.
"Nope," he replied. "Doesn't ring a bell. If it does, I'll be sure to let you know. Now if you'll excuse me."
He walked around her, opposite her floating ball.
"I will unearth what you are hiding, Mr. Nkanga," she said. "And when that happens, I will drag you by chains hooked to your bones and inflict every horror the demons brought upon those mortals on you."
Then she walked off, never once looking at him as she delivered that threat.
The court proceedings went by without a hitch. By noon, he had his legal documents stating that he was alive. All he had left to do was take it to the bank. His run-in with that woman earlier almost prompted him to speed up his plans by going after the demons. Then perhaps he could gain information about Asasamumu's whereabouts. However, that would be unwise. Going after hell with no foundation to stand on was akin to building a sandcastle in a hurricane.
❊ ❊ ❊
That same day, Ella rode her scooter to The Genesis Empowerment Center. It was located on an island off the coast of New Jersey. Luckily, there was an access road in Hermosville; One of only three leading to the facility. Just the road alone impressed her. It was dark, spotting no cracks, with slanted concrete fences on either side and the ocean beyond. The considerable hold-up impeding her spoiled her fun. It was a hassle to get the day off and she wondered if she'd be done before the night shift. Sandy, her manager, acted cold to her when she revealed her superhuman status, even going as far as disregarding her day off requests. She had to threaten to no-show for the dimwitted woman to cave.
The massive road was divided into four lanes. The two lanes on the outer rims served the public and tended to be cramped as she could attest, while the middle lanes, reserved for staff, were mostly empty, tempting her to switch lanes. If only she could get past the access point. During her gradual crawl towards the facility, she spotted some birds perched on the concrete fence, facing the ocean. Judging from their medium size, vibrant blue plumage, and white and black markings, she identified them to be blue jays. She weaved over to birds, careful not to scare them away. Nevertheless, one of the birds flew away, the other contemplating the same thing.
"Wait, wait," she called. "I won't hurt you."
The blue jay gave a loud jeer, then transitioned into a song of clicks, chucks, and whines. It all sounded like the usual to her; a pleasant song, but incomprehensible to humans. Until she listened closer.
"... Does not understand you humans are slower than molasses in January! Much too slow to catch us," the bird said. Its voice was a conglomeration of varying sing-songy pitches.
"I can actually understand you. Yes!" she rejoiced.
"Yes, yes. You understand me. So do I." The bird chirped, bopping its head. "Why is that, featherless one?"
"Um, it's kinda complicated. So your friend who ran away can come back now. I won't bite, I promise."
The blue jay narrowed its eyes on her. It felt weird that she could suddenly understand its body language as well. "That friend is my sweet husband, Fluffernut. Show some respect, featherless one, or I'll follow you around and defecate on the top patch of feathers adorning your head."
"It's okay. I'm sorry. I'll refer to him as Fluffernut from now on. What is your name?"
"Hmph." The bird nearly turned around, ignoring her. "Chatterbox is my name. I might consider forgiving you if you've brought nuts for me. After all, you featherless ones have lots of nuts."
She stifled a laugh. "I'm really sorry. I don't have nuts on me, nor have I had any in years."
"What? You poor thing! Surviving without nuts sounds like a nightmare. Follow me at once, my featherless friend. I have a stash of tasty nuts that will make your head spin! Acorns, hazelnuts, walnuts—you name it, I've got it all."
The hold-up began clearing.
"I'm afraid not, Chatterbox. I have a place I have to be now. Maybe next time. Goodbye and say hello to your husband for me."
She waved, then urged her scooter forward.
Chatterbox shouted behind her. "Goodbye, my featherless friend. It is a shame I didn't hear your name."
Thirty minutes later, the gate opened, allowing her access to the security checkpoint. It consisted of two gates, one leading into the premises proper and the other behind her. A giant rectangular machine sat to her left, humming and beeping. Armored agents stood around, decked to the teeth in weapons.
One agent walked up to her. "Your ID ma'am?"
She handed it to him. The agent wore a one-eyed goggle with a prominent lens. It all felt over the top to Ella.
"The reason for your visit, ma'am?" the agent asked.
"Oh, uh… I plan to register my superhuman status," she said.
"Ok. And can I see your appointment code?"
"Appointment code? What do you mean?"
The agent handed her ID back to her. "You have to use our website to book an appointment before coming." The agent's tone was calm and monotone, like he had said this a thousand times.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that." Her heart sank. The prospect of going back after wasting all this time dawned on her.
"That's no problem, ma'am. Consider this your lucky day. I'll let you pass this time. Stay still and let the scanner do its work."
The agent stepped back after she thanked him. The rumbling hums emitting from the scanner grew louder, like the sounds of a jet engine powering up. After the entire ordeal, Ella just had to ask the imposing agent a question.
"Why all this getup?"
"Well, we were attacked by—"
The other agents chastised the one who answered.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
aspiringmaker
aspiringmaker If you are enjoying the story so far, pls consider adding, commenting, and reviewing. Thank you all for the support. Also, my gratitude extends to generically and Shinigami_47 for the continued supply of power stones. Much appreciated!
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