The Legacy of Eros - Dar Son

*Editing magic performed by Shyqash, plus contributions by the regular gang of brigands and neer-do-wells*

*This tale is a bit tongue and cheek as well as kinky, so be warned.*

*This story arc is VERY sex light; you've been warned*

*Every hurricane starts as just a bit of rain*

[PRELUDE]

[A FEW SHORT WEEKS LATER]

Contrary to my pledge to the Night Watchman (head of Freedom Force), I was getting involved with the turmoil caused by the removal of Kori Ivankov, Criminal Kingpin of Megalopolis. I wasn't trying to take over, or get my slice of the pie. No, I was doing something much dumber - in my estimation. I was helping a group of vigilantes from being overwhelmed in the resulting chaos on the streets.

"Dark Son! Three more coming your way!" Arachne cautioned me. She was swinging around this unused warehouse, keeping the opposition spread out and occupied with trying to hit her. I was definitely the team's 'tank' (meaning me and my armored suit could take the most pounding).

I'd already dispatched (knocked unconscious) Hammer Storm ~ an augmented human using a variety of hammers in combat including his trademark two sledgehammers and was engaging Sonic Scythe. She (SS was a gal) was sending forth lethal, piercing sonic death from her fingertips my way. Her screams for my demise was a peripheral nuisance at best.

"I'm going to turn your body into Jell-O," she screeched.

'Not if I do this to you first', I thought. I reached out with my TK (telekinesis) gauntlets ~ range roughly 30 feet ~ and slammed her into an I-beam.

"OW! ... You Bastard!" she hollered. Apparently she had no volume control. She was also more resilient than she looked.

I tried to close with her to get my hands on Sonic Scythe and inflict some real damage when she slammed me with a double-handful of sonic doom, propelling me away. That was okay. Arachne wasn't coming my way just to get rid of her pursuers, but to help me get rid of Sonic Scythe too ... from behind. All I had to have done was keep her occupied, which I had done admirably.

Arachne came off the ceiling (she could run on, and stick to, all sorts of surfaces) and power-bombed Sonic Scythe from behind. I aimed my next attack at the closest pursuer who was spending a tad too much time watching Arachne's lithe form and not enough on where he was being led.

This joker went by the name Brain Bane and he was your standard telepathic / telekinetic egomaniac wielding a straight, dual-edged sword. He often went on hours long rants on the Web about how all other powers were merely the limited expression of either one of his base [read: superior] powers. It was wonderfully useful building a psych profile about him - that was for sure.

As he came around the same I-beam I'd planted Sonic Scythe into earlier, hyper-focused on Arachne, I grabbed him by the leg and proceeded to introduce the back of his head - and then his face - to the cold concrete floor. Yeah, I beat him like a ragdoll.

The follow-up members - Psy Lord and Backlash - were caught flat-footed when Arachne stood up from a clobbered Sonic Scythe and re-engaged them. Psy Lord was a miniature Brain Bane (emphasis on the telepathy with a minor in telekinesis) and Backlash was a Master (or Mistress in her case) of the whip which she took to be long, black sashes she kept wrapped around her person.

Backlash immediately engaged me in an attempt to make me let go of Brain Bane. Her lash wrapped around my left forearm, but made little progress as I was far stronger than she was. Still, she was slowing me down. It was enough for a groggy Brain Bane to zap me with a psionic blast. It was like fighting off a minor migraine yet hardly debilitating.

At the same time, Psy Lord attempted to trap all of us in a telepathic illusion. It was an Escher-esque landscape with all visual sensations being turned upside down and inside out.

"Psy Lord, you idiot!" Backlash screamed out, seemingly captured in the same illusion.

Psy Lord's distraction wasn't enough to make me release Brain Bane. He kept taking a beating even though my senses were skewed. Arachne and Backlash had it much worse, trapped as they were. After a career-affirming 'Crack!' from Brain Bane's skull, I used his body as a projectile to take out, or at least distract, Psy Lord.

Sure enough, the illusion wavered and faded somewhat. It was enough to allow Arachne to land a solid punch on him right as he shrugged off an unconscious Brain Bane's body. It was lights out for yet another member of the Night Crew. Speaking of which ...

Liberty Lincoln had finally dispatched the Night Crew's most serious brawlers, Berserk and Frenzy, and Lucky Dead had led Sinister Syd back after his own circular chase only to see it was him and his toxins plus Backlash versus the four of us.

"Oh ... bollocks," Syd groaned.

"Alright, you assholes," Liberty bellowed, "gather up your mates and get the hell out of the Bricks (aka the Brocton neighborhood of Megalopolis). Come around here again and you'll be leaving in ambulances."

"Gotchya ... gotchya," Sinister Syd head-bobbed.

"While you are at it, tell Romeo Dusk he doesn't own this town," she piled on the humiliation.

"Like that's going to happen," Backlash muttered.

"What was that?" Liberty postured.

"We get it! We get it," Backlash raised up her hands in surrender. "We'll tell Romeo what happened here ... good enough?"

"Yeah," I intervened. "Next time, if you come back, tell Romeo we will be coming uptown to deal with him."

"We'll let him know," Sinister Syd confirmed.

We departed to let them rouse their defeated comrades while we had our after-battle discussion.

"Thanks for coming over and helping out," Arachne raised up her mask enough for me to see she was smiling - a nice Asian smile.

"Meh," I shrugged. "It doesn't take a member of MENSA to realize whomever wants to come out on top of this criminal shit-pile isn't going to let the people responsible for taking doing Kori Ivankov off with anything short of a near-lethal lesson ... so I'm just looking after my future."

"You are just saying that to get over you not getting paid - again," Liberty Lincoln softly punched me in my upper arm. Had she been hitting me for real it would have felt totally different. "Also, nice upgrades to your suit. Each time we see you, you seem to have some new trick, or gadget."

"It's nothing fancy," I smirked. "As in nothing I couldn't kit-bash from the stuff hanging around the lair."

"Maybe you could make some kind of suit for Lucky Dead as well," Liberty suggested.

"I'll think about it," I allowed. "The biggest problem would be the suit runs of 'me' as its power source and I'm not sure how I could transform Lucky's power into something the suit could get creative with. Still, a little bit of armor and a jet pack aren't beyond me."

"Says the kid who doesn't understand we are still using baseball bats and pistols a year after we got started," Liberty guffawed. "See what you can do."

That was worth a nod and nothing more. I'd already told them I'd look in on it. We were splitting up again when I noticed Arachne holding back.

"Yes?" I inquired.

"Oh ... nothing. I was just wondering ... what you do ... when you aren't here ... with us?" she stammered.

"I'm a struggling college student."

"Struggling? From the art work you snatched up you should be worth millions ..."

"Struggling as in struggling to remain in the top of my perspective class. I not only want to graduate, I want to graduate magna cum laude," I explained.

"Oh ... that's wonderful!" she perked up. "Then what?"

"Is this going somewhere?" I questioned.

"No - Yes - I mean ... wouldyouliketogooutsometime?"

"You mean you and me as a date ~ go out?"

"Yes," she shrunk away slightly.

"Sure. I like you and wouldn't mind getting to know you outside of 'work'," I smiled.

"Great! How are we going to work this?"

"Do you have a phone on you?"

She handed it over so I entered my digits and gave it back.

"Here you go. Call me some time," I smiled with teeth this time around.

After all, how could this go afoul? I was dating one super-girl, had another interested in me (Princess Penumbra) and Arachne would make three. Easy-peasy. I wouldn't need a super-powered nemesis to do me in. I'd have a legion of jilted ex-lovers stumbling over one another for the pleasure.

[THREE DAYS LATER]

Like always, I checked my room's sensors before unlocking the door. Yet again, something told me my sensors were being spoofed. Ugh. I had to grab a shower before heading out on a date with Skye, damn it! In I went and ... I was surprised by what met my gaze.

It was a West Asian hottie - check that: a hologram of a West Asian hottie - reclining on my bed wearing nothing more than contour-hugging, stark white workout shorts and a sports bra which contrasted sweetly with her olive complexion. It took me three whole seconds.

"You must be Web Slinger," I murmured.

"Got it in one," she blessed me with positive vibes and a 'come hither' body posture.

"Or this is what you want me to think Web Slinger looks like," I concluded. "Face it, you could be a fat Otaku nerdling for all I know." Yeah, Web Slinger could be a guy with the perchance of making people think 'he' was a hot Asian number.

"Ha!' she laughed. "I could be, but I'm not. Nice to finally meet you, by the way."

"I'd agree if I was actually meeting you," I shrugged. "As you undoubtedly know I have a date I need to get ready for ... so why the 'meet & greet'?"

"I need you to do me a favor," she got down to business.

"Before I say 'no', why don't you tell me what it is first," I sighed. I also put my stuff aside and began prepping for a shower. Date night was date night after all.

"Why would you want to say 'no'?" she regarded me.

"I don't much like people who want to manipulate me," I explained, "and you told Liberty Lincoln stuff about me I wanted compartmentalized."

"Like?"

"Like my pedigree."

"Oh ... I hadn't thought of that. I would have thought you would want to make 'bank' on who your father was," she said.

"You guessed wrong," I grumbled. "What is between me and my Father is strictly family business - not for consumption by the General Public."

"Oh ... well, I thought you would want the help of getting him out of prison."

"Is that what you've been doing ... helping me out here?"

"I'd like to think we've been helping each other out," she mused.

"How is that working out for me? Ever since the death of Kalashnikov Kori, my life has been one bad night after another. Clearly Liberty and Arachne are in over their heads and need the help ... so I'm helping out."

"You are helping them out because you are a loyal Sonofabitch," she grinned. "A really loyal SOB at that."

"And you want me to be YOUR loyal SOB, is that it?"

"Basically - yes, but your payday is the rescue of your father, not any of the trinkets, or briefcases full of cash, which may come your way," she enlightened me.

"What's in it for you?" I wondered.

"My own little group of vigilantes," she may have been lying, or not. "Ooohhh ... you have a really nice body too," she ogled my now naked form.

"So you are a gay, fat Otaku," I snorted. "Nice to know."

"Ha," she repeated. "I'm definitely not homosexual."

"Again - nice to know. I'm going to take a shower now," which I proceeded to do. She got up from the bed and came my way so she could talk over the sound of the water stream and steam without shouting.

"None of this is why I chose to meet you tonight," she clarified.

"We aren't meeting. I'm here in the flesh meeting you as a hologram," I countered. "You, for whatever reason, don't want to meet me in the flesh."

"I'm squishy," she 'confessed'. Maybe she was and maybe she was a master manipulator. Who knew at this juncture?

"I imagine that isn't the reason for this meeting either," I lathered up.

"Too true. Something is coming down the pipeline tomorrow and I want you to agree to it," she related.

"Without knowing what it is - fat chance," I scoffed.

"Hold on, Tex," she giggled. "I'm going to tell you what it is. You have been nominated as one of the Ten Most Eligible Bachelors under Thirty in Megalopolis."

"Before you say 'no'," she continued, "this is a necessary evil to get your name out there - your public persona needs to be burnished up as much as your secret villain name is getting recognized in the Criminal Underworld."

"No thanks. I don't want to be a seen as a palatable piece of meat. Pick another guy."

"It is more than just your physique," she persisted. "You are being chosen because of your consistently high marks from MCIU (Megalopolis Crown International University) as well. Plus a lot of women think you are 'desirable'."

"Still not interested."

"Do this as a favor for me?"

"This implies there is more that you're telling me," I kept up my shower routine.

"Yes, there is, but I can't explain it right now," she teased.

"It is just you and me here ... unless it isn't," I riposted.

"No. I'm ghosting all the other surveillance in your abode," she informed me.

"Then you could tell me, but aren't," I persisted.

"How about this: I can make prognostications, but they aren't always clear to me when I forecast my predictions. I need you on the inside of this contest ... but I don't know why."

"Was honesty really all that difficult?" I snorted.

"It is with me," she confessed. "Normally, as you have insinuated, I manipulate people to get things done. This time ... I don't have the time. I need to move on this and move on this now."

"And I'm the only one you can use? Color me unhappy."

"Yes, you are the only person in the right place and time for me to use," she told me. Was this really the truth? I still didn't know.

"Fine," I shrugged. "I'll do this for you ... but you owe me."

"Understood," she sighed happily.

"So, how does this happen?"

"You will get a call from your university councilor tomorrow morning and from there, you will meet the Dean of you school and then the Chancellor," she laid out the next steps. "Try to act surprised."

"That won't be a problem," I scoffed. "I'm still surprised I'm going along with this insanity."

"Buckle up. This could be fun for you ... for all I know."

"Yeah ... for all you know," I groaned.

[~]

The next morning my academic champions informed me of the 'high honor' I was being afforded by being chosen as the leading student on campus to pursue this municipal brugh-ha-ha. What was in it for me? I was going to be able to help out numerous charities and thus get various 'credits' for extracurricular work. How could I say 'no' to that?

Besides yours truly ~ Reynard Haven ~ there were four other men and five women selected for this honor. Apparently bachelorette as well as heroine had recently gone the way of the Dodo Bird in common parlance. Three of my competition were jocks ~

Kyle Rodney, Quarterback for the Megalopolis Champion's NFL team;

Barry 'the Brush' Bushnell, Point Guard for the Megalopolis Magicians NBA franchise; and ...

India Figueroa, Central Midfielder for our Stars Women's National Soccer League team.

Aaron Quartermaine and Julie Feldman were both young, up-and-coming lawyers,

Inez Neustadt was a young, female police detective and represented our fair city,

Donna Pierre was a hotshot female Hedge Fund guru,

Liao Ping was a double-barrel threat - civil engineer and architect at one of the city's most prestigious civil engineering firms, and ...

Louise Dresser was a fitness model turned multi-millionaire entrepreneur / internet influencer, thus one smart cookie (our definite ringer).

Both Kyle and Barry were Black / African-American. India and Inez were Hispanic. Julie was Jewish and Liao was Asian / Chinese-American ... so we had our minority bases covered (even if you didn't count me as half-extraterrestrial).

Our first soiree / meet the press moment was on Friday night. Since I was missing some epic sex with Skye, I was more than a bit pissed with this revelation. She promised to make it up to me, even though I was the one missing our 'us' time for this event. It turned out to be a 'Celebrity Auction'. Any guesses on what was being auctioned?

It was the ten of us ... all for the Children's Critical Burn Unit for our Community General hospital ~ downtown and open to all. I didn't give a shit. I considered these lost hours gone forever without anything to show for it ... and I was never getting them back, damn it.

I dusted off my old tuxedo only to have my Godmother (Sarah Rains Reeds aka Storm Siren of the Sensational Six) tell me it wasn't good enough. Low and behold she bought me a far finer one from Brooks Brothers of London ... and they had it ready for me on Friday afternoon too ... okay, sometimes it pays to be famous, rich and well thought of. I have to say the bulletproof tailored suit felt really nice and looked so very sweet on me too.

The society folks who were running this farce sent a limo to pick me up from in front of the university's Administration Building (apparently my abode was not nice enough for the university pin-heads) and off I went to the gala at the Megalopolis Opera House. After putting in a brief appearance on the red carpet, I was whisked away to the 'Green Room' where I got to make my first impressions of the other contestants.

"So, who are you?" Kyle Rodney was the first to make contact with me. For such a major personality he was very approachable and appeared down to earth.

"Reynard Haven, sacrificial university student. You?" I pretended to not know him.

"Kyle Rodney," he extended his hand for me to shake. I did. "I play football for your NFL team. You don't follow football?"

"Nah - I do," I relaxed somewhat. "I was just teasing you. I know who you are."

"Ah-ha!" he chuckled. "You do any modeling?"

"Nope. Normally I avoid the camera. I'm trying to graduate at the top of my class which doesn't leave much time for other activities. How did you get roped into this?"

"Ooohhh," he shook his head. "Both the 'Front Office' and my agent said this would be good for my career ... so here I am. What did you get offered to put your actual life on hold?"

I was truly starting to like this guy. He seemed ... genuine.

"A host of extracurricular credits," I gave him a sly grin.

Kyle nodded. He'd gone to college himself and knew the score.

"How about we go rescue Ms. Figueroa?" he motioned with his drink. One of the hotshot 'regular' contestants had her trapped and it wouldn't have surprised me if she came out of her corner kicking and head-butting her way to freedom.

"You run a distraction play and I'll rescue the damsel - deal?" I offered.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed and off we went. He introduced himself to the guy who turned out to be Aaron Quartermaine of the Baltimore Quartermaine's ... uh-huh ... while I rescued India.

"Thanks ... I think," she eyed me once I had shoe-horned her away from Aaron.

"Oh yeah. It was Kyle - Mr. Rodney's idea," I gave credit where credit was due. "I came up with the actual plan though."

"Well, a definite thank you," she snorted playfully. "Oh, I'm India Figueroa."

"I'm Reynard Haven - struggling student and collegiate patsy for this charity bit."

"Lucky you. I was voted one of the top ten cutest professional soccer players so I knew I was doomed to end up here," she sighed.

"If it is any consolation, you are cute," I toasted her.

"Thank you," she smirked. "I'd rather be one of the top ten highest earners in professional soccer."

"I think you are the wrong gender for that to happen," I cut to the heart of the matter rather brutally. She eyeballed me for nearly thirty seconds before smiling in response.