Business as Usual
Well, finding the Mind was important, but it was taking Dolly a while to track down his lair. So until then, work still had to happen.
I’d gotten a call from Carter a few days ago, setting up a meeting to look at another job, and you did not keep a woman like Lucille Carter waiting.
I reached Razer HQ in good time, though every time I did I had a feeling I should just keep driving. Having a building that just screamed ‘evil corporatism’ would do that. The place towered, made of black glass and steel, rising like something designed by a postmodern Sauron. A prominent R was on display everywhere, including a fountain nearby, and the peak of the roof even had two little angles like horns. It was an imposing building for sure, and I had to admire the dedication to the bit. Short of making the building look like the CEO’s face, you couldn’t get more ‘obviously evil.’ Maybe I should take some inspiration from it for the chalet? But then, I didn’t have such a brandable symbol. Another thing to work on.
Inside the building were sleek halls of unmarred black polished like a mirror, along with some security goons in slick, plasticky uniforms without a wrinkle who checked me in. Past them, I got into the elevator, zipping up to Carter’s floor.
I got work frequently from Razer. They were practically my best customer. Certainly had the most money to throw around. But then, they had a lot of brand deals with various heroes, and there was never enough crime to make them all look good. The last few jobs I’d done for them had been… mixed bags at best, but it had been a while since the last alien invasion or gate to hell opening up, meaning there was a fair bit of work for a villain like me.
That said, I didn’t exactly relish seeing Carter. She managed Razer’s stable of heroes, and had a talent for manipulating people, and sadly, I was no exception. But it was tough to turn down the kind of money she was willing to throw around for a good show. Especially now that I had two villainesses to work. I popped my neck, giving my hands a quick flex as I approached her office. Dealing with Carter was tougher than a battle with any hero, and I was never sure just what kind of situation I’d be walking into.
Carter’s secretary, Julia, was at her desk outside the office. A prim woman with her hair done up in a bun and wearing tight, short silvery dress. Her whole figure was meticulously primped like she measured it with a ruler. Her glasses wrapped around her eyes like a faintly transparent visor, and when she spotted me, she shot me a delighted professional smile.
“Victor, excellent timing. Please! They’re waiting for you inside.”
“Thanks,” I said, then registered her words. “Wait, sorry. They?”
“It’ll all be explained inside,” Julia said.
Okay, now I was very wary. Carter always met with me alone, barring some staff who were generally treated more like furniture than people. Literally. One time I met her, she was using a guy as a footstool before sending him out. Carter always tried to throw me off my game in various ways. What was she playing at now?
Well, one way to find out. Opening the door, I stepped inside.
Carter’s office was typical of her. Huge, dominating the space with a massive window at one end, the openness designed to press down on you as you made the long journey to her imposing desk. The shelves along the walls held treasures and art pieces probably worth more than my chalet, and the windows looked down over Metro City.
But the centerpiece to the office was, inevitably, Carter herself. A woman who could give any Ayn Randian psycho a run for their money. She was tall, with subtle but clear musculature that only added to her impressive figure. Her short hair was tied back, her face stunning despite the pair of dark mirrored glasses she wore for reasons I’d never discovered. Otherwise, she usually met me in her office in whatever clothes best showed off her body.
And today was both no exception, and yet it was.
Don’t get me wrong. The trim suit she wore outlined her figure in a truly appreciable way. But the last few times I’d seen her, she’d been dressed in a leotard or something equally revealing. That said, she never needed clothes to be intimidating. There was always a palpable air of subtle power about her. Confidence and masked ruthlessness that I found disturbingly attractive. Which would be a bit awkward considering who was with her.
My eyes initially slid off him, which wasn’t surprising given how much Carter demanded attention no matter the situation, but once I came nearer I stopped dead. John Blend sat beside the desk in a small chair, his grey suit blending in with the carpeting, his expression dead as a block of wood. His briefcase was on his lap, and his grey eyes blinked slowly at me like a dead fish. He was wearing a sunburst tie today, which hung off his neck like a festive noose.
“Magneron,” he droned without expression.
“John,” I said warily.
“Oh good!” Carter said. “You’ve met. That should speed things along.”
“Yes,” John said. “We met for a short time at the Hall of Heroes. We were favourably impressed with how he dealt with Fister.”
“Victor does tend to impress. Victor? Please, have a seat,” Carter said with a sweeping motion at the chair across from her desk.
“Thanks,” I said, moving slowly. What the hell was this? I eyed John, but he didn’t offer a single tell. I wasn’t even sure the man blinked. “So, you wanted to speak to me about…”
“About your debut, yes,” Carter said.
“My debut?” I said. “Uh, Carter. Don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m kind of a known entity in the business.”
“As a villain, yes. Of course, Victor. Of course. But we’re not talking about that anymore, are we?”
“We’re not?” I said.
“Not at all!” she said with another blinding smile. “We’re talking about the grand first heist of your new evil organization!”
I stared at her. Two seconds in and she was already throwing me curveballs. “We are?” I said blankly.
“Of course! Try to keep up, Victor. Now, we know you no doubt have a fair bit of competition among those looking to make this big showing of you and your villainesses. Everyone wants to be the first to take down the big new group of rogues. But we at Razor believe we can offer you the sort of presentation and heroic options that you can’t find anywhere else.”
I sighed. So this was what the meeting was about. I knew Carter was looking to offer me work. She never invited me over for social calls, but I hadn’t been expecting this. Still, I certainly wasn’t going to work as her new idol group’s nemesis. I’d already had Psyren and me involve ourselves with them more than I’d like. “Carter, I already told you, I have no interest in arching the Songbirds. Psyren and my presence at that job was a one off.”
“Victor! I’m aghast that you’d think I’d be proposing that. To be sure, the Songbirds are some of our rising new talents, and we certainly are looking to make them better known, but they can hardly stand on equal threat assessment with an organized group of high-class villains.”
“Oh,” I said. “Then,” I said, my eyes sliding back over to John’s unflappable face, “what are you suggesting?”
“So glad you asked,” Carter purred, the tips of her fingers pressing together, her smile reminding me starkly of a cat spotting a crippled canary. “It just so happens that the Heroes of Earth have come to us interested in a partnership with their organization.”
“Partnership?” I said.
John cleared his throat and finally opened his briefcase, fetching out some documents. “The Heroes of Earth are interested in engaging your evil organization for a term period. Combat would concern the core class of our heroes, along with some sidekicks in a prolonged staged encounter amounting to approximately a week, with the potential for extension should circumstances prove it beneficial.”
I looked at the papers he’d laid out on the desk.
What?
“I’m sorry,” I said slowly. “I was under the impression the Heroes of Earth didn’t do the whole… hiring villains thing. Don’t you have plenty of your own archenemies around?”
“We do,” John said in that same toneless voice. The tap water of verbal flavour. “However, we are interested in expanding our current roster, and are looking to showcase some of our up and coming heroes in a controlled setting.”
I glanced at Carter. “And Razer is okay with this?”
“We’d naturally be looking to have some of our heroes work alongside the Heroes of the Earth,” Carter said. “Picture it, Victor! The crossover event of the decade! The Heroes of the Earth and some of our own protagonists coming together to foil the dastardly plot of the Menacing Magneron! His supple, lovely, evil women threatening the city, all under the command of the great evil finally revealing his true might! A confrontation for the ages!”
“We have several potential scenarios outlined in the packet,” John said, nodding at the papers he’d put on the table.
I picked them up, looking at them, but not really reading them. This whole thing stank like the Sewer Urchin after his weekly poison bath. My eyes flicked between Carter and John. Then I laid down the papers.
“It’s an… interesting proposal for sure,” I said. “But I’ll need a minute to consult with the rest of my team.”
“Of course. Please, use the lobby,” Carter said with a gesture at the door.
“Great,” I said, rising. “Be right back.”
I went out of the room, shutting the door behind me. Julia was tapping away at her keyboard, gave me a brief smile without pausing, and went back to her work. I moved to the corner where it was doubtful she could eavesdrop, trying to get a handle on my thoughts.
Okay.
So, there was some interesting things being said in that office, but I wasn’t exactly sold on it. Especially after my chat with Valkyria and Mister Invincible. Something was up here. The left hand was doing something the right hadn’t a clue about. Probably.
But what to do about it?
I pulled out my phone, eying the screen. Hmm… It was a bit of a gamble, but what the hell. I flipped to the D’s in my contact list and dialed the first that came up.
It didn’t even ring twice before Dolly picked it up. “Hey hey, Victor! What can your resident genius do for her evil overlord?”
“Dolly? How hard do you think it would be to get me in contact with Valkyria?”
I heard her gasp in mock shock. “Victor! Are you asking me to hack into the communication system of the Heroes of Earth? Bypassing countless firewalls, security systems, anti phishing software, and penetrate an S class relay system just for a phone call?”
“I guess so.”
“Alright, done.”
“What?” I said. “When?”
“When I was talking about it. Come on, Victor. You don’t think I just sit down here playing games, do you?”
“No. I’m pretty sure you also design weapons of mass destruction.”
“You know me so well. Patching you through!”
I shook my head in wonder. That girl was just full of surprises…
The phone rang twice, then clicked, a familiar terse voice coming through. “Valkyria here.”
“Valkyria? It’s Magneron,” I said.
There was a momentary pause. Then a brittle, “How did you get this number?”
“From a friend. Listen,” I said. “You’re up in the higher echelons of the Heroes of Earth, right? You’re a main organizing head?”
“I am.”
“Great. Are the Heroes of Earth looking to hire villains for any big menacing jobs some time soon? Like, my group for some big show?”
“We would never degrade our work by doing so,” Valkyria said sharply. “Heroes exist to battle evil that threatens the world. Not as a… a spectator sport. Are you trying to propose some sort of partnership?”
“No. But you friend John is.”
There was a silence, longer than the first. “This is a poor joke, Magneron.”
“I agree. But it seems like you’re the only one not in it. I’m at Razer headquarters getting offered the job by your man John. Seems like he has a big plan for the whole thing, and I was wondering if it was on the level.”
“There has been no change in our official policy,” Valkyria said sharply.
I nodded along. I’d figured as much. It would be a cold day in hell before Valkyria would have stooped to hiring someone like me. A hero like her didn’t care about fame or marketing. She was a heroine of the classic sort. Which didn’t make her friendly to me, but did make her predictable in that respect.
And I had no intention of getting pulled into some internal war of a hero organization. That kind of crap got old fast. Not to mention complicated. And it was the last thing I needed. Let the heroes have their civil wars. Damn things always just blew up in their faces in the end. And didn’t even sell well.
“That’s all I needed to hear. Take-“
The line went dead with a click.
Hm. Rude. Not that I could blame her. With a shrug, I tucked away my phone and went back into Carter’s office.
As I approached the desk Carter smiled genially. “Well, Victor?”
I stopped in front of them. “Carter. John,” I said, nodding at each in turn. “I’d like to thank you both for the incredible offer you’ve put forward. But after careful consideration, I’m afraid I’ve got to turn it down.”
Carter leaned slowly back in her chair, scrutinizing me with a wry look on her lovely lips. And also giving me an excellent view of her firm breasts pressing against the plunging V of her jacket. “Well,” she said. “That is an unfortunate thing to hear, Victor. We were very much looking forward to a collaborative project like this.”
“Of course. And I’m very sad that we were unable to properly take advantage of your generous offer. But it just wasn’t to be,” I replied in exactly the same formal, stiff office-speak. “If you’d like, I know of some other villains that might be able to fulfill your current needs, and would happily put you in contact with them.”
Carter turned her head to John, whose expression hadn’t so much as flickered. “Mister Blend? It seems our offer was not accepted.”
His eyes slid from Carter to me. “As you like,” he said, rising. “Should circumstances change, you have my number,” he informed Carter, giving her a stiff handshake. He turned my way and did the same, pumping my arm three times with rigid uniformity. Then, without so much as a glance back, he walked out of the office.
As soon as the door was shut Carter sighed, flopping back in her chair. “Well,” she said, reaching up and grabbing the front of her jacket. “I must say I’m disappointed, Victor.”
“Well-“
Before I could say more Carter yanked open her top, revealing the lacy bra she wore beneath, her breasts bouncing into the open.
I thought by now, nothing Carter could do would surprise me. But I really should have known better.
“Guh?” I said dumbly.
“Oh yes,” Carter said, rising from behind her desk and moving around it. “Quite disappointing. Here you had a golden opportunity, Victor, to make a big debut as the head of your new evil organization, up against one of the biggest hero associations in the world, and you say no? It really is quite a shame.”
There was a predatory look in her smile now as she strutted up in front of me. The shark that just scented blood. “Was it?” I said roughly, trying to ignore the heat in my blood as Carter shamelessly flaunted herself in front of me.
Carter tilted her head, smirking at me as she casually shrugged off her jacket entirely, letting it pool on the floor. “Really, Victor, you need to take the long view. That job would have paid hugely. Not just in cash, but in glorious exposure. Your group couldn’t have asked for a bigger introduction to the wider world.”
“I don’t trust them,” I said.
“But you trust me? Why Victor,” Carter purred, wrapping her arms around my neck, tugging herself against my chest. “I’m flattered.”
She kissed me, and dammit, I couldn’t help but respond. My hand groped her ass through those oh-so-professional pants, pulling her hard against my front. Carter purred softly, kissing me harder. I broke it first, gasping. “I do trust you, Carter. I trust you to do anything you can for Razer. You’d toss babies to Moloch by the shovelful if you thought it’d increase sales. And if you really wanted me to take this job, you’d have invited me in and been stripped naked on that desk, covered in hundred-dollar bills like some Japanese sushi thing.”
Carter laughed aloud at that. “Hmm. I must be getting predictable! Such a shame. But you do need to think of something big, Victor. This is quite the opportunity for you to make a mark for your group. And you only ever get one chance. And of course…”
“I know, I know,” I said. “Razer would be delighted to offer me a position as an inhouse villain for your heroes.”
Carter chuckled. “I do have to say it. And you’ll probably say no, of course,” Carter said, pulling herself further up against me, smirking widely. “But… maybe not until I do my… utmost to convince you.”
“And whatever might that be?” I said, feeling my blood rush hot in my veins as my hand stroked her hip and ass.
“Let me show you,” Carter purred and kissed me again hard.
I groaned as her lips met mine. Fuck she tasted wonderful. Hot and sweet and needy. The sheer confidence of her was always deeply attractive, and this was no exception.
I grabbed her ass in both my hands and lifted her up. Carter moaned in throaty delight as I suddenly laid her out atop her desk, still kissing her, one hand grasping the fullness of her breast, the other pulling open her belt.
“Mmm. That’s it. Fuck me. Fuck me like the bad guy,” Carter gasped between kisses.
“This is highly unprofessional,” I noted as I finally got her belt undone, yanking it and her panties down, revealing the heat of her pussy.
“Oh I knoooow,” Carter groaned, arching under me wantonly. “I’ve been so very bad, Victor.”
“Have you?” I said, palming her mound, feeling the warmth of her desire and slickness of her arousal as my thumb teased up and down her slit.
“Oh yes. I’ve been just awful.”
“Like trying to use sex to get me to take a job I don’t want?”
“Is that so wrong?” she asked hotly.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think it is,” I said, my voice dropping to a growl. “I’m not going to be played by you anymore Carter.”
She laughed throatily. “Then say no, Victor,” she purred, her hips rocking, rubbing her mound against my fingers. “But only after you take what you want.”
I didn’t know if she was playing me again or not. Carter was very good at what she did. I’d have better luck deciphering lost languages than figuring out what she really wanted. But I was well past caring at that point. I’d decided not to take the job. But Carter was still here, still offering herself up.
And I’d be damned if I was going to turn that down.
My powers yanked down my zipper and I drew out my cock, aligning it with her slick folds. I leaned over her again, kissing her hard, pushing forward and filling her with a single stroke. Carter groaned in pleasure, arching under me wantonly, her hands gripping my back for purchase as I began to saw in and out of her. I tried to go slow at first, but there was just something about Carter that demanded I take her hard. Fast.
And I let it loose.
I growled, sawing into her, fucking her with sharp, brutal strokes. Every impact sent the items on her desk rattling as I pounded into her. Claimed her hungrily. Eagerly.
“Victor!” Carter gasped. “Oh f-fuck yes. Yessss! Harder, Victor! Fuck me. Fuck me like you fffffucking mean it!”
“You fucking scheming snake,” I growled as I rutted into her. Hard. Fast. My pulse racing with excitement. Blood hot with lust. “You’re always trying to play me, aren’t you? Always trying to get my attention? Well you got it! Now how! Does it! Feel!”
“So goooood!” Carter moaned, the back of her head banging off the table as she arched under me. “Fuck me, Victor! Fuck me! Don’t… ah… s-stop! Fucking take me! Make me scream! Yes! Yes! Oh Victor, f-fuck yesssssss!”
I felt her shudder around my cock. A sudden peak of pleasure shooting through her as she tightened, orgasm claiming her, squeezing her around me.
“Fuuuuuck!” I groaned, hitting that high point with a shudder, cumming in hot bursts inside the delicious depths of the soulless corporate bitch that was Lucille Carter.
She sighed, flopping on the desk, her ample chest heaving with slow, heavy breaths. I was in much the same boat, breathing hard and fast, but immensely satisfied.
“Hmm. Well, Victor?” Carter said breathlessly, lifting her head lazily to look at me again. “Did I manage… to change your mind?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You made some compelling arguments, but the answer is still no,” I said.
Carter sighed dramatically. “What a shame. Well, I tried my best.”
“That you did,” I said, leaning down again. “No one can say you didn’t try.”
Carter chuckled, tilting her head and kissing me once again.
Overall, a pretty good end to a meeting.