One of the biggest downsides of the metahuman question is not supervillains, but rather the professionals who realize that their ability to beat people to death with a fishing boat makes them a hot property in third world nations.

How is a sovereign nation that can barely afford to feed its people supposed to compete with a guy that can ignore their army’s weapons completely? Metahuman mercenaries are even more destructive in their fights than supervillains, and yet they are protected by the governments or cartels that hire them, and simply by taking off their masks, they are virtually immune to prosecution even outside of their protective nation or warlord’s reach.

We need to relax the identity control laws that Proteus has pushed onto us. It is completely ridiculous to allow a convict to keep their secret identity a secret when they are serving time for murder. Certainly, it increases the risk slightly to dependents and relatives, but we already have systems in place to protect the non-metas from the fallout.

The idea that a metahuman prison escapee could simply remove their mask and get away scot-free as long as they don’t don the identity and powers of their villainous alter-ego is abhorrent, doubly so when it is a Meta that is known to work for some tyrant guilty of reams of human rights violations, or some Cartel Kingpin. As Vice president, I will help to ensure that we withdraw from the accords, and replace them with something we, as a nation, can get behind. A more fair, equitable, and just method of ensuring that metahuman terrorists have to pay for their atrocities and can no longer simply hide behind a mask to avoid the consequences of their crimes.

Retired police chief Carson ‘lawman’ Dias at the second vice-presidential debate in 2004, 12 minutes before his brutal and public assassination by the former superhero known as Bloodsinger.

I suppose that when you have pockets as deep as Kjootoo’s, getting a tailored suit for a 6’5” heavily muscled guy in less than an hour in the middle of the Gulf was not that great of an accomplishment, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

We were finishing up an absolutely amazing meal of Poulete creole, a sort of stewed chicken that resembled a cross between Adobo and Jambalaya, and we were joined by Tino and a lovely dark-skinned gem who called herself Caelo. I could feel the power radiating off of her even from a distance, and suspected she either had a very high meta percentage, higher than Kjootoo, or she might have actually been a class B. Not impossible, but unlikely. She dressed very simply, in a wraparound dress and skirt of soft orange fabric, her kinky hair bound back into a heavy knot by a hair band made of the same fabric as her outfit.

“So,” said Kjootoo, and I was beginning to suspect that the rumors of his insanity were more the result of his power manifestation of Loa than any actual nuttiness. Yes, he was ruthless, and protected his interests fanatically, but if I had a singular focus like he had, would I not be as ruthlessly driven? If people attacked me to try and harm my people, even if they were lauded as heroes, would I not oppose them as brutally as necessary to defend what I considered mine? It had been three years, and I had only spent a short time with her, but I was reasonably certain that if I had heard of someone intentionally hurting Calliope, I would be just as ruthless and brutal in getting vengeance.

Of course, he talked to manifestations of what appeared to be his own powers, but if they gave him sound or useful advice, perhaps they really were his Loa. If what he wanted was within reason and my abilities, and wouldn’t unbalance things too badly by, say, turning him into some kind of godling that could take over the world, I was inclined to try to figure out how to help him.

We were eating on the deck of a rather ancient ship. It was large but looked like it had at one time been powered by steam and might have started its life as a wooden cargo vessel of some sort, that might have even started its life as some sort of warship prior to the world war. The outer hull was steel, but the decks and fittings were mostly made of richly aged and polished wood. It was not really converted to a Megayacht or the like, but with Kjootoo’s people, I imagine it would be very defensible against a variety of enemies.

That was a tough question for a supervillain. Traditionally, villains treated each other as badly as they treated others. Were supervillains that cooperated and helped each other really supervillains? Maybe super-outlaws or something. I was personally fond of Super-rogue or rascal, but the words did not flow easily off the tongue because of the paired R’s. I liked the idea of Principled outlaws because right now the laws were laid down by Proteus, and I had no faith in them. The problem, of course, was if not them, then who? Most supervillains had a somewhat warped concept of the definition of morality, let alone reality.

I had a theory about superpowers, one that was shared by many professionals as well as scholars. Absolute power corrupts absolutely was the simplified to the point of absurdity version, but Meta power makes you feel incredible, invincible, and invulnerable. It was well known that possessing powers subtly altered your brain chemistry, it had to for you to be able to control your abilities. How can laws written by mere mortals apply to someone who was virtually a god? For people like Tino, the answer was obvious, he followed the rules established by those more powerful than him, whoever he decided to be loyal to.

But what about Kjootoo? He seemed to be principled, and even his enemies agreed that when he cut a deal he stuck by it, and harshly punished those that betrayed him. Who established and enforced the rules he lived by? His Loa?

“The Cartels offered a great deal of money for you.” Kjootoo continued, “According to the blacknet, your death is worth million dollars, and your capture is worth 5 million. Proteus has not offered any money for your return yet, but have let it be known that they value you very highly.”

I nodded, “What I can do is worth a great deal more than those rewards. Hell, I made the cartels a million dollars minus overhead every single day. They were idiots to offer so little. If I had woken up surrounded by the cartels, however, our initial meeting would have been very different, and much bloodier.”

He shook his head. “I do not understand how you can be so confident. You are not insane or ignorant, and yet your words ring utterly true to all my senses and those of my allies. Is it some secret you posses? Perhaps you have some sort of link with a class B or a god that you do not share?”

I chuckled as I thought about Sif. She wasn’t rated as a class B, but technically a scion was a god, right? Maybe a demigod or hero. My grasp of ancient mythology was influenced more by roleplaying and video games than actual history. I immediately thought of something appropriately villainous to say. “Benjamin Franklin might have once said, three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.”

He laughed, “Wise man. So tell me, have you been appeased enough to negotiate in good faith?”

I nodded. The bottle of rum made me feel far more comfortable, even though I had yet to even break the seal. There were two reasons the cartels had been able to keep me from escaping. The first was that I had only been given the exact substances I had needed to make their drug, and the second was the fact that I was watched like a hawk by at least three people at all times, even when asleep. Sure, I could have fermented something in small amounts, but in my lack of foresight my freedom catalyst had been ‘drunk’. As healthy as I am, I doubted very much a few sips of alcohol would be enough to get me drunk. It was poor planning on my part, but I had thought myself so clever at the time.

“Tell me of your wishes three, oh Aladdin.”

He laughed, “Are you serious? Three wishes, like the djinn in 1001 Arabian Nights?”

The idea had merit. I could help someone to a certain extent, bow out if it was past my power or would cause too much trouble, and not be tied to them forever. 3 wishes sounds kind of dramatic, but it set up an end point for standard interactions if I needed plausible reasons for refusal.

I nodded, “Yes, like a djinn. As long as you bear in mind that what I can do is limited to producing potions that can accomplish what you need, they will take time and ingredients to produce, and they will require a sacrifice. The larger the affect, the larger the sacrifice. I will not be tied to endlessly producing soulless entertainment anymore.”

Kjootoo nodded, as if this was no less than what was expected. “That is very equitable. I only had three demands I was going to make of you, and if you cooperated I was going to release you. Obviously, this is a better arrangement. Are there restrictions on utilizing my wishes? Such as no wishing for more wishes or having to use them all now?” He stood and waved a hand towards the main deck, so he could show me the ship’s main deck or move away from the others.

I shook my head, wow. He was really running with this genie thing. “Only if you are trying to trick me. I am a person, not an artifact. If you only wish to use my abilities once or twice and then perhaps meet me at a later time to work out better arrangements for the others, I am perfectly fine with that. Wishing for more wishes, though, is just illogical, since I am not really a Djinn and my wishes have a price.”

Kjootoo nodded thoughtfully and took off his hat, exposing his shaved dome as we walked. “My first inquiry was about increasing my own power, but I realized it was selfish, and Damballah has told me that I have reached the peak of my powers. Baron Samedi is, of course, encouraging me to partake in the power boost, but his motivations are suspect. Ti-Jean Petro has also told me that until I can purify myself, I have pacts with too many Loa to accept more powers, and I must not allow you to touch me and peer into my heart now. That leaves me with but two wishes. The third I would have you allow Caelo to use to negotiate with you after we are done.”

Damn, this guy was close to getting the same kind of information I got from analyzing people. New abilities locked down part of your power, and each of his Loa, obtained after he awakened as a meta, probably cost him a good chunk to maintain. He was probably maxed out at class C, but he got a heck of a lot of use out of it. His reluctance to let me analyze him also simply made sense.

He smiled a little, and said, “I will return you to your place. We shall negotiate again when I need your wish again. But for now, I have chosen the first and second negotiations. What would you require to allow my daughter to peacefully awaken her powers?”

I shook my head, “I cannot. Powers are not heritable. Based on statistical research, your daughter is even less likely to have power than a random person you chose of the street.” I noticed his head shaking slowly, and I asked, “What?”

“The Loa have spoken to me, they have told me she will be powerful with magic and help keep this land alive when I am dead. That you and she will both help to keep this world alive when what the Baron calls the Eaters arrive. He does not care for the eaters, since they do not die naturally, and they will eat the world. He will reap a feast of death, but then there will be no regrowth, no more death or life.”

I looked confused, “When you are dead?”

Kjootoo nodded, “Of course. I had hopes that you would be able to empower me and prevent it, since I have no more wish to die than any other man, but the cycle of life will soon flow on. The Loa have spoken, although Samedi is very disappointed. He thrives on untimely death, and my death will have been very timely.”

I narrowed my eyes, “Do you have some sort of disease? Because there is a not terribly expensive tonic…”

Kjootoo rapidly shook his head, “Oh, nothing so simple as that, boy. I knew that intercepting Victrix was a risk, either you choosing to take offense or from the cartels. You should be flattered, Cabeza Copre himself has hired Totem and obtained the cooperation of three of the other Cartels as well.”

I had a bone to pick with Cabeza Copre. Everyone knew of Totem, though. He was technically a supervillain in his own right, although he primarily served as a mercenary and part-time hit man. He and his contemporaries were part of a balancing act between South American governments and the Cartels. He was very expensive, but when you could hire a merc that could take out a small army by themselves, it became impossible to truly shut down one of the drug kingkpins. The worst wars down there were not between armies, but between people like Totem on each side. Supposedly they had some sort of unofficial guild that kept the direct conflicts between mercenary Metas to a minimum, with an elaborate set of bribes, bounties, and pre-paid ransoms to allow them to surrender if they lost, but Totem was at the top of the proverbial heap. A lot of mercs wouldn’t even fight against him, as he had a reputation for ignoring the ransoms and killing other mercs if the fights were frustrating or boring.

“Where is your daughter?” I asked curiously.

Kjootoo chuckled, “You have just met her, lovely Caelo. She takes after her mother more than me, which is probably a good thing.”

“Caelo?” I asked, “She’s already a Meta. I could feel her power from across the table.”

He shook his head, “No, she is not yet awakened. You can feel her potential just as I can. I am sending Caelo and Tino back to Haiti tonight, to keep them out of danger. So what sort of sacrifice will that require?”

I sighed and shook my head, “I don’t know. I will need to examine her before anything else. If she has potential, I will need to gather ingredients. It may sound shallow, but I know what my services are worth, and I have needs as well.” I held up the bottle of Jamaican rum, still untouched. “Food and rum are enough for a negotiation, but I will need to ask for more.”

He chuckled and then tsked, “You do not even have a set price to meet?”

I shook my head, “That’s like asking a mechanic what it’s going to take to fix your vehicle without him even knowing what it is.”

He nodded and grinned, “I know. I assumed this would be a barter, that was simply the opening steps. But you are a child at bartering, are you not?”

I slowly nodded, Haiti had as much of a barter economy as it did a set economy, and I had pretty much zero experience with it. I had seen pros doing it in movies and books, starting with throwing insults back and forth, and ending with both parties walking away feeling like they’d gotten better of the other, but I was too introverted to really enjoy or understand that sort of socializing.

He chuckled and hopped on a capstan. “If you profit from your abilities, sooner or later you will need to embrace the art of the barter. Maybe someone that can lift great weights or build a wall can simply accept a paycheck for their work, but yours is more complicated. Those metas that provide more detailed services need to learn that real money is not just in tradeable banknotes, but in trades of favors, valuables, and services.”

I nodded, “On that note, I will need to see what I can do for Caelo. What is the second thing you wish to negotiate?”

He smiled evilly, “As I mentioned, the cartels will be here soon to negotiate for you. Your confidence has encouraged me to believe that you are not so easily sold. I am no saint, but we have always been at odds as to distribution of our respective goods, and built up much animosity. My Child’s life would be much less stressful if you would remain and encourage a healthy respect for my people in the future.”

I a little confused, and I guess it showed. “What I mean is, you have seemed unafraid of conflict. When Tino and Caelo leave, I want you to stay and destroy the cooperating cartels. Teach them a lesson in respect that they may not survive.”

I chuckled, “I am not sure how effective I will be, but I am their target. Unless I immediately call Proteus and get a pickup, which I am a little reluctant to do, wherever I go they will be right behind you.”

I winked at him, “No price for this. You want to put fear in their hearts, I want them to stop chasing me forever. Call it a blood price, if you want.”

If anything, Kjootoo’s grin got even larger, almost making him look truly skeletal. “For once, the Loa agree with each other. Justice and death in equal measure. They are in accord. I will call Caelo and we can see what we shall see.” He started walking back towards where we had our dinner, and I followed.

Caelo had already taken off, but Kjootoo politely requested that Tino let her know we desired her presence again. Important supervillain lesson. Even Metas respond well to consistency, and being as courteous as you are terrifying seemed like a good way to inspire loyalty.

She had changed to another outfit, what looked like a beige sari and choli, or maybe a Lehenga skirt, edged in brilliant gold, and she even wore a dupatta scarf to go with the ensemble. She definitely was not my type, but I found the femininity of the ensemble to be extremely attractive, and it went well with her ebony hair and umber complexion. If she’d worn a little makeup, I would imagine she might be on the cover of one of those magazines that offered ten ways to discover if your dog is cheating on you or beauty tips for working in a sewer.

“Caelo, Mister… Alchemyst might be able to awaken your powers, to do that he must look into your heart. I am not sure what is involved?” He asked me.

I nodded, taking off my jacket and placing it on the back of one of the chairs, folded. “It simply involves holding your hand for a moment. From that I should be able to formulate a concoction that can unleash your potential, although you may be unconscious for a day or two while your body and mind adjust.”

She stared at me with an unreadable expression, and Kjootoo explained. “She has never spoken, but she understands clearly. There is nothing physically wrong with her, but aside from yes and no she chooses not to communicate. Her mother was taken from us when she was at a young age, in front of her, in a very… visible way when Team Vendetta attacked us. That is why I made their deaths such a spectacle, disassembling Avenger in Times Square. His carelessness cost me the love of my life and my daughter’s voice. I took care of the rest of the attackers as well, but I am merciful. It was public, but I did not force them to linger like I did Avenger.”

I nodded, and didn’t really know what to say. My condolences sounded like such a stereotypical, shallow thing to say, so I said out loud, “I agree that you were merciful. That was a little over a decade ago. If it were me, He’d still be alive, sort of, at least pieces of him would be.”

Kjootoo looked at me very thoughtfully for a moment, and then grinned. “I may be the well-known monster, but you spoke truth. I think, perhaps, you are more terrifying than I could be, if not as much of a showman.”

I shrugged. “Carelessness cost me my family. I have been planning on ending that threat for a long time, but he is protected by Proteus. The problem is that I also have friends and allies with Proteus, and my enemy is very popular. I am still finding my feet, and I am not ready to call Proteus my enemy, yet. The longer I delay, the more his walking around and breathing hurts, especially when I see or hear about more families he has casually, and thoughtlessly, destroyed while still being called a hero. The pain of losing my family has faded a little, but while monsters like that still walk, and many like him, it eats at me.”

I glanced at Caelo again, “Do you want me to try to unlock your powers if you are latent? Some people would rather not, because it can add to their problems as much as reducing them. Even from here I can feel you have enormous potential, and that kind of power can be used for wonderful, or terrible things. Or both.”

She looked at me closely, and then glanced at her father. I expected him to nod to her, but instead he just shrugged, clearly as ambivalent on the subject as I was. If I could get my family back by giving up my powers, I would without hesitation, but like psychic friends network powers, bringing back the dead as anything other than puppets was impossible.

She looked at me, and then sat on the couch, tugging her dupatta scarf away from her arm and offering her hand. The meaning was obvious, and I reached forward and carefully took her hand.

Calixte Lovelie Dupree (Caelo)

Metahuman 27% class G(S)

Aspects: body, mind, soul

Power: 144

Conditions: 6 days until menses

Projected lifespan: ???. Current age: 17

healthy, frightened, intrigued, and worried about the results of this potion.

no current abnormal infections, psychologically blocked communication

I glanced at Kjootoo, and he looked at me curiously. “You were right.” I stated, and he looked sort of triumphant. “She has a higher power potential than anyone I have ever seen, but her aspects are different from what I would expect. She has mind and spirit potential, as well as body, which may mean that she will become a great genius or have access to Loa, like you do. To be honest, I don’t really know. I could create a normal elixir for her, or I could try to specialize something for her but it would take more time and a list of ingredients.”

Kjootoo nodded, “Give me a list. I will obtain as many of the ingredients as possible.”

I nodded, and started using a pen and a napkin to scribble down ingredients that had both power aspects, to make the initial elixir, as well as body and mind aspects. Things like pumpkin seeds, coffee, turmeric and Dark chocolate were going to be easy, although methadone, adrenalin, and blue orchids would be much more difficult. I didn’t have my medical kit anymore, it was long gone, but I would have had some of the ingredients ready if I had possessed it.

I looked at Kjootoo, “Non-toxic spirit ingredients. I don’t know of any, except perhaps holy water, but I am sure that your… faith, has some ideas of ingredients that are supposed to enhance your spirit attunement? Peyote might, but beyond those two I am not really experienced.”

Kjootoo looked at the list and smiled, writing down several things of his own and calling in Tino. “Tino! I need you to obtain these items, preferably several handfuls of each, as quickly as you might!” Tino took the list, looked it over, and nodded, heading to the bridge.

I smiled at Caelo, “I will do my best for you. If I can find the right combination, it should be barely any stress at all. You drink the elixir, go to sleep for a while, and when you wake up the world is brand new and you have the beginnings of the power to fight for what you believe in.

She nodded, and then leaned forward and took my hand again.

Calixte Lovelie Dupree (Caelo)

Metahuman 27% class G(S)

Aspects: body, mind, soul

Power: 144

Conditions: 6 days until menses

Projected lifespan: ???. Current age: 17

healthy, intrigued, and confident that you are not going to hurt her.

no current abnormal infections, psychologically blocked communication

I nodded at her, “You are right. I promise. You are an innocent person, and have nothing to fear from me if you never use your powers to hurt others needlessly.”

She kept holding my hand, and I analyzed her again.

Calixte Lovelie Dupree (Caelo)

Metahuman 27% class G(S)

Aspects: body, mind, soul

Power: 144

Conditions: 6 days until menses

Projected lifespan: ???. Current age: 17

healthy, very intrigued by you romantically, overjoyed that you understand her, curious about your relationship status

no current abnormal infections, psychologically blocked communication

I shook my head a little, “No, I don’t have a girlfriend. You are a little young for me, although you are very beautiful. But I am not going to discuss romance with a girl that is under-aged right in front of her dad.” I laughed a little, and glanced apologetically at her father.

Kjootoo was staring at us, slack-jawed. He looked a lot like a halloween pez dispenser. “You… you can hear what she is saying?” he asked, dumbfounded.

I nodded, and tried to restrict myself to only her status. “Sort of, I can tell kind of what she is intending. Not feeling, I can’t read emotions or anything of the sort, but your body and mental chemistry change based on your body and mental state, including what you are feeling or planning, and I can read that.”

Healthy, Hoping you can reassure her father, Considering how much she loves him, terrified by the knowledge that he cannot avoid his own death, saddened that she cannot prevent it.

I stated, “She wants you to feel better and loves you, and knows you love her too. She knows that you know about your own death, and wishes she could stop it. She has not made peace with it like you have, it seems.”

He sighed and nodded, “You were not supposed to know about that, but sometimes an old fool forgets that while you may not have a voice, there is nothing wrong with your ears.” He leaned forward and gave her a hug, and she hugged him back, breaking contact. She actually had tears coming from her eyes, and I turned around to avoid intruding in the moment, only to see Tino returning with a large crate.

I looked confused. “Is that the list? Already?”

Tino nodded, “Yes. I am not the only Meta working for Kjootoo, although We will need to reimburse her. She paid for some of the more expensive items when she took them, and neither Methadone nor adrenaline are particularly cheap.”

I nodded. Super-speedster. I was still impressed that she could gather them so quickly, especially bringing them to the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

I headed out to the deck with one of the wineglasses from the table, the crate, and my rum. It should still have a useful effect even if I used some of it as a suspension, and because I declared it part of my price for negotiation, it should add a hint of sacrifice to the elixir, making it more powerful.

I sat out on the deck after the sun went down, experimenting with adding ingredients. Some of the odd herbs that Kjootoo had suggested indeed had a spiritual aspect, but it wasn’t until I had something I thought would work, tossing the failed experiments overboard, that I finally added the small flask of holy water into the mixture.

Inactive custom made elixir.

This gelatinous syrup contains pure essence of meta power, custom made with strong aspects for a particular individual.

Value: 0

Aspects: Body, power, soul, mind

Power 120

This syrup glows faintly and must be either consumed or injected. Consuming it weakens the initial power level, but causes a far less violent awakening. Injecting it makes it’s full strength much more effective, but can cause violent or even deadly awakenings.

It awakens meta abilities in someone with meta potential or strengthens existing potential. Neither method of application affects the individual’s potential class, simply the starting power.

Consumed, the elixir increases the user’s class by 2 ranks

Injected, the elixir increases the user’s class by 3 ranks.

Please note that if this exceeds the user’s potential, the user will die, usually in a spectacular, dangerous, and messy fashion.

To truly customize this elixir, it must contain a catalyst from the recipient before it is catalyzed. That will increase the class for both methods by 1 rank. It will have the same effect as a nonspecific elixir if consumed by someone other than the elixir’s intended recipient.

I returned to the area of the deck where we had been dining before, now well-lit with hanging strands of light bulbs. Kjootoo and Caelo were watching me intently as I carefully placed the third-full glass of inactive elixer, a semi-translucent brown mixture that was not glowing yet, and thumbed back at the crate. “It’s finished, but still needs a couple of things. Some of the ingredients are still left, so Tino might want to do something with them.”

Kjootoo nodded, and then said practically, “You know, You should probably have chosen final negotiations prior to actually completing your project. What’s to stop me from simply taking it from you?”

Caelo punched her father in the arm, hard enough to nudge him, which was probably some kind of a feat, while I chuckled and said “Nothing, except that I don’t think you are the kind of man that would be so terribly dishonorable. Plus, of course, the fact that right now it wouldn’t work and might even poison her if you tried to give it to her like it is. It is undifferentiated ingredients, and several of the substances you gave me were very poisonous. I would have to try to stop you from making her drink it like it is.”

He nodded, “Then allow us to negotiate. What is it you would like? I cannot offer all of my worldly possessions, as that would leave Caelo with nothing, and I cannot even offer my life, as that will be valueless shortly. What is it you would like?”

To be honest, I had no idea, but I knew where to start. “Well, I have a debt hanging over my head. I had to make a sacrifice, and in this case, I will consider any additional requests I could make to be that sacrifice. If you take over my debt, I can activate this and we can consider ourselves fairly even. Once we have dealt with the problem you mentioned, I can call Proteus, blame my abduction on the cartels, and we are completely square.”

He nodded, “That sounds almost too reasonable. What sort of debt are we talking about?”

I shrugged and sighed. “I have an outstanding school loan. With interest, it’s up to one hundred and twelve thousand dollars. It was supposed to be a lot less, but when I flunked my classes after my family died, I lost my scholarships and the balance was tacked on. I Figure someday I might be able to finish my schooling, but if you could find some way to anonymously close that out I might be able to get started trying to rebuild what I need to finish it. I don’t like the name Alchemyst, but I am sort of stuck with it, but it would be nice to be able to tack on ‘Doctor’ to the beginning without being a liar. Seeing people named captain who have never spent a day in a service, or commnander, doctor, or other unearned titles kind of pisses me off. It’s OCD, I know, but we each have little issues that bother us.”

The last part I had to actually speak louder to be heard over his choking laughter. “Seriously?” He said. “That’s your ambition? Paying off your school debt and being able to call yourself a doctor, That’s your big negotiation?”

I nodded, “Yes. If I hand someone that is hurting a potion, or offer them an injection to cure their pain, no one will take me seriously or allow me to help people without a title. I won’t steal glory, so I have to earn that title the right way. My great ambition is to try to help people individually, and to destroy the things that destroy lives. That’s probably going to make me a supervillain some day, but if it means doing good, it’s a risk I am willing to take. I spent two years in prison thinking about it, and yes, that’s what I want to do. I can fight, but being a superhero, fighting other metas all the time just to maintain the status quo, does not appeal. If I am lucky, some day I might find a cure for meta, and I don’t know if you are aware of this, but some people’s mental sickness is the direct result of their powers. Perhaps I can cure them instead of locking them up or killing them.”

Kjootoo nodded, “I give you my word. I will take care of your debt and do what I can to help you achieve your life goal. Once again, the Loa have told me you believe what you say, and I am a little humbled by your nobility. Of course, I will need your real name in order to have an effect, no?”

I nodded, “Your word will be enough. Now on to the hard part. I will need some of your daughter’s blood to finish the elixir. And my name is Louis Albert McCarthy.”