I wondered if a potion for flying were even possible. Oddly enough the thought struck me as I stepped through Vectress’ portal. When she used her powers, I tried to think of her as Vectress, a metahuman lightning controller, rather than Lauren, my beloved slave, or Glinda, the bitch I needed to punish.

Her portals were odd. While there were few capes who could teleport, it never appeared to be by means of destroying themselves at one point and re-forming at another, if it took others with them. There were a few who could turn themselves into a sort of energy and re-form their bodies elsewhere, in complete violation of the law of conservation of energy, but those who could do it generally could not transmit any other living beings with them, or if they did, the others ended up at the other side dead.

In Vectress’ case, she remembered the electromagnetic patterns of places she had visited in the past and matched up the portal’s signatures with those places. Anyone that stepped into her portal seemed to move to the place that was momentarily bonded, passing directly through anything in their way, as if they were irrelevant to each other, or they passed through the atomic spaces in between atoms instead of interacting.

It took time to make the transit, about as much time as electricity moving between the two locations would have taken if there had been a direct superconducting circuit between them, but it was very fast. I had a good idea of my own body’s state, and at no time when using her portal normally were the electrical or chemical bonds of my body interrupted. The space itself simply created a near-instant tunnel between two points.

When you arrived at your destination, the electromagnetic forces of any solid objects seem to ‘nudge’ you into a space that was large enough to contain your body. This was a very safe method of teleportation since one person that stepped into the portal didn’t have to move quickly enough to avoid being overlapped by the next person to step through. Any interposition was nudged out of the way so the next person would appear next to the first.

Some supers had much more deadly methods of travel, where they could interpose, but powers seemed to work hard to prevent deaths, such as teleporting everyone who stood in a circle at the same time in the same positions or refusing to activate if there was something at the other end. That didn’t always happen, though, and sometimes metahumans with teleportation powers met a very messy end in a big hurry.

Vectress’ portals didn’t create a two-way tunnel either. You stepped through a swirling vortex at one end, and then popped out at the other end with a spark of static electricity. If there were delicate electronics too near the portal’s destination, they tended to get fried, even if the devices her passengers sported were fine.

The thing is, from what I could tell, my potions worked entirely internally. They could give powers to people that would temporarily increase their toughness or healing ability, but they always seemed to affect things that were already there. In my case, of course, Freedom pills seemed to be capable of much more, adding or altering organs, possibly even limbs, and changing me on a fundamental level as long as I had the energy to maintain the change.

I hadn’t noticed adding any extra external powers. Abe couldn’t manipulate the water around himself for greater speed like Aquantis could, for instance, but he was able to internally crank the speed of the flow of water through my jets far over what muscles and pumps could accomplish.

So, unless I could find a way to change that, to fly I would need to create a body form capable of flying naturally with a freedom pill. Something with wings, or a gaseous body, or even natural jets much like Abe’s only for the air.

It was certainly something to think about, although I had little interest in creating a giant balloon body filled with naturally produced gas. I could alter myself temporarily to glide with time even without a freedom pill, by manipulating my body composition, but it was ugly and uncomfortable and tended to involve lots of skin stretching and often tearing.

I stepped into the center of the amphitheater, and it was deserted. This was a good thing, as the way I was dressed, and my size, were bound to attract attention, especially since the boots added another inch to my height, and the top hat added even more. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t see Kyokudai anywhere but considering her shadow control and combat specialty, it would have been more surprising if I had.

“I am here,” I stated quietly, assuming she would probably hear me. I wondered what it would take to be able to penetrate such illusions? I took a deep sniff, and I could smell her presence. It smelled like clean girl and power, with slightly odd touches of unrecognizable herbs and the barest hint of canine, I assume from a pet.

After a moment, I turned slightly, towards the source of the scent and the ever-so-quiet sound of fabric, and below that, the quiet sound of a heartbeat. I couldn’t usually detect sounds as easily as I did scents, but there was no wind and the amphitheater was far enough from any major roads that traffic sounds were very distant.

When she got close, whatever it was that let me analyze people started to react to her presence. I couldn’t analyze her from a distance, but I could certainly feel her.

She appeared, the shadows seeming to peel back and reveal her form only a few feet away from me. She was dressed entirely in her grey ninja getup, with the sashes fluttering a little in a nonexistent wind, and I heard her speak, “How did you know where I was?”.

I smiled a little, “You kissed me, and I never forget or can ignore a beautiful woman with a kiss like that.” I shrugged a little, I didn’t need to tell her about my enhanced senses, although she’d probably eventually notice as Antonia had.

“If you can detect me hidden in shadows, You will need to be careful not to make it obvious around my clan. We sort of specialize in abilities to avoid detection, and someone who can easily penetrate those abilities will make the other members extremely nervous.”

I nodded, assassin clan, like ninjas in popular fiction. Ninja clans during the Edo period were considerably different from modern conceptions. The perception of stealthy spiders with blades was considerably cooler than mercenary spies, saboteurs, and poisoners, although a pet dirty tricks brigade was still pretty cool.

Modern ninjas would dress just like everyone else rather than in black easily-identified pajamas, but a group that was specifically created of superhumans with stealth abilities could be much closer to the popular fiction and still highly effective.

“You look… distinctive.” She said, looking me over. “I am trying to decide if I approve or not. You certainly look much more dangerous than you would other than as Hyde, but maybe looking dangerous will help. I have to know, though, are you confident in your ability to cure poison?”

I nodded to her, my top hat dipping, “For the moment, yes. There are Metahuman poisons that are created by powers that would be far more complicated to cure, but as long as it has a physical presence in someone’s body, I should be able to assist the body in ridding itself of a foreign substance.” I shrugged a little, “I take it that poison is why we are in such a hurry?”

“We have to go a very long way, and to get there we will need to use a special technique to open the shadowlands. Normally, I would have asked you to just use Vectress’ teleport or catch a flight to Japan, but our domain is very well hidden and I need to keep it that way.” She took my hand.

Akiko Theresa Shinasami (Kyokudai)

Metahuman 18%, class E(D)

Aspects: body, shadow

Power: 136

Conditions: 22 days until menses

Projected lifespan: 115 years barring mishap. Current age: 26

healthy, nervous, worried, attracted

Powers: shadow melding, shadow walking, shaded weapon

I could feel she was trying to draw me towards something. It was very odd, sort of like one of Vectress’ portals, but I felt like I could resist if I wanted to. I mostly trusted Akiko, though, and in an emergency, I still had my flask, so I allowed myself to be sort of tugged sideways into the shadows.

The following journey was unusual, to say the least. It was like half the city was nothing but images, and ancient ones at that. All the newer architecture as we flicked past streets was gone, replaced with hazy images of buildings from a bygone era. A lot of the older buildings were still solid, such as the old federal architecture of the University, but we flicked past the rest of the places which seemed to be a mostly deep forest where houses and neighborhoods would exist in a blur.

We moved faster and faster, and even my enhanced senses could barely detect the occasional landmark as we crossed the country, the barest flick of civilization against the shaded green of unspoiled wilderness.

Akiko’s hand in mine drew me forward ever more quickly, and now it felt like we were over water, great masses of waves and oceans flicking underneath our feet before I finally caught glimpses of ancient pagodas, a hint of some gigantic palace with upwards-pointing roofs implying Asian architecture, and finally a great mountain into which we disappeared.

We stepped out of the shadow into a sunlit courtyard, done up in ancient Japanese style, and I realized that the entire trip had taken mere seconds. Akiko sagged against my hand, and I realized she was almost entirely spent. I wrapped my arm around her, holding her up for a few minutes while she recovered.

“Please, Louis, remember that here you are very valuable property. Your abilities are without price. Kjootoo has already negotiated your payment, but you are considered unbound. Sort of a resource that nearly anyone would give anything to take control of you. Do not, under any circumstances, agree to any sort of deal. My clan is, for the most part, fairly honorable, but greed can sway even the most honorable of hearts, and you are worth more to some people than gold could ever buy.”

I sighed. I should have expected that. “Just so you know that if anyone tries to lock me up, I will fight back to the best of my abilities, and if they push too hard, Hyde might show up. They are your people, so I don’t want that to happen, but in such unfamiliar territory I am not so sure that you could talk me down like you did after the raid.”

She nodded, “I am well aware of his capabilities, but it might not be enough. Just please don’t agree to anything. It would be best if you just kept silent. If someone offers you anything, like perhaps tea, just nod or shake your head, although you can answer questions if you like. And don’t, under any circumstances, agree to any deals.”

I smiled, “There is only one deal I want to make, and you already agreed to it, sort of. Although I am not sure that your clan would approve of you making out with some arrogant, gigantic Gaijin.”

She unwrapped and removed her hood, and started peeling off her robes, revealing a similar outfit beneath, although this one was rich red silk, a short-sleeved, high-collared shirt, and a pair of slightly baggy black pants. “As long as you cannot give any of them the slightest excuse to claim giri, there should be no trouble.”

“Giri?” I asked, “This clan is 893?” I said, using the English term for the Yakuza, a combination for an old Japanese card game that indicated the worst possible combination, and the name for Japan’s organized crime syndicates. Giri was like a social obligation or a debt, used both to indicate a desire for repayment or vengeance.

She shook her head, “Not exactly, but we associate with and are often hired by them. I am not personally permitted to assist, since I had a problem with one of their members in the past and have been forbidden from taking contracts, but things are very complicated.” She sighed, “My brother was caught and attacked while fulfilling an internal hostility contract, and was struck by a poisonous weapon. The poison is special, drawing out his spirit, which can even kill a meta that is otherwise immune to poison.”

I nodded slowly, “I can only do my best. I do have some uncatalyzed antidotes I should be able to adjust to the specific type of poison, if you have any samples? I can do it without it, just by using some of his blood, but the sacrifice will be much higher. I might have to ask you or someone else to help shoulder the burden. What kind of poison is it?”

She sighed. “If you have to ask for help, just ask me. The others may expect giri, and you don’t want that. It’s already a huge risk just by bringing you here. But the poison is ghul venom. It starts by attacking the mind, reducing its will to resist, and then eventually moves to the soul, eroding it and eventually consuming it entirely, turning the victim into a ghul permanently once their spirit is destroyed.”

“A Ghoul?” I asked. “Like a flesh-eating zombie?”

She nodded, “Very much like, except that ghuls are not the slow, western cinematic creatures. They are fast, canny, hideous creatures with illusionary powers and incredible strength. They feast on the dead and are not hesitant to make sure there are as many dead as possible. They also sometimes infect others with their venom, making more ghuls”

“And he was attacked by one of these?” I asked.

She shook her head, “No. he was retrieving something from one of the Shakota-Gumi, and one of their kyodai, or small bosses, stabbed him with a weapon coated in Ghul venom. The Shakoti-Gumi are incredibly dangerous and caught sight of him. It is possible if you cure him, it might require some form of giri to avoid a war, but I don’t want him to die.”

I nodded and she began leading me from the sunny courtyard with deep shadows at the edges that we had entered. It was much like a compound, except that above us, giant rock walls implied we were somewhere deep within the mountains. I was not polished up on my geography, but based on their appearance I wondered if we were somewhere near Kyoto.

“Aren’t the Yakuza supposed to be honorable and stuff?” I asked curiously, as she guided me through a large hall with heavy wooden pillars, decorated with stylized foxes and fancy-dressed humans.

I knew that there was supposed to be some sort of connection between foxes and cleverness, and it was often addressed in Anime, but the actual context of the carvings was lost on me. I wondered if the clan actually kept foxes as pets? That would certainly explain the scent.

She laughed a little and shook her head. “That’s propaganda. They use giri to try and look respectable, but in the end, they are just the same kind of scummy criminal thugs and drug-dealing scum that you will find anywhere else. The only difference between the other federations and the Shakota-Gumi is power. They have more superpowered individuals, so they kind of rule the rest. Ridding them of an artifact was an attempt to reign in their power a little by the other houses, but obviously, it backfired.”

We stepped outside again, and then moved into a much larger house, extremely well-decorated and screened in traditional Japanese paper doors, I almost missed the occasional wire and outlet that indicated that despite its age, the place was wired for electricity and net. I caught a glimpse of a red-furred tail at the edge of the building, and I realized that yes, it looked like they kept foxes as pets. It was probably their clan symbol.

She led me to another larger room, and inside there was almost a modern office, behind which sat a man. He was larger than I expected, and although his face was somewhat lined with age, his hair was still full and black and looked like it ended someplace on his back.

He was well-muscled and wearing a similar outfit, in blue, to what Akiko wore, but he was tapping away at a high-end laptop as he looked up at us and his eyes narrowed. I could sort of understand their Japanese, but I knew that if they started talking too fast I would be in over my head.

She nodded, and answered, in English, “Yes, Father. He might be able to help. He needs either a bit of Chikau’s blood or preferably a sample of the actual venom to create an antidote.”

He nodded at her, “I am shocked you have found one of the unbound. I haven’t even heard of one in Millenia. Even the bound are closely guarded treasures. Is this what Kjootoo negotiated for? His price was a pittance, even for simple service. Unless you…” and he looked at Akiko, “Have offered something to make up the difference?” he looked at her suspiciously as he spoke in English.

She shook her head, “I stopped playing the clan games years ago, father. My virtue is not a negotiable currency. I will give it to whom and when I choose. He is only here to assist, and if he requires further sacrifice, I will happily give it to him.”

He replied, in Japanese again,

I could feel a hint of power coming off of him, but it didn’t come close to what Caelo had radiated before she awakened, so I responded in Japanese before Akiko had a chance to speak,

Obake, or restless dead, were the spirits of those who died without veneration by their ancestors in Shinto, without a home to return to. Because this was a clan home, the implication was that there may not be anyone left to revere and honor their memory or welcome them home. The threat was clear.

He grinned, and said, in English, “Let’s speak English. Your Japanese is atrocious.”

I nodded, “Since you have such trouble understanding my Japanese, I would be happy to take on the burden of trying to understand your English.” He had pretty good English, but I wanted to make sure that, as per Akiko’s advice, I didn’t open up an agreement that was not clearly stated.

Akiko was glaring at me, but I winked at her.

He nodded slowly and then smiled, “I am Noboru Shinasami. And you are?” he had stated his name American style, and I was surprised, he was her father? Not just an upper boss in her organization?

I said, “Louis McCarthy.” figuring he probably wouldn’t remember it later. He nodded and started walking towards the back of the house. “Akiko has spoken with you about the problem?”

I nodded, “Yes. I will do what I can.”

Akiko whispered to me, “You are skirting dangerously close.” to which I replied, “I have to. I am not someone’s toy to be played with. And I want to know what an unbound is.”

She whispered, “I will tell you later, but he can hear us.”

Another man was lying on a mat in a room further down the large main room of the building, shivering. He looked very much like Akiko, as well, and I assumed this was her brother. He looked up when we entered, and although he looked like he was ill and had some blood loss, he didn’t look that bad.

As we approached he rose to sit up, and Noboru held out his hand. He had a bandage on his shoulder, and said in Japanese, “Akiko. Were you able to find that healer you mentioned? This sucks, and I can barely feel my arm now.”

She nodded, “Yes, Chikau.”

He looked at me curiously and his eyes widened. “You found an unbound?” and then switched to Japanese, “How did you… Quickly! We must capture it before it gets away!”

I growled at him and started to turn around and leave.

Akiko stopped me by putting her hand on my arm. “It’s not his fault, he’s an idiot.” She turned to her brother. “He’s capable of healing you. You have pissed him off. If you have even the slightest bit of brain left in that skull of yours, you will shut your goddamned mouth and let us get to work. He is being paid quite well which is probably why he didn’t just pop your fucking head off and use you as a drumstick. I’ve seen him do it.”

After I peeled back the bandage surrounding the wound, I almost threw up when I saw the injury. The odor of death clung to it, rotting flesh around a small, jagged incision with veins of pulsing black leading away from the wound and both down his arm and into his chest. Removing the arm might have helped the moment the wound was received, but by now the poison had worked its way through his bloodstream and infested every part of his body, which smelled more weakly of the same corruption.

Chikau Kaito Shinasami

Ghul 5%, Kitsune 12% class E(D)

Aspects: body, shadow, glamour

Power: 132

Conditions: Ghul infected, poisoned, power drained, soul corrupted

Projected lifespan: 3 days. Current age: 56

corrupted, greedy, starving, humiliated, frustrated, in pain

Powers: Shadow melding(disabled), shaded weapon, shadow animation, shadow glamour(disabled)

“How long ago was he poisoned?” I asked. I knew what a kitsune was, and I wondered if perhaps even more strange things abounded in this world. Sif had mentioned supernaturals. Noboru looked entirely Japanese, but both Akiko and Chikau had a vaguely western look, I wondered if their mother were something entirely different, Akiko, a metahuman, and Chikau something else.

“Yesterday morning” his father answered. “That is why we were so eager to see this incredible healer that Kjootoo spoke of. I have no idea how long he can last, but we thought he was dead. His survival might start a war unless we can offer up some sort of recompense, but he is my son and the heir to the clan. Can you help him?”

I was searching through his body with my senses, and nodded to Noboru, “Yes, I can.” Once we rid his body of the poisons, healing the wounds shouldn’t be that difficult, the corruption was recently inflicted even if the effect is pretty bad. This was going to cost me, though.

I would use a basic wash to flush the stuff out of his system and melt it into aspects as it emerged from his system, and then use the result to modify my antidote to affect the rest. After that, it was just a matter of letting his own body fix the rest of the terrible damage that the necrosis was doing to his body.

“He will be dead soon if we don’t do this. No offense, but I don’t trust you. Curing this poison will cost me a lot, and it will weaken me even more. Akiko, I will need you to guard me while I am doing this. Noboru, unless you have a sample of the toxin available, I will need you to clear the area and not allow anyone in until Akiko gives the all-clear. Do you have any questions? The answer should be no.”

“No and no,” Noboru answered. He looked at Akiko and she nodded, “He seems like the excessively honorable sort, father, despite his rough manners. Kjootoo called him stupidly honest, and Caelo seems to be entranced with him. Kjootoo is trying to get him to marry Caelo, so you know his spirits are pushing for him.”

He nodded, “Very well, Alchemyst.” Well, that was quick. Barely 15 minutes until he forgot my name. “We do not possess any samples of this evil toxin, but we will provide whatever you need. If you succeed in saving my son, I will be indebted to you regardless of the agreed-upon payment with Kjootoo. A few peanuts cannot pay for the elephant.”

What an odd statement. Not Japanese in the slightest. “Louis. What I need for now is privacy and silence. This is going to be a total bitch.”

Once Noboru left, Chikau looked at me distrustfully. “Lie back down,” I told him. “I need you to stay still while I do this. It’s going to fucking hurt like fire eating through your veins, but that’s one of the prices for it. If you need to yell, go ahead and yell, but Akiko…” I looked at his sister, “I need you to keep people out of here no matter what. I am trusting you with my life, here, I won’t be able to defend myself.”

“Will you be able to help me?” Chikau asked.

I nodded, “Yeah, just don’t be a douche. I’ll do everything in my power to help here.”

He had a lot of nerve damage already. I wasn’t sure what this spirit damage was, but as the nerves regenerate, they were going to hurt like a motherfucker. I made him drink a healing potion to begin flushing the poisons out of his system, but they were stuck in there pretty well.

I had to strip him and move my hands over his body, converting the corrupting substance into its base aspects to get it to exit his body. He was trembling in pain, naked, as I moved my hands over his body, and I was glad that Akiko was there, guarding the entrance, due to the chances of this being misinterpreted.

I was draining energy, as well as health and strength, at an even pace as I ejected the aspects from his body, and soon had enough pooled around to add to my antidote. After putting a bit of his and my blood into the antidote, I made him drink it. To be honest, the corruption and death aspects made the antidote itself some pretty foul stuff, and I needed Akiko’s help to get Chikau to choke it down.

I activated the regeneration potion after I saw it was having a real effect, and the previously-stoic Chikau started howling like a lunatic as his nerves regenerated. I had been through the effect myself many times in the past, and I truly had sympathy for the 56-year-old boy as it coursed through his system, filling his veins with agony.

He was clutching a ring in his hand, and I imagined it to be some sort of family heirloom or lucky charm as he gritted his teeth finally when the pain eased enough that he wasn’t screaming in utter agony. Several times during the draining process people had shown up and Akiko had to firmly discourage them from entry, including Noboru himself twice.

I finally collapsed, utterly exhausted from the drain of the ordeal, and said melodramatically, “It is done.” My armor was uncomfortable even on the warm wooden floor beside Chikau’s mat. However, I still intended to keep my intimidating appearance, even if it was all I could do not to collapse next to the mat and drop into a deep sleep to allow my body to recover… and then eat a whole steer if one was available. Preferably cooked.

The wound in Chikau’s shoulder was closed, but still an angry red line, but the black veins of infection were gone, and although he still looked pale, he was much better than before. Once he could move with only a little wincing, he sat up on the mat he was laying on.

“I have to say my most sincere gratitude for what you have done, sir,” he said.

I nodded, “Yeah, it was nothing.” ignoring the fact that I was lying there nearly utterly wasted. I had collected a bunch of the leftover corruption and death-aspected fluid with the bottles he had emptied and was tucking them in my belt. Right next to the handkerchief I had started carrying. Not only because there might be a use for it, but also because I didn’t want to leave such a dangerous substance just lying around where anyone could stumble across it.

I had no idea what would happen if I allowed the aspects to be left alone instead of contained or used in a potion, and I didn’t want to find out what would happen if, possibly, a child stumbled across it.

He shook his head. “It is not nothing. I owe you my life.” He placed his hand, with the heirloom, on my shoulder companionably. “I also owe you for agreeing to do everything in your power to help me. The largest threat my clan will have to face is the attack of the Oni when they discover I have survived, which is why I am glad you are so willing to assist in putting a stop to this war before it even starts.”

I heard Akiko scream as the gem in the ring started to glow more brightly, sucking in my gaze, and then my attention, and then every part of me.