Courtney walked down the last flight of stairs to the Subways, apprehension slowing every step. After the fiasco with Hot Rod yesterday, she'd contacted Jumper about the mysterious man who'd approached her. After some time, he'd texted her back a simple message.
He says he'll meet with you at 9:00 tomorrow in the Subways
Nothing about where in the Subways. Just that she'd have to go down there. After stewing on the instructions for a while, she'd decided to go down a staircase a ways from where she was currently staying.
White lights bathed the station, which was full of people commuting to work. Was she supposed to get on one of the trains? Or was she supposed to wait here like a fool?
She stood by the wall, looking through the faces for that strangely passive face.
"Hey!"
Courtney spun around, startled. A girl - maybe late teens? - was standing just inches from her. How had she gotten there? She wasn't anyone Courtney recognized - and she'd probably remember someone with the ends of her black hair dyed bright blue.
"Do I know you?" Courtney asked cautiously. Was she in league with the killer?
"Joey told me about you, and that Odin told you to meet him. I'm ditching class for a bit to make sure he doesn't shoot you in the head or something."
Odin? Was that the man's name? Courtney filed the information away.
"And you are?"
"Name's Cleo. I...kind of got mixed up in stuff before. Remember the last Phantasma attack?"
Ah. Right. Jumper had gotten information about what was happening from someone else, and she must have also been the one to warn him about the Legion's impending fate.
"Courtney." She held out her hand and Cleo sheepishly took it and shook it.
"Decided to interfere, eh Salmon?" The two of them startled at the man's voice. A short ways away, among the crowds getting on and off the train, was the man Courtney had met outside the old Legion HQ.
"Odin," Cleo said coldly.
"Hey, you're the one who was trespassing," he replied flatly. "You're lucky I didn't have the turrets shoot you on sight."
Wait, what? What had Cleo gotten herself into? Courtney moved between the two of them to protect Cleo if need be, but Odin just laughed.
"This way." He jerked his head and headed for a small dark maintenance corridor.
Courtney followed him, with Cleo close behind. After a couple minutes of silence, they stopped outside a hefty looking metal door. A complex scanner glowed softy next to it.
"Now. What did you want to talk to me about, Ms. Larsen? Are you joining me?" The dim light made Odin's grin seem downright sinister.
"I'm here to make a deal." Courtney took a step forward, while Cleo hovered in the shadows just steps away.
"Speak."
"I'll join you and aid in arresting Miracle Bearers. In exchange, you won't kill any of them. Starting with Hot Rod." A sigh floated out of Odin as he digested the information.
"Fine. Let's see if we can hammer out something that works for both of us. You help get them locked up. Are you wanting them to be kept in solitary still, or should we ask our military friends to treat them like regular inmates?"
Courtney frowned as she considered her response. In the end, she kept it simple.
"Whichever you prefer. I don't deny that there is potential for them to cause harm to military personnel and other inmates. I'll leave that part of the decision in your hands."
Surely this would earn her points to ask for something else later.
"Very well. We'll leave it in the military's hands then. I don't particularly care either way. If they go insane and kill themselves, I guess they've done my job for me."
A concerning idea, but Courtney didn't say anything. She knew full well she was making a deal with the devil.
You'd better appreciate this, Hot Rod.
"Next on the list of conditions...Ah, yes. How many hours would you like to put into this?"
"A full-time job's worth," Courtney replied. It wasn't like she'd be working any harder than she had in the military.
"Excellent. I can provide food and lodging, and a pay with those considerations in mind. Now, Ms. Turkey, would you like to stay with us? Or shall I arrange a place up top for you?"
Turkey? What? No, she could worry about that later.
"Where are you staying?" Courtney asked cautiously.
"Cleo. If you wouldn't mind showing us to the guest rooms." Odin clapped his hands and Cleo jumped in surprise.
"Me? What? Now? I thought you said I wasn't allowed - "
"This will be your one exception. I don't feel like walking poor Darius all the way there."
Darius? What?
"Got it," Cleo sighed. As her exhale finished, a ripple of space distorted, creating a portal big enough for a person to go through.
Ah, yes. Jumper's portal friend. But then...
No. Focus, Courtney. That can come later.
They filed through the portal, and landed in a small hallway lined on either side by rooms.
"You would stay in Room 04, Ms. Larsen. Joseph, Ned, Cleo and another person will be living here as well, so you'll have plenty of neighbours."
Courtney only half heard his words as she opened the door to Room 04. It was...starkly empty. There wasn't a speck of anything in there. The only feature was the smell of cleaner. The closet and attached bathroom were similarly bare-bones.
"Looks fine," Courtney said. Cleo had ducked out to another room and come back.
"It's empty now," she said, glancing at Odin.
"I said I'd have them prepared for you. Darius has been hard at work cleaning them for the past few days. Not just yours, but every room down here. All that's left is to add new furnishings. The rusty beds just wouldn't have done. You can thank me for the fresh wood beds later."
Ah. So Courtney didn't necessarily have to bring her own furnishings then?
"What furniture exactly are you providing?" she asked. "I just want to know what I have to bring myself."
"Bed, mattress, sheets, pillow, and some drawers. The bathroom should have plenty of space, but you'll need to bring your own toiletries and clothes. The kitchen is fully furnished, but if you have a specific chair you're attached to, Cleo and Sawyer can move it in here. Once you get a bit more used to the space, I guess you can do whatever you want with it. I haven't remodeled in a while. Just don't go into my zone or I might have to shoot you."
Okay. Those conditions sounded a little too good to be true. But if Odin could be worked with, if he could be reasoned with...
"Sounds perfect. I'm in," Courtney said.
"Very well. Oh, but I do need a couple more addendums. If a Gifted inmate escapes, if you don't have them back behind bars within three hours, I make no promises about their fate. I'm going to prioritize keeping the normal people alive over not killing your precious beloved Gifted bastards."
"Fine." The military would just have to make sure nobody escaped once they'd been locked up.
"Oh, and with regards to that one, I'm killing Ferry on sight," Odin said.
"What? No!" Cleo said. "You just promised - "
"Ferry will be the one exception. She, along with you, Cleo Yang, are the most dangerous Gifted on this ship. I'm willing to put my faith in you, but Ferry's already broken Paris out of prison. I won't have her releasing Cold Snap or Corrosion after we finally nab them."
"Fine," Courtney said softly. "If there is no other way to stop her, I'll let that one slide. But only if we have no alternative."
"Unless one drops out of the sky, I doubt there will be."
The three of them stared at each other for a while, and Odin reached out to shake Courtney's hand.
"Then after one last addendum, we'll be good. Starting with the next Gifted person arrested, I won't sneak into the prison to kill them."
Courtney froze, her hand halfway to accepting Odin's handshake.
"No. Starting with Hot Rod," she said, looking up fearfully. Dread pooled in her stomach, cold and heavy.
"Little late for that. I cleaned him up yesterday afternoon."
Courtney's hand fell to her side, her heart nearly stopping.
"How...?" she asked. "We just got him yesterday."
"I kept an eye on the incoming prisoners," Odin said nonchalantly. "When I saw him, I moved. He was one of the most dangerous Gifted. Hell, by the time I showed up, he'd almost killed himself. They still haven't gotten the cell fully cleaned. That smoke smell's gonna linger for ages."
Hot Rod. Dead. Whatever else Odin was saying, that was the one part that mattered.
Courtney pulled her hand back, glaring at Odin's stupid expressionless face.
Those weren't the terms she'd agreed to.
But...
What was done couldn't be undone. And...her best bet...
"Fine." She slowly grasped his hand. "Starting with the next one. And if you break our deal, I'll break your neck myself."
"I look forward to it," Odin said, a chuckle escaping him.
If the only way to keep him in check was to offer herself, the answer was obvious. For the sake of saving those he had yet to kill.
