The Sound of Wind

  **

  “So, first order of business, show of hands for who wants to destroy the world and appoint Admiral Crazypants as our emperor?” Everyone just stared at Clem. Clem shook his head, a look of disappointment crossing his face, “An unadventurous lot I see. So we’re going to stop Vitaly then. I guess that makes the next order of business, are we helping out the Agency as well?”

  “I’ll admit, I don’t like some of their methods, I’m especially not pleased with what they did to the Project Burnout patients," Crysta shook her head a little before she continued speaking, "but Charles said Octavia wasn’t keeping them fully in the loop, so I won’t judge them based solely on that. They have similar goals to us and the Yakuza would crush them. I think we should help them out.”

  “I agree,” Hugo added.

  CJ’s eyes brightened, “And that means we get to fight the bad guys, right?”

  This wasn’t a game and Hugo meant to say as much, but Clem beat him out, “Exactly CJ.” Crysta tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, not quite pleased with Clem’s agreement either, but she held her tongue.

  “So, what are we going to do?” CJ asked, placing her hands on the conference room table. She was swinging her legs excitedly.

  “Well, as far as the Agency is concerned, we need to deter the Yakuza from going after the Asian branch, and keep an eye on the North American branches. Vitaly already crippled Gideon Enterprises because he knew they would oppose him, so since there aren't really any big powered groups to go after the North American branches, he'll probably have to send his own people.”

  Clem carefully considered Hugo’s statement before responding. “Sounds good. So we take care of the Dragon, and sit on the Agencies here. What else?”

  Hugo stared at the ceiling for a second to collect his thoughts before responding. “As far as Vitaly is concerned, we need to find out what his plans are before we go after him. I’d like to do it this week before he has more help, but with the armbands I think it’s going to be a lot more difficult than that.”

  “So we’ll get you an armband so you can find a work around," Clem said, then grinned at CJ, "Right CJ?”

  “Yeah! I’m totally in for the spy stuff. Are we going to fight the Dragon?” CJ finished almost breathlessly.

  Clem’s smile widened, “I can take care of that by myself. I have a plan.”

  “Clem…” Hugo started, but that disarming smile stopped him from saying anything else.

  “Don’t worry. You’re going to check to make sure it works first.” Clem held his hand out to Hugo, “Do your thing.”

  Hugo sighed, but didn’t refuse Clem’s hand. Clem was standing at the gates of the Dragon’s estate, waving amicably at the guard there, who looked incredibly pissed. Then Clem disappeared, and the guard panicked. He looked to his friend, instructing him to tell the head of the guard that there was possibly an invisible person or teleporter on the premises. That man did exactly as he was told. The head of the guard was the invulnerable guy from the party. The message was relayed and then the invulnerable man went back to the inner chamber of the Dragon, walked up to the man, and snapped his neck. Both men crumpled to the floor, the head of the guard holding the Dragon in his arms. Clem quietly appeared behind the crying man, and walked through a portal into the Phoenix Foundation.

  Hugo stared slightly agape at Clem, the man was just smiling.

  “It works doesn’t it? That is the face of someone who saw a brilliant plan in action,” Clem was positively beaming.

  Hugo nodded slowly, “It…works…and they won’t even know it wasn’t an internal conflict. At the very best they’ll think that guy was working for Vitaly.”

  “What happened?” CJ asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.

  Hugo glanced nervously at Clem, then Crysta. CJ had already seen so much, but he couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge that they were ready to resort to such methods, that there wasn’t a hesitation to kill. “He…”

  “I’m going to blackmail him,” Clem interjected, a smug smile on his face. He didn’t even glance at Hugo to confirm the lie, “And before you ask, I can’t tell you the secret because…it’s a secret.”

  CJ pouted, “What? You mean I don’t get to fight the Dragon?”

  “I need you for the spy stuff, CJ,” Clem said, almost solemnly.

  CJ pouted for a moment longer, than nodded, “Alright."

  An hour later, the Dragon was slain.