Paragons 2 Read online

“It doesn’t matter,” Fleur said. “So long we talk to him.”

  She was right, all that mattered was learning what we could from the man. “So who goes?” Felicity asked. She had her superhero outfit on, and sweat glistened on her skin. With no shame, I stared at her exposed cleavage. It was a sight to behold, and I loved what I saw.

  With everything going on, we all had been busy and exhausted. Just looking at her, I really wanted her. She was sexy and seductive.

  “Reign said one of them had to be Ares. It sounded like he wanted to talk to you again.”

  “Lucky me,” I said sarcastically. Reign was one of those people that leaked mistrust and made me hate him even more. It was no surprise that he was working for my mother, and trying to kill Paragons. “That man makes my skin crawl.”

  Not many people had that effect on me, but he did. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to him.

  “I thought that was a foregone conclusion,” Felicity said. “Who else goes?”

  Athena smirked. “As much as I want to say ‘me’ since I have the most experience in interrogation, I will have to pass.”

  She was right about having the most. Even more than me. If I’m being honest about it, back in the old days, I let her do it.

  “I have a lot of experience,” Fleur said. “But I might be a distraction.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  “Stefan couldn’t take his eyes off me,” she said. “I think he has a thing for redheads.”

  That was enough for me to keep her far, far from the man. “Okay,” I said. “Felicity and I will see him.”

  “What about me?” Lola asked.

  “None of them have seen you,” I said. “Best to keep your secret for now. We might need you to scout for us.”

  Lola frowned. “Okay,” she said. “Not that I like the idea of scouting.”

  “I hate the idea,” I said. “I hope we don’t have to resort to that, but it’s something we need to have in our back pocket.”

  26

  Stefan Cole

  This was the second time I had been to Rikers Island. The home of one of the most famous prisons in the world. A large number of TV shows and movies featured the place.

  Again, the smell in the air was vile. I crinkled my nose as we walked. Felicity did as well. “This place stinks,” she said.

  It did, and one that was hard to place. A mix of the water, body odor, and fear. That was a combination I didn’t like. McGarrett met us here.

  “You get used to it,” he said.

  “Gonna say that isn’t possible,” Felicity said. “No way I would ever not notice this.”

  McGarrett shrugged. “I don’t.”

  “Your sense of smell isn’t as good as mine,” she pointed out.

  “Maybe.”

  We went inside a different building this time, since the last time I’d been here was for prisoner transport. This was the place that I met that rogue cop Archer. It was a shame that so many Paragons had fallen under the spell of my sister, Eris. She really did a number on the city.

  The air inside this building didn’t have the same toxic stench. Now we were blasted with bleach and BO.

  Going through several corridors, we arrived at a door. In front of it was Reign with his smug face. He stood tall with his arms crossed in front of himself. When he saw me, he smirked.

  “Ares,” he said.

  “Reign, no minion with you?”

  The man shrugged. “Belladonna is at Walker Consolidated. Working with Fenrir to create the ultimate anti-Paragon device.”

  My skin crawled. It took all I had not to react to the man and what he said. “I see,” I said with a dry voice. “You wanted to talk to me?”

  Reign smiled. “Mister Walker wanted to know if you talked to his daughter.”

  “Not yet,” I said. That wasn’t true, but they didn’t need to know that. “She has daddy issues, and it's not a subject I like to bring up.”

  Reign laughed. It was a menacing one, and made my skin crawl. Even the most sinister comic book villains would have been impressed with Reign. “I’m sure she does.”

  I hated even saying it, and that he laughed about it. My blood boiled as we stood there. “Is that all?”

  “For now,” Reign said. It surprised me he was okay with being Fenrir’s errand boy. There had to be more between the two. I wondered if that was our solution. Get the two to turn on each other. I made a note to see what the others thought.

  Felicity leaned close as the man walked away. “I hate that man. Makes me sick to be near him.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Me too.”

  McGarrett led us into the room. Stefan sat on the far side of the only table. He had his hands tied, and he wore the power dampening bracelets. I turned to McGarrett. “They haven’t taken his powers?”

  “Reign tried. Fought the Mayor for over a day on it, but she didn’t relent. She really is digging her grave.”

  I hoped that wasn’t the case, and that she won the battle against Reign. Maybe it was time for team Ares to meet the Mayor. I thought of us as that team but would never say it to them. They rejected the name already, but I liked it.

  “Let’s hope Reign doesn’t get what he wants,” I said.

  “Hear! Hear!” Stefan said in agreement. “That man is disgusting. I rather like my powers.”

  I didn’t respond and took the seat across from him. Felicity took the chair next to mine and McGarrett remained standing. Since we weren’t on a raid, none of us wore our superhero outfits. I had on some jeans and another T-shirt. This time of a video game character, a plumber.

  Felicity had on yoga pants and a shirt, both so tight that they appeared to be painted on her.

  Stefan took her in. “You didn’t bring White Angel. I’m a huge fan of hers.”

  I could see the longing in his eyes. Being attracted to Fleur was one thing I could completely understand. When I first arrived here on Earth, I had become enamored by her. She really was hot. Though so were Lola and Felicity. Clearly, Stefan wasn’t a fan of the squirrelkin.

  If she cared, Felicity didn’t let it show. “She’s busy,” Felicity said. “You’ll have to suffer looking at me.”

  Stefan laughed. “It could be worse.”

  The squirrelkin crinkled her nose at the backhanded compliment.

  “You said you don’t like Reign,” I said. “Help me take him down.”

  Stefan laughed. “Like I am going to help you. Clearly, you’re working for him.”

  “I just asked you to help me take him down. Reign and I hate each other. That is pretty much known to all.”

  “Elric showed us the truth,” Stefan said. “You and Reign are playing us all. Tricking the world to think you hate each other.”

  This was not what I had been expecting. I wasn’t prepared for this path at all. For him to refuse to talk and not help us, maybe, but not this.

  Felicity leaned forward and crossed her arms under her breasts. Drawing attention to them. “Listen, Stefan,” she purred. “Ares might be a lot of things, but in cahoots with Reign—nope. Let me hear this evidence you have.”

  Stefan Cole narrowed his eyes at Felicity and then took me in. “And how am I supposed to do that. It's not like I carried around the evidence that Elric showed us.”

  Felicity groaned. “You can at least tell us about it. Lay it out for us. So we can refute it. Show you that it’s wrong.”

  Behind me, I heard McGarrett mumble under his breath. This was really going in a strange direction and even he thought so.

  “Fine,” Stefan said. “I’ll tell you what Elric has. Proof that Ares attacked and murdered other Paragons. He showed us a paper trail of him and Eris working together to undermine the city. That the documents released to show that Eris and Finn were working together were forged. That it really was Eris and Ares.”

  “Interesting,” McGarrett said. “I’ve seen the documents that indicate Finn and Eris.”

  “And?” Stefan eyed the police officer. �
�You were the one that helped deliver the news. I have to imagine you are working for Reign too. Trying to remove the Paragons. All we’re trying to do is survive.”

  “What do you think I’m trying to do,” I said. “I want the Paragons to be here. To fight against the likes of Reign. To fight against Hera.”

  Stefan laughed. “You really do think you are a Greek God.”

  I closed my eyes. “I am no Paragon.”

  “Could have fooled me,” the prisoner said.

  “We just need your help to stop the person who is actually working with Reign,” I said. “Elric is the one that’s helping him. Not me.”

  “You can’t trick me,” he said. “I won’t fall for your tricks.”

  I thought about it for a while. There had to be a way to prove to Stefan that I was telling the truth. That I had nothing to do with Reign. “How exactly do your powers work?” I asked.

  “No way I am going to tell you that.” Now he looked nervous and scared to death of me. I was going to have to speak fast.

  “Can you make a person tell you the truth?” I asked. “Or at least not lie?”

  Stefan narrowed his eyebrows. His face contorted in a strange way. “Maybe,” he said. “I’ve never tried such a thing.”

  “How about we make sure my friend here can’t be taken under your charm, and you try that on me. See if I am telling you the truth.”

  “In no way will I allow that,” McGarrett said. “That goes against all the rules here.”

  I stood and went to McGarrett in the corner of the room. Leaned close to him. “I know it’s dangerous, and might lead to getting me hurt.” Not that I really believed the last part. “Or me helping him escape, but having Felicity stay in the room with her ears plugged will keep her safe. She’ll be able to take him out in a heartbeat.”

  “I will,” she said. She hadn’t gotten up, but she had better hearing than the average person.

  “I could lose my job for this,” McGarrett said.

  “If it goes bad, it's on me,” I said. “Reign will have what he wants. What he desires.”

  McGarrett closed his eyes and thought about it. “I would hate giving him what he wants. Doesn’t seem right.”

  “But we need this,” I countered. “If he trusts me, he will tell us Elric’s plans.”

  McGarrett didn’t look convinced. “I don’t trust this man. Not even a little bit.” The police officer appeared to be determined in the matter. “If I let him do this, who is to say he will actually help. For all we know Stefan Cole will just send you on a wild goose chase that lets Elric ambush you.”

  “That is a risk that I am willing to take,” I said.

  “Let me think on this,” McGarrett said.

  I went back to the table. “Stefan, you don’t trust me. Clearly not even a little bit.”

  “No,” Stefan said.

  “Would you use this to escape? Make me break you out?”

  The prisoner rubbed his chin and thought about it. “You are one of the most powerful Paragons around. You just might be able to get me out of here, but in doing so I would anger Elric.”

  I laughed. “How is that?”

  Stefan smirked. “I might defeat you or get you hurt. Or me. That would upset him. You are his, and his alone.”

  Elric had a hard-on for me, and I didn’t like that one bit. The speed or time travel guy needed to not make it all about me. Though I wasn’t much better with my mindset. The last few weeks has been Elric and Reign. Who knows what Hera and her other minions were doing.

  This needed to end. “McGarrett?” I asked.

  “Wait five minutes, and then do it.” The police officer left the room, and I imagined he was going to turn off the recording equipment. The last thing we wanted was for Reign to see this, no matter how it went.

  After the wait, Felicity produced the earplugs she’d worn in our first encounter with the man. Again, we had both made sure to have them just in case. She nodded when ready.

  I reached across the table and removed the bracelets that were damping his powers. Stefan smiled with delight. Before, he had looked defeated, but now he had energy in him. Power in him.

  “Thank you,” he said. “Now, do I risk escape, or do I do as you asked.”

  Clearly, he was debating about it. “If you want to live, do as I asked,” I said. “You think Felicity is the only Paragon here?”

  “That is true,” Stefan said. “My chance of escape, even with you, is slim. I can’t control that many at one time.”

  “Then get on with this.”

  “Very well,” Stefan said. “This will be an interesting test of my powers.”

  The charmer’s face crinkled, and he appeared to be concentrating on me. “You cannot lie to me, Ares,” he said. The words held power over me, compelled me. I hated this feeling, and it was the second time I had felt it recently. This would be the last time as well. No way was I going to let him do this again.

  I heard that not all charmers were the same. That some people felt great joy when a charmer used their powers on them. This wasn’t like that. It hurt me from head to toe and made me sick to my stomach. Both times it was the same, and unlike last time I wasn’t even fighting it.

  “I will not lie,” I said.

  Stefan rubbed his chin. “I have to make sure you aren’t just saying that,” he said.

  “I understand.”

  “Good, so don’t get mad at me.”

  I wondered what he was going to make me do. There was a good chance I wasn’t going to like it.

  The prisoner smiled from ear to ear. “Come over here and take my pants off and rub my cock.”

  Hell fucking no. That was not the way I rolled, and yet my body started to move. “Do not make me do this,” I said through gritted teeth.

  The special earplugs allowed a person to hear, but not as well as without them. It was beyond me on how they worked, but right now I wished they didn’t allow Felicity to hear what he said.

  She burst out, laughing her ass off. The squirrelkin was buckled over and barely able to keep an eye on me. The amusement she found in this annoyed me.

  Slowly I walked to him. Fighting each and every step around the table. Since I fought, it was a slow and tedious process. When I reached him, I knelt down in front of him and was looking him squarely in his crotch. This was the worst thing I had ever let happen to me. I made a note to never speak of this. To swear Felicity to secrecy and vowed to make Stefan pay if he made me go through with this.

  It wasn’t that I had a problem with it, but it wasn’t what I enjoyed. I started to unzip him, and Stefan spoke. “Stop.”

  Thank goodness.

  “I’ll believe you,” he said.

  Then he asked me dozens of questions.

  27

  History

  Driving back to the hideout, I turned to Felicity as she drove. “You will not tell a soul of what that man tried to make do,” I said.

  Felicity smirked. “Sorry, buddy. No way I can keep that a secret. I’m terrible with secrets.”

  I groaned, but she was right. In the time that I’ve known her, she has only kept one. The reason that she didn’t like Belladonna.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Felicity shrugged. “I guess so, after that entertainment you just provided me, and the info we learned.”

  “Why do you hate Belladonna so much?”

  “She’s trying to kill Paragons.”

  I shook my head. “I know there’s more to it than that.”

  Felicity sighed. She navigated the streets of New York like a pro, but I knew she wasn’t originally from here. Not that she had been open about where she grew up like Lola or me had been.

  “Fine,” she said. Her voice had an edge to it, and I hated to push her. But I feared this might be an issue later, and being open with each other was key to a relationship and a team.

  “Please,” I said.

  “I grew up in a small town in Washington,” she said. She was a
long way from home being here. “Belladonna was from there as well. The company she worked for helped create a drug that was supposed to cure cancer.”

  I nodded. So far as I knew that illness hadn’t been truly beaten. Some had lived, with chemotherapy and radiation.

  “But instead, it killed hundreds of people, and my sister was one of them. She had cancer, and the doctor said she would make it. That this was a miracle drug, but it killed her.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Felicity went silent for a while. Death seemed to surround so many people, and drive them in their lives.

  “I just want to make her pay,” Felicity said.

  “I know, and we will.”

  Back at the hideout, we both entered and were greeted by Lola. Neither Fleur or Athena were anywhere to be seen.

  “Where are the others?” Felicity asked.

  Lola shrugged. “Not sure, both left after you two, and haven’t checked in.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Do they have their earbuds?”

  Lola shook her head. “No. Both said it was too risky.”

  I didn’t like that at all. While they both could handle themselves, Reign or Hera could strike at any moment. They wouldn’t be able to stop either one of them. I hated not knowing where Fleur was. Athena was different. She might end up arrested, but she wouldn’t lose her powers. Fleur, on the other hand, would, and that frightened me.

  “What did you learn?” Lola asked. When we went into Rikers we left our comms device out. The last thing we wanted to risk was Reign seeing them. To take them away, and use them against us. Minimizing risk was the key to the game right now.

  “Elric has three safehouses in the city. Two of them in the Broadway district,” I said.

  “You actually got him to talk?” Lola asked. “I didn’t think he would ever trust you.”

  Felicity burst out laughing, Lola gave her a look. “What am I missing?”

  “You won’t believe what Ares almost did,” Felicity said.

  This was my cue to leave and think about what we needed to do. The last thing I wanted was to hear the story of me almost touching another man’s dick. I still couldn’t believe what Stefan started to make me do. It worked out for us, but it still made my skin crawl. I would never force a person to do something of a sexual nature that they didn’t want to do. Stefan was a fucking creep.