The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Hi Apollo, is everything ok *gasp* Are you hurt?” The bouncer said as she looked at my jacket. ”Hi, I am fine, just had a bit of a tumble down the road. This group behind me are officially invited to my party ok? I want them treated with the utmost respect, even though they are keeping information from me.” I said with a fake angry glare backwards.

All they told me is that Valerica had used them to acquire a gift for me and wouldn’t tell me anything more, which was actually fine, hence the fake anger.

”Ok Apollo, I shall let everyone know.” The bouncer said, looking up at me with glossy eyes. I patted her on the shoulder before walking inside. Once inside the foyer, Caleb whistled. ”I had a quick glance around earlier, but this place is pretty nice huh? We usually just find the cheapest dive bar we can and drink ourselves into oblivion when on leave, but this... This is good.”

I smiled hearing that. Sophia put a lot of effort into this place, even if it was a front, I was proud of my little cult leader. ” Right, so down those stairs on the left is the main location: dance floor, bar lounge, sweet etcetera. That’s all you really need to worry about tonight apart from the lock in over there. Just hand over your weapons and you will get them back later. The staff will shortly learn about who you are and your relation to me and will treat you all with the utmost respect. You all are practically royalty tonight so enjoy yourselves. I am going to change into something that isn’t ripped and make the rounds, enjoy yourselves.”

The group of twenty mercenaries all cheered hearing this and began making their way downstairs. I lingered behind for a moment, grabbing Caleb by the arm just before he followed his men.

He gave me a curious look and I informed him. ”So, I have only been back a few hours and have not seen her myself yet, but Janine should be here. If you see her, check in on her. I want to hear it from an outside source that she is doing well here, I genuinely care about her.”

Caleb smiled and patted me on the upper arm. ”Ah, you remind me so much of myself. Just taller and less handsome. I knew letting Janine go with you wouldn’t be a mistake. Of course I will check on her, I was planning on getting around to it at some point during one of my next leaves anyway.”

As Caleb walked down the stairs into the club, I smiled and shook my head before following the man. The club was packed, Drinks flowed freely and people danced without a care in the world.

As I scanned over the club, I managed to spot Valerica by the bar. She was talking to Kathrine, who by the look on her face, was really not enjoying the conversation. Still, seeing Valerica made me really happy that I had Orchid bring my bags with her instead of having them on my shuttle as I had a little gift for her.

Killing two birds with one stone, I made my way to Sophia’s suite, as that’s where Orchid told me she had stashed the bags earlier. Upon entering, I immediately took off my jacket and shirt as I began ruffling through the bags one by one.

”No, that one is just more platinum, no, no. Ah, there we go.” I said, finding what I needed on the second to last bag, the final bag would have caused me to have a serious talk with Keyla, a bullet she narrowly dodged.

After putting on a new shirt and subpar jacket, I tucked away the scroll with The Hyllus Psionic technique into the inside pocket and was about to leave, until I spotted someone inside the room.

A child, no older than ten, was sitting in the booth holding a drink on her lap that had a crazy straw sticking out of it. There was an awkward pause as I was beyond confused. ’Why is there a kiddo here?’

The silence brought a tension, but it soon ended after I noticed something. The ice in the girl’s drink was shaking ever so slightly and her eyes were looking at me with a look, universally recognised. Fear.

I wanted to just leave, in case this was some sort of trap for a creep in the club, but the kid’s fear was so obvious I couldn’t just leave her. Sitting down at the very opposite end of the booth, I started making myself a drink without looking at the child and said. ”Hi.” With the softest, most non threatening smile I had ever given, briefly looked in her general direction before going back to my drink.

”Oooh, mixed berries. Yes please.” I muttered, not part of my script, just genuinely happy that Sophia had gotten me new drink flavours. Just as I finished making my drink and put it to my lips, I heard a soft. ”Hello.” From the child. Looking over now she had engaged, I noticed her eyes were full of suspicion towards me.

”Do you have a name?” I inquired, causing the little ragamuffin to nod her head before she said quietly. ”Lele.”

”Lele?” I repeated. ”Well, it’s very nice to meet you Lele, I am Apollo. Tell me, is Lele short for something or is it just Lele?” There was a slight pause as Lele looked at me with her eyes wide open before she seemed to compose herself. ”Leilani.”

”Ok Leilani, very pretty name by the way, can you tell me what you are doing here? Do you need help finding your parents?” I asked, causing the girl to look down into her drink. ”My parents are dead.”

”Oh. I can sympathise. My parents are dead as well. Did they pass recently?” In response, the girl’s eyes watered up in record speed as she began nodding her head. Panic almost gripped its claws into me, but I was quick and changed the subject.

”So, you must have come with someone tonight right? You wouldn’t have been let in otherwise. Who brought you here? Perhaps I can help find them for you?” The girl wiped her eyes, getting control over her emotions quickly with a quick sniffle before saying. ”I came here with a woman called Jinx.”

”Jinx? As in blue hair, Tattoos over her body Jinx?” As I got a head nod of confirmation, I felt myself a little panicked. ’Oh she can’t eat this kid. That is not cool.’ I thought, assuming the worst before pulling myself back.

”I know Jinx quite well, Leilani. Would you mind telling me your relationship with her?” For the first time, Leilani didn’t look afraid or upset and looked at me with squinted eyes, cautiously trying to perceive something. I seemed to pass some kind of test as she asked me. ”Are you Jinx’s boyfriend?”

”Um... That’s a bit of a loaded question, but I suppose in simple terms yes. Jinx and I are Girlfriend, Boyfriend. What made you ask that?”

Lele only trusted Jinx, Jinx had saved her life, even if she constantly put it at risk. If This was Jinx’s boyfriend, that means she could trust him. Right? ” I am a tool that Jinx uses. I have a superpower. Me and Jinx work for White Death, but Jinx said she was not loyal to him anymore and that we were coming to meet her mummy and my new family.”

There was a slight pause as I began to soak everything in that Lele had just said. I was honestly just relieved that I hadn’t met Jinx’s lunch as that would have been emotionally taxing, there were certain things I didn’t want to know about after all.

Lele took my silence to mean something else and ran over to me, squeezing my arm as hard as she could. ”Please don’t tell anyone about my superpower! Jinx told me not to tell anyone. I, I just thought that since you are her boyfriend and you seem... Nice? That it would be ok, please don’t say anything!”

I smiled warmly at Lele, I could tell she was genuinely worried I would say something. To ease her worry, I smiled and sat up straight. ”Now why would I reveal the secret identity of a fellow superhero hmm? Superheroes help one another maintain their secret identities don’t they?”

Lele’s eyes opened wide, her guard completely gone at this point as she walked between my legs, cusping her hand with her mouth and got on her tiptoes to whisper. ”You have superpowers too?”

I chuckled and raised my hand to the side, clicking my finger for the dramatic flair before a ball of fire manifested above my open palm. The girls eye’s threatened to fall out of their sockets with how wide and how full of excitement they were.

Teasingly I said. ”Here catch.” I said, throwing the fireball towards Lele, on reflex she went to catch it and was about to scream that it burned her hands, but looked down curiously. ”It isn’t hot?”

I nodded my head and smiled, pulling the flame back towards me before squashing it in my palm. ”I can take the heat out of flames, I can make them hotter as well, just one of my many powers.” I could tell Lele was genuinely impressed, but it was her turn to show off her power to the superhero club, so I asked.

”So Lele, what is it you can do?”