WilliamDArand
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Super Sales on Super Heroes 6 -Chapter 4-
🕑 Added 2023-05-10 17:32:56 +0000 UTCChapter 4 - Fractured Fate -
Feeling rather comfortable in a full kit, Felix stood quietly in the large gymansium they’d been brought into.
Felix noted that Edmund, the man with the mask, and Vince we’re here. As well as an incredibly handsome man that introduced himself as Sam, as well as his son, an equally handsome man named Alexander.
Or Alex for short.
Runner and Ryker had opened a portal and just finished explaining that they’d be moving out momentarily.
Then everyone marched through it, though Edmund and Runner lingered.
As he went through the portal Felix was struck by the sound of gunfire and fighting.
Looking to the side Felix found the source of the sounds. Fearing he’d find nothing there at all just as he had previously.
Thankfully there was indeed a fullblown battle ongoing in the distance. Gunfire, explosions, people taking cover, and what looked to be actual maneuvers.
He couldn’t identify the uniforms or those involves, but he imagined it was likely forces of Runner’s or Ryker’s. Perhaps even some of the many groups he’d actually witnessed being mobilized.
At the front of their small group was the man in the mask he’d noticed earlier. They were all standing in front of a large cave that was cloaked in a deep and heavy darkness.
The mask turned Felix’s way and he heard the man laugh.
“Hey Felix,” said the masked individual. “You look better then the last I saw you. Lost some of that fat in your cheeks though. You’re looking lean and mean.”
“I… err… have we met?” Felix asked, suddenly feeling very concerned. If maybe his mind was slipping further and faster than he now knew.
“No. No we haven’t formally met. Names Rene. I’ve kept you safe from the shadows a few times,” answered the masked man who was named Rene. “Ryker and Runner sent me. They didn’t want you to get made into a was or anything.
“Ah, my turn. I’ll be back, I’ll scout the attack.”
Not waiting further, Rene turned and stepped into the cave. Vanishing into the dark.
Blinking, then nodding his head, Felix could believe that. He was starting to suspect everyone around him was far more interconnected than he’d thought.
“Ha, Campbells. You’re always so fascinating,” said the man named Sam in a warm drawl. “Your sister Melody is a handful.”
“Sister?” Felix asked breathlessly.
Vince, who was standing nearby, also looked to Sam with a wide eyed stare. This was clearly news to him as well.
“Excuse—”
“Okay, so, yeah, foolish and stupid to chase Zeus into a cave. Rene’s going to check it out and get back to us,” Runner stated loudly, talking over Felix. He’d just closed the portal behind himself as well. “Sure as hell ain’t splitting up either. This isn’t the time for stupidity, and none of you are hot enough, or female for that matter, for me want to attempt a Scooby Doo three-way with.”
Ryker, who had been drenched in the shadows of the cave mouth, stepped out from the darkness and looked to Runner.
Felix hadn’t even noticed the man was there this whole time.
“Man… I’ve got a thing for Velma. You can keep Daphne. She looks like a mega-Karen in the making,” Ryker grumbled.
“She’s the nerdy one that’s got some weight to her, yes?” Sam asked and then smiled when he got nods. “Yes, I do like her myself. They’re always so earnest and eager to please.”
“You sure that’s not just cause you’re an Incubus?” Alex asked, looking to the other man. “And… you’re not talking about, mom, are you?”
Sam didn’t say anything, he just stared at the other man.
“Oh god, you’re talking about mom,” groaned Alex.
“She’s always so willing, my boy. It’s—”
“No! No, no, no. Not talking about mom. Stop, father. Stop right now,” Alex hissed and jabbed a finger into Sam’s chest.
“Uh, I’d like to talk about your mom. She seems fun,” Ryker offered. “She got any sisters?”
Edmund shook his head slowly and looked to the ground. His companions also looked perturbed.
Felix felt himself grin. He found this rather funny if he was being honest.
This little group felt a lot like a set of people he’d like to spend some time with. That he’d have a lot in common with.
Except right now he needed information.
Reaching out, he put a hand to Sam’s shoulder and drew him off to the side as everyone else talked on. Felix wanted to be part of that talk but he needed answers.
“Sister?” Felix prompted as Vince walked up next to the other two men.
“Yes, please explain,” Vince asked.
“If you boys are done antagonizing Alex, Rene’s back,” stated the woman who’d been beside Edmund in a flat tone. Apparently, she didn’t really approve of the teasing that was ongoing.
“Indeed, indeed, I’ve gone and come back. I’m afraid though that I’ve found nothing to attack,” quipped the man in the mask in a sing-song tone. Then he sighed. “Ain’t shit there and no one’s home. Place is a damn tomb and really weird as well.
“That’s an understatement by the way. Weird barely begins to describe this. I don’t actually have words for it.”
“Yeah… yeah, that’s not surprising. Yeah,” Runner hissed with a small shake of his head. “Before we go in there, just know that we’re not where you think we are. Not anywhere near, in fact.
“We’re in a place that is outside of my powers, in a way. Outside of everyone’s powers. Everything here is as raw as it could be. If you die here, you die. I can’t fix or change that. No one can.”
“Whole lot of things are just going to look strange. Things won’t match, physics will be damned, and time is a suggestion, more than a law,” Ryker warned.
“Sounds like a really bad fever dream,” Rene mumbled.
“Uh… yeah? Yeah,” Runner agreed and then nodded his head toward the cavern entrance. “In we go, then. Tempus fucked-off or whatever it is.”
Rene and Vince moved to the front of the group and entered. Heading into the darkness and a slow turn to the left as they moved down.
Felix wanted to keep talking to Sam but he realized he’d have to wait. Sam had fallen back to stand next to his son.
Grunting, Felix followed along behind Vince and Rene.
A slow left-hand turn that curved around as they marched down.
Felix could hear whispers behind him but he was too nervous to turn around and look. He was deathly afraid there wouldn’t be anyone there.
Then with a single step he found himself somewhere else entirely.
They’d gone from a dark and dingy-looking cave to the interior of a hotel lobby. A very expensive hotel lobby it looked like.
He could remember staying in many similar looking hotels in his various trips as of late.
There was no furniture at all, but you could tell what it should’ve been, even at a glance. Or so Edmund believed.
Felix kept moving, trailing along behind Vince and Rene.
“It’s a rom-com,” Alex laughingly blurted out from behind Felix.
Glancing over his shoulder, Felix noted that they were talking about Edmund and the two women around him. Felix felt like he should know them, but he didn’t.
It was a gap in his memory that didn’t match at all for some reason. He couldn’t explain it.
“But they’re cute together,” Sam interjected, looking at Alex. “They remind me of you and your girls. How in the world did you convince them you needed to come alone, by the way?”
“Didn’t. I ran. Just like you did from my mothers and aunts,” Alex declared, looking back at Sam.
“Ah… fair. Yes,” admitted Sam with a slow nod of his head. The two of them began moving again.
Felix looked to the front and found Ryker and Runner were just behind Rene and Vince, though not very far in front of Felix himself.
“Hahahah… ahhh… I remember when it was like that,” Runner murmured, looking to Ryker. “All flirty cutesy.”
“Shirley and I had a lot of dates killing people in dungeons,” responded Ryker, looking insightful while turning to look at Runner. “A lot of really deep conversations.”
“You two… you two are the worst. You make Hannah and I look normal,” Runner accused.
“Yeah, that’s fair,” answered Ryker as they moved to the back of the hotel lobby. Rene, Alex and Vince had obviously heard them and decided to add their two cents then.
“I interviewed prostitutes with Rose and Pinky,” Rene offered from ahead of them.
Though Felix didn’t know who any of these female names were, he imagined they were all wives, girlfriends, friends, or exes.
“I bribed, blackmailed, and bought my wives,” countered Alex.
Err… or… not exes or friends.
Is everyone here in a Harem? That’s really weird.
“Huh. Now I suddenly don’t feel as bad,” Vince stated. “You’re all awful people.”
“I mean, we kinda fit in though. We just do awful things to other people rather than our partners,” Felix countered without really thinking about his words.
That got a laugh out of nearly everyone around him.
Exiting the lobby they entered a hall.
Then just as quickly exited into a forest. A forest without a sky above but an inverted mirror of the forest they were in.
Far above Felix could see that it looked to be a one-for-one copy.
Though it looked far away, he bet on the fact that it wasn’t truly that far at all. In fact, it was likely close enough that it should be effecting the way gravity worked here.
Yet it didn’t seem to restrict his movement. There was no change to the laws of physics.
Just like they said. Things that don’t match or belong, yet it’ll still be there.
Great.
Now I’m seeing insane things, while being insane, and really won’t be able to tell the difference at all. This is ridiculous.
Turning to look over his shoulder, Felix watched as Edmund doubled back the way they’d come.
“Wrong place, back we go,” Ryker instructed, heading to where Edmund was already going.
From this side, it looked like a burned down cabin with a doorframe hanging askew thru which was their exit from the hotel.
“This is so fucked,” Rene said with a laugh as he went by. “Kinda fun in a way. This’d be a lot of fun to practice skills in.”
Everyone began filing back through the doorway. Each person vanished as soon as they crossed the threshold.
In going back the same way they’d come from, they’d gone into what could only be described as a hospital. A hospital room, to be exact.
“This is… yeah, we’re okay here,” Ryker stated, exiting the hospital room. “We’re not far off from where we need to be. Just a couple more transfers.”
They quickly left the hospital room, though Edmund was once again in the lead. He moved into the next area and then turned left. Moving out of view swiftly.
“Runner? Ryker?” asked a voice. It was a voice Felix hadn’t heard in years and sent a chill down his spine. He felt his breath catch as he was terrified that this was yet another hallucination.
Moving much quicker, Felix caught up to Edmund and found the person he’d expected.
It was a man sitting in a pool of blood. There was a dagger in his chest and he was slumped against the wall.
A person Felix hadn’t seen in years, had expected to never see again, nor would have wanted to see like this.
Many of his features were shared with Felix himself. This man was his father’s twin-brother. A man who had raised him as best as he could after his father died.
“Dad?” Vince asked aloud, having arrived with Felix in the same moment.
“Uncle Miles?” Felix said at the exact same time.
“Ah… no,” whimpered Miles from where he sat against the wall. His eyes fell away from those in front of him as if he’d seen something he didn’t wish to. “No, no, no. This… no.”
“Front door,” whispered Ryker while looking at the others.
Everyone left quickly.
Except for Edmund, Felix, Vince, and Runner.
Runner was staring at Edmund in a strange way. Then he looked down to Miles. He stared at him for several seconds even as Felix and Vince knelt down next to the man.
With a shake of his head, Runner made a small gesture with his hand at Miles, and then left.
“Runner?” Felix asked as the God left.
“It’s out of my hands,” Runner apologized and kept moving. “There’s nothing that can save him. That’s a cursed blade from a world that isn’t of my control.
“I’m sorry. If there was anything I could do, I would.”
“It’s okay. This is my end. I deserved this,” Miles whispered, waving a hand at Runner. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry… my lord. I’m sorry, Runner.”
“It’s fine… Miles. I’m sorry, too. I wish things were different. If I could save you I would, even if only for the man you once were,” mumbled Runner before he moved away.
Edmund watched Runner leave, then frowned, his pale-green eyes moving back to Miles. His pale-blond hair was pulled back and tucked away under his combat helmet.
Turning, Edmund left as well. Leaving Vince, Felix, and Miles alone.
There was a strange crackling noise that Felix heard. As if a pair of jeans were being ripped. A never ending tearing sound that didn’t pause or stop.
At the same time, the world became full of fissures, cracks, and squiggly lines.
No, no, no. Not right now.
Not right now!
I’m… no!
NOT RIGHT NOW!
Unfortunately, the world didn’t heed Felix’s wish.
Rifts and clefts sprang up everywhere and reality collapsed onto itself.
Over and over and over.
A waterfall of worlds and scenes in a wild kaleidoscope blew past Felix in a mad rush. Until he couldn’t even understand what was going on anymore.
Then with a clunk, a slamming noise, and a pop, the world righted itself.
Standing not far away was a young woman.
She was pretty, had long black hair, dark eyes, and in an unmistakable way, shared some resemblance to himself, Vince, his father, and his Uncle Miles.
“Mel?” whispered Miles, looking up at the young woman. “No! This is… no… this is the absolute… no. Heavens no.”
“I… ah… dad?” Melody whispered then got down on one knee next to Vince. She didn’t even look at him as if him being here was entirely expected.
Felix felt his mind splintering apart. He could clearly remember going on this trip without this woman, yet now he was suddenly having a great deal of memories popping up of traveling with her.
That Ryker had introduced her as his cousin-sister, Melody. His uncle Miles daughter. She’d gone with them since the gymnasium.
The she, Vince, and he had spent a great deal of time talking about who and what they were after realizing they were related.
Wheezing, Felix felt as if he was moving from going insane, to simply being absolutely mad. That it was well and past due at this point.
“Hold… hold still, dad. I’ll take care of the curse,” whispered Melody. She held up a hand above the dagger and markings began to glow all along her face. Strange markings that looked symbolic and lit up in different colors.
Miles blinked slowly, then his head slowly tipped back and rested against the wall. He’d gone unconscious and was no longer responsive.
“I’ll apply pressure,” Vince muttered and then let go of his weapon and held his hands up. Getting ready to do exactly what he said. “I’ll also try to flash heal it with my magic but… I don’t know if it’ll be enough. This isn’t my world after all.”
There was a sickening sounding glug noise and the dagger came out of Miles’ chest. A flash of purple light slashed through the air around them and then vanished.
It being broken apart by a chop of Melody’s hand with the same dagger she’d pulled free.
Vince moved forward and put his hands over the hole. The backs of his hands up to his elbows began to glow a bright green and sweat instantly poured down the man’s face.
Felix immediately started digging around into his pack. His mind turning to the medical kit that’d been left out for him.
He quickly yanked out a hemostatic bandage, hemostatic gauze, and a saline bag along with an IV-kit to inject it directly into Miles. Everything he needed to take care of a knife wound quickly and easily.
Bullet wounds are just like knife wounds, just smaller but deeper.
Wait, I own this bandage. I own this kit.
I can… I can enhance them.
Upgrade them to the point that they’ll definitely fix him.
Felix quickly yanked on his power even as he started working on preparing the gauze to stuff into the wound Miles had suffered.
Laughing, Felix accepted that cost and moved forward with the gauze. Vince moved his hands away and Felix quickly filled the wound with it. Then he covered the whole thing in the bandage to keep it dressed.
Oh Andrea, thank you so much for walking me through basic combat medic crap. Even I can do this much.
I’m going to make you a damn Queen of a world just so you can call it planet pancake.
Hiccuping with joy and fear, Felix did his best to ignore the fact that he felt as if he were indeed crazy. That having two sets of memories for multiple things likely meant he was schizophrenic.
In under a minute, Felix had Miles hooked up to the saline bag. Then he paused while staring at the saline bag.
He wanted that thing to become fresh blood that matched Miles bloodtype. He also wanted it to increase in volume to match the amount Miles had already lost.
A window popped up and Felix negligently slapped at it without even reading it. The cost was irrelevant as Miles life didn’t have a price tag that could become “too high” to Felix.
The saline bag morphed in his hands to become much larger and it’s contents rapidly became quite warm.
As well as blood, instead of saline.
“Ha… hahaha, we did it,” Melody said with a laugh, looking to the two men. “Yeah! Go freakin’ Campbells, am I right?”
Vince laughed at that, looked to his sister and nodded his head, then looked over to Felix. Grinning even as tears slipped free from the corners of his eyes.
Felix could only nod in return, not wanting to bring up the fact that Melody appeared out of nowhere. That she hadn’t been here when they’d started out.
It felt like it would ruin the moment to admit to them that he was insane.
“Campbells,” Felix agreed, feeling strange about it all.
Because even as his mind collapsed, the world around him was improving every time.
The pillars of his life returned, his family grew, and lost family members appeared.
Every aspect of his life was suddenly looking up, except his mind.
Melody laughed even louder, reached over, and wrapped her arms around Vince and Felix.
“Oooh, I always wanted brothers. Brothers I can rely on, too,” Melody said while laughing. “You two… I’m going to be such a demanding little sister. You two are going to help me out so much.
“That and I can’t wait to see all my nieces and nephews. You’re lucky I’m not a man, Felix, or you’d look like the crappy uncle in comparison to me. You get a free pass since I’m an aunt.”
Blinking rapidly, Felix hugged her back as well as hugging Vince.
From zero family to… Vince… then mom… to a sister… or cousin I guess… and now Miles. What’s next?
What’s next in this wild ride?
“Oh, by the way,” Melody said with a laugh. “I think I’m banging your sister-in-law, Vince. Her name is Trish. Or you called her Patricia. She was going through a Legion portal and got launched onto my world. She’s a nice Elfy-Dryad.”
Patricia? I-oh, I remember her.
I was there for that.
“Ryker and Runner won’t let that one die,” Felix muttered. “He already teases us for the cousin-brother-sister thing. Now he’s going to call us cousin fuckers or something.”
“I don’t care,” Melody said with another laugh. Then tried to crush Felix and Vince with all her might. “Brothers!”
Comments
nathrielos
This^
Direwolf1618
I am really impressed how well Edmunds power is playing into this, and that Felix is able to notice it on the peripheral is both impressive, and probably not in his best intrests (mentaly).
Direwolf1618
You can actually feel Felix losing his mind but somehow just going along for the ride... I love it.
Matthew Shealy
I’ve waited forever for the Campbell’s to all meet. This books is turning out epically.
Jeremy Patrick
Hmm maybe war with other meals then? They could go to war with the pizza empire to rescue the syrup princess who is being forced to marry prince pepperoni lol
Larry
I think someone suggested that since Edmund is under contract to Felix, Felix can see some echoes of what Edmund is doing. He doesn’t necessarily understand everything but he doesn’t have all memories of other saves erased.
Brian
Definitely some fanservice happening here, answering loose ends that have been outstanding for a while.
Brian
Nope. Cannot happen. Same planet, different personality, both are tasty with sweet or savory toppings.
Nukin Futs
Same.
CesarC.
Freaking loved the chapter!
Jeremy Patrick
Planet Pancakes sounds like an awesome place for a book. They can go to war with planet waffles. Lol
KiwiHermit
I love how Edmund is just quitely going, "Welp shit guess I gotta fix that, and that, that too." in the background of this book while poor Felix is somehow d feeling the after effects while others don't. Am deeply curious to find out why that is.
