#0 - A Comet in the Dark

It had already been a month after the incident. Jack Neon’s boss, Mrs Caroline Withers, owner of the Lavender Throne hotel, had told him to return only after he had recuperated fully, and stay out of trouble in the meantime. Comet had no difficulty obeying the first instruction, but the second was much harder. Southside where he lived was not much to look at, a weary district with more abandoned buildings than residents, and crime from Devil’s Row would often spill over to where he was. The drunks and riffraff he could handle, but the gang fights he largely left alone.

The problem was the last incident. Comet had killed, or nearly killed a J.A:N.U.S. agent; he didn’t know which for certain. Sure he had gotten the two kids he was protecting to safety. He had first sent them to the Lavender Throne, intending to have them hired as work staff, but he realised that could lead to complications with his boss which could be traced back to him. He finally found Elsie and Ben a home at St Joan’s Mission of Mercy, and even then, he was still concerned that J.A:N.U.S. still intended to track them down. While it was true that the Powers Registration Act covered only those who were adults, children identified as novas or potentials were rehomed at the Haller Academy for the Gifted.

And while the Joint Administration: Nova Ultimate Supervention was a non-nova powered agency, the ‘joint administration’ part of the name meant that, sooner or later, they were going to send someone to follow up on what Comet had done, something which the local law enforcement would be powerless to do.

But for now, Comet was right outside the waiting room of Withers’ office. He had the sense to arrive by the service entrance and lift of the hotel, given his current appearance and wanted nature. Her personal assistant had given him a nod and waved him in. He did his job as her bodyguard, and now knew her secret identity. It was time to hear what she wanted from him next.

What do you do?

Withers made no signal for Jack to take a seat. She got up from behind her grand mahogany desk and walked towards the full-paneled windows of her 45th storey penthouse office. The morning sun lit the Capitol City skyline and flooded the room with an almost-too-bright glow, a stark contrast from the dark powers Jack saw her manifest the night Withers was attacked. Jack could almost swear that the shadow his boss cast on the plush carpet was almost too large for it to make any sense. Perhaps it was his imagination, thinking that it had a life of its own.

"You did good Jack. I've always trusted Sam to have a good eye on people when he promoted you to the job, and he wasn't wrong. I feel I can trust you." She paused to observe Jack's response. That was a critical moment as she sussed up what she thought of the bodyguard who had stepped it to take one for her and fly her to safety. This was also the moment that Jack saw for the first time that Withers' eyes had not just black pupils but also black irises; he wondered why he hadn't noticed that all this while.

"But you're fired Jack." The words came like a thunderbolt. "I have no use for a nova as a bodyguard. We could get you registered, but you'd be drawing the wrong kind of attention, to me. Not to mention that there's no way you can pass off as a baseline normal. I intend to keep my secrets, and you're a liability." The expression on Caroline Withers face was dead serious. Did her words sound like a veiled threat as well when she called Jack a liability?

"However, I still have use for you, in other ways. If you're still committed. As you can tell, I have enemies. The nova you encountered is known as Warp. Displaces space and time, something to do with quantum entanglement, if you believe in the science behind it. It may have seemed like we killed him, but I wouldn't be to sure of that, given his abilities."

Withers stepped nearer to where Jack had been standing all this while. "I want you to get to the bottom of this. I want to know why I was attacked, I want to know who put him up to this."

Caroline Withers relaxed her expression, a small smile curled her lips. "I want you to call Dean Wesker," she handed over a business card to Jack. "He takes care of affairs for Le Infante, that's who you'll be reporting to. Infante is a very close associate of mine, he manages all the businesses Lavender Corp cannot. I've asked him to help me look into this and settle it by whatever means necessary.

"Money-wise he'll have you covered, you'll make more than what I pay you as a bodyguard. And you'll have my gratitude, which is worth considerably more. But you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty; our enemies are likely to do same. I'll let Wesker explain the nitty-gritty details."

Jack hadn't paid that much attention to the organised crime networks operating in Capitol City, given that the Super Sept had kept the streets, and indeed the entire state, largely crime-free. However he was at least familiar with the name Le Infante, head of, if not the biggest, then most definitely the most cutting-edge, cartels operating in the east coast. Jack had long suspected Withers' connections with organised crime, but as he had largely taken care of her front-facing business dealings, he never had the opportunity to see this other side of her, both as a CEO with underworld dealings, and also as a nova who kept her powers hidden.

"Excellent, Jack. And you have my gratitude, don't disappoint me. I needn't remind you that discretion is most important, regarding the entire affair. And expect enemies."

With that, it felt like Withers had put a trusted employee on the case to do the necessary, whether that meant returning to her with information about who and why she was attacked, or whether that meant carrying out a more permanent solution to deal with the problem, such as finding out if Warp were dead or alive, and finishing him off if it was warranted. Jack could certainly begin investigations on his own, but perhaps Le Infante could provide some leads as to where and how to get started. Or at least help Jack understand if he was caught in between two or more opposing parties he wasn't personally familiar with.

On Jack's own personal part, the fact that his nova powers were triggered as a result of Warp's injuries or death was also possibly of great interest. Were his powers truly his, or were they temporary? Would finding Wasp further affect him? Apart from J.A:N.U.S., the Ordinal Foundation ran a series of clinics catered to helping novas deal with their powers, both physically and psychologically. If Jack wanted to learn more about his abilities, perhaps he could see someone about them.

It was precautions like these which have kept Jack Neon's identity off the major law enforcement databases. A more dedicated hacker or nova-level intelligence would be able to unearth details about Jack's past and his shadier dealings, but otherwise he was either reasonably untraceable or mostly off the radar. Of course, his fight with the J.A:N.U.S. operative that night with the two kids could change things, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Mr Neon, yes I was expecting your call. I was going to meet you myself to brief you, but it seems my boss has expressed an interest to see you. Come down to the Tarot, no time like the present." Just off the city central, the entertainment district affectionately known as Easy Six were six blocks of high-brow arts and culture by day, and dazzling nightlife and gambling by night. The Tarot casino, said to be built and named after the infamous Lady Tarot, sat as a alluring jewel in the midst of the district. Jack only realised this thanks to Wesker's invitation, but it made perfect sense that Le Infante would be the owner of such a significant casino along the Easy Six.

"Come from the theatre entrance. You'll find less need for discretion there. Reception will send you through."

It was a short distance to fly to the Easy Six district, but as Jack would eventually learn, in a world with nova abilities, personal aerial travel in the skies above the city were governed by local laws in a similar way as public and private transport on the city's road network was regulated, and subject to law enforcement. Flight height along street level was subject to laws regarding traffic obstruction, and public property and privacy protection. Flying above building level required clearance due to surveillance concerns. Registered novas with flight powers were considered to possess a 'permit' to use their powers as described in their license.

Thankfully, no one gave Jack much attention as he soared towards the Easy Six. As he neared the district, he could see some of the most prominent buildings in the skyline: the Bellissimo, Planet Saturn, the Metropolis Museum, the Airy Fairy, among others, and of course the Tarocchi entertainment complex, or more commonly known as the Tarot. Jack could see the grand fountain from his vantage point, a towering edifice in the likeness of the Ace of Cups, greet visitors as they drove up to the main foyer and front entrance.

The east entrance was a more typical drop-off point. It allowed guests to reach the auditorium and performing arts centre without having to cut through the casino proper. It was very much a lively zone in its own right, abuzz in the daytime with visitors to the various entertainment arcades and art exhibitions.

It was interesting for Jack to realise that his current appearance might not seem too out of place in the grand foyer of the Tarocchi auditorium, nor for that matter its adjoining art centre and shopping arcade. The bustling activity of the zone comprised performers in their full costume regalia, such as a musician trio to the side of the lobby playing a lunchtime performance, or the cirque du solaris troupe occupying an indoor amphitheatre-like section further in, juggling and balancing themselves in their inimitable way. The crowd was a mix of concert goers, shoppers, diners heading for the restaurants inside the mall, and of course some casino patrons as well. Most were well-dressed, and some clearly appeared to be novas, unmistakeable due to their appearance or the aura they radiated. No one seemed to bat an eyelid at them, and Jack could only surmise that these would be registered novas going about their lives like the rest of the baseline humans.

Perhaps ironically that was what gave Jack a sense of unease. While he was untroubled when he met with Withers earlier, and while he typically was not intimidated by even as important a meeting as the one he was about to have with Wesker and Le Infante, he could not shake the feeling that something bothered him. As if something bad might happen...

The creeping sensation didn't go off when Jack landed a discreet distance from the east entrance, but it certainly felt stronger as he approached the ornate glass doorways of the Tarocchi entertainment complex. The doorman smiled a welcome and pulled the door open for Jack. Did Jack sense whether the doorman was a threat? In a very very miniscule sense, yes. It was a strange sensation to feel, that Jack could try to focus his sixth sense of his at various people in front of them as he entered to see if they gave off a vibe which made him feel that something was 'off' or not. It was a vague, fuzzy sort of sensation, nothing he could quite put his finger on. Different people triggered slightly different feelings. Perhaps if there was true danger, the feeling might be more heightened, more intense. But it was still so new, Jack was still trying to figure it out.

Jack was expected, and thusly directed towards a private elevator that took him right up to the topmost floor of the building, where he imagined either the penthouse suite would be, or more likely Le Infante's private office. He wasn't wrong. The elevator doors slid open, and the first thing he saw in what was an impossibly huge, lavishly decorated room with a high ceiling was the wall-to-wall windows that immediately gave him a view of the entire Easy Six district. A huge bulk of a man stood by the window, looking outward, as if he was a king surveying a land that he either owned or intended to conquer. He did not turn when Jack stepped out of the elevator. Instead, a man in an immaculate suit and sharp features greeted him: "Mr Neon, Dean Wesker. Le Infante is expecting you."

Jack was smart enough to understand that how he greeted Le Infante and what he said to him next would be of utmost importance in what Le Infante would think of him.

The man turned around. Jack was right in his original observation. Le Infante was a huge figure, twice as wide as Jack was, and half a head taller. He wore a white suit, but with the affectation of a silk cravat around his massive neck rather than a tie. He stood with a walking cane, whether to aid his movement, or as part of his overall embellishment. A huge gold ring on his finger gave the impression that a supplicant approaching him ought to kneel and kiss the ring in order to pay the proper respect to him as if he was a monarch, for infante translated meant 'prince', and the Easy Six district his fiefdom. He looked straight into Jack's eyes as Jack approached, entirely ignoring the oddities of Jack's new appearance.

"I consider the attack on Caroline a personal affront." No return greeting, no acknowledgement of Jack's carefully chosen words, no hint of being susceptible to the indirect flattery ha had slipped in. Jack was to learn later that that was actually an indication that Le Infante had sized him up favourably and he had cut to the chase without wasting time or words as was his nature. But at that point it did appear curt and dismissive.

"Duca Diavolo, the Duke as he styles himself. His plans are now bolder, resorting to novas, direct confrontation. The fool will draw the unwelcome attention of the Sept. You will track down these novas under his employ. They will be his undoing." Le Infante's words were concise to the point of brusqueness, but he clearly expected Jack to comprehend and to act on them.

It was Wesker who elaborated on his employer's meaning. "We have some leads, I will brief you on them. This Warp is a mystery, but some of the others are more easily located. Start with this one." He pointed to a name highlighted on his datapad; down a column of names was one that said - 'Terrapin'.