Published at 13th of October 2026 12:32 pm

Chapter 56 Not a Fan of Cults

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Inside Momentus meeting room, Ezekiel, Kai, and Isaiah are seated with me. We're going to need a new table.

Tonight is the night that we rid Quinstin of the Villains Syndicate once and for all. Are you all clear on the plan? I asked my gathered Cowls.

I have called a meeting for the Villains Syndicate tonight. Theyll all be there. The cameras are all set up to record, and I have enough footage of Virtue to create the video you want. Ill just need you to dub over it, and then Ill get it all edited together to be released, Ezekiel said.

The older man looks like a completely different person. Gone is the weak and enfeebled cadaver, replaced by a silver fox. It's seriously strange, staring at Mr. Hart and noticing just how different he looks now. Cosmetic surgery isn't the doctor's specialty, but his surgical skills are high enough that I can't notice a single trace of the various operations he performed on Ezekiel. That's not exactly true; his eyes have that same eagle-eyed look to them. A man used to observing, hunting, waiting for the perfect moment. Kai did exceptional work on him, and he assured me that we can dispose of him if he decides to betray me. I doubt Ill have to kill him; he strikes me as the type who understands his position well. Tonights plan is flawless, and once the night is over, Ill have eight new powers under my belt. Eight new personality pieces. I should be happy about it, and I am, but I should be happier. Instead, all I can think about is Claire. School and Cowl work have kept me too busy to devote the time I want to researching her. I want to learn everything about her.

Excellent. Doctor, did you finish creating the concoction? I asked.

Obviously, it wasn't too tough. If youre right about her having a normal metabolic absorption rate, then the drug will work as intended, he answered. Its tasteless, odorless, and quick-dissolving; it can be put into any liquid, hot or cold.

Itll work. I've seen her get drunk, even if it took more than usual. Her abilities don't make her immune to toxins, even if they make her more durable. Looking Glass will deliver the drug to the Capes room and make sure she takes it. Once we confirm that its working, we can move on to the second phase, ambushing the seven Syndicate members. Isaiah, you and Subject Thirteen will be the shock troopers, I said.

Isaiah sits up, leaning over the table. Ever since I had to reprimand him, hes been laser-focused on whatever I say. Good. Soldiers need to be able to follow orders. He and Tuesday were able to accomplish their missions, and he has a job soon with Oxxii and Amethyst that will allow him to judge whether they can be brought into the organization. They wont be joining the board or Momentus, but theyll exist in the second string like Viviennes gang, Francesca, and the Subjects.

Will your Butcher follow orders, Kai? Isaiah asked.

Subject Thirteen performed well in field tests, and as long as hes given an outlet for his more violent tendencies, there shouldnt be any problems. Youd think you would find some camaraderie in getting to play with another attack hound. We all know what happens to a dog if you keep it cooped up for too long, Kai replied flippantly.

Isaiah slams his hand against the table, standing up in anger. Smoke pours out of his nostrils, forming his twin pistols. He aims both at the doctor, who doesnt bat an eye at the show. Ezekiel, true to his tenure as a Cowl Coordinator, just looks irritated about the meeting being interrupted.

Watch your fucking mouth, or Ill blow a hole through your chest, Isaiah warned.

Oh no, the riled-up dog is barking again. Maybe a shock collar will help temper his anger, Kai mocked.

Instead of Isaiah getting angrier, his expression transforms into a cold, detached, killer look.

The problem with genius is that it goes hand in hand with arrogance. But you dont need to be able to speak to be useful. Maybe I can put your brain in a fishbowl and hook you up to a speak-and-spell. Youd be a lot easier to work with if you didnt have a mouth, Isaiah said calmly.

Son, sit down. Aint no one getting shot today, except for the Syndicate. Stop puffing your chest like some peacock. And you, Doctor, if youre so intelligent, this should be beneath you. You think youre better than us? Then act like it, Ezekiel said.

I fixed you; don't make me recripple your legs, Gramps. I can send you back to the retirement home the way we found you, Kai said morbidly.

Kai, I said firmly, putting an end to the bickering. You have said you find meetings pointless because they get derailed by pointless arguments; well, now youre the one prolonging it.

Kai rotates his jaw, tongue pushing the inside of his cheek before letting out a sigh.

Youre right, Nobody, he mumbled. Lets proceed, and Ill keep quiet.

After that, the meeting goes smoothly, and Isaiah takes his leave, heading off to pick up Subject Thirteen ahead of their mission. That leaves me with my programming computer specialist and my genius scientist. Both men owe their current fortunes to my intervention in their lives. That, combined with a lack of shame, gives me the confidence to ask each of these men for a highly personal favor.

Kai, do you have any drones that would be good for discreetly monitoring someone? I asked innocuously.

Obviously? Kai answered, an eyebrow raised. I mean, it depends on what kind of surveillance youre looking for. If you just want an apartment bugged, Isaiah can help you with that. If youre looking for more of a fly-on-the-wall, controllable drone, then I have a few things that could be used for that. If you can give me a few more details about who, what, or where you want to monitor, I can just make you a custom drone if you need it. Is this for the Union?

Nothing that secure, just a personal project that I have a bit of interest in. It might turn into something; it might not. It just needs sound and video recording, and decent maneuverability, I answered.

Okay, is this time sensitive? Kai asked.

Yes, I said slowly. The sooner the better.

Ill add it to my to-do list. Is that all? I do have a few things to do before we set the scene later, Kai mentioned.

My subterfuge was completely successful.

Yes, youre dismissed, I answered. I wait a moment to see if he has anything to add, but he promptly leaves. Now, Ezekiel, or do you prefer Mr. Hart?

Do you care? He asked me.

Do I care? It's an interesting question, but I doubt he knows that. I care about gathering personality pieces, experiencing emotions, and all that comes with it. I guess it depends on what he means by care.

I make it a point to call people by their chosen names; it helps foster a healthy working relationship, I answered.

And that's what we're going to have? You've given me my life back, and you expect me to believe there arent any strings attached? You remade me, through a priceless surgery, and Im supposed to believe that all you want from me is to work for you? You've given me so much; how am I supposed to pay you back? He asked.

You'll pay me back by doing what you're good at and doing what I tell you to do. Don't worry, I won't make you do anything you're against. You can ask the others, and they'll tell you the same. But you, unlike them, don't get the choice and the offer that they all got. You're going to work for me for free for a year. At the end of that term, we can discuss your salary and any changes to the position that might come up over the next year, I said, pausing for dramatic effect. Don't look so glum; your finances will be taken care of. Your rent, your bills, your food and water; all of it will be paid fo. Francesca will be taken care of as well, and if you'd like her to work outside the Cowl side of things, I can set her up with a real job far from the crime and violence she's used to.

How kind of you. Chessie can make her own decisions. I'm not the overprotective type. After we've disposed of the Villains' Syndicate kids, what is next for me? You don't seem to be interested in taking over that old project of mine, Ezekiel said.

Youre correct; your pet project was pointless and a waste of both your talent and those who you recruited. My organization and goals require as much anonymity as possible; livestreaming our crimes would be counterintuitive. I founded a company, Momentus Inc., that provides everyone with salaries, benefits, and legal paper trails to explain their financials. The goal of Momentus Inc. is to rebuild the city damaged by fights between Capes and Cowls, to create programs to elevate the less fortunate, and to make Quinstin a safe, secure, and beautiful place to live. Ezekiel Hart, the private citizen, will be hired by the company to do something similar to what you did previously. You will handle the technical side of our computer systems; any websites or digital infrastructure we need will be constructed and maintained by you. Over the next year, all your paychecks will come from our billing. You wont actually be receiving the money, but there will be a years worth of payslips that you will be able to use to buy a property by the time your free service period comes to an end, I explained.

That sounds fair. But Id be an idiot not to notice that you havent said what Im doing for the Cowl side, Ezekiel smiled wryly.

Astute observation. For the Cowl side of our organization, you can think of yourself as the switchboard operator for the team and the various lower members. Were expanding, and the majority of those who join will not be part of this inner circle. Youll also be helping coordinate and organize all the information that Rorschach gathers. From what I understand of your computer capabilities, you can create a database that we have access to. I want it all streamlined to make it easy for any of us to search for information. That shouldnt be too hard for you, correct?

I think I can manage, he responded. Is that the extent of my role?

No. Theres another job that you wont involve any of the others in. This is just for me. Are you aware of the vigilante that murders Neuvohuman criminals?

I assume you are referring to that vaguely biblical vigilante who forces their victims to leave that cryptic phrase written in blood? Im aware of them, but there hasnt been any sign of them in months. They likely died, fighting someone who was too much for them to handle, Ezekiel remarked.

Yes, that one. I am behind the creation of that vigilante, I stated.

His eyes dont widen, but there is a flicker of movement on his face that denotes he is surprised. Time to reel him in. Assigning him this task is one thing, but I need him to want to do this. The commitment he had for the Villains Syndicate project is the kind hell need for this. The plans I have, the escalating conflict between people with powers and those without, require more than a person. They require a coordinated group. The vigilante cannot be a person; it needs to be an idea, a movement. One that inspires others, bolsters their desire for justice, and gathers more to their cause. The underlying tension just below the surface needs to boil over. I want to turn the heat up until it overflows and spills into the streets.

The anti-Neuvohuman vigilante is a Neuvohuman? The irony. So what is your motive behind it? Ezekiel asked.

I consider lying, but I remember how spiteful and full of hate the man is.

To start a race war that grows big enough to cause mass trigger events that will allow me to swoop in and reap all the powers. Then Ill redistribute the abilities to those I deem worthy of them, ensuring that the only people with powers are the ones loyal to me. I want peoples faith in their government to fail, and once that happens, theyll turn to those that have proven strong enough to weather the storm. When their elected officials fail them, when the Heroes Union crumbles, when the BNA cares more about maintaining order than righting the wrongs, we will be there to shelter them, I explained.

Youre not just talking about taking over the city; this is more aligned with the start of a sovereign nation, he inferred.

Yes. And I want you to help me build and lead the vigilante resistance. Using the dark web to recruit the vulnerable and easily manipulated, the downtrodden and disillusioned, the angry and true believers. We will create a religious doctrine, a way for members to meet and train each other. They will be militant, violent, and fanatically dedicated to the mission. They will be the sword by which we slay the unholy creatures and the shield for the flock of regular people, I replied.

Ive never been a fan of cults, Ezekiel said.

No, not a cult. More of a brotherhood. A band of focused, capable believers who will die for the cause, I corrected.

A smile that doesnt reach his eyes spreads across his face.

Sounds like it could be fun; I love it, Ezekiel said.

Share