Chapter 57: Build me a Bridge!(2/2)
After about an hour the outside was complete, Lash then told everyone to stay put as he walked in and finished the internal layout. Another hour passed and City Hall was complete, with a upgrades such as solar glass windows, heat conductive electricity, and wind turbines. Lash sat on the stone steps of City Hall basking in the morning sun. He didn't move even though his shroud continued to dance and flicker around like a pile of writhing snakes. Hundreds of people walked up and down the stairs next to him but no one bothered him. He just oozed exhaustion. He had spent three days at Veterans Hospital at Metropolis, then another day with Lena Luthor, that ended with him fighting in Gotham and Joker's Carnival. So he had been wide awake for five days straight.
“You look tired...” A familiar feminine voice called out to him. Lash looked up saw Lady Kali standing about fifteen feet from him. She had stayed there waiting for him to allow her closer. Lash stood up, and preformed the Warden etiquette bow to her. She smiled at him and returned the gesture. Lash retook his seat on the stone steps after he noticed a simple obstruction glamour around them.
Lady Kali wore an ankle length loose red skirt with thick fabric. She had a petite spring black coat, with soft cotton gloves on. Her black hair was tied back, and kept under a pink shawl with rose print on it. When she stepped closer she had three inch black heels on, her hour glass figure was evident even with the coat on, as the coat had the zipper half open as any one could see ample cleavage.
“We are tired, Lady Kali of House Aamond. But if you are in need of this Warden, we will help you if we can.” Lash said as he tried to keep some form of formality as he lay across the stone steps. Kali laughed at him, she politely covered her mouth while doing so.
“I did not come here to see the Warden, but to see Lash. Is he available?” Kali asked, as she put her hand down. She stood about five feet from him now.
“We are available, though you may find us not the best conversation partners at the moment.” Lash replied, he created a simple wooden chair so Kali wouldn't have to sit down on the stone steps. She accepted gratefully, and took a seat.
“Valenthia is dead... A divine flame from the God Loki burned her alive, body and soul.” Kali said after a few minutes. She didn't have any emotion in her voice when she spoke, is if the whole situation didn't involve her.
“Good...” Lash said one word, but Kali still flinched when she heard it.
“The super-natural council had an emergency conference. As the discussion for the super-natural world coming out of the shadow draws closer every year. they find that we need to make new laws, and standards for us. The Blood-Kindred houses have been placed under an 'Oversight'. Certain houses that have a clean slate have less oversight. While others are practically under convict probation.” Kali said that last part in barely a whisper.
“Lady Kali I thought you came to speak to me, not the Warden?” Lash asked as he looked over at her.
“I came to talk to you, in hoping that you can give house Aamond a recommendation.” Kali said the last word softly. She looked down and became the shining example of a damsel in distress. That most men and women would fall for in a minute. But any one who knew anything about her would only laugh or turn away in disgust.
“Lady Kali, if you can go under a rune of truth tell the Council that you and your entire house knew nothing about Valenthia's plot. I will do so... But, you and I both know that you can't. I had though that after the last Kindred meeting I took a part in you and I had come to an understanding.” Lash's voice and grown cold and Kali dropped her damsel in distress look. She actually felt a little foolish she had even tried it on Lash.
“We did Lash... But this...This is to much. The Oversight will practically strangle us!” Kali said with a bitter tone. Her face as become a ice cold mask.
“So let me get this straight.... The Blood-Kindred houses of the entire world! Will get this Oversight. The houses that are already legitimate like House Kuldr will see little to no change. Because house Kuldr doesn't break the law. While houses like Aamond will feel like they've been castrated? Because the council will have the ability to look through your entire lives with a fine tooth comb. But if I give a recommendation to house Aamon the council will be a little more lenient to the house in Gotham specifically?” Lash asked as he looked at her. Kali realized now that coming to ask Lash for a favor was stupid.
“Politics, influence, money, and power, all of it crumbles down around the Kindred. The pressure has been building for centuries. For centuries the Blood-Kindred had gotten away with so much! If other super-natural's did half the things the Kindred did they would be executed or be forced into slavery for life. But not the Kindred! Then in the end what is the spark that set's it all aflame? An unhinged house master that organized the destruction of a city! A house master that also gave a stolen divine spark of the God Loki to a criminally insane clown! No, Lady Kali. The Blood-Kindred are getting exactly what they deserve....But.” Lash said his entire monologue with a straight face. Until he took out a single ingot of Orichalcum and put it in Kali's lap. Kali sat completely frozen as she stared at the magical ingot.
“But, we are friends. I will not give your house a recommendation. But I will give my friend, Lady Kali something that may help her. But this is not the Warden, but Lash doing so. Is that understood?” Lash pegged Kali with a stare. Kali grabbed the ingot and put it away in her mobile pocket space. She stood up walked over to Lash and went to her knees. She folded her hands in her lap, bowed her head and whispered to him.
“I understand, this is more then enough. You have kept your vow Lash. You didn't pick a faction or side. But helped a friend in need. Thank you!” Kali leaned in through the shroud and kissed Lash on his reptilian snout.
“Maybe one day you'll let me...Thank you personally.” Kali's voice dropped low and seductive as she gave Lash a coquettish glance.
“I'll look forward to it...” Lash replied in a casual tone, as he leaned up against the stone steps once more. Kali smiled brilliantly for a moment then got to her feet. She brushed off her skirt and bowed from her waist, far lower than a city master should. Lash made no move to bow back and Kali didn't mind.
“Goodbye my friend...” Kali said and left soon after.
Lash dismissed the wooden chair and continued to sun bath for a few more hours. Then he stood up cast Sooth, Nature's Supplement, and Immaculate on himself. He walked down the steps of City Hall found a logistics soldier and got transportation to the next ruined Gotham City bridge. Then he started to do the same thing he did before. Found, moved, and repaired hundreds of cars, cleaned the debris around the river bed, created his ten pounds of Nth metal for the day. The sun was setting when a sonic boom flew over head, a red and blue blur flew down from the skies. Superman floated in the air near Lash as he Fabricated materials into existence and made a seamless connection.
“Hello Kal from the house of El. Is Metropolis ok?” Lash said to him as he took a small break standing on a T-beam. Superman looked amused at hearing his kryptonian name.
“Yes, Metropolis is fine. I came by to see if you needed any help?” Kal asked.
Lash gave the same address as he did for Flash. The Warden's would put him to actual work with out any political bullshit. Kal soon flew off to be of use and Lash sat down on the T-beam. Under the pale crescent moon light he watched hundreds of magical spirits, beings, and creatures fly threw the air, swim through the water, and climb on the partially constructed bridge. No one aside himself and his manifested warriors were on the bridge. They primarily just kept people off it, and swam through the water as guards.
“Hay there!” A man's voice sounded off next to him.
Lash turned to see a 5'9” tall man with black skin, dazzlingly green eyes, black hair dreads that went to his shoulders but were tied back in a loose tail. He wore black leather biker boots, black cargo pants, white t-shirt with a black velvet vest, a long rich leather trench coat. He had a silver cane in one hand, and a top hat in the other. He smiled wide and both of his incisors were gold, he wore several gold and silver rings on his fingers, as well as earrings.
“Hello....” Lash stayed seated but he had planted his feet flat on the beam so if he needed to he could push off.
“Names Calder! You would be the famous Warden Lash! Were-Breed, Saurian is your partner! Heard a lot about you sir!” The bow bowed from his waist in a flurry of showmanship.
“I'm not giving you Loki's spark.” Lash said in a cold tone. Calder flinched as he had been found out already.
“I....May I ask why?” Calder replied with a bemused expression.
“Because I promised him I would find a suitable host for the spark. Suitable does not mean just any one who aligns with chaos, trickery, and entertainment. Despite all the fan fare, Loki is a God who has lofty ambitions. Tell me Calder...What are your life long ambitions?” Lash said, as he did so the Loki tattoo glowed as the God himself took notice.
“I.....Want....to..... Make those that have....wronged me....Kneel before me!” Calder spit out the words bit by bit as he was compelled to answer the question. His face went pale, and he took huge mouthfuls of air.
“That's it? A petty revenge scheme? Loki isn't interested in granting you his divine spark. But if you are willing to make a temple in his name and serve as his priest maybe in a decade or so he may be inclined to hear from you again.” Lash said, his eyes had a divine light in them. Calder shrunk his neck in and looked away.
“I...I understand....T...Thank you for your time...sir....” Calder tapped his cane on the ground three times and disappeared into a puff of smoke.
“This is going to be a regular thing isn't? Some will come to try and ask for it, others will come and try and take it. It will be my job to protect it?” Lash asked softly. He didn't hear Loki reply other then feel a simple confirmation....
Lash rolled his eyes and got back to work on the bridge. As he worked he sent an email to Torloth as well as the Warden's about the Loki Idol and the deal that was made. A few minutes later his Warden email was filled with questions, and applications to meet him. The Deities of the world had always been incredibly vague about who could obtain their spark. Now here was LAsh with a spark and would be the leading factor on who obtained it? Lash more or less ignored the hundreds of application emails. But he knew it was more important than he assumed when Torloth the dragon himself showed up on the unfinished bridge.
“That bad?” Lash said as he stood up and bowed to the dragon. Torloth smiled and nodded his head in confirmation.
“It's not that it's bad, Lash. It's great! Lash you are a God-Kin, its been confirmed. But which Deity you belong to is a mystery. But the fact that other Deities are willing to work with your Deity is a feat in it self. I swear Lash, for all the bad luck you have you have an equal or greater amount of good luck. Nice bridge by the way.” Torloth finished speaking as he pointed at the finished bridge across the river.
“Thank you... How's Juliana?” Lash asked softly. Torloth turned around with a huge grin on his face!
“She is great! Healthy, happy, and wants to kill me for being a pestering father! She's tried to claw my eyes out on more then one occasion! Her mother flew in from her territory to smother her which is driving her absolutely insane! All of her sisters are seething in jealousy which makes her incredibly happy! By the way all of my daughters would love to... 'talk' to you. But of course its your choice!” Torloth smiled as he talked about his family.
“I'll keep that in mind... Any other woman become mothers since the fertility charm was 'released'?” Lash asked as he sat down.
“Yes! One ancient Sidhe family that we are friends with are pregnant. On the first try as well! Their family hasn't seen a new born in nearly five hundred years!” Torloth smiled.
“I'm happy the charm I made is being put to good use.” Lash said to him. Torloth entire body froze when he heard Lash.
“You mean the charm you found in Tartarus....” Torloth said as his eyes narrowed.
“Oh...Ya! That is what I told everyone, isn't it?...” Lash let those words hang in the air. There was a long pause on the bridge as Torloth looked at Lash, and Lash looked at Torloth.
“Well! I should get back to work! Thank you for the visit, Torloth...” Lash said suddenly. He bowed from his waist and got back to work.
Torloth didn't leave right away, he processed the words that Lash had said and ran the possibilities through his mind. Lash wasn't an idiot, he wouldn't just say something out of context like that. Especially something as important as a fertility charm. Torloth had a master enchanter come and inspect the charm to see if they could reverse engineer it. But in the end the master said two things. One; they would have to destroy the charm to even get a chance to understand it. Two; who ever made this charm either made it incredibly crude to prevent it from being reversed engineered....Or it was made by a intermediate enchanter. But who would ever give an intermediate enchanter orichalcum to practice enchanting!? So the Master assumed the charm was made by another master. But was that true?
Lash continued to work on the bridge as he ignored Torloth as the dragon processed what he had said. Lash finished the entire skeleton structure of the bridge before Torloth walked over to him. The dragon in the shape of a man opened and closed his mouth several times like a gold fish. But in the end he didn't say anything, he just stared at Lash like he was some kind of monster from another world. Which was kinda true. Who uses orichalcum to practice enchanting!? Lash uses orichalcum to practice enchanting. But that also meant that Lash knew how to craft a fertility charm with zero side effects.
Lash looked at Torloth and the dragon looked back at him. They stood that way for several minutes before Lash turned around and went back to work. Torloth eventually left the bridge in a stupor, his mind in chaos. Was it really a waste of material if he could make something no one else could? Lash continued to work on the bridge and just like last time the sun rose across Gotham City and a new bridge was born. Much like the last one with several new bells and whistles, Lash sat on another observation deck as he watched the sun rise. Superman soon flew over and came to relax with him over a cup of coffee.
“I haven't slept in nearly seven days.... I think I'll go home after this cup.” Lash said to Kal.
“Yep, that sounds like a good plan..” Kal said to him, he sat down next to him and sipped on his coffee. Despite the long night of hard work Superman looked clean and fresh as if he had just woken up.
“Have you learned Kryptonian yet?” Lash asked.
“Still working on it. J'onn said he can be an emergency translator if it comes down to it. Still I would rather be able to talk to Kara in our native tongue.” Kal said in return.
“Well shoot off some words and give me the translation. Sometimes teaching can help you understand what you didn't see...” Lash suggested, Kal shrugged and started to speak the Kryptonian alphabet at Lash. Language Smith activated.
About twenty minutes in Kal took out a small holo emitter of the entire language from an inner pocket in his cap. The emitter created the entire alphabet, and basic words. Soon Lash was teaching Kal-El the language after two hours had passed Lash knew the entire spoken language and most of the basic written language. His Skill Trainer: Language kept prompting him with experience as he taught him.
“Thank you for the help, Lash.” Kal said in kryptonian.
“You are welcome, Kal-El.” Lash replied, also in kryptonian.
With that Superman flew home, and Lash informed the soldiers stationed near by that he was going home. The soldiers offered to give him a lift home but soon looked around confused as Agent Wraith had faded from sight. There was a quiet attempt at trying to track him down with drones equipped with thermal imaging. But all the drones that tried went haywire, their GPS stop working, their camera feed was cut. But a single message was on the feed, in bold letters. 'Fuck off!' After the tenth drone they stopped trying. Unfortunately they didn't get the drones back.
Lash walked towards his building from the underground sewer access. The near invisible door slid to the side, he walked through ensuring it closed and locked behind him. He took the service elevator up taking off his Wraith disguise and Transformation. He put on a simple glamour of him wearing casual cloths. But no one was in the halls of his building. He walked into his home as his security system said no one had visited. He found a note from Dottie and brownie spirits thanking him for the lovely gifts. He peeled off his armor, took a long shower then crawled into bed naked. He activated the security shutters and closed his eyes.
Lash ducked behind cover and pulled out his mag-rail pistol. He activated his pistols on board camera and stuck his hand around to sight line the soldiers on the other side. The Chicago PD took up positions and began to unload with their sub-machine guns towards him. Lash marked each target's position and brought his hand back around. With his back to cover he pointed his gun straight out behind him and fired repeatedly! His bullets zipped forward turned, and flew towards their intended targets. Auto shot is amazing! All five of the Chicago PD died in a hail of bullets.
Lash stood up and looked over at the carnage he had created. He lite up a cigarette and held it to his lips. He inhaled the sweet taste of synthetic nicotine into his lungs. He walked over and started to look through the cops pockets, it wouldn't be long before more showed up. He snagged a few credits, found some ammo and a titanium combat knife that was clearly not standard issue and left the scene. After a few turns, down an alleyways he was mixed into the urban crowd and was gone from sight. Twin sun glass shades popped from his implants over his eyes, he flicked his trench coat and made sure his sleeves covered his augmented arms. Time to head into the office.
Lash opened his eyes in his bedroom, he looked over and saw his clock said 4:30 am the next day. He slowly sat up and remembered his dream, several design plans had been implanted into his memory for augmented, artificial limbs and organs. Minor Science evolved into Basic Science, and his Advanced Crafting got several prompts of experience. Lash got out of his bed and went to his bathroom.
He cleaned up and looked at the different details of his tattoo's and his new Trickery Domain tattoo. His bald head now was covered in tattoo's, along with his shoulders, biceps, back, and chest. Intricate designs that were reminiscent of Celtic, tribal African, and Tribal Native American. Except for Technomancy which looked like a blue circuit board. While Synthesis was a mix between a circuit board and a green leaf vein. His eyes now had a yellow and green color and his iris looked reptilian. Not so much that people would notice, but if they stared long enough they would assume that was not a normal human eye. He'd have to adjust when ever he went out with the mundanes. He was still 6'4” with zero body fat, well earned muscles that were carved from stone. He had no body hair except for his eyebrows, and eyelashes. Around his neck was the dragon necklace that was his Familiar in passive form. He tapped on it gently as he walked out of his bathroom.
Dawn the baby mystic dragon yawned, and flew about the room as Lash got dressed in some casual pj's. He didn't intend on going anywhere today but that may change later. He walked out of his bedroom, the security shutters receded and revealed a still dark morning of a ruined Gotham City. No one was on the balcony though several Gargoyles were still stationed along the rooftop. The Griaks in their tree house were asleep. Lash made some fruit for Dawn who chewed on them happily as he went into his workshop. He created his Nth metal ingot for the day and started to do some enchanting work melding orichalcum and Nth metal together.
Lash made dozens of little trinkets and pieces. Then disenchanted each piece to get back a bit of the used materials. His Intermediate Enchanting kept leveling but it seemed it would not evolve for a while. Dawn flew over to him and wrapped around his neck and returned to being a necklace. Which was a little odd, Lash cleaned up his workshop and came out to the main area. There on the balcony was Soluna.
Soluna stood on the balcony in black combat boots, form fitting black cargo pants that emphasized her athletic figure. She had a thigh length leather coat, with a tight black t-shirt. Her hair was cut short to her shoulders, while her bangs were cut above her yellow snake eyes. Her skin was still a healthy tan. She tapped her left foot with impatience as Lash walked over to let her in. When he unlocked the door she blew it open and stomped into house in a huff.
“I thought you would have called! Maybe you would have but you are just a fucking bad luck magnet you know that! You spend days healing the Mundanes, then you spend days building bridges! You come home, sleep all day then when you wake up...Nothing! So I got tired of it and came over myself! So! Why didn't you call me!?” Soluna screamed at Lash. Lash just looked at her for a bit after he had closed and locked the door behind her.
Lash walked over to her with gradual steps she pegged with him with a glare that had zero effect on him. He reached out with his massive arms and swallowed Soluna in a hug. She tried to push him away at first, she yelped in surprise because she was weak as a kitten to him. He was gentle as he held her close and rested his head against hers. She struggled for a bit more then eventually settled when Lash established the Pack Bond with her. Despite her clearly angry attitude, Soluna had simply missed him. She was upset that he didn't contact her but understood why he didn't.
“I'm sorry... I had hoped to take it easy for the next little while. See all of my pack, and my friends. But as you said, I have bad luck...” Lash said to her.
“Fucking bad luck!” Soluna said muffled into his chest. She tucked her arms together and nestled into his embrace.
“Fucking bad luck... Would you like some food?” Lash asked.
“.... Yes...Jessabell says your an amazing cook.” Soluna said in return.
In little less then an hour Lash had made a several course breakfast meal that they ended up sharing with the Griaks because Soluna couldn't eat it all. The Griaks fluttered around the kitchen eating up every delectable treat they could find. Soluna didn't talk much during breakfast as she was busying stuffing her face. She eventually crawled her way to the living room and lay across a coach trying to not groan in both pleasure and agony at having a full stomach. The Griaks soon had their fill, or rather they ran out of food to eat. Lash closed and locked the door behind them and then came over to Soluna. He sat down, and Soluna propped her head on his lap as a pillow.
Lash pulled out an Orichalcum necklace for her that had the same enchantments as Jessabell's. The piece was a snake swallowing a sun and a moon in an eclipse. The snakes body was the chain as it had been segmented. Soluna's eyes were wide as Lash put it around her neck, she felt the enchantments settled over her. Soluna turned around and buried her face into Lash's stomach to hide the blush that crawled up her face.
“What the fuck am I suppose to do with you, Lash? Do you have any idea how much this is worth?” Soluna said softly as she had curled up on the coach to be closer to him. The tomboyish Soluna was being oddly girly in the moment.
“If you have to ask then it isn't a gift.” Lash said to her as he began to comb through her hair.
“Idiot....” Soluna said with a smile.