Don't Talk About It

”If there is anything I am, it’s interesting.”

Her self-assured stance and confident smirk hadn’t faded a bit during what amounted to a one-sided smile. She shook her raven locks in disbelief; after that first hit, she was completely outmatched … now that’s a secret she wanted to discover. Despite the pain lancing through her leg, her eyes were still drawn to the physique of her opponent. It was a long second she stared, the sound of the irate crowd drowned out by the sudden, rhythmic thumping of her heart beating in her ears, and she was suddenly aware of just how tight her outfit. Not normally something that would bother her, but she had the oddest, girlish desire to cover up. What a foolish thought. She banished it (not entirely successfully) from her mind, tearing her gaze away from Miguel just long enough to retrieve her belt and weapons, discarded at the start of the battle. Having them in her possession made her feel a little better; she always felt a bit naked without the familiar weight of Charm and Dignity at her hip.

Before she followed him, however, there was one thing to take care of. Her eyes closed, a forcefully relaxed expression crossing her face as she concentrated; some of this magic was still hard to reach, though would get easier with practice. Once again, color flared from her, but none he had seen yet; a violet as pure as the flower from which it gained its name poured from her, coalescing into a single armlet seemingly made of stone on her right hand. From this, matching script ran down her body, disappearing underneath the thin outfit. Soon as the color faded, a stone cast wrapped around her injured leg, and an immediate sigh of relief left her as the pain abated. It wasn’t a terrible injury, so it didn’t take her magic long, but it  was still plenty long for her gaze to travel back to Miguel, now expectantly waiting for her. It was all she could do to not bite her lip.

The stone cast shattered with a resounding crack, and with the grace and poise she displayed at the start of the battle, entered into the room behind the stage, the sounds of the crowd and the announcer abruptly cut short. Like music to her ears. She leaned against the cool walls, taking a quick breath before engaging with … with the man who was not wearing enough clothes for her comfort. She held in the sigh she felt brew up within her. She almost regretted coming here alone … surely Jessica could have handled it. It was her own insistence to handle all the recruitment herself … It was abrupt the way she turned away, with the resolution to look nowhere but his eyes. That … lasted all of three seconds. Resigning herself to ogling his chest and resolutely ignoring the faint heat in her core, she offered her hand.

”I believe introductions are in order. I am Katrina Russel, leader of Olympus and head of the Blackguard. I’m here to recruit you to save the world.”

Before the two of them went to a more private venue to speak, he watched the woman perform what he could only describe as magic. Strange stone and light which shone like the magic he had seen in the place  where Vikings and ancient mystics both thrived. It made his skin tingle from the time he was hit by a fireball and reduced to a large mass of cooked meat only to be healed as good as new with tattoos intact later. He realized he was spacing out when he heard the sound of stone c racking and the cast broke, revealing that any damage that might have been done was gone.

He lead her to a room behind stage which could have charitably been called his dressing room, hearing the din of the crowds outrage fade as he closed the door and sighed. What showed of his skin was glistening with a faint sheen of sweat, despite the fact that he didn’t fight for too long with the woman. She wasn’t strong enough to permanently hurt him, but she sure did manage to leave quite the mark when she did hit. Leaning against a desk he looked at the woman introducing herself, though the name didn’t register as familiar with him. Instead, he nodded along and smirk as he crossed arms over his chest.

”You want me to help you save the world? Well, flattering as that is I’ve never seen myself as the world saving type. I’m pretty sure most people think I’m some kind of shitty hero, if anyone thinks I’m a hero at all. ” He noted the way the woman was acting around him, though he didn’t act on it. That was probably unprofessional wasn’t it? ”but I’ll hear ya out. What is this Olympus and why should I join it?”

”That … is a difficult question.” She crossed her arms herself, snapping her iron gaze up to his face with concerted will. ”Or I should say, it is difficult to summarize such a vast topic. But I will try.” She took a moment to compose her thoughts, a moment that consisted of her idly twirling a lock of her raven hair. After a moment, she pushed off the wall and straightened. ”Let me preface this by saying that Olympus involves more than military action. We are, ultimately, a goal for the advancement of the entire human race, be they metahuman, cybernetic, or otherwise. This involves scientific progress, as well as … monitoring other nations and individuals of interest.”

”Olympus is broken into six factions. Among these six factions, the Blackguard is led by me. Which is fortuitous, because it is the Blackguard that I wish you for.” Hands now behind her back, she seemed to be hitting her stride. Despite her political experience, improvising a speech was never her strong suite. ”Blackguard is … unique. Where the Praeotorian Guard handles most military matters, and the Templar Order handles all things magical, the Blackguard handles any events considered too … extreme for any other division.” She paused for effect here, her eyes sparkling with intensity.

”In short, Blackguard engages in suicide missions.”

She paused for a moment to let that sink in, then continued on with a more upbeat tone.

”These missions are few and far between, however. And in that time, you do enjoy wonderful benefits.” The smile that flicked across her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. ”In exchange for your efforts whenever you are called upon, you have access to all of Olympus, to train or discover the source of your powers, if you choose to accept. Not that I”m assuming anything, it merely seems to be a popular theme lately.” Her laugh was like the tinkling of glass. ”You additionally get a private room in my manor, for use whenever you wish it, as well as a dedicated budget to customize it as you please. In addition to that, you also have full access to all of Olympus’ prodigious armory and garage, including private jets and other vehicles.”

This said, her voice grew less professional, more … pleading. Truth told, Miguel was the lynchpin to her ultimate plans. With him on their side, the Blackguard would grow nigh-invulnerable.

”There are myriad other benefits we can discuss at a later date. I want to be clear; Blackguard is by no means a full-time position unless you wish it. You can do what you wish until you are called upon, with the knowledge that all of our prodigious resources and might support you, to the fullest extent of our ability. Olympus was founded as a means for the scattered to unite and do good. To change the world. The Blackguard is the epitome of that.”

With her eyes flashing, she finished.

”It’s your choice. If you say no, I will leave and you will never hear from me again. No consequences. But if you say yes, you may yet discover just how strong you can get.”