Sidestory: Bulletime's Descent

"He calls himself Heart-Taker."

"Never heard of him before."

"That is unsurprising. He has not spent a great deal of time in this country. He's a roaming villain. We've confirmed his presence in at least three proxy wars, four assassinations, and over thirty robberies of high value goods."

"Hmm."

Bulletime said nothing at first, looking at the picture of the man which had flashed up upon the screen. The Heroes League was usually very busy, being the central nexus of heroic activity in Ember City. There were hundreds of heroes, big names and small, who came and went every minute of the day. The League HQ was a massive building which had been fortified with magic, technology and then further fortified by Avatar. There were those who said that maintaining it cost the city far too much, but they never said it loudly and especially not when the number one hero was around.

Included among the high technological offerings that the HQ sported, there was the holographic briefing rooms. They'd been the brainchild of Gadget, a tech-based hero who practically ran the HQ. No one knew exactly what it was between him and Avatar, but there was a strange mutual respect there. In spite of being the leader in all but name, Avatar tended to stand back and let Gadget make the calls.

It was a choice which had been doubted at first. Gadget was a tech-hero, but he didn't go out into the field like Bullethead. He used his technology to improve and coordinate other heroes throughout the city. There were those who thought that he would not be able to lead as he had never really experienced things for himself.

Those people had been wrong. Gadget soon proved to be a very competent leader. He was charismatic, a smiling man with a silver tongue and an iron-core of determination and goodness. Everyone liked Gadget. or perhaps more truthfully, everyone would rather deal with Gadget than the lurking shadow of Avatar.

Avatar was a hero, it was true. Perhaps the most powerful mankind had ever known. But no one really liked him. It wasn't even really _possibly _to like him. That would be like calling a mountain your best friend, or relying on the sea for emotional support. Avatar was far above and beyond most human things like comfort or friendship. When danger stirred, and when your life was on the line, that was when you were happy to work with Avatar, the Elemental Hero.

At all other times? Gadget was preferred.

Sometimes, Bulletime wondered if Avatar knew this, and that was why he'd pushed Gadget to the front. She wondered whether the decisions Gadget said he had made had really come from him or from the hulking form of the world's most powerful hero.

In the end, she supposed it didn't matter. Not so long as they worked and heroes kept being heroes.

Which was why she was here, in fact. Sarah Rigly, otherwise known as the heroine Bulletime, had not expected to be on patrol today. She'd actually been looking forward to relaxing and de-stressing. But Gadget had called her for something important.

Now, the briefing room projected the image of the man, Heart-Taker. He was not a powerful man. Not physically, anyway. He looked a bit weedy. His arms and legs were too long for his body, and his skin was a pale shade of white. He wore a black suit, with a red hand emblazoned across the chest and a cloak like some Victorian era villain completed the strange look.

"So what is he?" She asked, "Minion for hire?"

"A bit more than that," Gadget answered, though he was not present in person. His voice came through the speakers set into the walls. "Heart-Taker is a class three threat."

"Class three?"

"A roving problem. He's more than a minion or a thug, but lower on the totem pole than a mastermind like Dusklord. He's a middleman. If offered enough money, he'll do nearly anything. ****, ****, theft or ****. Even by villain standards, he's low. And now he has come here, to Ember City. I am sure he is planning something. Or rather, I am sure he has been hired by someone who has."

"Bad news, got it. Why call me though? Drop Avatar or Redwing on the bastard and see him get out of that."

"He has proven extremely good at escaping," Gadget went on. "Heart-Taker is defined by two things. Firstly, his paranoia. He makes sure to always have an escape route, he carefully vets anyone in proximity to him. If even the slightest thing seems wrong, he can and will just vanish into the night. Avatar is powerful, and he would easily win a fight. But I fear Heart-Taker wouldn't give him one. And as for Redwing..."

"Yeah, she's pretty hot-headed," Bulletime nodded. "Same problem. I am starting to see why you came to me. Speedster. I can get him before he realises what's up."

"Unfortunately, it will be more complicated than that. Heart-Taker's paranoia is at play. He knows that we are powerful in the city."

"That shouldn't matter. Even if he's aware, I can move before he can react. He'll have seconds at best."

"He's a teleporter."

"Ah."

"His power has two modes," Gadget went on. "The first one is teleportation of himself. I am not sure of his range, but he is able to do so with merely a thought. The second is more troubling. He can teleport objects to his hand. Summoning them from wherever they might be. This form of the power works only at fairly close range, and the objects have to be able to fit in his hand."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"His name is literal."

"Ah," She said again, "That seems less easy."

"Indeed. The reason I called you is twofold. Firstly, even as a teleporter, your speed gives you the best chance at cornering him. He needs a split second of focus, so knock him down quickly and you should be able to bring him in. But do be careful; he will fight to kill."

"Second thing?"

For the first time, Gadget started to sound uncomfortable.

"Well, to be frank, this is the sort of job that only a female hero can do and I could not ask any of the newer ones. Redwing is too brash and I can't imagine she'd be into that kind of thing. But you have..."

"A darker history?"

"Let's call it that. As a reformed villain, you're somewhat used to moving within these circles. I need you to infiltrate his location. Don't use your powers until you are absolutely sure you have him in range. If he gets even a hint of who you are, he'll be gone. This mission may require that you take a less than orthodox approach."

"Where am I infiltrating, Gadget?"

He told her, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so."

"A BDSM club?"

"A very specific BDSM club."

I'm actually quite surprised to be making this post. When I finished this story, I felt like that was the end of it. But RejectTed has really kept things alive with his own route, and I found that I just felt the need to join in a little bit!

I am not sure how far this sidestory will go or if it will be continued. I am not sure if people will even be interested in it, but if you are leave me a like or a comment so I know I am not wasting my time here. That will probably be a big factor in how far it goes.