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My Life is Super Issue 4: Leon Me

Did you ever have one of those 'oh shit' moments in your life? A second where you realise you seriously fucked up and things are about to go from bad to worse?

I had one once that really changed my life. A real kick in the balls. It was the time I became a horse.

Alone in the police academy locker rooms, an empty syringe in my shaking paws and an Original Serum coursing through my veins. Worse yet, I could feel myself changing, becoming like Lieutenant Matlock.

I thought I had a lead and the funny thing is, I was right.

My reward?

I was to become a Gene Stealer.

I know people say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Well, I guess it didn't happen with me then but I guess what they also say about hindsight is true. It's a real bitch.

No better time to start to reflect than now, I guess.

So let's start from the beginning.

You got the time, right?

Yeah... I thought so.

My name is Leon Jacobson Hale. I'm a 7'10'' wolf born and raised in West California Island to David and Lillian Hale. I have a twin brother, Lance, but I'm older by a minute. I have younger sister, Abigail and my youngest brother was actually adopted into our family, Caleb. If you were to trace my genealogy, you'd find I'm distantly related to none other than Jack Denver Clarke, one of the very first supers in the world and a famous albeit controversial author.

I've always admired supers but JD Clarke more than anyone else. He was a self-made super. He didn't have superpowers. Just skills. As the world was just coming to learn about supers, JD Clarke rose up from the ashes and stood up as a strong force that helped to unite the supers of the world into one of the very first superhero groups. Again, he didn't have any powers that he was born with. Everything he could do, he learned by himself and he figured it out himself. He really drove the point home that you didn't need to be born a super to be a hero.

For a long time, I believed that I was exactly the same and that I would be exactly like him; that I was just a normal guy that didn't have any powers and if I wanted to make it into the world of supers, I'd need to forge my body and mind into this perfect vessel and come up with my own techniques and skills that could stand up to any super. There have been other supers like that. Nightfox for one. He has no powers but a strong body, decked out with gadgets and killer weapons and armour. Just all him. No genetics, no accidental chemical spill, magical power or destiny. Just him.

I admired Clarke because even after all the shit that happened to him, he still remained true, cool and himself. He was strong, powerful and unwavering in his resolve. I was never into the books he wrote. Seemed to... surreal for me. Too much of a fantasy. I admired him for his grounded way of approaching problems and his service to society outside of making a multi-billion dollar franchise that's still being made into movies today.

Oh and he was gay.

One of the first outwardly gay supers. Caused a bit of a stir. Yeah, hard to believe that I could be descended from him but the story is that Clarke's sperm was actually stolen from him by this female supervillain that was obsessed with him. She gave birth to his son but he had to have her arrested because... well, she's a supervillain. He raised his son by himself and he was completely blunt with the kid about who his mother was. No drama there.

I guess that's why I always valued honesty even if I couldn't emulate it at all times.

I wanted to be just like Clarke.

When I was growing up, I strove to be strong, a leader and a pioneer in my field. Funnily enough, that attitude must've ingrained this rebellious streak into my subconscious. I didn't want to conform. Anything my dad ordered or my mom said, I'd instinctively do the opposite or defy them. I wanted to be my own wolf from an early age. Tormenting Caleb was sort of my way of doing that. My parents kept telling me to stop and I did it anyway, Lance always happily tagging along because I was a leader.

Simpler times...

When I grew older, my parents kind of started ignoring me a little. They only ever really took notice of me if I did something bad or spectacular but other than that, they focused mostly on Caleb, Lance or Abby. I sort of got pushed into the background and it only made me want to draw their attention to me all the more. It would only be later that I'd learn that's because I'm not an ordinary kid. I'm not a self-made wolf. I'm not like JD Clarke.

I'm a super.

Fourteen, I think. Yeah, fourteen years of age is when my powers must've first manifested. That's when my parents started to ignore me. I thought they were just applying this method where they realised I craved attention so they ignored me so that I'd get it into my thick skull that my attention grabbing antics wouldn't win me any gold stars.

But that was my powers, my first powers anyway. You might think that it's just diverting people's attention but it's actually classified as 'Aura Muting'.

I should explain. Every super generates an Aura. This thing actually causes people around them including other supers to be polarised to the extremes of their current emotions. If you already hate a super, you will _extremely_hate them. Kind of why villains tend to fly off the handle when facing their arch nemesis. If you love them, you'll fall head over heels over them which leads to crazy fans.

My power actually cancels out Auras, mine included. I generate a sort of 'negative' Aura that not only negates the Auras of other supers but also diverts attention away from me. Kind of like an emotional repulsion field. With me around, supers tend to be incapable of pulling off coordinated fights like they usually can as Auras tend to synchronise with one another; a reason why super battles always look like spectacularly choreographed fights. It would be years before I'd learn the extent of this power.

You might be wondering how I learned this. Well, I'll get to that.

At the time, my dad only thought I could go around unnoticed or at least divert attention from me. It's why when Gnoll attacked the West California High School football game, no one paid me any attention. Or when Caleb turned into a bull right inside our own home, they completely forgot that I was practicing my guitar in the next room.

That's my power... going unnoticed.

******

My dad, of course, started paying a lot of attention to me when I dropped college and joined the police academy. My power doesn't work so well if someone is purposefully looking for me or focused on me. I can still make it so that they can't polarise people with their Auras but if they look for me, they'll find me. When I told him what I had done well... He didn't have very many nice words for me.

"You did what!?"

"I joined the police academy," I answered defiantly. "I don't want to be a professional trainer anymore, dad. I want to make a difference and I don't think that yelling at a guy to make them stronger."

We were standing in the lounge room. My mom was standing a little off to the side, looking on worriedly. Lance was, of course, at the Elemental Alliance Tower doing whatever it was he was doing and Caleb was cramming for his exams. Abigail... well, she was obsessing about her wedding and was off with her wedding planner.

"But the police!?" dad shouted. "Wolf Christ, Leon! You could get killed!"

He would later confess to me that it wasn't because he was worried about me getting killed. I'm a super, after all. He was more worried about the fact that I wasn't mentally ready to be a super and joining the academy would ruin his façade. He went to great lengths to hide my powers from the world, after all.

"Dad, you're exaggerating," I said, using the speech I had prepared. "I mean, statistically speaking -"

"I don't care about statistics, Leon. You are not joining the police academy!"

He didn't even give me a chance to explain myself and that hurt more than him rejecting my choice. It was almost like he was going into denial. I puffed out my chest at him. "Well it's done, dad. I start tomorrow."

"No you're not. You can bet your ass that I'm not driving you and I most certainly am not going to give you my keys!"

"Come on, dad!" I whined. "You're out there saving the world, so is Caleb and Lance! Abby is going to be representing people and changing lives as a lawyer! Even mom is helping the world as the senator's assistant! What am _I_going to be?"

"You'll figure it out," dad snarled at me. "You're still young. I didn't want to be a super from the get go."

"Don't bullshit me, dad. You worshiped supers just like me and the day you found out you had powers, you immediately went about testing and honing them. You always knew what you were going to be."

"And you think that was an easy choice for me?" he snapped back. "I got kicked out of house and home, Leon. Your grandparents disowned me and to this day, I can't step into their house without my own father calling me an abomination. I had to flee to Australia, lose a guy I truly loved before having the balls to come back here!"

"That's not going to happen to me, dad."

He loomed over me, going all alpha male on me. "Don't be so sure, pup."

Pup. Heh. He hardly called me that anymore. We're almost the same height after all but he's still much stronger. Yeah, we're both supers but on the super scale, I'm just barely within the super level. That's to say my 'super strength' is only slightly above that of a normal person my size and weight. That's why my abilities were so easy to hide.

I stood my ground. "Dad, I'm doing this. I have to. And you can't stop me."

"We'll see," he growled back. "Just remember who can lockdown this whole place in a second with four foot thick steel walls."

"David," my mom said gently. "You need to pick up Lance."

He growled at me one more time before huffing and turning towards the garage. When we were free from him and glared at my mom, waiting to hear her words. Where my dad used a frickin' hammer against me, my mom would use a scalpel and I knew she'd cut deeper than anyone else could.

But I was surprised.

"There's a bus that you can take in the morning that'll take you to the academy," she said. "But if you miss that one, you'll have to take a longer route. Hopping from bus, to train and maybe even taking a taxi."

I gave her a puzzled look. "Mom...?"

She gave me a wry smile and handed me a bus schedule. "A mother always knows, Leon."

It would take a while before I realised exactly what she meant with those words.

"While your father was busy tormenting your brothers," she continued. "I knew exactly where you were going and what you planned. Come on, when you dropped out of college, who do you think they called?"

My cheeks burned. "You kept it that long from dad?"

"Your father had many things on his mind. I didn't want to add this to his plate." She rested a paw on my shoulder. "For what it's worth, Leon, I'm proud of your decision. I'm sure you'll make me proud. And..." She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Sorry, never mind. I lost it."

I'm fairly sure she wanted to tell me she wasn't worried because as a super that could avoid detection, I wouldn't be in much trouble. My dad made her swear not to tell me, after all.

"Thanks mom," I responded, clutching her paw tightly. "I mean that."

I think that night she talked to my dad and got him to back down a little. But I was still late to my first day at the academy because metal poles would suddenly spring out of nowhere and trip me or the showers wouldn't be working.

Thanks dad.

******

My first impression of Lieutenant Matlock was... Well, I'm not proud to say this but... It was 'cripple'.

I stood in line with the other recruits, sweating because I had practically bolted up from where the taxi had dropped me off to the line. Matlock wheeled up to us in his wheelchair and regarded us all with stern gazes. Now something you should understand, in the 30th Century, the only people who actually use those either can't afford to surgery to get their legs fixed or have the therapy to walk or those who are just so far gone that there's no hope of them every walking again.

Seeing Matlock roll up with his powerful arms and chest, I couldn't help but be impressed. This was a guy who didn't give in to his disability and fought through to make a life of his own. I decided then, much to my idiocy, that my lack of powers would be my disability and I'd fight through it all.

"Alright recruits!" Matlock barked. "You're here for one reason and one reason only. You're here to become the front line defence against all that is wrong in this world. You may think that supers are your saving grace but then you've be very wrong. Supers are your crutch. They will save your pansy asses and put you in a fucking dress if it'll prove that they're better than you. But let me tell you something about supers..."

He wheeled back and forth in front of us, staring into our eyes with piercing lasers. "A super is just another man. Each and every one of you had something special about you. For them, it might be that they can fly, shoot lasers from their muzzles or grow an extra cock. It doesn't matter. That's what makes them special. What you need to understand is what makes you special. What are you going to contribute to the greater good? The size of a man is not judged by what they can accomplish but rather by the trials that they face! A single man who saved a woman from a burning building is far more impressive than the super that douses the fire. Even should a super save thousands of lives, it is the woman who saved her child that makes the greatest impact of them all. A politician who makes the law has more power than the super who breaks them!"

And from that instant, I was in Matlock's thrall.

I honestly felt like he was talking to me and he probably was. Everything he said was something he used to lure me in. But in many ways, what he said spoke a lot of truth and I had experienced it first hand or rather, I knew someone who did. Caleb, my youngest brother and the adopted kid. He was an Outsider. He was gifted with the ability to turn anything he touched into a weapon at will but he was never sure what that weapon would be. As an Outsider, he also didn't have baseline superpowers so he was just as strong as his body made him.

Caleb... He is my hero.

Random powers, no safety net and still standing out there against the world and its troubles with his head held high and a strong sense of justice and for no reward.

That is the person I wanted to be.

So I threw myself into my training.

Something to know about police training, it's all about discipline. You've got a gun. In many ways, you had the power to take a life in your paws. You had to know when to use it and when not to. Lars once told me that for him, even holding a simple wooden stick was like trying to grip a feather as tightly as he could without crushing it. At his full power, he would be terrifying. It's the same with the police. We've got a lot of authority, a lot of power. We couldn't let that get to our head.

And it's hard.

There were many times in my training that I wanted to just unload a whole magazine into the target because I kept missing. Most officers were equipped with thermal clip guns so we could fire infinitely provided we let our weapons cool a little. So that's a lot of shots. We were shown videos of how various guns worked and I honestly found them boring. Might be because I've been raised by a super but I learned a long time ago that I don't need to use guns to solve my problems. Even at that point, I had every intention of never using my gun unless I really had to.

But that was my rebellious streak standing out again. Everyone was eager to grab a gun and test it out. I didn't feel like conforming.

It's also in the first few days that the guys who are falling behind start standing out and the teacher's pet starts worming his way in. Matlock's perpetual shadow was none other than Reggie. If I knew what I knew now, I wouldn't have been surprised. Within a few days, Reggie had revealed himself to be an excellent marksman, he topped the class at all physical tests and in class doing theory and studying cases, he always got full marks. Many thought he was cheating but Matlock was equally hard on him as anyone else. He even forced Reggie to go at a full two hundred push ups in front of the class whereas everyone only had to do fifty.

People gravitated towards him. He was the popular kid in school. Got excellent grades, killer body, handsome and the teachers loved him. No matter where you go, it's the same thing. The popular guys get all the attention and Reggie got the attention. I still don't know if it was because of my powers and me having to stay within the lines that caused me to plummet down the social ladder. But no matter what, Reggie was top dog.

I hated him.

To my very core, I absolutely hated him because he was who I should be.

I wanted to be the big man on campus.

But he was just better than me at everything.

I practically frothed in the mouth every time I saw him and I wanted to clock him in the jaw. But I was training to be a cop not a bully. So I held back. I didn't think anyone understood me. No one wanted to know me. They all gravitated towards Reggie and left me unnoticed.

Then... Jacob came.

That first night when the Genesians attacked, mom, Abby, Lance and I were gathered around the holographic viewer, watching as Caleb and the rest of _Arsenal_fought against Megaton. We watched him get creamed. That nuclear-powered maniac nearly killed him!

Then Jacob stepped in and stole the show.

He was exactly like Reggie.

Kind, friendly, funny and incredibly powerful. He was everything Caleb was but perfected. That was Reggie and me in a nutshell. Reggie was the sculpted, perfect version of me. Funny considering how things turned out but that was exactly how I felt. Both of us Hale boys were at the top of our game, popular and strong then these guys just came barging in on us, overshadowing us and being so damn friendly about it that it was hard to hate them.

It was something we both had in common and though seeing Jacob made my blood boil, I felt like Caleb knew exactly how I was feeling. I needed a pillar of support as I was alone in the academy. I also felt like a total loser turning to Caleb so I decided not to pursue it.

But fate would have other plans.

Caleb and I really bonded the following day when dad blew up at me again that morning. It became a sort of ritual. I'd go down stairs, try to scarf down breakfast before taking the early bus. But halfway through me stuffing my face - I'm a wolf and a Hale, I need to eat - my dad would come down from upstairs, see me in my uniform and make some snide remark. I'd retaliate, he'd counterattack and pretty soon, we were exchanging verbal artillery shells. I don't even remember how it started. I don't even remember my dad locking my mom - his own wife - in an airtight prison.

While we were yelling at one another, Caleb came down and broke us up. He saved our mom and suggested that he be the one to drive me. Of course, my dad was against the whole idea. But there was nothing he could do.

So Caleb drove me and it became a ritual between us.

Heh, of course the next few days were pretty fucked up...

******

Did I mention how I really admired Caleb?

The first time Trojan attacked, the first thing he did was hit a bar.

I know that sounds stupid but he went to a bar to meet with Jacob. Hell, he even fought alongside the guy against Chimera. The guy who basically upstaged him in front of the world became his friend. I could never be that way to Reggie. He was my rival and I just couldn't put aside our differences despite the fact that he never actually did anything to me but exist. To me, he was this punk who though he was the best recruit in the class. He was but that should've been me, damnit.

God, I was so immature back then.

That didn't change when, one day, as we were having lunch, the big stallion decided to sit next to me.

"Hey Leon," he greeted, parking his enormous weight right beside him. He stank. Smelled like he had just come back from the gym. He often 'helpfully' told people about how workout regimen. Gym in the morning before class started. Thirty minutes into lunch break, another quick session in the gym to get his metabolism going and then another hour after class ended. It was how he got so lean. To me, it sounded like bragging.

"Reggie," I grunted.

"Hey, so I was thinking about the attack last night," he said, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "You know, at that gym with those two new Gene Stealers? Smokestack and whats-his-name."

"Unicorn?" I supplied bitterly. I took some pleasure in knowing something he didn't though he probably was just letting me have that one.

"Yeah him." His expression grew... worried and I had to furrow my brow. Whatever he was about to say it was going to be heavy. "I did some digging. Apparently, one of the guys' real name is Ulysses Fu. He's a professional assassin."

"Yeah, and?"

"Well..." He scratched his neck, ruffling his mane slightly. "I got to thinking... Didn't the lieutenant get hit by an assassin?"

I pounced immediately at that. "You have got to be kidding me? You think Lieutenant Matlock is this Trojan? Bullshit!"

He lifted his hands, looking genuinely surprised and even a little offended. "No! No! Just yesterday when we had coffee with your brother and Matlock told us again how he lost use of his legs and then what happened with Trojan not too soon after... I dunno, it just seemed really... coincidental."

"Or it could be that someone is purposefully drawing the links and trying to throw the scent off them?" I growled back.

Any normal guy would've blown up in my face but Reggie just gave me a little grin and said, "Whoa, whoa hey there, dude. We're on the same side here. Remember what Matlock always taught us: Leave no possibility unchecked."

That was true. He did say that. A lot.

Firing practice: 'Leave no possibility unchecked'

Drills: 'Leave no possibility unchecked'

Case studies: 'Leave no possibility unchecked'.

It was his mantra.

Of course Reggie saying that only fuelled my suspicion of him all the more. If only I knew how right I was.

******

Now dinner at the Connors' place made my skin crawl. I knew they were part of the Alpha Pack, basically the mob bosses of the world. I wanted so bad_to turn them in, tell everyone their identity, but I didn't want to compromise the tenuous alliance that _Arsenal had with them. Besides, they basically had every cop, judge and major business owner in their back pocket so that meant even if I did provide evidence, it'd never see the light of day. Hell, everyone knew Blood Wolf was part of the Alpha Pack but they still let him go free because he's helping with the Gene Stealers.

And... I'll be honest, the Alpha Pack really isn't that bad. I mean, they're decent people.

Dad wanted to keep us all together while we were at the dinner and, of course, being me, I wandered off. More than one werewolf looked at me hungrily and I had to admit, I liked the attention.

One of them, a lithe little rabbit, came up to me and batted her eyes.

"Why, aren't you a delicious little specimen?" she cooed.

"Thanks," I grunted. "Comes from police training."

"Law enforcement? Really. And yet you're here at an Alpha Pack soiree? That's bold." She leaned forward, her breath smelling like strawberries. "I like bold."

A deep growl rose from somewhere behind me. "Galatea. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The rabbit looked up defiantly and let out a very exaggerated sigh. "Oh dear, Dominic, must you spoil my fun? I was just teasing the little pup."

A big, strong hand rested on my shoulder. "Teasing, huh?" I turned to find the hand belonging to a powerfully built human whose black suit could barely contain his heavily muscled form. Of all the Alpha Pack, he looked the most like Samson. Dark brown hair, strong, powerful jaw, thick neck and the same hard but controlled eyes like he was constantly plotting something. "Here's a tease for you, Galatea." He leaned forward, teeth bared. I could actually see his canine expanding to fangs right before my eyes. "Get the fuck away from him or I'll rip your head clean off your shoulders."

She huffed at him before turning around, flinging her hair back in defiance. She sauntered away, her little fluffy tail wagging in my direction.

"Sorry about that," Dominic rumbled. Though he was big, he was only about 6'10'', a foot shorter than me. "You'll find a lot of our guests will be coming after you. It was my father's brilliant idea to suit you in red so that we declare to the world that you're off limits for the entire night. But that doesn't mean they can't come after you every other night. You might get a few coy sniffs by the way."

Then he held out his hand.

"Dominic Connors."

I was hesitant to shake his hand given that he was a member of the Alpha Pack but he did just save me. Then again, it could be a trick to get me to trust him. Leave no possibility unchecked. To be polite, I took his hand in my paw and gave it one, single, firm shake.

"Leon Hale," I answered.

"Listen Leon," he began solemnly, "I know you're type. You're the gung-ho, headstrong type that does whatever he wants and doesn't care about the consequences because you're always right. But listen to me, okay? Not everyone agrees about what my dad did tonight. Some of us are honestly here to make sure you get out of this alive and unscathed. Keep your head down and stick close to me at all times. You do not want one of these werewolves to get your scent, stalk you for the rest of your life and then have you begging to be bitten."

I gave him a derisive snort. "The hell you talking about?"

His hand squeezed around my paw, nearly crushing it. "We've got laws, Leon. No werewolf here will be able to bite you tonight unless you ask for it. Even then, past this night, they will see you as on the market. They won't openly bite you then either, they won't turn you unless you beg for it. And trust me, they'll do anything they can to that end." He jerked his chin in the direction that Galatea had left. "You know that bitch? She owns a nightclub in California. Really popular. Has a lot of girls that are werewolves. The regeneration helps them keep up business after they've 'serviced' their clients. Plus they can do shit with their tongues."

Well... that was certainly frank...

"Imagine her primping up one of those girls," he growled at me. "Making her look all presentable and nice. Then adding touches that you'd like. She'll stalk you. Gather your interests and then adopt them. Then one day, she'll pop up, 'accidentally' bump into you and start seducing you. Given enough time, you'll fall in love with her, she'll confess she's a werewolf and then bam!"

I jumped at his suddenly exclamation.

"You're begging her to bite you so that you can be with her."

"Does that... Happen often?" I asked.

"More than I can count." He finally let go of my paw. "With werewolves, it's all about power. For most packs, it's based entirely on how many people are in your pack. The Alpha Pack maintains its power because we're not only werewolves but we're supers as well. Plus, we've got a lot of subservient packs beneath us. Packs will be scrambling to bring you and your family into their fold because they know you know about them. You know about werewolves. It makes the transition easier."

I huffed and crossed my arms at him. "I can take care of myself."

Dominic seized my shoulder and pulled me close until our noses were touching. "No. You. Can't. Not against this. Trust me. This isn't a party, Leon. It's politics."

"So what? You're scared that if I get turned, the Alpha Pack will lose some power? Get real."

"It's not you I'm worried about, pup. It's your dad and brothers."

I frowned at him. That hurt. I didn't like being overshadowed and he effectively said that I was worthless and my only value was that I was related to Caleb, Lance and my dad. "What?"

"You get turned, who do you think your family is going to turn to for guidance? They're only werewolf experts. Hell, if one of your family gets turned, joins the Alpha Pack, he has the right to attack Galatea's pack, fuck everyone to submission _including you_and then claim you as their bitch. You would be forced to abandon Galatea's pack and get dragged back into theirs."

"I would never let anyone fuck me," I sneered. "Especially not my own family."

"It won't be up to you. You'll just be another werewolf. They have powers. They'd crush you."

"So what? I wouldn't abandon the woman I love."

"You wouldn't have a choice. It'll be inbred into you. It'll be completely and utterly instinctual. You get someone to plough your ass, to tie with you, you'll be theirs forever. It's like imprinting. You can't avoid it." Dominic pulled back and let out a soft sigh. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in but just please trust me on this. You do _not_want to get tangled up with another pack and start a turf war. It -"

Suddenly, an athletic feline came wandering over to us, holding up a tray with champagne glasses on it. He looked like a tabby from all appearances.

"Champagne for the gentlemen?" asked the tabby.

"No thanks," I growled.

Dominic gave the guy a foul stare. "Xavier... Why the hell are you dressed like that?"

The tabby gave him a wink. "Because I know how you like to be 'served'."

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "Get out of that ridiculous costume."

"Only if you take a glass," he answered, gesturing at the three glasses in front of us. "Word of warning, one of them is spiked with a very potent aphrodisiac. Think Viagra on steroids. You'll want to fuck me until the moon is full again."

I frowned at him and regarded Dominic with a puzzled stare. The werewolf, once again, rolled his eyes then grabbed a glass. Before I could grab one myself, Dominic downed the contents of his glass and grabbed the one I was about to seize. He drank all three in rapid succession.

"Hey..." I murmured.

"There, what else you got?" Dominic growled.

Xavier shrugged and beckoned for another waiter to come up to him. He gave the guy his tray and dusted himself off theatrically. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. For the record, none of those drinks were spiked." Then he glanced towards me and winked, shiny blue eyes filled with mischief. "Honestly, the only time he ever loosens up is when he's a little tipsy and I could see from halfway across the room that you're as wound up as a clockwork soldier."

The cat held out his paw towards me. "Sorry if I'm being rude. Xavier Connors. Otherwise known as Spook."

Funny, I was actually starting to like this guy until he told me he was part of the Alpha Pack. But I quickly realised that was stupid. I mean, he was genuinely friendly and he got Dominic to drink three glasses of champagne in a minute. That was fucking hilarious.

"Leon Hale," I answered.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you," Xavier replied with a bright smile. "So what has my husband been harping to you about?"

"Husband?"

The feline werewolf shrugged. "Oh yeah. We've been married for a while now. Well, mated first and foremost and then married officially. We need to get married again every time we assume new identities, of course, but the love is there." He nudged Dominic with an elbow. "Isn't that right, my sexy little ball of pent up anger?"

Dominic was fighting to keep his eyes open and let out a soft, incoherent gurgle.

"Ah that's my Dom. Incapable of holding his alcohol despite the fact he can grow up to be a thousand foot raging werewolf."

"So he's Raging Hound?" I glanced towards Dom and frowned. "Huh... And he's mated to you? I mean, no offense just..."

The tabby shrugged again. "I know, I know. Traditionally, werewolves are humans who become wolves and so forth. Wolves turning into bulkier, more feral wolves, yeah, that's a given. But felines? Kind of weird, right? Dom thought so too. He absolutely hated me when I joined the Alpha Pack. Said a cat had no right to be amongst dogs."

"What changed?"

"Pies!" Dominic exclaimed brightly before shaking his head and starting to sway in place.

"He's not kidding," snickered Xavier. "I make some killer pies and let's just say that Dom absolutely loves it when I'm slaving over a hot stove with nothing but a sexy apron on." He winked at me. "He likes to roleplay."

"So..." I began warily. "Casual sex turned into something more?"

"Pretty much. Dom couldn't deny he had feelings for me and when we came to a confrontation, we both went werewolf and I tied with him."

I jerked my head back. "Whoa wait. You're the top?"

Xavier grinned at me. "Just like when Dom gets drunk, he's a pup. The moment I get him hard, he's putty in my paws. Like I said, he likes to be 'served'. Few licks here, little bit of nipple tweaking here and he's purring like a... well... Like me." He grinned at Dominic. "But I love him to bits. He's a bit overprotective of me but you know, husbands usually are."

For some reason, I just couldn't be hostile to these two anymore. Yeah, there were part of the Alpha Pack and were criminals but... They were just kind of... normal. 'Normal' isn't the right word. It's more... they showed their vulnerabilities and shared with me some secrets. I felt welcomed.

"So... Dom was telling me that I should watch my ass?"

Xavier pretty much repeated what Dom told me but in a much more jovial and friendly manner. Again, he told me that the Alpha Pack was kind of split down the middle on what Samson was doing. Trying to draw in Feral Steel or Arsenal_to join them as werewolves to secure their power, while tactically sound, was also an _enormous risk. Many of the pack considered Arsenal as allies and coercing them to become werewolves was not the best way. They should join of their own volition. No one argued that having Arsenal join would be an enormous boost to the Pack's status and power. Just how they joined was the question.

I had a nice chat with Xavier and Dom started coming out of his drunken haze a little soon after that. Werewolves had incredibly high metabolism, after all, so he got drunk faster and metabolised the alcohol faster than anyone else.

We talked about a lot of things. Amongst them, how much of a stranglehold the Alpha Pack had on the WCIPD.

"We pretty much have the commissioner and most senior officers under our belt," Xavier answered dismissively. "I guess you take objection to that."

"A little," I responded. "I mean, the law is the law..."

"And the world is grey, not black and white," he responded. "Think of it this way. Were it not for the Alpha Pack's wealth which came from shady dealings with the police looking the other way, we could not support Arsenal."

"There must be better ways, though. Legitimate ways."

"Legitimate ways while you've got assholes like GG Guinness out there constantly slandering you? Good guys never prosper, as they say. Bad guys always get caught. Finding a place between those two, you'll find yourself very comfortable."

"So what? The end justifies the means? That's a pretty shitty way of looking at things."

"I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that sometimes you have to do something bad to ultimately bring about something good. I mean, you workout right?"

"Yeah..."

"In the process of building your muscles, you damage those very same muscles. Bad. But ultimately, you get bigger. Good. It's kind of like that." Xavier nodded towards me. "Trust me Leon, when you become a full on officer of the law, you're going to have to do some pretty shitty things to do that good in the end. Interrogation for one thing. You're going to have to lie, coerce and bully your way through to the truth. There is no 'pure good' out there because no matter what you do, someone will_always_ get hurt. It's about mitigating that."

Those words stuck with me for the rest of the night.

I mulled it over and then dinner started. I sat down with the rest of my family, Dom and Xavier opposite to me. Yeah, the whole 'Ritualistic Satanic Prayer' thing was funny now that I think about it but back then, I was fucking scared we'd actually summon the devil. When Rhiannon appeared well... Yeah, I nearly fainted.

Then there was my dad's big surprise.

He got himself bitten by Samson.

I sat in mute shock for a whole five minutes as Samson's fangs sank into my dad's arm. I looked at the other members of the Alpha Pack and the other werewolves on the table. They all looked at the scene with something akin to surprise mixed with admiration. David Hale had truly impressed them and had joined them as one of their own.

As for my family, they all looked mortified.

It wasn't long before David suddenly lurched forward and the weakness set in. Samson declared the dinner to be over and hurried him out. We naturally followed and that's when Caleb got the call of another Trojan attack. We had to leave as my mom and Martha Connors took care of my dad.

But I lingered outside the door, just... thinking. I don't remember exactly what I was mulling over but after a few moments, I overheard Martha and my mom speaking.

"I am truly sorry about this," Martha said softly. "Your husband is truly a brave man."

My mother laughed bitterly. "He's reckless is what he is." There was a pause and I think she sighed at that point. "More and more I find his traits passing down to my children. He gave Lance is kind, almost puppy-like demeanour. Abigail got her tendency to suffer from tunnel-vision from him. He definitely gave Caleb his courage and loyalty. And Leon... well, he gave Leon his stubbornness and reckless behaviour..."

"You seem most distracted about that last son you mentioned..."

There was a pause and my ears were perked.

"Have you ever had a secret that you've had to keep because your husband told you so but you never agreed with it?"

"You mean like this night?" Martha laughed softly. "Yes. But ultimately, that is a secret that we must keep. It's our lips that we keep sealed. They do not seal it for us." Martha paused for a moment. "And honestly, I have my own secrets that even my husband don't know about."

"Well... After tonight, I don't think I can keep it a secret anymore. I know this is putting a lot of trust in someone I barely know but can you keep a secret for me? I just need to tell someone."

There was a bit of shuffling. "Of course, my dear. If... you'll allow me to impart a secret upon you as well."

"Of course. But you first."

Martha's voice grew grim. "There is another force at work here. Beyond Chimera. They're called the Ring. I don't know who they are. I don't know _what_they are. But I have this feeling that Chimera is involved. I've tried to consult with my husband but he dismisses me and says that our focus should be stabilising the Alpha Pack and defeating Chimera. He doesn't want to hear about my theories." She sighed softly, distantly. "There was a time when he would listen to my counsel intently. But now..."

"I understand. Sometimes husbands can get very caught up in their own worlds." Mom laughed softly. "In many ways, Samson and David are very much the same."

"Yes... Yes they are. What was your secret?"

My mom took a deep breath. "My eldest son... Leon... He has a power."

I froze, my heart very still.

"It's called Aura Muting. Have you heard of it?"

"I think I have. But no super has it. Part of the anti-super fields that are generated to keep supers in check. After all, even if you contain a super's powers, if you don't contain their Aura, they will polarise people around them and potentially cause breakouts. Are you saying that Leon is...?"

"A super. Yes."

I backed away in shock, my jaw open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"My husband knew all along and he only confirmed it recently after Leon joined the police academy. I always knew myself. I suspected and I knew he was always a special boy. But David kept it from us. From everyone for his own reasons. I eventually managed to squeeze it out of him a few days ago..."

I backed away... I needed some air and went charging down the hallway.

I found Xavier and Dom waiting for me a little down the hall.

"Your dad is pretty fucking ballsy," Dominic rumbled. "I never thought I'd ever see anyone outplay my dad but there you go..."

My mind was reeling. I just wanted to get away from this place. I wanted to find out what 'Aura Muting' was.

"This... might be problematic, actually," Xavier confessed. "Remember, the Pack was already divided over how to get David to come to us. Some agreed with Samson, others didn't. David just showed them all that he's just as much of an alpha wolf than Samson. Division in the Alpha Pack..."

"My dad isn't just some werewolf," I growled, surprised at myself in defending my dad even after what I had just learned. "He's a Hale. He's going to stay a Hale. He's only part of the Alpha Pack as a formality."

"I hope so, Leon," Xavier said worriedly. "I really hope so."

I really didn't like how he said that and I certainly didn't like that he got the last word in. It brought my mind back to the present and away from the betrayal that I had just experienced. So I had to ask.

"If you had to choose, between Samson and my dad, who would you choose?"

The two werewolves exchanged glances and then, in unison, said, "David."

"Really?" I answered, stunned. "Why?"

They both shrugged and it was Dom who answered. "I told you before. It's like imprinting. You can't help it. I felt myself get pulled and tied to David like he had bent me over and fucked me there and then for a whole month, my muzzle buried into his armpit so that all I'd ever breathe for those thirty glorious days is his scent."

"Same here except in a more... intellectual manner," Xavier chuckled. "I felt my whole essence just bend a knee to him and I even got up to help when he tumbled. If it weren't for who it'd appear to the rest of the werewolf world, I would have bent a knee, sworn fealty to him and then sucked his dick from now until the end of time."

Dominic nudged him. "So much for being more 'intellectual'."

"Don't tell me you weren't considering being 'knighted by his sword'."

"Shut up."

I was still plagued by the news that I was a super. But I realised something.

Xavier was right.

You needed to a bit of bad to bring about the good.

******

Hindsight is a bitch, that much I'll say.

The day right after the Mayor of WCI revealed himself to be in league with the Gene Stealers, Reggie came out and suspected that Trojan might be working at the Horsepower Gym. He did have some very valid points and Caleb fell for it. I had to admit, I would've too were it not for the fact that I hated Reggie with a passion.

Call me irrational but I was still very much convinced that Reggie was somehow related to Trojan. He pulled the 'worried victim' line on me and it was very convincing. So when Caleb left, no doubt to tell the rest of the team, I had to ask him.

"Are you really worried about being turned into an even bigger horse?" I accused.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, frowning at him. "We're on the same side here."

"Are we really?" Yes, I was being petty and yes I was being stubborn like everyone keeps calling me but that got me where I am today, damnit. Don't judge me.

"Believe it or not, Leon," Reggie growled, leaning forward and setting his huge arm across the table. Shit he was huge. "We want the same thing here. We want to save this world. If it's from supervillains, criminals or some apocalyptic force, we're here to stand against it and make sure our world survives. You might not think there's a lot a guy like you can do when there's Arsenal, the Elemental Alliance or whoever else out there but every little bit helps."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He leaned back, crossing his arms against his huge chest. "You know how stupid people can be? There are those idiots that purposefully throw themselves in danger so that their favourite super will come and save them all for an autograph. Then there are those assholes that purposefully put themselves in the middle of super battles just to snap a selfie and for the kicks." Reggie shook his head grimly.

"And you know what's worse? People expect supers to save them. If you have powers, you're either _obligated_to save someone or you're pegged as a villain. If you don't, there are assholes like GG Guinness you throw slander at you just for wanting a normal life."

He wasn't wrong.

I was of the opinion that GG Guinness needed to have his mouth sewn to his ass so that he could eat the shit that he was spewing out every night. It made my blood boil and when Caleb clocked Guinness the previous night... heh, let me just say it was fucking satisfying.

"If people just got off their lazy asses and contributed to society instead of just leaving it to those people with powers, we'd be better off," Reggie concluded. "It's kind of like that incident we studied. A woman was raped and killed in the middle of the night in a well-populated area. Over ten people heard it happen and about six of them actually saw it happen. But no one actually did anything. Not even call the cops until it was over. If someone did something..."

My dad's own words haunted me and I felt my blood start to boil again. Reggie was right. Yeah, I didn't have powers, but I could still do something, damnit. I had that power. My dad didn't want me throwing myself into danger because I didn't have powers - remember, at the time I didn't know I had abilities. But if everyone just lent a hand, if everyone raised suspicions, called the police or even distracted the bad guy just for a little while then maybe thing could be very much different.

With those words, Reggie motivated me to actually do something about what I thought was right.

Near the end of that day, I cornered Lieutenant Matlock in his office. Most of the instructors were actual police officers who had a six month stint in the academy before returning to active duty. But Matlock, given that he supposedly couldn't use his legs, was stuck in the academy permanently. There were other guys too, those who were close to retirement or no longer fit to be out there upholding the law.

Something that I will admire about Matlock though, he wore his injuries with pride. Everyone else was always so bitter about theirs or even those heading to retirement were grouchy and reminiscent of the 'old days'. Matlock took his disability and considered it a badge of honour. Of course it was all a ploy. He wasn't really disabled but I would learn later that he joined Chimera not so that he could walk again but to uphold Chimera's ideals. He could have easily told everyone that he finally got surgery and fixed his legs but he chose to remain in his chair because he wanted to remember what he was fighting for and who he was.

I'm not sure how much I believe him now but that's really admirable.

"Leon," he said as I stepped into his office. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering," I began. "How much do you know about Reggie?"

He gave me a smile and nodded. "Ah, I see. You're caught up in the Trojan fever as well, aren't you? You're concerned that Reggie might be in league with the latest Gene Stealer."

I didn't know what to say so I remained silent.

"You're not the first one to think this, Leon," he said. "Many others have come up to me with their concerns predominantly because Reggie is an incredible specimen of a fur and many believe his body is far from natural." Matlock leaned back in his wheelchair and crossed his arms. "I can honestly tell you that he is a noble and devoted soul."

"Yeah but..."

He held up a hand to silence me. "Tell me something, Leon. What do _you_know about Reggie?'

Busted.

I knew next to nothing about him.

Just that he was big, buff and the best in our class.

"I thought so," Matlock said with a cunning smile, one that I would see so often in the near future. "It's not my policy to divulge personal information but I feel that you need this, Leon." He took a deep breath and then stared at me square in the eyes. "You and all the other recruits think that Reggie's skills and achievements are all developed from some leg-up he gets from the Gene Stealers. You're wrong. A Gene Stealer only changes your body and possibly gives you powers. They don't teach you how to hold a gun, who to shoot, when to shoot or how to pass all those case studies that are given out. You can have the biggest, strongest body in the world and hell, you can have the longest, fattest dick for all I care but if you don't know how to use it then you might as well be a pile of shit."

He leaned forward, pointing directly at me. "It doesn't matter _what_you have, how you were born or if you have powers or not. A man without powers and without a gun can bring down any super if they know how. Look at Nightfox. He has no powers. Just his smarts and his gadgets. He honed his body to physical perfection."

Matlock leaned back into his chair. "My point is, Leon, you don't need to be a super to make a difference. You certainly don't need to be a Gene Stealer to be a good cop either."

Those words struck me hard.

There I was thinking that supers were the best; that I needed to be a super to great and do some real good. But the truth was... I didn't have to be a super. The world got on just fine for a while without them and even those without powers could still make a difference. Lesson of the story: you don't need to be a super to change the world.

"But I take it you're the kind of man that needs physical evidence," Matlock said. "So I'll tell you what." He reached into the cabinet of his drawer and pulled out a key, setting it in front of me. "I'm going to give you this key. It'll let you into the cabinet where we keep the surveillance archives. From there, you can see that everything that Reggie does is legitimate."

For a moment, I thought I wouldn't need that anymore but I decided that I might as well since Matlock was offering it to me. So I took the key and with thanks. If I wasn't going to prove Reggie was a Gene Stealer, at the very least I could learn how he got so big and so good and model myself off that.

May I just needed better role models.

Then I heard from the news that Trojan had escaped Arsenal and there had been a fight in the streets.

I would learn later that when Matlock had escaped from Madman and Bren, he rushed straight back to the academy and sat in his office to form an alibi. My presence actually helped him secure that.

But when I heard about what had effectively been a trap... well, I went straight back to suspecting Reggie.

Stupid me.

******

I watched the surveillance videos of Reggie for a good portion of the rest of the day. I had nothing concrete and I told Caleb about my suspicions before he went off to New York. I'm glad he believed me and that he was actually thinking hard about my ideas. I love him for that. It was logical that I leave everything to him and wait until he got back. It would only be a week, after all, so I decided to spend the week watching Reggie.

It was through examining the surveillance videos that I got Reggie's locker number and access code. I think had things turned out, I would've made one hell of a detective. But I really couldn't find anything concrete against the stallion.

In between that, I looked into what Aura Muting was. What I found out... well, it wasn't exactly the best superpower. It just made supers... uncoordinated. I read books and papers on it and that's how I learned the extent of my ability. I did a few tests here and there of my powers and I honestly felt a little like my dad when he first found out about his powers.

That... That made me depressed, I'll admit.

I was turning out just like my dad... My dad who stabbed me in the back when he knew I worshiped supers just like him and didn't tell me I was one... I sort of understood what he was going through and it left me conflicted. I saw how great he turned out to be but I still felt hurt that he didn't tell me.

Would I turn out like him? Would I end up being kicked out of house and home? Would I need to lose someone close to me before I grew the balls to come back home?

With Christmas rapidly approaching, I could feel the weight of this knowledge, this gut feeling that Reggie was somehow involved, gnawing at me. I needed to do something about it and the fact that Trojan didn't attack while Caleb was gone concerned me. Was Trojan after my brother or Arsenal? The fact that Shark Tamer himself came up and gave Caleb an Original Serum proved that they knew who we were. If Caleb's absence meant that Trojan wasn't attacking, that meant that _Arsenal_was the target for some reason.

All these thoughts bounced around in my head over and over again.

My dad... well, he came out of his conversion into a werewolf the day after Caleb left.

Our house was invaded by the Connors, particularly Samson and Martha. They brought with them a big, burly human with a ragged scar on his face that looked like three claw marks. I didn't remember him as one of the Connors. I was glad that Dominic and Xavier were there as well, though.

Dad was looking much better. In fact, he looked bigger than ever. I mean, he couldn't rival Lance but in terms of sheer size, he was pushing the limits of his physique. He didn't have any clothes that fit him anymore and he met the Connors in just a pair of shorts borrowed from Lance. I think he was showing off a little.

"What do you want?" my dad growled, his blue eyes flashing red.

"I think it better if your family weren't in the room for this conversation," Samson said. "Xavier, Dominic, why don't you take young Leon into the other room. Martha, please see to Lillian."

"If you're going to be helping me run my mayoral campaign, I need to know everything that's happening," mom said sternly. "I'm staying."

"And I'm training to be a cop," I protested. "I've got a right to stay here."

Dom placed a hand on my shoulder. "Then probably a better reason why we should leave. Come on, dude."

I was led out into the garage despite my protests and once we were there, I demanded an explanation.

"See the big guy with the scar?" Xavier said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. "His name is Bruno Szhenkov. He's a werewolf from Russia. Not really high ranking in terms of how werewolves go but he's got a pretty decent pack behind him. He wasn't at the dinner table when your dad made his big reveal. Honestly, he's a bit of a push over until a few days ago."

"What do you mean?"

"Bruno kind of just rolls over to other packs," answered Dom. "He's really only got about five close members left. A bit of a coward."

"What? Him? The guy is huge!"

"Yeah but he's a puppy. Other packs have been encroaching on his territory and stealing away his members."

"So what's he doing here?"

Dominic shrugged. "He's desperate. He was honestly hoping to petition the Alpha Pack for protection but when David came in, he saw an opportunity and pounced. No one has sworn fealty to him yet. He's hoping to be the first."

"He'll be part of my dad's pack?"

"Oh no. Your dad is part of our pack, the Alpha Pack. But basically, he'll be under David's command. If anyone touches them, they'll incur the wrath of the Alpha Pack and most importantly, your dad."

I frowned at that. "Wait... so does that mean the packs under your command don't fight one another?"

"Oh they fight," Xavier chuckled. "But then it'll be up to us to decide a punishment or ruling. I mean if someone under my command were to attack someone from a pack under Dom's command, I could say that they were doing it in self-defence and Dom could either accept that or be bent over and fucked until he admits it."

Dom growled at that but his eyes turned back to me. "Basically, he's hoping to get leverage off your dad. It's not a sure protection. People will attack and they'll still get ambitious but they'll have to be ready for your dad's retribution."

"So it's pretty much like my dad is a mob boss now," I concluded. "Someone attacks him, my dad can go mouthing on about 'respect' and retaliate if need be."

"Pretty much." Dom nodded towards me. "You can expect other werewolves to be coming to your dad for protection. Not every pack is under the Alpha Pack's jurisdiction, after all. There are those that are unaligned or newly formed. There are lone werewolves out there as well who will try to make their own packs. But overall, the more werewolves your dad fucks into submission, the stronger his position will be."

"Whoa, wait," I said, holding up my paws. "Back up. My dad has to _fuck_Bruno?"

"It's part of the ceremony," Xavier answered. "Your dad mounts Bruno, both of them in their werewolf forms and your dad ties with him."

"Ties!?" I exclaimed. "But - but -"

"Werewolves are different to you canines, remember. Tying isn't a mating thing. It's more like anchoring yourself into the wolf beneath you and then dragging his ass around wherever you want until you go soft. You're the top dog that way."

"But -"

I was interrupted by a loud crash from above. Instincts told me to dive for the door but Dom stopped me. Just one look at him and I realised that I really shouldn't interfere with my dad forcing another werewolf beneath him. God... I wonder what mom would think.

Actually... Never mind that. Though I don't have it confirmed, I do know that my mom and dad are a little kinky. She was probably watching the whole time and loved every second of it.

My family is a little messed up.

"You know..." Xavier offered. "We could turn you into a werewolf, if you wanted."

My tail fluffed out at that and I turned to him in surprise. "Wait? What?"

"I mean, you're not a super and you certainly won't be part of the Alpha Pack but you'll be under your dad," replied the tabby. "You'll still be part of his family. Traditionally, when one joins the Alpha Pack, you abandon your former family but I have this feeling your dad isn't going to let you guys go so easily. So maybe as another werewolf, you could help bridge that gap."

"You mean... I'd be as strong as you guys?"

Dom chortled. "No dude. You're not a super. We're supers _and_werewolves. We're stronger than the ordinary super. But you'd be about as strong as a super just without the powers. Plus you'll get to change into a bigger wolf and fuck all night if you wanted. Maybe you could be your own alpha." He snapped his fingers. "Hell, you know what? You could be your dad's beta. His general if you want. You'd run around ordering his wolves. Of course he might need to screw you a couple of times..."

They didn't know I was a super... But how much of a super was I really? If they bit me...

My dad's seed made me and that was enough of him in me as is.

But still... the idea of becoming stronger...

"I... need to think about it." I turned towards Ballistic, Caleb's bike, and opened the garage. "I'll need some air." We heard another crash and what sounded like a loud whimper. "And some space. Don't worry, I'll be back."

God, can you imagine it? Me a werewolf and my dad's beta? My dad and I have been pulling apart ever since this shit with him being Feral Steel started. Lance has been distance as well given he's got a boyfriend now. The only person I find myself getting closer to is Caleb... But he's not here and I didn't have anyone to talk to about Xavier and Dom's offer.

Who did Caleb go to for these things? Mary? But she was away with him as well.

I had a few buds around town but I couldn't exactly unload on them. What do I say? 'Hey, my dad is part of the Alpha Pack now and he's fucking guys at home. These two other Pack members offered to make me a werewolf so I can fulfil my lifelong dream of being stronger and making a difference but it'd mean by dad would have to screw me periodically. What should I do?'

Yeah... That wasn't going to fly.

I idly tapped at the GPS of Ballistic, looking for places to go and I found a place uptown. An apartment from all appearances. Curious, I headed that way. Thirty minutes later, I was driving up to a large, squat, grey apartment building barely three storeys tall.

I checked the apartment number and on the listing by the door, it just said 'J. S. Reaper'.

This was Jacob Reaper AKA Legion's place.

I couldn't help it. My hero worship began ballooning up again and I pushed the button.

He answered almost immediately. "Hello...?"

I froze for a second. "Erm... Hey there. I'm... uh... I'm Leon Hale. Caleb's older brother."

"Oh. Hi Leon. What can I do for you?"

"I..." I frowned. What did I want to do? "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out?"

God I sounded so stupid.

There was a pause on the other end and I was wondering if he thought I was a total weirdo or maybe someone that was just really lonely.

"You know what? I could use the company. Come on up."

The door buzzed and a moment later, I was heading up the dingy stairs that I was fairly sure were being kept together by dust bunnies and knocking at his front door. To be honest, I always expected superheroes to be living in high rise skyscrapers with decked out everything, living like celebrities and with secret bases hidden within the walls. But honestly, Jacob's building was... Well... You know how public toilets can be particularly after a very crazy baseball game? Yeah, it was like that.

When Jacob opened the door, he was dressed only in a some blue shorts and a white singlet. He looked so... ordinary.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked.

He glanced down at his scant attire and then at me who was dressed in a thick jacket and woollen pants. Then he laughed. "Oh, right. Well see, I'm _really_thick furred. Plus, the body hair helps as a natural insulation. Gets thicker around winter."

"If you don't mind me saying so, you look pretty ripped for someone under all that winter fur."

Jacob shrugged and beckoned me inside. "I try to keep fit."

His apartment was actually pretty homey. Certainly not something I'd expect from a superhero. It was a one bedroom place but he kept everything very neat and tidy to the point where it looked like there was actually a lot more space than there was. The kitchen was built with a lot of reflective surfaces and his appliances were similarly as shiny. The floors were polished wooden floorboards and his furniture really consisted of a couch with an average sized HV. Apart from some workout equipment, he didn't have much else.

"This isn't what I expected," I confessed.

"What do you mean?"

I gulped. Did I just insult a super? "I mean... to be honest, I thought you'd be living the high life, you know? Lots of swag. Fancy shit lying around everywhere. A maid."

"Wherever did you get that idea?"

Comic books. News reports. Articles from Super Today. "I... guess just from how other supers are living."

"Ah, I see." Jacob headed over to his couch where he pulled at the side where a handle sat. It revealed a mini-fridge which actually surprised me. He tossed me a beer can. "Contrary to popular belief, not every super lives the lifestyle of a celebrity. Most actually prefer humbler surroundings. I mean, your father is an active super and he lives in your home, right?"

The mention of my dad made my heart sink. "Can... we not talk about my dad right now?"

"Sure," he answered. "To be frank, my home plane of Naught is mostly endless, white nothingness.

I cocked my head to the side, ears perked. "Home plane?"

"Didn't your brother tell you? I'm not of this realm."

My lore-geek engines were primed and I immediately crossed the room to stand in front of him. "Really? Tell me more!"

He laughed in a friendly manner and gestured towards the couch. We both sat down, cold beers in our paws.

"Well, if you must know, I am what is called a No One. A very long time ago, I completed my story. That is to say, everything was to be said about my tale was told. I was born, grew up, fought the bad guys, found love, the end. That's the short of it. The slightly longer version is that my soul is the product of when a creature of pure darkness and a mortal of pure light came together and conceived a soul. My mortal body was actually stillborn but then my future-self put the soul extracted from another dimension into the mortal frame in a self-perpetuating cycle."

"Holy shit..."

"Yeah. And here's the fun part. Because I was the product of two realities and the fact that I had a soul capable of housing the infinite possibilities between light and darkness, good and evil, I was the only one in all existence that could ever hold and control the power of my weapon, Realmbreaker."

"What is Realmbreaker?"

"Put simply?" he said with a shrug. "It's a tear in the fabric of existence. A point where time and space ceased to be. Basically, existence and nonexistence in one thing." Jacob took a drink from his beer. "At first, I thought all it could really do is just destroy but then I figured out how to use _Realmbreaker_to create. After that, I found myself in a place outside of time and space."

"So you're... immortal? A god?"

He laughed heartily. "There are no gods, Leon. Just mortals. Even those guys you worship and call gods? They're mortal to someone. As am I."

"So wait, what're you doing here then?" I took a sip from my beer, eager to learn more but not wanting to appear rude.

"A variety of reasons but I'll keep that to myself if you don't mind." He set his beer down on one of the cup holders on the armrests. "But something tells me that you're here for more than just to hang out. I mean, before today you and I haven't even spoken." He leaned forward on the couch, paws folded together. "What's eating you?"

He was right. Jacob was a total stranger to me. But he gave me a new perspective on superheroes and I felt I owed him.

"My dad is a werewolf now..."

"I heard."

"Yeah well... He's part of the Alpha Pack and right now, he's fucking some other guy as a show of dominance. My mom is probably watching as well because I'm pretty sure that sort of stuff gets her wet."

Jacob pulled back, looking worried. "Okay... And...?"

I found my throat closing up but I somehow managed to squeeze out the next part before I fell silent entirely. "These two other members of the Alpha Pack offered to make me a werewolf too. I wouldn't be as strong as my dad but I'd at least be able to make a difference."

Legion was quiet for a long moment and I feared I had said the wrong thing.

"You want to make a difference, huh?" he began. "What kind of difference do you want to make?"

I frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"Do you want to make a difference in the household? Do you want to make a difference in America political policies, to superhero relations, space travel, international relations, natural conservation? What?"

I... never thought there would be so many 'differences' I could make. "I... honestly don't know."

"I think that's something you need to define first before you go charging head long into 'making a difference'," Jacob told me. "A difference could easily be a 'good' difference and a 'bad' difference. You might tip the balance towards the bad guys or contribute to the eventual overthrow of mankind as a whole. The guy who made dynamite made a difference but he was appalled by how his invention was used. A man who makes a difference in the entertainment industry has the power to saw entire nations. A mother that gives her child an extra piece of fruit can made a difference in that child's future. A man who puts in the overtime for that one day could make a difference between making rent or not."

He turned towards me with a smile. "Trust me, in my line of work a 'difference' isn't so much how hard you push but where you push. The strongest man may not be able to move a mountain with his bare hands but the smallest ant could pull a single pebble and start a landslide that's change the face of the entire mountain range."

Whoa... Just... Whoa.

"I guess... I never thought about it that way before," I murmured. "I always wanted to save people. Be a superhero. That kind of thing. When I found out I wasn't a super, I joined the police academy so I could still save people like that. I just... never thought about it any other way... or what kind of difference I wanted to make."

Jacob let out a soft chuckle. "Not very many people have the advantage of knowing exactly where they're going in life. But those that do often fall into making the mistake of setting their entire existence around that one goal. You see it all the time in villains and heroes alike. If you ever face a supervillain whose is clearly obsessed with one thing, one goal, there is one sure fire way to disarm them."

"Huh? What's that?"

Jacob grinned at me. "Just ask them 'And then what?'"

"And then what?" I asked.

"Yep," he said, leaving me in suspense as he took another sip from the beer. "Oh! I'm Supermegaevildeathguy! I will obtain the magical MacGuffin and rule the world! You're reply. 'Great. And then what?' Chances are, they'll stare at you dumbfounded for a few moments before either repeating themselves or trying to inflate their goals further. Like from ruling the world to ruling the solar system, the galaxy and then the universe. By about the fifth 'and then what', they're going to sound utterly ridiculous even to themselves."

He snickered. "I once had this guy who said he was going to crash a miniature sun into the entire planet and kill billions of people all to appease some dark god. After the third 'and then what', after confessing he'd try to overthrow his evil patron, he said, 'And then I'll buy myself the biggest goddamn strawberry ice cream sundae in the entire universe and bathe in it while eating it! With sprinkles!'"

"You're kidding me," I laughed.

Jacob lifted his paw into the air. "Swear to... well, your gods, I guess." His muzzle turned upwards into a smile. "Having a goal is great, Leon, but you need to be flexible. Steering straight towards the one destination without any chance for change will cause life to fly past you. You won't appreciate what's there around you and when you get to your goal, you'll end up feeling empty. Your whole life was devoted to that one goal and when it's done, you will have passed all the other things that could've led you to your next goal. Why do you think they call it a 'heroic journey' not a 'heroic teleportation'?"

I had to laugh at that as well. "You're absolutely right, Jacob. I never saw it that way before."

"Destinations come and go. Journeys stay with you for your entire existence." He lifted his beer can towards me. "Be sure to enjoy the journey no matter how long, convoluted or twisted it becomes."

I lifted my own beer can and gave him a toast. "Thanks. I will."

******

Jacob's words really stuck with me and mixed with Matlock's advice and even Reggie's, I came to a conclusion. I had the power to make a difference but I didn't need to be super to do it. Moreover, this was my journey and I needed to enjoy it while I could. I really only had one life, after all. That made the next few days leading up to Christmas more bearable and I didn't stress out about my suspicions about Reggie anymore. In fact, I pushed it aside as I ended up hanging out with Jacob a little more.

I know I said that he was like Caleb's Reggie but where my brother got to be fairly friendly with my rival, so too did I become friendly with is. I visited him at the bar he worked every other day and we'd hang out at his place if time permitted.

As the days passed, though, I grew more and more resolute on my path.

Even if Reggie wasn't related to Trojan, I had to at least make sure of the fact. So, you know the rest. I snuck into the Academy Christmas morning, got caught by Reggie and Matlock who turned out to be Trojan. They injected me with an Original Serum.

Worse, they confirmed that I was a super and I knew what being a super meant while being injected with an Original Serum.

_ "I know Leon, I know."_

Mary... Get me out of here, Mary.

I'm sorry I've been such an idiot but... I want to make things better. I want to fight. I know I can.

"You're... You're not sitting here because you're trapped, are you?"

No... Not really. I'm sort of here in my own little world, just... reflecting on all the shit that's happened. Why? What's happened?

"You were picked up by your dad and AEGIS. You're currently trapped and we're trying to snap you out of your primal rage. Jacob is here with me too."

Heh... Jacob... He's a good friend.

"He really is. But your body is sort of in a crazed state right now. Will you come with us before you hurt someone?"

Is... Is my dad here?

"Yes. He's fighting alongside Madman to keep you down without injuring you. Since you were hit by an Original Serum and you're a super, it means your regenerative powers will overcompensate if we hit you too hard."

Right... and I'll go crazy again.

"Yes. So please. Come with me, Leon. Your family, everyone misses you."

Alright Mary... I'll come along.

Just... I can't promise I won't hurt someone when I wake up.

"I know, Leon, I know. You've a right to be angry. In fact, I was angry as well when I found out I'm actually a demigod. I know exactly how you feel. But you need to get it off your chest. Pound some heads in, make your dad scream. I know I made everyone around me cry squirm for a bit. It won't help. Trust me. But you need to do it."

I guess... I really... Fuck, I'm pissed at my dad.

"Yeah, we all are a little. But you know what? You have a right to be. But you're not going to confront him from in here."

Thanks Mary.

Heh.

"What?"

It's funny. I've always wanted to be a super. Turns out, I always was one.

I don't know why I ever wanted to be one. I had the power to make a difference in the world all along but I've just been so obsessed with becoming like my dad or even Caleb that it was all I could think of. I became obsessed. A few days ago, if I had become a super and someone asked me and then what...? I honestly couldn't have answered them apart from offering a lame excuse like 'I'd save people'.

"But now?"

I think I know what I want. I have a goal in mind... just not how to get there. But I'll have figure it out along the way.

There were so many missed opportunities that I could've taken.

"Hindsight is a bitch."

Yeah.

And you know what?

Looking back... my life was already super.