four
THE PACKING DISTRICT was out by the harbor. By six o'clock, it was buzzing with activity. Sailors, workers, captains and all kinds of assistants scurried around like ants, filling and emptying ships of varying sizes. 'X' had told me to wait in Packing, which was why I stuck around the entrance and the large, obscenely bright sign declaring the border of the packing district.
I hoped 'X' would approach me and not leave me hanging around alone like an idiot. I really did. I already stuck out like a sore thumb, since I was the only person around here not lugging around a box. I felt shifting eyes sticking on me, people murmuring about how suspicious I looked.
A person dressed in a long coat, skulking around the entrance to Packing? Yeah, definitely suspicious. The place already crawled with all kinds of smugglers and traffickers, so people were bound to wonder. Thankfully, I only had to wait a few more minutes before a small figure darted through the milling crowd, gradually coming closer to where I was standing.
I kicked away from the wall I'd been leaning against, narrowing my eyes at the small figure approaching me. A child, without a doubt. The closer it got, the more of its features were highlighted by the lampposts dotting the entrance. Big, almond shaped eyes flanking a small nose, and a head of dark, springy curls neared me. The child's body was hidden beneath a too-large coat, and fingerless mittens covered the small hands poking out of the large coat arms.
"Charlie?" asked a small, tinny voice and I nodded carefully, studying the child. Judging by its long hair and the tone of its voice, I guessed it was a girl.
"That's me."
"I'm X's messenger. She asked me to come get you." She said again, reaching for my hand, "I'll lead the way. Take my hand."
"Sure." I replied. About a million doubts were assaulting my sane conscience, since I was blindly following a child into the fray of the Packing district.
Oh, well.
X was a mysterious figure. I'd never gotten the grasp on who she - as the child had said - was, but now I'd get to meet her in person. Hopefully I wouldn't end up in tomorrow's newspaper listing the latest casualty. I couldn't say I was experienced in lightly-illegal underworld deals, but sometime's going to have to be the first. And this was mine. This child probably had a million times more experience than me in these kinds of slightly illegal ordeals.
Oh, well, I thought again, attempting to match my pace to the child's. She had small, lithe legs and weaved in and out of the busy crowd juggling around heavy boxes, while I feared I'd knock someone's load over and end up with a crate on my head. Nevertheless, I endured, hurrying along with the child. She seemed confident in knowing the way, and the farther we sprinted the less dense the crowds became. Soon it was just us slinking along the edges of closed, dark warehouses, shadows trailing our steps.
The moon had risen, now a bulbous, glowing circle in the dark sky. A thick, cloudy haze covered the stars, and so the moon's eerie light mixed in with the dimly yellow light of the streetlamps. The noise from our footsteps echoed in between the dark buildings, but otherwise it was silent. We passed rodents gnawing on trash spilling out of a garbage can, them baring their teeth and scurrying away as we ran past.
Boats lay anchored to the docks on our left, and I spared a glance at the pathway of light carved by the moon in the pulsing water, at the way the boats bobbed atop the water. In this lightning, the dock's water resembled a cold, silky sheet of dark oil, and I found myself wanting to get away from the edge. There was something there which repulsed me, and I somehow found refuge in the child's firm grip on my hand.
"We're there now." She said at last, and we stopped. It was only now I noticed the rhythmic beat of my heart, the light sheen of warm sweat in the back of my neck. When I spoke, I struggled to not sound out of breath.
"Great." I resisted smiling. Who the hell smiled in a situation like this?
An idiot, most likely. Feel free to place yourself in that category.
I didn't feel like placing myself in there quite yet, so I forced a stiff nod instead. To my luck, the child had turned away. We'd stopped in front of one of the many unremarkable warehouses, most of them large, empty spaces sometimes rented to shipping companies for temporary storage. And, well, sometimes rented by criminals. And sometimes used for criminal-meets-customer deals. Like now.
It was an unwanted image, but I could imagine how the police would burst into the room halfway through my meeting with X. They'd have their guns out, red dots placed squarely in the center of my forehead. I'd probably cry.
Can you woman up for once? I know this is your first time and all, but shut the actual fu-
The little girl knocked in code on the door, and a few knocks answered. She raised her small fist again, let small knuckles rap against the steel door. It opened a moment later, and I found a pair of eyes trained on me, belonging to a man that was probably three million heads taller than I was, and a truckload wider.
He scanned me, then opened the door wider to let us in. For a moment I wondered if he'd pat me down for weapons, but when I got a closer look at his grand physique I didn't think harder about why he didn't bother. He'd squash me with an exhale.
I nodded in response, and we were led inside. The door slammed shut behind us, and I found that the air suddenly got harder to breathe. Something about the point of no return, you know? I hated finality.
Is this a mistake? You're probably making a mistake. Mistake-prone, I'm telling you. You should've texted the funeral services in advance, you dimwit.
Swallowing hard, I followed the child again. By God, if this child endured this kind of stuff with such nonchalance, so should I. Squaring my shoulders, I raised my chin and forced myself to breathe. At least I could play the part of being confident, and I needed to be on edge if I wanted this meeting to go my way.
We neared another door, and the man who'd opened the first door hurried ahead to perform another series of knocks. This time, the door opened directly, and we went inside the larger warehouse space.
I hadn't been sure of what I'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been this. Maybe a few rusty chains hanging from the ceiling, some nondescript, suspicious boxes spread around. A blood stain or two, most definitely. Not ... this.
The warehouse was filled with people. I wish I was kidding, seeing as I had some light agoraphobia, but people were occupying every square inch of the place. I heard music coming from somewhere, but it wasn't loud enough to have been heard from outside. There was another half floor in the warehouse, and even the stairs leading there were filled with people. They were dressed in a club-like attire, drinks held in their hands. A swanky bar could be spotted in the end of the space, and what I presumed was bartenders were ... performing their job.
Like perfectly normal people.
My chin was most likely gathering dust on the floor, so I scrambled to compose my, well, composure again.
"Oh, great! Our last guest is here." I heard a voice ring out across the space, and my eyes shifted to the stage in the center. It hadn't been visible until now as at least three dozen bodies blocked it from sight, but now there was a person atop it.
"Welcome, Charlie. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." The person said again, and now I spotted a ring-announcer like mic clutched in the person's hands. The person in question was a tall woman clothed in a blood-red suit, several shades lighter than her dark red hair. It was curled to perfection and draped across one shoulder, while the other shoulder was left bare. A big pin, adorned by a ruby, sat on the lapel of her suit. Her shirt was black silk, matching the black shoes whose stiletto heels could probably render me blind.
I swallowed. Forgive me Father for I have -
"You know me as X, but you can now call me Xandra." She winked, blowing a kiss my way with cherry red lips. What the hell, "I've been looking forward to our meeting for quite some time now. You show potential. The stunt you pulled yesterday? Brilliant."
She laughed, the sound ringing out across the space. All of the other people had gone quiet, necks craned to see what Xandra was saying. I stood rooted to the spot, the little girl by my side also listening to what Xandra had to say. Even the tree trunk of a bodyguard had gone completely still. To say I was slightly uneased was the largest understatement of the century.
"Sorry about the crowds - I'll arrange for that to be fixed. I just can't resist a nice get-together."
A get-together was, by my standards, five friends at your place over for pizza and movies. Not ... this. Whatever this was.
Xandra reached down into one of her suit pockets, picking up a small, black remote-like piece of metal. She pressed one of its buttons and the still, silent warehouse echoed with humming. Machine-like humming.
The 'people', one by one, were now moving with stiff movements toward the back of the space, close to the bar. I hadn't seen it before, but two containers stood open at the very back of the gigantic space. They marched in neat lines toward the open containers and entered in the same precise lines, disappearing by the dozens.
"Don't look so stunned, darling. It's just showbiz." said Xandra into the microphone, watching with gleaming eyes as her space emptied out until the only people remaining were me, the two people I'd previously encountered, and the enigmatic woman herself.
Despite her killer heels, she swiftly jumped down from the platform and landed solidly without so much as flinching. With a determined stride she went straight to me and reached out a hand. Her fingers were adorned with rings of ruby, much like the pin on her lapel.
I shook her head, returned her smile. Though her smile was easy and radiant, mine was a tad bit more uncertain. What was I supposed to say, either way?
"Xandra." She said, "Nice to finally see you in person. Taller than I expected, but we'll work with it." She said, her voice low and deep, almost masculine. She wore an overpowering perfume, and it mixed with the scent of cigars that seemed to linger on her suit.
"Charlie - Charlotte." I corrected, the smile probably stuck on my face. I hoped she wouldn't complain of my clammy hands, "Nice robots you have there. Hobby of yours?"
She threw a hand up in the air, shrugged, "Lots of money, lots of spare time, lots of degrees in tech stuff. What else is a woman to do?"
"Right." I replied, fiddling with my hands in front of my jacket, "As you do."
She nodded, agreeing, "Glad you see it as I do. Some people find it odd. I hope you're not one of them."
"No, no, no, not at all. Grew up with my fair share of Roombas, so." I grimaced. I hoped she'd see it as a smile.
"Nevertheless, we're not here to talk about pastimes. We both know what you do, or, what you're trying to do. Be a superhero, acquire international fame, the usual." She gestured with her hand, nearly discarding the notion I so often stressed about, "Doesn't make you any more special than the next gifted person with deep pockets walking through my door, but there's no harm in trying, right?" Xandra looked at me expectantly.
"Exactly." I responded, and it seemed to please her as she went up the stairs to the second floor.
"But I like you, Charlie. You're young, pretty, powerful - we can build you an image. I'm all about image, and the superhero business - it's another kind of showbiz, built on the same premises. You get me?" She didn't turn around to see my nod, but I wasn't doubting that she had eyes in her neck, too.
"So I get a kick out of helping you. It's a win-win situation. Ah, here's my office." She neared a room at the back, separated by a large glass wall from the rest of the second floor. When we entered lights turned on automatically, illuminating luxury surroundings. Everything was red, of course, and if it wasn't red it was black. Her desk was a huge slab of dark metal, and atop it was nothing but a bouquet of roses and a bucket of champagne.
Two red armchairs were placed in front of the desk, and I took the liberty of placing myself in front one of them.
"Oh, before we begin, watch this." Xandra pulled up another remote, pressed another button - the concrete wall that I'd presumed was the opposite end of the warehouse from the one we'd entered through flimmered, and suddenly I could see through it. The wall had turned to glass, and before us was a view of Dynamo.
The city, with its spiralling skycrapers and high-rise buildings, resembled a chest of jewelry in the way it glimmered on its own. Despite the cloudy skies, the thousands of lights made the city into a beacon of light itself, presenting a powerful skyline that quite literally knocked the breath out of me.
"An invention of my own. Can only be seen from the inside. Unfortunately a pesky officer or two would get in here and ask me what I'm up to should they see an entire wall of glass, so I've had to disguise it. Clever, right?" She smiled smugly, leaning back into her chair.
I took another moment to gape at the impressive view before turning back to Xandra. She was everything I hadn't expected her to be, and somehow it had put me at ease.
"We're not here to discuss your view." I said, the words leaving my throat with some difficulty.
She smiled broadly, something dangerous glinting in her dark eyes, "We're most certainly not. Tell me, Charlie, what is it you want me to do for you?" A flash of white, pearly teeth. I thought of a jaguar, lazily displaying a row of sharp, fatal teeth. The woman intrigued me as much as she intimidated.
"I need a suit." I said, "And I need gear." Saying it out loud felt foreign, like I was speaking another language.
"Things I already know. I've kept tabs on you, Charlie. You forget that." She tapped the side of her head, dropping the smile, "Leaving your family behind for this must've been a blow to your pride."
Her mentioning my family blew away the remains of my doubt. Unbeknownst to me, something hard came across my countenance. My posture straightened on its own, and the next words were a lot smoother - deadlier - than my previous ones.
"Nothing I couldn't handle. I've got plenty pride left, something I'm sure you know if you've had your associates keep tabs on me. I'm right here now, aren't I?"
"Certainly." She replied, relaxing her posture to reach for the champagne, "Want some?"
I shook my head.
"Shame. This baby cost an astronomical amount." This shocked me as she a moment later drank straight from the bottle. I should've learn by now that Xandra did exactly the opposite of what you expected her to do, "Either way, I'll do your suit for you. Should be simple enough. Just tell me what you want, I'll draw up the design, get it to you by the end of the week."
"And in exchange?" I said immediately, calculating what she'd want. Most probably a favor, since she had enough money to use it in her salad dressings.
"I like the way you think, Charlie. I really do." She took another sip of champagne, crossed her legs. And smiled, again. The jaguar came to mind, "So I'll need a favor."
"You already know I'll do it. I want the suit." I replied, deciding in a heartbeat. I'd need to change if I wanted to achieve my goal. I'd be in a world not much unlike Xandra's, and she was everything I wasn't.
"Precisely what I wanted to hear. Here's what I want you to do, and try to keep conscious when I tell you, OK?"
"I'm not as fragile as I look." I replied, matching her lethal smile with one of my own, "I'll see what I can do for you."
Xandra placed the bottle on the desk between us and pinned her eyes to mine. I felt as if I was staring into two bottomless wells, brimming with danger and deadliness. Her long lashes didn't move an inch as her lips uttered the favor she wanted.
"I have more than one bone left unpicked with the city's darling Vector. I'm going to need you to deliver a message for me." She glanced at her nails, examining them in the stark lightning, "It's a kiss. A fat, red kiss - wherever you want to place it." She winked, "He'll know who its form."
I reeled back, shock blanketing my features. Her words echoed through my mind.
"And how do you suppose I get his attention?" I asked, "I won't do anything illegal."
"You will if I want you to, but this time you won't have to. A few of my friends will be borrowing a painting or two from the Art Museum later this week. I'll text you the details, all that jazz. Pretend to assist them. Trust me, he'll come charging. These hotshot supers are all baked from the same dough." She smiled.
I was still in shock.
"A drink?" She asked again, sympathy coating her voice.
She pushed the bottle my way, and I reached for it, took a huge drink right from the bottle. I licked my lips, catching a stray drop. Then met her gaze straight on.
"I'll do it."
≠
a/n: yes i suck yes i've been on a break and yes here's a new 3K chapter. kind of drowning in anxiety atm because of a physics exam coming up and the fact that next saturday i'm sitting in a classroom for eight hours to take 5 tests that i signed up for out of my own free will. and paid for. yes, this is a thing. no, i'm not studying for them. pray for me?
by the way, y'all seen black panther? best movie SO FAR in the marvel cinematic universe. soooo excited for avengers infinity war.
__qotc__
__how do you think charlotte's suit will look?_
__what do you think about xandra?__
__next chapters should be when?__
__kissing vector? scandalous or spicy x)__
xo, cleo