Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six: Meeting with the Mayor (Patreon)

The cops parted way as I frog-marched the prisoner down the steps.

Lady Lumina and Viking were waiting at the base. Viking took one look at the prisoner and lunged.

A year ago, I’d have been too slow to react.

Instead of connecting, the Herculean found himself lifted into the air by tendrils of force.

“My prisoner,” I announced. “Stand aside, Viking.”

“He’s right, Viking,” Lumina gestured. “Stand down. This man needs to be dealt with by the courts.”

I decided to stay silent for now.

“Clear the space,” ordered the cop who’d identified himself as Blanchard. “Belessar, we can take custody of the prisoner now.”

“No. The military will want to take this into custody.”

“We can get him to the base. Belessar. Please stand down.”

Ignoring the policeman, I marched forward, the subdued Gellatoid - still looking very human - in front of me.

<Nanocloud>: They’ve lifted the lockdown. The cops are escorting us from our classrooms.

<Belessar>: The wounded?

<Nanocloud>: They’re getting the injured kids medical help.

<Belessar>: There are health serums in your locker, right?

<Nanocloud>: Already on it. Nanobots delivering them to the wounded. Andrew… Mr. Fickle didn’t make it.

I fought down a wave of grief. Tears could wait. For now, there would be a reckoning.

A cordon of blue formed as the Gellatoid and I as we marched forward.

Commissioner Matthis stepped forward, arms away from his body. “Belessar. Please let my men take custody of the prisoner. He deserves a fair trial.”

“How many dead, Commissioner?” I asked.

Matthis swallowed. “We’re still counting.”

<Nanocloud>: Nineteen dead. Thirty wounded. Mostly burns.

“Regardless, I’d ask you to not do anything ... irreversible.”

“I’m not going to execute it,” I replied. “Yet.”

Matthis opened his mouth as if to speak, but it was too late.

“Belessar!” a reporter yelled from the sidelines. “Are you going to kill him?”

I glanced at the speaker. “Which network?”

“WNN….”

“Cameras on, please. I’ll need this taped.”

“Belessar,” pleaded Matthis, “I request you to think about this. He’s not worth it.”

“We’ll see. Folks, could I get some space please? Let’s have a close-up shot of the killer. Yes, all you fine folks with cameras and smartphones, record away please….”

“Belessar, the Mayor’s on his way. We promise there’ll be justice for the prisoner - please let us take him into custody.” Matthis was sweating now.

One thing stood out - the Mayor. “How long before he gets here?”

“Ten minutes. Please - everybody deserves a fair trial. Let us take him.”

…Why was he talking about trials? I shrugged. “I’ll wait till the Mayor gets here. That’s all I’m promising.”

Matthis signalled the policemen, and a cordon of blue formed around us.

<Nanocloud>: I hope you know what you’re doing.

<Belessar>: Pemberley asked for evidence, didn’t she? Don’t worry, I have a plan.

<Nanocloud>: Better be a good one. Dad says you can’t execute the Gellatoid on live TV, that’s too supervillain.

<Belessar>: I’m not going to. Trust in the plan.

<Nanocloud>: I trust you. Good luck.

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In the next ten minutes, the police efficiently - and none too gently - cleared a space around me and the Gellatoid.

Press vans had arrived in force by then, and there were at least a hundred news cameras surrounding us. It made for a macabre tableau - me with the HEPAR pointed at the prisoner, who still looked like a harassed businessman instead of an alien shapeshifter.

Agni’s voice crackled in my ear. “You’re streaming live on YouTube.”

“Am I?”

“Half a million people are watching right now, and the number’s climbing steadily.”

“Reactions?”

“Nothing of note. Do what you have to do, we’ve got your back.”

“We?”

“Phoenix Company showing up at the school now. And Doyle’s boys are en route. Somebody should tell them the fun’s over.”

“The Mayor?”

As if in response, a dozen cops parted the crowd, making way for the Mayor.

Aldiss hadn’t changed much since the ball last year. Same hair, same steely eyes. For now, he wore an expression of concern and determination.

Observe, however, laid the truth bare.

‘MAYOR ALDISS’

LEVEL 24

TEST OF INTELLIGENCE PASSED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNLOCKED.

CLASS: GELLATOID DOPPELGANGER

FACTION: SPINE OF THE HIERARCHY

HP: 500/500

DOPPELGANGERS ARE THE ELITE OF THE GELLATOID SPY SERVICE. SEAMLESSLY INSERTING THEMSELVES INTO THE PLACE OF THEIR TARGETS, THEY CAN TAKE OVER THE TARGET’S LIFE, PASSING THEMSELVES OFF AS THE ORIGINAL. THESE ELITE AGENTS CAN FOOL FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND SEASONED INVESTIGATORS ALIKE.

ABILITIES:

SPONGIFORM - THE SEMI-SOLID GELATINOUS TISSUES OF THIS SPECIES MEAN THAT PROJECTILE WEAPONS WILL NOT DO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. 100% RESISTANCE TO SLASHING, IMPACT OR PROJECTILE WEAPONS. 85% RESISTANCE TO SHRAPNEL.

COPY TEMPLATE: CAN COPY THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A TARGET AND CREATE A TEMPLATE.

SHAPESHIFT: CAN ALTER ITS EXTERNAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCE TO MATCH THAT OF A PRE-STORED TEMPLATE.

THESPIAN: A CONSUMMATE ACTOR, CAN IMMERSE ITSELF INTO ANY ROLE PERFECTLY.

“Belessar,” the Mayor smiled warmly. “Thank you for helping the city in its hour of need.”

Cameras flashed around, capturing the moment, as Aldiss stepped forward and extended a hand.

“We appreciate your courage and support in this trying hour,” the Mayor continued.

“Thank you, Mayor Aldiss,” I replied. “Apologies for not shaking hands - I need both to hold my weapon, unfortunately.”

A few people laughed. Not many.

Aldiss took it in stride, his smile unaffected. “Those who harmed our children must face justice, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Then let us take this perpetrator into custody. You have my word he will face justice.” Aldiss turned to the audience. “In fact, this violence in our fair city is further proof of the urgent need for effective laws on gun control. It’s time we took violence out of our schools!”

“Before we get into that debate,” I interrupted, “I’d like to carry out a small demonstration, Mr. Mayor. If I may?”

Aldiss looked uncertain. “Sure.”

“I was able to subdue this perpetrator, as you call him, due to one of my special abilities.” I focused on the alien. “Kneel.”

The Gellatoid knelt in front of the cameras.

“Shift to your original form.”

Resistance. The creature didn’t want to change.

No matter. I forced my will upon it. My Control Points dropped.

COMPULSION IMPLANTED. THE GELLATOID WILL SHAPESHIFT BACK INTO ITS ORIGINAL FORM AGAINST ITS WILL.

I’d seen shapeshifters alter themselves before. There were those whose form slowly bulked up, muscles and bones altering, like Tigerstrike; those who simply switched from one form to another instantly; and those whose bodies flowed like liquid from one form to another.

The last category were what DURABLE called ‘spongiforms’ - shifters who somewhat melted into a boneless, formless mass which could alter into their desired shape. In some ways, those transformations were the most disturbing.

Now, we got to witness how a species of spongiforms changed.

The Gellatoid’s body seemed to melt, clothes and shoes falling off as the creature devolved into a formless green blob. A moment captured perfectly on camera.

Matthis and Blanchard, standing behind the Mayor, looked positively ill at the sight. Aldiss’ expression was neutral. “A shifter?”

“An alien shifter,” I clarified. “This species are called Gellatoids. All eight of the others who attacked the school were like this. Bullets don’t hurt them, by the way; only heat does, which is why Agni and I had to burn our way through them.”

“How do you know he isn’t human?”

“One shifter is understandable. A team of nine, equipped with alien plasma weapons, is a little out there, don’t you think?”

Aldiss nodded gravely. “These are serious allegations, Belessar, and I believe we must certainly investigate them. Would it be okay if I asked you a few questions, though?”

“Sure.”

“If he’s an alien, how does he understand you?”

“Aliens speak our language just fine, Mr. Mayor. Their shapeshifters have been living amongst us for years.”

Aldiss smiled gently. “Perhaps it’s a little early to jump to that conclusion. After all, it’s not as if everyone’s neighbour is an alien. I mean, how can we be sure this isn’t just another power at work?”

“I haven’t finished my demonstration.” I stashed the HEPAR in inventory and pulled out my handgun.

The Smith & Wesson manifested in my hands, aimed directly at the alien.

“Human shapeshifters,” I said, “have a true form that is very much skin and bone. They bleed red.”

The pistol barked.

The sound was incredibly loud, especially compared to my normal weapons. Loud enough that some of the cameramen flinched.

Most, though, saw as the bullet punched cleanly through the alien, leaving behind a trail of gel - and doing no discernible damage.

I fired again.

“As you can see, this creature is completely unaffected by the passage of a bullet. The liquid on the side there? That’s what their body is composed of.”

“Belessar,” the Mayor said, “you’ve made your point, I think. Please put the gun away.”

“In a bit. You’re aware I asked this creature to shift into its true form. And that form is bulletproof.”

“Yes,” Aldiss nodded.

And that’s when I shot the Mayor of Tanisport.

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The bullet went through Aldiss’ trouser, knee, and body, and splattered onto the pavement.

Matthis was reacting in shock, grabbing for his firearm. Blanchard already had his out.

This was going to be annoying….

My next bullet went through a shocked Aldiss’ shoulder. Gellatoid skin ripples when a bullet punches through it.

Leaves behind a nice little puddle of gel.

Which was caught on camera and transmitted to people across the world.

Evidence of shapeshifters impersonating politicians? Check.

At this point, the police had finally reacted and there were at least sixty guns pointed at me.

It’s at times like this that I miss the Greyhound…

“You’ll note the Mayor is still alive,” I barked. “And uninjured. How is that, Mr. Mayor?”

Aldiss seemed stunned for a second. Then his expression changed to one of pain, and red blood began to ooze from his wounds.

Too late, though.

The cameras had caught it all. Aldiss taken by surprise, gel flowing from his wounds at first, and then the colour of his wounds changing to red.

Had he stayed calm, fast words might have saved him. So I hit him with a mental attack.

CALL TO ARMS INVOKED. 1000 PP EXPENDED.

COMPULSION IMPLANTED. 250 CP EXPENDED.

THE GELLATOID IS NOW ENRAGED AND WILL ATTACK YOU. IN DOING SO, IT WILL DROP ITS DISGUISE FOR 5 SECONDS.

To the utter shock of the assembled Tanisporters, the Mayor suddenly dissolved into a formless blob.

A blob that jumped on - and enveloped - me.

ACID ATTACK!

THE GELLATOID’S ACID HUG IS SLOWLY DISSOLVING YOUR ARMOUR. DAMAGE: 25/SECOND FOR THE DURATION THAT THE GELLATOID IS ATTACHED TO YOU.

Awkward. Fortunately, there are alternatives to being slowly digested alive.

The HEPAR fired, and the creature that had once been Mayor Aldiss was knocked back.

PLASMA BURN FROM HEPAR MISUSE! -150 ARMOR. DON’T FIRE A HIGH-ENERGY WEAPON SO CLOSE TO YOUR BODY AGAIN!

GELLATOID DOPPELGANGER -100 HP!

WEAPON DAMAGED! YOUR HEPAR IS NON-FUNCTIONAL.

The creature that was once Aldiss reassembled itself into a human form.

This one was not Aldiss. Instead, it bulked up like a bodybuilder, almost seven feet tall.

The alien lunged forward, grappling.

OVERHEAD THROW!

GELLATOID DOPPELGANGER RESISTS PHYSICAL DAMAGE!

Flipping the alien didn’t hurt it, but the creature was out of the way of the public.

And in Agni’s line of sight.

A streak of flame raced out from the school door, and the Gellatoid Doppelganger ignited.

GELLATOID DOPPELGANGER IS BURNING! -30 HP/SECOND!

The creature screeched as the flames consumed it. Noxious green fume began to spew from its burning form, driving the press and onlookers back.

The second Gellatoid tried to make a break for it then.

Tried.

In seconds, a ring of flame erupted around it.

The Infiltrator stilled. The former Mayor screamed one last time, and collapsed.

GELLATOID DOPPELGANGER DEFEATED BY ALLY. +500 XP.

And at that point, Army trucks roared into the yard and squads of troopers in full kit jumped off.

Doyle had arrived.

The Major marched forward at the head of his men. “Belessar,” he barked. “Up to no good as usual, I see.”

“Major. Feel like taking custody of some aliens?”

“Is there enough of that one left to detain?”

I glanced at the burnt-out husk of what used to be the elected leader of Tanisport. No - of what impersonated the elected leader. “Sadly not. That one was a bit too dangerous.”

“Indeed. Perhaps try a less flamboyant approach next time.”

“I’m not flamboyant.”

“You shot the Mayor on live TV.”

"I had a good reason for it.”

“Yeah, let’s go with that. Any hostile elements left for us to deal with?”

“Cleanup. Plasma rifles left behind in the corridors, and the burnt-out corpses of the remaining Gellatoid infiltrators.”

“We’ll secure the building. Meanwhile, Colonel Frasier mentioned he wanted a word with you. Several, actually.”

I relaxed. The attack was over; the troops could take custody of the Gellatoids, and all that remained was dealing with the press.

Letters scrolled across my interface:

QUEST COMPLETED: I SPY.

+2 WIS, +1 CHA.

+2 TO RELATIONSHIP WITH STRATOSPHERIC GUARD.

+2 TO RELATIONSHIPS WITH CIA, NSA FBI, MI5, MI6. +1 TO RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OTHER HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.

And I’d gotten Windsor his evidence. At a price I’d rather not have paid.