[Cathy's Apartment Building, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 4:18 PM, May 7th, Tuesday 2025]
Cathy and Amelia complied, moving towards the elevator.
Amelia leaned in to Cathy's side, whispering into her ear, hopefully quietly enough that he can't hear.
Amelia Orwell: "I don't think we should do this…"
Cathy wanted to whisper back to her but she knew it wouldn't matter, he would hear them.
Cathy Ariston: "Me neither, but we don't have a choice."
She said normally, both of them stepping into the elevator, Cathy on his right and Amelia on his left.
The Overseer reached over, pressing the ground floor button.
The Overseer: "Amelia's right, no, I don't think you should do this either. You have no decent work outfit, you have barely any qualifications. Hell, you don't even know what's going on, but… That's why I'm here. To help you."
He said calmly, a big smile on his face as he glanced between the two of them.
The Overseer: "And stop with the whispering, it's never going to work. Just talk normally, what's there to hide anyway?"
Cathy Ariston: "Do you mind telling us about yourself? I mean… You're so unique."
He chuckled, patting her back with enough force to make Cathy stumble forwards, holding against the elevator railing.
The Overseer: "I'm flattered, really, but I do mind. I mind a lot. Please, let's just… keep things professional, hmm?"
Amelia Orwell: "Yes sir… C-can you tell us about what we're going to be doing at Ariston Industries?"
The Overseer: "You don't work for Ariston Industries, what gave you that idea? No, we are Iris. We are using the Ariston Industries Center in Havok as cover for our larger operations. It used to be a Syndicate controlled building, but we took care of that a few years back."
Amelia recognized the name instantly, feeling even smaller than before. They were the ones that wiped out her whole village, they were the ones that killed her parents that led her to flee, until she was found by Erika Daniels.
Amelia Orwell: "Well this is a really big honor then, sir…"
She said through her teeth, trying to remain calm, despite the fact that this man represented her entire life up to this point.
Cathy Ariston: "You didn't answer her question about what we would be doing…"
The Overseer groaned, rubbing his face.
The Overseer: "Do you two ever shut up? You're like two whiny mewling kittens. It's gross—No, I'm not telling you about what you're going to be doing. You're just New Hires, it's not like you'll actually last for that long."
The elevator dinged, as the doors opened, he stepped out first, turning to face them as he walked backwards towards the front entrance of the building.
The Overseer: "Oh but don't look so sad kitties, I'm sure you'll do great. C'mon, car's parked out front. Time is money."
He turned back around, his hands firmly held at his back. Cathy and Amelia shared a knowing glance and nodding before following after him.
They made it outside, the smell of gasoline and trash, alongside the sound of cars going by down the street and police sirens was quite a shock to Amelia, who up to this point had lived a quiet and very luxurious lifestyle.
She covered her ears, whining.
Amelia Orwell: "Eeeh… It's so loud here! Are all cities like this?"
The Overseer turned, gesturing to the alley to the left of the apartment building.
He stepped up to a black limousine that was waiting parked right in front of the stairs that lead into the alleyway.
He opened the backseat door and glanced around, sighing.
The Overseer: "Ugh, tell me about it… I feel the same way. There aren't enough rat dens in the world to—You know what? Just get in the car."
Amelia practically dove head first into the backseat, still covering her ears.
Cathy Ariston: "I thought you had super hearing, so how come you're still sane?"
The Overseer: "That's an excellent question, ask literally anyone else. Come on… I'm more popular than you realize, and if anyone sees me—"
Just before Cathy could get into the car, a bunch of hooligans came up from the right-side of the street.
Hooligan #1: "Oooh shit! Look at this pimped out bot, man! Sleek and black and shit… Yo, this dude must be loaded." One of them whispered way too loudly to his buddies.
Hooligan #2: "Ay, wait a minute… Ain't you The Overseer? The One-Man Battalion? The Lime Liberator? Oh shit, ay, look, this dude's basically a superhero… Ay man! Can we get a pic?"
The Overseer chuckled, shaking his head and gesturing with his right hand.
The Overseer: "Yeah, that… that'd be me! Although I don't really like those titles, The Overseer is fine."
Hooligan #2: "Homie, don't ignore me! Answer the damn question, fool. Can we get a pic or nah?"
Hooligan #3: "Yeah brotha, c'mon, one pic won't hurt… What's 20k on I-Bay to you? Look out for a brotha man… Sightings of you nowadays are more rarer than them Iris terrorist motherfuckas or whatever they're called, shit…"
Another one of them snuck up beside Cathy, letting out a low whistle, looking her up and down.
Hooligan #4: "Hey girl, you look about as clean as a bottle of Erika Daniels… You ain't with him, are ya? Rough night?"
Cathy looked the hooligan up and down in disdain.
Cathy Ariston: "You know what? I am actually. And I'm underage, no Erika Daniels for me, thanks..."
Hooligan #4: "Ooh, my bad—"
The Overseer glanced over his shoulder, giving the man a gentle smile.
The Overseer: "She's with me. Cathy, get in."
Cathy didn't complain and she got into the backseat of the car, trying to hide from the gazes of the hooligans.
Cathy Ariston: "I always hated this shitty neighborhood… Ugh! Amelia, are you okay?"
She grunted in frustration and turned to Amelia.
Amelia was curled up on the left-side of the backseat, rubbing her own head.
Amelia Orwell: "I-I'm okay… It's a little scary, but as long as you're here, I know things will be alright…"
She gave Cathy a gentle smile, Cathy scooted closer, wrapping an arm around her.
Cathy Ariston: "Damn right it'll be okay, I'll protect you."
The hooligans quickly swarmed the car, taking pictures of it, The Overseer, and even Cathy and Amelia, much to their dismay.
The Overseer: "Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please… Let's keep our voices down and our heads on our necks, hm? Alright, fine, a few selfies but nothing more."
He sighed and smiled, wrapping his arms around two of them as they prepared to take a selfie.
Hooligan #5: "Ay, come this way, homie… Get in through the back, easier to steal, remember what you were taught, fool!"
One of them snuck to the back of the car, opening the left-side backseat where Amelia was curled up.
Hooligan #6: "Shit! Yo, they got a hostage in here! This guy must be a fake!"
He pulled out a pistol, aiming it at The Overseer immediately, a bunch of the men exclaimed and murmured before pulling guns out at them.
Hooligan #1: "Ay, what the fuck?! Did you trick us you lamey ass wannabe dollar store cosplay looking motherfucker?!"
The Overseer: "I assure you, there's nothing bad going on here, okay…? Let's just calm down and things don't have to get messy."
Hooligan #2: "Messy? Ohh so it's like that, huh? The only messy thing around here is gonna be yo tin can of a car once we're done!"
Hooligan #1: "Bitch, that's lame! Just shoot this fool!"
The men began shooting at The Overseer, unloading as many bullets as they could into him.
Then they stopped, realizing their bullets were bouncing off of him and not doing anything.
Hooligan #3: "Oh no…"
The Overseer sighed, brushing his suit and straightening his tie as if nothing had happened, the suit now had various holes in it, exposing the muscular skin underneath.
The Overseer: "And you've ruined my favorite suit, great, that's just so great… Messy it is."
The Overseer moved in a blur, causing a gust of wind that knocked one of them backwards, their body flying back into a dumpster, knocking him out.
The Overseer was now standing face to face with one of them.
Hooligan #5: "Ay, back the fuck off me man!"
The Overseer: "Not happening."
As the man tried shooting him in the neck, The Overseer grabbed his wrist, breaking it with clinical ease in half and ripping his right hand off his body.
The man howled in pain and fell backwards onto the ground.
Hooligan #5: "Ahhh! My hand, my favorite fucking hand! Ahh!"
The man then got up and tried to run away, but The Overseer grabbed his right shoulder crushing it under his grip.
Hooligan #5: "Let go of me, you fucking freak!"
The Overseer: "Aww, did someone lose their girlfriend? Typical… You know, this is the exact reason why poor neighborhoods have increased crime rates—"
Another shot to the back of his large green eyeball, he turned around slowly. The other hooligan began running away down the alley.
Hooligan #6: "Get the fuck out of here, licka! This is our turf, Aquamarines for life, licka!"
He shot at him a couple more times, even directly in the eye, but it did nothing.
The Overseer bent down to pick up the other hooligan's hand and threw it at the man in front of him so fast his head exploded in a visceral spray of blood and bone, covering the brick wall of the alleyway in a gruesome display.
The Overseer: "Does anyone want any more? I'm doing a yard sale, three yards worth of blood. I reckon that's the size from here to there if I drag your bodies through this alley… Sounds pretty good."
The sight alone made Cathy almost throw up, she looked down at the floor of the car, using her other hand to cover Amelia's eyes.
Cathy Ariston: "Ah… A-Amelia… Don't look."
Amelia nodded and shut her eyes tightly, matching Cathy's posture.
The Overseer then extended his hands outward, slowly beginning to levitate.
The Overseer: "You know, I used to be a hero once… Now, I'm a savior. That's even better."
Hooligan #4: "Oh you crazy motherfu—"
He flew forwards through the first man at such an incredible speed, it sent a shockwave through the alley, the hooligan's body obliterated, exploding into many different pieces.
The Overseer appeared down the alley, levitating, with the man's head in his right hand.
He shouted towards them.
The Overseer: "Does this belong to anyone? No? Just wondering… You might need it!"
He then threw the head, it flew at incredible speed, shattering against the side of one of them and knocking them into the wall.
Hooligan #2: "Ah shit… That was my licka, Boombox!"
He reached into his back pocket, pulling out two Uzi sub-machine guns and firing at The Overseer.
The Overseer waved his hand so fast it created a small shockwave that sent the man flying backwards into a dumpster.
The Overseer then flew over, grabbing the dumpster and throwing it down the alley, towards the running hooligan from earlier.
The Overseer: "Aaaaand…."
Hooligan #5: "Oh, oh shit!—"
The dumpster landed on him, crushing him under its weight and killing him.
Hooligan #1: "Hah, while you were distracted, I managed to grab a little something… This is for my homies, bitch!"
The man threw a cluster of small grenades towards The Overseer, their pins already pulled. He didn't move a muscle.
The Overseer simply stood there, the explosion flared up around him.
After the smoke cleared, the suit was completely burnt off, all except for a pair of white boxers. The Overseer had been completely unscathed, including his large green eyeball that narrowed, gazing at the man.
The Overseer: "So much for trying to be friendly…"
Hooligan #1: "Man fuck my life, fuck it…"
The Overseer jutted his eyeball forwards, its veins began glowing in a neon green and from it came a small pinpoint laser that cut the man in half.
The Overseer looked around the alley, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride at having dealt with something he considered as bothersome.
Two unconscious, four dead.
The Overseer: "Guess that's what you get for being street smart…"
Cathy finally looked up and out of the window, seeing all the bodies, the gore.
"He's an absolute monster… There must be some way out of this, damn it."
The Overseer then flew towards the limousine, entering the passenger's seat.
The Overseer: "Phew… Sorry about that, it's just the atmosphere here, I suppose it makes everyone hostile, right Broc?"
He turned to the man in the driver's seat, who had been napping, his cap tilted over his eyes.
The Overseer: "Are you… Are you seriously sleeping at this time?! Wake up!"
He reached over, flicking his forehead, the force of the action woke him up almost instantly.
Broc Saeger: "What?! What's… Oh, hey there, overseer… Why are you naked?"
Broc quickly looked out of the window to his left and then in the rearview mirror, seeing Cathy and Amelia in the backseat looking absolutely disgusted and terrified of what just happened.
Broc glanced at him, up and down, noting the lack of clothes.
Broc Saeger: "You did something freaky…"
The Overseer: "It's not like that! I didn't do anything to them, they're the new employees… Okay? Geez… It's just… Some people get on my nerves, okay? Maybe I'm not the most patient person but I'm also not the meanest, alright? I fucking try! I give to the poor, I help old ladies across the street… But this? T-this is too much, I can't just let them shoot me—In public no less! I mean the audacity, a-and they knew it too! They knew that I was The Overseer and they came over specifically to cause trouble… Can you believe that?! Whatever… Hand me some spare clothes. Now."
Broc didn't argue and hit a button on the dashboard of the car, from the ceiling dropped an entire new black business suit and red tie into The Overseer's lap.
Broc Saeger: "Where are we headed?"
The Overseer: "You're not serious, are you?"
Broc glanced his way and sighed. Reaching into the top pocket of his coat and pulling out a cigarette pack, taking one out and lighting it, rolling the window on his left down and blowing a single puff of smoke out of it.
Broc Saeger: "Back to work it is."
Broc sighed and turned the engine on, driving the car out of the alleyway and onto the road.
Cathy leaned in closer, grabbing onto the backseat of the limousine as she stared at The Overseer.
Cathy Ariston: "You called yourself a savior, but you killed those people… Why? If you're strong enough to survive grenades, let alone bullets, then why did you do that?!"
The Overseer: "They were just… pests. It's nothing to worry about. I'll have someone clean things up, don't worry about it."
"This guy doesn't even value life, The Boss seems much calmer compared to him… He's like a ticking bomb. Fuck."
She leaned back, crossing her arms and sighing.
Cathy Ariston: "Those pests had names, families, friends… Sure, they were a little rough, but it's because of people like you that they're like that. You and your fancy little cars and power trips don't give us normal people the chance to live in equality, you create social and political divides for more control so you can achieve your shitty goals… To do what? Take over the world? Drown in even more money and blood? By the time you're done, you'll be as lonely and broken as they are… You monster."
The Overseer finished getting dressed in the new suit and glanced over his shoulder at Cathy, once, twice, making sure she's serious and then bursting into laughter.
The Overseer: "Ahahaha…. Wow! You think it's because of us rich people? That is so judgemental… No, you don't understand. No matter the environment, pests thrive. If they were in my place, you think they wouldn't do the same thing? Different position, same habits. Same people. Same blood. The crimes don't change, just the methodology. That's the price you have to pay."
Cathy Ariston: "For what? Power? This isn't power… You're a weak coward."
The Overseer: "What did you just say?"
He looked back at both Cathy and Amelia, his eye glowing green again, visibly heating up as if preparing to fire another laser.
But then he chuckled, pulling back, and shaking his eye in disbelief.
The Overseer: "No, no… you're right. I overstepped my boundaries. I'm sorry, you have no idea how easy a human skull is to crush. Ah… I can tell you're going to do great in this job. You're tough, girl."
Cathy scoffed and turned to Amelia who had been quietly watching the exchange, she was no longer curled up into a ball, she was leaning back against the backseat.
But she looked terrified, she clung desperately to Cathy's shoulder, unsure whether or not to even speak.
Cathy reached up, petting her head gently as she stared at the back of The Overseer's eye, thinking of all the things she could try and do to beat him.
"He seems completely impervious to physical attacks, even multiple explosions… Maybe I do need to train my Flow…"
She thought to herself and briefly gave Amelia a squeezing hug, causing her to let out a surprised squeak.
Amelia Orwell: "C-Cathy…?"
Cathy Ariston: "Shush… I'm just glad you're here."
The Overseer glanced over his shoulder again at them, saying nothing, but turning to Broc.
The Overseer: "This is my first time being with you in a car, do you have nothing to say?"
Broc shot him a side-eye look.
Broc Saeger: "You're The Overseer, we have to obey your orders, what do I even have to say?"
It was plain to see that Broc didn't like him very much, The Overseer could tell too.
The Overseer: "You know, people would like you if you opened up to them more."
Broc Saeger: "The last time I tried that, I got hurt."
The Overseer: "Spare me the details… The last thing I need to hear right now is a tragic little backstory, save that for Reader's Digest."
The car set into an uncomfortable silence as four very different people were forced to be in close proximity to each other due to circumstances and abused will.
The Ariston Industries Center was right ahead.
The Overseer: "Okay, great! We're here!"
The moment Broc parked the car The Overseer stepped out, seemingly taking in a deep breath despite the lack of a mouth.
The Overseer: "Talk about a stuffy atmosphere… You sure aren't the most flexible employees, but at least you have some potential."
Broc looked up in the rearview mirror at Cathy and Amelia, catching their look, before stepping out of the car.
He threw his cigarette onto the ground, stomping it out, turning and resting his arms on top of the car as he looked at The Overseer.
Broc Saeger: "What now?"
The Overseer: "Now? We'll have them go through the standard hiring process, going through a training regiment and having them go on a mission."
Broc Saeger: "Already?! But they aren't even officially hired yet…"
The Overseer walked over, gazing at him intensely, causing him to take a step back.
Broc Saeger: "Right, you got it. The New Hires Program it is."
Broc went over to the back of the car, opening the left-side door, peeking in.
Broc Saeger: "Alright, come on you two, you're one of us now."
Cathy and Amelia exchanged another knowing look before stepping out of the car.
Cathy Ariston: "While that may technically be true, we're not like you."
Broc Saeger: "I know, I could tell…"
The Overseer: "Are you done? I have an appointment to get to in like twenty minutes…"
He glanced down at a silver watch that was still on his right arm.
Broc gave Him a curt nod before turning and walking towards the entrance.
Broc Saeger: "Follow me."
Cathy and Amelia followed after Broc, Amelia looked back at The Overseer, who was standing by the car, watching them with satisfaction.
She now understood what this place meant.
Her skin prickled from how disgusted and scared and angry the sight of him made her feel.
All emotions she was very unfamiliar with, she had been taken out of paradise into an unfamiliar world.