Previously on Blessed Inversion Inhibitors…
With the rise of Inversion related crimes, the United Nations formed an Inversion exclusive branch of NATO to combat them. The Inhibitors were formed by recruiting members from across the globe. Under the tutelage of the RajTEK head of security, Steven Kessler (also known as the vigilante SWAT-Spider), they were to become a new type of police force. Unfortunately, one of their members was a traitor working with the criminal Pheromaster. With the betray; many of its non-combat staff were injured or murdered, two members forced to quit, and all but two of its actual members incarcerated. Now the process begins to rebuild the Inhibitors from the ground up…
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Miles Shephard Inhibitors Pilot |
Sasha Boone Director of the Inhibitors |
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Jun Naegi/Reflex Inhibitors Leader. Pre-cog |
Karen DeGroat/Chaos |
“Hey, sorry for the delay things have been rough here since the whole Pheromaster Incident* thing.” Miles began an email on his desktop computer in the Cell. His room was a simple single bedroom with a bed, desk, closet, television, and bathroom. Though members could easily customize their rooms as they wanted to. Miles spent most time being a glorified air taxi. Given recent events he found himself spending more and more time here.
“A good chunk of the people here who weren’t killed or arrested are quitting in waves. This is one of the few times I’ve gotten to myself when I’m not returning people home. Kinda funny, since I joined I’ve always been on the sidelines with nobody even remembering I’m there. Just a blur in the background…Now I’m one of the last men standing.” Miles thought back to when Mentalist first betrayed them. How he sat in the cockpit making sure to not make his presence known or even remembered.* How his plane was stolen with nobody even wondering if he was okay, having just barely avoided a sour encounter with SWAT-Spider.** How Jun considered the loss of the ship but never once the pilot. “Maybe if I said something earlier I could’ve helped avoid all of this…Or maybe I could’ve just made things worse by getting mind controlled. No one blames me or even seems to notice I was there too. Guess I can understand why Mentalist turned on us. We were a team but we barely knew shit about each other. The only one who bothered to see me was Karen.”
*Blessed Inversion Inhibitors Chapter 2
**Blessed Inversion Inhibitors Chapter 3
“Oh well, what’s done is done. You guys really saved our asses. It’s still just me, Jun, & Karen now. It doesn’t look like any of the people affected by Pheromaster will be recovering anytime soon…We’ll have to figure something out soon or we’re fucked. Wish you guys stayed longer to help out. I’m not really sure what Director Boone has planned if anything. Anyway, I hope things are better on your end Kreon. Probably with those Khonshu Drives of yours. (Maybe you could make me something like that when you have free time?)”
“Miles Shephard, report to the Briefing Room. I repeat, Miles Shephard report to the Briefing Room.” The intercom calls out throughout the facility.
“Just great…” Miles thought to himself before continuing his email. “Looks like I’m getting called for action again. See you later and tell Steph I said hi. Oh, and don’t overdo it Kreon. You can only juggle so many things at a time man.” he presses enter to send the email and leaves his room. The hallways of the Cell were never particularly packed with members, but now it was offputtingly quiet. The only consistent sign of life being the repairmen or janitors working to return the Cell to normal. After several uneasy minutes, Miles arrives at the Briefing Room where Sasha Boone sat. Her expression was the usual dour one yet it seemed sad now. He could never forget her heavyset and imposing visage. She somewhat reminded him of a popular morning talk show host at the time who was also an actress. Albeit lacking the positive charisma and affinity for giving the audience free cars.
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Shephard.” Director Boone says with the weight of recent failures still heavy on her shoulders. Like several of the Inhibitors, she too was manipulated by Pheromaster. But unlike them, she was able to somewhat maintain her self-control. Though it did little to ease her guilt. “Sit down.” she extends to the seat in front of her desk.
“O…kay…” Miles hesitantly sits down.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been working with the Inhibitors from their first mission right?” Director Boone inquires.
“Yes, mam.” Miles replies. “I mean I was just the taxi so I’m not sure you can really call it working.” he tries to make a joke but it has no effect on the Director. Seeing the non-reaction on her face causing him to shrink back in his seat like I child waiting to be grounded.
“You didn’t have much interaction outside of missions?”
“No mam. I might get the occasional hi but nothing much. The only Inhibitor I talked much with was Karen…er…Chaos.” he somewhat relaxes as he spoke.
“I see.” Director Boone begins to think intently as she looks at files on her desk. “What about Ms. Naegi? How is your relationship with her?”
“Hmm…” Miles thought for a second. “Well, it’s a little hard to talk to her at times because of her powers. But I don’t dislike her. She really appreciated me helping out a few days ago and has been trying to be more social. She really used to spend a lot of time on her own or just with…Rory…Probably because of her being suspicious about Mentalist and anyone near her.”
“And as a leader?”
“She seemed like a good second-in-command so I’m assuming she was a good leader. I mean we’re still talking now, aren’t we? Honestly, I never left my cockpit so I don’t know what she did specifically.” Miles says honestly.
“Thank you, Mr. Shephard. Now, what do you think of the Inhibitors as a whole? The concept, execution, etc.” she stares focused at Miles.
“Well, I think it’s something that can and has helped a lot of people. I know neither of us has powers but for people who do it’s good to have us around to help them learn…or you know, arrest them if their assholes like Pheromaster. Getting members from across the globe was nice too…um…but…” he hesitates. He wanted to be honest but didn’t want to insult the group in front of his own boss.
“Don’t hold back Mr. Shephard. That’s an order.”
“Well, even I could tell the team never really fully meshed. They seemed more like co-workers in an office building. You know, where you know everyone’s name but when you go to the staff party you realize nobody knows anything about anyone? And then it gets awkward when you find the two pairs who actually do know something? But I can’t blame them for it either. Before Kessler could even finish standard training and get to that we thought he died and just scrambled to fix things.* Guess it just slipped through the cracks.”
“You make a compelling argument Mr. Shephard. Which is why I have one final question for you.”
“Mam?”
“How would you feel about joining the Inhibitors full time? No more just being the pilot but a full-fledged member with everything it entailed.”
“Seriously? You’re pulling my leg aren’t you?” Miles’ eyes widen in surprise.
“No jokes or tricks. I brought you in to ask you these questions because their ones I’ve been thinking about myself. How I could’ve prevented what happened from happening again. More intimate and closely knit teams, getting people on personality, helping Inversions, and not just what looks like what an Inhibitor should be.”
“So you want a human on the Inversion team? Not sure I can contribute much.”
“Ms. Naegi can only see the future a short period ahead of time. She is only a small step above a human and helped save the world.”
“True…” Miles becomes quiet realizing he didn’t have a proper excuse. “Not that I don’t want the promotion but why me? You have other pilots still right?”
“We do, but you’re the only one with any history with Ms. Naegi and Ms. DeGroat. You’re also older than both whether you like it or not. I think having you as a full-time member, not just one who’s there for convenience, will help the team as a whole. You’ve ferried them around enough to get a general idea how their personalities and interactions were. So you can, in theory, use that to help them rebuild.”
“Wow…that’s…a lot of faith in someone who royally fucked up.”
“If things had ended up differently, you would’ve been fired and barred from ever working with us again. Maybe even have had you arrested for conspiracy to aid Pheromaster. But given Mentalists power and Pheromasters, keeping yourself hidden in the wings worked out for the best. If we lost you Jun and Karen would never have had a chance to escape in the first place.” She says unflinchingly. Fully aware of how Miles inactions have cost them but weighing the good of him hiding information against it. “Don’t think of it as a promotion. Think of it as a second chance to atone for what happened.”
“Alright…” Miles lowers his head. The guilt cutting deep. “I’ll join.”
“Good, I look forward to hearing how things progress.”
“I can choose recruits right?” Miles looks up once more.
“If Jun agrees with you then yes. Why, did you have someone in mind?”
“Yes actually. Do you know where she is?” Miles jumps from his seat suddenly. “Actually never mind, ask her and Karen to meet me at the hanger.” Miles runs out before waiting for a response. “Why am I doing this?” he thought as he raced through the halls. “I’ve always been a little lazy and a little cowardly…well very cowardly and I’m pretty fucking lazy…But why am I trying to do this? I mean things worked out right? If I wasn’t a coward then we might all have died…so why…” He stops to catch his breath when he arrives at the hangar. He then enters his personal VTOL and begins to prepare for takeoff.
“Miles? What are you doing?” Jun asks as she boards the VTOL and makes her way to the cockpit with Karen close behind.
“I just joined the Inhibitors and I know we need new members. So I think I got one for us.” Miles turns to face Jun. “We just need to pick them up from the Pathogen.”
“The Pathogen?” Jun sits down in her chair and buckles herself in.
“You joined the team? That’s awesome Miles!” Karen says with a sweet and innocent smile. The light half of her powers in full control of her personality.
“Thanks, Director Boone kinda made me realize something during the whole interview process. The Inhibitors are about helping and training people right? We aren’t just a police force and there was one person who could’ve really used our help but never really got it.”
With the recent events that occurred with Pheromaster, the Pathogen had suspended itself a short flight from the Cell. Part to undergo repairs and part to ensure ease of monitoring the former Inhibitors in their early stages. The hope being they’d recover sooner rather than later. Though tragically, that doesn’t seem to be the case. As always, Miles flies up to the giant spherical structure and lands on one of the extending platforms. Racing excitedly inside with Jun and Karen by his side.
“Welcome Inhibitors and Pilot, I did not expect you to be returning so soon.” Director Todd says as he floats above them. “What business did you have?”
“We’re seeing a prisoner. Don’t mind us.” Miles replies and continues to the prison block. Passing his former allies and coming to a cell holding a young middle eastern boy the same age as Karen sitting on the side of his bed watching television.
“Hi, Ahmed.” Karen waves. “Remember me?”
“I do. Thank you for bringing me here.* I haven’t had to deal with that curse since…You know…** “
*Blessed Inversion Inhibitors Chapter 6
*Blessed Inversion Rise of the Pheromaster Event
“We actually wanted to talk to you about that.” Miles adds.
“What do you mean?” Ahmed stands up anxiously.
“You were being mind controlled by Mentalist but since coming here you’ve been a model patient. But we think you can do better than being trapped inside a cell. We want you to join the Inhibitors.” Jun offers the young Inversion a position on her new team.
“I-” Miles gets cut off almost instantly by Jun.
“It was his idea.”
“Moment killer…”
“But I don’t want these powers. Their just a curse.”
“Trust me, I know it can feel like that.” Karen assures Ahmed. The dark and light portions of her body glowing in unison. Her voice wavering between her normal and distorted dark voice. “But it’s a part of you. A part of us you can’t and shouldn’t just hide away. You almost let me help you once before.” she glances at Miles and nods before he opens the cell. Karen then extends her hand. “Let me try to help this time.”
Ahmed hesitates knowing what he could do when he loses control of his powers. What he could do when someone else controlled him. He killed his friends when his powers first manifested and his family has already disowned him. He just wanted to stay in his cell and hide away from everything in isolation…But seeing how her powers were just as out of control as his powers could be…he couldn’t help but feel a small spark of hope. That maybe he could make up for the monster he was. “Okay…I’ll join.” Ahmed takes Karen’s hand as the second of the new Inhibitors.
Next Issue
Blessed Inversion Inhibitors Chapter 9- Power Incontinent
First Issue
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