Free Web NovelChapter 19: 19: Meeting Cate Dunlap and Butterfly effect?
Pride is a master of deception: when you think you’re occupied in the weightiest business, that’s when he has you in his spell.
~ Marcus Aurelius
_____
Jordan’s expression turned serious in a flash.
She gave Hillel another once-over, eyes scanning him like an X-ray.
"The Guardian! You’re that famous Guardian? The guy who slapped A-Train across the street with one hand!"
"You saw the video?"
"The whole damn school saw it!" Jordan sat up straight. "You’re the biggest topic on campus this semester, hands down."
"Bigger than Golden Boy?"
Jordan scoffed.
"Golden Boy? He’s just a freshman. Can’t even lick your boots."
This reaction was interesting.
Hillel remembered that in the Gen V plot, Jordan and Golden Boy had a solid rivalry with some mutual respect.
But right now she clearly didn’t rate him highly.
"I came today to see if Godolkin has any real talent worth recommending." Hillel got straight to it. "The Seven’s about to shake things up. Positions will open."
Jordan’s eyes flashed with excitement before she quickly shut it down.
"You can actually recommend people?"
"I can."
Jordan stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled.
"So what do you think of me?"
"I don’t know yet. Haven’t seen what you can do." freeweɓnøvel.com
"I can show you right now."
"Some other time. My day’s packed." Hillel stood up, pulled a business card from his pocket, and handed it over.
Vought’s PR department had printed it. Just a name and phone number.
Jordan took the card and studied it.
"No way. Only a phone number? Not even a title?"
"Trust me, kid. If I tried to list everything, one card wouldn’t cut it."
Hillel thought back to his nicknames: Artilleryman, Captain, Monster Hunter Supreme, Harran Superman, Butcher of White Orchard, Valentine’s summoned Ripper...
Jordan slipped the card into her hoodie pocket.
"I’ll call you."
"OK!"
[Key Character · Jordan Li ]
[Emotional Shift: Curiosity -> Interest -> Ambition]
[Ability Points Gained: +1,124]
[Current Ability Points: 79,332 / 100,000]
...
Training Ground B.
Way more action here than in the lounge.
A dozen students ran group combat drills. Bursts of superpower effects and shockwave blasts went off one after another.
If you took them to Hollywood, they wouldn’t need to spend a dime on CGI.
Hillel stood on the observation deck and quickly spotted his target in the crowd.
Cate Dunlap.
Blonde curly hair, round face. She looked like the sweet girl next door.
But her power was the kind that would fuck shit up even in Marvel.
Mind control.
One of the most dangerous abilities at Godolkin.
Right now Cate stood at the edge of the training area, not jumping in herself.
Her partner was a big, sturdy guy currently going hard against another group in the middle of the field.
Hillel noticed the guy’s movements looked off.
His reactions came way too fast, like they weren’t his own calls. Every dodge and counter seemed like someone had already fed him the opponent’s next move. Almost like precognition.
Hillel looked back at Cate.
She narrowed her eyes, lips moving silently.
She was controlling her partner.
Some kind of auxiliary psychic link. She read the opponents’ intentions and fed them straight to her guy in real time.
They moved together like a machine.
When the drill ended, her partner ran over pumped up and high-fived her.
Hillel stepped down from the deck and headed straight for Cate.
She noticed him right away.
A random guy in a suit showing up on the training ground—not even faculty—was already plenty noticeable.
"Hi?" Cate tilted her head. "Are you the new coach?"
"No, I’m with Vought."
"Vought?" Cate blinked. "Are you the special envoy here to pick candidates?"
News spread fast.
That loudmouth Brinkerhoff had probably already blabbed about the envoy’s visit to the whole campus.
"I suppose so." Hillel looked her over. "You’re Cate?"
"Cate Dunlap!" She stuck out her hand with a bright smile. "Sir, you can just call me Cate."
Hillel shook it.
The second their skin touched, he felt a faint psychic ripple, like someone lightly brushing his brain.
Cate was testing him.
Probing his emotions and intentions with her psychic sense.
Hillel let it happen.
A Viltrumite soldier’s mental defenses easily handled this level of poking. Cate couldn’t pull anything useful.
But he deliberately leaked a bit.
Goodwill.
Appreciation.
And even a touch of... anticipation.
Cate’s pupils widened slightly.
She released his hand. Her smile shifted from polite to real curiosity.
"You seem... different from the other Vought people."
"How so?" Hillel asked, genuinely curious.
"Vought types are all business. Their heads are stuffed with selling points, packaging, marketing bullshit. Your emotions feel pretty clean."
It was the first time Cate had run into someone with so few hidden motives.
"I see. A mind reader? Not bad."
He pulled out another business card and handed it over.
"The Seven’s getting some changes soon. Positions will open up. I have recommendation power. If you’re interested, hit me up and we can talk privately."
Cate took the card and glanced down.
"Fuck! You’re The Guardian?"
"I don’t think anyone would fake being me!"
Cate’s reaction was even stronger than Jordan’s.
"I’ve heard about you. You saved that mom and kid and took down A-Train."
"Small stuff."
"Small for you," Cate said, carefully tucking the card into her pocket, "but not for the people you saved. You’ve probably kept who knows how many families together!"
That line made Hillel take a second look at her.
Mind controllers usually picked up emotions deeper than most, which let her words always land right in the feels.
It was a gift. And a curse.
Human nature couldn’t survive too much scrutiny. People who walked that edge too long always ended up falling into the abyss.
"I’ll contact you," Cate said. "I’ve got a lot of questions."
"There’ll be time."
Hillel didn’t drag it out. This visit was just for initial contact. Godolkin had plenty of secrets, and he had time to dig later.
[Key Character · Cate Dunlap]
[Emotional Shift: Curiosity -> Ambition, Initial Trust]
[Ability Points Gained: +1,347]
[Current Ability Points: 80,679 / 100,000]
...
On the drive out of Godolkin University, Hillel sat in the car running the numbers.
Jordan and Cate had totally different personalities.
But both had real potential for The Seven, and both were worth using.
Right as he thought that, a new alert popped up on his panel.
[Key Character: Billy Butcher]
[Status: Approaching]
[Estimated Time: Within 12 hours]
Butcher?
Why the hell was this guy suddenly coming after him?
"Interesting. Doesn’t this count as a butterfly effect?"
____
Early access to 12 advance Chapters.
P@t: MilkLoverFanfics
