Deathstalker 01 - Deathstalker

it's pronounced Dah-veed, actually." The Deathstalker's voice was cool and sharp, trying hard for the gravitas he felt his title required.
    "As you wish," said Valentine. "But I fear you too must learn to come when the underground calls, however they pronounce your name. There's no room down here for the airs and graces we allow ourselves in society. That is, after all. part of the charm of treason. There are no rules here, no required behavior, no one to make us kneel or bow the head.

    We are equal here. And all they ask of us is a willingness to fight and if need be die for the cause."
    "Then why are you here, Valentine?" said Kid Death. "You never cared for any cause save your own continuing self-destruction."
    Valentine took his time turning, and smiled at the Summerlsle. "Where better to seek death or transformation than in the midst of rebellion? There's only one place on Golgotha more dangerous than the underground, and that's the Arena. And that's always seemed too much like hard work for me. I'm really rather delicate, you know."
    "You have the constitution of an ox," said Evangeline. "Your system has to be in top form to put up with all the things you do to it."
    "I know why he's here," said Kid Death. "He wants the drug. The esper drug.
    Trust me, Valentine, if you did get it, you wouldn't like it. You'd find out what everyone really thinks of you."
    Valentine smiled dazzlingly. "You already know what everyone thinks of you, dear Kit, and it hasn't slowed you down any."
    "I want to know why Hood is allowed to hide his face," said David. "We weren't allowed to, even though it meant having to expose our faces in front of brain damage cases like Valentine and Kid Death."
    "How unkind," murmured Valentine. "No one appreciates a true artist."
    Kid Death looked steadily at David. "You really must learn to choose your words more carefully, Deathstalker. You never know when they might be your last."
    David looked at him defiantly. His hand was very near his sword. "You don't frighten me, Summerlsle."
    "Then he should," said Evangeline. "I've seen you both fight, and he'd win. Now if you two have both finished shaking your genitalia at each other, perhaps we
    could hear Hood answer the question about his anonymity. Personally, I'm all ears."
    Kid Death and David Deathstalker looked at each other, and David looked away first. Valentine studied him thoughtfully. Perhaps the young Deathstalker wasn't as naive as he seemed. The Summerlsle was a psychopath, and everyone knew it. If he were to turn those cold eyes in Valentine's direction, Valentine had every intention of bowing low and backing down. And then possibly dropping a little something lethal in the Summerlsle's drink at some future time. He looked across at Hood as he realized the silence had lengthened and Hood still hadn't answered the question. The man without a face stood very still, the empty interior of his hood as enigmatic as ever.
    "I am valuable to the underground and the cyberats," he said finally. "They indulge me rather than risk losing what I provide."
    "And what might that be?" said Kit.
    "You don't need to know," said Hood.
    "But we insist," said David.
    The two of them moved unhurriedly toward Hood, taking up positions on either side of him so that he couldn't face them both at once. Their hands were very near their swords.
    "That's enough!" snapped Mr. Perfect, and everyone turned to look. The esper representative glared at them all impartially. "We did not summon you here to squabble like children in a playground. We have business to discuss, and the longer we stay here, gathered together in one place, the more danger we put ourselves in."
    "Damn right," said one of the Stevie Blues. She strode forward to take up a
    position in the center of the chamber, hands on hips. "Security would just love to get the drop on us because we were too busy arguing among ourselves to hear them coming. Everyone stops messing about right now, or my sisters and I will start banging heads together. You can call me Stevie One. My sisters are Two and Three. Don't get us mixed up or we'll hit you. We pride ourselves on our individuality."
    There was a general relaxing and moving away by all those present. Stevie One nodded to Mr. Perfect to take over. David sniffed at the three clones.
    "Bunch of perverts," he said quietly to Valentine. "And they dare call what they have a marriage."
    "Be fair," said Valentine. "At least they can be sure what they see in each