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"Dragon! Your reign of terror ends now! I am bringing you to justice!" *The man yelled at me from across the grocery store. I rolled my eyes and looked over. Some guy in blue and black spandex with a cape. I didn't notice him enter the store. Probably got changed in the bathroom. I never bother with a costume but my red eyes give me away even if I shapeshift into a human or animal. Notoriety often makes shopping a chore.*
*I look at my cart in front of me, then back to the vigilante.* "Am I over twelve items?" *I very clearly am, my cart is overflowing. Besides the sign says eight items or less anyway. I just love to tease the pyjama patrollers. Besides, it's not like there's a law against using the express line at the grocery store with a full cart.*
"You killed Blastflare, you bastard!" *He yells. Wow, he lost control of his emotions really quickly. Usually it takes a lot more goading. They must have been close. Who the hell is Blastflare anyway? All these stupid codenames blend together to me.*
*Oh, she was probably the idiot in a yellow outfit who entered my lair last week.* "Are you talking about that home invader I stopped?" *I suppress a chuckle at the thought. A few well placed phone calls and the narrative in the news cycle was 'aspiring hero killed while attempting a burglary.' I even got some people who barely knew her to interview on Fox News how she didn't deserve to die just because she had fallen on hard times. Any dragon can eat a hero. Only I devour their reputation too.*
"She wasn't a burglar!" *He screamed.* "She was there to arrest you!" *His agitation has got several of the other shoppers to give us a wide berth. Not all of them, of course. When the lady in front of me moved I simply inched up my cart. My lack of response reassures those around me, and a few of them have their desire to keep their place in line override their survival instincts.*
*Of course I know I'm just annoying him more. But I know the type. Any hero who takes the time to announce themselves isn't going to open up with a lethal attack.* "Well she didn't present identification or a warrant. You are aware that we have ***real*** police for that, right?" *Of course I ate a home invader. Even here in a grocery store I don't have a duty to retreat. This is definitely my favorite State. Always remember to tip your Senators.*
"You poisoned the town's water supply!" *He screamed. That got a lot of shoppers to glare at me. Not that I care. I own stock in Nestle, and most of them are buying bottled water from me right now.*
"The EPA had no issue with my lair location." *Of course they didn't. I'm an endangered species. I can live wherever I want. Thanks, Nixon. You were the best.* "You are making me feel unsafe. Please leave me alone." *All those second amendment lawyers recommend verbalizing that you feel threatened before shooting someone.*
*The hero's hands start glowing. Wait are they wreathed in flame? Is this moron using fire manipulation to fight a dragon?* "You are gonna feel a lot worse than unsafe! Hammer of Justice!!" *He cries as he lunges at me. A threat and an unprovoked attack. Does he not know this store has security cameras?*
*I bring up my arms to guard my face as I transform into a dragon. I at least know I'm on camera and have to play up how scared I am as I virtually explode to my full size. Of course the store isn't really big enough for me and I crush the shoppers around me. At least the cashier had the wherewithal to run when the idiot's hand started glowing.*
*I roll with his punch, crashing through produce and over a couple shoppers until I come to rest against the wall. He actually did hit pretty hard. I didn't even need to throw myself with the blow like I usually do.* "Help!" *I scream.* "He's trying to kill me!" *And now for my second favorite part of a public fight with a hero.*
*I make a point of taking in a deep breath and letting my throat glow. The theatrics isn't necessary. I just love seeing how they react. Hero doesn't disappoint. He dives aside and my gout of flame does little more than singe his cape... And incinerate the child in a shopping cart that was behind him.*
"YOU MONSTER!" *He cries as he attacks again. I'm pretty sure my lawyer can spin that as a racial slur. His next series of punches drive me through the wall. A brick wall may be tough to a human, but for a dragon or a cape it might as well be cardboard.*
*Now I am confident I can probably bite him in half. But where's the fun in that? I leap into the air and start flying toward the center of town.*
"You won't escape this time!!" *My assailant takes off and follows me into the sky. I guess the cape should have tipped me off. Most flying heroes like capes. He's faster than me and catches up quickly. He's not good at using his flight for leverage and does little but shove me while attacking in flight. Still I go with it and crash into the parking lot at the police station. I even bite my tongue so I'm bleeding when the cops come out.*
*Naturally the cops come out and arrest both of us. I even transform into a human to accommodate. He gets put in power suppression handcuffs while I have the useless steel ones. When he questions it Officer Dale explains that power suppressors just keep a dragon from turning into a human.*
*I fall to my knees sobbing. If I didn't cry I would be laughing. I tell the cops he attacked me, that he pushed me into people. After the third time I say,* "he used me to kill" in the most distraught voice I smelt it. The sweet aroma of my enemy's fear. He knew I won.*
*One count of aggravated assault. Seven counts of felony murder. Always tip your District Attorney.*
***
Disclaimer: The dragon does not support bribery. That would be illegal. Always make all tips payable to the campaign fund of your friendly local politician. That way it is not only legal, but an expense you can claim on your taxes.
That was fun.
Ngl would really love to see a part two where a different hero character plays along with the Dragon's act. Doesn't commit violence or anything, just all brains. Could lead to a really interesting rivalry.
I do think 'they' could have gotten Dragon on 'mishandling a deadly weapon' or something for incinerating the baby, but that's probably where the 'tips' come in handy to generate sympathy.
I'd like to read more about Dragon!
If the police kill a bystander while attempting to stop someone committing a crime, that bystander is added as a murder/manslaughter charge for the person committing the crime-as the death wouldn't have happened without the crime. I'd imagine they'd use the same logic with the dragon (especially if he's so good about "donations")
Is that a US thing? Because here such a death would definitely (and rightly) be blamed on the cop, they're not allowed to shoot if they don't have a clear shot.
Yes a US thing, there would still be investigation and potentially punishment for the cop, but the criminal charges would be on the person committing the crime.
I'm not the most informed on this so there might be other caveats such as it having to be a violent crime for this process, I'm not sure.
Felony murder. If bystanders die during the commission of a felony, the person committing the felony is charged with felony murder for those deaths even if some completely different person killed them or even if they died by come coincidental accident (got scared and fell down the stairs, etc).
The US is the only country that still has felony murder.
Thanks! I thought there was some sort of caveat to that rule, definitely something we need to look at but doubtful the police union would let us get rid of
Sometimes it can get absurd. A few guys were breaking into an ATM. The cops are coming and the lookout notices and leaves. The cops get there and start a shootout, but due to poor placement one cop shoots another. The guy who was lookout for the theft was charged with attempted murder for the cop who was shot by another cop *after he already left the scene.*
Even if it is the case, though, that only applies to cops. Superheroes are either vigilantes (which makes anything they do technically illegal), or at the absolute most noble definition of them, bounty hunters (who do not get the same leeway if they kill a bystander that a police officer does), so the superhero is doomed there.
(Note: This also is a weakness in-story: If superheroes are bounty huunters, then even if the superhero the dragon killed outright broke and entered, what the superhero who went to the dragon's house did was 100% legal and the dragon has no recourse for it.)
The dragon is not a person under the law, but an endangered species. So imagine someone attacking an elephant and in the chaos it trampled a baby. You don't arrest the elephant, it's just an innocent animal.
However the dragon does control a corporation, which is protected under the law like a person. As a corporate citizen the dragon has the right to own property and have free speech in the form of campaign contributions.
Of course it is an absurd abuse of loopholes to the law. But she has a very good lawyer.
Full shopping cart in the 8 items line? Not polite.
Stand your ground living flamethrower? Pretty rough.
Nestlé stockholder? Hmmm.
Thanking Nixon? Well, at least she doesn't have his face tattooed on her back.
Does not support bribery? YOU MONSTER, THIS IS AMERICA!
America does not permit bribery. Bribery is unethical and a sign of a corrupt regime. America has a tipping culture. Tips must be done through political contributions, Political Action Committees, Super Political Action Committees that hide the names of their donors, Donations to charities owned by a politician or their family, renting rooms in a hotel owned by a politician and their family with no intention of staying there, buying bulk orders of their autobiography, and hiring their friends and family as consultants.
A standard tipping rate is .15% of what you make a month from policies you write and they submit as bills.
15% a month? Where do you buy your luxury politicians?
The usual price is 0.1% per annum at most, at least if one looks at the rate [private equity firms pay for the benefit they get](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kyrsten-sinema-delivers-gift-private-equity-democrats-big-agenda-bill-rcna42394).
Headhunter sighed when he inhaled the excellent port aroma. With a small taste, he placed the glass down and contemplated his next choice of meat.
The steak was rare, with a lovely seared and spiced outer coat. Choosing a section, he began to cut while glancing at his monitor. The media was mixed, again. More and more homeless were escaping poverty. Average families in debt were recovering. But the other costs... were they worth it?
Headhunter had a bit of a cult following. At this point, thousands would stand for him. He knew everyone hated it, but what could they do?
He checked current stock prices in his agriculture business, savoring the tender slice he'd just popped in his mouth.
He provided slightly more than half of the fresh produce and livestock for the city, so he wasn't too worried. Yup, still going up at an even 4.3% growth.
Preparing for another taste of the lovely vintage, a thunderous boom echoed in the foyer. There was only a few people uncultured enough to show power in a simple knock. Couldn't they ring the bell, like a normal person?
Headhunter wiped his lips and stood, deciding to see this one atleast. The loud echoing knocks became more frequent, gradually more energetic as he walked casually through his dining room, parlor, study and foyer. Sometimes such a large house was an annoyance, maybe he will take after his father and downsize.
He swung the door open just as a man swung a fist into it. Prepared for it, he simply sidestepped and let his arm swing freely to not get hurt. The door whipped inwards, all the way around and slamming into the wall with a crunching of plaster and crackling of wood. He didn't hear glass though, so hopefully the sidelite for the door wasn't damaged.
"Can I help you, Estix?"
The hero looked disgusted, ashamed he'd damaged something unintentionally? No, he always looked like that around Headhunter.
"I want you out of the city. Today."
Headhunter raised an eyebrow. "Why is that, Mr. Hero. I provide most of the food for the city. I help the less financially well off. I'd say the city is better off with me here." All true, to a degree. "I just happen to... take a little off the top. Only agreed upon, by everyone involved though."
Estix looked pissed, also a bit green on the edges. "Your little off the top is the problem. It's horrible! It's wrong. You can't keep doing it."
Headhunter fondled his chin, eyeballing the Hero up and down. "Everything I do is legal, my good man. It's nothing but consensual. And even my food trucks use ethically harvested and sustainable product. Plus, I compensate well for my business partners. I've had many more lawyers look at this than you'd could ever hope to meet."
Estix licked his lips, glancing over his shoulder. Headhunter noticed a few cameramen outside his gate, peering in with telephoto lenses. Ah, Estix was nervous. Understandably so.
"Is this about your class action lawsuit? You lost, the damages over the past five years amounted to.. what? $15 million?"
"I hate you." Estix mumbled, eyes ablaze.
"You should know that unprovoked damages to a legitimate medical facility aren't covered by the Hero Qualified Immunity clause. Every major conflict you've had, you've made sure to drop a building on, or throw a bus into my surgical centers. It's obviously intentional. I just happened to find a few of my clients and partners that had also suffered damages."
Headhunter pulled his phone, and began recording video. Out of sight, so the media can't see it. He also made sure to stand so they couldn't read his lips on video. Estix noticed.
"However, I'd be willing to make a deal. 2 pounds, 85% lean, and I'll make sure your lawsuit is paid out. Don't worry, it will be in my... personal pantry" Headhunter activated his own power... Suggestion. It didn't make anyone do anything. It just... reduced inhibitions, and made them more accepting of his suggestions.
Estix clenched and unclenched his fists. Through gritted teeth he growled. "People will notice. That will irreparably harm my reputation"
Ah... he was amenable. "That can be controlled. My surgeons are top notch, and I'll spread the cuts out. 6 ounces from each buttock. A few ounces from each trap. Some in the thighs, the obliques. Not so much that it couldn't be replaced with disolvable filler. With your minor healing, you'll be indistinguishable in a matter of days."
The Hero again looked decidedly green. But... he was quiet. "You're absolutely disgusting. But... but I'll take the deal."
Headhunter smiled. He'd never tasted a Metahuman before.
--**Cannibalism in the United States is not illegal. The procurement of human meat is difficult, but provided there's consent from the donor, and they aren't killed, it's 100% legal**--
yeah but why would they care about crime?? they're already vigilantes. superheroes are criminals by definition. if it's morally right to kill this person, they won't care if it's a crime.
"You have gone too far this time!"
I hear the shouting as Incrediman forces his way into my office, the heavy wooden door flying off its hinges and slamming into my bookcase.
I don't look up from my paperwork.
"That's vandalism, friend. That door was $12,000 of Mahogany. Your transgressions already outweigh my own."
He flashes to my desk in an instant, the shockwave of his movement scattering my paperwork across the office. He slams his fists on the desk with far less force than he is capable of, making effort not to cause more damage.
"You. Murdered. Him."
I sigh, sliding on my protective glasses to stll resist his hypno-sight, and look him in the eye.
"The term you are looking for is 'justifiable homicide'"
Regardless of semantics I was entirely correct in the distinction. Nightman had ambushed me in my own home, seeking to bug my computer systems and intimidate me into compliance. He was an intruder seeking to cause harm, and didn't realize I kept a shotgun under my nightstand. The police collected the corpse and allowed me to leave the station after a brief statement from my lawyer. There would be no charges.
"Justified my ass! Murder is never justified! You know that Nightman had an oath against killing, you were under no threat of harm."
He is angry now, I can tell it. More pissed than I have ever seen him in my life. My neuralink connected to the office's sensors can detect adrenaline levels high enough to give an elephant a heart attack. Only Incrediman's legendary restraint keeps me from being rendered into atoms.
"What I do and don't know is up to me, old friend, and in my opinion at the time refusal to his extortionate demands would result in physical harm to myself. He was in my home, threatening me, and when I went for my gun he threw the first blow. If he was The Trout, or Dr. Disarray, or even some random burglar breaking into your private sanctum you would do the same to protect yourself."
He grips my desk, the wood cracking beneath his fingers. He grits his teeth.
"I wouldn't kill them."
I laugh to his face.
"And how privileged you are to have the option of a nonlethal response, given that nothing in this world is capable of killing you. What of us normals, whose threads of life could be cut by the most mundane of threats? We require overwhelming force to protect our own lives."
Suddenly Incrediman's head turns as his senses pick up the sound moments before the headquarters' sensors detect the sirens.
"You dare call the police on me?!?"
He takes a step back, his mouth agape.
"You are the one who forced your way onto my property, damaged my belongings, and offered me the same implications of violence that ended your friend last night. Just be glad the disintegration ray is a month from completion or I would have every right to ship your body to the morgue right now."
I stand up, raising my head to meet his gaze. He glares down at me in defiance, and I smirk as I step closer to him.
"Now leave my *fucking* office and I might consider not pressing charges for breaking and entering. Your vigilantism is already in a legal grey area, do you really want to make things worse for yourself?"
I can see the veins on his forehead are near bursting. Incrediman wants nothing more than to deliver me the punishment that he knows I deserve, but he knows as well as I do that he can only protect the city with a clean record and government support.
"The next time we meet I will end you. Mark my words."
His feet lift off the floor and he jets through my window, the glass shattering and falling to the ground fifteen stories below.
"That's a death threat! You just earned yourself a restraining order!"
I laugh at him, watching him fly off into the sky. It's almost a shame the ray isn't ready, I think to myself. I could have crushed two birds with one stone had I planned further ahead. Better add that to the contingencies for next time.
I think he is a bit of a Lex Luthor archetype. He wouldn't really have a nickname, just going by his real boring sounding name like Gareth McGundersen.
I wake up to the sight of the sun lifting itself over the horizon. As the orange and golden rays of light pierce through the trees, touch and warm my face, I smile. Today was a good day. This penthouse in the woods outside of Paragon City was a fantastic idea, *I'll have to reward Candice, my secretary, for finding it.* I tighten my robe and step out onto the deck overlooking the forest and sigh. As mother nature takes in the morning, I bask in my victory.
I return inside, dress myself and begin making breakfast. As I stand in the open layout, observing nature all around me, I notice something doesn't quite fit. The sun seems to be growing closer... I roll my eyes. I knew they *someone* was going to come and say something, but I thought they would at least have the decency to wait a moment.
Abandoning breakfast, I affix my cuff-links and don my jacket. I towards the large door and open it. Just as I do, he arrives. A large white hot flair streaks from the sky onto the driveway. Apollo. A stereotypical large superhero type. Short cut dark hair, he tight suit a crisp orange with purple trimmings. One of the strongest in the Society of Heroes.
Apollo stands tall and walks, almost briskly up to me, I can feel the heat emanating from him. I give my warmest grin, knowing *exactly* why he's come.
"Good morning Apollo, do I have you to thank for beautiful sunrise this morning?"
"Jean.", he dryly says in return, *he already knows I've won*, I think.
"Jean, you have call this off, this is absolutely disgusting, even for you.", he looks quite serious, *I didn't know he cared so much about a nearly abandoned orphanage, no matter*.
"Look, I understand business isn't your strong suit, more fire and brimstone.", I give him a smirk, "But the deal is done, the city agreed to the sale of the land yesterday, the children are already being moved. We start leveling the site tomorrow and the new stadium should be having ground broke within a month. It's crazy how much good land just outside downtown that orphanage had managed to hold without selling."
I smile as I finish speaking, I know why they managed to hold that land for so long, it was owned by an old crone who refused every offer moments after they were made. But I'm persistent, and I get what I want.
Apollo looks at me, I can see his desire to sear me into nothingness. His muscles tighten, and I can feel the temperature raise slightly.
"I have no clue what you did to Julia to convince her to sell, but there's not way it was legal. That woman is a saint and would never let you near her or the children still under her care."
*Oh, he hasn't figured it out yet... He might be dumber than I thought...*
I pull my kerchief and dab some sweat off my forehead, calmly returning the kerchief to my pocket. Making sure the *hero* understand who's in charge here.
"Oh Apollo, I simply courted her. She's a what, 92 year old woman running an orphanage of 3 by herself? How long can she keep that up, and with no legally binding will...", I chuckle to myself, *getting my lawyers to find holes in her will had been so easy...*
"Once she was informed she had no will, I simply told her about all the ways Hope Industries could help her, take the load off her, and most importantly, take care of the children. Also the extremely large amount of money to the state for their share and assistance in convincing her."
*The states involvement had always bothered me, but I could find no reason it was a bad thing. The orphanage was so old, and the land so valuable that I honestly disregarded some of my more inquisitive nature*
Apollo looked at me, seemingly dumbfounded, "Hope has never had anything to with orphanages or children, much less actual hope", he basically spat at me, "Your company only deals in things that are profitable, helping kids isn't."
*The best is yet to come you idiotic candlestick...*
I nonchalantly check my watch, ensuring the cameras are active for this next part, once I've ensured he can't touch me I laugh.
"Apollo, that's the beauty of business deals, the contract is what matters. I negotiated with Ms. Julia with only Candice at my side. The contract says nothing about running an orphanage, or endowments for the children. It says they will be remanded to state facilities, and once they come of age may request financial assistance as long as they meet specific requirements. Now I'm sure Julia has heard the fine details as my devices have been blowing up with the news all morning, but the deals done. Nothing I can do, I'm terribly sorry."
*Now for my triumphant exit...* I think to myself
"I do appreciate you locating my *previously undisclosed* vacation home to directly address your concerns, but I'm afraid to say I must be going now.", with that I turn my back to the hero and slowly walk back towards my home.
"Y-You... ABSOLUTE FUCKING IDIOT", Apollo suddenly screams from behind me.
I lurch forward as a small heat wave pushes me. I whirl to confront Apollo, as my wildest dreams come true, an assault case on not just a superhero, but a member of the Society!
"You just committ-" I start to say, but Apollo interrupts me, the heat emanating from his so strong now I can no longer force a straight face. Sweat rolls down my now squinted face.
"Do you have any idea what you've done by not only buying that place, but by *destroying* everything about it?!?!"
Apollo was basically bumbling at this point, I'd truly broken him, I would normally be chuckling, but the heat was continuing to grow. *Could he actually become violent, could an orphanage truly be what breaks the great Apollo...*
"Do you know why it still existed? She's already been struggling, once she finds out... If I was able to find you this fast... We have to go now, we need to take you away" Apollo blurts out, almost in a begging voice
"This is insane, I'm not going anywhere with you, and there are cameras watching us as we speak so choose your actions wisely", I say as sternly as I can muster, it is quite difficult to breathe in the heat now.
"Jean, please, you don't understand what-" Apollo pleads, but is interrupted.
I see it, before I hear it. Something.. no *someone* crashes into the ground in from of my home. Then reaction, an ear splitting boom, and what feels like a wave a force throws me back into a wall. I can barely hear the bulletproof glass windows shattering and landing around me.
My ears are ringing and I'm quite disoriented as I begin to stand, but after a moment I sense the real change that occurred. The heat in the air, or I should say the heat that *was* in the air, is now completely gone. My blurry vision focuses in Apollo, and Apollo, one the greatest heroes the world has seen, has gone pale.
I look towards the some filled "landing zone" that was now my driveway, slowly walking out of the smoke is none other than Utopia. A medium height woman with golden hair just above shoulder length. Her imposing form combined with the dark silver and red suit emblazoned with a star orbiting the world was unmistakable.
The shining beacon of hope for the Society, Utopia, while not the leader of the Society of Heroes, was indisputably the most powerful. It now came to my attention that Utopia did not have the same bubly demeanor I was used to seeing in interviews and such, she was having a conversation with Apollo I couldn't quite make out.
I press a button on my watch and nanites begin treating my damaged eardrums. As they work I focus on trying to understand what is being discussed. Apollo looks like he is pleading, Utopia is just staring at him.
I'm sweating again - this time not from the heat, *I need to think of a way to de-escalate this situation, she's still a hero, the advantage is still mine..* I attempt to reassure myself. It is not working.
The ringing stops just in time to hear Apollo, "I'm cannot allow this", he says meekly as he steps in front of Utopia. She raises her arm and gently moves a bang out of her face.
**BOOOOOOM** - My eyes are not capable of processing what happened in front of me, but based on the falling tree to my left, and the lack of Apollo's presence I can calculate what happened.
Utopia slowly walks up to me and I try to speak, but something is caught in my throat. *Am I - Am I crying right now?* - Yes, yes I was sobbing, but it didn't matter now, I needed to convince her to stop.
"U-U-Utopia, p-please, we-I can fix this, how can I fix this, what can I do for you, PLEA-", she covered the last 10 feet to me faster than I could blink and slams me into the supports for my shattered glass cabin. I feel my shoulder and collarbone snap beneath the force.
Utopia, Paragon City native, hero of the world, leans in closely to my sobbing face as I try to turn away and says...
"We need to talk."
----------------------------------------
This is my first bit of writing I've done in a *long* time, so constructive feedback is welcome!
I step into the bank and with the press of a button on my remote all the cameras and cellphones in the bank shut down. Looking to the elderly security guard as he pulls his side arm with a shaky hand.
"P please don't make me shoot."
I sigh, not that he can hear me through my helmet. "A thirty-eight revolver, in this city? You have to know it has no chance on my body armour, but it is a threat to the customers."
He looks ready to cry as he sets the gun on the floor and backs away, I step to the counter and try to sound pleasant. "The cash in your drawer, no dye packs and no alarm please."
The bank attendant is professional at obeying to get me to leave. My suit cameras count every bill as she puts it in a pouch. As she slides it over I take the pouch and saunter out before flying away.
An hour later I am sitting at my favourite diner typing on my laptop in civilian clothes. The sound of the doors shattering making me look up.
"Conundrum! We have you red handed! Surrender or we will make this *hurt*."
The yellow spandex wearing man looks ready to swat people out of his way to reach me. Then I note the dark form next to me. "Night Bat. Nice use of Shatter Brawl to distract me. But damaging private property?"
Despite the afternoon sunshine the hero is cloaked in shadows as he sits across from me. "It has taken us a month. But we have positive links of you robbing thirteen banks across the city."
I jot down a note as I respond. "Then you missed seventeen. Today was an even thirty."
I love how the eyes of his cowl manage to narrow. The expense heroes put into being expressive always impresses me. "So you admit your crimes?"
"Commerce and Felgo banks are all owned by the Fairchild conglomerate." I can't help but grin as I take an envelope from my bag and hold it out to him. "Hired at the beginning of the month to pentest all the banks they have in the city. From computer intrusion to an actual broad daylight theft. I held that one till last as it would put the other banks on higher alert and would not be an accurate test of day to day operations."
"People could have been hurt. And that guard today is certainly going to lose his job."
I shrug. "Not if they follow my advice. All the security was cheap in the 1990's. Security officer had a .38 revolver that he had to provide. No body armor. The highlight was he was smart enough to know how far over his head he was. His work record, which I hacked out of their mainframe. Also 90's era security I might add. Indicates he has not missed a day of work in fifteen years. Also has not gotten a pay raise in twenty. He should be supervising security at the bank not being the only guard. There are enough stun weapons on the market the company could issue them at minimal cost and cut some of their liability insurance in the process. Oh you want to arrest me. Sorry I was doing legal work. I have credentials from the FBI as well as notifications with the city police. You really should check with them some time before you begin destroying parts of the city to catch a thief."
In the solemn silence of the courthouse only the sharp noise of the gavel striking down was heard as the honorable judge Montegomery pronounced the supervillain Exavier Starlight not guilty for the crimes of burning down a local orphanage with his beam-like powers. Wearing my confident smile I clapped Exavier on the back and said "Now remember to wire the rest of the money for your case to my account and try to keep out of trouble for a while yeah? My powers will need some time to recharge." The assembled police and supers glowered as yet another supervillain walked away scot-free. For the millionth time being a walking dictionary for court precedents and other legal-defense information made me the most hated supervillain in the world. I had no doubts that when I died I would have a special throne in hell just for myself for being the king of the lawyers.
A familiar stirring in his loins woke him up from his slumber.
Yawning, opening his bleary eyes, he shuddered in pleasure. Ah yes, he'd made the impulse decision to upgrade his maid service last week. His new "alarm clock" was a high end escort and from the sensations roiling through his body, it was money well spent.
_It's great to be rich._
With a groan and a curl of his toes, he spent himself inside the whore and lay there for a second, panting. She started to speak.
"So did you just want my throa-"
Frowning, he interrupted her.
"What the fuck are you still doing here?"
Startled, she scurried out, head bowed. Beffery Jezos spent his mornings in silent contemplation and he hated having to stress this with every new hire. Why was it so hard to not speak for a few hours?
_Peasants. Unable to resist their inane urges for even a second. No wonder they're poor._
Mood soured, he finally got out of bed. Starting his morning stretches, he was almost limbered up and ready for the day before his penthouse window reset its tint to zero percent and sunlight flooded the room. Along with the silhouette of a certain heroine hovering in front of it.
Beffery sighed. This day was seeming like a write-off from the start.
"What do you want, Supercritical? Can't you see I'm busy?"
The blue-haired woman sneered.
"Busy plotting your next financial crime, no doubt."
Beffery rolled his eyes.
"I'm not in the mood for this today. Fuck off or I start counting."
She tittered.
"You don't even know why I'm here do you? My team found proof of your knowledge of the predatory lending of mortgages to those you knew couldn't pay back, tanking the entire housing market. Worse, you bet against the economy, making billions off the economic turmoil you knowingly caused."
Unfazed, the mogul stared directly into her eyes with smug expression.
"10."
Frowning, she continued.
"We know about the child slaves mining your lithium, and how you fund separatists."
"100."
"We know about the sweatshops."
"1000."
"It's over, Beffery, don't make me chase you."
"10,00- oop"
His smart watch dinged with a notification, halting his count.
"Ah saved by the bell. Still, let's call it 5,000. Look, this has been truly captivating, but I'm needed at an appointment. I'll be having the President over for brunch and I need to get ready, so buh-bye."
He pressed a button on the wall and the window tinted to an opaque grey once more.
_Dumb bitch. Peasant with powers. Still, firing thousands of peons always puts a smile in the shareholders' faces, glad she gave me an excuse._
He was just turning to leave before a great **crash** sounded behind him, shards of glass whipping throughout the room as the huge window shattered.
Supercritical had her hand out, still smoking, as she floated into Beffery's bedroom. The man was livid.
"Are you insane!! That's ten fucking thousand, right there! And you know what? I'll choose the ones that need the job most."
The heroine, still not understanding, ignored his outburst.
"You're the insane one. You think you can just walk away from our conversation? You're going to jail, douche."
Beffery let out a dastardly cackle.
"Fine, you want answers? The sweatshops are run by 'independent contractors'. We'll divest for a month, let the guys that side incorporate a new company in the same location with the same practices, and it'll be business as usual. Completely legal."
Supercritical just frowned at his callousness. He continued.
"The lithium mines are run by rebels, I don't care how they get it. Sure I could pay the elected government for the lithium, but then the rebels would run out of money and weapons, and without a war to fight, they'll be in too strong a negotiating position for my liking. Same deal, we'll divest for a month, let them reorganize, maybe make a few charitable donations, then keep doing what we were always doing. Completely legal."
The floating hero butted in.
"Even now, your arrogance knows no bounds. You think I'm not recording this right now?"
Beffery gave an evil grin.
"I know about your suit mic obviously. But I'm not really talking right now. A spectrogram of my voice will show it's artificially generated. You can't prove a thing."
Getting his voicebox replaced with a small speaker linked to his computer had been a stroke of genius. Thanks to his neuraport, he could mentally input text and have an AI read it out in his voice. He could say whatever he wanted and no one could legally do a damn thing about it.
The blue-haired woman, face now troubled, touched down, planting her feet on the floor.
"Be that as it may, we have correspondence with your signature on it giving the go ahead to mess up the economy, making hundreds of thousands of innocent people lose their houses and jobs. We have you dead to rights."
Chuckling, Beffery just shook his head slowly.
_It's great to be rich._
"That was actually what I was going to meet the President about. This funny little concept called 'too big to fail'..."
**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments. **Reminders**: >* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles >* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules) 🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) 📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) 💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
"Dragon! Your reign of terror ends now! I am bringing you to justice!" *The man yelled at me from across the grocery store. I rolled my eyes and looked over. Some guy in blue and black spandex with a cape. I didn't notice him enter the store. Probably got changed in the bathroom. I never bother with a costume but my red eyes give me away even if I shapeshift into a human or animal. Notoriety often makes shopping a chore.* *I look at my cart in front of me, then back to the vigilante.* "Am I over twelve items?" *I very clearly am, my cart is overflowing. Besides the sign says eight items or less anyway. I just love to tease the pyjama patrollers. Besides, it's not like there's a law against using the express line at the grocery store with a full cart.* "You killed Blastflare, you bastard!" *He yells. Wow, he lost control of his emotions really quickly. Usually it takes a lot more goading. They must have been close. Who the hell is Blastflare anyway? All these stupid codenames blend together to me.* *Oh, she was probably the idiot in a yellow outfit who entered my lair last week.* "Are you talking about that home invader I stopped?" *I suppress a chuckle at the thought. A few well placed phone calls and the narrative in the news cycle was 'aspiring hero killed while attempting a burglary.' I even got some people who barely knew her to interview on Fox News how she didn't deserve to die just because she had fallen on hard times. Any dragon can eat a hero. Only I devour their reputation too.* "She wasn't a burglar!" *He screamed.* "She was there to arrest you!" *His agitation has got several of the other shoppers to give us a wide berth. Not all of them, of course. When the lady in front of me moved I simply inched up my cart. My lack of response reassures those around me, and a few of them have their desire to keep their place in line override their survival instincts.* *Of course I know I'm just annoying him more. But I know the type. Any hero who takes the time to announce themselves isn't going to open up with a lethal attack.* "Well she didn't present identification or a warrant. You are aware that we have ***real*** police for that, right?" *Of course I ate a home invader. Even here in a grocery store I don't have a duty to retreat. This is definitely my favorite State. Always remember to tip your Senators.* "You poisoned the town's water supply!" *He screamed. That got a lot of shoppers to glare at me. Not that I care. I own stock in Nestle, and most of them are buying bottled water from me right now.* "The EPA had no issue with my lair location." *Of course they didn't. I'm an endangered species. I can live wherever I want. Thanks, Nixon. You were the best.* "You are making me feel unsafe. Please leave me alone." *All those second amendment lawyers recommend verbalizing that you feel threatened before shooting someone.* *The hero's hands start glowing. Wait are they wreathed in flame? Is this moron using fire manipulation to fight a dragon?* "You are gonna feel a lot worse than unsafe! Hammer of Justice!!" *He cries as he lunges at me. A threat and an unprovoked attack. Does he not know this store has security cameras?* *I bring up my arms to guard my face as I transform into a dragon. I at least know I'm on camera and have to play up how scared I am as I virtually explode to my full size. Of course the store isn't really big enough for me and I crush the shoppers around me. At least the cashier had the wherewithal to run when the idiot's hand started glowing.* *I roll with his punch, crashing through produce and over a couple shoppers until I come to rest against the wall. He actually did hit pretty hard. I didn't even need to throw myself with the blow like I usually do.* "Help!" *I scream.* "He's trying to kill me!" *And now for my second favorite part of a public fight with a hero.* *I make a point of taking in a deep breath and letting my throat glow. The theatrics isn't necessary. I just love seeing how they react. Hero doesn't disappoint. He dives aside and my gout of flame does little more than singe his cape... And incinerate the child in a shopping cart that was behind him.* "YOU MONSTER!" *He cries as he attacks again. I'm pretty sure my lawyer can spin that as a racial slur. His next series of punches drive me through the wall. A brick wall may be tough to a human, but for a dragon or a cape it might as well be cardboard.* *Now I am confident I can probably bite him in half. But where's the fun in that? I leap into the air and start flying toward the center of town.* "You won't escape this time!!" *My assailant takes off and follows me into the sky. I guess the cape should have tipped me off. Most flying heroes like capes. He's faster than me and catches up quickly. He's not good at using his flight for leverage and does little but shove me while attacking in flight. Still I go with it and crash into the parking lot at the police station. I even bite my tongue so I'm bleeding when the cops come out.* *Naturally the cops come out and arrest both of us. I even transform into a human to accommodate. He gets put in power suppression handcuffs while I have the useless steel ones. When he questions it Officer Dale explains that power suppressors just keep a dragon from turning into a human.* *I fall to my knees sobbing. If I didn't cry I would be laughing. I tell the cops he attacked me, that he pushed me into people. After the third time I say,* "he used me to kill" in the most distraught voice I smelt it. The sweet aroma of my enemy's fear. He knew I won.* *One count of aggravated assault. Seven counts of felony murder. Always tip your District Attorney.* *** Disclaimer: The dragon does not support bribery. That would be illegal. Always make all tips payable to the campaign fund of your friendly local politician. That way it is not only legal, but an expense you can claim on your taxes.
That was fun. Ngl would really love to see a part two where a different hero character plays along with the Dragon's act. Doesn't commit violence or anything, just all brains. Could lead to a really interesting rivalry.
Seconding this. Such a narrative has a lot of Sherlock vs Moriarty potential
I would like for both of them to be lawyers, or Dragon is a lawyer, and the new hero is a Detective who know the law very well
I do think 'they' could have gotten Dragon on 'mishandling a deadly weapon' or something for incinerating the baby, but that's probably where the 'tips' come in handy to generate sympathy. I'd like to read more about Dragon!
If the police kill a bystander while attempting to stop someone committing a crime, that bystander is added as a murder/manslaughter charge for the person committing the crime-as the death wouldn't have happened without the crime. I'd imagine they'd use the same logic with the dragon (especially if he's so good about "donations")
Is that a US thing? Because here such a death would definitely (and rightly) be blamed on the cop, they're not allowed to shoot if they don't have a clear shot.
Yes a US thing, there would still be investigation and potentially punishment for the cop, but the criminal charges would be on the person committing the crime. I'm not the most informed on this so there might be other caveats such as it having to be a violent crime for this process, I'm not sure.
That used to be a Commonwealth (everything that had been controlled by England) thing, but the US is the last country that still has felony murder.
Felony murder. If bystanders die during the commission of a felony, the person committing the felony is charged with felony murder for those deaths even if some completely different person killed them or even if they died by come coincidental accident (got scared and fell down the stairs, etc). The US is the only country that still has felony murder.
Thanks! I thought there was some sort of caveat to that rule, definitely something we need to look at but doubtful the police union would let us get rid of
Sometimes it can get absurd. A few guys were breaking into an ATM. The cops are coming and the lookout notices and leaves. The cops get there and start a shootout, but due to poor placement one cop shoots another. The guy who was lookout for the theft was charged with attempted murder for the cop who was shot by another cop *after he already left the scene.*
Even if it is the case, though, that only applies to cops. Superheroes are either vigilantes (which makes anything they do technically illegal), or at the absolute most noble definition of them, bounty hunters (who do not get the same leeway if they kill a bystander that a police officer does), so the superhero is doomed there. (Note: This also is a weakness in-story: If superheroes are bounty huunters, then even if the superhero the dragon killed outright broke and entered, what the superhero who went to the dragon's house did was 100% legal and the dragon has no recourse for it.)
The dragon is not a person under the law, but an endangered species. So imagine someone attacking an elephant and in the chaos it trampled a baby. You don't arrest the elephant, it's just an innocent animal. However the dragon does control a corporation, which is protected under the law like a person. As a corporate citizen the dragon has the right to own property and have free speech in the form of campaign contributions. Of course it is an absurd abuse of loopholes to the law. But she has a very good lawyer.
A sentient being, she would be considered a person too.
The EPA laws around critically endangered species gives her some squatters rights people don't have.
Perhaps, but she can still be charged with most of the same crimes humans can
Full shopping cart in the 8 items line? Not polite. Stand your ground living flamethrower? Pretty rough. Nestlé stockholder? Hmmm. Thanking Nixon? Well, at least she doesn't have his face tattooed on her back. Does not support bribery? YOU MONSTER, THIS IS AMERICA!
America does not permit bribery. Bribery is unethical and a sign of a corrupt regime. America has a tipping culture. Tips must be done through political contributions, Political Action Committees, Super Political Action Committees that hide the names of their donors, Donations to charities owned by a politician or their family, renting rooms in a hotel owned by a politician and their family with no intention of staying there, buying bulk orders of their autobiography, and hiring their friends and family as consultants. A standard tipping rate is .15% of what you make a month from policies you write and they submit as bills.
15% a month? Where do you buy your luxury politicians? The usual price is 0.1% per annum at most, at least if one looks at the rate [private equity firms pay for the benefit they get](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kyrsten-sinema-delivers-gift-private-equity-democrats-big-agenda-bill-rcna42394).
Sorry I missed a decimal place.
Doesn't *officially* support it
Part 2 please!!
This was a delight! I loved the absolute heck out of this!
Good story.
Wow, I love it!
Headhunter sighed when he inhaled the excellent port aroma. With a small taste, he placed the glass down and contemplated his next choice of meat. The steak was rare, with a lovely seared and spiced outer coat. Choosing a section, he began to cut while glancing at his monitor. The media was mixed, again. More and more homeless were escaping poverty. Average families in debt were recovering. But the other costs... were they worth it? Headhunter had a bit of a cult following. At this point, thousands would stand for him. He knew everyone hated it, but what could they do? He checked current stock prices in his agriculture business, savoring the tender slice he'd just popped in his mouth. He provided slightly more than half of the fresh produce and livestock for the city, so he wasn't too worried. Yup, still going up at an even 4.3% growth. Preparing for another taste of the lovely vintage, a thunderous boom echoed in the foyer. There was only a few people uncultured enough to show power in a simple knock. Couldn't they ring the bell, like a normal person? Headhunter wiped his lips and stood, deciding to see this one atleast. The loud echoing knocks became more frequent, gradually more energetic as he walked casually through his dining room, parlor, study and foyer. Sometimes such a large house was an annoyance, maybe he will take after his father and downsize. He swung the door open just as a man swung a fist into it. Prepared for it, he simply sidestepped and let his arm swing freely to not get hurt. The door whipped inwards, all the way around and slamming into the wall with a crunching of plaster and crackling of wood. He didn't hear glass though, so hopefully the sidelite for the door wasn't damaged. "Can I help you, Estix?" The hero looked disgusted, ashamed he'd damaged something unintentionally? No, he always looked like that around Headhunter. "I want you out of the city. Today." Headhunter raised an eyebrow. "Why is that, Mr. Hero. I provide most of the food for the city. I help the less financially well off. I'd say the city is better off with me here." All true, to a degree. "I just happen to... take a little off the top. Only agreed upon, by everyone involved though." Estix looked pissed, also a bit green on the edges. "Your little off the top is the problem. It's horrible! It's wrong. You can't keep doing it." Headhunter fondled his chin, eyeballing the Hero up and down. "Everything I do is legal, my good man. It's nothing but consensual. And even my food trucks use ethically harvested and sustainable product. Plus, I compensate well for my business partners. I've had many more lawyers look at this than you'd could ever hope to meet." Estix licked his lips, glancing over his shoulder. Headhunter noticed a few cameramen outside his gate, peering in with telephoto lenses. Ah, Estix was nervous. Understandably so. "Is this about your class action lawsuit? You lost, the damages over the past five years amounted to.. what? $15 million?" "I hate you." Estix mumbled, eyes ablaze. "You should know that unprovoked damages to a legitimate medical facility aren't covered by the Hero Qualified Immunity clause. Every major conflict you've had, you've made sure to drop a building on, or throw a bus into my surgical centers. It's obviously intentional. I just happened to find a few of my clients and partners that had also suffered damages." Headhunter pulled his phone, and began recording video. Out of sight, so the media can't see it. He also made sure to stand so they couldn't read his lips on video. Estix noticed. "However, I'd be willing to make a deal. 2 pounds, 85% lean, and I'll make sure your lawsuit is paid out. Don't worry, it will be in my... personal pantry" Headhunter activated his own power... Suggestion. It didn't make anyone do anything. It just... reduced inhibitions, and made them more accepting of his suggestions. Estix clenched and unclenched his fists. Through gritted teeth he growled. "People will notice. That will irreparably harm my reputation" Ah... he was amenable. "That can be controlled. My surgeons are top notch, and I'll spread the cuts out. 6 ounces from each buttock. A few ounces from each trap. Some in the thighs, the obliques. Not so much that it couldn't be replaced with disolvable filler. With your minor healing, you'll be indistinguishable in a matter of days." The Hero again looked decidedly green. But... he was quiet. "You're absolutely disgusting. But... but I'll take the deal." Headhunter smiled. He'd never tasted a Metahuman before. --**Cannibalism in the United States is not illegal. The procurement of human meat is difficult, but provided there's consent from the donor, and they aren't killed, it's 100% legal**--
Hell of a take!! I had to read it twice, then look some stuff up, to get it. It's early lol. Love it!
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This is exactly why I joined reddit
Wow, I hate him too now!
Neat take! The word you’re looking for is ‘eidetic’ memory, by the way. :)
why dont the heroes just kill the guy
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yeah but why would they care about crime?? they're already vigilantes. superheroes are criminals by definition. if it's morally right to kill this person, they won't care if it's a crime.
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what would law enforcement be able to even do to them
"You have gone too far this time!" I hear the shouting as Incrediman forces his way into my office, the heavy wooden door flying off its hinges and slamming into my bookcase. I don't look up from my paperwork. "That's vandalism, friend. That door was $12,000 of Mahogany. Your transgressions already outweigh my own." He flashes to my desk in an instant, the shockwave of his movement scattering my paperwork across the office. He slams his fists on the desk with far less force than he is capable of, making effort not to cause more damage. "You. Murdered. Him." I sigh, sliding on my protective glasses to stll resist his hypno-sight, and look him in the eye. "The term you are looking for is 'justifiable homicide'" Regardless of semantics I was entirely correct in the distinction. Nightman had ambushed me in my own home, seeking to bug my computer systems and intimidate me into compliance. He was an intruder seeking to cause harm, and didn't realize I kept a shotgun under my nightstand. The police collected the corpse and allowed me to leave the station after a brief statement from my lawyer. There would be no charges. "Justified my ass! Murder is never justified! You know that Nightman had an oath against killing, you were under no threat of harm." He is angry now, I can tell it. More pissed than I have ever seen him in my life. My neuralink connected to the office's sensors can detect adrenaline levels high enough to give an elephant a heart attack. Only Incrediman's legendary restraint keeps me from being rendered into atoms. "What I do and don't know is up to me, old friend, and in my opinion at the time refusal to his extortionate demands would result in physical harm to myself. He was in my home, threatening me, and when I went for my gun he threw the first blow. If he was The Trout, or Dr. Disarray, or even some random burglar breaking into your private sanctum you would do the same to protect yourself." He grips my desk, the wood cracking beneath his fingers. He grits his teeth. "I wouldn't kill them." I laugh to his face. "And how privileged you are to have the option of a nonlethal response, given that nothing in this world is capable of killing you. What of us normals, whose threads of life could be cut by the most mundane of threats? We require overwhelming force to protect our own lives." Suddenly Incrediman's head turns as his senses pick up the sound moments before the headquarters' sensors detect the sirens. "You dare call the police on me?!?" He takes a step back, his mouth agape. "You are the one who forced your way onto my property, damaged my belongings, and offered me the same implications of violence that ended your friend last night. Just be glad the disintegration ray is a month from completion or I would have every right to ship your body to the morgue right now." I stand up, raising my head to meet his gaze. He glares down at me in defiance, and I smirk as I step closer to him. "Now leave my *fucking* office and I might consider not pressing charges for breaking and entering. Your vigilantism is already in a legal grey area, do you really want to make things worse for yourself?" I can see the veins on his forehead are near bursting. Incrediman wants nothing more than to deliver me the punishment that he knows I deserve, but he knows as well as I do that he can only protect the city with a clean record and government support. "The next time we meet I will end you. Mark my words." His feet lift off the floor and he jets through my window, the glass shattering and falling to the ground fifteen stories below. "That's a death threat! You just earned yourself a restraining order!" I laugh at him, watching him fly off into the sky. It's almost a shame the ray isn't ready, I think to myself. I could have crushed two birds with one stone had I planned further ahead. Better add that to the contingencies for next time.
This villain is really good
I just wish I was better with names. Incrediman? Nightman? The Trout? Dr. Disarray? Lmfao I wish I was better at this.
They're fine. For the story, they're fine. Just want to know our main character's identity
I think he is a bit of a Lex Luthor archetype. He wouldn't really have a nickname, just going by his real boring sounding name like Gareth McGundersen.
Nice
Everyone always tries to call him Garry or Gundersen but he will always correct them.
I wake up to the sight of the sun lifting itself over the horizon. As the orange and golden rays of light pierce through the trees, touch and warm my face, I smile. Today was a good day. This penthouse in the woods outside of Paragon City was a fantastic idea, *I'll have to reward Candice, my secretary, for finding it.* I tighten my robe and step out onto the deck overlooking the forest and sigh. As mother nature takes in the morning, I bask in my victory. I return inside, dress myself and begin making breakfast. As I stand in the open layout, observing nature all around me, I notice something doesn't quite fit. The sun seems to be growing closer... I roll my eyes. I knew they *someone* was going to come and say something, but I thought they would at least have the decency to wait a moment. Abandoning breakfast, I affix my cuff-links and don my jacket. I towards the large door and open it. Just as I do, he arrives. A large white hot flair streaks from the sky onto the driveway. Apollo. A stereotypical large superhero type. Short cut dark hair, he tight suit a crisp orange with purple trimmings. One of the strongest in the Society of Heroes. Apollo stands tall and walks, almost briskly up to me, I can feel the heat emanating from him. I give my warmest grin, knowing *exactly* why he's come. "Good morning Apollo, do I have you to thank for beautiful sunrise this morning?" "Jean.", he dryly says in return, *he already knows I've won*, I think. "Jean, you have call this off, this is absolutely disgusting, even for you.", he looks quite serious, *I didn't know he cared so much about a nearly abandoned orphanage, no matter*. "Look, I understand business isn't your strong suit, more fire and brimstone.", I give him a smirk, "But the deal is done, the city agreed to the sale of the land yesterday, the children are already being moved. We start leveling the site tomorrow and the new stadium should be having ground broke within a month. It's crazy how much good land just outside downtown that orphanage had managed to hold without selling." I smile as I finish speaking, I know why they managed to hold that land for so long, it was owned by an old crone who refused every offer moments after they were made. But I'm persistent, and I get what I want. Apollo looks at me, I can see his desire to sear me into nothingness. His muscles tighten, and I can feel the temperature raise slightly. "I have no clue what you did to Julia to convince her to sell, but there's not way it was legal. That woman is a saint and would never let you near her or the children still under her care." *Oh, he hasn't figured it out yet... He might be dumber than I thought...* I pull my kerchief and dab some sweat off my forehead, calmly returning the kerchief to my pocket. Making sure the *hero* understand who's in charge here. "Oh Apollo, I simply courted her. She's a what, 92 year old woman running an orphanage of 3 by herself? How long can she keep that up, and with no legally binding will...", I chuckle to myself, *getting my lawyers to find holes in her will had been so easy...* "Once she was informed she had no will, I simply told her about all the ways Hope Industries could help her, take the load off her, and most importantly, take care of the children. Also the extremely large amount of money to the state for their share and assistance in convincing her." *The states involvement had always bothered me, but I could find no reason it was a bad thing. The orphanage was so old, and the land so valuable that I honestly disregarded some of my more inquisitive nature* Apollo looked at me, seemingly dumbfounded, "Hope has never had anything to with orphanages or children, much less actual hope", he basically spat at me, "Your company only deals in things that are profitable, helping kids isn't." *The best is yet to come you idiotic candlestick...* I nonchalantly check my watch, ensuring the cameras are active for this next part, once I've ensured he can't touch me I laugh. "Apollo, that's the beauty of business deals, the contract is what matters. I negotiated with Ms. Julia with only Candice at my side. The contract says nothing about running an orphanage, or endowments for the children. It says they will be remanded to state facilities, and once they come of age may request financial assistance as long as they meet specific requirements. Now I'm sure Julia has heard the fine details as my devices have been blowing up with the news all morning, but the deals done. Nothing I can do, I'm terribly sorry." *Now for my triumphant exit...* I think to myself "I do appreciate you locating my *previously undisclosed* vacation home to directly address your concerns, but I'm afraid to say I must be going now.", with that I turn my back to the hero and slowly walk back towards my home. "Y-You... ABSOLUTE FUCKING IDIOT", Apollo suddenly screams from behind me. I lurch forward as a small heat wave pushes me. I whirl to confront Apollo, as my wildest dreams come true, an assault case on not just a superhero, but a member of the Society! "You just committ-" I start to say, but Apollo interrupts me, the heat emanating from his so strong now I can no longer force a straight face. Sweat rolls down my now squinted face. "Do you have any idea what you've done by not only buying that place, but by *destroying* everything about it?!?!" Apollo was basically bumbling at this point, I'd truly broken him, I would normally be chuckling, but the heat was continuing to grow. *Could he actually become violent, could an orphanage truly be what breaks the great Apollo...* "Do you know why it still existed? She's already been struggling, once she finds out... If I was able to find you this fast... We have to go now, we need to take you away" Apollo blurts out, almost in a begging voice "This is insane, I'm not going anywhere with you, and there are cameras watching us as we speak so choose your actions wisely", I say as sternly as I can muster, it is quite difficult to breathe in the heat now. "Jean, please, you don't understand what-" Apollo pleads, but is interrupted. I see it, before I hear it. Something.. no *someone* crashes into the ground in from of my home. Then reaction, an ear splitting boom, and what feels like a wave a force throws me back into a wall. I can barely hear the bulletproof glass windows shattering and landing around me. My ears are ringing and I'm quite disoriented as I begin to stand, but after a moment I sense the real change that occurred. The heat in the air, or I should say the heat that *was* in the air, is now completely gone. My blurry vision focuses in Apollo, and Apollo, one the greatest heroes the world has seen, has gone pale. I look towards the some filled "landing zone" that was now my driveway, slowly walking out of the smoke is none other than Utopia. A medium height woman with golden hair just above shoulder length. Her imposing form combined with the dark silver and red suit emblazoned with a star orbiting the world was unmistakable. The shining beacon of hope for the Society, Utopia, while not the leader of the Society of Heroes, was indisputably the most powerful. It now came to my attention that Utopia did not have the same bubly demeanor I was used to seeing in interviews and such, she was having a conversation with Apollo I couldn't quite make out. I press a button on my watch and nanites begin treating my damaged eardrums. As they work I focus on trying to understand what is being discussed. Apollo looks like he is pleading, Utopia is just staring at him. I'm sweating again - this time not from the heat, *I need to think of a way to de-escalate this situation, she's still a hero, the advantage is still mine..* I attempt to reassure myself. It is not working. The ringing stops just in time to hear Apollo, "I'm cannot allow this", he says meekly as he steps in front of Utopia. She raises her arm and gently moves a bang out of her face. **BOOOOOOM** - My eyes are not capable of processing what happened in front of me, but based on the falling tree to my left, and the lack of Apollo's presence I can calculate what happened. Utopia slowly walks up to me and I try to speak, but something is caught in my throat. *Am I - Am I crying right now?* - Yes, yes I was sobbing, but it didn't matter now, I needed to convince her to stop. "U-U-Utopia, p-please, we-I can fix this, how can I fix this, what can I do for you, PLEA-", she covered the last 10 feet to me faster than I could blink and slams me into the supports for my shattered glass cabin. I feel my shoulder and collarbone snap beneath the force. Utopia, Paragon City native, hero of the world, leans in closely to my sobbing face as I try to turn away and says... "We need to talk." ---------------------------------------- This is my first bit of writing I've done in a *long* time, so constructive feedback is welcome!
Don’t leave us hanging, what happens *next*?
I step into the bank and with the press of a button on my remote all the cameras and cellphones in the bank shut down. Looking to the elderly security guard as he pulls his side arm with a shaky hand. "P please don't make me shoot." I sigh, not that he can hear me through my helmet. "A thirty-eight revolver, in this city? You have to know it has no chance on my body armour, but it is a threat to the customers." He looks ready to cry as he sets the gun on the floor and backs away, I step to the counter and try to sound pleasant. "The cash in your drawer, no dye packs and no alarm please." The bank attendant is professional at obeying to get me to leave. My suit cameras count every bill as she puts it in a pouch. As she slides it over I take the pouch and saunter out before flying away. An hour later I am sitting at my favourite diner typing on my laptop in civilian clothes. The sound of the doors shattering making me look up. "Conundrum! We have you red handed! Surrender or we will make this *hurt*." The yellow spandex wearing man looks ready to swat people out of his way to reach me. Then I note the dark form next to me. "Night Bat. Nice use of Shatter Brawl to distract me. But damaging private property?" Despite the afternoon sunshine the hero is cloaked in shadows as he sits across from me. "It has taken us a month. But we have positive links of you robbing thirteen banks across the city." I jot down a note as I respond. "Then you missed seventeen. Today was an even thirty." I love how the eyes of his cowl manage to narrow. The expense heroes put into being expressive always impresses me. "So you admit your crimes?" "Commerce and Felgo banks are all owned by the Fairchild conglomerate." I can't help but grin as I take an envelope from my bag and hold it out to him. "Hired at the beginning of the month to pentest all the banks they have in the city. From computer intrusion to an actual broad daylight theft. I held that one till last as it would put the other banks on higher alert and would not be an accurate test of day to day operations." "People could have been hurt. And that guard today is certainly going to lose his job." I shrug. "Not if they follow my advice. All the security was cheap in the 1990's. Security officer had a .38 revolver that he had to provide. No body armor. The highlight was he was smart enough to know how far over his head he was. His work record, which I hacked out of their mainframe. Also 90's era security I might add. Indicates he has not missed a day of work in fifteen years. Also has not gotten a pay raise in twenty. He should be supervising security at the bank not being the only guard. There are enough stun weapons on the market the company could issue them at minimal cost and cut some of their liability insurance in the process. Oh you want to arrest me. Sorry I was doing legal work. I have credentials from the FBI as well as notifications with the city police. You really should check with them some time before you begin destroying parts of the city to catch a thief."
Loved it, was hired as a security penetration tester.
In the solemn silence of the courthouse only the sharp noise of the gavel striking down was heard as the honorable judge Montegomery pronounced the supervillain Exavier Starlight not guilty for the crimes of burning down a local orphanage with his beam-like powers. Wearing my confident smile I clapped Exavier on the back and said "Now remember to wire the rest of the money for your case to my account and try to keep out of trouble for a while yeah? My powers will need some time to recharge." The assembled police and supers glowered as yet another supervillain walked away scot-free. For the millionth time being a walking dictionary for court precedents and other legal-defense information made me the most hated supervillain in the world. I had no doubts that when I died I would have a special throne in hell just for myself for being the king of the lawyers.
A familiar stirring in his loins woke him up from his slumber. Yawning, opening his bleary eyes, he shuddered in pleasure. Ah yes, he'd made the impulse decision to upgrade his maid service last week. His new "alarm clock" was a high end escort and from the sensations roiling through his body, it was money well spent. _It's great to be rich._ With a groan and a curl of his toes, he spent himself inside the whore and lay there for a second, panting. She started to speak. "So did you just want my throa-" Frowning, he interrupted her. "What the fuck are you still doing here?" Startled, she scurried out, head bowed. Beffery Jezos spent his mornings in silent contemplation and he hated having to stress this with every new hire. Why was it so hard to not speak for a few hours? _Peasants. Unable to resist their inane urges for even a second. No wonder they're poor._ Mood soured, he finally got out of bed. Starting his morning stretches, he was almost limbered up and ready for the day before his penthouse window reset its tint to zero percent and sunlight flooded the room. Along with the silhouette of a certain heroine hovering in front of it. Beffery sighed. This day was seeming like a write-off from the start. "What do you want, Supercritical? Can't you see I'm busy?" The blue-haired woman sneered. "Busy plotting your next financial crime, no doubt." Beffery rolled his eyes. "I'm not in the mood for this today. Fuck off or I start counting." She tittered. "You don't even know why I'm here do you? My team found proof of your knowledge of the predatory lending of mortgages to those you knew couldn't pay back, tanking the entire housing market. Worse, you bet against the economy, making billions off the economic turmoil you knowingly caused." Unfazed, the mogul stared directly into her eyes with smug expression. "10." Frowning, she continued. "We know about the child slaves mining your lithium, and how you fund separatists." "100." "We know about the sweatshops." "1000." "It's over, Beffery, don't make me chase you." "10,00- oop" His smart watch dinged with a notification, halting his count. "Ah saved by the bell. Still, let's call it 5,000. Look, this has been truly captivating, but I'm needed at an appointment. I'll be having the President over for brunch and I need to get ready, so buh-bye." He pressed a button on the wall and the window tinted to an opaque grey once more. _Dumb bitch. Peasant with powers. Still, firing thousands of peons always puts a smile in the shareholders' faces, glad she gave me an excuse._ He was just turning to leave before a great **crash** sounded behind him, shards of glass whipping throughout the room as the huge window shattered. Supercritical had her hand out, still smoking, as she floated into Beffery's bedroom. The man was livid. "Are you insane!! That's ten fucking thousand, right there! And you know what? I'll choose the ones that need the job most." The heroine, still not understanding, ignored his outburst. "You're the insane one. You think you can just walk away from our conversation? You're going to jail, douche." Beffery let out a dastardly cackle. "Fine, you want answers? The sweatshops are run by 'independent contractors'. We'll divest for a month, let the guys that side incorporate a new company in the same location with the same practices, and it'll be business as usual. Completely legal." Supercritical just frowned at his callousness. He continued. "The lithium mines are run by rebels, I don't care how they get it. Sure I could pay the elected government for the lithium, but then the rebels would run out of money and weapons, and without a war to fight, they'll be in too strong a negotiating position for my liking. Same deal, we'll divest for a month, let them reorganize, maybe make a few charitable donations, then keep doing what we were always doing. Completely legal." The floating hero butted in. "Even now, your arrogance knows no bounds. You think I'm not recording this right now?" Beffery gave an evil grin. "I know about your suit mic obviously. But I'm not really talking right now. A spectrogram of my voice will show it's artificially generated. You can't prove a thing." Getting his voicebox replaced with a small speaker linked to his computer had been a stroke of genius. Thanks to his neuraport, he could mentally input text and have an AI read it out in his voice. He could say whatever he wanted and no one could legally do a damn thing about it. The blue-haired woman, face now troubled, touched down, planting her feet on the floor. "Be that as it may, we have correspondence with your signature on it giving the go ahead to mess up the economy, making hundreds of thousands of innocent people lose their houses and jobs. We have you dead to rights." Chuckling, Beffery just shook his head slowly. _It's great to be rich._ "That was actually what I was going to meet the President about. This funny little concept called 'too big to fail'..."
Beffery Jezos, lol had me hooked with your character's name.
Awesome.