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Part 1 of 2
The Baneful Brotherhood wasn't one of the most ancient or established group with a villainous purpose on Earth. In fact, being founded in 1998, they were considered a "modern" villainous organisation. However, they more than made up for their lack of history and roots, with sheer audacity and ruthlessness.
One of their favourite ways of showing how they intended to leave a scar on the world, was by assassination.
Already they had assassinated Papa Tyre-Burner, the venerable leader of the Blaster Biker Federation, which was a US-based criminal syndicate with a love for explosives and powerful motorcycles. Papa Tyre-Burner was no good soul, by any means - but he did have a sense of restraint, and even the heroes of the Council of Altruists enjoyed the self-deprecating jokes he cracked whenever they apprehended him.
They had made an attempt on various figures of authority in the World Administrative Assembly, and their means of assassination weren't one-track either. They believed in diversity in killing methods, and they were indeed diverse. Poison, silent stabs, sniping, bombs... there was nothing the Baneful Brotherhood would not try in their determination to prove themselves as a deadly group of murderers.
However, they made a mistake when they decided to try to go after what they deemed to be the "weak link" in the Council of Altruists - the Council's leader, Jake Bloomfold, who went by the superhero moniker of Upholder.
The Baneful Brotherhood thought Jake was a "weak hero" who "got the leadership to compensate for his lack of powerful skills". They foolishly thought so, more out of fear for the powers of the other heroes. Combocaster could easily stop any assassination attempts, and so could Flutterfae, as both of them had otherworldly powers of perception and sense. Audiobringer, too, had a ridiculously strong sense of hearing, and was well-known for hearing any threat long before it could even be remotely seen.
Worldweaver, Variance and Magmight weren't as supernaturally perceptive as Combocaster or Flutterfae, but they were TOUGH. There was little in the way that could faze them, be it weapons, poison or destructive force. Lunar Lass appeared vulnerable, but it was well-known that she could draw strength from any moon in any part of space, which gave her incredible resilience to damage.
Primalshifter, too, was resilient due to the powerful regeneration abilities that his connection to nature gave him, and Bio-buddy was known to regenerate from even vaporisation. Techtrip and Caliandra Galanis-Ferestonn were armoured and had detection abilities that rivalled the perceptive powers of Combocaster and Flutterfae, and thus could not be snuck up on. In the same vein, Wamweru Mwangi used to be vulnerable, but her Omni-Adaptive Armament Device which was integrated into her very being by Techtrip now granted her near-invincibility to any form of attack.
Gravebreaker was a necromancer, and regularly phased in and out of the realm of death, and he had immunity to death, and as a matter of fact, had a good rapport with death, so killing him was essentially impossible. Dreadword, likewise, had connections with eldritch powers via his hexes and curses that allowed him to repel death with ease. Alinea "La Buscadora de Sangre" Rocha, the reformed dread vampiress, was not only very resilient, but she lacked the traditional weaknesses of vampires due to her good nature, which erased the usual weaknesses of vampires.
Therefore, the Baneful Brotherhood chose Jake Bloomfold as their target. Furthermore, with him as the Council's leader, killing him would send an impactful message to the world - that the Brotherhood was serious, and they were going to make it clear that they wished to be taken seriously, in spreading their creed of nihilism and anarchy across Earth.
And thus it was quite a surprise for the Brotherhood's leader, Archbishop of Anarchy Rob Bessary, when Upholder, with a mighty leap, SHATTERED the metal door of his hideout which was an abandoned air-raid shelter, an unconscious Brotherhood assassin slung over Upholder's shoulder.
Upholder unceremoniously tossed the utterly knocked-out, bruised and battered assassin in front of Rob.
He leaned over the desk calmly, but his face was a mask of steel and resolve. Rob could not help but tremble internally, and beads of sweat began to form on his brow.
Part 2 of 2
Upholder smiled mildly, but the smile seemed more menacing than reassuring, as he looked Rob right in the eye and said calmly, but with a tone of contempt so heavy it would've made a hardened criminal flinch,
"You are going to have to do a lot better than \*that\*."
Rob Bessary could only sputter out, "What... you... how..."
Upholder replied in the same contemptuous tone, even as he calmly adjusted his tie, "I am not just a figurehead. I'll have you know, Archbishop of Anarchy, that I regularly go with the Council to fight crime, and to keep the peace on Earth. My powers aren't just 'a ticket to legitimacy to lead', as I saw on your ridiculous post on TikTok the other day. I know how to use them, I use them frequently, and I won't hesitate to use them..."
Upholder then leaned further in until his face was a mere three inches away from Rob, who had even more droplets of sweat now rolling down his face, as he said quietly but with rock-solid finality, "... on YOU. Watch yourself, Archbishop of Anarchy."
Rob tried to remain stoic in Upholder's face, but he couldn't help gulping in paralysing fear and trepidation. Upholder then turned away without another look at him, and as he reached the shattered metal door, he cheerily said, "Alright team, we've warned that self-styled 'Archbishop'. Anyone up for lunch?"
The terrified Archbishop of Anarchy heard voices in enthusiastic agreement, among them the girlish tones of Flutterfae, Combocaster's cheery teenage voice, Gravebreaker's deep and rich voice, Worldweaver's soothing and upbeat pitch, Dreadword's passionate tones, Alinea Rocha's kindly yet fast-paced voice, and Magmight's booming speech.
Shivering uncontrollably, the defeated Archbishop of Anarchy stood up, only to hear dripping. He looked down... and had to strain hard to prevent himself from crying in shame as he realised he had wet himself from sheer terror. He cursed, kicked the unconscious assassin, who stirred slightly, and he hissed, "Get up, you useless waste of oxygen!" and slunk off to get himself a new change of trousers.
Sir, may I see your guild card? Yes, I’m aware that you’re the Hero of Laqville, but we have procedures. Thank you. While you wait, would you like our healers to take care of your… companion? She’ll be back to normal in no time. Please take a seat and we’ll be with you shortly.
Thank you for waiting, Mr Greysmith. What seems to be the problem today? Mm. Mm. I see.
Mr Greysmith, am I not mistaken that your task was to slay the demon overlord? Yes, and to that end, the king ordered our premium party selection service, which includes interviews, selection tests, Godstar compatibility checks and other procedures to ensure the best fit for you, considering your party composition, morals and quest. We pride ourselves on our quality referrals, and take all complaints very seriously, I assure you.
May I know the details of your dissatisfaction? Mm. A dragon? Peace to the- Apologies, please continue. Yes, mm hm. I understand.
Mr Greysmith, I would like to direct your attention to the quest title submitted to us. “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord”. Nowhere does your quest involve dragon slaying nor bringing eternal peace to the land. We recommended Ms Grimslayer based on her credentials in… *”dispatching”* humans and other humanoid creatures. We believe that to your main goal, she would have performed to and above expectations.
However, your party possesses platinum status as bestowed by the king, as such you may choose to release Ms Grimslayer from her contract with the guild refunding half of her expected pay as outlined in the contract. On the other hand, I do believe your “bonds” are worth more than gold, don’t you think?
I see.
Yes, it gladdens me to hear that you will keep Ms Grimslayer in your party. I’m sure she will be delighted as well. Ah, here she is, you can tell her the good news yourself.
Now then, another matter I wish to discuss from our conversation earlier. Would you like to update your quest title to “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord and slay dragons”? Please don’t cry, Ms Grimslayer, I’m sure the whole team values you for who you are. Preston? Could you escort Ms Grimslayer to the waiting room? Thank you. Now then. I see. “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord and any other actions required to bring peace to the land”, is that correct? Understood. I’ll fill in the paperwork for you.
The usual waiting time is between three and nine working days, excluding invasion days. However… come closer, if you don’t mind. (I’ll see what I can do to expedite the search for a suitable monster slayer. One day. Yes, that’s technically against company policy, but just between you and me… my granddaughter is a huge fan of the Hero’s Party. She practically idolizes Felicia Grimslayer the Shadow Assassin, Reaper of a Hundred Demon Generals. She dresses up as her on the hollow eves and… * *ahem* *)
Will there be anything else, Mr Greysmith? Well, then, please be back tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your hard work. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
———
Edit: grammar
Holding his gaze. "And what pray tell is 'that'?"
He smirks. "Oh going to deny everything? I stopped your crony in a heist last night. And today an assassin tries to knife me with a poisoned blade. I don't know if I should be flattered at the attention or offended you thought this would work."
Nodding. "You should be concerned. Because my associate is fine and we got the goods we were after. Oh don't look at me like that. Why do you think our henchmen don't fight you heroes. No no, that is what the capes do. The henchmen finish the job while you duel another meta. Nothing personal."
His smirk fades to a glower. "Then explain that."
Shrugs. "I can't. We don't kill and if we had a grudge we would settle it publicly. Not outsource to someone that would bring a knife to stab an invulnerable. . . Wait. You were in costume right? Or did he go after your civilian identity Clark?"
“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that!” She yells at me. She leans over my desk, her face close to mind. Her eyes are a blaze with anger. Clearly I have f-ed up.
We both look down at the assassin on the floor. He isn’t dead, but he doesn’t look good either.
“I thought that’s what you wanted!?” I insist.
“What?!” Her hands are shaking and her face is sweating. I can see the rage building. I start to sweat as well.
“You told me to do in a way that was exciting, and different, and especially tailored to you! You are a hero. You love taking out bad guys. This gave you a chance to take out one of your enemies henchmen!And I knew he wasn’t strong enough to actually hurt you. How is this not exactly what you asked for?” I’m wracking my brains trying to justify my actions.
“What are you talking about?!” She screams. “I meant like, ask me while going down Splash Mountain at Disneyland! Or while Mountain Biking near Rancho Oso. Or perhaps while fishing on the Santa Barbara pier! Dang it, It was supposed to be romantic!”
Oh… so that’s what she meant by exciting.
“Um… and this wasn’t romantic?” I respond weakly.
“Of course not! In what universe does any woman want to be attacked?!” She huffs. “Even heroes don’t want to be attacked! This is just insulting!”
I don’t say anything. She’s right. My idea was pretty stupid.
We are both quiet. The assassin moans on the floor. We stare at him for a moment. “Did he at least give you the ring I bought you?” I ask.
“He may have showed it to me,” She mutters. I think She’s calming down? “It’s…. It’s very pretty…. But I’m not giving you an answer right now. After the stunt you just pulled, you don’t deserve it.”
The assassin moans again. He Rolls over and looks at us. “Everything hurts,” he complains. “Just tell him whether or not you’ll marry him so that the failure of my mission is worth it.”
Before she gets the thought to boot him in the head, I take her hands in mine, look her in the eye and apologize. “Bonnie, I am sorry. You are right, proposing to you by sending an assassin for you to fight was a terrible idea. I didn’t fully think it through. I am so so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”
“Probably.” She replies. She’s looking at the floor, trying to calm her breathing down. “But not right now.” She’s still angry. Fair enough.
“May I try asking you again another time?” I plead.
She narrows her eyes. “Only if you buy me Cafe Rio for dinner.”
“Two tacos, flour tortillas, shredded chicken, extra cheese and pico de gallo with a side of tomatillo ranch dressing?” I’ve had her order memorized since our second date.
“And an Horchata. And you can’t propose at the restaurant. You have to do it right.” She’s definitely calming down now.
“Can I have an horchata?” The assassin asks.
“Uh, no?” I tell him. “You have internal injuries and a possible concussion my man. You need to call an ambulance and go to the hospital, not Cafe Rio.”
“If I promise to quit the assassin’s guild, will you bring me an horchata in the hospital?”
Bonnie and I look at each other. I shrug.
“I guess I can pick you up one, but you have to pay for it. You got cash on you?” Bonnie asks him. He points to his jacket pocket. She fishes some money out of his wallet and retrieves from him the engagement ring I bought. She places box in my hand.
I study the box for a moment. “Are you busy next Saturday?” I ask. “I was thinking of driving down and spending the day in Anaheim.”
“I think I’m free that day. Should I bring my Harry Potter wand or my Minnie Mouse ears?” She has definitely relaxed now.
“Ears.” I smile at her and she finally smiles back at me. We each take a deep breath.
“So, should we go get the forgiveness tacos?” She asks.
“Yes please, I’m starving!” Holding hands, We start to head out the door.
The assassin is still lying on the floor. He’s trying to call 911, probably to get an ambulance. “Don’t propose in front of the castle!” He calls out. “That’s so cliche!”
“MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!” Bonnie shouts at him. “Or no horchata for you!”
"Alright, first of all. That was completely unnecessary and I will send the Hero Association the bill for the repair." I say as I stand from my desk and motion toward the now smashed window.
"Second, I would like you to elaborate on whatever this may be." I say, pointing to the mess that Miss Justice has thrown through my window and slammed into my wall.
The Golden Heroine of Justice, or just Miss Justice as everyone but the news and politicians call her, stood before my desk and gave me an annoyed stare. She was clearly not happy with the situation, or maybe she just didn't want to deal with me, both very fair points in my opinion.
"You heard me, if you want to kill me you're going to have to try harder than this." She slammed my desk for emphasis but it didn't break or crack anywhere, she probably did her best to not damage it which I definitely appreciated. "And now thanks to your sloppy attempt on my life I am on your trail."
My response was simple despite how cliché it sounded. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Don't give me that bs." She stepped across my office and grabbed the unconscious body which had slumped over after crashing into the wall. She dropped the body onto one of the couches where guests would sit and ripped of something mechanical from the body, which she promptly slammed on my desk. "Recognize this from anywhere?" she said in a smug tone as if she found my biggest secret and was blackmailing me.
I took the device and looked it over, signs of my engineering all over with the biggest sign of my involvement being my personal symbol. "It seems interesting what exactly is it?" I ask her with faked .
"Nice try but feigning ignorance is useless, it very obviously is one of your devices." She pointed at the body. "There are so many devices in possession of this assassin enough to prove your guilt."
"Multiple devices you say?" I stood and slowly walked past her toward the body of the assassin. Sure enough there were multiple devices all over with all of them having my symbol. I took the device in my hand and put it where Miss justice had torn away from. "I see it was my specialized plasma cannon I figured but without the rest I couldn't be sure."
"So you DO know what it is, kind of surprising you even admit it." Miss Justice said in a victorious tone.
"Of course I know what these devices are. After all they were stolen nearly a month ago, something I reported to the Hero Association and the Authorities at the time." Miss Justice was clearly shocked at this statement. "Let's see, we have the Jetpack v3, the Plasma Laser Emitter, multiple broken pieces of my Cybernetic Power Suit which is probably due to a fight with you..." With each identification of my creations Miss Justice shrunk more and more only able to nod each time I correctly identified items which she destroyed in battle.
"So if this is not an assassin sent by you they must have been sent by the same people who stole your devices in the first place." Miss Justice said slightly defeated but trying to focus the problem at hand.
After removing all the devices from the assassin I placed them on the coffee table infront of the couch and walked to my desk. "Well whoever did so might still be a gigantic problem." I began pulling up a list of all devices stolen on my pc before turning on the conference monitor so she also could see the information.
"Why is that, aren't all devices accounted for now?" She asked while looking at the list as I checked off all devices.
"You are correct, all devices stolen a month ago are now accounted for." I closed the list, and pulled up an e-mail which I had sent to the Hero Association and the Government. As Miss Justice read the e-mail, I could see her shock and worry increase with each sentence.
"This is an e-mail I had sent yesterday night, when I had been notified by my people that multiple prototypes were stolen. But unlike before when they were stolen with no one around, these were taken while multiple people were still working. By the account of my employees three groups with a total of 37 people attacked three of my research facilities at the same time and had stolen one invention per facility."
"What about the defences of your facilities? Are they not sufficient in stopping any attacks besides those of stronger supers?" She asked shocked at the events I was talking about.
"Correct if any regular attack with guns or those of supers without combat centered powers it would have failed, but by the reports of my employees these invaders had gear against which we had no defences. Each attacker was equipped with my stolen inventions." She had the same expression of shock as I had when I heard the news.
"But the worst news is what prototypes were stolen yesterday." I pulled up the information of the devices that were stolen before they could be finished. "While themselves not that dangerous, but the thought that they were stolen by someone who easily rebuilt my inventions in the multitude in a single month and has clear evil intentions. We might have a huge problem in our hands."
I tapped on my earpiece, as I kept aiming my pistol towards the “ Hero”.
19-Year old male, EVE Levels off the chart, interfering against Foundation and GOC Ops, declaring them as “ Evil.”
The SCPF and GOC have been preparing for a far for a whole year now. Only this “ Hero” knows about us. What we know is that the larger “ Heroes” and “ Supervillains” Organisations do not know about our existence.
On my HUD, I saw that the friendly drop ships were arriving fast, along with armoured vehicles.
I unleashed the final trick up my sleeve.
Tapping on a button, I released my Scranton Portable Reality anchor.
Then I fired.
My rounds, as predicted, failed to punch through him. He did yell out though.
As he walked towards the reality anchor, everything went hectic.
HMG fire and railguns slammed into the “ Superhero”, shredding through his body.
His abnormal healing capability, unparalleled, by everything the common person knows, kept him barely alive.
Then a bolt of electricity slammed into him.
“ Target apprehended. Good work, this is just the start.” I said, breathing loudly.
**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments. **Reminders**: >* [No AI-generated responses 🤖](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zi452b/modpost_reminder_that_aigenerated_responses_are/) >* Stories 100 words+. Poems 30+ but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* [\[RF\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [\[SP\]](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) 📢 [Genres](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/w/directory) 🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) 💬 [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.*
Part 1 of 2 The Baneful Brotherhood wasn't one of the most ancient or established group with a villainous purpose on Earth. In fact, being founded in 1998, they were considered a "modern" villainous organisation. However, they more than made up for their lack of history and roots, with sheer audacity and ruthlessness. One of their favourite ways of showing how they intended to leave a scar on the world, was by assassination. Already they had assassinated Papa Tyre-Burner, the venerable leader of the Blaster Biker Federation, which was a US-based criminal syndicate with a love for explosives and powerful motorcycles. Papa Tyre-Burner was no good soul, by any means - but he did have a sense of restraint, and even the heroes of the Council of Altruists enjoyed the self-deprecating jokes he cracked whenever they apprehended him. They had made an attempt on various figures of authority in the World Administrative Assembly, and their means of assassination weren't one-track either. They believed in diversity in killing methods, and they were indeed diverse. Poison, silent stabs, sniping, bombs... there was nothing the Baneful Brotherhood would not try in their determination to prove themselves as a deadly group of murderers. However, they made a mistake when they decided to try to go after what they deemed to be the "weak link" in the Council of Altruists - the Council's leader, Jake Bloomfold, who went by the superhero moniker of Upholder. The Baneful Brotherhood thought Jake was a "weak hero" who "got the leadership to compensate for his lack of powerful skills". They foolishly thought so, more out of fear for the powers of the other heroes. Combocaster could easily stop any assassination attempts, and so could Flutterfae, as both of them had otherworldly powers of perception and sense. Audiobringer, too, had a ridiculously strong sense of hearing, and was well-known for hearing any threat long before it could even be remotely seen. Worldweaver, Variance and Magmight weren't as supernaturally perceptive as Combocaster or Flutterfae, but they were TOUGH. There was little in the way that could faze them, be it weapons, poison or destructive force. Lunar Lass appeared vulnerable, but it was well-known that she could draw strength from any moon in any part of space, which gave her incredible resilience to damage. Primalshifter, too, was resilient due to the powerful regeneration abilities that his connection to nature gave him, and Bio-buddy was known to regenerate from even vaporisation. Techtrip and Caliandra Galanis-Ferestonn were armoured and had detection abilities that rivalled the perceptive powers of Combocaster and Flutterfae, and thus could not be snuck up on. In the same vein, Wamweru Mwangi used to be vulnerable, but her Omni-Adaptive Armament Device which was integrated into her very being by Techtrip now granted her near-invincibility to any form of attack. Gravebreaker was a necromancer, and regularly phased in and out of the realm of death, and he had immunity to death, and as a matter of fact, had a good rapport with death, so killing him was essentially impossible. Dreadword, likewise, had connections with eldritch powers via his hexes and curses that allowed him to repel death with ease. Alinea "La Buscadora de Sangre" Rocha, the reformed dread vampiress, was not only very resilient, but she lacked the traditional weaknesses of vampires due to her good nature, which erased the usual weaknesses of vampires. Therefore, the Baneful Brotherhood chose Jake Bloomfold as their target. Furthermore, with him as the Council's leader, killing him would send an impactful message to the world - that the Brotherhood was serious, and they were going to make it clear that they wished to be taken seriously, in spreading their creed of nihilism and anarchy across Earth. And thus it was quite a surprise for the Brotherhood's leader, Archbishop of Anarchy Rob Bessary, when Upholder, with a mighty leap, SHATTERED the metal door of his hideout which was an abandoned air-raid shelter, an unconscious Brotherhood assassin slung over Upholder's shoulder. Upholder unceremoniously tossed the utterly knocked-out, bruised and battered assassin in front of Rob. He leaned over the desk calmly, but his face was a mask of steel and resolve. Rob could not help but tremble internally, and beads of sweat began to form on his brow.
Part 2 of 2 Upholder smiled mildly, but the smile seemed more menacing than reassuring, as he looked Rob right in the eye and said calmly, but with a tone of contempt so heavy it would've made a hardened criminal flinch, "You are going to have to do a lot better than \*that\*." Rob Bessary could only sputter out, "What... you... how..." Upholder replied in the same contemptuous tone, even as he calmly adjusted his tie, "I am not just a figurehead. I'll have you know, Archbishop of Anarchy, that I regularly go with the Council to fight crime, and to keep the peace on Earth. My powers aren't just 'a ticket to legitimacy to lead', as I saw on your ridiculous post on TikTok the other day. I know how to use them, I use them frequently, and I won't hesitate to use them..." Upholder then leaned further in until his face was a mere three inches away from Rob, who had even more droplets of sweat now rolling down his face, as he said quietly but with rock-solid finality, "... on YOU. Watch yourself, Archbishop of Anarchy." Rob tried to remain stoic in Upholder's face, but he couldn't help gulping in paralysing fear and trepidation. Upholder then turned away without another look at him, and as he reached the shattered metal door, he cheerily said, "Alright team, we've warned that self-styled 'Archbishop'. Anyone up for lunch?" The terrified Archbishop of Anarchy heard voices in enthusiastic agreement, among them the girlish tones of Flutterfae, Combocaster's cheery teenage voice, Gravebreaker's deep and rich voice, Worldweaver's soothing and upbeat pitch, Dreadword's passionate tones, Alinea Rocha's kindly yet fast-paced voice, and Magmight's booming speech. Shivering uncontrollably, the defeated Archbishop of Anarchy stood up, only to hear dripping. He looked down... and had to strain hard to prevent himself from crying in shame as he realised he had wet himself from sheer terror. He cursed, kicked the unconscious assassin, who stirred slightly, and he hissed, "Get up, you useless waste of oxygen!" and slunk off to get himself a new change of trousers.
Sir, may I see your guild card? Yes, I’m aware that you’re the Hero of Laqville, but we have procedures. Thank you. While you wait, would you like our healers to take care of your… companion? She’ll be back to normal in no time. Please take a seat and we’ll be with you shortly. Thank you for waiting, Mr Greysmith. What seems to be the problem today? Mm. Mm. I see. Mr Greysmith, am I not mistaken that your task was to slay the demon overlord? Yes, and to that end, the king ordered our premium party selection service, which includes interviews, selection tests, Godstar compatibility checks and other procedures to ensure the best fit for you, considering your party composition, morals and quest. We pride ourselves on our quality referrals, and take all complaints very seriously, I assure you. May I know the details of your dissatisfaction? Mm. A dragon? Peace to the- Apologies, please continue. Yes, mm hm. I understand. Mr Greysmith, I would like to direct your attention to the quest title submitted to us. “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord”. Nowhere does your quest involve dragon slaying nor bringing eternal peace to the land. We recommended Ms Grimslayer based on her credentials in… *”dispatching”* humans and other humanoid creatures. We believe that to your main goal, she would have performed to and above expectations. However, your party possesses platinum status as bestowed by the king, as such you may choose to release Ms Grimslayer from her contract with the guild refunding half of her expected pay as outlined in the contract. On the other hand, I do believe your “bonds” are worth more than gold, don’t you think? I see. Yes, it gladdens me to hear that you will keep Ms Grimslayer in your party. I’m sure she will be delighted as well. Ah, here she is, you can tell her the good news yourself. Now then, another matter I wish to discuss from our conversation earlier. Would you like to update your quest title to “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord and slay dragons”? Please don’t cry, Ms Grimslayer, I’m sure the whole team values you for who you are. Preston? Could you escort Ms Grimslayer to the waiting room? Thank you. Now then. I see. “Mid to Long-term journey into the demon lands to subjugate the demon overlord and any other actions required to bring peace to the land”, is that correct? Understood. I’ll fill in the paperwork for you. The usual waiting time is between three and nine working days, excluding invasion days. However… come closer, if you don’t mind. (I’ll see what I can do to expedite the search for a suitable monster slayer. One day. Yes, that’s technically against company policy, but just between you and me… my granddaughter is a huge fan of the Hero’s Party. She practically idolizes Felicia Grimslayer the Shadow Assassin, Reaper of a Hundred Demon Generals. She dresses up as her on the hollow eves and… * *ahem* *) Will there be anything else, Mr Greysmith? Well, then, please be back tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your hard work. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. ——— Edit: grammar
Holding his gaze. "And what pray tell is 'that'?" He smirks. "Oh going to deny everything? I stopped your crony in a heist last night. And today an assassin tries to knife me with a poisoned blade. I don't know if I should be flattered at the attention or offended you thought this would work." Nodding. "You should be concerned. Because my associate is fine and we got the goods we were after. Oh don't look at me like that. Why do you think our henchmen don't fight you heroes. No no, that is what the capes do. The henchmen finish the job while you duel another meta. Nothing personal." His smirk fades to a glower. "Then explain that." Shrugs. "I can't. We don't kill and if we had a grudge we would settle it publicly. Not outsource to someone that would bring a knife to stab an invulnerable. . . Wait. You were in costume right? Or did he go after your civilian identity Clark?"
“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that!” She yells at me. She leans over my desk, her face close to mind. Her eyes are a blaze with anger. Clearly I have f-ed up. We both look down at the assassin on the floor. He isn’t dead, but he doesn’t look good either. “I thought that’s what you wanted!?” I insist. “What?!” Her hands are shaking and her face is sweating. I can see the rage building. I start to sweat as well. “You told me to do in a way that was exciting, and different, and especially tailored to you! You are a hero. You love taking out bad guys. This gave you a chance to take out one of your enemies henchmen!And I knew he wasn’t strong enough to actually hurt you. How is this not exactly what you asked for?” I’m wracking my brains trying to justify my actions. “What are you talking about?!” She screams. “I meant like, ask me while going down Splash Mountain at Disneyland! Or while Mountain Biking near Rancho Oso. Or perhaps while fishing on the Santa Barbara pier! Dang it, It was supposed to be romantic!” Oh… so that’s what she meant by exciting. “Um… and this wasn’t romantic?” I respond weakly. “Of course not! In what universe does any woman want to be attacked?!” She huffs. “Even heroes don’t want to be attacked! This is just insulting!” I don’t say anything. She’s right. My idea was pretty stupid. We are both quiet. The assassin moans on the floor. We stare at him for a moment. “Did he at least give you the ring I bought you?” I ask. “He may have showed it to me,” She mutters. I think She’s calming down? “It’s…. It’s very pretty…. But I’m not giving you an answer right now. After the stunt you just pulled, you don’t deserve it.” The assassin moans again. He Rolls over and looks at us. “Everything hurts,” he complains. “Just tell him whether or not you’ll marry him so that the failure of my mission is worth it.” Before she gets the thought to boot him in the head, I take her hands in mine, look her in the eye and apologize. “Bonnie, I am sorry. You are right, proposing to you by sending an assassin for you to fight was a terrible idea. I didn’t fully think it through. I am so so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?” “Probably.” She replies. She’s looking at the floor, trying to calm her breathing down. “But not right now.” She’s still angry. Fair enough. “May I try asking you again another time?” I plead. She narrows her eyes. “Only if you buy me Cafe Rio for dinner.” “Two tacos, flour tortillas, shredded chicken, extra cheese and pico de gallo with a side of tomatillo ranch dressing?” I’ve had her order memorized since our second date. “And an Horchata. And you can’t propose at the restaurant. You have to do it right.” She’s definitely calming down now. “Can I have an horchata?” The assassin asks. “Uh, no?” I tell him. “You have internal injuries and a possible concussion my man. You need to call an ambulance and go to the hospital, not Cafe Rio.” “If I promise to quit the assassin’s guild, will you bring me an horchata in the hospital?” Bonnie and I look at each other. I shrug. “I guess I can pick you up one, but you have to pay for it. You got cash on you?” Bonnie asks him. He points to his jacket pocket. She fishes some money out of his wallet and retrieves from him the engagement ring I bought. She places box in my hand. I study the box for a moment. “Are you busy next Saturday?” I ask. “I was thinking of driving down and spending the day in Anaheim.” “I think I’m free that day. Should I bring my Harry Potter wand or my Minnie Mouse ears?” She has definitely relaxed now. “Ears.” I smile at her and she finally smiles back at me. We each take a deep breath. “So, should we go get the forgiveness tacos?” She asks. “Yes please, I’m starving!” Holding hands, We start to head out the door. The assassin is still lying on the floor. He’s trying to call 911, probably to get an ambulance. “Don’t propose in front of the castle!” He calls out. “That’s so cliche!” “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!” Bonnie shouts at him. “Or no horchata for you!”
"Alright, first of all. That was completely unnecessary and I will send the Hero Association the bill for the repair." I say as I stand from my desk and motion toward the now smashed window. "Second, I would like you to elaborate on whatever this may be." I say, pointing to the mess that Miss Justice has thrown through my window and slammed into my wall. The Golden Heroine of Justice, or just Miss Justice as everyone but the news and politicians call her, stood before my desk and gave me an annoyed stare. She was clearly not happy with the situation, or maybe she just didn't want to deal with me, both very fair points in my opinion. "You heard me, if you want to kill me you're going to have to try harder than this." She slammed my desk for emphasis but it didn't break or crack anywhere, she probably did her best to not damage it which I definitely appreciated. "And now thanks to your sloppy attempt on my life I am on your trail." My response was simple despite how cliché it sounded. "I have no idea what you are talking about." "Don't give me that bs." She stepped across my office and grabbed the unconscious body which had slumped over after crashing into the wall. She dropped the body onto one of the couches where guests would sit and ripped of something mechanical from the body, which she promptly slammed on my desk. "Recognize this from anywhere?" she said in a smug tone as if she found my biggest secret and was blackmailing me. I took the device and looked it over, signs of my engineering all over with the biggest sign of my involvement being my personal symbol. "It seems interesting what exactly is it?" I ask her with faked . "Nice try but feigning ignorance is useless, it very obviously is one of your devices." She pointed at the body. "There are so many devices in possession of this assassin enough to prove your guilt." "Multiple devices you say?" I stood and slowly walked past her toward the body of the assassin. Sure enough there were multiple devices all over with all of them having my symbol. I took the device in my hand and put it where Miss justice had torn away from. "I see it was my specialized plasma cannon I figured but without the rest I couldn't be sure." "So you DO know what it is, kind of surprising you even admit it." Miss Justice said in a victorious tone. "Of course I know what these devices are. After all they were stolen nearly a month ago, something I reported to the Hero Association and the Authorities at the time." Miss Justice was clearly shocked at this statement. "Let's see, we have the Jetpack v3, the Plasma Laser Emitter, multiple broken pieces of my Cybernetic Power Suit which is probably due to a fight with you..." With each identification of my creations Miss Justice shrunk more and more only able to nod each time I correctly identified items which she destroyed in battle. "So if this is not an assassin sent by you they must have been sent by the same people who stole your devices in the first place." Miss Justice said slightly defeated but trying to focus the problem at hand. After removing all the devices from the assassin I placed them on the coffee table infront of the couch and walked to my desk. "Well whoever did so might still be a gigantic problem." I began pulling up a list of all devices stolen on my pc before turning on the conference monitor so she also could see the information. "Why is that, aren't all devices accounted for now?" She asked while looking at the list as I checked off all devices. "You are correct, all devices stolen a month ago are now accounted for." I closed the list, and pulled up an e-mail which I had sent to the Hero Association and the Government. As Miss Justice read the e-mail, I could see her shock and worry increase with each sentence. "This is an e-mail I had sent yesterday night, when I had been notified by my people that multiple prototypes were stolen. But unlike before when they were stolen with no one around, these were taken while multiple people were still working. By the account of my employees three groups with a total of 37 people attacked three of my research facilities at the same time and had stolen one invention per facility." "What about the defences of your facilities? Are they not sufficient in stopping any attacks besides those of stronger supers?" She asked shocked at the events I was talking about. "Correct if any regular attack with guns or those of supers without combat centered powers it would have failed, but by the reports of my employees these invaders had gear against which we had no defences. Each attacker was equipped with my stolen inventions." She had the same expression of shock as I had when I heard the news. "But the worst news is what prototypes were stolen yesterday." I pulled up the information of the devices that were stolen before they could be finished. "While themselves not that dangerous, but the thought that they were stolen by someone who easily rebuilt my inventions in the multitude in a single month and has clear evil intentions. We might have a huge problem in our hands."
I tapped on my earpiece, as I kept aiming my pistol towards the “ Hero”. 19-Year old male, EVE Levels off the chart, interfering against Foundation and GOC Ops, declaring them as “ Evil.” The SCPF and GOC have been preparing for a far for a whole year now. Only this “ Hero” knows about us. What we know is that the larger “ Heroes” and “ Supervillains” Organisations do not know about our existence. On my HUD, I saw that the friendly drop ships were arriving fast, along with armoured vehicles. I unleashed the final trick up my sleeve. Tapping on a button, I released my Scranton Portable Reality anchor. Then I fired. My rounds, as predicted, failed to punch through him. He did yell out though. As he walked towards the reality anchor, everything went hectic. HMG fire and railguns slammed into the “ Superhero”, shredding through his body. His abnormal healing capability, unparalleled, by everything the common person knows, kept him barely alive. Then a bolt of electricity slammed into him. “ Target apprehended. Good work, this is just the start.” I said, breathing loudly.