Retribution stormed in through the front doors of the Heroes Guild, past the security who simply saluted, and to the elevator banks. Regardless of his requests, the Guild Council had refused to install ariel access balconies for supers who could fly. For him. Citing it as a security risk.

So he took the elevator, fuming the entire trip up to the ninetieth floor where the council chambers were. Hardly the highest level in the nearly three hundred story building, but it made it easier to escape when some villain inevitably attacked the Guild.

It wasn’t like they didn’t know ahead of time.

The silver and white clad man marched through the hall, past another startled receptionist only to be stopped by security.

“Sir,” the armed guard said, stepping in front of him. “My apologies, but the Council is currently meeting and-“

The poor man didn’t get another word out as Retribution lifted him with one hand and flung him down the hallway. Turning to the second guard he asked, “Are you going to get in my way too?” The guard his head rapidly and stepped aside. Allowing the super to storm into the Council chambers.

“- is why we need to increase funding to the Capital District. There is simply not enough security to make our wealthiest contributors comfortable. Drafting up, training, and deploying a third super team there will resolve this issue, and provide eye candy for the public,” said one of the Councilmen.

Another shook his head, “I can understand making contributors happy, but we need more Guild members on the borders. The beasts have been acting up recently, and we do not have enough manpower to deter them. What use is eye candy if we have monsters rampaging in the streets? We can’t negotiate with them as we can the League, much less control them,” he argued back.

A man sat in the center nodded. Wearing a plain grey pinstripe suit that wouldn’t look out of place in a retirement home dance off, he spoke quietly rapidly getting everyone’s attention.

“The issue of more Guild members being deployed is neither here nor there. Exterior threats take priority. Pull the Red Suns. Take the most attractive of the group and add her to the Capital District. Send the rest to the border. Train a replacement squad for the commercial district they cover,” he ordered softly. The rest of the group nodded; the issue having been decided.

Then he turned his attention to Retribution, who swallowed audibly and began rethinking his grand plan to barge into the Council chambers.. The small old man in front of him was, on every level, a terror to behold. Even the Class V supers were wary around him. He was always either referred to as Sir or Mr. R. And always respectfully.

“Now, it seems we have an unscheduled guest. “Retribution,” he said softly, “What a pleasant surprise. If I hadn’t known you were coming that is. In the future, please do not throw around the help. They have jobs to do, just like you.”

Retribution swallowed. “Understood. I… will be less callous when it comes to reprimanding those who get in my way,” he said begrudgingly.

“That is all I can ask for,” the quiet elder said, nodding. “Now, what can the Council do for you?”

Stepping forward into the center of the room, Retribution got the odd feeling that he was on trial for something. Even though he had only showed up to report the odd super they kept running into.

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“Well Sir, we have run into the odd creature… man. The odd man that fell from the sky during our conflict with Death and the League,” the silver spandex covered hero reported. “Arbalest and his team encountered them in the shoreline industrial district. He was killed in action while Zip took Willow and retreated. They contacted me later and as is policy on the confirmed death of a member of the Guild, showed up personally with the Fearsome Five.”

The older man sighed and sat back. “So, we lost a hero. That saddens me. The investment of time and resources into each of you is something we do not recoup easily. Tell me you took care of the issue at least,” he replied, once again leaning forward, and steepening his fingers.

“N… no. No we did not. The fact is he took out three more of us. Two immediately and one due to precisely guided friendly fire,” admitted Retribution.

That admission had the Council murmuring. A murmur that was quickly reduced to silence as the older man vanished from his seat, appearing in front of Retribution.

Shocked, the silver hero couldn’t even respond in time as the reed suited elder slapped him in the face, plowing him to his knees with sheer physical force. “That was for your mistake. We are now four supers down. One, particularly a weaker one, I can understand. But to lost three additional, primary supers on what should have been a simple arrest or removal task? That is unacceptable Robert,” he replied calmly as the Retribution held his reddening cheek.

“You left your team to handle him, fearing conflict. When you returned he were soundly thrashed, then you chose to retreat,” the man rattled off as if he had been there. “Now you come here to report your failure, which does give you some credibility back in my eyes you know, and to make us aware of this new threat.”

Retribution nodded. “Yes. Yes I am doing just that,” he agreed.

“Here is what you will do,” said the man, reaching up and tugging on the large heroes suit to bring him down to his eye level. “You are going to ignore this quasi villain. You have proved that you are not the hero for the job. In fact, I would argue we do not have a hero in our employ that is appropriate for this job. So you are going to forget this ever happened. Period. Am I understood?”

The hero nodded quickly, not breaking eye contact.

“Good. Here is what you will not do,” continued the reed suited man, now seated back in his chair. Retribution hadn’t even seen, or felt, him move. “You will not report this to the guild legers. The Fantastic Five were killed by villains in a botched robbery of nuclear material. You will not speak of this outside of these chambers. But most importantly, you will not involve yourself with this man again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal Sir,” replied Retribution. “I will arrange for the funerals. The city has lost great heroes and partners today,” he ground out with barely suppressed fury.”

The man looked down at him, still kneeling on the floor. “Indeed, it has,” he mused. “Indeed, it has.”

Retribution left the Council chambers, disgusted with his lack of spine. If that disgusting little power broker hadn’t been so strong… he could have done something. Anything. He would have mobilized the entire Guild, tracked this fucker down, and flayed him alive. Being a hero didn’t exclude you from wanting, or even getting, revenge. It just meant you had to do it in ways that made you look good to the public.

He stormed off to the central information center. He had several death reports to file and log, bureaucracy stops for no man, god, or demon. In fact, he was pretty sure that each of those, if they existed that is, had created just such a system to provide torment to those who used them. There was no other logical answer.

As he took the forms in question and began filling them out, he made the determination that he would have to do something about that odd man. He was, at a core, villainous. This made him the Guilds opponent and a valid target for removal. However, Mr. R had been clear. He was not to involve himself any further.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t involve others on his behalf.

He would deal with this new villain through a third party. Then he would discuss terms with Death to remove Mr. R from his high seat at the Council. Yes. Without Mr. R running overwatch on the Guild, and with Retribution in control, a new era for heroes and the Guild would begin. One where he would be in charge, leading the free world from the front rather than from some office somewhere.

The Guild, and then the Republic would fall nicely into the palm of his hand. And who knew what would be beyond that. Maybe the world. He smiled cheerfully, confident in his success. It would be difficult, but by no means impossible. He had a few people to talk to. Agreements to set up.

People to kill.