Sitting on the porch enjoying the autumn sun was nice but brought me no closer to deciding what to do for my first crime. Things were just so hard, I wanted maximal results with minimal risk. A tall order considering the limited amount of time I had to make preparations.

Worse comes to worst and I get down to my final moments. I could just walk across the street. Jaywalking was just a misdemeanor and would be a rather lame first crime. But it was safe and the people in my suburban neighborhood wouldn’t even notice.

I should set my sights lower, as much as I wanted my first crime to be grand and perfect it would be a huge risk. Until I had more levels, experience, and abilities it would be far too easy for heroes or vigilantes to catch a whiff of me. As the Quest said I should take one step at a time: it wouldn’t always be like this my day would come.

Despite my flight of philosophical fancy, I felt no closer to a solution. That is until it hit me in the face. Well, it was actually my foot, but that doesn’t sound nearly as dramatic.

In front of me were the slobbery maws of my next-door neighbor's dog who had dropped a slightly less saliva-covered object at my feet. This wasn’t anything new, their dog often escaped through the fence to visit me, bringing with him a “toy” for me to throw for him.

The problem is that the large dog’s definition of a toy was rather broad. His toys had failed to surprise me when a month ago he brought a can of beans, not the normal size ones though. Of course, it was one of the industrial-size cans you buy at wholesale stores.

However this time his offering was perfect. Harold was practically shaking with excitement in front of me waiting for the game of fetch to begin. Unfortunately I didn’t plan on using the “toy” he brought in the game, I needed it for something else. Lifting the corner of one of the steps I pulled out a worn tennis ball. I had stored one there for instances such as the beans. Meeting the excited pet in front of me I threw the ball towards the back of my yard, away from the street and upcoming traffic.

Wearing gloves that I also kept beneath the steps for situations such as these I picked up the soaked object and made my way over to the fence separating my and the neighbor’s yard. Looking carefully I spotted the disturbed ground where Harold had dug up the white property stake.

When my neighbor’s had first moved in and adopted Harold they had needed to install a fence, not that it managed to contain him, they had a surveyor come out to pinpoint the property line. They just never bothered to remove the stakes. The stakes were on my side of the fence, but I didn’t pause to return the stack to its spot.

No, I was going to do something rather ambitious. Hand on the top of the fence I jumped over it, landing on the ground in a kneel and stabbing the stake into the ground. My objective completed. I hopped the fence again. Harold was already waiting eagerly for me to continue playing fetch.

Mindlessly I threw the ball again. When was the mission considered complete? Did I have to not get caught within 24 hours? I hoped not, getting my ability unlocked quickly was in my best interest if I wanted to stay under the radar as I grew.

Stolen story; please report.

My wish was soon granted when the familiar blue screen popped in front of me.

[Congratulations! The Quest “Commit Crime” has been completed]

[Congratulations! You have committed the crime “Destruction of Private Property” widely considered a misdemeanor. Crime Grade: E]

[Congratulations! You have commited the crime “Moving Property Line” widely considered a second degree misdemeanor. Crime Grade: D]

[Congratulations! You have committed the crime “Trespassing on Property'' which can be considered a misdemeanor or felony. Crime Grade: B]

[Detected that Host has committed three crimes simantounously. Quest parameters being revaluated.]

[...]

When I saw the white property stake my mind had immediately thought of putting back, but with my thoughts recently being on committing crimes and I realized it was one. A easily explainable and commitible one, one I wouldn’t have considered without my current crime oreinted train of thought.

It made me consider whether there were other seemingly “normal” acts of a sane person that could be construed as criminal in nature. I had quickly thought of the trespassing property one.

Honestly the “Destruction of Property” wasn’t something I thought of. Poking a hole in their yard seemed to be a stretch although I see how it would fall under that definition. Their yard was exactly that, theirs.

Speaking of definition I was surprised at the high grade of Trespassing considering my action, but I guess the system wasn’t supposed to come up with the appropriate punishment for the crime, simply what the punishment could be for the crime.

All of this information was great, but the whole Quest being revaluated made me nervous. What if the system decided it wasn’t a complete task since a singular crime wasn’t committed? What if it just took the lowest crime, or maybe the one that was technically first committed?

Getting private property destruction would suck, on the other hand getting trespassing wouldn’t be to bad. Although technically the property line movement could be considered the first crime commited how the system decided to look at it.

The screen still showed the glowing ellipses. The sun was beginning to set and a chill was setting, Harold was finally panting although he still seemed excited to go after the ball everytime I threw it. I would give him another twenty minutes, although his family usually arrived around this time and I had no doubt he would bolt as soon as we heard there car pull into the driveway.

Ten minutes into my wait the words on the screen finally shifted.

[Revaluation complete. Please examine Quest for listed rewards]

Not wasting a second I clicked on the Quest tab.

[Commit a Crime ~ (COMPLETED)

Congratulations! You have managed to complete the task in the allotted time and you managed to complete three at the same time! Truly an ambitious Villian!

Combined grade: A- (Innovation is to be rewarded as the true path of Villiany, your grade was bumped accordingly!)

Reward: Abilities now unlocked]

[New Ability: Open Rebellion aquired!]

Open Rebellion? What kind of skill is that?