"Hey, give me your gun." Happy ordered while extending his palm out, it was best to be prepared in the streets and he didn't trust the cowardly man enough to hit his shots.
Skinny Joe hesitated for a moment, his eyes flitting nervously around the dimly lit sidewalk. Eventually, the bar above his head flashed green as he reached into his coat pocket and handed over the gun, his fingers trembling anxiously. Happy accepted the weapon graciously, tilting it around in his hand as he Inspected it.
Glock 17 (E)
AMMO: (10/17)
AMMO TYPE: Light
DAMAGE: (E)
In a world of booming bravado, it whispers reliably.
The villain nodded as he stared at the cold pistol, a plot beginning to form itself inside his head. Happy tucked the gun into his left pocket, its weight a comforting presence against his thigh. Not a bad start.
"You know any guys Joe? I'm gonna need them for a plan."
Skinny Joe's brow furrowed. "Well, I'm part of a gang ... actually it's not really a gang..."
Happy crossed his arms. "That's fine. Are they trustworthy?"
"I've known them all since like... um. Basically since forever. They're probably at our base right now... follow me."
The soft glow of lamp posts flickered overhead, casting long shadows across the mostly empty streets. The night air was thick with tension, punctuated sporadically by bursts of gunfire, explosions and distant screams that seemed to reverberate throughout the alleyways. As they delved deeper into the heart of the metropolis, the city seemed to come alive around them, the sidewalks gradually becoming crowded with a variety of shady individuals.
While many swaggered around with their weapons ready and flashy abilities activated, Happy's attention was drawn to a tall woman whose shadow seemed to be flickering. Catching him staring, the woman gazed directly into his eyes as she walked past him. A shiver went down the villain's spine as he tilted his head down, nothing good would come out of a confrontation with any of these lowlifes. Well, at least for now.
As they strolled towards their destination, Happy squeezed out everything he could from Joe about Star City's downtown, the area they were in right now. While most of what Joe said was useless gossip, two pieces of crucial information could be salvaged from the thug's yapping.
Number one: There are a lot less heroes downtown of Star City compared to the uptown area. This is mostly due to the League of Heroes, the hero guild formed by the legendary Star Savior, being located across the river. Joining the prestigious league is the goal of many aspiring heroes, causing most of them to gravitate towards the other half of the city.
Number two: Most S class villains have fled to other cities due to the League of Heroes. This leaves only five S class villains in the downtown area, each of them controlling a major portion of half the city. However, the docks of the city and a sizeable amount of land near it are controlled by an NPC leader.
At the next corner, they stopped in front of a two-story building. The dim lights inside the structure illuminated the shattered glass, highlighting the weathered sign that read 'Joe's Deli: the best place to eat in Star City!'
"So yeah... this is basically pretty much like our base..."
"Your base is a deli?"
"Oh...uh... the main thing is upstairs."
Joe held the door open, a tiny bell ringing to signal the arrival of new customers. Happy stepped inside as a chilly wind blew through the broken panes, rattling the emptied shelves in the process. The store was clearly abandoned, cobwebs decorated the ceiling and all the chairs and tables were either overturned or smashed. The villain wasn't too disappointed. In his past life, he had learned to never judge someone or something by how they look. Even so, he began to inwardly gag as the smell of rotting bread and meat began to assault his nose.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The mugger led Happy behind the deli counter, revealing a passageway that went upstairs. The creaky steps echoed their footsteps, while the dim lighting barely illuminated where it was safe to step. Ascending to the second floor, the villain found himself in a dimly lit room cluttered with makeshift furniture and an array of mismatched junk. Sitting around a plastic folding table were four NPCs, their lively chatter abruptly halting as they turned to stare at the newcomer.
Joe cleared his throat nervously before introducing him to his friends. "Hey guys, this is Happy. He's uh ... with us now."
Yeah. Guess you can't rely on Joe for anything.
Without giving a chance for any of them to speak, Happy seized the moment. Stepping forward, he extended his arms wide and sported a charismatic smile.
"My name is Happy Sinclair and I am going to give all of you the best offer you'll ever recieve in your lives. Come and work under me, I promise that in at least a month each of you will be walking away with a hundred grand, or more."
Happy's words hung in the air. The NPCs exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
Eventually, a wiry man with greasy black hair and a patch over his eye spoke up first. "What's the catch? Sounds too good to be true."
Happy crossed his arms, a glint of anticipation revealing itself in his eyes.
"I must admit, what we will be doing can be considered dangerous work. In about a week or so, if you choose to join, we will be robbing a bank."
The room fell eerily silent at Happy's confession. The gravity of his words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the assembled NPCs. Joe looked especially shocked.
"Are you crazy? Robbing a bank? I'm out." The eye patch man declared while narrowing his gaze, voice tinged with anger. The NPC stomped towards the stairs, attempting to shoulder check Happy on his way out. But the villain simply side stepped, causing the man to stumble. The wiry man's face flushed with hatred, however, he surprisingly showed restraint.
"If you wanna keep your life, don't listen to this psycho. You've all seen it yourselves, heroes these days ... they act as if it's all just a game. There's no telling what they'll do if they catch you."
Happy's smile didn't waver as the greasy man left the room. "Don't worry friends, there is not a single chance that we will run into a hero during our heist."
A stout, orange haired man with a wild beard leaned forward onto the table and raised his voice. "And why's that?"
Happy widened his golden eyes, extending his arms into the air.
"It's simple. I am a supervillain and I can see into the future."
A manic grin twisted his face as he uttered the lie, this was the surest way to get all the NPCs on board with his plan. Shocked expressions filled their faces, eyes slightly bulging out and jaws lowered.
He paced around the cluttered room, his movements purposeful. "We'll be taking risks, no doubt about it. But the rewards? You'll be able to get out of this damned hell hole that's filled with rotten villains! You won't ever have to live in fear of being killed ever again..."
Happy leaned against the wall and relaxed his tone. It was time for the big reveal.
"So, who's in?"
Bars formed above the heads of all three NPCs, ranging from seven to fourteen percent of the way filled. Glancing to the right, Happy noticed that Skinny Joe's bar had also increased by ten percent in a white color.
Great. Now it's time to clean up some loose ends.
----------------------------------------
Jackson walked back and forth in front of Joe's deli, sweat beading on his face. As he ran his hand through his oily hair, the empty socket beneath his eye patch began to radiate in hot pain, bringing bad memories along with it. Clawing at his face, he remembered what he had tried so hard to forget.
Around a year ago, he had lived with his daughter in the clean side of Star City, away from the villains and violence. At least, most of it. For no particular reason, one day the two of them decided to go on a walk in the central park. He could vividly remember his daughter's warm smile as she ran towards him, eyes shining with kindness. Clutched in her small, chubby hand was a dandelion that she had picked for her parents. She had been the most wonderful little girl any father could wish for. And she died a little girl.
A massive piece of concrete with rebar jutting out of it smashed into his daughter, turning her into nothing more than a bunch of scraps of flesh and guts. Some of the fragments scattered in his direction, smashing into his right eye and leg. Despite the pain, he hobbled towards his daughter, or what remained of her. The only thing that was still intact was the tiny hand that held the small flower...
He had found out much later what had happened. Judgement Day, a S class hero, had thrown an entire building at a villain, causing fragments of it to fly everywhere. He had been told by his lawyer that there was nothing that could be done since it was an accident. But Jackson knew the real answer deep down. It was because the League of Heroes controlled Star City.
After the incident, all he had left were his dear friends. He made up his mind, he wouldn't let that villain lead them towards their death. As he opened the door, he stumbled back and fell onto the ground.
Looking up, a tall figure stood before him. It was the villain from before, except something was off. The charismatic smile and fun personality were gone, all that remained was an expressionless face and cold eyes.
"In a couple of days, your friends wont remember who you even were."
The man pointed a pistol at him, the light reflecting off the cold steel. Jackson stared at him defiantly, resentment burning in his eyes.
BANG