“Power is an intoxicating thing.

Feeling like you are at the top of the world. It really puts things out of perspective. Sometimes, you will get so high on yourself that you will do stupid stuff.

The more power, the more stupid that is.

The difference between a good Meta, and a clockwork bomb waiting to fail and probably kill a lot of people in the process, lays in your ability to put things back into perspective, even with that intoxicating power messing with your judgment.

Some people, like myself, had a rough enough start that we never forget how fragile we really are.

Others, however…

Well, let’s just say, there are enough cases of people that has just awakened to try and bite more than what they can chew.

Enough to fill the holes in the cementery.”

-Ingenio

 

---

 

Larry always saw himself as a lucky guy. He was born in a wealthy family. He had gotten lots of friends at school. He had a great job as a game tester. He had excellent social skills, could easily date any girl he liked, and he had a good nose for opportunities. Up until now, his life had been all roses and sparkles. It was enough to make anyone wonder if they weren't better than the average.

And now, he had a power?

That didn't happen just because. There was a meaning behind it! He was sure. All this good luck had to come from somewhere! He was a special, and he knew it. The system knew, too. That's why it had given him a power! He frowned at his own morality at first. Villains weren't his idea of special, after all. Then he realized. Of course! That had to be it! It was because he was meant to do big things! Heroes might well be the people most looked upon in the world, and everyone considered them the very concept of 'special'. But heroes didn't have much freedom. All they could do was beat bad people to pulp and go tell people off with the police, after all. And paperwork, a lot of paperwork. He had seen interviews with lots of popular heroes. Only the best of the best got to skip paperwork. Like his idol, Date to Live.

But villains had something Date to Live didn't. Villains weren't restrained by anything! They had the power to do whatever they wanted. Power means freedom, he was sure of it. And his power was especially good, a sign of his good fortune!

That's why he decided to not to make his own fate wait any longer.

He decided it. He would train for a couple of months, and then he would take over the city. All the big heroes would be too far away to catch him. He would organize the rest of the villains in the city, make them swear loyalty to him. Then he would use his brand new powered army to take over the whole SU by the force. Absorbing more villains on the way, his army would grow until it was big enough to achieve his last goal. World domination. Maybe he was dreaming big, but what of it? Luck smiled to him, after all!

He had made a lot of progress in his training too! Taking out punks and thieves, fighting this or that weakling hero, he had squeezed tons of experience- and power! He was so strong now, he could probably take on Justice Man himself!

Maybe even Date to Live!

There was no way his plans would fail. He was chosen to do great things! That's why he didn't bother planning too much. He knew he could start now, why procrastinating then?

And so, this day, the day he was feeling even luckier than usual, he decided it. It would be today. Today he would take his first step in the path of greatness...!

He rushed to his wardrobe and frantically pulled the wooden doors open, so hard they almost broke their frame. Inside, hanging in a metallic perch, was his villain outfit. He had ordered it with a local tailor he knew. It didn't have any special features, but it looked great. It was a one-piece red suit, with golden decorations and a fluttering black cape. On his shoulders, on the chest, and at the back of his cape, was woven what he decided would be his trademark: a yellow warning triangle with a Fiwi-hotspot-like cartoon. He took his clothes out in a hurry, leaving only his boxers on. Then, he slid into his swit. He could feel the fabric on his skin: it was the kind that sparked and looked like plastic. Eye-cathing, just like all super-suits should be. He slid his mask over, red ski mask with his insignia sewed on the forehead

He hummed happily as he locked his house, sliding his key on a hidden pocket.

The sun was beaming, the clouds were white and innocent, and the sky...

"How big, how blue... How beautiful" He chuckled at his own pun.

He walked to Triangle square, Plaza’s biggest, most important plaza. He smiled at the coincidence. People gave him weird looks as he walked around. He didn't care.

He arrived, finally, and breathed in the pure air, enjoying the feeling of nature on his lungs. And then... and then, finally, after a whole month and a bit of expectation, he shouted.

No, he blasted. He was no longer Larry the lucky guy. He was, as of now, Blast the Villain, the future ruler of the world.

Shockwaves so strong he could feel them even in the eye of the storm burst in every direction, from his mouth:

"CITIZENS OF PLAZA…!!! WORNEYKIANS!!! AMERICANS FROM ALL AROUND…!!!"

Fortunately, his power also protected him of acute noises, so he didn't wince at the strength of his own voice. Others weren't so lucky: as shockwaves so powerful they could actually be seen traveling through the air hit everything on their way, glasses shattered, threes shook violently, people was forced to step back or even sent tumbling to the ground. Several people were already bleeding, surprisingly useful side effect. He smiled at the sight of his own power.

 

“MY NAME IS BLAST!!!”

People started turning back, realizing where all the noise was coming from. Heads turned around. This time the faces looked frightened more than confused. He smiled. He could get used to this.

“I HAVE ENTITLED MYSELF GOVERNOR OF THIS STATE!!!”

They were pointing, screaming, running, as things popped broken on their spot or thrown back with the force of his shockwaves. Some of them were trying to get him. He noticed a patrol car parking, and a couple of policemen getting out. One of them ducked behind one of the doors, aiming a gun at him while talking through the radio. The other was running at him, waving his baton around.

He smiled again, and this time directed his shockwaves at them.

“SURRENDER OR PERISH!!!”

Both policemen were forced to their feet. This time, Blast shot a disruptive soundwave that humans found incredibly disturbing and painful. The policemen fell to the ground, clawing at their ears with all their might to no avail. Blood poured from within their hands.

He nodded. That should deliver the right message.

He looked around. People were starting to gather, reckless curious who liked danger or were too dumb to notice it, other policemen who were aiming at him with their guns, even one or two reporters were wielding their microphones and had cameras pointed out at them while they frantically tried to squeeze some fame out of this opportunity, shielding behind the doors of their van.

For the third time, Blast smiled. He was feeling great. Nothing could stop him now. This day marked the beginning of a new era, the era of Blast.

He shouted louder, making sure nobody in the city could miss his command.

"NOW COME OUT AND BOW BEFORE ME!!!"

This was going to be a fun day.

 

---

 

Ingenio was dealing with an ego-inflated prick. That much he could notice from the way the Villain spoke.

He turned on a corner, Gallutneck following right behind, and they hid in a shady-looking alley as Ingenio laid against the wall to think. He had left in a hurry, but he would need a plan to deal with this inconvenience.

If there was something heroes said all the time, apart from their names, it was that the newest supers were always the most dangerous, because they tended to do stupid things.

That was even truer when dealing with this super in particular, apparently. Unless there were several and only one of them was stupid enough to do… that.

In which case, all the more trouble for him.

- Mr. Ingenio, I am surveying the scenario from Mr. Gallutneck’s television - Writer’s voice echoed on his mind. Chaos Borne suppressed an unmanly squeal and he managed to focus on that feeling to reply, instead of jumping out of his skin.

- What do you see? –

- The sight is blurry. I am currently synched to the local news channel, it appears that a couple of reporters were at the site when it all started. There is a single Meta. We can safely assume that he has sound-enhancing powers. Mr. Galluneck’s television’s speakers were fried as soon as the first soundwave hit the reporters’ microphones, and everyone in sight is either unconscious or clasping their ears. There are signs of intense bleeding.-

- Are the wounds fatal? –

- They don’t appear to be, but the Meta- Blasts waves are quite dangerous. –

“Gallutneck.”

“What…?”

The person, in question, had recovered to a certain exempt and was no longer too scared of Ingenio to do anything, although he still eyed at him warily from time to time.

At least he won’t become a bother mid-fight. That was one thing less to be worried about.

“To what exempt can you manipulate your energy?”

“I can make simple things out of it. Spheres, mostly. Beams too. Also tried with makeshift weapons, swords, lances, axes, halberds, scythes, frying pans… Just about anything that isn’t too complicated.”

Lawrence frowned.

“Frying pans?”

Gallutneck grinned.

“Frying pans.”

Oh great, I thought I had finally found a sane person. Apparently, I was wrong.

“Anyways, if you’re asking because of what the nice lady that totally didn’t invade my mental privacy as I had a private conversation with myself said… I can probably make a big enough shield to cover myself, yeah. But that’d take visibility and, it won’t make the ground less shaky.”

- Mr. Gallutneck has a point, Mr. Lawrence. It might be better to counter the soundwaves, rather than blocking them.-

- Chief, I’ve seen this kind of stuff before- Shade’s voice was recognizable, even without actual sound attached to it. So Writer’s power acted even if the target wasn’t in the material plane. – Best shot is going around it quiet as possible. –

So, his options were either countering or avoiding the waves altogether.

We have a sneak specialist in our team right now. Let’s go with that first.

- Correct. Then, once we arrive, Shade, at my signal you will strike at Blast’s back. If that fails, Gallutneck, you will shoot from a distance and shield yourself with your power. If it becomes necessary, I will intervene. Everything else we think of along the way. Are we clear?-

-Aye aye Chief!-

-Crystal clear.-

-Should’ve hired trained monkeys instead, wouldn’t have gotten myself in this mess.-

And so, point taken and ignore - as all bosses would do - Ingenio and company blended in the night.

The chase had begun...