Jon Sharp looked down on the tableau below. From twenty stories above he was forced to engage his telescopic goggles, but the fight below was worth it. The Pantheon was facing off against The Syndicate, and the criminals of the latter were going down, even if they were not making it easy. Each a specialized power suit, geared towards the strengths of the particular criminal, and they had learned to use their suits to effect.
Gorilla used the enhanced strength of his suit to slam is opponents, stunning them just long enough for his allies to hit the heroes. The Artful Dodger, a pickpocket par excellence, used his stealth suit to toss grenades at his targets and then disappear back into the shadows. Spider, an second-story man, used the clinging ability of his suit to stay just out of reach as he slung venom blasts into the fray. The decidedly feminine Pegasus, the safe-cracker, strafed the battle with her lasers, racing in and racing out again and again.
However, the tide turned as soon as The Pantheon appeared to have taken the measure of its opponents and found them wanting. Not too surprisingly Ares was the first to get tired of playing defense and went on the offensive, and demonstrated his mastery of wrestling to Gorilla; he stunned the brawny bruiser and then proceeded to stripping him of his armor. Athena, mistress of shield and spear, threw her spear at Pegasus, forcing her to dodge and fly right into the path of her shield as it bounced off a wall. Pegasus quickly went from stunned to unconscious as Athena used her shield as a club.
Hermes faced off against the Dodger, and even graciously returned the proffered grenades in a blur that resulted in the thief eventually staying down. Spider quickly figured out what was going down, and attempted to flee; he almost reached a third-story window before a hammer smote him. As Spider fell the hand returned to the hand of Hephaestus, who put the hammer on its appropriate hook on his wide belt. The Pantheon tied The Syndicate up, Athena called the Tandem Police Department to ensure that the villains would soon be picked up, and then the heroes were swallowed by the night.
* * * * *
Sharp turned away as their whoops and hollers faded into the cacophony of city noises. He smiled as he felt the presence of Wolf, the self-appointed guardian of the streets, even before the man appeared on the rooftop next to him. He took of his goggles and reached into his trenchcoat pockets, tossing a small item at Wolf as he flipped onto the roof.
"Really, Mentallus? A doggie treat? I really should take you down some day."
Sharp smiled at the mention of his old nom de guerre. "Yet we both know why you won't, don't we?"
"Yeah. You're the referee of the streets, the man that keeps us all on the straight and narrow."
"Yep. Sounds about right. Although I am tempted to turn my files over to you, Wolf. Then I could finally retire."
"All of your files? That would make for some fun bedtime stories for my brood." "Well, all but one obviously: Yours."
"Fair enough." Wolf threw the treat off the side of the building. "So how did the kids do? Did they pass your assessment?"
"They did that a long time ago. They may be a little rough by your esteemed standards, but they are nonetheless a good group of kids." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. "I do like to watch you heroes in action every so often. They have a certain style to their strategy that is actually fun to watch. Sort of like your group in action when you were younger."
Wolf smiled. Although he hated that the green-skinned mutant smoked, they both knew that Death would find them when it found them, and he could appreciate facing Death on one's own terms. "I may have to see about letting them use our training facilities sometime then. It would be nice to have a local team in place."
Sharp nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. Especially considering it would free you guys up to do some bigger goods. Possibly even allow you to become more pro-active."
Wolf had long wanted the Guild to become more pro-active so that they could start taking down some of the true villains on the planet, and not just whoever was stupid enough to pop his head up every so often. "Should make for a spirited debate."
"Verily, especially considering the arguments both Magnus and Virago have put forth." They both smiled as they recounted the very public debates had regarding the future of the planet's super-heroes. Magnus wanted to see them limited to local struggles but subject to the United Nations' World Court in order to avoid corruption, while Virago wanted to wipe out Evil from the face of the planet. "At the very least it would mean allowing you to do something permanent to your own rogues gallery."
"True. But that's a debate for another day. I would advise you to find a heir soon, however; no one knows when his number will come up, and I have no doubt that this city would be in for a world of hurt if something happens to you before you find someone to guard your files." "Sage advice. And I will take it under advisement." Sharp turned away, knowing what would happen in a moment, and wishing to give his old...friend (?) the option to take his leave without being seen, something he seemed to enjoy doing.
"See that you do." Wolf took advantage of the moment and a line arced towards a gargoyle just barely within view. He was soon swinging away from the rooftop, cape billowing behind him as the night air filled out. Sharp smiled as he thought about the poor criminal whose last sight before he was sent to prison would be that man flying down on him.
His visage returned to its recent solemnity as he again looked down at where the most recent fight for Justice had just occurred. He was already looking at candidates; Wolf was right, but was himself disqualified. Of all the heroes, Wolf had the most need of the balance he provided: If Wolf ever went to the other side, Evil would win and probably within a few weeks. If he had access to the secrets of the other heroes, then that victory would be a lot easier. Wolf of course had most likely reached the same conclusion and that is why he merely mentioned the necessity of an heir rather than offering his services. Those under him were likewise disqualified, as any of them with access would also mean he would have access as well.
He was actually contemplating Phantasma as a possible heir of sorts. She had the wisdom required to know when to use the files as well as the savvy to keep them away from those interested in acquiring them. He had hoped that his observation of her tonight would help him make that decision. Of course, there was the question of who to give her file to that had to be answered before he could really approach her, but he thought he had a solution for that as well.
He opened the roof access and started heading down the stairs. His car waited for him on the street, and hopefully it was still in condition to drive. He smiled as he thought of the electrified outer shell of the car, realizing that no one would remain conscious after contact with it. A harsh punishment, but hopefully one that would deter another car thief or vandal. But that added insurance was part of holding the secrets that he held, an insurance that may keep him alive until he was able to find someone who was capable of taking the burden from his tired shoulders.
Gorilla used the enhanced strength of his suit to slam is opponents, stunning them just long enough for his allies to hit the heroes. The Artful Dodger, a pickpocket par excellence, used his stealth suit to toss grenades at his targets and then disappear back into the shadows. Spider, an second-story man, used the clinging ability of his suit to stay just out of reach as he slung venom blasts into the fray. The decidedly feminine Pegasus, the safe-cracker, strafed the battle with her lasers, racing in and racing out again and again.
However, the tide turned as soon as The Pantheon appeared to have taken the measure of its opponents and found them wanting. Not too surprisingly Ares was the first to get tired of playing defense and went on the offensive, and demonstrated his mastery of wrestling to Gorilla; he stunned the brawny bruiser and then proceeded to stripping him of his armor. Athena, mistress of shield and spear, threw her spear at Pegasus, forcing her to dodge and fly right into the path of her shield as it bounced off a wall. Pegasus quickly went from stunned to unconscious as Athena used her shield as a club.
Hermes faced off against the Dodger, and even graciously returned the proffered grenades in a blur that resulted in the thief eventually staying down. Spider quickly figured out what was going down, and attempted to flee; he almost reached a third-story window before a hammer smote him. As Spider fell the hand returned to the hand of Hephaestus, who put the hammer on its appropriate hook on his wide belt. The Pantheon tied The Syndicate up, Athena called the Tandem Police Department to ensure that the villains would soon be picked up, and then the heroes were swallowed by the night.
* * * * *
Sharp turned away as their whoops and hollers faded into the cacophony of city noises. He smiled as he felt the presence of Wolf, the self-appointed guardian of the streets, even before the man appeared on the rooftop next to him. He took of his goggles and reached into his trenchcoat pockets, tossing a small item at Wolf as he flipped onto the roof.
"Really, Mentallus? A doggie treat? I really should take you down some day."
Sharp smiled at the mention of his old nom de guerre. "Yet we both know why you won't, don't we?"
"Yeah. You're the referee of the streets, the man that keeps us all on the straight and narrow."
"Yep. Sounds about right. Although I am tempted to turn my files over to you, Wolf. Then I could finally retire."
"All of your files? That would make for some fun bedtime stories for my brood." "Well, all but one obviously: Yours."
"Fair enough." Wolf threw the treat off the side of the building. "So how did the kids do? Did they pass your assessment?"
"They did that a long time ago. They may be a little rough by your esteemed standards, but they are nonetheless a good group of kids." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. "I do like to watch you heroes in action every so often. They have a certain style to their strategy that is actually fun to watch. Sort of like your group in action when you were younger."
Wolf smiled. Although he hated that the green-skinned mutant smoked, they both knew that Death would find them when it found them, and he could appreciate facing Death on one's own terms. "I may have to see about letting them use our training facilities sometime then. It would be nice to have a local team in place."
Sharp nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. Especially considering it would free you guys up to do some bigger goods. Possibly even allow you to become more pro-active."
Wolf had long wanted the Guild to become more pro-active so that they could start taking down some of the true villains on the planet, and not just whoever was stupid enough to pop his head up every so often. "Should make for a spirited debate."
"Verily, especially considering the arguments both Magnus and Virago have put forth." They both smiled as they recounted the very public debates had regarding the future of the planet's super-heroes. Magnus wanted to see them limited to local struggles but subject to the United Nations' World Court in order to avoid corruption, while Virago wanted to wipe out Evil from the face of the planet. "At the very least it would mean allowing you to do something permanent to your own rogues gallery."
"True. But that's a debate for another day. I would advise you to find a heir soon, however; no one knows when his number will come up, and I have no doubt that this city would be in for a world of hurt if something happens to you before you find someone to guard your files." "Sage advice. And I will take it under advisement." Sharp turned away, knowing what would happen in a moment, and wishing to give his old...friend (?) the option to take his leave without being seen, something he seemed to enjoy doing.
"See that you do." Wolf took advantage of the moment and a line arced towards a gargoyle just barely within view. He was soon swinging away from the rooftop, cape billowing behind him as the night air filled out. Sharp smiled as he thought about the poor criminal whose last sight before he was sent to prison would be that man flying down on him.
His visage returned to its recent solemnity as he again looked down at where the most recent fight for Justice had just occurred. He was already looking at candidates; Wolf was right, but was himself disqualified. Of all the heroes, Wolf had the most need of the balance he provided: If Wolf ever went to the other side, Evil would win and probably within a few weeks. If he had access to the secrets of the other heroes, then that victory would be a lot easier. Wolf of course had most likely reached the same conclusion and that is why he merely mentioned the necessity of an heir rather than offering his services. Those under him were likewise disqualified, as any of them with access would also mean he would have access as well.
He was actually contemplating Phantasma as a possible heir of sorts. She had the wisdom required to know when to use the files as well as the savvy to keep them away from those interested in acquiring them. He had hoped that his observation of her tonight would help him make that decision. Of course, there was the question of who to give her file to that had to be answered before he could really approach her, but he thought he had a solution for that as well.
He opened the roof access and started heading down the stairs. His car waited for him on the street, and hopefully it was still in condition to drive. He smiled as he thought of the electrified outer shell of the car, realizing that no one would remain conscious after contact with it. A harsh punishment, but hopefully one that would deter another car thief or vandal. But that added insurance was part of holding the secrets that he held, an insurance that may keep him alive until he was able to find someone who was capable of taking the burden from his tired shoulders.
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