The disco lights and thumping music would be all that was required for most nightclubs but this one was different. The owner made a point to have his place be a neutral ground for law abiding heroes and the rebellious villains to gather. It was a precarious agreement from both sides, but so far it had proven stable.
A few minutes short of midnight, a spandex clad hero, known as Summer Heat, entered the dance floor, searching for his contact. To most nightly patrons, the number present seemed average, but it was somewhat above the normal level with many heroes and a few villains stressed about the recent string of arson attacks in the narrows. Summer Heat ignored the majority of them and headed for the villain heavy side of the floor and bar counter. For a few minutes, the barkeep ignored him. Finally, seeing that the hero wasn't moving, he asked the hero for his drink of choice. "What do you want this time?"
"I'll have a Dragon's Kiss." The barkeep nearly dropped the glass he was polishing and a few villains nearby turned sharply at the request, but then once seeing who it was, promptly went back to their conversations.
"Uh...sure one sec." The barkeep turned, hastily making the dangerous, symbolic beverage. Upon placing it on the counter, the barkeep ignited the drink, inflaming the glass in a green flame. Heat quickly lifted the glass and downed the still burning drink. His insides quickly adjusted to the inferno that exploded in his stomach, and the fiery hero felt a noticeable calming of his nerves. At that moment a man sat down beside him. The drunks thought they saw double.
"How goes it Ollie?" the figure asked.
"Jack? I didn't expect to see you here."
The villain Winter Frost, who looked just like his twin brother, save the fiery powers for icy ones, chuckled lightly. "You're the only other person this guy's known to handle a Dragon's Kiss. You show up like clockwork every Friday night just before midnight and order the one drink, then leave. You of all people should know that doing the same action again and again expecting different results is insane."
"Well, of the past fourteen months I've done this, you did change the outcome by coming here. I don't think that makes me insane. I figured after long enough word about my pattern would reach you, and you'd take the bait to find out for yourself. Guess I was right."
"Jeez, Oliver, you're starting to sound like a class act villain. They didn't teach you that logic in hero school, did they?" Jackson seemed almost hopeful at the idea his brother wasn't a tight ass.
"Honestly, Jack, did you really think everything you and TK and Casey said and did was lost on me?" He smiled. It was good to have a decent conversation with his brother again. The last time was seven years ago. "Jack listen...there are rumors about this threat list going around. The names on that list are watched and you get strong enough, you're viewed as a threat and taken out. I've heard a few friends mention their rivals suddenly turned up dead." He paused. "Look, I don't think your boss is inclined to use you for anything more than thinning his own herd of the disloyal, and when you get to his level, he makes sure you don't follow through."
"Ollie...why did you have to go and ruin such a perfectly good conversation we were starting? You know I won't listen to your nagging, just like I stopped listening to Mom's. Y'all didn't want to help me so I found my own trainers. Deal with it!"
"Jack...I've seen his ideal future...You're not involved. None of his new flock is. In fact, there aren't any lackeys but those he's had in his ranks for decades!" Summer Heat argued quietly.
"Oh you're so wrong, Oliver! Just watch, I'll be notorious and well known, and you won't be able to stop me. I will be the most powerful meta on the planet!" Winter Frost quested. His eyes were slightly cold with focus.
"Fine, don't believe me. Just promise me you'll contact me when you find out I'm right." Oliver persuaded.
"That won't happen."
Summer left the bar promptly after the conversation ended and proceeded to fly around his home city. It was sad, really. So much mayhem and destruction had befallen one simplistic city, it was amazing there was a population to thrive inside its confines. These citizens were none to gawk or awe over any street battle between rival factions, but the occasional glance would sneak through if a hero came in to mop up the mess....or in most cases make a larger one. Most of them were so desensitized to bloody fights and massive violence it was a wonder they noticed the villainous plots against them. There were a few that in their idealism tried what they could, but the majority had slowly turned into a mass of cattle that moved about almost oblivious to the memorable action surrounding them.
This recent occasion was no different as a massive ball of fire rocketed towards a sushi restaurant. No one on the streets even noticed Summer Heat rocketing towards the center of the street until he had impacted on the sidewalk outside the eatery. Even so, people were startled for a few moments before they returned to walking along oblivious, unimpressed by the spectacle.
"I'll have a Dragon's Kiss." The barkeep nearly dropped the glass he was polishing and a few villains nearby turned sharply at the request, but then once seeing who it was, promptly went back to their conversations.
"Uh...sure one sec." The barkeep turned, hastily making the dangerous, symbolic beverage. Upon placing it on the counter, the barkeep ignited the drink, inflaming the glass in a green flame. Heat quickly lifted the glass and downed the still burning drink. His insides quickly adjusted to the inferno that exploded in his stomach, and the fiery hero felt a noticeable calming of his nerves. At that moment a man sat down beside him. The drunks thought they saw double.
"How goes it Ollie?" the figure asked.
"Jack? I didn't expect to see you here."
The villain Winter Frost, who looked just like his twin brother, save the fiery powers for icy ones, chuckled lightly. "You're the only other person this guy's known to handle a Dragon's Kiss. You show up like clockwork every Friday night just before midnight and order the one drink, then leave. You of all people should know that doing the same action again and again expecting different results is insane."
"Well, of the past fourteen months I've done this, you did change the outcome by coming here. I don't think that makes me insane. I figured after long enough word about my pattern would reach you, and you'd take the bait to find out for yourself. Guess I was right."
"Jeez, Oliver, you're starting to sound like a class act villain. They didn't teach you that logic in hero school, did they?" Jackson seemed almost hopeful at the idea his brother wasn't a tight ass.
"Honestly, Jack, did you really think everything you and TK and Casey said and did was lost on me?" He smiled. It was good to have a decent conversation with his brother again. The last time was seven years ago. "Jack listen...there are rumors about this threat list going around. The names on that list are watched and you get strong enough, you're viewed as a threat and taken out. I've heard a few friends mention their rivals suddenly turned up dead." He paused. "Look, I don't think your boss is inclined to use you for anything more than thinning his own herd of the disloyal, and when you get to his level, he makes sure you don't follow through."
"Ollie...why did you have to go and ruin such a perfectly good conversation we were starting? You know I won't listen to your nagging, just like I stopped listening to Mom's. Y'all didn't want to help me so I found my own trainers. Deal with it!"
"Jack...I've seen his ideal future...You're not involved. None of his new flock is. In fact, there aren't any lackeys but those he's had in his ranks for decades!" Summer Heat argued quietly.
"Oh you're so wrong, Oliver! Just watch, I'll be notorious and well known, and you won't be able to stop me. I will be the most powerful meta on the planet!" Winter Frost quested. His eyes were slightly cold with focus.
"Fine, don't believe me. Just promise me you'll contact me when you find out I'm right." Oliver persuaded.
"That won't happen."
Summer left the bar promptly after the conversation ended and proceeded to fly around his home city. It was sad, really. So much mayhem and destruction had befallen one simplistic city, it was amazing there was a population to thrive inside its confines. These citizens were none to gawk or awe over any street battle between rival factions, but the occasional glance would sneak through if a hero came in to mop up the mess....or in most cases make a larger one. Most of them were so desensitized to bloody fights and massive violence it was a wonder they noticed the villainous plots against them. There were a few that in their idealism tried what they could, but the majority had slowly turned into a mass of cattle that moved about almost oblivious to the memorable action surrounding them.
This recent occasion was no different as a massive ball of fire rocketed towards a sushi restaurant. No one on the streets even noticed Summer Heat rocketing towards the center of the street until he had impacted on the sidewalk outside the eatery. Even so, people were startled for a few moments before they returned to walking along oblivious, unimpressed by the spectacle.
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