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Lindsay sat there as the club cleared out, noticing that the conversation between her and Jesin had died off. Lindsay checked her phone, a mere nervous tic, and noticed the time.

"Oh my God. Jesin, I hope to see you around, but my family's going to kill me if I don't go home soon. I have to go. Bye!" Lindsay blurted out, grabbing everything from around the table.

Lindsay left the club, only to hear a small explosion and see something vaguely cylindrical shoot through the night.

Was that... a rocket!? Looks like tonight might not be as boring as I thought... Lindsay thought with a sigh.

"Oh crap, I left something inside!" she exclaimed before running back into the club. Lindsay ran to the bathroom, hastily pulled out her phone, and dialed her home number. Her mother answered.

"Mom, I'm going to be late coming home. I was at the B.A.N.D. show and... well, there was a situation outside, I heard some sort of explosion, and I can't leave the club because they've locked the door to keep us all safe," Lindsay explained, trying to tell as believable a lie possible. Her mother acquiesced, so Lindsay snapped her phone shut, pulled off her street clothes, pinned up her hair, and put on her wig, securing it with a gold hairclip. Lindsay sighed reluctantly (She wanted to look for action at the concert relating to B.A.N.D. and not whomever shot the rocket) as she grabbed her mask, which she tied on with shaking hands, and then shut the clasps on the bracelets she wore over her long blue-silver gloves to keep them from slipping off. She yanked her boots out of her bag, unfolded the tops, and finally managed to slip them on and zip them up. Her costume was finally on.

Lindsay put her street clothes, balled up, back into her bag, and then dashed out of the bathroom to the nearest club exit, hoping that in her haste and the post-concert confusion no one left in the club would notice that one person had entered the bathroom and another left. She stowed her bag behind a dumpster in hopes it wouldn't get noticed or stolen.

Lindsay then stood perfectly still for about 30 seconds as she summoned electricity around her, feeling and hearing the slight crackle of electricity beginning to creep across her skin until the electricity flared with a crack, forming itself into two elongated lightning bolt-shaped weapons.

So much for any semblance of cover out here, but I guess it's better than doing it in that wet club bathroom... Now to see what's going on... The rocket must have made impact while I was changing...

The Charge stood at the end of the alley. Noticing that by far the least suspicious man there was Cross, she asked, "Sir, pardon me, but what the hell is going on here and WHY DOES THAT GUY HAVE A ROCKET LAUNCHER!?"

This is going to be a long night.

Okay, Lindsay, time to think. The building is definitely on fire, but typically, electricity makes fire... so me plus building is a bad idea. Let's hope the cop can handle it... I can see what I can do if I have to, but unless I get some stroke of inspiration, I'm stumped. People, on the other hand, are a lot easier to deal with... The Charge thought in the few seconds of silence.

The Charge was getting impatient. Will someone stop gawking and do something?

<< Previously.

It was quite a trek on foot from his house to the Dance club but he refused to take his own car so no one would know his identity, no super hero rides a bike and the last time he tried the public transit some teenagers had mocked him much to his dismay. So running was his alternative, if he were anyone but him he'd say at least it's good excercise but that was if he were anyone but him. As he was nearing the club he slowed so as to catch his breath a little when he feld a slight tremor and heard a deafening explosion. He stopped to check what it was and was shocked to see an apartment complex on fire. "Aha," He said realizing his vision had just come true. It was shortly after this muttered comment that he saw the costumed individual from his vision as well as a man who was explaining to her what had happened and what they needed to do. Every hero has to start somewhere. He walked up to the two and cleared his throat, "Is there anyway I may be of assisstance?" He kicked himself after saying it. Heroes didn't speak so properly they said action things. He wasn't off to a good start.

Mythos had made the building fall down. It was a master piece work. He saw the roof of the building start to fall, making it's way towards the powerful James Cross who had just punched a large hole through the wall and was helping people jump out. But Mythos wasn't ready for when James caught the entire ceiling and held it up. That was extraordinary. If The Mastermind had been seeing this right now, Mythos would be as good as gone. James Cross seemed to be so much stronger than anything Mythos had ever seen. How could this be? James Cross was such a simpleton compared to Mythos. Mythos was the only individual good enough to serve The Mastermind. To Mythos's delight the ceiling finally seemed to fall and with that came the rest of the building. James Cross was dead.

Mythos then teleported from the rooftop of the PU to the alleyway where James Cross had once stood. His work here was done. Mythos had succeeded in his mission of killing James Cross. "Thy Mastermind's will be done," Mythos said in his cold, monotone voice as he carved the elegant letter M into the side alleyway wall of the PU. It was The Mastermind/Mythos's calling card. The Mastermind was unstoppable. Nobody could ever thwart him and Mythos would always see to that. It was then that Mythos was actually startled by a deep, booming voice. "Hands where I can see them mister. If my hunch is correct you are in deep trouble."

Mythos, quickly calming himself down and preparing for trouble, turned around and saw that it was the PU bouncer, Tiny. Mythos's blank stare scanned the bouncer up and down. The large black man seemed to be holding a gun in his oversized hands. "Please." Mythos said coldly in his monotone voice. "Put the gun down my friend. It would be better for you and I both."

The bouncer continued to hold the gun, pointed directly at Mythos's face, and then said, "No! You started this fire. I saw you carving that M into the wall! I have heard about you on the news! You are The Mastermind!"

Mythos's eyes grew wide with fury. "The Mastermind! The Mastermind!?!?!?! You speak blasphemy. I could never be what The Mastermind is. He is the father. He is the most powerful being on this Earth. I am but his humble servant and so pitiful minion of this drone world it is time for you to see the power and might of The Mastermind's punishment!"

Using his thoughts, Mythos pushed Tiny forcefully into the brick wall of the PU and started to choke him. Tiny seemed to be struggling, but Mythos's mind power was too powerful. His abilities were holding Tiny to the wall, killing him slowly. It was when Mythos heard the scream of Laura Listerine when he knew there would be trouble. "James! James!" the reconizable voice of Laura Listerine rang through to the alley way and Mythos turned in surprise. He saw Laura Listerine running towards James Cross, whom Mythos thought he had killed. What had happened? James Cross had escaped death at the hands of Mythos once again. This was unreal.

"Die you sick b*****d!" Mythos snapped back to reality just as Tiny had shouted his taunt and released a bullet from the gun. Mythos's temporary distraction from Tiny had released Tiny from his hold. Mythos didn't have time to control his emotions. The bullet wasn't stopped before it hit it's target. It went straight into Mythos's stomach. Mythos held back a scream. It was the only way to control his emotions to kill this fat a**. Too many emotions were inside Mythos's head now though. Pain, anger, despair, agony, and disgust with himself were all of the emotions he felt. It was when Tiny prepared for the second shot when Mythos used all of his focus that The Mastermind had taught him to flood out all of his emotions. The gun went off again and the second shot came whizzing at him. Using his thoughts once again, he stopped the bullet midair and with the flick of his wrist sent the bullet back at Tiny, full speed, hitting the bouncer straight in the head. Tiny's head exploded and his body went limp to the ground.

Mythos breathed in deeply, which stung his stomach like a b***h. He was bleeding severely and he knew he needed to go to The Mastermind immediately. This wasn't one of those scratches that Mythos could sometimes get and after a bit of rest it would stop bleeding. This was a wound he could die from, especially since he had the condition where he would continuosly bleed until he sat still. Mythos needed The Mastermind. Using what little will power Mythos had left, he cleared his mind and in a blink of the eye vanished into thin air.

MYTHOS

Mythos looked around at the familiar surroundings with a dead-pan look. He had been here before, but his companion did not know this. It was right across the street where he had tried to kill James Cross. Then the girl asked the question Mythos had been ready for...

Why was he here of all places?

Mythos looked at the girl and answered, "My parents are dead." Mythos said with so much ease that he feared this girl was going to question him even more. "I am looked after by a... man... a great thinker and shaker of our time I believe. He taught me everything and I think of him much like a father. He has been there for me through it all. We moved here from... the city of Cleanopolis. A great city but my caretaker... well he was growing tired of all of this and decided to move here."

Mythos hoped that was believable enough, though as he was explaining all of this to the girl, he had suddenly come to a realization about something. Who were his real parents? Mastermind had forbidden Mythos on ever asking about the night Mastermind had found him. Why was Mythos here of all places? Mythos had to quickly shrug off all of these questions though. The Mastermind had been good to him... too good as a matter of fact. Without Mastermind, Mythos would most likely be dead.

Mythos carried on the conversation though, "Nice place," he lied through his teeth. "Sort of like the space we had for bands back in Cleanopolis. Tell me though.... what is this you mean about supers? I have heard people whispering about that subject from time to time in my short period here. What is all of this about supers?"

MYTHOS

Mythos did not like that this girl never really gave him complete answers. He had always been used to ordinary people telling him what he needed to know. But he seemed to like this girl more and more with every sentence she uttered. Yes it was true; Mythos did not like the fact that she never seemed to give him the answers he wanted, but she had a sense of mystery about her. Another plus, she hadn't asked Mythos more about the Mastermind... his caretaker... and that really started to make Mythos think that he had chosen the right person to befriend.

A friend...

That is something Mythos actually had never thought he'd think about before. Was this girl becoming his friend? No! She couldn't be. Mastermind's orders were to keep anyone that may be of some use close and this girl definitely seemed to be street smart about a lot in Delmor, especially about these so called supers. It was true that Mythos knew he had a gift, but Mythos did not know that so many others possessed something as well. He had never asked Mastermind about that and Mythos feared that if he did he would upset his master and Mythos did not want that.

Mythos looked at the girl and said, "I am very interested to hear your take on the subject of supers, but you know... I have answered all of the questions you have given me straight, yet I asked you one simple one and you chose to ignore it. What is your name friend?"

MYTHOS

Bloody Mary huh? Mythos liked the ring to it and this girl looked like a Blood Mary. Of course, Mythos realized that this wasn't really the girls name, but... neither was the name he gave "Bloody Mary." Mythos looked around the vacant space and then looked back a Bloody Mary, speaking in the same monotone voice he always had been, "You know... Bloody Mary, how am I supposed to know you aren't a 'super.' Maybe you are one of the bad guys." Mythos let out a laugh to make her understand he was kidding, but it sounded so unnatural; not like other laughs he had heard before.

Just then Mythos heard a noise coming from somewhere above. It was the tiniest creaking, but Mythos could hear it nonetheless. The creaking went across the floor above and then the voices of two males could be clearly heard coming down a flight of stairs. They were talking rapidly and both of the men sounded as if this conversation was a very important one. Mythos looked around and tried to find cover. It wasn't that he was scared, but he wanted to see what these men were talking about.

"Quick!" Mythos whispered to Bloody Mary. "Behind there!" Mythos pointed to the bar located near them and he moved quickly to the cover of the bar. Seconds later the men stepped out, but they were followed by three other men with automatic machine guns in their hands. The two leaders of the group looked completely opposite to one another. One man wore an expensive looking black suit with his brilliant blonde hair in a tight ponytail and the other man was very obese and wore a Hawaiian shirt with pizza stains all over it and a cigarette was dangling from his mouth.

"Do we have a deal?" the man with the ponytail asked sharply.

"Well... as long as I get all of the money as promised I can definitely talk to the owner of this space and get him to sign the contract... yes." the fat, cigarette smoking man said.

"Excellent." ponytail guy answered back, rubbing his hands greedily. "Mr. X will be very pleased."

"Do forgive me friend." the fat man said. "But I would like to know the actual identity of the man who I am buying protection from is..."

The man with the ponytail frowned very unpleasantly and answered, "That is none of your concern partner." As the ponytail man said this, the three other armed men rose their guns a little bit, signaling for the fat man not to ask anymore questions.

Mythos gathered from this action that the armed men were working for the man with the ponytail, that was clear enough, but just who was this man with the ponytail working for? Who was this Mr. X? This intrigued Mythos a lot and he was sure the Mastermind would be just as curious; especially if someone else besides Mastermind was now working the streets.

"Looks like we entered upon a conversation we were not supposed to hear..." Mythos whispered to Bloody Mary.

MYTHOS

Mythos looked at her and just continued to stare. He didn't know what to do. Usually he could have just gotten up and pointed at the men and they all would freeze in their spots instantly, unable to move, and one by one Mythos would strangle them to death with his mind. That's what he normally would have done, but Mastermind had strictly told Mythos not to use his powers in front of anyone until told otherwise. Another thing to note was that these men had three machine guns! Mythos had just been shot not long ago and had almost died from the wound were it not for Mastermind. He did not want to risk getting shot again.

He finally snapped out of his trance and whispered, "I do not know what to do Mary. There are too many of them... the odds are against us." Though they were not. Mythos hated saying that because he knew he could kill every one of them. 'Stupid girl!' Mythos suddenly thought. 'Why would she bring us somewhere like this?' Mythos had thought this Bloody Mary was something too, but why would she bring him to a place that would be trouble?

He turned this way and that, looking for somewhere to go, but upon turning around to face Mary again, he accidentally knocked into the bar, shaking it and throwing some glass pint cups to the ground. 'Oh no...'

"What was that?" the man with the ponytail asked, looking around. He gestured towards the three armed men and they rose their guns and started coming towards where Mythos and Mary were hiding.

Mythos cursed himself. There was no backing out of it now. He had known that sooner or later the men would have spotted either Mary or him, but Mythos could have thought of a plan by then. He then turned to Mary. "I am such a buffoon. Looks like the jig is up... listen Mary... whatever happens... follow my lead..." Mythos was as monotone as ever. It would take great concentration to win this battle.