Villain of Crime: Chapter 3 – Rich Man of the People

Chapter 3 – Rich Man of the People

Today I meet with Lancetto apart from the others since I need a more casual meeting than the usual serious ones. We’re sharing lunch at one of his family’s office buildings that has a popular brunch restaurant in it. Even though I offered to pay for it, Lancetto says that the meal is on the house since his family owns the building that the brunch restaurant is in.

“How goes it with the chief? I hear nothing but positive news in the media,” Lancetto says.

“The work is starting to grind on me,” I admit. “We get rid of criminals on the street, and they keep popping up in different areas in and outside of the city, particularly in the suburbs.”

“Still, you’re doing a lot of good.”

“Sure. Have you heard what people are saying on social media and at the protests in the streets? They think L’Obscurité sold out to the government because he’s working with them.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t worry about them. It’s just a bunch of noise and anarchists who want nothing but to see those in power suffer because they don’t live like the rich.”

“But what he’s doing is supposed to be inspiring people to work within the law rather than be against it.”

“I get what you’re saying, but there are always people out there who say you sold out or are corrupt for one reason or another.”

“There has to be a middle ground.”

“There isn’t any. Despite what people say about believing in grey morality or being apolitical, people will always see things as being either good or evil. It’s best to just do the best you can and only worry about legitimate criticism from trustworthy people.”

“People such as yourself?”

“You know it, brother. I’ll always be rooting for you. Well, me, Darcy, and your parents, even though they don’t know about your other side. Speaking about her, is she still bothering you?”

“When does she not? She’s always texting or calling me, wanting to know how things are going and when we’ll see each other again. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in my room, watching me sleep.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me either. Be careful around that lady.”

“What about you? Do you have any lady trouble of your own?”

“No, and I don’t want any right now since I’m so busy with everything, including that day of appreciation.”

“How’s that going?”

“Good. I was able to negotiate a day off for most workers, and those who chose to work that day get overtime. All that’s left is arranging police and hero security, schedule of events, and other odds and ends.”

“Thanks. I owe you for this.”

“And other favors concerning law, business, and the Church. You can pay me back with a day of games and drinks. I still need to settle the score in a few kart racing and board games.”

“Well, when we do play, expect that score to stay unsettled because I’ll be winning most of the games again.”

“We’ll see about that. I’ve been practicing.”

Lancetto and I laugh before talking about our love of games and then going our separate ways for work. I visit Klinge as L’Obscurité and talk to him about any new information he might have found.

“I’ve heard from friends of friends that their possessions and wages have been taken by their debtors. I also heard that they were offered a way to pay off their debts in one sweep by partaking in ‘legit’ testing for powers, but most were smart enough to deny it and take the debt on the chin,” Klinge says, along with the locations at the where the stolen property may be.

“Seems simple enough,” I say.

“That’s where you’re wrong, because what was taken from the workers wasn’t exactly theirs to begin with. They bought stolen property and goods at a cheap price from the criminals since they’re short on cash and are under agreements that the criminals can take back whatever they sell and pay if the debtors don’t pay their dues with interest meaning that you’re going to have a tough time convincing the chief to give people what they bought and are owed.”

“I’ll see what I can do. The contract they gave me was…edited to be in my favor.”

“And they didn’t notice?”

“Not yet, they didn’t.”

“They will sooner or later, since those terms are how they keep powerful people like you under control. I hope you’re ready for the trouble you’ll be in.”

“I am. They’ll have to keep me after I’ve shown them how much of an invaluable ally I am to them.”

Klinge grunts and then says, “They’ve villainized more famous heroes for less. Be careful with them. Those in power can be more villainous than those who aren’t.”

“Hahaha! Isn’t that the truth?”

Klinge wishes me luck, tells me the location where this crime is happening, and the business that does. I then relay this information to Raymond, except I leave out the part about the people being paid in stolen property. He agrees to go with me to undercover this operation, and we meet there independently like always, however, before he gets there, I go through the area, disappearing some of the stolen property and giving it back to the poor of the city who are owed it, including some of the homeless on the street who get both money, clothes, and food. When Raymond arrives, he doesn’t suspect anything and just asks to be pointed in the right direction. I do so, and we go to the supermarket mall where the center of the operations is.

Entering the supermarket, some of the employees complain about “stolen” goods and are already at each other’s throats. The manager of the operations steps out and tries to keep the peace, but Raymond demanding to search the area and the employees to explain themselves further enflames tensions as people accuse each other of setting them up for the police. They then start firing at and fighting one another. In the chaos, Raymond calls for backup, which comes in seconds since they were just around the corner waiting for his signal. Because of the backup, I’m better able to focus on the criminals and keep the innocents who were working for them out of the way and a way out, so they aren’t implicated in their mess.

During the chaos, I find the manager and go after him. His superhuman bodyguards come after me to slow me down, but after taking away their powers and making them suffer the consequences of their sins, I’m able to go back after the manager and corner him in an alley.

“Hahaha! Cornered like the rat you are,” I say.

“A rat, you say? Do rats give people opportunities to advance in life? Make more of themselves?” the manager asks.

“You made people experiment on themselves and work in slavish working conditions and contracts to enrich yourself and make yourself more powerful.”

“You’re wrong. I did what had to be done to give people the opportunity to rise beyond the corrupt leaders we find ourselves under.”

“By being one yourself?”

“By making my own superhumans. Creating an industry for people who would get screwed over worse in more established industries. At least when I screw them over, they know ahead of time. You know, you were right in me wanting to make myself more powerful, and this is how I do it.”

The manager sticks himself with a needle, and his thin body turns muscular, and his light brown skin turns grey and black.

“Ha! Do you think your new powers will stop me? Do you know who I am?”

“I do. That’s why I have something that will stop you. Come on out, everyone!”

Before I can do anything, people start coming out of hidden doors that I thought were plain walls. Everyone here is innocent, so I can’t do anything to them, and in the few seconds that I lose sight of the manager, he disappears. The bastard either also gained super speed, the ability to turn invisible, or both, and I have no clue where he went. Seeing as how these innocent people helped him escape and have their hands dirty with his work, I try to make them leave, but Raymond catches them before they do.

“Do you think you can make these criminals leave just like you did the others?” he asks.

“Only normal, poor people escaped before things escalated,” I say.

“People whom you also gave stolen possessions and cash to. You’re not the only person who has secret contacts behind the scenes. We need to talk; you, me, and the mayor.”

I go with Raymond in his police car to the mayor’s office, and he talks about what I did.

“So? What do you have to say about this? You’ve broken the terms we agreed to,” Raymond says.

“I didn’t break any terms. You should read that long list of restraints that you put on me again,” I say.

“What? Bring in the paper he signed.”

Tim brings in the papers, looks them over, and says, “Nope. He didn’t break any of the terms.”

“Give me that.” Raymond looks over the terms and then says, “These are different than the normal terms given to city heroes and vigilantes!”

“They are?” Jeph and Tim say in astonishment.

“Don’t act stupid. You’re supposed to read these over in case someone changes them, and be familiar with them from top to bottom. Are you honestly saying that you didn’t notice?”

A few moments of silence pass until Tim admits that, “I did notice it after he signed, but because the terms-”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, fanboy! Mayor Jeph, what are we going to do now that this kid couldn’t go a month without breaking the terms he signed for?”

“Nothing,” Mayor Jeph says. “I must also take the blame for not noticing the changes and doing nothing about them.”

“But you can still do something about it.”

“But I won’t. L’Obscurité has done nothing evil as far as I’m concerned and doesn’t need to be punished for it.”

“This isn’t about punishing evil. He still broke the law.”

“When did you lose your love for virtue?”

“What?”

“You used to talk to me about making the city a better place and adjusting the laws as one of the ways of doing this. You’ve lost sight of your goals because of legalism, Chief Raymond. Breaking the law can be evil or good, and in this case, L’Obscurité did something good. In fact, I think he did us a favor. Go and release those people you arrested who were forced to work for the actual criminals. If you want to punish them, tell the courts to make them work for however many days of community service. Tell them to work at one of the Severe charities. I hear they pay well and have nice places to work.”

“But Jeph-”

“But nothing! The government of a city should work for its citizens just as much as its citizens work for it. I don’t care how much it costs to give the poor people who got caught up with the wrong crowd a new beginning, just do it! I’m tired of the poor of this city either having to deal with squalor living conditions or being forced to be the lackies of some villain or crime boss.”

“…yes, sir.”

Raymond walks out of the room looking defeated and feeling as if he’s been shamefully exposed. I give him time alone while thinking about how to get back on the trail of the manager whom I saw and who is behind the superhuman drug. As if answering my want for an answer, I look at my phone and see a text from Darcy, asking how my day has been going since she heard about what happened on the news. After putting some distance between me and the mayor’s office and putting back my normal appearance on, I tell her what happened and if she has any information on who I saw. Hardly a minute passes before she says she knows and that I have to see her so she can explain everything, because of course she can’t simply email or call to tell me the information, so I agree and go to the art school where she’s teaching today.

Darcy dismisses the class when I arrive at her classroom and takes me to a private and wide-open room. The room is decorated with various kinds of art, both beautiful, horrific, ambiguous, and simple. In the center of the room is a large table with different kinds of papers, books, and canvases to draw on with various kinds of drawing utensils.

“Why are we in here?” I ask.

“You know me. This is one of my favorite rooms in the locations that my family owns. It’s so nice and quiet. Besides, what we need to talk about is a private matter,” she says.

Going over to a computer and speaker in the corner of the room, she starts playing slow dance music and holds out her hand. I roll my eyes, take her hand, and dance with her as she puts her head on my chest.

“We should dance like this more often,” she says.

“The information I came here for. Who is this manager I’m after?” I ask.

“His name is Derick, otherwise known as the Manager. He was an optimistic soul, thinking that he could change the system from within, but after so many years of getting nowhere, having to punish the innocent, ignoring the crimes of those in power, and allow the guilty to walk away from deserved prison sentences, so that he wouldn’t lose his job and life, he lost his mind. He quit and works in the poorer districts of the city, copying the corrupt leadership and clients he worked with, except he lets people know that he gives them bad deals and when he’s going to be unfair to them.”

“Why do people choose to work with him then?”

“He’s completely honest with people even when he’s being selfish. He also carried a lot of money, business secrets, and the formulas to create superhumans with him, along with many of the tools and chemicals needed to do so. When he says he’ll do something, he takes every risk to accomplish his goal, and if he fails, he’s honest about it without making any excuses. At the same time, he expects those he works with to do the same as him.”

“I see. Honesty is his only policy then.”

“He cares about that so he can show the corrupt that they can be powerful through honesty. It’s his only goal since he’s lost his moral compass after being broken down for so long.”

“Poor soul. I’ll say a prayer for him and have to bring an end to his suffering soon.”

“For now, let’s keep dancing together.” I try to let go of Darcy, but she tightens her grip on me. “I won’t let you leave me.”

“I could transform and enter the shadows or light to easily escape.”

“But do you want to? I can feel that you’re tired and overworked because of how much you’ve been running around, helping people, and stopping crime.” I grunt. “I’m right, aren’t I? Rest in my arms,” Darcy says and then kisses my face. “I’m here for you.”

I can’t help but do as Darcy says, as if my body prefers to listen to her rather than me. Of course, the dance isn’t the only thing she wants. She doesn’t let my hand go as we go out to dinner and spend some time walking around Meridian, looking at the towering buildings and walking through the parks. Am I doing this because I truly love her or because she’s a valuable ally and wouldn’t want to give her a reason to turn against me? Time will tell, but for now, I have to admit that spending time with her is nice and relaxing.

Villain of Crime: Chapter 2 – The Nature of Legitimate Justice

Chapter 2 – The Nature of Legitimate Justice

I meet Klinge, Lancetto, and Darcy at one of Lancetto’s private meeting locations where no one can hear, see, or spy on us in the guise of L’Obscurité. Klinge is uneasy to see me as always, while Darcy is elated, and Lancetto admires my dark appearance.

“Where’s Timeo?” Klinge asks.

“He has a meeting with the Chief of Police and Mayor Jeph today, so I’ll let him know what we discussed and decide during the meeting,” Lancetto says.

“He’s fine with making decisions without him?”

“I am his best friend, a brother to him that he completely agrees with, such as my choices in the latest game we’re playing.”

“He mostly agrees with me, and I’m sure he’d argue with you in whatever game you’re playing,” I correct.

Lancetto smiles and then says, “Let’s begin the meeting by going over our goals.”

“It’s to flush out and punish the scum in our city. What’s there to go over?” Klinge asks.

“The specifics,” Darcy says. “Specifics matter because they can inspire people to extremism like I have through my art and talks.”

“How am I supposed to be specific with my people? They’re simple, workers who want to get paid for honest work or to innovate with machines at most,” Klinge points out.

“Don’t forget that the simple desire for a living wage was what pushed your people to crime, lest you forget how we met and I pointed out the criminal dealings happening beneath your feet,” I say.

“Oh, that’s right,” Klinge says while rubbing his arms. “What do you suggest I do then? I’ve only been able to keep my people in line because of what you did. Cutting back on expansions so we can pay our workers more and allow for more comfortable and safer working conditions does only so much.”

“We know. Creating more opportunities for work for people who don’t want a job in a given field isn’t exactly the best solution,” Lancetto says. “I do know one solution that works. Praying helps.”

“It does?”

Lancetto gestures to me and says, “When you showed up to save me from traitors, I prayed, and you showed mercy on the others.”

“That’s right. I can temper my powers that way, so I can keep to my promise with the chief,” I say.

“Alright, I’m not much of a praying man, but I’ll try. That still doesn’t begin to solve the bigger problems we face.”

“Perhaps we can have collaborations together or a celebration for our workers,” Darcy suggests. “We can show them how much we appreciate them and love our city so that they wouldn’t have a reason to harm it. They should also have two or three paid days off, so they can have time for their families and rest. We may take a hit in funding, but the long-term effect will help.”

“That could work.”

“I like it,” Lancetto says. “I’ll arrange it to happen this month during the celebration of this city’s founding with my contacts and pay for the majority of it, while you two and Timeo can pay for their people. Is that fair?”

Klinge and Darcy agree on this, but Klinge adds that, “It just occurred to me, but they may expect such a celebration every year.”

“We’ll have a year to judge if it’s worth it to do it in this way. If crime and corruption are down, we’ll do it again. If not, we’ll evaluate it and change things up,” Lancetto says.

“What of our usual business operations? I know Darcy's field of expertise doesn’t exactly keep the town running, no offense, but I don’t think the city can go a day without farming, hospitals, or office businesses.”

“Whoever chooses to work will receive overtime. I’ll iron out the details with my people and let you know what they decide,” Lancetto says. “They may look at us like kids in their mid-twenties acting like seasoned adults, but I think they’ll mostly agree with our plan given that our efforts have reduced corruption in our fields.”

“Well, we have, but I think you’ve done the most, L’Obscurité,” Darcy says.

“Right. Him and Timeo,” Lancetto adds.

“Alright, alright, enough with the thanking. I prefer putting our plan into action rather than talking about it.”

“Right. Let’s get to work then.”

Klinge springs up and walks out of the room while Lancetto and Darcy hang back.

“I think that went well,” Lancetto says.

“We didn’t decide or clarify much,” I say.

“But it was something we had to meet and decide in secret about. It wasn’t wasted time.”

“I’m not saying it was. I’m still not used to how slow change can happen.”

“It’s the nature of legitimate business. Try not to let it bother you. It’s still your second year in the long game of being a hero, after all.”

“I’ll try. Thanks for your help.”

“Do I get thanks as well? I think we need to talk privately for a second,” Darcy suggests.

Lancetto looks at me, and I nod at him and say, “It’s okay. You have more work than all of us combined to do.”

“Alright,” Lancetto uneasily says and then walks out of the room.

Darcy looks at me with a smile on her face as she gets up, walks over to me, and puts her arms around me, as I expected.

“What do you want?” I ask, trying not to roll my eyes.

“Manifest your true face for me,” Darcy says. I do, and Darcy’s eyes light up as if there’s something special about my face. “Why don’t you turn your other eye into its natural brown color and skin back to its natural pale color? It’s a more attractive look.”

“You wanted my face, so here it is.”

“Ah, I see what you’re trying to say. You’re closer to your true self as L’Obscurité than Timeo Severe.”

“No, I-”

Darcy puts a finger on my lips and then retracts it.

“You’re more artistic than you think. We have to spend a day creating art together. The first time was so enlightening.”

“We’ll see.”

Darcy starts kissing my face, and I manage to stop her before she kisses my lips as I grab her face and hold it back.

“Always such a tease. Keep doing that. It only makes me want you more.”

“Tch. I don’t know why I humor you.”

“Maybe you share the same feelings for me that I have for you somewhere in that dark heart of yours. There’s also the fact that I can get information that others can’t, such as the fact that the warehouse you cleaned out with the chief had drugs to turn people into superhumans.”

“What?”

“Go to him and ask. He’ll tell you the same thing.”

I enter the shadows and speed off to my “meeting” with the mayor and chief. When I slip into their office, I find them already talking about crime and vigilantes like me.

“I’m close to finding out who L’Obscurité is. He was in that room last night. I’m sure of it,” Raymond says.

“Haha! I’m in this very room now,” I say while manifesting myself from the shadows, making the two men jump in their seats.

“This is a private meeting! What are you doing here?”

“I need to personally talk to the mayor and you about what we found yesterday.”

“Get an appointment next time.”

“It’s fine, Raymond. I’ve been curious to meet and talk to this infamous vigilante,” Jeph says.

“Mr. Mayor, I have to disagree. Vigilantes like him are why people look down on the cops as nothing more than an old institution.”

“I have nothing but respect for the police. Well, respect only for honorable officers such as yourself.”

“Oh, don’t kiss my ass now. I still don’t know what you’re playing at with this whole act.”

“It’s nothing more than me trying to help the city in the best way possible. I’m not hiding anything at all and have never done so.”

“He’s telling the truth, chief. Let’s give the man a chance.”

“You know what, sure. I’m doing it just to keep an eye on you. So, what do you want to talk about from yesterday?”

“I want to talk about how some of the drugs there were the kind that gave people superpowers.”

“How did you know that?”

“If I want to know something, nothing stops me from finding it out. Now, Mr. Mayor, Chief Raymond, may I humbly ask that you bring attention to this issue so that we can solve it as soon as possible.”

“You don’t get to decide who we go after. Who do you think you are to ask-”

“But Chief,” Jeph interrupts. “This is an issue that you’ve been wanting to bring to the forefront as well. Curbing the number of superhuman villains will make it easier for the police to do their job, so we won’t need to rely so heavily on heroes and vigilantes.”

“And you mean not relying on vigilantes like this guy? What do you call relying on men like him? He’s not even registered with any government-approved association.”

“It’s an acceptable compromise. Besides, he’s willing to work with us within the rules of the law, so he’s legit in my book. I’ll even sign him as one right now, if he’ll agree to our terms.”

“I will.”

“See, chief? Just like that, we have a powerful ally, and a problem of yours is solved.”

“Tch, whatever.”

“Chief. Raymond. It’s better to have allies than enemies, and if he steps out of line on our terms, you’ll have every legitimate excuse to go after him.”

“You’re right. Just give him the papers to sign already,” Raymond says while taking out a piece of gum and chewing it.

Mayor Jeph calls Deputy Mayor Tim over with the terms I am supposed to sign, and he comes over almost immediately. When entering the room, he looks at me with astonishment and asks if I could sign a paper for him since he’s a fan of mine.

Raymond scuffs at this and whispers to himself, “Where doesn’t this guy have fans?”

I sign the paper for Tim and take the papers I need to sign from here. Carefully reading them with my finger, I find that these terms make me a hero exclusive to this city. There’s not much to argue with, such as only killing when in mortal danger, taking most alive for the police, and not taking anything from the crime scene for myself, however, I do have to argue with dealing with crimes within the government, legitimate businesses, and hero associations since I need permission to pursue them. Thankfully, my powers change these terms without the mayor or chief noticing so that I can pursue criminals within legitimate institutions with due cause and proof. After some changes, I sign the papers, much to Jeph and Tim’s excitement and appreciation.

As for Raymond, he tepidly accepts this and leaves the room. In the blink of an eye, I catch up to him and let him know about the work I want to do with him today. Thanks to the information Darcy got for me, I tell him about an area where we can find the superhuman criminals and where the drug may be produced or stored.

“Okay. Let’s go get them, but you’re not flying me there like last time. We’re taking my car,” Raymond says.

“I’ll respect your wishes and keep to your shadow,” I say.

“The way you say it makes it weird. Just get there by yourself, and I’ll meet you there.”

I do as Raymond says and get to the first warehouse in a matter of minutes. While waiting for him, I scout the area and find that all the houses on the block are connected on the inside. Some of the houses aren’t even homes and are just pseudo storage areas or labs where drugs are being made, weapons are being tested, and degenerate partying is happening. There are people living in a few of these houses, but they have to share cramped and dirty living conditions with barely enough food to feed them. Tch, and most people say that the rich are cruel. I’m tempted to clear out the criminals here, but I restrain myself not to spoil the goodwill I’ve just created and wait a good ten minutes for Raymond to arrive. When he does, he looks around at the houses and the area.

Knowing what he’s thinking, I tell him, “I didn’t do anything yet except scout the warehouse and houses.”

“And?”

“I’d suggest backup, but since you’re with me, you don’t need it.”

“Are there that many of them? It looks like a normal middle-class block to me.”

“It’s actually one connected building. Even though there are normal and innocent people among the criminals, there are a lot to deal with.”

“Maybe I should call backup then.”

“If you do, they may want to escape. Let them think we’re in over our heads so we can get as many of them as possible.”

“Tch,” Raymond says as he sighs and then spits out his gum into a wrapper. “I hope your confidence isn’t misplaced.”

“Haha, it isn’t. To demonstrate it, let’s kick the beehive, shall we?”

“We should no-”

I laugh loud enough for the entire block to hear me, tell them I know what evil deeds they’re up to, and challenge them to fight us. Raymond takes cover behind a car with his revolver out and looking around for trouble. Sure enough, a hail of gunfire comes from the windows, all of which is directed at me. Once the dust settles, I laugh, envelop the area in darkness, bring the criminals out of their houses, and put them on the streets where they are twisted and broken, but not killed. I silently pray for them while using my powers, and just as Lancetto said, not even the worst of them is killed.

Outside, Raymond is holding his own against the criminals that go after him, so I lend support to him when needed and keep an eye on him while working my way through the houses. A few minutes later, the superhumans come out and start attacking us. Some of them melt or die instantly, or slowly and painfully as a result of trying the drug for the first time, but some can use their powers of super strength, endurance, and speed instantly. At the same time, it didn’t take long for me to take away their powers with a single touch. Most go back to normal, while others unfortunately die from the sudden change and aftereffects of the drug. One victim of the change is a young boy who tries taking the drug, thinking that I’m some sort of villain, and dies, bleeding through his skin.

Raymond catches me, stunned, looking over this boy, and after explaining what happened, he says, “It happens when people think you’re the bad guy.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, are you alright? This can’t be the worst thing you’ve seen.”

“No, but the deaths of innocents are haunting to witness.”

Raymond looks at me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go and make sure no one else ends up like this.”

Keeping my mind on the task at hand, I keep fighting and punishing people for their sins to get the thought of the dead boy out of my head. The battle ends soon after, so I search the area over and over again until I’m sure that no criminal is left resisting arrest before I undo my barrier of darkness. I tell Raymond the area is clear, and he calls in backup to lock up the criminals and take the drugs and weapons back to the station. Meanwhile, I can’t help but look at the innocent people who are being arrested for aiding in the criminal activity here and brought in for questioning.

“I hope that they won’t face serious jail time,” I say.

“You wanted to punish criminals, right? This is what it looks like,” Raymond says while taking out a piece of gum to chew on. “Not every one of them is completely selfish. Some are just desperate people who don’t know what to do or are forced to help those who are evil. If you have friends in the courts, now’s the time to call in a few favors.”

“I’ll try to. There should be new laws being passed so that people like these are given minor punishments and allowed to enter normal society so they aren’t denied jobs and a new beginning.”

“Let’s hope they have the effect they’re designed for. Not every good-intentioned law or action necessarily has good results.”

I grunt and look down at the ground as I reflect on what happened today.

“You did good, kid. Keep your head up.”

“I’m not a kid.”

“You can try to mask your voice as much as you can, but your actions tell me your age. I’ll find out sooner or later who you really are.”

I grunt and then say, “Farewell for now, Chief Raymond. There’s more to be done.”

“Ain’t that the truth. See you later, kid.”

While going back to my normal life, I can’t help but think about what happened today and ways to prevent it. I’m not so naïve to think that I can completely avoid the tragic deaths of the innocent, but at the same time. There has to be a way to mostly prevent it. At the same time, I don’t think that’ll happen until years down the line. It’s just like Lancetto said. It’s the nature of legitimate business, and this is only my second year. For now, I try not to let the weight of present tragedies and the possibility of future tragedy bother me and keep my head high, as Raymond said. We did the best we could.

Villain of Crime: Chapter 1 – Attempting a Change

Chapter 1 – Attempting a Change

Chief of Police Raymond Ellory is investigating a crime scene, or rather, one where justice took place, as the skin of the criminals who did deals in this abandoned apartment building has become one with the walls, ceiling, and floors. He chews his gum while thinking about how much he hates vigilantes and what his next move should be. Raymond has a shaved military cut hairstyle with a scar over his left eye, scars on both sides of his face, and is wearing a long dark coat, body armor, and his Chief badge for all to see. His assistant, Chief Assistant Ralph, is dressed in the same way except he isn’t scarred at all and has slightly longer hair.

Ralph approaches him from behind and says, “There’s not much else here to find that the forensics team can dig up. The guy who’s been doing this leaves no trace of entering or leaving. He never gets hit, so he never leaves bloodstains, nor does he seem to walk because we can’t find any shoe marks unique to him.”

“Even if I don’t find anything new, I want this to be a motivator to find him,” Raymond says.

“Motivator? Ha! For most, it either scares them or motivates them to do the same thing. You’re lucky we had other officers come here first after people heard about screams and moans coming from this building.”

“Yeah. No one deserves to live stretched out like this. I don’t blame those two who came here first and put them out of their misery.”

“Will you be here long? You still have dinner with Mayor Jeph and Deputy Mayor Tim later tonight.”

“You can have my meal and be there in my place if I don’t show. Looks like it’s going to be another long night.”

“When is it not? Call me if you need anything.”

Raymond nods while examining the faces of the criminals, all of whom have their faces stuck in a state of perpetual horror, their mouths wide as if they’re still screaming. After checking the two floors of the apartment, he heads to the rooftop and looks out at the city of Meridian. Ahead of him is the center of it that constantly shines and towers above the poverty-stricken areas that surround it. He spits out his gum into a wrapper and is tempted to light a cigarette, but holds back and just plays with his lighter, turning it on and off again.

“Nice view, isn’t it?” I say from the shadows.

Raymond pulls out his revolver and points it in the direction of my voice as he turns around. He says, “Why don’t you share it with me rather than hiding?”

“Oh, I’m not hiding. I’ve been with you. Ever since you got here. Allow me to introduce myself.” I partially manifest my head and part of my body right in front of Raymond, scaring him. “My name is L’Obscurité. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. I’ve been wanting to meet you and put you behind bars for all the killing and torturing you’ve done.”

“My powers force people to see the sin in themselves. How they suffer and if they die is entirely dependent on them.”

“I don’t care for specifics. I just want you in cuffs! Manifest yourself completely, or I will blow your head off.”

“I’m not here to turn myself in. I’m-”

Raymond fires a shot that cuts across my face.

“Do. What. I. Said.”

“Haha! If that’s how you want to play this, then I will as well.”

Using my powers on Raymond, he starts to shake uncontrollably.

“What…what did you do to me?” he says while his finger keeps slipping from the trigger of his gun.

“Making you see your sin for yourself and revealing more to me. You shake because you hesitate to act at times. You don’t always hold your fellow officers’ feet to the fire when you notice they are slacking, acting childish, or being unbecoming of their office. You think that you can’t handle and solve every problem, and that it’s someone else’s problem to deal with, and even when it is, you don’t always help that person. In those you served, you see corruption at all levels, from the poorest wretch on the street to the most powerful politician and businessman, and you do nothing to change them.”

“Shut-shut up! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Inaction is just as sinful as action and can be worse than it. You are guilty of sloth. Guilty of letting criminals get away with theft, murder, the corruption of government, and unspeakable acts of lust, all because you didn’t think it was your problem to solve. That’s why you’re here. You have something to make up for and know that you’ve done wrong.”

“I said shut up!”

Raymond gets control of himself again and fires bullet after bullet into my face until his gun is empty and clicking. The large holes in my face close, and I stand as if nothing happened.

“Your superhuman rounds do nothing to me. Again, I’m not here to turn myself in. I want to work together with you.”

“I’m not going to work with a sadistic freak like you!”

“You have the opportunity to make me less of a freak and more like one of the law-abiding heroes and vigilantes of this city. It’s the better option, don’t you think?”

Raymond thinks for a bit, sighs, then says, “It is, but why would you want to when you’ve been working solo for a year?”

“You know that what I’ve been doing has been inspiring many others to do the same for better and worse. I’d like to make sure it’s for the better by working with the law. My efforts throughout the year have been less than effective in preventing extremist acts of vigilantism.”

“Ha! What does someone like you consider to be extremist?”

“I have no problem with the beating and killings of those truly guilty of heinous crimes, but there are those out there who will harm others just because they have different beliefs, have done minor crimes, work for shady companies or the government, and may appear to be more suspicious than they really are.”

“Understandable, but wouldn’t it have been better to have gone legit or stop trying to be a hero?”

“Trust me when I say that I’ve tried taking a break for a few months and working legitimately with my friends under my true name.”

“And your true name would be?”

“I’m not going to tell you. Not now, at least.”

“Come on. It would establish a bond of trust between us. Show me the face behind that mask.”

“…as you wish.”

I manifest a hand that pulls down my scarf that’s covering my face to reveal that half of my face is rotting and skeletal. This scares Raymond, who unintentionally takes a couple of steps back.

“I’ll let you know that this isn’t my real face, and I have something better than my identity that will establish trust between us. The information that I’ve gathered from the people in this apartment building has allowed me to find the location where they keep their stolen weapons, drugs, and other valuables.”

“How is that better than your identity?”

“Because it shows you that I’m intentionally restraining myself so that I don’t act like I usually do. If I had, those people at their secret stash would’ve been long-dead by now, and you wouldn’t have heard about it until tomorrow. So, what do you say? Can we work together?”

“Seeing as how it’s my best option to keep you from killing every criminal on the street, I accept, but remember, we’re doing this by the book.”

“Yes, sir, Chief Raymond. As an added favor, I’ll fly you to our target.”

“Wait, hold on!”

I wrap Raymond in darkness, and together, we fly through the air until we reach our destination. He’s shaky when we land and takes a second to gather himself.

“Don’t…do that without my okay. Okay?”

“Heh, sure.”

I go through the heavy steel door, unlock it, and allow Raymond inside. This warehouse is a dark, dim place that stinks of sin and the scum that inhabit it, and if I weren’t in my L’Obscurité form, I’d probably get sick and throw up. As for Raymond, he seems to be dealing with it fine and has his revolver out. He makes our presence known and tells the criminals to turn themselves in. No one responds, making Raymond think that no one is here until the criminals respond with gunfire. I shield Raymond with my body until the gunfire calms down and my power starts taking effect on the criminals. Some start throwing up money out of their bleeding mouths, while others start uncontrollably scratching themselves, shaking, or some other side effect as a result of their addiction to drugs, money, or violence.

“What’s happening?” Raymond asks.

“They’re debilitated and won’t die. That is if they don’t kill themselves as a result of their condition, of course,” I say. Raymond immediately calls his assistant, Ralph, to come to this location and bring help for the addicts. “Come. There may be more here.”

Following me with his gun up and ready to shoot, we search the rest of the warehouse until we enter the office within it and are met with gunfire again. Raymond manages to get a few shots off to injure a few of the criminals, so they don’t fight back while I string up the others. Going up to the boss of this gang, I ask him about his other operations, but he is uncooperative and acts tough. I’m not sure if it’s the drugs and alcohol in his system making him act this way or if he’s just that full of himself. Because we can’t get any answers out of him, I manifest a hand and put it down his throat and into his body, which starts expanding like a balloon.

“Hey!” Raymond says.

“Don’t worry. He won’t die from this, even though he may wish to,” I say as I search through his internal organs before pulling out feces from his mouth. “Huh. I couldn’t find a spine, but I did find this where his heart should be.”

The man splits in half from the bottom of his nose down to his crotch, and feces come out of his open body. He’s still alive, his eyes darting around the room, and his mouth agape with a gurgling scream coming out of it.

“What the hell…” Raymond says in astonishment.

“Again, he won’t die and will be back to normal by tomorrow morning, but he may need therapy,” I say.

“You’re screwed up in the head.”

“Maybe, however, this man got what he deserved. I can’t control what happens to those affected by my powers. Anyways, I got the information that I need, but I will have to act on it tomorrow. I have somewhere else to be tonight. Tonight has been fruitful, hasn’t it?”

“I won’t lie. There’s a lot here to lock up, and it’s a gold mine of weapons, drugs, and criminals to lock up. At the same time, you’ve shown that you’re more messed up than I thought.”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you again. Remember well what you have seen and experienced today.”

I laugh as I enter the shadows, leave the building, and travel faster than the speed of light to tonight’s dinner with the mayor. After manifesting myself from the shadows, I enter the meeting at the hotel from the front entrance and take my seat with my best friend, Lancetto, who is dressed in his favorite top hat and suit, glasses, and tie as usual. His gold, white, and blue outfit contrasts with my black and grey suit, tie, and shoes as if he’s the more joyful side of the two of us, while I’m the dark, brooding type.

“How did it go with the chief?” he asks in a lowered voice.

“I think it went well, even though I did scare him a lot. I gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” I say.

“Do you really think this is the best way to make your comeback? The people whom you inspired are still at large despite what you did to temper them.”

“I’m open to suggestions since there doesn’t seem to be a better option. I mean, throwing money at the problem, creating jobs, and promoting being good, law-abiding citizens have done less. You should know.”

“Pfft. You could say that again.”

“Besides, Darcy’s contacts confirm that working in the field is better than me behind a desk.”

“Do you really still listen to her after what she did?”

“Sometimes.”

“Are you in love with her?”

“No, I don’t think I am.”

“You don’t think? That doesn’t sound like a sure answer. Oh, and speak of the succubus herself.”

Lancetto and I watch Darcy walk towards our table. She wears a big Scala hat and long dress with her signature colors of pink and black, however, she has been wearing more black and darker pinks lately. Darcy stares straight at me as if I’m the only thing worth looking at in the room, and her gaze pierces me. Even when I look away, I can’t help but feel her eyes on me, and when she sits down, she’s still looking at me while completely ignoring Lancetto, who is greeting her and asking how she is doing.

“So, my dark prince is back in action?” Darcy asks.

“He is,” I say while trying not to make eye contact. “Did one of your friends tell you that?”

“I don’t need them to know when he’s left his unique mark at every scene he’s at. How come we haven’t worked together more often?”

“I’ll ask for your help when I need it.”

“Don’t be so cold and distant. Are you still mad at what I did? I have repented of it already and am trying to make amends. You know I am.”

“And?”

Darcy puts her hand on mine, and I pull it away from her.

“I want to help you, my love. You know I have the contacts you need to enforce divine, dark justice on those deserving of it. Give me a chance to prove that you need me because I need you more than you know.”

What I want to say is that she needs me just because she wants her life to be like one of her dark romance stories, but I don’t say anything other than, “I’ll consider it.”

She smiles and says, “It’s good to know that I’ll be on your mind, at the very least.”

Thankfully, the last person we were waiting for, Klinge Geben, arrives at our table before Darcy can say anything else. Lancetto and I turn our attention to him even as Darcy tries to keep mine. The large, mutated man with lizard-like eyes, claws for fingers, and visible teeth on both sides of his face is dressed in business casual with a buttoned-up shirt, a tie, jeans, and boots, all of which are various shades of dark blue.

“Sorry, fellas. I was held up at work like usual,” Kinge says.

“It’s no big deal. We’re just glad you’re here,” Lancetto says.

“More than you think,” I add.

Klinge looks at us, then at Darcy, and seems to understand what I mean. He says, “I was just making sure the deal between our mutual friend was kept, especially since he’s back to keep the peace.”

Even though Klinge doesn’t know that I’m L’Obscurité, he knows that we “work” with him, so I can keep all the heads of the major families in Meridian on the same page and meeting together.

“I’m sure we’ll have a lot to tell him at our next meeting. For now, let’s enjoy the pleasantries,” I say.

The dinner starts in earnest now that most of the guests are present. To start the dinner, Lancetto is first to give a brief speech about the importance of faith, business, and government. Next, Darcy poetically talks about the arts, Klinge bluntly speaks on blue-collar work and mechanical innovations, and I lastly give a talk on charity, healthcare, and education. Each of our families has sponsored this dinner, has given Mayor Jeph words of appreciation, and will speak to him later during the dinner to voice our concerns for the city. To my surprise, Chief Raymond shows up an hour into the dinner, looking as if he ran all the way here from where I left him. He walks up to Ralph, talks to him, walks to Klinge and Lancetto, and talks to them each for a bit, with Lancetto currently holding his attention the longest.

Darcy sneaks up behind me and says, “He’s asking for you.”

“Do you think he knows?” I ask.

“It didn’t take me too long to figure it out and pull the answer out of you, so maybe. I can get my people to distract him so we can leave. They’ll give him a good excuse.”

“Like what? It’ll make us look even more suspicious.”

“Like us going out on a date that I planned.”

“Is this just an excuse to go out with me?”

“…maybe…”

“You’re ridiculous. I’ll talk to him face-to-face. Maybe I can convince him to be on our side.”

Walking up to Raymond, he seems surprised to see me, and Lancetto seems even more surprised that I approached him directly.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been asking for me, Chief Raymond. It’s an honor to finally meet you face-to-face. You should come to these gatherings more often,” I say.

“I should, especially you and the other three families and their allies have been aiding the city’s and its crime problem,” Raymond says. “I hear you were the one who pushed the other families to do so. Why is that?”

“After my parents recovered from a coma, I decided to make up for lost time by helping the city. It was criminals that put them in a coma, and I want to make sure no one has to go through what I did.”

“Your parents must be proud of you. How come you haven’t been taking care of your brothers and sisters, who are still recovering from their beating from an unknown criminal?”

“Call me insensitive and judgmental, but they got what they deserved for not being there for our parents and taking their inheritance and spending it on the vanities of the world. Besides, I’m not a doctor like my parents are. I prefer helping with the big picture problems.”

“Does that involve getting the help of hero and vigilante associations? I’m sure you’ve heard of the biggest vigilante in the city, L’Obscurité?”

I can’t help but smile at the thought of being the biggest vigilante.

“Who hasn’t, but I haven’t worked with him directly.”

“Not directly?”

“He helps rid the city of criminals at the street level while my friends and I prevent the reasons for people to become criminals by creating jobs, programs for rehabilitation to repent and reintegrate into society, and-”

“Save the list for the mayor. I know he works with you in one way or another, and I want to know more about him now that he’s back on the streets.”

 “I’ll let you know when I find out something. He is a dark, shady, and elusive man, after all.”

“So are you, Timeo Severe.”

Raymond and I smile at one another for a few tense seconds. He is about to say something else until an announcement is made that the mayor will now be hearing and discussing the deals with the four families.

“Let’s catch up after the meeting, chief. I have great respect for you and your family. Despite it being considered one of the minor ones, it still brought order to Meridian during its founding.”

“Yes, it was the Ellory family that was sent by the government to bring order to the lawless city created by the four original families. We’ve kept you all in line and will keep doing that, so if you’re hiding anything, we’ll find it. I promise you that.”

Again, we smile at each other before taking our seats.

“That was too close,” Lancetto says. “For someone who is so elusive, L’Obscurité sure does let himself be known.”

“You think he suspects me?”

“I’d say it’s fifty-fifty.”

Darcy sits down as Klinge represents his family’s businesses to the mayor. She says, “You owe me for getting you out of that conversation.”

“I’m afraid to ask what you want in return,” I say.

“I want a meeting with the three of us and L’Obscurité to make our plans for the year. We need to do more than what we did last year if we really want to crack down on the sin of this city.”

“I have to admit that Darcy has a good idea.”

“Okay. I’ll arrange it.”

Taking a short break almost made me forget about how complicated being a vigilante is, but it’ll be worth it. The nightmare of Meridian and the villain of crime is back to bring justice, and he’s better than ever.