Specter

Epilogue: I'm Proud Of You

-Obsidian Sanctum, Rusted Citadel, Asia-

"So, anyway.....that's kind of what happened at the Rusted Citadel this past week," Specter informed her former boss Dr. Duncan Drevis later that night on a Zoom call projected from her laptop within her quarters at the Obsidian Sanctum after another day spent serving on King Ryker's court. "Feels like just yesterday you and I teamed up to liberate the island from the Iron Kingpin, hmm?"

Poor Dr. Duncan Drevis had immense trouble processing everything that had occurred, to the point where he had to take several seconds to "replay" the story within his head. When he eventually understood everything, however, he couldn't help but allow an incredibly proud smile to cross his face.

"And it also feels like just yesterday when I picked you up from that Mercury Heights alley and inducted you into the Crimson Skulls," Duncan reminisced longingly. "Oh, how the times go by....." He clapped his hands once, keeping them together after impact. "But seriously.....I am so proud of you, Moody. From your time serving the Crimson Skulls, to our adventure with Powerhouse, to our rebellion against the Iron Kingpin, and now all this stuff with this 'Mainframe' character.....it's been an honor to see you grow as a person the whole way through. You even reconciled with your sibling and are saving lives together.....exactly what I did with my sister, Monica."

Specter chuckled and raised an eyebrow, stating her response while Duncan took a few moments to drink from his bottled water. "Thanks.....but did you not catch the part where I told you that the 'Mainframe' was Craig? As in, the freaking son of the Iron Kingpin?!"

Duncan's eyes practically shot out of his head as he promptly spit out all the water he had just tried to drink, hilariously spraying his mutant lizard assistant The Crawler—who happened to be out of frame—with all the water instead.

"Awww, what?!" The Crawler complained. "Come on, boss!"

"Sorry, Crawler!" Duncan called, briefly looking at someone out of the shot before turning his attention back to Moody. "But no, I didn't get that at first!"

".....It was one of the first things I revealed....." Specter pointed out. "Whatever. At any rate, you and that harpoon gun of yours clearly didn't finish the job with Craig two years ago, if me needing to clean up your unfinished job was any indication."

"Hey, come on! How was I supposed to know he'd upload an entire copy of his consciousness to a supercomputer?!"

"Meh. Good point. But really, I appreciate it," Specter commended. "You keep me on my toes, and I could always use the action."

"I mean, I haven't seen much lately, so.....you're welcome, I guess."

"Oh.....yeah. That," the spectral superheroine remembered. "How are you holding up? Crawler told me that this 'Allie Bannister' chick really damaged your reputation."

"Not great," Duncan admitted. "I've just come to accept it; if I get accused, it doesn't matter if I'm right or wrong; I'm getting slandered either way. Even my company, Lifeline Industries, was forced to close indefinitely by the authorities while they perform an 'investigation' into me."

"What 'investigation'? You, the other male Paragons, and the Watchwomen already took care of everything!"

"That's what I said!" the doctor agreed. "But they still shut my building down anyway, just to be on the 'safe side', apparently."