A Crumbling Society

Part 3-5

"I never thought we would meet again like this, under these, gruesome circumstances. You know what I mean, right?", he intended with accusatory implications. I didn't respond. "We need to talk about the things you did and how you're going to pay for your outbursts. I do just have to ask one thing, why did you do it?" I held onto the glare in exchange for not talking. "Why would you kill all your friends like that, they trusted you and you stabbed them in the back."

"Fuck you!", I shouted.

"Ah, there he is, did I say something wrong or was it not your fault they're all dead?"

"You know damn good and well that I didn't kill them"

"That's not how I see it, or the rest of the world, you see, in bringing them out of hiding you exposed where each of them was and had been all this time. Thanks to the visit you paid to the reformed villain Worm he was able to track you guys and help put an end to you trying to persuade your friends to take over the country."

"What are you talking about? We weren't trying to take over the country, we were trying to stop you and your team of super villains you gave pardons to. And they're all still killing innocent people while you do nothing."

"LIES!", he snapped back. "You and your girlfriend galivanted around the country thinking you were helping your friends, but you left nothing but devastation in your path. You two attracted all the villain attacks on the innocent, you didn't save anyone, you just ran off. Millions died because of you two!"

"That's ridiculous, we couldn't save anyone because you outlawed us, anyone like us, were we supposed to save people just to die for it?"

"Now why would we have you die for saving others?"

"You've been killing heroes on live broadcasts for that exact reason and finding ways to pin other problems on us"

"LIES! Do not lie to me!

"It's not a lie, you're the liar, we trusted you, we all took an oath to serve the people and protect them. Most of us did just that and you went and offed them and gave not one care, no sense of remorse. You turned your back on us while playing us at the same time even, how could you sit there and act like the heroes are the issue!?"

"They are the issue, are they not, carelessly coming in to save the day only to leave others behind. Constantly handing out short sticks to those in waiting to be rescued only you never come. Nothing but letdowns to the communities you live in, that's not being a hero or protecting your fellow neighbor. It's also not serving the people you swore to do so, no, that's being a disappointment"

I wanted to rip free from these cuffs but in moving they got caught on a bar that reached out from the floor. An extra part of ensuring I couldn't get free, and I just have to sit here and take this. "Then where were you when we needed you to defend us, hell, you stood by us while we became heroes and made names for ourselves. Where were you when we all had to deal with our own innocent friends being executed at your expense? Where were you when the Warrior Legion disbanded because you weren't there?"

"Where were you? That's right, you turned your back on everyone before any of this was a problem, but now that you're back it's everyone else's fault."

"Go to hell"

"Unfortunately for you I'll be staying here, you however are going to sit and watch as your world goes on without you. We won't give you the better end of the deal by taking your life, it's better you experience the new order."

"What new order?"

"The one that involves literally taking over the world!"

"So, then you are a villain after all, the president I knew, back then, wouldn't stand for this."