Replacement Villain

Rule No.1: Always Wear a Mask

Jay had always disliked the kind of public places like laundromats.

Stuffy.

Awkward small talk.

Waiting.

This time, though, he is furious. He left to get a lousy Sprite from the vending machine two buildings over. When he came back and pulled the dented machine lid up his clothes were gone. He searches the nearby machines to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

"No," he whispers, "No way."

A dryer buzzes next to him and he opens it to find someone else's clothes.

"You took mine, idiot."

Jay's mouth puts a pause on the insults to let his jaw hang at the costume in his hands. Beast Master. The villain's suit who can control animals. As the superhero who has to deal with him, he couldn't stand him as is. Now he has his clothes and suit. How was he supposed to exact his revenge without his suit? He examines the length of the material and then it's stretchiness. A smile grows on his face as the idea takes formation in his head. He knows how to get back at him as well as get what's rightfully his.

"Hello, citizens," Jay announces in an incredibly cheesy voice. They all cower in fear. The supervillain usually terrorized them with an array of animals.

"Don't worry. I, Beast Master, have turned a new leaf. I'm sorry to you all, to-admittedly the greatest hero of all time-Vector Man, but I am especially sorry for my lame name."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Beast Master's, not known as Carter, words came through gritted teeth. The people around them cheered and Carter's face turned into one of disgust. He waves a hand at them. "No, stop it! Don't cheer for me!" No one could hear his demands over the clamor of voices. Jay admired his Vector Man suit before him.

"Oh, 'sup Vector."

"Stop using me to be nice."

"Give me back my stuff then."

They stared off, crowd still cheering Carter on. Now, it could have just ended there. There would have been a trade and all would be well but both supers can be pretty petty. Carter slapped a phone out of someone's hands, earning surprised gasps, then ran off. Jay apologized for him and chased the lunatic in his suit.

Carter pushed people, threw bikes and trashcans to the floor, and yelled at anyone who got in his way. Jay apologized and picked up the fallen items.

Neither of them have any super speed or flying abilities so when Carter decided to climb a fire escape, Jay was sure he was going to kill him when he caught up. Jay is capable of changing the magnitude and direction, or vector, of an object to his pleasing. For example, when he sent a potted plant at Carter's torso after Carter threw it at him. He changed the direction.

You would think someone who calls himself Beast Master would use some type of savage animal in his battles. The city doesn't provide for very many of those so he settles for a pigeon pooping on Jay's shoulder.

He makes a popping noise with his lips then pinches a part of the fabric that doesn't have any bird waste on it. He pulls away the form-fitting suit as much as it will allow. "You know that this is still your suit."

A white and brown substance suddenly splatters onto the Vector Man suit. Carter was either stupid or just a new type of wicked.

Jay tackles him to the floor and lands a punch on him. Carter attempts to punch him but his fist flies the other way. The superhero's power has got to be one of the most frustrating one he can imagine.

"Ow," Jay's hands go to the back of his head. A crow pecked the back of his head. Carter took the moment to rip the Beast Master mask off his face. His body freezes and his mouth slowly reels open.

"Jay?"

The hero retaliates by pulling the Vector Man mask off him then stumbles away from him.

"Carter?"

Carter's face rearranges into an ugly display of anger. He stands to point at him, eyelids pulling together with rage. "You used to call me Carter the Farter." He laughed out loud that a guy like him could ever be a hero of any city. He threw his mask down to the floor and stomped on it. 

"I was five," Jay tried to reason but Carter wouldn't have it.

"You didn't stop until high school. Others joined in."

"We should talk about this. That was the past. I'm not the same person." Just as the guilt was starting to set in, he holds up his hands and backs away. He saw the rats climbing up the building and sitting all around them. They aren't any pet store rats either. City ones. Ones that have plenty of garbage to rummage through and live comfortably; the ones that aren't afraid of you walking towards them.

"The past paves a way for the future. Are you ready for yours?"

Jay flinched when he moved to pick up the mask from the floor. He puts it back on, confusing the other super. The rats charged after him and Jay knew he couldn't keep them all away at once so he runs for the fire escape, dodging the falling animals. People down below watched the spectacle. Carter runs down after him and right into the middle of the street, where he wants him.

"Jay, or Beast Master, time to give it up," Carter raised his voice for all to hear. Jay stared at him strangely then remembered that he had no mask on--in Beast Master's suit. The biggest villain in the city is wearing his suit. Police officers stand by and watch. Everyone else has a phone out to get video. His name passed from one person's lips to the next, a villain's name tying it down.

This was no longer just some silly squabble.

Jay went from being the beloved hero of his city to being the most hated villain.