The Stigma (by Koltin Scott)

Chap. XXVIII

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The Black Baron

I looked at the three crazy people standing before me. My arms were crossed as I tried to gauge whether or not they were sane enough for the job. In super villain work, there isn't a problem of finding someone INSANE enough to take a job, the problem is finding someone you can trust with the little things.

"You all haven't killed each other yet I see."

"It's not for lack of trying!" Psychotic Neurotic said, beaming... well, psychotically. His blonde hair was bed wrinkled and unkempt. My reflection looked back at me from the young man's goggles, the main weapons of his arsenal were some jet boots and gauntlets. To list all the potential gadgets techs like them have would literally take books to fill.

GraveMind elongated his claws in display, smiling with his tipped teeth, "You, or you concoctions never even touched me. You're getting sloppy PN, perhaps you should go back to Denmark."

GraveMind and PN have been at it thinking if they killed the other that possibly the last man standing would take all the pay home. GraveMind is a brunette in a leather jacket with hazel or borderline grey eyes. If Alien and PN (Psychotic Neurotic) could be considered the technical side of super minds then GraveMind is the biological side of it. Sometimes I wonder if he's still considered human after all those self-inflicted "improvements" giving him claws, tentacles, venom, and other abilities all encased within his body. He can still walk the streets though but when villains can walk around it's never necessarily good for the populace.

"They both annoy me." Alien sulked.

"Once the plan is in action are you all ready for the final improvements?"

"Ohhh!" Psychotic Neurotic said like some little school girl, "I love a secret! I can't wait to start!"

GraveMind sharpened his claws with a smile as his reply.

"Is AllFall's suit complete?"

"Yes Baron." Alien answered.

"Alright, have it ready for tomorrow."

"Baron?" GraveMind asked, "Could you care to send us pictures of her suit?"

I scrunched my eyes in confusion, "You've been working on it."

"Oh no," Psychotic Neurotic chimed in, "he doesn't mean that suit!"

"I am a biologist no?" GraveMind finished, "I was wanting a picture of her in her birthday suit for science."

He kept sharpening his claws in that creepy way as I caught on to his joke.   I shook my head and continued on. They cackled as I got into my car and went to one of the poorest places in town. I got out when I arrived at a white house, algae splotched the walls here and there as the covers on the roof ruffled in the wind. I didn't need to knock as the door swung open.

"Baron!?"

"Good evening, John Allison." I smiled, the look on the clandestine revolutionary's face was priceless. It's been a few months since he was begging at my feet so I could try to save his father from nanite brain control.

"Get in here!" He said, worried about the villain just walking around his neighborhood.

"John," I chuckled, "if there were any cops to confront me I'd have them incapacitated in seconds."

I entered his house as he shut the door behind me. I noticed the shoes by the door and leaned down and began untying my boots. While he was mid sentence trying to interrogate me he tried to tell me to stop taking my boots off,

"Whoa! You don't need to do that!"

He was just overwhelmed that his friendly neighborhood super villain decided to pop in.

"John," I raised a brow, as I finished removing my boots, "it's okay."

"John?! Who is it?!" A man's voice bellowed.

The man came running around the corner, bearded and unkempt with grey streaks in his hair. His eyes widened so much that I almost thought they might bulge out like in the old cartoons.

"Baron! I had never had the opportunity to thank you for what you did for me!"

Mr. Allison Senior caught on a little better of my personality as he came to shake my hand professionally.

"It's fine," I said as we came into their living room, "I come with a opportunity for both of us."

"No really," he said, "your friends died for me." He sat down carefully, "Thank you."

"Don't remind me," I said sadly and then got down to business, "so... when we met your son he mentioned something about being clandestine revolutionaries?"

"Honey?!" A woman's voice uttered from the kitchen, "Is that company?"

"It's the contractor!" He yelled to her, "My wife doesn't even know. John, go make sure your sister is presentable."

"Will do," he said with a rush and left.

"Looks like you got a quiver full." I commented.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his neck, "I got five more at the government brainwashing facility."

"School?"

"Yep, so... how may I help you Baron?"

I was lost in my thoughts a moment, tears pricking my eyes. I didn't have this and probably never will. I wiped my eyes before anyone knew the wiser...

Even all the money in the world can't buy a good family...

"I have a plan."

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