Heroes Versus Villains

Encounter

A group of three men, all dressed in pretty casual attire, slowly followed another man; this man looking oddly familiar, wearing a suit. The suited man knew that these three were following him, it was obvious of how nervously he kept trying to sneak a peak behind him and turning corners it looked he did not intend to turn.

Connor watched and assessed the situation. He tried to anticipate what was happening. Night had fallen at this point so hiding would be no problem, he dressed in black and shadows were a good option.

The suited man seemed to get desperate and tried turning every corner he came across, doing so led him down a dead end. He had no where else to go. Connor perched atop the two buildings creating the dead end and watched until he had "probable cause" to interfere (he had some morals, don't just go punching every hunch you get).

"Okay," the suited man said, spinning around. His voice was also familiar. "What do you want? Is my suit making you think I have money? I really don't, I was just trying to get home. I came from a business meeting, I manage a little store! I have no real money on me I swear."

"Shut your face, Blondie," Said the largest of the thugs. "We're not looking for money. We want you."

The suited man was confused. "What? What do you want with me?"

A second man stepped forward, smaller than the first but bigger than the one who hadn't spoke. "We don't ask questions. We get paid, we do the job. Now come with us, or we will force you to."

"Not until I get my answers," the suited man persisted.

The second turned to the first. "He really about to make us force him, huh?"

"I think he is," the big one responded.

The two men looked forward with menacing smiles. The second one said, without looking back, "Eh yo, Charlie. Get up here and get this fool."

Connor threw his rope down and grabbed a hold of Charlie's feet, then yanked as hard as he could, causing Charlie to flip forward with a loud smack! to the pavement and knocking him out.

"Charlie!" Yelled the big one. He turned around to see his bloody faced friend on the ground. "Oh shit, who's there?!" The second one turned around and saw Charlie, too, and they both whipped out pistols and began looking around. "Come out!" The big one yelled, "Or we'll pop the blonde!" He pointed the gun at the suited man. He shot his hands into the air.

Connor dropped down on top of the big guy and smashed him into the concrete. The second guy - well, the last guy - spun and began shooting at Connor, who was able to dodge the bullets and advance towards the thug.

"Step back! I'm warning you!" The thug said, nervously, the gun shaking in his hand.

"Leave and tell whoever is paying you to stay away from this city," Connor said.

The thug froze. Not a normal fear freeze, he completely tensed up. His eyes widened. It looked like he stopped breathing. Connor was confused, he had never seen this before.

"I don't need a silly gun," said the unloving thug, his voice didn't seem to be his own. He hands and fingers moved stiffly and dropped the gun. He stomped on it, moving robotically, and destroyed it. His eyes, still wide, began to blow a bright green. "I have been instructed to kill you. I must bring my target to the boss."

The thug blinked and all his muscles untensed. He started moving with confidence. He put up his fists and stared determined at Connor.

Connor turned around and said, "Run!" To the suited man in the shadows, who frantically looked around for an exit. To Connor's and the suited man's surprise, the big thug stood back up with bloody face and green eyes, holding his gun up to the suited man.

"Do not move. Listen to what I say," He said in the same foreign voice.

Connor spun back forward and saw Charlie standing next to the second thug, green eyes and all. Connor gritted his teeth and readied his fists for a fight.

"Come on, then," He said, "Give it your best."

The second thug charged forward with his fist drawn back. Connor stepped out of the way to dodge the oncoming fist, only to be met by an attempted elbow to the face. Catching the thugs arm, Connor twisted it back and punched the thug in the face making him stumble back.

Charlie charged forward and caught Connor off guard, as the second thug stumbled Charlie had made contact with Connor's gut, causing him to arch forward. Connor raised his fist and slammed it into Charlie's already bruised face. He then returned the gut punch back to its rightful owner and finished it off with a kick to the groin. Charlie fell to his hands and knees without a sound.

The second thug took the opportunity to hop onto Connor's back and start repeatedly hitting him in the chest and head. Connor was definitely caught off-guard but still refused to let the thug continue to harass him. Bending forward the thug was launched off Connor's back and onto his own. Connor kicked him in the face  and the thug was out cold.

Charlie struggled to stand and looked like he would throw up. Connor out him out of his misery with a solid punch, and Charlie now slept like... The second thug.

During all this conflict Connor had forgotten about the suited man. Spinning around he saw no one. Both the suited man and the biggest thug had gotten away.

"Damn," Connor said. to himself.

"'A gramme is better than a damn.'" Said a familiar foreign voice. Connor saw at the end of the alley a silhouette of a man with a plant in his shoulder.

"What?" Connor asked, thoroughly confused.

"One of the hypnopaedic morals conditioned into the minds of citizens of the utopian future of the book 'Brave New World', by Aldous Huxley." The man took a few steps forward.

"Is there a point to this trivia?"

"The people are conditioned to turn to a drug in tough times, making it morally right to go on 'holiday' - as they call it - whenever times are tough. But here? Now? Drugs that can give us that much needed holiday are outlawed. A crime. Dealing, buying, using - all a crime. But in this society the drug gives people happiness. It's a society of happy people! Is all crime really that bad, I often wonder. What if crimes are the right thing to do? Give people eternal happiness, no more evil. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Connor was beyond confused about what this man was talking about, but it didn't sound good. "Who even are you?"

"Who am I?" The man's smile could be seen in the dark. "I am Doctor Thorn," the man's eyes glowed green. "And I want to make some trouble."