This is my amatuer short story. Its just a little idea I had abnout how some villains may interact. I hope its at least moderately entertaining:
Honor Among Villains
The soft spring rain fell all over Paragon City, but the dense fog rolled solely over the Tranquil Repose Cemetery on the far outskirts. If anyone passing by thought that it was strange they would have shrugged it off as appropriate for the sprawling gothic cemetery, but only one man walked among the tombstones as dusk fell with the knowledge that it was no natural fog.
Brother Midnight went to great lengths to keep his presence in Paragon City a secret. The necromancer did not want any interference from the metahuman do-gooders that populated the town .especially his arch nemesis, Doctor Ghost. Three times he had faced that hero in combat and three times he barely escaped . Brother Midnight was under no illusions that he could not overcome Doctor Ghosts power without an edge. The spell that created the fog had components that would shield him from the doctors mystical senses for awhile, but it had cost him dearly in terms of deals bartered with the various demons he parlayed with. But it would be worth it, if he achieved his goal tonight. Long ago he had traded away his soul for power it was too late to undo that.
Besides, he had also spent a good deal of the money he had earned in the rogue islands on setting up his distractions. He had arranged for the hellions to start a few fires, the idiotic freakshow to rampage a little and for the simple minded villain Mangle to go on a berserk spree all for the sake of attracting any heroic attention away from this place. He could see his goal ahead in the mist a large monumental tombstone marking the burial place of James St. Aubrey.
Come. Brother Midnight commanded to his three companions three shambling walking cadavers, that he raised from the netherworld. They were near mindless, and slave to his will. The unholy quartet approached the tombstone. As he drew closer though, Brother Midnight saw that he was not truly alone. Standing to one side of the grave marker a figure watched. It was an old man, dressed in a long dark blue overcoat watching him. He was taken aback momentarily, as he should have noticed this man before.
I cannot let you do this, Mortimer Knight. the old man said as Brother Midnight approached. Again, the arch villain was struck, he knew Id be here and he knows my true name.
I am not accustomed to people not being frightened of me .we have not met, mister .? Brother Midnight purred cordially. His voice was as cold as ice, and not without a threatening tone.
Oh, I know who you are, Prof. Knight, the old man replied, You were once Mortimer Knight, professor of the occult. You became enamored with necromancy, made deals with unholy entities for power, etc. You were last seen fleeing to the rogue islands several years back after Doctor Ghost defeated you. The old man sighed. I also know why you are here tonight. Its my business to know these things Ive gone by other names, but now you may call me Chessmaster. The old man produced an ornate walking stick, with a head that looked like a king of a chess board from beneath his cloak and leaned on it. He looked to be in his 90s but his blue eyes had a strong sense of life behind them as he stared unblinking through his old style spectacles.
Brother Midnight was not moved he had killed men for less than daring to confront him. If you know why I am here, then you know I will not be denied!
I know that recently you have acquired a list of the secret identities of several heroes in Paragon City from a Longbow database, the Chessmaster answered, Most of whom are deceased. One of whom was James St. Aubrey, formerly known as the hero Soul Crusader. Hes been dead for what, ten years now? But you want to retrieve a part of his soul for a spell youve unearthed. One that would allow you to tap into powers denied to you.
A slight smile crossed Brother Midnights bloodless face. Yes Soul Crusaders powers were mystical he had a connection to the Astral plane similar to that of my enemy Doctor Ghost. What business of your is it?
As I stated earlier, I have gone by many names. Suffice it to say, that over 30 years ago I fought Soul Crusader myself more than once. I almost killed him several times. But he always prevailed. He was a worthy opponent, and one of the few black superheroes in an age before the civil rights movement. But I never held any grudge against him even when he stopped my various schemes. He was an honorable man, and I respected him. He fought for what the status quo calls justice, even when his own people were denied basic human respect. He retired from heroing in 1985, and died while working in various Anti Gang organizations. You may say that I admired him. That is why I cannot let you defile his grave.
Touching, Midnight growled, but not my concern. So you respected your enemy. Cry me a river. I need part of his soul, in a spell that cannot be delayed. Stand aside Chess King or whatever you call yourself, or join your foe in death.
I think not.
Its your funeral.
Brother Midnight gestured and his three zombie minions moved towards the Chessmaster. The old man simply raised his walking stick and before Brother Midnight could react he found himself and his undead henchmen unable to move, held several inches over the ground in some kind of force field. The old man chuckled dryly, Its a gravimetric stasis field .technology beyond your intellect, Im afraid. You cannot move or speak until I release you. The Chessmasters demeanor switched from kindly old man to sinister villain in a heartbeat.
I respect your power, Midnight but you must respect mine .I could kill you in a second but I do not wish to. Be aware however, that any move you make against me in the future will result in a nasty demise for you. Also understand that that beneath this grave I have placed several magical artifacts. Any sort of necromancy will fail and the backlash will destroy any spell caster. I have done this to make sure you do not return to this grave at a later date. You may speak now.
H-How? Brother Midnight groaned the force field that held him made it difficult to breathe, even when the Chessmaster lowered it enough for him to talk.
How did I know to do this? I am the Chessmaster. the old man replied, I make it my business to know who is doing what and counter them if need be. I have personally given up direct villainy years ago. I find that I can make enough to satisfy my own endeavors by serving as .an advisors .to likeminded individuals.
The Chessmaster reached into his cloak again and produced an envelope. He tossed it on the ground in front of Brother Midnight. I offer you a consolation prize .a wealthy collector in Talos Island has recently purchased a magical scroll you may find of some limited use. He doesnt know its true purpose, he believes it to be an item of purely historical value. You should be able to make off with it with little effort. And you neednt fear Doctor Ghost this night. He is at the moment busy in the Rikti War Zone. Consider this a peace offering, Brother Midnight. You may find my consulting services useful in the future .this is a freebie.
With a wave of his hand the Chessmaster released the force field. Brother Midnight fell to his knees, while his zombie minions merely staggered, confused. Their limited intellect telling them that to continue an attack would be a futile move. They would sacrifice themselves if instructed to, but what little bit of self preservation existed in their dim minds kept them from acting independently.
I am leaving now. The old man continued, Have a care James St. Aubreys grave is more than adequately protected against your magic.
How can I contact you if I require consulting work? Brother Midnight asked, humbled. He did not know if the Chessmaster was using magic or technology to thwart him right now, and that was even more frightening. He could sense that this senior villain had power and intellect to carry out the threats he had made. His advanced age, in fact, probably made him more dangerous than Doctor Ghost.
You will receive contact information at a later date. Farewell, Brother Midnight. That scroll is only available for theft tonight. Tomorrow it will be donated to an overseas museum if I were you Id get moving. The Chessmaster made the bye-bye gesture with his free hand, and vanished suddenly into the fog. Again, Brother Midnight could not tell if it was a teleportation beam, or a magical spell that allowed him to do so. It was as if his mystical senses were blunted in his presence.
Standing alone now, in the fog and misty rain, Brother Midnight picked up the envelope. All of the planning he had done for this night was in vain. He had no doubt that whatever arcane barrier was in the grave, it would result in his destruction if he tried to breach it.
But he could salvage something of this night Talos Island wasnt that far away and had already paid off a bunch of Freakshow morons to keep the heroes running wild goose chases there. Summoning his own dark powers, he clouded himself from sight in a cloak of darkness and flew off into the night, his zombies dissolving into nothingness until summoned again .
Posted
Cool story. Chessmaster is quite spooky, but cool in his own creepy way. Keep it up!
This is my amatuer short story. Its just a little idea I had abnout how some villains may interact. I hope its at least moderately entertaining:
Honor Among Villains
The soft spring rain fell all over Paragon City, but the dense fog rolled solely over the Tranquil Repose Cemetery on the far outskirts. If anyone passing by thought that it was strange they would have shrugged it off as appropriate for the sprawling gothic cemetery, but only one man walked among the tombstones as dusk fell with the knowledge that it was no natural fog.
Brother Midnight went to great lengths to keep his presence in Paragon City a secret. The necromancer did not want any interference from the metahuman do-gooders that populated the town .especially his arch nemesis, Doctor Ghost. Three times he had faced that hero in combat and three times he barely escaped . Brother Midnight was under no illusions that he could not overcome Doctor Ghosts power without an edge. The spell that created the fog had components that would shield him from the doctors mystical senses for awhile, but it had cost him dearly in terms of deals bartered with the various demons he parlayed with. But it would be worth it, if he achieved his goal tonight. Long ago he had traded away his soul for power it was too late to undo that.
Besides, he had also spent a good deal of the money he had earned in the rogue islands on setting up his distractions. He had arranged for the hellions to start a few fires, the idiotic freakshow to rampage a little and for the simple minded villain Mangle to go on a berserk spree all for the sake of attracting any heroic attention away from this place. He could see his goal ahead in the mist a large monumental tombstone marking the burial place of James St. Aubrey.
Come. Brother Midnight commanded to his three companions three shambling walking cadavers, that he raised from the netherworld. They were near mindless, and slave to his will. The unholy quartet approached the tombstone. As he drew closer though, Brother Midnight saw that he was not truly alone. Standing to one side of the grave marker a figure watched. It was an old man, dressed in a long dark blue overcoat watching him. He was taken aback momentarily, as he should have noticed this man before.
I cannot let you do this, Mortimer Knight. the old man said as Brother Midnight approached. Again, the arch villain was struck, he knew Id be here and he knows my true name.
I am not accustomed to people not being frightened of me .we have not met, mister .? Brother Midnight purred cordially. His voice was as cold as ice, and not without a threatening tone.
Oh, I know who you are, Prof. Knight, the old man replied, You were once Mortimer Knight, professor of the occult. You became enamored with necromancy, made deals with unholy entities for power, etc. You were last seen fleeing to the rogue islands several years back after Doctor Ghost defeated you. The old man sighed. I also know why you are here tonight. Its my business to know these things Ive gone by other names, but now you may call me Chessmaster. The old man produced an ornate walking stick, with a head that looked like a king of a chess board from beneath his cloak and leaned on it. He looked to be in his 90s but his blue eyes had a strong sense of life behind them as he stared unblinking through his old style spectacles.
Brother Midnight was not moved he had killed men for less than daring to confront him. If you know why I am here, then you know I will not be denied!
I know that recently you have acquired a list of the secret identities of several heroes in Paragon City from a Longbow database, the Chessmaster answered, Most of whom are deceased. One of whom was James St. Aubrey, formerly known as the hero Soul Crusader. Hes been dead for what, ten years now? But you want to retrieve a part of his soul for a spell youve unearthed. One that would allow you to tap into powers denied to you.
A slight smile crossed Brother Midnights bloodless face. Yes Soul Crusaders powers were mystical he had a connection to the Astral plane similar to that of my enemy Doctor Ghost. What business of your is it?
As I stated earlier, I have gone by many names. Suffice it to say, that over 30 years ago I fought Soul Crusader myself more than once. I almost killed him several times. But he always prevailed. He was a worthy opponent, and one of the few black superheroes in an age before the civil rights movement. But I never held any grudge against him even when he stopped my various schemes. He was an honorable man, and I respected him. He fought for what the status quo calls justice, even when his own people were denied basic human respect. He retired from heroing in 1985, and died while working in various Anti Gang organizations. You may say that I admired him. That is why I cannot let you defile his grave.
Touching, Midnight growled, but not my concern. So you respected your enemy. Cry me a river. I need part of his soul, in a spell that cannot be delayed. Stand aside Chess King or whatever you call yourself, or join your foe in death.
I think not.
Its your funeral.
Brother Midnight gestured and his three zombie minions moved towards the Chessmaster. The old man simply raised his walking stick and before Brother Midnight could react he found himself and his undead henchmen unable to move, held several inches over the ground in some kind of force field. The old man chuckled dryly, Its a gravimetric stasis field .technology beyond your intellect, Im afraid. You cannot move or speak until I release you. The Chessmasters demeanor switched from kindly old man to sinister villain in a heartbeat.
I respect your power, Midnight but you must respect mine .I could kill you in a second but I do not wish to. Be aware however, that any move you make against me in the future will result in a nasty demise for you. Also understand that that beneath this grave I have placed several magical artifacts. Any sort of necromancy will fail and the backlash will destroy any spell caster. I have done this to make sure you do not return to this grave at a later date. You may speak now.
H-How? Brother Midnight groaned the force field that held him made it difficult to breathe, even when the Chessmaster lowered it enough for him to talk.
How did I know to do this? I am the Chessmaster. the old man replied, I make it my business to know who is doing what and counter them if need be. I have personally given up direct villainy years ago. I find that I can make enough to satisfy my own endeavors by serving as .an advisors .to likeminded individuals.
The Chessmaster reached into his cloak again and produced an envelope. He tossed it on the ground in front of Brother Midnight. I offer you a consolation prize .a wealthy collector in Talos Island has recently purchased a magical scroll you may find of some limited use. He doesnt know its true purpose, he believes it to be an item of purely historical value. You should be able to make off with it with little effort. And you neednt fear Doctor Ghost this night. He is at the moment busy in the Rikti War Zone. Consider this a peace offering, Brother Midnight. You may find my consulting services useful in the future .this is a freebie.
With a wave of his hand the Chessmaster released the force field. Brother Midnight fell to his knees, while his zombie minions merely staggered, confused. Their limited intellect telling them that to continue an attack would be a futile move. They would sacrifice themselves if instructed to, but what little bit of self preservation existed in their dim minds kept them from acting independently.
I am leaving now. The old man continued, Have a care James St. Aubreys grave is more than adequately protected against your magic.
How can I contact you if I require consulting work? Brother Midnight asked, humbled. He did not know if the Chessmaster was using magic or technology to thwart him right now, and that was even more frightening. He could sense that this senior villain had power and intellect to carry out the threats he had made. His advanced age, in fact, probably made him more dangerous than Doctor Ghost.
You will receive contact information at a later date. Farewell, Brother Midnight. That scroll is only available for theft tonight. Tomorrow it will be donated to an overseas museum if I were you Id get moving. The Chessmaster made the bye-bye gesture with his free hand, and vanished suddenly into the fog. Again, Brother Midnight could not tell if it was a teleportation beam, or a magical spell that allowed him to do so. It was as if his mystical senses were blunted in his presence.
Standing alone now, in the fog and misty rain, Brother Midnight picked up the envelope. All of the planning he had done for this night was in vain. He had no doubt that whatever arcane barrier was in the grave, it would result in his destruction if he tried to breach it.
But he could salvage something of this night Talos Island wasnt that far away and had already paid off a bunch of Freakshow morons to keep the heroes running wild goose chases there. Summoning his own dark powers, he clouded himself from sight in a cloak of darkness and flew off into the night, his zombies dissolving into nothingness until summoned again .