p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"strongemMaking of a Criminal/em/strongbr /br /By Ranwolf( )/p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"If one were to look up the word "Villain" in the dictionary, it would read: "A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes". Unfortunately, there hasn't been a villain on earth in nearly fifty years. Let alone a "super villain."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"My name is Ralph Jones, and I'm one of half the population of Earth without superpowers whatsoever. I was ordinary, my sister was ordinary, and my parents were ordinary. But almost everyone I've ever met was a superhuman. The world was at peace; there was no crime (unless you count graffiti and the occasional fight), little to no corruption, and very little poverty (there was a population of .0001% worldwide).br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Everyday, I would get up, brush my teeth and go downstairs and eat breakfast. The TV news would drone on how Superman saved a town from being wiped out from a collapsed dam. Or how Storm brought a much-needed downpour to a region in Africa in the middle of a major drought. It was the same thing everyday. And to be honest, it got /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I mean, there hasn't been an alien invasion since the 1960's. Then one day, while watching Jessie Quick make short work of Central Park's Great Lawn, it hit me. I'll be a villain! Since I didn't have any kind of special powers, I could rob banks or kidnap people... or something. Maybe I could get some help. A government grant or /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"A week later, I managed to get an appointment with the Mayor of New York, Susan Richards, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. She was an attractive blond woman in her early thirties. I was a little surprised to see she wore her Fantastic Four /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I shook her hand and she asked me to take a seat. "What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I wanted to talk to you about the crime rate in the city," I /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Crime?," Mayor Richards asked, her brow furrowed in consternation. "Mr. Jones, there is no crime in New York. Or most of the world for that matter."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""That's my point exactly," I replied. "Mayor, this city is made up of... what? Sixty, seventy percent superhuman? And what do they do with their powers?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Not much, I'm afraid," the blond mayor /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Exactly. They could do so much good for this city, yet they can't seem to find anything worthwhile. Hell, last week I saw Jessie Quick, one of the fastest people on the planet, mowing the Great Lawn. If you ask me that's a serious waste of her talents."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I agree with you, Mr. Jones," Mayor Richards replied. She clasped her hands, and placed her chin on them. "But what would you have me do? Create criminals out of thin air?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""No. But I was thinking I would become a villain."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The Invisible Woman's eyes boggled close to the point of bursting. "Wh-what?!" It was all I could do to keep from laughing my head off from her /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Calm down, Mayor. Let me explain..." I told her my idea and my reasons. I had thought about this for some time, I even went over this with my cousin, Sage. I tell you, she's a frickin' goddess when it comes to planning /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After five minutes I had her /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Mr. Jones," Mayor Richards said, I can tell she liked the idea by the way she was grinning. "I'm impressed by your plan. It's very ambitious and will provide a service to the superhuman community." I started grinning; I already had my first "crime" picked out. "But..." My smile faulted. Should've known there'd be a /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""But...?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I'd have to run this by the city council. But I don't think convincing them would be a problem."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The next few months was a blur of activity. The city council unanimously agreed to fund the project for a year as a trial run. That included an office, staff, uniform and equipment. I spent a month with Officer Dragon from Chicago and Nathan Summers for weapons training and Shang-Chi for martial arts. I don't know how he did it, but I was a third Dan in several fighting styles by winter's /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The fashion designer, Janet Van Dyne created several costumes for me that looked really cool. Though I was probably in the best shape of my life from the training I had, I was self-conscious about how formfitting the costume was. I think I insulted her when I asked for a costume that wasn't so /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"By the time I was ready for my first crime, I already became a minor celebrity. I was on talk shows and was featured in "Time" Magazine. I even got an offer to do a layout for "Playgirl". I said /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I pulled up to First National Bank in Midtown. The motorcycle Stark Enterprises gave me was a dream to ride. I spent half the day just riding around before I decided it was time to get to work. As I got off the bike I noticed a patrol car heading towards me. My body went rigid, and my hand started to inch to one of the two high tech pistols Forge had designed for me strapped to my hips. As the car slowed, I noticed the two officers eyeballing me. I was decked out in a military-style storm trooper /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I nearly pissed myself when the cops grinned and waved. The one closest to me even said: "Good luck."br /br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After calming my nerves, I entered the bank. There were maybe two dozen people in the bank and half of that were employees. I withdrew one of the guns, aimed at the ceiling and let two fly. I startled everyone. When I had everyone's attention I cleared my throat and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention. Will you kindly raise your hand, if you are a mutant, a cyborg, genetically engineered or superhuman in any way, shape, or form." I wasn't too shocked to see everyone but two tellers and a single customer comply. "All right. Everyone who raised their hand, please exit the building single file."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"There was some grumbling from the super humans, mostly about not being able to finish their business. One old man gave me a withering glare and muttered "...If I was two years younger..."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"A pretty Asian girl, about shoulder height to me, wearing a black outfit with a gold, bat shaped outline stenciled onto her top stopped in front of me before exiting the /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Is something wrong?," I asked politely. I may have been robbing the place, but I didn't have to be rude about itbr /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Can... I stay?," she asked haltedly, as if she wasn't used to talking all that /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Huh?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I... never saw a crime... before."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I blinked a few times at her, surprised by the request. "Ehh..." I wasn't sure what to /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I won't... interfere." She seemed to know how I felt. Telepath? "Promise," she /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I sighed. "Alright as long as you just watch."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"She smiled brightly and made her way back to where she was. I never could say no to a pretty /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Why does she get to stay?" A man wearing a green outfit and a glowing ring /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Pardon?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Green Lanterns, right." An elf-like woman with blue skin said. "That's not exactly fair, Johnson." I frowned when she got my name wrong. Suddenly everyone started complaining about not being able to /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Christ on a crutch," I muttered. Didn't these people realize I'm trying to do my job? "Everyone... everyone..." They weren't listening. Annoyed, I fired off two more shots into the ceiling. Bits of plaster and dust rained down around me. They all settled down. "Alright already! You guys can stay if you promise not to interfere with my job."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"They all consented and went back to their places, smiling and chatting amicably. Captain America patted me on the shoulder before he went back to his Bank Manager's desk. "Son, for a crook you're a nice guy."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""It's my gift, it's my curse," I replied. Cap gave me a look. I smiled at the living legend. "Sorry, always wanted to say that."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After that, the only snag was one of the tellers went into a major giggle fit when I demanded she put money into a leather bag I tossed her. When I had all the money I felt I could reasonably carry, I asked for a volunteer to be pistol-whipped, explaining I had to make the illusion of being a vicious criminal. A green-skinned woman with a blond mohawk stepped /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""You sure about this?," I asked. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Gimme your best shot," she /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"So I did. The gun shattered on contact with her chin and my arm went numb from the impact. But she was still standing. "Oh man," said the woman a touch of concern in her voice. "You going to be okay?" I nodded while moving my arm around trying to get the feeling /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"When feeling returned to my arm, I gathered my loot. The girl in black, Cassandra, handed me one moneybag when I dropped it. I thanked her and she blushed a little. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"As I headed towards the exit I was surprised by the applause my "victims" were giving me. I smiled and gave them the thumbs /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I rushed out of the bank and stowed the money into the saddlebags on my bike. I was just about to get on when I was suddenly yanked off my feet and was dangling ten feet off the ground. "What the hell?!"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Off to my left, a man in a red and blue costume was clinging to the side of the building. "Hello, Mr. Jones!," he said cheerfully. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Spider-man!," I yelled. Down below the people from the bank rushed out to see what was happening. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""You've been a bad boy, Mr. Jones," Spider-man said. I could tell he was grinning under the /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I chuckled, relaxing while still suspended. "Yeah, well." I shrugged as best I could. "You could've at least let me get a couple blocks away first."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Sorry."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""S'o.k You gonna take me to jail or what?" He did. I spent two days in the Twenty-third Precinct, mostly playing "Halo" with some of the younger cops. My trial was only for show. I was found guilty for bank robbery and assault and sentenced to time /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"That was the beginning of my career as a criminal. Eventually I became a "supervillain", but that's another story./p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"If one were to look up the word "Villain" in the dictionary, it would read: "A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes". Unfortunately, there hasn't been a villain on earth in nearly fifty years. Let alone a "super villain."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"My name is Ralph Jones, and I'm one of half the population of Earth without superpowers whatsoever. I was ordinary, my sister was ordinary, and my parents were ordinary. But almost everyone I've ever met was a superhuman. The world was at peace; there was no crime (unless you count graffiti and the occasional fight), little to no corruption, and very little poverty (there was a population of .0001% worldwide).br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Everyday, I would get up, brush my teeth and go downstairs and eat breakfast. The TV news would drone on how Superman saved a town from being wiped out from a collapsed dam. Or how Storm brought a much-needed downpour to a region in Africa in the middle of a major drought. It was the same thing everyday. And to be honest, it got /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I mean, there hasn't been an alien invasion since the 1960's. Then one day, while watching Jessie Quick make short work of Central Park's Great Lawn, it hit me. I'll be a villain! Since I didn't have any kind of special powers, I could rob banks or kidnap people... or something. Maybe I could get some help. A government grant or /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"A week later, I managed to get an appointment with the Mayor of New York, Susan Richards, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. She was an attractive blond woman in her early thirties. I was a little surprised to see she wore her Fantastic Four /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I shook her hand and she asked me to take a seat. "What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I wanted to talk to you about the crime rate in the city," I /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Crime?," Mayor Richards asked, her brow furrowed in consternation. "Mr. Jones, there is no crime in New York. Or most of the world for that matter."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""That's my point exactly," I replied. "Mayor, this city is made up of... what? Sixty, seventy percent superhuman? And what do they do with their powers?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Not much, I'm afraid," the blond mayor /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Exactly. They could do so much good for this city, yet they can't seem to find anything worthwhile. Hell, last week I saw Jessie Quick, one of the fastest people on the planet, mowing the Great Lawn. If you ask me that's a serious waste of her talents."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I agree with you, Mr. Jones," Mayor Richards replied. She clasped her hands, and placed her chin on them. "But what would you have me do? Create criminals out of thin air?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""No. But I was thinking I would become a villain."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The Invisible Woman's eyes boggled close to the point of bursting. "Wh-what?!" It was all I could do to keep from laughing my head off from her /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Calm down, Mayor. Let me explain..." I told her my idea and my reasons. I had thought about this for some time, I even went over this with my cousin, Sage. I tell you, she's a frickin' goddess when it comes to planning /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After five minutes I had her /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Mr. Jones," Mayor Richards said, I can tell she liked the idea by the way she was grinning. "I'm impressed by your plan. It's very ambitious and will provide a service to the superhuman community." I started grinning; I already had my first "crime" picked out. "But..." My smile faulted. Should've known there'd be a /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""But...?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I'd have to run this by the city council. But I don't think convincing them would be a problem."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The next few months was a blur of activity. The city council unanimously agreed to fund the project for a year as a trial run. That included an office, staff, uniform and equipment. I spent a month with Officer Dragon from Chicago and Nathan Summers for weapons training and Shang-Chi for martial arts. I don't know how he did it, but I was a third Dan in several fighting styles by winter's /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The fashion designer, Janet Van Dyne created several costumes for me that looked really cool. Though I was probably in the best shape of my life from the training I had, I was self-conscious about how formfitting the costume was. I think I insulted her when I asked for a costume that wasn't so /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"By the time I was ready for my first crime, I already became a minor celebrity. I was on talk shows and was featured in "Time" Magazine. I even got an offer to do a layout for "Playgirl". I said /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I pulled up to First National Bank in Midtown. The motorcycle Stark Enterprises gave me was a dream to ride. I spent half the day just riding around before I decided it was time to get to work. As I got off the bike I noticed a patrol car heading towards me. My body went rigid, and my hand started to inch to one of the two high tech pistols Forge had designed for me strapped to my hips. As the car slowed, I noticed the two officers eyeballing me. I was decked out in a military-style storm trooper /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I nearly pissed myself when the cops grinned and waved. The one closest to me even said: "Good luck."br /br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After calming my nerves, I entered the bank. There were maybe two dozen people in the bank and half of that were employees. I withdrew one of the guns, aimed at the ceiling and let two fly. I startled everyone. When I had everyone's attention I cleared my throat and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention. Will you kindly raise your hand, if you are a mutant, a cyborg, genetically engineered or superhuman in any way, shape, or form." I wasn't too shocked to see everyone but two tellers and a single customer comply. "All right. Everyone who raised their hand, please exit the building single file."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"There was some grumbling from the super humans, mostly about not being able to finish their business. One old man gave me a withering glare and muttered "...If I was two years younger..."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"A pretty Asian girl, about shoulder height to me, wearing a black outfit with a gold, bat shaped outline stenciled onto her top stopped in front of me before exiting the /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Is something wrong?," I asked politely. I may have been robbing the place, but I didn't have to be rude about itbr /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Can... I stay?," she asked haltedly, as if she wasn't used to talking all that /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Huh?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I... never saw a crime... before."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I blinked a few times at her, surprised by the request. "Ehh..." I wasn't sure what to /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""I won't... interfere." She seemed to know how I felt. Telepath? "Promise," she /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I sighed. "Alright as long as you just watch."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"She smiled brightly and made her way back to where she was. I never could say no to a pretty /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Why does she get to stay?" A man wearing a green outfit and a glowing ring /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Pardon?"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Green Lanterns, right." An elf-like woman with blue skin said. "That's not exactly fair, Johnson." I frowned when she got my name wrong. Suddenly everyone started complaining about not being able to /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Christ on a crutch," I muttered. Didn't these people realize I'm trying to do my job? "Everyone... everyone..." They weren't listening. Annoyed, I fired off two more shots into the ceiling. Bits of plaster and dust rained down around me. They all settled down. "Alright already! You guys can stay if you promise not to interfere with my job."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"They all consented and went back to their places, smiling and chatting amicably. Captain America patted me on the shoulder before he went back to his Bank Manager's desk. "Son, for a crook you're a nice guy."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""It's my gift, it's my curse," I replied. Cap gave me a look. I smiled at the living legend. "Sorry, always wanted to say that."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"After that, the only snag was one of the tellers went into a major giggle fit when I demanded she put money into a leather bag I tossed her. When I had all the money I felt I could reasonably carry, I asked for a volunteer to be pistol-whipped, explaining I had to make the illusion of being a vicious criminal. A green-skinned woman with a blond mohawk stepped /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""You sure about this?," I asked. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Gimme your best shot," she /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"So I did. The gun shattered on contact with her chin and my arm went numb from the impact. But she was still standing. "Oh man," said the woman a touch of concern in her voice. "You going to be okay?" I nodded while moving my arm around trying to get the feeling /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"When feeling returned to my arm, I gathered my loot. The girl in black, Cassandra, handed me one moneybag when I dropped it. I thanked her and she blushed a little. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"As I headed towards the exit I was surprised by the applause my "victims" were giving me. I smiled and gave them the thumbs /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I rushed out of the bank and stowed the money into the saddlebags on my bike. I was just about to get on when I was suddenly yanked off my feet and was dangling ten feet off the ground. "What the hell?!"br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Off to my left, a man in a red and blue costume was clinging to the side of the building. "Hello, Mr. Jones!," he said cheerfully. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Spider-man!," I yelled. Down below the people from the bank rushed out to see what was happening. br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""You've been a bad boy, Mr. Jones," Spider-man said. I could tell he was grinning under the /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"I chuckled, relaxing while still suspended. "Yeah, well." I shrugged as best I could. "You could've at least let me get a couple blocks away first."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Sorry."br /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""S'o.k You gonna take me to jail or what?" He did. I spent two days in the Twenty-third Precinct, mostly playing "Halo" with some of the younger cops. My trial was only for show. I was found guilty for bank robbery and assault and sentenced to time /br /p
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"That was the beginning of my career as a criminal. Eventually I became a "supervillain", but that's another story./p