Back in Acmetropolis, dark storm clouds gathered over a particularly advanced skyscraper as the clock rolled around to 2:00 pm. Sitting in the CEO's chair of Rhodes Industries, a tall dark figure sat awaiting the arrival of his 2:15 appointment. He wore a dark blue suit, black tie and black no-sole, toe-fit shoes. His light rusty-red feathers looked like chocolate in the dimly lit office while his bright red comb and tail plume shone frighteningly brightly, piercing through the dark like pillars of fire. His icy blue eyes twinkled like a pair of stars illuminated by the single goose-neck lamp sitting beside him.

The bird was jolted out of his angry, almost hypnotized state as the intercom pinged. "Hey, Reggie," a female voice chimed, "Your 2:15 appointment has arrived." The bird let out an angry chitter as he pressed the button on the intercom and said, "How many times do I have to tell you, Gertrude, call me 'boss', or at least 'Mr. Rhodes'."

"Don't start up with that again," Gertrude trilled, "Just buzz him in." The bird hissed as Gertrude signed off and he sat back down in the chair, pushing a small button next to the intercom speaker to unlock the door to the office. As the door slid open with a hiss, a familiar face came stumbling into the dimly lit office. "Jeramiah, welcome."

"M-Mr. Rhodes," Jeramiah stammered. "Come in, Mr. Jaunt, come in." Reggie said urging the shorter avian in, pressing the door button again to shut and lock it behind Jeramiah as he took a few more steps into the office. "Have a seat," Reggie said motioning to the chair sitting a few feet from the desk.

"Mr. Rhodes, I know you were probably… not exactly thrilled by my incident report," Jeramiah stuttered, "B-but you have to understand that the paperwork didn't reach my desk in time so there were setbacks with," Jeramiah let out a peep as Reggie held up his hand to stop him, reaching up and rubbing his temples before Jeramiah simply asked, "Um… Sir?" Reggie took a deep breath and sighed, saying, "Mr. Jaunt, riddle me this: Why is this world so against me?"

"That's not true, sir. Everyone on the team has been going above and beyond to support you." Jeramiah said shaking his head eagerly. "Then why is Reverend Runner… still… breathing!?" Reggie screamed, slamming his fist on the desk. "How is it that he's not been reduced to a sobbing, wallowing, wilting mess!? How is he still so… safe!?"

"I don't know, sir!" Jeramiah chirped, "Sir, with all due respect, he's not a poor college student anymore, he's a well-connected member of the city's sextet of protectors with superpowers and everything. He's also got a rich alien benefactor and a very well-to-do family that can cover expenses that he can't or the city isn't willing to foot the bill for."

Reggie's enraged face quickly eased up, changing to an expression of relative calm as he took a deep breath and sighed, nodding his head and wagging his finger at Jeramiah, "You… have a very good point there, Jaunt." Jeramiah let out a soft sigh of relief as Reggie walked over, patting him on the shoulder.

"That right there is why I brought you onto this project, Jaunt. You've got that… perception that on rare occasions just slips my mind." Reggie trotted over and opening the curtains; Jeramiah let out a squeak as what little sunlight there was outside flooded in through the window. "So perhaps we should focus on ruining his image as a hero," Reggie said rubbing his lower jaw thoughtfully, "What do you think, Jeramiah?"

"Sir?" Reggie turned to Jeramiah expectantly and Jeramiah wracked his mind to think over what Reggie had proposed, "W-well… I don't see any way to do that, sir. At least not without revealing the fact that he wasn't entirely in control when he smashed up Avian Alley… assuming that was the angle you were going for."

Reggie let out a snicker, nodded his head and said, "True. Even if it didn't come out right away, someone's bound to find out the truth eventually. Rhodes Industries' fingerprints are all over that armor, after all. It'd be impossible for us to deny any of it." Reggie sat back in his big chair and rested his head in his hand, contemplating the situation for a moment before sitting straight up, slapping the top of the desk and making Jeramiah jump in his seat before saying quite loudly, "Whelp, I guess I'll just have to take care of this myself."

"Um… what? What do you mean, sir?" Jeramiah asked nervously. "Exactly what I said," Reggie said pulling out some paperwork, "As soon as father comes back to… relieve me… I'll be heading out to my old hometown. It's about time I paid them a visit, anyway."

"Visit… them? Who?" Reggie turned to Jeramiah and glared at him with a terrifying smirk stretching across his beak and said, "Why, the Runners, of course." Jeramiah flinched as Reggie stood up and walked over to him, leaning over and getting right in his face, "Do you have an issue with that?" Jeramiah shook his head quickly and Reggie simply said, "Good. Now get out of here."

Jeramiah whimpered, nodding his head fast before dashing to the door. Reggie zipped over and pushed the button to open the door and smirked as Jeramiah vanished into the hall, a puff of smoke slowly rising from where he once stood. As the door hissed shut, Reggie's smirk slowly vanished; he spun the big chair he was sitting in around as rain started hitting the window behind him and lightning lit up the sky. "I hope you haven't gotten too comfortable with life, Rev," Reggie whispered, "Because it's all about to go to hell."