The moment SMAV descends into the storm drain, he is approached by COOL FREE, and is immediately very frightened to the point of glufling away. COOL FREE runs after SMAV, being incredibly fast and as such able to close to distance very quickly. However, SMAV perseveres, and its about average stamina helps it traverse through a large portion of Costa Brava without being caught by COOL FREE. Both SMAV and COOL FREE give out at the exact same time, right in front of the Beaten Meat Deli. Meatsmith rushes outside with some smelling-salt coated meat, and helps the two fallen potential customers get back up. SMAV, being treated first, promptly runs away, but COOL FREE is still in a rather rough state from exerting himself, so he doesn't bother chasing SMAV any further, instead turning his attention to Meatsmith.
"How important would you say your job is for the local economy?" COOL FREE asks.
"Well, I make no money off of it." Meatsmith admits, and COOL FREE nods, taking note of this odd detail.
"Consider yourself lucky. That's not a lifestyle many can afford to lead. Do you get a lot of important customers coming through here?"
"Every now and then, yeah."
"Hmm…what's your policy on using the deli as a trap?"
"It's complicated."
"Let me see it. Do you have a printed copy?"
"One second." Meatsmith heads into the store, and comes back with a large book titled "BEATEN MEAT POLICIES VOL. 4". He opens it up to the appropriate page, and highlights the passage on "Entrapment and related hijinks". COOL FREE reads over the policy, which indicates that the purpose of the trap can never be for monetary gain, and the participants in the trapping process must not be affiliated with any major criminal organizations.
"Alright…let's say that money is a byproduct of the process, but not the main goal here. Does that work?"
"Does it involve any criminal affiliations?"
"Not unless one decides to get involved by chance, which I can't control."
"Alright, it should be okay, then. Come on, have a seat inside, help yourself to some meat." Meatsmith invites COOL FREE into the store, and just as COOL FREE is seated, the door swings open as someone else walks inside. This person is Mohn E. Bahgs, a notorious miser who manufactures his own money using fossil fuels.
"Ah, Meatsmith, my old friend. I've come here to get my favorite drink, you know the one." Mohn declares.
"Uh…it's been a while. What drink is that?" Meatsmith asks.
"Oh…you know…the most EXPENSIVE one you have." Mohn rubs his fingers together as he says this.
"Alright, but it's pretty strong stuff, just as a warning." Meatsmith heads into the back, and comes back with a glass of molten gold, which is one of the very few menu items that has a price attached at all. Mohn turns up his nose and scowls.
"Gold? GOLD? Last time I came here, you gave me platinum! What lowlife do you take me for?" Mohn harrumphs.
"This is all I have, okay? Limited supply and all. If you want to drink molten platinum, you'll have to take your business somewhere else."
"Oh no, no no no, that just won't do. Meatsmith, you don't want your…criminal activity getting out, do you?"
As Mohn says this, COOL FREE looks back at the two, and seems to be contemplating something, since it's looking more and more like both Mohn and Meatsmith are sketchy individuals who can't be entirely trusted. COOL FREE stands up and approaches the two, stepping between them.
"Hey, hey, let's not escalate this. I don't like seeing people fight. The meat guy said he doesn't have platinum, and I don't see why he would lie about that unless he's trying to nicely ask you to leave, in which case he has the right to do that since he runs this place. How about we all just shake on this and agree that nobody is in the wrong here?" COOL FREE holds out his hands, and Meatsmith and Mohn leer at one another, but both accept the handshake anyways. The moment the two grasp his hands, COOL FREE activates his Stand, Back on the Market, on both of them, placing a massive bounty on both of their heads. Due to the lack of any visual indicator of this effect, neither Meatsmith nor Mohn realizes that they've been put in any danger, and COOL FREE simply stands back after completing the handshake. It doesn't take long at all for people to arrive at the scene, starting with General Albert crashing through the window and redirecting himself to the ground to slam down right in front of Mohn.
"Hey, hey, hey! You're on my list!" Albert bellows. The rest of the army isn't with him right now, but he feels that he can take on Mohn without them, and he readies his bazooka. Toxiskate also arrives at the scene, loading bloodshot into his Clotgun as he plans to steal the kill from Albert. However, Mohn is not fit to survive a direct shot from a bazooka, and all it takes is one shot from Albert to blast Mohn to smithereens, granting Albert the reward for the bounty, as well as giving a significant cut of the reward money to COOL FREE. Toxiskate angrily spits insults at Albert, giving away his presence.
"Watch your mouth!" Albert yells, tackling Toxiskate to the ground and flattening him against the sidewalk outside, before rolling down the street like a boulder, leaving Toxiskate behind. Toxiskate tries to stand up so that he can claim the bounty from Meatsmith, but the moment he gets himself upright, he pukes violently, ejecting the toxins from his system and becoming Starskate once more. Due to the very jarring nature of this transition, Starskate completely forgets about the bounty on Meatsmith's head, and just looks around the area in confusion.
Meanwhile, a dark cloud forms above the Kroger spire, and wicked bolts of lightning strike the spire with even more potency than usual, melting and scorching the spire into smoking metal sludge. The legendary hero irc drops down from the clouds, where he had been using the Kroger spire to hone his powers. After such intensive training, irc wants nothing more than a tasty and filling meal, so he heads to the Beaten Meat Deli after reading a lot of good reviews online. The air crackles as irc walks down the street, with small balls of lightning forming and dissipating in his wake. The door of the Beaten Meat swings open and irc walks inside, spotting Beatsmith cleaning up the mess of shattered glass and blood left by Albert and Mohn.
"Hey man, who do I talk to if I want some grub around here?"
"I can take your order." Beatsmith says, putting down his broom and taking out a notepad. irc places an order consisting of some of the most exotic meats on the menu, and Beatsmith hands off the order to Meatsmith, who heads in the back to make the order. Once Meatsmith gives irc his food, irc gobbles it down hungrily, before letting out a satisfied burp.
"Thanks man, you're a real lifesaver. I can't believe you do this for free. Here, you should have this. A tip." irc holds out a couple of silver coins and offers them to Meatsmith.
"Are you sure? I don't mind offering my services for free."
"Please, I insist." irc pushes the coins towards Meatsmith, accidentally pressing them against Meatsmith's arm in the process. In doing this, due to the high conductivity of silver, irc completes a circuit between himself and Meatsmith, unintentionally triggering his Stand, Proof of a Hero, and causing a bolt of lightning to strike Meatsmith. Meatsmith's entire body is scorched and seared, and electricity courses through his body, stopping his heart and causing him to collapse to the ground, dead.
"Oops." irc stares at Meatsmith's body as the reward for the bounty is added to his checking account. With both bounties taken care of, COOL FREE casually stands up and walks out of the store to take his business elsewhere, while Beatsmith stares at irc in shock and awe, fury and vengeance bubbling forth in his blood.