Today was a good day for Manny Rivera.
It started off boring, then got bad, but then it became fun. He had that villain (that he couldn't remember the name of) to thank. After the villain made an attempt to steal his belt buckle, Manny used the fight as an excuse to leave school. So when his dad asked why he wasn't in school, all Manny had to do was tell him about an evil and powerful villain that attacked him in the middle of the day, a villain that was still out in the city! Sure he 'exaggerated' a few details, but his father wouldn't ever find out.
Manny was now at home, relaxing after his busy day of gaming at the arcade with Frida, making skateboards to jump off a cliff with, and pranking the mayor of Miracle City with guacamole-filled balloons.
As the sun started to set through the window Manny heard a knock at the door. "Manny! Can you get the door? Your father is out and I'm a bit…preoccupied." After hearing his Grandpapi's shout, Manny closed the comic he was reading and headed for the door. Manny grabbed the door handle and prepared to greet their guest, who happened to be a familiar face.
Today was not a good day for Jack Spicer.
It started out exciting, then got frustrating, but then it became tiring. He had the El Tigre brat to thank. After his failed attempt to nab his magical belt buckle, Jack decided to head home and think of a new plan. But he ran into some complications, which led him here to this door, where he now stood, waiting for his only hope to answer it.
The door opened, revealing a young teen with curly hair and a scar over one eye, and a belt buckle that caused the back of Jack's head to throb with fresh pain.
Manny Rivera looked at the teenager in surprise...and slight pity. The villain was noticeably different from their encounter earlier that day. His hair was messy and uncombed, he had dark bags under his barely open eyes, filled with drowsiness, and his clothes were all wrinkled and messy. The villain did not look like the earlier, more energetic, and loud version of himself.
Jack sighed and began speaking in a weary voice. "I just happened to be in the area, and I noticed your home. It reminded me of the residence of a young, kind, and generous individual. So, I decided to stop by and ask for some assistance during this difficult time." He paused, then continued, "Would it be possible for me to borrow some money from you?"
Manny only stared at the teen in confusion, not understanding what the hell was happening. "What? Are you loco? You and I were just having a fight this morning, and how did you find me?"
"Well your name and address were easy to find, your identity isn't really a secret, and my reason for being here is…" Jack stayed silent for a moment in order to consider his response, but in the end he sighed and decided to say his least favorite answer, the truth.
"After our fight, I went to go grab my jet to fly home; however, apparently, I was parked illegally and it was towed. So I went to pick it up, but I had to pay a fine and my wallet was in the jet. When I explained the situation to the man who towed my jet, he said I needed these legal papers in order to retrieve any property left in the vehicle, so he told me where I could get them at city hall. Upon arriving at the city hall, I discovered that the proper papers had a small fee to pay to get them, and once again, my wallet was in the jet. So I walked around town trying to figure something out; I don't want to call my parents for various reasons, and I don't know anyone else here, except for you. So here I am."
After Spicer's story Manny just looked at him with pity. He's never been in a situation this… pathetic. He honestly didn't know what to say to the guy, he felt bad for him, but it wasn't his responsibility to help him. Manny just took a moment to think before asking a question. "Why didn't you just steal the money? You are a villain."
Jack brought his finger up, ready to say something, but then he brought it down in realization. "I didn't think of that."
Before Jack could lament on his own forgetfulness about being a proper villain, a different villain interrupted them. "Manny, I may need some help with that thing that's been keeping me so busy... who is this?" The newcomer was a short, elderly man wearing thick-rimmed glasses and sporting a gigantic sombrero.
Manny turned to address his grandfather, who had come to the door, only to be interrupted by a girlish scream.
"EEEKKK! You're Puma Loco! I'm a big fan! I have the issue of Villains Quarterly with your debut!" Jack Spicer had shed away all his tiredness when he spotted Puma Loco. Jack rushed past Manny so he could stand in front of the retired supervillain.
"Oh! You're a fan, I see?" The old villain was currently wearing a smug smile; it wasn't every day a young villain came over to greet him.
"Yeah I am! I've been a fan since I saw your cool mech in an issue of Golden Age Villains six years ago! It's got a nice classy design and an awesome transformation into your sombrero! Do you think you can transform right now?" Jack was jumping up and down in excitement as he fanboyed out in front of Puma Loco, who was loving the attention.
Puma Loco chuckled to himself as he only got more full of himself. "Well, since you asked so excitedly, how could I possibly say no?" Puma Loco was sucked into his hat before it started to transform. A red glass dome created with Puma Loco in it, two giant claws extended out, and the mech popped out its metal legs. After his transformation the villain yelled out his name, "Puma Loco!"
Jack applauded the display from the infamous villain. Manny, however, was starting to get annoyed with the change in Jack. "Hey!" he said. "Weren't you just begging me to give you cash?"
Jack turned to the young boy. "Hey! I didn't beg; I merely asked."
Puma Loco transformed his robot suit back into a hat before inquiring about the situation. "What's this about money?"
"Well, you see, Mr. Puma Loco," said Jack. "After performing some of my villainous activities today, I had my mode of transportation taken from me and I also lost my funds. I came here to ask this kid here about some compensation for his part in my vehicle being lost." As Jack explained the situation, Manny glared at him.
"My part? I thought you came here for my 'generosity'."
"What!?" After hearing his grandson Puma Loco became enraged. "What's this about you being generous, grandson!?"
"No, Grandpapi! He's just trying to scam money from me after he attacked me at school and tried to steal my belt buckle." Manny explained the situation to his grandfather to calm him down.
Jack looked between the younger and older Riveras before looking at Manny with a shocked expression. "Grandson!? Grandpapi!? You two are related!? But he's an infamous villain, and you're some superpowered brat!"
Before Manny could call out the insult, Grandpapi had beaten him to it. "So you attacked my grandson, AND tried to rob him? That's some nice villainy! Takes guts to attack one of us Riveras in the middle of the day!" Grandpapi complimented Jack on his example of evil while internally comparing him to his grandson. 'It's nice to see a young villain with such a straightforward plan to take what he wants! If only my grandson could take some of this boy's evil and become a full-fledged villain… wait a minute…'
Puma Loco turned his attention to Jack and Manny as a plan formulated in his head, a plan to help him turn his grandson to the dark side. "Say, youngster, what's your name?"
Jack jumped up straight with a wide smile when he was addressed by the great villain. "Jack Spicer, sir!"
"Jack Spicer, eh? Well Jack, it seems like you have an issue on your hands. If you have nowhere to stay, you're welcome to stay here."
"REALLY!?" Hearing that he might have the chance to stay in the home of Puma Loco was amazing to Jack. He would do anything to take this opportunity, even sleep in a bird poop covered bed.
Puma Loco grinned mischievously as his plan was starting to come together. "Yes. You can stay here, but there is a catch. My grandson has so much evil potential in him, but he just can't decide whether to be a hero or villain. I was thinking that maybe if he had a bad influence in the form of a supervillain companion, maybe he could be steered onto the path of villainy."
After Puma Loco's suggestion, Jack didn't waste any time agreeing. "Of course! If your grandson has half a brain, which I doubt he does, then he'll see that being evil is the coolest path to choose!"
Fantastic! Then let's shake on it." After Puma Loco put out his hand, Jack Spicer grabbed it as quickly as he could and shook it enthusiastically. "Ok, you can sleep with Señor Chapi in that room over there."
Okay! Don't you worry, sir. I'll have your grandson committing plenty of evil before you know it!" As he made his declaration, Jack walked to his temporary room.
As Jack entered his new room, a loud exclamation could be heard from him, "WHY IS THERE SO MUCH BIRD POOP IN HERE?!"
Puma Loco hummed to himself as he scratched his chin in thought. "We should probably change Señor Chapi's diet; that bird is having issues."
Meanwhile, Manny stood shocked in the room. He shook his head to gain some self-control and turned to his grandfather. "Grandpapi, why did you let that guy in? He tried to steal my belt buckle!" Manny was frustrated with the situation. Had his grandfather lost his mind?
"Don't worry, Manny." Grandpapi retorted as he headed to his own room, "I got that guy under my control; you saw him all star struck with me. Besides, you don't have many villain friends, so this is an excellent opportunity for you! So I hope you two have fun tomorrow, because you'll be hanging out with him all day."
Before Manny could say anything else, his grandfather had already entered his room and shut the door.
Manny headed to his room so he could get the sleep he needed after that exhausting interaction. As he got into his bed to sleep, Manny couldn't help but ask himself a question. "How are we going to explain this to dad?"
Thank you for reading!
Also, as I published this chapter, I received my first favorite on this story! Which is also my first ever favorite, since this is my first ever fanfic. Well, that favorite made my day, so thank you.
And may all of you have a wondrous day!