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That truck was in the air for a long time 😅

Good story though! Loved the catchphrase!

Too late, this is the 18th time you've interviewed me

The more realistic scenario.

"Ok who's next?"

"Hi, I'm here for the interview?"

"Power?"

"Time Loops."

"GET OOOOOOOUT!"

Headcanon that this is the guy who was playing galaga on the bridge

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Thank you very much for the feedback.

I agree, it can be very messy. I see what you mean about Susan. (I probably should have noted this occurs after the events of my submission for last week's SEUS (Acoustic), where she is still getting over the aftermath of that "adventure".) The word limit is a reality, but will re-read and see if I can see a way to update while showcasing that facet.

Thank you for giving me something to think about!

I look around confused, what does he mean? Get out? The doors are closed how could anybody get out. And besides, everybody just got in, we all have to get somewhere, we aren't just gonna get out right away? What the hell is he-oh SHIT!

People start wailing on Captain America trying to take him down. But Captain America, being Captain America, gets free and starts knocking them all around with his shield. I don't even realize that I am screaming and crying in the corner of the elevator until it has already happened. I try to catch myself and stop but a guy falls over unconscious next to me and I start screaming even louder.

All I wanted to do was resubmit my expense reports. Accounting has been on my ass about this forever, and I finally set up a meeting to get it taken care of. I guess something went wrong? I don't really know, I thought I filed it all correctly, but I filled it out wrong and they wanted to talk to me about it. It sounded serious, I hope they don't think I'm stealing money. It seems like a silly thing to be worried about now. What I should be worried about is my brain getting split in half by that heavy ass shield.

I watch in terror as the last man goes down. He looks at me cowering in the corner. I can tell he is trying to make up his mind. Whether he should kill me or not? I don't know. Why is Captain America fighting SHIELD agents? Is he the bad guy now? Or maybe they are the bad guys? I'm so confused. I wish I didn't cry in front of Captain America, this is humiliating. I also wish I didn't shit my pants in front of him.

He decides to ignore me and pulls open the doors to try and leave. There are more of the agents coming so he decides to jump out of the window instead. Now I just am sitting in the elevator alone with the broken glass and a bunch of unconscious bodies. Everything smells like shit. Next time I am taking the stairs.

Taking it more towards "Established Universe"

××××××××××××

"Kevin finally showed up!" Superman heard in his earpiece. He grinned.

His fight with Darkseid was over one second later. Superman loved not having to hold himself back, especially in this world as fragile as cardboard to him.

"Good work," Batman could be heard on the secure frequencies. "See if Kevin needs your help, otherwise you may return," this was said to him specifically.

"Sure thing!" replied Clark Kent.

He approached the somewhat secluded rooftop.

"Thank you for helping out today!"

"Uhh... It's fine," was Kevin's reply.

"Where is Brainwave?" Superman felt the need to ask. Usually they were inseparable.

"Indisposed," was Kevin's monotone reply.

Something about how he said it didn't sit right with Superman. The increase in Kevin's heartrate was another indication something weird was going on.

"Something you would like to share?" Clark asked with as little suspicion as he could.

Unfortunately, he was never known for his subtlety.

"What is collateral?" Kevin asked him instead.

Superman was back to being confused. "Are you worried about a loan? Justice League helps one of their own, worry not!"

"It is my superpower, you know? Stopping all collateral damage." Kevin continued as if he hadn't said a word. "But who defines what is collateral? What was intended?"

"I remember reading about how Brainwave was helping you attune your mind to react quickly..." Clark lead him on. Already his comms were on, and Batman was listening to every word and doing whatever trickery he did to them.

"Yeah, he helped me a lot, thanks for that, really." Kevin spoke with a finality that Clark didn't like, not at all. "He helped me understand what is or isn't collateral. For that I will forever be thankful to him." There was a smile on Kevin's face.

"Brainwave's comms are offline," came the voice of Batman.

"Whatever he did to my daughter... None of it was collateral. I checked many, many times. It was exactly what he had intended. He made sure I knew."

"Detain him Superman, we can question him from the safety of a secure prison."

"He made sure to let me know, all damage done by you superheroes was collateral, except the one inflicted on the villain. Except the ones you had intended."

Superman was already accelerating, his hands around Kevin's neck so he wouldn't die off a whiplash, his feet ready to jump away, but... he couldn't.

"You are a superhero, and I am a mere bystander. I am no villain, Superman," Kevin said with a sad smile.

Clark increased his force. The concrete under his feet cracked and repaired itself, as did Kevin's clothes under his wrists.

And he remained unmoved.

"If Brainwave was a superhero, even after everything he did... There are no villains on this world, Superman."

And to his growing horror, he realised Darkseid was forming again, his bits and pieces slowly coming together.

"I have a simple task, Superman, and I have come to see it finished. I will see Earth free from all its collateral damage."

And then Superman felt the sun slip away from his skin.

"You don't need all that heat damaging your skin, now, do you?"

Some. Yes. Not all. And the best way to hide secrets is to make the secrets you want them to find out about difficult, but not impossible to get into. Why would you hide anymore after that?

Some of them which were used during agents of SHIELD, too.

Songs in the Key of B

"Did I stutter?" Braggocio the bard asked the demon lord smugly while tuning his lyre. Pioustle the paladin covered his mouth with one hand, the other rapidly made the sign of the cross over and over. Wisdomous the wizard got a chuckle out of it. Brabous the barbarian grunted in approval. Majick the mage remained stoically quiet as usual.

Fire raged from the eyes of the goat like demon lord. "How dare an insect such as yourself speak to me, the embodiment of suffering in such a manner!" The demon lord bleated out.

Pioustle interjected, still making the sign of the cross. "There's no need to resort to name calling, that's just in poor taste." He said meekly.

Braggocio scoffed. "Did I ask you for your opinion......bitch. Look at this guy! Sitting on a throne made of human skulls, walls papered with writhing flesh, and don't even get me started on the fountain of blood. All a front to hide how much of a bitch he is!"

The party fell silent, unsure of how to proceed. They prepared for the worst. The demon lord calmly sipped from its golden goblet. "Takes one to know one."

"Fuck off goat bitch! I'm the greatest songsmith in all the lands! My funky tunes allow me to do what I do best. And that's slay bitches! Bitch!" Braggocio played a spicy lyre riff, made Majick go weak in the knees, good thing her long midnight blue cloak hid her figure.

The demon lord cast his goblet to the ground. "Enough of this! No more spicy licks, or bone rattling riffs! Prepare for battle!"

Braggocio smiled. "You've already lost.......bitch."

"Fools! You've yet to even glimpse a fraction of the terror I can cause!"

"But while you were distracted you lost count, like a bitch."

"Count of what?" The demon lord quickly counted the number of adventurers in his chambers, five.....wait......where's the short one? The flash of a steel dagger the last thing the demon lord saw as Ryglar the Rogue removed its head from its body. He gave the party a thumbs up, showing off his new trophy.

"Told you it work...........bitches." A rousing victory riff echoed off the walls of the demon lord's chamber, Braggocio dubbed the tune "The Bitch's Ballad"

Haha this is so great. I wonder if his fellow heroes are insured. Although I'm not sure putting organics back together would be a clean process. This could go pretty deep where side effects start appearing and he realizes the way his power work is kind of dark and he's actually rewinding time on a micro level or something. Or that he's been tricking the cosmic capitalist force that granted him this power by saying stuff is insured but actually isn't and he has to start a campaign to insure the entire world as a technicality.

Yes, that was the public perception of the event. However, Fury did have a hidden 'toolbox' he gave to Coulson which had a plethora of secrets, not mention secret bases that even SHIELD were not aware of.

Thanks Astro! I've focused in on the kiss a little more to make that moment of awakening a little clearer.

the mental toll, I don’t think I can take it anymore. I got these powers just seemingly yesterday, despite the actual timing being months ago. I feel as this duality of gaslighting is bring me down. The public thinks I’m useless and the others think I’m a janitor…I don’t know. Walking along this sideway on a dark night, my head down; my hoodie up. I feel as if I just trapped myself, it hurts but I cling on to the hope of change. One day I may become better.

I have my doubts, my insecurities. Regardless how much I lie to myself, I feel as if…no one really cares. I saw my powers as a gift but now I’m just a tool……a…just…I don’t know actually and that’s what makes me scared. I don’t know what I am anymore: a hero? A tool? A handicap? Something for the public to keep their eyes on so the others can get away with everything. I care about human life, and I want to save others in the best way I can….I hope change is what they truly say; inevitable, if not.

Then why am I a hero?

I'd love to see a part 2 of the aftermath of this incident.

Good story, but I would add more to the middle when they're dancing. The most important of the story is how the MC learns to have fun.

Wasn't Fury believed to be dead by this point?

"Actually, if you can let me out at 5, that would be great." I say softly, the stares from the other men make me feel uncomfortable. I feel like I am in a disciplinary meeting with some people with exceptional anger control issues, and the desire to leave is almost overwhelming.

My phone rings, and I can hear someone curse at me while I answer my phone.

"I am sorry that I am late, I am in the elevator." I answer as I step back, bumping into the other guy with a briefcase. I try to ignore the heavy thunk noise as I try to make my way to the front of the car.

"You should've known you were going to be late and planned accordingly." The person on the end of the line snaps.

"Hey, I didn't know about the goddamn traffic holdup! It's not like I had a magic 8-ball that would've told me, there will be a twenty car pile-up on the freeway." I yell back, waving my arm for emphasis. My fist connecting with the jaw of the guy with the no longer secret magnetic cuff for Cap, knocking him out.

"You are the one that called the meeting, and even when I told you I would be late, you still demanded that I somehow bend Time and Space to make it to the Triskelion. You have no right to make demands of me when I have to obey the laws of this planet." I continue to rant as I ram bodily into Stilwell who stumbles into the goon he has in front of.

Cap takes advantage of the situation and swiftly defeats the others. He looks at me, his body tense, but his face shows confusion.

"You have other places to be, Steve." I say, smashing the reinforced window. "Not here being the top priority. Go."

He nods and hurls himself out of the window, his shield taking the hit first.

"I need to get to my meeting to speak with Fury."

Thanks! :)

Very nice!

This is awesome

What is the definition of chaos? There surely is one, but the real meaning varies depending on who you ask. To a superhero like Gamma Grafton the definition was skewed from the norm. Something surely along the lines of "chaos is the normal. What happens in my head."; something strong sounding and oafish. But for me. Well I knew that chaos was just the absence of order. And well, order is my business.

As another truck came hurdling through the air in my direction I threw myself to the ground, watching as it soared over. I couldn't stop it, at least, not yet. A voice from behind yelled out: "In-sure! It's headed for the apartments, there's still people inside!"

"Don't tell me how to stop cars and I wont tell you how to beat people half to death, Howitzer. Now get back to it! Oh...and you can stop holding back."

My response seemed to relieve him a little. Though I didn't have much of a reputation with the public, other heroes had seen what I was capable of; amongst them I had glowing reviews. He gave me a smirk and turned back to face his opponent, a large, mechanized man with arms the size of tanks. With an explosive leap Howitzer speared the mechanical maniac backwards. Where he'd jumped from a smoldering crater and more work for me was left behind.

The truck bounced off of the ground with its continued momentum, barrelling closer to the apartments. On the balcony's those that previously watched now ran in panic. I watched a woman lock her balcony door on the way in.

But despite their panic I had to wait, my timing needed to be perfect.

"In-sure! You positive you got it!?" Howitzer spoke between attacks, another explosion erupting at his fists.

I did not reply. My concentration was in perfect form and I couldn't allow the insufferable worrier to ruin that. They always worried so damn much. And in that moment it happened, as if in slowed time. The moment the truck touched the building, shifted a single brick, all of my requirements were met. I yelled out into the air my catchphrase: "That building is insured!" (Never really caught on), and the car halted in its tracks, losing all of its momentum and falling to the street in a heap. The brick on the building that had been pushed in slowly aligned itself.

"Oh...the truck is insured too" in response the wreck perked back up, transforming back into a car once again

I couldn't help but stand back and smile at my work. Of course I had done this a million times before, but it never got old, and recognition or not, I loved my job.

The chaos on the street a moment ago had fallen to quiet. Behind me a charred Howitzer stumbled over and to my side, his labored breathes proof of the battle that had ensued. Behind him the large mechanical man lay still, thrown through the side of a building. At a glance that had seemed to be the worst of the damage, but upon a deeper look there were craters all up and down the street. Char marks along homes. One house squished entirely flat, pancaked into a fiery nothing.

Howitzer let out a long sigh "Great work on the apartments! I shouldn't have worried. But uhm...do you mind getting the-"

With a single phrase from my mouth: This block was insured, the street returned back to normal, rebuilding itself like lego pieces until it was as good as new. The building spit the large mech back out onto the street.

I could hear the police arriving, and with them camera crews and press. They'd clamour to Howitzer and rave about his win. About how clean he'd kept the streets during battle. And sure, he'd give me recognition, they always did, but I was an addendum. An after thought to their glory. An and I couldn't have done it without In-sure, hastily tacked on the end of their words.

As I got ready to leave though a face appeared on the apartment balcony, followed by another and another. Soon they were flooded, flooded with eyes all staring to me. I could hear their whispers even from down below.

"Thats the guy who saved us. In-Sure right?"

"Wow I mean Howitzer won but without the other guy we'd be doomed!"

I tested out the words on my tongue in a whisper, then with a bit of found confidence yelled up. "Don't worry. I in-sured your safety!"

To my surprise I was met with applause, with a roar of cheers from the balcony. Howitzer smiled, patting me on the back with a charred hand.

"Feels good huh? You should get this more often, hero."

It did feel good. And even though I loved my job, praise or not, cheers never hurt. I was glad someone realized that chaos was not just the absence of order, it was the absence of me.

Writers note: Some goofy lore I wanted to add but had no place to. In-Sure gets around by destroying parts of sidewalk or pavement then standing on it as he activates his power of repair. Doing so gives him a boost, as the pieces repairing under his feet shoot him forward.