[removed]

I like the vibes of this one, a vengeful void

"Ow!", he yelped in pain.

Finally collecting himself, Argyle found himself in a world of fire and ruins.

Surrounding him was a destroyed landscape covered no longer in green grass, but flames and infernal flora. Black grass grew where death was, blood fungi lived where blood was shed. It was a world of death, a world of demons.

"Roth, what the hell was that? What's wrong with you?", Argyle finally turned to his demon and scolded him.

The demon shook its head, shaking off its confusion.

"Bad, bad cannon", grumbled Roth.

Their discussion however was interrupted by a massive explosion in the distance, shocking Argyle.

"What was that?", Argyle shouted, running up the hill to find out.

With Roth floating behind him, Argyle ran up to see a terrifying sight.

A battle was happening on the ground below. The wasteland of ruins was filled with an army of demons, pushing forward. On the other side, was a much smaller army, though they were easily matching the advancement of the demon army.

Argyle became wide-eyed as he noticed the defending army was wielding the very same weapons he saw demonstrated in The Citadel-- The Mana Cannon. Hundreds of them being utilized on the battlefield, easily vaporizing thirty demons in one shot.

The soldiers on the ground utilized similar technology-- swords of magic beam, hand-held pistols firing magic bullets. Though one thing Argyle noticed, much to his surprise, though they were within the demonic plane...those technology-wielding soldiers were humans.

"Roth, what is this? What is happening down there?", Argyle asked.

"War. Bad humans use bad cannons", Roth sadly said. "Roth hates war. Roth wants to go back to Argyle's world"

Argyle felt bad, sensing Roth's sadness, but he wanted to find out an explanation."Roth, I need to find out what's going on here. How can there be humans here, in the demonic plane?

"Roth seemed hesitant but he answered. "Humans came from hole"

"Hole? What hole?", Argyle asked.

"Hole came a thousand years ago. War started a thousand years ago", Roth said.

"Roth, take me to this hole", asked Argyle.

After a few bits of convincing, Roth took Argyle a mile east of the battlefield, towards a more desolate wasteland.

Peeking from the hill, Argyle saw the hole. A massive hole in the middle of the wasteland, seemingly going deep to the center of the earth.

"Roth hates hole", Roth grumbled, unamused.

"Roth, I need to go down there", Argyle hushed.

Though he disagreed, Roth followed Argyle behind. Discreetly going down the hill towards the hole, Argyle could see more humans coming in and out of the hole-- soldiers guarding the perimeter, some hauling more cannons out.

Fortunate enough that the hole was as massive as a city, there was a lot of openings where the hole was not guarded. Quietly sneaking pass, Roth grabbed Argyle and flew both of them down the hole.

Hundreds of kilometers they went down through the darkness. Argyle's heart thumped, anxious. What could be down there, he wondered.

Closer and closer they went to the bottom; Argyle was shocked seeing a ruined city lying on the bottom of the pit. Though he could sense a strange sensation of familiarity, it was all shattered as he saw a familiar white building.

"The Citadel", Argyle muttered. Standing tall still, though he could tell the magnificent structure was weathered by time.

"But how can this be?", Argyle wondered when suddenly a beam of magic bullet struck Roth.

In a painful yelp, both of them fell down onto the ground. Tumbling painfully, Argyle could fell a few of his bones were broken. But he didn't care, turning his attention immediately to the wounded Roth.

"No, no, Roth, please!", Argyle tended to the bleeding demon, unconscious on the ground.

"Step away from the demon!"

Surrounding them were human soldiers, wielding those magic guns with them.

Argyle didn't hear them however, as he was much too worried about Roth.

"You're human. Why are you helping the demon?", the soldier asked.

"You hurt him", growled Argyle, tears of anger in his face. In his wrath, Argyle casted a fire spell. His unbroken arm glowed red, ready to strike the soldiers.

"Warlock!", the soldiers screamed, and they began to shoot.

As they did, Argyle instantly changed his spell to a defensive one, surrounding himself and Roth in a protective barrier.

As the firing ceased, the soldiers looked on in awe at the unscathed warlock.

"Your kind was exterminated hundreds of years ago. How are you still here?", the soldier asked, fear began to culminate.

Argyle could feel Roth's life was wasting away. In his desperate grief, Argyle chanted his final spell-- a forbidden spell of soul bonding.

"I will not let you die", Argyle whispered to his friend.

Placing his hand on Roth's chest, Argyle let the demon's soul flowed into him, becoming one with his own essence.

As soon as the bonding complete, Argyle spread his newly formed wings and sent a blast of wind, knocking the soldiers away.

"Fire! Fire!", the soldiers desperately tried to take down Argyle, but the angered warlock had had enough.

With his magic boosted with demon soul, Argyle easily burned the soldiers with infernal flame with a snap of his fingers, leaving charred ashes where they stood.

The warlock finally calmed himself down as he heard more footsteps running towards him. Blinded by rage of the death of his friend, Argyle attacked the humans, destroying the ruined city even more.

The powerful warlock was made even more powerful than even an arch-demon, and he easily devastated the humans.

But it was not enough for him. Every one of them must suffer...Argyle casted his summoning spell, summoning himself back to his world, taking him back to the middle of The Citadel, a moment after he traveled away with Roth.

Flying above the city, Argyle looked down at it with contempt, and he knew what to do.

The arch-warlock extended his arms towards the farthest corner of the city and with magic powerful enough to shatter the continent, he destroyed the ground around the border of the city and pushed the city down with a force strong enough to crush the planet.

Down, down, and further down the whole city went. In his rage, Argyle screamed his grieve out as he sent the city down into the abyss. Afterward, he sealed the hole, throwing massive rubbles into it, piling it high up until a mountain was created above where the city used to be.

One last roar he let out; his scream was heard all around the continent.

It was a signal of a new era as those who were unfortunate enough to hear it would remember. Argyle's mind was lost, lost within his grieve and the madness his demon friend must endured.

"The age of men is over", Argyle declared. "The age of demon has begun"

r/HangryWritey

Edit: spacing

It had been the talk of the whole continent for a few weeks then, a resounding no from the magic-wielding community: The Cult of Technology, a group of non-magical people, had made a buzz of a new future, a future without magic, a future where no magic is needed to combat the wild unpredictable nature of the supernatural.

In the courtyard of The Citadel a crowd had gathered, of warlocks, witches, and non-magical people alike. Protests were voiced, but the Citadel was a place of free thinkers, where knowledge was sacred and protected.

Argyle pushed pass through the crowd, it seemed like the whole city was packed in between the white walls of The Citadel, all the way to its massive front gate. He had heard, of course, of The Cult. Of their claim that they invented a way to combat magic without having to learn magic.

"Preposterous!", he thought.

Being a lifelong student of magic, Argyle had studied it for decades. Even achieving the level of a warlock and integrating with his own demon-- a powerful arch-demon named Roth. The idea of the end of magic was beyond his comprehension, and he was there to see for himself the spectacle of the supposed future.

"Ladies and gentlemen, bear witness to the next step of our world!", shouted the man in white coat, the leader of The Cult.

As most of the crowd booed, Argyle finally reached the front of the crowd. In the middle of the courtyard stood members of The Cult, all dressed in white coats, surrounding a massive device made of metal resembling a cannon.

"Long has this world depended on magic as means of warfare! Long have us, those who are unfortunate enough to be excluded from the world of magic! But no more! We can fight now!", shouted the leader.

"Behold! My invention: The Mana Cannon!", the leader presented the giant device behind him. "Yes, what you've heard is true! We managed to harness magic in its purest form and strip it away from a human vessel and combined it technology! This is a marvel of both nature and human capabilities, ladies and gentlemen!"

As most of the crowd booed even louder, the leader signaled his followers to proceed with the demonstration. A whirring sound came from the cannon as it powered up. Beams ran through its sleek metallic body, what the crowd could sense was a powerful amount of magic, charging inside the device.

Argyle couldn't help but felt curious. Never had he faced such amount of magic before, not from a single weapon at least.

His attention then shifted to the followers of The Cult as they wheeled in a few large cages. His heart dropped seeing what's caged inside: demons.

"We will demonstrate the power of this weapon, ladies and gentlemen! With the help of our test subjects!", the leader smirked.

Argyle felt sickened by the sight of it. Despite being a nuisance to humans, Argyle couldn't help but sympathized with those imprisoned demons, as his closest ally was one of them. His stance was controversial in its own way, but it was always accepted as fighting fire with fire.

"Ready the cannon! Wait for my signal!", ordered the leader as the caged demons were lined up right in front of the cannon.

Argyle's heart ran fast, not wanting to see the intentional massacre. But to the worry of the crowd, something happened to the demons.

Somehow, they went berserk. Wildly they thrashed around, biting and scratching the cage bars even if it mangled their teeth and claws.

The crowd went wild in shock as suddenly the demons broke free out of their cages and attacked the cult members, strangely even they latched onto the cannon and started biting it.

It was chaos then as the crowd ran away in panic, so were the cult members including the frightened leader.

Some of the braver witches and warlocks who had faced the frontline of war charged to defend The Citadel of the demons, including Argyle.

Quickly he chanted his summoning spell, invoking the pact he made with the dark forces. "To this plane I summon you, Roth the Foul, and do my bidding!"

A magical circle was formed out of Argyle's magic, and from it emerged a demon. One of the most powerful in his realm, the arch-demon roared loudly.

"Sorry to summon you in such inconvenient time, Roth. But we have some unruly demons loose within The Citadel", informed Argyle. "Now, Roth, attack!"

But Roth stayed still, much to Argyle's confusion.

"Roth? What are you...?"

As Argyle looked back to his demon, he was shocked as Roth was growling in wrath. His eyes were red, like those demons running rampant in front of them.

"Roth! Stand yourself! No!", Argyle shouted to his demon, grabbing his legs before he flew towards the cult members, but the demon was too powerful, and Argyle was dragged along.

Much to Argyle's horror, Roth began to attack the cult members before turning his attention to the cannon-- scratching and biting it though the metallic body was way too sturdy.

Huffing, Argyle quickly chanted his reverse summoning chant to send Roth back to his realm.

"Back to the fire I command you!", he shouted.

A magical circle once again was formed, swallowing Roth and by accident, Argyle as he was clinging to the demon.

The world swirled around him, and Argyle finally dropped onto hard ground.

The late summer's harvest moon cast a soft, yellow light upon the field. Below the heavens, below the wispy white clouds, below the soaring black hawk, below the trees that gently rustled in the wind, Argyle sat on a log around a dull green fire.

From his pouch, he pulled out more copper sulfate. He looked at it in his hand, the blue crystals shimmering in the firelight, before throwing it into the flames. It was the offering his demon needed.

The dull green flames turned into a vivid, almost acidic color. Then, they grew and grew until they were higher than the trees. The flames acted as a portal. Out from it stepped Argyle's old friend.

"You always look so ridiculous, stepping out from that tower of fire," Argyle said, as the flames died down and eventually disappeared entirely. "You're not that tall, you know."

Indeed, the woman who had stepped out from the portal was shorter than Argyle himself, who, although once a tall young man, was now a shrunken old geezer.

"You know I like to make an entrance,"—the woman tried to say, but was interrupted by a coughing fit. Though it was dark, the moon gave Argyle just enough light to see something shimmering on the woman's face. Blood?

"Here," Argyle said, handing her his waterskin. As she drank, she tilted her face upwards, allowing more moonlight to shine across her. Argyle noted how smooth her skin still was. His used to be like that. "How goes things on the other side?"

"The same as ever, I fear. Seventy years later, and nobody's learned a damned thing." She whipped the ground with her tail in frustration. "They're practically at our gates now." Argyle looked down at his hands. Seventy years, had it really been that long?

"But you'll survive, just like you always do," Argyle said, now touching the top of his hand with the other, feeling how bony and brittle he was. Where had all the time gone?

"I'm not so sure about that," the woman said. "This time it's especially bad. And I don't have you to rely on anymore."

Argyle wanted to apologize. But for what? It wasn't his fault he was human. This is just what humans do. They get old. They age. They leave everything behind.

"I'm not dead yet, you know." He held his arms open, motioning for her to come into an embrace. Telling her to feed.

Up close, she was as beautiful as ever. Argyle's heart smiled. It wasn't her powers as a succubus that was making Argyle feel these things, but the time they had spent together over the years.

In his bedroom, when he had initially summoned her, they had talked for hours. They learned they both were deathly nervous of the event. Argyle was worried he'd summon something that would eat him alive, and the succubus had been told tales of abusive humans who enslaved her kind. In reality, Argyle just wanted somebody to talk to, and the succubus just wanted reprieve from the war that ravished her home plane. It was the first time she had been brought into this world for something other than lust. It was also the first time she learned a human could make her laugh.

After that first encounter, he tried to summon her at least once a month. When he was young, it had been easier. There was more time for himself and less for work. They got to know each other, along with the differences between their worlds. In hers, a continual war threatened all living creatures. In his... well, humans weren't much different than demons after all. As he aged, though, their meetings became less frequent. Sometimes, an entire year would pass without the two seeing each other. He'd try his best to sneak in a visit in an inn, or dungeon, but the times were few and far between.

Eventually, Argyle retired. The time he so desperately yearned for as a working warlock now returned to him. But a lifetime of labor changes a man. Though his spirit remained young, his body did not. He was always tired. Things didn't work as they used to. And all around him, life changed as well.

As he held the succubus tight, as tight as his old muscles allowed, he knew he had little to offer. Gone were the days where he could give her every last drop. She knew it too, barely taking an ounce of the old man's energy. Their embrace was hardly more than one between humans.

"Come on," Argyle whispered. "You can have more than that."

"No," the succubus said, laying her head on Argyle's shoulder, sounding tired as well now. "I can't."

"At least rest, then," Argyle said. "I'll get a fire going. A normal one."

"That, I can do." In the demon's realm, there was no time to sleep. You always had to be vigilant. Spies and assassins were everywhere.

She was already snoring even before Argyle got up. He gently laid her down on the soft earth.

"Always so trusting of me," he said to himself, as he gathered up sticks and logs. Instead of using his flint and steel, he used magic to start the fire, not wanting to wake the girl. It crackled and popped and the heat felt nice against his skin. Even though it was summer, he was cold.

Argyle was able to see the succubus clearly in the firelight. The shimmering on her face was indeed blood. She was still bleeding, too, which was strange, because even the little energy she had taken should have been enough to heal a cut like that. Maybe she had taken nothing.

Also in the firelight, Argyle could see himself better. He turned his hands over and frowned. He was eighty-six now. His bones creaked. His body ached. His time was coming soon.

The succubus was curled up in a ball on the floor, tail wrapped around her, like a cat. Each sleeping breath she took was full-bodied; her lungs knew chances like this didn't come often. Argyle watched her laying there, and wished he could help. He cursed his mortality. If he was young, she wouldn't be hurting like this.

But, he knew, there was still something he could do.

He let out a deep sigh that was carried away by a passing wind. He looked up at the gigantic yellow moon, which was obscured by two thin black clouds. He thought about his life, and everything that had happened during its course.

He was alone, now. Nobody alive even knew his name, besides this girl asleep in front of him. The girl who had been there practically since the beginning. She was the one thing that never left his side.

He knees hurt as he bent down beside her. A lock of dark hair lay draped across her face. He brushed it aside, causing her to stir for a moment. Argyle held his breath. She didn't wake.

With a fair amount of difficulty, he managed to get onto his side, so he was face to face with the succubus. It reminded him of the first time they met, laying next to each other in the bed at his parents' house, giggling all night.

He lay like that for a long time, making sure this was the right choice. The sun began to rise, painting both of them in a golden hue. Argyle took one last look at her, and made up his mind.

He'd been wanting to do this for the longest time. For almost eight decades he'd wondered how they felt. It was always off limits, though, because of the consequences. Now, that didn't matter; finally, he'd get to know.

With his hand on the back of her head, he held his breath, and pressed his lips to hers. The lips of a succubus. As he felt his life leaving him, he couldn't help but smile.

They were just as soft as he'd imagined, all those years ago.

[removed]

It is a YouTuber named Calebcity. He made a video where there was an interview for superhero positions.

One of them was a dude with time loops, and it's a reference to that.

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. I said you should stop being an over-dramatic bitch."

The giant horned being stomps over on cloven hoof and looms over me. He gives me a baleful side-eye and quietly growls "Do You Have No Fear, Little Being?"

"Well no, not as much as I had before you started monologuing."

A deep snort flattens my hair, the view of his cavernous mouth further supporting my hypothesis. His breath smells like clover.

"I Will Repeat Myself. My Demons Wiil Trample Your Armies ..." I nod. Makes sense.

"... Gore Your Bowels From Your Bodies..." Well that tracks too.

"... Eat Your Fle..."

I raise my hand. "I'm going to stop you right there. That's when I knew that you were at least partially bluffing."

The mighty being puffs himself up as if to bellow, then deflates. In a much more normal voice, said "Damnit. Alright. What gave me away?"

"Form follows Function. While a predator may have legs as long as yours, your eyes are on the side of your head. Only prey animals have horns, predators just use their teeth and claws. And THAT was the biggest give away. Your teeth are flat - built for grinding, not ripping and tearing flesh. Your entire species is vegetarian, isn't it? And if you're bluffing about that, then what else are you bluffing on?"

"... Damnit."

I don't get it, can someone explain?

First, happy cake day. Second, thank you! I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for more prompts that inspire me. I appreciate the positive feedback.

“Old gods, hear me! Take this sacrifice of flesh, of value, and of sorrow! Bring my ally forth!”

violent red lightning illuminates the damp cave walls, springing from the large, 9 sided symbol in the centre of the cavern, evaporating the moisture from everything it touches. The sacrifices levitate, spinning counter clockwise before being pulled towards and into the mass of lightning. As soon as it started, it stopped

“Oh, hi Dan. Man, am I glad to see you.”

Dan the warlock summons an 8 pack of beer, mystically chilled

“Hey beez, I’ve got your favourite here!”

beez moves a large rock closer to Dan, a makeshift bench. He takes a beer, chugging it down in one gulp

“You have no idea how thirsty you get down there.”

“You say that every time.”

“And it’s never any less true!”

“You also say that every time”

“Well, can’t teach an old hellhound new tricks, eh?”

Thoroughly enjoyed it! I especially liked the elegant writing in contrast to the sudden and down to earth 'Best of luck' and WTF. Also, kudos for the infernal metaphor - stuff like this is the reason I visit this sub.

So please do us all a favor, and keep writing

Did Null kill himself out of the depression of not being able to stop everything or did the villains get to him?

Just a heads up, this is my first submission ever. Constructive feedback is greatly appreciated.

"So...let me get this straight. You just need to know how to...open a door?"

Arcturis flinched at the question, wishing he was the bead of sweat that ran down his brow. With a hard swallow, he nodded at Baelith, his demonic patron. "Y-yes, my lord...this servant is deeply sorry for his fai-"

"Oh, thank fuck!"

The relieved exclamation shocked the young warlock as he saw the horned demon general sit in front of the tiny trap mechanism on the door and began fiddling with it almost gleefully.

"B-begging your pardon, Lord Baelith...you seem...excited?" Arcturis questioned meekly while standing dutifully to the side. It was a stupid compound lock that simple thieves' tools couldn't have picked. He'd sought simple insight from the demonic powerhouse that enabled him to perform wonders and even granted him an unholy weapon to defend himself.

And that intimidating being was happily tinkering at the lock with what he could only interpret as a hellish smile marred by scar, fang, and soured brimstone on his breath.

"Yes." The measured reply was accompanied by simple clicks triggered by long slender claws moving at impossible angles as the demon lord toiled happily. "Wrath and slaughter lose their lustor after a few thousand years. Slaying your enemies and destroying their will to live is a hollow accomplishment if there is nothing else to sweeten the victory. Constant success without challenge...without gain...has left little desire to press on."

The explanation surprised them both as he lock gave way to the nightmarish tyrant's fiddling. Still, Baelith seemed pleased to have done such an oddly simple task, leaving Arcturis with renewed worry when his patron turned to face him.

"Call again when you need another task completed." The graveled voice instructed as its owner rose. "And don't let the tasks become more complicated than they need to be. The bolts for the hinges were always facing you. This door is about as secure as the belt of a glutton at an eternal feast."

With a groan, the towering being rose to his feet and cursed when his head hit the ceiling. His arm snaked into the room and returned with a number of items in hand, including a sword riddled with infernal runes. "Now, as payment, I'll be taking these. Best of luck."

The deafening roar of flames that consumed Baelith mirrored his warlock's confusion that riddled him from nape to naval. The very reason he'd wanted into the room was robbed of him. Arcturis could only wrestle with his anger and bewilderment.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?" He yelled into the air, releasing fresh frustration at seemingly nothing.

The twisted pleasure of his patron seeped into his veins as that hellish voice echoed in his mind. "A lesson. Make sure the price for the help you seek is a cost you are willing to pay, especially when you are capable of solving the problem yourself."

At his hip, Arcturis felt the weight of the blade he'd come to steal added to his own. Yet again, he found himself confused.

"And sometimes there are unexpected rewards that come from fucking around and finding out."

"Oh my god, Delta! Delta!" a woman's voice cries out from the crowded street. People look around, spot Carl, and take out their phones. The woman bounces through the crowd towards us.

"Shit," Carl says through a smile. "I thought the beard would hide me."

I squeeze his shoulder. "I told you it wouldn't. Want me to pick up your coffee and meet you at the office?"

"No, this won't take long." I'd hoped he would tell me to go ahead. This always happens when I'm out with the other members of the Summer Squad.

"Should have used a mask like me," I say.

"Mask. Good idea." He fishes around in his pocket.

"Delta! Can I get a selfie?" the girl asks as Carl pulls out a facemask. She's wearing a black shirt with the Summer Squad logo.

"Sure. Keep walking. We cant hold up traffic." He lets the mask hang by an ear while she snaps a dozen photos, then secures it across his face as she puts her phone away.

"What was it like on the moon?"

"Dusty."

"Were you scared?"

"Not really."

"What did you do on the way there?"

"Watched movies."

"What movies?"

"Look, I don't want to be a dick, but I'm with..." He gestures to me. I wave.

"Oh, I didn't notice her." Nothing new. Carl strikes an imposing figure at seven feet, compared to my five. "Who is she? Your girlfriend?"

"A friend," I say. Carl gives me side eye.

The girl's eyes go wide. Shit. She recognized my voice. "Seraph?"

"A true super fan. Want a selfie?"

She turns her focus back to Carl. "Can I give you my number? I run a popular YouTube channel about the Summer Squad. I have over ten thousand subscribers." She digs through her purse and withdraws a pink and purple business card.

Carl takes it. "Yeah, sure. Have a great summer." The girl squeals and practically skips away. Carl hands me the card. "Maybe this one will want to hear you out."

"No one ever does." I take it anyway.

"It'll just take time."

"This whole generation will have to pass away before anyone thinks of me as anything other than a villain."

"Eventually they'll see you've changed."

"Not anytime soon."

He sighs. "Fine, maybe not. But honestly babe, can you blame them?"

"Don't go there."

"I mean, twelve cities is kind of a lot. It'll take some time to regain their trust after you've killed all their family and friends."

"You don't have to be such a dick about it."

"You didn't have to kill all those people."

"You'd have done the same thing in my position."

"Unlikely. But more importantly, why'd you say 'friend' back there?"

"What?"

"When she asked if you were my girlfriend, you said friend."

"Oh Jesus, Carl." I roll my eyes.

"Don't 'Oh Jesus' me. This isn't even the first time."

"Do you really want to be associated with me like that?"

"We've already had this conversation."

"Babe, it'll ruin you."

"No it won't. It can only be good for you. It'll show you're rehabilitated."

"I really don't think so. They'll either think I'm a manipulative psychopath or you're gullible."

"What are you doing right now to change people's perception of you?"

"You mean besides keeping the city intact when you guys try to throw buses into buildings?"

"According to you, that'll never work, so yes, aside from that."

"Fucking nothing I guess."

"Then what's the harm in trying literally anything?"

"I've already told you."

"And I've told you. And what's more, I don't want to keep this a secret anymore. I'm sick of it. And if you still want to keep our relationship secret, I'm done."

"Carl--"

"It's your choice."

I feel a hot flash of anger swell in my chest. It's not fair. He wants me to hurt him. He doesn't understand what he's asking for. It's not fair!

I'm transported back to Los Angeles. Duplication, flight, lightning speed, titan strength, psychic shields: I used them all to make myself an atom bomb. I remember the feeling of a hundred copies of me striking our fists to the ground at the speed of light. I remember the smoke and ash surrounding me, even as I flew up and up, over the brown, craggy mountains, over the gray clouds. I remember the crater my rage left in the dusty ground. I remember that same hot coal burning in my chest, wishing I could have destroyed more.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that everyone else got to have dinner with their families when I watched my parents get murdered. It wasn't fair that the rich kids were accepted to my dream university while I was stuck in a job that didn't pay enough for rent.

More importantly, it wasn't fair that rich and powerful men got even more rich and powerful while they took food out of my own mouth. My landlord, my boss, every stinking billionaire and politician took their pound of flesh until there was nothing left. And once I was out on the streets, I decided that there was only one thing to do: hold the country hostage until someone did something.

My rage of being robbed destroyed cities, killed millions. No one could stop me, not even the world famous Summer Squad. It's a miracle I didn't kill them all, though I came close. Even Carl once caught a fist that nearly sent him into orbit.

No one could stop me, except for the universe. All it took for me to see clearly was a couple tabs of LSD. Suddenly, I was confronted with the horror of what I'd done, and I saw that there was only one way forward:

From here on out, do no harm.

I came to the Summer Squad within a week. I told them I was done, that I'd seen the error of my ways, that I wanted to help. With the understanding that no prison could hold me and I refused to fight, they let me join the team as collateral damage prevention. They could set off a nuke in the middle of Times Square (if it still existed--my bad) with the assurance that there wouldn't be a scratch on anything but the sea monster or mole people or whatever it was they were fighting.

It took them some time to come around, but they came to respect me, then like me, then appreciate me. And Carl, over time, came to see me and understand me and love me in a way I'd never been loved before.

I take a deep breath. Hold it. Let it out. Feel the coal cool off. I take another, and another, and the coal turns to an ember.

"Fine," I say. "Next person who asks, I'm your girlfriend."

"Good. I love you." He reaches out and squeezes my hand.

I squeeze his back. "I love you too, you asshole."

Everyone thought I did nothing they'll never know I am the most important of the group at least according to the Adventurering. Everyone hates me but I don't care I do good I'm a hero not a fame seeking jack-@$$.

Everyone in my group require their power to transform. One day I was the one with the most transformation left. I had to do public press this is why I wish my power affected reputation. I walked up to the camera trying to summon my social power, smiled and said, "Hello I suppose you are here to cover the battle for the news."

The reporter looked at me like I as if I was a walking piece of trash and asked, "Who the F*ck wants you to be on here."

Ugh I hate it when people are like this. I must stay calm, so I as calmly as possible stated, "I am as good to report this story as any other hero also no idea I don't want to be here."

The reporter sighed sadly and just questioned, "why are you so respected so much in the group."

I simply responded, "its been said a thousand times I prevent collateral damage."

The reporter scoffed I could tell he didn't believe me so I asked, "how about I don't join the next minor superhero battle." I just hope no one gets killed I'll stay in the area just in case.

I do not agree, see, sometimes people are just unredeemable, and James is a lost cause, a douche and a massive prick, so good riddance James!

Replying here so I remember to write for this when I wake up.

>My only crit is nitpicking -

| It was there idea to come here.

Should be "their."

I feel my soul withering. My least favorite type of error :'(

​

Yeah, with a higher word count I would've like to flush out a few more bits and pieces, but oh whale. Thanks for your feedback!

Pt2

I run off, towards the explosion. The robot must’ve diverted power to the remaining arm, shoving….

“Who was the robot fighting again? And who’s controlling-?”

SMASHHHH!

“Ah, Maximus. Must’ve had a rough week.” The hero rockets out of the crater the robot shoved them into, punching the robot up.

“Hmm…looks like a Don of Destruction creation…or, no, spikes was a thing for the Mastermind! Although they’ve been changing it up recently….let me see.”

As I use my abilities, rewinding time and restoring the gas pipe, and undoing the explosion and saving the people and property on the block, I look up who Maximus is fighting now….

“Ah! It WAS Mastermind! Although their machines are usually harder to destroy….I-“

CRASHHHH-!

Seems Maximus won…by ripping the perpetrator out of the robot…sending it hurtling to the ground.

“Ugh. More falling crap….” I ran forward, just as the machine was about to crash down and raise my hand.

“This might take some effort in my part..!” Well, not too much. The machine is lighter than I thought it would be. It did’t take much to freeze it in time, siphoning the momentum it had into my body….

“What the…something’s not-“ WHOOSH-

Maximus comes to a halt in front of me, the doctor in his grip.

“Heh hah, spiffy work as always son. Not a building damaged. It’s like the fight never happened!”

“[Sigh], It’s Contrarium, and, I agree, in more ways than one. This seems too easy….”

“Well Contraire, when you’re as experienced as I am…it all looks easy~”

“Ugh, that’s not what I-“

“Toodolii, Toodleoo!” He rushes off, zooming towards the prison island with a THWOOOSH!

[God I hate that catchphrase….arrogant mother…]

I can only think it in my head, thanks to his MAXIMUM HEARING! Pretentious prick.

“Well, this is a job well done I’m pretty sure. Cleanup crew’s already disassembling the robot, and I don’t see too much damage I haven’t fixed….”

Just to be sure though, I pull out a small drone, and toss it up. It scans a local area, checking for collateral damage I missed. Sure enough I don’t find anything physical. But….something still seems off.

I’m inclined to check out the robot, pushing past some disassembling crew members. I get some weird looks, and pretty sure a few people try ti stop me, but I shrug them off. I even turn down my video to investigate this feeling, single mindedly.

I look into the cockpit, where our brave hero smashed a hole straight through. Just a small peek….

I see something immediately odd. A flashing light, connected to a briefcase, slowly beeping faster….and faster….and faster…..oh.

Ohhhh. Ohhh SHIT.

This was a bomb wasn’t it? It HAD to be a big one too, there’s bo reason to leave a small one just laying around. Even if it wasn’t supposed to be set up as a type of trap, to put a bomb in a seat not two feet from you means this is probably a last resort weapon. Either way, it was trouble, BIG trouble.

“Get back get back GET BACK-!” I shout at the top of my lungs, shoving people away. They seem to get the message, vaguely running back while still staring confused at me.

“Ok….ok, how do I….”

I could attempt to contain the energy of the blast, but I don’t know how large that would be- And I already assume it’s gonna be big. Real big. The best thing to do would be this.

“Ok, ok…disassemble, component, by component. First, the shell…”

I toss up the case, freezing it in the air. First, I unmake the metal casing of the case, reducing it back to it’s original molecular form.

Next, carefully, the power sou-

“Wh-what?!” As the case decays to nothing, I see an odd setup. Bags of what I can only assume to be explosive materials…and wires, all wrapped around a….green crystal. Of some sorts. Regardless if that….

“What is this…I can’t rewind it!” It seemed to be blocking out my powers…like it was under a faraday cage of sorts….

I stare at it for a while, only a civilian’s voice brings me back.

[ah, yeah…bomb. Well…I can just destroy the connections to the source of power. Those wires….]

They were plugged into the rock somehow…well, with wire. It resembled a battery project you’d do in 7th grade. Regardless, THAT i can destroy.

The beeping stopped, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the bomb wen inert.

Dropping the contraption to the ground, I slowly and gingerly picked it up, a few workers huddling around to see what it was.

The green gem glowed ominously. almost pulsing with life.

“…..The hell are you…?” It seemed to grow heavier in my hands…a bit hotter too.

“….”

I always felt I had an obligation to use my powers for good. I never wanted to get into the action though…..

I should’ve known though. In this profession, it’s only a matter of time before the action drags you in, like it or not.

Pt 1

I loved watching super heroes of old. The epic battles, the crazy moments of heroism…! I watched it cheering for the good guys when I was younger….then, I grew up. I stopped cheering when it all just…became an inconvenience.

Then I developed powers. Powerful incredible, super special powers. And perhaps a small, childish part of me always felt I had an obligation to use my powers for good. But by then the glamor had died in my eyes. Yet, everyone, everywhere I look stared expectantly, as if I was always, from the moment I was BORN, destined to be a hero.

So….I became one. But I never Intended to get too far into the action. I’m a creative guy. And with something as nebulous as time at my command, there are ways I could be a hero, and a bystander.

I wish it could’ve stayed that way, forever…..

—————————————

I stroll around a city street, watching my phone. It’s some random meme collection or something, I don’t really care. I feel a cop approach me from behind.

“Sir, you need to step back, th-this is a war zone her-“ BOOM-!!

A robot arm goes crashing down next to me, crushing the guy. Poor dude.

Well, almost. I raise my hand, shifting it a bit. The world around the cop shifts, and time…reverses. I shove the cop aside and he barely avoids his previous fate of getting crushed.

“Wh-wh, h-how di-did y-you-“

Oh great, he survived the initial hit. Or at least, didn’t die instantly.

“Don’t worry about it, just leave.”

“B-but sir? Y-you still should-“

Ugh. What a pain. I fish out my hero registration card, almost shoving it in his face.

Hero name: Contrarium Power: Reversal

“Y-you’re a hero? Th-that’s-“

“Mmhm. If you’ll- ooh?” Ah, I think I heard something funny from the video….

“Heh, hah hah-!”

THOOOOM-!

“Crap, another gas main. I’ll catch you later.”

*slow clap* Well played. I did not see that ending coming.

I loved several of your phrases:
|Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, he flowed into the building, hips and feet moving as if they had a special agreement with gravity.

|Shortly thereafter two double whiskeys slid across the bar, their dark brown liquid refracting the brilliance of that soulful haven.

My only crit is nitpicking -
| It was there idea to come here.
Should be "their."

|They did it until the work kicked out, past closing.
I assume you meant "the workers kicked them out"

Also, I doubt that his friends would have left without saying anything to him. But I know that conversation would have put you well over the word count.

[removed]

The spotlight found her. And she loved it. On this stage, among the bright lights, this was her haven. The music started and Elayna danced across the stage and lip-synced her heart out.

“…Don’t blame it on the sunshine

Don’t blame it on the moonlight

Don’t blame it on the good times

Blame it on the boogie…”

A hearty clap and even a few whistles followed her performance. Elayna bowed and soaked it in before skipping off the stage.

Two others performed before Elayna and another queen took the stage for a duet of “I’m So Excited,” which transitioned into “We Are Family” as every performer joined them on the stage. The majority of the small audience sang along and many of them stood and danced around their tables. It was electric!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Elayna combed her wig and nestled it into its box. She stripped out of the layers of tights, bodysuits and specially crafted “shapewear,” and dropped the pile of clothes in a bag. Next, she carefully removed her false eyelashes and her make-up. As she stared at her reflection, she sighed and shook her head. She felt as though she had gone through a reverse metamorphosis from beautiful butterfly to wiggling caterpillar.

The other drag queens and kings were in similar states of changing. Laughter rang out at a joke Elayna didn’t hear. She decided now would be the perfect time to discuss the issues she had noticed recently with the manager.

His office was on the opposite side of the building from the dressing area. Even in street clothes, Elayna still felt a thrill stepping onto the stage. One of the lights flickered and popped overhead and she gave a little yelp. Add that to her list. She navigated the steps off the stage and through the tables. Her shoes stuck slightly in several spots and she cringed. There were also four marks in a table leg pattern but no table.

Elayna slipped behind the bar and the bartender cleaning up before heading through the door on the other side. As she grew closer to the manager’s office, she overheard tense voices echoing out and paused outside.

“Evan, why are we still doing a weekly disco night!?” Followed by a huff. “You saw how small that audience was. I don’t know how you keep this place running.”

“Lil, you know why. I’m not going to have this argument with you again,” came Evan’s stern reply.

“Disco is history and history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.”

“You know that’s not it.”

“Oh, because it’s in that washed up old hags contract?! Puhlease! Grow a pair and renegotiate or find a new star. Recruit some new blood. Even one of the washouts from DragRace would bring in more interest than *pfft* that.”

“And what am I going to offer them? You know how rundown this place is getting. Are you willing to work for free? Help clean? Buy replacements?” There was a pause in which Elayna was sure that Lil gave Evan her best death glare. “As I thought. So until you can bring me a viable option, stop bothering with me problems I already know about.”

“Uuughh,” was the only warning she got before Lil stormed out. Lil stopped when she saw Elayna eavesdropping and glared at her. Then Lil continued her march out through the door to the bar. Elayna leaned against the wall for several minutes collecting her thoughts.

Evan was staring at his computer, back to the door when Elayna entered the room.

“Evan, I…,”

Without looking away from his computer, he interrupted her, “I don’t have time for you tonight.”

“You’ll make time for this,” she said firmly.

Evan sighed and turned around to face her, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

“Hear me out. Lil is right. People are embarrassed by disco, but I love it. I may have been in denial about it for awhile…”

The manager let out a deep huff of a sigh.

“Anyway,” Elayna continued hurriedly, “I think we can renegotiate my contract when I get back, cut disco nights to twice a year and…”

“What do you mean ‘get back’?” Evan cut in.

“Well…” Elayna picked up a pen off his desk and began twirling it. “She was right. Even a washout from Drag Race would bring more business to this place. But what if I were to win?”

Evan sat up straighter in his chair. “Let me run the numbers, but I think I can keep this place afloat until you got back, that is if you even made it on to the show.”

“Oh honey, you know I will. Don’t you worry about that.” Elayna winked and sauntered out of Evan’s office feeling like a butterfly soaring on a summer’s day.

[WC: 799]
Crit always appreciated.