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A new crime syndicate has taken over many of the operations in Meridian. It's been too long since Timeo Severe last wore the guise of the dark hero, L’Obscurité, but he is now back and going to make the lives of criminals and sinners a living nightmare as he punishes and kills those who threaten the safety of his city.

Scherzo for a Dark Hero: Chapter 4 – Evil’s Many Singular Faces

Chapter 4 – Evil’s Many Singular Faces

The house I find myself in is a two-story house between the middle and upper-class areas of the city. It’s nothing that sticks out or of particular note, just like how the New Boss likes it. I knock on the door, and someone immediately comes to answer it. It’s a pale, bald man, dressed in a dress shirt, jeans, and boots with no hair on his head or eyebrows, just like the other impostors, but this one is special. I can already tell just by the first memories in his mind. The man looks around to see who rang the bell and is confused until I grab him from behind and make him fly into his kitchen and put him through his kitchen table. Standing over him, I manifest as a dark, featureless shadow and pin him to the floor.

“It’s good to finally meet you, New Boss,” I say with a grin and dark, piercing eyes manifesting from my face.

The man takes a second to collect himself before saying to me, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know you’re one of the impostors who pretend to be the New Boss. Don’t think you can hide when you have the same non-hairstyle as the rest of them.”

“Okay, you got me, but that doesn’t mean I’m him. You said it yourself. I’m just an impostor.”

“You are, but at the same time, you aren’t. I see into your memories and see that you’re one of the few who know the truth about the impostors.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Few people know that the New Boss has impostors and even fewer that all the New Bosses are impostors. There is no New Boss, never was.”

“What? Of course a New Boss is running the crime in the city.”

“You’re partially right again. The original was called something different, but his methods were the same. Get a bunch of people to pretend to be him, carry on his legacy, return to Meridian to pick up the pieces, and repeat the process under a new title. I was wondering why all the stories I heard in people’s memories were different. Some thought the New Boss was a poor man using crime to help those in need, others thought he was a rich politician or businessman who wanted more than he already had, and others still thought he was actually a woman. All are true and false because they were each different people who carried on the legacy of the original in their own, yet similar way.”

“Why did you come after me if I’m just another impostor? What makes me so special?”

“Nothing, other than you know the truth more than the others. I wanted to confirm it for sure by looking into your mind, so I can tell my allies the truth, while knowing it to be completely true rather than just a theory.”

“What now? You lock me up, and the New Boss’s legacy will continue. How about we work together? I only inherited his legacy because one of them wanted to keep the crime in this city under control. I wanted there to be less drugs pushed on kids, less violence on the streets, and to push politicians and businessmen to think of the people, even if it meant doing so with a gun to their head.”

“Criminals for the common man is not a noble motivation. Evil can never be done for the sake of good. It merely gives you an excuse to do whatever you want and pat yourself on the back without realizing the harm you do to your own and people’s souls and livelihoods. In all my years of work, I’ve put down criminals like you and probably put away or killed the original New Boss without knowing, so you’re bound to fail in the end anyway.”

“What? Who are you?”

I reveal my old appearance, a shadowy man with one completely black eye and another that’s dark grey and black, with a scarf covering my mouth and a cloak of darkness around my body.

“I am L’Obscurité. This is my old appearance, but here is my new one.”

My appearance changes as both my eyes become completely black, a bullet hole appears in the center of my forehead, a long hat rests on my head, my scarf is lowered to reveal the long, grinning mouth beneath it, and my cloak is more like a long coat.

The man swallows and sweats at the realization of who I am and then says, “I thought someone like you would understand forcing society to be good.”

“Forcing them to do so through virtuous actions rather than sinful ones is the difference between us. Even though you may believe differently, this is the truth. All you have done has worked against you. You now reap the results, and I am your executioner.”

“Please! I’m sorry for what I’ve done! I’ll pay any price to live! I’ve got loved ones to take care of!”

“Pray to God for mercy. As for me, I can only give you your penance, which is death.”

I shoot the man in the head with my pistol, ending his pathetic, hypocritical life. Looking behind me, I see the man’s wife and teenage daughter.

“Remember well what you have heard and seen, or I will be coming for you next,” I tell them, before laughing, entering the shadows and getting far away from the house.

From an alleyway where no one is, I call Raymond and tell him everything I discovered and did.

“I doubt that’s the end of it if we don’t know how many impostors there are. There could be some outside of the city who could be backups. I mean, my men and I have arrested and killed around ten of them tonight,” Raymond says.

“They’ll never be an end to crime as long as men have a desire to do evil in their hearts. That’s why we’re here to enforce justice and leave a lasting legacy to ensure that others do the same as us in the future,” I say.

“You’ve really grown up after all the years we’ve been working together, haven’t you, kid? I guess I shouldn’t call you that.”

“I’m fine if you do. I still have a lot to learn and there’s much more work to be done, but tonight’s work is done.”

“For you it may be, but I have to clean the mess we created. I owe you for actually bringing the New Boss and his latest operation down in a single night.”

“We’ll share drinks and food with friends and family later this week.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

With that done, I go back home for a good night’s rest. As I enter my house, I find Darcy waiting for me in a black and pink nightgown.

“I heard that L’Obscurité is back and has utterly destroyed the New Boss and his whole criminal empire,” she says.

“You heard right, and I’m sure you didn’t hear it from the news. Your contacts told you?”

“Yes. I do have eyes and ears everywhere after all. Now that you’re back home, you’re going to have to pay the price for denying me your love when I asked for it.”

“Come on, Darcy. The kids-”

“Are being taken care of by my parents. They want to see many grandchildren just as much as your parents did.”

“Ah. Guess I’m really in trouble then, that not even my powers can save me from.”

“No, they can’t, now get over here. You have a lot of love to give me, and I’m going to get every last drop.”

Darcy pulls on my tie and to our room. By the next morning, Darcy has to get me up by making my kids crawl on me since I’m so tired from everything she put me through last night. At the breakfast table, I smile at seeing my wife and kids happy, a good reminder of what I fight for and the rewards of living a faithful life.

The End

Scherzo for a Dark Hero: Chapter 3 – Slaughter of the Sinful

Chapter 3 – Slaughter of the Sinful

I drive the drunk criminals to one of the hotels they operate in the poorer area of Meridian. From the memories I’ve seen, these criminals have managed to buy cheap or abandoned buildings due to their connections in the real estate business and city government. It’s also thanks to these connections that they can take ownership from the poorer owners of the buildings they target and evict their inhabitants. Once I’m done with these people, I’ll confront those corrupt businessmen and men of law either personally or through Raymond. In the meantime, my focus remains on the criminals before me and this specific hotel. From the outside, it appears unremarkable, but the basement conceals the true luxury and sin.

Here, I find degenerates gambling, dealing in drugs and human trafficking, trading formulas and drugs to make people superhuman, making weapon deals and testing them on captives, drinking excessively, and indulging in all kinds of disgusting lustful behaviors. They’re pigs. Each and every one of them. My hands can’t help but shake as they itch to enact justice upon them, and my mind rationalizes every excuse to let loose the weapons of divine justice. At this point, who am I to deny God His just due?

I let my dark power take its hold of me and let justice do as it wishes, while silently praying for mercy on the scum here and the innocent people who are caught in the middle of it. As darkness overtakes the room, I can’t help but laugh hysterically, knowing what is coming.

“Beg for mercy, while you still can,” I say between laughing. “Judgment has come for you all.”

The criminals either stand or sit in place, confused about what is happening or too out of their minds to do anything because of their drunkenness. Some grab their weapons or ready their powers for a fight, and others uselessly try to leave through elevators and doors that are locked. Those whom I allow to leave find themselves in a pit of darkness and nightmares where they are tortured by their vices. The screams coming from these places outside the room frighten everyone as they either hide or search for me in the room. Picking and choosing my prey, I take some in the dark and leave them cramped in the cages they put people in with scum like them until there are thirty or so people per cage, each one ready to burst with criminals unnaturally fit into them.

The scum who were shooting at people for target practice get lined up and get shot against a wall themselves, the superhumans and scientists in room have their bodies burst and mutate in unnatural ways, while still managing to live, and the drunkards and drug dealers feel the effects of overdosing and overdrinking as they start throwing up everywhere, defecating themselves, and suffer painful seizures. For every other simple criminal, a bullet through the head from my pistol or a simple stab through the throat from a devil of their own from the dark suffices. Despite the horrifying and painful fates these people face, most are kept alive until they either repent or refuse the opportunity for mercy and die. Looking into the memories of each of them, I find mental pictures of the New Boss and hear his voice. He dresses in a simple black and white suit, has gloves on his hands, and keeps his face hidden by a simple, featureless mask. It’s admittedly smart so that no one can ever recognize him and he can make people dress up as him to act for him, so he doesn’t always have to directly involve himself in anything.

One of these body doubles is on the lower floors of this building. I make my way to him, punishing criminals along the way, freeing captives, and teleporting them out of the building. He thinks he is safe in his office and can act like the New Boss to get the better of me, but he’s mistaken. The man sits in his chair as relaxed as possible, thinking about what the New Boss said to do in situations like this.

Wanting to mess with him to get into his head, I whisper using his voice, “This fool doesn’t know who he’s messing with. The New Boss gave me his entire playbook for every situation and his arsenal of people and weapons, so there’s nothing I’m unprepared for.”

“Except for me,” I say in my voice while appearing behind the imposter and getting in his face.

He pretends not to be as startled as he is, even though he nearly jumped out of his seat. After taking a second to collect himself, he thinks about the New Boss’s playbook, then says, “So, you’re the nuisance causing a ruckus in my business.”

“Hahaha! Do you think you act as tough as your boss? Be honest with me and let’s cut to the chase. Where’s your boss’s base of operations? Where can I find the New Boss?”

“I am him-”

As he speaks, the imposter’s jaw unnaturally expands as he spits out a rat the size of an infant child before it returns to normal. This also reveals his face, a simple one with no hair or eyebrows, something that all the imposters are supposed to do to make their identity and the New Boss’s identity more secretive.

“I’m certain that the New Boss wasn’t some petty criminal who ratted out his fellow scum to the police and kissed up to his bosses. Keep up this act and you’ll have more rats coming out of more uncomfortable places,” I say.

The imposter’s composure is broken as he is visibly sweating, uncontrollably shaking, and vomits on the floor. Because of his hesitance, another rat bursts from him, this time from his stomach, which stitches itself together after the rat tears itself out.

“Okay…okay,” he says while nearly crying. “The New Boss doesn’t stay in one place for long, not even in his places that are connected by underground labyrinths. I’m sure you can read the entire list of places I know he’s been since you can read my memories.”

“Yes, that’s a long list of places, and you’re not even sure if he’s told you every location.”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had other locations or simply hides in some public and obvious place in plain sight.”

“Well, I have a start and a way to check out every place. Thank you for your help. Now, you’d better repent and never commit another sin again, or else you’ll be visited by those rats again.”

I laugh at the impostor as I leave the office and the hotel. I then relay what I’ve learned to Raymond and what my next plans are.

“I see. That makes things more complicated to get this guy in one night, doesn’t it? Even if I have my men raid every location, the New Boss will catch on that his operations are falling out from under him, will escape the city, and hide until he thinks it’s safe to return,” Raymond says.

“True, but I remember seeing the kinds of people that the New Boss regularly meets with. Even if the New Bosses that I’ve seen in people’s memories were impostors, they’re still people the New Boss did business and met in secret with,” I say.

“Are you planning to go after an official in government or business? That’s going to be a nasty amount of paperwork for me to hand in the morning, kid.”

“If it gets me closer to the New Boss, I will. I’ll try to make it look as favorable to you as possible by disguising myself as an impostor, so they’ll more easily talk to me. It can all be chalked up to criminals acting as they usually do, which is true, isn’t it?”

“Alright, just be careful and keep it as clean as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

Using the impostor’s car, I make my way towards the suburban outskirts of Meridian, where the impostors of the New Boss were taken. In the impostor’s memory, there were people there who were told each impostor’s identity and memorized their faces so they could tell the real New Boss from the fake ones. Parking outside their luxurious upper-middle-class house, I see that a charity party is going on. With my disguise, I’m able to walk into the party and then get into the private area when I reveal my face and the name of the impostor I just interrogated. Ah, there’s my target of this perverted show of false virtue.

I’ll have to make this quick. These people use their charities as a front to make riches for their criminal endeavors. Even those who run orphanages make their profits by selling off children, who no one knows and have no documentation. Seeing me in the room staring at them from a short distance, the corrupt businessmen and women put on fake smiles and approached me, wondering what I was doing here.

“I was invited here, was I not? Besides, no place in Meridian can be locked away from me,” I say.

“Of course. Would you like a drink?” one of them asks.

“I’m here for business, not pleasure. Have you not heard of the police raids happening?”

Turning on the TV in the room to the news, I show them what is happening in the city. As they watch, I read their memories to find the location where the real New Boss would be in an event like this, and to see if any know his real name and face.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re here and not in the city. You’re always three steps ahead.”

I pull my pistol from my suit jacket and nod towards enforcers of the New Boss’s rules, who also pull out their concealed pistols. Everyone is now on edge, and yet, they seem to be composed per the New Boss’s orders and training. They all seem to know what’s coming next.

“Which of you squealed? Remember the rewards for tattling on the traitors and the weakest links,” I ask.

While everyone gives an account of their actions, I whisper thoughts urging people to either run, defend themselves, or kill one another in their voices. I have them admitting that they’re guilty one after the other, and people start shooting one another. As this happens, I gather information on the New Boss, a lot of which is contradictory and doesn’t add up. Going into the more public area of the private party, I extend the madness there and make the criminals think the guests and each other are cops. By the end of it, I make the criminals see what they did and allow them to kill themselves.

None of the information I found about the New Boss adds up. It’s all rumors, what the impostors tell one another, and the different stories the real New Boss has told other people. Maybe he really is an elusive shadow that I can never truly catch, or perhaps…the mystery is the truth. Getting an idea, I travel through the light and dark to a house that’s a common factor in most of the stories of the New Boss. Gambling on this guess is all I’ve got, and if I’m wrong, then the New Boss may never stop coming back to torture Meridian and its people.

My Oblivion Remastered characters

Oblivion Remastered

Albert-Champion of Cyrodiil

Imperial, Blunt, Restoration, Heavy Armor, Block

    Put into jail after taking justice into his own hands by killing criminals who were pretending to be innocents, Albert gets an early escape because of the Emperor. He dusts off his skills in the Arena before helping out the Fighters and Mages guild. After hearing about the chapel attack in Anvil, he becomes the Lord Crusader and then helps seal the gates of Oblivion forever. Having had enough of adventuring, he settles down in the capital to live a quiet life of prayer and family, as he marries and has children.

Emmanuel-God of Madness

Breton, Blade, Sneak, Archer, Illusion, Block, Restoration

    Despite wanting to be a Paladin like his friend Albert, Emmanuel found it hard to be faithful, so much so that an injustice committed by the guards made him snap, attack the guards, and land him in jail. After getting out, he tries to find his place in life, but fails time and again. The Arena and Fighters Guild were too brash for him, and the Mages Guild, the one that he looked forward to the most, disappointed him because of how corrupt it was. The Dark Brotherhood took him in to make the most of his talents, but the good time left as soon as they came after he had to kill his allies. It was only after seeing the virtuous thieves in the Thieves Guild that he began to be reminded of the faithful and virtuous man he wanted to be. Thanks to his colleague in the Mages Guild, Deliah, he helped the poor and needy by stealing from those with excess.

    After some time with them, he decided to redeem himself by joining the Knights of the Nine, which was being led by Albert, but he still didn't feel worthy of being a Paladin despite having done penance for all his murdering and stealing. It was then he found himself wrapped up in the dealings of Sheogorath and then became the god of madness. For some reason, it was then that he felt complete. It made sense for a man of many contradictions to be the god of contradictions, and in this, he finally found peace.

Deliah- The Good Mage Thief

Dark elf, Sneak, Illusion, Conjuration

    Deliah was never one to obey authority unless those who made the laws followed them. This mindset gave her the self-righteous motivations to become a vigilante who killed those who put themselves above the law and stole from those who stole from the innocent. It is also this mindset that made her get caught and sent to jail, but after getting out, she decided to try to be clean for once. She tried to hone her skills in the Mages Guild to obtain a position of power to help the less fortunate, but because the guild was both corrupt and incompetent, she decided to go back to thievery, but this time, she joined the Thieves Guild since she saw them as the true heroes and guardians of the people of Cyrodiil, a group of heroes that she would become the leader of.

Priscilla-Countess of Vainglory

Nord, Vampire, Sneak, Hand-to-Hand, Archery

    Priscilla sought fame and glory as most Nords do and decided to travel to Cyrodiil to obtain what she saw as rightfully hers. Her attitude was such that she would regularly get into fights with people, and thus, she ended up in jail after challenging Fighters Guild members in the streets of the capital. After getting out, she tried to keep a level head and then tried to find glory in the Arena and Fighters Guild, but both gave her little of what she wanted. Seeing her blood lust, the Dark Brotherhood enlisted her talents, and there, she found the power and infamy she wanted. She could kill whoever she wanted, get away with it, and be seen as the strongest in the land.

    Her time with the Dark Brotherhood would see her becoming a vampire thanks to her romantic relationship with Vicente Valtieri, and it would seem like this is the life she would always be living, until she was forced to kill everyone in the Brotherhood she cared about. Even though she became the Listener for the Brotherhood, she felt empty at the end of it, and considers leaving Cyrodiil to go back home to Skyrim, after she finds a cure for her vampirism.

Sarai-Eternal Necro Mage

High elf, Vampire, Destruction, Conjuration, Illusion

    Living for hundreds of years teaches you that nothing in the world is new, such as the attempts of the daedric princes to invade Tamriel and the assassination of kings. Sarai infiltrates Cyrodiil and gets caught at the right time, so she can try to save the king, but fails. Still, not all is lost as she manages to help the heroes of this age to close the Oblivion gates forever. Her secondary objective then sees her face a familiar foe, Mannimarco, to defeat him once and for all, and so she can take the power he once had for her own purposes and the future Aldmeri Dominion.

Grimgothica-Unlikely Leader

Orc, Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration, Hand-to-Hand

    Inspired by the orc mages of legend, Grimgothica, lover of dresses and magic, travels to Cyrodiil to enroll in the Mages Guild and become a mage like they have. Despite her demeanor that is calmer than most orcs, she still loses her temper at those who mock her for being an orc who practices magic, a fist fight ensues in the capital, and she finds herself in jail. After leaving, she resumes her dream and finds that she more than fulfills it by becoming Arch Mage and helping the heroes of the age defend Cyrodiil from the forces of Oblivion.

Scherzo for a Dark Hero: Chapter 2 – A Dark Hero’s Love

Chapter 2 – A Dark Hero’s Love

Thanks to my powers, I’m able to meld with the light and dark and get back home in seconds. I take one look in the mirror at the entrance to make sure I’m all in order. My suit, dress shirt, dress pants, suede shoes, and tie are without a single piece of dirt on them. My brown eyes are darker than they usually are, with dark bits on the sides as if I’m wearing eyeliner, but that came with my increased power. My long black hair is untouched by my transformation and fast travel.

I then head in and go to the dining room where Darcy is sitting with our two children, my daughter Rouge, and my son, Gris. Gris is a year old, while my daughter is three months old. Rogue has my eyes, and Gris has Darcy’s, and they’re dressed in baby onesies. As for Darcy, she’s a beautiful as always with her blue eyes, white snake scarf, and pink dress. She looks at me expectantly with her eyes that draw me in, so I give her and our children a kiss and sit down to eat.

“How goes the hunt for the new villain, Timeo?” Darcy asks.

“Well enough. What information do you have for me to bring him to justice quicker?” I ask.

“Not now. Enjoy dinner with us. Gris and Rogue have been wanting you more and more ever since you’ve gone back to crime-fighting, not that I’m complaining. I know the importance of your God-given responsibility and have been having my contacts try to keep the criminals in check.”

“I know. I’ve come across many of your undercover agents while out on the field. My powers have evolved so that I can not only see into people’s souls, but their memories as well.”

“Do you know how this New Boss is controlling different avenues of crime, while also having a hands-off approach to it?”

“Through force, making contact with separate groups in private, or by being recommended by other groups.”

“How about how he keeps his identity secret from most, except those closest to him?”

“Some superhumans and loyal normal human upper mid-level criminals who constantly keep their ears to the streets.”

“What about the kinds of authorities he influences with his corruption or threats of violence?”

“Heroes, vigilantes, and the police, much to Raymond’s dismay.”

“You do know most of what my contacts know, but not everything.”

“Please. Indulge my need for information. Free me from my ignorance.”

“Oh, I’ll indulge you, alright.”

Darcy presses a button on her phone to activate the speakers in the dining room. She plays a slow dance song, walks over to me, grabs me by my tie, pulls me up, kisses me, and gets me to dance. I slow dance with her for a bit before pulling on her snake scarf.

“As much as I love this, I have evil to punish tonight. What am I missing that I need to know?” I ask.

“Can’t we dance a bit longer? What about spending the rest of the night together and leaving justice for tomorrow morning? I’m sure it can wait.”

“I know that you want a third child as soon as possible, but the lives of innocent people are at stake, and another second this villain lives is another second too long. We can save our romantic dealings for another night.”

“Such a tease. What you need to know is that people who know the inner dealings of the New Boss are at a club tonight, the one that Lancetto owns.”

“Does he know about it?”

“He does and he has both his own and my people keeping an eye on those people. It’s why I said it can wait.”

“But it’s not going to.”

I try to walk away, but Darcy grabs and pulls me in.

“You forgot to kiss me goodbye.”

I kiss her, and she gives one of her usual long kisses that leave lipstick stains on my face, and I have to pull away, so she doesn’t trap me in her embrace.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I say before kissing our children on the forehead.

“Don’t keep me waiting,” Darcy says with a sly smile.

Looking into the mirror at the entrance of my house once again, I make sure that all of Darcy’s pink lipstick is off my face before heading to Lancetto’s club. I walk outside and text Lancetto to expect me soon. Within seconds, I arrive at the club, approaching it from a dark alley and stepping out into the busy streets of Meridian. Its blend of art deco, gothic, and modern architecture is always a sight to behold. Much of what was built here was constructed by the four powerful families: the Affare and Geben, Darcy’s family, the Travail, and mine, the Severe. The Geben family did the building, the Affare managed politics and religion, the Travail family oversaw and funded the arts, and mine educated, healed, and gave alms to the poor.

Even after hundreds of years, marks of the old city can be found around it and remind me of the legacy I’ve inherited and need to protect. The club that Lancetto runs is a legacy bar, at least two hundred years old, that is a place that’s used as an excuse for politicians and businessmen to meet up and make deals. There are other bars and ballrooms that his family owns that are also used as backdrops for meetings, but this place is the most casual that anyone can get into, and the cheapest to bring an entire organization into. Going into the club, I find people drinking, eating, and partying after another hard day’s work, casually talking about personal matters, or discussing work and future plans for their organization. I take the elevator to the tenth floor, where Lancetto is waiting for me, and the richer members of Meridian have their own party and meetings.

Lancetto is in the corner of the room, dressed to impress as always in a top hat, round glasses, a shawl, a long black coat, a red bow tie, a white dress shirt, pants, and shoes. He holds a walking stick in his hands with the head of a hawk on it, a symbol of his family. As I walk over, he smiles and stands up to hug me. Everyone else is surprised to see me, greets me, and wonders why I’m here, to which Lancetto tells them it’s for private business and that he and I need to talk for a bit by ourselves. They accept Lancetto’s explanation and walk away for the time being.

Sitting down with Lancetto, he orders over our favorite wines and then asks, “How’s the family, brother?”

“They’re doing well. Darcy is sly as always despite being the one who is always taking care of the kids,” I say.

“You know her, Timeo. She always has to have her hand in everyone’s affairs and know everything that goes on in Meridian. Motherhood hasn’t stopped her. In fact, I think it’s made her more active in wanting to make the city a better place.”

“It has and makes me want to do more as well.”

“So it’s true then? L’Obscurité is back?”

“He is and he’s going to instill a fear so deep into the city that criminals will always fear his presence and never get as comfortable as they are now.”

“That’s more relieving to hear than you think it is, at least to me. After your parents died, you seemed…less motivated to do anything. I feared that you would be like some of the other heroes who retired after a tragedy like the one you suffered.”

“God, Darcy, and my children have brought me back from my sadness. It no longer bothers me. Of course, you played no small part in motivating me to get back into the fight since you haven’t stopped. Have you even considered looking for a wife yet?”

“No, not yet. Maybe next year.”

“You said that last year. At this rate, I’ll have to kidnap you and bring you to a get-together where you can meet someone. Your parents would approve.”

“Haha! It wouldn’t surprise me if they helped you kidnap me. But seriously, I will find a wife sooner or later. Pray that I notice it when God gives me the opportunity because it’s either I do that or become a priest like some of the others in my family.”

The waiter brings Lancetto’s and my wines over. We make a toast and drink up.

“As much as I’d like to stay here sharing drinks and talking to you, I must get back to business,” I say.

“Of course. I can’t stand the fact that criminals use the businesses my family operates and give us their money. I wish I had a more tangible impact on crime like you do, rather than having to order people to find evidence and present it to Chief Raymond.”

“You do the best with what God gave you. Now, where are they?”

“They’re on the ninth floor, sitting at a table in the dead center of the room. My guards and Darcy’s contacts are watching them. As far as I know, they haven’t moved and are enjoying themselves thanks to the hospitality I’m showing them.”

“You’re a gracious host and an even better brother. Let’s make arrangements to hang out with one another.”

“Assuming that Darcy lets you off her leash.”

“It’s one of the wonders of having a wife like her. Speaking of which, I will help you find a woman who will be your wife. Count on it.”

Lancetto laughs, and I toast one more time with him.

“To divine justice,” he says.

After finishing my drink, I head down to the ninth floor and find my targets where Lancetto said they’d be. I’ve used my powers to shroud my appearance so that I look like an altered version of myself with different hair, eye color, voice, and body type. Once I look through the memories of my targets, I subtly adjust my appearance and voice to match someone they all know and trust.

Standing by the table, I ask, “You guys started the party without me?”

They finally notice me in their drunkenness, are excited to see me, make room for me to sit at the table, and offer me drinks. One of them mentions how they weren’t expecting me to show up because of how busy I am.

“I am still busy, but it is important to take a breather now and then. I think it was your wise words to do so, so I don’t burn out, right?”

“Ha! You’re right.”

I pretend to enjoy myself with these criminals, while taking as much as I need from their memories.

Once I have enough, I say, “Like I said, I’m still busy and we should get back to work.”

“Ah, always the killer of the party. Can’t we enjoy a bit more before we leave?”

“Yeah, what’s the rush? We run this city now,” another criminal adds.

“Our rule needs to be maintained, and that means keeping people in line. Come on. We can continue the party in one of our own locations.”

“Really?”

“What if the drinks are on me? I’ll even buy you your favorite pieces of human meat to enjoy yourselves with if that means you work where you’re meant to.”

“Ah, you know me too well! I’ll go, I’ll go.”

The rest agree to go with me, and we all get in one car that I drive to the location of one of the places that the New Boss could be. While driving, I mask my voice and let Raymond know the locations I found out about, something that he is grateful for, and will soon mobilize the police to raid. Yes, everything is going according to plan, and soon, the New Boss’s operations will topple over and be taken from under him as I come to him like a thief in the night.

Scherzo for a Dark Hero: Chapter 1 – Nightmare of Criminals

Chapter 1 – Nightmare of Criminals

It’s another day in Meridian. As the sun sets, the scum of the city begin to become bolder and start stalking and pouncing on their prey. One such unfortunate victim is a father in great debt with the wrong people. He hasn’t managed to pay them back on his weekly dues and is being brought to an unassuming house to “make arrangements” to make up for what he couldn’t pay. The two guards in casual clothes, smoking outside the home, smile at the man as he enters the house, and he nervously returns with a smile of his own before looking ahead with unease coursing through his body. The door closes behind the father, and his fate is sealed.

“Another fish takes the bait,” one of them says.

“It’s been easier nowadays, now that you know who hasn’t been around as much,” the other says.

“Yeah, but we still got boy scout heroes, vigilantes, and cops to worry about.”

“Relax. Most of them are in the pocket of the new big man in town.”

“Quiet. You know we can’t talk about him in public.”

“Who’s going to hear us? It’s going to be night soon, and most people are either rushing home, or the cops will be too busy to deal with people on this side of the city.”

“But you know what the boss said. We can’t take any chances.”

Something in the shadows of an alley across the street catches one of the guards’ attention.

“Hey, do you see that in the alley? I think we’re being watched.”

The guard squints at the dark.

“I don’t see anything. I think you’re just being paranoid.”

“Maybe. No, I really think I see-”

Before he can say anything else, I sweep him and his friend with me into the dark, and they disappear in the blink of an eye. Inside the house, the father is sitting down at a dinner table with four criminals surrounding him, one of whom has superhuman powers. The normal humans lay their guns and knives on the table and assure the father that they won’t hurt him to get their money.

“Debts can be paid off with servitude,” one of the criminals says.

“What…what do you want me to do?” the father asks.

“Relax. It’s simple and can be done tonight. We’re not going to ask you to strip or do anything dirty like that. You’re not that attractive to us. Instead, you’ll take a gun and a knife from the table, go to where we tell you, and take what we tell you.”

“What will I be taking?”

“We could let you know, but we’ll only take half of your debt away, and then you’ll have to do the same thing tomorrow. Don’t worry about it. It’ll be quick and painless.”

After thinking about it, the father decides, “I…I’ll do it.”

“Smart man,” the superhuman holds out his hand to shake on it.

Before the father shakes his hand, I blow the superhuman’s hand off with my pistol. Everyone in the room looks at the stump where the hand used to be in shock before the superhuman screams out in pain, and another shot blows his head clean off his shoulders. Looking at the only place the shot could have come from, the criminals quickly grab their guns and look at the empty hallway that leads to the front door. It doesn’t look like anyone is there, nor is there any place in the hallway to hide. The single light in the hallway flickers a few times before the two guards from outside crawl out of the floor as if phasing through it.

The two guards are now stitched together into one body, their arms and legs broken, and they now walk on four legs and arms like an injured spider. They painfully crawl forward, moaning in pain, and trying to reach out for help, but their friends just scream and shoot them several times until their guns are empty.

“Hahaha. Vermin like them should be killed without a second thought, and now, it’s your turn,” I say.

The three criminals turn their heads around and reload their guns.

“Where are you? Show yourself, and maybe we can make a deal?” one of the criminals says.

“I don’t make deals with devils like you. If it’s money you want, then I can give you it.”

The body of one of the criminals turns into paper bills bit by bit until it turns into a pile of cash all at once and is then eaten by moths that come out of the pile of cash that was once a person. I drag another criminal into a pantry where he is crushed, and the last criminal is taken care of by falling through the floor and into a pit of barbed wire. During this entire time, the father has been glued to the chair, unable to even turn his head as fear has him in its firm grip. With no one left but him, he assumes he is next and closes his eyes in anticipation of a horrifying fate.

“You,” I say. “Open your eyes and look up.”

Tepidly opening his eyes, the father looks up and looks upon my dark and featureless face in terror.

“What…do you want?” he asks.

“I wanted some information, not out of you, but out of the people you associated yourself with. As for you, I wanted to see what you would say to those people and save you from making another idiotic mistake. You didn’t know it, but you were going to go kill another person who hasn’t paid their loans to these scum, and now, both the lives of that person and you are saved and neither need to pay their debts.”

“Thank you-”

“Don’t thank me yet,” I say while slamming my hand down on the table. “You were desperate enough to reach out to criminals to take a loan from them. By doing so, you endangered yourself and your family in turn.”

“I couldn’t think of anything better to do! We were struggling, no new job would accept me, and the greedy men who run the banks would’ve given me a similar loan anyway.”

“Even if there was no better option, it would’ve been better to live in poverty than unnecessarily risk your family’s lives so they can live in some sense of comfort. A man who risks his family’s life in this way should not have the honor of being called a husband or a father.”

“You don’t understand-”

I drop five hundred dollars on the table.

“I do. You can keep this.”

“Huh? Really? I won’t have to pay you back for it?”

“No,” I say before grabbing the man’s hands. “But you will pay for your sins.”

My hands burn the father’s, leaving black burn marks in their wake, and make him cry out in pain.

“If you ever prefer comfort over virtue again, remember to look at these burn marks. If you don’t, then I’ll be back to burn the rest of you.”

I laugh as I leave the father to his lesson and find a dark alley to transform back into my normal form. I call the Chief of Police, Raymond Ellory, to inform him about my findings.

“So, there is a new big boss in the city that’s been pulling the strings of the gangs and villain collectives. Did the memories of those criminals tell you anything else, like a name, or give you a face?” Raymond asks.

“All I have is the name, The New Boss. Nothing more,” I say.

“That’s unoriginal, but so is trying to control all the crime in the city, so I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“He’s an amateur. I’ll bring him to justice tonight.”

“Really? Tonight? Does that mean L’Obscurité is back?”

“He is, and he’s better than ever. Trust me when I say that I have what I need to bring him to justice tonight despite his extensive network and elusive nature.”

“I’m hoping that you do. It hasn’t been the same since you had to focus on your family for a while, not that I’m complaining.”

My phone buzzes, and I see my wife, Darcy, is calling.

“Speaking about them, Darcy is calling me right now.”

“Understood. Good hunting, and call me if you need anything.”

I hang up the call and answer Darcy’s call.

“Dinner is ready. I hope my dark hero isn’t too busy to have dinner with his family,” she says.

“I am, at the moment. If I move now, I’ll be able to bring Meridian’s latest villain to justice before breakfast,” I say.

“You’ll be able to bring him down even sooner if you hear what I found out about him, but you’ll have to come home to hear it.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be home in a second.”

Always such a tease.

Cards for the Prize & Penance deck