"The superheroes and villains from comic books and movies have become a reality after the game titled Hero x Villain Online entered its open beta, giving players real-life superpowers! While some players have decided to use their powers for good, the vast majority of beta testers have used their powers for-"
"KY!" The voice of Ky's history teacher interrupted him as he was viewing a news segment on his phone about the recent surge of superheroes. "Are you paying attention? This is going to be on the final exam. Last time I checked, you need to pass the final exam to pass my class."
"I'm sorry..." Ky stowed his phone in his pocket as his class snickered at the teacher's comments. "Sorry isn't going to cut it. Did you even hear my question? Who was the president during 1984, go ahead, take a guess."
"I don't know..." Ky muttered. 'God, she gets on my nerves...'
"It's Ronald Regan, we just went over this, Ky. Pay attention." More students snickered, but Ky simply exhaled from his nose as he reverted time by ten seconds. He'd spent the entire day before grinding EXP to increase the amount of time he could warp, which came in handy for moments like these.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it. Did you even hear my question? Who was the president during 1984, go ahead, take a guess." the teacher unknowingly repeated.
"Ronald Regan, obviously." Ky answered. The teacher didn't like the attitude, but she was impressed nonetheless. "Good answer. Maybe you'll graduate after all. Tomorrow, we are going to talk about Reganomics-" Her voice faded out as Ky started drifting off into deep thought. 'Who needs school when I can literally control time itself? I could just rob a few billionaires, that's not so bad, right? It's not like they're going to use all the money. Or maybe I could turn back time and win the lottery...'
The school bell rang, knocking Ky out of his trance. As the students dispersed from class, Ky was excited for another day of superheroing, however, before he could get the chance, he'd have to get through Clarence.
"Ky Numbnuts!" said the hulking, super senior as he blocked Ky's path. For years, he got a kick out of teasing Ky, especially since he knew Ky wasn't the type to do anything about it. However, unbeknownst to him, Ky Tempus wasn't the same boy as before.
"For the last time, Clarence, my last name is not Numbnuts. It doesn't sound anything like that. I suggest you get out of my way, I have things that are actually worth my time to attend to." Ky started to go around Clarence, but the oaf blocked his path. "Watch the attitude, Numbnuts. Unless you want your face to meet the pavement outside."
"We both know you're all talk, Clarence. We've been playing this little game of cat and mouse where you fuck with me and I don't talk back because you're bigger than me and you know I won't do anything but I'm getting sick of the whole thing now. How about we actually do this shit, huh? Let's run it outside, right now."
Passersby were shocked to hear Ky of all people mouthing off to Clarence; of course, the super senior himself was the most surprised. "Good one, Numbnuts. You know a fight between us would last two seconds."
"You're right about that one. So let's go see whose face is going to be the one on the pavement. Seriously, let's go." Hearing Ky's words, Clarence looked around at the crowd that formed around them. He had no reason to back out and the crowd watching them only emphasized this fact.
Before long, a circle was formed around Ky and Clarence at the front of the school and Ky could see a new objective in his visual field.
[Beat the bully - One Skill Point]
Ky and Clarence squared up with each other but Ky remained on the defensive. He knew that he needed multiple well-timed counterattacks to beat the nineteen-year-old senior, therefore waiting was his best bet. It wasn't long until Clarence threw a quick left punch at Ky, which would have knocked him out if Ky hadn't reversed time by a few seconds.
The moment Clarence was about to throw that same punch, Ky used his Time Slow ability to dodge the attack and deliver a decent punch straight to the front of Clarence's chin. Time resumed at normal speed and Clarence stumbled back a few steps. Ky had been practicing his form, so that punch nearly resembled a real one.
Before Clarence could regain his bearings, Ky stepped forward and delivered a right hook to the bully's face, which was then followed up by a somewhat clumsy, yet still effective left jab to the nose.
Clarence, being used to taking hits as a footballer, powered through and swung widely at Ky, but the time manipulator saw it coming from a mile away. He reversed time to ensure he'd have ample time to react before ducking underneath the wild attack and punching Clarence in the liver. The bully bent over, holding his side before Ky clenched his fist to deliver one more final blow.
CRACK!
Clarence's neck recoiled after Ky assaulted his cheek with a mean right hook, yet another punch that resembled decent form. Clarence fell to the ground, barely clinging to consciousness as Ky stood over his body.
[Bonus - Let it all out - One Villain Point + 500 EXP]
'What the hell? A Villain Point?'
Ky looked down at the man who was once his bully and could see a prompt over his head.
[Revert time to continue the beat down]
'I get it now... If I reverse time, I can hit him as many times as I want.'
Half of Ky told him that the fight was over and he should walk away, but the other half of him wanted to let out all of that hatred that he'd built up against Clarence for the last four years. Throughout his entire high school career, Ky was always ridiculed and bullied by Clarence and it made his life feel like a living hell.
Now the tables had turned, and Ky would even be rewarded for putting out all his anger toward him. A smile formed over Ky's face and he decided to give in.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Ky stomped on Clarence's face, breaking his nose while causing blood to spew from it and onto Ky's foot. Before ten seconds could pass, Ky reversed time and repeated the process.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Then he did it again.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
And again.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
And again...
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
This repeated until Ky finally felt satisfied. For the last time, Ky stomped out his bully and stared down at him with his shoe bloodied.
[Objective Complete]
[Bonus Objective Complete]
[Reward - One Skill Point + One Villain Point]
However, yet another prompt appeared in Ky's visual field.
[Bonus - KILL HIM - Ten Villain Points]
For a moment, Ky thought he was just seeing things. He reread the prompt on the screen thinking he'd read it wrong the first time, but it did in fact order him to kill Clarence. 'What the hell?'
Ky was shaken to his core. He wanted nothing more than to destroy Clarence, but killing him was a step too far. The scariest part about it was that Ky could feel himself considering it. If he were to obtain ten Villain Points, he could spend them on a good amount of Villainous Abilities; abilities he would otherwise never obtain if he were to only walk the path of a hero.
[Bonus - KILL THE FILTH. Twenty Villain Points]
The prompt and reward updated right before Ky's eyes, almost as if the game wanted him to kill him. 'Twenty Villain Points? That's how much the Senescence ability costs... With that, I could unlock it the moment I hit level forty.'
[Kill him now, Tempo]
The game began addressing him directly, and Ky could feel a sense of unease. 'What the fuck, dude?'
"NO!" Ky exclaimed, compelling the crowd to look at him sideways before he ran home as fast as he could. 'Is that what these high-level villains see when they're completing objectives? What the hell is this game? It's like they want you to be a villain.'
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, there was a young man walking down the street with confidence and not a single care in the world. There was only a single thought on his mind. 'I'm going to be filthy rich after this.'
The young man walked inside a bank, waiting in line like all the other patrons until it was his turn to approach the teller's desk. "Hello, beautiful." the young man said in a flirtation tone, though the teller was clearly uninterested as seen by the way she rolled her eyes. "I'd like to cash this cheque." The young man slid the cheque through the little slot underneath the window that separated the teller and her customers only to then touch her hand unexpectedly.
"Don't say a word." as those words left his lips, the teller perked up like an obedient dog and shut her mouth tightly. "Now, I want you to do something for me. Two things actually. First off, I want you to withdraw fifty thousand dollars, unmarked bills, and put them in this bag. Secondly, I want you to erase the footage from that security camera once I leave. Got it? Nod if you understand."
The teller, still sitting upright everso obediently nodded as she began withdrawing the exact amount he requested. She then handed him the bag and immediately got up from her seat and started for the security room.
'And just like that, yet another fifty thousand bucks for me.'
The young man waltzed out of the building and started walking down the street with his backpack strapped to his back.
[Objective Complete]
[Reward - Two Villain Points + One Skill Point]
He too was a beta tester, just like Ky Tempus, though his powers were a bit different. With a single touch, he could turn anyone into a slave who does his bidding as long as it's humanly possible.
For the last two days, he'd got off scot-free.
But this robbery would be his last.
In the blink of an eye, the young man found himself being held up by the back of the head over a building by another beta tester. Everything happened so fast, it was as if he'd been teleported there. "H- Holy shit! Is this the Empire State Building!?"
The mind manipulator was facing the opposite direction of the other beta tester, so he could not see him or touch him to use his powers. "Hey, man! We can share the cash!"
[Stop the thief - Two Skill Points + One Hero Point]
[Bonus - KILL the thief - Five Villain Points]
The mysterious beta tester said nothing before releasing the thief, watching him plummet toward the Earth. The moment his body hit the ground and blood splattered all over the pavement, passersby looked up toward the building in shock, but the killer was gone.