text: Reggie was in a state of shock as they put the handcuffs on him and placed some Gravitator boots on him to keep him grounded. He was still in shock as he was hefted to jail, and as they took Brocky away and disappeared.
  
  Reggie came to his sense when he was hauled into an interrogation room, where he waited for hours, until finally a man entered the room. He looked uppity and full of himself, but Reggie didn't care. He was just depressed about how his whole life had gone awry in the span of two days.
  
  "Okay, Mr. Reggie Rogers..." The detective said, taking a seat across from Reggie. "If you give a confession, then we won't pursue the death penalty."
  
  "I didn't do it," Reggie said. "I didn't kill my wife. A man name Zeke Myers did, and the other one was murdered by those men at the scene that you guys just got me from. I didn't kill my wife. I've been trying to find the killers since it happened."
  
  The detective sighed and made a motion to the window, like cutting something. Then he turned back to Reggie. "You're going down for this."
  
  "But I didn't do it," Reggie repeated. "Do your fucking job and find the actual killer. His name is Zeke Myers, he was hired by-"
  
  The detective slammed his fist on the table. "I don't give a fuck who actually killed your wife! All of our lives are at stake if you don't confess to the murder, on camera. We won't pursue the life penalty, and you'll probably only go to jail for a couple decades, maximum. Plead manslaughter."
  
  "Fuck you. What, is that criminal organization holding this above your head? Why don't you just get the killers, and sentence him to death instead of framing an innocent man."
  
  "It's not that simple," the man said, standing up and pacing back and forth. "You've got to be the one to go down. The Kingdom can't look weak. And they're threatening my life, my families lives, my entire departments families' lives if you don't go down for this murder."
  
  "You're ridiculous," Reggie said, taken aback. "What the fuck is wrong with todays system?"
  
  "A lot more than you even know about. If you don't confess, we'll get the death penalty, and we'll take you out by firing squad. Or hanging."
  
  "This isn't legit," Reggie said. "You aren't legit. This is a setup."
  
  "We'll kill your friend," the detective said. "Now, confess."
  
  Reggie was frustrated beyond comprehension. He couldn't see a clear way out of this. He was stuck, between a death penalty and his friends getting murdered or a confession to a murder and spending 25 to life in prison.
  
  "Well?" The detective asked.
  
  > Don't Confess
  Reggie had decided in no time. "Fuck you, you corrupt cop. Let me speak to a real officer of the law, and not some Kingdom fuckboy in here pretending to be a cop."
  
  The detective looked taken aback, then launched himself over the table to tackle Reggie, who was currently handcuffed to the leg of the table.
  
  "You fucking asshole! I'll fucking kill you in an instant! My organization will hunt you down and kill you and everybody you know! You don't know us- you don't know what we're capable of!" The detective yelled as he punched Reggie in the nose, making blood squirt from his nostrils.
  
  Reggie head-butted the man, making him reel off of him and back onto the floor. He stood up, holding his eye, which was already starting to blacken. "Don't worry. We'll find you."
  
  "I'm waiting on it," Reggie said smugly, just as another detective entered the room.
  
  "What in God's name is going on here?!" He asked, looking the detective up and down. "And who, exactly, are you?!"
  
  The detective made a break for the door, but two officers were there, ready to apprehend him. Once the imposter was hauled down the hallway, the detective took a seat across from Reggie once again. "Holy Hell, that was preposterous!" The older gentleman said, coughing up a storm right before lighting a cigarette. "Hello, I am Rod Stevens, the head detective on your case. I am here before you to question you about the events of the murder that occurred in your residence three days ago. I am under the understanding that that was your wife, am I correct?"
  
  Reggie solemnly shook his head, eyeing the detective to make sure he wasn't a Kingdom operative as well. But he appeared professional and legit.
  
  "Now, I'm sorry about that incident that just occurred, and I'm very sorry about your wife. I have no reason to believe you killed your wife, and the evidence just wasn't there. I need to tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning."
  
  Reggie spilled the story, relieved to be under the impression that he was talking to an actual detective, and he could set the story straight. He told them about how he locked Arma up for stealing from his company, and that he came home that day and found his wife murdered, execution style. He told Detective Stevens about how he was chased by police officers, how he went rogue and tried to find his killers by finding associates that Arma surrounded himself with. He also informed the detectives about being on Corbin's trail, after he alleged that Zeke had been involved with Mia's death, and encountered the organization, who promptly murdered Corbin and shot Brocky in the conflict. He also told him that the man that was interrogating him a minute ago was part of the said organization, trying to get him to confess to frame him for the crime.
  
  Detective Stevens mulled over the information for a while. He was an older man, graying hair, chain-smoking cigarettes. Before he answered, Reggie asked for a cigarette, and he obliged and even lit it for him.
  
  "Look, Mr. Rogers. I believe you. You have no criminal history and we've had... run-ins with this Kingdom before. But they are too widespread and hard to take down. But this information you gave us will help us track down the remaining killer of your wife and we will look into pressing charges against Arma for conspiracy. Thank you for your time, Mr. Rogers. You're free to go. I'm deeply troubled by your loss," the detective finished, standing up and unlocking the handcuffs restraining Reggie to the table.
  
  Reggie stood up in shock and rubbed his sore wrists. "Seriously? We're... done here?"
  
  "You're innocent, Mr. Rogers. You're free to go. We'll hunt down this Zeke Myers and contact you once we have a breakthrough on the case. Don't worry, Mr. Rogers. Everything is going to be resolved."
  
  "Thank you," Reggie said, embracing the detective. "Thank you for being legit."
  
  The man took a step away and smiled a warm humbling smile. "It is my job, after all."
  
  > Next
  Reggie walked out of the Police Department that day a very happy and hopeful man. He just knew that the they would find his wife's killers, and that she that justice would be served.
  
  Reggie walked into his workplace the next day to have his hopes crushed. The office was empty and cleared out, and there was no sign of anybody around. On the office number, read 'For Sale: Office Space'.
  
  He assumed that the state had cut funding and Deus would have to cancel the business, which means the team had officially been disbanded. He flew home (since the heroin had gotten out of his system, he could fly like normal again), and was immediately so depressed that he put the house up for sale. He decided to rent an hotel until the house was sold, and tried to find things to occupy his time. He tried to call Deus a couple of times, but it just rang and rang to no answer.
  
  He tried looking for a job the next week or two, and in that time span he got a call from Detective Stevens while he was on the streets of Sterling City.
  
  "Mr. Rogers?" Rod asked.
  
  "Currently speaking."
  
  "I'm sorry to inform you this, but we've located Mr. Zeke Myers, he was found murdered. Somebody decapitated him and threw the remains the in SC River."
  
  Reggie cursed. He should've known the Kingdom would clean up their mess.
  
  "And as for Arma, he was murdered in prison as well, his throat slit in the showers. There's nothing we could've done, and we've run out of leads. We're very sorry, Mr. Rogers."
  
  Reggie couldn't decide how to feel. They held up their end of the bargain, and eliminated everybody that was directly involved in Mia's murder. But that wasn't much of a consolation; he didn't want a lot of bodies on his account, and yet, four people had been murdered, directly because of him.
  
  Reggie thanked the detective for trying his best, and then hung up the phone and sat in a seat in front of a coffee shop full of white, preppy girls that probably knew nothing of the dark side of Sterling City.
  
  He sat there and wallowed in his misery. He didn't know what the hell he was going to do now; he was out of a job, a wife, he no longer had any friends.
  
  An idea sparked in his head and he dialed Brocky; only to find that his phone had been disconnected. He shook his head in disappointment and laid the phone on the table.
  
  "Hey, can I sit here?" A woman asked him. She had long dark red hair and a stunning body; big tits, curves from hell, and a skin tight dress that didn't leave much to the imagination. But Reggie wasn't particularly interested. He was still grieving his wife.
  
  "Sure, go ahead," Reggie said glumly, and she elegantly plopped herself into the small metal chair. A waiter approached them and asked for their order. She ordered an expresso and smiled. "Hi, my name is Beatrix. And yours?" She extended her petite hand across the table and Reggie took it reluctantly.
  
  "Reggie," he responded.
  
  "You seem mighty down. Is something wrong?" She said, giving a sympathetic smile that made Reggie's stomach curl.
  
  "My wife was murdered," He replied, shaking his head. "I don't have a job anymore. I'm... feeling a little aimless right now."
  
  She gently placed a hand across Reggie's. "I could help you, you know, get your sights back on track."
  
  "I-" Reggie started, just as the waiter returned with Beatrix's espresso.
  
  "Thank you kind sir," Beatrix smiled and winked at the waiter. He gave a grin back, then turned around and walked away.
  
  "Sir!" Reggie said, suddenly feeling the urge to gulp down some caffeine. The waiter turned around and raised his eyebrows in questioning. "Mister... uh..." Reggie scanned his shirt to find his nametag. "Mister... Roran! Yes, can I please order a coffee?"
  
  "What kind of coffee do you desire, sir? We have are the exemplary coffee shop in Sterling City, we have a vast assortment of coffee to offer you."
  
  "The cheapest kind," Reggie said dryly, unimpressed.
  
  Once the waiter walked away, smiling, Beatrix turned and smiled at Reggie. "So, Mr. Rogers, tell me more about yourself."
  
  Reggie thought for a second. "Well, I'm an empowered."
  
  "Oh! Very interesting! What are you powers?" She said, apparently very intrigued, leaning closer.
  
  Reggie thought for a second. Something she said didn't sit right with him...
  
  At that moment, the eccentric waiter returned with his extremely tiny coffee in the smallest cup he could imagine. He took a sip of it, and he cringed at the taste of the disgusting coffee. "You sell this...?"
  
  "You asked for cheap. Cheap does not consist of sugar or crème. Black coffee, to the core. And a hint of something else..."
  
  "Well...? What's... something.... else...?" Reggie said, as darkness began creeping into his vision. "Shiiiiiiiii-"
  
  Then everything was black.
  
  > Captive
  Reggie awoke in a very strange place. He was sitting on a bed, tied by his legs and arms to a bedpost, naked. He struggled against his restraints, but it was useless, the bonds were tight.
  
  "What the hell did I get myself into...?" Reggie questioned himself.
  
  He looked around the room; it was rainbow colored, the stripes of color streaking down the room all around him, starting to his left was red, then counter-clockwise around the room from there was orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and finally violet. The room's door was directly in front of him, and the door was painted green, and he noticed this just as it creaked open and Beatrix stepped inside. She smiled, carrying a glass of water.
  
  "What the fuck is this?" Reggie demanded, angered. "Did you...?"
  
  "Oh, yes," she smiled, walking over and placing the glass of water to his lips.
  
  Reggie struggled not to drink the liquid. For all he knew, he was getting a dose of Rohypnol, just like they did to him at the coffee. Unfortunately, he had experience with that before; he suspected that his wife had slipped him some of that so he would sleep with a woman, and so she could have something to blame him for.
  
  The woman frowned, and took the glass away. "What's wrong? I don't want you to die before I'm done with you."
  
  "What do you want from me?" Reggie asked, struggling against his bonds once more.
  
  "I can't tell you that, sweetie," Beatrix said, placing the glass of water on the floor, then began unbuttoning her dress.
  
  "What are you doing?" Reggie questioned, trying not to look as Beatrix slipped off her dress, revealing her voluptuous breasts, and her general figure.
  
  "I'm just going to give you what you want..." she said, placing her palms on the bed and slowly moving herself on top of Reggie.
  
  "I don't want this!" Reggie yelled, trying to squirm away from the woman. "I'm- I'm- NO!"
  
  "Shut up!" Beatrix screamed, slashing her nails across Reggie's face. He could feel the blood pouring from his cheek into his eye. He winced in pain. "Take it like a man, you fucking pussy!"
  
  She forced the sex that happened after that, Reggie cringing in horror at the situation. The whole time he was thinking of his wife, and what had happened to her.
  
  Once she had finished, she crawled off the bed and sighed in disgust. "Worst prisoner ever. I can't wait until we can actually kill you."
  
  "Kill me? Why do you want to kill me?"
  
  She laughed. "Can't spill my secrets, honey-pie. I'm not some cliché bad guy..."
  
  Then, somebody else entered the rainbow room. It was the waiter from the coffee shop, the man with the nametag Roran. "Fifteen minutes," he said, tapping the Rolex on his arm.
  
  "Good, he had a limp dick the whole time anyway. Wasn't even worth taking him prisoner. Should've just waited until it was time anyways."
  
  "Yes, but we are assuring success this way," Roran said. "I never did quite understand your obsession with raping these men."
  
  "Most the time the men are happy to get some pussy before they die, but not this time."
  
  "Well, goddamn Beatrix, didn't his wife get murdered?" Roran said sympathetically, eyeing Reggie.
  
  "So?" Beatrix said, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, let's just kill this dumb fuck already."
  
  "Let's do it," Roran said, and then something strange happened. Roran stuck his hand into his stomach, straight through the flesh, and pulled out a large butcher knife. The hole in his stomach was like Jell-O, and suddenly reformed.
  
  He took a step towards Reggie, and he cursed in horror. This was it; this was how it was going to end.
  
  KER-ASH! Suddenly the wall to Reggie's left exploded, and a huge figure entered. He was covered in body armor, painted all red. His right fist was huge; about the size of a normal humans' head, and in the other hand was a shotgun.
  
  "Crimson," Beatrix said, taking a step back and stuck a hand out to Roran, who produced a katana from his gut and tossed it to Beatrix.
  
  "Beatrix," the man in red said. His voice sounded metallic and scratchy under the red metal mask.
  
  "Fuck!" Reggie said, struggling against his bonds. "What the fuck is this!?"
  
  Crimson moved forward, thrusting his abnormally large fist at Beatrix, who did a back-somersault and skirted backwards. Crimson's fist instead went into a wall, making it explode, throwing drywall and dust everywhere. Roran moved forward, dropping the knife on the foot of the bed and plunging his hand into his gut, grunting, and pulled out a sledgehammer longer than Roran was tall.
  
  He jumped in the air, the sledgehammer going behind his head, and slammed it down right on Crimson's head, cracking the mask straight down the middle. He was thrown backwards, but pulled up in shotgun and blasted a shot at Roran, who's thigh took a bullet, blood spraying all over the rainbow floor and walls, painting them red.
  
  Reggie, meanwhile, saw the knife at the end of the bed, and wiggled his toes to move the knife ever so slightly towards his rope bonds. He gripped it with his toes, and began sawing the restraints around his feet.
  
  "No you don't!" Beatrix said, eyeing him trying to escape, and began walking towards him, and she snatched the knife away and prepared to stick it in Reggie's stomach, just as another explosion rocked the whole room, and she was thrown off of her nimble feet.
  
  Crimson had punched the floor, and now a rather large sinkhole was forming, the bed slowly sliding into the hole.
  
  "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuuuuuck..." Reggie said as the bed slowly moved deeper into the hole.
  
  "No! You know if he dies like this, nobody will get his head!" Roran yelled, breathing heavily as he bled from scratches and bleeding from points where shrapnel from the shotgun had penetrated him, holding the sledgehammer with both hands.
  
  "Shut up, you amateur," Crimson said, as he lifted the shotgun to aim at Roran's chest.
  
  "No!" Beatrix yelled jumping in the way as he pulled the trigger. The shotgun blast tore through her body, blood and guts spraying across the room. Her mangled body fell limp in front of a tearful Roran.
  
  "Beatrix-!" Roran said, falling to knees, tears flowing from his eyes.
  
  Reggie didn't give a damn about his rapists death, he was more focused on the balance of the bed he still strapped too, sinking in this hole, just as the bed snapped in half, the bonds snapping one by one as the bed crumbled into the hole. Reggie, now free, took flight and disappeared through the hole in the wall that Crimson had made.
  
  "Wait!" Somebody behind him yelled, but Reggie was flying away as fast as possible.
  
  Minutes later, Reggie was floating above Sterling City, completely nude. He needed somewhere to go, and the only place he could think of was the police department, but he doubted even that safe, since that's where the faux cop tried to get him to confess to the murder.
  
  He thought for a second. He needed some clothes, and the only places he could think to go for some help was the Police Department. Then again, maybe it was safer to go to Wilia Street, and see what he could learn about some information there.
  
  > go to Wilia Street, Again
  Reggie decided to go to Wilia Street to see what he could learn. On the way, he decided to try and find some clothes, so he walked into a department store and stole a simple white T-shirt, hoodie, some shoes, socks, and some basketball shorts, and flew away before the clerk could say anything about his public nudity.
  
  He found Wilia Street, and it was just as busy as it had been before. He walked through the street holding his hood above his head, weaving his way through the street, avoiding eye contact of anybody he didn't recognize. He only knew one person here, and he could only hope to find them.
  
  Then he saw him. Morrison was sitting cross-legged, and to Reggie's surprise, he looked sober as a bird.
  
  "Morrison," Reggie said, slightly lowering his hood so he could see his face.
  
  "So, Reggie!" Morrison said, smiling. "Man, we didn't know what the hell happened to you! Man, Corbin got whacked, dude... that shit was crazy, man."
  
  "Didn't you get arrested? With, like, some heroin?"
  
  "Nah, I dumped the heroin, my dude, before they could arrest. I just got evading police, kept me in there for a week. What's up with you? You good?"
  
  "Morrison, have you... heard anything about me?"
  
  He seemed to think for a minute, then snapped his fingers and nodded. Then he frowned. "Awh, shit, that was about you, wasn't it...?"
  
  "What was it, Morrison?"
  
  He pointed a shaky finger at a poster hung up to his right. Reggie looked at it in shock.
  
  It had his face on it, centerfold.
  
  ONE MILLION FOR THE HEAD OF THIS EMPOWERED: REGGIE ROGERS, FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE KINGDOM. DEAD, DECAPITATED HEAD OR NO REWARD. CALLING ALL PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR HITMEN. HIT ENDS IN 48 HOURS.
  
  Reggie peeled the sign off the wall and examined it in shock. The Kingdom had made good on their promise... and now there was a hefty reward on his head.
  
  "Damn, bro... that's... a lot... of money..." Morrison said behind Reggie, peeking over his shoulder.
  
  "Hey!" Some homeless guy yelled. "That's the guy the Kingdom wants! GET 'IM!"
  
  Suddenly, the entire street converged on your location at one time, and you immediately float up into the air, but some asshole below grabbed your ankle and you both were being hefted into the air. He was scratching at your leg, trying to hold his grip and apparently get to somewhere where he could actually do something fatal.
  
  Reggie wiggled his leg beneath him, and the dude slid down, his long nails bursting blood as he slid downwards, and with a kick, the man fell from Reggie's foot, and onto the top of a building, crumpled on the ground, and wasn't moving.
  
  Reggie was sure he was fine. Probably just taking a rest after that fall, you know.
  
  Reggie got as much distance between himself and Wilia Street as possible, then hovered in the air and thought for a second. He needed to find somewhere safe, but he had no idea where to go. It was like his mind went blank. He considered his options...
  
  Reggie felt a bolt of lightning strike through him, and he screamed in pain and began plummeting from the air to the ground. He was dazed and confused, for so long it wasn't even true, but twenty feet from the ground his mind kicked into action and he stopped the downward pull of gravity, but he couldn't stop from hitting the ground with a resounding THUD and him seeing stars.
  
  He rose from the ground and looked at the figure that landed in front of him. He had crazy black hair with a white streak over the left side, which seemed to be connected to a cut where his skin looked bleached, through his eye, his nose, down through his lips, and to his chin, almost cutting his face in half. He slowly walked towards Reggie, who was still dazed from the attack. He took a step back, and the man stopped moving as he put his hand up.
  
  "You're here to kill me, aren't you?" Reggie asked, still feeling the lightning in his bones.
  
  "Of course. What kind of question is that?" The man said, shaking his head, electricity sparking off his body into whatever was a conductor in his immediate area.
  
  "Electric Empowered?" Reggie questioned. "Let's see... second generation electric Empowered.... scar from creation process..."
  
  "Shut up," the assassin said, holding his hand out, electricity swirling in a ball in his hand. "You're going to die now."
  
  "No, I have a different idea," Reggie said, as he launched himself at the assassin as he threw the ball of electricity.
  
  He felt the electricity swirling inside of him, but he hugged the assassin like it was his momma. Almost to Reggie's surprise, the man screamed in pain, trying to peel Reggie off of him as the electricity was zapping both of them.
  
  "What the hell.... is this?!" The man yelled, finally throwing Reggie off of him.
  
  Reggie fell on the ground, the electricity pulsing through his veins making him puke on the ground. He felt it in his veins, the powers of electricity.
  
  "Damn, this is going to suck, huh? How was the- URK!- process for you?" Reggie asked.
  
  "I am CHAOS!" The assassin said, pulling a pistol from his side. "If you refuse to die that way, then you shall die by conventional methods!"
  
  Reggie felt a bolt of electricity run through him once again. He stood up, looking at the gun pointed at him.
  
  "Any last words, Reggie?" Chaos muttered, his teeth gritting.
  
  "Y'know, Third Gen powers might not be that strong..." Reggie asked, balling his hand into a fist. "But at least I can fly too."
  
  He flew directly at Chaos, his hand balled into a fist, slamming it into Chaos' face with a hand full of electrical current. Chaos was thrown back onto the concrete, unconscious.
  
  "Nice." Reggie said, grinning. He bent down and picked up the pistol, just to have an extra bit of protection. He looked down at his hand, and flexed it. Immediately electricity starting swirling around it, almost making a ball in his hand. "Also nice."
  
  Now, with new powers in tow, he was feeling a little bit more confident about this whole hitman thing. He needed to find whoever took the hit out on him, and silence him. He searched Chaos, who was an obvious Kingdom agent, and found a chip in his pocket. Reggie wasn't quite sure what it was, but he was curious enough to steal it (how's THAT for a GOOD GUY?!).
  
  Reggie looked at the chip- it appeared to be something that holds memory; maybe this would have some information on what he could do about this hitman thing. Because it's a little bit on the dangerous side. He decided he only knew one person that could fuck with this kind of thing and get information.
  
  Reggie flew in the direction of his old friend's house.
  
  > Deus' House
  Reggie flew across Sterling City at an accelerated rate. His newfound powers were coursing through his veins. He approached the house which was his last known residence of Deus- the good friend who knows how to extract data- he was the CEO of a business after all.
  
  Reggie landed in the front lawn, and walked up the door and knocked on it. He hadn't seen him since that day at the office, when he discovered that Deus was gay. A lot of stuff had happened since then, including the failure of the team and Brocky being incapacitated due to Reggie's investigation. He never discovered what had happened to Brocky. Maybe now was the time to find out.
  
  The man who was with Deus that day answered the door.
  
  "Who... who you?"
  
  "Who me?" Reggie almost laughed at that grammar. "I am Reggie. Can I speak to Deus?"
  
  "Oh. Come in. Me Bruce."
  
  Reggie tried to hide his amusement. He entered the house. The living room was basic enough, a couch, a TV, a recliner, etc. Deus entered the room, and his face distorted, almost in disgust. "Reggie."
  
  "Deus, what's up-?"
  
  "You left us. Brocky..." Deus said. "Brocky died because of you!"
  
  "What?!"
  
  "He died in the hospital from gunshot wounds. The police told us that you were responsible. What the fuck are you doing here?"
  
  "I didn't kill Brocky... oh my god..." Reggie said, guilt washing over him. He had brought Brocky there, and he did die because of him. Because he wanted to find who killed his wife. "I-" Reggie said, trying to pick his words wisely. "I need your help."
  
  "What the hell for?"
  
  "I'm in danger. I just need some information, and I'll leave. Can you extract what's on this memory chip?"
  
  Deus' face hardened. "Why should I help you? And what kind of danger are you in?"
  
  "I've..." Reggie couldn't tell if Deus would be loyal anymore. If he told him there was a hit out on him, would he kill him? But, it's not like he really had a choice. Once he decodes the information, there's a high chance he'll know anyway. "The Kingdom is after me. I need to find a way to end this."
  
  Deus seemed to consider it for a second. "Fine. But nothing more than this. I'm sorry your wife was killed, for the record."
  
  "Thank you," Reggie said. "Also, I've got more powers."
  
  "More powers? Demonstrate."
  
  Reggie held his hand out in the air, electricity sparking off of it.
  
  "That's good. Good," Deus said, "Follow me."
  
  Deus escorted Reggie deeper into the house into a room with a computer. He then took a seat and extended his hand, and Reggie placed the memory chip into it. Deus then inserted the chip into the computer.
  
  Immediately a screen popped up, and a video. On the video was a man with a mask on. Well, half of a mask. The black mask was only on half of his face, and on his head sat a lofty, well crafted crown fitted with emeralds and amethysts and jewels of varying expensiveness. He sat on a desk.
  
  "I am the King," the man said, his right half of his face grinning. "I am here to inform all hitmen intertwined in my operations of a new contract of an empowered persons. His name is Reggie Rogers, and he has interfered with previous Kingdom exertions; he must be eliminated in order to maintain the peace in my Kingdom. The price for his head is one million dollars, and you must decapitate it and bring it directly to me, at the Kingdom. The location is enclosed with the memory chip. Thank you for your cooperation, my brave knights."
  
  Then the video flickered out into darkness.
  
  "Can you find the location?" Reggie urged.
  
  "Of course," Deus said. "But you owe me this one."
  
  He clicked around on the files on the memory chip; and finally found one that read LOCATION.
  
  He clicked on it and it was protected by a password.
  
  "Can you crack it?" Reggie asked.
  
  "I don't know. Maybe. But it might take me a little bit." Deus said, rubbing his temples in near frustration.
  
  "Shit, man, I don't want to die. You feel?" Reggie said nervously. "Anything I can do to help?"
  
  "Not right now. Until I work this encryption, you can sleep on the couch. But after this, it's over. You leave and only come back when you don't need my help. This is dangerous, Reggie. The Kingdom are serious."
  
  "Trust me, I know," Reggie said. "Thank you, Deus, I really owe you one."
  
  "I know you do. Now go, I don't need you distracting me."
  
  Reggie smiled and walked out of the room and took a seat on the couch.
  
  > wait for Deus to get it done
  Reggie sat down on the couch and his eyes transitioned to the TV. It was playing some dog show, beautiful labs and big mastiffs prancing across the stage. Deus' boyfriend, Bruce, was sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to see which dog would win the contest.
  
  "You... enjoy watching this?" Reggie asked, bored out of his mind. He loves dogs, but he'd rather be watching the news or some entertaining action movie.
  
  "Yes, dogs cute!" Bruce says, smiling. "But the small ones... even cuter!"
  
  Reggie just waited until Bruce was focused on the TV again and rolled his eyes. He kind of hoped he get back to finding those asshole assassins and locating the King, and ending this. Not watching some dog show.
  
  After an hour of two of labradoodles and chihuahuas, Deus stepped out of the back room, looking tired. "I couldn't crack it, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow."
  
  Reggie groaned but didn't say anything, he didn't want to appear rude while staying at somebody else's house. Deus mumbled a "Sorry, Reggie," and then disappeared into his room, Bruce following after him.
  
  Reggie slept on the couch that night, feeling safe and assured right where he was. Now, as he sat there in the dark silence, he thought maybe he didn't want to go back to risking his life running from assassins. Then again, he did absorb some new powers.
  
  He slept well that night and woke up to the aroma of coffee and the sound of eggs crackling on a pan in the kitchen. Reggie rose in a zombified state to the kitchen to find a plate already on the table.
  
  "Go on," Deus said, standing over the "Eat up."
  
  Reggie took a seat, still groggy, and ate everything on plate in a matter of seconds. He had no idea how how hungry he was until that moment. He then slurped down the orange juice to wash everything down his throat. "Thanks..." Reggie said as he burped. "For the hospitality."
  
  "Don't mention, Reggie. Look, sorry for being so hostile last night. It's... just that there's been a lot of frustration in my head since everything went south. But I know it wasn't your fault... I mean, for fuck's sake, you tried saving our business and then... your wife... I'm sorry. Also, I was grieving Brocky. I'm... I'm very sorry."
  
  Reggie was taken aback by this. He didn't know what to say.
  
  "And I want to extend me invintation for you to stay here for the time being, at least until all of this blows over. The contract ends in two weeks, and the Kingdom will drop it. They have more important resources to be spending."
  
  "You think?"
  
  "I know so. I've encrypted part of it, the information, but the location is the tough one to crack. It's actually quite difficult, much like something I haven't really seen before. But I'm trying my best, but, in all honesty, you don't have to go after them."
  
  "I-" Reggie said. He didn't know what to think. It looked as if Deus was throwing his a lifeline right then and there, offering for him a place to stay until this all blows over. Or he could just have him crack the encryption and get the location on the source of the man that took the hit out on Reggie. And it looked to be time to make that decision.
  
  > stay with Deus until it all blows over
  Reggie decided to stay with Deus until it all blew over. Deus threw the chip out and it went the day to be compacted into trash. It was worth nothing to Reggie now, just a piece of something that reminded him of his grief-ridden past.
  
  Reggie chilled with Deus for a while until he found a job and got back on his feet. He began working as a factory worker at some high-end retailer, and after a while, he stopped looking over his shoulder for shitty Kingdom men to come cut his head off.
  
  That was his msitake. One day, a work accident occurred, apparently someone made a 'mistake' and a block of heavy steel crushed Reggie, killing him instantly. At least he died a little bit happier than he would have.