Payback Part 1

One truth always remains whether it is at the top or bottom of this wretched world. A price needs to get paid. No action is free of cost. It may have been a hard lesson, but I learned it nonetheless the minute I lost everything. Unfortunately, some people didn't get the memo.

"How many times do I have to bat you in the head to tell you I'm not handing over one goddamn cred for that snake?!"

"None, but you're dangerously close to knowing what it feels like! Stuff like this was why rule #7 got created, Port, and you know it."

"Well, unless that rat goes toe to toe with Omna and lives to tell the tale, I'm not budging Eternus!"

I wish I could say this conversation was an outlier but in this century, filled with superpowers and superhumans, it was a common occurrence. Because society deemed, we were the worst of the worst. This means that we'll happily be the worst because we are villains, or should I say in this instance, The Cons. We may not have the fancy costumes or snazzy powers, but we certainly played the part a week ago.

We made breaking news that day as we managed to rob Robin Financial blind 600,000 credits from the clutches of the Omnifarious Officer Omna with only minor casualties. But, unfortunately, it wasn't a solo endeavor meaning we had to make due on our promise, even up the score, naturally causing some arguments to ensue.

Unfortunately, without Port's expertise, we couldn't quickly transfer our cut of the creds to one card, leaving us stuck. However, Port and Eternus would probably have found conflict no matter what. They give cats and dogs a good name with how often they snap at each other.

Still, Krimo may be a festering den of criminals, monsters, and killers (oh my!) in this seemingly endless underworld. However, it still had rules, regulations, debates, honor from the higher-ups to the utterly downtrodden. Without it, we would be nothing more than beasts ravaging for scraps, not that some of us aren't all already a foot of the way there.

These animals would mean nothing in another life, but now that I'm here and abandoned that name, rule number #4 saw to that. I now have no choice but to succeed by any means necessary. This means it was up to me to settle this matter because I was the Gum that held our relations with the Underworld together.

Because against all odds, I think I'm the only one amongst us who says we can rise. And to do that, we had to keep our friends close before they became closer enemies, so as Frag, Ricochet, and Fury watched in interest, apathy, and submission, respectively, I took the first move. I grabbed the raised bat from Port's hand in a clear decision. But, of course, this got their attention as I let my silver tongue take the lead.

"Port, please give him your cut; we all gummed up our money together without any reservations, and Eternus is right."

"That snake is lucky he's even breathing with the enemies he has made. Giving him these creds is all he needs to double-cross us. I say we cut him and out losses."

"You know we can't just stick it to him, Port; it's rule number one. And against all odds, we're the only ones crazy enough to trust his word; just like us, he's an outcast at rock bottom. Admittedly, an annoyingly pathetic outcast, but still, without him, we wouldn't even have the creds in the first place. So for now, I call that an ally, and if he becomes an enemy, then we'll keep him closer in our little bubble either way, ``I said rationally.

Port's eyes looked at me with paranoia and contempt. Then, however, her cruel logic finally popped in. Her amber eyes softened slightly as she decided to hand over her creds to my open hand.

"Fine, just make sure we aren't wasting it all in one place," she said as she walked into her room to do her infamous tinkering on the cred cards.

With that resolved manner, I decided to go the extra mile.

"Well, it looks like I kinda stepped into this one. Hand over your cred cards to me; I'll make the deal."

"Fine, but follow Rule #2 and bring Fury with you. He's the only one he likes anyway, and bringing the insurance wouldn't be half bad either." Eternus said shrewdly.

Then, the two of us were off into the dwelling of ne'er do wells that are Krimo's lower levels in the dead of night with a case in hand. While the city itself is more a foundation of the future, the lower levels feel more like an untouched period piece of a time before this superhuman society.

The soaring skyscrapers above our head might as well have been as far a distance as heaven and hell. Along the way, we followed the flow of dozens of people packed together like sardines, with every step showing off the familiar rundown buildings, cracked concrete, and torn clothes.

When I first laid eyes on this place, I was shocked out of my mind, but it didn't take long for me to adapt to reality. Unfortunately, a thousand tragedies get stuck to this place, and a thousand more will probably appear in due time. Because as much as the ads and commercials try to hide it, one truth remains.

Heroes are still as terrifyingly human as the rest of us, and they don't save everyone. Nevertheless, I kept my disposition chipper as it didn't take long before we entered the Rapids.

In a place like this, money could only take you so far; most people here take more than they can ever give. The Rapids represent that perfectly. As fast as the rivers themselves, barters and bargains caked dozens of nameless stores; on a good day, thousands of trades and transactions took place here. In a sense, you could call it Krimo's demented version of a community center.

Undercover of the cattle, just about anything could get sold here if you play your cards right; alliances and gangs are damned. Usually, this place is more Port's domain, but thanks to Fury, she was able to make her way through as if she'd been here her entire life; her acting truly knows no bounds. Before long, we entered into the wet, dirty, graffiti-filled alley as we waited for "him" to make an appearance. A few minutes of awkward silence passed, a silence I couldn't help but occupy.

I looked around, hoping to start a conversation, only to find myself staring at the patient Fury. Somehow despite slumming it up, Fury had managed to make a decent outfit. She took the torn-up sweater we stole the other day and turned it into a tight light orange sweater that matched well with her burnt orange ponytail and dark green cargo pants.

That combined with her above-average height, athletic body, and numerous freckles, and I swear she looked like a girl I wouldn't mind hooking up with in the middle levels. How she remained this fashionable, I'll never know, but it did get me thinking.

"Now that we got some money in our pocket, what are you going to buy?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly. Never really thought about it before, "Fury said wistfully.

"C'mon, there's gotta be something you want; I heard Ricochet wants some Cuban cigars; how he's going to pull that off is a different story but still."

"Well, if that's the case, then maybe I'll use part of the money to get him some. And maybe I'll get Frag a mattress, and I heard Eternus needs some-"

For the next 5 minutes, this tirade carried on as I realized soon enough Fury didn't answer my question; nothing in that showed what "she" really wanted. Details like that made me wonder all the more about both her and others' past. But I guess that's the point of the rules in the first place.

Despite my ambition Eternus was both our boss and creator; he accepted us all when no one else would for yet another price. Rule #1: No killing, Rule #7: majority vote rules Rule #2: Never leave a Con behind, and Rule #4: We keep our real names secret to all.

We've been together for almost two years now, and for better or worse, no one's broken a single rule. Which probably says more about us than our little history would. But I want things to change, need them to or else why-. My stream of thought quickly got interrupted as soon enough, "he" finally made his appearance.