Origins of a D-List Supervillain Read Online Free PDF

skeleton.”
    Derek probably kissed a picture of Patterson’s ass every morning before he kissed his wife. He was the scientific equivalent of a cockroach—ready to scurry at a moment’s notice.
    “There’s no wasted space in internal structure. If we cram anything else in there, we’d have to amputate one of the pilot’s limbs. Feel free to pitch that idea to the boss.”
    Owen wasn’t done. “Maybe ATAI could have done a better job predicting Mistress Magma’s attack patterns.”
    Rita took offense to that. “She shoots flames from her hands, it’s not rocket science! Her temperature exceeds the current rating of the suit shielding and armor. Block it, shoot her first, or dodge it.”
    Todd’s response was a bit more succinct. He gave Owen the finger.
    “Okay,” Ducie said, cutting off the bickering. “Mr. Patterson is recovering and we have forty-eight hours to get the suit back up and running and come up with a winning strategy against a five foot three she-volcano. I need ATAI to run simulations and determine a minimum safe distance, if Ultraweapon runs into her alone again. I also need team scenarios because I’d rather have the rest of the West Coast Guardians with him.”
    Four members were responsible for the Adaptive Threat Assessment Index. It was a database of supervillains, and oddly enough, superheroes. Yeah, Lazarus Patterson was that paranoid. The ATAI team were a fun bunch; Todd, Rita, Matt, and Brad. They were a fountain of knowledge when it came to super powers. They ran simulation after simulation of Ultraweapon versus everyone else.
    Whenever we upgraded the suit, they ran it against the “Imaginary Larry” test first. Larry was an insanely powerful telekinetic, with equal emphasis on insane and powerful. By all accounts, he was the strongest person on the planet. In over two hundred simulated battles, Ultraweapon only beat him twice in a stand up fight. The first time came after my force blasters were installed. I think I got a bonus that week.
    I needed my own threat index. The Gulf Coast Guardians technically had responsibility for this region. They usually stayed in the area between New Orleans and the major cities of Texas. I didn’t think I’d have to worry about them for a while. Andydroid was based out of Atlanta and the northern parts of Florida. This was something of a “dead zone” for super powered folks. In fact, the only potential problem I might face would be The Biloxi Bugler.
    If Ultraweapon could only beat Imaginary Larry once in a blue moon, the Bugler stood about as much of a chance against Ultraweapon. He had a sonic bugle and a death wish. Best I could tell, he didn’t even wear a bulletproof vest! If I was in this to build some kind of reputation, I think I would have picked someplace better, but until I had my own suit, fighting superheroes wasn’t something on my agenda.
    Still, I needed my own self-assessment after pulling my first job. The police suspected the perpetrators used explosives and linked it to possible gang activity. For the moment, I was in the clear, and I used that time to improve my chances of success.
    Things would be much simpler if I had a getaway driver I could count on. Almost half my time was spent getting back into my car. The car was the other problem—it wasn’t really suited for a crime spree. I needed something a little bigger and more useful. Like any venture that wants to be successful, I’d have to reinvest a portion of my profits back into my enterprise.
    The gold rings I could just melt down. Those places that buy gold with few questions were a blessing. I could mint my own coins, or just give it to them as a bar. The biggest issue with the gold was ensuring that I didn’t mix the metal qualities.
    The jewelry I’d have to accumulate until there was enough to take to Miami or go straight to Joey’s New York connection.
    • • •
    I traded in the Hyundai right after my first “payday.”  Replacing it was a used