Although the day-to-day running of Velocity City were done by the administrative staff, the nominal leader of the city was the champion. This was an ancient title usually given to the most powerful superhero in the area and even most towns and small cities have one.

As the champion of a Named City though, the champion of Velocity City was in a different league. He would oversee the large city along with its surrounding towns and area. Most heroes in the area would fall under his command, and more prestigiously, the champion would represent Velocity City in the ‘Alliance of Champions’, a superhero group that counts every champion on the continent as a member.

The current champion of Velocity was a superhero by the name of Thundersky. A hero with powers over wind, lightning, and flight, Thundersky was a handsome man in his early thirties. He wore a golden helmet and a yellow-and-white bodysuit that help him channel his powers quicker. Victor had seen pictures of him before on television and his statue in Champions Park captured his likeness very well.

Outside Thundersky, Champions Park had a statue of every champion in the history of Velocity City. From Master Scimitar, the city’s very first champion when it was just a town called Bromwich, to the famed Lady Velocity, the champion the city was currently named after. Victor also saw statues of famous heroes who had made the city their home. Dark Shade, Copper Gun, The Mysterious Mister. All of them were big names, Victor’s favorite was undoubtedly the Unholy Gunslinger.

A historic inventor/mage who gathers demonic energy and use it to power his modified six-shooters, Mark Eastfield is widely credited as the man who introduced 'Demonic Tech' to the world. More importantly, he was a formerly low-level mage who became famous. Small-time heroes and villains considered men like Mark Eastfield to be inspirations. People who had proved that a lack of talent was no obstacle to success.

After a day touring Velocity City, Victor found himself back at Two Drinks Tavern. He needed to know the ins-and-outs of the city, and who better to ask than an information broker like The Finder? Victor was at the bar awaiting his turn with the information broker when a man slides up.

“Heard the Sweet Fist were in town.” The man said. “Figures you would come here.”

Victor looked at the man besides him and it took him a moment before the face registered. “Bar?”

The man gave Victor a rueful smile. “Been a decade since anyone called him that. Nice to see you, Fist.”

Bar offered Victor a handshake, and for a moment, Victor considered his options. Then Victor shook the hand, and Bar visibly relaxed.

“When did you came out?”

“A few days ago. How are you doing? Still in the game?”

“No. Been retired for over a decade already. I am now just another regular Joe.”

“Really?” Victor was surprised. The man he knew as Jolly Bar was proud to be a villain. He couldn’t imagine the man ever retiring. Now he sounded quite proud of the fact he was done. “What happened?”

“Got old.” Bar just chuckled. “We aren’t spring chickens anymore, Fist.”

Victor looked at his former team-mate and he couldn’t buy it. With his white hair and wrinkled face, Bar looked old, but he was an inventor. As long as his mind was alright, Bar should have no problem continuing. Victor stopped himself from shuddering. Victor was a fighter, and Bar was two years younger than him.

“What happened, Bar? Last I heard, you cut a deal with the heroes and got out early.”

“All of us did. Well, everyone except you and Candy Mage, and they were never going to offer a deal to the boss after what he did.”

“What we did!” Victor said softly. “We were all in on it.”

“Not me.” Bar argued. “I just follow orders like normal. I never knew what he was trying to do. Did you?”

Victor slowly shook his head. He took a drink and for a moment neither of them spoke. Then Bar chuckled sadly.

“You know what the funny thing is? That’s what it took for me to get out.”

“Really?” Victor said noncommittally. He realized by now Bar was here to speak, and Victor was more than happy to let him.

“People in the community thought we were big deal. Mage was targeting kids, and the rest of the villains thought we were some badasses for doing that. I … I knew I was in the wrong profession after that.”

“What happened? What happened after you came out?”

“The psychos came for me. Wanted me to join their crew, but I was never part of that crowd. I joined a few groups here and there, but my heart wasn’t in it no more. So, I quitted.”

“Then why are you here? If you are so retired, how did you know I was back in town?” Victor didn’t try to make his suspicion out of his voice, and Bar couldn’t help but scoffed.

“I’m retired, not dead. Everyone heard about you taking out two of the Banger Boys yesterday in King’s Hill.”

“Banger Boys? Really? Those two idiots were part of a crew? And their name is Banger Boys?”

“So says a former member of the ‘Candy Crew’. We are in no position to talk.”

Victor shrug. He can’t really argue with that. It was a stupid name for a supervillain group.

“I took out two would-be robbers. Why should that be big news?”

“The King’s is a no-man land right now, and when a big name like you makes a move, everyone will hear about it. More than a few people are wondering if you are marking your territory.”

“But why am I a big name? I don’t get it. It’s being twenty years, and I, none of us, were big before we went in.”

“It’s the shock value.” Seeing Victor’s puzzlement, Bar continued. “The Candy Crew was a joke, but that was our score. We don’t kill people for fun like the Bloody Duchess, and we don’t try to take over the world like the World Cult. Those guys are psychos, and we were not. We were the funny, harmless criminals who just stole, rob and scam. We were just trying to make a living. We even tried our best to avoid hurting civilians.”

“Till we did.”

“Till we did.” Bar agreed.