“Alright, someone posted your bail. You pukestains are free to go. Don’t let me see you again.” the officer said. Vic blinked in confusion, but before he knew it he was tossed out on the street with the four other previously incarcerated Devil’s Deal members.

“Good riddance! Jeez, what a crummy deal.” Eddie said, kicking a trashcan.

“But who’d post bail for a bunch of nobodies like us?” Fresno wondered. “It ain’t like my folks got the dough to spring me from an armed robbery charge.”

“Hey, I ain’t knocking getting out early. Food there’s terrible.” Ryan said.

“Who knows, who cares. Far as I’m concerned, I’m never setting foot in a jailcell again.” Vic said vehemently. The other four nodded in agreement.

“What now though? My dad’ll kill me if I go back home.” Fresno said.

“Nah, we ain’t headed home. Let’s go see Jack.” Vic said. Fresno’s dad really would beat him to death if he went home, he’d probably never go back. But he could lay low at Jack’s place for a while. The others made various grunts, and they headed off across the river. But they hadn’t taken more than ten steps toward the bridge, a limo pulled up beside them, the window down. A large Asian man with hair to his shoulders and a pinstriped black suit leaned out.

“S’cuse me boys. You wouldn’t happen to be those frightful members of the Devil’s Deal gang, would you?” he said with a smile.

“What’s it to you?” Vic snapped automatically, not even stopping.

“Oh, it’s quite a lot to me. Specifically, $250,000 worth.” That got the group’s attention.

“Huh? What you mean?” Eddie said, while Fresno added something up in the back.

“Vic, that’s the total cost to bail us all out.” he whispered to the older teen.

“Precisely, mister Presley. Or Fresno, as you prefer.” the man said. A chill went down Vic’s spine, and the group drew closer together. No one knew Fresno’s name, even the police report used the nickname he’d had since elementary school.

“What’s up? You looking for trouble?” Vic said warily.

“Of a sort. I thought you boys might be able to help us. That’s why we went to the trouble of posting bail.” he said, still smiling.

“Who’s we?” Vic asked suspiciously.

“Get in and find out.” The door opened, and the man gestured to the wide seats around him. Glancing around at his gang, Vic swallowed nervously and got in, the others following. “Smart choice, boys. My name is Ando, and that’s my partner Louie.” He gestured to the bald driver, who flicked a greeting as he drove off.

“Spare us the pleasantries, meatball. You posted bail for a buncha nobodies you don’t know. What’s the deal?” Vic said. Ando smiled wryly.

“The deal is, you were taken down by an unregistered super. We have a job coming up that involves said super, and my boss says there’s no better worker than a self-motivated one. How’d you like to get back at the man who put you behind bars?”

The gang stared at him, then burst out laughing.

“You’re, you’re kidding, right?” Vic said, catching his breath. “He’s super. I know we didn’t have the hottest pieces, but we let that bastard have it with everything we got. Literally just walked through a hail of bullets. So no disrespect to you or your little boss, but I don’t think no dinky little peashooter’s gonna cut it. If he’s even in the same league as the Champ, a tank wouldn’t do it.”

“Our current predictions indicate he indeed does possess similar enhanced strength as Champion, albeit at a reduced capacity. But we don’t know. That’s where you boys come in. You are to probe for weaknesses, report his strengths, and if the opportunity arises, kill him.” Ando said. The gang shifted uncomfortably.

“Hey uh, look. I’m grateful for being sprung an’ all, but. I got a long rap sheet, but murder ain’t on it, and I intend to keep it that way.” Fresno said, as firmly as a plastic bag in the wind.

“Whadda you, chicken? That bastard took us down like a bunch’a kids, nobody on the street’ll respect us anymore, let alone the rest’a the Devils!” Eddie snapped.

“Gettin’ busted by supers when you’re normal’s a free pass, though!” Ryan shot back, but Vic raised his hands.

“Boys, boys. Let’s not argue in front of company.” he said, glaring at them. They reluctantly backed down. “Now, I think I speak for all of us, and I do, right?” he said, and they all nodded, some with more reluctance than others. “I speak for all’a us when I say it’s a tempting offer, but we’re unable to provide the services that you want, pops.” Ando chuckled at that.

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to imply you’d be doing this equipped as you are.” He brought out a silver briefcase from below the seat. He set it on his knees and opened it, revealing five vials of bright orange liquid. It could have been a trick of the light, but the contents seemed to be glowing slightly.

“What’s this?” Vic asked.

“This, Mr. Sabio, is power. Real power, not the kind mere money or guns can give.” Ando said demurely. The whole gang was still, then burst out into excited, nervous chatter.

“You got super juice! He can turn us into supers!”

“What kinda powers does it give?”

“I dunno, guys. Stuff like that’s super illegal. Besides, I heard stories. Who knows what’s in that stuff, what it’ll do?” Fresno said nervously, eyeing the vials. Both Ando and Louie laughed.

“You’re right to be cautious, but I assure you this serum’s quite safe. We merely haven’t had many test subjects yet, so you’ll be part of data collection. But rest assured, from the trials we have been able to perform, there’s been no lasting side effects, only powers imparted. The risk is small, and the reward great enough to take down even that giant. And do a good enough job, and who knows? More lucrative endeavors might come your way. It is very hard to find men who have both a certain...moral flexibility, and who can be trusted.” Ando said with a shrug. “Well, boys? Did I make the right decision coming to you?”

“If’n we were to take it-not saying we are, but if we were- what kinds’a powers would we get?” Ryan asked tentatively.

“The descriptions are on the vials. Choose carefully, because you only get one shot, for now at least. We’re working on a way of adding more.”

“And if we, uh, say no?” Fresno said nervously. Ando promptly closed the case.

“Then you walk away. No deal, no job, no powers. Enjoy your upcoming court case, but we have no intention of doing anything to you, unless of course you’re not as smart as I thought, and will get a bullet in your head for every person you tell.” The gang glanced at one another uneasily, and Ando smiled like a shark. “This is that serious, gentlemen. But maybe I misjudged. It looks like you’re not interested in my offer. Very well, you’re free to go. Perhaps we can find another party that’s more interested.” he said casually.

“W-Wait! Can’t we just think it over a bit?” Jimmy blurted out, but Ando shook his head.

“Sorry, this is a one-time offer, and time is money. Not to mention the legal trouble I’d be in if this were discovered.” he said, patting the case. He signaled to Louie. “The boys aren’t interested. Stop here, please.” Louie nodded.

“No, wait!”

“But, uh…”

“I mean…”

“We’ll do it.” Vic’s voice cut through the gang’s rabble. Everyone stared at him in silence. “What? Think about it. This is the big time, it’s an opportunity to be supers. The big leagues. We ain’t gonna be just a bunch’a punks anymore, we’ll be professionals.”

“But the gang!” Ryan exclaimed.

“So what about the gang? Devil’s Deal’s not gonna get us a score like this, no matter what Jack says. King’n Queen would never allow it. C’mon, this’s our chance to really be something.” Vic said.

“Yeah, but...villains though.” Fresno said doubtfully.

“Don’t be chicken. We can say goodbye to all our problems if we do this. We can make our own way, normies couldn’t touch us if we were super. You could even get back at your dad.” Vic said, and Fresno turned red and looked down.

“S-Still though, we got the caped club to worry about…”

“By my reckoning, you already do. I’m merely offering a chance to level the playing field. What do you say, gentlemen?” Ando said smoothly. Vic hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. The case was opened.