Ash, dressed as Intelligent, and Death Raiser are facing off in Intelegant’s basement.

  “You are going to tell me everything I want to know. Got it?”

  “Why would I do that?” He smirks, “It’s not like you will do anything to me.”

  “Why won't I?” The way she says it makes the question sound like a threat.

  Death Raiser doesn't back down. “You're nothing but talk.” When Ash doesn't react he goes on, saying, “You're a coward looking for their time in the spotlight.”

  “Am I really?”

  He nods.

  “Then I guess you must be really weak, because even a coward isn’t afraid of you,” Ash strikes back.

  “You never would have caught me if you hadn't used that dirty trick.”

  “Suuure,” she says doubtfully.

  “If you let me out, I'll show you,” he's smiling again.

  “Nah.” She leans against the wall and checks her nails. “I already outsmarted you once. I don't feel like doing it again.”

  He loses his cool and starts yelling. “You never would have caught me if I hadn’t let you!”

  Ash laughs haughtily. “Why would you let me catch you?”

  Death Raiser must have taken too long to think of a response because the next word spoken came from Ash.

  “Now you're denying the truth.” The two meet gazes and she smiles. “How sad?”

  Again, Death Raiser’s anger sparks. This time he doesn’t yell, he grits his teeth. “I’m not sad.”

  Ash continues the taunting. “You’ve probably never even fought before.”

  “Wron-” His response is instantaneous, but he’s still cut off before he can finish the word.

  Ash walks over to him and leans down so she’s at Death Raiser’s eye level. “Someone probably heard about your powers and sought you out to take advantage of you.” She pats his head. “Poor thing. Too naive to walk away from a chance at ‘fame’.”

  Having his words repeated back to him irks him, but for the most part he keeps his cool. “I’m not some attention-seeking idiot. I just take advantage of what I’m given.” He does.

  “So I was right.” She matters as she backs away. “You’re just a manipulated little kid,” the words are matter-of-fact.

  Death Raiser’s calm when he provides his counterpoint. “I can’t be manipulated.”

  “‘I can’t be manipulated,’” she repeats in a whine. “Of course you can.” Ash laughs. “Or is that above you?”

  “That’s not what I-”

  Ash interrupts: “Yes it is. You either didn't think of the possibility until now, or your ego made you dismiss it.” She loses the harsh tone. “Just think about it. If not to use you, why would someone convince you to attack a city known for its very powerful hero.”

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  “Because-”

  Ash ignores Death Raiser’s quiet voice and starts speaking.

  “Look.” She sounds so compassionate. “Those people are the reason you’re here. I’m giving you the chance to bring them down. All you have to do is tell me everything you know and they’ll be blamed for everything. Is that really such a bad thing?”

  “I don't need your help.” He's full of conviction. “I’m going to take care of them myself.”

  Ash raises an eyebrow. “Kid, you’re trapped in a basement with no hope of getting out and you're going to stay here until I find them. It’s best that you just tell me.”

  Without a sigh, or a deflation, he says, “Fine.”

  Ash doesn’t pick up on the suddenness of his change in attitude. “Good choice; now tell me everything.”

  “I don’t know that much,” Death Raiser lies. “I was waiting to find a place to start my world takeover when people showed up at my house.” It’s like he’s reading from a script. He’s a good actor, but if you look closer you can tell that everything is a facade. “They told me that I could have this city in return for capturing Intelegant and turning her over to them. I originally said no because I didn’t want to face Naturalist, but they convinced me.

  “How?”

  “They showed me a picture of Naturalist’s dead body.”

  There’s a moment of silence before Ash gathers herself enough to respond. “How did you know he was dead?”

  “Why else would the most powerful hero be on the floor in a pool of his own blood?” Death Raiser’s back to sassy.

  The phone Ash brought with her starts vibrating, but she ignores it and keeps asking questions. “Did you see any visible wounds?”

  “No.”

  “Then the blood might not have been his.” The phone stops vibrating. “Tell me everything you remember about the photo.”

  “Why? He’s dead. That won’t help him.”

  “Because I said so.”

  Death Raiser sighs. “It was torso up. He was on a concrete floor. He was pale and laying in a bool of blood out of costume.” The phone buzzes again, this time just once.

  Ash keeps going. “What about the people that brought you the photo? Tell me everything you remember about them and the interaction.”

  “They were in full riot gear, so I couldn’t tell much about them. I didn’t even hear their voices. All they did was hand me the picture and a letter. Then they stood there until I finished reading the letter. At that point they took both in and the picture back. Then they left.” Again, he’s reciting the story, but this time, Ash picks up on it.

  “There’s more you know.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You do.” Ash glares at the villain.

  “Even if I did,” he starts diplomatically, “It’s not something you want to know. You just want to know everything I do about your super boyfriend.”

  This time, it’s Ash that loses her cool. “He’s not my boyfriend!”

  Death Raiser looks at her doubtfully. He doesn’t say it, but everything about his expression and body language is shouting, “Really?”

  Ash takes a deep breath, calms down and changes the subject. “What did the letter say?”

  “It said that if they needed something from me in the future they would find me.”

  “Why did something so simple convince you?”

  Death Raiser glares at her. “There were already rumors of Naturalist’s disappearance and they just gave me proof!”

  “That’s not what I was saying.” She puts a hand to her forehead, annoyed. “I’m just asking if there was anything in the letter that made you trust them.”

  “Not really, no.”

  “There must have been something that made such a smart young man trust a total stranger? Were there any threats in the writing?”

  “Not that I remember.”

  Ash gives him a once over, trying to determine if he’s lying, but what she sees sparks a different question. “... How old are you?” Death Raiser’s scrawny body, and acne-ridden face, with a cracking voice make her think he’s just a kid.

  “What does that matter?” He seems offended by the question.

  She puts her hand to her forehead. “You’re underage, aren’t you?”

  “I’m eighteen!”

  “No, you’re not,”she says assuredly.

  “I’m out of high school, I live alone, and I’ve got superpowers.”

  Ash sighs. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “Brandon, Brandon Leafton.”

  She sighs again. “Look, Brandon, you’ve got to stop this villain stick, ‘cause it ain’t gonna end well.” Ash’s southern roots make themself apparent in the statement.

  “How do you know?” He’s looking for a fight.

  “I just do,” she says as she heads up the basement stairs to talk to the real Intelegant.