Annihalatus stomped down the marble halls of his lair, each footstep echoing out as if it was the only chance of mercy to whoever would step in his way. He was known to be ruthless but cunning. He was incredibly aggressive and powerful but had more than enough intelligence to back it up. His power was that he was able to shift earth, minerals, metals, and stone to his will and owned a massive mining and steel company as his legitimate business.

Standing at a imposing 8’6 with a powerful build resembling more of a golem than a person, Annihilatus marched down the hallway into the meeting room. His metallic power armor covered him from his toes to his neck with a stone mask obscuring his face. As soon as he entered he heard the snickering and not so hidden jeering of his comrades in evil. Though bald, Annihaltus sported various dry erase marker drawings his daughter had created as well as “customizing” his power suit with drawings of her father ruling the world and fighting people to death and most importantly, glitter…lots of glitter.

Annihilatus narrowed his eyes behind his mask which everyone understood as a command of silence. “If anyone has an issue with my beloved daughter learning to be creative and expressing herself please step forward” his trench deep voice rang out to the council who all collectively decided that today. just like everyday, was a bad day to challenge him and decided to remain seated.

As the meeting started most of the snickering ceased or at least an attempt was made to make it less audible. They ran over their meeting last minutes but a villain three seats down from Annihilatus started cracking up and through tears said “I I I I I’m so sorry but I just can’t do it. I just can’t take you seriously”. Annihilatus shifted his gaze towards the villain “Firestorm is it? You ignite the oxygen around you to create fire is that correct?”

The relatively new villain from Arizona was well tanned and had slicked back black hair and wore a plan white shirt with a black jacket was on the ground laughing. Firestorm was only able to give a thumbs up in agreement as he gasped for air. Annihilatus calmly marched towards firestorm and grabbed him firmly by the throat, his hand reaching all the way around his neck. “Here’s a free chemistry lesson for you. Now tell me firestorm. What are the three components to keep a fire alight?”. Firestorm in a panicked voice tried to mutter out “I don’t know” as Annihilatus’s grip squeezed tighter. “A fire needs three things to stay alight, Heat, Fuel, and Oxygen”.

“Now tell me Firestorm. Do you know what happens when any of those three things are removed from the equation?” Gasping for air as his throat is totally collapsed, Firestorm begins to try to pry Annihilatus’s hands off his neck. “A fire is extinguished, that’s right. Fire needs oxygen just as much as you do. Isn’t that right Firestorm?”

Moments away from blacking out Firestorm is resorting to trying to use his powers to burn Annihilatus’s iron hand so he will release him. Annihilatus unfazed by the flames attempting to burn him puts a little extra pressure on the spinal cord before dropping the near unconscious villain to the ground with a heavy thud.

Firestorm begins gulping down as much air as he can on the floor as Annihilatus looms next to him like a Monolith. Annihilatus reaches down to the disobedient villain and pick him up by his collarbone to eye level and says “If you ever think about making fun of my daughters excellent artwork again, just remember our little chemistry lesson” and drops him back onto the floor.

Annihaltus walks back to his chair as if none of the previous moments had transpired and there wasn’t a man gasping for air and mewling in pain on the ground. He motions his hand to signal for the meeting to continue and it goes off without another distraction.

Stylin' and Profilin'

Mason Maniacal calmly sat down at the poker table in his basement, it was he and Queen Bee's turn to host the monthly schmuck poker game. Will O' The Wisp dealt him into the next hand. Hand sucked, not too much he could do with it. He studied the faces of the five other schmucks around the table. Willow looked like she was about to pop from laughter, Quizzler's eyes were watering, Dr. Neutron had his hand over his mouth, Melinda Muse's face wore the same stoic expression it always did, one perfected from years of walking the runway. Queen Bee, Mason's wife, bit her lip, he knew she was trying not to laugh at him.

Mason folded his hand, flinging the cards hard across the table. "I fold. Okay, out with it! All of youse! Get it out of your systems right now.....or else." He shouted menacingly.

Willow broke first. "You look like Axl Rose after a three day bender in Candyland!" She sputtered out. Everyone laughed, except Mason.

Neutron followed up. "No, no, no. He's going through a Justin Timberlake phase. Are your cornrows going to bring sexy back sometime this decade Mason?" More laughter. Mason played with the stack of poker chips in front of him, quietly.

"Wrong again, doc. He's going for a genderbent, heroin chic Pippy Longstockings. Even his face is turning red, matches the hair. Screams mid-life crisis." Melinda Muse mused.

Quizzler could barely contain himself. "Wish I'd known this was a costume party, although nobody is going to beat Mason's Kevin Federline costume. Really nailed the part, you married up just like he did!"

The laughter continued, along with the witty jabs. Mason joined in with the laughter, an overpowering, insane laughter. With the flick of his wrist he sent poker chips flying through the laughing lips of the schmucks, save for Queen Bee. Before they could remove the obstructions from their throats, hidden restraints in their chairs trapped them in place.

Mason rose slowly, flipping a poker chip as he paced around the table. "Pretty fuckin hard to laugh when you're choking to death. This funny to everybody? Being a good dad who's secure enough in his masculinity to allow a little girl to style his hair? These are all rhetorical questions since none of youse can talk at the moment. You had your fun, now I'm having mine. Mallory!"

A young blonde girl peeked her head down into the basement. "Yeah dad?"

"Sweetie my friends said you did such a good job with my hair, they want you to do theirs. Would you mind?" Mason asked kindly.

"Yay! I'll get my stuff!" Mallory Maniacal screeched with glee.

Mason undid the restraints, he and Queen Bee gave the other schmucks the heimlich. Mason returned to his seat nonchalantly. He shuffled the cards. "Let's keep playing. Please be nice to my daughter while she works her magic, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree with her. She don't take constructive criticism as well as I do."

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Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this check out more at r/StarCityChronicles

The uniform lights buzzed overhead, the only noise in the room being the quiet snickers of the people at the table. Except for two, they had scaled skin and slitted lizard-like pupils. One was noticeably older than the other, with a bushy red beard and large stature.

The man stood up, his clawed hands slamming onto the table, "What, may I ask, is so funny?" The laughter began to quiet as they looked to each other. After a minute, a woman stood to meet him.

Her long curly, snow white hair pooled on the table as she leaned closer to the scaled man, "Please, Salamander, what did you expect with such ridiculous things in your hair? You couldn't have expected us to take you seriously, could you?" Salamander's face twisted into a snarl, with the woman's blue-painted lips shifting into a mocking smile,

"Hailscape, could you please not antagonize my father?" The two adults looked to the scaled boy, his claws tapping on the glass table.

Hailscapes smile fell into a disappointed frown as she looked to the boy, "Well, if you father had taught your sister how to use color correctly, then maybe I would be less inclined, Spitfire."

Spitfire rose from his chair, his large scaled wings unfurling from his back. A hate-filled glare thrown to Hailscape as Spitfire's body engulfed itself in flames. "OH, THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU! Hey, Hainscape, wheres your son? Oh, that's right, he's stuck in penance pillar because YOU sent him to rob one of the most well-protected banks in the country! And now he's paying for YOUR bad decision!"

As Spitfire finished the hearty laghter of salamander filled the room. The larger man walked over to Spitfire, patting the boy on the back, "I couldn't have said it better myself, son."

Salamander looked around the room locking eyes with everyone there, "If any of you have a problem with my daughter's passion then you all have failed as parents."

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

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