Chapter Five: In Which I Form the Secret Society of Supervillains

Chapter Five

In Which I Form the Secret Society of Supervillains

The dolphin had a point.  There’s was no getting around it.  The billionaire exo-xenophobe (exophobe?) with an unhealthy obsession with the Platinum Man, wasn’t entirely convinced, but he was almost there.  The Prankster was just terrifying, and he was in, no matter the plan was, the crazier the better for him.  The Sorceress and Hocus Pocus were just happy to be invited.  Psychonaut was dead set against the whole idea.  He was going to take some convincing.  That’s where my work was.

“We have some serious financial backers in this endeavor,” I pointed out.  “All the big players from Silicon Valley, the oil guys, the cartels, the Vatican.  There’s crazy money in this, that’s for sure.  I think Admiral Nemo’s plan is smart, direct, and will work.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but it wasn’t Admiral Nemo’s (the dolphin’s) plan after all, it was someone else’s, even smarter.  Which is saying something, as Admiral Nemo was largely considered the smartest mammal on the planet.  Super-genius intellect.  But there he was, with me, tricked, manipulated, and threatened into starting this thing.  The thing.  What everything was always about.

“I don’t see how this will help me stop the Platinum Man, frankly.  And that alien must be stopped,” Anton Smirsk, the Russian billionaire finally said flatly.

“Then you’re not thinking it through, my friend,” I replied.  “I feel like you should trust me on this, as, I know how all of this works out.  I’m from the future, after all.  To me,” I said, now addressing the two strong holdouts as much as the exophobe, “this is all decided.  We do this.  It’s a done deal.  It’s how we win. They have the Hero Guild.  If we don’t do this, in two years, you’re all in prison, or dead otherwise.  But suit yourself.  I’ve already seen every possibility”

Success in the future is a powerful argument.

“Nicely done,” Admiral Nemo whispered telepathically to me.

Psychonaut hissed his question, “You have seen our success in the future?”

He was looking at me intently.  I pulled the mask off my face, so everyone could look me in the eye and see the truth of my words there.  That’s all it took for my lie to sell to these suckers.

(c) Copyright 2019 Diana Hignutt