Chương 17: Chapter 17: The Price of Greed
Chapter 17: The Price of Greed
Myles Walley, aka Tachyon, had just caught a member of a local gang who was trying to collect the bounty on his head. He held the gang member by the leg, dangling him off the side of a ten-story building.
"Now, listen here, buddy," Myles said in his usual casual tone. "I'm gonna drop you if you don't tell me who's running this manhunt to take me out."
The gang member's eyes widened in fear as he looked down at the pavement below.
"I don't know, man, I swear!" he stammered. "We were just hired to bring you in, that's all."
Myles rolled his eyes. "Come on, dude. You expect me to believe that you're just following orders without knowing who's giving them?"
The gang member shook his head frantically. "No, I swear, I really don't know!"
Myles paused for a moment, then grinned mischievously. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out if you're telling the truth."
He began to tilt the gang member downwards, causing him to scream in terror.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" the gang member cried out. "It was some guy named Big Tony, he's the one who hired us!"
Myles smirked, pulling the gang member back up to safety. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
The gang member was shaking with fear and relief. "Thank you, thank you so much," he said.
Myles gave him a casual wave. "No problem, man."
As he sped off, leaving the gang member to catch his breath, Myles couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Being a villain had its perks, and scaring the living daylights out of people was definitely one of them.
As Myles Walley was speeding away from the scene, he noticed that he was being followed by someone. It didn't take long for him to recognize the figure keeping pace with him as Barry Allen, aka The Flash.
"Well, well, well, look who's here," Myles said with a smirk. "What brings you to this part of town, Barry?"
Barry gave him a stern look. "You know exactly why I'm here, Myles. You can't keep terrorizing the city like this."
Myles rolled his eyes. "Relax, Barry. I'm just having a little fun. Besides, I'm not hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it."
Barry shook his head. "That's not the point. You're breaking the law and putting innocent people in danger."
Myles raised an eyebrow. "Coming from a guy who wears a red suit and runs around breaking the sound barrier? Give me a break, man."
Barry chuckled. "Touché. But seriously, Myles, what's going on? Why did you start this war with the underworld?"
Myles sighed. "It's complicated, Barry. Let's just say I have my reasons."
Barry shook his head. "You can't just take the law into your own hands, Myles. You're better than this."
Myles scoffed. "Am I? It's not like anyone's gonna give me a break just because I'm a speedster. They see me as a threat, so I gotta be the one in control."
Barry looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's tough, Myles. But that doesn't mean you have to become a killer. You can use your powers for good."
Myles snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I haven't tried that before. You know how it is, Barry. People are afraid of us. They see us as freaks, or worse, as weapons. We're never gonna be accepted as heroes. So why even bother trying?"
Barry sighed. "I understand, Myles. But I'm still gonna have to stop you if you keep causing trouble."
Myles smirked. "Good luck with that, Barry. You know you can't catch me."
Barry glanced down at his leg, which was still healing from a recent injury. "Maybe not right now. But I'll get you eventually, Myles. I always do."
Myles laughed as he sped away. "Yeah, we'll see about that, Flash."
As Myles sped away, the focus shifted to Big Tony, a heavyset man with a bald head and a thick beard. He wore a black leather jacket with several gold chains around his neck, and his arms were covered in tattoos.
Big Tony sat at the bar with a few of his men, laughing and drinking. Suddenly, the glasses on the table began to shake, and the drinks started floating in the air. A low rumble filled the room, and the men looked around in confusion.
"Uh, boss?" one of them said nervously. "I think we got a problem."
Big Tony stood up, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell is going on?"
Suddenly, a blur appeared in the room, and the men were thrown back as a powerful gust of wind swept through the bar. The blur coalesced into Myles, who stood in the center of the room, crackling with energy.
"Okay, boys," Myles said with a grin. "Time to play."
The men rushed at him, but Myles was too fast for them. He dodged their blows with ease, his movements a blur as he weaved in and out of their attacks.
In slow motion, Myles took down each man one by one, his movements fluid and graceful. He punched one in the gut, sending him flying across the room. He grabbed another by the wrist and twisted his arm until he cried out in pain. He kicked a third in the face, knocking him out cold.
Finally, only Big Tony was left standing. He glared at Myles, his fists clenched.
"You're dead, speedster," he growled.
Myles just chuckled. "Oh, I don't think so, Big Tony. I've got bigger plans for you."
And with that, Myles sped forward, his fists glowing with energy. The last thing Big Tony saw was a blur of white and black before he was knocked unconscious.
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Myles dragged Big Tony's unconscious body into a dimly lit room, tossing him onto a chair.
"Come on, wake up, big guy," Myles muttered, slapping Big Tony's face lightly. "I need some information from you."
Big Tony groaned and opened his eyes, blinking blearily. "What the hell happened?" he mumbled.
"You got knocked out, Tony," Myles said. "And now you're going to tell me everything I want to know."
Big Tony scowled. "I ain't tellin' you nothin'."
Myles just smiled. "Oh, I think you will. Unless you want everyone to know about your little arrangement with the police."
Big Tony's eyes widened in fear. "What are you talking about?"
Myles leaned in close, his eyes gleaming. "I know all about it, Tony. You've been feeding information to the cops for months. And if you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll make sure everyone finds out."
Big Tony swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead. "Okay, okay, fine. What do you want to know?"
Myles grinned. "Who's running the next meeting of the gang leaders and dons?"
Big Tony hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "It's at the old warehouse on 4th and Elm. But that's all I know, I swear."
Myles nodded. "Good enough. Thanks for playing, Tony."
He turned to leave, but Big Tony called out to him. "Hey, wait. You gonna let me go now?"
Myles just smirked. "Sorry, Tony. I can't have you running to the cops before I'm ready. But don't worry, I'll make sure you're taken care of."
And with that, Myles left the room, leaving Big Tony tied up and helpless.
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The old warehouse on 4th and Elm was a rundown, abandoned building in the heart of the city's seedy underbelly. It was surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, and guarded by armed men stationed at every entrance.
Inside, the Dons and gang leaders were gathered around a table, deep in discussion about how to rid themselves of the troublesome Tachyon.
"We need a new approach," said Don Salvatore, his voice smooth and professional. "Clearly, our previous methods have not worked. This Tachyon is proving to be more of a challenge than we anticipated."
One of the gang leaders, a scruffy man with a thick Brooklyn accent, snorted. "No kidding, Don. That guy is like a freakin' tornado. How the hell are we supposed to stop him?"
Another gang leader, a young woman with brightly colored hair, chimed in. "Maybe we need to hit him where it hurts. Take out his loved ones or something."
Don Salvatore shook his head. "That won't work. Tachyon is a loner. He doesn't have any loved ones that we know of."
A third gang leader, a burly man with a thick beard, spoke up. "Maybe we need to take out his powers somehow."
Don Salvatore nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that's a possibility. But how do we do that? None of us have the resources to take on someone like Tachyon."
Myles burst into the warehouse, his armor glowing as he moved at supersonic speed. The criminals were taken aback, but quickly recovered and opened fire on him. Myles deftly dodged their bullets, weaving in between them effortlessly. He charged forward, his fists glowing with power, and struck the first thug in his way.
The thug was sent flying back, his body slamming against the concrete wall and falling to the ground unconscious. Myles moved on to the next thug, dodging his blows and delivering a swift punch to the jaw that sent him staggering back. The others tried to surround him, but Myles was too fast. He moved between them, landing quick blows and taking them down one by one.
Finally, Myles reached the Dons and the gang leaders. They tried to negotiate with him, but Myles was having none of it. He bound them all to their chairs with metal cords, leaving them helpless.
"Nice try, fellas," Myles said, smirking at them.
Tachyon left the room for a few minutes, leaving the bound Dons and gang leaders to ponder their fate. When he returned, he had a small stack of pictures in his hand. He walked up to each of them, holding up the photos of their families or lovers.
"Recognize any of these faces?" Tachyon asked, smirking as the Dons and gang leaders looked at the pictures in shock. "That's right. I know who your families and lovers are. And I also know where they live. So, if you want to keep them safe, you'll do as I say."
He then walked to a corner of the room and pulled back a tarp, revealing a massive stack of cash. It was piled high, nearly touching the ceiling, and looked like the Empire State Building had been compressed into a single room.
"And this?" Tachyon said, gesturing to the cash. "This is what you've been fighting over? This is what you've been killing each other for? Money? It's just paper. It's meaningless."
The Dons and gang leaders looked on in stunned silence as Tachyon continued.
"You guys are so predictable," Tachyon said with a smirk. "You think you can control me with fear and money, but you forget that I have something you don't."
Tachyon walks around the room with a lighter in his hand, looking at the faces of the bound dons and gang leaders. "You thought I was here to take your money, your drugs, and your power. You thought I was a desperate criminal like you all. But you guys don't get it," he says, his voice rising. "You can't win a war against me. And if you try, you'll just end up losing everything you hold dear. I don't steal because I need the money. I steal because I want to. Because it's fun. Because it's a challenge. And because I can.
He pauses for a moment, looking at the stack of cash piled up like the Empire State Building, "But you, you need that money. You need it to maintain your power, your status. And that's where I have you."
Tachyon walks over to the stack of cash and picks up a lighter. He holds it up to the money, letting the flames dance over his face. smoke. Tachyon stood there, watching their reactions with a cold expression.
"You see, money doesn't mean anything to me," he said, his voice filled with a sense of finality. "But for you, it's everything. It's the root of all your power, your control. And you had a lot of it. But now," he flicks the lighter, and a small flame shoots out. "Now, you have nothing. And that's the point."
He drops the lighter onto the pile of burning cash, and it ignites in a burst of flames. The dons and gang leaders scream in horror as they watch their money burn before their eyes.
Tachyon turns to them, his eyes hard and cold. "You want to stop me from stealing? Stop creating the demand," he continued. "Money comes and goes, but legacy lasts forever. And you, you think that your legacy is built on money and power. But you're wrong. Legacy is built on what you leave behind, what people remember you for. And what will people remember you for? Being a bunch of greedy criminals who would do anything for money? That's not a legacy, that's a disgrace."
Tachyon turns to leave, but not before delivering a final warning. "If any of you come after me again, I won't be so merciful next time. Remember that." With that, he disappears into the night, leaving the dons and gang leaders in shock and horror, unable to comprehend what was happening before their eyes.
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