THE MOMENT
Roy was having a ball. It was a rare occasion when he had the freedom to rampage on his own schedule. He was a villain, but he was usually under someone's orders. This time, he was given the task of playing the villain, and that meant he needed to make an impression, not just deliver results. It was an opportunity to enjoy his work.
The towering, 8 and a half foot blonde wall of muscle was currently grappling with a heroic Super human wearing a blue and red costume. The Super guy, at least, believed he was successfully holding back the villain's destructive progress. But Roy was being ‘held back’ the way a child might successfully stall a playful older brother from walking past him.
“This world is full of Supers…,” Roy chuckled as he looked down at the ragged hero. Roy had given him a tap, and he was surprisingly still on his feet. He was a middle-aged man with short brown hair, blood dripping out of his mouth, and obviously a few broken ribs. Despite all that, he was trying his utmost. “...You're not really the best one, are you?” He posed the question casually, slightly disappointed.
“I'm more than enough!” He grunted as he tried to reposition his grip and lift the brute into the air. They didn't move an inch, and the Super felt intense pain in his back and arms from the strain.
“You're adorable,” Roy smiled and patted his head. They were both big, athletic men, but Roy's hand was easily bigger than his head. And it was suddenly very concerning when Roy stopped patting and rested his hand. Then he splayed his fingers and held the head firmly. “Goodnight, Lil guy-,”
Roy started squeezing, then stopped instantly as a fireball hit him square in the face. It exploded in light and smoke with the force shoving the caught Super out of the villain's grip and backward into the waiting arms of his friends. The enemy himself hadn't been moved.
“Word on the street is you're looking for the world's strongest heroes,” a Hero in a red and blue costume smiled at Roy with an assortment of others landing beside him on either side. “You found them.”
A dozen colorful capes on men and women flapped in the wind as a kaleidoscope of energies swirled around them. Fire, water, electricity, and several uniquely colored rays all shone with determination in Roy's direction.
“Is this all?” Roy asked.
“It truly is…,” a new voice spoke up. It was a woman's voice, but not one of the heroes. She sounded bored. “I had hoped that the abundance of Supers on this Earth would produce enough entertainment. But if you are this world's finest… I was mistaken. You may keep them,” she said. It was the last time anyone from that Earth would hear her voice, but it took a few seconds for the heroes to realize she wasn't going to say anything else.
“Oh, that's fantastic,” Roy grinned.
“Who was that?” One of the heroes dared to ask the question.
“It doesn't matter,” he said as he began walking towards the gathered heroes. “But it is kind of funny, so I guess it's worth sharing. Maybe you'll get a laugh too,” he chuckled.
“I was supposed to get the world's heroes to team up to face a true and even worse evil…,” he smiled as he came to a stop inches from the lineup. “But your sorry group isn't even worth her time. So, I get to stay and play with you as long as I want.”