THE MOMENT
"For almost a month now, I have been the most hated person on Earth...," Charles Sweetridge, formerly the hero 'Sweetspot', stood on a podium in a well-fitted black suit with subtle gold detailing. He was a middle-aged man, built with a hero's physique, and greying brown hair, and he was addressing the world. He'd tried making an apology video, but this was something different.
"Two months before that, I was the most hated Hero on Earth," he said calmly as his jade green eyes stared forward at the cameras. "I don't have to explain what you all already know, and I never should have tried to apologize," he said. "I was the only one able to stand up to the threat, but it's never right for you people. You don't know what it's like to be out there on the front lines, trying to survive. He crippled every team of Supers that challenged him, and I did my best, and somehow, that wasn't good enough then. And...," he sighed. "I'm tired. I'm tired of unreasonable expectations. I'm tired of getting mocked and abused when I literally do not have to be...," he said it with a stern edge, and his muscles bulged for a moment. "I'm tired of you."
"I've arranged this press conference to make two major announcements," he said. "The first should be obvious, I'll be a Villain going forward, but don't worry, not here. The existence of the multiverse is a poorly kept secret, and I doubt it's a surprise to anyone, so you can rest easy. I will relocate to an alternate Earth to perform my misdeeds. I believe it's the second announcement you all might find more interesting," he added. He made a gesture with his hand to indicate the empty air next to him, and the world blinked as one. In an instant, he was no longer alone.
"This is Minuette," Charles smiled. A woman with long white hair and a black suit similar to Charles' was now standing next to him. The cameras zoomed in on her bright orange eyes, eager to show her otherworldliness. She had to be a Super of some kind. "She is the one who convinced me to give up on this Earth, so you should all thank her for my leaving," he chuckled. All things considered, Charles was actually okay with all his decisions. "And, on top of that, she also has the ability to manipulate time," he said. "Watch," he snapped his fingers, and the world blinked again.
Somehow, the entire press conference had teleported to the scene of the tragedy, except there were no signs of it.
The entirety of Louisiana had been more or less obliterated as a result of Sweetspot's valiant efforts. But now, they were very obviously in New Orleans with all its citizens and fallen heroes intact. People were crying, hugging, and cheering, but everyone was still watching Charles.
"She rewound time three months to the day of that unstoppable villain's appearance," he said. "Something none of you ever let me forget was that I didn't actually defeat the villain, he only got bored and left. I was able to keep him from rampaging across the entire country, but I still got blamed for even that much…” he grinned at the camera and shook his head. “I can’t tell you how many times I heard, ‘there had to be another way’. To all of you, let me say, meet Roy." He made another gesture with his hand, and this time it didn't happen in an instant.
A tall black portal opened, and a towering man with blonde hair, a pink polo shirt, and blue jeans strode out to stand next to him. Unlike Charles' comments earlier, this finally drew a reaction from the crowd. They gasped in fear, recognizing the terror that walked through their heroes three months ago.
"I didn't get his name the first time, but I know it now," he winked. "Anyway... I guess that's about it. There's no real reason to drag it out. I'm a villain now, but before I leave, I wanted to make it all up to you, and Minuette helped me fix things," he said.
"Millions of people have been returned to life," he added with a warm smile. "For months now... my best hasn't been good enough, and I'm sorry," he said. “You all deserve another chance.” A portal opened next to him and Minuette walked through it with Charles moving to follow behind her. Roy, for his part, stepped forward and grinned.
"I'm sure you all can do better this time! Maybe he’ll get bored sooner this time," Charles waved before stepping into the portal and disappearing.