[center][img]https://s17.postimg.cc/6lac7i3q7/Q_Header.png[/img]
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[img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjYwLmE4YThhOC5RM0o1SUc5bUlIUm9aU0JDWVc1emFHVmwuMAAA/whoopass.regular.png[/img]
[img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjYwLmE4YThhOC5RMjl1WTJ4MWMybHZiZywsLjAA/whoopass.regular.png[/img][/center][hr][Color=royalblue][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]H U B  C I T Y / A M E R I C A[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]July 13[SUP]th[/SUP], 2008 - 11:24 PM | Outside the Banshee's Warehouse | Warehouse District[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT][/COLOR]
The Banshee's warehouse was far too subtle for such a bombastic villain. Peeling silver paint on steel walls, a wooden roof that desperately needed to be retiled, and two large steel doors that were currently cracked open just a little. It blended in well, far too well, and for a moment Question was sure that he had gotten the address wrong. He expected something a little more... Gaudy.

Heading around to the side of the warehouse, Question looked for an alternative entrance. Immediately, his non-existent eyes were drawn to a ladder that lay on the ground, and a second story window up in the air. Grabbing the ladder, the vigilante lifted it and set it up against the wall. Climbing up, he was pleased to note that the ladder stopped just at the window, which he opened and climbed into.

Time to catch a nutcase.

Question crouched down and hid behind a crate, looking around the second floor. Nothing here but some more crates. How anti-climactic. Now he was sure he had the wrong address. Still, he continued on, creeping down the stairs to the first floor.

Now this was more like it. A bunch of exotic science equipment that looked like something from a chemist's wet dream, goons in identical green suits, and a death trap that looked like it was pulled from a Bond movie. And let's not forget the villain himself, the Banshee, who was... Nowhere to be found. That was strange.

Then Question heard it, the same voice he encountered just a week ago. He looked over to the source, and found a man in a similarly green suit, the only thing differentiating him from the others being his green fedora. [color=limegreen][b]"C'mon boys, time'sa wasting, I want this all to be set up before the night's out!"[/b][/color] Outside of the suit, the Banshee actually looked like some normal guy. He was expecting his muscles to be bulging like they were in the suit, but really, he looked scrawny.

But no matter. Question needed to take these guys out. There was no way he could handle thirteen guys, one with super strength. He'd need to do this quietly, one at a time. Heading all the way down to the first floor, he crept towards a goon. He applied a chokehold, but the goon responded quickly, elbowing the vigilante until the both fell back onto a nearby table with a radio. The radio fell to the ground, [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Aze726qAwA]coming to life[/url] just as Question finally knocked the man out with a punch to the temple. The sounds of the music drew the attention of the others, who looked surprised to see the vigilante there.

[color=royalblue]"Oh shit,"[/color] Question said, falling into a fighting stance as the goons approached him cautiously, [color=royalblue]"I love this song!"[/color] The group readied themselves, some grabbing weapons and the rest putting their fists forward. [color=royalblue]"Do me a favor and don't go down easily."[/color]

With those words, the vigilante ran towards the group of goons, delivering a leaping kick to the chest of the nearest one. Now on top of the poor bastard, Question swung a left hook to his face to knock him out. Narrowly dodging a wild haymaker, he grabbed that goon's arm and flung him into another, rolling back to get a fair distance away from the rest.

[color=royalblue]"What, that's it? I was expecting a bit more of a challenge, but I just took out like three guys in less than ten seco- ACK!"[/color] Question's taunt was cut off by a baseball bat hitting him in the back of the head, sending him to the floor. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, the goons surrounded him, wailing on him with all they had, one even burying a switchblade into his back.

They stopped a few moments after the Question went limp. [color=yellowgreen]"Did we get him?"[/color]

[color=mediumseagreen]"Safe to say we did, yeah."[/color]

[color=chartreuse]"Get the corpse out of here. We need to finish setting up."[/color]

Two goons hefted the Question off the ground, one grabbing his arms and the other his legs... Only to shout in surprise as he jumped out of their arms, attacking them in a flurry of fists and feet. Before long, they were both unconscious on the ground, and Question was standing over them looking pissed (an impressive feat considering his lack of a face).

[color=royalblue]"It'll take more than a couple of punches and a knife in the back to keep me down."[/color]

Question counted the men standing. Six. There should be seven. The Banshee was gone. No matter. He was absolutely livid. He was going to vent his frustration on these guys, and save the Banshee for the grand finale.

The goons just stood there, visibly hesitating. [color=royalblue]"What are you waiting for? Come on!"[/color]

This broke their hesitation. The rest of the fight was a blur of punches, kicks, and bats swinging. Question had fallen into 'combat mode' as he liked to call it. No plans. Just instincts. Dislocate a jaw there, break an arm here, kick a kneecap in there... Before long he stood victorious over the thugs, sweat and blood mingling into his wounds.

Yanking the switchblade out of his back and dropping it on the ground, Question looked around for the Banshee. [color=royalblue]"Ready or not, here I come."[/color]

[color=limegreen][b]"You won't have to look far, meddler."[/b][/color] There he was, striding down the staircase in full costume. [color=limegreen][b]"Here I am."[/b][/color]

[color=royalblue]"Hrm."[/color] Why would he bother to dress in his costume? He had powers, it wasn't like... Then it hit him. [color=royalblue]"I think I've figured you out. You don't have powers,"[/color] Question gestured towards the costume, [color=royalblue]"It's an exoskeleton."[/color]

[color=limegreen][b]"Very good. I can fly naturally, yes..."[/b][/color] Banshee looked at his right hand, clenching it into a fist. [color=limegreen][b]"... But the strength comes from the suit."[/b][/color]

[color=royalblue]"Well that's not fair. You want a fight between us, right? Why not take off the suit and make it a contest of pure skill?"[/color]

At this, Banshee chuckled. [color=limegreen][b]"Because I want to see you outsmart me."[/b][/color]

[color=royalblue]"Fair."[/color] Question rolled his shoulders back as he cracked his neck and knuckles. [color=royalblue]"Why don't we get this show on the road?"[/color]

In response, Banshee flew forward, and Question dodged his charge, instead letting the villain crash into a table full of lab equipment. He pulled himself up, looked dazed but not too hurt.

[color=royalblue]"Really? The flying brick trick? What's the fun in that?"[/color]

[color=limegreen][b]"QUIET, INSECT!"[/b][/color] Banshee shouted, instead opting to run at the vigilante to deliver a punch.

[color=royalblue]"Insect? Really? That's the best you could come up with?"[/color] Question taunted, ducking under the punch and opting to throw the Banshee over his shoulders.

[color=limegreen][b]"I SAID!"[/b][/color] Banshee jumped up, managing to deliver a cross punch to the Question's jaw and send the vigilante flying back. [color=limegreen][b][i]"QUIET!"[/i][/b][/color]

Grunting as he got up, Question continued, [color=royalblue]"What? Not a big fan of talking? That's odd, you're a big talker yourself."[/color]

Banshee didn't respond, instead moving forward to attack once more. Question sidestepped his punch, grabbing his arm and flinging him into a wooden crate which broke under the villain's weight.

[color=royalblue]"I get it. You like to talk big and make jokes out of people, but when it happens to you, you get angry. That's what happened the first time we met."[/color]

[color=limegreen][b]"SHUT UP!"[/b][/color] Question dodged another impulsive attack.

[color=royalblue]"You don't like people laughing at you. Why not? I mean, running around in a ridiculous get up like that, I figured you'd have [i]some[/i] level of self awareness."[/color]

Banshee threw a wild haymaker, which Question easily avoided.

[color=royalblue]"Just look at yourself. You're nothing but a big [i]joke[/i]. And you're [i]hilarious[/i]."[/color] Question began to chuckle, still avoiding and blocking attacks.

[color=limegreen][b]"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"[/b][/color]

[color=royalblue]"Hahaha! Look at you! You're getting so mad... That you forgot to cover up the big button on your suit reading 'power down'."[/color]

[color=limegreen][b]"Wha-"[/b][/color] Banshee's surprised exclamation was cut off by Question punching him straight in the mouth, sending the villain to the ground. The vigilante pounced on him, delivering more vicious punches.

[color=royalblue][i]"Fooled you."[/i][/color]
[hr][Color=royalblue][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]H U B  C I T Y / A M E R I C A[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]May 19[SUP]th[/SUP], 2016 - 4:18 PM | Outside of World Wide Broadcasting | Hupert Square[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT][/COLOR]
And as Vic Sage exited WWB, having secured his job back, he finished remembering days long past. After Question defeated him and brought him to the police, the Banshee was locked up in Stateville Correctional Center in their new cell block for metahumans, and was killed when the bus transferring him to Blackgate crashed into a lake. 

Back then, Vic rejoiced when the nutjob was announced dead, but now he wishes that the Banshee (or rather, Max Bine) was sent to a mental institution to get the help he needed. But no matter. The past is the past. There's nothing he can do to change it, no matter how much he wishes he could. 

He exited the train, walking past the graffiti that sparked this trip on memory lane. And as he walked back to the hotel he was staying at, he could only think one thing:

He [i]can[/i] change the future.

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