Lord G

Gatorlord retreated back to his swamp outside of Big City after being stone-walled by Duperman. He and the gatorlings were recovering from being beaten. He talked himself up to feel better about the ordeal.

“Listen here…” he flared his nostrils and turned to slowly face everyone as he spoke. “...I’ll kill him one day… Duperman. All his friends too…” he grabbed a gatorling and squeezed it like a stressball. “...I’m just giving them… more time…It’s much more…EXCITING…” he flicked the gatorling across the swamp. “...if we let them BELIEVE they have a chance.”

The gators spent the day lazing around and acting as if they could possibly stand to fight the elite Dupes of Big City. Duperman especially seemed to be annoyed with Gatorlord’s constant attempts. He’d so easily thwart the giant reptile and toss him out of the city, but GLord didn’t let it stop him from trying. Even a lower tier hero, like Grassfed, who had the ability to produce flawlessly marbled beef, had little issue removing the ancient evil. As he ruminated on this, Gatorlord realized that he was the problem with his approach. As mindless as they were, the gatorlings were the biggest issue for the heroes for the simple reason that they could be everywhere. It was very time consuming to locate and take care of each individual gatorling.

While he realized how effective he could be, Gatorlord tossed a gatorling into the sky towards the outskirts of the city. Within an hour, someone approached the swamp.

“Yes, my lord?” said the low level villain, Coldblood. He was a heavyset komodo dragon man who obeyed every order Gatorlord would give.

“SILENCE.” Gatorlord ordered. Coldblood lowered his head and awaited his instructions. “You will speak…to every ally we have.”

“Okay.”

“SILENCE…and tell them…their KING is offering soldiers for their…exploits.”

“Yes, my lord.” Coldblood replied and slithered away.

Gatorlord’s head peered over the swamp’s edge for the first to take him up on his proposition. A villain he’d never seen before walked up and cleared their throat to prepare to speak.

“SILENCE.” Gatorlord commanded, rising from the water to reveal his size. The villain peed themselves and ran back to the city. “Perhaps…my gatorlings…I should just let them speak.”

“Gatorlord, sir.” a voice came from the edge of the swamp. It was Necktie, the strangler. “Coldblood told me you had soldiers.”

“What use do you have…for my soldiers?” he exhaled and water vapor filled the air as he grew closer to the human.

“Big City Bank is opening a new building. They’ll be vulnerable for about a ten minute window as they put up the vault.”

“Fifty percent.”

“Done.”

Gatorlord tossed three gatorlings at Necktie. They looked back at him, unsure of why they were being sent. “You’re my soldiers…MORONS.”

The gatorlings followed necktie as the sun set and as it rose, they came back with a bag full of money and jewels.

“See you next time.” Necktie said, counting her money.

Gatorlord had a profitable next few weeks as villain after villain hired his gatorlings for various activities. With the money he collected, he began to dress the part, donning a purple hat, fur coat and a cane, as well as a shiny gold fang. He drank swamp water from a jewel encrusted chalice and stood up against a massive tree awaiting clients. He felt great to do so much bad without even leaving the swamp.

“Lord G.” another villain approached, using Gatorlord’s new moniker. It was Puff, a notorious criminal.

“How many do you need?” Gatorlord asked.

“I need them all. I’m flushing out the Cloud Corridor. Tonight.”

“90 percent.”

“I’ll give you all of it.” Puff stated confidently. “This is a message.”

“Go then… soldiers.”

Puff took the gatorlings and marched off to the Cloud Corridor, home of the wealthiest in Big City. The lowest level residence there was upwards of eight figures. As a whole day passed, Lord G figured the ‘flushing’ had to be going well. As two days passed, he was furious. His gatorlings hadn’t returned, nor had Puff. At three days, the gatorlings finally returned. They communicated to Lord G that they successfully emptied one of the three buildings in the Cloud Corridor of all valuables.

“Where is it, then? Where is… Puff?”

As the gatorlings shook their heads, Gatorlord knew that this was a big part of the new role he assumed. Collection. He walked casually with his cane toward Big City. Perhaps Duperman would let him through knowing he was there to break Puff’s legs.