Some time after Crystal Spire had his talk with Nocturne, things started to change. More heroes popped up all over the place, balanced out by all the villains. Nocturne was leading her squad against the newest threat. The villain was a griffon clad in a white suit coat and tophat. He wore a gray mask that concealed his eyes. He sneered through his beak as he tapped the tip of his Diamond-tipped cane on the glass of the display cases, shattering them instantly. “You can’t stop me, Nocturne. I am a different class of villain! It’s all about profit, profit, profit!” He made a gesture with his auburn wings, and his goons raised their talons. “Tear the lot of them to shreds!”
As they were about to attack, a wall of crystal swept across the floor. Nocturne smirked. “Took your sweet time, huh? I thought you might not show up!”
Crystal Spire jumped onto the scene as the crystals abated. “Sorry that I’m late. Traffic was Tartarus!” He looked at the villain. “So, what’s your deal, huh? Stealing is so overdone. There must be more to it, right? You can’t possibly be that bland.”
Anger crept upon the griffon's mug. “I see that you’re overly flashy. You must be this Crystal Spire that I’ve heard so much about.” The anger faded, and a smile grew. “Perfect. Now I, the Baron of Bling, may finally debut my gift!” Lifting his cane, it started to glow with light. “I think I’ll take one of your tricks, Spire!” He then banged the cane on the ground and a wave of crystals shot out from the point of contact.
Crystal Spire didn’t even blink. He just let the crystals approach. He scoffed, and let a smile grace his face. “I see. A copycat? I don’t exactly know how you can do that, but just so you know-” The crystals stopped short, and he stomped his forehooves. The crystals flew from the ground, and hung in the air for a bit. Crystal Spire chuckled. “There’s nobody quite like the original.” He then made a pointing gesture with his right forehoof, and the crystals flew back towards the Baron. As much as he tried, his cane couldn’t wrest control of the crystals from Crystal Spire. The crystals crashed into the ground to surround the Baron. Crystal’s horn lit, and he snatched the cane from the Baron’s grasp. “Nice toy. I think that I might just keep it as a souvenir.”
Talons grasping at the crystal bars, the Baron hissed. “No! Without it, I’m nothing! Give it back!” His goons looked at him and started to flee. He barked at them. “Where do you think you’re going!? I’m your boss, get me out of this!”
One of the goons produced a flier from his vest. “Correction: Former boss. The boys and I are leaving to work for a higher class of villain. You’re just a washed-up wannabe. The Emperor Dragon sends his regards.” He tossed the flier at the base of the cage, and then ran off.
Nocturne called out to her squad. “After them! Don’t let them escape!”
Crystal Spire picked up the flier, and he lifted an eyebrow. “The Emperor Dragon, huh? Looks like we’ve got a new villain on the horizon.” He looked at the baron with a sympathetic look, taunting him by twirling the Baron’s cane with his magic. “Must be pretty lonely having all your underlings leave you for somebody else.”
The Baron growled with irritation. “So? What’s your point? I’ll get out of this mess, and then they’ll see that they shouldn’t have betrayed me!”
A sigh escaped Nocturne as she approached. “I doubt that, Garreth. It’s going to be all over the news how incompetent you were.”
Garreth’s jaw hung for a moment as Crystal removed the mask from the griffon. “How did you know who I was? How do you do that!?”
Crystal Spire smirked. “You’ve got quite the identifying birthmark on the back of one of your wings. You’re the only griffon with the birthmark of-”
Garret squawked with embarrassment as his wings beat wildly. “That’s quite enough!” He calmed himself, and sighed as he looked at Nocturne. “I’ll go quietly for now. But know this! The world hasn’t seen the last of the Baron of Bling!”
Nocturne escorted him to the police chariot and rolled her eyes as she cuffed him. “You and everybody else, buddy.” She sighed as the door shut and the driver went off. She turned to see that Crystal Spire was still around. “So, what do you think the deal is with this ‘Emperor Dragon’ that his goon mentioned?”
Taking a look at the flier, Crystal Spire was silent. The flier was red with an emblem of a silhouetted dragon’s head with a crown on it encased in a twelve-pointed star. Under the emblem were the words: “The Emperor Dragon wants you for his army. Enroll today!” Using his magic, he gave the flier to Nocturne. “Whoever he is, it can’t be good. My guess? World domination is his goal.”
A chill hung in the air. A dragon with superpowers bent on world domination was a terrifying thought. It might be presumptuous to think that the Emperor Dragon had powers beyond a normal dragon, but it was best to err on the side of caution. Nocturne sighed. “If we end up having to fight such a threat, can we count upon your help?”
A smile graced Crystal’s face as he nodded. “Do you even have to ask?” He shook his head. “Though, it’ll be best to get myself a team if he’s recruiting an ‘army’. I’ll get on team-building efforts with some of the other Supers.”
As Crystal was readying to leave, Nocturne debated calling out. Nocturne had kept things between them professional, but the intrigue was a bit too alluring. She approached, and started to close the gap. She might regret it later, but she had to know.
However, Crystal Spire’s hoof stopped her. “Listen Nocturne. I’m flattered, really. But I’m a superhero. If I entertain your feelings, you will end up getting used against me. I can’t exactly afford to have that on my conscience. It’s best that we keep things professional.”
Before she could refute, Crystal Spire used her stupor as an opportunity to leave. A sigh escaped Nocturne’s lips. Of course she had to have a crush on the most practically-minded Super. Still, she couldn’t help being irritated at his logic. She shook her head as she left. It wouldn’t be good to dwell on it, so she decided to instead focus on updating the Super-Being Files. The name was changed, now that non ponies were showing up with superpowers. She found her way to her office, and started writing.
Super-Being Files
Entry 030: Blizzardian
Alter Ego: Rumblessa
Gender: Female
Eye Color: Ice Blue
Fur Color: Light Gray
Heroine Symbol: Snowflake emblazoned upon a shield
Tribe: Diamond Dog
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200 lbs
Power: Manipulating ice
Origin: Discovered her powers when caught in a blizzard. Unknown if it was latent, or if there was something special about that storm.
Notes: One of few heroes that seem to be on par with Crystal Spire. One can only hope that she’ll be part of his new Super Team.
Entry 031: Baron of Bling
Alter-Ego: Garreth
Gender: Male
Eye Color: Hazel
Down Color: Auburn
Hair Color: White
Villain Brand: Diamond-tipped cane
Tribe: Griffon
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 190 lbs
Power: Copying Powers
Origin: Found his iconic cane and was gifted with the ability to copy superpowers for a brief period.
Notes: The most laughable addition to the rogues gallery. His only goal is to amass a large amount of wealth through any method necessary.
Entry 032: Emperor Dragon
Alter Ego: UNKNOWN
Gender: Male
Eye Color: UNKNOWN
Scale Color: UNKNOWN
Belly Color: UNKNOWN
Villain Brand: An emblem of a silhouetted dragon’s head with a crown on it encased in a twelve-pointed star
Tribe: Dragon
Height: UNKNOWN
Weight: UNKNOWN
Power: UNKNOWN
Origin: UNKNOWN
Notes: More will become apparent about this foe once we do some research. I just hope that Crystal Spire’s new Super Team can cake him on.
Elsewhere…
A griffon bows to a massive black dragon. “I humbly accept your offer, Emperor Dragon.”
The black dragon showed off a toothy grin that reached his golden eyes. “Excellent. Another lesser villain successfully sabotaged. I need to beat the competition if I’m to rule this world.”
The griffon raised his head and spoke. “Sir, what about the heroes? Now that they know about you…”
Glaring at the griffon, the black dragon’s rainbow belly shimmered in the light. “They are of no consequence. Nobody can or will stand in my way. My reign is a foregone conclusion.”
A cheer rang out in the cave, as ponies, griffons, and many other races shouted out the cry: “All hail the Emperor Dragon! May his power crush even the Princesses themselves! May his reign be ever-lasting!”
To be continued…