The Choice of Greed vs The Choice of Integrity

Gustav Klimt was a weak old man. In front of these heroes with amplified abilities, he did not even hold a candle. Nonetheless, he remained confident. He had a trump card after all.

Zeke looked towards the voice, surprised. He did not realize that the old man had been listening into their confidential meeting, however, the other heroes did not seem to be surprised in the least bit.

The old man looked at Zeke with a carefree smile.

"Kid, you figured out that I am behind both the Hero association and the Villain Alliance. Well done." He said as he performed a slow clap. The other heroes said nothing. Some had a smirk on their faces as if looking at a fool.

"Unfortunately, you were the last one among the founding members to realize this basic fact." He continued.

"What? H-how? Why?" Zeke felt betrayed.

"Really now?" One of the smirking heroes spoke up. "You just spelled it out yourself. did you really think the hero association could gain such acceptance in the mainstream if the villain alliance did not exist?"

"Kid, you really are too naive. There are no free lunches in this world. The hand which can give power..." Gustav Klimt continued speaking as a golden divine glow originated from his chest and a card came out absorbing power from Zeke. "...can also take it back."

"This is the power of my ability, Strength of the Major Arcana." Klimt continued to elaborate as the card floated in the air. It had the form of a tarot card containing the moving figures of a divine woman and a lion in it.

Zeke, who had been in his heroic form covered in blue flames was now left, a weak teenager behind a mask. His flame was back to being a pale yellow candle flame that barely ignited on his hand and his abilities reverted back to normal.

"Your fates, whether as heroes or as scum, lies in my hand. If you choose to be heroes as my pawns you will lead a good life. After all, you will be saviors in the eyes of society. Without villains, the government would have no reason to stay silent against you all. And without my amplification, I don't need to say where you stand in society."

"Don't tell me, you all, ha..., you all have already sided with him?" Zeke spat out. "All those battles we fought, all that collateral damage that happened because of a meaningless fight, are you saying you sided with him knowing all of that?"

"You are too idealistic for your own good, Blue Flame. This world is neither good nor bad, but a shade of gray. If we are not gray ourselves, we can never change the world. Following the old man leads us to a stable path to success, while following your idealism will only lead to our deaths." One of the heroes mocked.

"Choose now. Will you follow me or still remain stubborn? I imagine you must have created quite a havoc using your amplified abilities, isn't it? I wonder what would happen if you return back to being a low tier."

"I will never choose a nefarious side like yours! I do not care if I revert to being a low tier, I will expose these two organizations and I will expose you old man." Zeke said as he walked away in anger.

"Old man, are you going to let him go just like that?" One of the heroes asked. "He is threatening to expose us."

"Well, let this be a lesson for all of you who are thinking you have a chance to betray me. The hero association does not need to do anything to him, but how will a low tier scum who can't think for his life handle the Villains Alliance?"

Hearing that, everyone had a deep chill in their hearts. They truly had no choice but to follow him.

---

Outside Zeke's heart had cooled down. Reality had now come crashing down on him as anger slowly left him and he was left empty inside. Ryan's words of warning continued to ring in his mind. How poignant his words were! But even if he did not have his amplified powers, he remembered what Ryan said. He still had his family, and he still had his life ahead of him.

'Others might not believe me, but Ryan will. I am sure he will be able to help expose that man Gustav Klimt and the Heroes and Villains.'

When he thought of how naive he had been, pain welled up inside him. He had believed in the old man, in his peer heroes, who he thought he may one day have relied upon his life on. He had tried hard, very hard, to be an exceptional hero, but in the end, they had all sold him out and the powers had been stripped away.

As he turned away from an alley and had arrived in the School District, he found his path blocked 8 clothed identities. Villains. They had already begun wrecking destruction. This was the first time the villains had attacked in such a large group, all of them seemed significantly powerful, moreover, it was the highly secure school district.

Zeke saw that no hero had arrived. He then smiled bitterly.

"So this was the consequence of rejecting them."

"Ha, Blue Flame, you've been messing around with us villains a lot, haven't you? We've come to play a bit with you." The familiar purple dressed laser shooting villain, Zeke's constant nemesis, was back and he had a cruel laugh on his face. "You burned my eye real good last time around, It is time for some paybaaaaack."

"Looks like today will be my end." Zeke suddenly calmly smiled.

'It may be my end, but I will not let it become another tragedy.' Zeke thought while focusing himself into a combat stance. He may no longer have the amplified abilities, but having used it for a significant amount of time, he had the intuition and combat sense.

Then the doubt that had pierced his mind and led him to question the old man had sprung up again, within his mind. At the moment of life and death.

"Was that really my power?" Zeke mumbled to himself.