You are Bugman, a Superhero with the Powers to turn into any bug you want. One day you are patrolling the Streets of New York City when you see a Man In a Balaclava robbing a Old Woman's purse. You can't just stand there and let him get away with it. So you become a giant beetle and chase after him, but he is too fast for you. He escapes in an alleyway. The thief has gotten away, but you notice he dropped something: Jason from AIPD's wallet which is covered in butter. It is a valuable item. You decide to go back to the office and report what happened. When you arrive at AIPD you find that Jason was indeed there before you, but he is gone now. You place his butter soaked wallet on his desk and notice a file with the photo of the Man in a Balaclava on it. Jason storms into his office eating a stick of butter and says, "Bugman! Perfect timing, take a seat!" "What do you mean?" You ask. "I need someone to help me out with a case I am working on," Jason replies. "What kind of case?" You ask. You ask Jason, "Who is the man in the balaclava?" "His name is Robert Paulson," Jason answers. "Why does he look like a man dressed as a Russian spy?" You ask. Jason explains, "Robert Paulson is a serial killer who has been terrorizing New York City. You tell Jason that you saw Robert Paulson earlier trying to rob an old lady. "He did? I'll have to pay her a visit then." "What do you mean?" You ask. "We need to catch this guy. If we don't, he will continue to kill innocent people," Jason says. You and Jason pay the old lady from earlier a visit at her subsidized apartment for the elderly. She tells you about how Robert Paulson came in wearing a balaclava and stole all of her money. When she confronted him he threatened her and left. The old woman told Jason that she didn't want to press charges, so Jason gave her a reward. Jason gives the old woman: $100 and a nice bottle of wine. You decide to follow Jason around for a few days to see if you can figure out where he is going. The first night you try to tail Jason you lose him in a subway station. You are so close to catching up with him that you end up getting stuck in the train yourself. You spend the rest of the night on the subway heading northbound. When you finally arrive at your stop, you realize that you are still not able to find Jason. You realize that you have wound up in Harlem and the trains are no longer running. You hear the familiar voice of Robert Paulson leading you into an alleyway. You suspect this is a trap, but you call for backup and follow him. Paulson leads you into a dark alleyway. There are several men with guns surrounding you. "So this is where you've been hiding!" Robert Paulson laughs. "How did you know we were here?" You ask. "I'm a detective, remember?" Robert Paulson says. "I was following you. You're pretty good at tracking people. But I've got you now." Robert Paulson points his gun at you and says, "I'm going to count down from 10. You transform into the strongest bug you can think of: a Giant Ant. "10!" Robert Paulson screams. "8!" You roar. "6!" He continues. "4!" You scream. "2!" He shouts. "1!" You belch as you begin your Giant Ant rampage on the gang of men that have surrounded you. "What the hell?!" Robert Paulson exclaims. "What the hell is that?! It's a giant ant!" One of the men cries. "That's Bugman! That's what I saw robbing the old lady!" You grab Robert Paulson and say, "Me? You robbed the old lady! I was saving her, not robbing!" "Yeah, right!" Robert Paulson sneers. "I followed you from the subway station to this alleyway and you transformed into that thing. How stupid do you think I am?" "You're the one who is being stupid! Jason enters the alleyway and begins to clap. "Oh Bugman, you are so naive..." "What the hell is going on?" Robert Paulson asks. "It's a misunderstanding. I was following this man and he turned into an ant. And you know what, I think he might be a Superhero," Jason says. You realize that Jason is a crooked cop and is working with Robert Paulson in his criminal syndicate! You brace yourself for a difficult fight! *** "I am going to save the world from this crazy cult," you say. "But, it is my duty to protect the world," Inazuma says. "No! You have to listen to me! You are a sword and you have to protect the world, but you also have to obey me! You must protect the world, but you are not allowed to let anyone or anything harm me!" You look up to Inazuma, dressed in Shinobi armor, and nod to accept his help. You and Inazuma take on Jason and Robert. You use Inazuma's sword to slice through the chains binding Robert Paulson. "Ah, you're free!" Robert Paulson says. "You're coming with us," Inazuma says. "What? No! This is my quest!" Robert Paulson protests. "You have to listen to me, Inazuma! You have to obey me! I command you to leave this place!" Inazuma cuts off Robert Paulson's head. Jason escapes to the sewers. You chase after him and transform into a giant cockroach. "You can't beat me! I'm a Superhero!" Jason cackles. "A Superhero? What the hell are you talking about?" You ask. You trample Jason with your Cockroach body and pin him into some sewer water. You ask Jason, "Why Jason, why did leave a life of justice to succumb to a life of crime!?" "You know, I used to be a hero," Jason says. "You're lying! I know all heroes are honest!" You scoff. "Not like you, I mean I was a real hero!" Jason reveals his troubled past and tells you about his fall from grace: how he was a heroic knight who fought against evil. He would go out on missions to save the world from its evils. "But, when I became a hero I started to notice something strange. I had become so powerful that I couldn't save the world. The more powerful I became, the more corrupt I became. I knew I could not save the world by myself, so I decided to turn my power over to someone else." "And that someone was me." You look up to see Inazuma standing above you. "But, you're a sword!" You exclaim. "Yes, but I am also a sentient being," Inazuma says. "So you are just as corrupted as I am!" Inazuma kills Jason and escapes into the labyrinth of the sewer system. Inazuma left you a note that says: I have fallen prey to my own corruption. Please, do not come after me. I will return to the darkness where I belong. -Inazuma You decide to follow Inazuma and try to find him again. Next time on "The Bugman Commeth": A story of greed and corruption in a world of insects! *** "I am going to save the world from this crazy cult," you say. "But, it is my duty to protect the world," Inazuma says.
EP 434 – Story #3
Posted under Episode 434, Story On By Chief