My dear reader, words cannot express the deep sense of humiliation and failure that I felt in the moments that followed. The police came swarming over me like insects, yelling and grabbing me. Handcuffs were quickly snapped around my wrists and zipties around my ankles. I was held to the ground with knees on my back far more roughly than I deserved, but I don't blame them for their caution.

I used my telekinesis to pick up two of the police officers and slammed them together. As they fell to the ground unconscious, I saw Captain Maximum waving to me from inside the warehouse. He held Lady Thunder in his other hand by the throat as her eyes bulged, choking.

I let the police go, and he let her go. The message was clear: if I didn't allow the police to take me, she would die.

With me incapacitated, I could only watch as the scene was locked down. My beloved warehouse that had served as my lair was invaded by the cretinous police officers who roped and locked the doors down.

With my exoskeleton torn from me, I was left in my underwear. Fortunately, I still wore my goggles and wig as a disguise but I assumed that would be gone soon. I called out, "By any chance, could I have something to cover up with?"

An officer next to me yelled, "Be glad we don't give you a bullet in the brain, psycho."

I nodded. "I suppose the dignity of a blanket is too much to ask for."

The officer just spat on my face.

When they had me secured, two officers picked me up and shoved me into the back of a police car like a common thief.

They had Lady Thunder in special cuffs, and wheeled her on a stretcher into the back of an enlarged ambulance. Her bloodshot eyes looked at me as she rolled past my window, and I wanted to call out to her, but knew it would do no good. I wondered how she felt. Did she hate me for bringing her so much pain? Or did she feel disappointment as I did, knowing how close we had some to our goal?

They even sent a team of police officers to haul out Brutus with chains. They struggled mightily and some were mauled by him in the attempt, but they finally forced him into a truck that shook and bounced as he raged inside it.

It hurt to see them hauled away without being able to do anything about it. I once again regretted that my foolish vendetta had cost my friends so dearly.

A crowd had gathered on the street within minutes, and they cheered and whistled and catcalled at every turn. Some threw things at the police car, and yelled profanity at me through the glass. A handful held up pictures of Alexandra Andrews, Sunflower, or other members of the Saviors with "Never Forget" scrawled on them. I knew I was hated by the city, but I was unprepared for the level of rage I saw in the eyes of those gathered around me.

The whole time, I watched as Captain Maximum preened and waved to the adoring crowds. A few women gave him hugs or posed for selfies with him, and he played the consummate hero the whole time.

In one moment, he glanced at me, and his smile became an amused smirk. He had beaten me.

I felt some regret that my actions hadn't at least exposed him as the monster he was. Some people apparently held up signs that said "Captain Maximum is a Monster" or "Go Home, Captain Maximum," but they were too few and far between to make much difference.

After me and my associates were safely locked away, two police officers got into my car and drove us through St. Newton.

The police officer in the passenger seat turned around to give me a nasty look. "You know, my daughter loved Sunflower. She's got all her action figures and comics. Even a costume at home. I ain't had the heart to tell her Sunflower's dead but she'll find out soon and it'll break her fucking heart."

I gave him a broad smile. "Be sure to tell her how Sunflower ran from me in her final moments, begging for mercy like the cowardly whore she was."

The police officer punched the grating dividing our seats. "I'm gonna watch you fry, scumbag. I'm gonna pull the trigger myself."

I looked out the window. "No doubt there will be many contenders for that role, so you'll have to get in line, my friend."

The police officer driving waved a hand at his partner. "Hey, cool it. He's just tryin' to get a rise out of you. He's not worth it."

He looked over his shoulder at me. "I gotta ask, though. Why'd you do it? All this?"

I looked away, uninterested in giving him my life story and knowing it would do no good.

I expected to be taken straight to prison. Instead, we arrived outside City Hall where a crowd had gathered at the base of the steps. At the top, Mayor Holloway stood behind a podium with Police Chief Nichols and Captain Maximum by his side. Six easels stood behind them with enlarged photographs of Sunflower, Mister Black, Tricky Dick, Lovely Lass, Alexandra Andrews, and Kid Maximum. I could tell that this would be a display of my humiliation.

I also noticed that they had Lady Thunder on the stage, still cuffed to her stretcher. Her eyes were closed so I thought she might be unconscious. The threat of her death if I used my telekinesis to escape still held true.

The police car pulled up in front of City Hall where rows of officers held back more screaming men and women. When the police opened the door for me, the roar of the crowd washed over me. Many of them held up photos of the people I had killed, along with some handmade signs that read things like, "Mastermind Must Die," "Justice For the Saviors," and other colorful comments. Scattered among the crowd, I did see some people dressed in my costume, waving "Kill Captain Maximum" and the like, but they were outnumbered.

I climbed out of the car and made my way up the steps of City Hall, ignoring the police who struggled to hold back the angry mob. Other officers walked alongside me, although I was unsure if they were there to protect me from the crowd or the crowd from me. In a way, I felt proud to be hated so much, knowing it had come from my power, genius, and abilities. Only a few days ago, I had been a simple janitor. Now I had become the most hated supervillain in St. Newton.

Without my boots, I walked with a limp again, and in my underwear, but I held myself with as much dignity as I could muster. I did not feel ashamed, only somewhat elated by the show.

They planned to make a show of my arrest, so be it. Let the city see me, the one who had beaten all of them. I took comfort in knowing that, no matter what happened, no one could bring back the lives I had taken. In that sense, I won.

The mayor scowled at me as I came near him, but the police held me at a safe distance. I gave him a smile and a nod that he ignored.

As reporters came rushing up to the podium, Chief Nichols turned to face the crowd, and held up his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Saint Newton Police Department is proud to announce that we have succeeded in the arrest of the supervillain known as Mastermind, along with his partner, Lady Thunder. He was taken into custody at a formerly abandoned warehouse on Juniper Road. We'll have more detail later on, but we wanted to let the city know that Mastermind is behind bars, and it's due in no small part to the assistance of the city's greatest hero, Captain Maximum."

He held out his hand to Captain Maximum who waved to the cheering crowd.

Chief Nichols scowled at me. "And now, Mayor Holloway would like to say a few words."

The mayor took his place behind the podium as cameras snapped. "Indeed, I would. For too long, this self-proclaimed Mastermind has held this city in his grip of terror the likes of which we've never seen. Though we were unable to save the rest of the City's Saviors and Andrews, I know we will all sleep more soundly, knowing this cowardly monster is safely behind bars."

He turned to shake Captain Maximum's hand. "Once again, we owe you a debt we can never repay, Captain. Would you like to say something?"

Captain Maximum nodded and approached the podium while the cheers rose higher. He waited until it died down before speaking. "I want to say that this was a victory. I want to say we can finally declare justice, but I failed to save my fellow City's Saviors, and I couldn't save my love, Alexandra. We lost so many good men and women to this man, men and women who will be missed, and a brave young boy named Kid Maximum whose life was cut short too soon."

He turned to look at the large photos behind him and actually bit his bottom lip. "My friends, my love, you'll be missed."

The crowd fell silent, and I saw some people crying and wiping their eyes. It filled me with contempt to see Captain Maximum calling for sympathy when I knew the truth about his diabolical plan.

He lowered his head for a moment before speaking again. "I also want to say that I was wrong. I threatened to kill Mastermind, and I want to apologize for that. It's not my place to become judge, jury, and executioner. I'm glad we were able to bring him in alive, and I look forward to Mastermind having his day in court."

He stepped away from the podium while the crowd rose up in cheers.

Chief Nichols stepped up to the podium again.

Before he could speak again, I yelled, "You are all fools! Do you not see the truth I tried to show you? Captain Maximum is not human! He's far more evil than I could ever hope to be! He' wants to take over the world and turn us all into his slaves! Watch the video! Rise up against him!"

The microphone was cut off before I said more than a few words, and the boos and jeers of the crowd drowned out the rest of my words, but I felt some satisfaction that a few people might have heard.

Captain Maximum walked up to me, holding up his hands. "It's all right. He has the right to speak, even if it is the delusion of a madman."

When he came close, he whispered, "Enjoy your evening in jail, Mastermind. If you and your friends survive the night."

With a wink, he confirmed what we both knew: he would be coming to kill me that night. I would have no weapons or equipment to protect myself. I did not fear for myself, but for my beloved Lady Thunder and loyal hound.

The police hauled me away, but I did not resist, only struggled in my mind to find some way out. There had to be. It couldn't end like this.