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THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW PROMPTS.
ROUND TWELVE WILL OPEN ON SATURDAY THE 8TH.
ROUND ELEVEN
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Bane ruffled Stark's fluffy hair. "Ah, there you are, Tony. I'd thought you'd left us. I'm so glad you haven't."
"Thanks for your concern, Lord Vader." Stark's face morphed into that smirk that had grace thousands of tabloids.
"You're quite welcome." He tapped his hands back and forth on Tony's shoulders. "You know, you're much smaller than the last vigilante billionaire I met. Funnier, too."
"Thank you, Lord Vader. I'm flattered."
"Good. When I met that first man, I couldn't understand why a rich man would sacrifice himself for the rabble in the street. But you've shown me the answer. What do you think that is?"
"I'll take 'What is the Greater Good?' for eight hundred, Alex."
Bane chuckled. "That's what you tell yourselves at night when you nurse your injuries, but you simply cripple them, making them cling to the system that oppresses them."
"Everything's a political statement to guys like you. It gets old."
"I don't know how many would blame me when you refused to let your own government near the Iron Man suit. That move was as political as it was personal. You couldn't bear to part with your greatest creation, nor could you relinquish the positive attention it gave you. For the first time in your life, you were loved. Not unconditionally, but still adored." Bane leaned down so his mask hung about an inch above Stark's nose. "But you also consolidated the clout of capitalism in giant red-and-gold action figure. The masses no longer fight for themselves. They wait for Iron Man to save them. You told the world they need a rich, handsome savior, and they've believed you wholeheartedly." Bane took out a remote control and turned on the flatscreen they'd mounted on the wall. News reports flashed across the screen. "New York lies strangled in the gutter. Malibu bleeds out onto its beaches. Without Iron Man, they're as strong as you without your arc reactor or me without my mask."
"Okay. I can handle the speeches, but could you take that thing off? It's pretentious and distracting."
Bane stepped back. "As I said, if I removed it, I would be lying among the wires with you. But a man born in a palace cannot understand one born in a prison."
"Prison. Sure. How many ironic backstories do you have? Must get confusing, keeping track of them all."
Bane lunged forward and his right fist knocked into Stark's jaw. "My life is no less extraordinary than yours."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Vader."
Bane pulled Stark forward and twined the two wires draped over the playboy's neck around his fingers. He yanked the wires towards each other and a small yelp escaped Stark's mouth. Bane tugged a little more. One more pull and the world would be free of another indulged idiot. But that victory would be fleeting. Too quick. Too easy. All of them had to die at once or everything would be naught. Bane let go of the cords and pushed Stark backwards into the mess of wiring.
Bane straightened himself. "I have hidden your arc reactor. If you can find that with your famous intellect, I will let you live." He strode toward the door, rested his hand on the knob, and looked back at the playboy. "Just to be safe, I've already notified Ms. Potts of your death."
Stark's dark gaze switched from furious to terrified. "Where are you holding her?"
Bane said nothing.
"What did you do?" Tremors crept into Stark's voice as his wheezy shouts began. His limbs flailed among the wires. "WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!"
"My mother was weak, but she wasn't that," Bane answered, slamming the door behind him.
He listened to Stark's shouts as he made his way down the corridor, turning the arc reactor over in his pocket. The playboy proved more resilient than Bane expected, but overall, this visit was a success. Not as fun as he'd hoped, but worth the trip. And the reactor's light was such a pretty shade of blue.
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