Payback in Spades/Made Man

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Payback in Spades is a Made Man

"Payback in Spades is a Made Man." Riley reread the headline twice. Then he folded the newspaper and set it down on the table next to his morning coffee.

"Payback" was a name for the paper. His few friends called him by his first name, and most of his real enemies still called him by his last name. After the trouble he'd gotten into with the Family, and the brief time he'd spent in the Zig, he'd needed something, even paper-thin, to shield himself for a while, and "Payback" was it.

Now he wondered if it was a name he'd outgrown. Or maybe it had outgrown him. After reading the paper's laundry list of his exploits, Payback sounded like a guy he didn't even know.

God, it makes you sound like some kind of big shot villain or something. Riley rubbed his temples.

So maybe "Payback" was a Made Man, but "Riley" was just a guy who knew his way around the streets, did reasonably well in a fight, and still choked on the pain of his own electrical powers sometimes. Payback stood toe-to-toe with archvillains and heroes alike; while Riley had unresolved problems, and the kind of old wounds that don't heal.

He had his gang to thank for Payback though. If he'd done anything admirable, he'd done it at their urging. Starting with the illustrious Face of Spades--someday he should probably thank her for getting it all set up: the gang, the base, everything. She'd set it in motion, and that at least deserved some credit. And if she'd never really understood him along the way, well it wasn't like he'd given her any reason to either.

The others deserved some notice too. Justice Reversed was his companion on the front lines; a fellow brute with a hunter's instincts as sharp as her blades, and a vengeful eye for her hero sister. Crazy 8, the mercenary, had joined them for the money, but somehow always manged to go above and beyond her job description. Even the depraved Black Knave, who had tried to... Well he'd tried to do something to him. Riley winced and reminded himself that Knave was still a reliable teammate, as long as he stayed a step ahead of the creature's perverted grasp.

And then there was Stack. His longtime friend Stack of Cards, who had always been there for him like a brother: a wicked, conniving, mind-manipulating, black-magic wielding brother that is. Still, he was a good guy despite all that, and Riley owed him more than his life. If not for Stack, there would be no "Riley" let alone "Payback."

Stack had given him a wry smile after he'd picked up his new ID card. "You're buggered if you think that changes anything mate."

"Change anything? No way." Riley had flashed a grin back at him. "I'll still let you get me in trouble, maybe even more trouble now. Hell, I'll still let you 'borrow' money you'll never repay. But right now, you should buy me a drink, mate."

To his surprise, Stack had. Well, he'd mind controlled the serving wench in Blackbeard's Pub into giving them free pints all night. From his sorcerer friend, that was a generous gesture, and it had worked reasonably well until the management finally caught on, and bounced them shortly before closing time. They'd been laughing as they'd staggered home, leaving a not-insignificant amount of property damage in their wake. He'd always hated that pub anyway.

Now Riley had a headache, and a morning edition of the Rogue Isle Protector with his name in it. He drained the coffee with a deep gulp, then pushed the paper away and stood up. Electrical power sang brightly along his mutant nerves.

Alright, Riley or Payback, whatever you want to go by, you still have a lot of work that needs doing, not to mention scores that need settling. You'd better get started.