Ratings never sleep!

[mapsincolor]

Mun dear, it's mid-season sweeps. We've got to find something new! I can't keep re-running interviews about Blue Rose's album or Barnaby's hair. If you think I got the ratings this high just to watch them slip, you have another thing coming!

Villains! That's what HeroTV REALLY needs! Somebody INTERESTING...

Comments

[tigerscub]

Whatever you come up with, I bet it'll be really awesome! Can't wait for the Christmas Special this year!

[mapsincolor]

Thank you! [notices the Barnaby book Kaede's carrying and winks] You know I can't give anything away, but I think you'll like what we've got in store from a certain King of Heroes!

We're always happy to hear fan suggestions too!

[energycreep]

[Did somebody say villains]

I'm acquainted with an Evil Emperor, but I don't think dad takes interviews about his countless failures.

[mapsincolor]

[pulls up database] Well, we're always looking for new faces! The villains don't usually have to worry about the interviews, unless they hack our channel. [Which has happened ONCE, and that was quite the show!]

Do you think he's up for confronting a full rotation of heroes, or is one-on-one more his style?

[energycreep]

Usually what our esteemed emperor [and himself, as it so happened] fights is a group of four. I'm sure he could handle anything you felt like throwing at him.

[Ah, malicious sarcasm.]

[mapsincolor]

[Ah, sarcasm, one of Agnes's favorite dialects! She smirks at the tone and cues up footage of the various Heroes.]

Exactly how much damage would you say is overkill? We've got wind, ice, electricity, a couple of powerhouses...

Did you want some tea or something else? I'll have one of the interns grab it.

[energycreep]

Well. Zurg, the emperor, uses a lot of machinery. You know, robots, Hyper Death Rays... Anything that can knock those out. Go absolutely overboard. Trust me, he'll love it.

Ah, no. If you have any electronics on you, that would suffice.~

[mapsincolor]

[Waves her hand to a wall of electronics and various chargers] Help yourself - just no hacking, we're broadcasting.

Hyper Death Rays? Oh that could be interesting, we haven't had a bash at clichéd villainy in awhile! You don't happen to have a demo on hand?

[energycreep]

[He'd never dream of hacking someone else's systems just to cause mayhem. Really.]

Mm, even if I did, I don't think you'd want to see it. [Aaand he'll just go ahead and chomp down on one of those electronic items, completely draining it of its power in a matter of seconds. Hope it wasn't important or anything.]

I might have some old footage of it, but you don't want to experience it.

[mapsincolor]

[Agnes wonders if her companion meant to eat the toaster. Oh well.]

Why? Is the footage that grisly, or just badly produced?

[energycreep]

[Eh, it didn't matter as long as it had energy. Still tasty, and hey. Better for everyone else that he didn't eat from and thus infect everything else.]

The recording is fine. It's a demo you don't want.

Anyway, I'd have to plug into something which could play it.

[mapsincolor]

If you can manage to not snack on the convertors, our techs will arrange for that. [Leads the way to a wall of television screens and monitors.]

[With a smirk, she adds:] No snacking on the techs, either.

[energycreep]

What do you take me for, a glutton? [A jovial tone, flashing fangs, but if you could find one word to best describe the 'bot, it would be... ]

[One hand reaches under his cape and returns holding what appeared to be a universal cable which snaked out from its resting place.] Just tell me where.~

[mapsincolor]

[Returns the smile fang for fang.] Of course not! [One of the techs comes over, examines the cable, then nods and indicates the correct port.]

[Screen goes blank and tech throws the "ready" signal.]

[superstylishsquid]

Villains, huh? I'm not really in the business myself anymore, but I know three stooges who might fit the bill...as long as you don't mind some comic relief.

Though if you want, I could tell some stories about my own days as a villain.

*He'll just leave out the time he played a part in a staged superhero revival to cheer up a sick fan of a disappeared hero and then ended up saving said fan's life on pure instinct...*

[mapsincolor]

Oh, do tell about the "three stooges," I can't keep relying on Wild Tiger for all the comedy! [Since that usually involves property destruction. She winces, remembering the station's insurance premiums.]

[Considers the person in front of her. Attractive features, purple skin, pointy ears? Oh yes, she can work with this. The fans do LOVE an anti-hero...]

[superstylishsquid]

*And he isn't even in full demon form. Heroic devils are goldmines, especially ones that are still attractive.*

Hulk Davidson, Gran Bruce and Charles III. We all used to work for Jadow, until the three of them got fired for sheer incompetence. I lost track of how many times they tried and failed to defeat Viewtiful Joe.

*He chuckles and shrugs.*

I think it was worst when they tried to team up. They were all so desperate to be the one to take the credit for getting rid of our hero that they ended up fighting each other more than him. But I don't think anything can beat the time they tried to build a robot combining all of their strengths...

[mapsincolor]

[Full demon? Excellent, NO other station is going to scoop that! Agnes grins and makes a note.]

Hmm, they sound like decent filler. Villain teams are so unreliable, though. Rarely make it more then one episode.

And yourself? Sounds like you're between engagements. [Noticing a nearby coffee bar, she orders a latte and gestures to the extensive menu] What are you having?

[superstylishsquid]

Hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.

*He leans his sword, a double edged blade with the guard modelled after a dragon head and wings, against the counter.*

Oh, they tried a couple more times. I'll praise their determination, if nothing else. But you're right, they never really accomplished anything of note beyond successfully kidnapping a completely powerless civilian. Well, they came close to winning a couple of times early on...they were the perfect foes for our enemy to practice his new powers on.

Me? I'm what you might call independent. I realized a while ago that now that I have my rival, there's really no point in active villainy. All I was ever in it for was a chance to fight against a true hero anyway, I couldn't care less about ruling the world.

[mapsincolor]

[It's a beautiful weapon! Classic without trespassing into old-fashioned. Agnes simply MUST ask the design team what they can do with that.]

[The drinks arrive, and she leads the way to a booth, heels clicking authoritatively]

A freelancer? Excellent. We haven't had a good rivalry in years. Are you interested in a guest appearance or a more permanent storyline?

[superstylishsquid]

Hmmm...well, I'd say that depends on what you have to offer.

*He sits down, sword now leaning against his chair, and takes a scoop of whipped cream off the top of his drink.*

If you can give me a worthy opponent, I might stick around for a while. Though you might be hard pressed to do better than Joe. He's not that bright, but he's a powerful warrior with genuine heroic instincts. Then again, you might just be able to get him to let your cameramen follow him around. He loves movies and I've never known him to pass up the chance to put on a little inspirational show.

[mapsincolor]

"Joe" you said? I'll keep him in mind! [Pulling out her laptop, Agnes opens dossiers on her current Heroes.]

For now, how does worthy opponents AND health benefits sound? Let's see who we've got...

[Finding the file she wants, she turns the machine around. Onscreen, a helmeted man flys and throws around tornadoes.] There's Sky High, last season's King of Heroes and Master of Wind.

[Next clip, a super-stength duo kick and pummel various opponents... while snarking at each other non-stop.] Or Tiger and Barnaby - HUGELY popular, pack a punch, and capable of 100x a normal person's strength.

[superstylishsquid]

Hmmm...fighting against a fellow storm wielder might be fun, but there's something to be said for the spirit of banter. The best heroes aren't afraid to let their emotions shine through.

*There's another scoop of whipped cream gone from the top of the hot chocolate.*

How do you think those two would fare against a demon?

[mapsincolor]

[A server brings over another dish of whipped cream. They know to keep an eye on Agnes's guests.]

I think that's the most positive spin I've ever heard for it! [she says with an eye roll] If you're looking for emotion, that's DEFINITELY Wild Tiger. It's harder to rile up Barnaby, but there are moments.

It's hard to say how they would do. So far you've made a good impression, but I think we'll need a more practical demonstration of your skills...

[superstylishsquid]

*Oh, yum. He tries to give an image of maturity, but he really can't resist sweets.*

Probably because most villains wish the heroes would go down easily. Personally, I prefer an opponent who puts his heart into the fight. A real hero has passion for what he does.

*For an ex-villain, he really knows more about heroism than some heroes.*

Hmm...if you want to see what I'm capable of, we'd be better off going outside. I'm not really interested in getting drafted to pay off damage to the store.

*But there's a glittering of eagerness in his eyes. This devil is always willing to put on a little show of his own.*