Every day, my captors wake me up, strip me naked, and check for microchips in my brain.

This morning, three armed guards stand on the far end of the corridor facing my cell. Dressed in riot gear, they keep assault rifles trained on me as I remove my clothes. Two more guards stand in
front of the locked door, pistols ready.

I count four regulars and one rookie on mad scientist detail today. The new kid hangs in back, keeping his finger on the trigger and ignoring proper gun safety. New blood makes my mornings more exciting, but also increases my odds of catching a bullet if I unbutton my fly too quickly. Fear makes people do stupid things.

I didn’t earn nine PhDs and shrink the state of Delaware to pocket size just so I could die in prison because somebody thinks the naked super-genius wants to take over the world from his cell. I just want some toast and oatmeal.

He doesn’t land; he always floats a few feet above me, looking down on me. Looking down on all humanity, for all I can see.

The first superhero and, for many, the symbol of America, Paradigm has flown the skies since the early 1940s. Created in the heart of an atomic explosion, his every cell is powered by strange radiation that renders him eternally young, resistant to almost every form of harm, and capable of amazing feats of strength.

He’s also the most hated enemy of Roosevelt Pythagoras, which puts him at the center of the conflict that unfolds as that supervillain is released from prison.

From the Masters City Sentinel, by Betsy Bryant

The League of Liberty, an organization of superpowered vigilantes that has been in operation since the 1960s, officially disbanded in a surprise move following weeks of controversy after several of the members performed high-profile crimes under what they claim to be mind control.

The press release came at 10:30 AM on Monday, during which leading members Paradigm, Captain Tomorrow, and Miss Destiny made a brief statement and answered questions from the press.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the official disbanding of the League of Liberty,” said an unusually emotional Paradigm during the press conference. “Recent actions have caused a breach in public trust, and without that level of trust we simply cannot operate as intended.”

Devastation and Fallout

Notably, few at the press conference raised any objection to the idea of this decades-old law enforcement group disbanding. Recent wounds run far too deep and remain too fresh. People around the world can easily recall overturned vehicles, burning buildings, and more devastation, all caused by members of the League of Liberty. Although no direct casualties have been reported, worldwide property damage is estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars.

The League of Liberty claims that they were mind controlled, forced to perform these deeds by nanomachines installed in their bodies by entrepreneur and suspected supervillain Roosevelt Pythagoras. An independent probe by the United Nations has confirmed that nanotechnology seems to have been at the root of the problem, although nobody has been able to provide a direct link back to Mr. Pythagoras’ involvement.

All told, the senseless destruction seems to have been a case of temporary insanity. Even so, it will be a long time before anyone looks up into the sky with any other feeling but dread.

An Ongoing Investigation

Although authorities have confirmed that the League of Liberty’s actions were caused by foreign materials that created an altered state, the exact extent of their liability–or the responsibility of another party, such as Roosevelt Pythagoras–remains in question.

“We plan to cooperate with authorities to the fullest,” said Paradigm on behalf of the former league.

Moreover, the members of the now-disbanded League of Liberty stated unequivocally that they will continue to fight crime individually.

“The League was a beginning,” said Paradigm. “It arose out of our shared want for justice. While the original structure has now changed, evil still won’t have anywhere to hide. We will remain vigilant, we will fight our foes wherever they are, and we will win.”