The circumstances of one's life can change at the drop of a hat.

In less than 24 hours, Jugo became a dog owner, and got his first girlfriend. At least, I think we're official now.

It was an oddly elating feeling. The kiss he shared with Elena was one of the best things he'd ever felt. But no good thing comes without a sacrifice. If he wanted a future with Elena, then it would mean turning over a new leaf. Continuing his life as a supervillain that goes around picking fights with superheroes isn't sustainable in the long term.

Jugo tossed over thoughts of how he was going to turn his life around as he walked Snow home from the pet-one-stop shop. I'll have to tell her the truth one day, but I've got to make sure to do it at the right time. I also have to be on the straight and narrow when I confess, otherwise it won't seem genuine.

"Don't suppose you have any ideas on how to fix a royally screwed up lifestyle?" he asked the small puppy walking next to him.

Snow's new leash made a little jingle sound as she craned her neck to look up at him.

"Yeah, good point," he said jokingly.

It was early in the evening when Jugo finally made it back to his library residence. Mr. Sinclair was getting ready to close up for the day as the library's slow business grinded to a halt along with the setting sun. He didn't raise a fuss over Snow's presence so long as Jugo promised to clean up after her.

Thanks to Elena, I don't think that will be a problem.

Jugo decided not to tell Mr. Sinclair about his new relationship with Elena just yet. Jugo wanted some time to figure some things out when it came to the world of romance before announcing it. Mr. Sinclair would probably be happy for them, though. He expressed as much around the time they met.

Jugo had to carry Snow up the stairs since her legs were too small to climb them herself. He wondered how she would react to the new living situation, but so far she was relatively calm. However, the atmosphere changed right as Jugo reached for the door knob to the clock's loft.

Snow's ears twitched as she let out a low puppy growl. Not a playful growl like she did when playing a game, but a growl that suggested her instincts had been alerted.

"I feel it too," Jugo whispered. He set her down. "Stay until I call you in."

Carefully twisting the door knob, he entered the room and, of course, Snow followed him inside close behind his heels. Being a puppy, she wasn't very good at listening to commands like 'stay' just yet.

The loft was draped in shadows as yellow light from the setting sun poured through the nearly transparent clock face. Snow stayed close behind him as Jugo walked out to the middle of the loft's floor. He listened, at first, for any sign of where the intruder might be. A creaking floor board, or maybe a deep breath. But there was nothing.

A professional, huh? Jugo mused mentally.

"If you come out now, I'll consider letting you leave with both your arms intact." That was a lie, of course. But he would consider letting them leave with their legs in working order.

"Must you always resort to violence?" a voice called out. Stepping into the light was none other than Alex, the bodyguard for Elena.

I didn't see that coming.

"What are you doing here? And for that matter, how did you get in?"

"Did Lady Elena never tell you what my SuperHuman power is?" Alex questioned him.

"Never asked, never cared," Jugo shot back.

"I call my power Waypoint. It allows me to leave a mark on an inanimate object then teleport to that object at the speed of light." When Alex came fully into view, Jugo saw that he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. In fact, he wasn't wearing his usual bodyguard dress suit at all. He wore a completely black attire like something a black-ops soldier would wear.

There had always been something fishy about Alex, but after hearing him explain his powers it all started to make sense.

"You're not a bodyguard at all," Jugo pieced together. "You're a rescue hero from Canada. You're hero name is the same as your power, Waypoint. You specialize in rescuing people from terrible accidents, and natural disasters."

If Alex was perturbed by Jugo's assessment, he didn't show it. Actually, he gave Jugo a knowing smile.

"Impressive of you for piecing that together. Especially since I'm not all that popular here in the United States." Alex's gaze hardened. "But that's about what I expected from a hero hunter like yourself, Jugo Arlot alias the Darkwing."

In the blink of an eye, Jugo dashed forward and pinned Alex against the wall. He kept his forearm pressed against the hero's throat. Jugo didn't press hard enough to cut off Alex's air supply, but he applied enough pressure to keep the hero from making any movements.

"How?" Jugo demanded.

Alex caught his meaning.

"I always had a bad feeling about you. Call it a hero's instinct. When Lady Elena forbid me to remain by her side in your presence, I placed one of my marks on her clothes so I could be by her side should an danger present itself.

"Unfortunately, I made the mistake of placing my mark on the inside of her hat. During the monster attack on the pier, it was blown off into the ocean. Imagine my surprise when I teleported to her hat - intending to teleport her to safety - only to wind up half-a-kilometer in the ocean.

"As I swam back to shore, I noticed a figure wash up along the beach not far from myself. It was then that I saw you remove that black armor you wear. I suspected there was something not right about you, but I never would have imagined that."

Jugo wanted to accuse Alex of bluffing. But there was no way for him to know about Elena's missing hat, or the fact that Jugo had washed up on the beach after fighting the sea monster without being there himself.

"What do you want?" Jugo released his hold on Alex then took a step back. Charging in with ruthless aggression wouldn't do any good in this situation. There was a good chance Alex had some sort of trap on standby in case Jugo did get aggressive.

"Nothing much," Alex said nonchalantly while rubbing his neck. "I have no intention of turning you in so long as you agree to these conditions."

Jugo said nothing, so Alex took that as permission to continue.

"The first condition is that you give up your life as a villain. Never challenge another hero, and never wear that armor ever again."

"That suits me fine," Jugo said.

"The second condition is that you leave this city. Forget you ever came here. And, most importantly, never speak to Lady Elena ever again."

The sky came crashing down in Jugo's world. Leaving Trigate City would mean leaving the closest thing he had to a home. Above all else, it would mean leaving without seeing Elena ever again. The very thought of leaving made his heart feel as if it were pierced with a thousand needles.

"It would be preferable if you left the country," Alex added. "I can help with that."

Rage began to boil. Jugo's blood began to flow faster and harder, making the veins throughout his limbs throb. He could practically feel his power filling the air around them. It became dense as if it would all fall apart. The armor was calling out to him, begging him to use the strength it gave him to remove the obstacle life had so cruelly thrown his way.

"Why must you heroes always get in my way," Jugo said in a low voice. "My entire life has been a living Hell, and you self-righteous pricks always step up to make it worse." He stared the hero dead in the eyes. "I was finally happy. I have a home, given to me by a man who treats me like I was family. And I met someone; a girl who sees me for who I am, and loves me still.

"Then her father comes along. Thomas Holloway! The richest man in the world! He had every right to forbid me from seeing Elena ever again, but he didn't! He gave me approval, and showed me nothing but kindness! Do you know what that's like, hero!? To live your whole life being scorned by everything that breathes then to all of a sudden be told by the one of the most powerful men in the world that I am enough! You couldn't possibly understand, otherwise you wouldn't be trying to take it all away from me!"

"Don't be a fool!" Alex snapped, yelling louder than Jugo had. "What I am doing is not cruel, but necessary. I am trying to protect not just Lady Elena, but you as well. Thomas Holloway has taken an interest in you, which is why it is in your best interest to get as far away from them as physically possible."

"Elena won't believe you," Jugo said desperately. "It's my word against yours."

"The authorities have well-trained psychics who are adept at distinguishing lies from memories. All I have to do is consent to a mental probe, and that will serve as all the evidence they need to issue an arrest."

Jugo's anger fizzled out as quickly as it boiled over. It's over, there's nothing I can do. Unless...

He had never killed before. Despite all the garbage life had thrown at him, Jugo had never been forced to kill a person before. But what other choice was there? He could do nothing else to prevent Alex from exposing him.

A whimper at his side caught his attention. Snow had waddled up next to him. She stared up at him with a dog's form of sympathy.

I can't...

Murder wasn't in Jugo's nature. Fighting was one thing, but killing was another ordeal. And he couldn't live with himself knowing what Elena would think of him.

Even if I attacked him, there's no guarantee he won't use his power to get away. This hero has backed me into a corner with no way out.

"No!" Jugo yelled suddenly. "I won't leave. I won't turn my back on Elena. Knowing how she feels about me, I can't leave her behind with no explanation. If I did, it would only hurt her more than the truth." He gave the hero a hard look. "Sell my out if you must, but I won't leave her."

Alex looked annoyed.

"Do you really think she'll still care about you if she finds out the truth?"

"I don't know," Jugo said honestly. He wanted to believe Elena wouldn't give up on him even after hearing the truth. More than that, it's what he chose to believe. "But it's better than your alternative." He turned his back on the hero. "If all you came here to do is blackmail me then get out."

"You don't understand." Alex had grown visibly frustrated by Jugo's resolve. "You being here is a threat to everything I've worked for!"

Jugo turned sharply back to face the hero.

"What do you mean everything you've worked for? Actually, for that matter, what's a Canadian rescue hero doing here in the States? And why work as a lowly bodyguard for some rich girl that doesn't even want you around?"

"That's..." Alex froze as the questions caught him off-guard.

Jugo's gaze narrowed.

"Elena always said you were obnoxiously clingy. If this is some sort of creepy stalker situation, then I might just reconsider breaking your neck. Then again, if you go and blab about my identity, maybe I should inform her father about yours. Fair is fair after all."

With a look of alarm, Alex suddenly drew a pistol from a holster on his belt.

"I can't let you tell Thomas Holloway who I really am. It will ruin everything we've worked for!"

"I'm bullet proof so that won't do you any good," Jugo said as he crossed his arms. "And who is this 'we' you mentioned?"

Alex seemed to realize he let his emotions get the better of him which made him slip up.

"You don't understand," the hero repeated. "If you blow my cover, it will destroy everything!"

"Then stop saying I don't understand and explain it to me!" Jugo shouted. "What's so important about being a bodyguard that would lead a hero to threaten my life at gunpoint if I don't cooperate?"

With a sudden look of shame, Alex glanced at the gun in his hand then lowered it. He is a rescue hero. Like a doctor, they are sworn to save lives, not take them.

"Listen, Thomas Holloway is not who you think he is," the hero said. "We have reason to believe he is secretly working with the despot seeking to conquer Europe, Valerio."

"What?" Jugo said in disbelief. "Mr. Holloway is working with the U.S. government to support their European allies."

"That's all a façade," Alex retorted. "It's a superficial dog and pony show he puts on to seem patriotic. Behind the scenes, he's been lending cash, weapons, and even SuperHumans with powerful abilities that are supportive of Valerio's cause."

"You're not making any sense," Jugo expressed.

"I'm working undercover for a group that wants to take down Thomas Holloway before conditions in the world become opportunistic enough for him to openly support Valerio. I took this job to get in close in the hopes of hearing inside information from Holloway's inner circle. We hoped his daughter might have some information, and speculated whether she is involved or not."

"Elena would never!" Jugo snapped. "That psycho over seas has killed who knows how many people. She could never support someone like that."

"I know," Alex assured him. "Lady Elena has a good heart, and I am certain she is wholly unaware of her father's true allegiance. Her father's actions could put her in a lot of danger, which is why I am working to keep her safe."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Jugo declared. "I'll fight Valerio himself if I have to, but no one is laying a finger on her."

Jugo had no idea what Valerio's powers were. All he knew about the warlord was that nobody who had fought him lived to tell the tale. There were rumors, of course, but they were all equally terrifying. All those rumors about Valerio's might led to him being labeled as the God of SuperHumans.

"Admirable," Alex relinquished, "but you have to understand just how much danger you are in yourself. You're strong, too strong for your own good."

Tell me something I don't know.

"Thomas Holloway has taken a keen interest in you. There's no telling what he has planned for you."

"I'm not fighting on his, or anyone's behalf," Jugo scoffed. "I fight for my own reasons only. If he thinks I'll fight just because he said so, he's going to be sorely disappointed."

"I'm worried he may have far worse plans than that in mind. His support towards Lady Elena's relationship with you is concerning beyond belief considering his protective nature towards her."

A thought occurred to Jugo.

"If you're so convinced that Holloway is up to no good, then why don't you turn him in?" Jugo questioned. "You could take him down with a group of heroes in no time flat. Even if he called his black-ops goons from that private island, I'm sure you could manage."

"It's not that simple. We need hard evidence if the government is to take action against him, which is why I'm undercover in the first place. And what do you mean by black-ops goons?"

"The day I visited Holloway Industries, Mr. Holloway flew me out to his private island to have me spar with a guy named Jackson." The memory of that day came to the forefront of Jugo's mind. "Jackson whispered a warning to me during our match, saying that Thomas Holloway can't be trusted. Is he undercover, too?"

Alex looked perplexed by this revelation.

"I never knew Holloway had a special task force. No wonder he insisted I take the day off. Bodyguards don't get sick days, but I assumed he was just trying to make a good impression in front of you. This could mean he's onto me, and it might be why Lady Elena is so reluctant to share information with me."

A look of alarm came over the hero's face.

"Did he hire me just to keep an eye on me the whole time? Damn it all!"

An idea presented itself to Jugo right then. Both he and Alex had backed each other into a metaphorical corner with no way out. One couldn't snitch on the other without being sold out himself. It created a lose-lose situation for them both. And if Thomas Holloway was guilty of Alex's suspicions, then it was all the worse. The business tycoon will have been playing Alex and his allies like puppets on strings.

"Hey, I have an idea that will help us both," Jugo said. "We both want the same thing, right? We want Elena to be safe. So how about this: since her father has taking an interest in me, I'll get in close and see what I can find out. I'll pass on whatever I learn to you, and in exchange, you keep your mouth shut about who I really am."

Alex seemed to consider this proposition but then shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Villain or no, strong or not, you're still a civilian. This whole thing is much too dangerous for a kid such as yourself to be involved in. You've got a whole like ahead of you, and a chance to start over. Just take my offer, and walk away. Leave Holloway to the professionals."

"And how's that gone for you so far?" Jugo retorted. "Elena sees you as the annoying older brother she never wanted, and her father doesn't trust you. You're bound by the law, but I'm not. So face it, this isn't a job for heroes, this is a job for a villain."

Alex moved to say something else but stopped when something else drew his attention. He had an ear piece and it looked like someone started talking to him through it. The hero didn't say anything, he just listened to whatever the person on the other side said.

"You realize what you're getting yourself into, right?" Alex questioned him. "Thomas Holloway is a very powerful man with very powerful connections. If he suspects you're working with us, he will have you killed no matter how Elena feels about you."

"That doesn't matter," Jugo said back. "I don't regret putting heroes in their place, but if my assistance will atone for my actions in the eyes of the law, then I've got no choice. Besides, if it means keeping Elena safe, then no matter what happens to me I'll have no regrets."