Russ weighed his options. Hiding would only buy him a few more seconds. Fleeing would allow him to escape, but leave both Doom and the Blot to flee as well. Doom had his position to protect himself from prosecution, but the Blot was here, alone.
Russ sprang into action, leaping to the floor of the warehouse. "Kind of you to say." He said simply, before walking forwards.
Doom stared in shock for only a moment before turning and fleeing. Russ let him. His focus was on someone else today.
"I really must congratulate you." The Blot said, finally face to face with the real reason for this meeting. "It has been years since anyone has been able to put together even the simplest of my plots. I was so bored I arranged for myself to be sent to St. Canard, simply to have enough criminal Toons to recruit into my next great scheme." The Blot sighed. "Even that has proven tiresome. But now, now! At last, I have a foe that I can-"
Russ decked the Phantom Blot in the mouth.
"Ah!" the Blot cried, rubbing his chin through the inky fabric of his costume. "You have a mean right hook."
Suddenly, Russ felt something blunt club into the back of his head.
"But I've always preferred the sucker punch."
Staggered, Russ turned to face whoever had crept up behind him. What he saw was a black cartoon rooster in a plain smock and tall-crowned hat, holding a rapier whose hilt he had just finished clubbing Russ with.
"Mr. Russ, may I introduce you to El Pollo Loco." The Blot said in an oily voice. "Perhaps you might remember him from Chanticleer?"
"…that film was never made."
"Indeed." The rooster replies in an accent so Spanish a guitar spontaneously plays a Latin riff. "As such, I needed to find other forms of employment."
"Pollo Loco… I believe it was Poco Loco once, but he decided on superior wordplay, is acting as my hired wing for misadventures that require a personal touch. Or should I say touché? He shall keep you occupied until I can make good my escape."
Russ' hand crept towards the box beside him. This was an ACME warehouse. By all narrative convention, there had to be- yes.
Russ pulled forth a gleaming silver sword. "En garde."
The rooster grinned, springing forward with the beat of black wings. The two weapons clashed, the bird dodging in and out and putting Russ immediately on the defensive. The bird was faster than a spring chicken, and knew it. Russ parried block by block, allowing himself to be forced back against the wall of crates behind him in the face of superior bladework.
"Jou have put up a good fight, señor." Loco said as he locked blades with Russ. "But I must reveal the truth to you. Jou see, I have been wielding this sword in my left hand, but I am not ambidexterous." Loco easily swapped the rapier between his hands. "I have not been fighting you with my real skill."
"What a coincidence." Russ replied.
"Oh?"
"I am not fighting you with a real sword."
Immediately, the ACME-brand rubber shortsword wilted, jiggling onto El Pollo Loco's rapier and giving Russ an opening to bash him over the head with the handiest object- an alarm clock.
"Cock-a-doodle-doooooo!!!" Loco crowed involuntarily, alarm still ringing in his ears. Russ took the chance to make a break for it, racing after the fleeing form of the Blot.
He made it perhaps a dozen steps before he found his feet being swept out from under him.
"Jou have made me angry, señor." Loco said as he held his rapier up to Russ' neck. "But you are in the middle of the floor, now. No more toys or tricks. You have lost."
"Have I now?"
The rooster scoffs. "What could possibly defeat a swordsman of my skill?"
Russ pulled out his Colt pistol.
"Ah, I see."
Bang.
El Pollo Loco wheezed from behind a soot-blackened beak, and began to topple slowly over. "Jes, I suppose that would do it."
Thud.
"Oh bravo, bravo!"
Russ spun to see the Blot, almost free, pausing to give him a spirited applause. "Oh what artistry, what talent, what aplomb! You do not disappoint Agent Russ, but now I must take my leave."
Russ rooted around in one of the crates for a moment before pulling out a massive white glove on the end of a retracted accordion hinge. Aiming it carefully, he sprung it loose, sending the hand grasping towards the Blot.
At the last second, the Blot twisted, his indistinct form flowing as if made from ink. The glove passed him by, before returning to Russ empty-handed.
His gambit failed, Russ rushed after the villain, but he knew in his heart it was already too late. The laws of narrative closed around him like a vice. As he passed through the door of the warehouse he saw the Blot climbing into the ink-black luxury car Russ had hidden behind.
"I have a few affairs to get in order before our next appointment Mr. Russ!" The Blot called as he pealed out of the parking lot. "But I assure you, you will see me again… after it is too late!"
Russ watched as the Phantom Blot escaped.
---
"I thought you said this was a successful mission!?" You said, looking over Russ' report with increasing concern.
"You sent me to determine who had taken control of the criminal element in Los Angeles." Russ replied. "I did."
"Yeah, and he saw you, got away, and has now decided to dedicate his life to one-upping you! I was planning on maybe cooperating with whoever it was against Doom, but I suppose now that's out of the-"
"No, no." Russ said, waving his hand back and forth. "I think he'd go for it."
"What?!?!"
"You have to understand. The Blot is without question the finest Toon Supervillain in the world." Russ explained to you, sounding oddly positive for a lawman talking about a master criminal. "He's a professional. This isn't a game to him, but it isn't a battle either, not really. It's art. And just because he's planning to use this house as a canvas doesn't mean he isn't willing to collaborate with us on other projects."
This is really weird. Russ is… well he's not smiling exactly, but he seems happy. Joyful, even. He seems to be relishing the thought of a major supervillain coming to blows with him on a constant basis, endlessly matching wits and schemes. It's almost like…
You gasp.
"Oh my gosh! You have a Nemesis!"
Russ takes one look at the expression on your face and blanches. "Wait, no-"
---
Agent Russ has revealed the leader of the LA underworld- notorious Toon supervillain and master thief, the Phantom Blot!
Agent Russ' intrigue has increased by 2!
Agent Russ has gained the Phantom Blot as a Nemesis!!!
Nemeses are recurring foes that will continually try to face your Hero Units in some form of combat. They will occasionally interfere with actions you send their foes on, giving a penalty to the National Action heroes are performing, beginning their own assault, or inserting themselves into a quest their foe is on.
It's far from all bad however! Facing a Nemesis is the surest way to continue a character's own development, improving stats, unlocking traits, and helping them to grow as a person. A potentially evil person.
In addition to dealing with them as they make their moves, you can also send the relevant Hero on a Nemesis action- to track down, fight, or otherwise face their Nemesis, progressing their own story, preventing their Nemesis from bothering them for some time, or even unlocking new Quests and other rewards!
The Phantom Blot has indicated that he will be getting his affairs in order before he begins his machinations as a sign of good sportsmanship. You have a couple of turns before he begins becoming a threat and Nemesis Actions unlock against him.
