"Ms. Selina," Daniel said while rubbing the corner of his eye dramatically, "you truly are the daughter every mother dreams of having."
Selina maintained the sad expression perfectly, though internally she was beginning to suspect this man was mocking her.
"So…" she asked carefully, "did I get the job?"
"Yes," Daniel replied immediately. "You passed the interview with flying colors."
Selina smiled slightly. "That was fast."
"I trust my instincts."
Which was somehow even more concerning.
Daniel leaned back afterward and tapped the desk thoughtfully. "Now then… compensation."
He opened one of the drawers beside him and casually pulled out a golden cup covered in ancient carvings.
Selina's eyes sharpened instantly.
Even from this distance she could tell it was authentic.
Ancient. Expensive. Extremely illegal to own without several governments becoming upset.
"Hmm," Daniel muttered while examining it. "No, this feels too small."
He tossed it back into the drawer carelessly.
Selina physically twitched watching that happen.
Daniel reached inside again and this time pulled out a gemstone the size of a child's fist, glowing faintly under the office lights.
Selina almost stopped breathing.
"Still too small," Daniel decided before dropping it back into the drawer as well.
At this point Selina was fighting every criminal instinct in her body not to vault over the desk.
Then Daniel pulled out a blue diamond nearly the size of an adult fist.
Selina's composure nearly cracked completely.
That thing was worth a fortune. An actual life-changing, internationally hunted, museum-level fortune.
For one terrifying second, she genuinely considered grabbing it and jumping through the window.
"Forget it," Daniel said casually while sliding the drawer shut again. "Come back tomorrow. I'll decide your compensation package then."
Selina stared at the closed drawer in silence.
Then slowly looked back at him.
This was no longer a normal job interview.
This had somehow become psychological warfare aimed directly at Gotham's most talented thief.
By the time evening arrived, Daniel finally closed the office for the day and stepped out onto the street.
Honestly, the first day had been entertaining. He got a possible receptionist, psychological satisfaction, and confirmation that Gotham criminals apparently treated lying as an Olympic sport.
Daniel stretched slightly before starting down the sidewalk with his hands in his coat pockets.
"Ahhh, my beautiful wives are waiting for me at home," he said dramatically to himself while walking through the evening streets of Central City. "Their beloved husband returns."
Then something crashed into him.
A police car flew across the street and smashed directly into Daniel hard enough to flip onto its side. Metal twisted loudly on impact while sparks scattered across the road.
Nearby, officers were already firing at a massive man standing in the middle of the street.
Bullets bounced harmlessly off his skin.
"You pieces of shit!" the man roared while grabbing one officer and throwing him hard enough to send him sliding across a parked car. "Do you idiots think I'm still the same Tony?! No fucking gun can hurt me anymore!"
The man was huge, built like a street brawler, except parts of his body now looked metallic beneath the streetlights. Around him civilians screamed and ran while abandoned vehicles blocked traffic in every direction.
Tony grinned watching people panic.
He loved this feeling.
The fear.
The helplessness.
The realization that nobody around him could stop him anymore.
Then the overturned police car suddenly exploded behind him.
Flames surged upward violently before spreading unnaturally high into the air.
Tony turned toward it with a frown.
A figure stepped out from inside the fire.
Daniel walked through the flames while adjusting the sleeve of his completely unharmed coat. Not even smoke touched him.
"You know," Daniel said while looking around at the destruction, "this is incredibly rude."
Tony stared at him in confusion.
"What the fuck is wrong with people like you?" Daniel continued. "If you get powers, use them to make money properly. Why does everyone immediately decide to terrorize civilians and become wanted criminals?"
He looked Tony up and down critically.
"And seriously, was this the best plan your brain could produce after getting powers?" Daniel asked. "Did the transformation destroy your remaining brain cells?"
Tony's expression slowly shifted from arrogance to confusion.
Then a Orange lightning suddenly burst across the street.
A blur moved between the police officers before stopping directly between Tony and the civilians still trying to escape.
The Flash arrived in a streak of red and gold, breathing slightly heavier from the speed.
Barry looked at Tony and froze for half a second in shock.
"Tony…?" he said quietly.
He recognized him immediately.
Tony Woodward. One of the guys from his old neighborhood growing up. A bully, sure, but still someone Barry never expected to see transformed into a metahuman throwing police cars through streets.
Barry forced himself to focus again before quickly looking toward Daniel, who still stood near the burning wreckage.
"Sir, you need to move away from here," Barry said without recognizing him. "This man is dangerous."
Daniel stared at him for a second before smiling slightly.
"Yo, Flash."
Barry blinked.
Daniel raised a hand afterward and the subtle veil distorting people's perception around him slowly faded away.
Barry's eyes widened underneath the mask the moment he properly saw his face.
"You…"
He took a step back instinctively.
"You're Reaper."
*****
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