Counteroffer

“I gotta say, it’s a tempting suggestion. But my daddy taught me to never accept the first offer without haggling.”

“These are people’s lives you’re haggling over.”

“Oh I’m aware. That’s what makes them so valuable. To you anyway.”

“What do you propose?”

“I will accept your offer of amnesty in exchange for deleting all the information I just recorded and forgetting the names of all the super HEROES.”

“They’re all heroes. But…" her eyes narrow, "You mean the men?”

“Bingo. I don’t really give a fuck about them anyway”

“And the women?”

“Sold separately. For them we go down the list one item at a time and you tell me what each individual name is worth to you.”

Her eyes boil with rage. “Every time I think you can’t sink any lower…”

“Just trying to maximize my investment. Their secrets will still be protected; you just may have to work a little harder.”

“I will not agree to that!”

“No? Too bad. Oh well let’s see how much I can get on the dark web selling their names individually. Maybe start with Hawkgirl first? She’s not the highest profile, but I bet I can still get a couple hundred grand…”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Wouldn’t I? Of course the price will go up once word gets around that my information is good...”

“She works hard to maintain a normal life, and you would destroy it? You’d expose her to her enemies and put her family and friends in jeopardy?”

“I mean unless someone were to make me a better offer…”

Diana stops and chews her lower lip thoughtfully, obviously trying to come up with a better option. “Fine,” she says after a minute.

“We have a deal?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Sure you do. They all suck, but....”

“Very well. You swear to delete the recording you made – no backups of any kind! – forget the identities of all the male heroes, and never tell another soul about any of this. In return I will swear not to seek vengeance against you, nor to encourage any of my colleagues to do so, trusting that the gods will grant you the punishment you so richly deserve.”

“Perfect. I swear to hold up my end of this bargain.” You feel a tingle like static electricity from the lasso, and you know instinctively that the deal is set and binding.

“Let me see you delete the file.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I trust the lasso. But I want to see it done.”

With a grin, you take out your phone and log into your secure coms app. You message your buddy to go ahead and delete the video you sent and any backups. A few seconds pass before he responds, acknowledging that it’s done.

You show the text to Diana, who nods like you just concluded a business agreement. “Fine. Let us proceed.”