[ WP ] A loved and respected hero discovers something that leads him to become a morally questionable antihero .

`` I bet you wan na know *why. * Huh? You want a *lecture*, outta a fuckin' picture book.'' 
 
 Crouched in the rubble, Viper stayed silent and hidden. He'd lasted this long, but his options were running out. Nowhere to run; few places to hide; direct confrontation with a super was death. Did n't help he only had ammo left for his handgun. 
 
 In the midst of the destruction, Maelstrom paraded about his superpowers, focusing long enough to kick a several-ton stone like it was a football. `` Fine! You wan na know why? It's because of *you*, Viper! Yeah! Your fucking fault!'' 
 
 That was new. Nobody had ever accused him of making them evil before. Killing, sure, but not this. At the very least Maelstrom had n't worked out his hiding place - he could hear the crunching of stone and screaming of twisted steel as Maelstrom searched. That gave him time to move. 
 
 `` Yeah. You with your *perfect* dogma. You did this. Following that fuckin' programming of yours. Murdering across the continent. Taking out Polaris. Saving the world. Saving the - god, how the fuck did *you* save the world?! You straight-up murdered her! Her and two dozen lackies! No restraint, no mercy, no reason - and I expected that, from you, Viper, that's what you do, right?'' 
 
 More silence on Viper's end. Crawling was quiet enough that it would n't attract his attention over the ruckus. Besides, this breakdown sounded like it had been a long time coming. Maelstrom was blind to the world. That was his only hope. 
 
 `` So I came to clean up the mess. Take the prisoners, save the villains. And they turned me away. They turned *me* away! Maelstrom! The real deal, the shinin' paragon, the fucking *hero! * They chose *you! * They *worshipped* you! Oh, I tried to talk sense into them, show them what you do, but - but they knew! They already fucking knew! They just called it effective! Laughed at what I had n't done there! Their hero was a *murderer! *'' 
 
 Viper took a peek from his new cover. Maelstrom was still chatty and blind. But he'd react before Viper could take a shot. Defensively, first, but then... well, there could n't be a then. 
 
 `` And they were just - okay with that! Everyone! Every last asshole I talked to said they were *okay* with it! So I said to myself, is that what it takes? Callousness? Dropping all those virtues that made me Maelstrom? Is that how I get back where I fuckin' belong? I ca n't help the helpless if they turn me away in favor of some fucking *murderer! * I ca n't save people that way! So I guess I got ta do a little killing when I find the bad guys. Right?! 
 
 `` Well here's my fucking trial run! Knock off a few extras to get to you,'cuz that's the only way you'll come out, motherfucker! If that's what it takes to eradicate a stain like you, well, Viper, I guess I'll run the same path! For the greater fuckin' good, right? That's how this fuckin' works, *right? *'' 
 
 The moment came. Viper stood, leveled his pistol, and declared, `` Wrong.'' Instantly Maelstrom turned; his profile distorted and a howling gale kicked up as Viper fired, shots visibly cutting into, then around the shield of wind. Seven of eight rounds turned and crashed into the rubble; the last passed by entirely, splintering a already-bent wooden support. 
 
 Maelstrom slowly advanced, his limbs twisting impossibly, seen through the turbulence before him. `` Well thanks for giving yourself up, asshole!'' he shouted. Viper held ground, pistol leveled. Over the sound of the wind, he could just hear the rising groan of collapsing wall. And Maelstrom advanced, deaf and blind to the world. 
 
 Maelstrom's reflexes were fast. His comprehension speed was not. When he finally caught on to the noise, he looked back just in time to be caught in an avalanche of stone facade and broken glass, into which he disappeared with a great crash. As quickly as it had all started, it was all over. Viper lost sight in the dust cloud, but he advanced, snapping shut his pistol's slide and drawing his knife. The deafening cracks and groans of debris slowly died down, and Viper advanced onto the new pile, against a shallow stream of tinkling glass. And there Maelstrom was, buried up to his waist, a mess of cuts and shattered bones that was n't long for the world. Pain killed his focus; his powers were gone. 
 
 Viper knelt. `` You're wrong,'' he announced. He raised his knife for a final blow, something quick to ease the pain - but his victim was n't done talking. 
 
 `` Yeah?'' Maelstrom coughed. No blood, but he was dying. `` You'll see. They'll love you for... for this, too.'' 
 
 `` Not for killing. That's a burden.'' Viper shook his head. `` They loved me because they lived. Because I *won*.'' 
 
 `` These ones... did n't live. Did you - did you really win?'' Maelstrom asked. 
 
 Viper paused. The dust was settling; around him lay a flattened city block full of bodies. But in the distance he saw flashing lights - ambulances. All still salvageable. `` As always.'' The knife arced down.
