[ Wp ] Nerds and artists take over the world after everyone is given superpowers based on imagination .

His machine gun came off his shoulder. `` Tell me why I should n't kill you right this moment.'' Danse demanded, carressing the trigger. 
 
 `` Other than the fact it'd be cliche?'' Beardsley responded glibly. The pale kid, tall and gangly and sporting five o'clock acne smiled. The two men holding his arms was all that kept him on his feet. 
 
 `` Yes. Other than that.'' Danse sized the kid up, slipping the barrel of his rifle under the kid's chin. He used it to make the boy look him in the eyes. 
 
 `` I can show you how it's done, Baby.'' The kid teased. Beardsley looked to the man on his left. He had a face like a grave digger. The man to his right was no less severe. His jaw looked like it was carved from a block of granite. 
 
 `` You can show me how the Phoenix works? You'd do this?'' Danse asked. 
 
 `` What other choice do I have. I either show you how it's done, or you kill me. Right?'' 
 
 Danse pretended to think it over. `` Or, you show me how its done and then I kill you.'' The General looked to the two men holding the prisoner and shared a laugh with them. Only the grave digger smiled back. 
 
 `` Oo, I see. It's a loophole, but now that I know this, what incentive do I have to tell you. I mean if you're already going to kill me, my only way of fighting back is to deny you what you want.'' Beardsley reasoned. 
 
 `` Ah. In my business,'' Danse replied, leaning in close to the boy, `` we use a little something called leverage to overcome this.'' Beardsley wondered at his meaning until Danse motioned to the driver of his car. There was movement back behind the glare of the headlights. Beardsley tried to see what was a happening. A girl cried out in pain. A moment later, the same girl passed before the headlights of the car, stumbling and staggering into the clearing. 
 
 `` Anna?'' Beardsley cried out in concern. `` Have they hurt you?'' 
 
 `` Beardsley,'' Anna called back angrily. `` Why do you keep doing this?'' 
 
 `` Shut her up.'' Danse commanded, turning back to the boy. The heavy sound of a fist being laid against bare skin sounded and Danse grinned evily. The smile faded though when the two men holding the boy let him go and retreated; fear in their eyes. The General turned to see what had so frightened them. 
 
 He saw Anna, her horned rim glasses painted white with car light, her body a black silhouette. She floated three feet off the ground. Danse's driver stood beside her, his neck broken so severely that the back of his head was resting between his shoulder blades, while his empty eyes stared up at the stars. He stood there only a second then slowly toppled off to one side. 
 
 The General turned back to Beardsley. The kid was grinning and shrugged helplessly. `` I'm just having a little fun.'' The boy told him. Danse was slowly shaking his head partly out of fear but mainly because he could n't process what had just happened. Beardsley set his hands on the General's shoulders to make the man focus. `` You ca n't use the Phoenix, General. It wo n't work for you.'' 
 
 `` W-Why not?'' He stuttered. 
 
 `` Because, it's powered by imagination.'' The boy replied. Danse's brow furrowed first in confusion and then in anger. His rifle was still pointing at Beardsley's chest. The boy looked down at the gun, smiled, and looked the General in the eye. 
 
 `` Really.'' Beardsley asked mockingly. The General pulled the trigger and emptied the clip. The bullets hit the boy in the chest, shredding his t-shirt. When the barrage finally ended, Beardsley took his hands away from the General and reached down to comb through the tatters of his Green Lantern shirt. `` Man.'' Beardsley groaned, looking first to the General then to Anna. Danse was staring at his own chest. It was a bloody mess. The bullets ricocheting off Beardsley had rebounded into the General himself. 
 
 Anna drifted over. In the bushes beyond, they could hear the Gravedigger and Granite Jaw running for their lives. `` Look at this.'' Beardsley complained, holding the tatters of his t-shirt. 
 
 `` It's your own fault.'' Anna complained, grabbing the General's head in one hand. Her fingers sunk into his skull to the first knuckle. With an almost contemptuous flick of her arm, she sent the man flying end over end into the darkness. `` They're like children to us. Why do you make them think they have a chance at this. It always ends with them dying. It's messy and just a little cruel.'' 
 
 `` Shut up, sis. They had guns.'' Beardsley said. 
 
 `` Which do exactly dick to us.'' She snapped in scorn. `` Come on. I have an exhibit opening down town.'' 
 
 `` Should n't we go after the henchmen?'' He asked eagerly. 
 
 `` If we do, you'll miss Doctor Who.'' She fired back. He looked longingly into the dark listening the grunts and sound of snapping limbs the two henchmen were responsible for. 
 
 `` Fine. I'll go to your stupid exhibit, then we watch Doctor Who, but you're making nachos.'' He haggled. 
 
 `` No shit. `` She fired back. `` Doctor Who's not the same without nachos.'' She looked at her brother as a thought struck her. `` Did you tell him the Phoenix was powered by imagination?'' 
 
 `` It is sort of. It took a lot of imagination to create the serum.'' She smacked him in the back of the head and flew off. He grinned, smoothed his hair, and flew after her. 

