In a park near the waterfront, the most powerful evil being on the planet was sitting next to the most powerful good being on the planet one pleasant Spring morning. The sun was yet to burn off the early haze that seemed to screen the sky, and dew still coated the grass.
As they watched the strollers and joggers, the dog-walkers and the bike riders, both of them sipped on hot coffee and nibbled on scones. Powerful Good Being enjoyed a delicious white chocolate chip scone while Powerful Evil Being savored the taste of a ginger-orange flavored scone.
"So. let me ask you something that has been on my mind for awhile," Powerful Evil Being said to Powerful Good Being between bites. "Why is it you devote so much time and energy to thwarting my evil plans day-in and day-out, while ignoring the actual evil actions of brutal tyrants and thuggish dictators, manipulative terrorist masterminds and mentally unstable if not actually criminally insane autocratic despots?"
Powerful Good Being looked at Powerful Evil Being for a long hard minute and then replied, "Well, it's fairly simply Duane (Powerful Evil Being's first name is Duane, and the two had been on a first name basis for quite some time). See, the normal, non-superpowered inhabitants of this planet, they have no chance against you - com'on, you can lift the tops off entire mountains and toss them half a mile."
Powerful Evil Being smiled a little upon hearing the back-handed compliment, but then retorted, "Yeah, but it's not like I'm repressing millions of people, denying them basic human rights, or forcing them to believe what I think they should believe under pain of death - all I ever try to do is steal all the gold in Fort Knox or the Mona Lisa, and you know, that's just stuff, not murderous ideology."
"Yeah," said Powerful Good Being, 'I get where you're coming from, but the thing is, everything those dictators, tyrants, despots and even the criminally insane do are things the normal, non-superpowered inhabitants are easily capable of either preventing or taking care of themselves. None of those dictators, tyrants, despots or even the criminally insane have superhuman powers - they live and die just like the rest of them. It's my view that the normal inhabitants have to take responsibility for the horrible members of their own tribe, if you will, themselves - I'm not a babysitter."
For a few minutes Powerful Evil Being sipped his coffee and enjoyed the ginger-orange scone, then said, "Okay Stan (Powerful Good Being's first name was Stanislaus, Stan for short), I understand. I guess I have somewhat of the same philosophy, except I think I wouldn't mind just once being able to attempt a robbery at an art museum without having to deal with you."
"Not gonna happen," replied Powerful Good Being. "Not in your wildest dreams."
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