The media and social networks were abuzz with news of the "Chaos Harbinger." The latest crime was on everyone's lips, but it wasn't as Daniel expected. He sat in a room filled with screens, the blue lights of holograms reflecting on his face as he watched the streaming reports and comments with half-closed eyes.
"The mysterious criminal who killed the infamous villain 'Dark Shifter' left only a cryptic message. Is he just a hired killer? Or is he..."
The announcer paused for a moment to read something on the screen in front of him, then continued in a dramatic voice: "An anti-hero?!"
Daniel almost choked on his laughter but stifled it, while beside him, Risa burst into laughter without any restraint.
"An anti-hero?!" She was holding her stomach, unable to stop. "Do they think killing a notorious criminal makes you some sort of harsh justice?!"
Daniel wiped his face with his hand, sighing. "This is ridiculous... Do they call this anti-heroism? Just because I killed a villain?"
Risa couldn't stop, she jumped onto the couch next to him, browsing through random comments from viewers on social media, reading them aloud, each sentence fueling her laughter:
- **"Chaos Harbinger? Weird name, but intriguing! Maybe he's a new type of hero who doesn't follow the rules!"**
- **"No, I think he's just a hired killer, there's no clear pattern to his actions."**
- **"What if he's a secret hero wanting to clean up the city from villains in his own style?"**
- **"Ah, that's cool! I love heroes who don't follow the rules!"**
- **"He definitely has a tragic backstory, maybe his family was killed by villains, and now he's on a revenge mission!"**
- **"Stop justifying murder! This is a dangerous criminal!"**
Risa laughed so hard she almost fell. "They're making up a tragic backstory for you out of thin air!"
Daniel frowned, took a sip of his cold coffee as he stared at the screen. "This is annoying... I don't want to be seen as an anti-hero."
Risa smiled mischievously. "Well, let's correct the misunderstanding tomorrow, shall we?"
"Yes..." He put the coffee cup aside and flipped the main hologram screen in front of him. "Tomorrow will be my debut."
"You mean..."
"Yes. The first real operation."
"Huh, I'll see how you'll make them truly hate you."
The plan was simple but effective. **A live broadcast. Hostages. Bombs scattered throughout a crowded hotel.** He would show the world that he was not a hero, nor someone seeking justice, but a true adversary. Most importantly, he aimed to attract the attention of Star Weaver.
Star Weaver had graduated from the Academy of Superheroes at the age of twenty-one and officially began her life as a hero just a year ago. Her achievements weren't bad, although she was still a novice. She had the ability to **temporarily enhance her physical strength**, along with flight. Her talent was promising, but it hadn't been tested enough yet. He wanted to see her in real conditions, to push her to her limits.
But above all, he wanted to show them evil.
The timer on his screen indicated **ten minutes to execution**.
The live broadcast began.
Cameras were installed at multiple angles inside the hotel, the broadcast covering everything. Daniel, wearing a black mask with simple demonic features, stood in the middle of the main hall where dozens of hostages sat on the floor, their hands above their heads. The place was filled with screams and fear, while the red lights of the bombs blinked throughout the building.
"Hello, dear viewers."
His voice was calm, laced with sarcasm, as if he were a talk show host rather than a criminal holding dozens of innocents hostage.
"I am the Chaos Harbinger, and I believe there has been a misunderstanding about me, so I decided to correct it myself. Some of you think I'm an anti-hero, just a killer with a sense of justice. Well, let me tell you the truth... I am a villain."
He approached one of the cameras, staring into it with his cold blue eyes, before pointing to the large screen displaying a timer.
"You have ten minutes. If Star Weaver doesn't get all the hostages out before the counter hits zero, the entire hotel will explode."
Viewer comments flooded in:
- **"Impossible, who is this madman?!"**
- **"How hasn't the broadcast been stopped? Is he a hacker?!"**
- **"This isn't a joke, if he's serious, it means the death of dozens!"**
- **"For God's sake, the police and heroes are on their way, this can't end like this!"**
- **"Why Star Weaver? What does he want from her?!"**
Two minutes passed, then a blue flash appeared in the sky.
Star Weaver had arrived.
She landed forcefully in the square, her silver hair shining under the hotel lights, her eyes blazing with anger. "You bastard, what do you want?!"
He raised the remote control in his hand, pressing a small button, causing all the bombs to blink their red lights more rapidly. "You got too close, and you're one second away from killing everyone."
She stopped in her tracks, her fists clenched, her teeth grinding in anger.
"You have eight minutes, city's hero."
She gritted her teeth, then began to move quickly. She had to act.
There was no time to fight, there was no time to stop him, she had to do the only thing she could do: **save the hostages**.
With her high speed, she began picking up civilians, one by one, and taking them out of the hotel. She was moving at a phenomenal speed, but time was passing.
Seven minutes.
Six minutes.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two minutes.
Sweat was dripping down her forehead, her breaths quickening, but she didn't stop.
Ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
She grabbed the last two hostages, two small children, she didn't have time to carry them outside, so she **threw them forcefully towards the heroes waiting outside**, confident they would catch them.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Daniel pressed another button.
**+5 seconds**
Two.
One.
Everyone was out.
Then the hotel exploded.
A silence lasted for seconds before chaos filled the place.
The sounds of police and medics echoed, people screamed, smoke filled the horizon, and everyone searched for one answer: **Did Star Weaver make it out?**
The broadcast camera was still active, despite the tremors, and showed an image of the inside of the shattered building.
She was there.
Amid the rubble, her body covered in wounds, her suit torn, blood dripping from her forehead, but she was alive. Barely able to stand, but not dead.
Viewer comments were frantic:
- **"For God's sake, did she sacrifice herself?!"**
- **"Star Weaver is a legend! She's a novice, but she did it!"**
- **"Amazing! How wonderful!"**
- **"This is true heroism!"**
Daniel smiled as he closed the broadcast.
"Goodbye everyone, we'll meet again soon."
Then he vanished.
Moving through the secret tunnels was exhausting, but he didn't care. When he reached his hideout, he removed his mask and sighed.
"This is so annoying..."
Risa, who had been watching everything, clapped slowly with a smile. "Oh, the audience loves you even more now."
He couldn't help but press his temple, sighing.
"....Fu*k."