– Eyes on the Stream –
Zoe's viewer count climbed past the millions. The numbers flashing on her screen made her grin as she leaned closer to her camera.
Then—something caught her gaze.
Through her drone feed, the flames parted to reveal a lone figure moving in the chaos.
"What the hell… who's that?" she asked aloud, her audience listening intently.
The figure scattered small canisters that hissed as they hit the ground, spraying foam and choking out flames.
The chat went wild.
Who the hell is that?
Where are the heroes?
Is that guy… doping?
Zoe didn't answer. Her eyes narrowed, locked on the man who, in full view of her millions of fans, calmly swallowed pills and drove a syringe into his arm.
Her feed caught every detail.
---
– Demon's Distraction –
Elsewhere in the burning field, Demon muttered under his breath.
"Annoying bastards… launching attacks without holding back. If I hadn't thrown up my shield, I'd be cooked."
His comms buzzed.
A woman's voice crackled through. "Hey, boss man. How you holding up?"
"Betty?" Demon scowled. "The fuck you calling me for? This better be good."
In the Unknown HQ, Betty clenched her teeth. Her eyes flicked to her own monitor, where Zoe's drones captured Demon on stream.
She smirked to herself. Let him sweat. No need to tell him yet.
"Relax," she said sweetly. "Winner's done with the upgraded humanoid monsters."
"That all?" Demon's tone sharpened. "Feels like you're hiding something."
Betty chuckled. "Yh, nothing else. Oh—wait. Just remembered. Got a new batch of drugs. Boosts powers, energy bursts. Winner tested it out already. Want me to send some?"
Demon glanced at the scorched battlefield, Draigo's earlier strike still etched in the ruined earth. He grunted.
"Keep them ready. I'll call when I need them."
He cut the line before she could answer. Betty hissed and tossed a chip into her mouth.
"Annoying dickhole."
---
– A Student's Fury –
Draigo stepped from the rubble, smoke curling around him. His gaze fixed on Demon. His voice trembled but rang clear.
"He was like a father to me. He wanted to save lives… to build a better world."
Demon, still popping pills between his teeth, hardly looked up. Draigo's voice hardened.
"Criminals like you should be locked away for good."
The other students rushed to his side, some still wide-eyed at the destructive force of Draigo's last attack.
Before they could speak, Lexy's voice cut through their comms.
"Kids, report—are you alright? I'm sending backup."
Their shoulders eased slightly, but determination still burned in their eyes.
Demon finally raised his voice, his words slicing the air.
"He was weak."
Draigo froze. "…What did you just say?"
"If you're talking about that sniper—your friend—he was weak."
"Shut up!" Draigo's voice cracked, grief breaking into rage.
Demon smirked. "I know a real sniper. Every bullet counts. Eyes sharp as mine. Whoever your man was… he was nothing but a liability."
The students erupted in disbelief.
"What the fuck did he just say?"
"He's insane—after killing Delta he dares—"
Draigo's roar silenced them. His flames ignited once more.
"SHUT UP!"
He lunged, fire spilling from his palms.
---
– Watching from Afar –
Inside the observation room, one of the heroes slammed a fist against the console.
"He's mocking them—mocking us! We can't just sit here!"
Lexy's jaw tightened. "Orders are clear. We don't interfere unless authorized. Doesn't mean I like it."
Her gaze flicked to Raider. After a long pause, she gave a single nod. "Support your team. Carefully."
Another hero leaned close, voice low. "I don't like this. Something's off about the president. Watching him makes my skin crawl."
Lexy's eyes slid toward the corner of the room, where the president stood silently. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"…I feel it too."
---
– Fire and Frenzy –
On the battlefield, Demon danced away from Draigo's flames with unnerving ease.
"You don't get it," he said. "I'm trying to help you."
"Shut up!" Draigo hurled another fireball. Demon dodged without effort.
Butcher stepped forward. "Enough, Draigo! You'll get yourself killed!"
"Stay out of this!" Draigo begged. "Don't interfere—please. This is my fight."
The viewers online were baffled. Zoe stared at her screen, then whispered, "Wait… those are Ascenders High students."
The chat exploded.
OMG it's Butcher!
Where's Capper?!
Ascenders will cook that asshole!
In her private bar, Irina tipped back her twelfth whiskey, eyes alight.
"Magnificent… I want that boy in my organization before anyone else claims him."
Her guard reached for the bottle. "Ma'am, please. You've had enough—"
A voice cut across the room.
"Too late. I've already claimed him."
Heads turned.
The door closed behind a man in a white suit. He strolled in, plucked a beer from the table, and drank.
"Irina," she said coldly, "Mickey Baraka. What's a mafia boss doing here?"
He pointed lazily at the screen, at Demon.
"Just here to watch one of my best dealers."
The room went still.
---
– Breaking Point –
Back on the battlefield, Draigo staggered, breath ragged. His flames sputtered as exhaustion weighed on his limbs.
Demon tilted his head. "Why not ask your friends for help?"
"Shut up!" Draigo's voice cracked. "You… you gave up. You chose to be a villain. With your power, you could have been a hero. A soldier. Something more. But you're nothing. Pathetic!"
The word landed like a blade.
Pathetic.
Demon froze. His hand clenched at his face. A tremor ran through his body.
"…Pathetic?" His voice shook, then dropped into a growl. "You think me—hopeless?"
Betty whistled at her screen, crunching another chip. "Ooooh, he's pissed."
"Enough playing around," Demon snarled.
Philip shouted from the sidelines. "Draigo! Fall back—something's changed!"
But Draigo didn't move. Determination burned through his fatigue. He launched forward—
—and felt a sudden cut across his ribs.
He froze. Demon was no longer in front of him.
He was behind.
"Unknown tech," Demon said calmly, pointing to his boots. "Lets an ordinary man move like a power user. I wasn't planning to test them here… but thanks to you, I had to improvise."
The crowd online went insane.
Wait—he wasn't using powers?!
What the hell are those shoes?!
Draigo's eyes widened. "All this time… you—"
"Only used my power once after the gas," Demon cut in, smirking. "When I killed your sniper."
Draigo's voice broke. "LIES!" Tears spilled as he flung flame after flame. Demon slipped through every strike with unnatural speed.
"Reckless!" Butcher roared. "You'll burn us all!"
But Draigo didn't stop. His flames grew wild, scorching ground and air alike.
Then—
A thunderous bang.
Draigo's body slammed into a wall, coughing smoke.
A new voice lilted across the battlefield.
"How annoying… I hope he didn't ruin our dance, love."
Bunny stood at Demon's side, her gaze unholy and fixed.