Two hours before the catastrophe
Grey woke with a start, the morning sun filtering through the blinds. He sat up, running a hand through his hair and whispering to himself, "It's time to finish this." The statement felt like both an order and a promise.
He dressed quickly, grabbing his temporary press badge, worn but vital, and left the apartment. As he stepped onto the street, he greeted a neighbor with a nod and a quiet "Good morning." The neighbor smiled back, unaware of the storm brewing beneath the festival's celebratory surface.
On his way through the waking city, Grey took in the familiar sights: commuters hurrying past, the distant hum of traffic, and the glow of storefronts opening for the day. Everything seemed ordinary, peaceful even. Perfectly deceptive.
Thirty minutes before the catastrophe
He arrived at the main office building where he worked part-time. The lobby buzzed with activity: reporters grabbing coffee, editors reviewing pitches, and printers churning out headlines. He made his way to his desk and greeted a coworker with a brief nod before focusing on the task at hand.
He opened his notebook and reviewed his map: press zones, hero vantage points, and emergency exits. He drafted a quick, anonymous update to the hero agency, warning of suspicious minor villain activity near the stands. He hit send and exhaled. "Everything is going smoothly… like today," he thought, half to reassure himself.
From the window above the city, he watched students and officials begin to gather at the stadium. Banners fluttered, laughter echoed faintly, and the excitement of the festival pulsed through the air. The Cavalry Battle had been a brilliant display of Quirk strategy, but beneath it, something uneasy simmered.
Grey allowed himself one steadying breath. He had a job to do, and now, more than ever, he needed to do it right.
Time of the Catastrophe
It happened in an instant. A thunderous explosion ripped through the building. The sound was deafening; glass shattered, alarms blared, and the hum of normalcy snapped like a brittle thread.
Grey's world tilted. Monitors flickered, and smoke curled upward in thick black plumes. Papers scattered, and a fire erupted in the hallway, flames licking the walls.
Chaos erupted. Colleagues screamed and ran. The office dissolved into a nightmare.
Grey pressed himself against the wall, heart racing. Through the smoke, he caught sight of a figure emerging from the haze, a villain, eyes burning with rage.
This was no random attack. The intruder moved with cold intention, eyes scanning the room, weapon raised. Time froze for Grey as he realized the sheer brutality of what was unfolding.
Suddenly, shots rang out. Bullets tore through desks, monitors, and people. Civilians screamed. Colleagues crumpled to the floor. Blood splattered across papers and walls. The villain's voice cut through the chaos, harsh and accusing: "Where is he, this fuck?"
Grey's lungs burned from the smoke and the shock. His heart pounded like a war drum. He didn't know who "he" was or why this man was here, but the violence didn't need a reason yet. It was real.
The world he'd tried to make sense of had collapsed into chaos, and now he was trapped in its merciless center. Through the chaos, the villain's voice rang out again, sharper this time, an accusation laced with hate:
"You! Because of you, we lost everything! I'll kill you all!"
Panic surged in Grey's chest. He didn't yet understand the full reason behind the attack, but the tone and the fury were personal. He realized it wasn't a joke.
Instinct took over. He dove beneath the nearest desk, heart hammering, as bullets tore through the air around him. Splintered wood and shattered glass rained down as the shooter moved with ruthless purpose.
Grey pressed himself flat against the cold floor, every breath a struggle in the rising smoke. His mind raced. They're looking for me, but why? But why, he thought, as fear gripped his every nerve.
Then he heard the villain's footsteps above, dragging closer. The voice that followed, twisted with rage, was unmistakable:
"Because of you, we lost everything! You ruined us! You took it all!" The footsteps stopped just above his head, and he knew there was no escape.
From his position on the floor, Grey's eyes darted upward. The assailant moved with chilling precision, weapon raised. This wasn't a random act of violence; it was targeted and personal.
Then the villain's voice rang out again, louder and angrier:
"You thought you could get away with it, but you were wrong. Now you'll pay for what you've done." Grey's heart pounded in his chest as he braced himself for the inevitable confrontation. "Give us back our money, all of it! Because of you, we lost everything!"
Grey's confusion turned to disbelief. Seriously? All this… for money?
Grey couldn't believe that this violent attack was over money. The assailant's rage seemed disproportionate to the situation, leaving Grey to wonder what had led to this extreme response.
Smoke stung his lungs, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He realized then: they were searching for him.
The reporter who had helped him lay motionless nearby. Now, this monster was hunting him, fueled by vengeance and greed.
The villain stood amid the devastation, holding a strange gun. Suddenly, with a flick of the wrist, multiple bullets erupted from the weapon in a rapid burst. The room rattled with the sound of automatic fire, each shot echoing like a drumbeat of fury.
Grey pressed himself flat beneath the desk, every sense screaming for survival. The walls trembled. Papers flew. Flames danced closer, their heat pressing in on him.
Under the table, his heartbeat felt like an explosion in his chest. As the chaos unfolded around him, Grey knew he had to find a way out before it was too late. Adrenaline surged through his veins, pushing him to make a split-second decision that could mean the difference between life and death.
Then, above the chaos, a voice rang out clear, commanding:
"Stop right there!"
A hero had arrived. The hero stood firm, costume scorched but resolute, quirk activating in a brilliant display. A shimmering energy barrier materialized in front of them, deflecting the villain's bullets with a radiant pulse. Grey felt a surge of hope as he watched the hero in action, knowing that he might just have a chance to escape the chaos unscathed, trusting in their ability to protect him from harm.
This Quirk Reflective Shield absorbed and redirected incoming attacks with dazzling precision. The bullets rebounded harmlessly, clinking off walls and counters.
The villain snarled, enraged, and pressed forward. But before they could reload, a second figure emerged from the smoke: another villain, cloaked and silent, stepping into the chaos with deadly intent. "Mister hero, care to look at me?"
The new threat raised their hand, and dark tendrils of energy erupted, snaking toward the hero with lethal speed. The hero braced himself for the impending attack.
His barrier flickered, shimmering under the strain of both attacks. The first villain fired again; bullets slammed into the shield, now glowing dangerously bright. The second villain's tendrils lashed out, seeking to bypass the barrier altogether.
Grey's heart pounded. The office had become a battleground, a deadly collision of Quirks, vengeance, and survival.
He pressed himself lower, unsure whether to flee or intervene. The hero knew he had to act quickly before the barrier gave out completely. With a deep breath, he focused his energy and prepared to counterattack, determined to protect those around him from harm. The fate of the office now rested in his hands as he readied himself for the intense battle ahead.
The hero gritted their teeth. "Not today," muttering under his breath, bracing against the barrage.
Smoke choked the room, alarms wailed, and chaos threatened to consume everything.
Just when it seemed the hero might falter, two more figures burst through the smoke, heroes, their presence like lightning cutting through the inferno.
Hero Two: A tall figure with a flaming aura, their Quirk: Inferno Wings, manifesting as blazing wings of fire that illuminated the room. With a powerful flap, they surged forward, channeling heat and embers to push the first villain back.
Hero Three: A lithe, agile hero whose quirk, Graviton Push, allowed them to manipulate gravitational fields. With a gesture, they created a localized pressure wave that shoved the second villain against a wall, pinning them in place.
Together, the three heroes cornered the villains:
The original attacker, now trapped behind the Reflective Shield, dropped their weapon under the combined pressure of fire and repulsion. The second villain, pinned by gravitational force, struggled helplessly.
The heroes exchanged a knowing glance before moving in to apprehend the villains, their teamwork and unique abilities proving to be a formidable combination. As they secured the villains, the city breathed a collective sigh of relief, grateful for the swift and decisive action of their extraordinary protectors.
Grey watched from beneath the desk, heart racing. The heroes had turned the tide. They combined their quirks to neutralize the threat and protect the innocent.
The office was still burning, but for the first time since the attack began, hope flickered in Grey's chest.
The combined efforts of Aegis Shield's barrier, Inferno Wings' blazing power, and Graviton Push's crushing force had cornered and trapped the first villain. It should have been over.
Then, from the swirling smoke and flickering flames, a new figure emerged, calm, confident, and disturbingly composed. The room fell silent as the third villain stepped forward, voice cool and deliberate:
"Impressive teamwork, I must say," the villain began, a sinister smile playing on their lips. "But you haven't seen anything yet. This is only the beginning of my master plan." The heroes exchanged worried glances, realizing that the battle was far from over.
"Time out. Everything is ready."
Then Inferno Wings broke the silence with a smile, cold and unsettling.
"Oh, so," he drawled.
Hero Two, the one with blazing wings, seized one of Grey's coworkers and pressed a weapon against their temple. "Move or they die," Hero Two hissed, voice cold and merciless. The heroes, once symbols of hope, had turned into threats.
From the pinned villain's corner, a chilling voice broke the tension.
"Thank you… mister hero," the villain sneered, a cruel smile curving across their lips. "Thanks for not killing me."
And before anyone could react, one of the hero's blazing wings, Inferno Wings, lashed out, impaling Grey's coworker. The sickening thud echoed in the smoky corridor.
The hero's eyes widened in shock as they realized what had just happened. The once-protective wings now seemed like deadly weapons, leaving everyone in the room feeling a sense of dread and uncertainty.
Screams ripped through the air. The wounded coworker collapsed, eyes wide in shock and betrayal.
The third villain stepped from the smoky hallway. His eyes gleamed with calm triumph.
"I've already planned our escape," he announced. "I explored every path. Now… we can go. Even if we didn't find him, I made sure that he'll die."
And then Inferno Wings replied to him with a small smile.
"you sure toke your time, I even have to step out for your damn ass."
With a sudden, chilling calm, Inferno Wings dropped the hostage and raised his weapon at the other two heroes.
"You're on the wrong side," he declared, voice cold with conviction. "This world betrayed us. Now it's our turn."
Inferno Wings' sudden betrayal left the heroes stunned, their trust shattered in an instant. As the tension in the hallway thickened, it became clear that their fight for justice had taken a dark turn.
In an instant, alliances shifted. Inferno Wings's betrayal was complete.
Aegis Shield stumbled backward in shock. Graviton Push braced for an attack. The villains smirked, emboldened by the fracture in hero unity.
Grey's heart pounded. The world he'd tried to understand had fractured completely; heroes could betray heroes, villains could escape, and trust felt like a myth.
He pressed himself lower, wondering who he could trust when everyone seemed lost.
Then the gravity's master crack. With rage in his voice, he shouted at Inferno Wings.
"Do you really think you can just walk away from this?"
Inferno Wings chuckled darkly, his voice strangely calm. "What? Areyou implying you're going to kill me?"
Graviton Push's mouth opened, but no words came.
And he kept on, his voice icy and mocking: "Don't worry." No one will know because you're all going to die.
Then, without warning, an explosion tore through the hallway. Flames roared louder, debris rained down, and the corridor erupted into chaos.
The corridor was in ruins, with blackened walls, ripped ceiling panels, and debris all over the floor. Smoke spiraled through the air in waves that made it hard to breathe. It smelled like burning metal and flesh.
Grey knelt in the middle of the debris, his eyes wide and confused as he looked at the dead body in his arms. She was his college classmate, the one who had faith in him and told him to do well that morning. Now her face was pale and quiet, and she was dead. He held her as the world burnt around them.
And in front of him, the one standing with pain.
It was the hero with the Aegis Shield, the one who had bravely raised that barrier, sacrificing themselves to protect the press area. But even that sacrifice hadn't been enough to save them.
He closed her eyes gently, the weight of her death pressing down on him. Outside, alarms wailed. Inside, fear and determination warred in his chest.
He turned to the hero standing a few feet away, their costume singed, eyes wide with shock and sorrow.
"Why… didn't you stop it?" he demanded, voice trembling with grief and fury. "You could've… But why didn't you just kill them?"
The hero's hands shook as they struggled to find the right words.
"I... I couldn't," they whispered, tears streaming down their face. "I couldn't bring myself to take a life, even to save others." The weight of their decision hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the difficult choices heroes must make in times of crisis.
The hero's expression faltered. For a moment, the roar of the flames and distant sirens seemed to pause.
They swallowed, voice tight.
"Because… because heroes don't kill," they said, voice raw. "Even when it costs us everything." The hero's eyes glistened with unshed tears, their resolve wavering but unwavering. The burden of their choice was a heavy cross to bear, but they knew deep down that staying true to their values was the only path worth walking.
The words echoed in the smoke-filled hallway, yet they sliced through Grey's anger like a knife. His vision was blurry, and his feelings were out of control.
Grey looked at them, and all of his feelings were out in the open. Then he let out a sour chuckle that was little, piercing, and almost hysterical.
"Right," he said again, his voice dripping with disdain. "Heroes don't kill." Hmm.
The hero's jaw tightened. They said, "You need to get out of here," in an anxious voice. "Go." I can't keep this up for much longer.
Grey's thoughts were racing. His eyes moved back and forth between the hero's determined face and the destruction all around him. He agreed without thinking, helping a few survivors make their way to the escape as the hero held the line with all of their strength.
"Live," the hero's voice reverberated behind him as he ran away. For them and what comes next.
Grey stumbled into the street, choking. Every breath was a fight against the noxious smoke and the cold jolt of reality. Sirens roared, rubble was everywhere, and distant flames cast flickering shadows across the damaged office building where he had almost died. The world around him was broken. It started to rain, thin and cold, and it soaked into his garments and mixed with the dust and ash on his skin.
He collapsed onto the curb, trembling, as a nearby news van broadcast live footage of the collapse of the newspaper building his workplace. The reporter's voice crackled through the static:
"We are seeing a terrible scene here in the city center. We don't know what caused the explosion yet, but emergency workers are working around the clock to get people out who are stuck inside.
"...a terrible fall at the press center today as a violent attack happened during the Festival. There are reports of injuries, both among professionals and citizens. More information is coming out...
The picture on the television changed to Inferno Wings, who was standing in the wreckage with a calm, sad look on his face like a martyr. His outfit was burned. The camera stayed on him while he talked seriously about "protecting the innocent."
Grey's stomach turned. He knew what was true. He had seen the betrayal up close.
Rain started to pour. At first, it was light, but soon it got heavier, and each drop was cold and harsh. Grey shut his eyes and let the rain wash over him, mixing with the tears he didn't know he had wept. Grey couldn't ignore the sensation of disappointment and sadness that surrounded him as the rain fell. He felt sorrowful in his heart since he knew that not all heroes were what they looked like.
He got up, drenched and irritated. He whispered into the night, his fists tight:
"I'll kill them all."