Waves on a river? I didn’t think it was possible. Not here, in this remote, placid area. But looking at the churning water now, the description felt sickeningly apt. The river looked vicious, its surface agitated as if by some unseen storm. It was a stark contrast to the day itself—bright and sunny, with birds singing and the first spring flowers on the verge of blooming. Two cruise ships floated on that turbulent water, oblivious. For the guests aboard, who had come seeking pleasure and relaxation, something terrible was about to happen. [“Yes, there are bombs on both of those ships. Boom! Just like that. And everyone on board… will die without a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones.”] The criminal’s voice echoed from every television on the national broadcast. He was the first villain to ever successfully hijack the airwaves. [“Who am I? Why am I doing this? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Egostic. You can just call me Ego. Should I list my credentials? S-class villain Zodiak. A-class villain Grizzly. Yes, I killed them. Why? Because it’s fun?”] He winked. The gesture was only half-visible, the other eye hidden by his mask. [“So, am I just a murderer? No, no! That’s no fun at all. There should always be a way out, a chance for everyone to live, right? So, here’s the deal: I want the-class hero Starlight to arrive at my location within ten minutes. Why? Because if she doesn’t… we’re going to have two new Titanics sinking in the river today.”] “I’m going now. Get to the roof and open the door for me.” “Understood!” The staff member closed the door and rushed out. In the now-empty office, Stella Clark hastily changed. She slipped into a skin-tight red latex suit and fitted the in-ear comms into place. With no time to waste, she ran toward the windows and launched herself into the sky. [“Starlight, this is the Operation Control Room. Transmitting coordinates for the-class villain, Egostic. Westbridge…”] The villain had given her ten minutes. Considering his current location, it was more than enough time. “Phew… Fuck.” I switched off the camera and slid it into my pocket. By now, live feeds from the two ships were no doubt flooding the broadcast. The cameras I had installed in advance would be showing the escalating panic to the entire nation. “God, I could use a cigarette.” Starlight would be here any second. The thought of seeing my favorite character in the flesh made my heart flutter. Then I imagined the cold, hateful glare she would fix on me… Hmm. Why did that make my heart beat even faster? Anyway, I hoped she appreciated the setup. This wasn't just terrorism; it was terrorism fused with a prisoner's dilemma. I’d spent hours planting these bombs, hiring the right people, scheduling everything, hijacking the broadcast… For a man who had lived his entire life as a normal citizen, orchestrating a terror plot hadn't been easy. What would I have done without the money? Well, I’d managed it somehow. Architect, are you seeing this? The story you created… I’m going to bring it to life in this world. With a few of my own personal touches, of course. I checked my outfit one last time. Black robe, black pants, black cape, black hair. And the gray mask covering the right half of my face, deeply inspired by the Phantom of the Opera. Perfect. I stood on the rooftop, the river a silver ribbon in the distance. Leaning against the railing, I scanned the sky. A small dot appeared, growing larger by the second. Someone was cutting through the air, flying directly toward me. It was her, blonde hair streaming behind her. The hero of this world, Starlight. BAM! She landed on the rooftop, cracking the concrete beneath her feet. Wow! A perfect hero landing! As a fan of the original work, seeing it in person made my heart race. But, uh, why was she charging straight at me? “Whoa, whoa! Detonator in my hand! You should stop!” I yelled, shaking the device in my right hand for emphasis. She slowed her advance, finally halting a few feet away. She folded her arms and stared, her eyes boring into me. “……Egostic.” “That’s my name. Glad you remembered.” “Disarm the bombs. Now. Do that, and I’ll only rough you up a little before I arrest you.” “Haha. You know I’m not going to do that, don’t you?” Her expression soured. Even twisted in anger, she was still gorgeous. “Come on, don’t frown so much. I told you on the broadcast, there’s a way for everyone to live.” I winked at the camera I’d set up just before she arrived, making sure this entire confrontation was being broadcast live. “Miss Starlight. I’m quite interested in you. Very interested, in fact.” She remained silent, her jaw tight, simply staring me down. Was she giving me the floor? Fine by me. “A late bloomer of a hero, climbing all the way from C-class to A-class. A woman of unshakable justice and belief, who refuses to compromise with evil. You are a symbol of humanity's triumph. Personally, I have the deepest respect for you.” My masked face seemed to annoy her. Still pretty, though. “If you’re just going to spout nonsense, then shut up. What do you want?” Oh, I just wanted to compliment you on a nationwide live broadcast. This will get more people to recognize my Stella Clark! Right, I should stop fanboying. Time for the main event. “Now, now. Here’s what you need to know. In the captain’s room on each ship, you will find a detonator in the lower right drawer.” “These detonators will blow up the other ship. Not their own, you understand. The other one.” Starlight’s face tightened. The gears were turning. She was starting to get it. I continued with a gentle smile. “The way to save everyone is simple.” “Nobody has to press the detonator.” “The time limit is thirty minutes. During that time, you cannot press both detonators.” “However, the moment one ship’s button is pressed, the other ship will go… boom. Oh, dear.” “The people on the ship that presses the button first are ‘100%’ guaranteed to survive. So it’s not all bad, is it?” She still didn’t seem to fully grasp it. Right, she probably thinks no one would be monstrous enough to press the button. I grinned. “Miss Starlight, you who love justice so much, who always praise the good in human beings.” “After this, I hope you’ll finally realize how truly evil and selfish they can be.” With that, I clapped my hands together and shouted, “As I said, the time limit is thirty minutes! Well then, good luck, everyone!” The moment the words left my mouth, I killed the broadcast feed. Then I switched the signal, projecting the live video from inside the two ships’ cabins. “Now, shall we watch the show together? I’ve saved you a ringside seat.” She glared, but I just waggled the two detonators I held. Behave yourself. The images flickered to life on the roof wall, cast by a beam projector I’d set up earlier. Starlight stared at the screens, her expression still composed. “Do you really think people will act the way you want?” she shot back. Oh, she thinks they’ll all stay quiet and calm, that no one would dare press the button, doesn’t she? “Well,” I said with a smile, “you’ll see.” The video played on. As she began to understand the situation unfolding inside the ships, her face slowly began to stiffen. [“Press the button! They’re going to kill us all! We have to press it first to survive!”] The sight of people screaming, their faces contorted with fear. Not quite what you were expecting, was it? Of course. I had planted a few agitators. Once they started screaming for everyone to press the button, the mob mentality would do the rest. My plan was to weaponize their fear, to make them believe that their only path to survival was to doom the others. Hahaha. [“Button! Button! Button! Button!”] Watching her stunned expression, I grinned. I’m a professional villain. A professional has to plan for every contingency. Now, let’s see what kind of chaos unfolds. “Starlight. Things seem a little different… Haha, from what you expected, don’t they?” Gosh, I shouldn't laugh. But teasing her is just too much fun. “Helicopter! Is the helicopter ready?” “Yes, sir. It’s been on standby, ready to move in if the ships explode.” “Phew, is that all we have?” “Other B-class heroes have been deployed near the Argent River!” “I doubt they’ll be much use. Ha, and still no word from Starlight. She’s pinned down.” The Hero Association of Astoria’s Control Center was a hive of activity. Amidst the chaos of countless agents, the association’s 50-year-old president wiped sweat from his bald head with a towel. Just when things had finally gotten quiet for a while, this had to happen. Still dabbing at his brow, he stared at the cabin feeds on the main screen and muttered, “…But why are they making such a fuss about pressing the button? If they just don’t press it, everyone lives, right?” “…I don’t know either, President.” “Oh, for heaven’s sake…” On the screen, a man screamed, his voice raw with terror. [“I’m not going to press the button!”] The chaos in the cabins continued to escalate.

Chapter 2: A Storm Without Clouds