Los Angeles, United States of America, 7:04 a.m.
Ash rained like confetti. The wind carried it over the melted skeleton of Los Angeles. The city was gone. To satellites it was just a radioactive wasteland.
Phaser sat on what remained of a skyscraper's spine jutting toward the smoke-blurred sky. His crimson hair, streaked with soot, moved gently in the wind. His clothes were half burnt but he didn't seem to care. Beneath him, the ruins stretched endlessly. He could still see where the Energy Angel's blast had torn through the land. The Pacific was glowing not from sunlight, but from residual energy. Every wave that reached the shore hissed like boiling water. The news reports were still echoing from his tablet he summoned from his System Inventory.
"—fourteen point two million confirmed dead across Southern California, Arizona, and parts of Nevada—"
"—attack confirmed to have originated from Officia Fluxer No. 07, codename: Energy Angel—"
"—World Forces have detained a famous Officia Fluxer, identified as Energy Angel, who surrendered immediately after the event she caused—"
He sighed before putting his tablet away.
Around Phaser stood five women dressed in black. Their cloaks were long following the direction of the wind. Their eyes were gleaming though their hoods. None of them spoke at first. They were motionless, looking at the horrific scene in front of them. Then one of them finally spoke.
"You really fucked up this time, Master."
Phaser smiled faintly. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and looked down at the endless graveyard that was created without a single drop of sweat.
"Nope. I didn't do anything. It was the Energy Angel. She decided to use her most powerful attack and she missed."
The women said nothing, though one's lips twitched not in fear, but in admiration. Phaser continued as if he was simply explaining the weather.
"She was already about to unleash that ridiculous blast on me. She thought he could win. So, I simply moved away from the direction before she fired it, which was in Los Angeles. She had the power to stop it but heroes always hesitate at the end. She didn't want to 'kill innocents.' So she killed fourteen million instead."
One of the women tilted her head. "You let her destroy everything. That's not an accident, that's... strategy."
"Strategy? No, Rielinne. That's just reality catching up to fantasy. They'll execute her. Publicly of course. The irony writes itself. Meanwhile, I'm still here. I just let the world deal with my biggest obstacle and I didn't even have to move a finger to kill her. Now, they'll build their gallows, speeches and righteousness while I'll just watch it all while she wallows in extreme despair."
The women exchanged glances. Their master was many things. He was tactician, a strategist and a monster but in this moment, what terrified them most was his calmness. Even though the fourteen million people were collateral damage to a final attack from his opponent but missed, he didn't feel any remorse for those who died. Sure, they also didn't care about it too but still, it was strange seeing how extremely calm he was.
One of them finally agreed. "You're a genius, but also a bastard."
Phaser's laugh was genuine this time, echoing faintly through the hollow remains of the city.
"Oh, Naelle. Believe me, for someone like her, committing genocide to the people she swore to protect broke her completely. I didn't have to touch her. That's why I hate heroes. They always have this childish dream of saving the world but they never ask what it costs to hold that light. They don't have the mental state to endure it. That's why heroes is a stupid cliché. What do you mean just because a child said thank you after you saved them from drowning, that's when you decided to become a hero? I call that validation seeking."
"Master..."
"It's true! What, you save people to make the world a better place? If the world hated you while you saved them, would you still save them if they're in danger? And and if they do, they'll still expect them to thank them and prove they were wrong and the hero is just. If that is not seeking validation from the masses then what is?"
Naelle had no words. Another woman patted Naelle's head and scoffed.
"Admit it. Master is right."
"I know Enheduanna. Still, he didn't have to say it like that. I feel sorry for the Energy Angel. I wanted her to join us. She was the perfect candidate."
Enheduanna sighed as she stopped patting her companion's head.
"You'll live. Either way, this might cause the Fourth Great World War. Luckily for us, we erased Master's traces. I'd like to see how the world will turn out after this."
He stood up slowly, brushing the ash off his coat, his silhouette cutting through the smog. The five women watched in silence as he walked to the edge of the portal they came out of, the burned skyline stretching endlessly below. For a long while, none of them spoke. The wind whispered through their cloaks, carrying the faint scent of ozone and smoke.
"Let's go."
"Where to, Master?"
He smiled again, though there was no warmth in it .
"We have a meeting with the Ophaniels, remember? With this, the world won't be silent. It's going to be messy and we should take advantage of the chaos. After all, it's not every day fourteen million people die instantly."
Another woman sighed softly. "And if the members start idolizing you again?"
"Please don't jinx it, Iserra. I've already have a lot on my plate and the Ophaniels idolizing me is not exactly pleasant."
The women laughed slightly before they followed him as he turned away. Above them, the smog parted briefly, revealing a single ray of dying morning sunlight. Phaser stopped once, glancing back at the ruins one last time.
"Fourteen million souls gone. And all it took was one mistake from a hero. If only you didn't try to capture the Void Saint, Energy Angel. Maybe you would be enjoying your life with your family. Too bad they'll watch you being executed in front of the world."
He turned away, disappearing into the grey horizon with his entourage of assassins.