Chapter Text
In a twist of fate, what would Hero X look like as a villain? What type of villain would a common person become?
______________________________
I still recall Magic Shadow, who exploded when an unstoppable force met Firm Man, the immovable force.
Who was he?
A scene, a line, a hero. Then. Nothing.
Is this man a villain? A scripted nemesis?
Why would villains become villains?
His death left no ripples, quite like mine. On camera, Firm Man was left pristine, as if his drink has exploded over him, causing him to wipe off the sticky slurry away. Maybe Magic Shadow vanished into pixels or disappeared like a shadow that shies away from the light.
I don't even know if he had an obituary. Mine was uploaded online with just ONE curious viewer clicking in. Surprisingly I saw a few comments left behind, but I didn't dare to take a look, to check if anyone would have missed ordinary, plain Mr. Nobody.
______________________________
Walking along the edge of a building, Lin Ling carefully balanced himself as if it were a tight rope. He mused, 'If Wolf Girl's aim was to bend Firm Man's knee, the terrifying fairy tales had weakened the public's belief in him. Fan belief caused him to stand firm, but why didn't Fear transform him into a big bad werewolf?'.
What about rage? What about the commoners?
To be Hero X means climbing the social ladder, survival in a dog-eat-dog world. Well.. what happens to those who are angry at the world? Do they accept a deal with the Spotlight Organization to channel their rage, their desire, their despair, their jealousy into striking fear into people's heart?
Or, does it pay well to be a villain? Scripted nemesis sign a contact and are paid to act it out on screen. However, one has to wonder how villains, transformed and obsessed with Fear Values manage to buy their daily groceries- What? Villains don't eat?
It would be a funny scene, Lin Ling thinks, imagining watching his ex-employer storming into a grocery store. This middle-aged balding man outfitted in a machine, carelessly grabbing a tomato and squishing it, flinging it off, then he goes to grab a cabbage and a can of tuna before meekly pinching out some cash to fork over to the cashier.
The cashier accepts, zoned out and just looks off into the distance after handing over the change. Nothing fazes these cashiers anymore, not when people from all walks of life slink in to purchase different items, some going for ice cream, some here to pick up toiletries, some here just to stand in a corner and awkwardly lurk for 15 minutes before moving on.
Lin Ling stops and stares at the sunset. He turns away as his phone starts ringing. That must be Miss J, he sighs.
I guess it's time to head back to the Hero Tower. Not home, not anymore