Their pet beagle lay on the corner of the room, releasing a quick yawn as its head tilted to the side, watching from the sidelines while awaiting for his entire family to finish whatever they were doing, much to Bubble's disappointment.
Bubbles had been hoping to get a walk outside like any ordinary pet, but unfortunately for him, they are currently busy staring at the television set with the screen flickering to life, a news report already underway while showing the level of carnage that transpired outside of a well-known restaurant.
Before long, the screen switches to a middle-aged man holding a microphone as he stood amongst the gathering of people. The reporter wore an expression of shock and disbelief as he spoke, "It is with a heavy heart that we bring you the news of the day. An incident occurred just last night ago in this safe city, a place where peace and prosperity have always been a priority with tragedy struck just outside of this very restaurant."
A brief silence fell over the person as the words sank in: "more than thirty young men have been brutally killed by what the authorities believe to be the doing of Esper." His voice trembled at the mention of that report, the emotion of the news he was delivering clearly visible in his eyes: "the authorities are on high alert, searching for the perpetrator responsible for these crimes as they investigate further."
Nelson was at a loss for words, having never in his life heard something like this in the news before, and it terrifies him to his core.To think someone of our kind could do such a thing,he muttered, the color draining from his face as he went pale.
"This is a terrible misconception of what it means to be an Esper," he said under his breath, his voice shaking. "And I'm worried how our lives will be impacted when there is a serial killer on the loose." The fear of his tone was recognizable, the worry for the safety of his friends and family is bringing toll on his mind.
Hearing his own father horrified by what he had seen and heard made Sunny express contempt for himself for bringing this upon himself. He knew that regardless of the acts he does, whether good or bad, they will have consequences that he can't control.
And it made him afraid of how his own family would react when they found out the truth that he was responsible for killing those guys, even though he did it out of self-defense as well as having no control over what he was capable of doing with his abilities.
The news reporter continued on; his brown hair and shaved beard, along with his suit and tie, make him look younger than he appears. "At this moment, the Angeloids, as we know, are currently investigating the crime scene." gesturing his cameraman to follow him, the reporter moved towards the hordes of reporters and onlookers, the camera following him closely.
"Their bodies were described to have suffered from unexplainable damages, with the injuries appearing to be far beyond human capabilities." Their camera switched onto the freshly laid corpses that are still present on the public ground.
"Some had their internal organs ripped out, others were crushed as if a giant were playing with them like a toy, and some had their limbs twisted in grotesque and unimaginable angles," the reporter continued on, his voice shaking as he relayed the gruesome details of the aftermath.
"Others died from natural causes that shouldn't be possible in a healthy human: the heart attacks, the brain hemorrhages, the sheer force of a blow that would kill a normal person." His voice was filled with fear and disgust. "This is a new low even for us when there is a sadistic monster lurking in the shadows that is willing to commit such heinous acts."
Sunny gulped in terror, the sweat trickling down his forehead as he clutched the armrest of the couch, sitting like a scared duck. His knuckles were turning white from the pressure he put on them and the amount of stress he was experiencing.
He could feel the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders, the fear of the unknown washing over him if it were tidal waves about to crush him. He had never felt so vulnerable in his life; the thought of his family being in danger and him being the cause of it all was more than enough to give him nightmares for years to come.
Can he stay here any longer? When he was prepared and ready to secretly leave the Ark, he imagined it would take a couple of centuries for it to happen. But now, it seems his time is coming up, and it will be a matter of time until Karma comes crushing down.
Yet he is aware of how the Angeloids are known to be a busy bunch despite their impressive engineering and technological progress, so him being discovered won't be immediate, but it will be a matter of time when one of them discovers something fishy about him and catches it.
Knowing how self-inducing his own growing anxiety is, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He needed to do something to prepare for the worst and prevent the inevitable from happening. He knew he couldn't stay here any longer; his presence would only endanger the ones he loved and cared about.
Sunny doesn't know what happens when a citizen of the Ark is arrested, but something tells him it won't be pretty to discover what will happen to him. Especially with the magnitude of deaths he had caused, directly or indirectly.
"Currently, we are asking for any information, no matter how small, from the local authorities. If you see anything suspicious, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately," the reporter said, his voice regaining his composure.
"Now, we're going to switch to another segment," the camera panned over a circle of other reporters and journalists crowding around Malcom, the current suspect and owner of this fine restaurant, who was desperately trying to escape from their clutches but to no avail.
"What did you see?!" One journalist with a thick Russian accent shouted, his voice laced with anticipation, "Can you describe who those men were?"
Another man extended his microphone near Malcolm's lips with the cameraman standing at his side. "Were you on channel 18, please give us a statement!" He said, looking eagerly at him with the hope of getting a juicy story to report, "Please, we just want to know what happened last night!"
Desperation in his voice is apparent; the need to get the scoop that will make his career is currently driving him to the edge of his sanity when everyone is eager to be represented as famous and respected news company.
"Are you the one who killed those young men?!" A different news reporter, appearing in his 30s with a thick British accent, said, "We have rumors that those dead victims had something to do with you?!"
The atmosphere became more tense when the crowd of reporters and journalists alike continued to press Malcolm, the restaurant owner, with questions ranging from the most mundane to the most personal. It is a nightmarish situation, one that anyone present watching wouldn't wish on their worst enemy.
Poor Malcom was mercilessly surrounded by these predators, the reporters and journalists who were so desperate to get something from him or a statement that they could use to get the story. It's safe to say that greed and glory are their main motivations, although they are still doing their job of informing the public.
But the way they are pressuring him and invading his personal space is just malicious in itself. Showing no boundaries or respect when it comes to their pursuit of getting views.
The old man showed signs of distress, sweat running down his entire face as he tried to fend them off, his eyes wide with fear. "I don't know anything! Leave me alone!"
He shouted as his hands frantically waved in the air, trying to shield himself from the onslaught of questions: "All I heard was shouting and loud sounds outside of my restaurant!" Malcom said urgently, wanting nothing more than to get the hell away from this situation as soon as possible.
"Sir! You must have gotten something important to tell us?!" A news reporter asked, shoving his own microphone in his face, the cameraman following suit, "You must understand the gravity of the situation; your statement could lead to the capture of that monster!" The last word of his sentence had visibly made Sunny flinch from the television, the implications of that word sending a shiver down his spine in being called a monster and the term he hates the most of being called one when he himself isn't.
Tom's own father suddenly became enraged at the mention of calling their savior a monster. While he still won't give them a damn clue or answer in hopes of preventing the unlawful arrest of a true hero who went out of his way to protect and save them from a bunch of crooks who wanted nothing more than to satisfy their own entertainment in vandalizing his beloved establishment all for petty revenge.
"Get the fuck out of my face! NOW!"
With the disrespectful manners of these greedy man children invading his space and privacy with the sole purpose of gathering information and exploiting the situation to get their own name out there. And lastly, calling his rescuer a monster when the truth is far more complicated than they can imagine had triggered an switch in him.
This simple acts of degradation is too much for him to bear. "OUT! ALL OF YOU LEAVE MY PROPERTY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. The reporters and journalists immediately took a step back; their eyes widened in shock and surprise while their cameras were still aimed at him.
"Remove those cameras!" He ordered with a stern voice, "Get the hell out of here before I sue you lot for trespassing!" His threatening tone caused the pack of vultures to scatter, some reluctantly packing up their equipment as they left the premises in a hurry, fearing their own news companies would be forced to shut down because of certain regulations and rules they had to follow in order to stay in business and exist without shutting down because of the way they were operating in this situation.
Sunny stared at the screen, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the scene unfold, the fear and dread in his heart growing heavier with each passing moment. The danger he posed to the ones he loved was far too great.
While Malcom isn't someone who he describes as a friend, he nonetheless has grown to have respect for that man after seeing him not give any information about the night's incident. By this sight alone, he considers the old man someone worthy of protection.
"Wait! We still have—"
A persistent news reporter tried to get in the last word, only for him to be cut off when the angry Malcom finally snapped. Large fist coming down hard on the reporter's face, breaking his nose, and causing the man to yell in pain as his vision blurred from the sudden impact.
"SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY PROPERTY!"
The sounds of approaching angeloids could be heard in the distance as they rushed to the scene with their footsteps reverberating throughout the place.
Then the screen went black, leaving the entire living room dumbfounded by what had transpired. No one had words for what they had just witnessed, the fear and dread in their hearts growing heavier with each passing moment.
As the weight of the world pressed heavily on their shoulders. The knowledge of the dangers present around them made it clear enough that their once peaceful lives were going to soon end and change forever to something new and dangerous.
Sunny became deeply concerned about the life he has now after seeing and hearing everything from this very room. It will be a matter of time in the coming days before he has to plan his escape, but for the remaining time he has left, it might just be better to prepare for the worst and enjoy what he has left before it all goes to waste.
