capeandcowl | twenty-five. video. backdated to late last night.

[The feed is filled with the sound of heavy breathing. Then choked laughter. Then the video snaps on.]

I'm so fucking bored today, City. What should I do?

[Something has snapped quite palpably in the man who was playing with shadow puppets only days before. The feed is focused on his face, on his manic eyes and disheveled hair. He's rocking on a chair that isn't meant to rock.]

I know. I know what I'll do. I'll kill someone!

[He stops rocking. Drums his fingers on the bottom of the seat.]

Maybe I'll blow up a hospital, show that off. Maybe I'll kidnap a bunch of other fucking imports, tie them to chairs, torture them, and broadcast their sorry, knife-ridden bodies to the network. Maybe I'll shoot a child in cold blood, you little bastard. [He affects, quite accurately, Ladd's accent.] Torture with spells. Slash throats. Decapitate. Trick people into solving madlibs and then beat them to death with sticks. Kidnap people weaker than me and cut into their heads ahah-ha--

[His breaths dissolve into something like the beginning of tears hitch hitch hitch and then spits into laughter instead. He drags his hands over his face. His voice is a frail whisper:]

Oh my God. You monsters.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maybe not, but you're making a jack-ass of yourself all over the network. Why don't you try some deep breathing exercises and calm down.

I am sick of remaining calm while my f-friends are killed.

[His expression softens a bit.]

Having friends die is never a picnic, but what is your outburst supposed to be helping exactly?

I try to be polite. I try to keep my head down, but the people here, these people have done horrible things and they deserve to have someone tell them that they're fucking monsters. At the very least.

At the very least.

[He's quite for a moment. Just considering him.]

You think they don't know that? I admit I've seen my share of freaks who think they're killing people for the greater good, but the thing about most of these...monsters is that they're very self-aware.

They just don't care.