You know that feeling when things are finally working out for you after ages of hard work? I was feeling that now. It was fantastic, everything I’d ever dreamed of laying out before me like the Christmas gifts of a spoiled child. Well… I mean, almost everything I could want.

I guess being in charge of a country isn’t as fun as it’s made out to be unless you really get to make the rules. As of right now, there were some people who weren’t exactly enthused by the idea of me making the rules. I couldn’t imagine why. The mass genocide had been a one-time thing, okay? Anyway, now I had people after me and I didn’t much like it. That brings us to now.

Someone had gotten into my temporary castle (it wasn’t really a castle, it was a boring house, but I was having a castle constructed, okay? Patience is a virtue, you know). He’d come in and gotten past my very well-placed guards (they were standing at the doors. Very strategic placement if you ask me), and he’d come to confront me. He gave me some speech, about how I was a villain and needed to be stopped.

Okay, I change my mind, this was fun. Amusing. The world isn’t black and white, kids. Not that my morals really fit into the grey area, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, he finished up his little hero monologue (everyone talks about villain monologues being long and stupid and boring but can we talk about hero monologues for just a second? Seriously…), and he drew... some kind of weapon I didn’t recognize.

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“What’s that supposed to do?” I asked, trying to hide my unease behind a derisive smile.

“I was told this could kill anyone. Even you,” our little hero told me.

“Even me? I’m flattered, really. Now, put the toy away and I might let you live.” I noticed he was standing a bit far away. It was a distance weapon, then. I approached him quickly. Distance weapons aren’t half as effective up close, now are they?

“I’ve heard it’s hard to kill someone who doesn’t have a heart.”

“Oh, I’m wounded, positively devastated,” I drawled, amused by his attempt at… whatever that was. I drew my blade, quickly becoming bored. It was time for blood.

My blood, as it turned out. The little hero raised his weapon— for a moment I thought he intended to hit me over the head with it, but then I heard a very loud bang. I flinched despite myself just before pain overtook my consciousness. My head felt like it might split in half, my vision went red and black, and I thought I might pass out. I heard another bang, and another, each inflicting more excruciating pain.

“What did you DO to me?” I screamed, the words splitting my head all the more and tearing at my throat as they escaped. I hoped he could feel the rage directed at him. I hoped he was afraid.

I did pass out a moment later. The red faded and the black was all that remained.