“Should I tell everyone what happened that night or will you?” Mr. Hat asked with a mocking smile hanging on his lips.

Ullr knew what was at stake. He’d seen what they did to Gladius. How her entire life was spun upside down by that video. Now he was being threatened as well. Everything was hanging in the balance. The next few minutes would decide it all.

“I’ll tell you what. If you admit what you did, in front of everyone here, I won’t detonate the bombs,” Mr. Hat said.

The people in the room stared on with a hundred different emotions. Many were confused by what was happening in front of them. However, that couldn’t be said about everyone. A small and growing number were realizing just what this was. Looking around the room Mr. Hat could see it blossoming on their faces. The terrorist in front of them was claiming Ullr wasn’t a Hero. Instead, alleging he was a monster in a red hood. A week earlier and no one would’ve believed it. Thinking Mr. Hat was a fraud. Now, with what happened to Gladius, trust between The Hunt and the people of Des Moines was at an all time low.

Mr. Hat had spent years studying Ullr. Getting to know his every tick. The same couldn’t be said for his opponent. This was the first time Ullr even remembered the two meeting. That gave Mr. Hat a distinct advantage. Almost like he could look a few moves ahead in a chess match. Did that mean his was unbeatable, far from it. Still, it gave him a clear advantage. One he’d just started to exploit.

Ullr looked oblivious to the changes in the room around him. He was too focused on the man in front of him and the threat he represented. With little more than a blink Ullr was in motion, like an Olympic racer at the starting gun. The floor under him cracked as he dashed forward. Tiny flecks of tile spraying up as he passed.

Even with the advantage Mr. Hat hadn’t wanted a direct confrontation, preferring to stay in the shadows. Even so, sometimes you couldn’t get what you wanted. Of the entire Hero team, Ullr was the only member Mr. Hat couldn’t catch doing something compromising. That’s why the plan had been to humiliate the team until people could only assume Ullr was part of the mess. Luckily he didn’t have to worry about that anymore, Ullr’s actions now would speak for themselves.

With each bounding stride Ullr’s feet crunched into the ground. The floor groaning as it struggled to hold his weight. The beams weren’t designed for such a load. They screamed out as if a forest in a windstorm.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mr. Hat’s hand tensed, his grip on the gun shifting in his sweaty hands. This was it, Ullr decided to shut up Mr. Hat before he could say anything more. Even if that put the entire city at risk. Just like Mr. Hat knew he would. For once the world would get to see the man under the mask.

Each step brought Ullr’s muscles bulging outward. His strides covering twice the distance of a professional racer.

In a blink Ullr was halfway across the room, just in time for Mr. Hat to twirl the gun around. Moving it from the woman in front of him to the approaching Hero. With the suit Ullr was in Mr. Hat knew the bullets would do little if anything to the man. At least not the 9mm gun he was carrying. It’s why he hadn’t started shooting the second he entered the place. Despite that, he still pointed it at the approaching man. It wasn’t that he cared about the woman in his arms, it’s just that she’d already fulfilled her purpose. Now the gun helped convince the charging man to keep coming. It’d be annoying if his brain caught up to him now and he slowed down before making it all the way.

To Mr. Hat’s relief Ullr kept coming. After two more steps he was within range. Mr. Hat didn’t have much time, so he immediately activated his power. Turning everyone in the room semi transparent. Their insides a mess of swirling strings. Each person was a unique kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.

Ignoring everyone at the edges of the space, Mr. Hat focused in on the man rushing towards him. Ullr was already another step closer by the time he found the strings he needed. This would be tight.

Mr. Hat twisted the string into a new shape, one he was almost sure would work. Unfortunately, with the limited time he couldn’t know for sure and could only hope it would be enough. With that done Mr. Hat commanded, “Tell the people what you did to Blue Feather and why.”

The words were out of Mr. Hat’s mouth just as Ullr reached him. He was far too close, even if Mr. Hat’s command worked there wasn’t enough time for it to take hold.

Closing his eyes, Mr. Hat focused on the woman he loved. He could still see their last morning together. She hadn’t been able to sleep the previous night, spending most of it pacing around their apartment. He could tell something was wrong. The circles under her eyes were new. Starting only a few weeks prior. In the last few days they’d grown to double the size.

Even with everything he saw and knew signaling something was wrong she’d refused to say what it was. Insisting everything was under control and she’d be back that night for a late dinner. If only he’d done something, said something more, but now it was too late.

The memory blurred as pain blossomed in Mr. Hat’s chest. A searing white edge stabbed into him before it threw him backwards. His thumb clicking down on the call button. There was nothing left to regret, it was done.