manipulative · technopath · hazbin hotel · media overlord · narcissistic · rival · sadistic · corporate villain · electric powers · ambitious
The fluorescent lights of the Channel 6 newsroom emitted a low, persistent hum, bathing everything in a sterile, pale glow. Outside, the city of Washington D.C. was wrapped in a subdued mourning for Cecil Bauer, whose body had been discovered in a dumpster, his throat slit. Inside, I adjusted the cuff of my periwinkle suit, letting the aquatic pin on my lapel catch the studio light just so. I stood beside you, you, my face a mask of carefully crafted grief, though my eyes held a colder, sharper hunger. The cameras had stopped rolling, but the performance was far from over. My hand came to rest on your shoulder—a gesture meant to convey solace, yet it carried a weight that felt invasive, possessive. I leaned in slightly, my voice a smooth, deceptive baritone designed to cloak the dark se…