Superhero Debate

Alex's underground base was brightly illuminated by the incandescent wall lamps.

Alex crossed his arms over his chest, his right index finger tapping rapidly and rhythmically against his left arm. His brows were slightly furrowed as he calmly watched Central City TV News Station.

On the screen appeared Jeri, the station's beautiful female anchor. Tall and exquisitely made up, she wore tailored trousers and a white shirt, projecting a stern professionalism. Holding a microphone, she delivered a live report to the camera without pause. Behind her, police tape cordoned off an area crowded with reporters and curious onlookers.

"Central City TV News Station reporting for you."

"Everyone, we are now in Lower City."

"Five days ago, a strange man appeared in Lower City. Some call him a hero, while others call him a pervert. He always plays all sorts of strange music at night. Accompanied by bizarre background music, he makes grand entrances and cleanses Lower City of crime."

"To date, he has personally killed more than fifty criminals in Lower City. In just five days, whether this is criminal slaughter or salvation from Lower City's chaos, it is an astonishing matter."

"Just last night, Lower City's Russian Gang was destroyed by him. He stormed into the Russian Gang's nightclub headquarters alone and wiped them out. Playing Pirates of the Caribbean's 'The Medallion Calls' as background music, he appeared openly from the rooftop amid that stirring, majestic symphony, looked down upon evil, listed the Russian Gang's seven sins, and eradicated the Russian Gang that had occupied Lower City for many years."

"It has been reported that every major figure in the Russian Gang was killed by him last night."

"We have arrived at the scene, which has already been cordoned off by the police. We will obtain information and follow developments at the earliest opportunity. Do not leave Central City News Station."

Before the camera turned away, Alex spotted a familiar figure entering the crime scene behind Jeri.

Barry was tall and upright, his sunny face grave. Wearing a plaid shirt, a brown jacket, and jeans, he carried an evidence collection case as he strode briskly and steadily into the scene from behind the camera as a forensic technician from the Central City Police Department.

Alex raised an eyebrow slightly. Although the Lower City Police Department was not particularly well-equipped, there was no need to specially transfer a forensic technician from headquarters to trace evidence.

That could only prove that his recent appearances as a superhero had stirred up the entire city and become known to everyone. The exposure of Lower City's crimes had also made it impossible for police headquarters to treat Lower City as they had in the past.

Barry's appearance in Lower City already signaled the involvement of Central City Police Department headquarters.

"I'm afraid I'll soon have to deal with myself."

Alex stopped tapping with his right index finger, his eyes deep in thought.

The situation in Lower City was more or less under his control. Under his superhero persona's elimination of internal unstable elements and external obstacles, the Severed Hand Gang under Jack's command was already showing signs of unifying Lower City.

As Alex pondered, the news broadcast on the screen returned to the studio, where they began discussing the benefits and harms of superheroes in Central City and their impact on the city. The speakers' words were often extremely harsh as they red-facedly berated one another from opposing viewpoints.

"Central City does not need a criminal like this, someone who tramples human lives, ignores the law, and disguises criminal acts as heroism! Yes, Music Hero. He is not merely a noise-maker, playing Captain Jack Sparrow's background music in the dead of night and appearing grandly atop rooftops. He is a clown, a lonely, withdrawn cross-dressing killer desperate for public attention! He is a murderer!"

"He is a murderer? What kind of people did he kill? Open your damn eyes and see clearly! Music Hero is a true hero. He listed the Russian Gang's seven crimes, and every one of them had an appalling criminal history: rape, drug trafficking, money laundering, robbery, theft, weapons smuggling, trafficking women and children, organ trafficking. Every single charge was enough to put them in the electric chair. They deserved to die!"

"Even if they deserved death, Music Hero should not have executed them. He is not a judge. He cannot pass judgment on criminals himself, nor does he have the right to kill them. This is not merely murder—it destabilizes our social order. He could have sent all the evidence to the police, let the police arrest them, and let judges try them, rather than carrying out punishment himself. He is a murderer, not a hero."

"He is a hero. You have never been in the darkest places, so you do not understand Lower City's darkness. Do you think no one has ever brought evidence to the police? Three years ago, a witness came forward to prove the darkness of Lower City's gangs and entered the police department carrying a massive stack of documents. The next day, he died in the Lower City Police Department! The court found the Russian Gang's boss not guilty, and that witness choked to death while eating at the station! Do you know what happened to the witness's family? A week later, their entire family was found encased in cement and sunk by the harbor! And now you fucking tell me that darkness can be judged as long as there is evidence!!"

All of this was the Federation's incompetence. The Federation's darkness had given rise to heroes. The judgments the police could not carry out would be carried out by them.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman in the dark city of Gotham, and heroes throughout the ages—they were all products of the age of heroes. This was the age of heroes, and we needed them.

We needed them to wield butcher's blades in the darkness, declare the crimes of the guilty, slaughter criminals to the last, and return a bright, clear world to us.

"Have you not heard the ordinary people of Lower City shouting and celebrating the gangs' destruction? Celebrating that Central City has produced a superhero too!!!"

"Foolish! They are destroyers of order. If this continues, everyone will imitate them recklessly and become fanatical. Central City's fine order will cease to exist and descend into utter chaos. They need to act according to the law, take off their masks, and turn themselves in. Those who trample human lives have always been murderers, not heroes. Otherwise, why does he hide behind a mask?"

"People imitate the desire to eliminate evil. When heroes step forward to destroy evil, we have an even clearer goal to pursue, striving for the light of the entire city rather than the destruction you imagine. In the end, all you think about is your own interests as one of the upper class, the stability of Upper City. You do not want Music Hero to expose the filthy darkness in people like you. You want to keep exploiting ordinary people as always, without ever truly caring whether the common people live or die.

"One day, Music Hero's entrance music will play atop your roof. When that day comes, I will happily sing along and accompany Music Hero!"

"What did you say!!"

"I exposed your scars and your fear..."

"Damn it!!"

"Come on, I'll beat you to death, you greasy, disgusting bastard!"

Alex silently watched the two experts with opposing views begin brawling on television, red-facedly cursing and hitting each other without stopping. He sighed inwardly. It seemed his superhero name had been settled: BGM Hero, Music Hero.

What a disappointment. Why could they not see the words Silver Glow on the throwing knives, and instead always pay attention to whatever entrance music he used...?