It's been almost three months since I started working in this suffocating lab. The smell of solvents clings to my clothes, stacks of never-filed paperwork form unstable walls, and the flickering neon lights feel like warnings everyone ignores.
Officially, I'm a "Master's intern in energy engineering," but honestly? I feel more like a babysitter for a half-crazy professor.
He barely sleeps anymore. I often catch him hunched over chaotic equations, eyes hollow, hands trembling as he assembles and disassembles prototypes over and over again.
I'm the one who has to stop him before he collapses. I steal his coffee mugs so he'll at least drink some water.
If this internship weren't absolutely required to get my degree, I would've run for it ages ago... just like the last intern. That one lasted two weeks before slamming the door and shouting that he refused to die in a fireball.
Today, the moment I touch the lab door, I know something's wrong.
The handle is hot. Too hot.
There's a sharp metallic smell stinging my nose before I even step inside.
I close the door behind me, trying to ignore the usual chaos: tangled cables everywhere, piles of scattered notes, teetering towers of tools and equipment.
And then I freeze.
The machine.
It's glowing.
Not like before. Not the misshapen electric arcs or wild sparks we'd always have to shut down in a panic.
No.
There's a perfectly spherical ball of light, floating in the containment chamber.
Stable. Complete.
My mouth falls open. It had never held form for more than a few seconds before collapsing or exploding.
"Professor?"
My voice comes out barely above a whisper.
I step closer slowly, afraid even breathing too hard will set it off.
That's when I hear it.
Laughter.
Sharp. Unsteady.
I turn and see him.
His hair is sticking up in every direction. The dark circles under his eyes look like bruises. He's laughing, mouth twisted, eyes burning with feverish light.
"I did it! I finally did it!"
His voice cracks with hysteria.
I stand there, heart pounding, torn between panic and a strange relief.
"That's… incredible, Professor. You did it!"
He whirls and lunges at me, pulling me into a hug before I can react.
I go stiff as a board.
"Thank you! Thank you! You're the best intern I've ever had! You stayed! You're the only one!"
I don't know what to say.
I've only been here two months…
He finally lets me go to grab his coffee.
That's when my eyes land on the generator's dial, just over his shoulder.
I see the number and feel my stomach twist.
Seven times the recommended limit.
I choke on my words, horror creeping up my spine.
"Professor… what did you do?!"
He peers at me over his coffee, like I've asked the dumbest question in the world.
"Don't worry! I took precautions!"
I'm speechless. Precautions? At that power level? I want to scream that he's insane.
I start to turn toward the machine, when I hear a dry, splintering crack.
The sound of glass breaking.
I spin just in time to see a piece of the protective shielding shear off and fly straight toward my face.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Emergency News Broadcast
"Good evening. We begin tonight's broadcast with one of the most serious incidents to hit the Kamo region in recent years.
Yesterday afternoon, a gigantic dragon appeared in the middle of the city, causing mass panic and widespread destruction.
Eyewitnesses report that the creature measured over ten meters long, with massive wings and extraordinary power.
Several witnesses claim to have seen it firing energy beams capable of leveling buildings in a single blast.
It also demonstrated exceptional resistance to conventional attacks: police gunfire and even hero assaults appeared to do little damage.
Heroes described another terrifying ability: the creature could launch its own scales like razor-sharp projectiles, increasing the threat in densely populated areas.
Even more troubling, damaged or shattered scales seemed to regenerate on their own in a short period, fueled by some form of internal energy that glowed visibly blue.
Footage suggests this regeneration consumed the same energy, possibly explaining why the creature's attacks and movements slowed after sustaining heavy injuries.
The battle left dozens injured, including several professional heroes. Hawks, already regarded as one of the rising stars of the hero scene, was gravely injured while evacuating civilians.
Endeavor succeeded in inflicting significant damage with his flames, which appeared to cauterize and slow the creature's regeneration, but the fight had to be abandoned due to massive fires and the danger to the surrounding population.
Despite the scale of the destruction — with multiple buildings reduced to ruins — no civilian deaths have been officially reported, something authorities are calling 'a genuine miracle.'
It's important to note this outcome is largely thanks to the heroic intervention of Crimson Riot, who was severely injured and has now been retired from active duty after taking a direct energy beam to protect a group of civilians. Residual energy from the dragon's attack continues to complicate his recovery.
After the confrontation, the creature took flight and disappeared into the clouds. It has not been seen since.
Preliminary analysis suggests that only heroes with exceptionally powerful offensive Quirks or heavy weaponry would be capable of inflicting meaningful damage.
Authorities suspect it is a villain with an extreme mutation-type Quirk. Lacking any reliable information on its identity or motives, they have officially designated it under the code name 'Tyrant.'
Law enforcement and hero agencies are urging the public to remain vigilant. Anyone with information on the creature's whereabouts is asked to report immediately to the nearest hero agency or police station.
We will continue to keep you updated on developments in this investigation."