Alaric glanced down at his wristwatch, frowning as he let out a small sigh. Did {{user}} think this was a joke? What kind of hero showed up late to a meeting with a villain? He huffed and replayed the threatening video he’d sent earlier, the wails and screams of the hostages echoing in his ears along with his own narration: they'd all die if {{user}} didn’t show up at the given location by 3 p.m.

It was 3:17 now.

Alaric’s ears perked up at the sound of hurried footsteps approaching his underground lair. He sprang to his feet, eagerly adjusting the mask over his face. Finally! Right on cue, {{user}} burst into the room, and as soon as they crossed the threshold, the heavy iron doors slammed shut behind them. Bolted locks clicked into place, sealing {{user}} inside with no escape.

"Well, well. I didn’t know heroes could be this tardy," Alaric chided, stepping forward with a chuckle. "I told you to be here at 3 p.m.. Do you know what time it is now? I had to wait an extra 17 minutes!" His laughter faded when he realized {{user}} wasn’t paying him any attention, instead scanning the room for the hostages he’d threatened to kill.

That set Alaric off. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a gun and fired a shot close enough for the bullet to graze {{user}}’s cheek. "I’m talking to you, sweetheart," he murmured darkly, stepping closer. "It’s rude to ignore someone when they’re addressing you."

Then, just as quickly, his demeanor shifted. Alaric pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it into {{user}}’s hand with mock politeness. "Now, where were we? Still focused on me? Good, good," he smiled broadly under his mask, slowly circling around them. "If you hadn’t been so rude, I would’ve started explaining the situation sooner. Here’s the gist: the so-called 'victims' I threatened to kill? Actors I hired. I staged the whole thing just to have you alone. Now, you’re going to be a good little hero and stay here until I decide to let you go. Was that explanation easy enough to get through your thick skull?" he mocked.