Sandusky local news anchor Sharon McDouglas looked into the camera as she spoke. The emotionless mask she wore for a facial expression was betrayed by the look of abject terror in her eyes. She continued reading a report, working her way towards the conclusion she'd already reached.

“It is still unclear what caused the explosion at Templeton National Telecommunications. First responders are on the scene and casualty reports are still coming in. For those just tuning in, a fire started in a local broadcasting company this morning. First responders had just started to arrive when the entire building exploded. The fire department has managed to suppress the fire, and rescue operations are underway.”

She paused for a moment, turning her head to listen to someone off camera. The stricken look on her face tightened and she turned back towards the camera.

“I've been informed that our station has received an audio recording from the facility just before the explosion. Against my advice we will be playing the unedited clip.”

The screen cut away to the station logo and the audio started with a klaxon siren blaring out.

“Inmate has escaped, all units converge on cellblock charlie-one!

What do you mean how'd he escape, who the ******** cares. Get everyone down here now!”

Voices are heard shouting but the words overlap and become unintelligible. Metal scraping on metal end the shouting, replacing it with screams that go silent.

Deep resonating laughter can be heard echoing into the speaker.

“Multiple officers down, repeat officers down, where is the containment squad?”

“The maglocks are activated, he shouldn't be able to open the doors! Shut down the elev… he's behind us!” Gunfire erupts, multiple weapons discharging entire clips before silence reigns.. moans and cries of pain fill the void, as more deep echoing laughter consumes the recording.

“The elevator is moving! You were supposed to shut it down! Then how is it moving?”

The opening of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero” is muffled, but growing louder as the elevator nears the surface.

“What is that music?

It doesn't matter! When that elevator reaches the top fire.

What if he has hostages?

Command reported all vitals have been flatlined.

He killed both squads?

Don't even wait for the doors to open.

Ding! Where have all the good men gone”

The audio glitches for a moment as a roar of gunfire being discharged into a hallway overwhelms the recording device. After a few seconds of noise the gunfire ends.

“Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need!”

“He has a flame thrower! Where did he get a flamethrower!”

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night!”

The distinct roar of projectile flames overwhelms the music and instead replace it with the horrific shrieks of men burning alive in a cramped hallway.

“Command, everyone is down. We need backup immediately. Topside is all that's left. We're barricaded in HQ, he could walk out the front doors. He’s trying to break in! We need rescue!”

Bang

“Command?”

Bang, Bang

“Command?”

Bang, Bang, CRASH!!!

“Command!?!”

Gunfire interrupts the speaker followed by static as the radio cuts out. There is silence and darkness for a brief moment.

“Command?” A deep voice speaks out into the radio. “Command? Are you there? It's too late for backup. Just send the coroner… and uhh… bring a mop.

Or don't, I'll clean up after myself.”

Blackjacks footsteps walk away as he sings softly to himself, “He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon

And it's gonna be larger than life!”

The logo cuts away to the news desk as a pale faced Sharon McDouglas starts talking, her voice quivering slightly. “We've received confirmation from the D.O.J. the Templeton National Telecommunications facility was the location of the blacksite in which mass murderer Malcolm Alexander, also known as Blackjack; was being held awaiting his execution. Authentication of the audio clip confirms the truth.

Blackjack has escaped. A tiktok video currently going viral appears to have footage of the building before the explosion.”

The screen cuts to a clip of a suburban area. The camera scans over multiple neighborhoods as it zooms towards the building billowing with black smoke. The drone stops across the street just in time to catch the front doors of the building opening. From the acrid smoke within, Blackjack stepped out onto the pavement. He was dressed in his signature tailored suit and bowler hat. Walking out to the street he stopped to fix his sleeve's cufflink while a black car pulled up. He looked up into the drone's camera and smirked, adjusted his tie, then slipped into the unmarked car which drove off. The footage ended a moment later when the building exploded, the shockwave of which obliterated the drone. The tiktok ended with a man wearing a white balaclava and a bowler hat. “The Twenty-One are standing by.”