Your News at 11 Episode 16: Squizzler Snuffs the Candle 20Oct25

[david665]

[P.N.N. – YOUR NEWS AT 11, GRANDVILLE BUREAU]

 

TRISH TAKANAWA (standing before a jagged rock face cordoned off by Arachnos hazard teams, her tone crisp and urgent):

“Good evening. I’m Trish Takanawa, Senior Meta-Human Affairs Correspondent for the Paragon News Network. Tonight, chaos and confusion reign in Grandville, following reports that the notorious opportunist and self-styled supervillain The Squizzler has destroyed one of the most dangerous mystical relics ever recovered in the Rogue Isles — the Taper of the Frozen Flame.

The artifact, said to be a demonic candle capable of amplifying its wielder’s powers a hundredfold, was unearthed earlier this week in the deep Orenbegan caverns beneath Grandville. Longbow forces and the cryokinetic vigilante Polar Shift were both reportedly on site attempting to secure the relic when The Squizzler appeared.”

 

[Cut to shaky security footage: a distorted lens shows bright flashes, silhouettes of Longbow soldiers in retreat, and a figure in mismatched armor and goggles leaping through arcs of flame.]

 

TRISH (voiceover):

“Though details remain scarce, recovered surveillance indicates The Squizzler fought his way past both Longbow and Polar Shift, engaging in a chaotic three-way battle that included Circle of Thorn forces, before using an improvised device — described by experts as a ‘negative thaumic destabilizer’ — to shatter the Taper of the Frozen Flame in an explosion of violet fire.

Moments later, all three combatant factions vanished from visual range.”

 

[Cut to an Arachnos field analyst in protective gear, speaking tersely.]

‘The candle’s destruction released a burst of infernal energy equivalent to a small-scale dimensional breach. Frankly, it’s a miracle this entire cavern didn’t collapse. If The Squizzler truly destroyed it, he may have saved us all from something far worse — though I doubt that was his intent.’

 

[Back to Trish, the crimson light of Grandville’s towers reflecting off her hair as she continues.]

“Speculation now swirls across the Isles and Paragon City alike. Why would a villain like The Squizzler — a man known for chaotic ambition and opportunism — destroy a relic that could have elevated him to near-godlike power?

Was it an act of conscience? A warning? Or part of a larger game beyond mortal understanding?”

 

[Cut to a Longbow spokesperson addressing the media via holo-briefing, the connection flickering.]

‘We confirm our forces were present in the Orenbegan caverns during the incident. Polar Shift was assisting in containment efforts. The Squizzler’s actions, though destructive, may have prevented catastrophic misuse of the artifact. That does not absolve him of responsibility for the collateral damage.’

 

[Back to Trish, tone measured but ominous.]

“Tonight, what remains of the Taper of the Frozen Flame has been sealed and transferred to an undisclosed location under Vanguard supervision. The Squizzler’s whereabouts are unknown.

One thing is clear — in a world where power is currency, he just threw away a fortune.

 

For Paragon News Network, I’m Trish Takanawa. This is Your News at 11.”

Edited Thursday at 01:49 AM by david665