One of the most expensive places to live, Singapore was no doubt a futuristic city. Yet where there is a vision of the future, there is also crime trailing by.

Tonight, a particular place was surrounded by people. From the police to broadcasting staff, to even the paramedics, the situation was rather dire.

Raffles place, one of the hottest spots in Singapore yet rather than being boisterous with glamor and fun. The whole situation was tense.

Even the news was recording live regarding the current situation. A hostage situation, a group of masked men were holding people at gunpoint.

The bright beam light from the police was shining on the second floor. A gunman was holding a woman with a gun right at her head.

A pitiful sight of a woman who was bawling her eyes out.

"State your demands," the megaphone rang out, as the police started to negotiate with the gunman.

It was a race against time, as the police were buying time for their swat team to arrive.

"Go to hell with your demands," another masked man walked to the side of the gunman. He walked with his steps slow, taking his time in leisure. Both of his hands were behind his back holding on to a megaphone.

He looked down and saw those people cowering in fear and anxiety. He knew that things were going well according to plan. He smiles underneath the mask.

"Shoot the glass window," said the masked man.

The gunman who was holding the hostage pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

The glass window broke into a thousand pieces as the sound of a shot being fired caught the people by surprise.

Everyone outside the building ducked out of instinct fearing for their lives. Even the curious citizens surrounding the place at a safe distance ducked out of reflex. Some started to run away fearing stray bullets, while some took out their smartphone and started recording.

Some anxious policemen were about to shoot but their captain was quick on his feet.

"Hold your fire," Sam shouted at once and his team of brave blue men held their fingers. That was a close call, thought Sam as his eyes focused on the person who stood by the broken glass window.

The masked man held up the megaphone and spoke.

"Well, first of all, to hell about demands," he paused as the police downstairs were confused yet Sam was having a bad vibe about this.

"And second, how about we play some roulette?"

----

A man's eyes were glued to the screen of his neighbor's television. His hands were grabbing the two edges of the screen.

Asran's heart was beating like mad as the feeling of anxiousness spreading inside of him. He just saw his mother on the screen, who was sitting behind the gunman with the rest of the hostages.

The sight of his mother lasted more than just a few seconds. Afterward, the screen changed to the sight of the masked man as he made a rather confusing statement.

"Let's play roulette? What kind of nonsense is he talking about?" said Sofia.

She was about to curse at the masked man yet something passed by in front of her.

"Wait Asran, where're you going?" Sofia knew who it was, she picked herself up and rushed at the door.

She was stumbling at the front trying to wear her slippers.

"Haish, this stupid slipper," she managed to put on her slippers and ran outside.

"As-" she was about to yell out a name but the moment she steps outside, she saw a man standing a few meters by the corridor.

It was Asran standing alone.

"Oi, don't think of doing anything stupid. Just let the police do their job and everything will be alright," Sofia tried to reason with this man. It made sense for him to go out there and rescue his mother yet for someone like him who was bedridden for ten years, there was nothing he could do.

Asran turned around and stood in front of Sofia. He stared deep into her eyes like a razor-sharp edge of a sword.

Sofia felt two hands grabbing her shoulders. She felt the urge to smack Asran's head yet what came out of his mouth made her stop that notion.

"Please take me there," Sofia could saw the burning resolution in his eyes.

She sighed since she knew that him being there won't be helping the situation.

"Listen to me Asran, we police are good at our job so put your trust in us. Okay?" Sofia tried to reason with him.

"I don't know how to get there. So tell me," Asran outright ignored whatever she just said.

"Geez, are you even listening to me," before she could continue nagging at Asran, he cut off her words.

"She's my mother, Sofia. Please help me," if someone knew Bai Long the destroyer spoke such words, pleading for help. They would be in total denial and shock.

Sofia looked into his eyes and shrugged off her shoulders. She walked back inside her apartment leaving Asran alone.

A minute later, she came back.

"Come on," she grumbled while leading the way.

After taking down the elevator, both of them went to the parking lot. Asran stood straight staring at the vehicle in front of him.

"Here take this," Sofia threw a pink moped helmet at Asran.

Sofia ignored the dumbfounded Asran as she start-up the engine.

"Hey come on, are you going or not?" Said Sofia as she beckoned her neighbor to ride on the back.

The moment Asran sat behind her, his curiosity spilled out through his lips.

"I didn't think a police would ride a scooter," Sofia turned her head around and glared at him.

Asran had the notion of police being a badass since he did enjoy watching crime genre films before the accident. It was one of those hobbies he had that he enjoyed during his younger days.

"Save that imagination of yours down to the bottom of your head. We cops don't get paid that much," Sofia swallowed down hard that frank comment from Asran as she revved up the throttle.

A duo went down the road while the situation at Raffle Place was getting dire by the second.

"Please put down the weapon, we will fulfill any of your demands," Sam the policeman was getting tense seeing how absurd this masked man.

In the arms of the masked man, he held a woman. One of the patrons of the store. She was crying like a river begging for her life to be spare yet the masked man was deaf to her plea.

Just a while ago, the masked man pulled the trigger to his revolver. Everyone saw his action from the news reporter to the police force.

All of them gasped in surprise seeing how the poor woman was still alive.

"Oops, an empty barrel. How unlucky," said the masked man as he cackled in silent much to his amusement.

His attention turned to the sight of the police who were hoping for a negotiation.

"Let's see, what kind of demands do I want?" He was speaking out loud through the megaphone and his speech made the people downstairs rather anxious.

As if they were looking at a madman.

"I won't ask much, but ten million seems not bad," said the masked man.

"Okay we will consider your-" before Sam could finish his words, the masked man grabbed the woman from before by the neck and pointed his gun once more.

"On second thought, consider this then," the masked man pulled the trigger to his revolver.

Everyone was caught by surprise especially the hostage. She screamed her lungs out fearing for her death.

Yet the pain of death didn't come as her head was still intact.

"Haha, another empty barrel. You're quite lucky aren't you," the masked snickered at the hostage whose make-up was all smudged up.

"Hey, what's the meaning of this. We're under negotiation, you can't do that," Sam was getting infuriated by the randomness of this masked man.

"Who says I can't?" The masked man pulled once more.

BANG!

A head was blown off. The hostage body flopped to the floor as a gush of blood came pouring out from her head.

"Wow, that was a surprise. I thought it will take a few more turns, what a bummer."

Everyone was shocked as the situation earned their first death. News reporters were quick to report the on-scene incident depicting a mad man taking control of the situation with the police being useless and helpless.

The blue blood reputation was going downhill at the moment and it will keep going down if Sam doesn't do a thing.

"Shit, what's wrong with this guy?" He asked himself yet he knew lunatic is incomprehensible.

"Wong, where's the freaking swat team? They should be here by now."

A nervous policeman came and saluted at him.

"Sir, they're in position and ready for your command."

"Give me that," Sam snatched the walkie talkie from Wong's hand.

Sam was cursing inside at those swat team for coming late, there was already a casualty and he would certainly get an earful from the higher up.

"Swat team leader, have you been brief about the situation?"

"We've been brief, we're currently on standby by the perimeter," the swat team leader, Din was quick in his response.

Upon arrival at the scene, he didn't meet up with the officer in charge and was quick to proceed with action. Din knew how Sam works, rather than meeting up and wasting time, Din did what was logical.

"Do you got eyes on the roof?" Asked Sam.

"Affirmative sir," replied Din.

"Do you have a clear shot at that freak masked man?"

"Yes, wait," Sam waited for a while and what he heard next wasn't pleasant to his ears.

"He got another hostage sir, and we couldn't get a clear shot," to Din's words, Sam tilted his head and saw a rather hip-looking girl standing in front of the masked man.

"Let go of the girl, we want to negotiate. There's no need for any innocent blood to be spill," Sam tried to convince the masked man yet what he got was just a loud laugh.

"Hahahaha," although the masked man was laughing, his revolver was still dead center on the head of the hip girl.

"You're telling me innocent blood shouldn't be spill? To hell with that, and to hell with all of you," the masked man demeanor changed to the worst. He lashed out at everyone as his face contorted underneath that pink beanie mask.

Rage was seen within those eyes and he made a bold choice because of it.

His fingers pulled the trigger again and again. The hip girl cried and screamed as her knee buckled down and between her thigh, a trickle of fluid trailed down.

Yet she was alive.

Sam was shocked seeing how unstable this masked man was.

"Oopss, I forgot. I already use the bullet on this gun, silly me, haha," the masked man laughed in a merry manner.

He threw the revolver away and grabbed something from behind. A Glock was pulled out and Sam witnessed it from below.

BANG!

The masked man didn't hesitate as he shot the hip girl at the head.

"Geez, she piss at my favorite shoe, damn it," complained the masked man as he wriggled his feet not minding another body on the floor.

Sam was getting desperate seeing another casualty right in front of his eyes.

"Take the shot, take the damn shot now," Sam shouted through the walkie talkie.

But nothing was heard.

"Sir, the sniper team had been compromised, we have no eyes on the target," Din replied with a heavy heart.

"Wong, send some men up to those buildings over there and do a full sweep," Sam sent across his order to Wong.

"Swat leader you have permission to engage, take down the hostile and rescue the hostages," Sam couldn't wait any longer, this total maniac was piling up the body count and Sam wouldn't want another dead body under his supervision.

"Affirmative," Din rallied his squad and took over from the side entrance and the back entrance.

Yet something unexpected happened.

BOOM!

A deafening blast sound trembled the air. Everyone near the vicinity ducked for cover while some took the chance and ran for their life.

The first floor of the store building started to turn ablaze as black smoke came out of the broken window.

Sam groaned out of pain as he stood up from the ground. His body ached as the explosion aftershock blew him away. He was the closest to the first floor.

His head was spinning and his sight was a blur.

"Shit, what happened just now," as his vision clear, he saw what pandemonium was, people were panicking most of those who were at the same proximity with Sam received severe injuries mostly due to the broken shards of windows hurled by the explosion aftershock.

Sam tilted his head upwards and saw the masked man staring down at him. He saw a devilish smile under that mask.

"It seems I have unwanted guests. My alarm bell kind of overreacted didn't think it would blow up like that, haha."

None could see where this situation going to end as it only kept getting worse.

"Swat leader report," no sound came back from the walkie talkie. "Swat leader Din report."

There was only silence and Sam knew that things were about to get much worse.