Chapter 142: Lightning Empress
Directly after the Beast fight…
Boy Genius hummed and looked at his device. "Interesting."
Jack sighed. "I hear Nick say that all the time, what does it mean?"
Directly after the fight with the Beast, he had been ordered to go straight to Nightshade by the Victorain. Apparently some people didn't like the fact that he had died and come back and wanted to check on him. That was why he found himself strapped to a metal chair with Boy Genius directly in front of him. Off on the other side of the room, the Victorian floated and kept her arms folded.
"Your body has been fully healed." Boy Genius noticed. The kid set his machine down and folded his arms as he looked Jack up and down. "Last I looked at you, you barely had a few weeks left to live. You were a corpse. One whose very cells had long since burned out. Now though every single bit of damage you ever took has been fully healed. It's actually kind of scary. Humans, even Supers, tend to get banged up as they experience life, and those wounds, though small, can stay with them a lifetime. Not you, though. You look as if you've never once been hit. How did you get a regeneration power this strong?"
"It isn't regeneration." Jack said, shaking his head.
"What is it then?" The Victorian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I honestly don't know." Jack looked down at his hand and balled it up. "My father called it 'Ruler'."
"Ruler? You mean like Ruler of the Void and Dark?" Boy Genius questioned. "The Emperor said something about that at one time, I believe."
Jack nodded. "In case you two haven't figured it out, I'm the Emperor's son. Don't worry, I'm not evil; I want that fucker dead more than anyone else. He's the reason I am the way that I am. This dark gift I have… Whenever I die, I hear something. It speaks to me. It orders that I return to life. Then it fixes me up."
The Victorian narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is this why you refused my help? You knew that you would return from the dead?"
Jack shook his head. "No. Believe me, I didn't think this power was in me still." He felt his energy flicker across his hand and stared down at his palm as the blue and black mixed together. "I assumed that it was gone for good after what Full Monarch did. He saved my life after all. Even after everything I did."
The Victorian's arms unfolded, and the woman scowled. "And just what is it you did as the Emperor's son? No record shows that he had a son."
"That's because the only one who saw and fought me was Full Monarch." Jack shrugged. "We kept most of the fights out of sight. I assume you saw what I could do firsthand, though, Ruby." He held a hand out and created a blue portal, which caused the number one hero's eyes to go wide.
"You!" She flew forward and grabbed him by his destroyed collar. He was ripped out of his chair and rammed into a wall back first. "You were the guy who created all those portals!"
"Yep." Battery said flatly.
The Victorian gritted her teeth. "I had no idea. I knew you were important. Ocean Empress told me my dad saved you, but…"
"You figured I was just some fodder monster, right? He was the kind of person who would save anyone after all."
"I should kill you." The Victorian hissed. "You aren't just some nobody. You're a big shot villain! Not only that, but you knew about the Rulers and kept that secret from us? Is that how the Emperor came back to life?"
"I didn't know that he was back." Jack grunted as he was shoved further into the wall. "If I did, I would have told someone. He never told me he could die. As far as I knew, this was a gift only Lucifer and I shared."
"Now that I think about it, Legend also came back from the dead." Boy Genius hummed. "Though I never got to study him. I wonder if he was a Ruler also."
"It figures." Jack spat out. "Lucifer, the Emperor, Legend, and myself. We all have one thing in common. We're all people that were affected by Full Monarch."
"Are you saying it's my father's fault that you're the way you are!" The Victorian threw a punch out as hard as she could, but Jack caught it. The room rumbled a bit, and a shock wave went off from their clash.
"Don't be stupid." Jack glared into her eyes. His eyes changed back and forth, switching between blue and black. "You can't kill me. I'll just come back."
"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Boy Genius asked. "Or at least tell anyone about this? Couldn't you have died at any time and fixed yourself? You became a lot stronger, I can tell; this version of you would have fared better in the battle with the Beast and could have saved a lot more lives."
"I didn't know I would come back!" Jack raised his voice. "I told you already. Full Monarch saved me. In the battle he did something, and- I… I thought I was fixed." The man spoke quietly now. "I thought that I wouldn't come back to life ever again. I thought that I'd finally stay dead this time."
Jack shoved his way past the Victorian. The woman still glared at him but didn't fight him this time. There was no point. Not right now.
"In a way, you're sort of like Lucifer. We should keep the fact you came back to life secret from the public so they don't panic about that. Only a few heroes know about you dying after all. We don't want you being compared to Lucifer." Boy Genius hummed. "His team is called the Immortals for a reason. He's been able to escape our care for so long due to him always coming back to life. Some heroes also have a way to escape death, such as Purrfect, but the way they do it is very different from yours. Your body, as with Lucifer's, seems to be rebuilt out of darkness that takes shape."
Jack closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. You know the stories right. The Four Lords battled the Shadow. I think it might have something to do with that, though I honestly don't know. I don't seem to get a battle mode like the Lords, nor do I have any other power. I was born with my Imaginary energy, but I didn't awaken my Ruler power until I first died."
"How'd you first die?" The Victorian questioned.
"Hell Hound and I were training, and she accidentally cracked my skull open." That caused the world's strongest woman to let out a soft snort. "After that, my father began to go harsher on my training. I was broken down and forced to blow myself up in order to heal. I thought it was something he did to me when I was younger, but as Boy Genius said, both Lucifer and Legend seem to have the title of Ruler as well."
"Do you have a title?" Boy Genius asked. "Lucifer calls himself the Ruler of Death and Rebirth, and the Emperor calls himself the Ruler of the Dark and Void. He also seems to now have control over shadow, and you also have that shadowy black energy around you as well? Is that a connection?"
"I keep telling you, I don't know." Jack sighed. "I'm not keeping anything secret. I swear. The old man didn't explain it to me. I doubt he knew either. I don't know how he became a Ruler, how many there are, or what. It's all a mystery."
One thing he did know for sure though was the voice was gone… Full Monarch's voice had been with him. It constantly spoke to him ever since he became a hero. It was always there. Yet ever since he died, it had gone strangely silent. The voice that had brought him back had been a different one. A much darker one that also hadn't spoken to him. It only ever talked when he was dead after all.
"What do we do with him?" The Victorian asked. "Throw him in Nightshade or what?"
"I doubt he'll throw himself in there willingly." Boy Genius snorted.
"I told you. I'm going to work with you." Jack held his hand out and stared at the number one hero. "You don't have to trust me, but let's face it. I'm strong, maybe even stronger than you, and I can't die. You won't be able to throw me in any prison. The way I see it, you really only have one option. Either work with me and we can truly stop this nightmare, or stay in my way and watch what I do."
The Victorian's eyes narrowed. "You think you can beat me?"
"Little Ruby, I would give you the ass whooping of a lifetime."
Boy Genius stared between the two, slowly shrinking down. "Adults are being weird again…"
"What is it you want?" The Victorian asked.
"I want to stop everything evil." Jack announced. "The Emperor, Lucifer, Legend, the Beast—anything that could threaten this world. I thought I would be dead by now. I planned to let the kid take over. My death was supposed to make her the next Full Monarch. With her gone though and me reawakening my powers as a Ruler somehow, I have no choice but to step up myself. If she is no longer with us, then I will just use a new weapon. You'll be my sword, Ruby. A blade I use to destroy everything evil!"
"You think you can control me?" The Victorian hissed.
"I do." Jack declared. "I'm going to make my own rules. The Hero Branch, the Enforcers, all of it! I'll tear it all down and make my own path. I'll force this world to walk my path and bring it salvation! Even if it refuses!"
"What you're declaring is treason, you know." The woman growled. "Destroy the Hero Branch? Force the world to follow your path? You'd need the title of the number one hero to do that. A title I hold."
"Then I'll take your title."
"Only those who beat me can claim it. And only those in the Enforcers have the right to try and battle me." The woman said, rolling her eyes.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Jack held his hand out. "Let me on your team."
The Victorian stared down at the hand in silence. Boy Genius saw the look in her eye and shook his head. "Jill! No! Bad Jill!" He scolded. "Don't do it!"
Slowly the Victorian took Jack's hand. "I look forward to you trying to challenge me. Just so you know, you'll be starting at the bottom and have to work your way up. Oh, and when you do get to me, I'll be absolutely destroying you. You're going to make a fine sword, Battery. One that I'm going to wield and save the world with."
"We'll see about that." Jack smirked.
"I guess we will." The Victorian's grin also grew.
Be it arrogance or confidence, the Victorian had just allowed the Ruler of Creation and Destruction onto her team. The Giant was going to start his plan. His plan to save planet Earth.
***
Present Day…
Battery looked at all the statues around him with a frown. He had never actually gotten to see what was in the Enforcers tower, but he always heard rumors. Statues of all the previous Lords resided here. They would magically appear, seemingly out of the blue, once a Lord passed on. It didn't have the very first Lords, the powers themselves, nor did it have any current Lord. But those that died... Those were everywhere in this room.
His eyes were drawn to one statue, though—one of Cinder.
"Do you have any idea where the next Lord of the Sun could end up?" Lady Time called back to him. She was already climbing the stairs up to the top floor, where the others would be waiting.
"Why do you think I would know?" Battery asked.
"Well, you did find the previous Lord." Lady Time shrugged. "Oh well. We'll find them before the villains. We have to." She walked up the stairs, going up a curve and being out of sight.
Once he was sure she was out of eye and earshot, he approached the statue of the kid, looking at the features. Examining the girl made of stone, he felt his heart beat faster. Maybe it was a feeling of regret, sadness, or loss? Or maybe it was a feeling or unbridled rage. He couldn't tell. This heart was so foreign to him now.
For fifteen years, he had lived with that shard inside of him. Fifteen years of it suppressing his power. Now that heart that had been damaged and eaten away was gone. The heart touched by Full Monarch, gone. What was inside of him now was that which belonged to the Emperor. The heart of a Giant. The heart of Alpha.
Battery placed a hand on the statue. A swirl of emotions crowded his head, but he pushed through them, settling on one. Anger. He summoned his power, giant hands forming around the statue. He watched the stone crumble to rubble as it shattered. He heard the Victorian had done something similar with the statue of the Emperor. When his final fight with Full Monarch came to an end, he too had appeared in this room. His statue hadn't lasted long, and its destruction at the new number one hero's hands was the reason the world was so willing to believe he died.
Little did any of them know his kind always came back.
He quietly watched the crumbling statue fall apart before finally turning and following after Lady Time.
The stairs looped around the entire tower. It was an old building, maybe as old as the Lords themselves, and even amongst Supers, it was quite odd. Eventually, though, they reached the top, which was almost like night and day. Whereas the Tower was old and formed from crumbling stone, this room was brand new, sleek iron with air conditioning and a large round table that they could all sit at. The others were already there.
"Oh no! What the hell is he doing here!" Drake asked, letting out a growl. In Wyvern's seat, Drake had come in her place. His sister hadn't been the same since the Beast fight and had retreated to Boy Genius's base, where she had refused to come out. Drake glared at Battery, fire dripping down his lips.
"I could ask you the same thing. You're not even an Enforcer." Battery snorted.
Drake's eyes went wide, and he stared at the other heroes around him. "Wait? Did you guys actually make this jackass into an Enforcer? Are you all insane? We all practically saw him die! The dude was a severed head! Do you know what happened last time a hero died during the Beast attack? They came back as a Calamity! Legend is still trapped in the city we left him in, growing his army, and you guys are fine with this zombie on your team?"
"Ocean Empress placed in her will that she'd like for Battery to take her place if anything ever happened to her." The Victorian stated. She had cleaned herself up and wore a fixed suit that Boy Genius gave her, though everyone could tell she was out of it. Her eyes had heavy bags under them, and she was slouched a bit.
"The Beast always brings a Calamity with it! What if it's him?" Drake demanded.
"Then we'll kill him." Mister Man grumbled.
"Why are you all being so casual about this-"
"We need the help." Boy Genius cut Drake off. "I understand your concerns. Rest assured; I've already scanned Battery's body. Whatever Legend became, he isn't the same. He's willing to help us, and we can't be picky about who we take on at the moment. He's spent two months fixing up the city. I think if he was a calamity, then he'd have already struck. Just because he holds this power surely doesn't mean he is instantly evil. After all, we've seen evil Lords, which proves not all Lords are instantly good. Maybe it is the same with Battery."
"Maybe? You're willing to risk this all on a maybe?" Drake growled.
Boy Genius's frown grew, and the boy looked even more tired. The truth was, he also didn't like having Battery on the team, but due to how popular the hero was, the Hero Branch had basically demanded he join. It didn't help the Victorian's thirst for battle made her look past the man's shadiness. "I should remind you, Drake, you are here on behalf of your sister. Please don't make me kick you out." The Mental hero said in a calm tone.
Drake gritted his teeth and dropped back into his chair. "It just feels wrong... Something isn't right. The Beast always causes something to happen. Why hasn't anything happened this time?"
"Who's to say it hasn't?" Lady Time took a seat at the table and slumped down on her arms. "The Beast once attacked during the war with the Emperor. We didn't have a Calamity-level threat after that because we lost Full Monarch. His death was the Calamity, and the entire world went to shit. We all saw that girl in action. She wasn't just the new Lord of the Sun; she was the next Full Monarch. It's practically a joke how much stronger than us she became in that moment. What's even the point of us..."
Battery took his seat at the table and rested his head on his elbow. His eyes slowly scanned all the members. Drake was here in place of Wyvern and kept glaring at him. The Victorian, the world's strongest Super, looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep in the last two months. Mister Man looked cranky and paranoid. He had replaced his lost cowboy hat with a new silver one and now sported bigger guns. Beta looked the same as always and was also silently taking everyone in, recording them with his camera. Fable's eyes were closed, and the man was snoring softly, already unconscious. Boy Genius had turned thirteen recently, though he didn't have time to celebrate it since he had been busy dealing with his prison, and Lady Time looked just as depressed as the Victorian. Finally, that left the three new members.
Ocean Empress, Max Lightning, and Old Dog were dead. Those three spots had remained open. It took a while for a slot to be filled as the Enforcers had to get the go-ahead of the Hero Branch, and it typically involved a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Being an Enforcer meant you were now in charge of a full city, had the full funding of the Hero Branch, and ran your own team. Old Dog had run the Watch Dogs, Max Lightning the Clouds, and Ocean Empress had Reservoir.
Now, three new members would be taking over.
Battery locked eyes with Pretty Face. The pop star idol. That was who Lillian had selected as their new leader. Dean Ward hadn't placed Poseidon onto the Enforcers and instead gave them the singer. The guy who had run away during the Beast fight and locked himself into a vault with the other rich members of Oleander. Pretty Face flinched a bit and looked away as Battery's glare drilled into him. Ultimately, though, it was the person seated next to Pretty Face who truly got Battery's attention.
Whenever a disaster happens, new Supers are born out of it. Some people would find that their powers grew and evolved, while others who had been normal humans would suddenly awaken as Supers. Lightning Empress had only been working for two months now, and yet she had already taken the world by storm, doing Max Lightning's duties. She had nearly wiped out all crime in her new city.
Her hair was long, going all the way down her back, having grown out at an incredible speed. It was a deep gray color, like a stormcloud. Her eyes were a bright red, crackling with electricity. She didn't wear a mask, but pure lightning dripped around part of her body. Just like Ocean Empress, she was basically naked and was using her powers to cover herself up. The lightning flowed like water, covering her chest and rear, almost like a bikini of sorts. Parts of her skin were also covered in clouds that hugged her body, forming gloves and boots. She didn't seem too bothered by the amount of skin she was showing off, though. In fact, she didn't seem to be all there. Her eyes had a dreamy look in them, and her head nodded back and forth as she stared up at a crown forged out of lightning that wrapped itself around her head.
The newest Lord of the Sky and Weather. Lois had ditched the Whisper persona and had seemingly completely changed herself. That was, if it was even Lois that was in the driver seat...
"What are you doing here?" Battery asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Hmm?" Lightning Empress slowly stared at him and cocked her head to the side, nearly falling out of her chair.
"Shouldn't you be with Myth? You're part of team Pantheon."
"I left it." The girl giggled.
"Why?"
"Does that bother you?" Her head cocked to the other side, and her hair swept back and forth as a calm wind filled the room. "What about it? It's a trash team. Besides, it only has garbage Supers now that the Lord's dead. If I'm going to reach my goal, I'll need real power." She repeated the exact same thing he had said to the Victorian word for word, almost slapping him in the face with it. "That's how you feel, right? So, you shouldn't be bothered about me being on Pantheon or not, right? That was unless you're worried about poor Myth?"
Battery's energy flickered out, but he quickly got it under control and looked away. "Yeah. I don't care. Just don't slow down my new team, Whisper."
"It's Lightning Empress now."
"Whatever."
Boy Genius cleared his throat, slowly getting the attention in the room back on him. "So that everyone knows, I was the one that asked us all to have this meeting. Not only so we could get to see our new members, but I have some things to discuss. It's mainly to do with the Immortals."
The room shifted, and that despair that had been in them grew worse. "What about them?" Mister Man groaned.
Beta's head opened up a bit, and a hologram gushed out of the cracks, forming across the table. It took shape, turning into the map of a city. Then it changed and flicked to another city and another. Rose, Oleander, Lillian, Daisy, Dandelion, Daffodil, Violet, Gladiolus, Nightshade, and Chrysanthemum. These ten places were where the Enforcers ruled. Rose belonged to the Victorian, Daisy belonged to Lady Time, Dandelion belonged to Mister Man, Daffodil belonged to Wyvern, and Violet belonged to Fable. Oleander, Lillian, and Gladiolus had been commanded by Old Dog, Ocean Empress, and Max Lightning but would now fall under the control of Battery, Pretty Face, and Lightning Empress, respectively. Chrysanthemum used to belong to Legend, but it had been removed from the Ten Great Cities list. Finally, that left Nightshade, which wasn't actually a city; it was a prison that Boy Genius and Beta both ran.
Slowly, the hologram settled on the image of four cities. Oleander, Lillian, Rose, and Dandelion. "The Immortals are a group of five Supers," Boy Genius explained. "Each one is far stronger than any Super should be able to reach. I believe it's because they all share a power source, which in the past allowed Lucifer to rival the Lords. Now that it's being split five ways, though, he is no longer considered a Calamity level threat. That doesn't mean he isn't strong, though. Every member of the Immortals should be treated as a high-risk villain. I brought us all here to discuss what they call the Murder Games, which will likely be starting soon."
The Victorian was the next one to speak. "During the Beast attack, the villain Uriel was able to escape Nightshade." She said grimly. "Nightshade is made to hold villains we can't easily kill. Even chucking Uriel into deep space only ever slowed him down. Normally, it would be impossible to escape Nightshade without a means of teleportation on the level of the Emperor's sword; however, while we were all distracted and busy with the Beast, Uriel was able to slip away. He only ever tries to escape whenever his master calls for him."
"The Murder Games are held every few years." Boy Genius flipped through the holograms showing the four cities. "There is a sort of pattern to it. Out of all of our cities, I believe these four are the most likely to be hit."
"Does Oleander even still count as a city?" Drake questioned.
"That's a good question." Boy Genius frowned. No one was able to get ahold of Laps, the head of Oleander's Hero Branch. "At this exact moment, Oleander is mainly in the hands of Ward, the head of Lillian's Hero Branch. Currently, their main focus is on rebuilding the bridge and allowing those stuck in Oleander to get out. They'll have to access Oleander's value, determine how expensive it would be to fix it, and decide if they want to fund it. This is one of the reasons I asked for Battery to come here. Currently, due to the situation of Oleander, it is doubtful you'll be given much funding or a team until it is fully settled. They may decide to scrap Oleander altogether, in which case you'll be asked to be transferred to another much smaller city such as Iris or Poppy. You do know what'll happen if you turn them down on this, right?"
Battery didn't say anything and instead kept staring at the image of Oleander on the hologram. It showed off the city before the Beast attack. He had always heard Old Dog loved his city. Looking at it now compared to the state it currently was in, he felt he could sort of see the same values that the old hero had.
"I find it doubtful that Oleander will be attacked and turned into the grounds for the Murder Games, but just in case, we'll treat it the same as the other three." Boy Genius stated. "Lillian, Oleander, Rose, and Dandelion will be our main focus. We'll be posting more heroes there, especially in Lillian, due to its overpopulation problem. I'll be doing rounds as well, using my drones to see if I can detect anything. Lucifer isn't like the Beast, though. It's hard to stop his little games once they do start."
"How long do we have to prepare?" Mister Man asked.
"We can't say." The Victorian said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "It could be in a week or two, or they might take months to get ready. They'll be a bit busy setting everything up, but once they get started, then that's it."
Lady Time piped up. "We should monitor the low-tier villains. Lucifer isn't going to entertain the possibility of some gang accidentally finding his preparations. Strange activity, mass gang disappearances, groups teaming up with no provocation."
"He might already be set up and waiting, so there might be nothing that changes until the games start." Drake huffed. He continued to stare at Battery, daring the hero to say something else, but Battery didn't take the bait. The man just looked bored.
The Victorian turned in her chair, looking toward her daughter. "Lois, you are a part of the Enforcers, now. Any predictions or changes in the paths?"
Lightning Empress took a moment to respond, the room going quiet as they all waited for some insights from the new Enforcer. "It's Lightning Empress while I'm in costume, Victorian." The young hero responded, a dreamy look still in her eyes as they followed some unseen shapes in the ceiling.
"Well, Lois, I'm proud that you're here. I knew you would grow strong, despite your rough start. I'm sure your father would be happy that you have finally reached your potential." The Victorian responded with a tense smile. "Regardless, you have a lot of new responsibilities. Feel free to ask Boy Genius for assistance whenever it's needed."
"Oh? So now you decide to speak to me as an equal? And all it took was dad dying. Yeah. I'm sure he'd be proud of me, mother."
An awkward silence grew in the room until Fable let out a snore that could almost be felt across the room. Mister Man shook his head and sighed, moving on past that issue. "We'll just have to be ready to deal with the Immortals where they appear. They might not be a Calamity level threat anymore, but they're close to that dangerous power level."
"We'll stop them." Boy Genius clenched his fist and nodded his head. "We won't lose again. That said… That does bring me to my next topic."
"Which is?" Pretty Face asked, raising an eyebrow.
The young hero took a deep breath and looked from the Victorian then back to Battery. "The Hero Branch wants to hide the fact that Cinder is dead."
"No." Was both Battery's and Victorian's blunt response.
The hero lifted his hand up in a calming gesture. "Let me rephrase that. They're going to hide the fact that she's dead."
"They can't do that!" Lady Time said in shock. "Why would they do that?"
"It's the same reason they haven't revealed the fact that the Emperor is alive or that Avalon turned traitor." Mister Man snorted. "They don't want to cause panic."
"There are some merits to be had from keeping the death secret." Beta piped up in a robotic voice. The machine had mostly remained silent the entire time content with filming, so his sudden words drew everyone in. "For example, it causes the villains that would look for the pod to stop, allowing us more time to locate the next Lord. It also allows Cinder merch to be sold at a higher profit than if she is dead."
"I'm not letting it happen." Battery said calmly.
"Aw, do you still care for her?" Lightning Empress asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Do you not?"
"She's dead. What does it matter what happens to her image?"
Battery growled, but Boy Genius once again raised his hand. "Listen. This is happening. It's out of our control. Victorian, you remember your agreement, right? You'll be expected to go along with it. All of us will. Even if we don't like it."
Battery folded his arms and closed his eyes. "We'll see about that."
There were a few more conversations that were had. Mainly on the state of the Hero Branch, new up-and-coming heroes, or Sub Enforcer teams, though Battery barely paid it any mind, not bothering to listen. He had gotten most of the information he needed. He never joined this team to actually be an Enforcer. It was just so he would know when and where a Calamity was going to appear. He planned on stopping them all, after all.
If his story didn't end, then he would make it into everyone else's problem.
Soon, it was time to leave, and the Enforcers began to depart, all of them exiting the tower. He got a few nasty looks from Drake, but he mainly ignored the kid and instead had his eyes glued onto his former team member. The other heroes were quick to leave, taking to the skies or some other means of transportation that they had. This left just him and his former teammate. "Did you really quit Pantheon?"
Lightning Empress gave a goofy grin. "Does that bug you? I guess that's all you can really feel right now,huh? That sense of anger and rage?"
"Lois would never leave Myth during a time like this." Battery's eyes narrowed. Blue and black, blue and black, blue—over and over the color shifted, bouncing back. Inverting again and again with no regard. "The only thing I can think of that makes sense is the fact that you're not actually Lois? Loudest Thunder. The first Lord of the Sky! That's your name."
The girl didn't look surprised or startled by his words. Her goofy look just grew, and she lazily shrugged. "Maybe that's who I am. Maybe I really am Lois. Or maybe I've become something in between. It makes me wonder how you know about this. I might be the Loudest Thunder. Maybe..." The girl looked up at the sky above, feeling her energy crackle out just like Battery's, and her smile broke for a moment. "I changed, didn't I? When my father died, it all sort of clicked. My existence. It was for this moment, wasn't it? I became a Lord. This power must be how all of you felt. I always felt so useless being so weak, yet now..." She stared down at her hand, and for a moment, her goofy look faded. "It's so scary. I feel like I'm going to explode any second now. I hear it. Constantly whispering to me. It won't shut up." She winced and grabbed at her head. "Over and over, it talks. Is this what drove Wish mad? Is this what Hope had to put up with? The Loudest Thunder just won't get out of my head. He keeps feeding me his power. He wants me to get stronger, but this is... I don't know. I feel like I'm too strong now."
"So, you are Lois then. At least for now. A Lord would never be worried about the power they have."
"How do you know so much about our kind?" The girl wondered.
"I don't actually." The man gritted his teeth. "Most of the information I gathered was newly discovered or things I put together slowly. For example, I didn't think any of you Lords would ever have to be worried about the Ego inside of you taking you over."
"The Ego?"
"It's sort of a soul." He explained. "Supers sort of have two souls, I guess you could say. For most, that soul is simply a mirrored version of themselves. Their true power is who they are. For Lords, though, they have a soul that doesn't belong to them. One that is actually alive and can think for itself. It isn't a mirror but its own person. At first, I thought it was just something that had to do with Full Monarch. I didn't know if it was actually a trait all Lords shared until the attack with the Beast. It was also a trait I didn't know that I had."
"So, you do hear the voice? I'm guessing that's how you came back from the dead? A trait the Rulers have, hmmm?" The girl looked him up and down, and he knew instantly she was using her power. Slowly, the air around her began to twist and change. She was seeing the Paths. Lois, Loudest Thunder, or both—whoever was in control, it wasn't the Whisper he knew. The words she said next confirmed that. "You'll die again." She gave him a kind smile while saying such dark words. "Once more, your life will come to an end, and you'll crumble away, losing more of your thoughts and memories. This time though, it'll be in your own hands. You'll willingly accept your death and cause it, becoming the Ruler you were meant to be. That's what I see your stories being."
"You bitch." His energy exploded out of him, forming around his fist, but he never got the chance to throw the attack out. In an instant, his hand was grabbed and held by someone. He glared back, finding himself looking into the eyes of the Victorian.
"That's enough." The number one hero said in a stern tone. "Lois, leave."
The Lord of the Sky poked her tongue out at Battery and took to the sky floating away. Battery glared at her one last time as the clouds twisted and swallowed her up. "Why'd you stop me?"
"I'm not going to let you hurt my daughter." The hero said sternly.
"Oh, so now you care about her? Besides, is that thing even really Lois? She's changed!"
The Victorian folded her arms and stepped away from him. "You know, I could say the same thing about you." The light swirled and took shape in front of her, forming into a massive greatsword the size of a bus. It lay flat on the ground, and she stepped onto it and offered a hand toward him. "You can't fly, right? I'll escort you back to Oleander."
Battery frowned but quietly stepped up onto the sword. Slowly, the blade began to lift off of the ground, and they began to float, going higher and higher. The air got colder, and soon they were among the clouds in the sky drifting away and leaving Rose City behind.
He eyed the woman up and watched as she sat on the edge of her weapon. She allowed her legs to hang off, kicking them back and forth. "Who are you?" She finally asked him.
He looked away from her. "Jack Larison. Or Battery."
"Is that who you really are? Even after changing?"
"You're wrong. I didn't change. This was how I always was. This is who I am. Before the war, before Full Monarch. I'm the real Jack Larison. I didn't change; I reverted." Battery spat at her, his heart pounding as he felt anger rising, along with a wet sensation dripping from his nostril. He reached up and found some blood dripping from it. "I'm still me. For now."
The woman looked back at him. "Is there anything else I should know about the Rulers? I might seriously kill you if I find out you have any more big secrets you've been keeping hidden."
"I don't know where the Rulers come from; I don't know how many there are. Maybe it's like the Lords, and there can only be four. What I do know is that it doesn't let our stories end. It keeps us alive. Over and over. It revives us from the dead. The Emperor became one as well toward the end of the war, if I had to guess. I thought Full Monarch broke the curse. I thought he cured me of it and killed the Emperor for good. I was wrong. When I died, I expected to stay dead, but yet here I am. Forced to go on." Jack winced. "I just wanted to rest. 'It' won't let me though."
"Is your death the reason you're acting the way you are?"
The aura around Battery seemed to dim a little as he leaned back. "Emotions. That's a big part of the cost. Love, kindness, affection—they're all suppressed when it brings us back. I don't know if it's the same for the others, but for me, when I die, I come back instantly, and it numbs how I feel while increasing my rage. It also makes it so I don't question it at times. Dying becomes easy for me. It suppresses that instinct within me. Urges me to kill myself even. Lucifer and the others have long since given in, but I'm still fighting. I don't know for how much longer I can keep it up though."
The Victorian gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're still you, right? You were pretty good at avoiding death up to this point, so just don't die."
He slumped down a bit and nodded. "Yeah, I'll just keep living." He knew that was a fool's errand, though. How much of himself had already been corroded? It was like a drug. Dying would be easier the next time, and he'd come back quicker. The others wouldn't let him sit on the sidelines. It was only a matter of time before he had to face his father again. "So why did you really want to take me back to Oleander?"
The Victorian's smile faded, and she looked out at her city. "Were you serious about standing in the way of the Hero Branch?"
"I was." Battery nodded. "If anything, today made me agree with that notion more. The way they want to use Cinder's death seriously pisses me off."
The Victorian nodded. "I don't like it either."
"So then do something about it. You're the number one hero after all."
The woman shook her head. "It isn't that easy-"
"It is, though. We're the strongest. What can they really do? Tell us no?" Battery snorted. "I don't need the Hero Branch. I don't think any of us do. Once I'm the number one hero, I'll do what I want when I want, all for the betterment of this world. If they get in my way, then I'll treat them for what they truly are. A group of scumbags that get high off of ruling the world."
"The world doesn't work like that, you know." The Victorian sighed. "Sure, you can be so strong the Branch doesn't order you around, but what of the people?"
"I don't care what the people think of me. I'll save them even if they refuse my help." Battery stated. "I'll fix any damage I cause with my Giants and force the people to live with my might."
"See… That sounds like something a villain would say."
"I'm doing it for their own good." Battery hissed. "Besides, where do you get off telling me what's good or evil? You're the same girl who ran around calling herself the number one villain and would try to rob people. Why do you even bother listening to the Hero Branch and letting them get away with their crimes?"
The Victorian's cheeks flushed a bit at Battery's words, and she looked away. "I made a promise to them. I'll do what they need me to do so long as they remain on the side of good. Even if it's things I don't like. I still think they help more people than they harm."
"Maybe, but I don't agree with it." Battery sighed.
"Well, too bad. Until you become the number one hero, you don't get to make choices like that. And remember, you'll have to somehow best me in combat to get that title. Too bad for you; I'm the strongest." The woman smirked.
Battery just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Looks like we've arrived at my destination." Battery stood up and walked to the edge of the sword. They had finally arrived over Oleander. He looked down at the city below and took a step forward, walking off. Right as he began to fall, the Victorian spoke up one last time.
"The place where the Emperor died. The one with all the worms. I'll be waiting for you there." The number one hero said softly. "We'll settle who's the strongest there. Me or you."
Battery dropped from the sky, falling toward his city. Up above, he could truly see all the disasters that it had been hit with. All the ruins of the towers, the cracked streets, and the hobbled-together homes of the people. They were still trying to go on, though. Hope hadn't vanished. He bet that thought would have made the kid happy. Even if only a little.
He landed on his building, cracking the roof a bit. His sudden entrance caused Purrfect to jump a bit. She got into a battle stance but calmed down when she saw it was just Battery. "Oh, Teacher! For a moment, you had me worried. Nothing happened while you were gone, but the Giant guys wouldn't listen to me-"
Battery didn't even look at the girl. He heard a loud buzzing from his belt and reached down, finding his phone. He pulled it out and stared down as a broadcast appeared on it. One being sent out to the whole world. One by the Hero Branch introducing their newest member. A member that looked very familiar to him…
The hero Cinder was making her appearance.
"Purrfect, I have a job for you."
Chapter 143: The New Cinder
A compressed line of water blasted out of the dark alleyway, slicing through a wall like a hot knife through butter. "Ay the bloody 'ell away fro' me, ya damn 'astards!" Cybercroc hissed out.
The villain's mechanical parts strained from the effort he was putting it through, and he shoulder-rammed himself through the wall he cut into, breaking through it and rolling across the broken street of Oleander. A growl tore through the air as something massive came charging out of the alleyway, chasing him down seconds later. Myth was out for blood, swinging out with his claws and ripping one of the villain's robotic arms off.
"'ow dare ya, go n break ma stuff, ya think ya will, 'ell no one does and goes and 'reaks ma stuff but me-" Myth ignored the rambling cyborg and easily tore the hydro cannons off of Cybercroc's shoulders, destroying the villain's weapons. "Bloody 'ell!"
Cybercroc kicked up with his leg and smashed it into the jaw of Myth, but that barely caused the hero to flinch. Myth was already transformed into his lion mode, and the mad hero had been chasing his prey for over six hours, not once stopping. Most of Cybercroc's body was torn and mauled, oil and blood gushing out of cracks in the metal or scales. The fighting, however, was finally starting to reach its end. Cybercroc had nothing left to give.
Myth's teeth locked around the robotic leg that smashed into his jaw, and his lion head jerked back and forth, allowing him to easily rip it off in a single motion. Waves of black oil coated the ground, and Cybercroc crashed to the ground, missing both an arm and a leg. The cyborg kept muttering out nonsense in his weird accent and attempted to crawl away, but he didn't get very far before Myth struck once more.
Claws dug into the villain's back as Myth smashed his foot into the back of Cybercroc. Cybercroc let out another pained cry. It was the kind of noise a dying animal would make. Myth's foot stabbed down, the monster's toes digging into the robot's metallic back. Then he suddenly shifted and changed. In an instant, Myth had become a mighty bull-like beast, and with his enhanced weight, he stomped his hoofed foot down into the villain's back, snapping Cybercroc's spine.
Myth let out a snort of steam, and his eyes burned with fury. He spoke only a single word. "Yield."
Cybercroc struggled to lift his body. The street was filled with destroyed chunks of building, and rain poured down. The sky was black, making it hard to see, yet he could still make up the look of malice that was in the hero's eyes.
"Yield!" Myth yelled again in rage. "You attacked a hospital! One of the last hospitals! The only place people in this city could go for help during this time! All those supplies! Ruined! That building! Ruined! Those people that needed help! Dead! All because of you! Yield!"
"Nah." What was left of Cybercroc's back forced itself open, and a massive barrel expanded out. It glowed and spun, and Myth braced himself as a massive compressed beam of water rammed into his gut. The bull monster was thrown high into the air and crashed down into the street hard, shattering more of the street. Cybercroc dug his remaining leg into the ground and used what was left of his destroyed arm and good arm to jump forward in an effort to escape.
Myth stood back up, part of his costume tearing. Rain coated the bull's fur, and he wiped some blood away from his snout. "Sub Enforcers. To me." He hadn't come alone.
Wasps swirled around Cybercroc, and he felt them digging into parts of his body. The bugs were forcing their way into the metal and began to chew on the wires within him. He tried to activate his firewall but it failed. His site suddenly became filled with lines of code as someone began to rapidly hack his suit. A chibi form of Metal Ronin appeared in his vision. A He tried to claw at the wasps instead, but a silvery liquid metal pooled around him, and suddenly Cybercorc found himself totally bound and stuck in place. Then he felt a wave of intense pain as Oxide came down on him hard with a massive hammer. It smashed part of his skull open and shattered the computer in his brain, flooding his eyes with oil and blood. He jerked and screamed but couldn't move due to the metal. A sword found its way to his throat, and he glared up at the hero Metal Ronin, who stood before him.
Wasp Nest reformed his body, appearing on top of the cyborg, and he pressed his boot to the back of the villain's head, forcing the crocodile to kneel. Oxide stood directly in front of him, holding her hammer up, ready to strike once more, and Metal Ronin kept his sword trained on the villain's throat. All three heroes had a look in their eyes. The kind of look they didn't used to have. They didn't look like kids. They looked like soldiers.
Some of the only protectors of Oleander left after the Beast attack.
"I hacked his systems, so he shouldn't be able to do anything." Metal Ronin stated in a cold tone.
"That's good." Wasp Nest pressed his boot down harder. "I remember this guy being tricky from what Snowdawn told me."
Oxide flinched a bit at the mention of the dead hero, and maybe out of sadness or anger she went to swing her weapon out once more. Her blow was suddenly stopped though as Myth appeared behind her and grabbed the weapon. "Why not?" She hissed. "This guy is a killer. A monster. He was created by the Emperor and only knows how to kill! He should be put down! His life isn't more important than all the heroes we lost!"
Myth ignored the girl's rambling and stared down at Cybercroc. "Looks like you guys really managed to capture him." A new voice called out.
"No thanks to you." Myth grunted. "You just remained on the sidelines and watched me do all the work."
"I'm the newest member of your team. It's my job to watch and learn before I try to perform any combos with you guys!" A new figure came crash landing on the battlefield of the ruined street, standing next to Myth. He had come from the skies, and a pair of long red wings pulled their way into his back. He was young, being only seventeen, and had messy, orangish-red hair. A long red dragon tail stabbed out of his rear end, and he wore a simple black tracksuit, not bothering with a mask. Horns jutted out of the top of his head, and he opened his mouth, letting out a few flakes of fire. "Now that I've seen what you guys can do, I'm really looking forward to working with you all." Drake, young sibling to Wyvern, announced.
Cybercroc's eyes glared up at all the different heroes that stood over him. "Spineless runts-"
Drake's tail grew and slapped through the air at fast speeds, ramming into Cybercroc's face and snapping the villain's snout, finally knocking him out.
Myth slowly shrunk back down to his form. His eyes had heavy bags under them, and his hair had grown a lot longer and became tangled due to not taking any care of it. His clothes were stained, and he looked exhausted, as did the others, but he forced his body to move, crouching down and staring at the unconscious body of Cybercroc. "Good work, everyone." Wasp Nest, Metal Ronin, and Oxide all gave a sluggish nod of their heads. "We stopped him."
"Think we can take a break now?" Metal Ronin asked sheepishly. The boy collapsed onto his butt and stopped hacking Cybercroc's systems. "I'm totally pooped. How many hours have we been at this now?"
"Nineteen." Wasp Nest groaned and also collapsed onto his back out of exhaustion. "It's just one thing after the other. Oleander was never the best place to live, but this is crazy."
"It's all these damn villains." Oxide sighed. "So many new and old ones just keep attacking. Over and over again. They're raiding all the supplies and doing whatever the hell they want."
"Why won't the other heroes help us?" Metal Ronin asked. "I mean, we really need it."
"They're all tied up." Myth grunted. "Oleander isn't the only city going through a crisis. Practically every villain group got a moral boost due to all the heroes we lost. Every city is dealing with its share of crime. Sadly, the other heroes just care about their home cities more than they do Oleander right now."
"Who cares?" Drake said, throwing his hands behind his head. He stalked forward and stood next to his new boss as the two of them looked down at Cybercroc's body. "We don't need their help. You guys got me now after all. I'm more than enough to deal with monster freaks like these guys." He stated kicking the downed villain.
"You're a monster too, aren't you?" Oxide asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, I guess I am," Drake said sheepishly. "My sis and I are good monsters, though."
"There's no such thing as good or evil monsters." Myth grunted out, slowly reaching out to grab the Wet Bandit leader by the head. His fingers dug into the scales, and he lifted himself and Cybercroc up, allowing him to stare into the villain's unconscious eyes. "The only sort of monster that exists are those that can control their urges and those that can't." He stared deep into the monster's eyes before finally letting go, causing Cybercroc to too harshly drop to the ground head first. "He couldn't control his urges, so we hunted him. It's that simple."
"You know it's good to have you back, Myth, but are you sure you're really alright with everything?" Wasp Nest questioned.
"I'm fine. I've had over a month to settle my emotions."
"What happened with Cinder and Snowdawn isn't-"
"Call the Hero Branch and tell them we caught Cybercroc." Myth said, cutting his teammate off. "See what they want us to do with him."
So much had changed in just two months... Oleander was barely being held together and needed heroes now more than ever. The people who were stuck in the city found themselves constantly in danger from the influx of crime that was happening around them now. Oleander barely had any protection, and despite the destroyed land, many villains thought this would be the perfect time to make it their new home. Most were likely banking on the city becoming the same state as other abandoned ones, and they could turn the place into their base or drug dens. Others wanted to raid the place and take whatever valuable loot it had left. More still just wanted to cause chaos. Most of the old threats were gone. There were whispers of Zoo, but that was it. It seemed like the Bad Timers and the Wandering Coin were truly gone.
Demonica still hadn't been seen ever since the battle with the Emperor. Her state of being remained a mystery. Unlike the leader of the Wet Bandits that they now held.
Cybercroc had seemingly grown fed up with everything and had gone on a mindless rampage. It was as if he had simply given up and wanted to cause as much destruction as he could. He had gone to a shelter that was keeping several children and their parents safe that hadn't been able to get out of Oleander in time, and he had flooded with every person still inside. By the time the Sub Enforcers had arrived on the scene, he had flooded three blocks and ruined much of Battery's cleanup effort, even tearing away parts of the bridge.
That rage had fueled Myth and caused him to chase Cybercroc down. And he did it all with the help of his new team.
"Have you tried talking to Battery at all? I heard he became the newest Enforcer member." Oxide spoke up. "Now that you're the head of the Sub Enforcers, I'm sure the two of you have a lot of talking to do since you'll have to work together to save this city."
"I haven't seen him." Myth spat out. "Not since he ditched my team. And I doubt we can save this city. We're just waiting for it to fall apart at this rate."
He should have been happy. He finally got the thing he wanted most. He lived up to the promise he had made with Red Iron and became the leader of the Sub Enforcers. After the Beast's attack, Money Tree had taken the death of BB hard. Those two had always been close. Money Tree simply gave up and couldn't be a hero anymore and left. He didn't know where his friend went, and he really didn't care. Not right now, at least.
He had other things he needed to focus on… Now it was his turn to be the leader of the Sub Enforcers. Despite how grand of a title it was, it had been a sour way to earn it.
The Hero Branch barely considered it and just threw it at him. They didn't care anymore. They had other, more important matters and didn't expect Oleander to last. Now, it was his job to take care of and use Wasp Nest, Oxide, and Metal Ronin, as well as the newest member of their team.
"Can we hurry this up? I want to go check on my sister." Drake said, folding his arms. His wings were already jutting out of his back once more as he got ready to fly off. He wasn't going to be a permanent member. He was mainly just here because he wanted to keep an eye on Battery; he still didn't trust the zombie, and also because Boy Genius had asked him to fill out the Oleander Sub Enforcers in case the Murder Games did happen. Also, he thought Myth was pretty cool.
"Yeah, let's get this over with." Metal Ronin reached up to touch his helmet. "This is Sub Enforcer member Metal Ronin, reporting in for-"
All at once, it happened...
Cybercroc's body threw itself at Drake, hissing and clawing out with what was left of his hand. If he was going to die, he decided he'd take at least one hero with him. Unfortunately for Cybercroc though, Myth had been expecting something like this to happen. Drake's eye went wide as the hand soared toward his face, but before it could reach him, Myth struck out. The man's arm changed and twisted, taking on the shape of a lion as he only transformed part of his body and used it to rip Cybercroc's head off his body with a single tug.
The villain's body crashed to the floor as Drake barely sidestepped it, and before anyone could move, Myth's arm changed again, becoming large and covered in thick scales. It squeezed down and crushed the head of Cybercroc, splattering bits of metal and skull everywhere.
Silence…
Not a single hero said a word. They all just stared at either Myth or the corpse of Cybercroc in pure silence. A second later, however, and the noise was broken when a series of drones flew down to see what the heroes were up to.
Lazily, Myth slapped his arm through the air as it reverted back to normal, and he turned away from the others as bits of Cybercroc flew off of his palm. "Let the Hero Branch know Cybercroc is dead, Metal Ronin. Our mission is done. Report back to our base."
And with that, Myth walked away.
***
"Are you sure you guys have got everything handled?" Drake asked.
"Yeah, we should be fine. Go check up on your sister. How's she doing, by the way?" Rowan asked.
Due to the state Oleander was in, there weren't really a lot of buildings left standing. By some miracle, the Hero Branch tower hadn't been fully destroyed and was still standing, though half of it had been sliced off. The other half was also tilting awkwardly and highly unstable, but they couldn't be picky in times like this. Drake looked up at the mostly destroyed tower, his eyes tracing all the chunks that were missing. He had trouble picturing how Oleander used to look compared to how it looks now.
"Wyvern hasn't been doing good," Drake admitted. The teen's shoulders slumped down a bit, and his tail stopped wagging. "Her memories have been getting to her lately." He and his sister were monsters. They weren't created by the Emperor, though. Instead, they were born into the world as monsters, being children of the horror known as Fairy Queen. That woman had a lot of children with a lot of different Supers, doing her best to create the perfect weapon for her master. Her affair with King Drago had resulted in dozens of dragonic-themed Supers. "She fears she could be running out of time." Drake finally said. Despite not having been a human that was converted into a monster, they still suffered from the same effects all monsters did. They were all gradually breaking and shattering apart mentally. The insanity that plagued Polaron, Demonica, Mars King, and others was with them as well. A constant voice that demanded blood.
"Bad Wolf was still able to be a hero despite everything," Rowan stated. "I'm sure it'll be hard, but you guys can find some way to manage. Don't give up, okay." He reached out, punching Drake in the shoulder. "We need young heroes more than ever. Soon, it'll be our turn to take over the job. Besides, you got freaking dragon powers; you guys are way too cool! I want you guys on the side of good for another ten years at least!"
Drake gave a faint smile and nodded his head. His wings expanded out, and he quickly lifted off the ground. "I'll be back sometime in the morning. If there's an emergency, just call for me, and I'll come sooner. I can fly as fast as a jet, so it won't take me long to show up! Take care, Metal Ronin!" Drake blasted off at his top speed, heading to Nightshade so he could check up on the state his sister was in.
Rowan watched the powerful hero go and waved slightly. It was hard to believe someone as epic as Drake was actually on their team. Despite also being a kid like them, Drake had shown up and fought the Beast, actually doing something to it. He knew it wouldn't last. Eventually, Drake would go back to his actual team, the Sun Eaters, which was led by his sister, but for the time being, it was nice to have such a powerhouse.
Rowan stuffed his hands into his pockets and silently entered the tower. The lobby had been completely ransacked and destroyed, but the elevator was still working. He stepped into it and felt the scanner go up and down his body. They had gotten the help of Boy Genius to ensure this building still had some power left in it just so they could get back to their base.
Speaking of the base, it wasn't like it used to be. As the elevators opened and he was transported to another realm, Rowan saw the state of Money Tree's manor. Pocket worlds like this were able to be changed a lot; in the past, Red Iron had made it look like some old castle. Money Tree, on the other hand, wanted an over-the-top manner. Myth hadn't changed the manor. There was no time for him to make his own base. Despite that, though, it simply didn't feel like it was Money Tree's base anymore.
Almost all of the food and furniture were gone. Several walls and floors of the manor had been torn apart as well. They had donated most of what they didn't need or their extra supplies to the civilians. Sections of Oleander were slowly being turned into makeshift camping zones where people were staying out, and with all the petty crime going on or the supervillains hanging out, it was simply too dangerous for the people to go into run-down stores looking for food.
Oxide and Wasp Nest weren't in the realm. In the past, they would all go on a patrol and would swap in and out with team Pantheon. Now, though, there was always at least one of them out in the city trying to at least slow down the crime. The Giants didn't help as much as most people thought. They were slow and clunky, focused mainly on cleaning up, and always showed up too late. Sure, if they actually fought the threat, it would be wiped out, but most villains learned quickly they could just leave when a Giant spotted them, and they'd be fine. As long as it wasn't Battery chasing them, the villains could escape the slow-moving Giants.
Besides himself, the only other hero in the manor was Myth, and he didn't need to check up on his new team leader to know what Myth was doing.
Day in and day out, Myth was either on patrol or locking himself in a bowling room they had. The room had been completely torn apart, as if some mad beast had rampaged through it. Myth would just sit in there silently. Maybe he was sleeping or getting some rest; none of them really knew, but once it was his time, he'd stand up and go back out on a patrol.
That just left one other person that was still in the manor.
"Hey, you made it back." Kyle looked up when he heard the door open. The boy was seated in a corner reading some comic book. "Did everything go well?"
"Cybercroc is dead."
"Oh? Should I know who that is?" Kyle sheepishly asked.
Rowan slumped down next to his friend and dropped to the floor. His armor had already been pulled back into its container, so he was dressed like your average teenage boy. However, in the state the city was in now, there really was no such thing as average. He let out a low whistle, and a bark echoed through the manner as a small dog ran over and jumped into his lab. Rowan ran his fingers through the dog's fur, feeling his nerves calm down. It felt like so long ago that he had begged Sky to save the puppy. Things really had changed a lot.
"How are you holding up?" Rowan finally asked.
"You don't need to pretend to care." Kyle snorted. "You're not my bodyguard anymore, you know."
"I'm still your friend, jackass. Now how are you doing?"
Kyle slowly closed his book and bowed his head. "Fine. I'm doing fine. Well, Myth kind of freaked me out a bit. I think he was tearing down another wall earlier."
"At this rate, he's going to tear this entire place down." Rowan winced.
"Would that really be so bad?" Kyle hugged his legs and rested his head on them, staring down at the floor. "I mean, there are plenty of people that are suffering out in the streets, living in tents or whatever else they have; meanwhile, here I am in this place. I'm the son of a killer, yet my life is held at a higher value."
"Of course it is. You're my friend!" Rowan snorted, flicking Kyle on the head. "My job as a hero is to keep the people safe; my job as a friend is to make sure you're well."
"I just feel so useless," Kyle admitted.
Rowan felt his smile fade, and he slouched down a bit and kept petting his dog. He knew the feeling well—one attack. A single blow from the Beast had downed him, causing him to miss the entire battle. He couldn't be there for the others, as they fought with everything they had. He wasn't there when Sera died. He never got to say his final words with Money Tree, who simply wandered away, leaving them all behind. He didn't get to see Hope or Armin one last time, nor did he even thank Sky for saving his life. It was almost like some sort of cruel joke. And the worst part was he knew the others all felt the same, so he didn't even have a right to complain.
They were Supers. They were beings blessed with power, yet that was nothing in the face of true horror. Deep down, all of them knew that people like the four Lords, Lucifer, or Emperor would be above them all, but many still held out hope that they could help. That they could make a difference. That they could be the piece that changed everything. They weren't, though. It had all come down to a battle of pure power. A battle that mere Supers couldn't even hope to stand next to.
The Beast had yet again shown them all just how truly weak humanity was.
Rowan's thoughts stopped when Kyle reached out and began to run his fingers through the dog's fur. "He's gotten a bit bigger, hasn't he?"
"Has he? He's pretty small? I mean, he's supposed to be a golden retriever or something, but he's still so tiny." Rowan chuckled. His dog had light brown fur and was way shorter than it should have been despite the amount of time that passed. He really wasn't good with dog breeds, so he was just guessing what type it might have been. Sky said it was a mixed breed, but he couldn't recall what the girl said.
"I still can't believe you named your dog Oppenheimer." Kyle snickered.
"You can just call him Mikoshi. That's my last name." Rowan shrugged.
The two boys took turns petting the happy dog as they sat there in silence. "Thanks for letting me stay here." Kyle said quietly.
"Dude, duh. You're a friend. How many times do I have to say it?"
"I know… It's just… So much has happened."
Rowan's smile faded, and he stared at the ground in silence. Neither of them said a word. They just sat there, feeling the passage of time take hold. Finally, though, Rowan looked down at his watch.
"You should get some sleep," Rowan said, standing up slowly. He held his dog in his arms, tightly hugging it to his chest. "I'm going to bed, myself. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow." He explained, heading off to what was left of his bedroom.
"Yeah... I'll go to sleep soon." Kyle watched his friend leave the room before he also stood up. He didn't head for the bedrooms, though. Instead, he headed for the elevator. "I'll sleep as soon as I'm done."
The doors shut, and when they opened again, he found himself back in the ruins of the city he had started to call home. His father had taken him here in some attempt to keep him safe. Now, he had no idea where his father was or if the man was even still alive. His father had been held up in some Oleander prison awaiting trial when the Beast attack happened. His father might have been killed, or he might be wandering the streets, lost and alone. He didn't know which one he was hoping for or if he even wanted to see his father again.
He still went out, though.
He made his way behind the building, where an alleyway held his supplies. Hidden behind a large dumpster he had to move out of the way was a black bag. Inside of it, he found his gear. A blue knife-proof jacket and thick gloves. The same supplies he had loaned to Hope when she first started out as Cinder. He placed the jacket on, slowly zipping it up and covering his head with the hood. Next, he put the gloves on before finishing the outfit with a simple black half-mask that he covered his face with.
In the past, he had debated asking Rowan for a suit, but he had turned the idea down. Mental based users couldn't make advanced tech for others that could last long. Their tech would always break down too quickly or run out of power if it wasn't near the Super that built it. He didn't need something like that, though. Whisper was basically just a normal human besides her invisibility. That didn't stop her from going out and trying to help.
He didn't need to be a superhero. He just wanted to be a hero. Someone who could at least do something, even if that thing wasn't that Super.
He ducked through another alleyway and began to walk, keeping his head low. The streets were full of rumors that Zoo could be coming back. He didn't believe them, though. Green Wolf wasn't the type to lay low like this for very long. The rumor of his death had spread among the underground, and a few streamers had heard about it and made dozens of posts. If Green Wolf really was alive, he'd have gone out of his way to show himself off to the rest of the city and make sure it was filmed. Most people accepted the fact that he was dead and gone, and the new leader of Zoo was either Red Ape or White Lamb.
Likely White Lamb since Red Ape was...
Either way, the rumors of Zoo's return weren't anything he was too worried about. It was likely just a group of non-powered humans that were claiming to be members of Zoo to up their credit or rob people. The Sub Enforcers had heard the rumors as well and were trying to confirm whether they were true or not. That was how he wanted to help them. He just wanted to know. If he could find out, he could tell them, and they'd be able to deal with it. They were the real heroes, after all.
It didn't take him very long to find something that was going down.
"Give us all your stuff!" A voice barked out.
"Please! I have a daughter; she's sick-"
"I don't remember asking! Now hand it all over!"
Kyle pressed himself to the wall of the alleyway and poked his head around the corner. At the very end of it, he found what he was looking for. A family of three cowered in a corner—a mother, a father, and a young-looking girl. They had a makeshift tent set up and had likely been trying to tough out the area until they were saved by some heroes. The girl didn't look to be in good condition, and she was flat on her back with a red face. They didn't have many supplies, but they did have some boxes of food or medicine that had been air-dropped by the Hero Branch. The father stood in front of his wife and daughter with his arms out, pleading with the two men in front of him.
If they were trying to make themselves look like members of Zoo, they didn't do a good job. All Zoo members wore suits that showed off their color and a mask that showed off their animal. These guys, though, wore baggy jackets that covered most of their bodies up, and while they were wearing masks, they were just of a simple gray wolf. No way Green Wolf would ever allow anyone to wear the same mask as him. One of the men held a metal bat, while the other had a gun, which he had trained on the family of three.
Their size, the way they spoke, and the way they were both shaking told Kyle everything he needed to know. They weren't part of Zoo. They likely weren't even from Oleander. They were small and sounded very young. Both of them were boys, likely around his age. If he had to guess, they were thrill seekers that came here and either got stuck or wanted to cause some chaos. Either way, it made him a bit sick.
Kyle reached into his pocket and winced when he saw he didn't have any connection. None of Boy Genius's drones were above them, so this entire block was going through a blackout.
"Please, I'm begging you, just leave us-" The husband was cut off as the teen with the gun fired. The man dropped to the ground, screaming as he clutched at his bloody shoulder. His wife yelled out and grabbed him but wasn't able to move as the boy in the wolf mask trained the gun on her.
"Holy shit, the kick this thing has is crazy!" The boy exclaimed. "My ears are ringing, and my arm won't stop shaking. Did you see that blood splatter, Dillon-"
The boy turned just in time to see the fist that flew at his face. Kyle gritted his teeth and turned his body, putting his back into it the same way Hope always did when he watched her fights on the news. He slammed his hand directly into the plastic wolf mask the boy had, shattering it. His fist smashed into the teen's nose, snapping it, and threw the boy back. The other one let out a startled cry and swung out with his bat. Kyle managed to raise his arm up just in time, using his wrist to block it. He nearly screamed out in pain when he felt his wrist snap, and a red-hot burning sensation exploded through his arm, but he managed to fight through it and kicked out with his leg.
The false Zoo member stepped back just in time, avoiding the kick, and swung out with his bat as hard as he could, aiming for Kyle's skull. Kyle barely had time to duck down and heard the bat smash into the wall of the alleyway next to him, shattering it. He rammed his full weight into the boy, tackling him and causing them both to fall to the ground. As soon as the teen hit the ground, he was forced to drop his bat and tried to smack up at Kyle's face or grab his throat to choke him, but Kyle was faster. A taser slid out of his sleeve, which he grabbed with his good hand and jammed it down into the neck of the teen. He glared down at the boy with hate as he powered it on and watched as the boy screamed and spasmed.
He waited until he was sure the kid was out cold before he turned the taser off and stood up. He grabbed at his wrist, wincing, and turned back to the family of three. "Are you guys okay-" He stopped when he saw that they were gone. They must have made a break for it when the fighting started. He felt a little worried due to the state the father and daughter were left in. "I need to find a spot to call Rowan and-"
A gunshot rang throughout the alleyway. Kyle blinked and quickly turned to look back at the teen with the gun. His punch hadn't knocked the boy out. The kid's mask was shattered, and blood was gushing down his face from his broken nose and jaw, but the teen glared back at Kyle with pure hate. The boy was young—only about fourteen or fifteen. Then Kyle looked down at his stomach, watching as his blue jacket slowly became a nasty red.
It wasn't bulletproof.
More gunshots rang out as the teen fired again and again, hitting Kyle in the stomach and causing Kyle to scream out and collapse. The boy fired until the gun was out of bullets, at which point he threw it as hard as he could directly into Kyle's head. "This is what you get for ruining our fun!" The teen grabbed the bat out of his unconscious friend's hand and marched over to Kyle, jamming it into Kyle's gut and causing his screams to grow. Red was constantly gushing out of Kyle's stomach, and his vision was starting to blur. His body felt both hot and cold at the same time, and he clutched at his gut as if that would somehow stop the small ocean that was escaping from him. "There aren't any laws here! I don't have to worry about parents or dipshit adults! I can stay up as late as I want and do what I want!" The boy screamed over Kyle's wails. "I can-"
More red filled the alleyway as the head of the teen suddenly rolled off his body. Kyle felt his eyes go wide as he watched the head hit the floor, followed seconds later by the body. "Next time you want to have 'fun,' don't steal someone else's style." A familiar voice echoed around the alleyway. One that Kyle instantly recognized. A figure stepped out of the darkness. A young girl that was only about sixteen or seventeen years old wore a white buttoned-up shirt with a suit jacket over it and a skirt. In her hands, she gripped a sword, which she brought down directly onto the throat of the other boy, killing him instantly. Her face was covered by a cartoon green wolf mask, but he could tell just by the way she was speaking she had a smile on her face. "Oh? Are you still alive?"
He felt his vision blur and go in and out as he gasped and gurgled on his own blood. The girl stood in front of him, now staring down at him. Slowly, he managed to say a single word. "H- Hope?"
"Hope?" The girl reached up and removed the wolf mask. Her blue eyes stared down at him, and he felt his own eyes go wide as he took her appearance in. It was her. Hope Lauren. "Is that the name of this body? Neat."
With that, Kyle felt himself fade into a black sea.
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
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