Chapter 128: A Step Into The Story Of The Number One Hero
It all began with a great war.
The being that went by the name of Lucifer threatened to bring mankind to total annihilation. He wielded an army made up of the undead and used it to tear down anything that got in his way.
This being rivaled the power of the Lords and claimed the title of Ruler for himself. An evil unlike anything the world had seen, it indeed would have all come to an end if not for the actions of a lone Super.
A Super who stood above all others. A Super who used everything he had to defeat Lucifer and bring the world itself into a new age. An age of heroes.
This was the age of Full Monarch. The first number one hero, the first Lord to awaken their power fully, the first man to gain the respect of the Brightest Star, and the one who would go on to not just defeat the Beast alongside Lucifer but even the newest threat to the planet, the one and only modern-day Satan, the Emperor.
This was his story.
At least…
It should have been.
A blur flew through the sky. Faster than any other Super, it danced forward so fast no other being had a chance of catching up to it. If they were lucky, they would maybe see a flicker of gold or a flash of fire, but that was it.
It went across planet Earth, soaring at incredible speeds, and anytime there was a threat, it stopped.
A town was about to be swallowed up by lava! Well, the golden blur appeared, and faster than anyone could blink, it literally tore the ground apart and picked the entire town up, carrying it to safety!
A tidal wave came down on a large city below! The golden blur breathed out as hard as he could, freezing the water in its place instantly. Then, with a wave of its hand, it caused it all to come undone. As if time rewinded, the water flowed backwards and away from the city, and the sky cleared up.
A bank was being robbed by a group of thugs? Suddenly, they were chained up.
A city on the other side of the planet was experiencing earthquakes? The blur moved through, throwing all the falling objects away and stopping them from hitting anyone.
A cat stuck in a tree, a kid late for school, a man about to jump, or a child who needed someone to talk to.
All of these things were visited by the blur.
The blur came to a sliding stop in front of a large cheering crowd. He stood at the center of the stage dressed in his costume and placed his hands on his hips. The sunlight bounced down from above, lighting up the gold all around him, and the butterfly symbol that stood proudly on his chest caught the eyes of millions as he gave a bright smile.
"I'm just doing my part." Full Monarch announced, pointing forward. "You too can be a hero-"
Her phone screen shut off.
Just like that, the story of the blur was over as Ruby let out a sigh. "He's as lame as ever." She muttered, leaning her head back, feeling the plane chair shake as the child behind her kicked. It caused her eye to twitch a bit, and she thought about reaching back and smacking the child upside the head but decided against it.
Hitting him wouldn't change the fact that she was stuck on this plane. She had tried going onto her phone. That was where she had watched the story about the blur around the world, also known as the hero Full Monarch. It had gotten way too boring, though.
The internet only ever seemed to talk about how great and powerful he was. How he was always working, constantly flying around and helping the moment he saw anything go down, no matter what it was. Sini had created phones and the internet after the war with Lucifer, with the help of a bunch of other Mental-based powers, yet they were all being wasted on news articles saying the same thing the world already knew. 'Full Monarch was the greatest.'
It was kind of hard to believe that there was still crime in their world when someone like him existed. Though she supposed not even, he could be a perfect Godlike machine. No matter how much the media wanted him to be. He was still a man after all. One who would make mistakes like any other.
"-didyouhearwhatthey'recallingthenewestteamofvillains-personallyIthinkweneedmorerepresentationintheheroworld-thefourprincescausedanotherattacktohappen-whenwillFullMonarch-ifyouaskmetheworldwouldbebetteroffwithoutthefourLords-andIhearthatthegreatSiniisgoingtoallowthepublictotouroneofhisnewestcraftedlabsandlike-doesthisdressmakemelookfat-"
Ruby let out a sigh as she listened to the mix of chatter that ran through the plane. Her head rested on her hand as she slumped in her chair and lazily stared out the window, looking down at the city below. "Why did I have to get stuck inside a plane... Was it too much for him to drop me off first before he flew off on his own? No fair! He knows I can't fly yet! Being in here just makes my enhanced senses ache." She whined. Luck was not going her way. Then again, it never did.
Ruby was not like your average person. She was someone special. She was a Super. One of the races blessed with supernatural abilities and powers said to have been passed down from the legendary heroes known as the four Lords. However, if you were to look at her, you likely wouldn't be able to tell she was special at all. Ruby looked human, even if that was nothing more than a false desire she held. She had long black hair she had tied back and tired-looking blue eyes, just like everyone else had, on the plane she had been told to board. Even her clothes were plain, being that of what a schoolgirl would wear. To the rest of the world, she looked like your average nineteen-year-old girl.
Despite that, though, she was far from ordinary. Indeed, she was truly special if such a word could be used. The kind of person that would be destined for great things. Her ears burned as her enhanced senses forced her to hear every whisper and every rumor her fellow passengers were spreading.
"God, can something just happen already? I would seriously kill for a giant monster attack or something." Ruby bemoaned, throwing her head back. "Is it too much to ask for?"
"Are you flight sick?" A voice asked. Ruby turned in her chair slightly, finding the person she was sitting next to staring at her oddly. It was an older woman who had been doing her best to ignore the teenager next to her by reading one of her favorite books.
"No. I'm used to flying on way faster things than this." Ruby said, shaking her head. "Although I guess I shouldn't call my dad a thing, huh? That's kind of rude? He usually flies at light speed, so something like this is nothing to me."
"What?"
Ruby never had time to answer. The plane suddenly shook as a rumble went through the metal frame around them. A second later, static filled the air as the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "Everyone, please remain calm and stay seated. Make sure your belts are in place; we seemed to have hit a- Oh God, what is that-"
People began to stand up and stare out the window, doing the opposite of what they were told. Ruby felt herself get shoved to the side as the woman next to her pushed her out of the way in order to stare out the window. She barely managed to duck her head down and see what had everyone's attention.
Down below was the city of Iris. It was more of a town, though. The kind of place that had no skyscrapers and was made up of mostly farmlands. The plane was supposed to fly over it and keep heading north, where it would eventually land in Rose City; however, the plane had to suddenly jerk and twist itself in midair to avoid something that was now in the town below.
The static grew worse, and the plane jerked this time as they barely dodged past the large tower that was in the middle of Iris. The small little farming village had suddenly found itself sporting one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. It was a massive tower, reaching so high it went past the clouds. It had hundreds of glass windows all along and was wider than most of the houses in Iris. Hundreds of Iris's people all stared up at the strange object that had suddenly appeared in their village as if by magic. One second it wasn't there, and then the next it had appeared out of thin air.
On the plane, several people did what they did best: They took out their phones and recorded the whole thing. The plane gently flew past the tower after managing to avoid smacking into it. Then... The tower stood up and took a step forward.
Everyone stared in shock and horror as massive metal legs sprouted out of the tower, and it stood up. Dozens of the windows twisted and swirled around, forming an ugly face. Small stubby arms stabbed out as the giant's step caused the entire village down below to shake, sending many of the crowds of people around it flying back.
"What the hell is happening!" The woman next to Ruby yelled as she stared at the bizarre event unfolding in pure horror.
A booming voice exploded out of the giant skyscraper as it punched out with its hand and sent up a massive wave of air that shook the plane and caused many of the buildings down below to be torn away from the ground. "Here me, and listen well, Iris!" The tower announced. "I am the mighty villain known as The Tower! I come to you on behalf of the great villain, Earth Prince! The one true king of this planet! Pay tribute to my mighty Prince, or else I'll reduce this town to rubble with my godlike strength!"
Ruby's lips slowly curled up into a smirk, and she unclipped her seat belt. "Finally. I was waiting for someone like him to show up. He's kind of big, though. Oh well. I'll just punch him extra hard, I guess."
No one even paid her any mind as she stood up and stepped into the aisle of the plane. Everyone was far too focused on the massive villain down below; just by moving, it kicked up powerful currents of wind that rocked their plane and destroyed most of the town around it. The people did notice, though, when she reached the door of the plane, and with nothing but brute force, she forced it open. Screams filled the plane as the wind tore through the cabin. It didn't last long, though, as she stepped out of the plane and smashed the door shut behind her, forcing it closed.
Even with the door closed, the pilot would have no choice but to make an immediate landing due to the sudden change of pressure that would have been caused. None of this was a concern to Ruby, though. She didn't care about things like that. She dropped from the sky and crash-landed in the town below, smashing through the roof of a house and shattering everything that got in her way.
She quickly stood up, shook some of the debris from her hair, and knocked out loose shards of glass and wood as she made her way to the door and stepped out. Iris City was in pure panic. The Tower had already knocked over several buildings just by accidentally stepping on them, although it didn't look like anyone had died so far. People were getting hurt, though. His strength was so great that it swept people up and caused them to crash down, breaking their bones. Yelling filled the streets, and dozens of people were tossing rocks or whatever else they could get their hands on at the Tower, though they weren't able to crack his glass. A few cops had their pistols trained on the thing firing on the villain while they screamed for help on the radio but that also didn't slow the Tower down.
It did manage to piss the villain off, however, and he growled, screaming out in a booming voice that threw up a massive cloud of dust. "How dare you all! I serve the mighty Earth Prince! I exist high above you all! You pathetic lowly lifeforms deserve no mercy!"
A family of four stared up in terror as the villain took a step forward, shattering the ground below him. "Hey, do you mind holding this?" The father's head snapped to the side, and he found Ruby suddenly standing next to him. The girl had taken off her school jacket and shoes, leaving her in just a white buttoned-up shirt and skirt.
The father blinked but, on instinct, took the offered item. Ruby stepped forward and pulled out the holder that kept her hair tamed, allowing it to flow down her back as she walked toward the Tower. "What do you think you're doing? We have to run!" The father said, grabbing at her shoulder, though Ruby just lazily slapped his hand away.
The Tower's glassy eyes glared down at the many fleeing people below as he walked through houses. His eyes then settled on a young girl who stared up at him. With a snarl, he raised his foot up and brought it down. Ruby gave a sly smirk and lifted her hand just in time as the foot reached her.
Her eyes ignited with a fiery red glow, and the locks of her hair shifted, becoming bright, and began glowing with a crimson light. She wasn't like her father or her friend, River. She hadn't been blessed like so many others had with a wondrous power. Instead, she was given a single ability, one that was not passed down through her by being the daughter of a Lord. This power was simple—so simple, almost every Super had it. A power that she had been forced to train and hone all on her own.
Her power was simply pure raw strength.
The Tower's foot halted, and his eyes went wide. He found himself stepping on something that didn't simply break for the first time in his life. Ruby stared up at the massive bad guy with a lazy look as she effortlessly began to push up with her arm, which caused his leg to lift further off of the ground.
"W- What the hell is this?" The Tower hissed. He gritted his glass teeth and tried to shove more of his weight down, causing the ground to crack and break, but it was no use. He was faced with a strength he had only seen once before—a strength found in his leader, the Earth Prince. Ruby shoved up with her hand, shattering the Tower's foot and causing him to stumble back and crash flat on his metal butt. Black blood poured out of his leg as he howled. "N- No fair! That scary, red-eyed man promised me I'd be unbeatable after he used his powers to transform me! He promised me nothing could hurt me! He lied! W- Who the hell are you!"
"I'm the girl that's going to beat you." Ruby crouched down and then jumped into the air, shattering everything around her. Utter godlike strength. Power not even rivaled by her future self. She was the world's strongest teenager! The Tower tried to throw a punch of his own, meeting Ruby's fist, which caused her to smirk. "A test of strength, huh? Sorry, but I'm the strongest."
It was over in one punch...
Her fist rammed right through his, exploding his arm. The force of her attack kept going, and in an instant, the head of the Tower was blown to bits, raining down a sea of glass and stone. Hundreds of Iris's people all stared in shock at the young girl who had saved them. She didn't wear a costume nor a mask, but there was no doubt in their minds that they had just witnessed a grand hero in action. The girl dropped to the ground, spinning as she landed on her feet and gave a bow. Black blood rained down behind her seconds late.
"We're saved!" Someone cheered.
"She beat that guy in one attack!"
"Who is she?"
"Why isn't she wearing a mask?"
"How can we ever thank you, Ms. Hero-"
"Give me all your money!" Ruby announced instantly, causing the cheers to stop. She punched her fist into her other palm and gave an evil grin. "This is a stickup! The only villain that can rob this place is me! Now give me all your stuff!"
"V- Villain!?"
"That's right." Ruby snapped and pointed up toward the sky as the golden rays of the sun cast their light down upon her. "Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed the work of history's greatest bad guy! I stand before you as the one and only Ruby Admiral! Number one villain! I'm as evil as they come! I sleep past my curfew and only brush my teeth if I eat sweets! Got that! I'm evil! Now let me rob you! Please!"
Everyone stared at the young girl in stunned silence, slowly processing the words they had heard.
A hero hadn't come to their rescue...
At least she said please, though.
Before anyone could fully process what they were hearing, a horrible groan echoed through the village as the sound of metal support beams snapping came from the Tower's corpse. The giant villain's body began to tumble over in the direction of a large field—a field that a plane just so happened to land in, putting them directly in the way of the falling villain.
The corpse's shadow loomed over the plane, which had just pulled to a stop after being forced to make an emergency landing. It would have no way of moving out of the way as the tower's broken form came crashing down. People screamed as they stared at the scene unfolding in horror, realizing what was about to happen.
Ruby Admiral went to run forward, but she knew she wouldn't be able to make it in time. She wasn't fast enough.
With one last groan, the entire tower dropped, nearing the plane! Then suddenly, it stopped. The tower's fall was suddenly halted as something, or rather someone, appeared just in time to catch it. Slowly, the tower began to get lifted off of the ground, and everyone now stared in awe as a single hero picked up the giant, dead Super and gently placed it on the ground away from the plane crash. A hero that they all instantly recognized. A hero that caused Ruby to look away and wince.
"I'm so grounded..." She muttered.
He had long golden hair the color of the sun that dropped all the way down to his waist, though, at the moment, it flowed in the wind. He was tall and muscular, with a body most men could only dream of. His eyes, like Ruby's, held a powerful red light behind them. His costumes were always changing since he worked so hard they usually tore. Today, his costume was a golden one that held a long cape that he had tied around him. The symbol of a butterfly was proudly displayed on his chest, and his skin seemed to have a layer of golden light that danced across it constantly.
"Everyone, please remain calm! I have the situation fully under control!" The current Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, the world's greatest hero, the one and only Full Monarch, landed gently on the ground. Instantly, a crowd formed around him as the people cheered. He held a kind and gentle smile on his face and had his hands on his hips. His voice was loud and booming but held no hostility behind it. With a flick of his hand, golden energy blasted out, washing over the crowd and mending any wounds that had been caused. "Is everyone okay?" He asked, scanning through the crowd with his eyes. Eventually his gaze settled on Ruby, and for a moment his kind smile faded as he stared at the girl.
It came back instantly though as the people cheered, and with another wave of his hand, the buildings and destruction around them began to become undone. He was not just the Lord of the Sun but one of Cosmos as well, and as such, the world was his to command. With his power, all the buildings began to form back together, bricks flying into place and mending. Matter itself obeyed him. That caused the cheering to grow louder and the crowd to become denser. He nodded his head and shook the hands of the people as he tried to make his way through the crowd.
Finally, he stopped in front of the young girl with red hair who slowly looked up, meeting his eyes. The self-proclaimed number one villain stared up at the number one hero. "Jill." His voice was still kind, loud, and booming, though now it held a bit of a strict tone to it. "You know you were supposed to head straight home and stay in your room. I already got on to you today when I caught you trying to free all the animals in Lillian's zoo." Despite his words, he still smiled down at his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Am I in trouble?" Ruby asked sheepishly.
"You're grounded." Full Monarch teased, flicking her on the forehead gently.
"Damn..."
This was his story.
At least…
It should have been. Yet it found itself being taken over by another story.
This was the start of a new tale. This was the story of how a self-proclaimed villain would go on to become a hero to whom nearly all of planet Earth would look up to. The one who would defeat the Emperor, the one who would keep her planet safe when her father was gone, the mother of a Lord, and the strongest Super of her era.
This was the story of the Victorian—daughter of Full Monarch. This was how she met, fell in love with, and fought alongside Max Lightning.
***
"Damn it! Where did you go, Red Tiger!" Green Mole screamed out, slashing out with his claws and ripping the street around him apart. "How dare you betray me! I'll skin you alive when I find you!"
The street around him was filled with fleeing people as innocent civilians ducked out of the way of the rampaging villain, who only just now realized that his underlings had left him behind and escaped with all the bags of money that had been stolen from the nearby bank.
Green Mole was the leader of a little team of villains that called themselves Zoo. They dressed in animal masks, and all wore matching suits. His mask was obviously based on a mole, and his power allowed him to create large metal drills around his hands so he could dig through the ground. Sadly, Green Mole's position was about to be taken when the villain known as Red Tiger would step up and take over. Of course, eventually, Red Tiger, or rather Green Tiger, would be murdered at the hands of a young man who would take on the title of Green Wolf, but that was a story for another day. This was the story, or actually ending, was a better way of putting it, of Green Mole.
The villain howled, and his hands turned into drills as he jumped in the direction of the largest crowd he could see. "Look at what you're making me do, Tiger! All of this is on you now!" His drills spun out, moving so fast they twisted the air around them. They would be able to easily tear through humans, but for the first time in his life, Green Mole found himself ramming into something he couldn't shatter.
Faster than he could react, a golden costumed hero appeared in front of the crowd. The drills shattered on the hero's chest, and Green Mole found himself face to face with the number one hero, Full Monarch!
Green Mole let out a strangled squeal of pure terror and jumped back, staring at the golden hero in horror. "Turn your power off and drop to your knees." Full Monarch said calmly. His smile wasn't present as he stared Green Mole dead in the eye.
"I- I know you." Green Mole's eyes traced over the face of the man in front of him. "Y- You're one of the great warriors who fought in the war-"
"I'm a hero, not a warrior." Full Monarch looked around at the destruction that was on the city block around him. He had been distracted dealing with another issue in a nearby town and hadn't shown up in time. He didn't see any dead, but who knows what would have happened if he didn't show up when he did? He turned back to the crowd, who now all stared at him. "It's okay. You're all safe. I promise. He won't hurt any of you." Slowly his gaze settled back on Green Mole, who took a step back in fear.
Faster than Green Mole could react, he suddenly found himself on the ground, tied up with thick metal bars the hero had grabbed from the destroyed buildings. Green Mole let out a strange squeakish sound as he found himself now staring up at the number one hero who floated casually above him. Full Monarch was fast. Faster than anyone else in the universe.
"Why did you do this?" Full Monarch questioned, his voice once again booming around the city.
"They say you're the strongest Super." Green Mole spat out. "That you're some big shot!" The villain flexed his arms and felt the metal around him breaking and twisting as he easily shattered it and broke out.
Full Monarch looked back at the man, his fiery eyes staring at his fellow Super. "You scared them. Look at them all. They're afraid of people like us. Scared of Supers. Our kind can cause such needless destruction. With how much power we wield, it makes me wonder if our kind can even be called human. It's for that reason that I must make sure that all of us, be it human or Super, walk down the same path and suffer the same consequences when the law is broken." He felt some of his power flare up, and it caused Green Mole to flinch. "I won't say this again. Stop fighting and surrender. Please..."
Green Mole gritted his teeth and slowly began to drop to his knees. Then, his arrogance got the best of him...
"I am the leader of Zoo!" He rammed his hand forward, and his drills fixed themselves back up and fired off like a bullet toward Full Monarch, who didn't even flinch as the drills bounced off of his chest and crashed harmlessly to the ground.
"You can't hurt me. No one can hurt me." The hero announced. "Hit me as much as you like, it won't work. I can survive anything this universe throws at me."
"I don't need to hurt you stupid! All you heroes have one weakness in common!" Green Mole screamed out, pointing in the direction of fleeing people.
"Don't do it!"
Green Mole gave a smirk as his hand began to reform and change again the damaged drill, fixing itself for a third time as it got ready to fire off like a bullet. He never needed to beat the hero, he just needed to distract the man, and then he could use his mole powers to dig away. "This is what you get-" Full Monarch's eyes glowed and fired a thin beam of energy before Green Mole could command his drills to fire, easily slicing through the man's arms. "Ah!" The leader of Zoo crashed to his knees, clutching at his right side as smoke began to rapidly rise off of it. "I'll kill you!" Drills stabbed out of his body in all sorts of ways as he howled.
Full Monarch sighed and held his palm up. Something began to swirl and form, taking shape. A golden metal in the shape of a blade. It flew forward at the charging villain and stabbed deep into the man's chest. "Turn your power off." Full Monarch said, giving one last warning. That was the same ability he had used to stop Lucifer.
The villain didn't listen and gasped and twitched. His chest began to burn with golden flames, and cracks grew along his flesh as his powers caused the shard within to break him apart. "I... I am... What just happened-" Green Mole suddenly found his vision began to blur, and he felt himself fall apart as his atoms came undone. "W- What's happening?"
"Turn your power off if you want to live." Full Monarch urged. "That thing inside of you reacts to your powers. It'll tear you to bits the more you use your ability-"
"S- Screw you!" More drills ripped their way out of Green Mole, but they broke away as the golden fire spewed throughout the man's body and he began to shatter and break apart.
In an instant, it was over. He was dead.
Full Monarch heard the crowd of people who began to cheer, but he ignored them and watched as ash filled the air in the spot Green Mole had been standing. He felt his face sag a bit, but he did his best to push it back into place and used his other hand to tap into the power of the Lord of Cosmos. All the destruction around them began to fade away as buildings forced themselves back in place and cracks in the road mended. In only a second, the street was fully repaired. Finally, he turned back to the crowd and placed his pointer fingers on either side of his mouth, forcing it to lift up into a smile.
"Don't worry, everyone. The situation is under control. You're all saved-"
"Not quite!" His smile faded when he heard the voice of his daughter. She jumped down from a nearby building and crash-landed in front of the crowd, smashing through a car. Her red hair flowed out, and she pointed at the man who looked like he might have been the richest. "Give me all your stuff!"
"W- What?"
"I'm robbing you!"
A second later, Ruby Admiral suddenly found herself forced to bow as her father grabbed her by the back of her head and outpowered her with his monstrous strength. Full Monarch bowed alongside his daughter. "Please call my name if I missed any repairs or get in contact with the Hero Branch, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Oh, and please also don't mind my daughters' joke."
"Hey, let me go! I'm not joking! I'm evil!" Ruby whined, thrashing her arms out as her father simply threw her over his shoulder and began to lift her back up into the air. "Dad! Let me go! I didn't even get to steal anything!"
Full Monarch took off at his top speed, leaving the city behind and shattering the clouds above. He didn't let go of his daughter until he was well past any city she'd be able to escape to. They flew over the ocean when he loosened his grip as she climbed over him and stood on his back, sighing and huffing the entire time for ruining her fun. He hovered low to the water and slowed his flight as he stared at his reflection. He briefly wondered when the last time he got some sleep was or when he brushed his teeth.
"You can power down now, you know." He called back.
"Yeah, yeah." Ruby rolled her eyes and allowed her power to shut off. Her red hair faded, going back to its raven color, and she dropped down to a cross-legged position, sitting on her father's back as if he were some sort of chair as they flew faster than a fighter jet. "Are you really taking me back to Rose? Wouldn't it be better for you to-"
"Well, I tried letting you out of my sight, and you decided to nearly crash a plane and rob a city." Her father sighed. "Honestly, Jill-"
"It's Ruby Admiral!"
"-how are people supposed to trust us if you pretend to be a bad guy?"
"I'm not pretending! I'm the real deal!" Ruby Admiral announced, pointing to the sky above. She was still just in her buttoned-up shirt and skirt, as she didn't have a uniform, as her dad had taken her out of that town before she could get her jacket and shoes back. "Ruby Admiral is your rival! I'm the greatest bad guy around! Besides, I don't think you need to worry about the people trusting you. They cheered you on and were adoring you. They always cheer for you." She muttered that last part quietly, but the man's enhanced hearing still allowed him to hear what she said.
Full Monarch frowned softly. "That's only because I've spent years doing everything I could to earn their trust. Trust is something that can be stolen away in seconds. It only takes one bad action to undo it all." For a moment, the image of a man with blonde hair came to the number one hero's mind. "It took him only one action to ruin my trust after all…"
Ruby didn't bother looking down at her dad. He was always quiet and never liked speaking all that much. She watched the clouds go by in a blur as they flew and just took a moment to think. The world had changed a lot since she had been a little girl. Now, cities were constantly growing larger with the help of Sini Corp, and the newly created Hero Branch was finding a use for Supers in society. A use that she didn't exactly agree with. Her father was the one leading it all. Full Monarch placed everything on his shoulders, never stopping to take a break.
He always looked so tired.
"When we get back home, do you have any plans?" She asked.
"I'll be heading back out. There are some issues on the border of Lillian I need to deal with, and I'd like to double-check Daisy since I was in a bit of a rush when I was putting out the fires around it." Full Monarch stated.
"Can't you leave it in the hands of the other heroes?"
"They're very busy. I wouldn't want to get them caught up in my own issues."
Ruby let out a sigh and folded her arms. "Dad, you really need to—watch out!" Her enhanced senses flared up a bit too late, and her father never had to be concerned with his own safety, so he hadn't bothered to use his senses on himself to detect the attack that came their way.
It came crashing down from overhead, a tremendous force that didn't bother her father but did manage to affect her, knocking her off of his back. She hit the water hard and felt herself flail around. She didn't actually know how to swim. On top of that, this wasn't normal water. It was almost like it had come to life. It swirled and swatted at her, pulling her deep beneath the waves and causing her to gasp as she felt it enter her lungs.
Her father tried to grab at her, but the water was literally shoving her further into its depths and away from him, separating them further as if the ocean itself were out to get her.
Everything began to grow darker, and Ruby Admiral felt herself slowly drift into unconsciousness.
Chapter 129: The Super Who Walked The Path Of Pure Evil
"Is that her?" Someone asked.
"Yeah. That's the one that destroyed the school."
"What's going to happen to her now?"
"The same thing that happens to all Supers."
Ruby ignored the hushed voices around her. It had happened earlier that day. Her ability to hear had shot through the roof. Everywhere she went, a loud rumbling echoed from the people. Their heartbeats had nearly driven her mad. So much so that she hadn't been able to control herself when she punched a wall out of frustration. Now, here she was, marching through the rubble of the school.
All the students and teachers stared at her, keeping their distance. Despite being less than twelve years old, she had torn through an entire floor and nearly collapsed the building. It was a miracle no one had been hurt. Dozens of men in suits all stood near the entrance of the school, along with a large black armored truck. She walked toward them casually with her bag slung over her shoulder.
One of the men in the suits nodded at her. "Jill Laision-"
"I go by Ruby." She explained, flipping her hair. It had changed red around the time the crazy strength kicked in but now reverted back to its black color.
"Right..." The man opened the door and motioned for her to enter. "If you want to say goodbye, now's your chance."
"Say goodbye?" She hummed and glanced back at the crowd of students and teachers. She didn't really know any of them, but she did listen as they talked about her.
"Who knew we had an actual Super in our class?" One of the teachers said, gritting his teeth. "I always knew there was something weird about her."
"Looks like we won't ever have to worry about seeing her again." Another one chuckled. "The Hero Branch is going to take her back to one of their buildings and figure out what to do with her. All Supers are either required to join up with it or be put to work in other ways, and there's no way someone like her will be selected for their Hero Program. My guess is she'll be thrown in a prison or something."
"Good riddance."
"Ms. Laision?" One of the suits questioned her.
Slowly, she turned around to look at all of the students and teachers. They instantly went silent when they saw the look in her eyes. Her hair and iris had changed once again, lighting up with a bright red glow. "Hey!" She announced loudly. "I have something I want to say!" She closed her eyes, feeling her emotions gradually calm down. Everyone stared at her, all with wide eyes, as they waited for her to do something. "...Fuck all of you!" She stomped her foot down, shaking the ground a bit and causing a mini-earthquake that knocked all the men around her down. "Seriously! Screw you all! This place sucked! God, I'm so glad I'm a Super! You guys are so boring!" She pointed up to the sky and struck a pose. "Get a good look at me! One day, I'll go down in history as the greatest villain on Earth!"
"V- Villain?"
"I knew she was evil..."
"I hope they throw her in the darkest prison!"
She turned away from the crowd and smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Having fun down there?" Ruby snapped her head up when she heard the voice. Someone rested on the roof of the car, looking down at her. An older girl in her early teens who wore a swimsuit. Just like her, the strange girl also had colored hair, though the girl's was a bright blue. Water flowed in the air around her, twisting around. "So, you say you're a villain?" Before Ruby could even think about moving, she suddenly felt the cold wave of water hit her as tendrils of liquid wrapped around her, dropping her to the floor. "That means I'll have to capture you." The girl announced, sliding off of the car.
"Another Super?"
"That isn't just any Super. That's Mermaid. She's the granddaughter of the great Sini."
"The war hero?"
Mermaid looked down at Ruby with a sly grin on her face as she glared down at the red-haired child. "Crime doesn't pay, kid."
"Let me out so I can beat you up!" Ruby demanded, thrashing around.
Mermaid let out a snicker and turned away the water flowing over her and formed a fish tail which slapped Ruby's face. "Fat chance. You need to behave. We came to pick you up because you leveled this building. Be a good girl and go along with the Branch. My father and the great Full Monarch created them to help keep humans safe and arrogant Supers like you in check."
"The great Full Monarch?" Ruby spat out. "Yeah, right."
Slowly, Mermaid lifted her up and forced her into the back of the armored vehicle. That was the first time Jill Laision met River Sini.
Super is a term that refers to a being with powers. Many no longer consider them to be humans, and for years, they were feared thanks to the great threat known as Lucifer, a monster that nearly brought all of mankind to utter destruction. Despite that, humanity was forced to rely on Supers in order to survive. The war hero known as Full Monarch, with the help of Mr. Sini, created the fledgling organization known as the Hero Branch.
He believed the world didn't just need heroes. They needed superheroes.
All Supers are now currently required to sign up with the Hero Branch, which is run by the humans that hold the most influential power. Here a Super will be given three choices. First, if they are strong enough and willing to obey the Branch, they will be assigned as an official superhero! If they aren't as useful or don't wish to become a Super, the Branch will instead allow the Super to work for the Branch, using their supernatural powers for the betterment of mankind. This can include working as a Hero Branch doctor or researcher or being used to monitor their prisons. Lastly, though, if a Super refuses to become a hero or serve the Branch, they are given a different label. They are called villains.
This system and structure would later be abolished and destroyed by the Victorian and Old Dog after the battle with the Emperor; however, that has yet to happen in this era.
During this time period, the future of what would be heroes and villains was just starting to begin.
"Wake up!"
Ruby felt a powerful slap ripple across her face. Besides her father, there weren't many people who could hurt her, so it made her sober up instantly. Her memories of the past faded, and she suddenly remembered what she had just gone through.
She had been on her father's back when the ocean had come to life. No doubt the work of some villain or something that was out to get him. She had been pulled over, and since she never bothered to learn how to swim, she had almost drowned. Talk about a seriously lame way to go out! It was likely due to almost dying of water that she found herself thinking back to the first time she met her friend River Sini.
"Are you awake or what?" A voice growled out.
Slowly, she looked up, finding a young man standing in front of her. He was around her age—nineteen or twenty, somewhere in that range. He was dressed in a wetsuit that didn't let her see much of his form, but he had his helmet and mask off, showing a rather handsome face. His blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he had stunning blue eyes that looked her up and down.
That was when she noticed the state she was in. "Pervert." She said flatly, causing him to flinch back and avert his gaze. She was dripping wet and regretted not taking her jacket back from that one guy. She was tied up with some rope and placed in the corner of a metal room. The way everything moved back and forth, rocking, told her that she was on some sort of boat. The room she was in had several pipes, and steam gushed out. She wasn't really a boat kind of girl; she liked trains more, but she guessed the ship was big, suitable for the sea. "Can you untie me?" She asked casually.
"You're rather calm for someone that's been kidnapped." The man said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, that's because I'm not normal?"
"You a Super?"
Her black hair shimmered and lit up with a red glow, and she flexed a bit, snapping all the ropes off of her. The man jumped back, his eyes going wide as she shrugged. "Nah. I just work out a lot." She cracked her knuckles and patted down her shirt. "Now, how badly should I break your jaw for trying to drown me-"
"Wasn't me."
"What?"
"This isn't my boat." The man sighed and shook his head. "Just my luck. Of course, a freaking Super would end up here. Listen, just find your way up to the top and jump ship. We aren't far from a city dock, and if you're a Super with above human stats, you should be able to swim to it just fine."
"You're just letting me go?"
"I told you! I'm not the one who tied you up." The blonde hissed. "Now leave before you ruin my plan!"
"Plan?"
"Leave!"
"You're really rude." She threw her arms behind her head and rolled her eyes. "Besides, I can't swim, so your plan won't work."
"Why do you sound proud of that fact?" She poked her tongue out at him, and he slowly reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should have left you knocked out, but no, Max, you have to be a good person. I am going to punch my therapist next time I see him. Okay, change of plans. Follow me. There are some lifeboats up top. I'll take you to one, and then you will leave this ship. Okay?"
"Sure."
He grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her toward a door. She didn't really fight him all that much, but even without giving any effort, a normal human shouldn't have been able to budge her. This guy was also a Super, although he didn't seem to be in a costume. That either meant he wasn't working for the Branch, or he was a villain like her. Lucky for her, though, he didn't seem to realize the fact she wasn't wearing a costume, which should have been concerning to most people.
The halls of the boat were empty. She didn't hear any crew or much sound at all. The ship was a big one, the kind that would carry large cargo, and she knew enough to know that it should have had a large crew on board. Part of her was expecting to see corpses or something. Whoever this man was, he clearly didn't belong here and had forced his way onto the ship, yet there weren't any bodies to be seen.
Eventually, they reached a set of stairs that led up, and she felt the cold wind smack her in the face as they stepped up onto the deck of the ship. The sun had gone down, casting everything in a dark glow lit only by the moon. Large metal crates were scattered about all over the deck of the ship, all tied down. Once again, she expected to see dozens of guards, but there wasn't a single person. This boat just moved on its own.
"Okay, dumbass, listen up." The boy snapped his fingers in front of her face as he walked her over to where a lifeboat hung. He pointed out across the sea, and she followed his gaze, finding a large city sitting across from them. One by the name of Oleander. It was kind of a shithole filled with a lot of crime and gangs. The Hero Branch hadn't been able to clear it all out yet. "Get in the boat, and I'll lower you down. All you have to do is paddle out until you're near the dock, got that?"
"That's Oleander city."
"And?"
She looked back at the crates. "Oleander's docks are owned by the Prince Gang. Oleander is used mainly as a hub for the underground market and to sell illegal things back and forth." The boat they were on was currently heading to the city, so even if she did paddle, it'd beat her there. It'd be much faster to just stay on the big ship. Besides that, though, there was something else she wanted to know. "I wonder what this guy is smuggling."
"Hey-" The boy grabbed at her, but she dodged past his grip and made her way over to the metal box. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He hissed out.
She ignored the boy, stabbed her hand into the metal, and pulled back. It tore to bits like wet paper, and the blonde diver was forced to duck as she carelessly chucked the shards of metal behind her. She was expecting to see money, or jewels, or any other kind of goods. What she wasn't expecting to see was the scared faces of dozens of kids who all looked back at her. Her smile instantly faded, and the boy behind her stared at them all with shocked eyes, just as taken aback as she was.
All of the kids were shivering and looked extremely pale. Who knew how long they had been shoved into the boxes? They were all young as well. The oldest was maybe sixteen. They all wore dirty, stained clothes, and most looked sick. They were likely kids that had been kidnapped off of the street. Homeless children who didn't have any family that would go looking for them. It wasn't the only box either. There were at least twenty more, and as her enhanced hearing went off, she heard more whimpers and cries. There must have been a little over one hundred kids on the ship in total.
"That's what this bastard was hauling?" The blonde man asked, covering his mouth. "I'm glad I came to kill that son of a bitch now!"
Slowly, she turned to look back at the blonde man. "Who are you? And whose ship is this?" She asked, doing her best to remain calm.
The man winced and sighed. "Max. My name is Max. That's all you're getting. As for who this boat belongs to... Water Prince."
Quietly, she nodded her head. "A- Are you going to save us?" One of the kids asked. "Please help us-"
"Hell no!" Her voice silenced them all, even Max, who stared at her with wide eyes. She pointed a thumb back at herself and gave a grin. "I am the amazing and evil Ruby Admiral! I am the world's greatest villain! The top of the top! If you look up the word evil, it'll show a picture of me! Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not some goodie little two-shoes wannabe hero! I'm not here to save you. Water, what's his face? It is just in my way. He's simply competition."
"S- So you won't save us?"
"Not for free." She rubbed her chin and smirked. "Maybe if you were to bribe me, I could help."
"You're a monster." Max glared at her, but she ignored the blonde's look.
One of the kids, the only sixteen-year-old present, walked toward her. He stumbled, barely able to keep himself upright, and his clothes were a torn mess. Slowly, though, he reached into his pocket, pulling something out, which he handed to her. "Please..." he croaked, stumbling into her arms as she caught him. "That's all I have. S—Save them. Please."
She looked down at the single quarter he had offered up. "Not even a dollar." She frowned.
"Are you seriously a bad guy?" Max hissed at her as she gently placed the boy on the floor.
"Yep."
"I wouldn't have saved you if I knew." He growled, and for a moment, his hair stood up, and his eyes seemed to glow. "You're just as bad as Water Prince! I hate you all. All villains must die-"
It was always a sound that would leave her ears ringing. The sound of something moving so fast it created a loud explosion as it moved past the sound barrier. Max had no time to react as a powerful force suddenly slammed into the side of his head. He was hit so hard and so fast he was sent flying, slamming right through the railing and falling down into the waters below. She tried to turn when she heard another crack, but all she saw was red as a thin beam of water smashed directly into her eye, shoving her back and slamming her into another box.
It seems all their yelling had gotten the ire of the captain.
The reason this boat was empty was simple. He didn't need a crew. It didn't just sail; it was carried on a thin wave of water that supported the ship, giving it a smooth ride. Water Prince walked forward slowly, running his fingers through his beard. If you were to look up the picture of a pirate, he'd likely be one of the first ones you saw. His hair was filled with grays, and he wore a long black cloak that struggled to stay connected over his large form. He had a massive beer belly and had a sword at his side. He wore an eyepatch, had a wooden peg for a foot, and a hook on one of his hands. Lastly, completing the look was a large red bird that clicked its beak and looked around.
"I knew there was a rat crawling around." Water Prince grumbled and took a swig from the large jug of rum he had with him. He kicked out with his wooden peg, smashing it into the stomach of the teen. "Lil bastard, trying to escape your cell again?"
"N- No, sir-"
The teen screamed out as the captain stomped on his wrist, snapping it. "I have half a mind to pop that little head of yours. In fact..." A smile crept its way onto his face as rum dripped down his beard. He raised his wooden foot up, placing it over the boy's head, and slammed it down as hard as he could.
It never reached.
Instead, it landed down on another foot that moved its way in front of his peg. His eyes now met the cold red eyes that stared back up at him as Ruby was back on her feet. She didn't even look that hurt. His attack had only managed to leave her with a mild bruise around her right eye. He gritted his teeth and struggled to force his foot down, but a loud snap echoed out as she brought her foot up and shattered his wooden leg. He stumbled back on one foot, his eyes widening.
"You little bitch! That was a gift from my husband!" Water swirled in the air around him, taking the form of bullets. "Do you know who I am?"
"Don't care." Ruby Admiral quickly stepped past the teen. "Sorry, but I claimed these kids. They're part of the Ruby force and are now my loyal minions. I'm going to have to punish you for harming what belongs to me."
The Prince Gang. A group made up of four powerful elemental users. Fire Prince, Earth Prince, Air Prince, and Water Prince. They had taken the name as a way to mock the Four Lords. They themselves weren't too special but were considered high-class villains due to their skill. It was thought that only a true Lord could actually beat them. The bullets of water fired, and red splashed down onto the deck of the ship. Blood dripped down Water Prince's beard, and his face contorted into pain as he collapsed to his knees, staring down at his gut.
There was a small hole that went all the way through him and out his back, rupturing several of his organs. His own attack bounced off of Ruby's skin, who walked toward him steadily. He flinched and whimpered, but she stepped past him and made her way over to the wall of the ship, ripping out the blood-soaked quarter she had flicked at him out of the wall.
"Stand." That was her simple command. One that could not be disobeyed.
Water Prince screamed at her, letting out one last blood-curdling howl as the water around the ship exploded and came to life. He was almost as skilled as Mermaid. Almost... She took aim and flicked her coin.
Neither of the attacks reached each other. Before the coin could pierce him and before his water could bounce off of her, something appeared between them both. The golden blur…
Once again, the sound barrier exploded as suddenly Full Monarch appeared on the deck of the ship faster than anyone could move. "Jill! Thank God! I've been at the bottom of the ocean, searching for you for hours now! I'm so glad you're okay!" He caught the coin, and his other arm casually slapped the water beam away. That was when Full Monarch noticed who she was fighting. "What's going on?"
"For someone that hears all and sees all, you sure are slow." Ruby snorted. "Out of my way, Dad! This is bad guy on bad guy action!"
Full Monarch stared at Water Prince, whose eyes were filled with horror as he was forced to face the number one Super on planet Earth. Slowly, Full Monarch shook his head and brought a hand up. "No. I'll handle it. This is my job, after all." He stared at the villain quietly. "Please just give up-"
Water Prince screamed again, striking out with a whip of water. Full Monarch just let out a sigh and blasted through it, launching a golden light forward. It stabbed into the chest of Water Prince and wrapped around the man's heart.
Just as he did with every villain he faced, Full Monarch gave them a choice: to turn their power off and to stop fighting. And just as they always did, the villain refused to yield, as if some part of their consciousness couldn't submit to the Lord before it.
Water Prince stumbled forward, his body filling with dozens of cracks and breaking down, starting from the center of his chest. The gold ate away at him, ripping into him, and he crashed forward into the awaiting arms of Full Monarch, who held the villain as his body came undone, and he was reduced to less than ash.
"Why do they always pick death?" He asked quietly. "Is there something in them that makes the choice for them? Do they hate and despise me so much they'd rather die than allow me to save them? Is it the only way they can get back at me?"
"Dad?" He turned slightly when he heard the voice and found his daughter looking back at him.
"Right. Sorry. Are you okay?" He allowed the ash to slip out of his arms, letting it flow freely in the wind.
"I'm fine, but you should call someone about them." She said, pointing toward the teens who were staring at the two of them in utter shock.
"Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me!" Full Monarch forced a smile on his face and pointed a thumb at himself. "Have no fear! I'll save you all-" They weren't given a moment to rest, though, as a second later, a loud, hellish bird scream filled the air.
The red bird that had been on Water Prince's shoulder came down. It had flown off when she fired the coin at it, but now it was back, and it lifted itself into the air and began to grow rapidly, forcing itself to change and evolve!
In the past, a previous Lord of Life, some claimed it was even the first Lord, created a species of bird. One that was able to bond with a Super and evolve alongside that person, gaining their power and claiming it as their own. This species had sadly mostly gone extinct, and no other Lord of Life had figured out how to recreate them. The red bird grew, its wings expanding out and its talons growing razor-sharp. It reached nearly twenty feet in terms of height and soared above the boat, glaring down at the ship. Its talons quickly came down to land in the ocean below as it stood on the water in front of the ship. The liquid bubbled and flowed, coming to life as the creature tapped into the power its master had owned.
Ruby raised her arms up, ready for a fight to break out. But before the creature could even launch its first attack, it felt something touch its leg. Slowly, the bird looked down, meeting Max's eyes, who glared at the beast from beneath the ocean's waves. Lightning gushed out of his fingertips, and the clouds above roared as a bolt of energy fired down, smashing into the bird's head.
The water exploded into a cloud of steam, and Ruby watched on with wide eyes as the bird slumped down and was dragged into the water by Max. "Who the heck was that guy?" She shook her head and looked back at her dad, who was still staring at the water with an even more shocked look than her. "Daddy?"
He blinked a couple of times, silently taking the scene in. "I'll call the Hero Branch..."
Later that night, the ship found itself being swarmed by dozens of heroes and Hero Branch members. A young teen would wake up to find that he was in the care of some of the greatest healers in the world. He would also find a familiar quarter had been placed back in his pocket. One that was heavily dented and still a bit stained with the blood of Water Prince.
But... Just why was Water Prince taking a bunch of street kids to Oleander?
In the back alley of the city, Fire Prince looked around at the scene around him with narrowed eyes. Earth Prince and Wind Prince stood before him. Despite being a gang, they didn't typically see one another and instead focused on their own mini-groups. They also all dressed in their own form of costume as a way to mock the heroes.
Earth Prince was the largest amongst them, standing at twelve feet in height. He wore a large black fur coat and four long spider-looking limbs stabbed out of his back. Wind Prince, on the other hand, was actually a girl. She had long, flowing silver hair and didn't bother with clothes, instead using her power to distort and twist the air into a thick layer of fog as a means to cover herself up. Finally, that left just Fire Prince. Unlike the others, his power was a transformational type. One that gave him rocky skin and a straight-up volcano for a head that could spew lava. In terms of fire-based powers, he was matched only by the Lord of the Sun.
"Where in the ten hells is Water Prince?" Fire Prince grumbled.
"He shows up last all the time," Wind Prince giggled and extended her body with her ability, stretching it out. "Do you think he has more people than us?"
They were in a large alleyway located somewhere behind a group of warehouses. Oleander City was often used as a place for trading and swapping goods. That said, it was the first time any of them had found themselves dealing in people. Beneath Wind Prince, she had formed a glass cage out of solid air that held ten rich-looking kids she had swiped from some Nobles in Rose City. She was able to do this since Full Monarch had strangely been busy this day and not able to show up in time. Earth Prince, on the other hand, had dozens of webs tied around several random kids he had grabbed and dashed off with when some villains had been engaging a hero in battle. Lastly, that left Fire Prince; he had forged a cage made out of coal, which held several homeless men. He was the only one that targeted adults.
"I think a better question we should be asking is how long you're going to make us all wait out here." Earth Prince always spoke in a low hiss. His head was hidden behind a spider-looking mask that twitched and squirmed as if it were alive. "We did what you asked us to do. Now, will you allow us to do our typical business once more?"
In the very center, standing before the three Prince Gang members, a lone figure stood. One cloaked in pure black armor with a long flowing cape and a pair of jagged horns stabbing out of their helmet. The only color that came from their form was a powerful blue light that almost looked like living fire that gushed out of the spot where their eyes should have been.
A single villain...
It took one person to force the four Princes down to their knees.
The figure in black stepped forward slowly, their blue eyes staring past the three cages. The eyes roamed over the kids before settling on the unconscious men that rested in Fire Prince's cage. "Why did you kidnap adults?" A hollow voice rang out, echoing through the alleyway. One that held a great power behind it.
Fire Prince glared down at the villain in black. "You came to us. You beat us all. You destroyed our soldiers. You ordered us to collect you people. You even gave them a point system. Adults were worth one while kids were worth ten. You were practically begging for us to kidnap a bunch of kids. Sadly, for you, I have my morals." He spat out a glob of hot magma. "If you have something against that, you'll have to kill me."
"I see." The figure turned away, not bothering to look at the three power Supers. Then he gave a simple order as if he were directing a dog. "Hell Hound, kill."
Faster than anyone could move, Wind Prince's head was torn off her body as a mace ripped through her. Standing behind her corpse, a large figure in jagged red armor made to look like a wolf stalked forward. Hell Hound twirled her mace and lazily blocked the spider legs that stabbed her way from Earth Prince. As soon as her weapon touched him, his extra limbs shattered and broke away, causing him to gasp in shock. He tried to turn his power back on but didn't have time. Hell Hound smashed her mace down, slamming it directly into his head and caving his skull in.
The cage and web around the kids faded away, causing their unconscious bodies to fall to the ground below, all mostly unharmed. Fire Prince raised his own arms up, ready to fight, but Hell Hound simply turned away from him and instead stalked to her master's side. The cage he stood on shook, and he was forced to jump off as a large blue hand forged out of energy appeared beneath the cage, lifting it up. It wrapped its fingers around the coal, shattering it, and gently took the unconscious man into the center of its palm.
"We'll stay in touch." The man in the black armor threw his cloak back, revealing a white sword that he held. He grasped it with one hand and pointed it up to the sky. "I expect you to come when I call upon you."
Fire Prince narrowed his eyes once more. "Who are you? You've shown up from out of nowhere. Just what the hell's your name?"
"The Emperor." The blade hummed and glowed. "Take me home, Avalon."
And with that, the Emperor vanished with a quiet pop.
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
8 Power
stone 
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