Chapter 32: Grounded
Toneri sat on the moon's surface, his Tenseigan activated with a soft azure glow as he looked down at Earth. The flower-like patterns in his eyes spun gently, giving him a panoramic view of everything happening on the planet.
He first observed his clone at Mount Justice, the clone sitting and eating pizza while look at the interaction between the young heroes. He watched as they talked and laughed, each one trying to understand their place in this new team.
'They are young, yet so determined,' Toneri thought. 'Their resolve reminds me of the genius.'
His vision then shifted to different parts of the world. He saw children going to school, their faces bright with the anticipation of learning something new. 'Education, the foundation of their world. In my time, knowledge was passed down through generations, often through hardship and pain. Here, it is a gift given freely.'
He moved his gaze to parks where people interacted, friends meeting after a long time, families enjoying picnics. 'Human connection, something so simple yet so profound. Even in the Elemental Nations, bonds were what gave shinobi their strength.'
Toneri's eyes then focused on a group of boys playing football, their laughter echoing in the open field. 'Pure joy... such innocence. It is a universal language, transcending worlds and cultures.'
His view shifted again, this time to a secluded island where Amazons trained with fierce Resolve. 'They resemble Wonder Woman. So, these must be her people, the Amazons. Strong, proud warriors. They remind me of the Kunochis, fierce and unyielding.'
Toneri continued his silent observation, witnessing the cycle of life. People giving birth, others breathing their last breath. He sighed deeply. "Their life is fragile," he whispered. "A delicate thread that can be cut at any moment. Yet, it is this fragility that makes it so precious."
His gaze then fixed on a specific scene—a woman standing on the edge of a building, police cars below, and a crowd gathering. The woman's name was Felicity Rose. Toneri's heart ached as he thought about what must have driven her to this point. 'What pain must she be feeling to consider ending her own life? What desperation?'
Felicity's Crisis
Superman flew to the scene, landing beside an African American cop. "Jumper?" he asked.
The cop, visibly shocked by Superman's sudden appearance, nodded. "Yes, Felicity Rose."
Superman looked up at the woman. "What happened?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
The cop replied, "From what we can figure, she lost her mom, lost her job, lost everything... and came down here to end it. Don't like to go up there and grab her for us, would you?"
Superman took a moment, still looking up at Felicity. "No," he said, rising slowly into the air. "But I will talk with her."
Toneri, curious about the interaction, projected his astral form down to the scene using a jutsu he named "Eisei no Jutsu" (Astral Projection Technique). His ethereal form appeared, invisible to all, allowing him to observe firsthand.
Superman hovered near Felicity. "Hello, Felicity. I thought we might talk for a bit. I understand you've been going through a lot lately, and—"
"Don't you dare touch me!" Felicity shouted, tears streaming down her face. "That's what you want, isn't it? Wait until I drop my guard and then you grab me and take me back down there by force! Because you can! Because you're stronger than me! Because you know I can't stop you!"
Superman remained calm. "Somebody said when you give your word, you never break it. Is it true? Is it?" Felicity demanded, her voice trembling.
"Yes," Superman replied gently.
Toneri thought, 'An admirable quality. But still, would he sit back as she takes her own life?' He looked back at Felicity, who continued to speak.
"Then I want your word, I want your promise, that you won't try to take me down by force... and that if I jump... if I choose to jump because it's my choice... you won't stop me. If you do that, I'll talk to you."
Superman hesitated, then said, "I give you my word. I won't stop you, and I won't take you back down against your will."
"I thought he was gonna bring her down. What's he doing up there?" one cop asked.
"Dude said he was gonna talk to her," another replied.
"About what? The view?" asked the first cop.
Felicity spoke again, her voice filled with grief. "After I buried my mom, I stood there after everybody else had left, and I thought... is this it? I mean, is this all there is? Working in a cubicle six days a week until I'm too old to do it anymore, then I die? Is that it? Is that what we're here for? What's the point?"
Toneri's thoughts drifted back to the Elemental Nations. 'The loss of her mother... so that's it. Families of the shinobi who died in wars and missions reacted the same way. The pressure and emptiness of losing a loved one could push even the most battle-hardened shinobi to commit seppuku. I've observed this for centuries.'
Felicity continued, "When I graduated high school, I thought—we all thought—we're gonna go off and do great things. We're gonna change the world. Save the world. If somebody said, 'Hey, you're gonna pump gas your whole life,' or 'Better get used to cleaning up after people because that's gonna be your whole life,' we'd've laughed at them."
Both Toneri and Superman remained silent, listening. Toneri's invisible form stood quietly, observing.
"It's not fair! None of it's fair! And don't you dare tell me it is!" Felicity shouted.
"I won't. Because you're right. It's not fair. John Lennon is dead and Moammar Kadaffi is still alive. J.F.K. is dead and Castro is alive. Gandhi is dead but Manson keeps hanging in there. It's not fair. But it's not unfair, either. It just is."
Felicity laughed bitterly. "That's it. That's the best you can do. 'It's neither fair nor unfair, it just is.'"
Toneri thought, 'Because that is the truth and unfairness of reality. It is a cruel thing for those without the power to break out of it.'
Superman spoke again. "You're right when you say we all come out of high school thinking we're going to save the world. And sometimes we do. And sometimes—" he looked down, "—sometimes we don't. So you don't think about saving the world. You think about saving just one person."
Toneri kept on observing without saying a word while deep in his on thoughts.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone