Chapitre 141: The World Kept Spinning
"Yeah. That's it. That's my father's power. Cinder has become a true Lord of the Sun."
"That stupid bitch just had to run her mouth." Dean Ward pinched the bridge of his nose as the recording of the Beast fight played back the sentence that had taken the world by storm. "She not only showed her incompetence in failing to save the city, but she practically ruined any chance we had at keeping the fact we had the next Lord of Sun secret."
"It's worse than that." A voice spoke up, coming through the speakers on his computer. "We didn't even know we had the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos in our possession. The Enforcers decided to keep that little trump card secret from us. Who knows what other information they could be keeping secret from the Hero Branch? Director Laps should be fired and thrown into the darkest cell we have! She is guilty of treason!"
It had all started after the battle with the Beast. Every time the Beast was defeated and killed, something would always show up afterwards—a new threat that could bring humanity to its ruins. They had all been expecting a giant monster or some great disaster. Instead, the thing that was on the brink of wiping out the Hero Branch was a recording.
Alice Ward, his very own sister-in-law, had survived the Beast attacks. He hadn't bothered trying to get his brother or sister out of Oleander. He had hoped they would have perished in the attacks, and he could use that 'grief' to increase his ranking and popularity. It would seem, however, that just as he failed to see through the hero Paragon's will, he also failed to see just how far Alice would go. The woman had recorded parts of the battle on her phone. That single recording was now coming back to bite them all in the ass.
It showed off a golden girl cloaked in fire. She wasn't as grand as Full Monarch had been, but everyone could tell that it was the same. She then went on to beat the Beast single-handedly. At least, they presumed, as the actual battle hadn't been filmed. Only the part where the golden girl that went by the name of Cinder was throwing the Beast around with godlike strength. During this attack, the Victorian decided to open her mouth and claim that they were seeing the Lord of the Sun.
"It's quite the tricky situation, isn't it." Ward took a drag on a cigar he had and breathed out a large cloud of smoke. His office was a mess with papers scattered about, and shelves were knocked over from when he took his anger out on everything he could get his hands on. On his desk, his computer showed off the image of another man in a suit who served as Daisy's Hero Branch head. The man's name was Arvin Ros, head of the Ros family. "No one has seen Laps since the attacks. She could be dead." Ward sighed.
"Good! I hope that bitch is rotting in hell!" Ros screamed out.
Ward slumped down in his chair and looked back at the screen, watching the recording of the Victorian's words once more. Everyone had put their hope into that woman. They were all expecting her to be able to do more. Two years ago, the world suffered a Beast attack that resulted in the death of Legend and the birth of a new Calamity. The Victorian hadn't yet existed. Not fully, anyway. Her power hadn't been that golden light; the world knows her for now. Instead, it had been something harsher. After the Beast's attack, she showed up, claiming to possess her father's power. She had fooled them all by showing off grand feats and actually got them all to put their trust in her back that she could keep them safe from the next Beast attack. Yet when it finally did come, she failed to stop it and instead had to have a teenager step up—something the general public noticed as well. Not just that, but Boy Genius's recordings had shown some hero known as Battery to be the actual hero that kept the city safe. Battery had gone toe-to-toe with the Beast all alone, doing what the Victorian couldn't.
"So, what do we do now?" Ward questioned.
"We need to give a statement on the state of Oleander and what will happen to it." The leader of Daisy responded. "For the first time in a Beast attack, the city doesn't show any signs of radiation or total destruction, thanks to the hero Battery absorbing it all in his battle with the Beast. We have him to thank for the people of Oleander not dying from radiation sickness. It's hard to believe a guy like that was also under our noses." Ros mused.
"What of the state of the city?"
"The damage is bad, but if we can figure out the costs, it could be possible to possibly rebuild part of it. It would, at the very least, be a place we could store Lillian's increased civilians." Ros explained.
"The public will want to know what happened to that hero. Cinder, I think, is her name. What do we tell them?" Ward asked.
"The heroes have confirmed that her body was too damaged to save." Daisy's head said, letting out a heavy sigh. "She sadly died."
"That means we have to find the Lord all over again?" Ward never liked the Lords or even the new heroes, but even he felt a bit of emotion at the death of Cinder. Nothing as complex as sorrow; instead, it was annoyance. Another useless bitch as far as he was concerned. Just like the Victorian, Cinder had bitten them all in the ass.
"That's right. The general public doesn't know about the existence of pods, nor do they really understand how the titles of Lords are passed down. At the moment, we need to use this as our chance to look for the Pod."
"The bad guys will be out looking for it as well." Ward winced. "A few of them know about that. Especially someone like the Emperor."
"They would look for the pod if they thought she was dead. What if they think she's still alive though? They'd have no reason then, right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
Daisy's leader gave a slight smirk. "I have a plan in mind. See, it could be bad if the public found out we allowed another Lord of the Sun to pass away. Especially as we all know, the Beast isn't truly gone. It will return one day. We haven't even gotten into the discussion of the Emperor's return. If the people discover that the Lord of the Sun has died, if the villains see this as their chance, then we've already lost this war before it's even begun."
"So, you're going to hide the fact that Cinder died? Won't people figure out she's dead when she fails to show up..."
"Leave that all to me. For now, we should discuss the state of the Enforcers. They've requested to have three heroes placed on their team and plan on holding a meeting soon. They want to be shown off to the public as a way to save some face. A few of them did well in the fight with the Beast, so I suppose this is a way to make themselves look better for when it shows up next time."
"Who did they have in mind as their new members?" Ward questioned.
"The first was that new hero, Battery." The screen of Ward's computer changed, showing off the hero in red. "He fought alongside the Victorian, and the two of them were able to almost defeat the Beast before it healed. Some people had managed to record him in the fight, and if not for the fact that the Lord of the Sun had appeared, he'd no doubt be the main topic of discussion. His power could be useful for combating the Organization whenever they make their move. Many civilians have also requested he be sent an invitation."
"I've never even heard of him, and yet he's mister popular all of a sudden?"
"Besides the incident with Cinder, his battle was the one that was viewed the most." Ros explained. "Boy Genius's drone recorded the entire fight when he attempted to solo the Beast. It was quite the moral boast. I could hear the cheering even from my city. The whole world had its eyes on dear Battery for a moment there."
Ward nodded and rubbed his chin. "I see. I have no objections if the other directors don't. Just as long as he stays in his place and follows my orders. What of the others, though? We lost two spots after all, and we still had that position open from Old Dog's death."
"The second hero they've requested to join the team is a new one. She's decided to call herself Lightning Empress. The Victorian has requested we allow her to join. At the moment, it'd be best to let her on due to her powers, as well as the fact that it could keep the Victorian happy."
"Well, who is she?" Ward demanded.
"The newest Lord of the Sky and Weather. Daughter of the Victorian."
Ward rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. The mother can have her baby if she wants. What of the last member?"
"Poseidon-"
"No." Ward cut his fellow director off. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. "Poseidon will not be joining the Enforcers."
"May I ask why? She's a Lord, and has been promised the spot for over a year now. Her mother is also no longer with us, so she'd be the most logical replacement, wouldn't she?"
"I want to teach that little bitch a lesson." Ward spat out. "Paragon refused to play the game by my rule. She ran off. She doesn't want to play ball? Well, then, she can suffer the consequences. I don't want Poseidon on the Enforcers. In fact, I don't want Poseidon on any team. Have you decided what you're doing with Ocean Empress's old team?"
"Team Reservoir unfortunately lost all of its members other than the heroes Poseidon and Paragon. Paragon has been MIA and hasn't stepped foot into Lillian since the Beast incident but has been spotted in Oleander. The team itself has had dozens of heroes from around the world request to join it. Many people looked up to Ocean Empress and wanted to honor her by making sure the team she built lived on. Ocean Empress stated in her will that the team was to be passed down either to her husband, her grandfather, or Poseidon when Poseidon came of age. Poseidon recently turned eighteen, so the team will be handed over to her-"
"Go ahead and just give it to me." Ward cut his partner off once more. "Put out some statement about how Poseidon is experiencing too much grief and mental issues to lead the team. Remove her sponsors as well."
"Are you sure this is wise? You could gain the wrath of a Lord if you don't stop before it's too late."
"The Lords aren't gods. They're just Supers with big egos. Mankind must still rule over them, or else we've already lost. I won't tolerate Paragon refusing me again. I'm sure she'll come to her senses when she learns what's happening to her sister. Until then, her sister can take the punishment for Paragon's arrogance."
"Okay... Don't say I didn't warn you. Just so you know, I think this is a bad idea."
"I don't care." Ward stomped his foot down and gave a smirk. "For humans built by humans. Not Supers, not Monsters, not Lords. Humans. That is the world I will create. All of them are just tools. I'll follow in my father's footsteps and do what he couldn't. This is still our planet."
***
An explosion ripped through the air, followed seconds later by a loud screeching sound. "Stay the hell away from me, you scary bastard!"
Up in the skies above the ruins of Oleander City, a large mantaray the size of a small bus flew through the air as if it were swimming. On the back of the majestic beast, a man in a labcoat stood throwing several bottles of black liquid at the thing that was rapidly chasing him down. Everything the bottles hit suddenly expanded and grew as the glass in them shattered.
His name was Doctor Growth, a low-level solo villain who could make matter grow bigger thanks to the potions that he created. He had always remained in the shadows of Oleander, not doing anything grand due to the massive villain groups that lived in it, such as Zoo or the Bad Timers. Now that those groups were gone, it was his time to shine. At least that's what he thought.
Sadly for Doctor Growth, he had gained the wrath of Oleander's strongest protector. A hero who hadn't once stopped since the battle with the Beast ended. A hero who had taken the whole world by storm.
"Fly my Giant!" Doctor Growth cried out with tears in his eyes. "Fly!"
"You call that a Giant…" A spark of black energy seeped through the air, and it formed itself, taking shape into a massive serpent-like dragon that flew through the air at insane speeds. The dragon was massive, and the people in the city stared up at it in awe. A lone figure stood on its head. A hero dressed in a red costume. Battery stared into the eyes of Doctor Growth. His eyes flickered from blue to black, then back to blue. "Lucky. Eat." Battery said in a cool tone.
Doctor Growth let out a loud scream and wet his pants as the flying dragon reached him and his own large beast. The Giant construct was so large that its maw was able to snap open, and in an instant it swallowed Doctor Growth and the mantaray whole in one single gulp.
Battery stood on the head of his Giant and stared down at what was left of Oleander with a cold look. Then slowly his creature faded away, dissolving into nothing. Doctor Growth vanished with it… And the people cheered.
"I'm in front of the Oleander bridge that connects itself to Lillian! As you can see, even after two months have passed, the bridge still hasn't been fully repaired!" Alice announced, standing in front of her phone.
Her friend June gave her a thumbs-up as he recorded the whole thing. After the incident with the Beast, Alice blew up in popularity online. She was making more money off of donations than she ever had earned from her reporting job. Oleander was left in pretty bad shape even months later, and people seemed to have a strange and twisted fascination with wanting to see the ruins of what was once a grand city. The sky was filled with dozens of Boy Genius's drones as well as Hero Branch drones that scanned the city.
"As you can see, there are still thousands of people stuck in the city!" Alice announced, gesturing off to the side where many crowds had formed, all under tents or other things they had been given. "The Hero Branch in the beginning tried making an effort of getting people off this lot, but once the final member of the 'rich' district was removed and carried to Oleander, they seemed to have slowed that process down by a lot. I wonder why!"
The bridge that connected Oleander to Lillian was gradually being rebuilt. The Lillian Cleanup Squad, as well as the Oleander Cleanup Squad, had come together and were slowly but surely putting it back up piece by piece on the side of Lillian. It would still be at least another month or two, though, before the bridge was fully restored. Because of the bridge being out, there wasn't any way for Oleander to get much help. It was mostly a sea-locked city. People had tried to get into the city through boats, but during a disaster like this, the villains thrived and rose up, taking over the beaches of Oleander and raiding any ship that came, stealing all the supplies. On top of that, there were so many ruined ships in the dock of Oleander, and the beach was in such bad condition filled with so much trash that it was impossible for ships to go that route.
Most of Oleander was in bad condition as well. During the Beast attack, every building that was above the Beast's height had been torn down when it fired a thin laser beam out. Most of the city hadn't been able to get out of the city in time when the bridge was destroyed, so now the people stuck in the city had no homes nor any means of food since the villains picked off most of the supplies.
That mainly just left small supply crates that would be dropped off every now and then through air that the people had to make do with. The Oleander Hero Branch was doing its best to hold everything together, but it was falling apart. Oleander had lost its Enforcer member before the battle began, and several lone heroes had also died. Only the Oleander Sub Enforcer team remained. They had to work so hard because there were still people that were living in Oleander. The Sub Enforcers were also the only group left, as Pantheon had vanished off the face of the Earth.
Not everyone had been able to make it out of the city during the attack. And not everyone who did escape wanted to remain in Lillian. It wasn't like it used to be, but Oleander had some people that were scattered throughout the destroyed city. Many of the people who were homeless and living on the streets were doing well in this new environment, while those who had been stuck were making the best of a bad situation. Dozens of tents had been dropped off, and the Hero Branch and other Supers were still making efforts to get supplies into Oleander. It wasn't much, but the city was somehow clinging to the last of its life.
Alleyways were filled with debris, buildings had been torn down, fires spread to several areas, and the streets were filled with hundreds of pits that dropped down to the sewers, which were flooded and destroyed. There were only a few spots where a person could have any power, and if not for Boy Genius's drones, there wouldn't be any internet at all.
The people were surviving, though. They had all been forced to come together. Many of them were also inspired by something... Something that was slowly but surely also trying to fix the series up. "Crime has, of course, gone up in this situation," Alice explained to her large audience. "Many villains flock to this area, and some people claim they've spotted Green Wolf or Demonica sneaking around. It isn't just Supers, though. Thrill seekers, or troublemakers, have also been popping up lately. People that all think they can get away with anything in our city. Well, let me tell you, so long as we have the Thunder Giants, Oleander is in good hands!" She announced, pointing to a series of large figures.
They weren't as big as they had been in the fight with the Beast, but there were dozens of them now. Each stood at nearly forty feet in height and were forged out of crackling black energy. They didn't carry weapons and instead walked around with heavy-looking tools. The very same tools the Cleanup Squad typically used. It was as if the Giants had been part of such a workforce before, as they had been steadily clearing the streets of rubble and debris, setting up planks and bridges over the holes in the street, and were even rebuilding the bridge on their side of the city to connect it to Lillian's half much sooner.
None of them bothered the civilians stepping around them or ignoring them as they worked and worked and worked, never once stopping. For nearly two months straight, they had worked and had managed to fix up a single city block, allowing tents and other structures to be set up near the destroyed buildings. They also kept the city safe. All it would take was a single person committing a crime in front of one of these Giant workers for them to call the real warrior over. Seated on the ruins of a destroyed building, using it like a chair, was a fifty-meter-tall black armored warrior who had their sword stabbed into the ground next to them. They didn't move an inch, their eyes just constantly scanning out and watching the civilians, making sure no harm would come to any of them.
This was all thanks to a single hero—a hero the public had seen countless times now. The drones followed him everywhere he went, streaming him to the world. He never ate, he never slept, and he never even used the bathroom. Again and again, he would simply show up and crush whatever even attempted to harm his city. Battery had quickly become a hero everyone looked up to. A mighty protector that saved his people.
Right?
"Teacher! I brought you some food!" A voice announced loudly. Purrfect stood on the edge of his building holding a large plate of random chips she had taken from a destroyed vending machine, as well as some soda. "You haven't had anything to eat or drink in days, right! Here!"
"I told you I don't need to consume food or water to survive. And for the last time, stop calling me teacher." Battery stood at the edge of his building and stared down at his city, his eyes darting back and forth. Doctor Growth had been the tenth villain he had stopped. The others had also been swallowed whole by one of his Giants. Despite how strong he was, villains didn't seem to learn and kept trying to sneak past him or beat him. None even came close.
"Next time you go out to patrol, can I come with you, teacher?" Purrfect asked, biting into a chip as she opened one of the bags.
Battery ignored her question, and instead he began to stretch, feeling his joints pop. All around him, several drones flew and stared at him. They weren't the kind that could ask questions, but they still kept him ticked off. They were always recording every action he was doing and wouldn't leave him alone. It was weird having so many eyes stuck to him. Fifteen years ago, the heroes didn't have to worry about that. He wondered how Full Monarch would react to this new age.
Battery shook his head and squashed the memory of Full Monarch. He didn't know why, but he had been thinking of the man a lot more recently. He tried to clear his mind and focused on his stretching. Purrfect placed the plate down and began to mimic him doing the same stretches. "Purrfect, why are you still here?"
Purrfect was a young hero. She sort of reminded him of Snowdawn or Poseidon. The girl was seventeen and wore a yellow cat-looking outfit complete with cat ears and a tail that actually wiggled back and forth. She had whitish blonde hair that she had tied back a bit. She placed her hands on her hips, giving a sly grin. "Impressed with how good I am at toughing things out, teach?" She questioned. "I was part of the Daisy Sub Enforcers, but well... Most of my team... Anyway, Dust Cloud decided he didn't want to be a hero anymore and gave up, and since our team leader is no longer with us either, the director of the Hero Branch decided to just replace the entire team with new heroes, so I sort of got fired since I didn't do much in the Beast fight." The girl said sheepishly.
"They fired you? I shouldn't be surprised. You are basically glorified cannon fodder."
Purrfect blinked and gritted her teeth, doing her best to keep up her cheery demeanor. "Yep, fired! So now my only other choice is to either become a solo hero and hope I can get some sponsors or join up with a big-shot hero that will let me join their team!"
"You'd best not think of joining me; I don't have time for scraps. My last weapon broke before I could properly use her. I'm a fool for thinking I could rely on any other power besides my own." Battery stated in a blunt tone. For some reason, his harsh words and uncaring nature made the people watching him through the drones fangirl over him more and increased his popularity. He didn't really look the part of a hero at the moment. He had managed to get his mask back, which he wore, but several parts of his costume had been torn away, showing off his flesh beneath. He had a hole in the chest piece of his suit, as well as one that went from his back to his stomach from where the Beast had punched a hole in him. His body had been healed and fully restored thanks to him being a Ruler and the gift they all got, but his outfit sadly hadn't been part of that exchange. He had gotten a lot of his muscles back from working out and training so that honed and enhanced hero body was mostly on display for the drones.
"I'm joining you, and I won't take no for an answer!" Purrfect announced, folding her arms and giving a sly smirk. "I saw you in action, Teacher! You're totally cool and stupid strong. If I can get even a mile close to how strong you are, I don't ever have to worry again. You got to hold Ocean Empress in your arms and hear her-" A black hand appeared above Purrfect, dropping from the sky and splattering her as well as all the drones across the roof.
Silence hung around Battery as his hand shoved Purrfect's corpse through the building and tore down some of it. All the drones around him had also been crushed, leaving him in total silence-
"Hey, what was that for?" Purrfect asked, annoyed, suddenly appearing on top of the black hand. "Oh, I get it. You wanted to see how my extra-life power works, right? Well, fear not, Teacher, I'll explain it to you! I have nine lives, just like a cat! If I lose any lives, I have to take a few days to recharge them! It takes one day to charge a life back up, and I can only hold nine!"
"So, you can die eight more times?"
"Yep-" Another hand appeared above her, crushing her once more. "Why!" She whined, appearing next to him. "What did I do that time?"
"Don't ever mention Ocean Empress ever again." Battery gruffly laid down and stared back up at the sky above. "Now get going before I take any more of your lives. I'm not building a team right now."
"Ha! You said right now!" Purrfect announced puffing her chest out. "That means you do plan on starting a team eventually, right! All Enforcers have their own team after all!"
"I might not even be part of the Enforcers. They might ask for me to be wiped out any day now."
Purrfect pouted a bit but silently dropped down in a sitting position next to him. "You waiting for your old sidekick, teach? That Cinder girl?"
"No. She failed. She could have been the next Full Monarch, but she went and blew herself up for a bunch of nobodies. If she somehow came back to life, I wouldn't even spare the energy to think about her." Despite the words, a flicker of emotion crossed Battery's eyes, unnoticed by Purrfect. Before long, though, dark lightning flickered underneath his skin, and the hint of emotion was dragged back under a bored demeanor. "Do you know what a Ruler is, Purrfect?" Battery asked, suddenly changing the subject.
"Huh? Well duh. Like a person who is a king or something?"
"Not that kind of Ruler. Have you ever heard a voice in your head? Maybe someone who tells you to do something?"
"Are you asking if I'm crazy? I'm not? I don't think?" She grabbed her head, her eyes going wide. "Is this a test? Am I crazy? Oh God, none of this is real, and it's all a dream, isn't it!"
Battery kept staring up at the sky and closed his eyes. "I just find it odd, is all. Escaping death all the time is a trait shared by Rulers. Yet you have it as well. Demonica has fire powers despite that being the ability of the Lord of the Sun, and all Lords have battle modes, while many Supers can also transform. It makes me wonder just what makes Rulers, Lords, and Supers so different." Then again, he knew that already. Lords and Rulers weren't alone. They existed alongside someone else that was found within them... "So," he called out. "What are you doing here?"
"I already told you, teach-"
"Not you."
Purrfect cocked her head in confusion before she suddenly felt her body turn sluggish. It was almost as if everything was moving in slow motion. She stood up as fast as she could, but it was painfully slow, and she managed to turn her head, spotting that they weren't alone anymore. Someone else stood on the building with them. Lady Time always stood out like a sore thumb. She wore an elegant white dress with a skirt and a long cape. Her hair flowed down her back, and many golden pocket watches wrapped around her, one of which even formed an eyepatch. Thanks to a mix of the Victorian's golden light and Paragon's healing, she had basically been fully restored.
In her hand, she held her two swords. One able to slow things down, and the other able to speed things up. Her good eye stared down at Battery, who didn't seem to have been slowed down in the slightest. He stood up lazily, moving his arms back and forth as if he were getting ready for a fight. "What do you need?" He asked calmly. Despite that, his power flickered around him. Crackles of energy went from blue to black, switching back and forth so fast it caused her head to spin a bit as she tried to keep up with it. Off to the side, Purrfect looked slowly between Battery and Lady Time, her smile fading to a look of concern.
"You need to come with me." Lady Time stated.
"I'm not interested in sleeping with you if that's what this is about." Battery said, waving her off.
"W- Why would you think it had anything to do with that?" Lady Time asked, baffled.
"Aren't you, Mister Man, and the Victorian in some weird, kinky relationship?"
"Who the hell told you that?"
"Ocean Empress."
Lady Time stomped her foot down a bit and exhaled. "What I do is none of your business! You've been asked to go to the Enforcer tower in Rose City." She explained. "We're having a meeting. An Enforcer meeting."
"So, does this mean I made it on your little team?"
"That's what we're going to discuss."
Battery gave a slight nod and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright then. Let's get this over with. Purrfect, don't get in the way of my Giants while I'm gone."
"Alrighty, Teacher!"
"I'm not your- Forget it. I don't care."
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Oleander near the Wastelands, where she had fought the Emperor in her battle, the Victorian let out a heavy sigh as her sword stabbed down into the ground.
Sweat dripped from her face, and her muscles ached. Her costume was torn, and she still hadn't gotten it fixed after her battle with the Beast. The world had been wondering where she had been for these past two months. All around her was destruction. She had torn the Wastelands to bits, shattering the ground and mountains around her, a river of blood staining the ground as thousands of the giant worms lay slain at her feet.
"It's still not enough." She angrily picked her golden sword up, staring at her dirty reflection in it. "I'm still not as strong as I need to be. As strong as I used to be. I just can't live up to him."
"Victorian..." A voice drew her gaze away, and she found a small drone floating next to her. One of Boy Genius's. His voice came out of it in a faint hum. "We're meeting at the tower."
"Understood." She wiped some of the sweat away and slowly floated into the air. Millions of craters scattered the field around her, going deep into the ground. "I'll be there soon."
"You should clean yourself up first," Boy Genius said. "We don't want the new members to get the wrong idea."
"Right." She looked back up at the sky. "And you still haven't found any traces of her?"
"No, ma'am."
"I see." Her sword quickly faded and vanished. "I know this can't be the ending. How much longer are you going to make us all wait, Hope Lauren?"
Chapitre 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."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
0 Power
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