The city of New York shuddered beneath a sky torn by a sonic boom, the sound thundering like a war drum through the urban canyon. Skyscrapers trembled, their glass facades splintering into jagged mosaics before shattering outward in a cascade of glittering shards. Below, chaos reigned—civilians screamed, fleeing the debris-strewn streets, while heroes scrambled to evacuate the wounded. News helicopters buzzed overhead, their cameras locked on the battle unfolding thousands of feet above, broadcasting every moment to a world frozen in awe.
Steel Savant, clad in his golden exosuit of advanced alloys, was a juggernaut of power. His fist, charged with kinetic energy capable of pulverizing mountains, rocketed toward Kael Ishiro's face. The air screamed, a visible shockwave trailing like a comet's tail, warping the atmosphere. Every eye—human, camera, drone—tracked the strike, the world holding its breath.
Equinox, however, didn't flinch. His sharp eyes, framed by dark, unkempt hair, glinted with focus beneath his rippling black cloak.
*Flashstep.*
In a blur, he vanished, reappearing three meters to the side on a skyscraper's ledge, the golden gauntlet whistling past where his head had been. The missed punch sent Savant lurching forward, his momentum carrying him into empty air.
Kael's cloak snapped in the updraft as he raised a hand. *DarkBind.* Deep blue tendrils with a violet shimmer erupted from his fingertips, coiling like living serpents around Savant's armored arm. The threads tightened with unyielding force, and Kael twisted, his body fluid with *Flexweave*'s enhanced flexibility.
He redirected Savant's trajectory, slamming him into a neighboring skyscraper's facade with a bone-rattling *crunch*. Glass exploded outward, raining onto the streets in a glittering storm. The nearest helicopter rocked, its crew shouting over the roar.
"Did you see that?!" the reporter's voice crackled through the live feed. "Equinox redirected him like he was nothing!"
From the rubble, Steel Savant's voice snarled through his suit's speakers, amplified by its advanced systems. "Emergency recoil—boosters, now!" Flames roared from his back, a blazing inferno melting the debris. He launched upward, flipping to stabilize on a rooftop, his golden armor scorched but intact, its reinforced plates gleaming. His visor glowed with tactical readouts, recalibrating.
"You think you can toy with me, Equinox?" he roared, voice shaking the air. "I'll bury you!" He retracted his right arm, the plating shifting to reveal a sleek cannon barrel, its core humming with kinetic energy.
Kael hovered above the shattered skyscraper, floating with controlled precision, his cloak billowing like liquid shadow. His eyes, enhanced byEagle Hunting's hawk-like vision, tracked Savant's movements across the rooftop. The city sprawled below, a battlefield of fire and ruin, its pulse echoing in the screams and sirens.
A blinding kinetic pulse erupted from Savant's cannon, rotating at ultrasonic frequencies, designed to demolish anything in its path. The beam struck Kael dead-on, the shockwave shattering windows across three blocks. The helicopter swerved, its pilot cursing as the camera feed flickered.
"Direct hit!" the reporter shouted, voice breaking. "He's—!"
The smoke cleared. Kael floated in the same spot, unharmed. *Kinetic Forge.* The impact's energy surged through him, his muscles thrumming with newfound strength, absorbing the force like a sponge. He tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "That… was a mistake."
Savant's eye widened behind his cracked visor. "Impossible!" he stammered, his suit's diagnostics screaming. "That could level a building!"
Kael vanished. *Flashstep.* The air cracked as he reappeared on the rooftop behind Savant, inches from his roaring thrusters. *Silent Sole.* His movements were soundless, his presence a ghost. "Speed won't save you," he said, his voice low, cutting through the wind like a blade. "You're fast, Savant. But not faster than thought."
He extended a hand, fingers splayed. *Nullpatch.* A one-meter zone shimmered around Savant, its edges faint but potent. The Hero's thrusters sputtered, their Quirk-driven power nullified for ten seconds, sending him crashing onto the rooftop's concrete. The impact cracked the surface, dust billowing as Savant's suit whined, its backup systems struggling to reboot.
Kael seized the moment. *Quartzlash.* Razor-edged crystal whips lashed from his fingertips, glinting like frozen lightning. They sliced through Savant's armor at the joints, sparks flying as hydraulic fluid sprayed. The whips shattered after three strikes, their fragments dissolving, but the damage was done—Savant's left arm hung limp, circuits sparking. He roared in pain, his voice raw through the suit's failing speakers.
"Emergency reroute!" Savant shouted, desperation lacing his words. "Fire core—200%!" His suit's backup systems kicked in, and a blinding arc of plasma erupted from his palms, scorching the rooftop and warping a nearby billboard. The helicopter crew shielded their eyes, the feed whiting out.
Kael was gone.
*Shadowslip.*
He melted into the rooftop's shadow, his outline blending seamlessly with the darkness as he moved slowly, evading the plasma's heat. He reemerged on a higher ledge, his sharp eyes tracking Savant through *Eagle Hunting*.
"Your suit," Kael said, his voice carrying across the rooftop, "is a masterpiece. Its alloys, its systems—impressive. But it's reactive. Predictable." He tagged the rooftop and a nearby ledge with *Flickerroot*, faint shimmers marking each spot, then teleported to the ledge in an instant, closing the distance to Savant.
Savant swung a desperate punch, his gauntlet glowing with kinetic energy, but Kael countered with *Joltvine*. Electrified, thorny vines whipped from his arms, entangling Savant's fist and delivering a sharp shock that made his suit's systems flicker. The vines burned out after 30 seconds, retracting, but the brief entanglement gave Kael his opening.
*Kinetic Forge.* Channeling the energy from Savant's earlier blast, Kael's palm connected with the Hero's chestplate, unleashing a concussive wave like a freight train. Savant hurtled backward, crashing through two skyscraper facades in a maelstrom of glass and steel. The impact shook the city, debris raining like glittering hail. The helicopter swerved, its crew shouting over the roar.
"Steel Savant just got launched five blocks away!" the reporter stammered. "Equinox is untouchable!"
Below, civilians stood frozen, phones raised to capture the chaos. Heroes paused mid-rescue, their faces pale. Screens worldwide flickered with the live feed, broadcasting Kael's dominance to billions.
Kael stood on the ledge, *Floating* to adjust his position, his cloak catching the wind like a dark sail. *Shadeveil.* He sensed Savant's heat signature amidst the rubble, a faint pulse of life five meters below. He wasn't done.
A plume of smoke and fire erupted from the wreckage. Savant rose, his suit a battered wreck—plates cracked, one arm dangling, sparks spitting. His visor was shattered, revealing a bloodshot eye burning with defiance. His breathing was ragged, amplified by the suit's failing speakers.
"I can't let you win," he growled, voice raw with conviction. "This city—its people—they're counting on me!"
Kael's expression remained neutral, but his eyes softened, weighing Savant's resolve. "Win?" he said, his tone calm but heavy. "I'm not here to win, Savant. I'm here to show them that I'm not a threat."
He raised both hands. *Sound Spike.* A sonic burst erupted in a forward cone, overwhelming Savant's sensors, the high-pitched frequencies scrambling his suit's coordination. Simultaneously, *Mistmirth* conjured a faint, illusory duplicate of Kael's face two meters away, mimicking his voice: "Over here." The static illusion distracted Savant, his plasma blast scorching empty air as the face faded.
Savant's suit screamed warnings. "Perception field breach! Optical deception at 93%!" He swung wildly, his gauntlet firing kinetic pulses, but they struck nothing. Kael, blending into the shadows with *Shadowslip*, circled silently, his movements undetectable in the skyscraper's shade.
Then, Kael locked eyes with Savant. *Latchgaze.* Savant froze, paralyzed for three seconds, his suit whining against the invisible force. Kael stepped closer, his voice a whisper. "You fight for protection," he said, "but protection without hope is meaningless. All for One's forces won't stop for your ideals. They'll burn this world while you cling to it."
He raised a hand, fingers hovering over Savant's chest. *Balancekeeper.* The air pulsed, reality trembling as the quirk's emotional strain tugged at Kael's chest. He could have stolen Savant's Quirk, ended the fight. But he stopped.
"You mean it," Kael said, his voice softer, weary. "You want to protect them."
He released the gaze. Savant collapsed to one knee, gasping, his suit sparking. Kael turned, descending with *Floating* toward the shattered street below.
The cameras followed as Kael landed amidst the rubble, his boots silent with *Silent Sole*. Civilians flinched, stepping back, their faces torn between fear and awe. Kael knelt, his hand brushing an aluminum panel in the debris. *Ironnudge.* His grip crushed the soft metal like paper, freeing two children—a boy and a girl, their faces streaked with dirt and tears. He set the panel aside, his movements gentle, his hand cramping slightly from the quirk's drawback.
The crowd gasped, fear giving way to awe. Kael lifted the girl, setting her on her feet. She stared up at him, her eyes reflecting the distant flames.
"Are you a Hero?" she whispered, voice trembling.
Kael knelt, his cloak pooling like shadow. "No," he said quietly. "But I'll always save those who need saving."
He rose, his sharp eyes catching the firelight. *Scent trace.* The faint smell of gunpowder lingered, a trace of All for One's forces nearby, sharp in his heightened senses. Nausea flickered post-use, but he pushed it down. He didn't look back at the cameras.
Savant's voice crackled from the wreckage, weak but defiant. "This isn't over, Equinox. I'll stop you. I have to."
Kael didn't turn. "Then protect them," he said, his voice carrying over the wind. "But know this: All for One doesn't care about your suit of armor or your heart. Be ready."
He stepped forward. "Now then…" Kael cracked his fingers as multiple Civilians and Heroes ran past him, a brigade of Villains standing mere meters away from him, crouching, standing on destroyed vehicles, looking at him through windows, and so on. Hundreds of Villains, each with unique looks, unique Quirks, and weapons.
"Why are you attacking this city?"
The Villains exchanged glances, then turned their attention back to Kael. An uproar of laughter erupted from them as they did so. Some of their quirks intensified, but Kaels face remained as stoic as ever.
"BAHAHAHAHA! Do we need a reason?! We're Villains! We do whatever the hell we want, when we want!"
A man with vibrant red hair braided into a ponytail suddenly blurted out. He wore a sleeveless black tank top, black boots, and a belt that was far too big for him. A scar ran across his right eye, and his most striking feature was a giant scorpion tail that wagged behind him.
"It's euphoric to witness the dread and despair etched on their faces! Their screams, their pain, their suffering—it's like music to my ears."
They all laughed, their hoarse voices echoing down the city block. Kaels expression changed drastically, the Villains quieting down upon realization that Equinox didn't have that dead look in his eyes.
"Euphoric, huh…"
"Yeah, it's…"
Equinox appeared before the man, his hand wrapping around the Scorpio-Man's neck. "AUGKK!" the man gagged, causing the villains surrounding them to jump back subconsciously.
None of them could react to his speed, not even someone who could slow his own perception, giving himself a major speed advantage against others.
Kael lifted the man up by his neck, turning slowly and staring each villain around in the eye. His tail attempted to stab at Kael, but was deflected back by a barrier.
"I'm not like those heroes," Equinox said. Lightning began to trickle up his arm towards the Scorpion man's body, and his eyes widened in surprise. The surrounding villains stood there in fear as the lightning continued to flow.
"I won't let society ever have to go through such pain and suffering again."
Red electricity engulfed the man's body as lightning danced across his skin, piercing his ears, nose, and escaping from his eyes. His body trembled violently as the screams that once reverberated through the city were silenced. The man's skin melted off, revealing his skeleton, and then, ash.
"GET HIM!"
One villain yelled out loud, snapping his comrades out of their trance. Battle cries could be heard as multiple villains used their quirks on Kael. Some fired bullets from places on their bodies such as their hands, nails, eyes, hair, etc. Others used concentrated fire and water to attack.
Kael, who had caught one of the bullets aimed directly at his head, absorbed the rest of the long-range Quirk attacks into his body as he examined the bullet. He analyzed it and realized the insignia on them came from overseas. Kael threw the bullet down to the ground as he slowly rose into the sky, surrounded by multiple villains who had converged on him, ramming into each other.
"You don't deserve these powers."
His body began to shimmer, and then in an instant, all the attacks they had thrown at him were thrown back at them, killing most of, if not all, the villains in an instant.
["Remember not to absorb too many attacks, Equinox. My Quirk is strong, but even it crumbled under too much power and pressure, remember?"]
Rykens' vestige appeared, floating over Equinox's shoulder. He had a purple aura surrounding him.
"When I inherited your Quirk, it automatically became stronger due to my strength. Trust me, Ryken, these street-level thugs aren't doing anything to me."
Ryken sighed before nodding, slowly vanishing away before saying, ["Just don't overdo it. You still aren't used to my power yet."]
Ryken completely vanished, leaving Kael floating above multiple vehicles. He looked at the bodies laid frozen on the ground around him, some trying to crawl away, yelping for help.
Kael looked up, seeing civilians and heroes come out from hiding, some looking with awe while others looked at him in fear.
"If you'll let me, I'll rid this city of its villains for you. I don't want to see them hurt anyone of you anymore. You all have so much to live for, so much life and love to give. Having that beautiful, peaceful life get ruined by these scum of the earth makes me angry beyond compare. So please, let me do this for you. Let me be… a hero you can truly rely upon…"
Their silence was deafening. Kael floated over towards them, his hand extended out towards them, his other opening up rifts that sent the dead bodies to an incinerator deep within Zone Blackridge.
'Guess I went overboard.' He sighed, landing on the ground and looking back at the mayhem he had caused. The idea of leaving them alive instead of killing them crossed his mind, but those thoughts were soon snuffed out.
'No. Evil like that can never make amends. They killed thousands for absolutely zero reason. Death was just…'
Kael felt a tug at his cloak. Turning his head back and down, he saw a small child with an eye patch over his left eye holding a beaten-up teddy bear.
"Please~…" The boy began crying. "Please save us, please!" He yelled out through his cries. Kael picked him up, wiping rubble and blood from his clothes and face.
"I will. I'll save all of you.." Kael placed his hand in front of the kid's face who had instinctively flinched. "I won't have your future taken away from you." Kael's palm glowed white as the body covered his eyes.
The boy's body began to heal, all his wounds slowly disappearing and fading. Kael's left eye twitched slightly as he sat the body down, kneeling and taking his eye patch off. He saw the once hollow eye socket slowly begin to heal, a white ball forming in the empty place.
"Huh..!"
The boy questioned, onlookers doing the same. Some thought he was hurting the kid, others having no clue what he could be doing.
"There. Can you see now? How many fingers?" Kael held up three fingers and the boy's left eye slowly looked at it.
"I-I can see?! How? Wha-" The boy ignored Kael's question, immediately going to touch his eye ball.
"I healed you of your pain and suffering. That goes for anyone…" Kael stood up and looked at the crowd.
"If you are severely injured, come over and I'll heal you. It's the least I can do for the damage I caused. But do please hurry."
The crowd didn't know how to react. They looked between the boy who had his eye gouged out years ago during a Villain attack and the man known as Equinox, who had defeated hundreds of Villains in one move, and also healed that boy's eye back to like he never lost it.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm trusting him!" A man with one arm said, running towards Kael.
"Y-Yeah, he protected us when the Heroes in our City couldn't! We owe him our lives!" Another said.
"He's always fought to protect the innocent! Like how he does now and how he did years ago!"
They all ran towards him and surrounded him in an instant. They started cheering, asking him to save them, asking him to heal them and help their City.
The Pro Heroes, even Steel Savant, had to sit back and watch as all the civilians surrounded him. They couldn't do anything themselves against the Villains, and yet, he could. They couldn't hate Equinox, they couldn't loathe him, because at the end of the day, they all had one common goal:
To save everyone.
…