[A/N: The starting phase is inspired by some parts of Superman (2025), I might unintentionally add some spoilers.]
The morning sun cast long shadows across Musutafu City as I adjusted my glasses and checked my watch. Another day at the Daily Planet's Tokyo bureau, the usual mix of hero reports, villain incidents, and the bureaucracy that came with documenting a world where eighty percent of the population possessed superhuman abilities called Quirks.
To most people, I appeared perfectly ordinary, a mild-mannered reporter with an unremarkable Quirk registration that listed my ability as "Enhanced Perception."
The truth was far more complicated.
I wasn't from this world at all. My real name was Kal-El, and I was the last son of a dying planet called Krypton. The yellow sun that now warmed my face had transformed me into something beyond human—faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and fly faster than a jet. In a world of Quirks, I became perhaps the most powerful being on Earth.
Everything had changed a year ago.
On a fine night, Superman had made his first appearance.
The red cape and blue suit had been inspired by my birth father's ceremonial robes, combined with colors that somehow felt right. The "S" on my chest wasn't just a letter; it was the Kryptonian symbol of Hope. To the world, Superman was simply another hero, albeit one with an incredibly powerful Quirk that seemed to encompass multiple abilities. [Although in some iterations, it is the House of El.]
Now, a year later, Superman had become a symbol of hope for many, a source of controversy for others. I was illegal.
I walked into the Daily Planet, taking a cup of coffee along with me.
"Kentaro! There's an incident in Sector 7! I need you to go now. You're the one who always gets the interviews with Superman, weirdly enough. And you're late." My boss, Shirogane Kenji, told me. He's the editor-in-chief.
"Sorry, Kenji," I told him, sipping my coffee.
"Yeah, and you always get the interviews with 'Superman', don't you, Kentaro?" I heard a woman talk behind me.
I turned back, looking at the woman. Fujiwara Ren... she's my girlfriend. The only one who knows I am Superman. "Weird, I know. He likes me and my interviewing skills, which is flattering to say the least, Ren."
She raised her eyebrow, "Yeah, pretty flattering, Kentaro."
"Stop the chit-chat and get to the scene, Kentaro. I do not want to lose this. And again, you're late." Kenji told me again.
I chuckled nervously, "I really am sorry, Kenji. Won't happen next time." I apologized again.
"Get to it, then," he ordered.
I grabbed my press badge and reporter's bag, giving Ren a quick smile before heading toward the elevator. My enhanced hearing was already picking up the distant sounds from Sector 7, screaming civilians, the distinctive rumble of collapsing concrete.
Through the building's walls, my X-ray vision could make out the general direction of the chaos. Something big was happening, and from the sound patterns I was hearing, the professional heroes were struggling.
The elevator dinged, and I stepped in, pressing the "Ground Floor" button. Sato Haruki, my best bud and the Daily Planet's top photographer, leaned against the wall, a playful smirk on his face.
"Ready for another Superman exclusive?" he asked, holding out a fist bump.
"I hope so," I replied, returning the bump. Somehow, Superman always seemed to show up wherever Kentaro Suzuki was reporting. A coincidence that was becoming harder to explain away, even with Ren's help in deflecting suspicion.
As the elevator descended, my thoughts raced. I had to get there, and not as Kentaro Suzuki.
"Haruki," I said, my voice calm despite the urgency. "I'll meet you there. I think... I need to take a shortcut."
Before he could respond, the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. I nodded curtly and stepped out, heading not for the street exit, but for the rarely used service stairwell in the back.
The moment the stairwell door clicked shut behind me, the mild-mannered reporter vanished. My movements became a blur. I removed my jacket and backpack in a single fluid motion, in the blink of an eye. Beneath my clothes, the blue and red suit, compressed and folded into a compact form. The vibrant red cape spread with a soft whoosh, settling over my shoulders. The symbol of hope, the "S," glowed brightly on my chest.
My glasses were gone, tucked into a hidden pouch on my belt. My hair, typically brushed neatly to the side, now fell slightly forward.
A single, powerful leap sent me hurtling upwards, shattering the emergency exit skylight with a burst of speed. The shards of glass rained harmlessly back down into the stairwell, melting into fine dust before they even hit the ground.
One moment, I was inside the building. Next, I was soaring through the clear morning sky. The noise of the city's Quirks faded, replaced by the rush of wind in my ears.
"HEY! IT'S SUPERMAN!" I heard a kid shout in excitement, making me smile like an idiot before I burst forward yet again.
Sector 7 came into view within seconds. A massive, monstrous man had erupted from what looked like a construction site; his body was a mix of flesh and metal. Pro Heroes were scattered around the perimeter, their attacks seemingly having little effect. Mount Lady was there, grown to her full size, trying to physically restrain the man, but even she looked small compared to him.
I could see Kamui Woods attempting to bind him with his branches, but he was slicing through them like paper. Best Jeanist was coordinating the evacuation, his fiber manipulation keeping debris from crushing fleeing civilians.
But what caught my attention most was the apartment building directly in his path. My X-ray vision revealed at least thirty people trapped inside who couldn't evacuate quickly enough. The building's structure was already compromised from the guy's rampage.
I had maybe forty-five seconds before it collapsed completely.
Without hesitation, I dove toward the building, and my cape caught the wind behind me. The pro heroes would handle the villain; my job was to save lives. As I approached the building, I could hear the desperate voices inside, some crying, others calling out for help.
Time to get to work.
I punched through the outer wall of the top floor with precise force, creating an opening large enough to enter without causing further structural damage. The dust and debris exploded outwards, but I was already inside.
My X-ray vision immediately pierced through the smoke and crumbling concrete, pinpointing every single life sign within the building. A child, hidden behind a fallen bookshelf on the third floor. An elderly woman, weak and trapped in a stairwell blocked with rubble. A family crowded together in a ground-floor bathroom, praying. At least thirty people.
"Stay calm! It's me, Superman!" I shouted, making sure I was heard by everyone in the building.
I started with the family in the bathroom. In a flash, I tore open the reinforced door, scooped them up gently – a father, mother, and two small children – and was back out of the hole I'd made in the wall before they could even fully understand I was there. My flight carried them swiftly to the nearest safe zone, a plaza where police and paramedics were gathering. I set them down quickly, giving them a reassuring nod before launching back into the sky.
I burst through a collapsing ceiling to reach the elderly woman, carefully supporting her frail body as I carried her through a section of unstable floor.
Outside, I heard Mount Lady let out a frustrated cry as the massive man shrugged off another of her punches, sending tremors through the ground. Kamui Woods was struggling to contain his movements, and Best Jeanist's fiber bindings were being shredded faster than he could deploy them.
I burst through another wall, snatching a group of teenagers trapped on a lower floor. Their faces were etched with terror, but their eyes widened in disbelief as I appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere. "Hold on tight!" I instructed, and they clung to my suit as I propelled myself back out, depositing them safely at the plaza before a split-second return.
Twenty seconds.
There are still five more. My X-ray vision clearly showed them – a young couple paralyzed by fear near the center of the building, and two men and a woman on the floor above, desperately trying to pry open a jammed door.
No time to make multiple trips.
I flew directly into the centre of the building, gathering the couple in one arm. Then, with my free hand, I punched through the floor above, grabbing the other three as they stumbled back in shock.
Ten seconds.
I ascended rapidly, carrying the last group of civilians to safety. I set them gently at the plaza, joining the others I had saved. A collective gasp from the crowd as they witnessed the building's demise, followed by murmurs of shock and then, slowly, a cheer.
I scanned the faces in the plaza, my super-senses confirming that all thirty-two people I had seen trapped were now safe.
I sighed, relieved as I saw all the people were safe.
"SUPERMAN!" A kid shouted.
Soon, others joined in, their shouts growing into a wave of gratitude and awe. "Superman! Superman! Superman! SUPERMAN!"
I flashed them a smile before I took off. At times like this, even heroes needed saving. I cocked my fist back and punched the man in the stomach, staggering him back.
He lost his balance, slipping.
'Nope,' I thought to myself as I rushed behind him. I caught him from behind as I lifted him, using all my strength. And BOOM, I took off, taking him along with me.
Chapter 1: The Last Son of Two Worlds
The morning sun cast long shadows across Musutafu City as I adjusted my glasses and checked my watch. Another day at the Daily Planet's Tokyo bureau, the usual mix of hero reports, villain incidents, and the bureaucracy that came with documenting a world where eighty percent of the population possessed superhuman abilities called Quirks.
To most people, I appeared perfectly ordinary, a mild-mannered reporter with an unremarkable Quirk registration that listed my ability as "Enhanced Perception."
The truth was far more complicated.
I wasn't from this world at all. My real name was Kal-El, and I was the last son of a dying planet called Krypton. The yellow sun that now warmed my face had transformed me into something beyond human—faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and fly faster than a jet. In a world of Quirks, I became perhaps the most powerful being on Earth.
Everything had changed a year ago.
On a fine night, Superman had made his first appearance.
The red cape and blue suit had been inspired by my birth father's ceremonial robes, combined with colors that somehow felt right. The "S" on my chest wasn't just a letter; it was the Kryptonian symbol of Hope. To the world, Superman was simply another hero, albeit one with an incredibly powerful Quirk that seemed to encompass multiple abilities.
Now, a year later, Superman had become a symbol of hope for many, a source of controversy for others. I was illegal.
I walked into the Daily Planet, taking a cup of coffee along with me.
"Kentaro! There's an incident in Sector 7! I need you to go now. You're the one who always gets the interviews with Superman, weirdly enough. And you're late." My boss, Shirogane Kenji, told me. He's the editor-in-chief.
"Sorry, Kenji," I told him, sipping my coffee.
"Yeah, and you always get the interviews with 'Superman', don't you, Kentaro?" I heard a woman talk behind me.
I turned back, looking at the woman. Fujiwara Ren... she's my girlfriend. The only one who knows who I am. "Weird, I know. He likes me and my interviewing skills, he says I'm the best reporter in Daily Planet, which is flattering to say the least, Ren."
She raised her eyebrow, "Yeah, pretty weird, Kentaro."
"Stop the chit-chat and get to the scene, Kentaro. I do not want to lose this. And again, you're late." Kenji told me again.
I chuckled nervously, "I really am sorry, Kenji. Won't happen next time." I apologized again.
"Get to it, then," he ordered.
I grabbed my press badge and reporter's bag, giving Ren a quick smile before heading toward the elevator. My enhanced hearing was already picking up the distant sounds from Sector 7, screaming civilians, the distinctive rumble of collapsing concrete.
Through the building's walls, my X-ray vision could make out the general direction of the chaos. Something big was happening, and from the sound patterns I was hearing, the professional heroes were struggling.
The elevator dinged, and I stepped in, pressing the "Ground Floor" button. Sato Haruki, my best bud and the Daily Planet's top photographer, leaned against the wall, a playful smirk on his face.
"Ready for another Superman exclusive?" he asked, holding out a fist bump.
"I hope so," I replied, returning the bump. Somehow, Superman always seemed to show up wherever Kentaro Suzuki was reporting. A coincidence that was becoming harder to explain away, even with Ren's help in deflecting suspicion.
As the elevator descended, my thoughts raced. I had to get there, and not as Kentaro Suzuki.
"Haruki," I said, my voice calm despite the urgency. "I'll meet you there. I think... I need to take a shortcut."
Before he could respond, the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. I nodded curtly and stepped out, heading not for the street exit, but for the rarely used service stairwell in the back.
The moment the stairwell door clicked shut behind me, the mild-mannered reporter vanished. My movements became a blur. I removed my jacket and backpack in a single fluid motion, in the blink of an eye. Beneath my clothes, the blue and red suit, compressed and folded into a compact form. The vibrant red cape spread with a soft whoosh, settling over my shoulders. The symbol of hope, the "S," glowed brightly on my chest.
My glasses were gone, tucked into a hidden pouch on my belt. My hair, typically brushed neatly to the side, now fell slightly forward.
A single, powerful leap sent me hurtling upwards, shattering the emergency exit skylight with a burst of speed. The shards of glass rained harmlessly back down into the stairwell, melting into fine dust before they even hit the ground.
One moment, I was inside the building. Next, I was soaring through the clear morning sky. The noise of the city's Quirks faded, replaced by the rush of wind in my ears.
"HEY! IT'S SUPERMAN!" I heard a kid shout in excitement, making me smile like an idiot before I burst forward yet again.
Sector 7 came into view within seconds. A massive, monstrous man had erupted from what looked like a construction site; his body was a mix of flesh and metal. Pro Heroes were scattered around the perimeter, their attacks seemingly having little effect. Mount Lady was there, grown to her full size, trying to physically restrain the man, but even she looked small compared to him.
I could see Kamui Woods attempting to bind him with his branches, but he was slicing through them like paper. Best Jeanist was coordinating the evacuation, his fiber manipulation keeping debris from crushing fleeing civilians.
But what caught my attention most was the apartment building directly in his path. My X-ray vision revealed at least thirty people trapped inside who couldn't evacuate quickly enough. The building's structure was already compromised from the guy's rampage.
I had maybe forty-five seconds before it collapsed completely.
Without hesitation, I dove toward the building, and my cape caught the wind behind me. The pro heroes would handle the villain; my job was to save lives. As I approached the building, I could hear the desperate voices inside, some crying, others calling out for help.
Time to get to work.
I punched through the outer wall of the top floor with precise force, creating an opening large enough to enter without causing further structural damage. The dust and debris exploded outwards, but I was already inside.
My X-ray vision immediately pierced through the smoke and crumbling concrete, pinpointing every single life sign within the building. A child, hidden behind a fallen bookshelf on the third floor. An elderly woman, weak and trapped in a stairwell blocked with rubble. A family crowded together in a ground-floor bathroom, praying. At least thirty people.
"Stay calm! It's me, Superman!" I shouted, making sure I was heard by everyone in the building.
I started with the family in the bathroom. In a flash, I tore open the reinforced door, scooped them up gently – a father, mother, and two small children – and was back out of the hole I'd made in the wall before they could even fully understand I was there. My flight carried them swiftly to the nearest safe zone, a plaza where police and paramedics were gathering. I set them down quickly, giving them a reassuring nod before launching back into the sky.
I burst through a collapsing ceiling to reach the elderly woman, carefully supporting her frail body as I carried her through a section of unstable floor.
Outside, I heard Mount Lady let out a frustrated cry as the massive man shrugged off another of her punches, sending tremors through the ground. Kamui Woods was struggling to contain his movements, and Best Jeanist's fiber bindings were being shredded faster than he could deploy them.
I burst through another wall, snatching a group of teenagers trapped on a lower floor. Their faces were etched with terror, but their eyes widened in disbelief as I appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere. "Hold on tight!" I instructed, and they clung to my suit as I propelled myself back out, depositing them safely at the plaza before a split-second return.
Twenty seconds.
There are still five more. My X-ray vision clearly showed them – a young couple paralyzed by fear near the center of the building, and two men and a woman on the floor above, desperately trying to pry open a jammed door.
No time to make multiple trips.
I flew directly into the centre of the building, gathering the couple in one arm. Then, with my free hand, I punched through the floor above, grabbing the other three as they stumbled back in shock.
Ten seconds.
I ascended rapidly, carrying the last group of civilians to safety. I set them gently at the plaza, joining the others I had saved. A collective gasp from the crowd as they witnessed the building's demise, followed by murmurs of shock and then, slowly, a cheer.
I scanned the faces in the plaza, my super-senses confirming that all thirty-two people I had seen trapped were now safe.
I sighed, relieved as I saw all the people were safe.
"SUPERMAN!" A kid shouted.
Soon, others joined in, their shouts growing into a wave of gratitude and awe. "Superman! Superman! Superman! SUPERMAN!"
I flashed them a smile before I took off. At times like this, even heroes needed saving. I cocked my fist back and punched the man in the stomach, staggering him back.
He lost his balance, slipping.
'Nope,' I thought to myself as I rushed behind him. I caught him from behind as I lifted him, using all my strength. And BOOM, I took off, taking him along with me.
The ground fell away beneath us as I carried the massive villain higher into the sky. His metallic limbs flailed wildly, trying to break free from my grip, but my Kryptonian strength held firm. I needed to get him away from the city, away from innocent people who could get hurt.
"Let me go, you freak!" he snarled, his voice a distorted mix of human and mechanical sounds. "You think you're better than us? You're just another quirked freak playing dress-up!"
I ignored his taunts, focusing on finding a suitable place to contain him. My enhanced vision scanned the landscape below—too many buildings, too many people. I needed somewhere isolated.
The industrial district. Perfect.
I angled our trajectory toward a stretch of abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of Musutafu. The villain's struggles grew more desperate as we approached, his metallic claws scraping uselessly against my suit.
"You can't stop me forever, Superman!" he roared. "I'm Metalmorph! My quirk lets me absorb any metal I touch and make it part of me! Soon I'll be unstoppable!"
I landed hard in the center of an empty lot, the impact creating a small crater. Before Metalmorph could react, I spun around and released him, sending him tumbling across the concrete. He rolled to his feet quickly, his metal components scraping against the ground.
"Big mistake bringing me here," he growled, pressing his palms against a nearby pile of scrap metal. Instantly, the twisted metal began flowing into his body, making him even larger and more monstrous. "Now I'm going to crush you and then level this entire city!"
I floated a few feet off the ground, arms crossed. "Actually, I brought you here for a reason."
His confusion lasted exactly one second before I moved. At super speed, I circled the entire industrial lot, using my heat vision to cut through every piece of metal in sight - cars, machinery, structural supports - disintegrating them.
"What... what did you do?" His voice cracked.
"Removed your power source," I said simply.
"Your quirk absorbs metal. But now..." I gestured to the barren lot around us, "There's nothing left to absorb."
"This isn't over!" he screamed, charging at me with surprising speed for someone his size.
I didn't move. I simply caught his punch with my palm, stopping all that momentum dead. The shock traveled up his arm, and I could hear the metal components groaning under the stress.
"Yes, it is," I said quietly. Then, with precise control, I applied just enough pressure to his metal-encased wrist to cause his quirk to release its hold. The absorbed metal fell away like shed skin, leaving behind a very ordinary, very frightened man in torn clothes.
Within minutes, the police sirens were getting closer. I'd already sent them the location via an anonymous tip. Metalmorph - now just a regular criminal - sat slumped against a concrete wall, looking defeated.
"The heroes will be here soon," I told him. "Turn yourself in. Get help. Don't let whatever define who you are." I told him, offering a smile. "You're better than that."
He looked up at me with confusion. "Why... why didn't you just beat me unconscious?"
I knelt down to his eye level. "Because everyone deserves a chance to choose a better path. Don't you dare harm anyone, cause I can hear it."
As I rose back into the air, preparing to return to the city, I heard him whisper, "Thank you."
The flight back to Sector 7 gave me time to think. By now, Haruki would be wondering where Kentaro Suzuki had disappeared to. I needed to get back into character, and fast.
I flew back to Daily Planet, wearing my clothes quickly before rushing to Sector 7.
I stopped, a gust of wind following my landing there. I ran up to Haruki, who was just arriving.
"How'd you get here faster than me?" Haruki asked.
"I went through a shortcut. I forgot to tell you about that one." I told him.
He shrugged, "Really? You gotta tell me, man. You know this city way better than me, and I'm older than you. I wish I had your geographic knowledge of this city," he joked.
I chuckled, "I should've applied for a teacher job, right?" I asked.
"Yep," He told me as he got out his camera. "What happened?" He asked me.
"Superman saved a building full of people before flying off with the villain. They say he went to the industrial district. The police are already en route to the location." I told him.
He sighed. "Jesus, that fast? I couldn't even get any pics." He complained.
I laughed it off nervously, "I didn't get an interview, so I think that makes us equal." I told him.
He turned to look at me, staring with a deadpan face.