Society's Ghosts
AN: Update 3 of 3!... I realize now that "update" is kind of misleading since this is completely new, but I already committed
This was a plot bunny that had been rattling around in my head to such an insane degree, that I just bit the bullet and wrote out the chapter. As a fair warning to everyone, my knowledge of DC is severely limited, so this is probably one of the least planned out stories I've written and I have no clue where it will go and what the end game will be for it, so let's just enjoy the ride together, eh?
Today was a momentous day in Metropolis. The large city was abuzz with activity as everyone filed into the city square smiles on their faces as they chatted with one another in excitement. Everyone wore a variation of red, blue, and yellow-colored clothing to closer emulate their hero.
Superman.
The Kryptonian superhero that took it upon himself to save the citizens of Metropolis every day without asking for anything in return. Alien Invasions, Super-powered Criminals, Bank Heists, and even something as small as rescuing a cat from a tree Superman did it all.
He kept them protected and safe, and today the city was going to give a small thank you for him.
A large, covered object was erected in the middle of the square sat behind a small stage that was to be dismantled after the event with a podium and microphones off to the side as not to obstruct people's view of the covered item. People were getting restless, standing there for hours would do that, especially when they were so excited to see the Man of Steel himself.
It's sickening.
A lone figure was not cheering with the crowd.
Wearing a nondescript black hoodie with matching jeans. He had the hood up to cover his face and his hands in the hoodie's pockets, subtle movements of the pocket denoted that he was cradling something within it.
Smiling like nothing's wrong.
He raised his head slightly, glaring at the sheet that hid the spectacle that everyone had gathered here for. A baleful red shone from within the darkness of the hoodie as bloodshot eyes shook in barely contained rage. This man held such disdain for this event, and these people, they were all idiots that couldn't think for themselves.
They didn't see.
Slowly the figure slunk backward, retreating through the crowd with a specific destination in mind and a sinister smile growing on his face. As he pushed past a father and his son, the boy looked up to the figure and shook like a leaf when he got a peek beneath the shadows.
What he had seen, terrified him.
"Geez, Kal sure has made something of himself," a young blond with blue eyes peeked through the curtain on stage, but not physically. She used her X-ray vision to see all the smiling faces of the citizens of Metropolis, cheering loudly for the hero.
Putting a hand to her hip, she chuckled with a slight eye-roll. She wore a white tank top with the 'Superman' logo on it and a short blue skirt that showed a lot of leg.
This is Supergirl, cousin of Kal-el otherwise known as Superman, and often called his "sidekick", though both he and she denied this as they found it disrespectful to label her as such. She was just as much of a hero as he was, hell she is technically supposed to be older too. She just needed time to spread her wings, but Earth school took up a lot of her time and Kal wanted her to live normally as much as possible.
Bless his heart.
"He deserves this, Kara, you can't deny that," a tall man coated in metal trudged up next to her his Sledgehammer in hand. "He's put so much on the line for Metropolis, they just want to thank 'im."
Steel, another hero of Metropolis, was normally called on when Superman was busy but was an asset to the powerful man and a trusted friend. He may not be as powerful as the Kryptonian or Argoan, but his knowledge was an asset that has helped him assist and put a stop to any crisis he had the pleasure of stopping.
"I'm not denying that, Henry-" Supergirl started.
"Hey! No secret identities!" he shushed her.
"You started first!" she pointed at him. "*sigh* What I'm getting at is, these people are going to be real disappointed when they see that Kal isn't here," she crossed her arms.
It was no secret that the two heroes weren't as well-respected as Superman. They saved the day all the same but were seen as a sideshow by citizens. The only people to appreciate them were the police who would take any help they could get when people like Livewire or Toyman would rear their unwanted heads occasionally. To the average joe…well it was a high bar they held the two of them to that was summed up in three words.
They aren't Superman.
"Can't be helped. The League called him up to help out with some asteroids…or aliens…or both. I forget which," Steel said.
"He should've just told us to go…this was set up so far in advance so he could be here. And because no one would think of starting anything when Superman is guaranteed to show up," Kara sighed in exasperation.
"And no one will show up when they've got both of us to deal with either. It'll be fine, we've got fans."
"I've got 'fans' and not the kind that I want," she shuddered.
"Well, when you wear a suit of armor that makes you look like you're made of metal, women aren't into it," he jested. He then saw the curtain begin to open and nudged Supergirl with his elbow, "Come on, showtime."
When the curtains were completely open, the audible cheering had died down somewhat once it was shown that Superman himself wasn't attending, but some continued simply because of courtesy and the event's importance.
"Oh, and head's up, you're doing the talking," Steel whispered quickly.
"What?!" she realized she was in front of the podium before she could think. "Uh, *ahem* Hi, everyone…it's Supergirl, here…but you knew that…" she started nervously, seeing that she was starting to lose people's interest.
"Look…I know I'm not the one you came to see…neither is Steel…but I know my cousin is out there right now, doing his job and wanting to be here. He may not have been able to make it, but the importance of this event isn't just to see him, it's to celebrate him," Kara started off the top of her head, gaining attention.
"We've all seen him flying through the sky, every day, trying to make our lives better. Trust me he doesn't take breaks, he's always worried and always ready at a moment's notice to jump into action and save you all because you are his people and Earth is his home. We came here today to honor my cousin and that's what we're going to do whether he's here or not, we'll just have to shout so loud that he'll hear us in space!" Supergirl finished, managing to rile up the crowd once more.
"Now let's get a look at this statue of my cousin, Superman!"
(A few minutes earlier)
While Kara and Steel were chatting, the lone figure had circled around the crowd and was now approaching the back of the celebration. It was a stark contrast to the front as the square was completely devoid of people save for the measly security.
There were only two guards that stood in front of the curtained statue, the city believing that most villains would be laying low given that two powerful heroes were present, and one was supposed to show up originally.
A gross miscalculation on their part.
The guards looked at each other, hands reaching down toward their guns in case this person was hostile, watching as he continued to approach with slow, methodical steps and his head down.
"Sir, this is a restricted area for the event! You'll have to go around and join the citizens in front!" the lead guard informed the man.
Raising his head, his red pupils were shown to the guards who at this point took the man as dangerous. The two drew their guns and aimed at the man, safety coming off and ready to shoot to kill.
"This is your final warning! We will use lethal force!" he shouted over the cheering crowd.
"Put your hands in the air!"
The figure moved one of his hands out of his pocket, but when the guards saw that his other hand was clutching something, they shouted again.
"Drop the weapon!"
The figure continued to take the object from his pocket, revealing a grey disembodied hand within his fingers. He held the grotesque item carefully, only using three fingers and his thumb with his pinky separated from the rest.
"What is that?!" the other guard turned ghostly white.
"Stop! We'll shoot," the two trembled.
The figure threw his hood back, letting pale blue, ratty hair flow down his face and neck, and gingerly placed the disembodied appendage on his face. A lone, bloodshot, wrinkled, red eye stared at them.
"I'm no citizen…" the man finally spoke, his voice raspy and wavering in an unhinged manner.
"What…" they were confused.
"I'm…a villain," it was then that the figure rushed the two guards with his palms outstretched.
No one heard their screams.
Odd piles of ash behind him, the figure stood behind the still covered statue, eyes half-lidded. He then removed his hoodie and threw it to the floor, revealing he had similar hands, like the first, littering his body, two on his neck, three on each arm, one on each side of his torso, one for each shoulder, and one on the back of his head all over a simple black shirt. Added to the one acting as his mask, it came to fourteen.
He finished his prep work, attaching red cords to the hands on his neck just as it was time for the show to start.
(In the present)
The curtain fell, revealing the statue of Superman in all its glory.
It depicted the Man of Steel standing proudly with his hands on his hips, feet shoulder length apart, and his cape flowing down his back almost touching the ground.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Metropolis' new landmark was finally unveil-…
And just as quickly destroyed.
Cracks suddenly appeared and ran up the legs of the statue, spreading like a disease as it infected the object. Soon it could no longer support its weight and crumbled to the ground, the pieces slowly becoming dust. The lone chunk to survive ironically was the Man of Steel's face as it rolled forward with a crack running up the cheek to the eye.
"Am I free to celebrate, too?" the figure emerged from the debris cloud, revealing his disturbing form and lone red eye as it roved over the crowd and looked to the heroes.
Everyone was speechless, afraid to move as they watched the villain, for he could be nothing else, stalk forward. Supergirl and Steel stood ready, waiting for the new foe to make a move.
"Who's this kook?" Supergirl asked.
"Dunno, must be new, and that explains why he'd show up today of all days," Steel answered with his sledgehammer ready.
"Ah, looks like the game's about to start, and it's going to be one hell of a tutorial," the odd villain chuckled to himself, the edge of his twisted grin able to be seen from beneath the hand on his face.
"Hey, creep, what do you think you're doing here!?" Supergirl demanded standing in front of the cowering people.
"Don't you know what you're crashing?" Steel gripped his sledgehammer.
The villain seemed unamused, "What a stupid question. Of course I know what this is…how could I not," he stalked forward and gave a disrespectful kick to the Superman statue's head, making some of the decayed pieces flake off.
"This is just another ego trip for you heroes…makes me want to vomit."
"You better watch what you do, Superman won't take this lying down," Steel bluffed, thinking the villain didn't know of the Man of Steel's hold up to buy time.
"This is just desperate. You think I'd come here if the Big Blue Boy Scout had a chance of showing up?" he crossed his arms and shook his head. "This whole stupid event was advertised, remember? I've been waiting here since it was being set up…and never saw that idiot for a second," he revealed with his eye seeming unamused.
"Hiding behind your hero, are you? Guess even you two realize how worthless you are. This is all just a game for me…I want to see what will happen if I kill Superman's little sidekicks while he's away," if possible, his grin spread even further.
"He'll be devastated."
"Not gonna happen! You're outgunned, it's better if you give up," Supergirl glared.
"Oh, you aren't taking me seriously, huh? Guess it makes sense when you're 'invincible'," the strange villain inclined his head looking behind the heroes, "Then how about this…"
With a whoosh of air, the villain had gotten behind the two, who were taken by surprise that the man could move that swiftly. He then reached his hand out and gripped a random woman by her neck, making sure that his middle finger was raised, and she was in front of him so the heroes, Supergirl specifically, couldn't attack him.
"What if I kill this poor woman?" he giggled excitedly, his grip rough, squeezing whenever she squirmed.
"Will you take me seriously now?"
"Calm down! Don't do anything hasty," Steel lowered his hammer and he motioned for Supergirl to stand down as well.
"There we go, glad we could reach an understanding. Hold still, miss…or I promise you will die," he said in a deadly tone.
"What do you want…who are you?" Supergirl grit her teeth.
"I'm Tomura, Shigaraki Tomura, and I'm here…to expose you heroes," he said.
The bewildered looks of the heroes met him.
"Look at you, acting all high and mighty…flying around in your stupid little outfits…smiling like idiots, and waving to the masses. Like you can do no wrong, and there isn't anyone you can't save," with his free hand he pointed at them angrily.
"And these sheep…they eat it all up!" he swiped his hand at the cowering crowd, making them jump in fear. "They don't know…and they like not knowing…what happens to the ones…you can't save! The ones forgotten about, under all your rubble, fights, and beneath your own feet!" his eye went half-lidded as he stared through them.
"They're all idiots for believing in you," his hand twitched dangerously as he became agitated.
"You're joking. We protect people," Supergirl denied with clenched fists.
"Easy to say when the live ones are the only people remembered. You can't save everyone, and you don't. What about the people that die every day when another supervillain breaks out of prison, or when a natural disaster hits and you take an hour to arrive, or a war kills a child's family?"
That shut them up.
"When those people die, you've failed, heroes. You're just lucky that they die, because if they live…they'd dedicate everything to killing you," his pupil shook, seemingly speaking for himself.
"Is that what you're doing?" Steel frowned.
"I won't deny that I want to kill you…but my real target is Superman. He's the one that means the most, and when he dies that's when I can be satisfied. He's the symbol that lets people like you hope, and idiots like them believe they can be saved no matter what," Tomura then shifted his eye to his hostage.
"Tell me…do you think they'll save you from me?"
"Please…"
"Answer…" he gripped her neck harder, making her gag. "You have to, right? It's Supergirl, she can't possibly fail…she's related to Superman! Right?!" he turned to look at her.
"Ye-yes…" she whimpered but didn't sound like she believed it.
"*sigh* See?" Tomura's shoulders slumped, disappointed. "This is the reality heroes created."
The two heroes could tell what was about to happen and just as they moved to stop the villain, he had moved to look at the woman again.
"It's a lie."
His finger came down on the hostage's neck and everyone present had to watch in horror as the woman crumbled to dust before their eyes. Tomura laughed maniacally after he'd committed murder, unaffected by the life he'd just taken. Soon after, he was tackled by Supergirl and taken with her as she flew him away from the civilians who finally started to flee.
"Do you know what you did!?" Supergirl's eyes glowed red with rage.
"Killed someone. Don't worry, she wasn't the first one I killed, and won't be the last!" Tomura grinned as he answered her, taking his hand, and grabbing onto Supergirl's arm, expecting her to crumble like the others.
'Damn, not working,' Tomura thought to himself with a frown as he watched the girl's shirt decay but not her skin.
It was then the villain was punched in the face by the angered heroine and was sent skidding along the ground, tumbling over himself and landing on his back with a thud. He had little time to focus on the pain, knowing that the Argoan was on his tail, and got back up, rolling his shoulder.
Kara was a little surprised that the scrawny-looking villain managed to shake off a measured punch that would knock most thugs out immediately but remembered that he did manage to move swiftly enough to surprise both her and Steel. This meant that despite his appearance this villain was either highly skilled or had abilities beyond his decaying.
"I figured as much, it wouldn't be that easy to kill you," Tomura scratched at his neck, crouching, and touching the road. "Just what are you made of?"
"You're about to find out!" she reared her fist back and flew toward him.
'They really do rush in without thinking… "invincibility" makes them cocky,' Tomura smiled standing back up and awaited the female hero's approach. When she was within arm's distance, he released the handful of dust he gathered from decaying the road, blinding Supergirl.
"Unh!" she cried in surprise, attempting to blink away the irritants in her eyes, so she could see the villain in front of her.
Or rather, formerly in front of her as the blue-haired man had moved himself to the sidewalk and gripped a streetlight, causing it to fall with precision on the blinded girl. Being caught off guard by the object, Supergirl fell to a knee still rubbing her eyes.
"You dirty…"
"I can't match you physically, but I'm definitely smarter than a kid," Tomura mocked and pounced, "Everything rots eventually! Let's see how long it'll take before it happens to you!"
"Supergirl!" Steel shouted and shoulder-checked the villain just as he'd brushed the same arm he'd grabbed previously. "You alright!"
"Yeah, he's sneaky…" her vision cleared, she got up.
"Did he touch you?" Steel asked.
"Uh, yeah, why?" Kara looked confused.
"That's how he's rotting everything. See?" Steel pointed to where he'd tackled Tomura, revealing a trench that ended at the villain's fingertips.
"I don't feel anything, though," Kara answered, looking to her arm and only saw the sleeve had been disintegrated.
"Probably cuz you're an alien, you're tougher…but I wouldn't test out how many times he can grab you until it starts to work," Steel gripped his hammer, and charged it before unleashing a beam at the villain.
Tomura dodged the beam, and snuck into an alley, escaping their line of sight. Rushing down the alley, he turned around in time to see that the Argoan heroine was already upon him again ready to knock him out with a harder hit. Unluckily for her, he funneled her through the alley to force the girl to have one outlet to reach him. Quickly ducking beneath her, Tomura again grabbed the same arm he'd been grabbing since their fight started, his thumb being the last appendage to touch her forearm when he raised his hand against Steel's Sledgehammer as it crashed into his side.
"*sigh* Fighting the both of you at once is annoying, I can't even get a decent touch on her," Tomura held his arm, showing signs of damage after getting tossed around so much.
Steel made to rush the man again when he started to feel the wind on his hands…which was impossible with his armor on. Looking to his hammer, he saw that the object had begun to decay and had worked its way down the handle and to his hands. The metal-armored hero let go of his weapon and saw it crumble as the decay on his gauntlets slowed to a stop.
"It spreads…Supergirl, we can't let him touch anything."
"Obviously, what do you think-"
"Anything," he said seriously.
John looked at the man covered in hands grimly, beginning to realize the danger this man could pose to Metropolis, the city, and the people.
"I understand," she stood ready with him.
'Ah, so I can kill him,' Tomura switched gears and decided to put his efforts into Steel, holding his hands out to his sides in a clawing motion.
He quickly rushed them; his speed expected by the heroes this time around as they split from each other. Tomura followed Steel and raked his hands across the man's chest, eating away at his armor.
Clicking his teeth, Steel went to punch the villain, but the lither foe weaved around his attempts and took more off his torso plating. Supergirl, seeing her partner in danger, rushed forward as well, and tried to punch him. Tomura slammed his hand onto the man's chest eating away enough of the armor to see his civilian clothing beneath.
"I'm learning a lot about you, I thought you were made of metal all this time! That makes this sweeter!" Tomura smiled toothily when he was punched by Supergirl into a nearby building.
"Steel, are you…"
"He didn't get me…only the armor," the man sounded shaken being so close to death and seeing the glee on Shigaraki's face at the mere thought of killing him.
"He's done," Supergirl narrowed her eyes, peering through the window into the small clothing store she'd knocked him into, using her X-ray vision to see the villain laid out on the floor.
"Careful, *ugh* he's crafty…" Steel admitted as they carefully entered the store.
"Who was this guy…what he said…he did…" Kara looked down, thinking about the woman.
"It wasn't your fault; he was looking for an excuse to do it."
"Still…" with a cursory glance at the downed villain, Kara moved to take the hand off his face and get a look at him.
Upon touching it…
"It wouldn't do you any good!" Shigaraki's hand shot up and grabbed Supergirl, laughing at her shocked expression.
"Hey!" Supergirl punched downward but was sent off balance by the villain when he touched the ground beneath them, creating a small hole.
"You…!" the building shook as the decay spread to the walls.
"It takes a while for something so big, but with enough time…" Tomura cackled as the building began to crumble inward.
Supergirl was annoyed and grit her teeth angrily as she was forced to grab the mad villain and push Steel out of the building. Unfortunately, the structure collapsed, catching her legs, and causing her to stumble and be trapped in the debris with the other two falling outside.
"Supergirl!" Steel called.
"You can always rely on heroes to do something as utterly stupid as saving the one trying to kill them!" Shigaraki laughed over the downed Steel, a foot on his unprotected chest and an arm hanging limply. "If she's knocked out, that will make things easier for me, but I want to finish what I started with you first," Tomura loomed his palm over Steel, aiming for his chest.
Steel tried to move but his boosters were damaged by the debris and with his gauntlets all but gone, he had little to protect himself from the villain.
"This is the beacon, hero," just as the crazed man's hand was going to touch Steel's chest and kill him, a loud boom was heard in the sky that stayed his hand. Looking up, Tomura's eye narrowed, listening as a loud whooshing had echoed in the city before abruptly ending in front of him.
Standing in front of the blue-haired villain, was Superman.
The world's most powerful hero stood with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed, seeing an oddly costumed new villain standing above a good friend. He was not amused; this was supposed to be a villain-free day and get to see the statue that the city had so nicely built for him as a thank-you.
He was ecstatic to get back home after helping the League, stopping at the Watchtower for a few minutes to wrap up when Batman, being the way he is, had turned on the news to find out just what they'd missed, imagine his surprise when the news was talking about an attack on the event. A new villain had been running circles around his cousin and Steel, and from what else he'd heard the villain had also…murdered someone.
So, simply put, Superman was furious.
"Well, well, the final boss goes and comes to me, and here I thought we'd be meeting much later," Shigaraki said unafraid, taking his foot off the downed Steel.
"I haven't seen you before which might explain why you think you can mess with my city and my friends," Superman seriously said.
"Don't be like that, Superman, when you think about it, I did all of this for you. Just to get your attention, but you went and spoiled the surprise…before I could kill them."
"So, you did kill people," Superman glared harder.
"A few but why get wrapped up in the details, after all, you weren't here to save them, were you?" Tomura grinned beneath the hand on his face. "You left Metropolis unprotected and relied on Supergirl and…whoever this is…it doesn't matter," Tomura scratched his neck and stepped on Steel's face, grinding his heel into it for good measure to show proper disrespect and angering Superman more.
"If you hadn't, then three people would still be alive right now," Shigaraki mocked.
"Maybe, but bringing you to justice will be a nice first step toward retribution for their families."
"Heh, heh, you think so? Throwing me in jail will fix all that hatred and rage that people will feel?" Tomura laughed. "Oh, no, no, that won't fix anything…their families will hold that rage inside of themselves for the rest of their lives, and it won't all be directed at me…it will be for you as well…because they had the chance to stop me, but those idiots didn't take me seriously," Shigaraki cackled.
"It was kinda sad, really. I was prepared to try so much harder since that brat is supposed to be an inferior version of you, but she's too stupid to think anything through, and now she's buried beneath a building. She was the one I was hoping to kill."
That set Superman off as he moved swiftly behind Shigaraki, whose eye widened in surprise, turning when he felt the large man's presence behind him.
'He's much faster!' he sweats and was pushed by the man, much harder than even Supergirl mustered thanks to the higher degree of training Superman had, causing the villain to land where Superman once stood.
"Are you okay?" Superman asked Steel.
"Yeah…guy is tougher than he looks…sorry."
"Don't be."
"If you're going to finish me, can you just do it…your self-back-patting is disgusting," Shigaraki grunted, clutching his arm that had taken the most punishment from being thrown around, and Steel tackling him.
"Give yourself up and I won't have to knock you out," Superman crossed his arms.
"I'll pass…I wasn't raised to give up," Tomura placed his hand on the building next to him, cracks forming.
"Superman, don't let him touch the building!"
That was all the Man of Steel needed as he flew at the villain, barreling into him smashing into the skyscraper. Standing above the grunting man, Superman lifted Tomura by his collar.
"I'm taking you in."
"Heh, you're much better than I thought, seeing you in action is so much different than watching a video," Tomura grunted.
"It's over," Superman silenced him.
"Yeah, you're right, I don't feel like dying today, so I'm gonna quit this level. And I thought I had planned so well, too," the villain spoke as if he wasn't defeated.
"This isn't a game!"
"Heh, heh, oh yes, it is, and I'm winning. The news saw everything…your two pals getting beaten by one person, some woman dying on their watch…this is going to shake their faith in their infallible hero society. So many villains, and not one of them has done the deed, too focused on money, or glorified pranks, or just proving they're better than you all," Shigaraki looked at Superman from the bottom of his eye.
"I just want you dead."
With that, the building they were in began to shake.
"What the?"
"You shot off the handle too quick, Superman," Tomura smiled, "Your friend was trying to tell you that my hands decay, just making me let go isn't enough. By now the front of the building is going to collapse…and what about all the people in it?"
"What?"
"I wasn't running around like an idiot this whole time, you know. Since this all started back onstage…I watched where all those sheep fled to, at the very least the majority, and that happens to be here."
Using his X-ray vision, Superman saw that above the two of them were a group of people, frightened by the tremors shaking the building. The hero grit his teeth angrily, that this villain would put these people in danger to make his escape. A lot of his rogues' gallery was solely focused on defeating the Man of Steel and hardly actively put people in danger, rather it was a circumstance that happened while battling them.
This one though, he'd fit in with a certain clown.
"Isn't this a dilemma, hero?! Either you save the people, or you catch me!"
"You're insane, you'll be crushed, too," Superman frowned.
"I'm tired of you all underestimating me, you've already danced pretty well to my tune if with a few hitches. Of course, I have an escape plan!" a decayed hole appeared beneath Shigaraki, allowing him to slink into the darkness. "Trust me, we'll play again, Superman, until then, have fun with the fallout."
Superman would have swiftly captured the criminal, but debris was beginning to fall from the ceiling, meaning there was little time for him to chase the culprit. With the hole now covered by rubble, Superman used his X-ray vision to track Tomura as best he could before he was forced away to save everyone.
(With Tomura)
The villain walked through the sewage beneath the streets of Metropolis, clutching his arm carefully with his pinky remaining free as not to touch himself. His mission done, he'd learned a lot from the skirmish…like killing aliens would be much tougher than he'd previously thought, and getting proper equipment and preparations would be a must.
"I would have been mush if it wasn't for this armor," Shigaraki pulled at his collar, a lightweight armor that assisted in taking the shock of superhuman strength hits, so he could continue fighting with the heroes.
"Looks like Master was right…I'm not ready yet," Shigaraki sighed, "But I will be."
The tired villain continued to trudge through the sewer, grinning to himself as he imagined what the heroes were thinking thanks to his game. Slowly, he made his way to his hideout, their hideout.
(Hours later)
Back in Metropolis, Superman was overseeing the rubble removal of the building that the decaying villain had caused to collapse. He assisted in lifting the bigger debris from the streets and helped the shaken people toward the ambulances stationed up and down the street.
He noticed a few had cast some unsure glances toward Supergirl and Steel as they walked.
Speaking of the other Metropolis heroes, the Man of Steel made his way over to a stretcher that Kara was sitting on to be looked over once her cousin had extricated her from the rubble she was beneath; Steel for the most part was fine, the villain had managed to destroy most of his armor's chest piece, his gauntlets, and his sledgehammer, he stood next to Kara's stretcher.
It would take some time for Henry to rebuild and get back in action.
Superman stopped in front of his cousin but could tell that she was still staring at the destroyed skyscraper. He reached his hand out to her and placed it onto her shoulder, snapping her out of the trance.
"Kara, are you alright?" Superman said in concern.
"I messed up…because of me…" Kara said distantly.
"Don't say that. It wasn't your fault, either of you," Superman turned to Steel as he said that.
"You shouldn't coddle them," a gravelly said from behind them, revealing a dark figure crouched down in front of the debris and running his hand through the dust.
He wore a gray suit with a yellow utility belt and a black cape and cowl over his head, leaving his chin exposed. In the center of his chest was the symbol of a bat.
Batman.
The superhero of Gotham, well-known for operating at night and his work with the GCPD to apprehend his criminals quickly and effectively, using his detective skills, physical prowess, and great intellect.
"Batman, whoa," Steel's eyes widened when the man got up and made his way over to the trio, a hard glare in his eyes as he stared down the two heroes that were present.
"There's no need to be so hard on them," Superman frowned at his fellow league member.
"Yes, there is," he pushed past the Kryptonian to stand directly in front of the two. "Three people died on your watch."
"Hey, we tried-"
"No, you didn't," Batman cut her off and looked to her, managing to make Supergirl clam up, "You let him get the upper hand because you underestimated him, then you let him lead the fight on his terms and stay one step ahead of you, resulting in two separate buildings being destroyed, two guards' deaths, a bystander's, and Steel almost dying along with the entire audience of this unveiling."
The girl shrunk as he piled on all her mess-ups, and Steel clenched his fists, feeling useless since he had to be saved more than once.
"That feeling. Do you feel guilty about those peoples' deaths?" Batman asked seriously.
"What kind of question is that?! Of course, we do!?" Supergirl shot up and pointed a finger at Batman who didn't flinch.
"Good, keep that feeling and use it to drive you the next time something like this happens, that way you'll do everything in your power to never experience it again," Batman walked back to the destroyed building to continue investigating.
Kara let her finger go limp in shock and looked to her cousin, "Did…did he just give us a pep talk?"
"The Batman equivalent, but yes," Superman smiled.
"Tell me what happened," Batman put them all back on track.
"Uh, he just kind of showed up…and you know the rest," Supergirl sat back on the stretcher.
"Yeah, he wrecked Superman's statue. Seems like he's got a grudge," Steel looked to the man.
"Who doesn't," Superman crossed his arms.
"Abilities?"
"I'm not sure what to call it, really. It's like…rotting or decay. As soon as all five of his fingers touch something it starts to rot, and it spreads to anything touching it. I lost my hammer and most of my gauntlets because of that, and he wrecked the streets and buildings even after his hand left it because of the lingering effects," Steel answered.
"He was talking. What did he say…what was his goal?" Batman looked back at them.
"He said, he wanted to expose heroes," Kara hugged herself.
"Expose heroes?" Superman put a hand to his chin and Batman rose an eyebrow.
"He said that he hated how 'high and mighty' we are, and smiling…like we can save everyone," Kara shook her head before she started to sulk again.
"Said he hated that citizens prop us up, too," Steel answered.
"And he treated this as a game, he called me the final boss," Superman added.
"Hm, seems we have an idealist," Batman thought, considering the traits that his colleagues had described and constructed a tentative profile on him.
"I wouldn't say that," Kara rebuffed.
"Idealism isn't always positive. He seems unhinged, but to him, his actions make sense because there is a driving force behind them. Exposing heroes…and revealing that the society that we've helped form is a problem that we help perpetuate by our continued existence," Batman elaborated.
"That's insane," Kara rolled her eyes.
"I don't think so. Here of all places, he may be right, to a certain extent. In Metropolis, the police presence is much laxer because they rely on you all, that's why I assist the police in Gotham, and they aid me in return. In a way, Metropolis is Superman," Batman looked at the Kryptonian.
"Wrong or not, he has a point, and an idealist has a much different air about them than a common criminal. Think in terms of Luthor and his determination to best Superman, or Joker and his twisted want to make me buckle. This new villain, he has a goal to strive for that drives him and he does away with practical thought if it means a chance at getting it."
"He reminded me of Joker…made me fear for my life. He smiled each time the idea of killing came up," Steel said.
"And he might be just as dangerous. For a completely new criminal, he had a great amount of forethought put into this attack and ability that no amateur should have," Batman reasoned.
"He got lucky, the next time I find him, I'll bring him down," Supergirl pounded her fist.
"He played on your weaknesses," Batman pointed out, and at her questioning look, he started to explain, "Your hot head and tunnel vision allowed him to lead you around Metropolis and into positions that were advantageous to him. He knew that fighting you would be a challenge in the first place and started by riling you up to separate you from Steel, that way he would have the chance to fight you one-on-one. If he stayed, chances are he wouldn't have lasted."
"Psht, are you trying to tell me that that guy is a mastermind?"
"I fight a killer clown."
That shut her up.
"He's smarter than his appearance suggests, and he's clearly had his abilities for a long time. He knows the ins and outs of them and used them as if they were second nature."
"You can tell all that from the news story?" Steel was impressed.
"If they were new, he would have been making a more conscious effort during your exchanges to avoid touching things he didn't want to destroy," he walked up to Supergirl and grabbed her arm.
"Um…"
"What happened to your sleeve?"
"He grabbed me, but I don't think anything happened."
"Your Kryptonian physiology seems to have saved you," Batman examined her arm.
"I'm Argoan."
"Is there a difference?" Batman asked seriously.
"Not really?"
"Then that means the both of you will have to be careful."
"What are you talking about?" Superman asked with a raised eyebrow
"Look…"
A very small, close to imperceptible crack was on Supergirl's skin.
"What is it?"
"How many times did he touch you?" Batman looked to her, watching as she rubbed her arm.
"3 or 4 times?"
"With this rate of decay, I'd say that if he were able to touch you 10 or 15 times, the damage would be close to irreparable," Batman said grimly.
"But he didn't know that," Steel revealed.
"He was surprised that I didn't, you know, die after he touched me."
"Hm, his game is making sense now. This was a test for him…as well as a reveal."
"He did call this a beacon," Steel remembered.
"I see, this wasn't a random attack, then. He planned this, to an extent. He staked out the venue for any sign of Superman, and when he saw that it was you two, he decided to act and test himself against a powerful, but inferior, version of him in Supergirl. To better understand his limits and tell what it would take to kill Superman when the time came…it's more than likely that all the deaths were on the fly decisions to keep things moving," Batman reasoned.
"How can someone disregard people, so easily?" Kara shivered, remembering how he'd kill so nonchalantly.
"If it proves his point, to him anything is necessary…what's his name?" Batman asked the million-dollar question.
"It was weird, kind of seemed like gibberish. He called himself Tomura Shigaraki," Supergirl told the detective.
"It's Japanese, depending on how you spell it, it contains the words for mourning, death, and grip," Batman used his skills to translate.
"What do we do now?" Steel asked, feeling unresolved and, just like Supergirl, wanted to get out there and find the villain.
"Rest up, and lay low," Batman told them, seeing that they were about to object he stopped them, "There is going to be fallout from this. Most criminals in Metropolis don't aim for a body count because they are too focused on defeating Superman to worry about civilian lives, any injuries are more from collateral damage and rarely go beyond scrapes and bruises. People actually died today, not just died but were murdered, the people will be looking for an outlet to place the blame on, and who else but the two of you will be picked."
"But…!"
"Supergirl," Superman stopped her objection.
"Batman is right, the both of you should take a break and collect yourselves, you've been through a lot. Steel, you need to fix your armor, and Kara, you have school."
"School?! Come on, Kal!" Kara complained.
"Ha, alright, with that, I think I'm done for the day. I've got work to do, and this armor is going to take a while…got some major mods to put into it…and get a new hammer," Steel waved to the heroes and walked off, clanging down the street audibly.
It was going to be a long walk.
"Guess I'll head home…" Kara started to fly.
"And make sure you finish your homework," Superman reminded her.
She grumbled to herself as she flew off, hating that her cousin constantly hounded her, but loved that he cared so much…could have dialed it back a bit though.
When the two Justice League members were alone, they got serious once more.
"What's the next move?" Superman asked.
"Nothing, there are no leads. We just have to keep our eye out for him…still happy you're in the public eye, Clark?" Batman walked off.
"The city wanted to thank me, Bruce. How could I say no?"
"By saying it. Showboating and having a whole event dedicated to you and announcing that you're going to make an appearance is like waving a red cape in front of people like this Shigaraki," Batman didn't hate that Clark was able to interact with the citizens, he acknowledged that he was a symbol of hope to people, very much like the sun that gave him his powers, but that also came with its fair share of problems.
"I'll be patrolling the sewers for a few weeks and see if I can't find him," Superman let the matter drop, knowing it would lead to another argument.
"It's most likely a 'them'," Batman said.
"Them?"
"He was far too skilled to have been self-taught. Someone had to have taught him how to fight. Whoever that might be is more than likely to be the mastermind behind this," Batman turned to Superman and grew more serious.
"Are you worried? He may be skilled, but he doesn't hold a candle to me, and now that the League will be looking for him…"
"We have to find them sooner rather than later, Clark. Criminals like these, ones with a 'cause', they're the most dangerous ones…now that their message is out there…people with similar thoughts will look for them, and the threat they pose will grow," Batman shot his grapple and then took off with those ominous words.
Superman took a few seconds to take in his fellow Leaguer words, thinking about the damage that this Shigaraki and whoever he was working with would do. They may be small, but they were emphatic in their beliefs and willing to bulldoze anyone that stood in their way.
He'd be making Shigaraki his priority unless a pressing League threat or imminent danger to Metropolis was posed. His thoughts finished, Superman took to the sky, ready to rest.
(In an unknown location)
In a dark, condemned building, a man sat in a swivel chair, deep breaths coming from his person and tubes running from his throat to a respirator amid other medical supplies and devices. His face was obscured in shadow, except for the blue glow of a television set in front of him.
A screeching noise resounded within the building as a rusted, sliding door was pushed aside, allowing Tomura Shigaraki inside still holding his shoulder.
"Ah! Tomura, you're back, I saw everything on the television," the man's raspy voice said as he excitedly turned around and welcomed the villain in. He stood up from his chair, grabbing a cane, and made his way over to Shigaraki, his medical apparatus following behind him on wheels.
"Are you alright?" the man asked, seeing the younger villain holding his shoulder.
"I'm fine, Master…just got careless…" he tried to play it off.
"I won't be having any of that. Come, let me have a look at you…" he said and hobbled over to a ratty chair they had. He grabbed some gauze and proceeded to examine the arm.
"You see, your arm was almost dislocated, and you've got a bruise…they punished you quite a bit," he proceeded to carefully wrap the limb up.
"You shouldn't be wasting your supplies on me…"
"Nonsense, you may have wanted to go, but I didn't stop you. We're both to blame for this," he chuckled and brushed his hand through the villain's hair.
"I should've listened to you…I wasn't ready…I couldn't even kill one of them…" Shigaraki said, disappointed.
"It's fine, Tomura. We fail so we can learn, and what did you learn?" the man made his way back to his chair.
"I need to get stronger, so I can kill Superman," Tomura grinned.
"Not only do you need to improve, but I do believe that having others support you is important. See, how Steel comes to Supergirl's rescue? Teammates allow for much more elaborate plans to be executed and watch your back."
"I don't need anyone, Master," Tomura denied. He didn't need help to fulfill their goals.
It was their mission.
"Now, now, don't say that, Tomura. No movement is done alone, they necessitate cooperation with those that sympathize with our cause. Even if their views on how to get there differ, or our paths diverge toward the end, we share a common enemy, and it is far better to find one another than remain alone."
Shigaraki listened to his master in silence, taking in his words, but did not take them to heart. His master was smart, far smarter than him, but he didn't believe that there was anyone else out there who could share in their pain in this society where heroes could tread over the underwhelming and stifle the outspoken.
Who else would be crazy enough to join them?
"Where would we find them, Master?" Tomura asked.
"We just have to keep our ears to the ground, Tomura, messages like ours…they have a way of reaching those that need them in the most unorthodox of ways," the Master grinned and chuckled knowingly while Tomura decided to trust in his master.
(In another location)
A teenage girl of high school age with black hair sat on her bed within her room, clutching her pillow as she watched news coverage of Shigaraki's attack on Metropolis. Her room was littered with books detailing how to fight, ninja skills, and an inflatable punching bag of all things. The other prominent thing in her room was the posters of Wonder Woman strewn around her walls, revealing that the girl admired her a good bit.
Her room was dark as she watched the news, the television glowing around her face and illuminating her eyes, seeing that the cameraman had zoomed in on Tomura's face as he fought with his lone red eye not covered by his hand-mask glowing ominously.
Her face was unreadable as the story finished before she went to bed.
AN: There you have it, a random story that I wanted to do, and I have the group sorted for the most part…uh it's a very odd assortment with three coming from the same manga, four from cartoons, and another manga character.
I don't think you guys will be able to guess anyone but the three from the same manga cuz they might be really obvious.
But this was really fun, I had a blast writing this, even if my fight scene was probably really dumb. I mean, Tomura, outmaneuvering Supergirl and Superman…sheesh I am jumping the shark, oy.
Now for a quick story of why this update weekend happened and why I was MIA for these last few months. I got an internship in July, and it's an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m shift all week minus the weekends and I also work as a busboy, so free time was very low. Not only that, this is an internship with a work computer that blocks certain sites…and one where not a lot happens in the way for interns to do, so I sat at my desk bored as hell for a bit and slowly started taking 'liberties' with the computer. First, it was Youtube Music…then just straight up Youtube, listening to long-form content to make time go by faster (check out Every Frame A Pause Podcast, like them a lot)…then it was writing technically starting with this since I couldn't access my OneDrive on the work computer before I started writing the ACU and Silvers chapter n chunks and compiling them at home.
Long story short, I'm a bad intern that was having fun while being on the clock, but in my defense…they should have more for me to do :P
Btw, if anyone want to pitch a better name for the story, please do, I am horrible with names!