2 First Step

"I think... I'm not needed anymore." Catwoman awkwardly laughed before making her quick exit, leaving Ethan alone with the man who was tailing him since he left the apartments.

"Batman..." Ethan sighed as he took a seat on the building's rooftop edge and glanced downward at the city below.

"Name," Batman said as he approached the unknown man with caution.

"Ethan Vanders..." He answered nonchalantly. as he continued to stare at the city below.

"The records show that you don't exist. Why is that?" The caped hero asked.

"Because I'm not from around here," Ethan answered with another sigh.

"Alien? Are you a Kryptonian?" Batman stroked his chin as he started to formulate his own theory about Ethan's origins. "That would explain your super strength..."

"I wish I could tell you...I don't know what I am anymore..." Ethan chuckled lightly before he frowned "You know...I planned on just staying hidden for the rest of my life, hoping that I'll just quietly pass away. However, before I knew it...I beat up a local gang until they weren't recognizable..."

"In that area?... You...You're the one that sent over 10 gang members to the hospital several months back..." Batman said after he remembered hearing about it in the news.

Ethan simply nodded as the event played over in his mind. One moment he was in front of a giant golden dragon and the next laying against a trash bin in a dirty alleyway. At first, he believed it to be a dream of sorts, but everything seemed all too real.

He could smell, he could hear, and even feel things that made him realize he wasn't dreaming. "I managed to take them all down before they could blink, but controlling my strength was a bit difficult back then..."

"Hmm..." Hearing the way Ethan sounded made Batman...no Bruce Wayne think about himself quite a bit. The heroes of the DC world were no strangers to loss, and Batman despite his many flaws understood that feeling. He could see Ethan was suffering despite his outward appearance and couldn't help but want to help despite his suspicions.

"For now I won't pry for information, but you're an unknown factor, a wild card, someone that might do something that will endanger lives," Batman scowled.

"Understandable..."Ethan shrugged, not typical caring what the hero had to say about him

"However, seeing how you have only done good things as far as I know...I'll need to put you in a place where I can keep an eye on you," Batman said.

"Although...you won't be an official member until you've proven yourself. But you'll be put on a team of problematic heroes" He added.

"Problematic heroes...?" Ethan glanced back at Batman with a raised eyebrow.

"Heroes that either has trouble controlling their powers or ones that need more supervision."

Ethan would be lying if he wasn't curious, but honestly, he felt like he should just wander around the world to find another quiet place to stay.

Unfortunately, once you are under the eye of Batman...there's not much you can do, and being a villain sounds like more trouble than what it's worth.

"Do I have a choice?" He asked knowing full well what the answer would be.

"No." The hero bluntly said before handing over what looked to be a small circular device with a screen and antenna. "It's a communicator. Keep this on you at all times. I'll come for you when everything is set. Stay out of trouble and stay away from Catwoman. She'll only make things worse for you."

"I'm not sure if I really wanna be a hero...but if this will give me a home then I'll do it... For now..." Ethan replied while trying to think of the positives, but somehow within the pit of his stomach, the arrangement sickened him.

'I have to do this...3,000 dollars won't last long...and getting a day job...is out of the question.' He sighed while silently cursing the bastard dragon that sent him here.

Batman stared at Ethan in silence, studying his expressions and mannerisms, trying to see if he was making the right decision. He has already informed the Justice League about him and of course, he'll keep an eye on him.

"I'll arrange for someone to pick you up in the coming days," Batman said, tapping a few times on the communicator, showing a digital map of Gotham.

" In the meantime, go to this address and you'll have a place to stay. Mention Batman." He said before disappearing without a trace.

Even with Ethan's heightened senses, he couldn't see where he went. "That's...actually cool."

Ethan then glanced at the map and noticed a blinking red dot on the outskirts of Gotham over the R.Kane Memorial Bridge just several miles away from his current position.

'So...he wants me under his house?' He thought after remembering Wayne's Manor sits on the outskirts of the city.

'It's a smart and a stupid move depending on my character...but somehow living under someone else's rules leaves a bad taste in my mouth...'

("You are the successor of my will. You are a dragon, a being that stands above all races. We as dragons have the power to even take down Gods that reign above! Of course, it wouldn't feel great to be forced to listen to a lesser being!") a familiar voice said in his mind. It was familiar because he heard it before he came to this universe and even hears it in his dreams which Ethan found highly annoying.

For once the dragon wasn't shouting at him to ascend which definitely was a plus for him.

'...Isn't this fine though?' He answered in his mind. 'What would I do with more strength? What do I have to prove? It won't bring my parents back. I have nothing left to lose...'

Ethan waited for a reply, but then several minutes would go quickly pass and it seemed as if the dragon had nothing to say about his claim

("Are you sure you can't bring your parents back to life...?")

'Wha?..' Ethan's mind instantly came to a halt after hearing the question as he couldn't quite believe what the voice was saying to him.

Did he mean that he could bring his parents back?

Or was it just a trick to get him to do what he wants?

'What are you getting at?...'

("Are you sure you can't bring your parents back to life? Do I have to shout it out for you?")

'I...I can bring them back?..." Ethan asked, unable to keep his calm as his body began to shake all over.

("Only if you choose to fully accept my will. The power you have is but a fraction of what it could be... But once you start...you can not go back...")

'Bringing them back...' He closed his eyes and imagined hearing his parent's voices again with them saying simple things such as, "Good morning." or "I love you."

Imagining their voices brought tears to his eyes, and even a half-smile, something he hasn't done in a while.

("You must make your decision soon...you have already wasted several months that could have been used for cultivation.")

Ethan suddenly gritted his teeth as his red eyes flashed with a ferocious light. 'You...How come you didn't tell me before?! I've could have been working to revive them?! All this time?!!'

('You're my successor...not my child! The only reason I'm telling you anything is because you dare to bow your head to someone else! Why don't you take that stick out of your ass and grow up!)

'You have no right to-'

("You're trampling all over your parent's precious hard work!")

'Hard work?! What do you mean hard work?!' Ethan shouted back in his mind, becoming even angrier as an invisible pressure started to crush the hardened rock underneath him

("It's you! Your parents didn't raise you and shower you with love just for you to cry like a bitch when they are gone!")

"Shut up!"

("What did those two sacrifice just to see you smile?!")

"I said shut up!!"

("All your doing is denying them their wish to see their son happy. If they were to watch you degrade into the worthless piece of shit you think you are, then how would they feel?!! ")

"I SAID...SHUT UUUP!!" Ethan roared, causing a tremor that shook the entire building. The roar ended being so loud that people several blocks away could hear it.

But instead of hearing words, they only heard something that sounded like a roar belonging to a terrible beast...

No...

A dragon!

("Hmph...only when you're angry you show traits belonging to a dragon...A shame you waste energy that way...think of what I said.)

Moments later, Ethan could hear the sirens of the police as their vehicles drew near the building.

They were informed that the sound came from up on the building's roof and they went to investigate.

"Damn.." Ethan cursed as he breathed a bit heavily.

The golden dragon was right...it was a waste of energy...

>>>><<<<

It didn't take long for the police to reach the rooftop and they were shocked to see it partially destroyed.

And the culprit?

He was fastly approaching the bridge on his way to Wayne Manor, but instead of his usual apathetic demeanor, he was seriously pissed off.

Not because he was told off by the golden dragon, but because he was right.

He had already thought of ending his time of doing nothing, but in reality, if the opportunity arrived he knew he would go back to what he was usually doing.

"Why does he have to be right.," Ethan said through his gritted teeth before he leaped down from a building when no one was watching and walked along the sidewalk that leads up to the cities waterfront with the bridge not too far away.

The bridge was massive as its connecting towers looked like they drew inspiration from a medieval castle that stretched over the river that leads into the wide-open ocean on his right.

Feeling the fresh cool breeze brush against his skin, calmed Ethan quite a bit as approached the edge.

He then looked down at the body of water to see his reflection, and it was one of a person that didn't look anything like his past body.

Ethan never had blonde hair or red eyes and was nowhere near being this handsome. The old him was overweight and messy like a stereotypical NEET.

His new body can jump hundreds of feet in the air and lift thousands of pounds with ease.

He had a body that most people could only dream of...

'But I'm just wasting it all...I was lucky enough to be given so many gifts, but the only thing on my mind was hiding away. Couldn't I just have committed suicide if I didn't want to live anymore? WHY AM I EVEN-'.

>>10 years ago<<

In a middle-class suburban neighborhood, there was a culdesac where the kids played regularly after school or on weekends.

All of the kids knew each other from their parents having gatherings from time to time so it was natural for them to be friends.

But one of them seemed to avoid the others on a daily basis and that one was named Ethan.

Instead of going out to play he would only watch from the front window and sigh before joining his father on the couch as he watched football.

"Ethan? How come you aren't going playing with the neighborhood kids? They called for you earlier. " A black-haired man said.

"Yeah...But I don't think I'll get along with them...I'm too different.." Young Ethan sighed.

"Too different? You're all kids. I'm sure they aren't going to care, they are good kids. Listen to your Dad."

"You keep saying that...but I..." Young Ethan sighed again. "Never mind."

"Now that right there. That is a problem." Ethan's Dad frowned, shaking his head.

"What?"

"Don't what me." He snapped while staring directly into his son's eyes. "You know what I'm talking about. You're making things more difficult by overthinking things."

"You never say what's on your mind even when I'm your father. I'm not some random guy off the street. I am YOUR father Ethan! Your father! No matter what you say, I'm always going to keep on loving you." He added as placed his strong hands on his son's shoulders.

"Well... Unless you say you hate football then I'm disowning you." The man laughed which managed to make Ethan smile.

"I wish my father was still here...He was always there to listen to me...And a lot of times the things I worried about end up being nothing at all. Eventually, I grew out of my shell and met your mother back in high school. We're only still together because she won't let me go." He laughed again.

"The point is...stop overthinking so much. Get out of this smart little brain I know you have." He smiled, ruffling Ethan's hair a bit. "And just do what you feel like doing and say what you feel like saying."

"You mean I c-"

"Hey! No twisting your old man's words. You know what you should and shouldn't do. "

"Oh..."

"Now go outside and play."

"I don't think I want to n-"

"Son, don't lie to my face like that. I know you and you tend to lie a lot, but your body is pretty honest. You have been looking out that window for the past hour. Now go out there."

>>End<<

"Fuck..." Ethan cursed underneath his breath after remembering what his dad told him.

Thinking upon it more he remembered he didn't quite stay locked up in his room all day and snuck out to buy newspapers that talked about hero exploits...

"What guy doesn't think of doing something like that?... Well, a guy in my situation. The DC universe is pretty terrifying, but this would be like living a fantasy right?... Shouldn't I enjoy it?" Ethan thought out loud.

"What would mom and dad say?..." He mused as he continued to look at his reflection

That is...until realized something else.

Back in his old world, he would pass the time by playing a lot of simulation games that dealt with managing towns, farms, and companies.

But another type of simulation game he played was something that many people keep secret because of the repercussions.

It was...

Dating Simulation.

"No...No I definitely did not..." He mumbled, gripping his hair. "I didn't want that at all... wait does that mean I saved Alisa to...Ugh..."

("There's no shame in wanting a significant other. I'm even surprised that you haven't had 'that' yet.")

"That?-"

*Boom! BoomBoom! * A series of large explosions go off in the distance, throwing Ethan's whole thought process off.

"....Stay out of trouble huh?" Ethan mumbled as he unconsciously moved his feet toward the sound of destruction.

*BeepBeepBeep* Suddenly, he hears the communicator make a noise, causing him to halt his steps to look at it.

"Hmm..." Ethan stared at it for quite some time before he did something he never thought he would.

*Crush* He reduced the device into powder in his hands.

"This is my life I've been given..no more hiding..."

>>>><<<<

In a place far and yet close to Ethan was a void of space where a massive golden dragon laid completely alone

The proud dragon was greatly similar to a Chinese dragon with its long torso that stretched for several miles and ended with a whip-like tail. It had golden diamond-shaped scales all over its body with spikes going down the middle of its back.

Two giant wings graced the upper part of his powerful back which were close to its thin arms that housed three dangerous claws.

"Was it right to motivate him that way?" The dragon said as floated through the void.

"No...but I must complete my task...I must...all who betrayed me.." He said as he looked upward.

"THEY WILL ALL PERISH!!" The dragon roared, shaking even the darkness around with its unimaginable power.