The Homeless Man

"I heard your prison recently almost had a breach, a high-level threat." Ocean Empress stated as she took a seat next to Boy Genius.

The child was in a spinning chair, playing around with some cube-like invention. He reached up and messed with his glasses. "Yeah. Fairy Queen randomly tried to make an escape attempt. It was weird. She's usually just sitting in her room all day, not doing anything ever since she was captured fifteen years ago. It spooked me a little, to be honest. I told the Victorian to be on the lookout for anything bad."

"You think it could be related to the Emperor?" She asked quietly.

The Emperor's army had primarily consisted of monsters created by him. Some more beast than man. There were four villains, however, who served him, each said to be just as twisted as him. Golden God, a demented cyborg created to wipe out planets. Fairy Queen, a Super that seemed to bend reality itself. Princess of Life, the heir to the Emperor. And, of course, the final member, his faithful Hell Hound.

Of the four, only Golden God had managed to escape. The others were either dead, or rotting in Nightshade.

"Eh. I doubt it has anything to do with Empy." Boy Genius spun in his chair and tossed the cube away. "That guy is either long dead or so burned and plagued, he'll never be a threat to us again."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head and sighed. "Let's change the subject to something less dark, shall we? Did you figure anything out about that man?" Ocean Empress asked, folding her arms.

"You're still on about that." Old Dog snorted as he stared up at the roof of the lab he found himself in. It wasn't in his majestic home city of Oleander, instead being in the filthy lands his ex-wife and daughter called home. It took everything he had not to curse at the oddly shaped buildings and weirdly spaced roads. "I thought you were interested in that fire girl, but now all you ever seem to talk about is that man."

"Dad." Ocean Empress sighed.

"Your father is right, for once." Boy Genius piped up. It was his lab they were currently in. Like Harrison Avalon or the late Mr. Sini, he had a lab in nearly every major city. He had tried to convince the Victorian to fly him to the moon so he could put one up there as well, but she had refused. His lab was wide and spacious, with dozens of desks filled with essential things, such as his video game collection or robots made for making bomb-ass ice cream. The important stuff. "You're a little obsessive with this man you know. Is this what adults call love?"

"You stay out of this." Ocean Empress sighed and used her powers to play with her dress. She allowed it to flow over her body and freeze before breaking it back down into a liquid. It helped her to think. "Look. Slightly different or not, that's Victorian's power. I think we should care about this a little more."

"Ya know, just cause your husband went and got himself blown to bits in the last Calamity fight doesn't mean you can go looking for a replacement like this."

"Dad!"

"Oh, is that what she is doing? Ew. Adults are freaking weird." Boy Genius rolled his eyes as he booted up a game.

Ocean Empress gritted her teeth about to say more, but was stopped by a loud buzzing. Her eyes widened for a second. "Something is going on in Oleander. I got to go check it out. Can you watch my dad for me while I'm gone?" She didn't bother waiting for an answer. The wall opened up, and she leaped out, her water forming into a board that allowed her to surf on the air itself.

The lab closed back up, leaving just the old man and the little boy. "Ya know." Old Dog set up on his bed, pulling some wires off of him. He had been brought here by his daughter, who seemed to think the world's most imaginative child could save him. "I was a member of the original Enforcers back in the day."

"Must've been some time ago."

"You're kind of snarky."

"Yeah." Boy Genius shrugged. "Do you think I'm wrong about that man your daughter is interested in?"

"I never know what to think anymore." The old guy grumbled a bit and looked up to the roof. "Ever since the death of Full Monarch, this world seemed to change so much. I do think I'd like to have a word with this man though."

Boy Genius gave a sly smile. "Yeah. I would, too. Just who is Jack Larison."

***

"Hey! I want to talk-"

Green Wolf narrowly dodged the golden blast that flew past his head and smashed into the wall of the hospital.

"Whoa, quick on the draw, huh? Listen can we-"

Battery jumped back, but his eyes went wide as he felt a strange sensation affect him. It happened as soon as he stepped out of the parking lot. He felt his stomach twist, and then a second later, he was right back where he had been moments ago. His head felt a little dizzy as he shrugged off the effects of teleportation—a sloppy one, at that.

"Yeah, so now you know you can't leave so-" Green Wolf held his knife up just in time to block the golden beam. "Seriously, man!"

Battery looked past him and towards the hospital. He could see a large hole in the side of it and smelt smoke. Every now and then, the building would shake, though strangely, there was no noise. "Where are Cinder and Paragon?"

"Oh, so now you speak." Green Wolf flicked his knife, slicing a chunk out of the ground. He played with the weapon casually twirling it between his fingers. "I have half a mind to not speak to you now, you know."

"I'm not in the mood for any games." Battery narrowed his eyes, the black of his costume changing to a solid gold, as he felt the energy beneath his skin bubble up.

"Oh, but I am." Green Wolf tossed his knife up into the air in a very lazy manner. His hand flew up, catching the fist Battery threw at him. He grunted, feeling electricity course through his body as Battery glared at him. He could block the kinetic force, but pure energy like this still hurt him even if a little.

He took a slice at the hero, but Battery ducked down just in time and threw a sucker punch into Green Wolf's gut. The villain gasped, and before he could react, Battery's leg smashed into his ankle. He dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks, and the red costumed man jumped him. Battery easily shoved Green Wolf to the ground and raised his fist high, golden energy coursing through it as he brought it down.

Green Wolf narrowly twisted his head to the side, causing the fist to only clip part of his helmet and rip it off. The ground shattered around them as Battery's fist left a dent. He didn't bother raising it up again, instead holding his finger out and pointing it at the villain's head, about to put the equivalent of a super-powered bullet into the man's brain, but he stopped right before he could fire.

Green Wolf's knife pressed to Battery's throat, ready to slice it open at a moment's notice. If one took out the other, then they would also meet their end, energy against energy.

"So. You want to talk?"

"Not really." Battery was about to fire, charging up the beam. "Save me a seat in hell."

Green Wolf gritted his teeth. He never expected the man to be batshit insane, but then again, he wasn't one to talk. "I can tell you why this attack is happening. It's pretty important and could save that girl's life."

Battery stared down at the with a frown on his lips. He debated blasting the guy anyways and letting his throat be slit, but then again, Nick likely wouldn't show up in time to fix that little issue. "You act like this attack is important."

"That's because it is." Green Wolf's eyes weren't visible due to the mask he wore, but it was obvious he rolled them. "It's the first time Zoo and Bad Timers have teamed up after all."

"And yet despite that here you are wanting to chat with me?" Battery growled.

"This game just isn't fair. I don't like that, but for once, I'm not in charge. We got a new guy running the game, and he blows at it. So what do you say? Let's have a quick chat about that. Maybe we can help each other out."

Battery narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he stood up, still pointing his hand as if it were a gun. Green Wolf twirled his knife and then, in a flash, vanished. Before Battery could move, he felt the blade of the knife be pressed to the back of his head.

"I can still teleport, in case you forgot. Your little suicide stunt would never have worked. Doesn't matter how fast your beams are, I'm quicker. So don't go thinking I did this because I had no other choice." A bit of golden lightning crackled from Battery's neck, shocking Green Wolf's wrist. The leader of Zoo gritted his teeth and backed off. "Okay, truce starting now." His knife vanished as Battery slowly turned around. "So, which camp are you in?"

"Camp?"

"Yeah, you know. There are always two kinds of people. There are the people that think the Emperor is long dead, reduced to less than ash after his final battle with Full Monarch. Then you have the other half of people. The ones who wait in terror for his return. Which camp are you in?"

"Get to the Point. Now."

"This is important." Green Wolf growled. "See, personally, I don't think he's alive. I was a kid when it all happened. Young. So young. I remember being placed in a bunker when that shit went down. The world shook for nearly a week straight, and then boom! Both the number one hero and villain were dead. It's one of those things everyone who was alive will talk about, where you were on the night the Emperor was consumed by the flames of the Sun. Villainy wasn't like it is today. It was pure and utter chaos. Don't like it. Never had. No fun. No good rules. As a kid, I always thought the heroes had it the easiest. They just have to stop the villains. Now, though. Now I see how easy we villains have it. Sure, I might never be able to even think about harming the Victorian, but it doesn't matter. She could beat me to an inch of my life faster than I could blink, but if I managed to even kill a single person before she did stop me, then I won. It's almost too easy for us. It's why I hated the Emperor. He stacked the deck. Went and got every villain in the world to submit under him at the time and declared war on the human race. No sport in doing that. These team-ups. They're so unbalanced. I made a promise I would never team up with the Bad Timers for this very same reason. I don't need their help. I'm more interested in challenging this game, not reducing the already easy difficulty."

"So then why did you recruit them?"

"I told you. I'm not the boss of this game. Someone else is leading it and he told me to do so. I'm not exactly a fan of it myself but he allows me my sweetass teleportation so I'd rather not get on his bad side."

"This buddy you keep mentioning. Who are they? They'd have to be important if they could convince at least some of Bad Timers and Zoo to work together."

Green Wolf cocked his head to the side. "I won't tell you my buddy's name. He's pretty important in the world, so it could be bad if people found out who he was. As for how he made it happen. That's simple. He gave us a common enemy. He told us of a threat that could be as strong as the Emperor if left unchecked."

Battery frowned slightly, his mind racing. "I find it a little hard to believe something like that is here in Oleander. Even if it was ,though, why attack here? The only people are-" It clicked suddenly. Battery closed his eyes and sighed. "Your boss is looking for them, aren't they? They think it's Paragon, don't they?"

"Bingo." He could tell Green Wolf was smirking. This was the sort of thing the villain got off to. "I'm not sure on all the details, but when he tried to find the location two people came up. The first was that hero Paragon. The second though, is the one who I think the threat actually is. Any guesses?"

Appearing seemingly out of nowhere and making a group that could rival both Zoo and Bad Timers. Drugs that could cause a person's body to change and evolve to the level of a powerful Super. Having a group filled with humans, yet still confidently pushing forward, no matter how many members they lost, pumping out new stuff every day that could bend even a person's mind. The reason the Sub Enforcers and Myth were so interested in the leader.

"So that's why you took such an interest in the Wandering Coin. You figured it out, didn't you? The leader of the Wandering Coin is this great threat."

Green Wolf gave him a thumbs up. "Correct again, B. So here's the deal. They think they know where this guy is. Of course, just in case they're wrong, they're willing to grab Paragon up, as well, just on the off chance she might be the threat instead. That's why we made two groups. My group is after Paragon, while Polaron's is after the Wandering Coin leader. So, instead of fighting, you and I are going to make a deal. You make sure Paragon is kept safe and that Polaron dies a painful death and in exchange, I'll make sure Polaron's group doesn't find the Wandering Coin leader."

"Why would you do that though?"

"I told you! I want to have fun with the game." Green Wolf announced. "That's why no matter what, I will be the one to kill the leader of the Wandering Coin myself. It's not fun if Polaron gets to be the one to do it."

Battery nodded his head and gave a sly smirk. "Sadly, you made one little mistake in your plan, Green."

"Hmm?"

"See. You all seem to think Paragon is something fragile. No need for me to protect her. In fact, I'd be more scared for the bastard that has to go up against her. As for the mall. There's no need for you to get involved."

"Ah. Do you think your team can fight off several of my warriors and Polaron's team, all while keeping the civilians safe? Don't be stupid. I'm the best bet to combat him. Every second you keep me held up here is another second he could find the leader. So, think carefully about betraying me, Battery. I can assure you I will go for the kill if I have to."

"I have full faith in Myth and his team, but just in case, I prepared a backup," Battery smirked, and he began to build up the energy within his body, ready to engage Green Wolf now that he knew everything he needed to know. "Ya see, while all y'all have been busy I was cashing in some favors. I reckon if Polaron wants to get to the Wandering Coin leader then he's going to have to get past a member of the Enforcers!"

"What-" Green Wolf felt Battery's punch connect with his head, and he grunted as he was smashed into the ground. "Cheater!"

Battery grinned, charging up a powerful blast. "Careful. You're losing your cool!" He threw his hand out, firing a wide golden beam straight at Green Wolf!

***

"So, Mr. Brenner, how are you taking to Oleander City?" Myth asked as he walked through the mall.

"Meh." Kyle shrugged. "I liked Lillian better, that's for sure, but it has been pretty cool. Rowan helped me get used to it a little more, I guess. Sucks we had to move, though but it is what it is."

"That's understandable. You're a very lucky young man, having ties to so many heroes." Myth mused.

"Yeah. I wouldn't really call it luck, though." Kyle winced.

"Right. Sorry for bringing 'that' up." Myth sighed. At this point, he kind of wished he had gone off with Cinder and Paragon. He had taken nearly a thousand pictures and spoken to several hundreds of different people. Now, he just walked the crowd, waiting for the day to end so they could give their final speeches and leave.

"Uh, excuse me, can I get a picture?" A scratchy voice asked. Myth turned and took a step back, a little shocked. The man who asked him for a picture didn't look like the type to have a phone. He had shaggy black hair that was clearly stained and heavy bags under his eyes. A massive bushy beard hugged his face, and his clothing was torn and stained. Seemingly a homeless person.

"Hey, I know you!" Kyle said with wide eyes. "Yeah, you're that guy always hanging out in front of the school screaming nonsense, right?" The dirty man's eyes darted to Kyle, then back to Myth.

"Screaming?" Myth frowned.

"I'd like that picture." The man grunted, stepping closer.

"Right. Do you have a phone or-"

Myth was cut off as the man wrapped his arms around his shoulder. He didn't transform into any of his forms, but he did clench his fists, ready just in case this was going to be trouble. The homeless man leaned in towards him and began to whisper into his ears. "Get ready. An attack is about to begin. A big one. Not just here but in other parts of the city as well. The one you sent to the hospital is in danger. You need to make sure she lives. Her path hasn't run out yet."

"What are you saying! Who the hell are-" Myth never got to finish as the homeless man let go of him and pulled his hood up.

"It's starting. Good luck. Remember your stories, and you'll be fine."

"What are you saying!" He reached for the man but stopped when he heard it.

A piercing yell echoed through the crowd. A man in a suit suddenly stood up on a bench and screamed out as loud as he could. "Things couldn't get any worse!"

"Mr. Brenner, get behind me!" Myth jumped forward, his skin morphing as he changed into the minotaur just in time to block a fireball. A portal appeared in the air above him, and crashing down was Demonica. She howled, and her leg smashed into his side with enough force to send him flying. He grunted and pulled himself back up, roaring. "Everyone get away from her! Find a place to hide, I'll handle it-"

All the metal suddenly rose up and began to fly throughout the room. From the portal, Polaron began to softly float down, his arms behind his back. "Ahh, Myth. I figured you would be here. Alas, I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"Bad Timers!" Myth roared and charged, holding his arms up as the metal stabbed into him.

"Not just them, big guy!" From up above, something crashed into his back, and he grunted, feeling a sword stab into his side. Black Crow planted his feet on Myth's shoulders, his wings flapping as he gripped the handle of a slick black katana. "Sup, big guy!"

"Zoo-" Myth felt Demonica's fist smash into his gut, a wave of fire blasting out. He was shoved back again as Black Crow flew off of him. Before he could even regain his bearings, the girl suddenly pointed at a fleeing crowd. "No!" He morphed into his lion form and jumped in front of the attack, howling in pain as his fur caught on fire. A metal pillar ripped its way out of a wall and smashed into the back of his head, and from up above, Black Crow did a fly back, nearly slicing out one of his eyes. "You bastards."

"I wouldn't go wasting your energy." Polaron raised his hand. "You'll need it to save them." All the metal began to fuse and bend together into the shape of a massive ball, which flew toward the crowd of people. Myth turned to jump after it, but Demonica smashed into his side, using her super speed to deliver hundreds of flaming strikes and nearly downing him.

"No!" He watched in horror as the ball fell

A wave of water sliced into the orb, splitting it in half. Before the metal could be reformed, the gravity around it seemed to increase. Polaron grunted as his powers struggled to even budge the stuff. A second later, he felt the gravity around him grow, and he dropped to the ground, landing on his feet.

Poseidon walked down the stairs slowly, her eyes practically glowing in rage. She gripped her trident, and with every step, the mall seemed to shake. "You okay, Myth?" She asked, shooting her former mentor a look. Myth grunted and nodded. "Good." Her look steeled, and she glared at Polaron. "I'll take him on and make sure he doesn't harm any of the crowd."

"And I got bird brain." Another voice announced. Black Crow flipped through the air at the last second, dodging a series of blades that flew through the air. Money Tree on the railing, staring down at the bird-themed villain with a sly smile. The blades flew back to him and unwrapped. They were made completely of paper, dollar bills, to be exact. More of his suit began to unravel and take shape into his knives. "You cool with handling that Demon girl on your own?"

Myth snorted and spat out a glob of blood. His body shimmered, and this time, he morphed into a different form. He kept his lion-like claws, but his fur changed into a brown color. A set of wings exploded out of his back, and his head morphed into that of an eagle.

His beak clicked together, and his wings expanded to their full height as he dropped to all fours. "I think I can manage to take her out!"

Meanwhile, up above, Snowdawn jumped in front of Whisper, quickly creating a barrier of hard snow as something crashed into their floor. "What the hell just happened!" He screamed.

"Not sure." Whisper winced.

A loud roar pierced the air, and Red Panda began to pull himself up, his eyes locking onto the two heroes. He smashed his fist into the ground hard enough to cause his knuckles to burst. The blood began to drip down his arm and started to swirl. The villain was huge and had a ton of blood, which his power allowed him to control. It spun faster and faster, and he raised his arm up.

"Your barrier won't hold!" Whisper screamed.

"We don't have time to dodge!"

A massive bullet made of blood blasted out of the monster's hand as he screamed at the two of them. Everything seemed to slow down as Snowdawn watched in horror as his ice wall shattered and the bullet broke through. He threw himself in front of Whisper and did his best to solidify his armor, hoping he could at least stop it from hitting her. At the last second, before the bullet made contact with him, a hand flew out in front of him.

The bullet smashed into the hand, and the air swirled and crackled, and the blood bullet suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Snowdawn collapsed back, his eyes wide as he stared up at the man who saved him. "You're... Why are you here? How are you a Super?"

The homeless man, the one who was always screaming, stood in front of him. The man's eyes stared at the villain, and he sighed. Whisper took a step towards the dirty old man, her own eyes wide from beneath her costume.

"Dad?" She asked quietly.

"What!" Snowdawn stared up at her and then back at the dirty old guy, his mind struggling to process what was happening.

"Hey, sweetie." For a second, the smallest hint of a smile appeared on the homeless man's face, before his arms slumped, and he took a step towards Red Panda. The villain roared and charged, and the dirty man just sighed. "I hate this part."

He raised his hand up, and from the sky, a bolt of lightning blasted towards him. It hit him as if he was a lightning rod and set his clothing on fire. It began to burn away, revealing a bright yellow costume beneath, one with the symbol of a lightning bolt.

Max Lightning, the former sidekick and ex-husband to the Victorian and current member of the Enforcers, and the holder of the title of Lord of the Sky and Weather cocked his head to the side. "You two stay here. I'll handle this. It's the least I could do for a dear friend whom I owe a favor to."