Star-City

~Omniscient Pov~

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Honk!

Honnk!!

"Stop for Star City!" the busman yelled. Multiple passengers stirred, gathering their belongings and preparing to disembark...

Ezra took a deep breath, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. This was it, his fresh start in a new city. He gathered his backpack and stood up, making his way to the front of the bus.

As he stepped off, the city greeted him with its bustling streets and towering buildings. Star City had a different vibe compared to Gotham; it felt less oppressive and more hopeful in an odd sense.

Fresher air?

Nicer views so far?

This place was already vastly better for him.

"Alright, ECHO, let's find a place to settle in and get started on this new chapter of ours," Ezra muttered to himself.

[Understood, master Ezra.]

Ezra walked towards a quiet area, he took out his phone making a mock call, "Hey ECHO, I wonder how it'll work out here. I'm still 15 years old. I've got no real status here, or background. Heck... I'm suspicious as hell in terms of my identity." 

He realized that this would be a bit difficult. Forgery can only go so far in a world like this. And he can only do so much until it's just plain suspicious. His contact could make him exist. He can't go much farther than that...

"Alright... I think I might have to get a second identity. It makes no sense for a 15-year-old kid to just be living. Especially one that has no parents, or from any institution." Speaking about it, he realized just how insufficient his current situation was...

[That would be wise for now, master Ezra. A secondary identity would provide you with more flexibility and safety at this point. You should start small for now. Like a part-time job.] ECHO advised.

Ezra nodded, understanding the logic behind ECHO's suggestion, "Yeah, that makes sense. A part-time job would help me blend in and gather some cash without drawing too much attention... But I'll need to find one that's not too demanding either, so I can still focus on training and other plans."

He didn't like the idea of cutting into his training time, but this just meant he'd have to do more intense oriented exercises to make up for his time lost on not building his body, and now his powers.

[Agreed. We should look for jobs that are common for teenagers, such as working at a café, grocery store, or even a library. These positions should allow you to interact with the community and maintain a low profile.]

"Right," he said, already thinking ahead, "I'll start looking around tomorrow. In the meantime, let's see if we can find any underground contacts or resources that might help with forging new documents... We'll need to be careful not to attract any unwanted attention."

He looked around for a bit.

"Before we get to that... I'll need somewhere to live first."

Since this wasn't Gotham City, he couldn't just get by without the law intervening. This place despite being safer in certain aspects. It still has way more security than Gotham had. So this was going to be a bit tough.

Ezra just sighed at the amount of work he needed to do...

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~Omniscient Pov~

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Huff!

Huff!!

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"Fucking run for it!" one of the men yelled, his voice echoing through the dimly lit alleyway. He and his companion sprinted as fast as they could, their breath coming in ragged gasps. They could hear the heavy footsteps of their pursuers not far behind, the clatter of boots on pavement spurring them to run even faster.

The first man, tall with a scruffy beard, glanced over his shoulder, panic etched on his face. "We're not gonna make it, man!"

"Shut up and keep running!" the second man, a stockier figure with a shaved head, snapped back, his eyes darting around for any possible escape route. The narrow alleyways of Gotham's East End offered little in the way of refuge, but they couldn't stop now.

As they rounded a corner, the bearded man spotted a fire escape ladder hanging just within reach. "There! Up there!" he shouted, grabbing the ladder and hoisting himself up. The shaved-headed man followed suit, their pursuers momentarily thrown off by the sudden change in direction.

They scrambled up the ladder, the metal creaking under their weight. Once they reached the rooftop, they paused to catch their breath, their chests heaving from the exertion.

"Think we lost 'em?" the bearded man asked, peering over the edge of the building.

"Don't know... but we can't stay here," the other replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "We need to find a way out of this mess."

Suddenly, the sound of a door being kicked open below startled them. They exchanged a glance, their fear renewed.

"We gotta keep moving!" The bearded man said, pulling his companion towards the other side of the rooftop. They leaped across to the next building, adrenaline fueling their desperate escape.

[They're closing in on you. Head east, there's an abandoned warehouse where you can hide.] A voice crackled through a small earpiece in the shaved-headed man's ear.

"I hear ya'..." he whispered, nodding to his partner, "Come on, this way."

They continued their frantic dash across the rooftops, their pursuers still hot on their trail. The cityscape blurred around them as they pushed their bodies to the limit, their only hope lying in the abandoned places around them...

Finally, they reached an abandoned warehouse, slipping inside and barricading the door behind them. They collapsed against the wall, panting and drenched in sweat.

"That... was too close," the bearded man said, his voice shaking.

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"We'll have to lay low here for a bit." The other man replied, his eyes scanning the dark interior. "Then we'll figure out our next move..." He then grabbed his back, seeing multiple vials of yellow liquids...

His brown eyes reflected the amber glow. With that, he could tell that this was the real deal. The liquid in his arms glowed with a powerful bioluminescence that felt almost alive. It felt as if it could grant immense powers if used.

"How the hell were those guys on to us? We did everything right!" His partner said. Confused.

"The hell should I know? We're lucky to be alive, the guy almost smashed our heads in..." His partner stumbled.

"Tch! Shit, the boss said if we get these back, we get a cut... But now I'm wondering if we're even gonna make it out alive here." The bearded man mumbled.

However, he hadn't gotten a response...

He turned around, seeing the head of his partner sliced clean in half. Blood sprayed as the lifeless body crumpled to the ground...

Fear surged through him as he backed away, scanning the darkness for the assailant. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he shouted, his voice trembling.

A figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in darkness. The gleam of a blade was the only thing visible, dripping with fresh blood.

"Hand over the Sovereign Serums..." the cloaked figure demanded, It's voice was both deep and inhuman, like a mix of a wild growling animal.

The man clutched the vials tighter, knowing they were his only bargaining chip. "You... you don't know what you're dealing with." he stammered.

"Hahahaha~ Neither do you." the figure replied, stepping closer, "Now, give it to me, or you'll end up like your friend, here." The voice commanded. Its tone shows that it's looking for another rejection.

Realizing he had no other choice, the bearded man slowly extended the vials toward the figure, his hand shaking. When he looked, he saw the hands of a beast. It's eyes towering over his head. 7 feet? 8 feet?

The figure only snatched them quickly, inspecting the glowing liquid with a satisfied nod...

"Smart choice..." the figure said, before disappearing back into the shadows, leaving the bearded man alone with his fallen partner's body.

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"I'm... I'm alive?" he muttered to himself, terrified of what he had just witnessed. He looked at his partner's lifeless head, the reality of the situation sinking in.

"Ahhh fuck man! Fuck!!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the dark building. As he vented, a loud thud resounded behind him.

"On second thought... I don't think I can let you go, little guy." a sinister voice said. "You see, my boss wants nothing spilling out. You, my friend, are a leak that needs closing." The creature chuckled.

The bearded man turned to see the figure emerging from the shadows again, their blade glinting ominously. The figure's dark chuckle sent shivers down his spine as he realized there was no escape.

"Please, I won't say anything." he pleaded, backing away. "I-I-I swear!"

The figure stepped closer, its eyes cold and merciless. "Promises mean nothing to me." they said. "Goodbye." It said smiling.

The creature's hands flexed as its claws grew in size. Ready to kill, "DI-"

"HEY!"

Before the creature could continue, it heard a voice in the distance, 'Tch! Another?' It thought. It turned around, seeing a small masked figure standing at the window...

"I guess I came right on time..." The masked figure stated. Jumping down onto the floor. Causing the ground beneath him to crack a bit. The creature noticed this and smiled.

"You're one of us... A traitor maybe?" It said. Its pearlescent-emerald eyes glowed at the thought.

However, the masked figure rubbed his chin mockingly... "That's none of your concern... Just come at me already, and stop acting like you're civilized. I can feel your fucking bloodlust from here." He finished.

The creature simply smiled, "You're right, I should stop acting like I'm civilized..." It removed its cloak, revealing a humanoid tiger-like body. Standing around 9 feet tall with the hind legs of a tiger, and the upper body like that of a man. 

Its arms were thick and robust, likely holding great amounts of strength.

However, the hooded figure just got into a stance. Jumping up and down rhythmically. A slight smirk being hidden beneath his mask.

"Humph! I like your confidence... A pity you'll have to die. At least this damn trip was worthwhile~" It smiled, licking its lips.

"Bring it on, and stop the chatting," The masked figure said.

"Growllll-ARRHHHH!!!!" 

The tiger-like creature growled, muscles rippling under its fur as it crouched, ready to pounce. Its yellow eyes locked onto the masked figure, who stood poised, every muscle coiled like a spring.

With a powerful leap, the creature lunged forward, claws outstretched. The masked figure sidestepped with incredible agility, narrowly avoiding the swipe. The creature landed heavily, the ground shaking under its weight with a thud.

"Nice try." the masked figure taunted, "But you're going to have to do better than that." He said in a clear mocking tone.

The creature snarled, turning quickly and charging again, this time feinting to the left before darting to the right. The masked figure anticipated the move, ducking under a vicious claw swipe and countering with a swift punch to the creature's ribs. The impact echoed through the air with a crack, but the creature barely flinched.

"You've got some fight in you. I'll admit that!" the creature growled, "But so do I."

It swung its massive arm in a wide arc, seemingly catching the masked figure off guard. The blow connected with his side, sending him flying towards the shipping containers;

BANG!

BANG!!

BANG!!!

SCREAACHH...

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The masked figure was left with a large indentation in the containers he flew into... The creature seeing this smiled.

"I never thought there was someone else besides me that could move like that... It was fu-"

"Oii..." The masked figure interrupted the creature's speech.

'He... He survived that!? I hit him with everything I had...' It thought, surprised.

Creaks of metal were heard as the masked figure climbed out of the dented container... He rotated his arms a bit before walking forward.

"I thought you would hit a bit harder than that... Guess I was wrong." He stated casually, "I guess the time for warm-ups is over..." He finished.

This declaration caused the tiger-hybrid to grit his teeth...

"You... You..." It said, growling as it spoke.

In response, sparks of electricity emanated from the masked figure's visage. Crackling in the air around him.

"Let's finish this... Thunder-Cloak." The masked figure said, his voice steady and confident. The sparks of electricity formed more wild violet arms, and his hair rose sharply as well...

The creature however roared in fury, lunging forward with renewed aggression. The masked figure met him head-on, the two colliding with a boom that shook the ground.

The battle raged on, each strike more powerful than the last. The creature's claws slashed through the air with deadly precision, but the masked figure dodged and countered with powerful lightning-fast punches and kicks.

CRACK!

THUD!!

BAM!!!

Blood sprayed as the masked man landed a particularly brutal punch to the creature's jaw, sending it sprawling. But the creature was resilient, quickly recovering and launching itself at the masked figure with a ferocious roar...

The masked figure's movements were a blur, his attacks a flurry of lightning and steel. He ducked under a swipe, delivering a devastating uppercut to the creature's chin that sent it staggering back.

"You're strong..." the masked figure admitted, "But not strong enough."

With a final, powerful kick to the creature's midsection, the masked figure sent it crashing to the ground, creating a sizeable crater. The creature lay there, panting and beaten, unable to even rise.

The masked figure stood over it, his stance unwavering. "This ends now," he said, his voice cold and resolute. "You won't harm anyone else."

He raised his fist, ready to deliver the final blow, but the creature's eyes pleaded for mercy.

"P-Please..." it rasped, "No... No more..." It said, pleadingly.

"I should spare, you? That's fucking rich. Weren't you just about to kill that guy over there?" The masked figure pointed.

"I... I had no choice!" it stammered, its voice filled with desperation.

"No choice? You always have a choice," the masked figure retorted, his tone stern and unforgiving. "You chose to attack, to hurt innocent people. You don't get to beg for mercy now." Seeing the patheticness in its responses.

The creature hung its head, shame and regret evident in its posture. "I... I'm sorr- BOOOOOMMMMM!!!

Ziittt~

Crackle~

Zziitt~

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The masked figure removed his blooded fists from where the tiger-hybrid's head once was. He quickly took out a syringe and injected the corpse, taking its blood. After he was done, he rose...

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~Ezra's Pov~

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'Ahh... Fuck... I feel like I'm gonna end up putting myself in something I don't want any part in.'

I shook the blood of this bastard off my hands. I guess this trip was worth it since I've got new DNA... 

'Still, I didn't think I'd run into another powered individual so quickly...' 

I turned towards the guy I rescued earlier.

I sighed, "You there... Mind helping me out?" 

The guy just nodded his head wildly.

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END