"Kev! Hurry up!"

Pressure. Too much pressure. Stupid fat fingers. Dial tones. Come on, come on! The damn horizon looks like a barrel grill!

"I'm trying but he won't pick up!"

"Forget about Razor and let's get out of here!"

The crew's scared, Masti's scared. They were always scared! We been through worse! But even Dockers never got this rattled. Maybe… No! No it was only right. I made the right-

"She's right boss. Scrap's already lost the outside grid. We need to go."

No. No! I had to have made the right call. That dude was a fucking tank no matter what he'd done. Just because the League broke taboo to find him shouldn't mean things are that bad! But… But what if…

"But what if he's already on his way? He'll be heading into a trap!"

"And we'll be the bait! So let's get out of here before-"

*CRRSSSssshhFFUUU*

"FUCK!!!"

Fire! Fire!! Fuckers are throwing firebombs! How the hell they get so deep already? Where's Tazor? Shit! Shit!!

"Go! GO!! Hit the breaker and go!!"

W-we got plans. We got plans and ways out! Just got a kill the lights and hit the main! They can burn this shit down all they want!

"Wait…Wait where's Glazor?!"

He's first out. Always first out. Can't touch him so he tanks the hits and bowels over fools in our way! Where'd he go?!

"There's no time just-"

*THWAKK*

FUCK!!! They know!! Masti I know you can take it! Hit back!!

"Don't let 'em stop us!!"

"yyyAAAHH!!!"

Cut that fucker! Don't let 'em-

*CRACKCRCRCRACK*

"MASTI-"

*THUmmmpp*

…

N…

No…

Gotta…

Get u-

*THWACK*

G…

Gotta…

Save…

Them…

You gotta…

*THWA-

Trees came and faded, lost height to dilapidated sprawl as the sun disappeared and the neighborhood surrounded. The street lights of the main retaining some of its definition, but only enough for disparate pools transited by the bravest of shadows. Night in Eagleville, dreary and cloistering and not for the faint of heart.

But tonight seemed different, disquiet. A sound, a rhythm, discordant but gathering. A light deeper into the sprawl flickering more than it should. The air holding a grit nothing could escape. And the shadows all flowed in one direction, more angry than brave in their step. Few noticed the largest of these shadows as he lumbered toward his rented home, metal reflecting below dark cap and under concealing coat. His heavy steps belying nothing, only fear keeping the other at bay as he walked among them.

A haze clouded much, both in sight and in Seth's mind. The metronome of his steps too effective, and another overly long day pulling at his eyes. He was tired, his hideout would have to harbor him one last time before he packed it away and disappeared for good. But this agitated night curtailed his sleepy senses. That rhythm countering, being beaten into sky. The ashy grit in the air trying to get him to remember what he wanted gone.

It was annoying. Noisy. But he was almost back to his bed, even if it was only ever going to offer a partial rest. He just wanted an end to this day already, no matter how much more past he had to fight to get it.

The door to his building was open, the dim entrance cluttered like it had been abandoned. Though it's not like that was unexpected for Eagleville. But something felt off even through the sleepy haze. The grit in the air increased. His hazy mind tightening up in that familiar sensation. The smell of smoke, of fires both distant… and near.

The stairs up creaked under his returned weight, the sound mixing with the slight pop of a dying burn. His door was wide open despite its permanent lock, a blackened frame broken through. Smoke wisped its last dregs onto the ceiling. The wallpaper wasn't yellow anymore at least, though it was curled and smoldering like abominable incense sticks. The floor was black in a splattery patch, the window shattered and leaking those smoky dregs free. But worst of all…

Worst…

His bed, his couch, both mangled torched husks.

Kerosene. Ash. Burned hair. Someone burned his room. And so denied even this modicum.

Because…

Because they were... afraid?

Afraid of you…

Those rouge thoughts, that barely felt presence, found only worn resistance and battered will as they plied. And pried.

They knew what he'd done…

What he could do…

You are more…

Worming their way through him from every angle, even as he scrunched his hardest to refute them. They knew what they'd done…

They are nothing!!!

Seth's power flared without reason, the burned floor of his apartment creaked and tore as talons split into it. He hated what they'd done to him…

They will suffer!!!

The armor cracked as the claws reextended, gripping tight as they could to stave off everything. He… couldn't stand them…

You will show them!!!

The horns popped up, knocking his cap away and revealing straining eyes that could do nothing but blare this rising stocked fire. The maw cut open yet again as the glow returned. He deserved better…

They deserve nothing!!!

The thoughts encased him like a smothering prison, dragging him down. Dragging him away…

Again…

The shadowy streets lost their only lights, the wandering and congealing shadows retreating as best they could. As the pools emptied and left them wanting in the dark. The flickering in the distance rising high in triumph. Time and distance disappearing. Drawing closer. As the chanting became louder.

The world was dark around its edges, half swallowed like blinders focusing a beast forward. As the chanting became clearer.

The people of Eagleville riled into a frenzy. Intervention and occupation too much to ever allow. No care for the victims saved, for the hell broken, only fires raging outward from the stronghold of the docks. As the chanting became physical.

Agitated, made to feel alike. Dockers in orange and rubber. Spread about the mobs, inciting and driving. No recourse left but make their reprisals too much to dare challenge. Their right of anger made common and twisted. Bloodied shadows fleeing in the wake, pogroms of malice seeing the other in their midst. Letting revenge have its way. Again…

Seeing power as something they dare defy…

The popping and crumbling of torched ruins. Twice burning and celebrated as demolitions flared. Rhythmic chanting that ordered the chaos toward more destruction. Tainted will and sense and all of it…

All of it undershadowed. By a heavy, laden, metronome. Approaching from the dark yet to be scorched. Allowing them to feel…

Their oncoming despair…

The flair ahead little more than a candle, those blinders focusing everything away but the throng massed at the edge of it. The broken streets, the rubbled and ramshackle, the Earth locked away beneath all this urban spread. All of it knew a greater rumble. All of it echoed, as step by step taken held only a single purpose.

A purpose that faltered as a single white shadow against that flair appeared in spite of those blinders. It was low, small, limping in gait and… and horse in whimpering quack. T-the Zor's duck. Their… their mascot with better standards. It was half waddling through the dark away from the fires burning deeper in. Half of a small black mask hung from its eyes and a makeshift cape draped over its white... and red back.

Something had happened, something that fought the demand of those pressing blinders, that encroaching darkness. Those echoing metallic steps stopped, distant light little help in illuminating the shadow now towering over this injured and outclassed, yet desperate little hero. It looked up pitiful, tried to look up at the inevitable end to its search. Someone to help his friends, to save them where he could not. An uninjured eye shadowed in the dark, barely reflecting as it watered and shook in fear. A fear it could not avoid as he looked up into that empty, hollow visage.

And yet, despite the blinders pulling Seth away, he looked down in kind. Felt the pain in this little hero's gaze. Felt his anger and weakness collapse far too human, into a silent plead. And so felt the rising of a more powerful draw than the wrath of his sleepless edge.

That shadowy helmet turned up, back to the flair, back to… to the ones who had taken too much. Those metallic steps returning to filling the air and to break the already broken silence. The poor defeated hero left to wait as a terror stomped toward his failed battlefield. His fear following along as best it still could.

As the chanting began to lower in his presence.

As that foreshadowing metronome filled errant ears. Yells for the supes to die and be gone, falling away. For the death of the League, choking on the rumble. For revenge approaching, in all but theirs. The celebrations beyond the chafing edge ahead following suit. The burning riot swath of all that was too close, coming to heel. As a silence spread in without recourse. And filled with the crunching of their dilapidated, disregarded, broken home.

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This silence allowing the groans and whimpers of the beaten and lynched to be heard. A lucky few scrambling as their captors turned away. The unlucky looking up with bloodied eyes and as best they could from demeaning yokes. Rope, zip ties, nails hammered in. Broken bones and split wounds weeping, burns and slashes about what all seen. But not dead just yet, not till it was all said and done. One even still smiling as his split lip healed from the-

*KREeesshhh*

The bottle full to its brim smashing over his head. The Zors, captured and trotted around town as a reminder to never dare challenge, never think yourself safe, never invite the League to their town. They…

They were weak… You are stronger…

The world dimmed more and more, the edges consumed by darkness… By an abyss. Seth slipped his reins as the familiar gravity finally came to him, the same feeling as graduation, the same sinking pull trying take control away. His left eye failed him, that scar projected through armor and skull, blinders still tight and bleeding the edges away. His right forcibly focused on the hateful faces turned toward his shadowed figure towering in opposition. At the callously burned neighborhood they used to call home. At the broken faces that leered at him, accused him, saw him as their curse. As their-

"It's okay."

This… this damn Zor. Through drenched recoil and bloodied features, still smiled. And mouthed his message against that forced focus's intent. He could hear him even as the world drowned away, even as the yelling and chanting started back up and drowned out everything. Even as that abyss tightened its hold back upon him and ignited the hateful bonfire it sought to create.

All of them will know… What comes for them now…

Even as he felt his power flare against his will, and even as that itching, burning left reopened and that red menace star returned in force.

They will all know despair…

The fire darkened street lit at last by that burning red eye. The mob recoiling as the half clothed hulk of metallic monster made itself known better. But just as quickly returning it with muted away yelling. With defiance in the face of that which they…

They will regret…

Kill them… All of them…

The leading edge, fervent Docker and bravely following sheep, waving around their instruments of prejudice. Intimidation or a claim of weakness in the face of hesitation.

Make them all suffer for what they did…

Sharp and blunt, all hanged over the heads of the pitiful weaklings that… didn't…

'Didn't… deserve… any of this!'

Kill them!!!

A grinding maw gave confidence to their choices, that Seth was here to save his friends and was weakened by them. That he wouldn't risk failing…

They mock you… Know nothing of your power… Kill them!!!

But all of it was moot, all of it was nothing, all of it was lost to the Seth they… were trying… to intimidate…

They don't matter… KILL THEM ALL!!!

Because despite this mental insurrection, despite that towering bonfire, despite the demanding call to tear everything to shreds in his wake. That eye shut tight against its burning glare, against the scar trying to burn its way back deeper. Seth fought with everything he had, denied the urge to fall in on himself, to lose himself again, to fail his promise again, to-

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US!!!"

All eyes turned as this… This Immortal Zor! Raising his head in his own defiance, as that left opened again to see him call out to the Seth he barely knew. To the one who left them to suffer this. To the one stopping himself in the face of too much falling around. To the one holding back the mountain from collapsing and burying everyone around him. To the one still trying to be the hero he wanted to be. To the real Seth beneath it all. Beneath this abyss of resentment and hate trying to take over. The one… The only one holding him at bay… as the fires of this conflagration fell upon his head.

"JUST KICK THEIR ASSES RA-AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

As flames took that drench for its sustenance. Turned skin to char before it could ever heal even a moment. Washed vicious over in orange and green. Blackening. Taking. Stealing away…

That fluttering vestige…

That small form huddled against his chest…

A cycle repeated, finding its ends and beginnings. Calling true the monster beneath it all to ROAR ITS WHOLE!!!

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

A flash of asphalt atomized vicious! A streaking red sun defying all distance. A metal menace flying from the dark, into the fire lit hell hark! Maw that had ended lives roaring even beyond wanton violence! Cloaking disguise ripping against the sudden unstoppable velocity unsilenced! A clawed fist rounding on the dropped torch of Damocles, that dared renew the cycle that brought a world to its knees!

All the mob saw their flames snuff in the wake, their attempts at intimidation drowning to dark. As the monster they prodded brought forth true hate, into one that deserved to be splattered to apart. But even while their perceptions obliterated, even as Seth's rose higher than even this turn. The true fall cracked, reigns slipped, and the blinders fell burned. As all the hell ridden into this town tore a path for itself!

Bone rent, skin flayed, force unimaginable made being indistinguishable. Memories tried to flow through him like all the times before, like too many times already in the bore. But they were refused! Half purpose, whole denial, wanton power knowing nothing of control. But what it refused to accept. Was more death on his on his whole! Flesh evaporated, pink and grey mist made to paint this callous mob, streaked in plasma so all would be rewritten! So what was taught the error of his life could slam whole into a rusted hulk left on the street! Shattering it in brilliant denial of even death! So it could ring this force for all to know! For all to fear! For all to see! For all of these callous assholes to understand the gravity of how much they fucked up!! Because not even the abyss was in control anymore!!

ONLY RAGE!!!

It it refused to let anymore be taken away!!!

Talons tore through all the inertia broken in, turning asphalt to aerosol and will to shattered hollow. As this bulk of metal whipped round and back handed the next Docker in the execution line. Another attempt at a stream of consciousness, another steak of plasma wreath following as they skipped across the ground, crumpled head first. And smeared all the way into the riot failing its nerve but unable to catch up with their restoring grill. That same scrapping talon launching Seth into the line proper as they finally reacted, only to meet the point of stabbing claw burning too hot to not rend existence away. Sternum and chest cavity rendered nothing but catch. As another thinking their malice justified was sent to spiral into the rubble of their making.

The reality of transgressions made stain on metal, made ash on the wind stocked by their false hate. As perception was allowed to fold and the slow finally seeing the mortal of their make. As this mob's recoil turned to terror, then panic, then stampede for their lives. The weak willed forced along, the stupidly destructive egged on, the downright sadists who saw their chance. All now feared the consequences of their actions as that red vengeful sun turned their way. Burning blood that was already unspilled.

The once hateful chants turned to screams of abandoned rationality, bodies flooding away as fast as they could push against their fellow man. No doubt that they would trample over each other, that they would finally regret allowing this cycle to go round. Some consolation to the abyss screaming behind his eyes. Yelling for him to-

KILL THEM DAMNIT!!!

But they weren't deserving. They weren't the ones who needed to die for what was done. They were just morons-

"Yeagggh!!!" *CLack*

Like the idiot who just tried to beat through the armor with a hatchet. Who was going to find out first hand that the sun tracking over to him didn't give shit who they were. The right seized his neck as what was left of the agitators scrambled after the fleeing mob. That claw sparked with plasma, with uncontrol overriding all else. Spreading threads through with too much take, but refusing them at the gate and from release of the pain they were owed. Seeing first hand all that this one had done, all that they had perpetrated. Faces bloodied, children beaten and dragged screaming, shot after shot ringing out in bloody end.

Cementing what they deserved. The armor stepped clear of the Zors, winding up in scathing draw. Letting that wreath flare with nothing to show but the utter refusal to let them just die. As that claw squeezed the life out till a talon slammed down!

"AAHAAAAAAaaaaaaaahahhhhh!!!"

And whip this fucker right down the street!! Over the heads of the hesitant still thinking they were far enough away! From the consequences that will never hold sway! Smashing them into the destruction they caused, into the burning inferno they made rise. Caving in the charring skeleton to scatter the ashes across all still hesitating. Healing the ingrate back to the pain they would feel forever!

"RRRRRAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!!!"

As that maw ripped the air asunder for all in this self-actualized hell! To hear! To know! That this is what their bullshit wrought! That this…!

Was who…

They had fucked with!

And he would not bare their burden anymore.

As that echo bore down and faded into the dimming screams. As the moment hanged into disquiet.

Seething breaths like stellar winds cooling, straining into the ashen air. Burning glare dwindling as nothing was left to stoke it. This powered requital settling back down. Down to the normal rhythm of his existence. Passed all that bled into inescapable buzz. Fading into the smoke with its wafting distortion. As it all came back down…

Upon Seth.

Slumping his stature to see the effect first hand. As the blood burned into his claws darkened in the flame light. Because…

Because it had happened again…

Like the whisper before. Like that half made consciousness. Like Para too many times. Like the heroes he'd killed. Like too much before. Except…

Except now he felt its weight true and sincere. Because this wasn't something else. This was him.

This was what he was.

And there was no escaping it.

His suit was heavy across his back, but at least he felt it again. The singe of its overheating metal truly only falling on him now. Crunching asphalt to gravel just standing atop it all. As the desiccation and obliteration staining fried away. As the broken laid in twists unconscious. As their enflaming wants fell on them alone. And yet their effect square and unavoidable.

As he turned away from what he'd done, unable to not feel the echoes gag his senses. But never again accepting death at his hand. Pain would be all they feel now. As he came back to the golden reason he returned, staring at the shadow taking over all.

Back to the practically crucified Zors who couldn't help but chock the scenery full with fear… Even as their burned leader still eked out a poorly held smile from around his charred face. They needed help, more than he could offer yet all there was. There was nothing his mind could focus on anymore but them and their looks. As he trudged on autopilot back toward them. All the intuition in the world with how to undo this injustice.

A still clawed hand sliced bindings and carefully disintegrated nails, a little freed power to use better. A ginger hold bringing their Zor down from his smoldering cross. Feeling out for the life that still held under blistering crackle. Power spearing in and refusing that cauterization. Refusing the true beginning of this vicious starting point. In sputter and sizzle adding on to preternatural healing. As copying surge rewrote what was whited out by flame. So blackened skin could give way to unblemished gasping.

"fuhhhh Fuhh! That hurt… huhh! I'm okay… just help them."

Miss tooth armor seemed in the worst shape, armor shattered and bleeding under stakes and hammers. Glazor and Tazor beaten bad, but faring worse in stares broken. Helping pull her down as Seth focused on Scrapzor and Batzor. They didn't have powers but were beaten all the same, with worse results. But he had more than enough power to spare. And there was nothing he could need it for anymore.

Armored claws covered broken bones and torn flesh, wincing it from the heat exuding and the blood still coating. But spreading threads to lattice up the damage, and return what was taken with temporary patch. Small processes sped up, some material repurposed, all of it fed extra energy so it would rapidly heal. All to undo what could be. The mental scars… he couldn't even help himself with.

So he had to just take the fear and hateful stares he received with every slow solemn action. Only Zor keeping a smile for him. Even as he was replaced over Scrapzor's reeling body by a limping flappy waddle. The poor duck finally finding his chance to return to his friend's side. A still broken wing wrapping around his knee and returned in kind as he knelt to hold his brave feathery friend. So at least two faces were bereft of ire. And accepting the claw for what it bore and healed.

Stumbling up, Seth moved over to finally fix Masticazor, replacing Glazor as his staunching seemed inadequate. He felt his glare on his shoulder and over him as he went to work. Her armor required a lot of power to lattice, connecting tissue complicating the process and forcing more expenditure. But he did it regardless, even as she became coherent and-

*clak*

And lashed out pitifully.

"You bastard…!"

Her only healed arm trying to force his away.

"We thought you were god damn one of us!"

The fury in her eyes told him enough, but he didn't care.

"But you're a fucking hero killer!! You're a fucking monster!!!"

Seth took the accusations, no sense refuting the truth.

"Don't fucking touch-"

*CLAk*

But he wasn't about to let her die because of him. An armored claw pressed down on her plated chest, lattice spreading as far as he could manage. Masti's anger turned back to fear as her struggles and rebukes were ignored completely by weight alone. The damage was extensive, broken armor and bones, slashes between plates, sadistic fucks put a rusty knife in her side and left it. Just more fodder to sew with. He had to borrow a bit of destroyed plate to just fix what was underneath it, she wasn't going to be combat ready for a long while. But he wasn't going to be her death.

The claw finally decoupled, trailing steam and loose arcs as the worst was mended. A stern hollow glare meeting her denied will as he pulled back up. Mediknight rubbing off too much.

The glares at his back continuing despite the small atonement, despite Zor trying his best to make light of the mountain that stood before them.

"That… That was fucking amazing, man! You kicked the fucking shit out of… those…"

His elation was not reciprocated. His fellow Zors were hollowed, put through hell, betrayed by someone they barely knew in the first place. They took the brunt of the punishment for what… for what they coerced Seth to do. Zor looked back and forth between his friend's darkened beaten faces, but his smile could not be spread and died away. He did not join their quiet condemnation, but the message was clear enough for Seth to hear.

Armored talons stepped away as Masti pulled herself up, this armored terror wasn't welcome and wouldn't stay. But his withdrawal turned shaky as expenditure caught up. A heavy metal slip tore the gravel up some more as he slumped over. No worthwhile sleep for days, constant fighting, constant showings of strength and power, constantly struggle just to stay in control. Constantly failing. He was tired, drained, and now this world saw him for what he truly was. Just a metal terror, a laceroid reborn, a super villain that made fools of everyone and killed as it pleased. Trudging back into the dark, as the world began to fade away…

Again…

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