Rain hammered the city like the sky was having a mental breakdown. Storm sat on the edge of the rooftop, legs hanging over the drop, letting the rain smack him in the face like he deserved it.
Astrid walked up behind him.
Astrid: hey you good? You tryna catch a cold out here or something?
Storm: I just can't believe I let revenge consume me. One dumb decision… and now the whole universe is basically screwed because I wanted the Unknown dead.
Astrid: stop being hard on yourself. Everyone messes up.
Storm: yeah, but they don't mess up as bad as me.
Astrid paused.
Astrid: well, that's no— you know what, screw it. Yeah, you messed up big time.
Storm: thanks for the pep talk, I guess…
Astrid: ay bruh, look. You fumbled the bag, you set the galaxy on fire, and you pissed off some really powerful people. But there's always a solution. We'll fix this mess together.
Storm couldn't help but smile a little.
Astrid: good. Now c'mon inside, Raven ordered food. And if we take too long, you know that man is finishing everything by himself.
Storm: alright, I'll be there in a sec.
Astrid: cool. Anything else?
Storm: um… I can't get sick.
Astrid: so you flexing now?
Storm: nah man, when you got here you asked if I'm tryna catch a— you know what, never mind.
Astrid shook their head and walked away.
Storm watched the city through the rain, quietly smiling.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a dark red glow speeding toward him. A normal person would've flinched, dodged, maybe screamed and fell off the roof. But Storm? He didn't move an inch.
The red light slowed and landed next to him — a man in crimson armor, eyes glowing like hellfire.
Not just any blood wielder.
The Blood Governor himself.
Felix.
Felix: interesting. Most people panic when they see a bright red death beam flying straight at them.
Storm: so I'm special enough you came all the way here for me?
Felix sighed.
Felix: look… I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let's try this again.
Storm stared at him with the deadest side-eye known to mankind.
Felix: alright, clearly not a talker. I'll start. My name is Felix… the deadliest being in the entire universe.
Storm: ok cool…
Felix pinched his nose.
Felix: I tried to start respectful, but you are making this extremely difficult.
Felix snapped his fingers, and three figures teleported in — two lightning wielders crackling with yellow arcs, and a bulky earth wielder already holding a boulder.
Felix: seize him.
Storm didn't hesitate. He jumped off the building backwards, flipping Felix off mid-air as he fell.
His body erupted with purple lightning, exploding into a shockwave as he landed.
Felix: what are you waiting for?! GET HIM!!
The three men dove off the roof after him.
Storm sprinted through the city streets, letting the two lightning wielders catch up. They flanked him, one on each side.
The one on the left threw a punch — Storm ducked — and the poor guy accidentally socked his teammate full force.
Storm didn't waste the moment. He sped up, leaving the stunned lightning wielder behind, forcing a clean one-on-one.
He skidded to a stop, spun, and charged the uninjured lightning wielder. Storm's fists blurred, landing blow after blow until the man collapsed.
The other two finally caught up.
Storm dodged spiked rocks fired from the earth wielder, zigzagging effortlessly. He launched an uppercut at the lightning wielder, sending him flying miles into the sky.
Before he fell back down, Storm charged power blasts and fired them at the earth wielder's legs, snapping one instantly.
The man dropped to one knee — Storm stepped on his back, launched off him like a springboard, and death-striked the falling lightning wielder from above.
Three vs one.
Storm won.
One dead.
One paralyzed.
One unconscious.
Storm didn't even celebrate. He bolted straight home.
Meanwhile at Storm's house…
Felix stood in the living room with Raven, who had paused mid-chew with a chicken wing in his hand.
Astrid: ay man… let's be cool about this.
Felix: you two are coming with me.
Raven: yeah, I don't think so—
Felix snapped, and two earth wielders appeared, grabbing Raven and Astrid instantly.
Astrid: STORM!! HELP!!
Felix: Storm is gone. Most likely captured by my other men by now. Take them.
The earth wielders dragged them into a portal.
The moment the portal closed—
Storm burst through the front door, soaked, breathing hard.
Storm: …fuck. I'm too late.
Fade to black.
Fades back in.
A dim metal hallway. Red lights flashing. Heavy doors slamming shut in the distance.
Astrid and Raven sit inside a reinforced cell — glowing chains around their wrists.
Footsteps echo.
Felix approaches slowly, calm, hands behind his back like he owns the whole damn universe.
Felix: looks like you two will be here for a while. So make yourselves at hom—
One of Felix's men rushes in, panicking.
Felix's man: sir— we have a problem.
Felix turns, annoyed.
Felix: what now.
Felix's man: the team you sent after Storm… they're all dead.
Felix raises an eyebrow, glancing back at Astrid and Raven.
Felix: well… looks like your friend is a lot stronger than we thought.
Astrid shrugs dramatically.
Astrid: yeah, our bad for not mentioning he solos entire squads before breakfast.
Raven rolls his eyes.
Raven: man told you not to fight him…
Felix ignores them, stepping closer to his subordinate.
Felix: assemble a search party. I want Storm brought to me… dead or alive.
Astrid: preferably alive though, right? Right? No? Okay.
Felix: and reinforce the city. If Storm is running wild, things are about to get… interesting.
The cell doors slam shut with a metallic clank.
Screen fades black.