Ashborn sat comfortably in his usual spot at his favorite café, leisurely sipping a cup of coffee. The streets buzzed with excitement as a lively caravan celebrating Superman's latest achievements paraded past him. It was a colorful and almost chaotic scene, performers twirling, music blaring, and police officers struggling to manage an enormous Superman balloon floating high above the crowd.
What caught Ashborn's eye, however, was the cart at the very end of the parade. There, standing atop a decorated float, were Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E, Vigilante, Shining Knight, and Green Arrow, all awkwardly waving to the sea of cheering citizens.
Ashborn raised a brow at the sight. Superman unavailable so they send these five instead? It looked more like a last-minute school play than a grand tribute to the Man of Steel.
As if on cue, a small child sitting near him loudly complained "They're not even bringing the good ones!"
Ashborn chuckled quietly into his cup. Smart kid.
Even from his distance away, Ashborn could feel the burning embarrassment radiating off Courtney. Her awkward, stiff movements said it all, she hated every second of this parade. The others weren't much better; Vigilante barely waved his hand, Green Arrow looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, and even the proud Shining Knight's posture sagged under the indignity of it all.
Suddenly, a deafening impact echoed across the city square. A monstrous growl followed low, guttural, angry. All eyes turned upward.
Something was falling from the sky, hurtling straight toward the parade.
With an explosive crash, a hulking brute, a monstrous, deformed creature, like a cheap knockoff of the Hulk smashed straight into the Superman balloon, shredding it instantly. Bits of red and blue latex rained down as the monster plummeted further, colliding brutally with the heroes' cart, sending it splintering in all directions.
Chaos erupted. Police officers scrambled to protect civilians, drawing their weapons and firing without hesitation. The heroes leapt into action, but it was clear this was no ordinary thug.
The monster stood its ground arrogantly, bullets bouncing harmlessly off its thick hide.
It grinned savagely, raising its voice for all to hear:
"Tell Superman to come out! General Wade Eiling wants a word!"
Ashborn leaned back slightly in his seat, watching as the familiar names fought with all their might. One by one, they fell.
S.T.R.I.P.E.'s mecha armor was torn apart with monstrous strength, leaving Pat unconscious in the wreckage. Vigilante tried a brave attack but was crushed beneath a collapsing wall. Shining Knight charged valiantly only to be pounded into a car, his ancient armor crumpling like paper.
Speedy and Crimson Avenger arrived in a flash of teleportation, only to be swatted aside almost immediately, joining the growing pile of defeated heroes. Even Green Arrow, despite his skill, lasted mere moments before being thrown through a street vendor's stand.
At last, only Courtney remained standing. Wielding her staff with fierce determination, she tried to drag the monster away from the heart of the city, away from the terrified civilians. Her efforts were brave, her willpower admirable.
But alone, it wasn't enough. The monster roared, yanked her out of the sky with brute force, and hurled her mercilessly into the ground. The street cracked under the impact. Had it not been for her Cosmic Staff cushioning the blow, she would have been dead on impact.
Ashborn sighed and slowly rose from his seat, adjusting the cuffs of his black suit.
He hadn't wanted to interfere. The place was full of people and in a world filled with cameras and nosy reporters, summoning shadows was far from ideal in public.
Still... He couldn't just stand by and let his daughter's friend die.
Walking with a calm, steady pace, Ashborn approached the rubble where Courtney lay struggling to move. He wore a sharp black suit with a white shirt underneath, simple, elegant, and unassuming.
The monster, meanwhile, had dropped from the ruined float, stomping heavily toward Courtney, ready to deliver the final blow.
Ashborn's voice rang out clear and calm over the battlefield.
"General Eiling," he called smoothly with a smile "Fancy seeing you here. Your new look certainly left quite the impression on everyone... but I sincerely advise you to stick to the old ones. It was more... elegant, to say the least."
The monster, once General Wade Eiling, turned slowly toward the newcomer, confusion briefly flickering across his mutated features.
The hulking monster turned its mutated head toward the calm figure standing before him. Recognition flashed in his bloodshot eyes.
"Ashborn Black," the monster rumbled, his voice low and gritty "I didn't expect to see you here. Didn't take you for one to enjoy this kind of parade."
Ashborn smiled lightly.
"I don't," he replied "I was simply enjoying a cup of coffee in a nearby establishment when your little show decided to crash through my morning."
The general gave a rumbling chuckle that shook the ground beneath them.
"I'm here to deliver a message," he said. "That the Justice League are not the only super-powered individuals on the block anymore."
Ashborn gave a slight nod, his posture relaxed as if they were two businessmen discussing weather.
"I see your patriotic spirit is as strong as ever, General" Ashborn said with a chuckle,
"but I'm afraid you selected the wrong target... and at the worst possible time."
The monster's face hardened. His white and black eyes narrowed, studying Ashborn with growing annoyance. Ashborn, undeterred, gestured casually toward the scattered and unconscious heroes.
"These are not the decision-makers of the Justice League," he said calmly. Then he swept his hand toward the edges of the square where terrified civilians cowered behind overturned food stands and broken parade floats.
"And this place? It's filled with civilians. All you're doing is endangering innocents without achieving any meaningful results. I'd suggest you stand down. Superman will come to you... eventually, once he gets back from wherever he wandered off to."
The monster grunted.
"You got it wrong," he growled "This isn't just about targeting the big guns. It's about sending a message. By cracking a few of them… they'll know I mean business."
Ashborn met his words with a quiet patience, never letting the faint smile fade from his lips.
"I assure you," Ashborn said "they've already received your message loud and clear. No need to escalate further."
With measured steps, Ashborn began walking toward the general. He moved slowly but deliberately, passing by Stargirl, who had finally managed to sit up.
Courtney clutched her Cosmic Staff tightly, using it as a crutch. She watched Ashborn's approach with wide, confused eyes. There was a quiet hope flickering inside her, she wasn't strong enough to stand yet, and part of her desperately wished Ashborn could somehow end this without further violence like he did before.
Ashborn gave her a brief glance, a silent reassurance passing between them.
Then he continued forward. The monster leaned down slightly, towering over Ashborn, his face mere inches away. The beast's frustration grew the longer he stared into Ashborn's smiling, unbothered face. Ashborn didn't fear him, Ashborn didn't respect his power.
"I entertained you long enough because of how much you helped Cadmus over the years," the general growled, his breath hot and rancid "But if you stand in my way... I will crush you."
Ashborn let out a soft sigh, shaking his head almost pityingly.
Still smiling, he said "No can do."
His voice carried the same infuriating calmness, as if this was all just a minor inconvenience.
"I can't have you hurt Stargirl. I won't hear the end of it if something happened to her while I stood by. I ask you to step away and wait for Superman. I don't want to get dragged into a violent conflict if it can be helped."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then the monster threw his head back and laughed. A deep, ugly sound that rolled through the ruined parade like a thunderclap.
"I've never heard someone so arrogant," he barked between laughs "As if you can do anything!"
Ashborn's smile didn't falter. From the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a small, gleaming blue dagger. It caught the sunlight sharply as he twirled it once in his fingers as he spoke, his voice still carrying that frustrating calmness.
"If you take one more step toward the girl," he said, his blue dagger glinting in the sunlight, "I'll have to give you a bad time. Do you want to have a bad time, General?"
The monster grinned, an ugly and malicious expression twisting his already deformed face. Without hesitation, he stomped one heavy step forward.