A Needed Break
It had been weeks since the dock incident — since Blindfold flattened Bane and left the Titans staring after him, uncertain whether to see him as an ally or a threat.
New York buzzed with his name now. Blindfold. Whispers in subway tunnels. Blurry clips online. A rumor, but one that grew sharper with each night patrol. Ava kept count: nearly thirty arrests tied to his actions, all swept neatly into police reports.
But to Kai, it was just routine. Patrols, training, online culinary school. Juggling both lives until exhaustion became his normal.
When the semester break arrived, it felt almost alien.
"Two weeks off," Kai said, sprawled on the couch. "No quizzes, no plating exams, no group projects. What's a hardworking vigilante supposed to do with that?"
"Sleep," Ava answered instantly.
"Wrong. Vacation."
"You," Ava said dryly, "are incapable of vacationing."
"Watch me," Kai said, grinning.
Arrival in Metropolis
Metropolis greeted him like a city from another future.
Where New York hunched under smog and steel, Metropolis gleamed — towers of glass and chrome curving toward the sky, spotless streets humming with energy, the skyline crowned by the great golden globe of the Daily Planet.
Kai walked the avenues in civilian mode — white hair catching sunlight, shades hiding his glow, jacket casual enough to blend in. To everyone else, he was just another tourist.
"This place is shiny," Kai muttered as a maglev tram glided past, whisper-quiet.
"Metropolis is engineered for efficiency and optimism," Ava said. "Unlike New York, which thrives on chaos."
"Chaos has charm," Kai shot back, pausing at a vendor cart. He bought a hot dog, took a bite, and groaned. "Okay, point to Metropolis. This is criminally good."
"Hyperbole."
"Hyper-delicious."
"You are insufferable."
He laughed, wandering deeper into the city.
Centennial Park sprawled wide and green in the heart of the city, and at its center rose a towering statue of Superman. Bronze cape forever billowing, gaze forever skyward. Families clustered around its base, snapping photos, children pointing up with awe.
Kai leaned against the railing, chewing slowly. "Guy's got good PR."
"Public trust in Superman exceeds ninety-eight percent," Ava replied. "Statistically unmatched."
Kai tilted his head, watching the way even strangers seemed to walk lighter here, as if the city itself believed in something greater. "Guess that's what happens when you save the world before breakfast."
For once, he wasn't being sarcastic.
Trouble in Paradise
By afternoon, the mood shifted.
Kai lounged outside a café, iced latte in hand, letting himself believe in peace for once. Then Ava's voice snapped into his ear.
"Alert. Multiple hostile LexCorp signals converging downtown. Heavy weaponry. Drones deploying. Civilian distress escalating."
Kai set the cup down. "LexCorp? That's bold, even for Luthor."
Screens in storefronts flickered to breaking news: armored LexCorp carriers rolling through avenues, drones swarming overhead like steel locusts. Civilians screamed, scattering as the machines fired into glass and concrete.
Kai ducked into an alley, tugging at his jacket. "Alright, time to—"
"No," Ava cut him off sharply. "Not your city. Observation only. Metropolis is Superman's jurisdiction."
Kai froze, caught between instinct and logic. "…That's a first."
"You wanted vacation," Ava said. "So observe. Do not interfere."
Every part of him itched to move. To warp. To fight. But she was right. This wasn't his ground.
So he climbed instead, up fire escapes and onto a rooftop overlooking downtown. And he waited.
Lex's Strike
Chaos bloomed below.
LexCorp drones descended in formation, their wings whirring, cannons swiveling to unleash streams of plasma into the streets. Armored vehicles with LexCorp insignias rolled forward, deploying squads of mercenaries in green-and-purple exo-suits.
Civilians screamed, ducking behind overturned cars. Windows shattered in glittering cascades. Smoke choked the avenues.
A massive holographic projection flickered above the chaos, Lex Luthor's face framed in neon green.
"Metropolis," his voice boomed, calm but laced with venom. "You cling to your alien idol, blind to the rot he enables. Today, you see what true human innovation can achieve. Today, LexCorp cleanses this city of false gods."
Kai's fists clenched. "Man really loves to monologue."
The Man of Steel
Then the sky split.
Superman descended like a comet, red and blue cutting through smoke, cape snapping against the wind. He landed in the plaza with a shockwave that rattled glass, and the city roared in relief.
"Luthor," Superman called, voice steady, eyes glowing faint red. "This ends now."
The hologram flickered, Lex sneering. "It always ends the same. But one day, Superman, it won't."
The drones fired first.
Superman blurred forward, heat vision slicing through steel like butter. He caught one drone in each hand, slammed them together, and hurled the wreckage skyward until it burst into fire.
A tank fired a rail round the size of a car. Superman caught it midair, bent the shell like paper, and dropped it at his feet. Civilians gasped, then cheered.
Mercenaries opened fire, plasma scorching the air. Superman darted between blasts, scooping terrified civilians into safety with effortless speed. He shielded a mother and child with his body, heat vision carving a perfect arc that disabled every weapon around them.
Another building shuddered, glass cracking, supports snapping. Superman darted beneath, bracing his shoulders under the weight. The skyscraper groaned, then stilled, as he lowered it gently back onto reinforced ground.
Every move was power balanced with care. Strength tempered by compassion.
Kai stood frozen on the rooftop, mouth dry. "He's… unreal."
Ava's voice was quiet. "Correction. He is… inspiring."
Lex Observes
High above, in LexCorp Tower, Lex Luthor watched from behind reinforced glass.
His hands were clasped, his jaw set. Mercy Graves stood beside him, tablet in hand.
"Assets failing," she reported. "Superman's dismantling everything. Public support is climbing."
Lex didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on the figure in red and blue below, every strike a reminder, every cheer another nail in the coffin of his pride.
"Of course he's winning," Lex murmured, voice low. "That's what he does. But even gods bleed. We just haven't found the right knife yet."
He lifted his scotch and drank slowly.
The End of the Battle
In minutes, it was over.
The last drone fell smoking into the street. The last mercenary surrendered, weapons tossed aside. Sirens wailed as Metropolis PD surged in to take control.
Superman hovered above the plaza, cape billowing, sunlight blazing across the emblem on his chest. The city below erupted in cheers, thousands of voices rising as one.
Kai leaned on the railing, silent.
For once, he didn't joke. Didn't smirk.
Ava spoke softly. "For the first time… you look small."
Kai exhaled, lips quirking faintly. "That's because he's big. Not just strong. He's… something else. The city doesn't just see power when they look at him. They see hope."
His shades reflected the red and blue streak rising into the sky.
"Blindfold delivers," he said quietly. "But that… that was Superman."
Closing Hook
Far across the skyline, Lex Luthor turned from the windows of his tower, the wreckage of his failed assault still smoldering below. His face was calm, but his eyes burned cold.
"Enjoy your moment, Superman," he muttered. "It won't last."
And in the streets far below, a lone tourist with white hair and dark shades slipped back into the crowd. No one noticed him. No one connected him to the figure who stalked New York's rooftops.
But in his chest, something had shifted.
For the first time, Kai knew the scale of the gap he had to close.