Rex drew upon the electrical energy within his body, propelling himself high into the air until he hovered near the great dome above the city. His form glowed with blinding white current, every pulse of power illuminating the smoke-filled sky.
"Our lives as non-humans have been cruel and bitter against us," Rex's voice thundered. "We are exploited, used, recycled, and chased away from our very land. Unforgivable. How utterly unforgivable. Humans claim to seek peace from us, yet they build a dome around themselves, hiding from the world and protecting only those they deem worthy. They shut themselves away from pain, from guilt, from consequence. How weak. How disgracefully weak. They invaded my world, slaughtered my kin, carried our women and children into slavery, and experimented on them like animals. All of it began here, in this city. The ruler of these lands ordered the invasion."
As he spoke, Rex moved across the skies above Voyage City, planting small compressed spheres of his energy upon buildings, schools, hospitals, stations, and institutions. Only the Great Labs were spared. His voice echoed with fury as he continued his dark monologue.
Beneath the ruins of a collapsed bank, Rio lay motionless. His body was broken, a jagged metal rod piercing straight through his abdomen. Blood soaked the dirt around him, his breath shallow, his skin pale. Dust swirled in the air as time itself seemed to pause. Then, somewhere deep in the darkness of his fading mind, a flicker of memory ignited.
Darkness gave way to light.
He was a child again: small, lonely, and trembling in a forgotten alley. His knees were drawn to his chest, tears streaking down his cheeks. The city beyond was indifferent, its lights and sounds a distant mockery of comfort.
"Rio!" a voice called, soft and urgent.
He looked up through red, tear-stained eyes. Footsteps approached quickly. From around the corner emerged a young girl with vibrant green hair, eyes scanning frantically until they fell upon him.
"Big sister…" he whispered, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. "I'm here."
Angela's expression shifted from fear to relief. She ran to him and fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, her voice trembling between anger and affection. She brushed his messy hair from his eyes. "Where were you?"
"I was just sitting here," Rio murmured, pointing toward the shadowed corner.
Angela studied his face carefully, her voice softening. "Have you been crying?"
"No way," Rio forced a smile. "I'm strong, remember? I don't cry. I have to protect you."
Angela blinked, then laughed sweetly. "Protect me? I can protect myself, silly." Her laugh faded into a tender smile. "But tell me, why were you crying?"
Rio's eyes dropped to the ground. His voice was barely audible when he said, "They called me a freak. The other human kids. Because of my ears. Because of what I can do. They threw things at me. They said I shouldn't be alive."
Angela's face darkened, but she held him tighter. "Rio," she whispered, "you are not a freak. You are amazing. Do not let their words live in your heart. I love you just the way you are, and I'm proud that you're my brother."
He looked up at her with wide eyes, trembling as her words etched themselves deep into his soul.
"Use your gift, Rio," she continued. "Not to harm, but to protect. That is what makes you strong."
The memory faded like mist.
In the present, Rio's fingers twitched. A faint light shimmered through his veins as his blood began to glow. The rubble around him quivered, and his body rose from the wreckage, broken but unyielding.
Angela's voice echoed through his heart: Protect those you care about, Rio. That is what makes you strong.
His lips moved. "Energy Weaving Technique: Healing Weaving."
Threads of glowing energy unfurled from his fingertips and from the torn edges of his suit. They wrapped around his body like a cocoon, sealing his wounds from within. The metal rod slid out of his abdomen, and his suit regenerated, glowing blue beneath the morning sun.
He stepped out of the cocoon and cracked his knuckles. "Damn that Rex," he muttered. "Making me work overtime. I thought setting him free would stop him from attacking anyone other than his captors. I never meant for it to go this far."
He walked through the shattered remains of the bank and looked up. The Dijinn floated above the city, draped in a dark cloak, his body shimmering with energy as the first rays of dawn broke over Voyage City. People gathered in the streets below, staring upward in terror and awe.
"Hear me, you pitiful creatures who call yourselves human," Rex's voice boomed. "From this day forward, you will taste the agony you have inflicted upon others. You will breathe suffering until you understand fear. Your false peace shall end beneath this dome, for you have never known pain, and that ignorance has made you cruel. From this day, you shall feel pain, contemplate pain, accept pain, and know pain. Those who do not know pain cannot understand true peace. The world shall now know pain."
He raised his hand and roared, "Electro Release: My Judgment!"
In an instant, every compressed energy sphere detonated. Explosions engulfed the city. Buildings, hospitals, schools, and shelters were consumed in white fire. The dome cracked, then shattered entirely as Rex soared higher into the sky, unleashing storms of raw energy upon Voyage City.
Rio staggered beneath the heat and shockwaves, his body trembling. "This got worse than I expected," he muttered. "Still wounded, nineteen fractures sealed only by thread. The pain is gone, but the damage remains." His eyes blazed with fury. "How could he? How dare he?"
He leapt into the air, tearing away his limiters and disguise. "Weaving Technique: Elemental Weaving!"
Flames from the surrounding buildings swirled toward him, fusing into his body. His hair and suit turned crimson, his aura igniting with molten power. Helicopters circled above as journalists captured every moment.
"Rex, you will pay!" Rio shouted, his voice echoing through the burning city.
Below him, a man clutched his child as a collapsing building threatened to crush them. "Help us!" they cried.
Rio swung forward, grabbing them both and carrying them out of harm's way just as the debris crashed down behind them.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Thank you, Uncle, for saving us," the boy whispered.
Rio smiled softly. "That's sweet. My name is Weaver. What's yours?"
Before the child could answer, voices rose around them.
"Look at him! That's a non-human!" an old woman shouted.
"I can't believe I was saved by that freak. I should ask God for forgiveness," another muttered.
"He said his name is Weaver," a young girl sneered. "I can't believe the vigilante I liked is some elf. Look at his ears. He's disgusting."
"I need to wash myself clean," another woman said, spitting at Rio's face.
Trash and stones followed.
Rio stood frozen. "Why are they doing this?" he whispered. "I protect them day and night. I fight thieves, kidnappers, and murderers so they can sleep in peace. I even return their lost pets. How can the people I protect treat me this way?"
Tears welled in his eyes. Despair began to crush his spirit...until a hand gripped his own.
"I don't care what anyone says," a new voice declared, filled with confidence. "Weaver is my hero!"
Out of the smoke stepped a glowing figure wrapped in lightning and rainbow-colored energy. The sunlight revealed his face. It was Quicklightning.
A man in the crowd shouted, "That's not a hero. Look at him. He's a freak."
Quicklightning's expression hardened. "Are you disappointed in your heroes?" he asked. "Then try being one for a single day. See how it feels to protect others at the cost of your own peace. Weaver has guarded this city, fought your criminals, and kept your streets safe. You all sleep soundly because of him. And yet you judge him because of his appearance. If he hadn't been here, half of you would already be dead."
He placed a firm hand on Rio's shoulder. "You all owe him your lives."
The crowd fell silent. Then a man stepped forward. "If he's so noble, then why is another of his kind attacking the city right now?"
Quicklightning turned to Rio. "What's going on? I just arrived and saw the city in flames." He stopped himself. "Never mind. You don't have to explain. Just remember this isn't your fault."
He wiped the tears from Rio's cheeks and faced the crowd again. "If you must blame someone, blame me. If I had been faster, this never would have happened. It's my fault. So blame me, not him. Don't hate him for his appearance. None of us are perfect."
The people dispersed slowly, murmuring in shame. Quicklightning grabbed Rio and, in a burst of light, carried him to an underground shelter.
"Thank you, Quicklightning," Rio said quietly. "I appreciate your support."
"Cheer up," Quicklightning replied with a grin. He noticed Rio's injuries and whispered a word: "Revide." Light surged through Rio's body, mending his bones and restoring his strength.
"So where do you think the cause of all this lies?" Quicklightning asked.
"If I'm right, he's at the center of the city," Rio answered. "I can feel it through the energy fibers I left on him. He intends to destroy everything."
Quicklightning clenched his fists. "Then I won't let that happen."
"Let's go end this," Rio said, bumping fists with him. They both laughed, the fire in their hearts reignited.
Meanwhile, high above the city, Rex landed atop the tallest building the one that held Voyage City's great energy reactor.
"I need more energy," he whispered. "Two years ago, a divine cosmic light touched this world. The lightning it brought still lies within this reactor. Once I destroy it, the dome will fall and the humans will know my pain."
Armed guards and advanced defense robots surrounded him, their weapons raised.
"Foolish creatures," Rex said coldly. "You cannot comprehend the pain I will bring upon this world."
He lunged toward them in a surge of white lightning.
The true battle had only just begun.