Before you read this fic, please—if you haven't yet, check the summary so you know what you're getting into. Better the devil you know than one you don't.
—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—
Gotham. The accursed city.
Shadows spilled from its buildings as the sun fell on the horizon. Light grew scarce and darkness festered. Smog clouds gathered and thickened up in the sky, ultimately pouring down with heavy acid rain. With daylight's meager protection now gone, those with malicious intent were absolutely free to roam and do as they pleased.
Police Commissioner James Gordon ascended the stairs of his headquarters. His shoes clicked against the tile with haste, and several other pairs trailed just behind. Upon opening the rooftop door, harsh winds and heavy rain met him. He stepped out with his posse in tow, and all of them ignored the weather.
Gordon alone proceeded, the rest staying behind by the stairs that led into the building. His trench coat flapped in the wind as he walked, hat clinging stubbornly to his head. There, in the middle of the roof, was the beacon.
He pulled the stubborn lever with a loud clunk. Power surged through the old, fat wires with lumbering urgency. There was a hum. There were sparks. And then... there was light.
Brilliant gold shot upward and painted itself on the rainclouds overhead. Within that ring of light was a shadow. Darkness in the shape of a bat.
Gordon stared at it for a beat, drawing in a deep breath. Turning on his heel, he returned to his men before long. They followed him down the stairs like always. Retrieving a special radio from his coat's inner pockets, he spoke.
"The signal's lit. Do your work."
...
As Batman's emblem appeared among the clouds like the watchful eye of God, a freak phenomenon manifested elsewhere in the city. Deep in the city's dark, forgotten underbelly, electricity surged in a perfect sphere. The very air hummed with heat and power, light distorting as the temperature rose within it. Any raindrops that drew too close were instantly converted into mist. Then, the sphere erupted into a flash of white light—strong enough to blind anyone that looked directly.
That perfect sphere faded slowly to reveal a young man, who was down on one knee. He had a hand on the ground to support himself, and his head was bowed low as if in reverence for the unseen. In one steady movement, he rose.
'Program,' he spoke in his head. 'Run a general diagnostic.'
A holographic panel appeared before him, floating at shoulder level. It was backed in black, and bordered with elegant white patterns. In the middle was a progress bar with a percentage marker below it, filling steadily to completion. Above the bar was text—text that changed far too rapidly for any normal human eye to keep up with.
[ Diagnostics complete. ]
[ Problems detected: 0. ]
[ General Progression Program: Prototype 1 is running smoothly. ]
[ Proceed with initialization? ]
Two buttons appeared within the panel, simple and rectangular. The young man lazily flicked a finger at [Yes].
With a mild flash, the panel changed. It had grown in size and now contained the following information:
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
Host: Lucian Saint-Pearce
Matrix: [N/A]
Level: 0
EXP: 0/100
Classes:
———
Attributes:
Power: 10
Vitality: 10
Agility: 10
Intellect: 10
Mentality: 10
Spirit: 10
Luck: 0
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
[ You have yet to select a progression Matrix. ] The Program communicated with a voice this time—a tinny, feminine monotone. [ Would you like to select one now? ]
Tilting his head up to think, Lucian caught the rain with his face. Seconds later, he looked to the screens again. 'Is One for All available?'
[ Affirmative, ] the Program replied. [ However, the One for All Matrix has three variants. Would you like to look over them? ]
'Alright,' he nodded. 'Show 'em to me.'
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
[ One for All: All in One Baseline ]
This version of the One for All Matrix has assimilated every previous vessel's Quirk, and they are all available to use right away.
In exchange, Stockpiling's progress has been reset to 0%.
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
[ One for All: Number One ]
This version of the One for All Matrix manifests in the same manner as it did with Yagi Toshinori—otherwise known as All Might—when he was past his prime.
Those who carry this Matrix will be given access to [ Muscle Form ], which will let them use One for All's full power without consequence for a limited amount of time.
• [ Muscle Form ] drains 1 Vitality per minute
• Upon reaching 0 Vitality, [ Muscle Form ] will end immediately, and the Host goes unconscious.
• Spent Vitality recovers at a rate of 5% per hour.
1 assimilated Quirk factor can be unlocked every 15 levels.
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
[ One for All: Lost Flame ]
This version of the One for All Matrix uses the pinnacle of its development under Midoriya Izuku as its base, before it faded away in its final battle.
The Quirk is stable, but to maintain this stability, its power will be forcibly restricted to prevent the Host's body from failing.
1 assimilated Quirk factor can be unlocked every 15 levels.
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
Having read through everything, Lucian deliberated.
Baseline was easily the hardest sell. Unless he wanted a challenge or had reincarnated into an easier universe, there was no good reason to take it. One for All at its weakest offered too low of a power floor to be worth much.
Number One was by far the easiest to start with—he could effectively become Shazam or Captain Marvel using it. Invest heavily in Vitality and he was all set. Unfortunately, he had no interest in needing [ Muscle Form ] to be powerful, and the Vitality drain was a concern as well. Factoring in the recovery rate... he didn't believe it was worth the risk.
By far, the best fit for him was Lost Flame. It was nowhere as strong as Number One off-rip, but it was leagues more consistent. His preference for this last version of One for All was only cemented once he had asked the Program for details, and learned that he could indeed use [ Smash ]. Lifting One for All's limiters for a one-off attack wouldn't have much consequence besides the obvious sacrifice of one body part.
Pain? Lucian had no fucks to give about that. Every other part of him would still be strong. Depowered and injured was better than completely helpless.
'Give me that last one.'
[ Affirmative. ]
[ Notice: ]
[ One for All's Quirk factors are being assimilated into your genetic structure. ]
Another progress bar appeared. It filled up much more slowly than the diagnostic bar, and as it did, this warm itch filled every fiber of Lucian's being. Zero percent climbed to twelve. Twenty-five. Fifty. Seventy-five. Ninety-seven... ninety-nine...
[ ... 100%! ]
[ Stabilizing genetic structure... ]
[ Complete. ]
[ Placing limiters... ]
[ Complete. ]
[ Congratulations. The Matrix One for All: Lost Flame has successfully been integrated. ]
[ Notice: ]
[ In selecting this Matrix, your EXP gains will be calculated according to the values primarily represented by the source universe. ]
[ Defeating foes will grant EXP, regardless of who they are. ]
[ Saving people will grant EXP, regardless of who they are. ]
[ Furthermore, due to the strain that One for All places on your body, your Power, Vitality, and Agility attributes will all increase by 1 every time your level rises. This will not deduct from the Free Attribute Points you receive with each level. ]
Lucian was set. One for All was with him, and his Program's leveling system was primed and ready. Now, all he needed to do was—
A sharp sense of discomfort filled his body. It was like twisting his limbs the wrong way without any pain. Like biting into bread that had been filled with coarse sand. Most strangely, that discomfort seemed to have a source. A single direction where it all appeared to come from.
'Program...?'
[ Notice: ]
[ It is one of your Matrix' abilities: [ Justice Sense ]. ]
[ Discomfort levels indicate that a severe crime is being perpetrated nearby. ]
'Show me the full panel. I wanna see what I'm working with before I go.'
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
[ One for All: Lost Flame ]
Full Cowling: Release a fraction of One for All's power to enhance your body.
Formula: ((Power + Vitality) ÷ 100) + 1 ››› Round to Nearest Tenths
The resulting value is used to multiply Power, Vitality, and Agility while the Ability is active.
Smash: For a moment, release all limiters and unleash a significant portion of One for All's power for a devastating attack. Using this ability will multiply Power by 1,000 for that one attack. Backlash will be reduced, yet still significant.
Note: Once the Power attribute reaches 100, [ Smash ] will no longer multiply it by 1,000. It will instead set Power's value to 100,000 for but one moment.
Valiant: Inspire and frighten others at will with your tremendous presence. Scales with Vitality and Spirit.
Justice Sense: A sixth sense that alerts you to evil nearby. Because of One for All's heroic origin, this alert manifests in the form of varying degrees of discomfort.
– ৹ – ৹৹◎৹৹ – ৹ –
...
"Survival of the fittest." Those who have earned the privilege to survive, no matter the method, would live on to see another day. That was the truth of the world, and Gotham City took that creed to its logical extreme.
A man chased after a small figure through Gotham's back alleys. His and his target's footsteps slapped over the wet ground as they ran. Lights from various sources would occasionally shine overhead, briefly illuminating the chase. A dead end might have to be circumvented cleverly lest it put an abrupt end to the chase.
Now matter the route, no matter the obstacle, neither could afford to be stopped.
Light flashed somewhere nearby. The chase dragged on for a bit longer. And then, the worst happened.
The one in the lead—a boy in his teens—tripped over a feral cat. The animal had leapt out from a right turn just as he was about to pass it. The collision made him fall to the ground, and at the speed he was going, the impact was not pretty.
Forcing all of his strength, he did manage to twist and avoided falling face-first. Still, he didn't make it all the way. The crash dislocated his shoulder and knocked the wind out of him.
"Fucking nice," his pursuer exclaimed as the cat scrambled away. An ugly, sneering face came into view, its smile more of a grimace than a grin. "That cat had perfect timing. Now, I'll take my time with you..."
The boy's entire body went stiff as the man flicked a knife out from his sleeve. Seconds passed like centuries, and the world snapped back into motion as if they had never even counted. Using all four limbs, the boy shrank back. The slick upon the ground made it a Herculean task to move even a single foot away, but he struggled regardless.
Step... step... step... The man with a knife drew closer. Tears pricked at the corners of the boy's eyes.
Malicious intent flooded all around him. A hand fell on his head, clawing tightly at his sweat-slicked hair. Several locks were torn from his scalp as the man lifted him up, pressing him against the wall. His breathing stopped, his throat tightened to a full close, and his body refused to cooperate by going limp.
His tears and choked breaths were the only evidence that he was still even alive.
"You just had to call me out when I almost got away with my stuff, didn't you?" The man seethed into the boy's ear. "Actions have consequences, you know? Now I can't eat, so you'll have to compensate me—"
C r a c k . . . !
Something thunked against the man's head, and blood sprayed from the impact. There was light—purple—and the faint thrum of electricity. Both soon faded, and the boy slumped to the ground with only the wall to brace against and remain upright.
His throat finally opened back up to take in air. Only once he had taken a few breaths did he realize what had happened. Another person appeared and attacked the man that caught him, who was now unconscious on the ground.
That other person had his eyes fixed on the boy's former pursuer. The skin around his eyes creased with such hatred that even the boy felt the need to shrink away. When he averted his eyes, he spotted the pipe in that man's right hand, dripping with blood.
The man with a pipe moved again with roiling aggression, and the boy flinched. Following that was another crack. When the boy opened his eyes, he found that the other man had kicked the unconscious man in the head to ensure that he was out cold.
He now moved his attention to the boy. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah," he replied, holding out hope that he had finally been saved. Then, he winced.
"Ah..." the man's eyes moved to his shoulder. "Hold still. Let's fix that..."
Breathing easier than before, that man set down his pipe and approached. The boy summoned all of his willpower to stay put, to push down the instinct to fight back. One large hand braced his torso, and the other grasped his arm.
"This'll feel weird, but don't worry about any pain," the man said.
The boy questioned that, but didn't dare voice his doubt. There was movement. Pain flared. And then—gone. His shoulder was back in place, and only a deep soreness lingered in the joint.
"How's that?"
Blinking, the boy replied, "I... I think I'm okay now..."
With a nod, the boy's savior moved to the unconscious man and rummaged around in his clothes. Most of the things he found were useless, and the only things of actual value were a wallet, a gold chain necklace, a wristwatch, a handgun, and a small pocket knife.
"Here," said the man. He placed the knife and some paper bills into the boy's hands, making him blink owlishly.
"What's this for...?" the boy stammered.
His savior leaned his head side to side, popping his neck joints before making to strip the unconscious man's clothes. "Money, 'cause duh. The knife's to protect yourself."
"Why are you doing that?" the boy then asked, completely disregarding the answer to his first question.
Staring at him like he had just asked for the answer to two plus two, his savior pulled at his tank top's strap and let go. "His threads are better than mine, and he tried to do shit he shouldn't have. I got looter's rights."
That absurd answer shook the boy in such a way that his terror was completely overshadowed by bewilderment. However, as he was still mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from all that had happened, he elected to just sit limply with his share of the spoils still in hand.
Before long, his savior was dressed in stolen clothing. He checked over himself one last time, confirming that everything was in place, and then approached the boy. "Come on." He reached out and offered his hand. "I'll at least take you somewhere safe. Let's ditch his near-naked dumbass and get outta this shithole."
...
[ Combat EXP: 10. ]
[ Rescue EXP: 10. ]
[ Total EXP: 20. ]
[ Next level: 80. ]
Lucian took a good, long whiff of the dumpling noodle soup he'd just ordered. The aroma caressed his soul, and the very first bite filled his body with warmth. His soul, meanwhile, resonated with heavenly satisfaction.
'Meal well-earned. Saved some kid, dropped him off at that free clinic, and I even got some kickass clothes. I'm surprised that necklace was real gold when I pawned it off. Money's sweet tonight.'
All was well that ended well. As for that man that Lucian had beaten in the head with a pipe, whether would ever recover or succumb to the trauma didn't matter. If he would go that far to chase after some kid, then he didn't deserve the concern of others.
'Hahhh~ if I ever get the chance to go home, I'll need to thank my sisters for info-dumping some medical knowledge onto me. It came in real handy with that kid.'
—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—
So... yeah. I'm rewriting this whole fic. I actually know what I'm doing now. Anyway, if you have the context, you understand why I'm rewriting this.
In the same vein, if you're coming back here from the original, Maxine will be here again. I created her and Lucian as a pair even long before Symbol's Rising, so I cannot separate them in good conscience. It would break my heart. Barbara and Raven are coming, though—don't worry. Maybe Kara, too...
Anyway! Every bit of support matters and helps keep me motivated. Power Stones if you enjoyed, kind comments and such... things like that. Thanks for dropping by~
Also! I'll start setting up Power Stone goals from chapter 10. I'm not that fast a writer, so I won't always be able to provide bonus chapters... but I am also an artist. In the event that I'm unable to provide bonus chapters, I'll set up a vote in the following chapter to let y'all choose a scene for me to sketch out. Nothing fancy, but visuals can always help a story...
[ For those financially able and willing, you can support me by donating or subscribing to: https:// ko-fi.com/ mr_blorp ]