My Own Personal Throne

The city streets were alive with the hum of a thousand voices, the neon lights flashing in every direction, and the chaos of life clashing with the darkness of the underworld. In the midst of it all, a young boy with a messy black hair and purple eyes had a look of uncertainty as he walked alone. His name was Haru Toga, and at the age of twelve, he had already learned more about survival than most would in a lifetime.

Haru's childhood was a far cry from what a child should experience. Born to parents who were once hopeful and full of love, things had taken a dark turn when his powers first manifested. No one understood him—least of all his mother and father. His shapeshifting abilities first revealed themselves in a way that frightened them: when Haru touched his father one evening, he found himself staring back at a man he had never seen before—an older, unrecognizable version of his father, his face twisted with fear and shock.

He had no control over it then. It was only a moment, but it was enough to break something in his parents' minds. They were terrified of him. They couldn't even look at him after that night. His mother began to distance herself, whispering that he was cursed. His father, once a kind and gentle man, became cold, distant, and angry. They saw Haru as a monster, a thing to be feared, a mistake that had to be erased.

They told him, "You're not our son anymore." Those words, cold and final, echoed in Haru's mind for years to come.

The rejection was immediate and severe. By the time he was eight, Haru was no longer living in the comfort of his childhood home. He was kicked out onto the streets. With no family to rely on, Haru learned quickly how to survive. It wasn't long before the streets swallowed him whole—he became part of the underworld, forced to fend for himself in the dangerous corners of the city. Hunger, fear, and loneliness became his constant companions.

He had only his power—the ability to mimic the appearance of anyone he touched. It was a gift, or perhaps a curse. At first, he used it out of desperation, stealing to survive. But soon, Haru learned that blending in was the key to his survival. He could change his face, his body, his very form. He could be anyone.

The gangs of the city took notice. They saw his ability as useful—Haru became a tool, an asset. He joined one of the smaller gangs, the Midnight Wolves, and quickly rose in rank. His power was perfect for their operations: infiltrating, stealing, and gathering information. His life became a blur of crime, deception, and constant movement. But with every new form he took, every new life he wore like a costume, Haru felt like he was falling further and further from who he really was. He wasn't sure if he could even remember what he looked like anymore.

But things were about to change.

The Midnight Wolves, under the direction of a mysterious and wealthy client, have been tasked with stealing a highly coveted ancient weapon, a relic of war from a forgotten civilization, rumored to hold the ability to grant its wielder immense control over space.

The artifact is highly guarded, locked away in the museum's deepest vault. The Wolves have spent months preparing for the heist, studying the museum's security systems, bribing museum staff, and devising the perfect plan to infiltrate the building during an exclusive gala.

Haru is assigned to the task of infiltrating the museum as a guest during the gala event, using his shapeshifting powers to impersonate a high-profile collector. His job is simple: get in, distract security, and retrieve the weapon from its vault. However things can't go so smoothly now can they?

The Midnight Wolves have been moving in sync—quietly, without raising suspicion. But just as haru was on the verge of securing the artifact, Cheshire slips into the scene, making her entrance with flair. She appears behind a group of museum staff, effortlessly blending in with the gala crowd. Her eyes are on Haru, and she's ready to cause a little chaos.

Cheshire:"Well, well… what do we have here? A handsome face in the middle of all this drama?"

Haru turns around, momentarily distracted by the sight of Cheshire, who is looking more than a little mischievous. As always, she has a way of getting under his skin, and though he's used to her antics, it doesn't make him any less flustered.

Cheshire:"Did you think you could pull this off without a little... help?"

Before Haru can respond, Cheshire flashes a teasing grin and then, in one swift motion, activates the alarm by setting off the security system.

The museum's alarms blare through the halls—loud, shrill, and unmistakable. The chaos starts immediately. Staff scramble, guards rush to their positions, and the Midnight Wolves are thrown into a panic.

Haru watches, shocked, as Cheshire begins to slip away with the artifact, clearly enjoying the chaos she's caused. She winks at him and casually walks off, leaving the rest of the gang to handle the mess she's just created. Haru is now left scrambling as everything around him turns into a frenzy.

Haru:"Cheshire! What the hell?!"

The alarms are now fully engaged, and the security lockdown is in effect. The entire museum is in lockdown mode, and escape routes are now sealed. The Midnight Wolves are stuck inside, unable to complete their mission.

Haru, still caught off guard by the sudden disruption, quickly realizes that the gang is now in a desperate situation. They need to get out before the authorities arrive. In the midst of the chaos, Haru instinctively moves toward the artifact room. But his focus has shifted from the original plan.

As he rushes through the museum's corridors, he comes across an object Cheshire had not noticed. It sits on a pedestal in the center of the room, gleaming faintly under the lights. Haru, without thinking, reaches out and touches the object shaped cup, drawn to it for reasons he doesn't fully understand.

The moment his fingers make contact with the cup, he feels a strange surge of energy pulse through him—something awakening inside him, as if he is being connected to an ancient power.

A blinding flash of light erupts from where Haru stands. It's so bright that it fills the entire room, casting long, sharp shadows across the museum. The force of the energy causes the air around Haru to vibrate, and a powerful pulse surges outward, shaking the ground.

The beam of white light shoots up into the sky, visible from outside the museum, a spectacle of raw energy. It's as if the very fabric of reality is being torn open by this force. The cup—Haru's touch of the cup—has awakened something ancient, something far beyond human comprehension.

As the light intensifies, the Midnight Wolves outside the building are thrown into confusion, unable to comprehend what's happening. Inside the museum, even the guards are knocked off their feet by the sheer power emanating from haru.

For Haru, the sensation is overwhelming. His mind is flooded with visions—heroes and warriors from other worlds, powerful Servants and beasts, all converging in his mind. The sheer intensity of it makes him feel as though he's being ripped apart and remade.

But just as it began, the beam of light fades away. The museum is silent once more, save for the distant wail of alarms. The area where Haru once stood is now a crater, the ground scorched and charred by the energy released from haru.

When the light finally dissipates, Haru is lying unconscious on the floor of the museum, surrounded by debris. His body is motionless, and the cup is nowhere to be seen, having vanished from his hands in the wake of the event.

Cheshire, hearing the alarms and noticing the blinding white beam of light shooting into the sky, instinctively knows something has gone terribly wrong. She races back to the artifact room, knowing that her earlier interference was only supposed to add a little chaos, but this—this was far more than she expected.

She reaches the room to find Haru lying unconscious amidst the devastation—The air feels charged, and the room is filled with the lingering aftershocks of the immense power that had just been unleashed.

She kneels beside him, her usual confident smirk replaced with a look of genuine concern, something that's rare for her.

Cheshire:"What in the world did you just do, Haru…?"

Her fingers brush his hair back as she scans the damage around them—walls cracked, furniture overturned, and the floor scorched. It's as if the very fabric of reality was warped by the raw energy.

For a moment, Cheshire's usual playful demeanor is nowhere to be seen. There's no hint of a smile, no tease or flirt—just a genuine sense of concern.

Cheshire:"This... this isn't just some random mission. What the hell is going on here?"

The distant sound of sirens grows louder as law enforcement begins to converge on the museum. But it's not just the cops who arrive. A flash of blue and red streaks through the night sky, followed by the arrival of superheroes—the Justice League drawn to the scene by the massive energy surge.

The chaos of the museum continues as the Justice League begins to converge on the scene, their attention focused on the aftermath of the mysterious energy surge. Superman and Wonder Woman are scanning the area, while Batman methodically takes in the destruction.

Cheshire watches from the shadows, her eyes fixed on Haru's unconscious body. She realizes the power that was radiating from him will attracts the heroes and knows that they will quickly catch on. Her instincts tells her that Haru's power—whatever it is—must be hidden from the heroes before they can claim it.

Determined, she moves in quietly, her steps barely making a sound as she is near Haru.

With the heroes distracted, Cheshire slips through the museum unnoticed. She approaches Haru, kneeling down beside him, her fingers brushing gently against his body. His unconscious form doesn't move, but she can feel the strange energy radiating from him—faint, but there.

She lifts him effortlessly, surprised at how light he feels in her arms. Perhaps it's the power he has that makes him so pliable or perhaps is it because he dosen't eats much. Either way she knows she has to leave before the heroes figure out what's going on.

As Cheshire moves quickly toward a nearby exit, Superman's sharp eyes catch her in the act. His super hearing picks up on her footfalls. he immediately swoops in, landing directly between her and the exit.

Cheshire's eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn't hesitate. She knows there's no way she'll let the heroes stop her now. She looks over her shoulder to see Batman and the others quickly closing in. There's no time to waste.

Without a word, Cheshire pulls a smoke bomb from a hidden pocket and tosses it onto the floor. Dark smoke billows around her, filling the air and disorienting the heroes. Their vision is momentarily obscured, giving her just enough time to move.

In the smoke, she grabs Haru once more, lifting him over her shoulder with practiced ease. She doesn't look back as she dashes toward a window at the far side of the museum.

As she reaches the window, Cheshire leaps out into the air, but Superman is already in pursuit. He flies after her, but Cheshire's speed and agility give her a brief advantage.

She lands on a nearby rooftop, breathing heavily, her eyes darting around as she takes in the situation. Haru remains unconscious, but she doesn't have time to examine him now. The heroes are closing in.

On the rooftop, Cheshire's frustration grows. She can feel the heroes' presence drawing closer, the weight of the chase pressing down on her.

She looks down at Haru, still limp in her arms. Her frustration boils over, but she tries to focus. She can't let them take him—not now. Not ever.

Cheshire:"This should've been simple…"

Before she can make another move, she feels a familiar presence—Superman is almost upon her. Batman and the others are closing the distance. Cheshire knows she has one chance left.

In a split-second decision, Cheshire uses the artifact she stole to teleport to somewhere, throwing the heroes off her trail. Superman tries to intercept, but she's already gone, disappearing like she and haru were never there.

However, in her haste, she is tripping over an obstacle in the alleyway she end up in slamming against the wall. Haru's body is thrown forward for a brief moment, but she catches him just in time before he falls to the ground.

Cheshire:"Dammit!"

She takes a breath, pushing past her own fatigue. She knows that the heroes will not give up.

With them behing in the clear, Cheshire takes a final glance at Haru. Her expression softens, but only for a moment. She's frustrated, yes, She's angry, yes, but she's not one to give up. Haru's is too valuable to her, and she's not ready to let him slip through her fingers.

She vanishes into the shadows, disappearing without a trace, leaving the heroes searching in vain.

Back at the museum, the Justice League is still searching the area, trying to figure out what exactly just happened. They know Cheshire got away with Haru, but they don't know why or what he means to this whole situation.

Superman:"She got away. Again."

Batman:"She won't stop. We need to find her and that boy before she has a chance to do whatever she's planning."

Haru's body lies still, his mind trapped in a deep, unconscious haze. The world around him fades to nothing, and the darkness of his mind is replaced by an overwhelming white light. No sounds, no people—only an endless, glowing expanse stretches in every direction, an unnerving silence hanging in the air.

His chest rises and falls, and then, without warning, Haru's eyes snap open. But this isn't the museum. This isn't the city. this isn't Cheshire.

Wherever he is, it feels… different.

As Haru pushes himself to his feet, the void around him remains unchanged—endless, featureless, a blinding light that offers no warmth. His surroundings are alien, suffocating in their emptiness.

Suddenly, he becomes aware of something else—a presence. A figure materializes before him, floating effortlessly in the air. A woman, her form shrouded in an ethereal glow, her features barely visible against the bright backdrop. Her eyes gleam with an ancient wisdom, her expression inscrutable.

For a moment, Haru stands frozen, unable to speak, the weight of the void pressing down on him. He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

Then, the woman speaks, her voice like a whisper that fills the vast emptiness of the void. Her tone is calm but laden with an undeniable authority.

Mysterious Woman:"You've crossed the threshold, Haru. Now, you must face what you have awakened."