Super in the Shadows

The best cities feature public transportation that's fast, reliable, and magical! This one is no exception. ENJOY!

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“AHHHHHHH!”

A terrified scream shattered the morning.

What was that?! Jack groggily awoke as hurried steps echoed. Then the cutest creature entered the room, screaming her tiny lungs in pure terror.

“Jack! Oh, god, no! Don’t tell me— AMBULANCE!”

A graceful young face, black hair, and beautiful amethyst eyes. Lilly, his sister. She hurriedly composed 911, her fingers dancing across the pink cellphone full of animal stickers. But Jack didn’t let her finish. He struck!

He pulled her in, engulfing her in a warm embrace.

“Relax, Lilly. I’m all good. We’re all good.”

As she heard his assured voice, she froze like a deer in headlights, only for all strength to escape her a moment later. Tears in her eyes, she cutely sniffled.

“I-I thought you were dead. So much blood! Way too much blood…”

Her complaints died down as she nestled herself inside his chest like a small animal. He could vividly sense her shock, her relief, and her concern, too, everything melting together.

They stayed like that until she finally regained her calm. And with it came the realization: they were hugging, and he was covered in blood, which meant that she, too, was covered in it!

“Noooo! I’m gonna be all gross and sticky!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll still be my favorite sister!”

“Favorite?! I’m the only one! Let me go already~!”

“Let you go? But I love you so much I gotta hug you forever~!”

As she cried in “despair”, he cheekily held her tight, covering her in so much grime that she turned pale. But then she successfully slithered away, pulling her tongue his way.

“Bah! I was wrong to worry about you, idiot!”

“Yes, yes, I love you too!”

As she escaped the room, he didn’t miss her slight grin. And soon, the calming sound of a hot shower resounded in the next room, along with cheerful singing.

Hearing this, he couldn’t help but smile as he felt so damn sleepy. As if his body was on strike, every cell in his body screamed at him to hide under the quill a little bit longer.

Then again, part of the issue was the quill made with Glowbill feathers. Those creatures were so fluffy and duvety that they were always at the top of the must-hug ranking. So damn soft~

Yet, he reluctantly forced himself awake.

“Let’s see what I missed recently…”

He opened his cell phone, browsing social media, scenes of destruction playing.

One could see monsters rampaging around the city’s outskirts, Supers coming in and out of frame to face them, always with the Aurora as a backdrop. Nodding, he skipped to the next.

A Super fighting a villain with both their powers going haywire in the middle of the fight. In fact, a very confused ice-using villain suddenly started spitting fire halfway through?!

A scene in a mall. Ah?! This was the square Victoria one from before!

As the cops appeared, the Shadow Vandal quickly panicked, looking for hostages. Except the few “customers” turned out to be undercover cops. With this, the man instantly chose to retreat.

A mighty leap, then a dash in the shadows and…. BEAM!

Out of nowhere, a UV light beam distorted the shadows, messing up the escape. Golden Paradox appeared in all his glory, a glory that the villain cared not for.

“Minions, to ME!” He powerfully hollered… and nothing happened.

“Boss! We need help! There’s way too many cops!” With the minions already getting overwhelmed, the only thing to do was face the Super Fair and Square.

Thus started a 1 v 1 …

Shadow Vandal VS Golden Paradox!

Umbral Enhancer VS Time Manipulator!

F-Rank Rising Star Villain VS D-Rank Hero!

“I’ll bash that silly helmet off your face!” And just like that began a furious fight that was incredibly close. D Rank versus F Rank should have been a cinch? It wasn’t.

Golden Paradox’s main power was a finisher. Hit the target head-on and instant victory. But knowing that, the Shadow Vandal kept running around like an agile lynx.

“Go on! Shoot! You better not miss! DASH! DASH! BASH!”

A ginormous club of shadow versus small golden stasis spheres to slow down his movements. But so what? The villain either dodged or blocked them with his club!

They fought, they fought, and they fought some more.

Then, it reached the climax. A deadly club smashing a knight helmet at full power, a neck VERY ominously cracking, a corpse falling, and then…. GLOW! GLOW! GLOW!

Just as everything pointed at the Shadow Vandal’s victory, golden light befell both fighters. A villain found himself frozen in time while a Super found his time rewinding, just enough to live.

A second later, Golden Paradox collapsed in exhaustion. It was over, the villain captured.

“Damn! That was sweet!”

Jack couldn’t help but praise. The man had used his own life as the perfect bait?! As expected of a D-Ranker, his thoughts were way out there! It was better to take notes.

He wordlessly typed on his phone...

Golden Paradox: OP skill, High Energy consumption, low accuracy. Potential Counter: Use a decoy to bait his Ultimate Ability, and only strike when it’s been used already.

Shadow Vandal: Very mobile. Very powerful. Potential Counter: Prevent his escape with UV light torches and avoid engaging melee. Easy victory afterward.

“Still, that was way too close for D-Rank VS F-Rank…”

“Ah?! You’re watching Supers again?!”

Lilly’s mischievous voice suddenly echoed, and before he could react… POOF! Without warning, the world around him changed. Lots of water. Cold water. Icy water. He couldn't help but freeze.

He was in the shower?!!

The way he looked at her also changed…

“WHAT?! Since when?! You can warp people now?!”

“Hehe, surprised? Aren’t I the best sister? Even helping you get up! No need to thank me, but I even used all the hot water to ensure you don’t burn yourself, so have fun!”

She impishly escaped, leaving him behind akin to a wet dog. Yet, he just couldn’t stop grinning. ‘Mom. Lilly’s gonna be alright. Sixteen, and she can already warp others.’

This was a VERY valuable power.

More importantly, it wasn’t just a combat power. Super couriers were a thing when one wanted absolute discretion and delivery speed. And at that moment, he swore to himself.

‘She won’t have to risk her life, ever!’

He alone would carry all the burdens. As long as she remained cheery and happy, that was all that mattered. As the cold water soaked his clothes, so did a chilly calm.

This was actually nice at times.

Just like that, he scrubbed himself clean, soon coming out of the cold shower incredibly refreshed. It got even better as he noticed the neatly folded clothes on the countertop.

This showed her care. All bantering aside, she really was the best sister.

Chuckling, he put his drenched mess of an outfit in the electric dryer. It would take hours, and it couldn’t handle magic clothes, but luckily, they were too poor for that stuff.

They were… Wait a goddamn minute!

He hurriedly fished a certain Magical Crystal out of his jeans pockets, checking it for any scratches. No, everything was fine! Holy shit, had he just almost washed away 5k Credits?!

The thing glimmered with a blue light, even just sitting in his palm. This contained pure Mana and had as many applications as currencies on the old Earth!

But just as he was greedily examining it, something happened!

[Successfully Found a Mana Crystal!]

[Never Mind User is not A Super!]

[Error! Error! Error!]

‘…..’

Then it disappeared.

“Guess that’s a thing now…”

Whatever. He hid his newest prized possession under the sink, then came out. But as he did, his senses were instantly assaulted! There was such a colossal clash that he couldn’t help but gasp.

The nightmarish vision. There was blood everywhere. On the floor, on the wall, and even on the ceiling?! There was so much of it that it seemed straight out of a slasher movie!

Then there was the smell. It was so damn scrumptious! As he took it all in, his belly started grumbling avidly. Meat, vegetables, and cheese? The mix was mouth-watering and tantalizing.

Step! Step! Step! Step!

His feet brought him to the living room.

What awaited was a feast worthy of an eating contest! Pizza, the heavy kind, with enough slices to feed a small army! Actually, there was already a soldier happily digging in.

“Pizza’ for breakfast is the best! Anyone saying otherwise is just dumb! Eat up, Jack! Today’s your first day at Legendary-U. That ought to be awesome!”

He did. The first bite felt like Heaven.

Juicy goodness. A dough worth dying for. Tomatoes for days. Then there were the peppers, pepperoni, and onions; he felt like crying. He devoured it in an instant.

It was always like that after Auroras. The curry from before? None of it had been real, only a phantom. And eating “air” tended to make one very hungry afterward!

As he was musing, Lilly chimed in again.

“So, excited for your first day?”

“Eh, that was yesterday…”

She cutely pouted, raising a disapproving finger up. “Bah, we all know that doesn’t count! Day one’s always showing the class schedule and visiting the place, right? Denied!”

As he heard her, visions flashed before his eyes. A devil. A gelatinous cube. A weird girl. A quiz. An infiltration. And enough fighting to give him lifelong PTSD and make his sister misunderstand.

She for sure thought his injuries were from the phantom and not from school. How much would she freak out were she to understand the truth? Especially since it had been the first "fake" day.

Still, there was no need to worry her needlessly…

“Makes sense! Today will be my first real day, then! You’ll see, I’ll be the best student ever. I’ll ace all the tests, become super popular, and return with a dozen girlfriends!”

“Bah! Super popular? Focus on becoming a Super at all!”

She cutely winked, yet there was lots unsaid.

Confidence. No matter how long it took. No matter how many ridiculed him. No matter how many thought his quest impossible… she’d still believe in him, ALWAYS!

Chuckling, he gently teased her:

“Now, now, you better eat some more, young lady, or I’ll devour it all! Actually, I’ll eat everything but the mushrooms. I know you LOVE those!”

“Noooooo, that’s torture! I’ll — You bastard?!”

She turned pale. In his hands, there was now a Ghost Pepper, and he was willfully adding some to his slice. Was he trying to create a chemical abomination or disgust her to death?!

Thus happened a beautiful breakfast, the sound of fake sibling rivalry and laughter echoing. But life soon resumed, and soon came the time to leave. Jack quickly checked his phone.

“As expected, Sharky’s grounded. Guess today’s bus day.”

He quickly got ready, settling for a folding notebook and pen, staples of any self-respecting student. Yet, Lilly by the side could be seen with an actual pink anime backpack, cuter than practical.

But before he could comment about it, she excitedly grabbed his arm...

“Hehe, big bro, you got everything? LET’S GO THEN!”

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re using your—”

He was about to say Quirk, but the world changed before them, revealing a tiny bus stop and bystanders gasping in shock. After all, the scene was way too impactful.

A youthful young woman now collapsed on the sideway, wheezing her lungs out. In fact, were it not for the big thumbs up she was giving them, they would already have called 911! Seeing this, Jack chuckled.

“You forgot to account for your school bag, right? Lots of items in there.”

“N-No—totally... not. C-Can’t you... see, I’m… nghh...”

Yeah, she couldn’t even say fine.

But that didn’t matter to the people there, only admiration in their eyes. This young girl could already teleport people?! Then again, 16 was the sweet spot for growth.

By 12 people had Quirks.

By 14, they knew how to use them

By 16, they’d start growing stronger

By 18, they’d be able to join actual Super schools!

Of course, there were always exceptions. Some early-bloomer kid somewhere was definitely beating the crap of a failed villain, PTSD included. But there was one truth that remained.

No Quirk at 18 meant one was royally screwed!

As he mused, Lilly finally managed to breathe back to life, her happy chatter resounding as a middle-aged lady asked her questions.

“Sweetie, are you a Warper? Sweetie, what do you want to be when you grow up? Sweetie, want a cookie? Better eat. Who knows when the bus will arrive, with yesterday’s Aurora and all.”

That’s the moment when a sibling duo started laughing madly, for it was Wednesday.

“Pfft— The bus not showing because of an Aurora?!”

“Charon would keel over if he heard that!”

“No kidding! He’d turn all red!”

A certain auntie by the side was incredibly confused. What was this about?

But before she could even ask, IT happened. An earth-shattering blaring resounded as a mastodon of a bus came. Just seeing it was enough to send tremors down anyone's spine.

“What the fuck…?!”

< Bus 1337: One Epic Ride!>

A metallic beast that was HUGE!

The thing was so large that it could have been two stories high, yet it wasn’t. Glass so thick it put any BBW girl to shame! Then there were the sharp, deadly spikes all over.

Spikes on the tires. Spikes on its side. Spikes, especially in front. This thing looked like it had come out of an Apocalyptic show, too over-the-top to be real! Hell, there were even wyvern corpses splattered along the bumper and windshield like nightmarish abstract art! The woman shivered.

“N-No way I’m ever getting on that thing!!!!”

“Oh well, suit yourself!”

As the reinforced accordion doors opened, Jack quickly stepped forth, revealing a smiling debonair bus conductor. The latter was a man of focus, commitment, and blue.

Yes, blue. From his neatly buttoned shirt to his warden-like cap and even his skin… all blue! Then again, that was normal for a merfolk, the scales and the gills on his neck a testament to it.

And as soon as he saw the sibling duo, he giggled…

“In this world, two things are inevitable.”

“TAXES AND THE MIGHTY BUS 1337!”

“Damn right, you guys!”

The three happily laughed, and with this, the middle-aged woman by the side finally gathered the courage to get on. If even teenagers dared, then what was she still hesitating for?

She grasped her AMT card, quickly getting on and— SHE FROZE!

What was this?! Seats with Titanium metal chains, blood all over the place, a metallic gate that could isolate the driver if need be, and there was even a skull by the dashboard?!

And that’s when she made eye contact with said driver…

“Hehe, young miss. Is that an AMT card? I’m afraid I only take smiles.”

As he grinned, seesaw teeth were revealed. This wasn’t a driver but a straight-up monster! Just seeing the way he looked at her with WILD interest was enough to break her.

“Eeeeeekkk!” A shrill cry later, the woman jumped out.

Yes, she didn’t disembark, she threw herself out the door, leaving all her bags behind. Then, a second later, she could be heard screaming about soul-stealing aliens as she ran away.

This left a poor, friendly driver at a loss…

“A-All I did was smile?! Oh well, hang on, you guys, we’re leaving!”

A second later, the war-chariot-like bus exploded with power! How could a thing so powerfully be that fast was a mystery, yet they quickly merged unto the highway.

And just like usual, it became one hell of a shitshow. What was essentially a five-lane highway quickly turned into a ginormous single file, everyone avoiding the beast!

“Ah, humans are so nice! Always giving priority to buses!”

They weren’t. They were just scared shitless.

Then again, could anyone blame them? This bus was SPECIAL! Technically, it wasn’t part of any bus circuit. Technically, it was the bus for the near-ish Grimrock prison.

Yes, this thing was known as a one-way soul ferry to madness.

People who got on would usually end their lives in the maximum-security prison island. As for the Merfolk picking up a high school girl and her big brother? Well, that was his hobby!

“Hang on tight, my boy! Today’s your first day at Legendary-U, right?”

“Why does everyone say that?! It’s my second day already!”

“Meh, first one doesn’t count, just like firstborns!”

Right, cause merfolks always sacrificed their firstborn to the Moon Goddess, even if there was literally no need for it! Whether it was culture or murder was still highly debated.

“Anyway, Jack, my boy, I’ll drop you off in swag! It will beat that puny Odysseus’ Honda for sure! Same to you, little lady! Your friends will be awe-struck for sure!”

“NO WAY IN HELL! I’m getting off right now!”

A pale Lilly hurriedly warped away?! Then again, Jack could guess where she was. They had just passed a subway station, and she would clearly finish her trip normally.

Seeing this, a certain driver started crying….

“Why?! I’m just trying to be helpful! Why is she so shy?!”

“You say that, yet you always bring it up near a subway station.” As soon as Jack pointed it out, the man’s fake tears turned to laughter as he mightily shrugged as if it were a coincidence.

But with this, Jack had an entire bus to himself.

He stretched his legs as he moved toward the back, knowing he’d be fine even if they did have an accident. After all, this thing was so armored that it had terrified many military men.

Protection glyphs all over, and not the cheap kind.

Chains engraved with Anti-Super Restrictions.

Living leather able to grab one easily.

A prison equivalent of a school bus.

This thing was a fortress on wheels! It could run above ground, underwater, and even in lava, or so a proud driver had once claimed. Then again, that’s what had attracted him.

He still remembered when he was younger and had stumbled upon the bus by mistake. Even an unapproachable, scary as hell, merfolk soul-ferrier hadn’t been enough to stop him.

Amidst a world of white, the 1337 had been like fireworks!

Even now, he couldn't stop his gaze from wandering..

“Ah? This is new.”

In the back of a leathery seat, there were new inscriptions. Savage, rough, and definitely made with nails, they still shimmered with power. Was this what he thought it was?

Bracing himself, he approached a hand. TOUCH!

The world disappeared, and he stopped being himself entirely, becoming a prisoner.

Dark nails, dark blood, and an even darker, oppressive despair. Today, his life would stop. Today, it would forever freeze. Today, everything would come crashing down.

It hurt. It physically hurt so much.

The restraints, the chains, but most importantly the shame.

Being locked up merely for killing a few puny humans, the latters not even Supers. This world was sick. A sick place where the weak prevailed. A goddamn shitshow of a world!

Yet, it didn’t change anything. The despair was absolute. All around were Supers like him, their cries useless as the blue demon in front initiated their descent to hell.

Water, lots of water, way too much water.

The blue demon drove the bus into the River without a second thought. Water filled the world, entered the bus, wrapped around their souls, and then it got bored and left.

FREAKY! This wasn’t water. This was a sentient creature!

Then, as the water retreated, the surroundings became apparent through the despair-tinted windows. Colorful corals, even more colorful fishes, and so many fucking Wraiths.

Ghostly nightmarish beings, their lifeless eyes greedily staring at his soul. He could feel it. If it wasn't for the bus and the blue monster, they would have long devoured him.

That’s when he finally understood…

He was never getting out of Grimrock. His life would end on that shitty island! He’d be nothing but a memory. He’d be nothing but— NO! HE COULDN'T ACCEPT THAT!

Over his dead body! He’d rather be destroyed a million times over than to be stuck in this shitty plane! That’s when he started scribbling madly on the leathery seat.

He poured his Mana out.

He poured his soul out, too.

He poured his blood and life essence.

He ESPECIALLY poured all his power in!

It all condensed in the coarse glyphs, his arms mummifying by the second! But he didn’t care. He just kept pouring his essence out, cackling to himself.

“Whoever finds this. This is my power! Use it and escape, but do it BEFORE the river. Mortals cannot face this crazy monster. It’s— JACK! JACK, MY BOY! WAKE UP!”

Jack? Who was that again? Oh right… He awoke to a ginormous blue face frowning with concern. “Are you okay?! Did you touch that?! Please tell me you didn’t contract anything!!!!”

Hearing this, Jack gave a wry smile…

“Don’t worry, Charon. I’m inquisitive, not retarded. Also, shouldn't you be driving right now?” He exclaimed, the man of blue still giving him a complete check-up.

Only after twirling him around a couple of times, sniffing him, and even biting his hand slightly to taste his blood did the merfolk finally relent, returning to his post.

As he disengaged the auto-pilot, he grumbled...

“I swear, kid, you’re gonna give me a heart attack one day.”

“Meh, that’s fine. You’ll still have two hearts even then. Besides, I might look young, but I know better than to accept corrupted power from some weird serial killer.” He shrugged.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened, nor would it be the last. But he knew better. A regular human like him accepting such power? INSTANT DEATH!

There wouldn’t even be a corpse left. If he genuinely wanted to gain a Quirk, he needed to rely on himself, and he needed something way milder to start. Yet, even then, he wasn’t ready.

That milder way would kill him, too, hence Legendary-U. He’d grow strong enough for his mad plan, and then he’d— “JACK, MY BOY! WE’RE HERE!!!!”

An eager merfolk happily chimed.

“Are you ready for your first day? Boy, I’m excited! I still remember my first day at Grimrock! I made so many new friends! Whales, sharks, the shades, and even ah— GOOD LUCK!”

He hurriedly stopped himself, probably about to drop some crazy NDA stuff. A scary merfolk. A bit of an airhead merfolk. Most importantly, a protective merfolk.

“Thanks, Dad; see you next Wednesday! Don’t drink and drive!”

“Gasp! I’m not your—”

He started denying it, yet the happiness on his face was as clear as day. To him, who was constantly ferrying criminals in the underworld, genuine kindness felt like gold nuggets!

That’s when Jack disembarked, swaggering out, a courtyard about to insane!

Legendary-U was shell-shocked.

Students staring, holding their breath. More students staring, about to shit themselves. Hell, even teachers in the background were gulping loud enough to be heard! “Is that Grimrock's Soul Ferry?!! It IS, right?!” Then, a second later, all hell broke loose.

“Grimrock, THAT Grimrock?! RUUNNNNN!”

“What are you all standing there for?! Call 911 ASAP!!”

“It shouldn’t be here! This isn’t real! This isn’t real at all! We're all dreaming!”

….

Those who knew ran. Those who didn’t still ran. The corpses alone adorning the bus were enough to discourage many, and that wasn’t considering the dark whispers that followed the bus.

This thing belonged to the world of the dead! But just as everyone seemed about to lose their mind, one was different. A youngster actually came running.

“You! It’s you! I finally found you! Also, BAD NEWS!”

A red man, a good portion of his height horns, one that stopped right before him, out of breath and shaken. Then, dropping the devil image, he barfed countless words out.

“You won’t believe what happened! I don’t know why, but someone’s already targeting you! Look at this thing. I keep peeling them off walls, but they keep reappearing and— WTF?!”

It was only at this moment that he noticed the bus.

Then, a second later, his gaze met a very friendly-looking merfolk. So friendly that a single glare was enough to make the devil fall backward, sweating all over. Except it was just the beginning.

“Welp. That’s nice and all, but gotta go back to work! Take care, you crazy kids!” And as he chimed in, the sign above the bus ominously changed from < Bus 1337 > to < Grimrock!>

“Yep, later Charon. See you around!”

“T-That, that… THAT?!”

As the bus of doom departed, Jack ignored the incoherent babbling from his new acquaintance, focusing on the poster he had in his hands. But as read, he frowned.

Written in what looked like blood was a very bold message…

< There’s an impostor amidst our ranks! >

< Cheater! Liar! Nepotism Profiteer! >

< Have you seen him? Jack Bright! >

WANTED... NOT A SUPER

It not only contained his name but also his picture, seemingly taken as he was leaving with Sharky the day before. This was pretty much a declaration of war!

As for the last question, it felt so silly. Giving a wry smile, he glanced at the large crowd hiding in the distance, all watching in shock after the bus shenanigans.

“Seen, was it? Pretty sure they have….”