Chapter Text
"Shockwave! Just the hero I wanted to see."
"What's wrong, Mack?"
The intern cringed as she walked into the hero's office. There were piles of records and files on his desk as tall as he was. Each contained information on every villain that had been encountered in the last few decades. One was currently open to the front, showing off a picture of an older minor villain who had been put away before Shockwave was born.
"We just got word that Philodenman can't make the interview with Tyro News and The Boss was wondering if you would go instead. He said you weren't up to much this evening."
'Not up to much' meant scouring hundreds of files all night trying to figure out what the Matrix Guild's next move was. "Yeah, sure. I'll do it. Just tell me a time," he told her, flipping through the file in front of him. "We good?"
"The Boss wanted you to come to his office too. Said something happened in the island prison last night."
"Tell him I'll be there in a few. Thanks."
"Of course."
Robin N. Diablo had been a hero for only five years and was already the top ranked hero in Tyro City. Most of his time was spent out in the city fighting villains or helping out charities. The rare days he wasn't doing anything, he sat in his office and went over the quickly heightening stack of files.
After making sure Mack was gone, he put the folder back and returned to what he was doing before she walked in. When he had walked in this morning, there had been a thick file on his desk with three villains' information and death certificates.
Toxico, Meltdown, and Virus. All three had been taken in in the last few months by Robin and secured in the island prison. This morning, while the gaurds were doing their rounds, they found all three dead in the same manner: a single stab wound in the neck.
Villains killing each other in prison wasn't unheard of, but this act was especially odd because they were clearly killed by weapons whereas most other deaths were blunt objects. Furthermore, Meltdown and Virus were supports, not proper villains. They were the best techies Crime Ally had to offer.
Robin sighed as he stood, taking the folder with him. The Boss was in his office as told. They smiled as Shockwave walked in, the brightness not quite reaching his eyes. "Shockwave! Please, come, sit."
"How're you holding up, Boss?" the hero questioned, sitting opposite them.
The other hero grimaced slightly, rubbing their right leg. "Ah, I've been better, but I didn't send for you to idly chat. I see you received my folder."
"Got any leads?"
The Boss smiled again, a bit brighter this time. "Yes, actually. Toxico's roommate was spared from the attack and as we've been told, he saw what happened. I would like you to go talk to him."
Shockwave nodded, placing the folder on the desk and flipping to a map of the prison. "Any camera activity? They were in the heart of the prison, surely something was picked up."
The Boss shook their head and sighed. "No. From what we've heard from Vortex, someone just appeared, killed Toxico, and disappeared."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, Shockwave."
It wasn't long before the hero was fully suited and in front of the prison. Or maybe it was. Robin stopped tracking time days ago. All he knew was when his bracelet went off, he had to leave.
Being the top hero had some perks, including not being questioned or stopped as you walked into the most secure prison in the country. In fact, one of the guards offered to take him to the cell he needed.
After the incident, Vortex had been taken to a different wing where they could keep a closer eye on him. As the guard told him, the villain had been incredibly unstable since the accident. That was fine. Vortex was one of the more reasonable villains Shockwave had taken in.
The wing they were keeping him in was nicer than the rest of the prison. The halls were wider and the cells were slightly bigger and padded. It reminded Robin of a psych ward but less concerned about the people in its walls.
As he walked past, villains screamed his name, reaching through the bars to grab him. He ignored them as he made his way to the end of the hall. Occasionally, the guard would yell or swipe at them, but the hero scolded them, assuring that he was fine.
Vortex was the only one with little movement and pure silence. To the hero's surprise, he actually looked better than when they fought. He had put on a little weight, the bruising and scars had started to fade, and he seemed more rested.
As the villain spotted him, he perked up a little. "Shocks! Whatcha doin' here man?"
"Hey, Tex. How're you hanging?" Robin asked him, leaning on the bars of the cell. "You look good, man."
"I feel good! Guess three meals a day and less magic use is good for the body," Vortex replied, walking over to the cell and leaning next to the hero. "But seriously, what are you doing here?"
Shockwave opened and closed his mouth, trying to find a careful way to bring it up. Before he could form a proper thought, Tex scoffed and walked away, hugging himself.
"Don't."
"Tex. I need to know what happened last night, and you are the only one-"
"No!"
"Tex."
"I can't. They'll... please. Just stop."
As the villain turned, Shockwave could see tears swirling with fear in his eyes. "I want to, Shocks. Really. I like you, but... I don't want to die."
Shockwave let out a small breath, turning to face inside the cell. "Vortex. You're the only one who can help. Three people are dead. I need to know what happened so I can help."
"No!" Shockwave flinched as the villain grabbed his collar. Behind him, he heard the guard's gun click as they removed the safety.
"Stand down," Shockwave told the guard, placing his hands on Vortex's wrists. "I can handle it, Vortex. We can keep you safe."
"No. No. They'll kill you too, and me, and everyone who dares speak about it. You're a good hero, Shocks. I don't want you to die. And he will kill you."
"He? Is it Lynx."
The villain gasped and covered his mouth. "Shit. Shit shit shit. I've already said too much."
"Tex, eyes on me. We will keep you safe. I will personally stand guard tonight. Now please, I need to know."
Vortex took deep breaths, glancing around like the building was about to blow up. After a moment, he approached the bars again and pulled the hero's head down and whispered in his ear.
"They call him Cain. Even Lynx is scared of him. No one knows who he is or what his motives are, but he comes out of nowhere and kills people. They day he kills anyone who knows anything about him. He is Crime Ally's biggest secret weapon."
"How come the heroes have never heard of him?" Robin whispered, careful to not be overheard by anyone.
"They have. What do you think happened to Crystlia? Havoc? Opalien?"
"So, he's dangerous."
"Extrodinarily."
"Thanks, Tex. I'll see what I can do." As he finished, the hero's bracelet began vibrating, telling him it was time to go. "I gotta go, but I'll be back soon and stay here tonight to make sure this guy doesn't come after you."
"Thank you, Shocks."
Time seemed like the ocean. Before he knew it, Robin was back at the Hero Compound and changing for the news interview.
His conversation with Vortex kept replaying in his head. The name Cain repeated over and over like a cacophony. Soon enough, he was put of his hero suit and in a deep navy suit. Mack had brought him a clipboard with the schedule and led him to the car, waiting to bring him to the news office.
Mere moments after sitting down, his eyes were closed. This was his longest shift yet and it had been days since he last slept. It was restless sleep like hanging in a dark void as Vortex's voice repeated the same thing.
Cain. Cain. Cain.
"We're here, sir."
Mack walked with him into the building, shooting glares at anyone who glanced towards the hero. The hero scoffed, chastising her softly. As they walked, he adjusted the costume obsessively. Since becoming the top hero, he had yet to appear on television for an interview. That didn't stop people from recognizing and judging.
"Mommy! Look!"
He glanced up at the sound of the young girl's voice. She stood with a woman in a suit who looked mortified as she pulled the girl's hand back. "Don't point, Petra! It's rude!"
The girl pouted, but kept staring despite her mother's insistence. "It's fine ma'am. She's perfectly welcome," Shockwave said, slowly approaching them.
The girl beamed brighter than the sun as he crouched to her level. "You're a hero!" She bellowed, pulling away from her mother.
"I am so sorry about her, sir," her mother said, trying to coax the girl away.
The hero smiled and shook his head. "Nonsense. She's welcome. What's your name?"
"Petra!" She said happily. "You're Stormman!"
The name took Robin off guard, causing a laugh to crawl its way from his chest. "Yeah, something like that. Do you like heroes?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna be one when I grow up!"
A horrible life choice, really, but Robin wasn't about to tell that to someone kid. "Awesomeness! I bet you'll be the best."
"Mommy, did you hear that?" The girl cried, grabbing her mother's leg. "I'm gonna be better than Stormman!"
The hero smiled as Mack tapped her watch and pointed up. He rolled his eyes and stood up. "Afraid I gotta go, but you keep doing good and someday you'll get to fight with the big dogs."
"Bye bye!" She cried happily as she pulled on her mother's leg.
"That child isn't going to calm down for hours, Shockwave."
"At least she's happy."
The news building wasn't extremely fancy, but it was high tech. Robin, being a man who still used paper files, was amazed by all the televisions, electronics, and holograms in the building.
On the upper floors, there were little robots that whipped around projecting holograms of people to maintain conversations. Every desk had a large computer that was processing things at a mile a minute. What the hero thought to be windows glitched as he realized they were giant screens that reflected what was happening outside.
"This place is remarkable," he muttered as they stopped at the top floor. There were a dozen or so set ups with different seating and tech. An attendant came out of nowhere and greeted them, rushing the pair over to a set where two plush seats were waiting.
As they waited for the interviewer to arrive, Mack fussed over his hair and suit. "Have you considered a haircut?" She asked, trying to find something to do with his mess of curls. "Does anyone have a band?" A crew member handed her one as they started talking about the weather on the other side of the floor.
To her credit, it didn't look bad when she got done. She had pulled the top half of his hair into a ponytail to make his face visible. On the battlefield, he didn't really care about that, but she insisted that it was important here.
As the cameras transfered to a different section, a woman began making her way towards the hero. He quickly recognized her as the mother of Petra.
"Hello, Mr. Shockwave," she greeted formally, shaking his hand. "Thank you so much for coming today, especially so last minute, and thank you for entertaining my daughter. We'll start in just a few minutes. I hope you had no trouble getting here?"
"Nothing at all," he told her, smiling as she sat down. "Where is she?"
"With her father," the anchor told him. "Ready for this?"
The hero nodded and swallowed heavily. As she fixed her hair, the cameras transfered to them. As soon as the crew gave her a thumbs up, she started speaking in a quick, deliberate manner.
"Hello Tyro! I am your host Katie Canon and this week we are blessed by the company of Tyro's number one hero, Shockwave."
Robin jumped as the sound affect of cheering blared over the speakers. Mrs. Canon smiled gently as the sound died away. "Mr. Shockwave, as Tyro's number one hero, how do you balance your work and home life?"
A joyless laugh ripped from his throat. "I don't."
Again, the speakers blared with the sounds of a fake crowd. "No, but really?"
Right. This is why Robin didn't watch the news. It's all fake. "Well, I have the assistance of my wonderful intern Ms. Mack Tiph. She keeps me in check whenever I forget to quit."
"I wouldn't expect any less dedication. Now, is there anything you can tell us about yourself? Perhaps family... a special lady at home?"
Robin laughed again, more genuine this time. The thought of having time for anyone was insane, but he didn't even like women like that. "Oh, uh, no. I'm afraid I am rather married to my work. I have stated before, but I have a few siblings. Whiplash is my brother, obviously."
"And does that create tension between you two?" Mrs. Canon asked, looking intently at him. "Considering you are the top and he is lower fifty?"
"No, not at all. My brother prefers to be less involved on the field, but believe me, he and many other lower ranked heroes spend so much of their time doing research for the upper ranked heroes. I couldn't do my job without them."
She nodded, clearly not fully satisfied with that answer. The point of these interviews was gossip, but Robin didn't have that much. "And what do your parents think of your occupation?"
"They are extremely proud of both of us," he lied, gritting his teeth slightly. He wasn't about to tell the whole city his parents disowned him a decade ago.
When he didn't elaborate after a few moments, she kept going, as if reading off an imaginary list. "If you didn't become a hero, what job would you have?"
"Well, I probably would have still ended up in this building. You know, even before I got my magic, I've always had a flair for weather. Meteorology is quite the passion of mine."
"What are your opinions on the three villains that were murdered in their cells last night?"
Robin's gaze was instantly loked on her. "Excuse me?" He glanced towards some of the crew members to find even they looked a little confused.
Rather abruptly, she stood and took a few steps towards him as a sort of glaze faded over her eyes. "I asked, what are your opinions on the little bitches I murked last night? The ones that you heroes did nothing about. Or do your guards suck as much as the professionals?"
Her ones warm brown eyes were a bright crystal blue as she stopped in front of him. "What? Don't act like you didn't see something like this coming. I know Vortex told you about me."
"Cain."
Cain smirked as the hero stood. "Sir, the cameras won't turn off," a crew member said, their voice trembling.
"Oh, they aren't supposed to. I want the city to see this. It's time I stepped out of Crime Ally.'
As quickly as he came, Cain was gone and Katie Canon returned, slumping forward limply. Robin caught her, quickly setting her on his chair as she blinked rapidly, trying to regain composure. "What...?"
"Where are you?" Robin asked, looking around for them. "Who are you?"
"I'm Cain. You know this," their voice echoed from no where and everywhere all at once. Then, their next words came from a nearby crew member. "Who are you, Shockwave?"
Robin rolled his shoulders back as a wave of electricity rolled through his body. It was only a threat, and Cain knew that. He couldn't attack an innocent man. "Shall I if you aren't willing?"
As if from thin air, a piece of paper formed. "Don't you want to know what I was after? Read this."
There wasn't many options when his enemy was possessing innocent people. Carefully, Shockwave took the paper and began reading it. At the top, there was a headline: Titles and Names - Organized by Rank.
1. Shockwave- Robin N. Diablo
2. Shadowmaker - Michael S. Seabrook
3. -
"Where did you get this?" Shockwave questioned, eyes narrowed and locked onto Cain.
"So it's accurate? Good." He slowly approached, grabbing the hero's face harshly. "Good. You have a beautiful name, Mr. Di-"
He cut the villain off as he grabbed his mouth. "Don't you dare."
Cain laughed as the crew member passed out. Shockwave carefully placed them on the other chair as he continued to scan for the villain. A second later, the cameras finally went dead and the lights flickered off.
"Shockwave, what's going on?!" Mack yelled rushing to his side. "What villain is doing this?"
Robin didn't respond as he rushed to the middle of the room. "Everyone, get to a lower floor! Stay as calm as you can and I will handle this villain."
Of course, no one stayed calm as they all rushed towards the stairs and elevator. Mack stayed close to the hero, putting on her bracelet. Even interns are given regulators in case of emergencies like this.
"What's going on?" Mrs. Canon asked, getting off the chair and onto shaky feet.
"I wish I knew."
In a brilliant flash of light, every television on the floor lit up. With a glance outside, Robin could see dozens of billboards lit up with the same image: a pristine white room with a single chair.
After a moment of silence, the sound of heavy footsteps came from the screens. "I do hope this is on," came a smooth, sultry voice. "Hello, Tyro! I don't believe we have met before. I am Cain."
The three stared at the screen in horror. There was a person there now sitting on the chair like a throne. Their skin was white as paper. A white blindfold covered their eyes and a bandana covered their mouth. Everything about them was covered by a white cloak and hood.
"In case you're sitting there thinking, 'what's so important about this strange man on my TV?' Let me tell you. I killed the heroes Crystlia, Havoc, and Opalien. Last night, I broke into Tyro's Island Prison and killed Meltdown, Toxico, and Virus. I intend to kill everyone who gets in my way."
"He's insane," Mack muttered to herself, eyes blown wide.
"Tonight, I will be raiding a warehouse off of Tyro's main pier. Any hero or villain who tries to stop me will die. Feel free to test me. I welcome the challenge."
The silence that hung in the air after the broadcast turned off was deafening.