Shadows of Power

The battle had shifted.

With Starman's arrival, the tide turned, but not in the way the Syndicate had hoped.

The warehouse that had been a battlefield for minutes now became a desolate arena of silence. The air buzzed with tension, even the hardened Syndicate enforcers recognizing the gravity of the situation. Starman stood tall, his dark silhouette the only thing visible in the haze of smoke and dust. The rest of the Legion, battered and bloodied, stood at a distance, their eyes not on the enemy—but on him.

Gladiator wiped blood from her mouth, her chest heaving as her sword gleamed crimson under the dim light. Despite her strength, despite her skill, there was one thing she couldn't fight: fear. Starman's presence filled the room like a tangible force. A weight. A suffocating power that sent cold shivers down her spine.

"Gladiator," Starman's voice echoed, the calmness of it seeping into her very soul. "You've failed again."

She couldn't help the shiver that ran through her as she lowered her blade, meeting his gaze for only a moment before looking away. Even the thought of Starman's disappointment was enough to make her tremble.

"We didn't fail," Gladiator muttered, though her voice was shaky. "We got the intel."

Starman's icy eyes scanned the room, his posture relaxed despite the carnage around him. "Intel is secondary. The mission was about keeping the Syndicate from recognizing our presence. And you failed to do that. Again."

She gritted her teeth, but she dared not argue.

Bolt, who had been nursing a bruised arm, grimaced at Starman's words. He stood behind Gladiator, his usual cocky grin nowhere in sight. "You want us to clean up your mess while you stand there and lecture us?" he shot back, though even his words lacked the usual bravado.

"Enough."

The single word dropped like a hammer, silencing Bolt instantly. The speedster clenched his fists, eyes burning with frustration, but he knew better than to challenge Starman. They all did.

Void, who had been silently observing, let out a breath, her expression darkening. "The Syndicate's still here. If we don't act fast—"

Starman cut her off with a raised hand, his voice colder than ice. "Let them go."

"What?" Gladiator's gaze snapped up, her sword raised once again, disbelief etched across her features. "You want them to escape?"

Starman's eyes flickered to her. "They are of no consequence. Let them scatter like rats. The Syndicate has always been a distraction. We've bigger things to worry about."

Construct's grin was gone, replaced with a troubled frown. "What's the plan, then, boss?" he asked, his usual sarcastic tone muted by a sense of unease.

Starman's gaze swept over the battlefield, the remnants of the Syndicate's forces slowly regrouping. His expression softened, though it didn't reach his eyes. "The plan is to make sure no one gets in our way again. The mission is over. They failed."

"You already lost , disappear or die!" Starman shouted causing the Syndicate members to runaway only leaving the Legion members .

Gladiator, who had been ready to strike again, paused, her breath catching in her throat.

"Starman… you—" Her voice faltered, but the words died on her lips.

"I've seen enough of them." Starman's voice was colder than the arctic winds, and yet, it held no malice. Just… finality. "Let's go."

Without waiting for a response, Starman turned toward the exit, his cape swirling around him like the night itself. The others followed, none daring to speak, their faces a mixture of relief and dread.

As they stepped into the darkness outside the warehouse, the air felt different. Thicker. Heavy with the weight of something unspeakable.

"You should've let me handle it," Gladiator muttered, her grip tight on her blade. "We could've taken them all down."

Void's voice cut through the silence, her words as cold as the chill in the air. "You think you could've killed them all without his permission?"

Gladiator remained quiet. The truth was clear: they were all at Starman's mercy. They always had been.

Starman bursts into the night sky with supersonic speed.And leaves the team behind.

As the team moved away from the warehouse, the world felt quieter. The air felt too still, and yet the chaos of the mission lingered in their minds.

It wasn't just the battle, the blood, the violence. It was Starman. Always Starman.

He was their leader, their symbol, the epitome of power and control. But under that exterior, beneath the image of the perfect hero, something darker thrived.

And they knew it.

They had all seen it. Felt it.

They feared it.

Void, her eyes glowing faintly, couldn't help herself. "You heard what Gladiator said. Starman used to be like Bubble Boy. What does that even mean?"

Bolt's eyes narrowed as he thought about the implications. "You think he's really waiting for the kid to turn into one of us? Or is it something worse?"

Construct chuckled darkly. "Does it matter? Starman's already crossed too many lines. There's no going back for him."

But Gladiator shook her head, as if trying to shake off something she couldn't explain. "You don't understand. He's… different now. He's not like us. And I don't think he ever was."

The truth hung heavy in the air as they walked into the night, their minds far from the city they were supposed to protect.

Later that Night

Inside the command center of the Legion, a tower that stood in the centre of the city, the team gathered around a table, but the mood was different. Tension filled the room like a palpable presence.

Starman, ever the enigma, stood at the far end, his eyes glowing with an unsettling calm. He didn't need to say a word. The others knew what he wanted. They always did.

Construct, unable to stay still, finally broke the silence. "You know, you could've at least let us finish the job. A little fun never hurt anyone."

Starman's gaze flickered briefly toward him, but the look was enough to make Construct fall silent.

"Don't forget your place," Starman said, his voice a low rumble. "You are here to serve the greater good, not to play."

The room fell into an oppressive silence.

Gladiator, ever defiant, finally spoke. "What happens now?"

Starman's gaze hardened. "Now, we wait. The Syndicate is no longer a threat. But there are others. And we'll be ready for them."

"You say that, but we all know who's really in charge here," Bolt muttered, his voice barely audible. "And it's not you, Starman."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a faint smile tugged at Starman's lips. "Oh, it is. And you'd be wise not to forget it."

The shadows of power stretched long, and the Legion remained unsure if they were the hunters—or the hunted.