Visions

"You're here early, as expected of someone with your abilities" Dogman said.

The next day arrived and Leo had returned to the retirement home as promised, eager to learn from the Olympian. He'd find the retired superhero sleeping most of the day and if he wasn't then he was watching tennis. Leo quickly learned to not bother him during this time, which left him disappointed, unable to find proper time with his hero.

"Patience boy." Dogman says from behind Leo as the kid peers into the Olympian's room. "I know you're excited, but get comfortable around this place first. Mr. Burke is the fastest at this facility, however, if you are seeking knowledge it exists everywhere you look if you're willing to listen."

"What? You're going to teach me how to chase my tail?" Leo jokes.

"Heh, no, but first I'll teach you not to bite the hand that feeds you." Dogman says sternly after a chuckle.

"Jeez, just joking, just joking."

"Come with me, I'll introduce you to all the residents."

"Sir, yes sir."

Elsewhere.

At the UC's Headquarters of Defense, the Octagon, Victor Caine welcomes Bulletproof into his office. "My son! What brings you in today?"

"Stop calling me that. You know I hate it." BP says as he shuts the door behind him. "Anyways, Murphy has me babysitting these two losers because they're currently being hunted by ninjas or some shit, and I don't want to deal with that."

"You've protected many targets from assassins, ninjas should be no problem. I suppose you don't want to add even more to your plate huh?"

"Fucking Murphy." BP sighs. "So I kinda kill a few mob guys around town whoop-de-fucking-do, that's nothing versus pissing off Horikoshi Ishikawa. You realize that guy was a fucking Warlord right?"

"I'm well aware, but remember that was over 60 years ago, and he was pushing 40 then, it's not the end of the world."

"Can't you just drop me in a random country and let me destabilize the government like you've always done, that's literally what my only concept of summer vacation is built upon. Killing guys without legal ramifications is sooooo soothing." BP says while throwing his arms up like a child.

"No shot, champ. I need you here. Don't worry about the mobster stuff, their hunt for you caused a lot of them to slip up and gave the FBI enough evidence for RICO's all across the board. Good Job."

"Woohoo? I guess. Are you planning on throwing me a party or some shit?"

"No, I intend to take you to church. Do you remember Elias Vance?"

"The actor and scientology nut, what about him? Is he dead?"

"The charismatic celebrity was the head of the "Institute of Clear Thinking" for 15 years before mysteriously disappearing and his church dissolving. The cathedral is now occupied by The New Dawn Society."

"Same tree, new nuts, alright?"

"More like the same hive, but the bees have been replaced with hornets. Many of you don't know this but Elias Vance had the power of Imagination. If he imagined a gun in his hand, boom there it is. He could imagine himself to be taller, more charismatic, wealthier, all these things in his search for infinite human potential and he was still taken out in the cover of night." Caine explains.

"Well how do you know someone got him? Maybe he just fucked off some place for vacation or something."

"Trust me. We've kept a very close eye on Elias Vance for years, coming up with different contingency plans should he lose his mind like many powerful gifted do. If he were to actually disappear we would've known where, the truth is, we know someone killed him because we know we didn't."

"And that worries you because if you already didn't know how to kill Vance." BP sighs and shakes his head. "Alright. So tell me about these hornets."

Elsewhere.

"I just can't believe you're both homeeee." Shokka says while hugging her son, Roy. "I cherish you so much Roy."

"I cherish you too momma."

"Just look at how much you've grown." She says, eyeing him up and down. "You've slimmed down so much, were they even feeding you at your school?"

Many childhood and family pictures lined the walls. Leo looks relatively the same in all of them, albeit getting roughly taller in each photo with a fuller set of teeth each time. Leo's father entrusted him to Roy's family when Leo was just a baby so he became Shokka's second chance at raising two sons. Roy squints at the old pictures of himself in disgust, Roy was a fat kid after all.

Violent images flash in Roy's mind. A dark blood stained alley on a rainy night. Several other lifeless bodies sprawled out on the ground. A younger, fat, innocent Roy hyperventilates as men snicker and banter in a language he doesn't understand. Shakily holding his arms out as a shield as one of the men walks over to him holding a serrated blade.

"This world has no place for pigs like you!" The man says as he brings the blade down.

Black. The memory ends bringing Roy back to the present, attempting to laugh it off. "Oh you know, just blood, sweat and tears." 

"Oh babyyy. Don't let me ever be in the same room with Horikosho-"

"Horikoshi Ishikawa."

"-Horikoji Ishokawa ever again, or I'll beat him up for not feeding my baby boy."

Roy chuckles before picking up a box in his old room labeled "Roy's Letters." He nostalgically flips through a few, but something is off. "I can't believe you kept all of these, for a while I thought you guys weren't getting them."

"Well, of course Roy. Why wouldn't we? I have everything from your embarrassing first day, to your first time meeting your girlfriend-"

The memory resumes.

The man swings the blade down onto a young Roy but a girl steps in the way, taking the blade across the face. She doesn't scream nor cry, she just turns around to Roy and weakly says "Go."

The girl fell to her knees as the man began to approach Roy again. Panicking and crawling backwards, Roy screams and in that moment, lightning strikes down through the rain, frying their attackers from the inside out.

Roy snaps back to the present. Chuckling, "No. There's nooooo way I told you about how me and Skai met. Impossible."

"Whatttt? You guys met in the library studying for finals. You two bumped into each other and helped her pick up her books. Is that not right? We sent letters back and forth until you finally asked her out."

Roy could feel his stomach turn. That is NOT how Roy and Skai met. In fact, Roy has never received a letter from his mother or anyone during his time at school. Finals at AGGY didn't just require study, it required blood, lots of it. Definitely not something to write home about. Roy can still see it, them, his classmates, his adversaries, his targets. Finals at AGGY were just that, him and Skai, the last ones left.

"These aren't my letters."

Back at the retirement home.

Leo and Dogman had toured the entire facility, from the tennis courts (where no one was) to the pools (where no one was) to each of the residents' rooms (where most were asleep), finally they landed upon Mr. Kartswield's room. Leo was currently trying his hardest to stay awake.

"Pardon us, Mr. Kartswield. I'd like to introduce you to our newest-"

"Bah!" Mr. Karstwield says, flicking out his hand in frustration, watching the news intensely. 

"My apologies." Dogman says with a bow then gut checks Leo to do the same.

"Oof. Someone's grumpy." Leo says under his breath as he bows.

"Can you believe this Ginrō? Over 100 countries vote at the World Summit to have sectioned off pieces of open land for villains, criminals, and depraved gifted that are beyond help. It's like they've completely given up and are just hoping their problems will just kill themselves off!"

"I've heard of this. They call them Gulags." Dogman replies. "There's this man who announced his new streaming service for watching the brutality of the Gulags live. It's just terrible."

"Even worse, they have companies offering guided tours and day passes for heroes looking to blow off some steam." Mr. Kartswield groans, "If we have the ability to take away powers in the jails, then why isn't that shit everywhere?"

"I dunno, sounds kinda fun to me. I mean where else am I going to practice my galaxy destroying attacks?" Leo cuts in.

"You have galaxy-destroying attacks?" Dogman asks with a blank stare.

"I mean, not yet, but one day I can definitely see myself doing it. I have this one move where I spin really fast and throw a rock- "

"A rock?"

"Yeah, I like, completely annihilated a guy the other day."

"You're lying again."

"Wha?! Come on! What is this trick of yours old man?" Leo throws his arms up.

"Plus, wouldn't you need to be in another galaxy to attempt an attack to destroy one?"

This explosive brat was your run of the mill urban hoodrat with a flashy gimmick to Mr. Kartswield. But, his words reminded him of another.

A memory of Kartswield a bit younger in a room of his peers and rivals, wearing a mechanical suit that regulates his heart. During this time, he was known as "The Wraith." He had recently fled his homelands of Luminara and the tyranny of its king, seeking asylum and striking a deal with Victor Caine at the NADO headquarters. Mr. Kartswield assumed this meeting was for a proposed invasion of Luminara. Why else would he be summoned so urgently? Kartswield spots weapons' manufacturer, Sigurd Gunn cradling a newborn in his arms. What could be so dire for this myriad of powers to coexist in this space peacefully for the time being? 

Then it appeared. Saying that everyone in the room is a future enemy of it. Cocky. So sure of itself that it made Kartswield's heart drop as he watched the more powerful beings in the room visibly shaken. This kid. He was probably born around the time that being said it was going to come into existence. Just a coincidence. All these brats are the same. It could be any one of them.

"Who are you?" Mr. Kartswield says to Leo, returning to the present.

"Apologies, Mr. Kartswield." Dogman says, "This is-"

"Leo Konza! At your service!" Leo says, excitedly putting his hand out to greet Mr. Kartswield.

"Konza? As in Lefarious Konza?" Mr. Kartswield asks whilst shaking the boy's hand.

Dogman notices a tonal change in Mr. Kartswield who's typically distasteful in regards to people of Leo's demographic. Just who was this boy?

"Wow! What the fuck? It seems that literally everyone knows my father except me!" Leo throws his arms up again.

His father! This was unprecedented. Now no longer a coincidence, this was fate. However, it appears the boy doesn't know of his history. Should he learn that his father was the only thing stopping King Lumon and his armies from invading their homeland, he might earn a bit more fervor. But it begs the question, how did a Konza Clan runt end up out here in the first place?

"The name is unfamiliar to me. I'm assuming he was prevalent during the Warlord Era, Sir?" Dogman ponders, confused by Mr. Kartswield sudden respect.

"Ehh. Somewhat. You wouldn't have heard about it in the UCA or Japan but once me and Lefarious found ourselves on opposite sides of a battlefield, he was no older than you now and I was personally bested by him. I was a different man then. Honestly, I don't know whether to be shocked or relieved to be faced with his progeny after all these years later." Mr. Kartswield says with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry I woulda kept that one to myself. If I was a warlord and the son of the guy who beat my ass just walked in the room then I'm automatically-" Leo is cut off by Dogman gut checking him once more. "Sorry. The next time I see my dad I'll definitely give him a piece of your mind and a two or three piece from me for missing just about every birthday of my 19 years of living."

19 years. Karstwield, no, Wraith couldn't believe what he was hearing. One more question. Then he'd know for sure. "Oh no need. We were the ones invading his homeland. I'm sure your father has a solid reason for his absence. He's a hero to the people after all. So tell me, Leo, do you plan to become a hero to the people as well? Or the villain that preys on the weak and foolish?" Mr. Kartswield asks.

"I don't care for any of that. We live in a world where it's more likely to be hit by a flying car than to pay your rent on time. Everywhere I look I see ninjas, assassins, heroes, villains, and I want to be the best of the best, whatever that means! Why? Cause it's badass!"

"I completely annihilate the forces of good and evil."

The being's quote reverberates in Kartswield's mind. Now he was certain. "And you want to be the baddest!" Kartswield laughs, hiding the horror beneath his eyes.

"Yup!" Leo excitedly agrees.

Dogman smirks, there isn't an ounce of doubt in Leo's words. Arrogant? Yes, but Dogman shall no longer assume Leo's confidence is mere bravado, he too is reminded of someone when watching him. A vision from a childhood friend that would flood his dreams and plague his nightmares. A man with eyes of dwindling stars, standing over the world, making a final judgement. Muttering to himself under his breath, "Is this boy the cause of your restless nights, Ishikawa?" Ginrō chuckles.