The wind screamed through the desolate city, a mournful wail that tore at the jagged remains of a world long abandoned. The sky was a swollen bruise, heavy with unshed rain, casting a pall over the crumbling buildings that stood like gravestones in the twilight. Their hollowed-out frames, once proud, were now overtaken by creeping vines and rust, nature's slow reclamation of humanity's failures. The air was thick with the scent of decay—rotting wood, damp earth, and the faint metallic sting of corroded steel.
Kael led the way toward the warehouse, his boots crunching against the gravel-strewn path. His dark coat whipped around him in the wind, the fabric snapping like a flag in a storm. His black eyes, sharp and unyielding, scanned the looming structure ahead—a massive, decaying beast of steel and concrete, its girders twisted like broken bones. The warehouse hunched against the horizon, its rusted walls pocked with holes where the elements had gnawed through. A faint electric hum pulsed from within, a ghostly heartbeat in the silence.
Mira followed a step behind, her green eyes wary as they darted across the shadowed landscape. She tugged at Kael's sleeve, her fingers hesitant but firm. "Kael," she said, her voice low, barely carrying over the wind's howl. "Be careful in there. These people… they've lost everything. They're desperate, and desperate people do stupid things to prove a point."
Kael's gaze remained fixed on the warehouse doors, his expression as cold and unreadable as the stone he resembled. "Let them try," he said, his voice flat but edged with a quiet menace that made Mira's breath hitch.
The red-eyed boy, silent and shrouded in a tattered hood, trailed behind them. His crimson gaze flickered between Kael and Mira, sharp and unreadable, as if he were measuring the weight of their resolve. He hadn't spoken since they'd entered the city, but his presence was a constant, like a shadow that refused to fade.
Kael pushed the warehouse doors open with a slow, deliberate motion. The hinges groaned, a low, tortured sound that echoed into the cavernous interior. The stench hit them like a physical force—sweat, stale smoke, and the acrid bite of rust, so thick it clung to the back of their throats. The space was vast, a maze of broken crates, overturned barrels, and makeshift bunks patched together from scavenged debris. Flickering floodlamps dangled from the rafters, casting jagged pools of light and shadow across the concrete floor. The air buzzed with a low, grating hum, setting teeth on edge as if the building itself were alive and restless.
Dozens of eyes turned toward them. Men and women, some barely more than teenagers, their faces etched with scars and suspicion. Their clothes were tattered—jackets patched with duct tape, shirts stained with grease and blood. All of them bore the same mark: the hollowed-out look of those who had been betrayed by the world, left to rot in its ruins. Their murmurs rose like a tide, rippling through the crowd.
"Is that him…?"
"Equinox…?"
"He's real?"
"I thought he was just a myth…"
The whispers carried a strange blend of awe and doubt, as if Kael were a specter they weren't sure they could trust. Mira's jaw tightened, her hand hovering near the knife strapped to her thigh. She didn't know Kael well—not yet—but she'd seen enough in their short time together to know he was a spark in a powder keg. The red-eyed boy lingered at the edge of the group, his posture tense, like a stray ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
A heavy thud shattered the murmurs, the sound reverberating through the warehouse. A massive figure dropped from a high crate, landing with enough force to crack the concrete beneath his boots. He was nearly seven feet tall, built like a fortress, his bald head gleaming under the floodlamps. A thick, matted beard framed his face, and a jagged scar ran from his temple to his jaw, slicing through one milky eye. His arms, thicker than Kael's torso, flexed as he straightened, his lips curling into a mocking sneer.
"Well, well," he rumbled, his voice a low growl that carried across the warehouse. "This the one you've all been whispering about? The great Equinox?" He snorted, eyeing Kael like a predator sizing up prey. "Looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over."
The crowd shifted, some chuckling nervously, others watching with hungry anticipation. Kael stood motionless, his black eyes locked on the man, unblinking. Mira stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Back off, big guy. You don't want this fight."
The man's sneer widened, revealing yellowed teeth. "Oh, I like her. Got some spine." He spat on the ground near Kael's boots, the wet splatter loud in the tense silence. "What's wrong, boy? You mute now? Or you just scared?"
Kael didn't flinch. He stepped forward, brushing past the man as if he were no more than a shadow. "Who here is the leader?" he asked, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. He scanned the room, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, daring anyone to meet his eyes.
The warehouse fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down like a storm cloud. The big man's sneer faltered, replaced by a scowl. He laughed, a harsh, barking sound, and clapped a massive hand on Kael's shoulder. "You're lookin' at him, kid."
Kael's response was a subtle roll of his shoulder, dislodging the man's hand with effortless precision. The air crackled with tension, a spark ready to ignite. The man's face darkened, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You got some nerve," he growled, stepping closer, his bulk looming over Kael. "You think you can just stroll in here and—"
Kael cut him off, his voice low and cold. "Step back."
The man froze, his bravado wavering for a heartbeat. Then he laughed again, louder, as if trying to drown out his own uncertainty. "Oh, this is gonna be good."
With a guttural roar, his body began to change. His muscles bulged, bones cracking audibly as his Quirk activated. His skin darkened to a leathery gray, his face elongating into a snarling muzzle. Thick black fur sprouted across his body, and his arms stretched, growing longer and more powerful. His hands morphed into fists like cinderblocks, and wickedly sharp blades extended from his wrists, glinting in the dim light. He was no longer just a man—he was a grotesque fusion of human and gorilla, a towering beast radiating raw, primal power.
Someone in the back shouted, "We got a fight!"
The crowd erupted, clapping and cheering, their voices a chaotic roar that bounced off the warehouse walls. They formed a loose circle around the open space at the center of the room, crates and debris pushed aside to create a makeshift arena. The floodlamps swayed, casting shifting shadows that danced like specters across the concrete.
Mira's eyes widened, and she lunged forward, grabbing Kael's arm. "Kael, don't do this! You don't need to prove anything to these people!"
He didn't look at her, his gaze fixed on the beast before him. "They want a show of power?" he said, his voice low, almost a whisper, but carrying a weight that made the air feel heavier. "Then I'll give them one."
He shrugged off his coat, letting it fall to the ground in a heap. His deep black shirt clung to his lean frame, the faint shimmer of his DarkBind Quirk visible as tendrils of shadow twitched around him, coiling like snakes ready to strike. The crowd's cheers grew louder, a feverish chant of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The gorilla-man charged, his roar shaking the scaffolding above. His massive fist swung down, aiming to crush Kael in a single blow. Kael didn't move until the last possible second—then vanished in a blur of motion.
*Flashstep.*
He reappeared behind the beast, his hand glowing with the raw energy of Kinetic Forge. He struck, a concentrated blast of kinetic force exploding against the man's back with a sound like thunder. The impact sent the gorilla-man stumbling forward, his massive frame crashing into a stack of crates that splintered under his weight. The crowd howled, their cheers a mix of awe and bloodlust.
But the beast was far from done. He whirled around, his blades slicing through the air with a high-pitched whine. "You think that's enough to stop me?" he roared, his voice shaking the rafters. Kael ducked low, his body moving with liquid grace as he slid beneath a massive arm. He coiled his body, activating Flexweave to compress his muscles like a spring, then launched himself upward, delivering a bone-crunching strike to the man's chest. The gorilla-man staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but his eyes burned with fury.
"You little—" he snarled, his voice a guttural growl. He swung again, his blades carving deep gouges into the concrete floor. Kael dodged, but not fast enough—a glancing blow from the man's fist sent him crashing into a steel column. The impact rang out like a gunshot, dust and debris raining down as the column buckled slightly. Blood trickled down Kael's cheek, a thin red line against his pale skin. He spat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving his opponent.
The crowd didn't care who won. They just wanted blood, chaos, something to break the monotony of their broken lives. Their cheers were a deafening roar, a tidal wave of noise that drowned out everything else.
"You think you're tough?" the gorilla-man bellowed. "I've crushed kids like you for breakfast!" He charged again, his massive frame a blur of fur and steel.
Kael's breath heaved, his chest rising and falling as he steadied himself. His DarkBind lashed out, shadowy tendrils wrapping around the man's leg mid-charge. With a flick of his wrist, Kael yanked hard, sending the beast crashing to the ground with seismic force. The concrete cracked beneath him, a spiderweb of fractures spreading outward. The man struggled to rise, his claws scrabbling against the floor.
Kael stepped forward, his boot pressing down on the man's throat. The room went still, the crowd's cheers dying in their throats. The gorilla-man's eyes widened, his massive form shrinking slightly as his Quirk faltered, his body reverting to its human state. Fear flickered in his gaze, raw and unguarded—the same helplessness Kael had seen in so many others. The same helplessness he'd once felt, standing alone in the rain at a grave that held too many unanswered questions.
"Kael, enough!" Mira's voice cut through the silence, sharp and desperate. She shoved through the crowd, her face pale, her green eyes wide with fear—not for herself, but for him. She'd only known Kael for a few weeks, but in that time, she'd seen the fire in him, the relentless drive that both inspired and terrified her. "You've made your point. Stop this!"
Kael didn't move, his boot still pressed against the man's throat. The crowd watched, breathless, waiting for blood. His black eyes swept over them, cold and unyielding, and some flinched under the weight of his gaze. Others nodded, their faces alight with something dangerously close to worship.
"Equinox! Equinox! Equinox!" The chant started low, then grew, a rising tide that echoed off the warehouse walls. The bruised, the broken, the outcasts—they rallied to him, their voices a raw, desperate hymn.
Kael's gaze lingered on the man beneath his boot, his expression unreadable. The man's chest heaved, his breaths shallow and ragged. For a moment, Kael's eyes softened, a flicker of something human breaking through the darkness. He remembered the rain, the cold stone under his fingers, the weight of loss that had carved him into what he was now. He lifted his foot slowly, letting the man roll to the side, gasping for air.
Kael turned to the crowd, his voice cutting through their chants like a blade. "You want someone to follow?" he asked, his tone cold and sharp as steel. "Bear witness. This is the last time I show any mercy. Decide right now. You can stay here in hiding, bowing before your pathetic leader, or follow me as I change the world for the betterment and take down All for One once and for all."
He stepped forward, his stride unwavering, his presence filling the room like a storm. The crowd erupted, their cheers a deafening roar. Fists pumped in the air, voices shouting his name as dozens rushed forward, surrounding him, their faces alight with hope and desperation. "Equinox! Equinox! Equinox!" The name became a mantra, a rallying cry for the lost and the broken.
Kael stood in the center, his back straight, his face a mask of resolve. But Mira lingered at the edge of the crowd, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She watched him, her heart heavy with a quiet dread.
She hadn't known Kael long, but she'd seen enough to know he was more than just a man with a mission. He was a force, a storm that could either save them or destroy everything in its path. She'd joined him because she believed in his cause, but now, watching the darkness in his eyes deepen, she felt a growing responsibility to keep him from losing himself.
The red-eyed boy appeared at her side, his voice barely above a murmur. "He's changing," he said, his crimson gaze fixed on Kael. "You see it too, don't you?"
Mira's jaw tightened, but she didn't answer. She didn't need to. The truth hung between them, heavy and unspoken. Kael was no longer just a man with a vendetta. He was becoming something else—something greater, and far more dangerous.
The warehouse trembled with the crowd's energy, their voices a tidal wave that threatened to drown out everything else. But for Mira, the world had narrowed to the sight of Kael's back, the weight of his words, and the fear that the man she'd chosen to follow was slipping away, consumed by the shadow of Equinox.
…