[3 Months Later]
The world had barely begun to recover from the devastation wrought by A.M.O.R.R.O.'s rampage. The debris of broken cities still lingered in the air like a thick, acrid fog, and the survivors—those who hadn't been consumed in the battle or the subsequent nuclear explosion—were left in a state of limbo. They stood at the edge of hope, caught between the possibility of rebuilding and the undeniable truth that something had been irrevocably changed.
In the aftermath, Metropolis was a hushed ruin. The towering skyscrapers that once gleamed with the promise of progress now stood in jagged, skeletal remains. The energy pulse released by A.M.O.R.R.O. had devastated the city in a shockwave that no one could have anticipated. And then there was the explosion—the nuclear detonation that had sent ripples across the Earth's atmosphere. It had decimated much of the surrounding cities as well, sending seismic waves through the ground, disrupting global weather patterns, and leaving a scar on the planet that no amount of time would ever erase.
But the true consequence of that day, the one that would define the new era, was just beginning to emerge.
____________________________________
Global News Broadcast:
"BREAKING NEWS: Metahuman Powers Erupt Worldwide as a New Era Begins"
"Good evening, citizens of the world. We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you the latest developments in the aftermath of the global catastrophe that began three months ago in Metropolis. Since the devastating battle with The Android and the subsequent nuclear explosion that left the Eastern Seaboard in ruins, a phenomenon has been rapidly unfolding—one that will change the course of history."
The camera zoomed out from the anchor's face to display chaotic scenes from around the world. Flashing clips of reports flooded in, showing unprecedented scenes of ordinary people—often with no previous indication of extraordinary abilities—unleashing powers they couldn't control. Some hovered above the ground, crackling with lightning. Others conjured firestorms or reshaped the terrain around them.
"Experts are still trying to understand the cause of this phenomenon, but it is believed that the surge of energy from The Android's battle with Earth's heroes, combined with the nuclear detonation near Earth's atmosphere, triggered a global awakening of latent metahuman potential."
Footage from Los Angeles, United States:
The city of Los Angeles had already seen its fair share of destruction, but what followed was more unpredictable. On live television, a woman—no older than twenty—was seen floating high above the city streets, her body surrounded by an eerie aura of shifting shadows. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural violet light as she controlled the darkness around her, casting entire blocks into blackness as if the sun itself had been blotted out.
As helicopters hovered overhead, she raised her hand, and the darkness coiled around a group of armed soldiers trying to approach her. One by one, the soldiers were sent sprawling, their weapons disintegrating into shadow. For a brief moment, the camera cut to the stunned faces of bystanders, watching in awe as the woman descended from the air.
"Authorities are reporting multiple instances of shadow manipulation across the United States, with reports of civilians using their powers for both violent and defensive purposes. This individual appears to be manipulating dark energy, creating an environment of complete blackout and paralysis. While the government is working to identify the extent of these abilities, it's clear that these new powers are evolving rapidly and unpredictably."
Footage from São Paulo, Brazil:
In the heart of Brazil's largest city, a young man was caught on camera as he shattered the concrete around him with a mere thought. His eyes glowed a dangerous red as the ground below his feet cracked and buckled under the intense force of his newfound telekinetic abilities.
"Authorities are urging the public to remain calm as this unprecedented event unfolds," the anchor continued. "At this time, it is estimated that nearly two percent of the world's population has manifested some form of metahuman power. Though the powers vary greatly, from elemental control to telepathy, the full scope of the situation remains unclear."
Footage from New York City, United States:
The streets of New York had become a battleground. Riot police, heavily armored and holding advanced weapons, faced off against an ever-growing group of metahumans. Each side had its champions: Metahumans with the power to control the elements, telekinesis, energy manipulation, and even the ability to manipulate time itself, clashed with human soldiers and a rising tide of anti-metahuman rioters.
A large man—standing at nearly seven feet tall—led the rioters, his voice amplified through a megaphone. He was dressed in a black tactical suit with a red X painted across his chest. His name: Xenon, a leader of an anti-metahuman faction.
"We won't be ruled by freaks!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the crowd. "Humans for humans! Metahumans, stay in your place or face the consequences!"
Across from him, a group of metahumans—led by Zephyr, a young woman with the power to manipulate wind—tried to hold their ground. Zephyr summoned a massive gust of wind, knocking back a group of rioters who attempted to charge. She turned, her eyes filled with anger.
"We're not your enemies! We're just trying to survive in this new world!" she shouted, but her words were lost in the chaos.
Explosions rang out as bombs planted by the rioters detonated near the metahuman resistance group. The explosion sent debris flying, but Inferno, a metahuman with the ability to control fire, raised a wall of flame around her comrades, protecting them from the blast.
"Is this what the world has come to?" Zephyr muttered, watching as the two sides clashed violently. It was clear that both humans and metahumans were spiraling into a dark new age of warfare. Fear, hatred, and distrust had poisoned the air.
Footage from Paris, France:
In Paris, the government had issued a martial law declaration, but the response was divided. Metahumans with destructive powers—able to control electricity, generate kinetic force, or warp the very fabric of reality—battled against angry mobs of humans who believed that the metahumans had caused the destruction of the world. Buildings were set aflame, cars overturned, and clashes erupted in nearly every district.
In the heart of the city, a massive fight had broken out. On one side, a group of metahumans had formed an impromptu team of resistance fighters. Among them was Stormcall, a woman who could summon storms and manipulate the weather. She was doing everything in her power to protect the innocent civilians caught in the middle of the fighting.
Meanwhile, The Titan, a massive man with superhuman strength and durability, was facing off against an armored soldier with advanced weaponry. The soldier's rifle shot force blasts at Titan, but his skin was impervious. With a roar, Titan slammed into the soldier, sending him flying across the battlefield. But his victory was short-lived, as a telepathic metahuman from the rioting group—Mindscraper—slammed into his mind, trying to destabilize his concentration.
The battle was not just physical—it was mental. Mindscraper, using his telepathy, pushed the mind of a metahuman to the brink of madness. He could alter thoughts, make individuals see their worst nightmares, and force them into submission. The city was descending into madness, as neither side was willing to back down.
Footage from Cairo, Egypt:
In Cairo, the chaos was marked by a wave of superpowered rioters clashing against a new wave of metahuman defenders. In the heart of the struggle was The Phantasm, a mysterious metahuman who had the power to phase through solid matter. He appeared on the battlefield, phasing through walls and evading the attacks of the rioters, using his powers to disable weapons and prevent violence.
However, not all metahumans were heroes. Blackout, a man who could generate and control darkness, was leading a faction of metahuman extremists who believed that humans should bow before those with powers. As he summoned a large vortex of black energy, rioters were sucked into the void, disintegrating under the immense pressure.
"Only the strong will survive in this new world!" Blackout declared, his voice amplified by his powers, which distorted the air around him.
The two sides—those fighting for control and power, and those fighting for survival and equality—collided with devastating consequences.
Footage from the UN Headquarters:
An emergency session of the United Nations was convened in a desperate attempt to quell the rising tide of violence. Nations gathered to discuss the metahuman uprising and the global implications of these abilities.
UN Representative of the United States: "The situation is spiraling out of control. It's clear now—these abilities are not just a new challenge for us to face. They are a new reality. We must come together or risk losing everything."
UN Representative of Russia: "We have already begun forming a coalition to address the threat. The world cannot allow metahumans to dictate the future."
Meanwhile, across the globe, governments tried to push through emergency measures to neutralize or control metahumans. Some governments supported registration, while others called for the complete eradication of all metahumans deemed a threat.
In the shadows, the true scale of the global conflict was just beginning to unfold. Metahuman factions were beginning to rise, seeking to control the destiny of their kind, while the human world began to fracture into opposing camps, some wishing for peaceful coexistence, others bent on survival at any cost.
End of the Global News Broadcast:
The footage faded back to the studio. The anchor, visibly shaken but composed, looked directly into the camera as the newsroom lights dimmed, casting long shadows across the set.
"This is no longer a matter of politics, borders, or ideology. This is a turning point for our species. Humanity stands at a crossroads—one path leads to coexistence… the other, to annihilation."
She paused, voice dropping to a grave tone.
"What began as a tragedy in Metropolis has now become a global reckoning. Heroes rise, tyrants fall, and the line between savior and monster is vanishing. As fear spreads faster than truth, and power becomes the new currency of survival, one thing is certain…"
The camera slowly zoomed in on her face.
"The age of metahumans has begun."
The screen went black, replaced by a red banner pulsing across the world map—marked with hot zones of escalating metahuman activity. Sirens blared in the background as the broadcast transitioned to emergency alert tones.
[EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION – STAY INDOORS, FOLLOW GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVES, AVOID METAHUMAN CONFLICT ZONES]
And then, static.
The world was holding its breath.
___________________________________
Shibuya District — Tokyo, Japan
A war was tearing through the neon graveyard of Tokyo.
Skyscrapers snapped like twigs. Elemental metahumans unleashed their wrath unchecked—gouts of flame, torrents of water, storms of debris ripping through what remained of the city's infrastructure.
One gang of thirty stood at the center of it all, tearing apart an evacuation convoy.
Civilians screamed. Soldiers tried to hold the line, but their rifles were useless against walking typhoons and living firestorms.
And then…
A low whistle cut through the chaos. Something sharp. Controlled. Measured.
Shhk!
The air ripped open behind the pyrokinetic leader—his flames flickering for a moment.
A flash of black steel.
Slash.
His torso split diagonally—top sliding off as his lower half collapsed in a thud.
Panic erupted in the gang.
"He's here—!!"
"THE BLACK RIPPER!!"
A black silhouette dropped from a broken billboard—cloak flaring, dual blades gleaming in the moonlight. One katana crackling with lightning, the other short and reversed like a kunai.
Without a word, he launched forward.
[Enemy: Wind User]
A metahuman with cyclone blades on his arms charged, wind howling.
He swung.
Shing—!
The Black Ripper deflected with his tanto, spun under, and slashed the man's thigh. Then—
"Substitution Jutsu."
The wind user struck a log.
Behind him, The Black Ripper reappeared mid-spin and slammed the hilt of his blade into the back of his neck.
Out cold.
[Enemy: Concrete Golem User]
A tank of a man roared, his skin turning to granite.
He punched down—shattering the street where The Black Ripper had been.
But in the crater, only a shadow clone remained. It exploded in smoke.
The real Ripper was already above, flipping mid-air. Lightning surged through his katana.
"Chidori Slash!"
He came down like a bolt, blade dragging with a screech across the golem's stone shoulder—cracking it wide open.
He spun, landed, and swept the enemy's legs out, dragging the blade across his knee as he fell.
[Enemy Team: Triple Threat]
Three remaining metahumans tried to coordinate:
One with fire gauntlets
One with acid spit
One with magnetic pulses
The Black Ripper faced them with a slow draw of his second blade.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Five clones burst to life around him—each taking a different angle.
The fire-user charged first. One clone met him head-on—parrying blow for blow, then sacrificing itself in a blast.
The acid-spitter launched a volley.
Another clone intercepted, using a chakra wall to absorb the acid before grabbing the enemy by the face and slamming him into a broken car door.
The magnetic-user panicked—pulling debris to form a shield wall.
Wrong move.
The real Black Ripper blurred into view above him and threw a chakra kunai down through the shield.
It exploded on impact.
He followed it up—stabbed both swords into the shield, splitting it down the middle.
Only one metahuman remained. He tried to run.
Too late.
The Ripper dashed forward in Body Flicker, cutting across his path with a sweeping arc.
The man froze. A thin red line appeared across his chest. He fell sideways, unconscious.
Silence Returns
Smoke drifted through the battlefield.
Thirty metahumans defeated. Zero deaths. Dozens of rescued civilians stood in stunned silence.
The Black Ripper stood at the center—cloaked, breathing steady. He wiped the blood from his blade, turned, and vanished into the shadows without a word.
No speech. No theatrics. Just precision and silence.
He was the ghost of Tokyo. The nightmare of villains. The myth made real.
A/N
Hey everyone—I'm finally back! I know updates have been a bit slow lately, but thank you for sticking with me. Chapters might still come at a slower pace, but rest assured, I'm committed to continuing this story.
So… what do you think of the new plot and developments?
As promised, I've officially broken away from canon and started shaping a fresh, original direction. No more playing it safe—this is my own version of the world now. New arcs, new powers, new conflicts, new characters and a new era.
This is no longer a simple fanfic.This is a rebirth of the story.And we're just getting started.
Stay tuned—and thank you for reading.
[POWER STONES]