Chapter 9 – Back In The Day
Darrius had always known he was different. As a young black boy growing up in Chicago, he struggled to understand his superhuman abilities. He could control technology in all of its forms, from the smallest electronic device to the largest industrial machines. There were no limits to the types of devices he could affect, only the intensity and control are what differed. He was a technomancer, a rare and powerful type of superhero that wasn’t recognized by many as a true power. When people heard of this type of ability, they related it more to a sideshow act performed at office parties controlling the printer or fax machine. They didn’t see it as a true power. Darrius knew otherwise.
But Darrius didn't understand his powers at first. He was ashamed in his youth and hid them from everyone, even his single mother who worked long hours to provide for him. She loved him more than he would ever know, and she wished he had told her sooner once he finally opened up and showed her one Christmas morning when he controlled the lights on their tree. His mother was amazed at his uniqueness. She was so proud when he fixed anything around their house that broke, making ridiculous repairs and engineering new appliances for her to use around the house. In Darrius’ youth, the interior of the Gates home looked like an abstract painting of Dr. Suess-ish objects and electrical wires. He spent hours tinkering with electronic devices, trying to understand what he could do, but he was always left with more questions than answers. His powers evolved and seemed nigh-unlimited.
As he got older, Darrius began to explore the limits of his abilities. He discovered that he could even manipulate the flow of electricity to tweak and adjust things to respond exactly how he wanted them to behave. He could hack into computer systems with ease, clearing his continually building late fees from the Chicago library’s database. He was constantly reading, trying to learn and understand things on every level in his mind and not just relying on the feel his powers gave him when he controlled the machines. He practiced controlling from a distance at night as he’d lay awake, force-holding the stop lights all red around his block until the symphony of car horns woke the whole neighborhood. His mother had put a stop to that after a few months of ignorance. She knew he’d been up to something. So, Darrius pushed out even further with his mind, feeling, and even control machines from a much greater distance. He also began to realize that he could use his powers to help others one night as his body lay in his bed, but his mind wandered the power grid of the city.
A group of men had broken into a bank downtown with high-tech equipment and were armed to the teeth. Darrius watched through the old outdated security cameras. They had a few night guards tied up and held hostage. They had gotten a little excited and knocked the guards out when they wouldn’t stop wiggling around on the floor. As the guards lie unconscious on the floor, and the robbers were hard at work cracking the safe, Darrius shut them down. Their high-tech equipment shut down and would not power up again. Darrius didn’t know exactly what he did at the time, but he generated an electromagnetic pulse inside the bank while he lay in his bed fifteen blocks away. The men panicked, they tried to flee but were trapped in the bank as Darrius had already alerted the police by hacking into the phones and calling the Chicago Police Department from his bed. The dispatcher’s face was confused and priceless when a strange call that couldn’t be identified forced its way into her headset. The teenager’s voice tells her to ‘hurry to send the cops. They’re trying to steal everyone’s money.’
The story filled news streams and papers as everyone tried to understand what happened and who thwarted the thieves at Central Bank. The conclusion came as most things did, it was a superhuman who had just been noticed by the public. They didn’t know who it was yet, but one day they would.
Darrius became a vigilante, using his powers to fight crime and save civilians from disasters of any kind. He roamed the streets of Chicago day and night, a silent protector, always watching and waiting for someone to need his help. He could see and trace the city through hundreds of cameras, police and emergency services and their dispatchers, alarm systems… Darrius was jacked into the city of Chicago.
After making a name for himself, Cyber-War became widely known throughout Chicago. It was then that he met Art Jensen. He was an older man and a powerful psychokinetic who could control and manipulate almost anything, physical or non-physical. Art was impressed with Darrius's abilities and invited him to join forces. Together, they became a formidable team, using their unique powers to fight crime and protect the innocent. It was Cyber-War and the Manipulator.
Art Jensen is a powerful psychokinetic with the ability to control and manipulate almost anything, physical or non-physical. His powers allow him to move objects with his mind, create powerful unseen force fields, and levitate himself and others. He can also manipulate energy, and electricity, and even manipulate the atomic structure of matter to some extent. While he too could control technology in a way, it was nothing compared to Darrius’s connection. Once Art and Darrius experimented to see how similar their powers were. What they discovered was while Darrius could control and manipulate any sort of device or electronic mechanism, Art could affect the same objects but with less detailed skill and control. Most things Art took control of with his powers were destroyed afterward.
Art's telekinesis is one of his most prominent abilities, as he can lift and move massive objects with ease, including cars, and city buses, and even kept an entire city block from falling into a sinkhole until everyone was evacuated to safety. It put him in a coma for about a week. His force fields are equally impressive, capable of deflecting powerful attacks and shielding his allies from harm. He can also create telekinetic constructs, such as weapons or small tools, out of pure energy. However, this takes extreme focus.
Art's ability to manipulate energy allows him to generate powerful blasts of kinetic force, or create intense heat and flames but usually over a smaller focused area. His control over the atomic structure of matter is less refined, but he can use it to phase through solid objects, disintegrate targets, or transmute one substance into another.
Overall, Art's psychic abilities make him a formidable force to be reckoned with. He can defend his allies and subdue his enemies with his incredible range of powers, and his versatility made him a valuable asset to Darrius in his fight against the criminal and superhuman underworld of the city.
As they continued to work together, more superheroes joined their ranks. Carol Jefferson could manipulate soundwaves and create sonic blasts, and Felipe Rodriguez could emanate and control heat and flames. They came to Art and Darrius at separate times but both fell into the team quickly. Darrius knew just how to use everyone to their full potential in any situation. Together, they were unstoppable.
Through it all, Darrius remained humble and focused on his mission. He knew that his abilities were a gift and that he had a responsibility to use them for good. His loving mother, Shayna always reminded him that, ‘The good Lord gave you them powers for a reason D. You keep using them to help people, and maybe one of these days you’ll understand why He did.”
And so, he continued to fight for justice, never giving up on his quest to use what he had been given to help anyone who needed it.
Not all were so blessed in the early days when superhumans first appeared. Derrick Johnson was born with the superhuman ability to control gravity itself. From a young age, Derrick struggled to control his powers and keep them hidden from the world. His parents were frightened by his abilities and eventually abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself on the streets of Chicago.
Derrick was forced to learn how to control his powers on his own, using trial and error to figure out what he was capable of. He soon discovered that he could increase the gravitational pull of objects around him, making them impossible to move, or he could decrease it, making them weightless.
As he grew older, Derrick began to use his powers to make a living. He would perform gravity-defying stunts on the streets, attracting crowds and earning money. He never showed enough to get him noticed as a superhuman, but enough to draw in a few tourists ready to give up a few dollars to a street performer. Sometimes he’d slip and show a little too much, making some of the locals who saw him and his act realize there was much more going on than a few street tricks. Then his powers made him a target for criminals who wanted to use him for their own gain.
Derrick tried to stay out of trouble, but he was eventually recruited by a group of criminals who promised to help him control his powers in exchange for his services. Not to mention he’d get a cut of the score. The group, led by a powerful superhuman named The Boss, used Derrick's abilities to commit a string of high-profile robberies, shake down other weaker superhumans, and even kill the few that stood in The Boss’ way.
Derrick eventually grew tired of being used by the criminals and decided to go rogue, taking on the name Lockdown and using his powers to fight the underworld that had forged him into the dark powerhouse he had become. He went from superhuman enforcer to the new boss. The old Boss’ powers were minuscule in comparison to Derrick’s, and he put him down with a vengeance, crushing his bones so deep into the city’s foundation with his gravity, that no one would ever find his remains. The new boss took over the rest of the old crew he hadn’t put in the ground, commanding respect, and authority under a new name. Lockdown.
The Chicago Knights had received intel on a dangerous new superhuman known as Lockdown, who had the ability to manipulate gravity in short bursts. Lockdown had been causing chaos in the city, using his powers and underlings to pull off a string of extremely high-profile robberies, killing a few in the process. Lockdown had little to no patience when others opposed him in any way, and when bank employees wouldn’t do exactly as he said, he’d hold people in place and crush them with their own amplified weight. The Knights had been notified by Darrius who intercepted information from the police network.
Art, Darrius, Carol with her soundwave manipulation, and Felipe with his heat made their way to the scene of the disturbance. They found Lockdown destroying the heart of the city, surrounded by panicked civilians and law enforcement officials that had guns trained on the villain. He laughed as he took their weapons into the air and locked them down to the earth with his unchallenged power.
The Knights engaged Lockdown, battering him with unadulterated power. The CKs didn’t hold back, they threw everything they had at this guy since his power was so immense. Carol’s soundwaves rolled off Lockdown with no effect. Felipe’s fire was rendered inert as it came against the shield of protection around Derrick. The gravitational forces he used to protect himself threw the different types of energies into chaos, causing them to misbehave and function in ways that were not of this earth. This was because Lockdown was changing a fundamental force of nature with his powers, and no human had ever seen the effects of this type of change before. Art and Darrius were at a loss with him as well. Both powers proved underwhelming against the force of nature rampaging against the city. Bullets from Darrius’ enhanced weaponry slammed into him but had no effect, Then, Lockdown brought all the metal slugs together into a tightly compacted gravitational field turning the bullets into one massive slug of metal. He hurled it back at the heroes, taunting them. He was merely playing with them. They quickly discovered that his powers were more formidable than they had anticipated. Lockdown’s ability to manipulate gravity took the team by surprise, and they weren’t ready to face a force as great as Derrick. They had never seen or come up against something of this caliber before. They struggled with even getting close to him to engage in close-quarter combat. Darrius tried, only to be pushed away by rolling waves of gravitational disturbances.
Off to the side of all the action, as the Chicago Knights looked on in terror, a mysterious figure stepped forward to face the rampaging Lockdown. The man seemed almost shrouded in darkness as he stepped out from a tiny slit of an opening, with only the glint of his eyes visible behind a black ski mask in the dimly lit alleyway. Lockdown smirked, confident in his ability to control gravity, and raised his hand, causing the Knights to suddenly panic at the realization that he was about to do something drastic.
Once Derick had had enough he closed his fist with absolute authority, effectively locking down everyone in the vicinity. The Knights were as helpless as the civilians and police that were littered about the chaotic area. They struggled to break free and fight back, but Lockdown’s control over them seemed unbeatable.
But the mysterious man did not flinch. Instead, he stood tall and began to focus his energy, causing the air around him to ripple with unseen power. This was when the CK’s noticed him. They felt his power building. Lockdown sneered as he saw this new opponent too. He was angry at the realization that this mysterious person was still moving, opposing his power directly. He charged forward at the mystery man, but as he approached, he suddenly felt his own movements slowing down. His body felt heavier, as if he was being dragged down by the very gravity he was controlling. And then, with a burst of energy, the mysterious man struck. A thunderclap rang out through the streets where they fought.
His first blow was swift and precise, catching Lockdown off guard and on the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. But Lockdown was not one to be underestimated. He would never be looked on as weak. Not like The Boss used to look at him. He showed The Boss his power, and he’d show this guy too. He quickly regained his composure, rising to his feet and unleashing a powerful wave of gravity that sent cars and debris flying in every direction. Collateral damage was escalating to a scale never seen before in the City during one isolated incident. The mysterious man momentarily staggered, but he quickly regained his balance and began to focus once more.
As the fight went on, it became clear that the mysterious man was growing stronger with each passing moment. His strikes became more powerful, his movements more fluid, and his eyes burned with an intense energy that seemed to radiate from within. Lockdown, meanwhile, was beginning to tire. His control over gravity was faltering, and he struggled to keep up with the mysterious man's relentless attacks.
And then, with one final burst of deep purple energy imbued in his aura, the mysterious man struck the decisive blow. Lockdown was sent flying backward, his body slammed into the wall of a nearby building with a sickening crunch. For a moment, there was silence. And then, slowly but surely, the mysterious man began to walk away, disappearing into the shadows as if he had never been there at all.
The Chicago Knights were left in awe, their bodies slowly beginning to unfreeze as the weight of Lockdown's power lifted from their shoulders. They knew that they had witnessed something truly remarkable, something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
After the incident with Lockdown, Darrius was determined to find the identity of the mysterious man who had saved him and the other Chicago Knights. He searched tirelessly, following leads and checking every possible source, until one day he found something.
Following the lead, Darrius arrived at a warehouse on the outskirts of town. As soon as Darrius entered the building, he was met by a man wearing a black ski mask, simple jeans, and a t-shirt. Darrius recognized him instantly as the mysterious man that saved all their lives, and the city.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the man spoke calmly, but with unwavering opposition.
Darrius tried to calm him, “Hey man, don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Darrius, a hero like you. I actually go by Cyber-War. You helped against Lockdown.” Darrius tried to connect the dots of why he was there.
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A light bulb practically went off above the black ski mask-wearing man.
“Oh you were one of those guys,” he remembered. “Yeah, that dude was strong.”
“What's your name?” Darrius asked.
“I'm just a man. That's all you need to know,” he said, seriously.
“All right, fair enough,” Darrius was amenable. He didn’t want to spook and run him off. “So what are you doing out here? Is this your… hideout?” Darrius didn’t know if he should even call it that. It was an empty and dirty warehouse. There really wasn’t anything in it. He was starting to wonder why he was even out here.
The man took a calming breath, not angry, just accepting that Darrius wasn’t a bad guy. He felt like he could be honest, “Kind of a staging area. I come here because it’s quiet. It’s an easy place to wait.”
“Wait… for what?” Darrius was confused.
“For something to happen.”
“How do you know when something happens?” Darrius wanted to understand.
He looked at Darrius, slightly annoyed at all the questions. “How do you know when there is something you need to respond to?”
Darrius just grinned, “Okay… okay… trade secrets I guess.”
The man actually smiled with Darrius, laughing with him for a moment.
“So, what can I call you, so I can at least talk to you like a normal person?”
“I told you, I don’t need a name. I’m just a man…” he was cut off.
“Just a man, yeah I got it.” Darrius shook his head, “How about, ‘Man.’
Man just stared at him for a second and then shook his head with a smile.
“Sure. Man, it is.”
“So,” Darrius started again, “why do you do it? Why do you patrol the city.”
Man rolled his eyes, “Just trying to make a difference… like you, right? Isn’t that what you all are trying to do?”
“Yeah, that's what it's all about. We're all just trying to do our part, you know? Why else do we have these powers if it’s not to help the ones without.” Darrius looked to the ground, “That’s what Mom always says. I try to live up to that, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough. It's tough out here sometimes, but,” Darrius gathered his resolve, “we gotta keep fighting.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it feels like we're fighting a losing battle,” he stared off into the blackness of the deep warehouse. He was obviously thinking about something from his own previous life.
“Yeah, but we can't give up. We gotta keep pushing forward, keep fighting for Chicago. This city and its people deserve to live free and happily. When others with power try to change that… that’s where I’ll be.” Darrius spoke proudly, trying to tell and show his heart to this stranger. It felt weird to do this, but he was doing it for a reason. He saw this man’s power when they fought against Lockdown. He knew that he needed to get Man on his side. With their powers combined, there was nothing that could threaten the city.
After some initial apprehensiveness, the two of them talked for hours, discussing their shared passion for fighting crime and their experiences as heroes. They found that they had a lot in common and met like this more frequently. After a few months, they became great friends, helping each other with their hero work from time to time.
Eventually, Darrius convinced the mysterious man to join the Chicago Knights. He introduced him to the rest of the team, who welcomed him with open arms. The mysterious man proved to be a valuable addition to the team, with his incredible fighting skills and unwavering dedication to the cause.
Despite his reluctance to reveal his true identity, the mysterious man quickly became an integral part of the Chicago Knights. He and Darrius remained close friends, supporting each other through thick and thin. Together, they continued to fight for justice and protect the people of Chicago, never faltering in their commitment to the cause.
Kody and Kyle Rivers were the last to join the Chicago Knights. The teleporting twins gained the quick attention of the superhuman community with their never before seen power to not only teleport themselves instantly from one location to the next but to also open portals to transport others. Kody and Kyle were massive fans of the CKs and all their exploits. They were die-hard “Man Fans” and couldn’t believe they had the opportunity to not only meet but join the very team of their own personal hero. It was strange for Man, in the beginning, to have them always asking him to sign things. They thought that one day it would be worth millions of dollars to the right buyer. Man and Darrius were perplexed by the Rivers’ attitude seeing as how they were only a few years younger than each of them. All of the team members were in their early twenties. Art, however, was the oldest. He was in his early thirties and was like a father figure to the younger superhumans.
Then… the leviathans came. Leviathans were the biggest threat that the Chicago Knights ever had to face. These creatures had sprung up out of nowhere. No government in the entire world had an answer as to where they came from. One day, they just decided to rise from the depths of the oceans. They were a mix of various creatures that naturally existed on the planet, combined with octopus-like tentacles that spread out over their bodies. The Leviathans had blueish-purple skin that shimmered in the sun, and their massive size towered over any city they approached.
The first time the Chicago Knights encountered a Leviathan, they were taken for all they were worth. The creature's tentacles wrapped around buildings, crushing them like tin cans. Its massive body crushed cars and buses with ease. The Chicago Knights knew they had to act fast to prevent the creature from causing more destruction. After a massively destructive battle, and almost losing Kyle and Carol, the team had to develop a plan. They had to find a way to kill these things faster and better than before.
That's when they developed a strategy. With Darrius’ abilities, they turned themselves into a special team of monster-hunting superhumans that traveled the world, hunting down the Leviathans before they could cause unbridled damage. The team included all of the Chicago Knights equipped with gear specifically created by Darrius to benefit them in ways that would aid in fighting these titans. It kept them all connected within a Darrius-controlled network so they could seamlessly communicate and act as one during the battles that shook the world. They developed a unique set of skills and tactics to take down the Leviathans, utilizing every power the team had to offer.
The battles against these massive beasts were never easy. The Leviathans were incredibly strong and resilient, and their tentacles could grab hold of anything they came into contact with. But the Chicago Knights had an advantage - they were a team, and they worked together relentlessly.
They used everything at their disposal to take down the Leviathans. Weapons, explosives, and even vehicles were used in the fight against these massive creatures. Darrius once flew a subsonic jet into a battle that delivered an implosion payload that decimated a battered leviathan after Man had kept it from encroaching on the large city of Portsmouth, Virginia. But they also relied on their individual skills and abilities, using their unique talents to distract the Leviathans and create openings for their teammates to attack. They all grew stronger in ways they never expected as they battled the otherworldly titans.
Despite the difficulty of their battles, the Chicago Knights never backed down. They knew that the Leviathans posed a threat not just to their city, but to the entire country. They were determined to protect their home and their people from these gargantuan monsters.
Over time, the Chicago Knights became known as an international monster-hunting team and their reputation for taking down Leviathans spread across America. They were able to travel instantaneously to reported Leviathan attacks using Kody and Kyle’s portal abilities. The Rivers twins were the most valuable members of the CKs in those days when time and distance weren’t on their side. They worked with other heroes and monster-hunting teams from all over the world to hunt down these creatures, and with each victory, they grew stronger and more unified as a team.
The aftermath of the Leviathan attacks was devastating. Across America, cities were left in ruins, and the cost of the damage was estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The government was under immense pressure to take action, and they needed someone to take the blame for what had happened.
Unfortunately, the blame fell on the superhumans of the world. Even though it was clear that the Leviathans were the cause, the public was afraid and looking for someone to hold accountable. The government, under pressure from the public, needed to regain control of the country. Those in power within congress, deeply secret government agencies, and the white house decided to take a hard line against superhumans, passing laws that restricted their activities and forced them to register with the government. They used the media to their advantage to create a narrative that showed how the superhumans did stop the creatures from the deep but lacked the control, logistical planning, and accountability to properly take down the threats in the safest way possible. Slowly but surely, over time, the public started to sway, and superhumans were starting to not only be looked at as potential problems but feared and even hated in some parts of the country.
The Chicago Knights were deeply affected by these new and unsuspected views by the media and the public. All every single member of the CKs wanted to do was fight for the people. Darrius and Man both took the early events hard. Man seemed to fall into a kind of depression at times, not coming to the CK compound as often as he usually did. They had always operated outside the confines of the law, working behind the scenes to protect their city and the world from threats that no one else could handle. But now they were being forced to register with the government, and their activities were being monitored.
Despite the new restrictions, the Chicago Knights continued to work together, determined to protect their city and the world from any threat that came their way. They clung to their initial ideals, to protect and help people. They knew they weren’t the bad guys. They knew that the Leviathans were not the last threat they would face, and they were determined to be ready for whatever came next.
The government's crackdown on superhumans had caused a rift between the Chicago Knights and the government of not only the country but even the local government they had worked well with in the past. It was all due to federal pressure, but it was there nonetheless. The Knights believed that they were doing what was necessary to protect the world, while the government saw them as a liability that needed to be controlled just as they were gaining control of less visible superhumans all across the country. It was a tense time for the Chicago Knights, but they knew that they had to keep fighting, no matter what the consequences might be. At the beginning at least…
As the Chicago Knights began to break down and bend their knees to the newly appointed Department of Superhuman Accountability (DOSA), Man stood firm in his beliefs. He refused to reveal his identity and register with the government, knowing that it would only lead to more control and restrictions on his abilities. He knew he was in control of himself, and he would never let anyone else dictate his actions.
DOSA saw Man as a potential threat, and they began to plot against him. They used all sorts of tactics to try and force him to comply, including surveillance, blackmail, and even empty threats against his life. But Man refused to back down, and he continued to operate outside of the law, working behind the scenes to protect the city in any way he could.
The rest of the Chicago Knights had succumbed to DOSA's pressure and were now following orders from the government agency. They couldn’t go back to their old hideout; they couldn’t meet in secret. It all had to be officially on the books or not at all. If they were ever discovered, it would be swift punishment for all involved and even their families. They had given up their freedom and autonomy in exchange for protection and relief from the constant bombardment of legal action and jail time in a newly created prison for superhumans. Once DOSA discovered a way to suppress abilities and contain heroes who wouldn’t bow down, everyone left standing started to crumple to their demands. But Man refused to compromise his beliefs and continued to fight for what he believed was right. He did not bow when everyone else did.
As DOSA's power grew, so did their numbers. Once heroes became uniformed military of the government. They weren’t evil, or doing things to hurt or jeopardize civilians, they just couldn’t act without DOSA approval. But, DOSA had what they wanted. They had control. The government had control.
Man became a shadow in the city. He stayed out of sight until something caught his attention. He would dart out into the light to act as a hero and then vanish just as fast. Crime never stopped. If anything, after hero reform and the registrations, crime went up. Heroes couldn’t stop criminals like they used to. They had to have approval. That would take about a week and the criminals would be off with their spoils… or civilian lives. No, Man couldn’t abide that. He continued to work all across the city.
Man became a thorn in DOSA’s side. They saw him as a rogue element, a wild card that they could not control. They began to see him as a threat to their power and authority, and they worked tirelessly to bring him down. If he kept on doing what he was, he’d inspire other past heroes to drop their government restrictions and go back to the Age of Heroes. They had to stop him. However, not much was known about Man. He had never revealed his identity even to his own teammates. Not only that, but his powers were never truly defined. His strength seemed to increase through battle, but he also affected the environments around him as well, causing strange disruptions as battles progressed. In the most intense battles, he took to the skies for a few moments, flying completely unaided by any kind of technological enhancement. His ability to adapt and grow in each battle was astounding, yet terrifying to some.
DOSA became increasingly paranoid about Man's potential power, fearing that he was too strong and uncontrollable. His actions and direct rebellion against DOSA and their laws created a faction within the country that theorized about how the media and government worked together to take control of the superhumans. They smelled the truth and started hunting for it.
DOSA knew they had to do something to shift the narrative. So the plotting thinkers at the top of the organization devised a plan to turn the world against Man. They assembled a team of three superhumans to take him down, each with their unique abilities. They weren’t as popular as any of the CKs, but they were household names nonetheless.
The first superhuman had the power to control energy, shooting bursts of yellow energy in any pattern, shape, or orientation she desired. Her name was Cleo, and she was from a team out of Houston, Texas. She was very popular during the Leviathan wars. Under DOSA authority she hunted down Man and attacked him on sight, aiming to kill with deadly accuracy. However, Man's own strength grew as he was battered and beaten by the exotic energy. He got faster, and stronger, his own internal energy spiking with each bit of damage he took. He soon overpowered the energy wielder with a powerful flying punch that took them both into the sky. When they came back down, Man was holding Cleo in his arms as he descended to the earth. She was dead. He left her at an ER for any possibility of revival. But that didn’t happen. He had killed her.
The second came at him almost as soon as he’d left the ER. Eric had rock-like skin that made him virtually invulnerable. He punched and stabbed into Man with brutal physical force. He drew blood from Man, causing immense damage to his lower torso. In a violent burst of rage, Man lashed out with a devastating flurry of punches. He relentlessly beat and pummeled Eric’s hardened body. His internal energy rose and radiated out of him like a distant start coming closer to the earth. Eric tried to harden himself even more as the punishment grew and grew, but even that could not withstand Man's incredible strength. He shattered the rock-like skin and left the second superhuman on the ground in a vacant parking lot… dead. Man was mentally failing. He didn’t know why they wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t just leave him alone.
The third superhuman had the power to control shadows and move through them with ease. He followed Man from the body of the second superhuman to the warehouse Man used to use as his base of operations. In the shadows of the warehouse, Ian Withers was a god. It was an entire world of darkness at his disposal, and there was nothing Man could do to fight against him. The shadows literally sprang out and grabbed him. He was flung into the structure repeatedly. He never saw his attacker, only bands of literal blackness wrapping around his body to attack him. This was the most violent and brutal assault against Man. It wasn’t because he was outmatched in power and skill, it was the fact that Man felt like he couldn’t do this anymore. He had given up and stopped fighting.
In the darkness of the warehouse, Man was about to give up. He felt his will dissipating, but then he remembered her face. His wife’s face fluttered across his mind.
He thought, “If I die here, they’ll identify me. If they know me, they’ll know about her. They’ll find Dad and Mom. I can’t… I won’t!”
Man's growing strength allowed him to enhance all of his senses, including his mind to see through the shadows and anticipate his third attacker’s moves. With a swift unrestrained punch, Man took down the third superhuman, ending the fight. Three people were now dead.
DOSA had anticipated this outcome, knowing that Man was a formidable opponent. They immediately branded him as a terrorist and called for his capture, framing him as a threat to national security. They knew exactly who to send out against Man. His old team, the previous members of the Chicago Knights.
What happened in that battle did not go exactly as DOSA planned, but ultimately their end goal was achieved. They had planned on the previous teammates killing Man and bringing his body in for study and identification. However, after only mere minutes of battling his old friends, Man succumbed to the combined might of the DOSA task force… his old family. In the final blow, Darrius used a weapon he created specifically to take down a leviathan in a single shot, and literally destroyed Man. There was nothing left except a crater a quarter mile wide in an isolated area outside of Gary, Indiana. Man was defeated. Man was dead.
Some say that Darrius died that night too. His closest friend had to be taken down, and he couldn’t stop. DOSA made it very clear that if he didn’t stop Man, his mother would pay the price. He had to bring his ultimate weapon to make sure his mom was safe. The others had their own blackmail to worry about, all just as equally responsible for the death of their most powerful and most selflessly heroic friend. As they all stood just outside of the smoldering crater, they looked at each other in realization. None of them were heroes anymore. They thought they had given that up when they bowed down to DOSA. They thought it was already long gone. It wasn’t. After what they had all just done, hunting down and killing their old friend. They were not heroes anymore. They weren’t even government agents at that moment. As they looked at the fiery grave of their old brother-in-arms, they realized it. They were murderers.