Deep in the Undercity, within the towering structure now known as the Royal Chasm, Lord Bale sat behind an ornate desk. Stacks of paperwork surrounded him as he managed the affairs of his domain, the scratch of his pen against paper the only sound in the otherwise silent chamber.
A soft knock interrupted his concentration.
"May I come inside, Lord Bale?" a feminine voice called from beyond the heavy door.
"Enter," he responded, not looking up from his work.
The female enforcer—commander of the Undercity's newly established military—stepped into the room, her posture rigid with formality. "Lord Bale, a Heptad member from above has arrived to see you," she reported, tension evident in her voice.
Bale's pen stopped mid-stroke. A Heptad member in the Undercity was unprecedented—and rarely a good sign. He composed himself before responding, "Let this individual inside."
The massive doors swung open once more, revealing a figure shrouded in a black cloak. As he stepped into the light, the visitor's features became clear—unusually elongated canines gleamed beneath his hood, his lithe frame belying the predatory aura that seemed to swallow the room's atmosphere. Though he stood only 170cm tall, his presence dominated the chamber, making it suddenly feel claustrophobic.
The temperature seemed to drop as he pushed back his hood and introduced himself.
"Hello, leader of the Undercity," the visitor said, his voice a low growl that barely contained something wild beneath its surface. "I am Trevor, Rank 7 of the Heptad. We defeated Real Steel a few days ago, but we also tracked his DNA to this place."
Trevor's eyes narrowed, pupils contracting to slits for a brief moment. "We suspect that Michael Florescent—or should I say, Michael Cinders—has inherited his powers... or will soon. Steel's power is a disease after prolonged use. So I was sent to kill him... or something like that." A casual shrug accompanied this pronouncement of murderous intent. "Give him to me, and let us brawl to the death. Of course, he's the one who'll be dying."
Rage flashed across Bale's features as he rose from his seat. "Nice to meet you too, Heptad member. I am a big fan," he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "But I'm afraid we cannot comply with your wishes to just let you kill our ally Michael."
Trevor's lips curled back, revealing more of his unnaturally sharp teeth. "Just give him to us if you want to avoid problems and war—because you will lose." His voice dropped an octave, rumbling like distant thunder. "I'm saying give him now, or else I will do this with force."
"Sorry," Bale responded, standing his ground despite the palpable danger radiating from Trevor. "We cannot give him up. We will fight for him. We will not let a son of a bitch like you kill him. He is our ally—no, he is our close friend."
A terrible grin spread across Trevor's face, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Fine. Force, then. Let's fight. I'm bored anyway."
In one fluid motion, Trevor cast aside his cloak. The fabric had barely touched the ground before he vanished from sight—only to reappear directly in front of Bale, moving with impossible speed.
His fist connected with Bale's chest, the impact generating a shockwave that shattered the nearby windows. Bale's body rocketed through the wall of the Royal Chasm's tower, trailing debris as he plummeted toward the ground below. Despite the devastating blow, he managed to twist mid-air, unsheathing his sword and landing in an attack stance, though the crater beneath his feet betrayed the force of his impact.
A shadow fell over him.
Trevor had leapt from the tower, his body transforming mid-descent. Muscles bulged and expanded, fur erupting across his skin as his frame stretched to colossal proportions. Where a man had been moments before, now stood a 10-meter humanoid tiger with claws like scythes and fangs the size of swords.
Before Bale could react, the monstrous paw swung down. The blow connected with Bale's torso, the sound of breaking ribs echoing across the plaza as he was sent hurtling into a nearby building. Concrete and steel crumbled around his unconscious form.
Alarms blared throughout the Undercity. Enforcers converged on the scene, weapons trained on the beast. Their bullets peppered Trevor's hide but might as well have been raindrops for all the effect they had—simply flattening against his fur before falling uselessly to the ground.
"STOP SHOOTING!" a voice commanded. James and Violet rushed onto the scene, the two lieutenants of the Undercity forces positioning themselves between Trevor and the fallen Bale. "We'll handle this immediately," James continued, his voice steady despite the overwhelming threat before them. "Violet, go heal Bale. I'll take care of this."
Trevor's massive head swiveled toward them, his amber eyes reflecting an almost gleeful bloodlust. With a speed that defied his enormous size, he lunged—not at James, but at Violet. One massive paw swept forward, claws extending mid-strike.
Blood sprayed as those claws tore through Violet's midsection. Her scream cut short as her body was flung aside like a discarded toy, crimson staining the ground where she landed.
James had no time to react before Trevor's attention snapped to him. The beast moved like liquid shadow, appearing before James with impossible speed. A single blow connected with James's abdomen—not just breaking skin but punching clean through, lifting him off his feet as Trevor's claws erupted from his back.
With a casual flick, Trevor sent James's impaled body flying through another section of the tower. Masonry collapsed around the lieutenant's broken form as Trevor observed his handiwork with cruel satisfaction.
"Is that all the Undercity has for me? WEAKLINGS!" Trevor's voice boomed across the devastated plaza, his bestial form seeming to grow even larger with his contempt.
A blur of movement caught his attention. James—somehow still alive—launched himself at Trevor, his fist connecting with the beast's chest in a thunderous impact that actually forced Trevor back several steps.
Surprise flashed across the monster's features, quickly replaced by rage. He caught James's fist in his massive paw, crushing bones beneath his grip before delivering a devastating blow to James's face. The lieutenant's skull caved beneath the impact, his body going limp.
And then—impossibly—James stirred. His crushed skull knitted itself back together before Trevor's disbelieving eyes.
"What the—" Trevor began, but was cut off as James's other fist slammed into his face with renewed strength, forcing the behemoth to stagger backward.
Realization dawned in Trevor's eyes as they darted to where Violet lay—no longer bleeding, but concentrating intently, her hands glowing with healing energy.
"The fucking healer," he snarled, abandoning James to charge at Violet with hypersonic speed that distorted the air around him.
Before he could reach her, a figure materialized between them—Bale, recovered and radiating determination, deflected Trevor's strike with his blade. The clash of metal against claw created sparks that illuminated the night.
"I am sick and tired of you shits," Trevor growled, his voice rumbling like an approaching earthquake.
What followed was pure brutality. Trevor became a whirlwind of destruction, his massive form blurring as he struck from all directions at once. Bale's sword moved with incredible skill, but even he couldn't block every attack from the relentless beast. Violet maintained her healing, but each time she restored her comrades, Trevor's attacks grew more vicious, more precise.
Blood splattered across the plaza as the three defenders were gradually overwhelmed, their resistance crumbling beneath Trevor's overwhelming might. Bodies were thrown through buildings, crushed under massive paws, torn by razor claws. The beast seemed tireless, his savagery only increasing with each passing moment.
The Undercity trembled beneath his rampage, structures collapsing as citizens fled in terror from the unstoppable monster in their midst. It seemed nothing could halt his advance, nothing could match his raw power.
Then—a voice cut through the chaos, calm and resolute:
"If you're looking for me, then here I am. But keep in mind, I won't be that easy to kill, Trevor."
The beast froze, turning his massive head toward the source of the voice. Standing atop a nearby building, silhouetted against the artificial lights of the Undercity, was a single figure—Michael Florescent, his crimson eyes glowing with energy.
Trevor's monstrous face split into a grin that revealed rows of dagger-like teeth. "Michael Cinders! Finally, you're here." His voice rumbled with dark anticipation as he turned fully toward his true target. "I hope you are a fun fight."