"Nope! You're definitely not wearing that," Kate said as she looked at Leon, who was more draped in that long shirt.
The pants were slightly longer and baggier; they were folded, so it was alright, but the shirt looked hideous. "Wait a minute, take that off," she said, and he took it off.
She then fiddled around with her old clothes and saw a pink hoodie that would be too tight for her to wear now.
"..." Leon had a deadpan look, not for the cloth itself, but for what was written on it: "Tatas" in big letters. "Maybe I should not-"
"No, it's perfect."
"Kate, you know what Tatas means, right?"
"Isn't it a pun for boobs?" she replied with a straight face.
"...…"
She didn't seem bothered by it, so he just shrugged. Besides, it sounded like a fun idea. He could already imagine some people's reactions.
He'd also noticed the physical changes in his body. It wasn't like he was ripped like Satoru or anything, but his muscles were slightly toned, not anything close to what a 12-year-old's physique would be.
"Now wait outside. I'll change up quick." She tapped his back with a smile.
Kate took him to a shopping mart a bit far from her home in her car. They walked into what looked like an all-clothes shopping store.
The reason she brought him a bit away from her residential area was that it would be troublesome to explain his situation to the few people around there who somewhat knew about them.
Leon chose some clothes for himself; some Kate chose for him. They all fit him nicely, and he too loved most of their designs.
He was now wearing a blue chained hoodie over a gray shirt and knee-length pants, with sports shoes on.
And lastly, he chose a few sets of absurdly dark, round shades, from which it was almost impossible to see in normal lighting; for someone normal, that is.
"You sure you're fine with those? Might want to choose something with a lighter shade," Kate asked.
"Nope! These are perfect," he replied. It was for the Six Eyes, to tone down their vision as much as possible.
With this, he could at least see normally without that constant stinging pain he was ready to get used to. He had a feeling it wouldn't work for too long, but for now, it was okay.
Kate was about to pay the bill when a loud bang suddenly went off inside the store.
Screams erupted, all the people scared to death as a loud voice screamed, "Everyone, down on your knees… This is a robbery."
The cashier had already disappeared beneath the table, and Kate immediately pushed Leon down, along with herself.
'Who the hell robs a clothing store? What a waste,' Leon grumbled, trying to whisk away, but Kate held him tighter, covering him with her body.
Leon could sense her fear. There were four robbers, each holding a shotgun in their hands. They'd covered their faces with the masks of the Justice League.
Batman mask, their leader, and Superman mask, holding a bag as he went through people, forcing them to put their valuables in.
Batman mask walked forward to the cashier's desk where Leon and Kate were. Flash mask and Wonder Woman mask kept watch outside.
"Hurry up, guys, the alarms won't be disabled for too long," Flash mask said out loud.
He felt Kate clutch his hand tighter, then, putting his hand above hers, he gently whispered, "Kate, it's alright…"
She took a few deep breaths, loosening her grip. "Trust me, it's going to be alright," he said, a bit louder this time.
Superman mask, who was standing right there, pointing the gun at Kate, barked, "Put your money, purse, and all valuables in the bag. And toss your phone forward."
Leon raised his head and looked at the corners of the ceiling. There were three cameras in total, three that he could notice as far as this floor was concerned.
'Now's the time,' He thought and focused, and just when the Superman-masked guy leaned down to take Kate's belongings, Leon swiped his hands three times in different directions.
It was fast, but the guy noticed. "The fuck?" he blurted when they all heard the crackling sound of something destroying the three cameras.
Superman mask immediately pointed his gun at Leon, which all happened so fast that Kate had just looked up, only to see the situation escalated.
"What did you do, twerp-" he shouted at him, but he noticed something: his gun was lighter. The whole barrel, including his trigger finger, had been cleanly sliced off.
"Arrrgh!!!" He grabbed his hand and got down on the floor, writhing in pain. "Shit! He's one of them." The three others pointed their guns at him.
Leon flicked his finger at the two standing a bit far from him. 'Dismantle,' He thought, aiming single precise slices at their guns, which cut through the metal like a hot knife through butter.
He was being very mindful of how much CE he was using. He didn't want to give them the Kit-Kat treatment just for a clothing store robbery.
The one near him, standing in front of the cashier's desk, pulled the trigger. Leon just casually put his hand forward, extending the Infinity in front of him.
The widespread buckshot all stopped in front of him, as if they'd hit an invisible wall. The few onlookers were wide-eyed.
The Batman mask, who'd shot the gun, mumbled "ah, fuck!".
'Be creative, huh,' Leon thought and closed his fist; all the spread-out metal bearings converged at the center where a subtly glowing blue energy was gathered.
Aiming the combined metal ball at the Batman mask's knees, he flicked his finger, and it shot forward like a makeshift bullet, right into his kneecap.
It didn't penetrate but was enough to break it. "AGHHH, my leg!!!" he screamed, tumbling on the ground, grabbing his knee.
Leon looked back at the two who were still standing, the Wonder Woman mask and the Flash mask. He slightly lowered his glasses, those blue eyes sending shivers down their spines.
"We swear we'll surrender," they raised their hands.
"Tie a tourniquet on his hand or something," Leon pointed down at the guy whose finger had been cut off and had passed out.
The two immediately began working.
"Leon?" Kate called him from behind. He widened his eyes. 'Shit, I forgot.'
"Aunt… I, ah-" He couldn't finish speaking when she pulled him into a hug. "I was so worried," she said in a breathless tone.
"It's alright now." He patted her back.
"Are you alright?" She held his face, trying to check if he was hurt anywhere.
Her heart had stopped when that man pulled the trigger. But seeing what happened next, she was left speechless.
'Oh no, the cameras,' She looked up, only to see three destroyed CCTVs. 'Did he-' She looked down at her nephew.
"I'm fine… See? I can still move." He flexed his muscle, getting a small chuckle from her. It was then that she noticed the other people who were looking at them.
Superheroes and metahumans were not that uncommon, but a child who looked barely thirteen capable of doing all that. (A/N: Wait till they find out about Dick Grayson's Robin.)
Taking Satoru's hearty advice, Leon decided to do the most logical thing. Slightly pulling his goggles down, he gave a smirk and said, "Well, folks, I'm sure you all just saw how these four fought each other and hurt themselves?"
They were all confused, silently turning their heads. One man from behind spoke out, "Yeah, what idiots. Who even robs a clothing store in the first place?"
"Yup, see, that man is very smart. I like you, whoever you are," Leon replied in the same enthusiastic voice.
The others agreed immediately. And the three conscious robbers, one still wincing in pain, nodded their heads too. "Yeah, we had a huge disagreement."
Wonder Woman mask even went ahead and slapped the Batman mask's knee. "Ahhhh, FUCK!!!"
"This fucker, he's the one who started it too… Yeah, that's what happened, nothing else, we promise," he said.
"Checks out," Leon nodded with a smile. A smile that only Kate found lovely; others, for some reason, decided to play along with the whole fiasco after seeing that smile.
The cashier was refusing to have them pay, but one look from Leon's blue eyes, and he awkwardly accepted the money, sweating buckets.
And the fact that the police just asked them basic questions, like what happened and all that, was proof enough that no one had opened their mouths.
Well, not that it mattered too much. He just wanted to avoid attention for the time being, as much as possible.
What he didn't notice, though, was a hooded figure who was capturing his actions on their camera before, who'd now silently disappeared. (A/N: It's always the hooded figures. It's cliche, I know. But what to do? Can't help myself.)
The drive home was silent. Maybe Kate was trying to avoid talking about it. Now he was more sure that she'd known something was up.
'I mean, I miraculously healed the next day I woke from a third-degree-burn-induced coma that had lasted for four years,' He thought, realizing that both Angie and Kate might have been in on it from the start.
'But how much do I share if she does ask? I don't exactly want to lie,' He thought.
When they finally reached home and were sitting silently at the dining table, Kate finally said, "Leon? Are you- Are you trying to figure it out?"
She continued, "People just don't magically heal for nothing. I just didn't want to make a big fuss about it, at first." she replied.
"I-" He was about to say something when she came closer and held his face with her hands, gently cupping his cheeks.
"Just tell me one thing, truthfully. Are you alright?" she asked.
"I am," he replied without a shred of doubt in his voice.
"Then that's all I need to hear. What you did today was dangerous. Not because you showed your abilities or anything.
But you could have hurt yourself or even them to a severe degree. I guess you did try to minimize the damage. Taking out the cameras was a smart move, by the way," she smiled.
And continued, "Regardless, I need you to promise me one thing." She looked at him in his eyes and said, "Whatever happens, if you ever need my help or just want to speak to someone about it, just say it to me, okay?"
With a loving smile, he pulled her into a gentle hug, saying, "I promise." Leon didn't know what this discussion would lead to before. But the fact that Kate was willing to go this far, he was glad that he wasn't alone.
This made him even more motivated to grow stronger. What if something bad had happened today? His actions today were based on assuming that the four were just normal humans, but what if they'd been metahumans? The outcome might have been different.
Granted, everything was solved without a hitch; it could have had a different outcome. 'I need to become stronger, faster…' He thought.
"So, Leon Blade's now a metahuman too, huh? What would your superhero name be?" Kate said in a slightly enthusiastic voice.
"Ah, well, not a metahuman, actually."
"Huh?" She looked more confused now.
"For now, I can only tell you this… I'm a sorcerer."
"...…"
"...…"
The same night:
The training session in his mindscape went pretty much the same as the night before. The only difference was that Leon knew how to use some of the abilities.
He thought having Infinity and trying to use the offensive abilities like Blue and Dismantle against the two this soon would be a good idea, which immediately bit him in the ass.
Even the number of times he'd died had significantly increased compared to the other night. No matter how much he tried, the two masters of his, as amazing as they were during their theoretical lectures, were absolute menaces during his practical sessions.
Leon also learned to deploy some veils, Satoru's explanations sounded simple enough but it was Sukuna who really helped him in understanding how barriers worked.
Casting one was pretty easy, in fact the easiest thing Leon had learnt from these two, yet. It did have a long ass chant though.
And at the end, Satoru brought up something that made him feel like an idiot. "Hey kid, earlier today, if you wanted to keep your abilities a secret for now.
Couldn't you have just used the Demon Dogs? You know, secretly summoning them from the shadows and no one would know if it was you or anyone else."
Leon felt like hitting himself in the head. But no way he'd admit that. "Ah, that, you see. I really wanted to test Amplification and Dismantle in a combat… That was the reason."
"So, you really didn't forget you had the shadows?" Satoru raised his eyebrows.
"What? Forget? Me? No way… haha." Leon felt his consciousness fading after that.
The next morning, he woke up absolutely beat up, nothing that was visible outside, but he couldn't even move for the first few minutes when his eyes opened.
"I hate this... Ugh, my back… My legs…" He grumbled before pushing himself off the bed. He was all sweaty again. 'I need a shower.'
Kate was there for breakfast today. While they were eating, she spoke, "Leon, I've already spoken with the principal of Downtown Public School. I figured it would be better than continuing to go to your old school."
Leon was caught off guard by that. He'd kind of put that on the back of his mind but didn't think it would be this soon.
"Oh, about that. Can I apply for the seventh grade?" Leon asked.
"I don't know. You have lost four years. And I had to tell them some truth: that you've been hospitalized for all this time."
"Hmm… What if I take a test, then? Can we request that? I promise I won't waste their or our time," he asked.
"Are you sure?" she asked him, looking a bit unsure.
"I am… I don't want to waste another four years if I can prove myself," he replied with a confidence that put a smile on her face.
To his surprise, she said, "I actually brought this up to the principal, too. And he'd said the same thing. They're willing to give you the chance if you pass four tests they'll prepare for you.
From third to sixth grades…" She knew how smart he'd been even before the accident, so she was just hoping he'd say the same thing she was thinking of.
"When do you think you'll be ready? I can talk to the principal that way and see if I can arrange any study materials for you." She started thinking of all the things he might need.
"Actually, about that. Can we go there next week, Monday? And I'm already kind of caught up with all that's needed for a seventh grader. So, I don't need any other materials," he replied with a smile.
"Wait, caught up? Don't tell me that's what you were doing on the computer," she asked, sounding a bit awkward.
"Yeah, what did you think I was doing?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing, just that you might be looking around… Forget about that, how's the pancake?" she asked, changing the subject.
"The pancake's good. Like, pancakes." He frowned, not knowing what she was on about.
'But how did he catch up in two days?' She was still unsure if he actually did that. Only if she knew what his actual academic level was. He'd already soaked up decades worth of information in just a matter of two days.
Cadmus Labs, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Mark Desmond was busy going through his research, sitting at his table inside his office, when someone suddenly pushed open the door, his assistant from outside pleading, "Please, you can't just-"
"It's alright," Mark assured after recognizing who the person was.
It was a middle-aged man with a muscular stature and short, well-trimmed blonde hair. He was wearing a blue sleeveless combat vest with box pants, his left shoulder padded with double metal plates.
"Crock! Why are you here? I don't believe we've been assigned any new tasks, Together." emphasizing his last word.
"You wound me, Dr. Desmond. Have I not been your best support yet-"
"Cut to the chase. I don't have time to waste," Mark snarled.
"Ah, well, here. See for yourself." He pulled out a memory chip and handed it to Mark, who then inserted it into his computer and watched the only video in it.
It was some kid fighting against some robbers, using his powers. Mark gave his "associate" a deadpan look.
"... Saw anything? Anything interesting at all?" Crock asked.
The doctor gave a sigh and said, "Listen here, Lawrence, don't you think we're way past getting surprised with the appearance of a metahuman?"
"Heh, that's the thing. The kid ain't one of them. The metahuman sensor you gave me was all silent. So, unless your device was a dud," Crock shrugged.
"You sure it was on at that time?" Mark asked with a bit more intrigue now.
"Do I look like someone who'd waste your time? Or worse, mine?" Crock was getting offended for real now.
Mark sweated a bit and, after clearing his throat, "Why? Why bring me this and not to Mr. Luthor?"
"Well, we're all working for the same guy, aren't we? And besides, I've been specially tasked with helping you finish that project of yours.
So, if the Light's task is to be finished, don't you think this kid has some potential for that?" Crock replied.
Mark thought about it. It was true; he needed human subjects for his final tests. But normal humans couldn't handle the process, and metahuman physiology just outright rejected the procedure.
If this kid was really not a metahuman, then there could be a chance. "Alright. Find out about him, and if there's nothing too troublesome, just bring him here. I don't care how you do it."
"You know I will…" He grinned, pulling out a grey hockey mask from his back, which he then put on his face.
...… To be continued!!!
A/N: Whew, done with the Sixth. Alright, kicking off with two infamous villains finally getting the first screen time. Let's see where this goes. See you next chapter... Bye!!!