After the Expo, people began discussing the former "useless hero." Deep in the heart of the city's underground, the number one ranked villain, Anton Strantanov, known by his villain name, Object 171, initiated his plans to end this era of heroes.
His footsteps fell like lead as he marched up from the underground with an army of villains that could rival that of every hero agency and then some. Tsar Fusion was dispatched immediately with every available hero to put down these villains. However, in a terrifying display of power, 171 raised his hand, as if holding a delicate glass of champagne. As Tsar and the other heroes rushed towards him, a pre-recorded broadcast began to play across the globe...
"Heroes... Villains... Civilians. What separates the three categories? Simple, bureaucrats and their red tape. You all praise heroes when they rescue you, as they have been told they can legally strike back. You've all been conditioned to know that "only strength matters". You allow the strong to trample the weak. Today, I am going to teach you all a lesson. I am going to show you just how fragile your heroes... actually are."
A second after all the livestreams of the world switched to a camera watching 171. He smiled as he dropped this seemingly invisible glass of champagne. As it hit the ground and shattered into a billion little shards, a massive explosion ripped heroes limb from limb in a flash of white. The livestreams now showed nothing but the blood and bodies of dead heroes littering the battlefield. Only Tsar Fusion remained standing. The legion of villains rushed him, their weapons, powers, and overall fangs of evil aimed at him. Tsar fought and fought harder, his body reaching its limit as he took down half of the onslaught.
171 slow-clapped for the hero. "Bravo! Tsar Fusion, everyone! THE NUMBER ONE HERO," the villain smiled, letting some of his insanity slip out, "WHO'S AT HIS LIMITS! EVISCERATE HIM!" As the villains rushed him, Tsar tried to muster the last of his strength, desperately trying to survive, a single voice cried out about them, "RED STEEL WEPS! MAXIMUM POWER!" Tsar's eyes immediately shot up, "It's... you."
171 looked up to find the Grey Ghost slamming his fist into the concrete, blasting the villains away from Tsar. Grey gave Tsar the medkit he'd been saving. "Get yourself patched up. Time to show the world... a much better way to put these guys down." Grey locked his mask into place and raised his fists. "Come on, ugly. Please show me what you've got, and I sure hope you've got more than talk." 171 sized up Grey. He shook his head and engaged his enhancing powers.
The crowds of average citizens watched as Grey locked his gauntlets onto his hands and began marching toward the incoming wave of villains. Tsar shouted for Grey to retreat, but with a simple thumbs up, Grey rushed headfirst at them. Juno and the support team, who were backing Grey, provided the hero with new gadgets and technology to keep him running. His fists knocked villains out of his way, throwing them left and right as he rushed into the wave and broke through it. Tsar was shocked, watching this young hero push through villains who'd posed real threats to the entire hero society.
Grey leaps into the air, materializing a hammer out of the energy pouring from his body. "STEEL DRIVER'S IMPACT!" Shouted Grey, as the energy sledgehammer slammed into head after head, ripping apart the villains as Grey was now only twelve feet from 171. The villain's expression shifted from one of anger to one of curiosity. "So this is the so-called "useless hero", fascinating." With the snap of his fingers, Grey and 171 were warped miles into the sky. Before Grey could fall, a P-51 Mustang made of pure energy materialized under his feet, making 171 laugh.
"Well now! It seems not every hero in this ridiculous society is a meathead! ENTERTAIN ME, HERO!" Powerful blasts started ripping apart the very fabric of the sky around them. Grey wasn't about to let himself lose, nor fall miles back down to the surface for an unpleasant death, so he fought back. Tsar and a few other heroes stood up, watching the aerial battle unfold above them.
"We have to help him." Said Tsar, wincing in pain. One of the medics slapped him, "You fucking moron. None of you is in any condition to be anything but a hindrance to him. Sadly... It took all of you getting mauled for the rest of us to see through the bullcrap you've all fed us." The medic looked Tsar in the eyes, "You may want to apologize to him... especially since he's up there saving all of us."
Back in the sky, Grey's P-51 Mustang platform was getting weaker and weaker as the young hero expended more and more energy. However, 171 wasn't in much better of a position. Air walking took up a large chunk of his energy, not to mention... just all of the high-powered attacks he was dishing out. They were both critically low on fuel to keep going. However, as the Mustang began to disappear entirely, Grey lunged through the air, tackling 171 towards the ground... now four miles below them. As they fell, 171 growled under his breath.
"My, my, how the inferior howl in pain. You know, useless hero, you could become one of us. Help me unravel this world's corrupt society, teach those who laughed at us a lesson! HELP ME REMAKE THE GLOBE!"
Grey didn't answer; instead, he increased his velocity and, once underneath 171, slowed himself down and upward kicked 171. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! I get it, you know? This hate for a society that threw you aside, a hate for a society that mocked you, stepped all fucking over you... I've lived it, while you hid in the shadows. Don't you ever think I'll join you simply because of some shared pain... You overzealous prick."