One night, in a sprawling metropolis, several police helicopters circled a skyscraper, washing the building in the harsh glare of searchlights. A handsome young man in his mid-twenties stood on the roof. He had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a crisp white suit with a black tie. He held a cane in front of him with both hands, standing tall and calm as if waiting for something. His eyes were pure white—blind.
Suddenly, "boom," three powerful figures—one woman and two men—slammed onto the roof in front of him. The young man smirked at the sound. As the spotlights illuminated the newcomers, it became clear they were wearing costumes.
A ruggedly handsome man with a cleft chin and short black hair stepped forward. He wore a tight red suit that showed off his muscular build, with a white cape billowing behind him. Beside him was a Black man in a blue mask and a matching tight blue suit. His body was enveloped in a brilliant blue glow, and he didn't touch the ground; instead, he hovered slightly as he moved forward.
The woman looked like a beautiful, fierce red-headed knight. Her body was muscular and strong, encased in iron armor over a sleek black spandex bodysuit, with a mask covering her eyes. The young man's smirk widened.
"Welcome Star Man, Blue Light, and Sun Knight. It's a pleasure to receive you," the young man said.
"Quiet, King. Your crimes end here. You'd better surrender; I don't want to fight a blind man," shouted Star Man, the man with the cleft chin.
"Tonight, you're going to Zanatras," Sun Knight added.
Meanwhile, the hovering Blue Light crossed his arms and nodded, causing the blue light in his eyes to shimmer with the movement.
"I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you all, but that's not possible... go ahead, make me surrender," the blind youth called King replied.
"Fine. You asked for it," Star Man said.
Without delay, "boom," Star Man lunged, flying low toward King, who stood perfectly still, looking in another direction. Just as the hero intended to strike, King's body erupted in massive sparks of white lightning. Even his sightless eyes crackled with electricity. The white bolts tore open a vortex in front of King. Suddenly, Star Man shot out of the vortex that opened beside King and "pow," Blue Light was sent flying deep into the sky, blindsided by Star Man's charge.
"Huh," Star Man uttered, shocked. He watched his friend soar away and drift unconscious in the air. He turned back. "Hey... what did you do, King?" Star Man growled.
"Nothing at all. As you can see, I'm just standing here," King answered casually, remaining motionless with a polite, mocking smile.
"You brat,"
Sun Knight leaped with a furious punch aimed at King, but King's body, shrouded in lightning, opened another vortex. A portal appeared right in front of Star Man. "Pow," Sun Knight's full-strength blow landed squarely on Star Man's handsome face. The force sent Star Man tumbling backward, skidding across the floor until he ended up flat on his back. He tried to sit up, clutching his face.
"Aaw," he screamed in pain as blood leaked from his nose.
"I'm sorry," Sun Knight cried, feeling guilty as she rushed over to Star Man.
King lifted his hand and brought his smartwatch close to his ear. Then, he looked at the two superheroes helping each other.
"My sincerest apologies. I'd actually love to stay and play with you all, but my wives are waiting for me at home. Sorry... let's do this again next time," King said.
"Hey... don't you run!" Sun Knight yelled, standing up.
Suddenly, "thump," King tapped his cane on the floor. A white vortex opened beneath his feet. He stepped into it, smiling and waving at the two superheroes. Elsewhere, a white rift opened in a ceiling. Three beautiful girls—one with long straight black hair, one with short blonde hair, and one with brown hair—were sitting on a sofa. They immediately shifted as King fell through and landed right in the middle of them.
"Husband!" the three girls shouted, hugging King.
"Hey... I'm home. Have you girls had dinner yet?" King asked.
"Not yet, we were waiting for you, darling," the black-haired girl replied.
"Me neither... I haven't eaten yet," the brown-haired girl added.
"Let's eat, I'm starving, honey," the blonde girl added, squeezing King tight.
"Yes, yes... be patient, I have to ask something first," King replied softly.
Suddenly, King's face turned serious. He looked ahead to see a line of men in black suits and white ties wearing sunglasses, bowing to greet him.
"Well?" King asked.
"All secure, Boss Rory," replied a handsome, thin bald man standing at the front of a line of about fifty men.
"Hey... call me King in front of the crew. Honestly, Jacob," Rory—alias King—replied, annoyed.
"Yes, Boss," Jacob replied with a bow and a grin.
"Good. Let's take this city back from the rule of the superheroes, hahahaha," Rory laughed like a supervillain, wrapping his arms around his three girls who clung to him with wide smiles.
***
Okay, stop. The story above is just the opening—a glimpse of when I'm twenty-five and already controlling half the city as KING. This story actually begins when I was seventeen. My name is Rory White. I was born blind. Back then, my eyes were usually closed, not open and white like they are now. I was an orphan, left in a basket at a convent orphanage with a birth certificate. The name on it belonged to an old man who kicked the bucket a month later. So, you could say I was cursed and blind from the start.
I was raised by an old nun there. When I grew up and she tried to teach me to pray, for some reason, the prayers never stuck. Instead, since the age of ten, I became obsessed with villains. In this world, superheroes and supervillains are the real deal; plenty of people have all sorts of powers, but we'll get to that later. I stayed at the orphanage because nobody wants to adopt a blind kid. When I turned seventeen, the grandmother who raised me passed away, and the convent was torn down to build a mall.
I ended up drifting on the streets with no home. I'd still go to school every day, but I had to bum showers at the gym, fast-food joints, or even park bathrooms. As for money? I was dead broke. The only part-time job I could get was acting like a statue to greet people entering five-star hotels.
They gave me a uniform because I was handsome, but obviously, they didn't trust me to be a cashier, a waiter, a mechanic, or anything that required eyes. But then, something happened to me—something that finally let me see how rotten this world really is and made me gains my power.