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The battlefield lay in ruin, but the battle was far from over. Smoke billowed from shattered buildings, and the eerie glow of the Rift still flickered above New York like a wound in the sky. Kai Vel stood among the rubble, his black armor streaked with dust and blood, his cape billowing in the wind. The Orc Lord lay lifeless at his feet, the remains of his shattered body buried in the debris.
Kai's eyes moved toward the Rift. It pulsed ominously, leaking more Orcs into the city, though in smaller numbers now. The portal needed to be closed before more poured through. His gauntlets hummed with energy, the intricate Valorian technology glowing a fierce blue. With a determined gaze, he raised his hands toward the Rift. His fingers twitched, activating the energy conduits within his gauntlets.
"Close," he muttered, his voice a quiet command.
The gauntlets emitted a powerful burst of energy, surging toward the Rift like a tidal wave of light. The swirling chaos of the portal resisted, fighting back with force, but Kai's strength was relentless. Slowly, the edges of the Rift began to fold in on themselves, the light dimming as the crack in reality began to seal.
With a final surge of power, the Rift snapped shut, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air where it had been. The silence that followed was deafening, the kind that only comes after violence—a quiet too still, too unnatural.
Kai lowered his arms, his gauntlets flickering before powering down. He turned, scanning the battlefield once more. Pockets of Orcs still fought, but their numbers were dwindling. Stragglers remained scattered like rats, desperate to escape the chaos they had caused.
His body moved on autopilot, his mind split between thoughts. His enhanced senses guided him through the streets as he moved at impossible speed, picking off any remaining Orcs with brutal efficiency. Each strike was precise, and calculated. Orcs fell before they even realized he was there, their bodies crumpling as his fists and heat vision tore through them.
Yet, amidst the destruction, Kai's mind remained focused on one thing—the civilians.
He moved swiftly, finding those trapped beneath fallen buildings, hidden in the wreckage. His hands tore through concrete and steel as if they were paper, pulling people from the debris with careful, almost gentle precision. His movements were methodical, saving one person, then another, all while keeping an eye on the battlefield around him.
At the edge of the chaos, he spotted the medics, a small team stationed near the makeshift barricades. With ease, Kai lifted a large slab of concrete, revealing a family of three huddled beneath it, alive but terrified. He carried them in his arms, their weight nothing compared to the destruction surrounding him.
The medics looked up as he approached, eyes wide with awe and fear. They stepped aside as he laid the family down before them, barely able to muster a word. He didn't wait for thanks; there were more to save. Without a word, he was gone again, his black armor a blur through the wreckage.
Eventually, the battlefield was clear of Orcs, and the last of the civilians had been evacuated to safety. Kai stood alone in the center of the wreckage, his glowing eyes scanning the horizon for any remaining threats.
Then came the hum of helicopters, and the roar of armored vehicles. A.R.G.U.S. had arrived.
From the sky, black helicopters descended, their rotors cutting through the air with sharp precision. Armored personnel carriers rolled onto the streets, flanked by squads of heavily armed soldiers. A.R.G.U.S. agents moved in quickly, securing the perimeter, sweeping the area for any lingering threats. Their black uniforms were pristine, and their movements were coordinated and efficient.
Kai remained still as they approached, his body relaxed but his mind was alert. He knew what this was—containment, scrutiny. They were here to clean up the mess, but more importantly, they were here to investigate him.
A lead A.R.G.U.S. agent stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Kai. She was tall, with sharp features and an air of authority. "Alexander, I presume," she said, her voice professional but cautious.
Kai didn't respond, merely meeting her gaze with indifference.
"We're here to assess the situation," she continued. "And... assess you. Batman gave us a warning. even The Wall herself is interested in your... abilities."
At the mention of Waller, Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd heard of her—a woman who wielded power from the shadows, manipulating governments, metahumans, and heroes alike. He'd expected this.
The agent's comm crackled with a voice on the other end, though it wasn't loud enough for Kai to make out the words. The agent nodded and gestured for her team to move in. They began scanning the area, taking notes, and collecting samples from the dead Orcs.
But the real scrutiny was on him.
Meanwhile, across the world, a storm was brewing on the internet.
Videos of the battle between Kai and the Orc Lord had flooded social media. Amateur footage, shaky and unsteady, showed the moment Kai defeated the towering Orc Lord in brutal fashion. Another clip showed him sealing the Rift with his gauntlets, and still others captured the raw devastation of his combat with the Orc army.
The world had never seen anything like him.
Speculation ran rampant—people called him a new hero, a villain, an alien conqueror. Some likened him to Superman, but most had settled on a new name: Valor.
The footage spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the globe. News outlets were buzzing, and debate raged on every platform. Who was this new figure? Was he friend or foe? What did he want?
In the Batcave, Batman sat before his glowing monitors, his face illuminated by the screen. His eyes were cold, calculating as he replayed the footage of Kai's fight. Every move was scrutinized, every gesture analyzed. He zoomed in on Kai's gauntlets, the tech unfamiliar, advanced beyond anything the League had ever encountered.
"This isn't just power," Batman muttered to himself, his brow furrowing. "It's training. Military precision. But he's not Kryptonian. Not Andromedans. Not Almeracians neither Braalians…"
His voice trailed off as he pulled up another feed, the satellite footage showing Kai flying through the skies. His mind worked through a dozen scenarios, each more paranoid than the last.
At the same time, Amanda Waller sat in her office, leaning back in her chair as she watched the same footage. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on her desk, her expression unreadable. She had seen beings of immense power before, but this one—this one was different. He wasn't just strong. He was controlled, methodical.
Dangerous.
She tapped a button on her desk, and a file appeared on her screen—one marked with Kai's name. A frown tugged at the corner of her lips as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
"Valor," she whispered to herself, her mind already turning toward how she could use him—or, if necessary, Contain him.
As the world speculated, as heroes and villains alike watched with growing interest, Kai—Valor—remained silent, his thoughts his own. But in the quiet corners of his mind,