The address Lady Gorgon provided led Josh to a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It was a massive, crumbling structure, surrounded by an overgrown lot littered with rusted machinery and debris. A fittingly ominous setting. As Josh approached, the large metal doors groaned open, revealing a dimly lit interior.
A disembodied voice, undoubtedly Dr. Psych's, echoed from unseen speakers. "Welcome, Mr. Miller. Please, step into the center of the floor." There was a cold, clinical detachment in the tone that set Josh's teeth on edge.
Hesitantly, Josh stepped inside. The ground beneath his feet began to rumble, and with a sickening lurch, the floor descended, revealing itself to be a hidden elevator platform as it plunged him down into the depths of the earth.
Meanwhile, some distance away, Ebony Blade watched the warehouse through a sophisticated surveillance system, her face a mask of worry. Beside her stood a huge, young, muscular Japanese hero with short black spiky hair, fair skin, and wearing a green and gray armored spandex suit with light gray cargo pants. He stood with a reassuring smile. The B-Rank Hero Kaiju-Man.
“He should be fine, Ebony Blade," he said, his voice light yet assured. "If this Miller fella is as powerful as you say he is, I am sure he will handle himself fine.”
Ebony Blade frowned, her gaze fixed on the screen. "That's assuming he knows the difference between C and B-Rank meta-humans, Kaiju-Man," she countered, her voice tight with concern. "They are basically modern gods of war that have been known to take over entire nations single-handedly… and we have basically sent a child into a lion’s den full of them.”
Kaiju-Man hummed in thought, then placed a large, reassuring hand on Ebony Blade's shoulder. "Well, from what I've seen of him, this Josh… despite still being a kid, he has a look about him that you only get from a veteran hero. I think he'll do alright."
Ebony Blade sighed, the tension in her shoulders not easing. "I am afraid that is all we can do now.”
The elevator platform finally reached its destination. When the doors slid open, they revealed a massive underground arena—a technological nightmare within a cavernous space covered in dark metal plating. A web of wires and tubes snaked across the walls, illuminated by pulsing red lights, making it look like a grotesque parody of a gladiatorial arena. Not long afterward, a holographic image of Dr. Psych flickered into existence before Josh.
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"Welcome, Mr. Miller," he said, his voice echoing through the vast space. "I trust you'll find the accommodations… stimulating. I am Dr. Edgar Psych, at your service." His image shimmered, revealing a disturbingly middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a predatory smile.
Josh recognized him instantly—another B-Rank villain, infamous for developing his own metagene through unethical experimentation and a notorious arms dealer who sold high-class weaponry to fund his depraved research.
"I'm going to test your skills by first sending in a dozen T4s to test that Ki energy of yours," Dr. Psych continued, his voice devoid of emotion. "And don't worry about damaging them; these aren't shielded."
Before Josh could respond, a series of teleportation fields activated around the arena. The T4 drones materialized, their crimson eyes glowing, and immediately advanced. Lasers charged, claws whirred, and the mechanical monstrosities lunged.
Josh moved, and the next moment was a blur of motion and power.
He dodged the clumsy attacks of the T4s, weaving through their laser fire and metallic limbs with a speed and agility that was beyond what any human could accomplish and would make most superhumans envious. Each strike Josh landed was precise and devastating, shattering the robots' armor like a hammer against a shield of glass. When one enchants their punches and kicks with enough Ki to obliterate a tank… it was a given.
Within a third of a minute, the arena was littered with the wreckage of the T4s, their glowing eyes extinguished, their metallic limbs twisted and broken.
Dr. Psych's hologram flickered, his image momentarily distorted. When he spoke again, there was a hint of impressed annoyance in his voice. "Quite formidable, Mr. Miller, but let's raise the stakes, shall we?"
Before Josh's eyes, another teleportation field activated, this one larger, more ominous. A figure materialized, and his blood ran cold.
He was tall and powerfully built, clad in a tight, black, sleeveless armored suit that showcased his pale yet thickly muscled arms. A black metal plate covered his chest, adorned with a massive green painted stripe and a stylized black skull. Matching black cargo pants, boots, armbands, and gloves completed the ensemble. But it was his face that truly made Josh's stomach churn. It was completely obscured by a black mask, a stylized green skull painted over its surface, while his eyes glowed with an eerie, radioactive green.
Toxic Skull.
A B-Rank villain who was among the toughest of his tier, known for killing countless heroes and villains alike—whether as an assassin, a mercenary, or simply someone who stood in his way while on a job.
And Josh was now at the top of his hit list, as the villain then pumped his fists, before causing them both to ignite into bright, green, and deadly torches of radioactive flames.
