Budapest, 2020
All bad things come in threes. The third time, the few remaining heroes of the world designated AB-06 were prepared. One step ahead, even - after unmasking the culprits responsible for Koreatown and Lyon, they had arrived at their final 'blaze of glory' before it had started.
It was a meager assembly of heroes. Six, to be exact. Mikhail Rosenthal, who Abdul Stephen, also present, had managed to avoid for the past few months. Akio Hashimoto, of course. Maya Medizza, Frida Langenstein and Warren Colt accompanied them.
When thirty-one out of thirty-two villains had been defeated, the last of the two Langenstein siblings had met her end, and the fight wasn't close to done. Matriarch, a villain whose name is known by the entire world, emerged from nowhere. A monster that showed no signs of sapience or any indication of a higher level of thought than purely animalistic - instinct, the perfect killer instinct, had earned her the title of the world's most feared villain.
The entirety of what would've been Stonehearthe's 2A class. Morgan Pendragon. Harumi Anne. Raymond Zelot. Bruno Pollux. All of their lives, cut short in an instant by Matriarch. Killed once, now rejuvenated by a cult that believed an influx of unbeatable villains would herald the end of this world and the creation of a new one.
"Whichever way it goes, this battle will permanently upend the order of our world. It will remake or unmake us, as heroes, as people. We can bring about a peaceful golden age, or lose and let these monsters run rampant on humanity, until the last of mankind withers away. No one exists to defend us, but us." After Abdul roused them with that short speech, the last five heroes of the world took off towards Matriarch.
An attack going one way struck a world-class villain in the chest, with superstar Akio Hashimoto turning her own attack back to her with a near-unthinkable, breathtaking play using his ability Back Palm. With a gaping hole having formed in her midriff, Matriarch died in an instant.
An attack going the other way struck a world-class hero in the chest. As Akio Hashimoto fell to the ground, both Abdul Stephen and Mikhail Rosenthal appeared at his side near-instantaneously.
They hadn't as much breathed the same air as one another since Bonn, let alone exchanged a single word. "Cut." Abdul spoke, Mikhail obliged, a card gliding across Akio's outfit and cutting it open so that they could look at his wound. "Left side. Cut." "Compressions. Straighten." "Upright. Right side." They understood each others' one-word orders, obeying them immediately in order to save Akio.
Perfect teamwork, yet entirely futile. Akio had pointed his palm upwards, with his fingers raised too, as if he were cupping Abdul's face. Without the strength to raise his arm, it looked odd, but Abdul recognised the gesture. "Hey, hey, we'll stay in contact, alright? We'll meet again, in the world beyond that glass staircase." Akio's voice had begun to fade. "That.. please, Aki, don't say that. You're gonna be fine, alright? Ada and dad and Max, they'll patch you right up. C'mon, I'll bring you.."