Matt never imagined that one day he'd be rendered speechless by a lunatic he had known (if you could even call it "knowing") for less than twenty hours.
Frustrated and trembling! When will us superheroes finally rise up?
That not-so-bright Labrador or Labaraka was right: if one day his enemies discovered his true identity, someone like Kingpin certainly wouldn't spare his friends or allies.
Not to mention someone like Bullseye, who takes pleasure in sadistic killing.
And then…
Matt raised his hand to brush over his leather mask, part of the combat suit he made himself. What started as black and yellow had now turned dark red—a symbol of his descent into bloodshed and the abyss from which he couldn't escape.
Could he really give up this suit?
As this Labaraka had said, the answer was, of course, no.
So then...
"Mr. Labaraka."
Matt's voice was deeper and hoarser, like cracked, dry wood. He had to admit, this was a question he'd always known but never dared to confront.
Today, this stranger had shattered that fragile illusion.
"You are that kind of person, aren't you?"
Leon, who moments ago sounded like a philosopher with the gravitas of a godfather, lost his composure in just three seconds and reverted to his goofy self.
"Huh?"
Listen to this voice brimming with wisdom.
"You've heard my story?"
Matt didn't get the reference, much to Leon's disappointment.
Shaking his head slightly, Matt simply thought they were having a normal conversation.
"Aren't you afraid that one day you'll lose yourself and become what you despise most?"
This was the reason Matt kept himself shackled. Power without restraint or limitation would ultimately destroy him.
Leon understood this too. A person with the power to crush everything, who tramples on order without self-restraint, is more likely to fall into destruction.
Take the Ancient One, for instance—using the enemy's own techniques against them, borrowing dark powers for over a thousand years, and using Dormammu to defeat Dormammu. She even safeguarded one of the six Infinity Stones. She could do whatever she wanted, yet she had to endure Dormammu's endless nagging from his dimension, persuading her daily to join him in his schemes.
For a long time, the Ancient One was perhaps the most powerful person on Earth, with no one to check her power. Despite having the strength, the conditions, the reasons, and countless opportunities to turn evil, she didn't. She could be called a saint.
Leon thought to himself, "If that were me, I'd have turned dark by middle school!"
But being a saint is something ordinary people can't achieve. If Leon had been in the Ancient One's shoes, the moment his foolish apprentice betrayed him, Leon would've smacked him into oblivion without hesitation.
That's why the stronger the good person, the more chains they put on themselves.
Look at Superman next door.
Truth be told, this guy could do whatever he wants. He has the power, and he has the justification.
But Superman's too upright. He always lets himself get bullied by Earthlings, terrified that one day he might accidentally wipe them out.
Why? Good upbringing.
His adoptive parents had truly strong morals, raising the universe's strongest man, Kal-El, to become Clark Kent, the mild-mannered journalist with glasses.
That takes some serious skill.
Superman's too honest, which is why they say, "A gentleman can be deceived by his straightforwardness."
Villains don't care about playing fair; they can lie, break promises, or take hostages. They're villains, after all.
But not Superman. If he did the same, he'd face backlash not from the bad guys, but from ordinary people.
Now, Batman, on the other hand, doesn't have this problem when he dons the Bat-suit.
He has his own set of chains too.
Don't kill.
But Batman only says "don't kill," not "don't let you live comfortably." That reveals a truth:
Batman is only a gentleman when it's required.
When he doesn't want to be…
He steals his own weapons, locks up Killer Croc, cripples the fridge-carrying goons, and drowns the masked ones.
He does it all.
That's why Joker always knows: Batman is just like him—a lunatic masked by extreme calm.
The moment Batman breaks his rule is the moment he snaps.
And Leon? He's thought about these things too.
But then he realized: what's the point?
People only get lost in power when they think they're invincible, fancying themselves gods among men. They start ignoring human rules, rituals, and lives.
But Leon knew better.
How powerful can you really be?
A god on Earth? Come on!
In this world, there are actual gods! Look at Thor, always waving his hammer around. He may be forty or eighty centuries old, but he's still a real god!
And yet, he still gets beat down.
Thor himself has killed plenty of gods!
When your power surpasses that of a god, you'll find an even broader universe awaits.
In that universe, there's a purple giant wielding a huge blade, head of the cosmic population control bureau.
Is that purple giant the pinnacle of power?
Of course not!
There are still dimension lords, elder gods, the five primordial beings of creation, the Living Tribunal, the Beyonder, the Beyonders…
And then, at the end of time, there are the ones who've hacked the system.
So, inflating from power?
Inflate what?
Just because you're the top of the kindergarten class, don't think you've conquered the world! Leon knew full well how terrifying second grade is.
And just because the upper grades ignore you doesn't mean you can spit on them and avoid a slap in the face.
Inflated ego? Not a chance.
So, when Matt questioned him, Leon tilted his head 45 degrees to gaze at the… corner of the ceiling, and nonchalantly said, "I used to hate rich people."
Matt: …?
??
?????
I'm pouring my heart out to you, and you just switched back to lunatic mode!?
Does this guy have a switch or something? Maybe a different hospital would help! He needs treatment!
Heh...
Leon switched back to normal mode: "Matt, you're right. I am that kind of person."
"No matter how bad people become, I'll always be there to face them."
"If the law worked, why would you wear that suit?"
Matt hesitated: "But…"
"No 'but.'" Leon cut him off.
"Trust me, if one day you need to be judged, there will be plenty of people who can take on that role."
Stepping forward again, Leon stood in front of Matt, looking down at his blind eyes.
"For example, me."
---
*End of Chapter*