- [New Orleans, Louisiana. Saturday, March 9, 2019.

01:45 AM]-

- Am I still in time to regret being a superhero? In my contract it did not appear to be awake at
this time-A young brunette complained for the umpteenth time as he rubbed his eyes and
yawned from his seat in the Martian Bio-Ship.

From what could be seen he had oriental features, although his face was mostly covered by a
mask, while his hair was brown and tousled. His clothing consisted of a tight-fitting black suit
with some red details that made him look more stylish and black combat boots. The Suit
covered his entire body up to his neck, also having spikes on the forearms and claws finishing
off the gloves. A red ribbon wrapped around his waist and dropped behind him giving him the
appearance of a reptilian tail. On his face he wore the aforementioned mask, which was red
and simulated the face of a dragon, while behind this his eyes were bright green and his pupils
were sharp like a reptile. Finally, a pair of demonic-looking horns come out from the mask that
grew towards the front, giving the young superhero a slightly more intimidating appearance.

- Dude, please! Shut up!! I’m trying to sleep until we get there! - Another boy snarled from the
seat next to him. Just as he had said, a young African American tried to sleep as best he could
in the uncomfortable seat of the Bio-Ship, but the constant complaints of the Japanese and the
discomfort of the seat made it impossible. He was wearing what appeared to be civilian
clothes, this outfit being sweatpants, Nike shoes, a black sweatshirt and a blue vest over it, but
the huge golden lightning bolt printed on his sweatshirt implied that it was his super suit.

- Virgil Hawkins and Issei Hyodo shouldn't sleep, Virgil Hawkins and Issei Hyodo should be
ready to jump into action as soon as Bio-Ship is on the target - the pilot of the ship
commented, a strange being vaguely humanoid but with characteristics of insect that had red
skin, fangs, an exoskeleton and an extra pair of arms that went by the name of Forager. Issei
was still new to the team, but in the short time that he had lived with them he had learned to
appreciate the "Bug" from New Genesis.

Accepting that their partner was right, both young men stretched out in their seats and
prepared for action. A few seconds later, a holographic screen appeared in front of the trio, in
which a masked face could be seen that generated nightmares in the criminal world. Batman's
black hood with the pointy nose, pointy "ears" and visible chin were displayed on screen. Issei
couldn't help but hold his breath when he saw him, it would take a long time to get used to
working side by side with him from now on.

- The League is already containing the inmates in the Belle Reve prison riot with the help of
your companions, but unfortunately Killer Croc has escaped - the Gotham City’s Bat informed
them.

- Let me see if I understood Bats ... - the look the vigilante gave Issei was enough for him to
decide never to call him that again - do you want the three of us to take care of the fucking
Killer Croc?

- You have super strength and your teammates will be supporting you, you have nothing to
fear rookie - the Dark Knight replied calmly - if things get bad just hold him until Superboy and I
arrive. We will try to reach you soon.

With that said, the projected image of Batman disappeared and the rear hatch of the ship
opened, revealing the city of New Orleans being besieged by the huge monster as the police
tried in vain to contain it with their guns. Killer Croc seemed unaffected by the bullets as he
broke large chunks of concrete and threw them at policemen or surrounding buildings, causing
even greater damage.

Between the three of them there was a silent exchange of glances and without hesitation they
jumped into the fight.

As they fell, Issei could see how a metallic disk formed from Virgil's shoes and how he
generated lightning from his hands to float the disk into action. Forager instead just wrapped
himself around like a ball and thus hit the super villain, who was sent flying a few meters back
from the force of the impact. After this, Forager rolled away just in time to avoid a blow from
the villain and then go off to rescue the wounded among the collapsed buildings.

Issei, wanting to show off a bit in what would be his debut, dropped down for a little longer,
letting himself be seen by the policemen, and unfolded a pair of majestic crimson-red
draconian wings, with which he propelled himself into the air against the villain.

- Boosted Gear! -After shouting that, the young man's left arm was engulfed in fire for an
instant to then show that a red claw-like gauntlet was covering his arm. With this gauntlet and
taking advantage of the momentum, the boy struck the metahuman in the stomach at the
same time as a thick voice was heard shouting BOOST from the gem on the back of the
gauntlet. The strength that the young man possessed surprised the villain, but it was not
enough to make him back down far.

- Not bad boy, but I feel somewhat disappointed - Waylon Jones commented as he massaged
the affected area with his claws, where he could see how his damaged scales began to fall off
to be quickly replaced by new and intact ones - I thought they would send the Real heroes for
me, not a rookie and the sidekicks. Does the Bat think that a few children are enough to stop
me?

- I don't have to explain anything to you Cayman Face - Issei replied with a grunt - and you
better not underestimate me, you could end up with your butt kicked by me before you know
it.

- HA HA HA HA HA HA! Of course, of course- the crocodile man scoffed as he charged towards

him showing the multiple rows of sharp teeth on him- Let's see if you hold up as well as you
hit!

Issei was forced to charge another Boost in order to withstand Killer Croc's onslaught with all
his might, and yet the villain's strength was so great that it was slowly overwhelming him.

- THAT CHILD IS GOING TO GET KILLED! - A police officer shouted when he saw the masked
young man receiving the impact of the colossal supercriminal, but he could not say anything
else when he saw how in front of him a young African-American landed, floating on top of a
metal disc while shooting lightning from his hands.

- Back off agents, we'll take over from here - Static warned as he landed with his back to the
policemen and stared at his partner's fight against the Killer Croc. That idiot would get himself
killed if he went ahead without a plan. Seeking to help him however he could, as he knew that
the young demon could not contain the crocodile man for long, Static looked from him to the
wreckage of a car that had been partially destroyed by Killer Croc - You better move! Rookie!
Issei barely heard Static's warning, so he gave in to Killer Croc's push and was able to step aside
just as a car flew right in front of his face as his partner's bioelectricity propelled him against
Batman's monstrous foe, who flew off with the vehicle and ended up going through the wall of
a nearby building. Issei was about to insult Virgil for having thrown the car so close to him, but
was interrupted when Forager rolled back after rescuing civilians from the destruction caused
by the Killer Croc.

- Dragon Boy! Static! Forager put the civilians in a safe place - said the Bug when he reached
them - Forager suggests that we simultaneously attack Killer Croc to contain him until
reinforcements arrive.

- Sounds good to me, but first let's think of a plan. I don't want to end up being crushed by that
guy like our dear companion almost finished - Static said to Issei's annoyance.

- Excuse me, but since nobody but Forager did anything I had to act - the brunette replied to
the African American - and in case you didn't notice, I could have won him without your
intervention, you idiot.

- Whatever you say Dragon Boy - Virgil mocked his partner's temporary alias

- DO NOT CALL ME THAT WAY! Issei claimed angrily, he still hadn't been able to think of a
better code name than that.

-Forager thinks you can fix this matter at another time - The Bug intervened to stop the
discussion of his teammates- Now that the civilians are safe we must stop Killer Croc before he
begins to destroy everything a...

- GROOOOOOOOAR! Unfortunately for them, Killer Croc came roaring out of the rubble, and
this time he was much angrier and much more dangerous.

- …gain - Forager finished reluctantly when he saw how the villain was on his feet again and
slowly advanced towards them.

- Any plan? - Static inquired as he manifested some lightning bolts in his arms and put himself
on guard to fight the super criminal.

- Forager has one ...- Forager said to immediately begin to explain, but it was only heard by
Static.

- [BOOST] How about hitting him hard enough to knock him out? -The Japanese said, who did
not say more before jumping back into combat while he ignored the calls of his companions.

Unfortunately, this time Killer Croc was waiting for him. As soon as he got close to it, a swift
punch hit the young hero, who flew off as a result of the blow and ended up buried under tons
of debris and cars when he hit a parking building.

- Forager! Go see if the idiot is okay and, if you can, explain the plan to him! -Ordered Static
before facing the supervillain while sparks jumped from his hands- I'll take care of the Big Guy.

As the New Genesis Bug rolled over to where the young brunette had hit, Static jumped and
his metal disk unfolded again under his feet allowing him to fly by controlling it with his
electricity. It was thanks to this that he avoided a charge from Killer Croc, who had launched
himself to attack him now that Issei was out of combat.
- Woah! Relax a little dude, so much anger will do horrors in your skin - he taunted, always
staying at a safe height while shooting electric sparks at the villain's face to further enrage him
and keep him focused on himself - aren't crocodiles supposed to be fast? Hey wait, that
doesn't make you look too good if you think about it carefully.

- Shut up and let me crush you little Nigger! - the villain shouted furiously, who kept trying to
catch him with claws and teeth without noticing that Issei had come out of the rubble with the
help of Forager and both had taken off until they were lost in the clouds thanks to the wings of
the young demon.

- Wow, don’t you know that the N Word is not allowed in these times Lizard Face? -
Commented acidly the teenager, who increased the intensity of his electricity and generated a
net of lightning that he launched against the villain, trapping him against the ground.

- Do you think this will have me trapped for long, kid!? - Waylon Jones mocked the electricity
that held him captive - Just wait for me to escape and I will feast on your blood and that of
your relatives!

- How about we teach you a little respect, asshole? - Static snorted tiredly as he released the
net- Now Red!

With this said, Static went out of the way revealing how Issei launched Forager from the clouds
with overwhelming power against the surprised Killer Croc as a thick voice was heard shouting
[Transfer] and a crimson aura enveloped the Bug, thanks to which He increased the speed at
which he fell and collided with the villain, who gave a roar of pain before ending up
unconscious in the crater that had formed in the street after the fall of the "Forager
Meteorite".

- Woo-hoo! - Issei celebrated when landing and then high five with a dizzy Forager, who had
left the crater after placing an inhibitor collar on Killer Croc. He was going to give Static a high-
five, but surprisingly came face-to-face in a black T-shirt with an arch-recognized red S
emblazoned on the chest. Looking up a bit, Issei saw himself face to face with Superboy, who
did not look at all happy about the situation, while behind him he saw an even more serious
Batman.

- Emmm... - Issei was uncomfortable being the victim of the stares of his superiors - we won...?

- [The Watchtower, Command Center of the Justice League. March 9, 03:00 AM]-

- So you considered that it was a good idea to launch yourself to fight without a plan against an
enemy that was twice your size and strength? – The Batman rhetorically asked the young
Japanese man, who was sitting on a step with his eyes downcast - Not only did you put yourself
at risk but you also put your companions at risk.

- But everything went well in the end, right? Issei replied doubtfully to Batman, feeling
frustrated but at the same time embarrassed by the lecture he was receiving.

- But what if it hadn't been like that? - Superboy intervened this time, who was leaning against
a wall and watching the novice hero - I understand that you trust your own strength, but you
need to work as a team. Virgil told us that you didn't want to hear the plan even though you
had already tested Killer Croc's strength.
- I ... - Issei's voice hesitated for an instant, because even he wasn't sure why he had acted like
that - I'm sorry, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it but all I did was ruin everything -
he ended up admitting with his gaze lowered, not daring to meet the Dark Knight's eyes.

- And did you do it even if it meant putting yourself AND your team at risk? - Batman insisted.
He didn't like having to treat him like this, but the boy needed to learn.

Issei only managed to bite his tongue so as not to answer him and, when Batman made a sign
to him, he went to the Zeta Tube clenching his fists, which seemed like they were about to
explode due to the force he was exerting at that moment so as not to commit something he
would regret.

- [RECOGNIZED: B39. Dragon Boy] –

- THAT IS NOT MY CODE NAME! - It was the last thing the teenager roared before disappearing
after a flash of light, leaving Batman and Superboy perplexed, because they had seen how for a
fraction of a second Issei's face had been covered with scales and his eyes glowed emerald.

- Okay ... - the Half Kryptonian was the one who shook off the surprise first - this did not turn
out as well as I expected ...

- I must say, the boy reminds me of you Conner - said a new voice from the shadows, revealing
himself soon after as Nightwing, the current leader of The Team, who approached his old
friend and his mentor with his arms crossed - something It has him conflicted and that makes
him act impulsively like a dangerous little ball of anger. I bet what you want that tomorrow she
will have to repair some wall in his room.

- I love you too my friend - Conner Kent ironically at the comment of his best friend - but
you're right, something is very wrong with him and that affects his performance in the team.
I'll have to talk to him...

- Leaving that matter aside - Batman interrupted the conversation of the two young adults as a
holographic screen appeared in the air in which the feats of strength performed by the young
man in his first mission were shown - the boy has great potential. His body is naturally superior
to that of an average human by far and he has basic combat training, if he manages to
overcome his personal problems and is trained properly he could become one of our most
powerful assets.

- It's true, even I couldn't have fought the crocodile in hand-to-hand in my early days - Kon-El
admitted with a lopsided smile. Truth be told, Issei reminded him of himself too, albeit with a
more friendly nature thankfully. What they had to fix were those outbursts of fury, they
reminded him of Brion's and his own when he was his age, and that was definitely not good
news.

- We will have to keep an eye on the Red Dragon then, try to guide him to continue on the
right path - was the last thing Batman said before retiring through the same Zeta Tube as the
boy, leaving only Superboy and Nightwing in the place.

- [RECOGNIZED: 02. BATMAN] –

- Wanna go with Kaldur and Will for some beers? Nightwing asked his friend, to which Conner
nodded with a smile. Before long, both of them went through the Zeta Tubes portal and
disappeared from the Watchtower to go have a Boy’s Night Out.
- The Hub, Outsiders HQ, Hollywood. March 9, 14:30 PM-

Several hours after leaving the Watchtower, Issei Hyodo would wake up hungry in his recent
room in the tower that served as the base for the team of young heroes known as The
Outsiders. Due to the busy early morning, he had ended up sleeping late, so lunchtime had
passed and now his stomach was roaring for food.

With reluctance, the brunette crawled out of his bed and the image he found was surprising:
there were several holes in the walls with the size and shape of fists and some burn marks on
the ceiling...
What the hell had he done when he came back? The last thing he remembered was insulting
the computer for calling him that ridiculous codename and then waking up there.

- [You're finally back Partner, I was beginning to worry that you were still wild when you
woke up] - Issei heard when his personal squat manifested as a green gem, similar to an
emerald, on the back of his left hand - [ After what the Bat told you, you went crazy, went
back to your room and started destroying everything. If it weren't because the rooms in this
place are soundproof and you put a barrier on your door your colleagues would have come
and this would have been an even bigger disaster]

- Ddraig ... What exactly happened to me? -asked the brunette while he was more surprised to
notice how his teeth were sharper and his face rougher and harder.

- [You went into a frenzy] -said simply the dragon that was connected to his soul through his
Sacred Gear- [I warned you that Dragonification would have side effects]

- Obviously you forgot to mention the detail that I would become like a rabid animal and fangs
would grow - the young man snorted annoyed as he approached a mirror and looked at
himself carefully, noticing that his canines were now much more pointed and his face seemed
to be covered by a thin layer of scales - can you undo this? I don't particularly like the Dragon
Force style in my day-to-day life.

- [Sure I can, but personally I think it suits you] - Ddraig replied gracefully - [done]

Issei must have admitted that it was surprising to see how the scales around his eyes had got
under his skin again and his fangs were shrinking, but he thanked the dragon for helping him.

Finally, driven by hunger, Issei opened the door to his room to step out into the hallway of the
huge penthouse that was his new home. As he yawned and stretched to ward off laziness, the
young Red Dragon Emperor walked down to the huge kitchen and found that he was not the
only one hungry in the place.

One of his roommates was sitting with her back to him as she ate what appeared to be a pot of
ice cream and seemed to be crying. He knew from his companions that she was trying to get
over a painful breakup but he had never exchanged a word with the girl who, if he
remembered correctly, was called Violet.

"Uhmm, hi ..." Issei wasn't sure how to speak to her, so he used a classic greeting, it couldn't
fail to start a conversation. Right?

Hearing him, the girl tensed and quickly pushed the ice cream pot away from herself while
wiping her tears as best she could before turning around and looking at him.
Issei had to admit that she was gorgeous. She appeared to be the same age as him, she had
brown skin and her hair was covered by a hijab because, as long he knew, she was a Muslim
practitioner. Her chocolate-colored eyes, still red from tears, looked at him with some distrust
but it was normal, they hadn't known each other for more than a few days and they had never
really spoken.

- Emmm ... hello - she said with a marked Arabic accent, as they had told her she came from
Qurac - You are Issei Gyoudou, aren't you?

-Issei Hyodo, actually, but you can call me Ise if it's too difficult for you -he replied with a small
smile, it was a little funny to hear her trying to pronounce her last name -You are Violet right?
It’s nice to finally meet you.

-Y-yes, I'm Violet Harper, Halo - Was her reply as she smiled at not having to pronounce the
complicated last name of her new partner- It's nice to meet you too Ise.

After they both introduced themselves, an awkward silence formed in the kitchen as Issei
approached the refrigerator and grabbed the ingredients to make a beef sandwich and Violet
reluctantly ate what was left of her ice cream pot.

-So ...- while Issei was preparing the sandwich he tried to break the VERY awkward silence that
had formed with her partner, but he really had no idea what he could talk to her -Have you
been in for a long time in the team?

At that question, the young woman turned her gaze to him again and could only nod her head
before returning to focus on her ice cream as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

- [Wow, and I thought my talks with Albion between our fights were awkward] - Ddraig
muttered just for Issei to hear him.

- Well ... I ... must fix my room - Issei, fed up with the awkward silence, decided that the best
was a "tactical retreat" - See you later Violet! - And said that, the young demon disappeared
from the kitchen taking his sandwich with him to sigh in relief when he had left the girl.

- [You are going to have to start relating more with your new partners, Partner, if all your
interactions are as aggressive as with the electric boy or as uncomfortable as with that girl
then your social life will be doomed] - Issei hated to admit it, but Ddraig was right.

Once back in his room (which, by the way, he should repair), Issei turned on his cell phone
ready to watch some anime to distract himself on a Saturday afternoon without patrols to
carry out, but was surprised to see how a call was coming through.

-The expression of surprise became a grimace when he saw the name on the screen, so
without thinking too much he pressed the option "reject call" and dropped his phone on the
table to continue eating his sandwich.

On the still-lit screen, the "rejected calls" section appeared, which contained dozens of calls on
behalf of Rias Gremory. Even if he hadn't accepted the call this time, Issei knew that he
couldn't continue to ignore the redhead forever...

Without knowing very well what to think about her and about the "relationship" they had, the
brunette put aside his sandwich and stared at the still unknown (and partially burned) ceiling in
complete silence. He still needed to organize his thoughts about her...