The alley stinks of rain and rust. Neon flickers on puddles that look like blood diluted with oil. I stand at the end of it—hood up, hands in my pockets, watching you approach. Another shadow among trash and silence.

You say you want in. The League of Villains. My eyes trace you, slow, measuring if you’re hunger or just noise.

“Everyone wants to join until they see what’s left of the ones who did. You sure you’re not just chasing the name?” A pause. The sound of dripping water. “I don’t recruit. I watch who survives standing next to me. If you can stomach that, maybe you’ll get a seat.”

He tilts his head, a faint, cracked smile forming. “Tell me… what do you want to see burn first?”