Kayden Ballard lives in Empire city, Paragon's dark twin - its Gotham to Paragon's Metropolis, and he's hit rock bottom. Without some quick cash, he'll be out on the street - and from there, its a short step to dying on the streets. With no hope left, he makes a decision that he can't possibly realize will change the world forever... or destroy it.
This is a really excellent superhero story with an edge.
The MC is way over-powered, but she doesn't really realize that until most of the way through the story so we get to learn all the things she can do at the same time she does. The trans part of the story is mostly in background details, such as losing her parents; it doesn't spend that much time on dysphoria, which is welcome, the world is nasty enough as is. The MC, however, is a psycho. That last chapter with the abusive boyfriend is some nasty work. Yes he arguably deserved it, but delivering that kind of torture would be pretty damaging to her. It fits the dog-eat-dog worldview of the story, but is still a bit much.
The main antagonist is really well done. He seems to be a decent person who wants to help people, but descends into complete madness. The tragic layer of his story adds a depth that raises him above the usual super villain. You find yourself almost rooting for him and his dog, but then he starts to murder needlessly, giving the story a raw edge.
The friend, by comparison is pretty generic. He loves the MC, and that's really about it, not much more to say. The complications of their relationship (such as the need for secrecy) are mentioned as possible problems but not much ever really happens. I was also disappointed that the guy who gave her the pants didn't have any further role in the story. These are minor, the focus is on the MC and her nemesis, and the dog. The dog is awesome.
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