The silence was deafening, aside from the desperate footsteps scurrying along the tiled floors. It was unbelievably quiet, despite the battles raging less than fifty metres away. Only ragged breaths accompanied the solitary boy now, who was still desperately searching for his friend. He had followed the human-formed arrow pointing towards the building, but the clones gave him no other clue. He was on his own this time.
A murky brown liquid splashed before his feet, and he stopped in his tracks.
Felix burst up to the second floor immediately, his heart pounding. He tore at his mind, trying to convince it otherwise. But there was no denying the colour of the liquid, especially not when the evidence lay half melted in front of him.
“Sorry… my dear friend. I’ve been beat up too bad, and I can’t keep it together. I can’t… go on…”
More liquid spilled over his fingers as the boy clutched the melting hand tightly.
“Forgive me, it was my fault again. Hawks got me. I ruined things… a second time. I’m sorry.”
Felix shook his head as tears spilled over his face. “It’s not your fault… It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here on time…”
“Thank you for being there for me, my friend.” Jin’s clone cracked a small smile. “All those times wasted squabbling with each other… To have just a few precious moments back…”
“Jin, don’t go. Please… Please don’t leave me alone… Not again…”
“I’m sorry, Felix…” Jin’s breaths slowed down. “I’m… sorry.”
The clone dissolved.
“Not my friend too… Don’t take… him from me…” Felix’s body was reduced to a trembling heap, his hands stained with the brown remains of his friend. The first friend he made in this world. The first person he truly cared for.
“Is this what you want for me?!”
The anguished scream shattered the air, sending echoes spiralling through the empty building. The Heavens did not deign to answer.
“Is this… my destiny?” The boy’s voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, choking in the sorrow gurgling through his throat. “Am I meant to be a monster?”
He stood up, almost robotically, and walked towards the back of the building.
It was almost funny how he only managed to sense his friend’s true body after his death. As if the Heavens were not yet content with toying with him. As if the gods wanted to torment him further by reminding him that he was too late again.
Jin’s corpse lay face down on the grass patch with a large hole in his back. Whatever Hawks had done to him, it was apparently not enough to just leave him bleeding out from the twenty metre fall.
Pink faded from the psychic’s eyes as he removed his hand from his friend’s head. Jin may be dead, but his memories could still be gleaned this early into his passing. And they had just told him what to do.
Felix leapt into the air and disappeared into the distance with a sonic boom. This won’t take long.
~ ~ ~
The sky was thundering when the small flying figure came into Felix’s view. The man was flying far past the speed of sound, but he wasn’t the only one who could ride the winds. The psychic increased his speed and stretched out a hand, aiming at the obnoxiously bright red wings.
“Psionic Fire!” he roared.
There was a muffled scream as the white hot flames seared the winged man, sizzling as the rainwater came into contact with it. The hero spiralled downwards and crashed hard onto the muddied ground.
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Felix landed, and walked towards the writhing man. The smoke rising from the burnt stumps on his back was almost suffocating, so the psychic cleared it out with a simple wave. Thunder crackled once more as he flipped over the man with his foot.
Hawks groaned, his body flattened on the ground by the telekinetic pressure.
“You know why I’m here. You know what you did.” There was no anger in the boy’s eyes this time, only coldness. “Any last words?”
“I did… what I had to do.” The man gritted his bloodstained teeth in response. “If you’re here to kill me, get it over with. I may die today, but villains will always lose.”
Felix lifted the struggling man up, before disintegrating every last feather on his back. Hawks’ pained screams were grating his ears, so he forced his mouth shut.
“No longer shall men have wings to bear him to the Heavens,” the psychic said languidly, releasing his telekinetic grip. “From now on, he shall walk.”
“You’re not the only one who has people you care about,” the hero spat. “After all those people you have hurt and maimed, you really think there won’t be anyone coming after you for your actions?”
The villain laughed dryly.
“Those who I care about tend to die around me. I have learnt to accept that. You have killed the last mercy I have for humanity, hero. I have no more family, only allies now.”
His palm met the hero’s cold forehead as light burned in his eyes.
“Think about the ones you love. Your family, your friends…” A small smile broke on his face as he felt his telepathic power cut into Hawk’s mind. “Now they will know what it feels like to have their loved ones ripped out from their hearts.”
“Damn you… Felix…” The hero was fighting back, although it was a pointless gesture.
“That’s not my name,” the boy whispered.
Pink flared in Felix’s eyes as he pressed more power into his mind.
“I am Sentinel.”
Hawk’s limbs hung loosely by his side as the psychic released his grip on his head. He was as good as brain dead now, with the exception of a singular command driving his battered body.
“Deliver the message for me, Keigo Takami.” Felix watched the hero shamble away towards the horizon like a zombie. “And I’ll be waiting, heroes.”
The sky stopped pouring.
~ ~ ~
Compress was in the middle of fighting six people at the same time, so Felix vapourised the other sixteen Warriors waiting their turn. The air crackled with energy as he let his power loose. He could not be bothered with holding back anymore.
“You couldn’t have gotten here any earlier, Sentinel?” the magician panted, smiling slightly in relief. “My show was this close to being cancelled…”
His voice trailed away as he took in the sight of the man in Felix’s arms.
“No, Twice…” Compress’ voice wavered. “Is he…?”
Felix nodded grimly, but he had no more tears to shed.
“I’ve already killed the hero who murdered him,” he said. “I wish to give him a proper burial once this is all over. Can you do me a favour and store his corpse for me?”
“A hero? Who did it?” Compress made contact with the body, and it shrunk into a marble. He tucked it in the underside of his blazer carefully.
“Hawks. He was part of this organisation as well, so-”
More men appeared before Felix could finish his sentence. They lunged towards the two men at the same time. The psychic raised his hand-
“You… BASTARDS!”
Felix jerked his head to the war cry, but Compress had already disappeared from view. Multiple smoke bombs went off as a figure darted under its cover. The men coughed, while some of them disappeared from view.
“I got him!” one of them yelled, unloading his entire clip of ammunition at what looked like a stationary figure.
A few corpses fell over as the smoke cleared, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. A loud pop sounded from behind him. He swung around, plunging a dagger forward without hesitation.
The warrior’s neck snapped to the side before he could even process what happened, and he kneeled over with his weapon still embedded in the torso of his ally. Compress stepped out from behind him and tossed a marble at Felix’s feet.
“He’s all yours,” the villain said coldly, snapping his fingers.
The last remaining warrior only had time to gape in shock before a giant psionic hammer flattened his body into a smear of blood on the concrete.
“Nicely done, comrade.” Felix grinned.
“No time to waste, enemies are waiting.” Compress pointed at a nearby building. “Toga’s that way. We must help her.”
The two men rushed towards the abandoned shack.