"You have real crappy luck. Anyone tell you that?" Lois asked as she parked her motorcycle next to Thaddeus's apartment building. It was near the middle part of the city, a modest place with a large orange tree whose branches swayed close enough to Thaddeus’s windows that the man could often reach out and grab a fresh orange whenever the tree bore fruit.
Thaddeus climbed off the bike and shrugged. "Luck has always been on someone like Grove's side, not mine."
"I wouldn't really say Mr. Grove was lucky either, considering what happened." Lois winced. He had been a bad guy—a straight-up scumbag. In the end, though, he had done what he thought he needed to, and his reward was a violent death from the monster he had been working for. "I've been thinking about what your brother said, though."
"You asked about that earlier." They had just finished up at the bowling arena. Max Lightning had finished telling Lois something. She had been strangely quiet and a little off, not saying anything once her dad left. Thaddeus didn't know what had been exchanged since he stayed out of it, but whatever it was, it was having an effect on her.
Lois rubbed her arm a bit. "He asked you to stay out of the Beast fight."
"He's just worried about me."
Her father told her he would be dying soon. She was keeping it secret from Thaddeus. She hadn't fully processed it yet. Between what he said and what Fable asked of his older brother, it made her wonder if the Beast could be coming sooner than any of them thought. Her powers had been a bit on the fritz ever since she saw the Emperor. "I think your brother has a good reason to be worried." She finally said.
"What do you mean?" Thaddeus asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms.
"You said you fought the Emperor once when you were a kid, right?"
"Yeah?"
"So then, how many did you have?"
"How many of what?"
"How many near-death experiences?" Lois asked in a blunt tone. "You fought the Emperor twice now, and you've survived an encounter with the Beast. Not to mention what happened with your father and that Calamity. You even once told me you lost your grandfather to Lucifer. You've practically run into every threat besides the Shadow. It's almost like death follows you closely. I once saw that you would die to a Calamity level threat. Yet here you still are. How much longer do you think you can do it, Octavius Thaddeus? How much longer you’ll get away with cheating death."
This was the conversation that went through his mind as he stared up at the Beast.
Myth gritted his teeth, and his muscles flexed. He was already in his lion form, his second most durable transformation. He had always hated his powers to an extent. His father and brother got it so much better. He was the only one cursed with the power to take on the form of a monster. His grampa had a similar power, but he never got to meet the man, though he had seen pictures. His grampa was the reason he chose to tame his bull-form first, to honor the man.
He knew his lion form wouldn't do squat against this thing. He had just watched it take down nearly every other hero. All of the heroes were slowly recovering. Lady Time was using her ability to heal who she could, but they lost a few people, like Sea Monkey or Vampirica.
Thankfully, the Beast didn't bother to finish the heroes off. It was almost like a machine attacking what it deemed a danger. Its eyes stared down at him.
No...
Not at him.
The Beast stared at the only threat left on the battlefield. Battery. A bolt of lightning rained from the sky and twisted in the direction of the hero in red, but Myth was faster. He let out a savage roar, the sonic blast slamming into the lightning and dissipating the bolt. He had made a promise. He would shield Battery for as long as he could.
"Am I not worthy of your attention, monster?" Myth spat out. "Fine. In that case, I'll just force your gaze to meet me!"
"Don't do anything stupid-" Battery tried to say, but Myth had already taken off.
This monster that had killed so many, this thing that had changed his father, stole his life away, took the happy ending he had created, and shattered it—all of his power was for this moment! Myth charged into the lava, running on it. His fur lit up, and the fire crawled up his body, but he ignored it, jumping into the air and ripping his claws into the gut wound the Beast had received from the Victorian. That had been the plan, at least, but the Beast proved to be faster, and it smashed its hand down onto him.
Myth felt his bones shake, and his teeth were pressed together so hard they snapped. He was smashed down into the lava and forced onto his knees. The hand didn't stop there, though. It was long, bigger than the Beast's entire body, and the alien used this strange limb to press down on the lion. Myth was shoved further down into the lava, and his arms shook as he attempted to hold the limb up.
"I'd like to see which one of you is stronger." He wasn't on the battlefield anymore. He blinked, and Myth suddenly found himself reliving an old memory, back as a young Octavius. "The two of you transform and fight." Legend announced.
He wasn't as fabulous as most people might have thought. Transformed Legend was tall and powerful, with strength that could rival the Victorian. In his human form, though, he was thin and small, barely standing at six feet. He wore a simple buttoned-up shirt and dress pants and stood in a large training room. On one side of the room was his twelve-year-old son, Octavius. Across from the boy, his ten-year-old son, Osvaldo. Even being so young, Osvaldo stood a little over six feet now.
Octavius let out a huff and glared at his dad. "You've been gone for weeks, and the first thing you want to do is force us to fight?"
"That's right, Myth." Legend barked out.
"It's Octavius... I'm your son. You don't have to give me that stupid hero name... I don't even like it."
"What would you like to be called, then?"
"I was thinking Minotaur librarian or something."
"No. That's stupid. You're Myth. Now shut up." Legend was a hero first and a father second. Most of the Enforcers learned very quickly why having kids was a bad idea. It was hard to balance such a life. Legend was one of the first to simply give up on that aspect. "My team is called the Fairy Tales." The Enforcer explained. "Recently, a hero known as Red Iron contacted me. He is a member of Oleander's Sub Enforcers and will soon be the leader of it. He wanted a powerful shapechanger on the team and requested I lend him one of you two. Coincidentally, my team only needs one hero at the moment."
"You're treating us like weapons..." Osvaldo was young. Only ten years old, yet he knew what his father was implying. Whoever lost this sparring session wouldn't earn the right to stand by his side. "We don't need to spar. I'm the younger sibling; I'll go to the Sub Enforcers while big brother works for-"
"No." Octavius cut his younger sibling off and shook his head. He had heard rumors of how harsh working for Red Iron could be. That wasn't a fate he wanted to fall on his younger sibling. "I agree with Father. Let's see which of us is the strongest."
"But bro, I thought you hate fighting?"
Octavius, or maybe it was Myth now, ignored his younger sibling as he transformed. His body grew more prominent as he twisted into the shape of a powerful bull-like monster and charged.
In the end, he lost that battle. Once his younger sibling changed into his heroic form, Fable took him down in just three attacks. Legend had taken Fable in as his pupil, and the hero Myth had been sent to Oleander to join the Sub Enforcers of that city being run by Red Iron. That was where he met so many of the people he would come to call friends, from BB to Money Tree.
It really hadn't been that bad.
He supposed this was what people called a 'life flashing before your eyes' kind of moment. He didn't know why he found himself daydreaming of the past, but the sudden jerk of pain reminded him of where he was. He gritted his teeth as he snapped back to reality and found himself being shoved deeper into the lava. His father had been an asshole, a man who could barely be called a dad; he had been a great hero but a shit parent. In the end, though, that man had still been his father, and this monster took that from him!
Myth let out a loud roar as he changed and twisted into a new form. He forced himself into his bull mode and shoved the hand that was trying to crush him off of him. The hand was pushed back, and the Beast balled it into a fist and struck out at him with a punch that could harm even the Victorian. He'd be killed in a single attack if it hit him. At the last second, before the first could reach him, a giant thread of water wrapped around his waist, and Myth felt himself be yanked wildly in a direction.
Ocean Empress had managed to get back up. Most of her water dress was falling off of her body, and she was bleeding badly, one of her hands missing most of their fingers. She was still fighting, though, and had used her good arm to save him by creating a lasso of water. She wasn't the only hero still fighting, either. Mister Man took a few shots at the Beast, aiming at its wrist and causing his bullets to phase through it, trying to rip the hand off.
The Beast noticed them as well as the other injured heroes, and its back once again fired out waves of sharp spikes, ready to impale them all once more. Myth transformed his body, growing smaller and forming wings, allowing him to slip out of the water lasso as he became a small bird. Every flap of his wings began to mend his body and fix up his wounds, but he had only used the form to escape the water Ocean Empress had used on him. She saw what he was about to do and screamed out.
"Myth! No!"
It was far too late, though. He flew down and changed into a sizable bird-like form, growing lion-like fur and claws and the head of an eagle. He took on the shape of a lion-eagle hybrid and used his speed to throw himself in front of all of the heroes. Blood rained down as dozens of spikes ripped their way into his body, and his form flickered, changing back to that of a human. Myth dropped to his knees, his chest, stomach, and arm, all gushing crimson as the wooden spikes dug their way deeper into his body, and he was pushed back.
"My name's Money Tree. You're the newest member to join our team, right?"
Myth frowned as he stared at the fifteen-year-old boy. It had been just three years since his father forced him to duel his brother. He had lost badly, but then again, he suspected as much. The Emperor once tried to kill Fable when the boy was a baby, which had led to him fighting the man when he was a young kid. He knew Fable was strong, just not this much.
"Uh? Are you even listening?" Money Tree asked.
"Sorry, but no." Myth said, shaking his head. "I was distracted."
He found himself in the Sub Enforcers' base. It was kind of trashy looking, had no technology, and was very cold, with a series of large stone walls and a wooden floor. It sort of felt like being in an old medieval castle. In front of him was Money Tree. He was a young boy who wore a series of dollar bills as a coat. A young girl clung to the boy's arm, dressed in a black and yellow outfit.
"This is BB." Money Tree explained when he noticed Myth's look. "She was someone I saved a month or two ago, and since then, it's been hard to get rid of her. She doesn't really speak, but she does have powers, so that's cool."
Myth nodded slightly. He recognized the girl's face, which had caught his attention. She was the daughter of two powerful wind-based heroes. Both had died in action, though. If he remembered correctly, her name was Sera or something like that. "Are all of the members so young?" Myth asked as he looked around the rest of the room.
Two boys stood in a corner bickering. One of them was working on some metal machine while the other seemed to be bugging him. "Well, besides me and now you, this team just has BB and those two. They're Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin. They fight a lot."
Myth bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying anything. He knew the Sub Enforcers would be made of young people; it always was, but he had expected a few teens his age besides Money Tree. All he got was a bunch of kids instead.
"Myth." A loud voice barked out from another room. "I'd like to speak with you."
"Looks like the boss wants to see you." Money Tree said, giving a grin. "Good luck."
Compared to how his father could get at times, Myth really wasn't that worried. He made his way over to a large oak door and opened it. He found himself stepping out onto a balcony and felt his breath catch in his throat. The sky above shimmered with dozens of sparkling stars that all seemed to take the shape of various warriors of old. Down below the balcony was a forest, one that had been untouched by man. It was a sight he hadn't gotten to see in the big city.
"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Standing at the edge of the balcony was the man who took over the Sub Enforcers and had this pocket realm made. Red Iron wore heavy black pants and large metal gauntlets that covered his hands up to his elbow. He didn't wear a shirt, showing a body that had been tamed to perfection, and a black cape was tied around his neck, blowing in the wind. He had wild red hair that came out like spikes and wore a half mask that covered up most of his upper face. "So. You're Myth?"
"Yes, sir." Myth nodded. He did his best to stand up straight and hold his head high.
"Sir?" Red Iron snorted. “I see your father taught you some manners. You know, though, most people tend to call people they view as their superiors, sir, and I can't help but think you don't think that highly of me." Myth didn't say anything as Red Iron turned to look at him. The man had a smirk on his lips and held a hand out. "I'm Red Iron. Your father told me a lot about you."
Myth took the hand and shook it. "Thank you for allowing me to join your team."
"What did you think of them?"
"They're a bunch of kids!" His mouth worked before his mind, and he was unable to stop himself from blurting out his true feelings. "Seriously, this is your team? It sucks!" His brother was living the high life about now.
Red Iron let out a deep laugh as he heard Myth's blunt response. He was full-on grinning now. "So that's how you really feel, huh? Do you want to know why I allowed them to join my team despite being so young?"
"Why?"
Red Iron slowly placed his arms over the balcony and stared down at the forest below. The stars above lit it up in a heavenly glow. "When the Emperor attacked, a lot of kids, especially those of heroes, were taken to shelters. What did you do when he came knocking, though?"
"I fought him." Myth stated. That had been one of the reasons his father didn't like him as much as his brother. He had been just a young boy, but he challenged the Emperor to a duel. If not for the Victorian and his father, he'd be dead.
"Exactly." Red Iron nodded. "Kids will do stupid things, especially if they are told not to. Those kids in there all have powers. They're young and inexperienced. Most teams wouldn't want to take them in. That won't stop them from trying to be heroes, though. Kids these days all seem convinced they will be the next big hero and won't stop until they die. I'd like to make sure that doesn't happen. That's why the first thing I did when I became team leader was boot out all my former adult teammates! I sent the Pallet Boys packing and told them to go become solo heroes!"
"Couldn't you have kept them and allowed the kids to join?" Myth asked.
"Oh? I didn't think about that..."
Myth sighed and turned away. "Just so you know, sir, I don't plan on doing nothing." He balled his hand into a fist as the image of his father's disappointed face flashed through his mind. "I've decided I'll support my brother. The only way I can reach him is by becoming the leader of a team. Enjoy your spot for as long as you have it. I'll be taking it over-"
He turned back just in time to see Red Iron's fist flying at his face. Every part of the hero's body had changed into a bright crimson metal, and his gauntlets seemed to come to life, twirling and making a loud hum as the air twisted around them. Myth barely had time to transform into his bull form and brace himself for the punch.
Myth felt himself crash through the stone wall, and he slammed into the room with the other kids. Money Tree sighed and shook his head. "I knew something like this would happen." Myth was slumped against the back wall and dropped to his knees, vomiting.
"Y- You psycho! Why'd you hit me?!"
Red Iron walked through the wreckage of the wall and laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "You can't even take one punch from me. Until then, I don't think you have any right to claim you'll be a team leader." The man announced. "You better grit your teeth, Myth. I like you. That means I've decided to help you out. I'm going to break you. Shatter every weak bone in your body and force you to be molded into something great. You said you wanted to help your brother out, right? Screw that. Let's show your father up instead. With my help, I'll ensure you're a hero respected by all."
"What-"
"But you have to be able to take at least one punch first!" Red Iron announced, launching forward and throwing out another strike.
"I bet I could take a punch from you now." Myth spat out a glob of blood as he felt the wooden spikes dig into his body. He was back on the battlefield with the Beast. These flashes were really getting annoying.
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"Myth!" Ocean Empress cried out behind him.
Myth gritted his teeth, and his body began to change once more. "I'm not done fighting!" He screamed. "I won't let you get past me!" All the spikes in his body shattered and caught fire. The Beast still wasn't facing him, but it did pause mid-step. Myth allowed his power to reach its peak. His head became that of a dog, and he had a rough hide that gushed out fire. His hands also twisted into the heads of dogs and howled as he took on the form that allowed him to defeat Demonica. He jumped into the air, gushing out a wave of intense red fire from all of his heads.
This wasn't a normal fire, though. It was flames that didn't actually burn a target physically. Instead, they destroyed a target on a spiritual level, erasing parts of their body and giving them a wound that will never heal. This is what allowed him to permanently claim one of Demonica's limbs. It was an imitation of the Lord of the Sun's flames. Hope had once delivered a blow to Polaron that stopped the man from healing. This was basically a lesser copy of that flame.
He attacked the hand Mister Man had been shooting. His teeth latched down into the bullet wounds, and he gushed his fire into them. The black blood that flowed down the Beast lit up, and he realized it wasn't actually blood but was instead some sort of oil. Almost as if the Beast was-
His thoughts were stopped when the Beast swung its arm out and slammed it into a nearby building, smashing through a large orange tree beside the building. He was still clinging to the hand and kept his fangs stabbed in deep, not letting go. Wires and vines began to come out of the Beast's wrist, and more of that oil spilled out, catching fire and burning part of the monster's arm. The sky above crackled, and a bolt of energy fired down and smashed directly into the head of the Beast. It was using its power to shock itself.
The electricity flowed over its metal skin, and Myth felt his nerves ignite as the lightning bore its way into him. He felt a lung explode, and one of his eyeballs popped. This caused his jaws to snap open, and the Beast waved its hand, sending him flying down the street and into another building that shook and rumbled. Myth felt the walls begin to collapse on him as the entire building started to fall apart.
A second later, a loud roar filled the air as the tower began to fall over. The Beast sliced up with its hand, splitting the building in half and causing Myth's large form to fall onto it. He had become a giant with one hundred hands that rushed at the Beast, each hand grabbing a chunk of debris and smashing it down. He was bigger than the Beast and now used chunks of stone as a weapon, slamming them into the skull of the Beast.
In the streets below, a crowd of civilians huddled in a dead-end street, trapped by destroyed buildings, approaching lava and the clashing forms of Myth and the Beast. As they cried out and cowered, a quiet whistle caused them all to raise their heads and look around. Standing in front of them, dressed in a suit that shimmered and changed colors with a pitch black mask that looked more like a gap in reality, The One Who Has No Name waved for them all to get closer.
“Please, get away from the wall,” they stated, a strange warble distorting their voice. “And close your eyes.”
As the scared civilians crowded around The One Who Has No Name, the hero raised a hand, the palm unleashing a flash of light that would have blinded anyone looking. Slowly, the crowd of people turned around, and several mouths dropped down in shock.
Where the dead-end had been was a street that stretched on, almost as if it had never been a dead-end in the first place. The One Who Has No Name ushered them all to go and stepped away from the crowd. When the last person had rushed down the street, the hero stepped back into a doorway that had seemingly formed out of nothing, disappearing as the doorway closed and vanished.
Still fighting, the gigantic Myth used one of his hands and shoved his middle finger into the destroyed eye of the Beast. He pulled up, attempting to tear the top half of its head off. His finger snapped and broke, and the Beast simply walked forward, causing more of his limbs to break. It formed a ball of fire and blasted a hole into his gut, causing him to fall. He lost his focus and was forced back into the form of a human.
He would have landed in a puddle of lava, but Wyvern and Drake both managed to stand up and let out a powerful gust of wind from their mouths. They were far away, but the two of them were still strong enough to rapidly cool off the lava and turn it into a harsh stone that Myth landed on feet first, snapping one of his ankles. He crashed onto his back and stared up as the Beast raised its foot over him and brought it down.
Before it could land, a gray blur swooped in and snatched Myth out from under the foot. Dressed in a light gray bodysuit and wearing a pair of goggles, Light Iron held onto Myth, activating his power to lighten the hero’s weight. As Light Iron fired off a grappling hook, zipping from spot to spot, tears dripped from under the goggles.
“Dammit, bro. We didn’t even get to do your combo!”
As Light Iron fired his grappling hook again, the hero only had seconds to drop Myth as the Beast’s palm slammed down onto the gray-suited hero.
Myth dropped, crashing into a parked car. As the car’s alarm rang out, barely audible over the cacophony of noises, he looked up to see the Beast’s palm slamming down toward him.
"That's Lois," Fable explained casually. "She's the daughter of the Victorian."
"What's her hero name?" Myth asked, folding his arms.
"She doesn't have one."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Apparently, she's super weak." Fable shrugged. "Father has been making fun of the Victorian about that fact for weeks now."
Myth felt a frown come onto his face as he heard his brother speak. It had been nearly a whole year since he joined the Sub Enforcers. His brother had likewise been working for his father as a member of Fairy Tales for an entire year now. His brother had changed since he last saw him. The tall boy had gotten taller, standing just under nine feet now. He was decked out in heavy metal armor and walking around with a massive mace.
They were in the Enforcer tower. Fable got to visit it anytime his dad went, but Myth hadn't been so lucky. It was his first time visiting the place, and he only got to come because Red Iron had been requested to come by and give a status report. Currently, all the heroes are upstairs at a round table discussing important things while he and his brother are down below in a waiting room. Across from them, sitting down on a chair and reading a book, was a young girl.
"Is she also waiting on a hero to come down?"
"No." Fable shook his head. "I told you she doesn't have a hero name. She's not in a team."
"Then why is she here?"
"She lives here."
"Seriously? In this dump?" This tower was ancient-looking. Sure, parts of it had been decked out with modern stuff thanks to Mr. Avalon and the late Mr. Sini, but it still wasn't a good place to be for very long. Quietly, Myth got out of his chair and walked over to the blonde girl. She wore regular civilian clothes, and while she stared at the book, her eyes were dull, and she didn't actually seem to be reading anything. "Hey. Are you okay?"
The girl's eyes slowly looked up at him. "Huh?"
"I asked if you were okay. You seem kind of out of it."
"Why do you care?"
"Because I'm a hero. It's my job."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Sure. Heroes haven't been about saving people since Full Monarch died. Why did you really come over here?"
"What's your power?" Myth asked.
"How did you know I have one?"
"I just figured. You're the daughter of some big shots. You must have something, even if it isn't that good."
Lois gave a snort and stared at him. He felt her eyes wander over him, and she seemed to stare at something. She smirked. "You'll die."
"Well, duh. Everyone dies at some point."
"I mean, you'll die in a specific way. You're going to die to a Calamity."
"Some kind of future vision, huh?" Myth asked, turning away. "That's a pretty useful power. You must be strong."
"Why don't you seem to care what I told you?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes.
Myth just shrugged. "I mean, I don't want to die, but if that's how it is, then that's how it is. In order to go up against a Calamity, then it must mean I've earned the title of leader. Lots of people die to them. I never thought that I would be special or anything like that. People like you and my brother are the really special ones. That said, even if that's my fate, that doesn't mean I have to take it lying down. I'll just give it my all. At the end of the day, that's all I can do."
Lois frowned and stood up. "You're an idiot."
"Maybe." Myth looked back at her and gave a sly smirk. "One day, I plan on being the leader of a team, though. If you can really see the future, then use your power to see that day. That's the day I'll ask you to join my team."
"Making friends, Myth?" He turned and found Money Tree and Red Iron had finished up their meeting and were coming down the stairs. He was a little jealous that Money Tree had gotten to go in while he hadn't. Money Tree was second in command, just under Red Iron.
"We're leaving." Red Iron said, waving. "Let's go."
"Yes, Sir." He nodded to his brother and hurried after Money Tree and his boss as they began to head downstairs. "So, what did the Enforcers want?" he questioned.
Money Tree gave a smirk and folded his arms. "Sorry, but my lips are sealed. If you really want to know, you'll need to become second in command!"
"Fine. I'll just wait until tonight. I know you always tell BB what goes on in these meetings, anyway."
"I- I do not!"
Red Iron gave a large smirk and clapped his two sidekicks on the back. "You should be more careful, Money Tree. With how hard Myth works, it's only a matter of time before he catches up to you.” The man announced, ruffling Myth's hair.
"That's only because you give him special training! Favoritism!"
Red Iron just chuckled. "Why don't we get the others and head out to enjoy some bowling? It's been a bit since we last got to go, and this will be Myth's chance to take his place as leader! Of the bowling team."
"You sure?" Myth asked, raising an eyebrow with a cocky grin.
"Sure." The hero grinned. "It's a fun thing to do after big events. I’ve heard so, at least."
A month after that, Myth would surpass Money Tree and become the second in command...
Lady Time swung her small sword just in time, cutting the Beast's speed in half as her blade fired a gray light from it. Myth was able to react and transformed his body into something that didn't need legs. All of his forms shared the damage they took, but if the form lacked a damaged body part, then it wouldn't have that damage. His body became that of a large tree, and hundreds of snakes slithered around it as he pulled himself away.
He was shockingly fast, the roots of the tree working like tendrils and dragging him down the street, away from the heroes and the Beast. The Beast tried to swipe at him, but Beta and Brobot fired out a wave of rockets, finally deciding to do something. The rockets rained down and hit the Beast's arm, causing it to miss Myth. In retaliation, the Beast fired a beam of energy in their direction. Beta grabbed Brobot and threw the robot in front of him, using the lesser machine as a shield and allowing it to be destroyed.
Myth finished crawling away, gained some distance, and transformed once more. He grew taller, becoming his biggest form yet. Massive red scales stabbed out of his flesh. His legs twisted and came undone, becoming hundreds of snakes. Wings wider than the Beast grew out of his shoulder blades. His muscles got larger, and he began to get bigger, his shadow twisting and stabbing out. The wind became his to command, and magma dripped down his mouth as his jaw jutted out and jagged teeth formed. Where his eyes should have been now stood the entrance to a small volcano, lava pouring down his face like tears, and each of his fingers grew the head of a dragon as he stared down at the alien.
This wasn't the first time he used this mode against the Beast. Two years ago, he had busted this transformation out. That was why he knew without a shadow of a doubt he stood no chance at winning. Even this form was nothing compared to the monster before him.
Myth roared and swung out, ripping buildings out of the ground. His snake limbs twisted around them, and he swung entire skyscrapers at the Beast. To the Beast, though, all it saw before it was a larger target. Water danced above its palm, forming a massive swirling blade that it sent flying. It sliced through the buildings and ripped Myth's right arm clean off, the limb crashing down onto a warehouse, a place that, in a strangely serene part of Myth’s mind, he recognized as Pantheon’s base. A shattered couch and sparking TV lying in the rubble were all that was left of it. Myth howled, and lava gushed out of his face, compressing into a thin beam.
Ice covered the streets and buildings, and the lava was frozen and cooled in an instant as the Beast stared at him. It froze his eyes over and cracked his skin, causing him to drop to his knees before the Beast. The Beast walked forward and lazily pressed its hand to his stomach. It tore right through it as if he was made out of wet tissue paper.
More visions went through his head as the Beast pulled its hand out, tearing out most of his guts and crushing them. He began to shrink as his mind whirled.
He saw him training with Money Tree, Metal Ronin, and Wasp Nest. He saw himself hearing BB's first words as the girl finally began to speak once again. He saw himself cheering with the others as they threw a party, saving the city from Green Tiger, the former leader of Zoo, teaming up with Red Iron to beat Polaron, training with Red Iron, Red Iron taking him out for bowling, fishing, and to eat, Red Iron helping him keep the library neat and clean, and Money Tree arguing with him over some nonsense.
The other heroes fired at the back of the Beast, but it wasn't budging. Myth landed, shrunk back down to his human form, and was on his knees. Ice crawled up part of his body. He was soaked in red and black, missing an arm, and his guts hung out of his stomach. His vision began to blur a bit, and more memories went through his mind.
He saw the Hero Branch revoking his title and position. He saw himself meeting Lois once again. Her declaring herself as Whisper. Then he saw himself meeting Snowdawn. A young boy with snow powers who had just stopped a car from flying off of a bridge. He offered the boy a place on his new team he was forming. Then he saw himself meeting Jack and Hope. He saw team Pantheon be formed; he saw them battle the Bad Timers, Zoo, and the Wandering Coin, beating them all. He saw Pantheon working as a team, helping to save those people in the bank, clearing Ward Tower of water, and the bewildering sight of Battery with a cloud of fish in bubbles behind him. Tracking villains to a club, finding Red Raptor, bandaging Cinder and Snowdawn after their fight with Cybercroc. Taking on Green Wolf, Sunshine, and Polaron. He saw the time he took them bowling, the time he learned Cinder was a Lord; he saw how proud he felt seeing how strong Snowdawn had become, watching Lois smile more, learning Jack's secret, seeing how strong Hope could be, and how she'd put on a brave face despite what her family was going through. Most importantly, though, he saw all the times he didn't say anything. The times he didn't speak to Jack, Armin, or Hope, and the times he didn't tell Lois how he felt. How he kept it all bottled up. How he had more time he could have spent with them but didn't.
The Beast's hand came at him slowly. Lady Time had cut its speed down with her power, but it wasn't enough. His legs didn't respond. He couldn't even feel them. His head was slumped as the hand got ready to surround him and crush him to death.
He saw more. The death of his father, the glare his brother had sent at him, the way he ignored it all, the sad looks in Money Tree's eyes, the way BB, Wasp Nest, and Metal Ronin would beg him to come back. He saw the way the Enforcers stopped treating him like the son of Legend, the way they blamed him for what had become of Poseidon and Paragon, and the way Ocean Empress secretly resented him for damaging both of her daughters. Then he saw Legend. His father. He saw what the Beast had turned him into. The Calamity the former Enforcer had become. Thaddeus wondered if that would be his fate, too. Becoming a monster that would torment the nightmares of his friends and stalk their dreams until they woke up screaming like he had for so long. He hoped not, for their sakes.
"Myth!" Ocean Empress tried to run towards him, but her body was still recovering, and she slipped on the ice, cracking her head. She threw her hand out, shooting a pillar of water toward him, but the Beast batted it away.
The hand began to close around him, and Myth grimly looked up at the Beast. He had seen it once before. Two years ago. That memory slowly came back to him. One he had tried to forget.
"You shouldn't be on the battlefield." Red Iron growled out. They were in what was left of Chrysanthemum. The Beast rampaged and tore down buildings, blowing heroes and civilians to bits.
"I'm the second in command of the Sub Enforcers!" Myth yelled. "I'm going to back you up, no matter what-"
"Here it comes!" Someone screamed out.
Lava rained down the street, flowing like a river, and buildings dropped from the sky, stone raining like droplets of water. Bolts of lightning danced around, and the city shook as the Beast walked. "Back me up..." Myth heard Red Iron's remark, and he turned just in time to see the large red fist of the man flying at him. Time almost stood still, and he saw the faint smile on the hero's face. Memories of all the time spent together were compressed in that fist. "How can you help me if you can't even take one of my punches?"
The fist slammed into Myth's face, and he was sent flying away from the Beast and the battlefield. Everything blurred, but he forced his eyes open as tears stung them, and he watched Red Iron. The hero that had taken care of him, the hero that trained him, took him in, and even raised him, smiled.
"You're going to do good, Myth. Become a great leader." A beam of light streaked forward, and in an instant, all the heroes, including Red Iron, were blown to bits. Only Myth survived, Red Iron's last attack pushing him out of the danger.
"I guess in a way, that's what I'm doing here..." He was back in the present as the Beast's fingers wrapped around him. He stared into its one eye and spat out a glob of his blood in its direction. "I knew I'd never win. Still, I thought I'd do a little better." He chuckled. "It's okay though. I think... I think I bought enough time."
The Beast tried to squeeze down and pop the hero, but its hand didn't respond. It cocked its head to the side and watched as a large slice appeared on its wrist, and slowly, its massive hand dropped off of its body. It stared down at its stump, then felt a flash of pain, and it toppled over as its left foot was torn off of its body. The crackling of energy that didn't belong to it filled the air. Its eyes roamed the streets, and its head turned to look back at the other heroes, where a figure gently placed Myth down, moving so fast it had grabbed the man out of the hand before anyone even knew what happened.
Ocean Empress stared up at Battery as he gently set Myth down. She hadn't actually seen it yet. The crackling blue aura that danced across him. He held a long sword forged from living lightning. The power of pure destruction at his fingertips.
"T- That light." Mister Man stared at the Pantheon hero with shocked eyes. "I've seen it before. That's the same power the Emperor once held. Who the hell are you?"
Battery ignored the Enforcer member and made sure Myth was still breathing. "You did well, boss." He stood up, and a second blue sword made of energy formed into his hand. Slowly, he turned back to face the Beast. "I'll take it from here."
The Beast's eye actually seemed to narrow, and wires and vines gushed from its stomp. Ice filled the air and took the shape of a new foot, allowing it to stand up. An orb of fire filled the air and blasted toward all the heroes, but Battery swung both of his swords, sending blue light arching out in all directions and splitting through the fire, leaving significant cuts across the Beast's stomach.
"He hurt the Beast," Wyvern said, stunned. "Only the Victorian and Full Monarch should be able to do that. Is he on their level?"
From up on a destroyed building, Beta used what was left of Brobot to repair his damaged body as his camera focused on Battery. "Is he... Ah yes. A Ruler, maybe?"
Golden light seeped out of Battery's chest, and blood was already dripping down his face. This was it. His last fight. No matter what. He could feel it. His heart had already stopped. The only thing keeping him going was this cursed power he held. His ability. The one that the Emperor had used. The one that had been able to kill Full Monarch. The power of destruction.
"This is my final battle." Battery announced. He twirled his swords around and crouched down. "After this, I'm dead. I couldn't ask for a better end. I'm the one who will get to drag the Beast straight to hell! You better make sure this is a good fight, got that? Don't disappoint me, you freak!" A loud shriek filled the air. A scream. No. A roar. It was coming from the Beast. Black blood sprayed down its body as it ripped its jaws open, creating a mouth in the tear that let out a powerful battle cry. "Did I hurt your feelings? Good!"
Glass exploded, and stone cracked. The cry was so strong the heroes had to cover their ears. Battery laughed loudly and charged forward, zipping toward the thing at his top speeds. The speed that made Green Wolf look like he was frozen in time. He was in the air and spun, swinging out with his blades, ready to tear the Beast's head off!
"This is where you die!" Battery screamed as he put his all into this one swing-
Everything stopped.
The blood dripping from everyone's wounds no longer flowed, and the buildings that were toppling over stood suspended in the air. All color faded, leaving nothing more than a black-and-white world. No sound was made, and Battery was stuck in midair, not moving an inch.
Time itself had stopped.
The Beast reached up and wrapped its remaining hand around Battery. Before the fight could even begin, it crushed the man's body, squeezing down with everything it had. It felt a 'pop,' and if there had been color, red would be gushing from its fingertips. Its ultimate move, the reason it knew it would win, the Beast had simply halted the flow of time.
It kept squeezing down on the hero's body, and fire blasted down toward the other heroes, who were all frozen in place. None of them even knew they were already dead.
Slowly, the Beast began to walk forward. It headed back toward its true destination now. It stepped on any hero or car that got in its way, crushing down in an instant. Civilians were stuck in motion, making an effort to run away, and it took its time setting pools of lava around each and every one it saw. One hero, a young man wearing a dark purple sporty outfit, was stuck in the motion of firing four arrows in a single second. As the Beast passed, lava flowed over the time-frozen hero’s feet. Finally, though, it arrived at its destination.
A large bridge stood before it. It was filled with cars, and a few other ice bridges had been made. Dozens of Hero Branch soldiers stood frozen in place, as did the heroes who were all here. Lazily, the Beast tossed the body of Battery in a random direction, sending it crashing into a building that would then collapse once time restarted. It didn't matter if the hero was somehow still alive; his body was utterly destroyed by now.
The Beast's eye landed on its target. The reason it had come so far. The Brightest Star stood motionless. Her eyes were in the direction of the city, and her fire was out. Her costume reminded it of the one thing that had stopped it. Full Monarch. That hero had been strong. He was so strong that even the freezing of time couldn't halt him or his fire. This hero wasn't on that level yet, though.
The Beast slowly raised its foot up and brought it down, ready to stomp out the Lord of the Sun-
"I won't let you!"
Ice smashed into the alien, and it didn't even so much as slow the Beast down, but a hero grabbed the Brightest Star and lifted her, skating away on a field of ice. A hero made entirely of ice. One who could also stop time.
Snowdawn gripped onto Cinder tightly, running for his life as the Beast glared in his direction.
"WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO MOVE?!" He screamed as the Beast blasted at him.
Snowdawn was the only fighter left standing. The only one who could seemingly defeat this threat in frozen time!