I returned to the warehouse. Everything was shut down, and the kidnappers had fled the building. Outside the building, I couldn’t find them still hanging around.
“Shit.” Looking around, I realized that there was nothing left for me here. I would have to handle Cord another time. For now, I needed to clear out the apartment. The chances that they were already on their way were far too high. Any evidence leading to other spots I had, including Mars, needed to be destroyed.
So far, no one knew I had set up shop there, and it would stay that way. It couldn’t be seen by satellite images, and it didn’t pick up or receive any unusual signals. The place was as inconspicuous as I could possibly make it.
The apartment was already mostly bare. A few items made it look lived in, but at this point, it was closer to a hotel room than a real home. I watched the windows as I started to collect items. One by one, I started to dump items in my warehouse storage. I would sort through them later. The clothes went in one pile. The files and electronics went in another. I scanned hastily before deciding that there wasn’t anything else that they could use on me.
From the warehouse, I collected two gas cans. I started spreading it around while listening for people in the hallway. An older truck rolled into the parking lot. I considered confronting them. Knowing that they might have already spread the information stopped me. I needed to start the fire before anything else. I tipped the last of the gas over before lighting a match. My other known places of living would need to be removed next. It would be best to move stuff from the warehouse as well. Better to be safe.
As I watched the flames engulf the apartment, a sense of relief washed over me. It was a necessary step, one that would help me sever ties with my past and protect my new life on Mars. But it was also a reminder of the chaos that had driven me to leave Earth in the first place. The world was unraveling, and I was just trying to survive.
But the smile was short-lived. I knew that I couldn't stay on Earth for long. The kidnappers had already spread information about me, and it was only a matter of time before they tracked me down. I had to be careful, had to cover my tracks. I thought about all the other places I had lived, all the other spots that could be used to find me. I would have to clear them out, one by one.
With the apartment ablaze, I teleported to my next destination, a small cabin in the woods that I had used as a retreat in the past. As I arrived at the cabin, I quickly gathered my belongings and began to sort them into piles, just as I had done at the apartment. The process was methodical and efficient, a testament to my years of experience in handling sensitive information. I teleported the items to the warehouse, one by one, ensuring that nothing was left behind that could lead to my other hideouts or, more importantly, to Mars.
The silence was eerie as I worked, the only sound being the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird chirping in the distance. It was as if the world had paused, waiting for me to complete my task. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, but every time I scanned my surroundings, I found nothing.
The cabin was soon empty, and I moved on to the next location, a small studio in a bustling city. The process was the same, swift and precise. I was a ghost, erasing my presence from the world, one place at a time.
The warehouse was my next stop. I needed to sort through the items I had collected, destroy anything that could be used against me, and prepare for the possibility of a long-term stay on Mars. I looked over the items. They were all that tied me to Earth and what was left of my life when I used to be a hero. It was so small and simple.
I got to work. The return to Mars couldn’t come fast enough. I burned and destroyed some of the unnecessary documents and set aside others for transportation to Mars. It had been almost an hour when the ground shook. I looked up. It wasn’t Cord and his thugs. I glanced up to see plumes of smoke rising in the distance between buildings.
“Another hero versus villain showdown? Just another day in the life. And another reason why I don’t want to be here anymore.”
I continued to pack away my belongings. As the sun dipped below the skyline, casting long shadows over the warehouse, an unexpected surge of energy coursed through the city below. Alarms blared, and the ground trembled with increasing intensity. I decided then to turn on the news radio. It would give some more context and distract me from the monotony of preparing for the trip.
“…Notice. All people listening to this broadcast are recommended to flee the area or bunker down until it is declared safe. There is now an emergency evacuation notice in place. Heroes are already in place in D.C. and are handling the situation. Do not enter the area until it is declared safe to do so….”
I let the radio continue to play while I teleported my first set of stuff to Mars. They were a box of old computers and electronics. Most I planned to wipe and then sell if possible. Next, I brought with me some clothes that I liked and had decided to keep.
“Confirmation of the villain’s powers. He seems to be able to shrug off any attack that hits him. On our video feeds, we can see him clearly regrowing a limb after it was melted by plasma. A building has started to fall on him now. He is obscured from the debris. We expect that he will climb out shortly…”
As I listened to the radio, the gravity of the situation began to sink in. The villain they were describing was unlike any I had encountered during my time as a hero. An enemy that evolved with damage, regenerating and growing stronger with each attack—it was a nightmare scenario for anyone still invested in the hero-villain dynamic. But for me, it was just another reason to expedite my departure from Earth.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
I continued my work in the warehouse, methodically sorting through the remnants of my past life. The news reports played in the background, a constant reminder of the chaos I was leaving behind. I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the days when I would have been on the front lines, facing down threats like this one. But those days were gone, replaced by a singular focus on survival and escape.
The warehouse was dimly lit, casting long shadows that danced across the walls as I moved. Each item I picked up felt like a fragment of a life I no longer recognized. Old photos, mementos from mission’s long past, and gadgets that had once been cutting-edge now seemed like relics from another era. I paused for a moment, holding a small trinket—a medal awarded for bravery in battle. It felt heavy in my hand, weighted with memories and regrets.
With a sigh, I placed it into a box marked for Mars. Sentimentality had no place in my new life. Practicality was all that mattered now. As I continued packing, I couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out. The villain's rampage was drawing closer, and while I didn't care about the outcome of this battle, I knew it could complicate my plans if it reached this area.
I glanced at the radio again as another update came through. The villain had indeed emerged from the debris, seemingly unharmed and more formidable than before. Heroes were struggling to contain him, and evacuation orders were expanding to include more areas of the city.
I scrutinized my remaining items further. I quickened my pace, teleporting another batch of items to Mars. Each trip felt like a step closer to freedom—a chance to start anew in a world untouched by Earth's endless conflicts. Yet, there was an undercurrent of unease that I couldn't ignore. The villain's ability to adapt and evolve made him unpredictable and dangerous in ways that even seasoned heroes struggled to counter.
I paused briefly to assess my progress. The warehouse was slowly emptying out, each teleportation leaving it more barren than before. Soon, there would be nothing left to tie me here—no possessions or memories to hold me back.
As I sifted through the last box, my fingers brushed against something familiar. Old photos, yellowed with age, lay hidden beneath a pile of forgotten gadgets. They captured moments from a life I had tried to bury—images of me in costume, flanked by my hero teammates. Each photo was a reminder of missions that once defined my existence.
Those days felt like a lifetime ago, a time when saving the world seemed possible. But now, the world had changed, and so had I. I wished things could return to how they were when camaraderie and purpose-filled my days. But that time was long gone, replaced by solitude and survival. The thought was bittersweet—a reminder of what I had been forced to leave behind.
I took the photos in my hands. With a brief focus of power, the photos disintegrated. The inanimate objects were pulled in two directions through my power and didn’t survive the stress. As the last photo disintegrated, I felt a strange sense of liberation. It was as if destroying these remnants severed the final ties to my old life.
0-0-0-0-0
Cord
I drove away from my burning home. A fire had spread from one apartment to another. There was little expectation that help would arrive soon. What remained of my stuff would burn out in the fire. Christian glanced at me occasionally, and so did Sarah.
“Do you guys see that?” asked Christian while pointing to the skyline.
“Smoke? Another fire?” Sarah paused. “Or a fight.”
“Turn on the radio. I want to listen in.”
I did as instructed and soon found the right news station.
“Video feeds, we can see him clearly regrowing a limb after it was melted by plasma. A building has started to fall on him now. He is obscured by the debris. We expect that he will climb out shortly. Four heroes are already on the scene, with more expected to arrive soon once all government officials are locked down in secure bunkers…”
“Maybe these four can tell us where we can find the teleporting bitch,” said Christian. “I say we head over there.”
“I love that,” said Sarah. “Helping that man would just be helping us along as well. We can stir the pot a little and see what spills out.”
“That is a dangerous play with possibly disastrous consequences,” I reminded her.
“But it is a play that we could greatly benefit from,” said Christian. “We will play it safe for a while. No need to rush into things, but you’re right. I’ll call some of our friends and see where they are at. Maybe they can help as well. I know at least one who can get access to drones and the video feeds thereof. Better to go in with more information than less, no?”
As Cord, Christian, and Sarah drove through the city, the tension in the air was palpable. The chaos unfolding in the distance grew. Cord's mind raced with possibilities. Aligning with a villain of such power could be a game-changer for their group, but it was also fraught with risk.
"Let's get closer, but not too close," Cord suggested, keeping his voice steady. "We need to see how this plays out before making any moves."
Christian nodded, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Agreed. We need to assess the situation first. If we can get a handle on this villain's abilities, maybe we can use them to our advantage."
Sarah leaned forward from the back seat, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "And if we can find that teleporter in the chaos, even better. We owe her for what she did to our operation."
“She?” I asked. “Are you sure under all that armor?”
“The hero was she. Could feel it in her punches, and the suit couldn’t cover everything. You have to be paying more attention, bud. You would have felt more if you didn’t go down so quickly.”
“Whatever,” I responded.
As we approached the outskirts of the battle zone, I pulled over into an abandoned parking lot. The smoke and dust from the ongoing fight filled the air, creating an oppressive atmosphere. We exited the vehicle cautiously, keeping low and out of sight.
I retrieved a pair of binoculars from the glove compartment and scanned the horizon. I could see flashes of energy and hear distant explosions as heroes clashed with the seemingly unstoppable villain.
"Look at that," Sarah whispered, pointing toward a nearby rooftop where several figures were gathered. "Those must be some of the heroes trying to contain him."
I focused his binoculars on the rooftop. "Yeah, but they're struggling. This villain is something else. We might be able to use this chaos to slip in and gather intel."
Christian checked his phone for updates from their contacts. "I've got a friend who says there's a drone feed we can tap into. It'll give us a better view of what's happening. He’ll be in position soon."
I started considering plans. "Let's set up here for now. We need to be ready to move at a moment's notice if things go south." If the heroes were going to go down, then the ‘villain,’ as they called him, had to go down as well.