Ace

Ace smashed Cole against the wall violently and sighed. "I had expected so much more from you, Cole. But you don't care, do you? I guess being unconscious will do that to you." Ace smirked and leapt from the tunnel through the whole in the roof. "Now then, time for the first phase of my plan."

Ace ran across the city. He needed no map, he had been planning his assault on the First Sons' Headquarters since the quarantine began; he was ready. Ace reached the headquarters to find it surrounded by members of the First Sons: soldiers and conduits alike. "Oh well," Ace said as if he knew that this would happen already. "It still won't take too much effort."

Ace walked calmly towards the front entrance. The eyes of all the First Sons were on the confident teenager sauntering placidly towards them without a bit of fear in his deep, purple eyes.

A masked soldier approached Ace, gun at the ready. "State your business, child," he said gruffly.

Ace's expression turned cold. "Get out of my way."

"State. Your. Business!"

"What part of 'get out of my way' did you not understand?"

The warrior prepared to squeeze the trigger. Ace noticed his movement and crushed him instantly with gravity, turning him into the human equivalent of a squashed insect. "Fool," Ace said; his voice was edged with icy anger. "Trying to raise a hand against me."

The other First Sons saw this and perceived the boy as a threat. The hundreds of soldiers rushed him instantly to get revenge for their fallen comrade.

"Hold it!" a loud voice shouted from the entrance of the command centre. A conduit exited from the gate with a slow, intimidating gait. He walked right up to Ace and stared at him through the gas mask with cold, unfeeling eyes.

"Hello," Ace said calmly.

"What—exactly—are you doing here, boy?"

"I came to take down the First Sons and build my army."

The conduit laughed mirthlessly. "So you can tell jokes, boy?"

"Oh, I'm not joking, sir. It would be much easier for both of us if you could just back down now."

The conduit growled. "Don't think I can let such insults go unpunished, you insolent child!" His body became edged in purple light and he grew to gigantic size. The giant man raised his shining fist and brought it down with tremendous force. However, it hit empty space instead of crushing the child. Ace had jumped back quickly. He raised his left hand as if to take aim at the giant man. He pulled back his right fist and punched forward. A solid, circular wall of gravity smashed through the air, killing the conduit instantly and making a giant hole through the First Sons' headquarters.

The soldiers stared in awe at the gaping, circular fissure that now permeated their command centre. A lone figure walked at a slow pace with a cane through the hole.

"Who did this?" boomed the grizzled, old man. "Who is attempting to destroy my birthright?"

Ace smiled. "Hello, Mr. Tate. My name is Ace; I've come to take the First Sons."

Alden glared coldly at the boy who stood before him. "You… you upstart!" Alden shouted furiously. "How dare you try to take the First Sons from me? This is my birthright! Don't assume that I will allow you to do as you please! NO ONE'S TAKING A DAMN THING FROM ME!"

The soldiers and conduits around Alden suddenly became fearful. They respected Alden Tate as their leader; they accepted that it was indeed his birthright to lead them, but they knew that their boss could be quite volatile when he was angry.

One conduit, a man who seemed to be more powerful than the rest walked out from behind Alden. He observed the situation and promptly jumped away. "Is it time for Master Alden's Macro Devil already?" he wondered aloud. The other members of the First Sons nodded wistfully, knowing what Alden's rampages did to their compound. "Well, best to get out of the way then."

Macro Devil? Ace thought. Now that sounds interesting.

Alden began to radiate power. Steel and concrete from the broken building and streets began to swirl around his withered body. The debris began to take the form of a giant, slightly deranged effigy of the Devil surrounding Alden.

"You blasphemous, little wretch!" screamed Alden from inside the Macro Devil. "I will crush all who oppose me, regardless of their age!"

Ace looked up at Alden from the ground and laughed. "That's ridiculous!" he shouted in between his laughter.

"You dare mock me? I will destroy you!"

"Go ahead and try, you washed-up old geezer. I'm not scared of you."

Alden's Macro Devil started to move. Its arm reached menacingly towards Ace. It seemed as if the small boy would be crushed by the robotic monster. Ace smirked arrogantly at the old man. He raised a hand and flicked his wrist downward. In that same instant Alden's Macro Devil was crushed beneath its own weight.

"Do you understand now, old man?"

Alden was dying. He had been crushed underneath the debris from the golem. "Yes," he began weakly. "I understand, boy. You are the true devil here. But I swear that my ghost will haunt you to the end of your days!"

Ace laughed without joy; there was only cold condescension in his laughter. "No, you still don't get it, you old fool. Your power was useless before mine. All is useless before my overwhelming strength. I am no devil; I am a god!"

Ace laughed once more and Alden died without a sound.