— Darius Johnson —
"So this is where we'll be training?" I asked, landing on the deserted island after my Father touched down.
"Yes, I've told Cecil of your…awakening, and he told me this was the best place for us to train without worrying about hurting anyone." The couple thousand-year-old Viltrumite frowned, crossing his arms over his black and gray super suit.
"Alright, let's do this!" I grinned and punched my palm. I could barely sleep with all the anticipation of today knocking at the back of my mind. I wanted to test my abilities, and Lucan was one of the people I could go all out against.
"Then you are ready?" My dad asked, uncrossing his arms and clenching his fists.
I paused at the sudden shift in the air. It was as if something horrible was about to happen, and suddenly, I didn't want to fight anymore.
"Uh…I think so."
Lucan frowned deeper at my words, and his stance in the air shifted from neutral to offensive.
He's about to rush me, isn't-
FWOOOOSH*
BAM*
My body was rocked away, and I was sent flying across the island.
BOOM*
My body collided against a small hill, and I let out a pained gasp, coughing up spit from the hit.
Shit, he's not fucking around!
I quickly pushed myself up and flew into the air. I spotted him still in the same place, a deep glare in his eyes as he looked at me.
Oh, this isn't a Father training his Son…this is a soldier training a recruit!
He blasted toward me faster than I could keep up with, but I dodged out of the way out of pure reflex.
BOOOOM*
The hill that I had crashed into moments before was completely destroyed by his rush.
I clenched my fists and grit my teeth as he pulled himself out of the debris and looked up at me. I knew for a fact he wasn't trying his hardest. Otherwise, his first punch would have gutted me, but I was still angry by his blatant disregard for my safety.
He wanted to hurt me so I could get stronger, and a part of me, the part that enjoyed the peace of living with a loving family for so long, hated that.
"Bastard!" I shouted, rushing the man and throwing a punch, which he blocked before following it up with a knee to his stomach, connecting with it. I winced at the pain I felt in my knee and looked up at the man to see him completely unharmed.
"Is that all?" He asked, genuinely disappointed, before bringing his fists together high above his head and slamming them down, crashing into my head and blasting me downward.
BOOOOOOOOOM*
Pain coursed through my entire body as I tried to pull myself out of the crater my body had created. I looked up at him and my anger boiled even more when I saw he was giving me the same fierce glare. As if even after unlocking my powers, I still didn't measure up to his standards! It infuriated me!
Just as I was about to rush him again, I took a calming breath, never once taking my eyes off of him. I bent my knees slightly, with my left leg slightly in front of my right one. My left arm was up, protecting my head, while my right arm was planted firmly at my side.
"You're disappointed in me, I can see it in your eyes!" I shouted, glaring at him. "Then come correct your mistake!"
He stared at me for a while before heeding my bait and rushing forward. I jumped backward, avoiding his crash into the Earth.
BOOM*
He pushed himself out of the rubble and rushed me again, and this time, I was ready. Instead of slamming into me, he slowed down and threw a punch, which I narrowly dodged. I delivered a quick jab to his face. He followed up with another punch, which I dodged again, giving another jab.
He snarled in annoyance, attempting to grab me in a bear hug, but a mistake like that was exactly what I was waiting for. I used my loaded-up right arm and sent it at his face, giving him a heavy overhand punch, sending him skidding backward.
When he finally came to a stop, he shook his head and brought his fingers up to his nose. I grinned madly at the bloody nose he was sporting. I caused that, and that was just a taste of what human martial arts could do against Viltrumite combat and experience.
Lucan glared at the blood in his hands before looking back at me.
FWOOOSH*
He rushed me even faster than before, and I could not dodge. He slammed into me and flew me high into the air, so high that we passed the clouds. He suddenly stopped, but the force of our upward acceleration continued to make me fly upward. I started flying, trying to stop myself from going even higher, but as I saw him rushing me again, I realized that's exactly what he wanted.
His fist slammed into my gut, making me cough up a wad of spit, before he grabbed my leg and threw me back down to the Earth. As I fell, he kept rushing me, giving me powerful downward punches that caused my broken nose to leak blood, and the bruises on my body to pulse with pain.
BOOOOOOOOOM*
My body slammed into the Earth, and as all the newly acquired pain hit me all at once, I didn't for a moment think about getting back up.
I lost, and not only did I simply lose, I got my ass beat. I didn't stand a fucking chance, and as I lay in a crater, feeling all the pain coursing through my body, I wondered why the fuck I ever thought being a Viltrumite would be fun in any way.
Seriously, having powers is all fun until you're pushed up damn near into Space, then punched downward until your body crashes back down.
I tried to get back up and quickly realized I couldn't. At least not now.
"You've had enough?" Lucan asked, floating down just above me. I looked at him with a pained frown and spat some blood into the dirt. "I see. Contrary to what I said before, you did better than I thought. Managing to cause injury to me is no easy feat, and I can confidently say that since coming to this planet, you are the only one to commit such a feat."
"Y-You weren't even trying." I rubbed my hand under my nose, trying to get the blood out of it. Breathing through my mouth sucked.
"Son…I never try on this planet." Lucan admitted, landing beside me. He looked like he was about to say more but paused as he looked around the island. A dry, unamused chuckle escaped him as he outstretched his arms and looked around. "Why are you spying on us, Cecil?"
Silence was Lucan's answer, and he merely scoffed.
"Tell me, son, what have you learned from this?" He asked, landing beside me and dropping to a knee.
"That I don't stand a chance against you."
He shook his head. "No, besides that. Time is always relevant, and time is what you need to catch up to me in power and perhaps even surpass me. But that isn't what you should have learned. Tell me."
I let out a deep sigh and decided to stop sulking about my injuries like a bitch. I thought back to the fight and considered everything that happened throughout it. "I'm not used to fast movements yet. Almost all of your attacks were too fast for me to see, and I just had to pray I dodged them. Also, I suck when it comes to aerial combat."
He nodded. "And?"
I closed my eyes and hummed in thought, then my eyes widened. "I got angry, and that caused me to get my ass beat, and then when I finally calmed down, I got cocky, and then you beat my ass."
A small, almost unnoticeable smile tugged at his lips as he nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Anger is a weapon that can be used in a fight, but it's also a double-edged sword unless you know how to control it. When I spoke badly of you, you responded by getting angry and rushing me, even though you're considerably weaker than me. Your anger blinded you. However, once you calmed down and realized that offense wouldn't win you this fight, you gained the upper hand through your ability to defend and counter-attack. Finally, you fell apart when you began to bask in a mini-victory, even though the fight wasn't over. If you kept your focus on the battle instead of celebrating, you would have noticed that you could have dodged my attack."
I frowned at his last point. "But you attacked even faster than before."
He shook his head. "No, I didn't. You were just so caught up in your head that I was already rushing you by the time you snapped out of those foolish thoughts."
I pouted at that.
The man whooped my ass and then told me where I fucked up.
I want to go home.
My father offered me his hand, and I took it, standing up with great effort.
"We'll do this another day when our vacation is over. It took a lot of prodding for your mother to allow this much."
I nodded and followed him as he took off, heading back toward the ship. As we flew, I thought back to how I got my ass handed to me and frowned deeply. The feeling of fighting a foe with overwhelming strength…I didn't like it, but at the same time—I didn't hate it.
Obviously getting my ass beat wasn't fun, but knowing that I did some damage against a powerful foe, and could have done better if I played my cards right filled me with a small amount of pride.
Sure, I may have got my ass whooped today, but I think I'd like this whole Viltrumite warrior thing.
— Two Weeks Later —
I followed my Father into a store called 'Tailor Shoppe' with a determined frown tugging downward at my lips. Today was the day I finally put an identity to my power and helped change this world for the better.
…For now, at least.
RING*
The shop bell rang, and we continued walking in, heading to the back and down some stairs.
"Hey, you aren't allowed-" An old man said before looking at us and widening his eyes. He smiled at us and outstretched his arms. "Lucan, Darius, it's good to see you both!"
"Uncle Art." I grinned, walking forward and shaking his hand.
"Art." My father nodded, the older man returning his nod before a sudden thought filled his mind.
"You both must be here for the suit, eh?" Art asked, earning a nod from both of us. "You two got great timing; I just added the finishing touches."
I smiled at his words, and he led both of us to a glass container containing the suit. Unlike traditional Hero suits, mine wasn't tight or anything like that. I went for a simple black shirt and underneath a black and olive-colored jacket with a hood. A full mask that only had holes for my eyes and similar colored pants with the exception of a few lines that ran down the side of the legs.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's exactly how I wanted it…no, It's even better." I touched the glass, looking at the suit.
"Good, well, it's all yours now. I don't think I need to give you a big speech on what a hero's suit means to the world?" Art asked with an amused face.
"You don't." I shook my head.
"Good, then go be a hero, kid."
— Later That Night —
I sat on the roof's edge, kicking my legs back and forth as I drew the city beneath us.
"You're pretty good at drawing; maybe you should make a profession out of it?" Eve giggled beside me, fully dawned in her hero costume, minus the mask that covered some of her face.
"Maybe one day." I sighed, adding the finishing touches to the sketch.
"[Darius, Eve, there's some trouble on 63rd street, if you two are up for it.]" Mark said through the communicator.
I stopped the drawing and ripped it out of the sketchbook, handing it to Eve who took it with surprise.
"What do you want me to do with this?" She asked in confusion.
"Keep it, you thought it was nice, so you can have it." I said, staring out at the city lights of the city.
She stayed quiet as she looked at the drawing.
"You ready?" I asked, looking over to her and raising an eyebrow under my mask at her sudden deep interest in the drawing.
"U-Uh, yeah…" She nodded, standing up and tucking the drawing into her shirt. "Let's do this!"
We both flew off the building and headed toward 63rd street, while keeping a similar pace.
BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
As we grew closer and closer, we heard the sound of gunshots and realized there was likely a shootout going on, with the criminals taking advantage of the later hour.
We reached the street and spotted the shooters. "You ready?" Eve asked me.
"I've been ready for years, Eve." I nodded, and we made our entrance, dropping between the two groups that were firing at each other.
"Damn it, supes!" One of them shouted in annoyance, unloading his mag toward us but failing to cause any damage as Eve put up a shield in advance.
"That's that one bitch, Atom Eve! I thought she retired or some shit!" Another shouted, firing at the shield. I looked at Eve, surprised by the fact they were still shooting. The shield wasn't destroyed the first time around; why keep trying?
"Who the fuck is the other-"
BANG*
"Fuck you!" One of the guys to the left of us shouted, putting a bullet in the head of the guy on the other side.
We should probably do something…
"Eve, I'll handle the left; you take the right," I ordered, and she wasted no time in letting me out of the shield and pushing toward the right side.
"You're dead, jackass!"
BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
I flew forward, tanking the gunshots and cutting the distance between us. I delivered swift, non-lethal blows to the normal human guys, and one hit was all it took for each of them to drop. Within half a minute, the twelve or so shooters on my side were nearly all down with one remaining.
"How the fuck!" The last guy shouted, pointing his gun at me.
BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Again, no effect.
"Who the fuck are you!" He shouted, fear lacing his voice as I walked him down.
"I'm someone you shouldn't fear. I am the hero that will wrap not just this city, but the entire world in my peaceful embrace. I'll bring everyone comfort in sorrow and alleviation in the deepest times of distress-"
"Shut the fuck up and tell me!"
BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
…Rude.
I rushed him, knocking him out with a two-finger tap to his forehead. I stared down at his unconscious body and gave him what he so desperately craved.
"I am the answer to this World's inefficiencies and failures. I am Solace."
— Chapter End —
Beta Reader: Basilisk Dragonboy1