"Whew!"
I sat on top of the roof of a random tall building, enjoying the bright lights of the city. The night increases the view's beauty multiple times. In the right corner of my SEE goggles, it told me it was nearly one in the morning. This was the first time I've ever patrolled this late. After eating dinner and staying in my room, reading to occupy my mind until 11 PM, when I snuck out.
I had already told Gavin beforehand about my plan, so he wasn't surprised when I entered his shop, ready to do some hero work. Speaking of Gavin, I haven't heard much from him; he was either asleep or playing those dumb Anime Minecraft mods he's playing. It's okay, though. I'm fine on my own; there wasn't anything big that happened tonight. Not like yesterday when I stopped a bunch of robbers from escaping the police.
I grinned at the memory as I grabbed a chocolate bar from my utility belt and stuffed it inside my mouth. It didn't take long for my Cosmic Energy to rise above eighty. Back to yesterday, it was a pretty good day generally, though it was stained by what happened in the end. I frowned as I took another bite. I just can't stop thinking about that guy who got arrested and what he said.
And not only that, the homeless person who begged for some spare change crossed my mind. I bit my lip. Today, I stopped a couple of muggings and harassment, though in the corner of my vision, there was a person on the ground with a signboard that read how and why they were homeless. I felt so bad, especially since I'm a superhero. I'm not just some random dude just passing through; I'm a guy who tries to help out others.
I felt so helpless when some of them looked at me, their eyes begging me for help. But what could I do? I had no money to my name, and all I could offer was nothing. I hated that feeling. Why hasn't Canada, nor the world, done better for these unfortunate people!?
Is that why all of the major cities like Toronto have large crime rates? They need money, even if they have to do it through illegal means. Why are people treating this like this is normal or even okay!? In my anger, I accidentally crushed my chocolate bar, making its contents spill from my hand.
"Ugh…"
I flicked the chocolate away, thankfully, despite this suit having a lot of white, it was easy to clean. I sighed and got up. I need to distract myself before I fester all night, maybe some flying around in Toronto would take my mind off everything. I flexed my calves, ready to take off in the air, only for my Mind's Eye to catch some objects flying towards me, and it was fast. Still, despite whatever was being aimed at me, I caught it before it could touch my head.
I opened my palm to take a good look at it. I blinked. Is that a bullet? I question because I don't remember them being as big as my forearm. There was steam coming off the large bullet. I looked at the thing for a few moments before I realized that someone had just tried to shoot at me.
Which wouldn't be the first time, but the problem was, this bullet was big and I was minding my own business. Actually, how did the shooter even know I was sitting here!? I tossed the bullet away and floated up, my SEE goggles already showing the trajectory origin of the bullet.
"Gavin, come in!" I harshly whispered, hoping he was still awake and would come to my aid quickly.
"Yeah, I'm up." He yawns.
"What's happening?"
I didn't answer him and instead flew in the direction from which the bullet was fired. To my surprise, the distance was about five kilometres to where I used to be. Can whatever fired at me travel that far? It didn't take long for me to reach my destination, which was another roof of a building. And on the ledge, the barrel pointing upwards was the bulkiest sniper rifle I've ever seen.
It was honestly comical how large the thing is. I dropped to the ground and circled the large rifle, inspecting it.
"That's an Anti-Tank Sniper, what in the world is it doing here!?" Gavin exclaimed, his tone serious.
Yeah, what is that doing here? I can't imagine a normal person would have this in their backyard and decide to shoot it at the local superhero. Not even gun-crazed Americans are that insane. Speaking of, where is the shooter? That question was quickly answered by Mind's Eye catching a person behind me, they jumped in the air and pulled back their fist, aimed at my head. I moved out of the way, pushing myself in the corner just before someone's fist crashed to the ground, making a huge dent in the roof floor.
Well, this was certainly not a normal person. They pulled their fist that went inside the roof, ground, and they got up, allowing me a good view of them. I thought I'd seen everything, but I guess not, because in front of me was a large man, a bit taller than Gavin and buff as heck. But that wasn't what got my attention, not what they were wearing. Whoever this guy is, he was wearing some kind of futuristic black power armour which covered him from head to toe.
There were some grey metal plates which reinforced the already tough armour. The guy's helmet, in contrast with his jagged armour, was sleek and smooth. It had two eyeholes which glowed scarlet as it pierced my soul. This man's armour looks like Iron Man if he decided to become a horror character. I gulped as he and I stared at each other silently.
"So…what's up?" I say, trying to be casual and not letting my worry show.
The armoured man just stood silent, staring at me with its cold red eyes.
"So…are you going to tell me why you shot me? Or is that normal for you?"
Again, the armoured man stayed silent. I was about to quip once more, but Gavin stopped me.
"Listen to me very carefully, Ben. This man is no joke, I know him, he's more dangerous than Atlas!"
"What…?" I say breathlessly.
Apparently, Gavin knows this guy, and did he just say this Iron Man wannabe was more dangerous than Atlas?
"This guy…his name is Arc, be on your toes and watch out for his whips!"
Whips? My confusion was cut off when the armoured man, or Arc, charged at me. I raised my fists, ready to fight. Arc swung his right fist. I tried to block it, but before it could even touch my forearm, he pulled it back before using his other hand to get inside my guard, which landed on my jaw. And it HURT.
Enough so to make me stumble, my temporary dizziness allowed him to land several jabs to the face and the body before ending his combo with a spinning kick, which nearly sent me to the ledge, but I regained my balance before I could fall off. He was relentlessly charging at me once more, but I opened the visor and launched my optic blast at him to push him back. I kept blasting him for a few seconds, him trying to block with his hands, but he was being pushed back. I stopped before rushing at him with a lightning-infused punch to the chest, which launched him in the air and off the roof below. I see his body disappear from my sight, which earned a gasp out of me.
Maybe he tried to kill me, but I didn't want him to die! I was about to move my legs to save him, but I stopped. I wondered if my Mind's Eye can be rubbed like a normal eye because I can't believe what I'm sensing. Arc's silhouette recovered midair and started to float up. Arc's figure slowly got into view, he was crossing his arms, looking down at me.
Underneath his boots was a focused stream of fire coming out. He uncrosses his arms before gesturing to 'Come At Him' before flying away.
"After him!"
He didn't need to tell me twice, as I launched myself in the air and began to chase Arc. It didn't look like I was catching up with him, I was about to open my visor to use my laser beams to Arc. But then he suddenly turned around and thrusted his fist at me, and something popped open in his wrist; it looked similar to a mini-barrel of a gun. I would have theorized more had something shot out of his wrist, and to my slow perception, it looked to be…a rocket!? I barely had any time to bring my hands for a block when an explosion hit me point-blank.
It didn't hurt all too much, but it stung enough for me to lose concentration and fall to the ground hard. I groaned and shook my head as I got back up. The streets weren't as busy as back then, but there were still people walking around and driving. They look at me in shock, and I don't blame them, but right now, they need to go!
"Everybody, evacuate, I'm currently fighting an Iron Man knockoff!"
And right on cue, Arc dropped in, dramatically landing on the ground. People screamed and ran away, cars were abandoned or driven away, not too long, it was just us. Wanting a payback for earlier, I moved in to throw a haymaker, which he parried and countered with several shots to the body. I tried to kick, but another parry and several more counterattacks, I moved away, clutching my stomach. He's good. Maybe even better than Atlas.
"Red Justice, don't swing in recklessly, try to outmaneuver him like with Atlas!"
I grunted before rushing in. Arc shells were ready for another counter before I released my optic beams at him, forcing him to dodge by jumping, but that left him vulnerable as I tackled him into the air and slammed him to an abandoned car. I didn't let him take a break as I brought my fist up while straddling him before punching him in the face a couple of times. Though by the third punch, he had enough, tilting his head to dodge a punch before delivering his own, forcing me off him. He jumped into the air and activated his rocket boots.
He thrust both arms pointed at me, before those cannon wrists opened, this time with both hands.
"Oh, fudge-"
Arc started to fire rockets at me, though I was quick to dodge.
[CE : 54%]
I clicked my tongue seeing my Cosmic Energy percentage, while still having some food left on the utility belt, I have to end this quickly! I grabbed one of the lampposts before flying towards Arc and then delivering him a good whack, which also broke my weapon. Arc crashed to the ground again before getting back up, looking ready to fight more. Then something popped out of his wrist again, though it wasn't those mini cannons again. This time, what came out was a long metallic rope.
But I was quickly proven wrong when Arc swung them at me. I barely moved in time as the whip sliced the car in front of me in two. What's even worse, the whip seems to produce some kind of yellowish electricity. Arc swung at me again, this time with the other hand. I pushed myself off the way and into the air away from the whip's range. It was fast, almost as fast as I! I thought I was saved from this distance only to be proven wrong as Atlas swings his whip again, this time successfully hitting me in the chest.
I yelped from the sudden pain. It hurt, not even Atlas at his peak could inflict pain this much. The whip wrapped around my foot, and with a yell, Arc pulled me down to the ground. It didn't help each second; I was getting zapped by the yellow electricity. His whip released its hold on me, but before I could fully recover, Arc shot me with two missiles directly.
I felt my body push deeper into the ground, and my ears started to ring. My SEE goggles were cracked in the top corner, and my CE reads I'm about 40% of my power. This guy, Arc. He's definitely a tougher opponent than Atlas. But I'm not about to give up just yet.
I grit my teeth as I pull myself off the rubble and to the crater, glaring at Arc furiously. Speaking of the guy, he was standing there analyzing me. I quickly grabbed a candy bar out of my belt and unwrapped it. Almost instantly, Arc tried to whip me, but I dodged. Meanwhile, I hastily ate my candy.
[CE : 58%]
While Arc tried to furiously land, I grabbed another candy and ate it quickly. As I dodged, I slowly got in closer. Before, eventually, I'm at arm's length, by then I fired my laser beams straight in his chest, causing him to be launched into the lamppost. Once he got up, I delivered several strikes to his chest and face. He was a bigger threat than Atlas. I couldn't afford for him to adapt to my aggression; I had to keep fighting.
He parried a strike and countered it with a left hook aimed at my face, which made me duck before delivering a nasty body blow to the stomach infused with my lightning. My attack caused him to be launched high in the air. Before he could recover or even fall, I tackled him in the air before spinning him around multiple times using his leg before letting him go and crash on top of an unfinished building's roof, we crashed by multiple floors before stopping after the third one. I heard him groan as he struggled to get back up.
"Ready…to talk!?" I shouted in between deep breaths.
I floated down facing him, before I was on my knees, clutching my chest, feeling my heart race. A good chunk of his mask was destroyed, showing a bit of his real face. From what little I could see, the guy looked to be as old as Gavin. He had a white goatee and hazel eyes. To my surprise, he managed to get back up and cracked his neck. I clicked my tongue, frustrated by how much of a tank this guy is!
After all that, he wouldn't stay down.
[CE : 31%]
Crap, that was the last of my food. I ate a lot earlier, but I ate half of the day to remain close to 100%, so I should have divided it up evenly. Then again, I wasn't expecting this guy to try to snipe me on the head!
"Ben, if push comes to shove, you have to retreat," Gavin said in a serious tone.
I wanted to shout at him that running away was not an option, especially not when he is still running around. Besides, I still have some Cosmic Energy left to finish him. He may not be down, but he's still hurt. I can still get the win. I was about to move to take another swing, but Arc slowly raised his arm.
"Enough."
I blinked before I shot him a smug grin.
"And here I thought you were mute."
Arc ignored me, and he crossed his arms. He looked like he wanted a fight, regardless, I kept my hands up ready for any attack I had to block or dodge.
"So this is the power of 'The Crimson Angel'. I vastly underestimated you; you're much more powerful than I thought."
"Crimson-what?"
His exposed face raises a brow before returning to neutral. "That is the title they've given you in the Middle East and Europe. While many still doubt you're existence, there is a good amount that also believe in you."
I slowly nod my head. "Okay… interesting fact aside, mind telling me why you're spending the night trying to snipe me? What's your deal?"
At first, Arc didn't say anything, only looking at me wearily. After several moments of silence, he starts speaking.
"Because you're a threat, a threat to my goal."
"And your goal is…?"
He didn't answer again, I was about to demand an answer before he spoke up again.
"... Red Justice, I wish to make a deal with you."