"Your species is the last I want to hear that from: you humans kill each other: fight: steal: lie and hate amongst yourselves: you humans are greedy: you have no idea what living as a djinn was like for us: even before we appeared through the rift all over this world we were sealed by humans and chained to grant wishes to men: I have experienced the wickedness and greed of humans asking for what they do not deserve and forcing us to commit acts we do not wish to do," he shouted as he punched Archex in the chest, shattering his rib cage with brute force.
"Redirecting force of impact all over master body to avoid a direct hit," Alexa said as the suit shattered at the chest, leaving Alex bare. He coughed up blood as his eyes bled.
"You humans are always the same: all of you: including the women: the children: the men: all of your species need to be purged from this world: and when I destroy you all I will create a utopia for the djinn to live in peace," he continued. His words were cut short as Archex delivered a severe headbutt, striking him downwards: then another knee jab shattered his legs and arms in the process.
"Not everyone is the same, you fool: everything is unique in its own way: I thought you saw it when you claimed to have transcended and saw all things: even the electrons in every atom," Archex shouted, pointing his palm at Electron, who was thrown upward into the sky.
"This boy has been taking my beatings and current and using them to boost this final attack: how clever: I do not want to admit it but he is very strong willed even for his age," Electron said, coughing blood. "To make me cough blood is a great feat: he shall die but painlessly in my hand," his eyes became blurry and weak.
"Take this: my final attack," he shouted, firing the cannon on his right hand: "Cannon Burst." Energy imbued with neutrons collided with Electron, sending him into a massive explosion. Archex crashed downward with tears in his eyes.
"Percentage of the blast killing him: Alexa," he called.
"Um: the percent is ten percent master: system failure: suit has reached its limit: no backup power: system failure," Alexa said as her voice began to glitch.
"Alexa: Alexa: please say something," Alex cried as the suit passed a syringe full of a strange liquid of neutrons.
"Master: I am grateful for everything you have done for me and for creating me: but this is where we say goodbye," Alexa said, her voice glitching.
"Do not go yet: I still need you," Alex pleaded as he fell faster to the ground.
"You never did, Alexander: your ability to strategically think and solve everything with your genius mind is what has helped you so far to protect yourself and countless others: that is your true superpower: remember that," she said, giving one final command: "Redirecting all backup power to safety protocols" she said as a bubble of protective energy enveloped Alex. She appeared briefly in front of him and kissed him on the lips before fading away.
"Thank you master," she whispered as her digital holographic consciousness disappeared. The suit shattered into pieces. Alex landed on the ground with broken bones, but he stood, crying loudly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," he yelled as he tore his shirt to tie scraps of metal to his arms and legs.
"You really think such an attack could defeat me?" Electron said as his energy core absorbed the blast: he glitched around Archex as his sealed cosmic power manifested and his body glowed with energy.
"I know it did not: but at least I fought back," Archex said, smirking as he clenched his fist and picked up a flat piece of metal as a shield. "And I can do this all day."
"Give up, human: there is no use fighting a disabled person: you have lost all," Electron said. Archex threw the metal shield, phasing through it as he rushed toward him.
"Why cannot you give up, son of man: how can I not see that the fight is not in your favor and your bones are broken," Rex said with genuine concern.
"Though my body might break: I shall not stop fighting: that is what a hero does: I shall protect this city with my life even with my last atom of life," Alex said, pulling away the heavy gauntlet and remaining suit. His chest was bare as he clenched his fist at Electron.
"Your time is up, kid: you are going to die now," Electron said as he appeared in front of Archex.
"I will never die to the likes of creatures like..." Archex shouted as he threw a punch: Rex struck his chest and ripped out his beating heart with his claws.
"I am sorry, kid: stand proud: you are the first human without any form of energy to fight against me: you are strong in your own way," Rex whispered with emotion in his eyes.
"Yes: maybe I am strong: maybe I am not: but I have one last gift for you, my opponent," Alex said, hugging Rex and injecting a device inside him.
"What is that?" Rex asked softly.
"A gift: you will know soon enough," Archex replied.
"Hmm: any last words before I send you to the afterlife?" Electron asked.
"They say your life flashes before your eyes before death: I used to think that was just poetic fluff: but it is true: as my body crumbles: blood in my lungs: bones like shattered glass: breath slow: finally I see it all: not the battles: not the awards: but the beginning: I was six when my world burned: my mother's scream still rings in my skull like a broken chime: my father's hand warm, calloused, cold was the last thing I held before the fire took him: and then he came: a man with golden hair wrapped in light like a divine figure: he did not speak: did not promise me safety or revenge: he just picked me up and carried me through smoke: through blood: through silence and darkness: that was the first time I blacked out: when I woke up: I was in an orphanage crowded and noisy: filled with Beta humans: children who could spark flames with their fingertips or float off the floor with a sneeze."
"Not me: I was not born special with energy or superpowers: so I buried myself in thought: while the others played with wind blasts or lit candles with their breath: I solved questions far beyond my age: I dismantled old radios and rebuilt them into functional machines: my first robot walked at eight months: I did not need friends: they would slow me down: I had a goal to become the greatest mind and the strongest protector this world would ever see."
"Then came the Great Labs: Texas opened a new branch: that is when Lucian Stark suggested I live with Stanley Jenkins: an intern with too many dreams and a daughter who hated school."
"Her name was Jasmine Jenkins: she was not like me: she sang in the morning and hummed at night: she was not brilliant: but she was alive: kind: soft: and stupidly persistent in getting me to eat: laugh: or sit with her while she played her old guitar: and maybe just maybe that is when I cracked: just a little: her warmth gave me space to breathe: to imagine a world where people were more than numbers or experiments."
"Soon the awards started piling up: national science fairs: international expos: Nobel nods: and then I created her Alexa: my first true AI: a voice in my head: my second mind: with her and the suit I built from scraps and brilliance: I hit the streets: thieves: rogue Betas: violent criminals: I beat them all back: not with power: but with tech: tactics: precision: the media called me 'The Steel Shadow.'"
"Then came the call to Elite Gold Class Recognition from the top: I had done it: I was more than a broken kid: I was someone they needed: but Lucian: he did not ask me to lead armies or join councils: he gave me the Reactor Building: a glorified babysitting job: or so I thought: looking back now: it was too perfect: he wanted me there for this exact moment: still I protected it: not for Lucian: but for Stanley who raised me like his own: and for Jasmine whose songs kept my darkness at bay: for everyone in this city who could not defend themselves: that is who I am: or was."
The memory faded: the real world crashed back in with a rumble of energy behind him. He coughed hard, blood on his tongue.
Then he saw him: Quicklightning who instantly arrived as he is covered in energy.
" Ah it's you Johnson that's the same person as Quicklightning....how fascinating"
"Alexander!" he yelled.
Alex smirked, feeling the last bits of himself peeling away: "Took you long enough, Johnny."
He saw the blood: the wound: the spark in Alex's eyes fading like the last flicker of a dying sun.
He rushed forward: too late.
Alex spoke loudly for him to hear: "Humanity is in your hands now: I will leave the rest to you."
And then he let go as his life evaporated and left this world.
"No,no,no, this cannot be happening: it cannot be happening again," Johnson muttered as he looked at his watch. "Again?" He recalled the dream of the city in destruction. That was not a dream: it was a memory: and it had happened to him multiple times: each time he was too slow to save everyone: either he died fighting Electron or Electron wiped out the city with him in it.
"Seems you are finally catching up I guess," Jake hummed within him.
"Why did you not tell me? Why hide something so important?" Johnson asked angrily. "I could move people out of the city instantly without them knowing: but each time I am slower: Jake: why did you..."
"Do not blame me, Johnson: what do you think I am," Jake said harshly.
"What are you: who am I: why am I alive when everyone is dead," Johnson knelt down, clutching his head as memories filled him and he screamed in pain.
"What the hell: has he gone mad?" Rio asked as he arrived, seeing the sky darkened and Rex glowing in energy, floating above them.
"More heroes I guess: well sorry to say but you are all dead," Electro said as he released the massive ball of collapsing neutron stars toward Earth.
"Where is he releasing it to: the city's shelter?" Rio exclaimed, turning to Quicklightning, who coughed and cried while holding his head as he punched Johnson, forcefully removing five of his side teeth.