Prologue

[YEARS IN THE FUTURE]

"The age of the Hero…is OVER."

Two figures zoomed towards each other at sonic speed. Their clash sent them both flying backwards, the shockwave plowing through cars and buildings. They each dug their hands and feet into the earth to slow their momentum.

"You're not getting away with it this time. I'll tear EVERYTHING down." The man in black was breathing heavily as he stood up, his tattered costume swaying in the wind.

"I'll send you straight to hell, boy. Don't forget; the world is watching." The man in red wiped the blood spilling from his mouth as he gestured towards the multitude of news helicopters filming their altercation overhead. He began to limp towards his foe.

His limp began to turn into a jog, before turning into flight. He zoomed towards the man in black, his heavy fists connecting with his chest. The man in black clawed at the air as he was sent flying back, his vision blurry and breath ragged. He shook his head to regain his composure, keeping himself from blacking out. He quickly mustered up the strength to halt his velocity as he skid across the debris. Hovering just above the ground, he turned to survey the burning city. He was able to take in the destruction their duel had caused. It fueled his rage. Reminded him of his purpose. Of what he had lost.

The symbol on his black suit was now ruined beyond recognition. He ripped it off his chest, and the rest of the top of his costume came off with it. It was swept away by the wind before getting caught on the wreckage of a tall building, flapping as if it were a flag.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to face his mortal enemy. In the center of the catastrophe they had created, they locked eyes.

"You can't beat me, kid. And even if you could, what do you think will happen? You'll ride off into the sunset? Live a 'normal' life?" The man in red sneered as he approached. "I'm gonna enjoy making you suffer."

"I'll stop you. At any cost." The man in black cracked his knuckles.

No more words were needed. There was nowhere to run. They both knew only one of them was walking out of this alive. This wasn't merely a contest of men; it was a battle of ideals. Values.

The man in red began to levitate higher, an arrogant smirk on his face. The man in black flew towards him, enraged. They collided, and hurtled through a skyscraper, each wrestling for control. The man in black heaved an uppercut into the solar plexus of his foe, and zipped to him to follow up his attack. The man in red countered with a kick square in the chest, aimed downwards. He pursued the man in black's flying body, landing blows as they both fell towards the ground. The man in black was able to snatch the wrist of one of the arms raining hellfire upon him, and quickly rolled to reverse their positions. He clasped his hands together, raised them over his head, and smashed them into his enemy, causing him to careen towards the fast-approaching ground facefirst. His body cracked against the earth, but he used his flight powers to rebound quickly and attempted to lunge forward towards his opponent. He was, however, too slow. The man in black anticipated this aggression, and circled around the man in red in the blink of an eye. He grabbed him by the ankles, turned his body the opposite direction, and slammed him into the ground. As his body recoiled from the impact, the man in black grabbed his midsection and slammed him once more. The man in red gargled blood as he tried to cry out, the wind long knocked from his chest. The man in black flew at him and grabbed his neck with one hand. Their bodies parallel to the floor, the red man's head was shoved into the pavement, creating a trail of destruction as they barreled through the destroyed city. When they stopped, the man in black shouted as he heaved a massive haymaker to the chest of the red man. Grabbing his neck once more, he flew them both hundreds of feet into the sky.

The man in red was thrashing wildly, desperate for air. The man in black reveled in the suffering of his foe. He began to squeeze his neck tighter, ever so slowly.

The man in red smiled between coughs, blood gushing from his mouth.

"I-*HACK*...I win…" He began to laugh hoarsely, any previous semblance of sanity long gone.

The man in black stared back at him coldly, unperturbed.

"Not this time." He stared one last time into the eyes of his adversary.

"The age of the Hero…is OVER."

With that, he threw the man in red into the floor with all his strength, his body ricocheting with the impact. After zooming down to follow him, he grabbed both his ankles and repeatedly slammed his head into the pavement. The earth cracked with each impact. He lifted the limp body into the air, hoisting him up by his waist and neck. The man in black brought his hands together, and the gut-wrenching sound of a spine snapping reverberated through the area as the carcass of what used to be a man was folded in half. He ripped the body of his nemesis in two, each piece flying in either direction.

Drenched in blood, he descended to stand over the remains of what used to be his enemy. Emotions that he had pushed aside for much too long began to well up inside him, and he didn't know how to handle them other than releasing a guttural scream. He clenched his fists and cried out with every ounce of his being; each muscle in his body tightening as he was finally able to release the rage and hatred that haunted him. He bellowed towards the heavens, declaring his triumph over his arch-nemesis to the universe.

He had done it.

He had killed the world's greatest Hero.