From the Past

SpeedBlade:

"Where are you," I say, looking everywhere. "Where are you? Where are you?"

Despite my best efforts, despite crawling on my knees, despite my begging, I can't find my sword anywhere. It's like it just disappears.

"SpeedBlade," someone yells, grabbing my focus. I look up to see Ms. Justice jumping over the metal man's punch.

The mental man hits the ground instead and Ms. Justice tries to hit him with JumpStart's stun batons but he swings his arm and knocks her back.

While the batons drop to the ground, Ms. Justice is sliding along the ground. Pushing herself up, she sees Metal-Man standing over her. Raising his foot, he stomps on Ms. Justice.

"Hey," I scream, using my super speed to run toward the metal man. "I don't have my sword, so I must fight without it."

Jumping and wrapping my arms around the metal man's neck, he screams and tries to pull me off but I hang on. I punch him over and over on the head, trying to knock him out, but I can't. His metal skin is too strong.

While the metal man swings wildly around, myself flying all over, my legs swing in front and the metal man must have seen them because he grabs them. Pulling me right off of him, he brings me up until we're face-to-face.

The metal man pulls back his fist and punches me hard in the chest. Like everyone else, I'm sent flying through the air before landing on a roof. Luckily, I think my armor absorbs most of the attack since I can still move. However, as I push myself up, I slip on something and fall off.

Hitting the ground, I flip myself over and see the metal man walking toward me. I get up but I can barely stand. Instead, I lend against a wooden beam while holding my chest.

"This is the end," the metal man says, pulling his arm back. Sending his arm forward, I bring up my arm and try to shield myself.

Heavy Metal:

About to hit the knight, something happens and a cloud of sparking, blue, smoke appears. I hit the smoke but not the knight.

"What happens," I say, waving the smoke away. The last of the smoke fading away, I see only an empty space. "Where did the knight go? He looked too wounded to run, and even if he did, I would have seen it. So where did he go?"

SpeedBlade:

Moaning as I wave away some blue smoke, I look around.

"Where am I," I ask, pushing myself up. It looks like I'm hiding behind some piles of rocks. I can hear the metal man as he walks around, his footsteps causing some of the rocks to fall.

"How did I get here?"

"I brought you here," a familiar voice answers.

"No," I say, looking around. "It can't be."

There, standing before my very eyes is my brother.

"Hello," my brother says, "It had been a while since we last saw each other."

"I have to be seeing things," I say to myself, shaking my head. "It's impossible. You can't be here."

"Why not," my brother asks, "You're here. Why can't I be here?"

"I am here because of what happened shortly after we crossed the bridge," I answer. "But why are you here?"

My brother kneels in front of me. He looks me right in the eyes.

"I am here to help you," my brother answers.

"How?"

"By giving you these."

My brother raises his hand and offers me JumpStart's stun batons.

"JumpStart's stun batons," I say, looking at them.

"Yes. As much as you don't want to hear it, your sword will do very little against Heavy Metal. These, however, will do. Here."

He offers me JumpStart's stun batons but I slap them out of his hand.

"I can't use those," I say, pushing myself to my feet.

"It's not that you can't use them," my brother says, kneeling to pick up the weapons. "It's that you won't."

"No," I say, "I can't use them. I don't know how they work. I'm not from here. We're not from here. All this technology, all this machinery, all of this wiring, it's too much for us. I can live without them."

I try to take a step but my brother shoots out his arm and stops me. About to ask what he's doing, my brother pushes me back before I can. With my back hitting a wall, my brother forces me to listen.

"Maybe you could live without them before," my brother starts, "But that was before. Time has changed, dear brother."

"I know," I say, "Please don't remind me."

"Time has changed," my brother repeats, "But some things do stay the same."

"Like what? What had stayed the same? Everything is gone. Everything is different. I'm not supposed to be here. Things are too complicated to understand. It's too hard. I'm just too simple. I'm just a knight. No, I'm not even a knight."

I look down at my hand, my hand in red armor.

"You're right," my brother says. "You're not a knight."

Looking at my brother, I prepare to take off my helmet. Placing my hands on the sides, I raise my helmet but my brother stops me.

"You're right," my brother says. "You're not just a knight. You are a knight with incredible speed, with newfound knowledge and weapons ready for you."

Grabbing my hand, my brother forces it open and slams JumpStart's stun batons onto them.

"We may not live in simpler times anymore, but there is one simple thing that has not changed. It is that, no matter what, you will always protect those you cared about."

As I take in my brother's words, I look down at the stun batons in my hands. As much as I want to drop them, I can't. They seem stuck to my hands, and somehow, I force myself to hold them. My hands wrap around the handle.

"There are switches beneath the guards," my brother says. "Flip them and then hold down the buttons. The rest, I am sure you can handle."

"Thank you," I say, looking up but seeing no one. "Wait, where is my brother? Where did he go?"

I look around but I can't see him anymore. It's like he just disappears into the air. As I continue to look for him, I hear Heavy Metal's voice.

"That's everything," he says. "Fine. I'm coming back."

"He's leaving," I think, "No. I cannot let him get away. I will stop him."

Preparing myself, I look around one last time. I can't see my brother anywhere, but even then, I can strangely sense someone is watching me.

"Thank you," I say, bowing my head before running.

Running out from behind cover, I stop in front of Heavy Metal before he can leave.

"Stop right there," I order, holding out JumpStart's stun baton. I then cross them.

"You again," Heavy Metal says, "I thought you ran away. That would have been the smart thing to do."

"No," I say, "I am a knight, and we knights do not run from danger. Prepare yourself, villain, for this knight runs fast."