Chapter 2: The Hero

Chapter 2: The Hero

James was walking home, humming a happy tune. He was looking forward to seeing his brother and sharing the good news with him. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the dark clouds gathering in the sky above him.

He didn't notice the strange noises coming from the city center.

He didn't notice the people running in panic around him.

He didn't notice the gate opening suddenly on the sky.

He didn't notice the monsters coming out of the portal.

He didn't notice anything until it was too late.

He felt a sharp pain in his back, followed by a warm sensation of blood. He turned around and saw a huge creature with horns, claws, and fangs. It had pierced his chest with its tail, and it was staring at him with a malicious grin. James felt his life slipping away, and he thought of his brother. He wondered if he would ever see him again. He whispered his name, "Alex…"

Then he heard a familiar voice, shouting his name. "James!" It was Alex. He had seen the gate from his university, and he had rushed to find his brother. He saw him lying on the ground, impaled by a monster. He felt a surge of anger and fear. He grabbed a metal pipe from a nearby construction site, and he charged at the monster. He swung the pipe with all his strength, hitting the monster's head. The monster roared in pain and released James from its tail. James fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Alex ran to his side and checked his pulse. He was still alive, but barely. Alex felt relieved and hugged him. He said, "Don't worry, James. I'm here. You're going to be OK." James looked at him with a weak smile. He said, "Alex… you came… you saved me…" Alex nodded and said, "Of course I did. You're my brother. I love you." James said, "I love you too, Alex… thank you…" Then he closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

Alex looked around and saw that there were more monsters coming out of the gate. They were attacking people and destroying buildings. He saw that there were no police or military forces to stop them. He realized that he had to do something. He had to protect his brother and the people of this city. He had to close the gate.

He picked up James and carried him to a safe place. He found an abandoned car and put him inside. He locked the doors and windows and said, "Stay here, James. I'll be back soon." Then he took the pipe and ran towards the gate.

He fought his way through the monsters, using his enhanced physical and mental abilities to dodge their attacks and strike their weak points. He reached the gate and saw that it was a large metal ring with wires and cables attached to it. It was emitting a bright blue light that opened a portal to another world. Alex guessed that it was some kind of experimental device that had gone wrong and created a rift between dimensions.

He looked for a way to shut it down. He saw a control panel near the gate, with buttons and switches on it. He tried to figure out how it worked, using his scientific knowledge and intuition. He found a switch that seemed to be connected to the power source of the gate. He flipped it off, hoping that it would close the portal.

It did not.

Instead, it triggered an alarm that alerted more monsters to his presence. They came from both sides of the gate, surrounding him. Alex realized that he had made a mistake. He looked for another way out, but he saw none.

He was trapped.

He decided to fight until the end. He gripped the pipe tightly and swung it at the nearest monster. He hit it hard, but it did not fall down. It retaliated with its claws, scratching Alex's arm. Alex felt pain, but he ignored it. He hit another monster, then another one.

He kept fighting, but he was outnumbered and outmatched.

He felt more wounds on his body, bleeding profusely.

He felt his strength fading away.

He felt his vision blurring.

He thought of his brother.

He thought of his dreams.

He thought of his life.

He thought of nothing else.

Then he heard a loud explosion.

The gate exploded in a burst of flames and sparks.

The portal closed with a loud bang.

The monsters disappeared with a scream.

The silence fell over the city.

Alex fell to the ground, unconscious.

He did not see who or what caused the explosion.

He did not see who or what saved him.

He did not see who or what closed the gate.