Fallen Hero

I get a few more seconds of respite than the first time, he's taking longer to recover as well, he's more tired. Good but I know in a fight of attrition I'm the loser so I push even harder.

I must be going past Mach 8 now. When suddenly a shock goes through my spine as I feel a deep blow to the back of my head.

The pain is so sudden my grip loses on him and we become tangled flying mess. I can't slow down, I have to push up. I grab him by the remaining fabric of his suit and continue propelling us upwards.

"I'LL KILL YOU! YOU SNIVELLING PIECE OF SHIT!"

Only through the corner of my eye I catch a glowing red fist my head turns with the punch but even I feel its shattering strength. My jaw is cracked and my right cheek is burned.

This fucker is a genetic beast. His powers are evolving right in front of me. He was channeling his energy through his fists.

We're past the atmosphere now. It's easier to accelerate so I put energy into another burst.

I manage to knee him in the side and shift around to grab him by the throat with my left. His glowing left hand swings to hit me in the side of the head but I manage to partially block it with my right.

I relax my block thinking his hand was going to retreat. A mistake, instead he pushes further.

His glowing left hand grabs the right side of my face burning me, seeping radiation into my brain, his thumb finds my eye and digs in.

I desperately try to release his grip but my blows are weak, my energy being used to accelerate us further.

My mouth opens in a silent scream, we are past the atmosphere no, air for sound to travel. I feel his thumb burning my eye.

I can see he's holding his breath but how long can he do it for? He needs to breathe but so do I! I need to fly back before we both pass out. I try to disentangle but the fucker won't let go!

'Pain! Stop him! Kill Him!'

THEN FUCKING HELP ME! YOU THINK I'M NOT TRYING! YOU KNOW THIS BODY BETTER THAN I DO! HELP ME!

My mind goes into overdrive as I hear Echo. Or maybe I'm just hallucinating from the pain. When did Soldier Boy's body start glowing again? How many seconds?

Fuck, this isn't how it was supposed to go down. My thoughts run back to the image of the truck that hit me, its glaring bright headlights shining the light of death upon me.

With my left eye I see Soldier Boy's eyes are bloodshot no they are glowing red, his mouth is open and the dreaded light comes from there as well.

I almost resign to my fate when I suddenly feel a heat in my stomach, energy building and a hallowing thought echoing through my whole being.

'Together as one.'

The energy surges and I feel strength in my limbs. I forcefully push his glowing hand away from my face.

Release, sweet release.

I make to punch him but it's too late he's detonating. This is it life and death, standing at the edge, my vision focused, my perception slows down all around Soldier Boy I see a wave of red energy burst in as sphere all around him.

A beam I could have dodged but an omnidirectional wave I have nowhere to go.

This fucker he evolved his powers right in front of me, live or die, then so can I.

I force the energy built in my belly outward, I only have a split of a second so I push with every fiber of my being to flood every cell of my body and break free, I feel it encompassing me just as Soldier Boy's wave hits me.

The ensuing blast from the two forces violently meeting blasts us apart adding to his momentum and slowing mine down.

I feel dazed and drained but I'm alive.

I can't help but silently chuckle. It worked it actually worked. It had to work, otherwise the harsh mistress that is space would have killed me.

I did it! I won!

It takes me a few seconds to zone in on Soldier Boy with my left eye. He's passed out, probably not dead, but he needs air to breathe which he doesn't have anymore. So he's unconscious.

HAHAHAH! Have fun flying into the moon at over Mach 10 fucker.

AHHH! With the adrenaline rush gone the pain is coming back. My right eye is fucked, my face is a mess, I see melted flesh and bubbling skin and as I feel an all knowing impulse hit my brain I realize I also need to breathe.

Fuck so much pain.

I reverse course and head to Earth at the maximum speed I can muster. In a few seconds I'll reach the atmosphere just have to hold on until then.

My vision gets blurry, and I see colorful spots in front of my eyes. I feel the pull of gravity stronger as the world around me brightens.

I try to breathe but the air is still too thin so I push faster.

The air around me starts to glow red and orange. I try once again to take a breath but I mostly get fire.

Fuck I'm going to fast now. I will myself to slow down but I can't tell if I'm flying or just free falling now. The exhaustion, pain and lack of air is simply too much.

With my last gasps of consciousness I will my eyes to focus and zoom in on New York and will myself to aim for a landing there.

Darkness overtakes me.