Content Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence, disturbing imagery and gore. Reader discretion is advised.
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Chapter 10: Why?
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"I will kill you."
— Amelia
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Amelia ran down the hallway, tears streaming down her cheeks. The air itself was stained red with blood.
Students lay sprawled on the floor, some dead, others alive—crying, screaming for help. Their bodies were dismembered, smashed, grotesque.
Her eyes caught so many faces she knew, struggling to reach for her, begging to be saved.
But she didn't stop. She ran, driven by a desperate hope, towards her classroom.
Finally, she reached her partially destroyed classroom. She froze at the doorway, her gaze frantically sweeping the devastation.
She scrambled, tearing at the rubble, searching for Martin and Sarah.
To her shock, none of her classmates were there, not even buried beneath the debris.
"Help…"
Amelia froze.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
A weak, familiar voice, struggling to form a single word, pierced the cacophony of her despair.
She looked towards the side of the wall. She could barely recognize her—
Sarah.
Sarah was crushed under the rubble.
Amelia:
"Sarah!" Uncontrollable tears flooded her face as she frantically clawed at the debris, struggling to free her friend.
As Amelia pulled away the last of the rubble covering Sarah, a strangled gasp caught in her throat.
Her hand flew to her mouth, an expression of sheer horror twisting her features.
She froze, the tears now flowing faster, hotter, burning paths down her cheeks.
Half of Sarah's body was gone—her right leg, her entire right side, her right arm, even a part of her face. She lay in a macabre pool of her own blood and guts, mingled with the dust from the debris.
But this wasn't just the work of falling rubble. The monster had clearly eaten half of her.
Amelia:
"Oh my God…" Shivers crawled down her spine as she gently lifted what remained of Sarah into her arms.
"This can't be happening… No, no, no! Sarah, no!"
Sarah faintly struggled, a pathetic tremor in her ruined body, unable to utter a single word.
Amelia:
"I'll get you out of here, a-and I'll take you to the hospital, o-okay, Sarah." Amelia gently cupped what was left of Sarah's face with her trembling hand. Sarah didn't respond.
"No, no, no! Sarah, Don't go! Stay with me, stay with me, STAY WITH ME!" Amelia shrieked, her voice a ragged wail, shaking Sarah's lifeless form.
Then, abruptly—
BAM! CRACK!
Debris exploded inward as the Beast tore through what was left of the classroom wall.
Its eyes, burning with rage, fixed on Amelia and Sarah.
It moved slowly, deliberately, towards them.
Amelia was paralyzed by fear, by terror. She could only stare, kneeling with Sarah cradled in her arms, as the massive monstrosity approached.
The Beast was close now, huffing, growling, its foul breath a hot wind that ruffled Amelia's hair.
Still, she remained frozen, on her knees, eyes wide, locked on the beast. It raised its massive hand high, preparing to smash them.
Suddenly, the deafening chaos of the surroundings quieted, muffled to a dull roar.
Everything seemed to shift into agonizing slow motion for Amelia. A cold air settled around them.
(Amelia's thoughts):
"So this is the end of me."
Memories of her life flashed through her mind, a rapid-fire slideshow.
"Mum."
She remembered her mother's gentle smile.
"Simon."
Her brother's boisterous laughter.
"Dad."
Her father's strong, comforting presence.
"Yes… Dad, I've been meaning to ask you…"
She thought to herself, drifting back to a time when her family was whole, happy.
Movie nights with her mum, dad, and brother.
Picnics in the park.
The times her dad would read her bedtime stories when she was younger.
She had been closer to him than anyone, and since he disappeared, she had refused to believe he left her.
But now.
Now, she was accepting it.
(Amelia's thoughts):
"…why did you leave us, Dad? Why did you leave me?" She shed her last tears, closing her eyes as the monster's hand began its descent.
She accepted her fate.
Then—a cold, faint voice, thin as glass.
Sarah struggled, gathering every last shred of strength, to utter one final word, as loud as she could.
Sarah:
"why?"
The monster's hand froze mid-air, towering directly over them, as if it had heard her.
Amelia's eyes snapped open, wide with shock at Sarah's voice.
She looked down at Sarah, then back up at the colossal fist hovering above.
Amelia:
"Sa-Sarah? You're still there?"
The Beast slowly pulled its hand back.
Amelia looked up at it, and for a fleeting moment, she saw a tiny, almost imperceptible look in its eyes—something she couldn't understand.
It stared coldly at her and Sarah for a few more seconds before turning and resuming its mindless destruction.
Amelia remained in shock, wondering why the Beast hadn't crushed them. Then her gaze dropped back to Sarah.
Amelia:
"Sarah? Sarah?"
The air was cold.
Sarah felt light...
Empty.
Amelia's head dropped onto Sarah's chest, and she began to sob, a loud, guttural wail of pure agony.
She knew.
Her best friend was gone.
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The Beast's attention shifted to another student at the far end of the destroyed school grounds—an injured girl on the floor, alone, trying to get to her feet.
The Beast spread its palm, raising its hand, about to crush her.
But it was interrupted once again by distant gunfire. Policemen, behind barricades and yellow tape, opened fire. Their bullets merely pinged off its hard, armor-like skin.
It turned, roaring furiously at them, before resuming its attack on the girl, who had curled into a ball, screaming, hands covering her head.
Swooooosh!
The Beast's hand came swinging down.
THUD!
The Beast's expression contorted in surprise.
Its hand was stopped.
The curled-up, injured girl cautiously raised her head from her hands and turned to see a man standing beside her, holding back the monster's massive palm with one hand, effortlessly.
Backlash [Elite Hero]:
"You okay there?" he asked, but the girl was too traumatized to respond.
In the blink of an eye, a teenage girl wearing a mask—a 2nd Class Heroine named Zephyra—zipped swiftly under the Beast's palm, scooping the injured girl into her arms.
She launched herself from debris to debris, using the shattered remains of the school as launchpads, arriving at the entrance. She gently set the girl down with the policemen and medics, then zipped back into the ruins. She moved like a phantom, rescuing person after person, depositing them safely with the medics.
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Meanwhile...
The Beast raised and retracted its hand, roaring at the man.
Backlash:
"Guess they don't make toothbrushes your size, huh." He said, holding his nose and fanning the air with his hand.
He then began to casually walk towards the Beast.
"A transformation-type superpower, huh? With how strong and big you are, you must at least be an Elite Villain. Exciting."
A wide grin spread across his face.
The Beast grew even more enraged. It immediately formed a fist and launched a heavy punch at the man.
"Let's see what you got, big guy. Better not disappoint me!" Backlash called out, still casually walking towards the Beast.
He stretched his arms, receiving the devastating punch.
BAM!
The massive blow landed on the hero, sending shockwaves ripping through the ground. The entire area vibrated, everyone heard and felt it.
The Beast raised its hand, surprised to see the Elite Hero still standing.
Not a single scratch. The earth beneath and around him was broken into a crater, but he stood casually, unharmed.
Backlash:
"Wow. Impressive, I must say. But to be honest, I expected more from you." He said, dusting off his shoulders.
"Now… it's my turn." He looked up at the Beast with a huge smile. A golden glint flowed through his entire body.
Swish!
Backlash vanished.
The Beast looked confused. It looked around and looked up, low and below.
Backlash was there, hurtling directly towards the Beast's face, fists clenched, poised to land a punch.
Backlash:
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Swoooosh—BAM!
Backlash landed a devastating punch on the Beast, almost with the same force as the blow he had just absorbed. Shockwaves rippled through the area.
Everything shook.
The Beast fell onto its back, crashing into the school field.
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At the same moment...
Zephyra had evacuated everyone out of the building except Amelia. Her attention was drawn by the colossal impact of Backlash's punch.
Zephyra:
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue, her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't overdo it, idiot." She muttered to herself, then her gaze shifted to the distant sound of Amelia's sobbing.
She saw Amelia still clinging to Sarah, weeping uncontrollably.
Zephyra hurried towards them.
"Hey! You've got to get out of here, let's go—" She paused, her hand hovering just before touching Amelia.
Her stern brows softened, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she truly saw Sarah.
She quickly regained her composure and grabbed Amelia, trying to drag her away. But Amelia just sat there, struggling, crying, refusing to let go of Sarah.
"Let's go! She's gone, you have to let her go, c'mon!"
Amelia didn't respond, only continued to wail. Zephyra struggled, her own hands trembling, almost breaking down herself. She is just a teenage girl, like Amelia and Sarah, and even as a trained hero, she had never witnessed such a horrific scene, seeing a peer in such a state.
Joe [1st Class Hero]:
"Zephyra!" A teenage boy, wearing a coat that completely covered his mouth, called out from behind Zephyra.
She jolted slightly, turning to face him.
"Pull yourself together. We need to get those two out of here… we've got company." He pointed ahead.
Two villains stood on a tall pile of debris, smirking down at them.
"Are these the kids the Hero League sent to stop Iron Maw?" The slender female villain, clad in dark tactical sleek wear and armed with a collapsible compound bow, scoffed, mocking them.
Joe stepped in front of the girls.
Joe:
"Get the girl out of here. I'll take them."
Zephyra resumed dragging Amelia, this time without hesitation and with renewed strength.
She eventually pulled Amelia away, trying to make their escape.
But as she carried her—
Swiiiish!
A cyan colored, crystal-like arrow—shot by the female villain—streaked towards them at an incredible speed, aimed directly at Zephyra's face.
It slid past Joe.
He couldn't even react.
Zephyra and Joe didn't see it coming, and they couldn't stop it!
Inches away from Zephyra's face…
The arrow stopped—
Amelia caught the arrow.
Squeezing it until it shattered.
Everyone stared at her in surprise.
(Zephyra's thoughts):
"Huh? Even Joe and I couldn't react to that arrow. And she caught it? She must be a Superhuman. No, not just any Superhuman—an incredibly fast one."
Amelia crushed the arrow in her hand and slowly stood up, a dark aura swirling around her.
Her eyes glowing with an ominous light.
The Villains gasped.
"She's the one," they muttered to each other.
Amelia:
"Those two… They were involved in what happened to Sarah?" She asked Joe and Zephyra, but they didn't answer, awestruck by the sheer pressure of her aura.
Anger flared from deep within her.
She walked in front of Joe, looking up at the two villains, her eyes filled with an infernal rage.
She spoke:
"I will kill you."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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Chapter 11 Preview:
While Elite Hero—Backlash battles against the Beastly Elite Villain: Iron Maw. Amelia, Zephyra, and Joe clash against the two 1st Class villains who accompanied Iron Maw.
The battle begins tomorrow in the next chapter:You Already Lost