Slovax was flying over the Danube river, enjoying the view of the sun setting over the water. He loved his country and its natural beauty, and he felt proud to be its protector. He had just finished a mission with his team, the European Union of Heroes, where they had stopped a terrorist attack in Berlin. He was on his way back to his base in Bratislava, where he would meet his girlfriend, Zara, who was also a scientist and his partner in the project that gave him his powers.
He was about to land when he heard a loud explosion from the direction of the city. He turned his head and saw a huge plume of smoke rising from the center of Bratislava. He felt a surge of fear and anger, and he quickly flew towards the source of the blast. He hoped that Zara was safe, and that no innocent lives were lost.
As he approached the city, he saw a horrifying sight. The entire downtown area was in flames, and buildings were collapsing. He could hear screams and cries of pain and terror from the people below. He scanned the area with his enhanced senses, and he spotted the culprit. It was a monstrous figure, standing on top of the ruins of the National Theatre. It had a skeletal body, covered with armor made of bones. It had a large skull for a head, with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth. It had a cape made of human skin and a crown of thorns. It wielded a sword and a shield, both made of bones. It was surrounded by a horde of undead creatures, made of corpses and bones. It was Skullcrusher, the most feared and hated supervillain in the world.
Slovax felt a surge of rage and hatred, and he flew towards Skullcrusher, ready to fight. He recognized Skullcrusher as the warlord who had killed his parents and many others when he was a child. He had thought that Skullcrusher was dead, but he had somehow returned from the grave, and he had brought death and destruction with him.
"Skullcrusher!" Slovax shouted. "You monster! You will pay for what you have done!"
Skullcrusher turned his head and saw Slovax. He grinned wickedly, and he spoke in a raspy and menacing voice.
"Ah, Slovax. The boy who lived. The hero of Slovakia. The symbol of hope and justice. How nice of you to join me. I have been waiting for you."
"Waiting for me? What do you want from me?" Slovax asked.
"I want to crush you, of course. I want to crush your spirit and your skull. I want to make you suffer as I have suffered. I want to make you watch as I destroy everything you love and care about. I want to make you beg for mercy, and then I want to deny it. I want to make you die, and then I want to make you my slave. I want to make you mine, Slovax. Mine!"
Skullcrusher laughed maniacally, and he raised his sword. He pointed it at Slovax, and he said:
"Come, Slovax. Come and face me. Come and face your destiny. Come and face death!"
Slovax felt a chill in his spine, but he did not back down. He clenched his fists, and he said:
"Never, Skullcrusher. Never. You will never have me. You will never have Slovakia. You will never have the world. You will never have anything but pain and defeat. You are not death. You are nothing!"
Slovax charged at Skullcrusher, and he unleashed a blast of energy from his wrist device. Skullcrusher blocked it with his shield, and he counterattacked with a swing of his sword. Slovax dodged it, and he flew closer to Skullcrusher. He punched him in the face, and he felt the bones crack under his fist. Skullcrusher staggered back, and he spat blood. He glared at Slovax, and he said:
"You think you can hurt me, Slovax? You think you can break me? You are wrong. I am unbreakable. I am unstoppable. I am invincible. I am the master of death and destiny. And you are nothing but a fly in my web. A fly that I will crush!"
Skullcrusher grabbed Slovax by the throat, and he squeezed hard. Slovax gasped for air, and he felt his vision blur. He tried to break free, but Skullcrusher was too strong. He felt Skullcrusher's mind invade his own, and he heard his voice in his head.
"Give up, Slovax. Give up and join me. Join me and serve me. Serve me and live. Live and die. Die and rise. Rise and rule. Rule and reign. Reign and destroy. Destroy and create. Create and be. Be and be mine. Be mine, Slovax. Be mine!"
Slovax felt a wave of pain and fear wash over him, and he felt his will weaken. He felt Skullcrusher's influence grow stronger, and he felt his own identity fade away. He felt himself slipping into darkness, and he felt a voice whisper in his ear.
"Be mine, Slovax. Be mine."
Slovax was about to give in, when he heard another voice in his head. A voice that he recognized and loved. A voice that gave him hope and strength. A voice that said:
"Slovax, don't listen to him. Don't let him take you. Don't let him win. You are stronger than him. You are better than him. You are a hero. You are my hero. You are my love. You are my Slovax. And I am your Zara. And I am here for you. I am here with you. I am here in you. I am here, Slovax. I am here."
Slovax felt a warmth in his heart, and he felt a light in his mind. He felt Zara's presence, and he felt her love. He felt her courage, and he felt her faith. He felt her power, and he felt her grace. He felt her, and he felt himself. He felt alive, and he felt free. He felt Slovax, and he felt Zara. He felt them, and he felt one. He felt one, and he felt all. He felt all, and he felt nothing. He felt nothing, and he felt everything. He felt everything, and he felt Slovax.
Slovax opened his eyes, and he saw Skullcrusher's face. He saw the surprise and fear in his eyes, and he saw the hate and rage in his mouth. He saw the skull, and he saw the crusher. He saw the enemy, and he saw the end. He saw the end, and he saw the beginning. He saw the beginning, and he saw the future. He saw the future, and he saw the present. He saw the present, and he saw Slovax.
Slovax smiled, and he said:
"Skullcrusher, you are wrong. You are not the master of death and destiny. You are not the master of anything. You are not even the master of yourself. You are a slave. A slave to your own hate and fear. A slave to your own pain and suffering. A slave to your own past and present. A slave to your own end and nothing. You are nothing, Skullcrusher. Nothing!"
Slovax broke Skullcrusher's grip, and he pushed him away. He raised his hand, and he unleashed a blast of energy from his wrist device. The blast hit Skullcrusher in the chest, and it tore through his armor and his flesh. It reached his heart, and it shattered it. It reached his soul, and it freed it. It reached his end, and it ended it. It ended him, and it ended everything. It ended everything, and it started something. It started something, and it started Slovax.
Slovax flew up in the air, and he looked down at the city. He saw the fire and the smoke, and he saw the death and the destruction. He saw the horror and the tragedy, and he saw the sorrow and the grief. He saw the loss and the pain, and he saw the hope and the healing. He saw the healing, and he saw the people. He saw the people, and he saw the heroes. He saw the heroes, and he saw his team. He saw his team, and he saw Zara. He saw Zara, and he saw Slovax.
Slovax flew down to the ground, and he landed near Zara. She was alive, and she was safe. She had survived the blast, and she had helped the others. She had helped the others, and she had helped Slovax. She had helped Slovax, and she had saved Slovax. She had saved Slovax, and she had loved Slovax. She had loved Slovax, and she had been Slovax. She had been Slovax, and she was Zara.
Zara ran towards Slovax, and she hugged him. She hugged him, and she kissed him. She kissed him, and she said:
"Slovax, you did it. You did it. You defeated Skullcrusher. You saved the city. You saved the world. You saved me. You saved us. You saved yourself. You saved yourself, Slovax. You saved yourself."
