The Ghost

Number Thirty-five

I stood over Valko, looking down at his chest, seeing him lightly breathe. I kneeled down to him, and pushed him, seeing if he was awake. I charged electricity to my hand and pulled my arm back. Suddenly, he woke up, startled by me. I punched him in the chest, sending enormous amounts of power into his body, he yelled in pain.

"Stop!" He yelled as I punched him again, with as much strength as I had. I charged my hands up again, so I could barrage him in pain.

"No!" I yelled as I landed my fists on him again. His white energy needed time to recharge, and it would take even longer if he was in pain. As long as his energy wasn't restored, I could still harm him. Once his energy came back, I would no longer be able to do any damage to him. I continued harming him, not caring how hurt he was or how much pain he was feeling.

"Why?!" I said as I landed my fist on his face, the ground trembled a little. He pushed me back, and I fell over. I got back up, seeing him slowly get back on his feet as well. His strength hadn't completely returned to him yet, I lifted my arm and aimed it at him, waiting for him to make a move.

"You think you fight for something righteous. You think you fight for the good," Said Valko, his voice was hoarse. "But you stand against me, claiming to do good, when our people are sitting underground, cowering in fear." I charged my arm with electricity, ready to blast him.

"If you really cared about them, you would do whatever it takes to do what's good for them, no matter how violent," Said Valko. "But you choose your own path instead. Your own moral compass." I released the energy in my arm at Valko, sending him flying towards the other side of the crater, on the ground. I walked towards him, charging electricity in my arm again.

"You know," He said. "When the day comes, when you have to pay for the choices you've made, you're going to look back on this day, and regret everything."

"And what exactly am I going to regret?" I asked, standing over him.

"Not standing by my side," He said as he looked behind me. I quickly turned around to see Overdrive behind me, kicking me in the stomach, sending me falling back. I groaned as I rolled in the dirt, getting myself back up. I looked back at Overdrive, who was helping Valko get back up, if he regained his strength, I wouldn't be able to stop him. I charged my arm up with electricity and blasted a bolt of lightning at Overdrive, sending her flying backward. I quickly ran over to Valko and stood over him, throwing punches at him again and again until he couldn't defend himself.

"Michael," I could hear Overdrive say calmly as I looked back at her, seeing her get back up. I blasted another bolt of lightning at her, slamming her against the dirt again, and returned to punching Valko.

"He deserves this," I said to myself, focusing my energy into my body, ready to kill Valko. I didn't know if this was what needed to be done, but I knew that if I left Valko alive, nobody would be able to stop him. No prison could contain him, no primal color would be a match against him, he would be undefeatable. I didn't know if I was ready to end my first life, but then again, I had no choice. I was the only one strong enough to kill him now, this is something I had to do. I continued charging up my energy, focusing on one goal, focusing on one thing that I had to do.

"Don't do this Michael!" I could hear Overdrive yelling behind me, I looked back and blasted her with another bolt of lightning. My body was now glowing bright blue, there were lightning sparks flying everywhere, and a strength like no other was flowing through my muscles. I put my hands on Valko's heart, and let all of the energy inside of me, flow into him.

"Nobody gets in the way of our dreams," I said as I overcharged his body with electricity. I could feel all the energy inside of me slowly leave my body as I let it all out into him.

"No! Michael, stop!" I could hear Overdrive yell behind me. I tried to blast her with lightning again, but I was running out of energy, so I focused everything I had left inside of me into Valko's heart. Overdrive grabbed me and pulled me back, I didn't have enough strength to get myself back up. I watched as Valko's body continued to spark with electricity, his chest began glowing blue and emitting a blue light. Overdrive continuously shook Valko's body, trying to get him to wake up, but he wasn't going to. His body was dying.

"Valko! Wake up!" She yelled as she put her hands on his chest, trying to absorb the energy inside of him, but it was no use. Valko's body continued to glow until eventually, it went dark. Valko's skin turned pale. Overdrive put her ear against his heart, then she started crying.

"What have you done?!" She yelled. "What did you do?!" I tried to get myself up, but I still didn't have the strength.

"I h-had to do it," I said, my voice was cracking and hoarse. "I had t-to."

"No, you didn't!" She yelled, staying next to Valko's body, in tears. "You didn't!" Suddenly, Valko's body started to glow white, I could see his veins through his skin.

"What's going on?" I said as Valko's body became brighter. Overdrive moved her hands across Valko's chest, staring at the light. Suddenly, the white light moved from Valko's body to Overdrive's arm, and then into her body. She instantly started yelling in pain, rolling over the ground. I got the strength to stand up again, slowly walking away from Overdrive.

"What did you do to me?!" She groaned, rolling over the dirt. "What's happening?" Suddenly, a white beam emerged from her and shot up into the sky. I watched Overdrive as she was slowly lifted into the sky. I understood what was happening to her, she consumed Valko's dying energy, and now it's inside her, the white energy. Overdrive was now the most powerful being in the universe. I walked out of the crater and onto the grass, lying down, staring up at the bright light. Overdrive started descending from midair, towards me. I tried getting back up and walking away, but she launched herself onto me, slamming me back on the ground. I couldn't tell if my suit was damaged at this point or not, I assumed it was.

"You deserve to know what it feels like," She said to me as she put her feet on my neck, gradually increasing the force. "You deserve to know how it feels."

"T-then do it," I said, struggling to speak. "Kill me." Overdrive aimed her arm at me, ready to blast me into oblivion. I stared into her eyes, and she stared into mine. She lowered her arm, changing her mind.

"I think not," She said. "You can't die yet. As much as I want to kill you right here, under my feet, you need to understand pain."

"W-what?" I said. Overdrive removed her foot from my neck and grabbed me by my arms. Suddenly, she launched herself up into the clouds, holding me with her. I started yelling, never being this high. She levitated in the sky for a couple seconds, allowing me to see the city one last time, the lights were beautiful, even though the clouds covered it a little. Overdrive suddenly started flying towards the city, at first, I thought she wanted to show the world superhumans existed by showing it off in the middle of New York until she flew past the city.

"Where are we going?" I asked, yelling over the wind. Overdrive didn't respond, maybe she didn't hear me, or maybe she didn't want to spoil the surprise.

KEVIN

I watched everything from a distance, making sure Overdrive didn't notice me. If she had absorbed Valko's power, there was nothing I could do to stop her by myself. I ran over to Delta, who was wounded by Overdrive. He looked badly beaten up, but not too bad.

"Delta!" I yelled, arriving next to him. "You good?"

"Yeah," He said, his voice was weak. "What about Michael?" I looked over to the crater to see Overdrive standing over Michael with her foot on his neck.

"Oh shit, I need to help him!" I said, going to run over to Michael to help, but Delta grabbed my leg.

"You're not a match for her," He said as he pulled me closer. "She'll put you in the ground."

"Thanks for the support," I said as I watched Overdrive step off Michael and grab his arms. Suddenly, she launched herself with Michael up into the air, past the clouds. I could hear her moving through the sky, the noise faded once she was too far away.

"She took Michael," I said. Delta slowly got up on his feet again, his battle suit was badly damaged. "Looked like she was taking him south, don't know to where." Delta put his hand on my shoulders and looked up at the sky.

"I know exactly where," He said. "She's taking him to Florida."