The Guardian

Chapter eight

I looked behind me. "Wow, what a rush." I focused back in front of me, and Sonic was running backwards, looking at me. We both skidded to a stop.

"You never answered those questions. Who are you?" Sonic cocked his head in suspense.

"Leave me alone, and pretend this didn't happen." I shook my head. I walked past him, but my anger stopped me. "Which you probably did, because by the time you would've got here, they would've been long gone. I thought you were supposed to be the best hero on Mobius."

I looked at him to make sure I didn't give any giveaway's about my identity.

"You kidding? I'm better than the best!" He laughed...

"You think this is funny? You think innocent lives in danger, at gun point,  is funny? They had a kid in there, and they shot twelve policemen. TWELVE!"

I stopped and let him speak.

"No, I don't think that's funny. I think it's funny how you just completely ignored those reporters and ran off." He scratched his head in confusion.

 I shook mine in return. "It's not all about the fame, Sonic. It's about protecting innocent lives, making sure they're safe and sound from harm. And thanks to me," I pointed at myself, "I saved those lives, while you were off doing the universe knows what." 

He looked down.

"Now if you excuse me, I have a LOT more than just a handful of citizens to save." I ran off, faster than before.

I stopped halfway to the hangar to make sure Sonic didn't follow me, then continued running the rest of the way. I arrived and opened the door slowly, and shut it behind me.

"I'm back y'all." I was greeted by t-Pup. "Clare?" I walked around and found her at the couch, still floating aimlessly. The news was on and it was talking about me.

"--We are absolutely grateful here today at west Station Square bank, where a masked hero saved innocent lives and put a stop to these criminals with his bare hands-."

I turned it off and looked at Clare. Her mood crystal was black. And her glow was blinking slowly.

"Clare?" I waved my hand in front of her. Nothing.

I touched the handle and everything disappeared. Stars surrounded me, and Clare. And as usual, the universe stood in front of me. He purple and blue hair twinkled in the starlight. 

"Finally! You're here." The universe turned and looked at me. "You need to see this..." She looked back at a hologram of Arthas and some green alien with four arms, along with a twisty sword.

"It's Arthas... He has killed yet another one of my galaxy guardians." She waved her hands and the hologram moved.

The alien was moving all over the place, swinging it's sword left, right, and down.

And Arthas was dodging it all... Without a sweat it looked like.

And in an instant, the Lich king swiped his sword left and shattered the alien's sword. It happened so fast it startled me.

Arthas then grabbed the alien by the throat with one hand and lifted the alien off the ground, and impaled it with his sword. Green blood spattered everywhere, and the alien gargled in pain. I watched in absolute horror as he dropped the alien's cold dead body.

"Who was that?" I looked between the universe and Clare.

"That was Try'shik, a female porodian species who was protecting her galaxy from evil like him." She shook her head and looked down.

"But." She smiled. "I DID see you at that bank though. You did fantastic!  And it seems like you've achieved some of your speed powers too."

 "Some?" I cocked my head. "And yeah what's up with that? How do I control it? Because it seems to pop up with perfect timing." I sat down in a chair that magically formed behind me.

"Oh? So you're not focusing in battle?" She giggled. "In order to achieve your speed, you have to think about it and focus." She formed a modern outfit, track pants and a whistle with her hair raised up in a ponytail. She looked like a coach. 

"Which is also why you're here." She smiled.

Uh oh. I looked at Clare. And back at "Coach Universe".  

"I want you to race from this blue dwarf planet," She pointed to a blue planet that seemed so close, yet so far,  "To that red planet way over there. Not so bad, maybe a couple thousand light years?" She shrugged.

"Yeah, like I can see that far." I tapped my foot rapidly.  The universe nodded, and the planets zoomed passed us and stopped by a gigantic red planet.

 "Oh." I gazed upon it in awe. The blue planet zoomed back into view. "Piece of cake." I got down into position, and spun my tails so they act like a boost. I ran for less than a second. And in an instant, I got to the red planet...but...

 I flew past it by accident since I didn't know how to stop. "OH SHIT!"

 I braced for impact on a grey planet a few more thousand light years further away than the red planet.  I tucked in a ball and impacted against the ground.  But, I seemed alright... Amazingly? "How am I not dead..?" I guess me having super powers helped make the crash softer.

 I raised my hand so Clare could come to me. But nothing happened. "Huh?" I tried again. No Clare.

And I didn't feel that connection anymore. Looking around, I observed the planet I crashed on. It was cold, windy, rocky, and it seemed to have oxygen. So I could take my helmet off anytime I wanted to. 

But I could feel something else here too...

Something dark and menacing... A tingling down my spine.

It wasn't the wind, nor the cold. What was it..?

My instincts kicked in and I slowly turned.

And then my heart spiked -- "No... No!" 

 A man in familiar silver armor and a swirling black cape stepped out of a raging snow storm. His blue sword was stained with blood and his eyes glowed with menace.  

"Oh yes..." Arthas spoke in a low, booming voice, and his universal sword lit up with dark power.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT, THE GUARDIAN