Immortals Die

A.D. 2245, 3rd Quadrant, Shkadov Sun

His feet were electric, his shoulders were flame.

Artemis was running at Mach 30.

Every particle in the tube boomed on him creating tiny explosions. Even though the track was vacuum, nothing escaped the absoluteness of quantum tunnelling.

But his long sleek body was protected by a red Carbyne suit, crafted perfectly to his best aids by the Mist.

His hands were streamlined, and the thousand miles zoomed in front of him. Yet, he didn't miss taking a snapshot of his wife and daughter as he passed them. Even though the pulse took an extra out of his Mist reserves, it was a prize he was ready to pay.

He was ahead of most of his opponents, save one.

The pious smile of his ten-year-old and the blowing kiss of his wife in her pod played in his vision as he ran faster and faster.

The tube was covered in blue, with a gigantic wolf baring fangs above him; the sigil of his opponent, who was pulling far ahead of him. Through the Mist, he knew he had a dozen more charging right behind him. Only three laps were left.

But he had reached his peak of the Mist synthesis. To go faster he would have to burn his reserve and then he wouldn't be able to maintain the suit.

'The suit'

He thought.

He made an impulsive decision.

The suit disintegrated and produced a nuclear impulse behind him. His human form became a feast to the elements. The first particle shot through his shoulder like a bullet. Then another took his right eye, then another zipped past his ringing ear.

His Carbyne skin was like butter at Mach 45.

But he had a trick.

He twisted and shadowed right behind his opponent. He waited for the right moment as they reached the turn.

He could feel the finish line coming. He didn't even glance towards his family. His eyes only glared at the thruster behind the opponent in the wolf mask. 

But that's when the wolf vanished and he crashed.

He went head first, through the track. He cartwheeled, somersaulted and kept on crashing for miles. The particles, in the meanwhile shredded him cheese.

The pain he could stop, himself, he could not.

Finally, he regained his balance and slowed down enough to bury his broken hands and torn legs on the graphene floor.

He lay on his back as the Mist slowly healed and regenerated his wasted limbs.

On the tunnel screen above him, a massive red hawk soared.

He had won.

He was about to smile.

But the wolf mask eclipsed his vision. His opponent was back.

The sirens, then, blared and the screaming started.

"Leo?" He asked the man who stood above him.

The screens flashed a small black spot that had opened up on the track recently. "We are breached. This is not a drill."

The wolf did not respond and tapped on his mask, which dropped inches from Artemis' face. But the face he now faced was inhumane.

Leo's eyes were blood red and crimson leaked from the sides. A bloody smile stretched across his face. Black flames rose from his mien. "Gott ist thoth" He spoke and reached for Artemis' neck.