This Ends Now pt3

BANG!

In the split second that Dr. Baleful reached over him to grab the same gun Phoenix's finger pulled the trigger, the built penetrating right threw her heart. She looked up horror-stricken to the bright ceiling lights one last time, her dark green eyes becoming empty and glazed over.

Phoenix felt the pressure of her body shift, the empty husk siding off of him and onto the floor.

"No.."

The whimper was faint but Phoenix caught it immediately. His eyes flickered over to Quixotic who was standing in the doorway.

"No, no, no...'' Quixotic's voice cracked, his legs weakly making their way over towards them. "No, no, no.."

Quixotic crumpled next to the deceased woman trying to scoop pieces of her heart back into her. But it was too late, one look at her glassy green eyes and anyone could tell she was long gone.

Phoenix looked at his hand, a once brilliant flame that resonated from his skin was now extinguished permanently. His fear and sadness quickly turned into anger as he glared at Quixotic.

"You fucking twink!" Phoenix screamed, grabbing Quixotic off the ground by his lab coat. "My powers! What did you do to me!? To my powers!"

"You killed her…"Quixotic replied, staring into nothingness, his eyes leaking tears. "You just... killed... her…"

Shock took Phoenix's blood stained face, he just realized this was the first time in his life he had ever killed someone. But his shock was quickly overtaken by more anger, his powers were not working and it's all Quixsotic's fault.

"I'm going to kill you!" Yelled Phoenix.

He threw Quixotic down, pointing the gun at his head. His finger reached the trigger when things began to blur. He became weak and light-headed.

"What's?.. Happening, to me?"

Phoenix began to sweat and shake, his grip loosening on the gun.

"Kid!"

Phoenix's eyes blinked open, Quixotic along with Dr. Balefuls body was gone. He was inexplicably laying on the cold floor.

"Kid!"

Phoenix blinked his eyes again. He saw Muscle Man propping him up with his four arms, his head bobbing up and down. The Protector along with some policemen came into view.

"Oh, kid! I thought I would never see you again." Cried, Muscle Man.

"Muscles, we have to hurry up and carry him to the ambulance." Said The Protector. "Somethings not right with him, we have to…."

That was the last thing Phoenix remembered of that day before fading out completely. He spent the next four days in the hospital getting scans and tests, but they had to eventually release him. Because despite his powers being gone there was nothing technically wrong with him, nothing they could do to cure him.

It was about three weeks later, Phoenix stopped in front of a glass shop, taking a deep breath he fixed his tie before going inside.

"Hello, may I help you?"

The man behind the counter stopped morphing the glass on the counter with his powers when Phoenix handed him a resume.

"Oh, you're here about the job?" Asked the man.

"Yes sir." Responded Phoenix.

He can feel his dress pants ride up on him as he stood in front of the counter. Ever since he got rescued and taken to the hospital he felt out of place. He spent the past couple of weeks going to job interview to job interview because he had gotten fired from being a superhero. The agency just had to let him go, after all, it wasn't a safe nor applicable job for people without superpowered abilities. That meant no more NewYork, no more number one hero, no more being Ignited. All his dreams had died all in one business meeting with his higher ups, the hero Ignited had died.

"So, under superpower ability," continued the employer. "You didn't write anything. What are your superpowered abilities?"

Shit...here we go again….

"I don't have any." Phoenix got out quickly.

"I see."

Phoenix's heart dropped when he saw the employer close his resume.

"I'm a very hard worker!" Phoenix said a little too loudly in his panic. "I'm very determined and goal-oriented. I can help lift things, I workout a lot and can lift about 520lbs."

The employer saw that what Phoenix was saying was, in fact, true, despite Phoenix's slimmer build his muscles did seem to be rather tight and refined even in his white dress shirt.

"That's rather impressive," said the employer. "But I already have someone with super strength who can lift 10 times that much." He continued handing Phoenix back his resume. "I'm sorry Mr. Striver, you seem like a nice young man, but there's just no position for you here right now."

"Oh, I see…"

Phoenix's brows knitted, his eyes falling to his black loafers. It was all over before it had even started. He tried just about everywhere, as soon as they saw the superpower ability section of his resume was blank employers became immediately disinterested.

Phoenix just kept going to job interview to job interview, but he was so empty, so lost. Nothing made him happy anymore. He was goal-oriented with nothing to work towards anymore. Since he lost his superpowers, since he lost his dream job. What did he have left?

That's when Phoenix saw a glass rose sitting on one of the glass cabinets. He picked up the glass rose looking in the mirror that hung on the wall next to him. He suppose this was as good of a time as ever to say hi to an old friend of his, especially when he's all dressed up with his new angular fringe hair cut.

Phoenix walked down the street stopping in front of a nice one-story house with a white picket fence, and green grass. It was plain, but it was Rift's dream house. He always talked about this kind of house when they were teens. Phoenix sported this stupid wide grin just thinking about it.

He walked through the picket fence up to the front door. He held his fist high ready to knock on the front door, but the lump in his throat made him stop. Oh, why was he so nervous? This is stupid if Rift hated him after all these years it was no big deal, right? Phoenix choked back a tear and lowered his fist deciding that this was a bad idea after all.

"This is stupid." Mumbled Phoenix.

He prepared to walk away when the front door flung open.

Phoenix turned back around to the door to see an average-sized man with average brown hair standing in the doorway.

"Phoenix?"

"Rift, uhh, I just." Phoenix looked down at his shoes, what was he doing here? This was stupid. "Umm, hi."

"Hi."

Rift smiled, leaning against the door. He had a fair, not too notable face but it was warm and welcoming. Even though Rift was kinda plain and average looking overall, Phoenix thought that he was cute, especially when he smiled.

"I umm, just wanted to say hi, so hi."

Phoenix quickly turned back around. He went to walk away when Rift called out to him.

"I was worried about you, you know."

Phoenix turned back to Rift their brown eyes meeting for the first time in years.

"When you went missing,"continued Rift. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, the last time we saw each other. I wondered if that was the last time we would really get to talk to each other."

"You, uhh, thought about me?" Phoenix blushed.

"Of course I did." Said Rift. " For about five years, I didn't know whether you were alive or… what happened to you. I was terrified and I wondered if there was anything I could have changed. I mean, Quixotic was such a quiet, nervous, yet bright-eyed kid, I never knew he could…"

Rift stopped once he noticed that Phoenix was shaking. His eyes were tearful and looked as if he were staring at something that wasn't there.

"Phoenix?" Asked Rift concerned. Phoenix's eyes snapped up to Rift, he stopped shaking."What's that you have there?"

Rift changed the subject pointing to the glass rose in Phoenix's hand. Which Phoenix had completely forgotten about until now.

"Oh, uh. I was being interviewed for a job at the glass shop down the street from here when I saw this." Said Phoenix twirling the glass rose gently in the palm of his hand. "It reminded me of you. I mean, I can't make stuff like this for you anymore." Phoenix grimaced at the thought, but took a breath and got back to it. "But, it made me remember stuff we use to make together. I mean like, you remember that time when we were just boys? We tried to make our very own hero fortress out of glass."

"Ya, I remember that. We never made the glass thick enough so it would always shatter." Laughed Rift. "Honestly, I'm kinda glad we gave up. We would have gotten hurt if we tried to play in a glass fort."

"I don't know, I've been thinking about this for a while. Maybe if I hadn't been so hasty to give up we could have, made it work..."

The air grew still, Phoenix's words lingering in it. He looked at the sand that stuck to Rift's skin after it came out of his pours. He wished he could wipe the sand off of his cheek, caressing his face in the process. But thought better of it, instead shoving his free hand in his pocket.

"Hey Rift," continued Phoenix. "Do you, maybe want to get coffee sometime? I know it's been forever, but I…"

"Daddy?"

Phoenix looked down to see a three-year-old girl hanging off of Rift's pant leg.

"It's okay sweetie. Go back to bed, daddy will tuck you in in a little bit." Said Rift

"Daddy, goodnight kiss! Goodnight kiss!"

"Okay, okay." Rift bent over kissing the little girl on the forehead. "Mommy will read you a bedtime story when she gets home, but only if you're in bed right... about... now."

The little girl gasped before scrambling down the hall, her little stubby legs running as fast as they could.

"Hurry, hurry." Laughed Rift.

She ran down the hall out of sight until the tip of her little brown pigtails disappeared. Phoenix stood in the doorway, seconds expanding into minutes. The air around him that was so calm and happy, now felt, heavy.

"I uh, whose kid was..?"

"Oh, uh, she is mine…"Said Rift, his hand unconsciously rubbing the back of his head.

"What…?" Phoenix blinked. "...How..?"

"She is my daughter, Harmony." Said Rift. "Me and my wife decided to start having kids recently. Harmony just turned three, a month ago."

"Wife…"Repeded Phoenix, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yes, uhh, me and my wife, umm…" Rift chose his next words carefully. "We've been going out for a while before getting married, and since she.."

"She?!" Phoenix screamed. "You like me! Didn't you?!"

"I did," Rift spoke, lowering his volume. "But you're the one who…"

"I can't believe all this SHIT you use to lecture me about being okay with being open and just FUCKING accepting it!" Interrupted Phoenix. "What a FUCKING joke!"

"Phoenix, my three year old daughter is in the house." Shushed Rift. "Please, language."

"And you're going to lie and stay in the FUCKING closet!"

"Phoenix, I have neighbors, and it's getting late."Rift gritted his teeth. "We can talk about this quietly if you want, but you're making a scene."

"And you're going to just move on and act like we didn't mean anything! I mean did we mean anything? Or was I just your gay exsperance and you diden't really like me at all?"

Rift didn't say anything, just looked down at the ground, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Tch! That's what I thought." Scoffed Phoenix.

"How...how could you even... say that?" Rift's voice broke, his hand balled up in a fist."How could you ever think that I didn't have feelings for you?!" Screamed Rift looking up at Phoenix,tears streaming down his cheeks. "You're the one who broke up with me! Remember? And you're acting like I'm in the wrong for moving on with my life. Also I'm not in the closet or lying Phoenix, I'm bisexual! You're the only one who doesn't know that because you think the whole world revolves around you! Well I'm sorry that your hero career was more important than our relationship, and that I didn't just wait around to be your second fiddle. But hey on the brightside, at least no one could call you that gay hero anymore."

Phoenix's eyes grew wide brimming with tears, snapping the glass rose in half in his hand. Rift covered his mouth, a sinking feeling dropping to his stomach.

"No, Phoenix I…" Rift said, uncovering his mouth."I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. I was happy for you when you became a hero, I didn't mean it, oh, Phoenix I…I feel terrible about what happened to you I..."

Phoenix wiped his wet eyes with the back of his wrist, a permanent scowl replacing his shock.

"Tch!"

He threw the broken glass rose to the ground, shattering it on the pavement. He turned to leave Rift, to never look back. But one thing became clear that day, his one motivation, the person he blamed most in the world for his misgivings, his number one goal from then on was to…

"Fuck Quicsotic! I'll hunt him down to the ends of the earth and back!" Yelled a villain, as Max Dream cuffed and threw him against the cop car with the rest of Quixsotic's ex-goons. "I'll make sure he burns in hell!"

"You have a lot of time to think back on your own actions in jail where justice will be served, villain!" Replied Max.

The desert night air was cold, and it would have been relatively quiet in front of the old decaying public school if not for the shouts of frightened villains.

"He's going to destroy us all!"

"He's still in the school!"

"He'll release the gas!"

"Fuck Quixsotic the trader!"

"Look at them all screaming." Scoffed Miss Vanish, cuffing King Lord Boomy."I've never seen a group of villains so sorry for themselves for being caught."

"Vivi," Torpied came running up to his partner. "I came across a big metal monster at the top of the media building, but he's not only strong but relentless. He already took out the Hero Walk-On and three of our cops."

"Really? Torpied you're one of the strongest heroes we have on this mission." Said Miss Vanish. "If you want actual strong heroes it'll take a while for backup to get here. Are you sure this is something you want to bother big shots for?"

The blood rushed to King Lord Boomy's head when he heard that. How much longer until Quixotic set off the power erasing gas?

King Lord Boomy stomped on Miss Vanishes foot.

"Oww!"

It was only for one second, but she let go of him. He took the window of opportunity, shoving her to the ground before darting for the old school where Quixotic and Phoenix are.

"He's making a run for it!" Shouted Miss Vanish.

Max Dream ripped the sleeve of his skin tight suit. The air around the villain became thick with a heavy fog that perfumed out of Max's skin. The villain began wobbling, his eyelids becoming heavy with sleep.

"Sweet dreams, villain." Said Max.

King shook his head willing himself to stay awake, forming a bomb out of his lipo fats. It detonated as soon as it hit the ground, King exsposted one boomb after the other until the sleeping gas desperst.

"That villain is dispersing my insomnia cloud!" Yelled Max Dream amidst the explosions.

"I'll take care of this!" Said Torpied.

Torpid made an ice trail out of his boot, it grew across the dirt ground towards the villain. But the villain had already begun dropping his bombs that came out of his lipids at the foot of the school before Torpied's ice caught up to him wrapping around his ankle and incapacitating him.

BOOM!

One of the bombs went off taking out part of the old school with it. The villains who were in handcuffs around the police car began cheering and chanting until their words sang in a chorus.

"Down with the trader strate down he fell! We'll kill the false king, send him back to hell!"

Meanwhile Quixotic stood in front of the big window of the school, the flashing red and blue police lights blared around him, obscuring Rifts house in the distance. Quixotic caught Phoenix looking at Rift's house.

"It's funny. I never thought I would be back here in hot piss Phoenix Arizona, but all the old memories." Said Quixotic. "I mean I even burned down that dam junkyard with that drunk fat bastard inside, promising myself that I would never come back here. It was easy, all I had to do was take one of his lighters and flick it to life, the bottles upon bottles of alcohol that littlerd the place made perfect fuel. He screamed, as he was crushed by the small overly packed house. The last time I saw him was when he reached his stump of an arm out to me as I walked away. He knew he was doomed as soon as it happened. He was so helpless, he couldn't even use his telepathy powers anymore at that point." A smile came across Quicsotic's face. "Credit where credit is due though, thanks to observing him I figured out the more physiological/ psychological factor of superpowers."

"What are you on about? You crazy asshole." Growled Phoenix.

"I mean, haven't you noticed Ignited?" Asked Quixotic. "We've destroyed everything in our path just to get here, we're all we have left anymore."

BOOM!

The glass window shattered around Quixotic. The whole building tilted.

Quixotic fell backwards through the broken window frame sliding across the balcony until his back hit the rusted stair rail. He collided with it so hard that he dropped Dr. Baleful's machine gun, he watched as it fell all the way down into the flames that lay below him.

Phoenix tumbled across the floor until he gripped the shattered window frame, abruptly stopping himself from falling any farther. There the two dangled five feet apart from one another. Just barely out of reach.

Quixotic looked to the left of him.

CREEK

But that one little movement was enough to make the rusted railing he was laying on top of creek. Quixotic surmised that his body was already pushing the railings weight limit. If he were to put anymore pressure on it, any wrong movement, and the railing it would give out.

Quixotic saw the stairway just out of reach next to him. He racked his brain, there had to be a way to get over there without the railing giving out on him. But he needed time to think… Quixotic's eyes swiveled up to see Phoenix hanging onto the window frame above him.

"Stalemate, Ignited." Chuckled Quixotic.

He saw that he got a reaction immediately, the fiery brown eyes he was so familiar with were glaring down at him.

"I don't suppose you have any more guns on you, do you?" Laughed Quixotic, scanning the area for a way out without moving his head much. "No, of course not. I would already be dead. You can shoot with your one free hand. It's not like you can come down here without risking yourself, the railing I'm laying on can hardly hold me, so I don't think there is enough room for us to cuddle."

"Tch, shut up, I hate your fucking mumbling." Snapped Phoenix.

"Oh deary me, I'm just telling you things you already know. How stupied me." Said Quixotic. "I'll tell you something you probably didn't realize. You know, In a funny way life always gives you what you want. Did you ever notice? How does that feel? Ignited?"

"Is that a fucking joke?" Asked Phoenix. "How could this be what I want?!"

"No really, think about it." Said Quixotic. "Look around you, what kind of life did you really want? What, or who, did you choose at every turn? Think about it, ten years of your life, even if you did lose your official hero status, you could have done anything with it."

Phoenix looked around himself from the starry night sky, to the calm little suburb that sat in the distance away from them. Phoenix knew he couldn't have that calm happy life. Not with, his family and friends, not with himself, not Rift, nor anyone.

BOOM!

Another bomb went off near where they were. Debri and dust flew everywhere. A crooked meattle pipe landed right next to Quixotic.

Quixotic saw the crook at the end of the pipe was hooked to the stairwell he was trying to get to. He could grab onto it and not worry about falling when he shifted his weight.

Quixotic slowly reached for the pipe, careful not to shift his weight too much before grabbing hold of it.

Phoenix Looked back down at Quixotic, the flames that threatened to eat them up cascading underneath him.

What would his life be without Quixotic?

He had never thought about it before, but the past decade had not only been a living hell, but it had been full of chasing villains, stopping bad people, and crime syndicates, and even occasionally saving people. Sure he never made it to New York, never got to be the number one hero in the media. But did he in his own way live out his dreams of becoming a hero? Even without his powers? Without an official government licence?

What would his life be without Quixotic?

Now that he thought about it, it wasn't that simple. If he somehow caught Quixotic and killed him, well that's that. It's not like he could live a normal life with all the illegal vigilante shit he's pulled getting this far. He would be just as lost and jobless as before, and have to keep running from the law for the rest of his life on top of that. The rest of his life... A tear ran down Phoenix's cheek, he just remembered, he was 35, halfway to his 40s.

Phoenix continued to stare at Quixotic who was trying to escape. He could also just try to get out of here, live another day. Let the whole cycle of their chase start all over again…

"Hey Quixotic…" Phoenix reached down into his pocket pulling out his knife. He stared at the worn dirty blade, looking over the blade, his eyes locked onto Quixotic, whose fingertips brushed the pipe. "Fuck You!"

In the next instant Phoenix let go of the window frame that was keeping him from falling. Quixotic froze his tiny pail hand mid reach, his bright green eyes unblinking and wide at what he saw.

"I'm coming at you with all I have you little cock sucker! Because you are right about me!" Screamed Phoenix running down the side of the building with the knife pointing at Quixotics heart. "You're always right about me.."

Phoenix's brown eyes ignited with furry, the ashes from the sky sticking to his white freckle skin. His orange long ponytail danced with the flames below.

BOOM!

Another bomb went off. The building shook, Phoenix tripped stabbing Quixotic in the shoulder instead.

Quixotic was too shocked to yelped in pain.

The railing gave way beneath them. Quixotic could feel the wind blowing past his messy black hair as he fell. Ash and debri either coming down with them or passing by. The night air became hotter as he drew near to the flames. Quixotic looked up into his enemies fiery brown eyes one last time before he shut his eyes tight.

Not moments later Quixotic's eyes opened back up. Blinking, he stared up at the smoke filled sky, scattered rubble and flames surrounding him. He fell from what had to be three stories, but surprisingly felt no pain. Come to think of it, he actually couldn't feel anything at all…

Quixotic went to get up to see what was going on when…

"I...can't move…" A cold dread drenched Quixotic's insides. "I can't move!" He cried, trying to move his arms harder. Tears fell down his checks, he continued to yell at the ebony sky. "I CAN'T MOVE!���

Phoenix came back to consciousness amidst the yelling. He looked around all the rubble and flames.

"Quixotic?" Phoenix sat up on his elbows, his eyes scanning the area. He zoomed in on the small dark haired man laying on top a small pile of rubble. "Quxso ACK ACK! ACK ACK!"

Phoenix began coughing up a storm, he felt like shit. He could feel that at least one of his legs were broken and twisted, but his whole body honestly felt like it had been dragged through the desert on the back of a car. He was scratched up and aching all over. But still he began to crawl towards his old enemy when he felt something holding him back.

"What the?"

Phoenix looked back to see that his numb leg was smashed underneath a heavy concrete pile. Digging his elbows into the gravel Phoenix pushed himself forward, his leg beginning to tearing off from his body.

"Grr uhh!"

Phoenix heaved and pushed forward until his lag completely ripped off.

"*huff, huff*"

Panting, sweating, and bleeding, Phoenix proceeded to crawl towards Quixotic. When he finally made it to his side he sat Quixotic up.

"I can't move." Quixotic breathed.

That's when Phoenix saw it, a piece of metal awkwardly twisted into the smaller males spinal cord.

"I can't move, I can't move." Quixotic wimperd.

There his enemy was suffering just like Phoenix always dreamed, but he didn't feel any kind of relief, or happiness like he thought he would. This made him feel strangely sick inside. But if that's so, what did he feel for Quixotic? In fact for years now the only consistent person that showed up in his life anymore was Quixotic. Everyone else had left him behind, even Rift. Quixotic cried looking up into the sky, he tried to dig deep into his memory, what could he have done to succeed in his life just this once? That's when he heard it…

"I love you."

Quixotic tried to remember where in his memory it had come from. His whore of a mom never told him she loved him, his drunk abusive dad never told him he loved him, Alloy the gang banger who used to use him like a flesh light never told him he loved him, nor did Dr. Baleful, someone he loved very much. Never one said I love you to him.

"I love you."

Quixotic blinked when he realized the voice was actually coming from the present. Phoenix had wrapped his arms around Quixotic cradling him. Tears pricked Quixotics eyes again, his lip quivering.

"Phoenix." Quixotics voice whimpered.

Phoenix paused for a moment, it was the first time in forever Quixotic had called him by his actual name.

"Phoenix…" Quixotic cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Save me Phoenix. Save me."

Phoenix swallowed, watching the fire catch up to them.

"It's going to be okay." He cradled Quixotic in his arms petting his black stringy hair.

"Phoenix." Whimpered Quixotic.

"Shh, it's going to be okay." Phoenix slowly pulled his dagger out of Quixsotic's shoulder, Quixotic didn't notice because he couldn't feel anything. "It's going to be okay." He said, watching the fire draw closer. "Everythings going to be okay."

"Phoenix," Quixotic hiccuped. "I love you t…"

The lights went out of Quixotics' teary eyes, he was cut short as Phoenix shoved the dagger into his back, mercifully ending his life before the flames could devour him.

Phoenix watched the fire catch onto his remaining lag. Biting his lip to stifle the scream, the burning pain searing into him.

Phoenix laid back, the fire eating him alive as he stared at the night sky. Phoenix let out a bitter chuckle.

They really were rivals till the bitter end.