1.4 Hope

The world watched with bated breath. The helicopters swarmed in the air showing a stunned nation something straight out of the darkest depths of fiction and imagination. Bated breath mixed with fears in the hearts of not just the nation alone but most of the civilized world as people all around the world watched.

Some of them, closer to the origins of this foul news, began gearing up and preparing to head into the meat-grinder. Telling themselves they would go only to find themselves sitting upon their bed and staring at the TV fear filling their heart. In truth, only a fraction of those telling themselves they'd go in and help actually left. Only half of those actually had the methods to get there quickly or fast enough to join the fight.

Such a small fraction of the Heros and Villians heading out to fight while countless other Supers were struck with fear. Who could blame them? The closest thing they had to this was an insane super or two who were easily enough put down by the local heroes. This- Monster whose power defied the normal logic of monster other powers.

For the super-geniuses and mentally empowered they would analyze each clip many coming to differing conclusions. . .and with no single group to share their findings with. Dozens of emails flooded into the FBI to the point that it was impossible to go through so many in such a short span of time.

Others would find ways to try and contact local Heros or police groups only for most of them to go unanswered. Heroes being too busy to try and contact, Villains being too vague and hidden to call, and the local police being so swamped with information that it was hindering their evacuation efforts more than helping the information gets passed down to the Fighters and various squads.

In truth, there was no central group because there was never demand or external force that made the Heros gather together in a massive force. Nor was there anyone on-site with the respect and legend to command more than a few squads or rally forces due to the various people being unable to standby while the creature turned to Civilian targets whenever. There was no military group nearby nor hard enough to do what was needed.

But, as their actions lead them to slaughter thousands were evacuated from the surrounding parts of the city. Disorganization ruled and information stifled as an effective attack on the creature began to flicker out in front of millions.

Other Helicopters flew around the fight showing the Heroic actions of the Supers. A woman in green commanding massive sunflowers to wrap themselves around the creature that stood still letting it happen as its head remained held shut by some black rock. Suddenly, a blast of white light hits the creature causing it to flinch down and for the black rock around its mouth to crack. The Heros lookup in relief and various people feel their hope soar as one of the greatest hero in Modern History floated above the creature.

Peace-Keeper floated with no mask as the other heroes began to pull away. The man floated high in the sky silent as the other Heros began to back off. Yet, the creature would simply flick its arms almost dismissively tearing the bindings holding its arms down as it turns towards the man itself.

It studied him as another blast slammed into it causing its heels to dig into the ground. The ground cracked and broke beneath it before it moved. Faster than anyone else had seen it move before, it tears through an entire street worth of buildings twisting and thrashing its body as it moved.

Massive clouds of dust shot into the sky as plums of black smoke begin to expand mixing with the dust. The plant users create a ball of vines and protection around themselves as the outside world is blinded to what is going on. Just the glowing white figure of Peace-Keeper dancing around the edges of the smoke. Inside the smoke, the game had changed as Obsidian hisses out slamming himself into the ground and curling up.

The Plant user screams as a powerful set of jaws bite into the plant surrounding it. Tearing through the flowers and clamping into her as the teeth tear her with ease. The other supers are left untouched as Peace-Keeper fires a volley of blasts into the darkness. Faint white flashes in the dust yet no sound echos out from it.

Minutes pass and the dust begins to settle down as Peace-Keeper goes closer to a glow of white surrounding his body. . .Before massive roots launch forward from the darkness. Massive roots which he dodges through and blasts before slamming into one. His body explodes in a flash of white causing the plant to vanish as he begins moving away from the attacks.

His eyes widen as he glances at the roots forming around him. A dome, trying to surround and limit him. He slows down twisting his body and landing his feet on the roots before launching himself forward. His glow growing brighter and brighter as he neared the darkness below. His face stern and unmoving his costume being composed only of a cape and a white outfit.

As he slammed into the dust and darkness it parted like a cloud from the energy buzzing off his body. The creature darts backward further into the cloud before an explosion rings out. A massive dome of white energy-burning all it touched all rubble, bodies, and slow Heros being turned to ash and dust. A dome of white briefly replaced the dust cloud. The man stands up turning to the creature standing across from it.

Small patches of glowing embers sit across its skin as its empty sockets stare at the man. Peacekeeper slowly rises, taking in a deep breath before shouting, "If you wanna talk do it now. You get one chance before I do what's fucking needed." The creature simply sits still stiff and for the first time weary.

No sound passes between the two both tense and sitting still. Then roots burst forward from the ground and begin stabbing towards Peacekeeper himself. His body explodes in a burst of white light as he floats gently off the ground before all around him explodes. A harsh deafening boom rang out. The ground cratered as the first shot went off and hit the creature with ease. The blast of white light caused the creature to finally let loose a new sound. The sound of it in pain as it screeches out, unable to move as the blast burns at it.

Then, six orbs appear around the Peace-keeper. Each one begins spitting out balls of light before concentrating into six different beams. Blasts of power being shot off so fast it seemed akin to one blast as the creature was slammed into being blast back further and further, its body soon reaching a busy highway. A white blast consumes those still stuck on the highway as the creature finally grab onto the ground a shell of roots trying to pull itself out of the ground quick enough only to be blasted away.

After a solid minute and countless blasts shot off the man cuts off the supply. The beam slowly dying down before all six orbs blast forward leaving the man. The six orbs launch forward before a blur of movement gets in between them and their goal. Almost lazily the orbs are slapped into the sky where they travel for a few seconds blurs to the human eyes before exploding large enough to level a decent chunk of the city.

Peace-Keeper stands there hissing out and wheezing in exhaustion sweat dripping down his skin as a single old man stands before him. An old man with a beard of pure white, and an outfit of white and red with a giant T upon its chest. He stands there staring at Peacekeeper a look of sadness upon his face before he blurs forward appearing before Peacekeeper and whispering, "That blast would have killed thousands. . ."

Peacekeeper hisses sweat dripping into his eyes and his palms a faint red as he shouts, "Can't you fucking see! It's changing- It's a growing threat and menace. It needs to die quickly- I-It's gonna kill everyone if we don't go all out!"

Titan stands there his face unmoving for a few seconds before a soft smile comes across it. His rough hand reaching down and patting Peacekeeper on the head as he gently whispers, "Ten years. . .We've been doing this for ten years and has there been a day that we haven't found a better choice?"

His voice was warm and fatherly as he glanced at the creature. It slowly stands a massive hole in its stomach slowly healing as it staggers upwards burnt bones being wrapped with various roots. All around it, the melted debris of the Highway sat only a handful of skeletons and bits of bone existing amongst the ruins as the creature stood. Titan would stare at the sight squeezing his eyes shut before muttering, "I'm sorry I couldn't have been here sooner. The failure falls upon me and. . I am sorry. I misunderestimated the situation while dealing with flooding in China. Let me make it up to everyone."

The ground cracks and splinters as Titan darts off into the sky gaining some distance for only two seconds before launching himself forward. A distant speck in the sky quickly covering two hundred miles in a single second flame dancing around his body the momentum alone akin to an artillery blast as he slams directly into the creature's chest. Everyone in town feels as if the world itself is shaking as the ground cracks. The creature's body acting as a wedge to split the ground its legs remaining dug into the ground as the Hero of all Heros jumps into the battle.