10. Peak strategy

Yin and Yang.

"Now, to call upon the last teams facing tonight," the announcer's voice reaches the room we are in.

I look at the faces of my teammates, trying to collect themselves, and go through the notes they had written. Which I look through continuously, with my omniscience. Can't be too sure that they got it right.

"The strongest hero alive."

Really, I was the nervous one.

"The winner of TTT, the last time."

There was always the… sacrificial goat in a plan. And I was it, in this one.

"Honoured to be considered as a team. Peak. At one side."

Yin and Yang.

"Already waiting here, for his opponents."

Bad in good.

"And his opponents."

Good in bad.

"Placing themselves at fifth to tenth position, in last time's match."

Point-zero nods towards us.

"Pack."

And we nod towards our leader.

"With a new recruit in their grasp."

Strength in weakness.

"And OUT-NUMBERING their opponent. Will they still be able to take on the strongest hero?"

Weakness in strength.

"Where are-"

The announcer stops speaking, as each member from our team, stands in front of Peak, in barely a blink of an eye each.

First, Super-pack, our strongest.

"Best we send him first, if Peak jumps on such an entrance," Point-zero had suggested.

Next, Element: Mind, the hardworking youngling.

Next, Secret-eye, the sharpest eye of the world.

Then me, whose eyes see all.

And next to me… the leader. Standing there as if he had run us all here, but had just teleported us here. And only I and he knew that this was teleportation.

"-what an entrance! Looks like even Peak couldn't see this speed coming through," the announcer says, and a lot of cheers resound out. We were pretty famous. "The speedster leader has brought everyone to the field. Right at the face of their opponent, telling him they are not afraid even if he is the strongest."

Well, yes, that was the plan. But obviously, Peak cared less. Being the strongest and all. But…

"Making Peak smile and chuckle."

Peak, this guy in a tight, fully-covered suit-like padded armour, with every inch of his ab-lining being shown, possessing god-like body; starts laughing, heartily. Liking how we had started this way, obviously. Which yes, was my plan indeed.

Now spare our lives, please?

"But making him laugh and… winning him. Will both be possible by Pack, tonight?"

"They HAVE won my heart," Peak says, in a loud whisper. "Almost makes me want to back down but…"

Obviously that was… a thing which even a five-year-old wouldn't think would work.

The chuckling guy forms his poker face at us, and stares at us.

"Then let it begin."

As Peak pushes his body towards us, with a hell-lot of momentum, his speed and strength adding together, Super-Pack pushes too, and stops the man-beast, with his own momentum. And even when Super-pack was the weaker one here, he succeeds, with the cost of being thrown to the ground, which he obviously uses to take Peak down with him.

The dust clears, and the crowd gasps, after finally witnessing that the two were on the ground. Or maybe… some of them gasped at the realisation that none of the others were around there.

"A plan? Let me guess, a sacrificial goat," Point-zero had said, right after the eternal silence when I suggested that I'd say a plan than an explanation.

"Well, more like ONE non-sacrificial goat."

"You are strong," Peak says to Super-pack. "But your team rea-"

I and Point-zero appear from Peak's sides, and our punches land into each of his palms. Obviously not a plan of landing it into his palms but… he's fast. I was the speedster of us two but… I couldn't use my speed and abuse it like the rest of this Speed Pack.

Peak tries to grab my fist, but I quickly take my hand away, but Point-zero fails to do so. And knowing what could happen, he teleports to random locations on the battlefield, while trying to jerk Peak off his hand. It looked like a speedster speeding and only being shown at random locations, to the others.

The crowd gasped and watches with unblinking eyes at the wide views of the field, which Point-zero makes them aware of. The field was a city setup, and the place we fought, a small empty park in between.

Point-zero finally teleports to a huge building, and throws Peak towards the window glass, using the momentum from his teleportation. But due to Peak's firm grip, he also gets dragged along.

"The leader shouldn't have been the first to panic," Super-pack, besides me, says, while looking towards the building.

"Hey, you should go help him," I remind him.

What was with this guy? Acting like a saint and all after… well, yeah, he sure had changed. But damn, too much of a calm saint aura, and careless here.

"No need," Super-pack stays his pose.

Even when Mind was there… it was harsh to leave the job to that kid.

Yet… the building breaks and floats as rubbles.

That was the reason why the speedsters couldn't see each other, being speedsters. Mind always worked in close range and was way too fast in it, I could see it as if he and his clones were working on controlling all those pieces he is supposed to be controlling.

Super-pack on the other hand, had fast movements. Using his arms continuously, and not his legs. His and mine were similar. I could basically travel the world in a blink of an eye, without ever setting foot or interacting with even an atom of it, and just absorb all the light to see.

Secret-eye was the only one who travelled distances, following the arrow he shoots. It was so weird he could possibly see the others, if he weren't so concentrated on the arrow.

Well, no wonder I started a hate group for him, the most frustrating person award was surely for him.

Peak tosses away the rubbles which Mind throws at him, and keeps going towards Mind. But Mind keeps on floating away. He indeed was a speedster who could fly, so well, piece of cake for him, unlike like having to act like he has all those other abilities.

Through all this, the suit on Peak, barely seems to have worn.

Isn't it weird? When someone shoots Superman on his clothes… his battle clothes… they don't tear at all, not even blasts break those. Nor is it like his skin can't bear it, it is way better resistant too.

Makes you wonder… why doesn't he just let someone else wear it, for protection? He totally could manage without them right?

I saw Peak the same way. If not Superman level… still, why did he need that? Guy indeed was bulletproof and more.

Everything should have a reason, correct?

Yes, correct. The weakness in strength.

Peak gets way too close to Mind, so Super-pack jumps up the rubble, and holds him. Point-zero teleports me right in between Peak and Mind, and I slash down with the sword he hands me.

The crowd gasps, and Peak lowers his head, as a little scar forms on his face.

Peak gets angry and holds the neck of the person in front of him.

Person? You just said it was you Einya… well, tough luck, I lied.

"What the hell are you doing here, Ashwatthama?" Peak asks.

The teleportation illusion which Point-zero had caused, fades, and Secret-eye is revealed to be the person. Not me or Ashwatthama.

Peak gets shocked at this, and shudders.

"But that is his sword," Peak says.

That was a teleportation illusion too, and only a normal sword appears in Secret-eye's hands.

Secret-eye uses the rubble to stay in the air… Mind controls the rubble from falling. Point-zero joins Secret-eye and they both slash towards Peak's thick armour. Super-pack helps me up, and we join to destroy Peak's armour too.

"After a disrespectful scar on Peak's face… Pack is starting to attack his armour now. What are they even doing? Failing so bad at it?"

Secret-eye hands me his sword, and gets teleported away to a nearby high-point. From there, I see him take aim towards Peak.

As I and Point-zero continue to slash towards the armour, Peak keeps evading, and eventually breaks our swords.

Super-pack pushes his hands into the tear in the armour, and we give Peak a chance to dropout now.

"Yield?" Super-pack asks.

Peak gasps and looks at his armour's condition. One rip, and the armour would surely break, it had held on for longer than I expected. But that wasn't too weird.

"I'll let you in on a secret… he'll make it rain, once your overcoat is down. And then it'll be both embarrassing and dangerous… cause people will find your secret weakness," I say.

Peak would know, that I should probably know about it. That his chest region was way too sensitive, and he could be hurt real bad, if not a clear death. Then of course, a straight arrow to his heart, through his nipples would… end him. Cause it wasn't the pleasure kind of sensitive.

The whole stadium goes dead silent, seeing how we had just simply asked if Peak will yield… at such a moment which they could not understand.

"Just punch me hard in the face," Peak says to Super-pack, while lowering his head. "NO!" he screams.

Peak goes ahead and moves, lifting off the chance moment of yielding.

Super-pack answers to that, by lifting his hands away from the armour and then punching towards Peak's face, like he was asked of. But Peak simply moves, and sends the unanchored Super-pack flying towards his thrown punch.

Peak holds me by my neck, and I hear the whole crowd gasp.

"I wouldn't care being a criminal. You are too dangerous. You lot needs to die," Peak says.

"Peak, don't," I say, but the grip firms, as if to slowly make me realise my end.

I couldn't see it. I should have seen it coming. I'd have seen it coming. Only if- only- would he even have escaped such a thing? I can't alert him of my presence. No. But he already would know me. He must be seeing me. No I shouldn't stray my mind in trying to find him but-

"Einya King," 'he' says, and rather than the grip on my neck, chills run down my spine, and I clearly feel his gaze on me. "You… we aren't… no way. How is that possible?"

As my blurring eyes tries to focus ahead of me, and failing… I feel a lot of pain and blood in my neck, going towards my mouth and I spit it out. This way, I'm finally able to open my eyes, and find myself on the ground.

"Cease them!" the announcer screams.

"To answer your question, obviously I'd have seen it coming. I see a lot of things," he… 'The Coward', of the Asuraas, says.

Peak lays dead on the ground, while a being just stays there, looking at him, while holding the sword tinted with Peak's blood.

"They have killed Peak!"

Of course, Peak was the strongest 'hero' but there were stronger villains… who had a whole team.

"It's okay… my real self will be fine," 'The Coward' says, and then looks at me. "That is the end goal. I never stray."

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Hey there, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, I needed to sort some things out. Now I will make regular weekly updates every Saturday, on or before 15:00:00 IST.