WHY?!

Kal could barely track their movements...

He watched in awe as the two muman warriors clashed with each other across the gaint white room. Who was winning? Who qas losing? He had no idea. All he knew was that these two were way beyond his league.

How did he get here? Why were these two fighting?

It began when, during hos battle with Hawk Knight, he came to that same realisation. And he knew exactly what that meant.

He was a failure. And with his life's purpose being utterly meaningless due to the overwhelming strength of his opponent he had no reason to value his life.

And Ace was ready to take it.

During a brief pause between Kal and Hawk knight's battle, Ace appeared in front of him and pulled a sword out of his sleeve, ready to cut the boy down. He knew he was going the die the moment he saw the gap between him and Hawk Knight but it still scared h8m to his core. He wanted to team the world. See what it entailed beyond the white rooms he was born in.

But thar dream would never come to pass.

Well, it wouldn't have, if Hawk Knight block Ace's attack.

I won't let you hurt that face..." He said, as he repelled Ace. That's what led to this battle.

He didn't really understand why Hawk Knight would save him, especially if they had recently fought. Could it be jis appearance. He wasn't sure. He only knew one thing.

He had a chance at life.

Call him what you want dear reader. But this boy had a dream and he wasn't going to die before it came to pass.

A dream to see the outside world.

He flew away from the two fighters at his fastest speed and in less than 3 seconds, he was at the other side of the massive room. Now all that separated him from the rest of the world was an advantagem wall. One he qas perfectly capable of breaking.

After a few hits of course.

After a few punches with all his strength and will poured into them, he managed to crack the wall. With just a little more, he could be free from this prison.

For this death.

From this creator.

Right before he gave another blow however, he notices something. A gist of wind in the floor. Then suddenly some dust blew past him.

Then for a second. A brief second he would've missed if he blinked, he some them. The two powerhouses locked in combat. One trying to kill the other and the other trying to kill..

Kal...

Kal quickly realised Ace this whole time wasn't just fighting Hawk Knight, but he was trying to kill him. With out wasting any time, he kept punching the wall in fear.

As sweat and tears drenched his terrified adolescent face, he screamed in agony as his dream was dying in front of him.

The dust was getting nearer. The wind blowing more vigorously. And soon, he noticed something on his cheek.

A small cut... oozing immense blood.

Kal screamed and punched the wall with all his might and finally jis fist broke through. Sending hos other fist flying, he threatened through the wall and began ripping it apart.

Then he noticed the wind stopped.

He didn't know why or how, but he stopped. Every part of his body told him to destroy the wall and escape. But instead he turned around.

The two had stopped their battle prematurely. And what a battle it was. Covered in scars, wounds and broken bones, the two stared at each other with sadistic grins written over their masked faces.

Soon the grins changed to smiles.

And the smiles changed to chuckles.

And finally the chuckles turned into hysterical laughter.

Kal looked on, mesmerised by the two psychopaths in their laughter, dumbfounded. Weren't they trying to kill each other seconds ago? Why are they laughing like good friends. And why did he care?

He was about to find out.

Why..?" Hawk Knight said between laughs. Ace still kept laughing, completely oblivious to what Hawk Knight said.

Why?" He said again, still laughing but nit with the intensity he had before. It was clear now that Ace had heard him but did his best to ignore it. Hawk Knight realised this immediately.

WHY?!!!" Hawk Knight screamed at his former friend, forcing the room to go silent in an instant.

Uh... if you mean why I tried to kill the kid, well, my boss gave me the order to off him if he fails to kill you. Not that it matters though. He is a clone after all." Ace said, talking to Hawk knight like they were friends.

NOO!!!" Hawk Knight screamed, making Ace aware that their friendship his dead.

And it's been dead for a long time.

Why did you kill our friends? People who accepted you after you were treated like a freak your whole life! People who look at you as one of them and not some muman moster! Why did you kill us?!" Hawk Knight asked with the pain emanating from his voice.

Ace only stood still.

Why did you kill the girl I loved?! The girl who you knew I loved?! The girl who loved you?! Tell me motherfucker! Why did you kill Kara?!"

Ace still stood still. A drop of sweat oozing of his brow.

As Austin and Kal watched the sweat hit the ground with a near silent *Plop*, Ace gave a small chuckle.

Followed by Austin, who gave a silent laugh.

Fine. I don't need a reason. Because no matter what it was, I'd still kill you anyway." Austin said as he straightened his left hand and raised it to his face.

And stabbed his left eye.

Suddenly, just as quickly as he formed the wound, it disappeared and a new eye wax formed.

A red one.

Then, as Kal watched the two still fighters, utterly confused with what their relationship is but curious nonetheless, in an instant, they disappeared.

Gone with only a faint trail of dust, the two were nowhere to be seen. Kal suddenly realised the truth.

They were both holding back.

As the two fought, Austin had a brief glimpse into his past. A memory he'd rather forget.

On a roof, a few miles into Down Clayton City, Austin sat with his oldest armor version with his best and only friend, Bufford Jordan, better known by many as Captain Rocket, young and full of youthful enthusiasm smiling at him.

Hey man. What would you do if I die?" Bufford said,suprising Austin.

W..what? What the hell? That was so out of left field bro! Why would you even ask that?"

Look, what I'm about to do is pretty risky and may get me killed and I wanna know how you'd feel if I got killed in the process."

Austin gave a silent nod and a good pat on the back to his beloved friend. Those were the good old days.

When Bufford was one of the first government appointed supers he was just a vigilante. Due to the Commonwealth's hatred of muman brand law enforcement, especially the kind they didn't authorise, they were supposed to be enemies. But after a botched mission from the government to capture the bird based vigilante, they became best of friends.

I'm forming a team."

Yeah. I know. Those government assholes hooked you up with some new teammates or something. I heard knew of them only wears white and doesn't even talk. Pretty creepy man."

That's not what I meant. I said I was forming a team. Those corrupt assholes aren't forming one for me."

W..what are you saying?"

After that our little Mr E fiasco, I found out those pigs tried to recruit him to join me!"

No way!"

Not just that, but it turns out my entire team were all government agents turned artificial mumans thanks to that psychopaths research. They're essentially handing me over to a superpowered SWAT team."

Isnt that good? More experience on the field you know."

That is not why I'm a hero. I'm not some government dog. Hell, I was a vigilante just like you until those pigs saw talent in me and made me their little lapdog. Not anymore."

So you're forming your own independent team?"

Yeah. I picked up a few mumans of some slave camp under the city and I even found a cyborg lady in the badlands! Currently training them to be a team that fights for justice withput the government's bureaucracy or corrupt medding.

And youll be in the lead. I dont think the president's okay with that."

I can't lead them myself. And that's where you come in."

Wa..wait.. you want me to lead? Look bro, I'm not too keen on babysitting a bunch of teenagers."

But then, Bufford only looked at him in silence. Suddenly, he got up and watched his sitting friend with a smile.

And knelt before him.

Please! Please! Please! Please! C'mon bro! Pretty please with a chicken on top. I know you love those right?" Bufford screamed with his head facing the ground.

Embarrassed Austin knew he needed to respond.

H..hey man! No bowing! Jeez. All right, I'll lead this little team of your's. But you owe me!" Austin said with a smirk.

Great. Now all we need is a name."

How about uh.. a team that runs into danger to fight evil..hmmm... The Zeta Squad!"

Eh..needs work."

Whatever man. Hey! What was all that shit about you dying though."

I just.. I want you to know what you'd do if I die."

Well isn't it obvious? Give the sunnovabitch a nastiest death imaginable."

No Austin. I don't want my death to be avenged."

Why?"

I have my reasons. But please Austin, don't base your life on revenge. No matter who you care about, you have to the better man. We're not just supers. We're heroes."

Uh.. Sure buddy." Austin said while giving his friend a good tap on the shoulder. A feeling of nostalgia enveloping him.

That's the same feeling he got when he looked into that clones face.

Sorry Bufford. I ignored Mr E, your killer, like you said. But my team. Those kids, how they died, just like that... poor Kara.. she loved this bastard and he... no... he needs to die. Here and now!" Austin thought and looked away from the boy's face and bombarded Ace with a flurry of attacks which Ace blocked with fluctuating ease.

Austin had enough time wasting and gave Ace a left hook only for him to dodge it at the last second and give Austin a powerful kick to the gut.

But it didn't send him flying. It just gave him the chance he needed.

Austin raised both his fists and slammed them at the back of Ace's head coupled with another left hook which lands phenomenally.

My eagle eye is a secondary ability I learned a while back. Allowing me to see 3 seconds into the future. And considering how fast we're going, that's pretty fucking far asshole."

However, his precognition didn't prepare him for this.

Ace pulled out a bomb and from under his mask Pulling Austin close enough that they could feel each other's breaths he gave a smile from ear to ear.

I can't tell you why I did it. But it's been killing me old friend. I didn't love Kara. I wanted her to love you like you did her. I genuinely did. But i couldn't because that wasn't my purpose. My purpose was to kill you all. And I achieved it. Now I have a new purpose. To find the bitch that gave me that purpose."

Austin could only watch Ace speak to him.

Dumbfounded.

I know you want me dead, and thats fine. But not now. Not while i still have this new purpose. I can't kill you. Not with how strong you are, but I can get away from you." Ace said, pressing the orb and igniting a mighty explosion.

Before the explosion began however, Austin's precognition activated on instinct and he knew he'd survive the explosion. Unconscious afterward, that was certain but he'd survive.

But what about the clone?

He knew he only kept him alive and saved him from Ace because he looked just like Bufford.

But was he willing to let the boy die now?

Apparently no.

Kal tried to locate the two fighters but couldn't. Why did he try to find those two monsters instead of getting the hell out of there? Even he didn't know.

All he knew was he couldn't control his own body at this point.

Suddenly, he noticed something coming right at him.

Before it got to him, he saw a red and blue silhouette instead of a black and white one. Hawk Knight was coming for him.

Before he could brace for impact, Hawk Knight was already upon him. But he didn't attack the boy.

Holding him by the shoulder, he punched the advantagem wall and it exploded into millions of tiny pieces with ease. Flying out of the white room with Kal by his side, he looked back and briefly saw Ace.

Who only waved at him with a smile, covered by his black and white mask.

Then the massive explosion followed. Ravaging everything in it's wake and chasing Hawk knight and Kal down. Suddenly on E it got close enough, it came to a halt and intensified it's heat, releasing a shockwave which hit them like a hammer and sending them flying.

As Austin hit the ground, he looked at the clone's terrified face and uttering only a few words.

I'm sorry bro..."

To be continued...