Duel: "...perfectly clear when I declared..."

Maelstrom and Grey took their corners in the combat zone set up by the other Pros. Juno held her coat, extremely nervous. "Come on Grey... show him... them... what you can do."

Once Tsar had counted down, Maelstrom fired off the most significant attack he'd ever unleashed; Whirlpool of Death. A large vortex of extremely dense-pressurized water absorbed Grey. Many of the students laughed having predicted Grey wouldn't last even a minute pitted against Maelstrom. 

However, one of the other pros, Miss Fawn, yelled getting everyone's attention. "THE VORTEX! LOOK!" As all eyes fell upon the vortex, they all watched as Grey emerged completely unscathed from its center. "Didn't I make it perfectly clear to you when I declared, "YOU CAN'T KILL THE DEAD!" Yelled Grey fully powering up. Maelstrom was stunned, too stunned to speak or move. Surge, who was watching while levitating in position already knew what was about to happen. "If he doesn't dodge, it's game over." He thought to himself, keeping his focus on Grey. 

However, unlike in Grey's match with Surge in which Grey used a singular combination move, Grey decided to unleash all the pent-up seething rage he'd been suppressing his entire life. 

"You, worship the status of strength..." As Grey spoke, his body became engulfed in a wide spectrum of colored energy, "And yet... CONTINIOUSLY FAIL TO GRASP WHAT TRUE STRENGTH!" Yelled Grey. The arcing energies scored the concrete from just the intense pressure, and then Grey clenched his fists, triggering the mask to inject a massive dose of Kerosene X into his bloodstream. 

"Now... Heritage Incarnate: ENGAGE!" Grey's words triggered the historical ghosts of John Henry and R.W. Williams with the Duchess Arlene to manifest with a hand other either of his shoulders. However, this time was different as a third ghost appeared. Doris Miller, better known as "the naval cook who fought back". Doris's ghost placed its hand on Grey and smiled just before speaking for all to hear, "Get him... Get that arrogant fuck, Grey... BRING HIM DOWN!" 

Grey instantly closes any distance between Maelstrom and himself, fist ablaze with more energy than he'd ever put into a single punch. The last thing the crowd heard and saw before Grey's punch distorted the sound barrier, was Grey yelling "RED STEEL WEPS... OCTUPLET!" The punch landed just as Grey's body and power reached a new level of harmony. In just a single punch, Grey's attack blasted apart the combat arena and fully knocked Maelstrom unconscious. Everyone, including Tsar and Juno, had been left speechless, the "useless-classed" hero, had just blown the number eight hero out of the water, and the difference in power was astronomically vast. 

As the dust settled, everyone finally got to see Maelstrom on the ground, unconscious, with Grey's armored boot firmly planted on the Pro's chest. Grey spoke one last time to conclude the fight. "It's just as I said," Grey paused to let the weight of what they all just witnessed finally hit them, "You can't kill the dead." 

Grey clenched his fist and walked back inside to reset their booth. Juno hurried along behind him, while everyone else just stared dumbfounded in his general direction, unable to find the words to describe what they'd seen.