Second Chance

Meanwhile, Speedy, who survived the explosion's effects while others didn't, spotted a sudden figure falling from the sky. Due to his speed he had managed to outrun the huge blast wave barely surviving.

He squinted, trying to see what it was. Only to realize it was none other than Akira.

Speedy raced to catch Akira, who was on the verge of a fatal fall, despite being far away. Determined to save his close friend, Speedy covered the distance just in time to reach the drop zone.

He began running in circles, weaving the air into a swirling column. Not to create a tornado but an air cushion to slow down Akira's fall. He knew he couldn't catch Akira directly; the force was too much. He needed control.

The swirling air grew, pushing upwards, slowing the fall. Not a sudden stop, but a gentle slowing. Speedy adjusted constantly, feeling the air and sensing the fall. Akira entered the swirl, and the rough wind became a smooth descent. Speedy kept running, guiding the fall. Finally, Akira landed, shaken but safe.

Speedy stopped running and caught his breath as he rushed to Akira. The scene before him was unimaginable. Tears filled his eyes. His friend lay on his back, coughing blood, with a gaping hole in his gut. His legs burnt away by the intense flames , his hands charred, barely holding together.

Speedy's eyes welled up as he rushed forward, droping to his knees beside him. Akira!" he whispered urgently, his voice cracking with fear. "Please... are you okay?"

Akira looked up at Speedy, his own tears flowing freely. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I couldn't save anyone. I'm a failure. I caused this…"

Speedy's heart shattered into a million pieces as he gazed at Akira. The once-unyielding hero, whose bright smile had inspired countless hearts, now lay broken and defeated.

Akira's voice barely whispered his final words: "If only I could have defeated him... If only I could have been stronger..."

His eyes remained open, locked onto Speedy's as his life slipped away. Speedy's hands trembled as he gently closed Akira's eyes, tears falling like rain as he mourned the loss of his dear friend.

Speedy stood up, wiping away his tears, knowing this wasn't the time to grieve. He had a decision to make, one that would break the grand rule his father had instilled in him.

Long ago, when his father began training him at a young age, Speedy's powers began to evolve rapidly. His father was overjoyed, declaring that Speedy would surpass him and become the strongest and fastest ever.

However, there was one rule his father had made him promise to never break: never push past his limit. His father had explained that Speedy's power was destined for incredible speed, but warned him against overexerting himself.

"Why, Dad?" little Speedy asked.

His father's response was cryptic: "You're so fast that when you run with all your might, and as your power evolves, you could make everything go back. You can reset a timeline to a past event."

Speedy's young mind couldn't comprehend this concept. "Huh?" he had asked, confused.

His father smiled. "You won't understand now, but when you grow up, you will. Just remember, no matter how tempting it may seem, never do it."

Rebellious Speedy asked, "Why not?"

His father's expression turned serious. "Resetting a timeline has many consequences that are unknown. It's very dangerous so avoid ever doing it."

Speedy's father patted his head, saying, "Don't go forgetting this." This is the only rule i will ever bestow upon you that is unbreakable. Never go against it.

"Daaad! Don't touch my hair!" Speedy protested, making a comical face. His father burst out laughing at the sight of his son's hairstyle, which little Speedy claimed made him look cool.

A faint smile lit up on his face as memories of his childhood flooded back. He had completely forgotten about that moment, but the pain of watching Akira die right before his eyes brought it all back. The sound of his father's laughter echoed in his mind, and the feeling of his small hands pushing away his father's.

"Sorry, Dad," he muttered, his voice shaking with determination. "But I have to break your rule. I'm willing to risk everything for a better world."

Speedy positioned himself on the path, bracing himself for the most epic sprint of his life. Until now, he had always held back, careful not to reset the timeline. But today, he had to push beyond his limits, to run faster than he ever thought possible.

"Breathe in," he whispered to himself, "breathe out."

"Accelerate!" "Accelerate!" was the only thought in his mind as he pushed his power to the limit running faster and faster.He knew this was a suicidal mission; trying to reverse the timeline would eventually kill him.

But what was the point of surviving in a world that was destroyed, where he was too weak to fight or even confront Deka? Being the only survivor would be a torment, a curse rather than a blessing.

As Speedy ran faster and faster around the world, everything around him slowed down. It got to the point where, to his eyes, nothing was moving - he was the only one moving at that incredible speed. But even that wasn't enough, so he kept accelerating. For the first time, he was truly experiencing the full extent of his power, and it left him amazed.

The world around him slowed to a crawl, then froze. His body began to disintegrate, molecules ripping apart to travel faster than light speed. The pain was intense but he gritted his teeth and pushed on. "I have to!" he growled, before screaming, "Accelerate! Accelerate!"

Memories of his life flashed before his eyes like a movie on fast-forward. He remembered the sweat-drenched training sessions, the cheers of his trainers, and the thrill of victory as he defeated opponent after opponent. He had been the strongest, the chosen one - or so he thought.

Until, he met Flame Hero Akira, who shattered his dreams with a crushing defeat. Speedy's eyes snapped open to the harsh reality: he wasn't invincible after all.

And that's why Speedy was determined to give Akira another shot. He wanted Akira to teach Deka the same tough lesson he had learned himself, and in doing so, save the day.

He knew Akira wouldn't recall this encounter with Deka, but he was confident the Flame Hero wouldn't suffer defeat twice. A fierce grin spread across his face as he disappeared into nothingness.

The entire world paused, with everything and everyone frozen in place. Suddenly, a loud ZZZZRRRPPP! echoed through the air. Everything began moving backwards at an incredible speed. Time rewound rapidly, reversing the clock, until it finally stopped.

Speedy had pulled it off– the timeline was completely reset, taken back 15 years to January 23rd, 2010.