Roars of thunder crash and drum as flashes of light appear in the pitch black skies, with dark clouds looming over the city. Between roars of thunder, the consistent song of rain plays heavily, as it seems a storm was cast.
Flashes of light brighten the black night, and rain pours down from above to the tall skyscrapers towering within the city, and the land below it. The wind was heavy as well, as it seems there was an all around rather intense storm raging. It seems the weather becomes more intense in the night as the city deepens into spring and heads towards the summer.
Although, this was the first truly intense storm, as the other instances were more similar to rainfall rather than anything to avoid the outdoors because of. Of course, then again, the streets below were still full of pedestrians, as they were able to protect themselves against the harsh weather fairly easily.
This weather cycle is familiar to the citizens of Versepolis, as many of them have either lived there for years, or have traveled throughout the year. While some people disliked the turbulent weather, some actually found it more appealing than the standard plain night, as it added further ambiance to the already lively city.
Especially to those who visited the city from far away, Versepolis was less of an urban center, and more of an extravagant experience, a heaven on Earth that contained a life that could be found nowhere else in the hundred worlds.
While there was an energy shield that could protect the city if there was ever a truly dangerous event, although tornadoes were unlikely since they were well moderated, events such as small thunderstorms were let into the city, as while the lightning could be terrifying, the bolts never struck anyone.
The city itself was like its own living organism that functions as an ecosystem, protecting itself and its contents while also allowing those inside to flourish in it with their own free will.
Many skyscrapers had lightning rod devices that redirected and attracted lightning, diverting it away from possibly injuring anyone, and ever since the implementation of such devices there has never been even a near casualty in the city due to such storms.
More serious events such as tornadoes were also completely taken care of, as the skies of the whole Earth have several powerful drones capable of manipulating newly formed tornadoes to easily calm them within moments of formation. While the whole sky wasn't just full of drones, the drones that were in the sky were incredibly fast, and could detect and rush to any buildup.
For the most part, the core Earths such as the one housing the city had superior defense systems that well protected it from harm, as the Earth had a superb military to defend their planet, and they were one of the innovators in defensive technologies. They were still worlds behind some other Earths that specialized on technological advancements, but they had outstanding status.
If it weren't for the mass threat of Exhumans, beings who defied manmade defense and technologies with abilities that seem to break the laws of physics itself, the city would be completely safe, and would never suffer any grand problems.
However, that was if Exhumans weren't a mass threat, when unfortunately they were, as regardless of how hard the government tried to deal with them, they were always an issue. Especially after having to loosen up on Exhumans after the abolishing of the extermination acts, the government was far less able to combat them, leaving them with a gaping wound.
The one issue Versepolis had that they couldn't solve was the Exhuman terrorism, as it was an issue no mere men could resolve. Only one of their own could stand a chance against the fury of the gods, a man with power and the drive to use it.
Among the skyscrapers that stand over the city, taking on the rainfall first, the ZPrints Enterprise building stands supreme, above all others in the city. The building's side is lit even against the heavy storm, unaffected even by the flashes of lightning around it, its body tough as rain runs down its smooth curved roof over the rooftop.
The radio towers blink in the dark knight as the rain pours loudly, with the silver body of the skyscraper giving off its own reflection due to its wetness.
Below the curved tower at the top was the rooftop itself, which was more flat, and was accessible through the elevator. One of the radio towers stands from the flat rooftop, also blinking with its own lights, working and alive.
Another flash of lightning appears, lighting up the sky, and a heavy roar of thunder follows.
Next to the radio tower on the rooftop, blue light emanates against the heavy winds and rain, glowing brightly against the dark night sky.
The source of light was Meditat himself, who stands on the rooftop, close to the tower. His cape drifts in the heavy wind, as the rain pours on his metallic armor, dripping off of his black hood. The water drips past his blue glowing goggles, with the vents on his mask glowing the same too.
Meditat looks up at the tower, and he tilts his head up, staring at the black sky above him. He feels the rain drop on his mask, breathing calmly and slowly to rejuvenate himself after he had just fought against an Exhuman who turned the ground into quicksand and gave Meditat a rough time before escaping.
Meditat takes a deep breath, and he asks out loud, "So Orial, is the connection still good? Any dips or anything that should be noted? This is your first time anyways, I hope I didn't rush into this."
Orial responds to Meditat through his mask, "Don't worry, the suit's computer works perfectly. I am having no trouble connecting, if anything I find it better being able to integrate myself more evenly rather than accessing specific systems from your Connect. Is my voice clear, Meditat?"
Meditat nods, and he answers, "It is, then that's good. It took a while, but I'm glad we got this down."
While Meditat had worked on different aspects of his suit throughout the time he fought in the city, he had also been working hard on trying to provide Orial with the best template to work from, with the greatest challenge being creating a computer system in the suit that Orial could hop onto from the Connect that he was previously stored locally on.
While it was unclear exactly how well Orial's connection could be maintained, as he still originates from the Connect, it seemed that he was holding up well throughout the duration of the first night, which was good news.
Meditat lowers his head to face the edge of the rooftop, staring at the city far ahead, and he begins rolling his shoulders, doing a few stretches before he'd eventually return back to action in search for another crime to try stopping.
While he grabs shoulder and stretches it, he asks Orial, "So, is there anything you're detecting? We should get going soon, I think I'm good now."
Orial asks for reassurance, "Are you sure you're ready, Meditat? She nearly tore your legs off, and your vitals indicate that you are still tired."
Meditat answers, "I'm sure, Orial. Yeah of course the vitals will say that, it's not like I'll completely heal in minutes, but I mean I'm fine to start again. Trust me, it's my body."
Orial sighs, and he says, "Very well, I'll begin searching. I hope you do know that cybernetic replacements are expensive, and it might not be smart to try creating your own to last indefinitely. Be sure to keep your body intact."
Meditat pulls his other shoulder, and he reassures, "Yes yes, I know. We'll be fine, don't worry. So, what are you getting?"
However, before Orial can respond, another light in the sky, right in front of Meditat, nearly blinding him. He covers his eyes with his hand as he hears the deafening sound of a lightning strike, as though the strike had occurred right in front of him.
Meditat shivers from the close encounter, and he sighs with relief, not guessing that the ZPrints building itself also has its own lightning rods, however it would make sense for it the more he thinks about it.
Meditat lowers his hand after the light passes, but as he allows himself visibility again, he jumps backwards in surprise to the light before him.
Sparks of yellow electricity arc in front of Meditat as he hears the sound of electricity crackling, giving off its own glow that blocks Meditat from the edge of the rooftop.
The yellow glow reflects off of Meditat's wet suit, as his eyes widen, blinking a few times as if trying to make sure he is seeing correctly.
In front of Meditat, on the edge of the rooftop, stands the man in the purple suit, whom Meditat instantly recognizes from the mass killing at the mall. The man's body glows yellow from the vents on his own suit, almost similar to Meditat. His body generates electricity as arcs of yellow electricity come off his suit, as if he was overloaded with energy.
His yellow eyes stare at Meditat, his hands clenched into fists inside his heavy gauntlets.
For the first time, Meditat was the one approached by an Exhuman, as he usually always was the one to locate an Exhuman while searching for crimes. For the first time, Meditat was the one being pursued, the one being hunted.
Meditat wasn't even sure how the man in the purple suit knew where he was, as Meditat chose the ZPrints building due to its dominant height, which made spying on the roof nearly impossible. He was also unsure why the man had come for him directly, as Meditat hadn't seen him in a month, and he didn't think any of the many Exhumans he had fought would come back to haunt him in the flesh.
Meditat stares silently at the man in the purple suit, and he lets go of his shoulder. His hands move to his sides before clenching into fists, his fingernails digging into his palm as he recalls his anger at the particular Exhuman.
The man stares at Meditat for a few moments before finally speaking in his altered voice, greeting him with: "So, here you are, I didn't think you liked hanging around rooftops. I guess you're limited in places you can sit around in, since you'd probably attract attention if you stayed on the ground."
Meditat responds with a burning anger in his voice, demanding the question of: "What are you doing here? What do you want? If it's a fight you're looking for, I'm willing to give one."
The man shakes his head, and he explains, "No no, I'm not here to pick a fight. I just wanted to have a chat with you, a friendly chat. We're not enemies, and there's no need to make us that. We're both just Exhumans who took the step to live in their own skin, brave enough to show the world our beautiful nature, even if the world opposes that. There is no reason for us to fight, don't worry. Anyways, I see you gave your suit some upgrades, I like it, it gives it more flair, but the lights are copying."
Meditat's eyes contract to an intense glare, as his fists stay clenched. He argues back, "Don't try to relate to me, we are nothing alike. Sure, we might be Exhumans, but we use our powers for very different things. You use it to cause unnecessary chaos and harm, and I use it to stop those kinds of acts. Also...the 'lights' are a cooling and ventilation system, they are not there just for the looks."
The man sighs, and he folds his arms over his chest, as though giving an attitude. Electricity continues arcing off his body, and he responds, "My lights have legitimate purposes too, ironically one of being ventilation, since it's a bit dangerous to stock so much energy inside this suit, human built technology is not so good at containing the power of a god. Also, sure the lights may be for cooling, but there was probably a more subtle way to design them, especially without needing that little...whatever this is."
As he speaks, he puts his right hand on his chest, as if referring to Meditat's chest, which has the pencil-shaped emblem.
The man continues, "It's cool though, is that supposed to be a stylus? A bit weird for an insignia, usually people would want something more intimidating, but to each their own. You have more style than me I'll admit, especially the cape, you're really selling this superhero fantasy aren't you?"
Meditat sighs, his rage burning him inside, and he argues, "There is no 'superhero fantasy,' every single part of this suit is there for a reason. And this symbol is not meant to intimidate, I'll admit I got carried away with some design aspects, but in the end everything you see is intricately designed to deal with people like you."
The man lowers his head and shakes it, lecturing "Hey, don't use the phrase 'people like you,' you sound like one of those mortals. Are you really that badly brainwashed?"
Meditat steps forward, and he pulls his arm back, as though wanting to approach the man to hit him. He yells in response, "I'm not brainwashed, if anything you're the delusional one! You think just because you have fancy powers that not everyone has, you're all the sudden better than everyone? And you think because of that, you can enforce your own will on anyone?"
The man in the purple suit raises his head, and he asks, "You know what, it's a gross and bigited oversimplification, but let's play with that reason. At least that's a reason to work with. Yes, I was blessed at birth with incredible abilities that mere mortals lack, I was born into this world as an Exhuman, as a god. And I was also born into a world that witchcalls, I was born in a world full of people who target Exhumans for just being born. And maybe I am enforcing my own will back on those people, and maybe I do recognize that I was born superior to those mortals who get riled up to see that they're no longer at the top of the chain. I live the only way I was given, I take the only option I have, and this is it. At least that is a reason, now what's your reason for so stupidly chasing after people like us for no reason, and trying to ruin us? You never win anyways, I know you have a horrendous track record, so why do you even try? What are you getting at?"
Meditat takes a deep breath, as the man's words irritate him again, as he seems to go off on trying to victimize himself. However, he was also unable to answer the question posed to him. It was a question he had debated with himself for a long time, and still hadn't come to a conclusive answer.
He didn't expect a deadline for the question, as he was unsure why the man even cared, leading to Meditat being stuck speechless, unable to give an answer, as he didn't know.
The man tilts his head in confusion, seeing that Meditat was tripping up on a question that the man thought was extremely basic and simple: a drive, a reason to do what he does.
The man in the purple suit asks with a sarcastic tone, "Wait, you don't have a reason? You don't know why you get yourself destroyed every night the whole night? I mean, I knew the answer would have to be something insane and senseless to justify your crusade, but I didn't expect there to be no answer at all. No...there has to be a reason, nobody would do the things you do without one. Maybe it's a reason you don't want to give? Hmm...what are you hiding…?"
Meditat shakes his head, and he finally speaks, arguing "I'm not hiding anything! And my reason is not senseless, I just did not expect someone like you to come here asking these questions. Why does it matter to you? Are you trying to mess with me?"
The man hums, and he suddenly points a finger up, as though an idea came to mind. He then hypothesizes, "Wait, I got it! And I'm not here to mess with you, I want to understand you, you are a fascinating specimen, confused but with good spirit. But anyways, I think I understand now. You're trying to pose as this benevolent hero, a god, to these people, trying to pose as their shining savior who'll defeat the demons to protect them, and in the end they'll worship you. You want this city to see you as their god, don't you? Huh, I didn't expect much from you, but that's quite an elaborate scheme. You're even going as far to betray your own brothers and sisters, you're interesting, but such effort is commendable. Will you demand offerings from the people once they praise you as their new lord? Sacrifice? A more difficult way to achieve victory, but if you do achieve it, then you'll really be something nobody has been able to be before: I like it. I won't spread the word, you can trust me, I'm a fellow Exhuman."
Meditat becomes consumed with fury by the intense accusations thrown at him, as the man in the purple suit completely slanders him and turns his well intended mission into what sounds like an evil conspiracy.
Meditat begins approaching the man in the purple suit, his cape flowing backwards from the wind, his fists glowing as they tighten more. Anger consumes him as his eyes lock onto the man's face, planning to punch him as hard as he could.
It was clear that the man had come only to rile him up, and was searching for a battle, regardless of what he had to say. He wanted to act like he was only there for civil reasons, but it was clear as day what his true intentions were. He wanted a fight, and Meditat was more than willing to give him one.
Especially when Meditat remembers all the horrible actions the man had committed in the mall. Meditat still hadn't avenged them, but now he had his chance.
The man in the purple suit doesn't move, as he just watches with amusement as Meditat approaches him, his body pulsing with the blue glow, as he was truly angered. Another flash of light appears behind Meditat, following with a thunderous roar.
The man stands his ground, and puts his hand under his chin, while holding his elbow up with his other, interested in the reaction.
However, Meditat suddenly stops about seven feet from the man, and he keeps his feet planted. His eyes stay on the man, his eyes furious, however he seems to be trying to hold himself back.
His fists stay clenched as his eyes stay on the man's face, wanting badly to punch him in the face instantly, however something stopped him.
This was exactly what the man was searching for, an angered instinctual response fueled by hate, a show that Meditat was nothing more than another aggressive Exhuman using their powers to achieve a selfish purpose of strength.
Perhaps there was no reason to play into the game, but Meditat also recognizes that if he truly wanted to succeed in his mission, he had to stay focused on who he wanted to be. He wasn't just a blind warrior, he was better.
Meditat lowers his head, feeling the rain pour on his head, as he tries his best to fight the urges, his body shaking from the sheer intensity of trying to contain himself. He breathes deeply and quickly, trying to calm himself, as his breath gradually slows.
Another flash of lightning appears, and a loud roar of thunder follows, overpowering the sound of the heavy rainfall.
Meditat's hands open from their fists, and his breath slows to a calm pace, as he successfully calms himself. He perks his head back up to look at the man in the purple suit, who stands by the edge of the rooftop, just staring at him struggling.
Meditat takes one more deep breath, and he slowly lets it out, calming his thoughts, and trying to think clearly.
Why was he doing this? Why was he going out to fight enemies far stronger than him, especially when he was so unsuccessful? He wasn't sure of the answer, and he didn't know how to answer the question.
But he had to say something, he had to give an answer, because he needed a good reason that he could show. If he wanted to truly be a good man who could protect the city, not some nefarious manipulator like the man had guessed, he had to be able to genuinely speak on his motives.
He didn't know what to say, but he had to say something. Anything would be better than nothing, even if it was random words he'd spew, even if maybe he'd regret what he said because it didn't come out right, he had to say something.
Meditat holds his right arm up and in front of his body, his hand in front of his face, his arm in front of his chest. He stares at the palm of his hand, and finds the clarity in mind to be able to speak, finally able to calm himself to talk, although his words would be off the top of his head, as he wouldn't give a moment to think about what he could say.
He'd just say what he felt was right.
Meditat speaks in more of a confident and bold tone rather than an aggressive and irritated one: "No, it's not that at all, honestly I could never think of a plan that complicated, but I also have no desire to be worshipped. In fact, I used to just want a normal job, I used to just want to work in some office somewhere in this city, it didn't matter where really, but I hoped it would be for a good company. I just wanted a normal life, one where I could have a stable job with stable pay so I could use it to finance a stable living. I didn't care how exhilarating my life would be, I just wanted it to be stable, and that's all I ever cared about. I thought stability was an easy feat to achieve in this world, as long as you put in the work, as long as you deserved it, you'd get it.."
Meditat's right hand then balls into a fist as he reminisces on that day months ago, and he continues, "I thought life was stable, until I received a rude awakening to the real world: a world where you could be the most innocent person who studies and works hard their whole life, gets a solid education, finds a nice job to work in, maybe even have your own great family, you could do everything to have a stable life, and that could get ripped away from you at an instant by anyone who was born with the powers to take, and everything you did up to that point gets lost. I learned that the world isn't stable at all, it's so far from that, everyday people here live in fear that their lives will be snatched without care. These people here live feeling like they can't get comfortable without having the rug yanked from under them. That was when I realized, nobody will have the chance to live a stable life in this chaotic world, there won't be any sense in this world if these terrorists can roam freely without opposition. Nobody will have that chance unless someone can make the sacrifice to give up their own stability to give others that freedom to live. And even if I have to give up what I spent my life working towards to give that to people I don't know, it gives my life more purpose, because if I can succeed, then people might be able to fathom a life where they can have what they work for without unjust loss."
The man in the purple suit hums, and he folds his arms over his chest, intrigued by Meditat's argument. He tilts his head with slight confusion, and he says, "You do know that Exhumans aren't the only reason for death, right? Not just for premature death, first of all there are still mortal criminals, and even then, we don't control all the pod crashes, we don't control sudden heart failure, we don't control accidents, we don't control suicide, we don't control overdose, we don't control many reasons for why people die. So going after us doesn't even solve that problem, there will always be a lingering possibility that anyone regardless of how innocent they may be will die a sudden and unexpected death. What, do you intend to solve every one of those issues as well? I don't know if you have immortal life or something, but even if you did, I don't think you'd ever have the time to solve death itself. Your reasons are naive, but then again that's what you sound like: naive, you don't understand how the world works."
Meditat sighs, as he recognizes that the man's counter wasn't completely false, even if he stopped every Exhuman, there'd still be limitless ways for innocents to be killed. He couldn't solve death, no matter how strong he was.
Meditat softly replies, lowering his head to look down at his hand as he speaks, "I understand that, I know that no matter what I do I will never stop everyone from dying. I know that there will always be innocent people who never deserved the end they get, and I know I won't be able to save many of them…."
However, he then suddenly slams his fist against his chest right over his glowing emblem, and lifts his head back up to meet the man's eyes.
With a bold tone, he announces, "But that doesn't mean that I should accept every unjust death, and do nothing about it. That doesn't mean that I should just give up trying to save anyone if they may die another way anyways. Maybe I can't make a perfect world, maybe nobody can make a perfect world, but that's not what I set out to do anyways. I am willing to throw away any stability in my life, any plans I once had, an easy job with good pay, I even recognize that the more serious I am about this the harder it'll be to have any social connections because I could be endangering them. I am willing to do all that, because I know that if I do, I have the chance to at least close one wound, I have the chance to prevent one reason for death, one very substantially fatal reason. I have the chance to bring balance to a senseless crime that is otherwise unresisted, I have the chance to offer the world a sense of sanity, and maybe even offer the world stability. If I can dedicate all that I have to showing the people of this city that there is a counterweight to this Exhuman reign, that there is good in the darkness, maybe they can finally find comfort in their lives, a comfort that has been long lost. Maybe we live in a cruel senseless world that will always retain chaos, but if I can at least work to bring more sense in some way, if I can somehow make the world an easier place to live in, if I can bring a sense of stability and security for the people to dream again, maybe I can make a better tomorrow. And that justifies any sacrifice I have to take."
Right after Meditat finishes speaking, a thunderous roar follows. The man in the purple suit lets out a heavy breath, and he unfolds his arms, putting his hands to his side. Electricity continues arcing off his body, and he comes to the realization that the man standing in front of him truly had a concrete drive.
The man says, "Well, that's unfortunate, you would've made for a good ally, and you could've finally avoided all those beatings."
Meditat puts his arm down to his side, and he responds, "I'd rather take more beatings if it's protecting these innocent people who just wanted to live. And you're one of those people who stands in the way of doing that. We are not friends, we are not the same, we are not allies, nor will we ever. I will dedicate my life to protecting this city, and if you want to harm it, then we are enemies, plain and simple."
The man in the purple suit lowers his head, admitting defeat to his initial plan. He lets out a great sigh, knowing there was only one thing to do, as Meditat had given him no other choice.
The man raises his head back, and his body begins expelling more energy, as more arcs come off his body with greater intensity, making a louder hum.
The man then says, "Well then, I guess we are enemies. Go ahead and try to defeat me then, if that's how it is. If you're truly serious about this, then catch me, Meditat."
Suddenly, the electricity that arcs off his body all strikes the ground in front of him, and his body is thrown backwards and off the rooftop.
Meditat's eyes widen, and he immediately leaps forward, boosting his body forwards, throwing himself across the rooftop and over the edge. He then puts his arms together and begins plummeting, his eyes locking on the man, who's body falls ahead of him.
The man in the purple suit notices Meditat, and the electricity around his body begins surrounding him. He then starts flying at a surprisingly high speed, flying downwards to speed his dive, with excess electricity coming off his body to create a trail.
Meditat boosts with his boots and hands continuously, flying down faster as well, catching up to the man. He approaches the man, his cape waving intensely behind, as his blue eyes stare at the man's yellow electricity.
The man's body becomes surrounded by yellow bolts, as though he was a yellow lightning bolt, descending from the sky above. Meditat continues boosting, with blue energy coming off his hands and feet, as though he was a comet, chasing the lightning bolt.
As pods drive in the air, flying between skyscrapers in different levels of organized lanes, the yellow lightning bolt falls down while being chased by the blue comet. The comet seems to fly faster than the bolt, however as it reaches it, the bolt suddenly pulls ahead, moving faster to keep distance from the comet.
The two lights fly down towards the top lane of pods, which some drivers notice, to which they try to drive faster to keep away from the danger zone, however they're held back on how far they can go as they don't want to crash into the next pod.
Before the yellow bolt could strike one of the pods however, it suddenly pulls up, flying right above the top lane of pods as it races down the street the opposite way of the lane.
A faint blue beam shoots out of the comet and attaches to the outer wall of a nearby skyscraper, causing the comet to revolve around it until it faces the street that the yellow bolt is flying down, to which the faint beam vanishes and the blue comet continues down the street in hot pursuit.
The blue comet chases the yellow bolt down the street, vanishing in nearly an instant, as both of them immediately push on the limits of their speed.
Inside what looks like the blue comet is Meditat, whose feet are pressed together with his wrists touching his legs, as rather than using any pulls, he pushes with his hands and legs, as he didn't have time to spend making pulling motions. While using all boosts, especially continuously, was badly exhausting, Meditat couldn't practically keep up any other way. Luckily, his suit's new cooling solution allowed him to expend such power at once, and while he didn't need it yet, his capacitor belt was already charged to full capacity, and would give him extra energy if needed.
The hope is to reach the man before that was necessary however, as Meditat gradually gets closer to the yellow bolt, trying to grab the man.
However, before Meditat could, the yellow bolt reaches an intersection, and takes a sharp right turn. The trail turns as the bolt flies down another road, trying to shake Meditat off.
Right as Meditat enters the intersection, he turns his head to the right. He then extends his arms out, with his right arm aiming towards an office building next to the right street. He recognizes that he has little time to execute the turn, and if he fails, he could slam into the building and possibly die due to his immense dangerous speed.
Meditat pulls on his right hand as his left hand boosts forward, making a tight turn in the intersection, however even then his turn seems too wide, not enough to execute it completely.
Meditat rolls himself to the right side, and his body boosts itself in a strafing action, managing to steer him back in the center of the road, having made the turn.
After making the roll, Meditat holds both of his hands out in front of himself at different buildings, and he pulls himself forward, which he was able to do since his hands were already out. He boosts forward with his boots as he regains his speed on the new street, and his pulls bring him even more ahead, getting close to the yellow lightning bolt again.
Ahead of Meditat, the man in the purple suit continues flying forward, his hands and legs more loose as electricity surrounds his body, letting him float in his own bubble as his energy keeps him ahead. The man reorients himself backwards, and he sees Meditat approach him closely.
The man makes a tsk sound, and he aims his right hand towards Meditat, to which more electric arcs come off his body, firing as bolts at his pursuer.
Yellow bolts of energy fire backwards while the lightning bolt continues forward, trying to strike Meditat to knock him off course. Meditat sees the bolt coming, and he thrusts his chest forwards, pushing his body downwards, narrowly avoiding the bolts.
Now being under the lightning bolt, Meditat boosts with his hands and feet again, trying to catch up to the bolt, an idea in his mind. He pushes harder, shoving his limits to get closer underneath the lightning bolt.
Soon, the blue comet gets nearly directly under the yellow lightning bolt, albeit still dragging noticeably behind. That isn't an issue though, as Meditat plans to stay a particular distance behind, and he tilts his head up to look up at the yellow bolt.
He watches as the bolt continues racing down the street, no longer firing bolts backwards, as it realizes the comet was no longer in sight. However, Meditat has the bolt in his sights, and increasing his speed a little more, his window opens.
Meditat brings his arms farther out in front of himself and thrusts his arms down, pushing himself even harder, as his comet immediately angles upwards.
The comet precisely strikes the yellow bolt, causing an explosive release of yellow electricity, as if the wind was kicked out of it, and the comet continues flying upwards at the angle.
Inside one of the office buildings, groups of workers type in their cubicles, with a transparent wall behind them. The room was quiet, as everyone was focused and calm, working their late hours before they'd later head off.
The office was well lit, with a beautiful view of the city outside, with other buildings and skyscrapers visible in the distance. The only sound keeping the office from silence is the soft pouring rain outside, which sounds like a light drizzle from inside, as they are well protected.
Three workers type on their computers with their cubicle being against the window, ignoring the outside weather.
Suddenly, outside the window, the large blue comet flies up from the bottom to the top in an instant, surrounded with yellow electricity, making a loud roar of speed.
All of the workers stop and turn towards the window, with most of them having missed what had happened, as the comet appears for a brief moment before vanishing.
The center worker in the cubicle by the window stands up, and in curiosity to the deafening roar that no doubt caught everyone's attention, she walks to the edge of the window, wondering what happened.
The worker looks up the wall, and her eyes widen in awe and loss of words, causing more workers to get up to see what engrossed her.
Outside the window, the worker watches the blue comet fly up in the sky, rapidly changing directions as it darts around the surrounding skyscrapers and offices. The comet is surrounded with yellow lightning as well, causing the dark night to light up, as thunder roars over the rain.
Outside the office, Meditat grips the man by the collar, restraining him as he tries to fight for control. His feet continue to boost him around, as the man tries to shake him off.
The man in the purple suit stares into Meditat's eyes with surprise, and he grabs Meditat by the wrists with his large metal gauntlets.
He feels the immense charge within him as the electricity coming off him arc back into his body, and he charges his gauntlets. He then fires a powerful shock into Meditat's wrists, causing Meditat to yell in pain, and lose his grip on the man.
The man pushes back, and his body is once more surrounded by the yellow electricity. He recreates his own bolt, and begins flying on his own after having been caught by surprise.
Meditat winces in pain, but with an iron will, he doesn't let up even after his whole body jolts in pain. He puts his hands back to his side, and boosts towards the man's bolt.
Inside the office, the other workers stand by the woman, and all of their eyes widen as they see the action above them. The yellow and blue flashes cause a glow that reflects off of the workers, as they all watch in silence speechlessly.
Outside the window, they see the yellow bolt dance in the air with the blue comet, continuing to fly at one another to exchange blows, leaving trails of energy behind which overlap quickly as the bolt and comet keep flying at each other, jousting in the air.
Meditat finishes one of his strikes, his right fist out as he seems to have tried to throw a punch. He then pushes himself to the right by boosting with his left hand, circling around at an angle as he pulls his right arm back for another punch.
He looks to his side to see the yellow bolt on the other side of the sphere of trails they've created, circling as well, ready for another round.
Meditat reorients himself to face the bolt, and he thrusts his feet back, giving himself another powerful boost, and he throws his fist forward.
The yellow bolt flies right at Meditat as well, having seen his attempt to strike, and the man in the purple suit throws his own punch, his body constantly releasing more yellow arcs.
Meditat's and the man's fist collide, causing an explosion of both blue and yellow energy, as they release all their momentum into that one punch.
The workers inside the office all jump back as powerful shockwave releases, and the window in front of them shatters, along with the windows of buildings around the two. Some of the workers scream in fear as their shield to protect themselves from the fight break, but other workers stay silent, staring at the sphere.
Suddenly, both the bolt and comet fly out of the sphere, dashing far down the city and out of sight, racing again.
The bolt and comet race all throughout the central region of the city, constantly changing directions on intersections, with the bolt pulling ahead of the comet once again. The whole district seems to light up as the bolt and comet leaves their trails over the streets, as though they were in multiple places at once.
The bolt and comet move in the general direction of the south, diverging paths around skyscrapers before meeting together in another attempted collision. Their lights are visible from other skyscrapers, as other late night workers watch out the window to see the two dance below them, and even pedestrians on the ground look up to see the clash of fighters, which take place over the lanes of pods driving under the lightshow.
The bolt sounds like lightning as crashes of thunder come off it as it flies down the streets, and the comet chases it with a loud roaring hum, filled with energy, nearly deafening the pedestrians below.
Meditat chases the man out of the central region and into the south, which still has skyscrapers and tall buildings, however they were far more scarce in replacement of housing, such as apartments and townhouses.
Meditat moves the fastest he's ever reached, only even able to last the way he was due to all the advancements within his suit to allow him to push forward, and his rigorous training to increase his stamina to let him move.
However, he still lingers behind the bolt, as his opponent was also very powerful and fast, making it a challenge nonetheless.
Now with the more open skies, the bolt and comet move more in a straight line, uninterrupted, allowing both of them to move increasingly faster, trying to keep pace against the other. Their limits had been far pushed, and they still tried to see how much farther they could go until the other would give up.
Inside one of the townhouses, a teenage girl gets ready for bed, already having been up far into the night. She walks towards her bed, her room completely silent, with her lights already off.
Next to her queen sized bed was a fairly large window, which lets her look out into the city, where there seems to be a grass lawn ahead of her leading up to a road, and on the other side was another lawn with more townhouses.
The girl wears a ring which projects a small hologram of a list of image posts off of the social media app Bitweb, as she seems to be scrolling through before sleeping.
As she stands next to her bed, she looks out the window, staring at the storm skies, as the rain continues pouring. She sighs to herself, and readies to get into her bed.
However, before she takes her eyes off of the window, she sees the yellow bolt dash past her window, far in the distance. Right as the yellow bolt exits her view, the blue comet exists, following it close behind.
The girl's eyes widen in surprise at the sudden phenomenon, and immediately after the two lights vanish, she hears an incredibly loud explosion from outside, causing her to jump back. The sonic boom causes her to shiver in fear of confusion, as she was taken completely off guard, especially when she was about to sleep. Now, she was unsure if she'd be able to sleep at all.
The girl hears her dad yelling from the other room, "What in the world was that?" as it seems nobody knew what happened. Not even the witness.
The yellow bolt continues flying ahead of the blue comet as the two fly into a more suburban region, deep into the south. They fly past different shop complexes, entering what looks like more of a town than a city, as there were buildings however they were only a few stories high, a far cry from the skyscrapers that seemed to go up to space.
Pods drive over the streets below the bolt and comet, however they are so slow in comparison that it seemed like they weren't moving at all.
Meditat pushes himself as much as he could, reaching his limit, however he couldn't fly any faster than he already was, yet he was still tailing behind the man in the purple suit. He stays to the side of the bolt to avoid the electric trail, which could be dangerous for him, with the only thing he could do being trying to stay on pace.
He feels himself beginning to tire, but his will keeps him moving, as he knew he couldn't stop now. He couldn't give up again, he had to keep fighting.
The yellow bolt approaches another store complex, with a large parking lot surrounded by different shops. The parking lot isn't full, but there are still many pods resting there, and the lights inside the shops were on.
On the other side of the road from the complex was a large warehouse store with its own even larger parking lot, equipped with its own underground garage, with a pod elevator visible in the center of the lot.
The warehouse store has a large sign with the name 'Cashop,' lit up in red. The lights inside were off however, and the parking lot was empty, as it seems it was closed for the night.
The blue comet tags behind the bolt, as Meditat looks at the yellow electricity, trying to find a way to halt the Exhuman. He thinks for a few moments, knowing that he was using his hands and legs to their limits, yet it wasn't enough.
He continues forward, knowing that if this race lasted without interruption, there was a good chance the Exhuman could get away. He had to stop him, and he had to find a way to catch up.
That's when an idea comes to mind.
Meditat takes a deep breath, and continues his path. He thinks clearly, formalizing his plan in his head before taking action. If he messed up this execution, he'd fall far behind, as it was hard enough just to keep his pace. However, if he executed it perfectly, he could draw the race to an end, and possibly be able to defeat the man in the purple suit.
He keeps some distance between his hands and body, along with his legs, as if trying to loosen up. His speed drops slightly after giving up the aerodynamicness of the diving stance, however it was a necessary sacrifice.
Meditat moves his arms around, to the right, and then jerks it to the left, causing his body to begin spinning. He then thrusts his whole body forward, boosting forward with his whole body, his chest and back, utilizing his whole suit to boost forwards, not just his limbs.
The comet turns into a sharp cone, which resembles more of a bullet, with a tipped end that widens out. The blue bullet begins moving faster than the bolt, and it then curves towards the bolt, striking its side successfully.
Another explosive release of yellow electricity occurs as a reaction, and the blue bullet shoots down towards the ground, stopping the man at last.
The bullet flies straight into the wall of the warehouse store, crashing through, and burning a wide hole into it. The bullet continues flying in, crashing into an aisle of shelves, flying through the various boxes put up.
The bullet crashes through the last shelf on the aisle before finally striking the ground, almost leaving a crater behind. An explosive release of blue mist along with smoke rises out of the hole, as the chase comes to an end.
The man in the purple suit flies into the culinary section, crashing through the glass displays of various meats.
Meditat stands up in the center of the crater, his body glowing through the smoke, his eyes staring at the man. His hands open before closing back into fists, as he breathes heavily to regain some energy after having used so much.
With the new presence of the two inside the store, the lights all turn on, lighting up the warehouse store, even with the gaping hole in the wall.
The warehouse was somewhat eerie, as while the lights were on, there was hardly anyone inside it, as there was only Meditat and the Exhuman. A store usually filled with chatter and people walking down with carts was barren, and was now the grounds of a battle.
The man in the purple suit comes to a stop, and he groans in pain, after having felt the impact of the metal walls and the aisle. He coughs twice, laying on the ground, looking at the crater in front of him, with Meditat staring straight at him among the smoke.
The man's body no longer gives off electricity, and his body hardly seems to glow yellow, as the little light there was extremely dim, as he didn't seem to have much power left to use. In fact, there was a chance he wouldn't have been able to last much longer, as Meditat extended the race far past his expectations.
However, the man was inside a lit up large store, and such a large store requires a substantial amount of energy to power it. An idea comes to his mind, as with the current state he was in, he wouldn't be able to fight, and he needed a charge up.
Above the man and Meditat, electricity begins crawling out of the ceiling, leaving the light system. Meditat notices what was happening, and he tries to run at the man to stop him, however he couldn't make it on time.
The electricity strikes the man in the purple suit, as though he was being struck by many lightning bolts. The power of the electric bolts causes a powerful repelling force, which throws Meditat backwards, causing him to fall back on the crater.
The whole ceiling of the culinary area projects its electricity onto the man's body, charging him up, as the rest of the power around the warehouse crawls towards the area to provide more energy. The ceiling itself becomes powered by the aisles of frozen food throughout the warehouse, which give their energy to the ceiling, using all of the sources of energy in the store to transfer to the Exhuman.
It wasn't just the ceiling either, as the refrigerators keeping the frozen meats cool also project their electricity directly onto the Exhuman's body, charging him from the sides.
The whole warehouse begins to dim down as the energy once fueling the lights is moved to the Exhuman, whose suit begins to glow instead once more, his eyes brightening as the vents around his suit glow with greater presence.
Meditat struggles to his feet as the electric shower continues, pouring every last watt of power into the man in the purple suit. The continuous waves of pressuring energy sent as vibrations in the air prevents him from being able to stop the charging, as the most he could do was wait, and try to regain his mental stamina, knowing that the Exhuman would most likely be charged to full capacity again, if not over.
However, Meditat quickly recognizes a great weakness in him, as while he was able to absorb so much energy, he depended on outside sources of power to fuel his attacks. While Meditat also didn't have exactly limitless power, since it was derived by his own stamina, at least he was able to last as long as he had the strength to, and was able to depend on himself to fight.
Instead, the man in the purple suit depended on more than just himself to fight, defining a concrete limit to him, as using up all the energy he could source around himself could rob him of his only weapon, and thus give Meditat victory.
The plan forms in Meditat's mind, as while he recognizes that the Exhuman would be supercharged, he had a plan to win.
The final arcs of electricity pour out of the ceiling and into the man in the purple suit, as the warehouse store loses all its power, and the lights all turn off.
In substitution, yellow electricity comes off of the Exhuman's body, giving another source of light, as there was ample energy powering him up. In addition, his suit was well lit, just as well as before, with immense power surging through his body.
With the charging process finished, the intense force keeping Meditat away finally stops, and the violent vibrations calm. The warehouse becomes far more quiet, a nice change from the loud shocks, crackles, and turbulent currents.
The Exhuman takes a deep breath, and he stands up, grabbing the table of meat beside him to help him get to his feet. He staggers forward, seeming completely rejuvenated, and he rolls his shoulders to get rid of the pains of the crash. Some of the electricity arcing off his body seems to drive into the ground, almost like spider legs, while other arcs surround him or fly in the air above him, producing ample light around his body.
The Exhuman lifts his head to look up at Meditat, ready to fight another round. Apparently, so is Meditat, as his flying fist immediately collides with the Exhuman's face, his arm boosting forward to bring more force to the hit.
Meditat drives his fist into the Exhuman's mask, his body in the air in front of the man's, as he had jumped for the hit right when his window had opened. His cape flows in the wind as he dashed quickly to make the hit, causing the Exhuman's body to be sent flying backwards, getting the first strike.
The Exhuman flies backwards, and if the first hit wasn't enough, Meditat boosts forward at him again, and throws another punch at him in the air. He continues, beating the Exhuman repeatedly while boosting towards him, trying to get as many hits as he could while the Exhuman was still at a relatively damaged state, stopping him from the luxury of rest.
Meditat continues pummeling the Exhuman all the way to the other side of the warehouse, where the frozen food section was. Blue energy comes off of his boots and arms as the Exhuman continues getting beat up, unable to get a moment to counter, as Meditat wasn't messing around.
Meditat throws one last hard right punch in the cheek, and sends the Exhuman flying into the glass door, causing it to shatter on impact as the shelves on the other side of the door bends. The man falls on the pile of ice cream boxes, groaning as he wasn't given a break.
Meditat leaps off the ground and boosts forward, pulling his arm back for another punch, still not done.
However, before Meditat could land the punch, three arcs of electricity coming off of the Exhuman target Meditat, striking him on the chest, and sending Meditat flying backwards before he lands on the aisle, sliding on the white floor.
The Exhuman grabs the door frames beside him, and throws himself off of the pile, staggering back onto his feet. He wipes his face with the back of his hand, angered by Meditat's sudden barrages.
He watches as Meditat stands back to his feet before closing his fists, trying to get over the minor hindrance. He looks back up at the Exhuman, breathing heavily, his body giving off blue light in the aisle while the Exhuman gives off yellow light.
The Exhuman pants heavily, tired from the one sided fight, and he puts his hands up, his palms facing each other. Electricity begins crawling up his arms and crossing over to each other, creating a tube of electricity between his hands. He begins walking towards Meditat, and the energy circles around his body, as if shielding it.
He grunts in anger, as he keeps his eyes on Meditat, knowing that allowing him to reach him would continue to let this fight play out in his favor. He had to play to his own strengths, and shut Meditat of his own.
With all the energy the Exhuman summons at once, he releases an enraged roar as he jerks his arms away, causing the electric chain between his hands to expand outwards, and a massive wave of electricity shoots out, coming for Meditat.
Meditat leaps backwards, and he spins his body, causing his cape to fly out in front of himself as protection. He pulls his right arm back as his black cape covers his body, and his gauntlet transforms into the plasma launcher.
The yellow electric wave hits, however the impact on Meditat gets absorbed into the cape, thus not affecting Meditat himself. Instead, a plasma charge builds in his plasma launcher, a weapon that he didn't have the last time he fought the Exhuman.
Meditat then spins the other way, letting his cape fly back behind him, revealing his body with the black gauntlet. He immediately throws his arm at the Exhuman once the cape gets out of his way, and the plasma charge fires right at the man.
The Exhuman sees the plasma charge coming for him, vaguely remembering mention of such a weapon, however it was the first time he saw it with his own eyes.
The man acts quickly, putting his hands out in front of himself, as he knew he had a counter planned for this event. Electricity arcs off his body, curving out and towards his hands, however they are consistent streams that don't seem to spark.
The plasma flies into the man's hands, however before it hits, the various electric arcs are stabbed into it, suspending it in air. The plasma orb successfully halts in front of the Exhuman.