Act 12
Masayoshi's Apartment
The roar still echoed in Masayoshi's ears, a tremendous and distant sound, through the window, the sight was a direct blow to his newly formed heroic soul. On the horizon, beyond Eden's skyscrapers, a grotesque stain marred the sky a thick column of heavy black smoke rose from the direction of the alien village, this was no ordinary fire, it was a menacing danger aimed at the only pocket of unconditional kindness he had found.
A familiar heat began to pulse behind his eyes. The Omega Fury, Darkseid's voice, whispered in his mind.
"They burn your compassion. Let me burn them, it is simple and just."
Masayoshi clenched his fists, feeling the uniform's fabric strain under his strength. "No... regardless of what happens, I will save those people."
He turned from the window and sprinted out.
The city of Eden became a blur beneath his feet, each push-off from a rooftop was a crack of concrete, an explosion of speed leaving a trail of wind in its wake. People in the streets looked up at the sky, confused, seeing a white and blue shadow cut through the clouds. Masayoshi no longer cared about discretion. The symbol needed to be seen.
His path was a straight line towards the city limits, a cargo transport gliding on a magnetic track appeared ahead, heading towards the outer districts. Without hesitation, Masayoshi calculated the jump, his muscles tensed, and he leaped, the impact on the transport's roof was a controlled landing. He knelt, gripping the metal, his eyes fixed on the destination rushing towards the battlefield.
The landscape transformed rapidly, the grandeur of Eden gave way to the arid red earth and simple constructions of the frontier, as the transport slowed, Masayoshi jumped, his body an arrow shot into the desert. He ran as never before, his feet barely touching the red soil, each step an explosion kicking up clouds of dust, his form becoming an instantaneous blur to any onlooker.
And then, he saw it, the village wasn't in flames. A sinister line of gray-armored soldiers and robots, all with gleaming weapons, formed a perimeter around the community, they stood still, inactive, like statues awaiting an order.
Masayoshi slowed his pace, his arrival announced by the swirling red dust that accompanied him, no barrels raised, no alarm sounded. They simply... watched him pass, their red optical sensors tracking him, It was disconcerting, the path was clear, leading him to the heart of the village, to the humble house where he had once rested. Masayoshi's heart was racing.
The door was wide open, inside, in the weak light of a single hanging bulb, the scene he most feared was unfolding, the two elderly people were kneeling on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs. The old woman tried to hold back tears, her shoulders shaking, the old man stared straight ahead, his dignity intact even in humiliation.
And standing there, with the posture of a god, was Malik.
The chief scientist wore a sharply tailored suit, he didn't hold a weapon, his hands were clasped behind his back, like a teacher waiting for a student. Two elite police officers with weapons aimed at the elders' heads escorted him.
Malik:
His voice was soft, but each word dripped poison. "Hello, ghost, or should I call you 'anomaly'? I see the smell of smoke attracts you, like an insect to light."
Masayoshi stopped at the threshold, his silhouette filling the entrance, rage was a molten sun inside his chest. He felt the Omega power boil in his veins, begging to be released, to reduce this man to atoms, his hands, inside the gloves, trembled with restrained effort.
Masayoshi:
"Let them go, your fight is with me."
Malik laughed, a dry, humorless sound.
Malik:
"My fight? Oh, it is much more than a fight, you animal, you are a calculation error, an unforeseen variable in the most perfect system ever conceived. You have soiled my work, the work of humanity, all of this... this spectacle... is for you, to erase the stain you represent."
He took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.
Malik:
"You think you're a hero? A symbol? You are an accident, a rat that found a piece of cheese and now thinks it's a king. Everything you do, every officer downed, every drone destroyed... is suppressed, erased, the population of Eden sleeps in their blessed ignorance, thanks to me, and you... you are just an annoying ghost that needs to be annihilated."
Masayoshi took a deep breath, the heat in his eyes was almost unbearable, he could feel the texture of the uniform, a reminder of his promises. He remembered the old man's words:"Death will not bring peace."
Masayoshi:
"They have done nothing, they are innocent."
Malik:
"Innocent? There are no innocents in the war for perfection, they sheltered you, hid a plague. That makes them accomplices, their existence is a risk I cannot take, humanity must not be contaminated."
Suddenly, Malik extended his hand. In his palm rested a small device, no larger than a remote. Its surface was smooth, with a single red button pulsing softly.
Malik:
"It's cliché, I know... but... you like making choices, hero? So choose, I press this button, and the bomb on this woman's neck turns everything into a lake of molten glass. All these 'innocents'... evaporate. Or... you kneel, and surrender, remove that ridiculous mask and submit to human justice, your life... for theirs, a simple calculation, don't you think? The cost-benefit analysis of a god."
The air left Masayoshi's lungs, despair, cold and penetrating, fought against the fury within him. He looked at the elderly couple, the old woman looked at him, her eyes wide with sheer terror. The old man shook his head, almost imperceptibly, a gesture of refusal. "Don't do it."
Masayoshi:
"You are a monster."
Malik:
"I am a gardener pruning the weeds so the garden may flourish, the ends, my dear ghost, always justify the means."
Looking back, Masayoshi noticed a flaw in that reality, one of the robots lined up outside, perfectly still, didn't reflect the light the same way as the others. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but to his heightened senses, it was like a red flag.
Malik followed his gaze and his smile grew even sharper, a look of pure contempt.
Malik:
"You noticed, didn't you? Of course you did, I'd be disappointed if you hadn't, yes, they are projections, holograms. A theater to frighten you, because in the end, it all comes down to you and me."
The revelation was like a bucket of ice water, the rage didn't diminish, but it transformed. He had been manipulated, his heroism and his fear used as pieces in a game.
Malik raised his thumb, hovering over the red button.
Malik:
"Your turn, ghost. Kneel... or I erase this village from the map. The choice is yours."
The world seemed to slow down, Masayoshi felt the weight of the uniform, the gaze of the elders, the arrogance of the man before him. He was no longer a frightened boy, he was the crucial point of the equation, and his choice would begin there.
In a microsecond, he propelled himself forward with such force that a crater was visible in the ground. Masayoshi lunged, hoping to grab the button before Malik's reflex... however, as he reached it and touched the device, his hand passed straight through it, almost as if touching a cloud of smoke. Malik had deceived him.
Malik:
"You didn't really think I would risk myself here, did you? My existence is far too important to waste my time on a pathetic nuisance like you... Some animals enjoy playing with their prey... I hope you survive this explosion. It would be a pity to have to study a corpse."
The hero looked at the situation with despair on his face, standing trembling, but it was too late. Malik then clicked the button and activated the bomb...