Chapter 17

Flashback 

It was cold, and John was following close behind Ohanzee as they trudged up the mountain. They had passed through a village of Demi-dragons. They were people with draconic features; claws, fangs, tails, etc. Many of them wore animal skins for clothing. These particular Demi-dragons had cold-based abilities which allowed them to live comfortably in the mountains. John continued to stare at the small village until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ohanzee looked at him sternly as he pulled him forward. Silently, they continued up the mountain trail. 

Today was John's birthday, but instead of going to Zestro's pizzeria, he had to train in a cold valley. John loved the snow, and it always snowed in February, getting beat down in the freezing cold wasn't fun at all.  As John took a step to the right some of the ground gave way causing him to stumble downward. He rolled down the hill hitting his head multiple times.  After a while, his fall was stopped by a large stone. He let out a gasp for air as his vision blurred and faded to blackness.  

Present  

It's been a week since John started his venture to Wolf Mountain. He now stood beside his friend Diane, surrounded by trees and snow. They were in a valley of mountains, but they stood at the bottom of the one known as Wolf Mountain. As they started up the trail, John noticed the temperature slowly drop even more. They trudged up the Mountain for hours until they saw a group of people waiting for something. 

John knew the harder the journey to Dr. Lee, Diane would enjoy it. A woman wearing a silver cloak noticed him and waved her hand. John's vision allowed him to see a wispy smoke aura floating around her. He watched as a sword materialized from thin air.. Then the woman slashed at the air, causing a wave of ice to hurtle toward them. John moved out of the way as he started dashing toward her. 

Diane leaped high into the air as her arm started to change. She began blasting energy from her right arm. He noticed the blue veins appear on the arm. John got busy taking out the guards with quick jabs and throwing them around.  Superhumans emerged from the entrance to Dr. Lee's hidden facility. Gunfire pierced John's ears as task force soldiers came from another trail. John looked surprised as he ran for the entrance. 

As John ran a drone crashed near him, causing him to stop to examine it. The drone was made by Giz-tech, this meant Gizmo was coming. How did the task force even know where Dr. Lee's hideout was, to begin with? John grabbed Diane and led her to the entrance 

"We're in some real trouble now!" John whistled. 

 They found themselves in a hall that split into three directions. They looked at each other wondering if they should split up. Diane didn't waste time as she sprinted down the path on the far left. leaving John to take the middle or the far left. John lunged forward as fast as he could down the pathway straight ahead to find it filled with berserkers and superhumans fighting them. His senses heightened as his body moved faster. John bound around the destruction as creatures came at him. He pummeled a berserker into the ground with the palm of his hand. He pushed forward as he crashed into superhumans as he started to lose control of his body. 

The speed at which he was moving wasn't anything like before. Everything around him seemed slowed down as his eyes scanned the area. John saw Estella standing near a door with her arms folded over her chest. He ran over to her as a berserker crashed into him, which sent him flailing into the wall. The creature let out a terrifying shriek as John staggered to his feet. It charged at John with a speed he didn't expect. John tried to move, but it managed to grab his leg. 

His feet left the ground as he was dragged across the floor. The creature slammed him into the ground until it the ground caved in. John winced in pain as he climbed to his feet struggling to stand. Estella appeared and rammed the berserker to the ground. John never understood the strength levels of superhumans. He took off running toward the door as she appeared in front of him. She slashed at his neck with her clothes, but he managed to evade it.

He ducked down and swept her legs from under her. Her head hit the ground making a thud sound. John burst through the door to find a large room that was currently a war zone. Taskforce soldiers were fighting a large berserker that tore into them easily. He stood frozen as he looked around trying to see what he was supposed to do. 

A body flew out of a doorway as Diane emerge with a frustrated look on her face. She hammered the superhuman into the ground in frustration. John saw the deep scars on her body that she was bleeding from. He walked over to her and gently grabbed her trying to see if she was alright.    

"I swear that I'm fine, John. I'm tougher than you realize." Diane said as she playfully nudged him in the ribs. 

As they looked around still searching for a way around the fight, Gizmo appeared. He barreled into John, sending him into the ground. John tried to get up, but Gizmo hammered away at John. John was covered in blood as he did his best to block Gizmo's brutal assault. He stared at Gizmo with enraged eyes as he took the beating. Diane tried to come to his aid, but he quickly waved her away.  

"It's your fault that they're all gone!" Gizmo yelled as he continued to pound away at John. 

John's ribs were getting crushed as it became hard for him to breathe. He took the beating from Gizmo because he's dealt with worse. His body could handle the pain as long as he needed. The mist began to form around John’s body as he laid on the ground. John felt this crawling sensation as his body tingled.    

“Enough!” A voice inside John’s head roared as his hand suddenly grabbed Gizmo’s. 

Gizmo looked surprised as a fist covered in black ash resembling scales slammed into his chest. The force propelled Gizmo in the air as John’s body moved on its own. John’s face grew expressionless as he leaped in the air. He rushed Gizmo with a flurry of punches before grabbing him. They spiraled downward as John slammed Gizmo into the ground. Gizmo coughed up blood as the impact caused the ground to rupture around him. John’s body went out of control as it moved toward the giant berserker. He leaped in the air again high above the creature’s head. His punch seemed to cut through the air as the force blew a hole in the creature's head. John landed on the ground as is shook beneath him from the giant creature.

 Taskforce soldiers surrounded John with the technologically advanced weapons. He stood patiently as he spread his feet apart, prepared to lunge at anyone. Diane appeared in front of him with her hands raised. A tall figure wearing a dark gray uniform stepped forward. He ordered his soldiers to stand down as he walked over to John and Diane. Scarlet appeared holding Gizmo who was badly wounded.   

“How did you find this place?” Diane questioned as the man stared at John. John was still in a strange trance slightly unaware of the things going on around him.    

“I’m Captain Grey, and I got a tip on this place.” He responded as John briefly came out of his trance. John realized this man could be the person who was working for Dante.  Captain Grey continued to look at John with a suspicious look on his face. Gizmo stumbled over to John with an enraged look on his face. John tilted his head as his emotionless face taunted Gizmo.

"Are you the person that helped that superhuman escape custody?" Diane asked as Captain Grey briefly chuckled as a soldier brought him a collar. 

John darted forward and snatched it from his hands as he crushed it effortlessly. Mr. Grey stepped back as he stared at John surprised. John looked around at the number of soldiers that surrounded them at the moment. He studied the room as he tried to figure out tactics. No one moved as a door opened, and a figure emerged from it. Everyone's attention was turned toward the man approaching them. His skin glowed brighter than ever before.      

"All this fighting has to stop. The real enemy has yet to come, and everyone needs to be united." Dr. Lee said.

John lunged forward appearing in front of him. John knew his teleportation ability, so he moved to the side. He appeared on the other side of Dr. Lee and slammed his hand into his side. Dr. Lee disappeared in time to avoid the full blow. John turned again to see Dr. Lee fire a beam of energy that he dodged.      

"The only threat this world has to worry about is you, father!" Diane yelled as she appeared behind Dr. Lee.

 The veins on her right arm glowed blue it turned into a large hammer. She smashed the ground which collapsed underneath him. He leaped into the air to avoid her attack. Gizmo appeared next to him, trying to deliver a lethal blow. The two disappeared leaving behind a mist and a strange cloud of energy. They teleported all around the room as Dr. Lee seemed to relish the fight. Gizmo was obviously exhausted because John had delivered a blow, he'd have to take time to recover from.

John saw a group of people emerge from another doorway. One of the men had a bow and arrow. John watched as the man aimed the bow at the soldiers. He saw electricity forming around the arrow as he pulled the bowstring. He let the arrow go and a lightning bolt struck the soldiers. They went hurdling in different directions.

“A wielder mage, that’s new.” John heard Gizmo say as he attacked the mage.

They fought hand to hand allowing Gizmo to show off his brawling skills. One of the superhumans was holding a vial containing something. Dr. Lee appeared beside him and grabbed the vial. John stepped forward as he crushed the ground beneath him. He lunged forward causing the ground to explode beneath his feet. He watched as Dr. Lee drank the liquid from the vial causing his eyes to glow strangely. John grabbed him by the neck. 

Dr. Lee smiled as an aura of radiant energy surrounded him. John could see energy being pulled into Dr. Lee from the environment himself. The energy inside of Dr. Lee was getting so strong his arm was burning.   

"I won't be stopped now, John." Dr. Lee said as he tore John's hand off his neck. 

The ground shook beneath them as Dr. Lee's grew stronger and stronger. John began to feel something draining from his body as he grew weaker. Everyone around him was blasting energy at Dr. Lee, but it was only being absorbed. His power continued to grow as he brought John down to a knee. Gizmo appeared again but Dr. Lee easily grabbed him. In seconds, Gizmo was brought to a knee as well. 

Diane appeared above him, but he disappeared taking John, and Gizmo with him. John looked around to see that they were in a different room as Dr. Lee let them go. Gizmo struggled to stand as he looked around the room as well. They were in a laboratory that had Dr. Lee's equipment.

"Hasn't everyone suffered enough, dude? You talk about threats that are coming, but all I see is someone creating them!" Gizmo exclaimed as he fell to the ground.

He appeared pale and close to death which meant if he kept pushing, he'd die. 

John grunted as he stood to his feet as rage boiled inside of him. He'd bottling much of his pain for a long time and times like this was when he let it out.

"My son abused his powers to start conflict amongst everyone. I only wish to create a world that is prepared to face beings from other worlds. I have stared in the face of this threat so until you do yourself, then you won't understand." Dr. Lee said as John let out a monstrous roar that shook the room. 

He darted forward and crashed into the wall as his missed Dr. Lee. John charged at Dr. Lee again as he teleported around the room. He began to blast beams of energy at John as he darted around the room. John's only tactic at the moment was to tire out Dr. Lee then go in for the finish. Dr. Lee raised his hand as an orb of energy formed in his hand. He threw it at John as it grew larger disabling John's room to evade. John covered his face as the energy exploded sending him crashing through the wall. He winced in pain as he laid on the ground of another room. 

Dr. Lee emerged from the hole in the wall as John crawled away.   

"This is supposed to be powerful?" John asked as Dr. Lee stood over him with a serious look on his face. He punted John in the stomach sending him crashing into a pillar in the room. John's wounds were healing, but he was fatigued from being drained of energy.    

"I can see your powers are still struggling to fully awaken. Why are you fighting yourself so much? Are you afraid to see what you can truly become?" Dr. Lee asked as he appeared before John again with energy surging around him. 

John didn't know what he was fighting inside of him, but he knew it frightened him. Every time he sought the power inside of him, it came from something unfamiliar inside of him.

There was a side of him that no one has ever seen, not even him. it showed when his arm has suddenly changed. Now it had reverted back to normal.

 Dr. Lee aimed his hand down at John as a bright orb of energy appeared. The brightness became so blinding that John could barely see. He raised his hand to block out the light but he started to feel the pressure from the energy. It exploded in front of John causing the pillar and the ground beneath John to crumble. He was crushed by debris as his breath left his body. Dr. Lee stood over him as he laid under all of the debris. 

He laughed as he started to walk away, but John's hand reached out from under the debris. John grabbed Dr. Lee's leg as a force caused the ground to begin shaking. He emerged from the rubble with his emotionless expression staring at Dr. Lee.  

"This is far from over!" John exclaimed.

 He dragged Dr. Lee and threw him into the wall. He hit the wall as John appeared then slammed him through the wall. John wasn't in control any more as he slammed Dr. Lee around the room. Dr. Lee disappeared, leaving behind his cloud of energy. John turned to see a beam of energy come toward him. He blocked the blast with his arm. The wound healed in seconds before he leaped at Dr. Lee, who disappeared again. John looked around the room to see Dr. Lee's aura becoming immense. 

Dr. Lee came at John like a giant bolt of energy, causing the entire room to explode when they collide. John went through another wall, where he found everyone still fighting. He looked down to see that clothes were torn and burned. Dr. Lee appeared in front of John with a frustrated look on his face. John noticed Dr. Lee's skin starting to change as he came closer to him. Dr. Lee was now breathing heavily as he cried out in pain. His eyes glowed brighter as the energy around him grew once more.         

"I'm not finished with my quest to save the world. You may not understand, but I know my intentions are good." Dr. Lee said as he attacked John again. 

He became reckless as he came straight at John every time he evaded. John knew that Dr. Lee's power was becoming too much for him to handle. All he had to do now was to let Dr. Lee overload from all his power. John moved around Dr. Lee like a cloud of smoke, while Dr. Lee struggled to reach him. Dr. Lee stopped attacking as he held his head in pain. His aura of energy flared up even more than before, causing John to react. He moved so fast that he appeared in front of Dr. Lee. 

John roared channeling all the power he had left for a final blow. A thunderous blow sent Dr. Lee crashing into the ground as the energy around him grew. Diane appeared beside John and grabbed his arm. She dragged him to a door where He Scarlet standing patiently. John looked back to see a bright aura of energy before an explosion occurred. Diane pushed Scarlet and John into the doorway as the veins on her right arm once again glowed blue before it became a large shield. The blast was powerful, causing Diane to use her left leg to hold her in place. John breathed heavily as Scarlet helped him to his feet. The doorway was blocked with debris. He realized that whoever was on the other side would be either dead or trapped.  

"You two better get out of here. I don’t want Gizmo thinking I’m actually siding with you two." Scarlet breathed heavily. 

Diane sighed as she collapsed on the ground, causing John to kneel down beside her. She seemed to be crying for some reason, so John placed his hand on her shoulder. "This is not how I expected things to end, but maybe I can sleep for once in my life now." She said as she wiped her eye and stood to her feet and looked at John. 

She wrapped her arms around him. He stood looking down at her awkwardly before embracing her back. After a moment she pulled away, revealing that she was blushing. She then punched John in the chest as she walked away, causing him to wince in pain. John rubbed his head feeling confused as he walked behind her. He took a deep breath as he finally found relief despite, he didn’t get to ask questions. For the most part he hardly remembered everything that happened. He thought this was strange, but he shrugged it off. The Lee family legacy ended with Dr. Lee. John hoped that his friend Diane could now write her own future without being compared to her family.