Chapter 15: The Battle Of Two Brothers
Age 1980
That fateful day...
Yang ran forward after his older brother as he let out a laugh.
Anga ran away also laughing. "You'll never catch me!" Anga announced jumping over a branch. He ran forward crashing down as his feet slipped out from under him.
Yang jumped forward also slipping as he landed next to his brother. Both boys stopped and let out loud giggles as they now laid down in the snow, both staring up at the black sky.
"What do you think is out there?" Yang asked.
"I already know the answer," Anga said smugly.
"Really? What is it?"
"I'll never tell!" Anga announced.
"Big bro why!"
Anga let out an evil laugh before laying back down. "It's amazing."
"What is?"
"Life?" The fourteen-year-old boy said smirking. "I mean... I'm fourteen now! I'm qualified to receive a letter!"
"A letter? From who?"
"The Enforcers!" Anga announced pointing up to the sky. "I'm gonna join them! And train to become the best I can. I'll get stronger, and I'll carry myself upwards! I'll keep on climbing, and reach the Royal capital of Red! And I'll become the next the Emperor!"
"That... That sounds amazing..." Yang said awestruck. "I wanna be an Enforcer! I wanna keep climbing."
"Then you're in luck!"
"I am?"
"You're thirteen! If you train hard then next year you'll be of age to receive a letter! Then! We can go together!"
"Let's do it!" Yang said smiling.
Age 1991
Zero stabbed the crystal into his chest as he stared at the ground unable to meet the shocked, and hurt expressions of Hero and Irene who stared at him in horror, and disapproval.
The other recruits were to busy watching Jackson's fight to notice the change...
"Zero!" Hero said in shock. "Why did you-"
"Enforcer..." Zero said quietly. "Before the change begins and while I am of sound mind there is something you should know."
"Uhh? What is it-"
Zero drove the blade as deep into Hero's chest as much as he was physically able, and actually raised Hero up running him through all the way, as his handle broke through Hero's chest, and Zero's hand went all the way through Hero's back. "I hate Enforcers..." Zero said with a determined look on his face. "And I hate myself for beginning to like you all... I'm Zero... I am the best. I was built to kill you all."
Hero coughed out spitting up blood as Irene screamed his name in shock. This got everyone's attention as they all stopped what they were doing.
"Oh God!" Hero said in pain as blood poured out of him. "This is the worst pain-"
Jackson's eyes widened when he saw the blade sticking through his recruit's chest. Then his eyes met Zero's black and orange eyes. "Oh Zero... You... You didn't..."
"I did," Zero said softly. "I'll do what I must. I won't fall behind you any longer. This... This is the only way it could have ended."
"You should watch your back Enforcer!" Seth called out attacking Jackson from behind. Jackson let out a curse and turned around continuing his fight unable to help his recruit.
Zero's body fully healed as he turned on his hills and swung his blade throwing the body of Hero off of his sword. Hero slammed into the wall next to Anga as he smacked into the ground with a loud and sick, sounding, thud.
"Kid... No..." Anga gritted his teeth as he glared at Zero. "After I deal with my brother. You're next."
Zero didn't say anything as he closed his eyes and allowed the transformation to begin. It started off like the rest with him throwing up his blood, but quickly it became clear Zero's wasn't going to be normal...
His hair changed becoming a bright silver color as it grew down his back getting longer and longer. His forehead split open as a third eye appeared. His back was also torn open as a pair of wings exploded out. Two horns came out of his skull and his arm began to bubble up and morph growing around his sword, and actually fusing it into his body.
Most terrifying was the massive amount of power that was now just rolling off of him in waves causing eveyone, even Jackson to stop and stare in shock... It was like standing next to a massive tsunami that would crush you if it came down... All four recruits knees shook, as the hairs on their bodies began to stand up... Even an amateur like Kitsune knew that this guy was the strongest thing they've seen... Stronger than even Dawson...
"It... It's huge!" Irene gasped out being blown back by a tremendous wave of power. "It... It's almost as big as Master Storms was!"
Zero opened his eyes as he let out a sigh. "It would seem I didn't becoming a mere monster. Strange. I seem to have become something more." He let out a chuckle as he stared down at his body in curiosity. Zero smirked as he swung his arm out. His wings flapped and his third eye buzzed around. "So... This is what power feels like..."
Jackson frowned as he stared at the man. 'Crap... He jumped up in power... But... It honestly isn't that impressive... If a Captain was here they would be able to wipe him out... He's definitely stronger than a Vice-Captain though... I have no idea if I will be able to defeat him on my own...'
"Ahh yes!" Seth announced proudly. "Zero! You have become truly beautiful!"
Zero smirked slightly as he vanished suddenly appearing next to Seth.
'I didn't even see him move!' Jackson frowned as he took a step back. 'This... Is gonna suck...'
"Well, Enforcer," Zero asked. "Shall we have our long-awaited battle?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Seth laughed out. "Slaughter them, Zero! Show them our mighty pow-"
"You're annoying." Zero sliced his blade instantly tearing the crystal on Seth's hand in two. "Burn in hell, you ugly freak."
Seth let out a scream as his entire body erupted into fire, and he was burned down to absolute nothingness... Not even ash. Yellow flames danced off of Zero's blade as he continued staring at Jackson.
"...Oh... No..." Jackson said slowly.
"Go on... Power up. I'll wait..."
"We're dead...." Kitsune stated.
1982
That fateful day...
"Take this!" Anga announced throwing out a powerful punch that Yang easily blocked.
The two brothers slid away from each other both breathing heavily.
"We need to practice more," Anga said shaking his head. "At this rate, we'll never get into the Enforcers... Its been two years and still no letter!"
"Maybe... Maybe this dream was hopeless..." Yang said quietly.
"Don't say that!" Anga yelled out. "No dream is hopeless!" He stated. "Now... Let's get back to practicing."
Age 1991
"Yang!" Anga shouted throwing out a mighty punch that easily shattered the sound barrier. Yang caught the fist easily as he held onto his older brother's hand.
"You know... You really got the short end of the straw." Yang said quietly. His other hand shot out slamming into Anga's gut hard enough to leave an indent! The man fell to his knees coughing up blood as he glared up at his younger brother. "Your Attribute is Super-Strength," Yang said calmly as his foot fired up upper cutting Anga straight into the air. "That is a trait found in every superhuman. Plus. The Corruption seemed to have boosted my strength and stamina by over a hundred folds... It's basically like I have your Attribute, but better. And of course-" He raised his hand which caused the rock underneath Anga to rise up and slam him into the roof of the cave. "I of course still have my own Attribute. It's kind of funny in a way... You were always better than me as kids. No matter how hard I worked you always stayed ahead of me... And yet neither of us could complete our dreams. We never became Enforcers... Just useless guards of a shitty town. And we failed at that too letting our own mother get injured. And now. Knowing there is a way to save her you choose not to take it-"
"The Corruption is not the right option..." Anga gasped out. "Simply feeding it to her as it is, would turn her into an abomination of hatred itself..." He slowly managed to get to his feet which were easier said than done, since his insides were definitely a mess... "I'm sorry... But there simply isn't anything we can do for mother... But it isn't too late. We can have this stuff researched so that in the future something like this won't have to happen again."
"There is no future!" Yang bellowed. "I hate you." He said it calmly as he glared at his older brother. "It's your fault things ended up this way."
"That's just the Corruption talking-"
"You were supposed to be the one on guard duty that night!" Anga instantly went quiet... "You never showed up though... So I had to do it instead... If... If you had been there you would have been able to stop it!" Yang gritted his teeth. "You could have saved her! You can save her! But you won't!"
Anga looked down at the ground with a sad look. "I would rather mother die a human, and get to keep the good memories I have of her, then her become a monster, and be put down anyways."
"I'm going to kill you..." Yang said slowly. "All you've done is taken away from me! You lied to me about this mission. You lied to me about your power. You lied to me about mother. And you lied to me about the Enforcers! You said we would be able to join them! But we never did! We never got that letter!" Yang screamed out.
"Clearly you're being taken over by the Corruption."
"This is all me!"
Anga gave his brother a serious look as he slowly brought his arms up. "Yang... I'm sorry. I won't be able to save you. The only thing I can do for you now is put you out of your misery."
"Misery..." Yang smirked as he got into his own battle stance. "Well come on... I'll show you misery."
Anga shot forward as fast as he could as he threw out a powerful punch. "Thirty-Steel-Bars-Break!" He announced. His fist slammed into his brother's head.
Yang hissed out as the punch actually knocked him back. "I'm impressed! I actually felt that one!" The rocks around his arm morphed and shifted becoming a rock sword. He swung his new arm out nearly decapitating Anga, but the man thankfully ducked under it.
Anga instantly jumped forward wrapping his arms around his brother as he ran forward, and crashed straight into one of the massive stone pillars that were inside the room. He used all of his power to charge forward and force Yang, and himself through it! The moment they crashed out on the other side, he twisted his back, spun, and threw Yang across the room and straight into a wall.
Yang crashed into the wall but was back up in seconds as his body healed all the damage on him. 'I need to break his crystal...' Yang stabbed his arm forward expanding it with the rocks, and sent it straight through Anga stabbing into the man's gut. Anga cried out but had no time to react as Yang swung his arm down and sent Anga flying back and straight through another pillar.
"You'll never get anywhere unarmed," Yang announced.
"T-Thanks for the advice!" Anga yelled as he wrapped his arms around the pillar he had crashed through. Then instantly he picked it up swinging it around like a massive sword.
Anga slammed the pillar straight into Yang. Yang tried to block it but the force was strong enough to actually break the floor underneath him, and cause his feet to sink in slightly. Yang still pushed on though, and with a mighty punch shattered the pillar.
"Looks like that didn't last very long-"
Anga shot forward slamming his fist straight into his brother's rocky skull. "Fifty-Steel-Bars-Break!" He screamed out. The punch was so powerful it actually ripped the monster's head clean off.
Yang's headless body shot backward, as a new head began to reform. He raised his arm up firing up a large spike that shot through Anga's side nearly dropping the man! Anga clutched his side as he let out a loud gasp of pain.
"You can't win," Yang said as his orange eyes glared into Anga's normal eyes. "Any damage you inflict on me is healed good as new... Meanwhile, your own body is starting to slow down, and crash. If I don't kill you the blood loss will..."
Anga gritted his teeth as he stood back up. "You really have changed..." He muttered out.
Age 1983
"It's pointless!" Yang cried out punching a tree. "No matter how hard we work still no letter! Are we really that weak."
"Yang it's alright. I'm sure that next year you'll-"
"No! They won't pick us!" Yang growled out. "We are nobodies... The chances of us getting picked are practically nothing."
"Yang... Strength isn't the only thing they look for in an Enforcer. You also have to be calm, and level headed. Or have a lot of potential-"
"What! Are you saying that I don't?" Yang questioned.
"No, I was just-"
"Save it." Yang turned around as he began to head back to the town. "Face it. Neither one of us are good enough to become Enforcers..."
The younger brother walked off leaving the older brother by himself. Anga let out a heavy sigh as he reached into his pocket pulling out a light blue envelope. "Neither of us is good enough." He muttered. And with that, he ripped the envelope in two. "I'll stay with you Yang. Even if it means I don't get to become an Enforcer. After all... We're brothers. We've always done everything together."
Age 1991
"Yang. I'm sorry..."
"Sorry... Sorry for what. You didn't do anything. You were just yourself. And that's just the kind of guy Anga is." Yang said coldly.
Anga looked up as he gave a sad smile. "I'll save you, Yang. So don't worry about a thing. Your big brother will finally do his job right for once..."
Yang gave out a growl as he held up his arm. It began to change shapes becoming a massive rocky drill. "I'm ending this here."
"So am I..."
There was a moment of pure silence as Anga held his hands together. A white aura surrounded his body...
Then in a flash both brothers fired forward echoing out a massive crack as the sound barrier was shattered!
"Anga!"
"One-hundred-Steel-Bars-Break!" Anga screamed out throwing out his absolute strongest punch!
There was a bright flash, and seconds later Anga's fist slammed straight through the homage crystal inside of Yang's chest!
Everything stopped as the air slowly settled down...
"So..." Yang said quietly. Cracks began to form all across his body as he stared at his older brother. "I guess this is goodbye..."
"For now... But..." Anga said before coughing up a load of blood. He stared down at his own chest which had the massive spike sticking through him.
Yang managed a small smile before his body fully covered in cracks, and crumbled away into a pile of rocks...
Anga fell back landing on the floor as he looked up towards the roof of the cave. "But Yang..." He said quietly as he felt his throat fill up with blood. "I'll be joining you soon..."
And with that both brothers left this world, leaving behind all the pain and misery they caused.
They were without their happy ending.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone