Ten Years Later
2041
Zack was twenty-three. Trae was twenty-three as well. Lauren was twenty-two. Yet it was a very, very, very big day for the three. The Priest stood in the middle of the platform, his white robes billowing in the heavy wind as he looked at Lauren, in her beautiful, creamy white wedding dress and Zack in his black, impressive Tuxedo. The ceremony passed way too quickly for Zack, all he really remembered was hearing the old Priest's voice as he loudly exclaimed, "You may kiss the bride!" So that was exactly what they did. Lauren and Zack kissed, and held that lock of lips for ten whole seconds, although it felt like several sunlit days. When they broke off, they just stared into each other's eyes as the few people attending stood and began clapping loudly.
Zack barely even recognized the day passing, the clouds rolling overhead like large curtains, or even the beautiful winds that breezed. He only remembered flashes. He clearly remembered a bit of Trae's speech, which went something like, "These two are perfect for each other. I have been their best friend for over twelve years, and I have always thoughts that nothing but death would tear them apart!" It was cringy, and Zack knew that, but he could see that his best friend really tried in his first best-man speech. Zack, Trae, and Lauren then took a photo, just the three of them, before jumping off the jeti at the end of the beach and into the cold water. Zack shivered at the thought, but he shook it from his head. Now, he was in a hospital, sitting right next to his wife's bed, a baby girl resting in her arms.
"What should we call her?" Lauren mumbled from the bed, clearly exhausted, but unable to wipe the smile from her face. "I think...Anne," said Zack, but Lauren chuckled, shaking her head. "She doesn't really look like an Anne." Zack couldn't help but agree, so he went further into thought, but then Lauren, as she always did, had a perfect idea. "What about Charlotte? Charlie for short." Zack laughed lightly and nodded, reaching down to stroke the top of the baby's head. "I like it," he said, "I really like it." Lauren looked thrilled, and Zack just knew that the start of something incredible was afoot.
2043
"Be careful, honey," said Zack gently, helping the two-year-old girl forward as she carefully placed the flowers on the two side-by-side graves. "Who are they?" she asked curiously, and Zack sighed, kneeling beside his daughter, Charlotte. "They are your grandma and granddad. They died a while ago." Zack knew it hadn't actually been that long, but Charlotte did not, and most importantly, Zack thought it best to keep it that way. "Are they coming back?" the little girl asked, staring at the two graves, and Zack again sighed as he crouched beside her. "No, sweetie, they aren't. They have moved on." Charlotte nodded, thinking she knew the truth when she really didn't. "Come on, let's go back to mommy," Zack said, fighting down the emotion that swelled inside of him as he stood, held Charlotte's hand, and began the walk through the graveyard over to their car, where Lauren waited.
2046
The figure leaped from rooftop to rooftop, rolling whenever he landed on the hard concrete and then continuing to run. His targets were running, but he would not let them get away so easily. He jumped again, his deep blue suit catching in the moonlight as he landed on the side of the building, his padded feet connecting to the bricks and allowing him to run vertically down. The window many meters below smashed open, and a steel wire shot out, impacting the next-door building. A zipline. The figure kept sprinting and he reached the window within seconds, kicking down and hitting a man on the top of the head. The man buckled forward and fell out the window into the dark night, and the figure gripped onto the top of the window frame before flinging himself inside. He was before several men armed with either swords or guns, but this was nothing to other things he had faced.
He ducked as three shots sounded and punched forward, hitting a man in the face and sending him pitching backward. The blue figure jumped up, kicking someone in the throat and then landing, rolling under a sword, grabbing the outstretched arm, twisting it, and flipping the man through the air. The figure immediately drew two swords that had been strapped to his back and then punching thrice, hitting someone in the chest with every punch and then sending him stumbling backward. The figure blocked several slashes from two separate people, finally dodged under the two swords, spun on the spot and then slashed diagonally, blood spraying up as the two fell forward, dead. The figure quickly swept his foot along the ground, tripping two of the final people and then pointing both his swords down at their chests. "Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted, and the figure only said two words, "The Phantom." He removed both swords from their chests, and when they looked relieved, he swept his other foot across the air, kicking them both across the face and knocking them unconscious
The figure looked around, making sure everyone in the room was either unconscious or dead and then he reached up, pulling the mask that covered his whole face. Zack stood in the middle of the room, mask in his right hand as he strapped both swords onto his back once more, and then he flexed his fists, several of his joints popping loudly. The window to his right smashed open before he could slide the mask back over his face, and someone wearing a completely red suit rolled onto the ground before quickly rising. "You?" said the newcomer, surprised, and then he removed his own mask. Trae and Zack stared at each other, both looking amazed to find the other one there. "What did you tell her this time? Bowling?" Trae asked, and Zack shrugged.
"Something like that." Trae looked around at the two dead bodies and the other unconscious ones, and then he sighed, chuckling. "I always thought I would be the one to turn into a superhero," he murmured, and Zack nodded slowly, "Looks like we beat each other to it." Trae laughed, and then he stopped when he saw movement out the corner of his eye. He whirled on the spot, withdrawing a red pistol, aiming, and then hovering his finger over the trigger. "Easy, fellas, just passing through," said the man in the camouflage colored army jacket. "Coming to arrest us on suspicion of saving this city?" asked Zack, stepped forward as Trae slowly lowered the gun, and the man shook his head. "Good to see you, Alex," Zack said, shaking the man's hand. The man shook back, hard, and then he nodded respectfully at Trae, who looked confused.
"Don't you remember the Captain who spoke to us outside the Orphanage after the...attack?" Zack asked, and Trae's eyes suddenly lit up, "That's you?" He asked, bewildered, and the man nodded, smirking. "Well, I decided to check in on the both of you. I know you run tightly against the drug lords and criminals in this city, so I'll make this quick." Alex reached into his back pocket and withdrew an envelope, which he handed to Zack. Trae looked over Zack's shoulder as Zack ripped open the envelope and withdrew the slip of paper inside, opening it and then reading quickly. "You want us to what?" Zack asked sharply after reading, handing the note over his shoulder and to Trae. "I want you to be prepared for the United States Alliance to begin hunting you down for criminalistic behavior and terrorism," said Alex smoothly, and Trae groaned.
"Unless...you join the Army and drop all this," finished Alex, and Zack ran a hand through his smooth blue hair, thinking deeply. "Want an answer?" said Trae, stepping forward, but Zack thrust his fist forward, preventing Trae from proceeding forward. "We will think about it, and I promise that you shall have your answer within a week," said Zack as a compromise, and Alex accepted, allowing Zack to keep the letter. Then, everything went to hell. The doors on the other side of the room smashed open, and four people stepped through. "Zodiacs," hissed Trae as the four locked their eyes onto the three men, scowls on their faces. "It's him. The Spectre," said one, flexing his arms and then raising them into fists. "Zack, come on, we need to get out of here," whispered Alex, glaring at the four Zodiacs with anger. "You two get going. I can handle this," murmured Zack.
Alex sighed, and then he and Trae headed toward the back doors, out of the room as the four stepped forward equally. "Come on, Spectre," said one mockingly, and Zack, to their surprise, laughed. "Gentlemen, please. Do remember your manners," he said, reaching behind him, unbuckling the straps that held his swords, and letting it drop to the floor. "It's Phantom!" he finished, and the Zodiac closest snarled. The Zodiac charged forward and threw his right fist forward, yet Zack blocked it, ducking under another two punches and then throwing an uppercut. It hit the Zodiac in the chest and, whilst the Zodiac doubled over, Zack jumped up, twisted himself through the air, and kicked the Zodiac across the face, sending him spinning across the room. The others looked startled, and Zack raised his fists, eyebrows raised slightly in an expression of expectancy.
The other three ran forward, hardly surprising Zack, but he was still ready for them. He dodged a punch from the closest and shoved him back, then kicking another Zodiac in the stomach whilst blocking a hit from the third. Zack held the position before using the palms of his hands to deflect another two punches, kick the Zodiac behind him yet again, and then he managed to entwine his fists with the Zodiac he was fighting, flipping him through the air before the Zodiac knew what was happening. The Zodiac from behind grabbed Zack's leg, flung it aside, and made a calculated swipe at the back of Zack's head, but Zack merely dodged it, used his left hand to block a swing, used his right to punch the Zodiac in the gut and then he shoved the enemy back.
"Call in the General!" yelled the first Zodiac, ripping his black mask off and extending his fists, the others doing the same. "Tell him we're bringing back the Spectre's corpse!" Yet again, he called Zack the Spectre, and yet again Zack was unimpressed. He had to teach them more manners. He ran forward, leaped into the air and kicked the second Zodiac in the throat, sending him stumbling backward and gasping for air. Zack felt hands on his shoulders, so he elbowed out behind him, catching the third Zodiac in the side before grabbing the back of his neck and sending the Zodiac flying over his shoulder. The first swung wildly through the air, trying to make any kind of contact, and he did when he struck Zack across the side of the face. The Zodiac shouted out in victory, but the look of pleasure wiped from his face when he saw Zack's expression.
Zack quickly rolled along the ground, snapping his leg forward and landing a kick to the Zodiac's shoulder. The Zodiac flipped back through the air and landed with an incredible thud on the ground, and the fourth and final Zodiac charged forward, a knife in his right hand. Zack ducked under a slash, backstepping quickly as the Zodiac threw another punch and stab. The Zodiac leaped up, kicking Zack straight in the chest twice before shouldering him into the concrete wall. Zack gasped, and the Zodiac thrust the knife forward toward Zack's throat, but the Spectre grabbed the Zodiac's wrist, only the tip of the knife drawing a spot of blood from his neck. Zack hissed out in pain, raised his right hand, and then brought it crashing down onto the Zodiac's wrist. There was a loud crack, and the Zodiac screamed out in pain, dropping the knife and staggering backward, holding his wrist that was clearly broken.
Zack chared, landing several blows to the Zodiac's body before grabbing him by the back of the neck and flinging him onto the hard ground. The Zodiac made to get up but then fell unconscious when Zack smashed his foot against the enemy's head. Clap...clap...clap...clap...clap. The slow, continuous beat of the hands filled the room, and Zack turned, eyebrows raised, to find a man leaning against the furthest wall, a cocky grin on his face. "You come for more?" Zack asked venomously, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, and the man shook his head. "I just came to give a warning," he said simply, bowing his head before saying, "The General sends his regards." Zack clenched his voice at the name. It was the name of the man who had killed his parents and was currently trying to rid the world of Spectres.
"Who are you?" the man shrugged, unzipping his black jacket, flinging it aside, and revealing his muscled body and vest underneath. "To give a warning. I will not be the one to kill you. I'll leave it for the General, so he can finish his job." Zack growled and, without warning, he ran forward, tackling the man onto the floor. The man grunted, and then rolled to the side as Zack rose, cracking his elbow onto the floor where the man's head had just been. The man ducked another three swipes from Zack, elbowed him in the back of the head, and then kicked him in the chest, sending him skidding back along the floor. "Zack!" Trae shouted, running into the room with fear in his eyes, skidding to a halt beside Zack and quickly helping him to his feet.
"I thought I told you to get out of here," grumbled Zack, and Trae looked taken aback. "Just go, I said I would handle it," Zack murmured, and Trae nodded, staring at the man in the black mask before hurrying out the room for the last time. "Want to do this the old fashioned way, or a more traditional way?" asked the man, and Zack couldn't help but stare at him curiously. The man withdrew two fencing swords, the kind Zack had only seen in old movies, and he tossed one to Zack, who snatched the metal from the air and observed it curiously. The handle was made of some kind of rich, golden wonder, light as though it was the embodiment of the surrounding air. "You seem like a decent, worthy and fair person. There should be no need for this," said Zack. He knew this man was a Zodiac, but there was something off about him. Something that alerted him to the fact that maybe, just maybe, not all Zodiacs were pure evil.
"As do you. It will be a great pain to slaughter someone as courteous as you," replied the man, reaching up to his black mask and pulling it from the lower half of his face. Zack's eyes widened, surprised to see that the Zodiac was actually a teenager, probably almost a man. "Ready," said the man, spreading his legs slightly as he settled into his own weight, but Zack kept his feet still, letting himself feel the possibility of misstepping and then overbalancing. The first several swipes came from the man, but Zack used his sword to parry the blows within seconds, the sounds of metal clashing ringing in their ears. The two kept staring into one another's eyes, and this time Zack made the first move, driving his sword through the air as though it were a gust of wind. Likewise, the man blocked the incredibly quick blurs of silver, and the two once again resumed their eye-contact.
"You know your way with a sword," acknowledged the man, and Zack bowed his head slightly, readying himself again. The man let a small smile appear on his face, and then he stepped forward, the sword once against slashing and twisting through the air with a beautiful grace. Zack kept moving backward, keeping his eyes on the man's face as he absent-mindedly deflected the many blows and jabs. They suddenly stopped, and Zack took his turn, now moving forward and blurring his weapon across the air. They went back and forth, swords slashing dramatically and dangerously. "You are decent," said the man as he was pushed closer and closer toward a wall, and Zack nodded his head as he moved. "I've worked hard to become so." The man stopped moving, his back almost touching the wall as they continued their duel.
"I admit, I have never had an opponent such as yourself," said the man, sweat staining through the white vest he wore, but Zack could tell what was wrong. "If I'm so good, why are you not afraid?" the man chuckled as he swept his sword through the air with his single left hand. "Because I know something that you are oblivious to," he murmured, and Zack laughed in reply, finding that unbelievable. "This is my practicing hand!" The shout caught Zack off-guard, and the man threw his own sword into the air and caught it with his right hand. Zack immediately ducked as the sword sailed over his head, and the duel resumed, the man now pushing Zack further back as the two silver weapons sliced together.
"You are amazing," Zack said, impressed, and the opponent chuckled. "I should be after killing a lot of people." The man suddenly lashed out, landing a kick to Zack's chest and sending him stumbling into a wall, then pinning him against it moments later. "There is something I should mention..." Zack said, his voice trailing off, and the man cocked his head to the side. "I also use this hand to gain practice," Zack pushed the man away, switched hands with the sword, and began driving it through the air viciously. The man was barely able to keep up, and in one, large sweeping motion, the man's sword flew away. The man hesitated, looking at his sword that landed several feet away, at Zack, and back again. He then made a desperate scramble away, rolled along the ground, picked his sword and then stood again, facing Zack.
Zack merely stood still, looking amused at the man's attempt at retrieving his own weapon. "You didn't attack?" asked the man, befuddled, and Zack nodded, a small smile still possessing his face. "You are a strange, strange man," acknowledged the Zodiac, and the Spectre chuckled, holding his sword ready out before him. "Your move," was all he said, and the Zodiac bowed his head, raising his own sword. He lunged forward, driving the sword toward Zack's heart, but Zack parried the blow aside, moving backward as the silver slashed through the air. "You have proven yourself to be a good fighter," Zack panted, sword still flashing as he parried and blocked the many blows the Zodiac delivered. "I thank you for that. But there has to be only one winner tonight," countered the Zodiac, looking determined to end the battle. "Very well," Zack muttered.
Zack kept moving backward, still keeping eye contact as he blocked and swept, and then he suddenly jumped mightily into the air, rolling over the Zodiac's head, landing, and then pointing his sword at the Zodiac's throat. The Zodiac parried the sword aside, kept swinging his own weapon through the air, and then he stumbled slightly. Zack took his opportunity to lock swords with his opponent and dramatically slice his sword upward, sending the Zodiac's weapon sailing across the room. The Zodiac did not make movement toward his sword, but he stood still, as though waiting for Zack to deliver the final blow. "Forgive me for this, I hope," Zack said, aiming the sword at the enemy's heart and driving it forward.
The Zodiac dodged aside, grabbed Zack's outstretched forearm, and then flipped him through the air and onto the hard floor. Stars burst before Zack's eyes, and as he struggled to get up, all he heard were running footsteps. "What happened?" Trae asked, charging into the room and helping Zack to his feet, Alex coming in right behind him. "I beat him. He took me by surprise when I tried to end it," Zack grumbled, looking over his shoulder at the recently deserted battleground. The Zodiac had vanished as though he were a shadow.