Back a few months ago, after Erick withdrew from the mountain…
The boy quickly headed to his base, where several high-tech machines were located. He intended to do an analysis of the DNA and RNA of his *now dead* archenemy, with this analysis perhaps some of his worries could slip away.
''Fuuh'' The boy sighed deeply as he sat down in a chair and stared at the ceiling, still not believing in Peaceman's death.
"Aren't you supposed to be invincible?" He asked, returning his gaze to the vial in which the strange particles floated in the liquid inside the glass.
''Although even that guy who had an S on his chest wasnt invincible, imagine you…''
Erick began to wonder if maybe he was in some kind of comic book, one where the universe plays a trick on the main hero, and he ends up dying in a terrifyingly sudden and cruel way.
"Screw it, thinking about a dead guy isn't going to help me at all." Erick said, as he scrambled to his feet.
He looked at the huge device that was in front of him, beside it there was a gigantic screen built into the wall, Erick wasted no more time and put the small vial with particles inside a tiny compartment written 'Tests'.
The screen that appeared to be off, turned on by itself at the same moment he put the vial in the compartment. Some messages were narrated by a robotic voice, which sounded feminine.
[Starting Auxiliary System 'Shun_0-421'…]
[Auxiliary System Started! Contacting 'Karen_0-01']
[System Connected with 'Karen_0-01']
[Analysis in process...]
Erick listened attentively to the messages, as he watched the estimated time until the end of the process, the estimated time for the end scared him, as the messages said: '290 days, 22 hours and 13 minutes left'. The boy grabbed his head in despair, not even the most advanced technology in the world that was created by the most intelligent human in existence, was able to analyze the genetics of that idiot monster known as 'Peaceman'.
''Shit. Even dead, you still give me trouble." Erick slumped once more in his chair as he stretched out his arms and sighed.
"This will take quite a long time."
That day, the boy was thinking of ways to avoid catastrophes for all sides of the conflict, from villains to civilians and heroes.
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"So, let me get this straight…" Erick grabbed his head, kneading his forehead with his fingers, "So, I have to become a fucking hero?"
Erick was talking to his personal assistant, who was also an artificial intelligence that he himself had created several years ago, during the beginning of his career. He highly considered any opinion of hers, as in more than 92% of the cases she was right.
"You're right." Erick replied, swallowing a headache pill.
''Are you alright, master?''
''If being locked up in a cave, talking to an artificial intelligence that I created myself while the world is ending outside is considered fine. So yeah, yeah, I'm fine.''
Both were silent after Erick's mocking comment. The situation remained that way until Karen, the artificial intelligence in the form of a woman, spoke to her master.
''As for the information you requested from me,'' She said, as a holographic window appeared before Erick's eyes, ''During these 2 months that Peaceman has disappeared and you have ceased your actions, crime rates have increased further 3000% and society is falling apart.''
''Let me guess, the leaders of all this are those 9?''
''Exactly, each of them gathered a huge amount of criminals and took advantage of the attacks of wild beasts and monsters to invade the prisons and free more people to their side.''
"Fucking failed society," He rubbed his eyes fluttering with sleep, "And it will become even more failed if I become a hero."
"I don't believe that, master," Karen answered him firmly.
"In fact, even if you don't take on the mantle of Peaceman, I believe society would still improve a lot if the smartest head on the planet joined the 'good guys' in history."
"Good or bad, it's just a difference in perspective, you know that."
"One way or another," Karen ignored Erick's comment, "The sooner you intervene, the better the situation will become, so I suggest not wasting any more time. The main preparations are already good to go!''
A huge compartment of equipment and weapons emerged from the floor beside Erick, there were even ordinary looking accessories that had enough power to destroy an entire city.
Erick gave a few winks as he sighed and got up from his chair, putting on a suit made of special metal alloy, with some large rings that covered his shoulders, neck and knees.
"Activate." he said, as Karen carefully watched her master in the special armor made by the two of them working together.
The rings started to blink at the same moment the young man spoke the keyword, and as if it were a new skin emerging, some traces of energy began to spread throughout Erick's body, making the image of his body that was half slender with slightly long black hair, in a taller man with short blond hair with beautiful blue eyes.
"Test successfully completed." Karen nodded to Erick.
He had changed his appearance through the device he had spent so much time working on, he had almost perfectly recreated the appearance of Arthur Kael, the Peaceman. As for the uniform, he would wear a new self-made uniform, which featured state-of-the-art technology powered by a small generator built into the wearer's back.
The boy began making some adjustments here and there with Karen's help, having placed a symbol of two completely black lions on the chest of armor. He also trained his psychic powers in a way that would appear to be Arthur's powers, such as the power of flight, the power of supersonic speed (which is also aided by the devices in the armor) and several others.
"I think we're finally ready." A long week went by, with Karen and Erick working hard to come up with the final versions of the armor and the other gadgets.
Erick decided he would test the armor out in the open, flying here and there, while perhaps he could do some 'nice' actions in his vision.
While he was testing his new equipment, Karen used the transmitter attached to the helmet visor to contact Erick. The woman spoke in an excited and desperate way at the same time, while informing a location and the situation unfolding there.
"I see, I'm heading over there now," Erick said, as he hit the button on his smart bracelet.
"Flash." Just as the young man said that word, a mechanism activated in the backs of the armor and in the soles and thighs of the wide boots. They were thrusters, which boosted Erick's speed to a surreal level that would easily surpass Peaceman's in its heyday.
"A good test drive." For the first time, Erick broke into a smile as he headed toward downtown pacify.
"The world will meet a new hero!" Karen said excitedly by Erick's transmitter, as the boy grew increasingly frowning.