Labored breath coupled with a skin turned to the color of a dead fish - Gan knew not how he had overcome the adversity.
The destruction of bone over and over again turned what was left of both his arms into floppy noodles, hanging limp by his sides. A gash opened due to some rebounding debris which in turn spread a lacquered filling of blood across his right eye then dripped down his chin. However, the mayhem wrought on his body proved the correct course as he now stared deeply into the nothingness of the man who had provoked him.
His final moments took him into a frenzy, tossing Gan from a wall, into cars, through trees, bringing him ever closer to the center of this forest. Whomever the man had been, he seemed elated to meet someone who could withstand his blows. For a while the man grew to smile, it was an exhilarating day. Yet, as that smile widened it served to further a burning hatred in Gan's heart.
This murderer dared to find gleeful arousal in this situation. Lives were at stake leaving more lost by the second as the boy dealt with this fool. Embroiled in that hatred his mind began to stir faster than before finding a critical weakness to the man. Yet, in his heart's palace a thumping beat paraded his nerves. He too began to find joy in the act of battle. Each fist pumped full of extreme veracity solely acquiring the position for murder, furthered his heating heart. Never before had Gan experienced such elation which made his eyes roll into their sockets overcome by the pleasure in the cool flood of crimson racketing their forms. All of this masochistic pleasure hinted by sadistic love provoked Gan's eye to a single crack in the frame of the behemoth.
A scar along his left abdominals.
It would be a risky bet, but from the harshness of that scar there must have been irreparable damage done upon the man's form. If one were to reignite that damage it would end this fight near instantly.
The murderer recoiled his fist squaring to strike Gan's face, tossing the child further into the center of the forest - only to find the clutching embrace of DEATH herself. It flung forward but met nothing except air. Gan had dropped to his knees, effective in avoiding the fist, then lunged with hands thrown out at the scar. Transferring his atrophy to the muscles in his fingers, Gan melded into the flesh like dough. Soon an eruption of red took over them both, resulting in the man to stumble half a step from Gan into a firm but sloppy defensive stance.
The fight was already over, Gan only needed to wait a minute and the monster would be ended to a deeply imprisoning unconsciousness. Realizing this, the man left the spot in front of Gan to dash out of the woods in the direction from whence they came. A rabid drool leaked out from his maw with chaos on his mind. Eyes searching for the trapped family he had once threatened.
Gan sprinted from behind, jumping to the man's back to deliver a final kick at the back of his skull. A knock akin to an axe chopping at the bark of a tree hung in the air as the man's face was stuffed into the earth. The subsequent crash rang out an electrifying BOOM that drew the attention of all.
The first hit had not finished the job. The man's fingers flexed, lifting himself from the ground. Bits of teeth stuck to his tongue transforming the gums into a wriggling mess with shattered pieces injected to several ports where they did not belong. An eye shown loose from the socket reminding Gan of an electrical outlet that had its charging cord hanging out.
Something took over Gan's motions at that moment. He gave two more rattling punches to the Villain's face.
The first knocked him flat on his back. Then, the final ended what remained, turning it into a pile with a lot less that originated in the swirling pool than what amounted on the boy's fist.
Once the man had been laid to the floor it had been all too easy for Gan to do what he had done. To snuff something so precious from another for the sake of his own. An unknown verdict was placed on this man the moment Gan laid his eyes on his terrifying figure. But what had that amounted to?
Hands raised whether it be in guilt to analyze the crime committed, or a morbid curiosity that little could acquaint, Gan could not seriously know. His skin had been frayed and sawed along producing patches of bone unnaturally bent around. There was no feeling to these appendages which was further emphasized by the lack of control to his fingers, all had been broken.
Blood soaked with the blood of another human on his palms. It was a sight that he quickly threw from where he could see it. Focus had to be divided to this unknown patch of woods far from where the battle of Evolved began.
Surrounding him were the deep woods of the park with only a trail of fallen trees to bring him back to the street he started at. Rain piled from the rapidly convalescing clouds seeking to upturn the sky into a platform of gray. It crashed onto him soaking the area in their leftovers from the battle.
Whomever Kage said was controlling the weather was not deterred yet. They were still there at the center holding onto some belief that they held the upper hand. Gan took half a step before plummeting into the mud. Apparently moving with a single useful leg was a sorrowful challenge. Now all that remained was to silently stare into the softening floor as the tide enveloped his body to the depths of whatever hell awaited him.
Snippets of war broke out with explosions. The scream of some distant Hero or Villain bellowing in pain for their final time. Among these disturbances to the calm that is nature, Gan felt the watchfulness of four possibly five others descending upon him. A circle formed around him as well as the dead Villain's corpse.
Hell had just spit him out for god to smite the remnants of his lasting soul.
As the shadows came to him reaching out with their claws, did Gan realize his dilemma from ago. Although tarnished and melted by the chilling grip of sin, Gan did not feel guilt in the murder of the man. In fact, an eerie wave of relief washed over him cleansing the doubt from his mind.
The prospect of eternal damnation lay ahead while his corporeal form consumed a helping of brown sludge as the rest had a mold wrapping about him, cradling him in its hands. Yet, Gan did not take the chance for repentance. No reason gave itself for such foolery.
Today he took a step many would shy away when granted. This was his time to be more and obtain more.
He would not die here today.
A pit of filthy sin would not encase him to a grave of his own.
Gan pushed the stumps of his knuckles into the soil, lifting the rest with a single knee until he rose.
'Thump… Thump… Thump…'
Muddy water fell from his face passing briefly by his eyes, but he clearly saw them drop with little fanfare. Each droplet held a uniquely different concentration of water to dirt ratio then the one that came after.
A voice soothing yet mandative rattled without the need for lips.
'What defines it?
The definition to which you place your stake in this world? What will be found in these hands, by these fists, through these palms?'
"..."
'Speak and it will be. Such is the commonality?'
"P-power." The image which came to mind was a wave so immense that all met by it could only shudder in terror while those that had braved through it discovered a comfort to the pleasant seas on the other side.
'So, it is done.'
A prick shocked Gan's eyes wide awake, bolstering his nerves to a level that brought the battles in his arms to flare up, nearly causing his vision to blacken.
'Thump.. Thump.. Thump..'