Do Bad People Deserve To Die?

As he bent down, Miles suddenly opened his eyes which were now glowing with intense red light.

He fired a pair of powerful beams that burrowed straight through the wiry thug's skull, killing him instantly.

The burly thug was alarmed and turned his skin to a rocky texture. "You'll pay for that!" he shouted, charging at Miles.

Fueled by adrenaline and ignoring the spray of blood and brain matter on his face, Miles jumped to his feet and fired lasers at the second thug.

His rocky skin blocked the initial blast, but the force sent the thug sliding backward. Miles cranked up the intensity, pushing his lasers to their limit.

The heat increased, and the rocky skin began to crack and break apart. The thug screamed in agony as the lasers pierced through, severing his arms and causing blood to splatter everywhere.

Breathing heavily, Miles stood over the fallen thug, his eyes still glowing. "That's what you get," he muttered.

Patrick now conscious but badly beaten, stared at him in horror. Miles turned to him with his eyes still glowing.

"You're going to keep what you witnessed here a secret... Now get out before I raze you to the ground!" Miles said, his voice cold.

Patrick scrambled to his feet and ran, leaving Miles alone in the dimly lit room. He struggled outside to help the injured Derrick up and they both fled.

Miles took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline fade, and surveyed the damage. He was covered in bruises and cuts, but he had won.

Miles stood in the dimly lit space, staring at the corpse of the wiry thug and the injured one with severed limbs before him.

The realization that he had just killed a fellow human being hit him like a freight train. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and a heavy weight settled in his chest.

He suddenly figured out why the thugs looked familiar. They were both wanted metahuman criminals who had committed a list of felonies. The burly man with the rocky skin was known as Granite, and the wiry thug with frost abilities was called Frostbite. Both were notorious for their violent crimes and had large bounties on their heads.

"Granite and Frostbite," Miles whispered to himself, trying to find solace in the fact that he had killed a criminal who deserved it.

But the consolation didn't last long as guilt began to eat him up from the inside out. It was one thing to be a cheat, but snuffing out another human life was something else entirely.

Miles fled the place, leaving the corpse and the injured thug behind. It turned out they had brought him to an abandoned cabin in the woods. Even though there were trees everywhere, Miles managed to find his way and eventually reached the city and back to his dorm.

The guilt wracked his mind as he took off his bloody clothes and changed outfits. He couldn't stop thinking about the moment when he had killed Frostbite. He didn't even have the privilege to look shocked because the Lasers left two large holes in his head.

Later that night, Ron returned and tried to initiate small talk as usual, but Miles's responses were almost nonexistent and very dry.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Ron asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I'm just tired, Ron. I need to rest," Miles replied, avoiding eye contact.

Ron decided not to press further and left Miles alone. The next morning arrived, and Miles had barely slept. His disposition was the same as the previous night, and Ron couldn't get a conversation out of him before leaving for class.

Miles stayed indoors the entire day, missing class, work, training, and even ignoring notifications from the system. His mind was a storm of guilt and confusion. Could he continue on this path if it meant taking lives? Had Superman ever taken a life?

Ron returned late that night, visibly worried. "Miles, you've been acting strange. What's going on?"

"I'm fine," Miles said flatly, turning away.

"Look, I'm here if you need anything, okay?" Ron said, trying to reassure his friend.

Miles only responded by raising a thumb without looking at him.

When the next morning arrived, Miles's phone couldn't stop buzzing. The calls were especially incessant this time. He finally grabbed his phone and was shocked to see 245 messages alongside 57 missed calls.

Just when he was about to check, another call came in, and it was from none other than Tara. His gloomy eyes dropped further, and he wanted to reject the call but decided to pick up and hear what she had to say.

"Miles! Where the hell have you been?" Tara shrieked the moment he answered. "I've been worried sick! Everyone's been wondering where you disappeared to. I've called and texted so many times, but you never replied!"

Miles took a deep breath, trying to calm her down. "Tara, I'm... I'm sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"You can't just disappear like that!" Tara continued, barely allowing him a word. "Our flight is leaving in an hour! You remember our trip to the Himalayas for the project, right?"

The fog in Miles's mind cleared slightly as he recalled their plans. "Yeah, I remember. I'll be there."

"Hurry up, Miles! We can't miss this flight," Tara urged, her tone softening a bit. "And please, don't scare me like this again."

"I won't. I'll see you soon," Miles promised, ending the call.

He quickly headed to the bathroom for a quick shower and spotted a plate of covered takeout that Ron had left him.

He wanted to ignore it but his grumbling stomach got the better of him. Miles quickly grabbed a quick bite and soon consumed all of its contents in very little time.

He realized he hadn't eaten in so long but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Miles quickly got dressed and grabbed his bag which had a few necessary items he would need for the trip.

The weight of his guilt was still heavy but momentarily pushed aside by the urgency of the situation.

He made his way to the airport, his mind racing. He had to put on a brave face for Tara and focus on the project. As he arrived, he saw Tara pacing nervously near the check-in counter.

"There you are!" Tara exclaimed, rushing over to him. "I was so worried. What happened?"

Miles forced a smile. "Just some personal stuff. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Tara looked at him closely, concern etched on her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be," Miles said, trying to reassure her. "Let's just focus on the trip."

They checked in and made their way through security. As they boarded the plane, Tara kept stealing glances at Miles, clearly sensing that something was off.

Once they were seated, Tara turned to him. "Miles, you can talk to me, you know. If something's bothering you..."

Miles sighed, feeling the urge to confide in her but knowing he couldn't reveal everything. "It's just...life has been really intense lately. I'll be fine, Tara. Thanks for caring."

Tara nodded, her eyes still filled with worry. "Alright. But if you need to talk, I'm here."

The flight to the Himalayas was long, and Miles found himself staring out the window, lost in thought.

The majestic mountains below were a stark contrast to the turmoil inside him. He couldn't shake the image of Frostbite's death and Granite's severed limbs. He had done wrong before but why was this one especially daunting to his mental state?

"Focus on the task at hand," he told himself, trying to push the memories away.

After several hours, they finally landed and began their journey to the Himalayas.

The scenery was breathtaking, with snow-capped peaks and crisp, cold air. Tara seemed to relax a bit, her excitement for the project evident.

"This place is amazing," she said, snapping pictures and jotting down notes. "I can't believe we're actually here."

"Yeah, it's incredible," Miles agreed, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.

They spent the day exploring, collecting samples, and documenting their findings.

Despite the beauty around him, Miles couldn't fully escape his thoughts. The guilt gnawed at him, and he found it hard to concentrate.

During a break, Tara sat beside him, offering him some hot tea. "You've been really quiet. Are you sure you're alright?"

Miles looked at her, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. "It's just... I did something I can't take back. It's weighing on me."

'Green Arrow was right...' Miles looked down dejectedly.

"Did you get a girl pregnant?" Tara questioned while raising one eyebrow.

"No no of course not," Miles immediately denied.

"I'm just messing with you," She chuckled, causing Miles to laugh briefly as well.

It was his first since the incident.

Tara placed a comforting hand on his arm. "We all make mistakes, Miles. Don't beat yourself up over it... Learn from them and keep moving forward. That is what matters."