Aftermath 2/2 / The true enemy

"Wait the poison is all their systems!" Joshua remembered wondering if he had the heart to turn back when he spotted a man with purple smoke surrounding him running off. "I bet every dollar to my name if I knock that guy out the poison disappears," Joshua said to himself chasing after him. "Go away hero or I'll kill you!" the man yelled shocking Joshua. "No please wait I didn't mean it-" the man yelled when suddenly he collapsed.

"Something isn't right here," Joshua said to himself hiding behind a tree. "My only regret is if I killed every villain I came across, fewer people would have died," the man dressed in black said spotting Joshua right before he turned away. "Hey Joshua!" the man yelled. "No way, Porcupine!" Joshua yelled surprised. "Why are you here kid?" Porcupine asked. "Peter kidnapped my sister," Joshua said shocking Porcupine. "What about you?" Joshua asked.

"Hypothermia gave me a frantic call about coming along and it being a matter of life or death," Porcupine said. "Oh, he called you here because of me," Joshua said walking away but not before spitting on the poison villain's corpse. "What the hell happened to that kid it's like he lost touch with emotion," Porcupine said silently following Joshua.

"I should run off again to ensure nobody follows me," Joshua thought starting to run as the rain started to fall. "I hope Elena understands I can't look her in the eye," Joshua thought his tears covered by the rain. "That's weird he looks like he's crying but it could be the rain," Porcupine said deciding to just talk to Hypothermia.

"My legs hurt so bad but I can't stop running," Joshua thought the tears still falling. "Why did I do that?" Joshua asked himself recalling him torturing Peter. "He deserved it so badly yet why does it still feel so wrong for me to have done that," Joshua thought. "She was crying and I was just focused on making him suffer, that's not like me," Joshua said the tears falling faster than ever matching the rain.

"Hypothermia what the hell happened?" Porcupine asked. "Joshua lost it," Hypothermia said moving out of the way for him to see Peter's body being loaded into the stretcher his eyes covered and his mouth gagged. "Joshua? He tortured Peter?" Porcupine asked to be sure. "Yeah, he did, although it's not exactly like Peter didn't have it coming, he tried to have his twisted version of 'fun' with Joshua's sister," Hypothermia explained just getting a single nod from Porcupine as he left.

"I should go find Joshua but I don't know where he would be," Porcupine thought walking back out and seeing the ambulances and police haul the villains off. "He almost killed all of them alone," Porcupine said shocked at the damage Joshua caused in his rage. "Poor kid," Porcupine finally said getting in his car and driving off to look for Joshua.

"Hey, kid give me everything!" a mugger yelled at Joshua not seeing the anger refill his face. "I wonder if even in death I could rest," Joshua said looking at him. "Shut up and give me your money!" the mugger yelled again. "Spike chains," Joshua said walking off as the mugger was trapped in chains unable to move without ripping off his flesh. "Just not my day huh?" Joshua asked himself.

"1 large black coffee please," Joshua said to the barista, getting a nod as he watched the news. "After the huge battle that took place last night and lasted till this morning, there were 5 student casualties and a recorded amount of 53 dead villains the main villain in charge was captured by police where he killed himself using his own ability," the newswoman reported shocking Joshua at the student casualties. "That's impossible the poison must have gone away right?" Joshua thought shaking.

"The hero Cleric was also reported injured but not dead," the newswoman continued letting Joshua know a second battle had taken place. "Those bastards!" Joshua yelled running out of the cafe to go find Elena. "Here," a man stopped him and passed him a piece of paper. "Thanks," Joshua said bolting off. "They aren't getting away with it this time," Joshua said deciding to kill them all.

"This is the location," Joshua said double checking the piece of paper. "Give me back my sister!" Joshua yelled walking in. "Shit how did he find us so fast!" one of the criminals yelled. "I don't have time for this, Spike field," Joshua said stabbing all of the people in the arms and legs not killing them but barely leaving them alive. "ELENA!" Joshua yelled running over to his sister and untying her. "Who did this?" Joshua asked and she pointed above him showing the headmaster.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Joshua said. "I'm afraid she's very serious, you see I was the one making students villains to create a stronger age of heroes!" the headmaster yelled. "Let me ask you one thing, do you think this was truly for a better cause?" Joshua asked getting a nod from him. "Then you're just as delusional as Peter," Joshua said as Hypothermia and Porcupine burst through the door.

"What the hell is going on!" Hypothermia yelled seeing Elena tied up. "So it truly was the headmaster the entire time?" Porcupine asked, getting a nod from Hypothermia. "Headmaster Veruk, you realize if you attack any of us we have full authority to attack you," Hypothermia said preparing a large-scale attack.

"Oh I am more than prepared, I could kill all of you in seconds," the headmaster responded. "Hypothermia which of the students died?" Joshua asked. "All of Ms. Isabelle's class," Hypothermia said realizing Joshua was stalling for time. "Headmaster, how many of those deaths did you plan to happen?" Joshua asked, giving Hypothermia and Porcupine enough time to plan out an attack. "I planned for all of you to die but it seems this year the students are a tad too strong," the headmaster answered. "MOVE JOSHUA!" Porcupine and Hypothermia yelled releasing their attacks.

"All of it was planned, every single thing that happened to me!" Joshua realized starting to tremble with anger at the realization. "Wait, the mysterious person who has been helping me! He must be under the headmaster, GOD DAMNIT," Joshua yelled at himself before dodging an upcoming attack from the headmaster. "If this is where I die, SO BE IT," Joshua yelled as he ran toward Elena.