I once wondered what those who are evil see in themselves. Do they wake up in the morning and twirl their handlebar mustache like some bygone villain? Or do they think they’re average people, caught fighting against whatever fate they were given? When I was younger I never considered that question, I knew the answer.

I apologize, I’m getting ahead of myself. The first thing we have to ask ourselves is what is evil? It’s a simple enough question any child can answer with confidence born through youth. Yet the question remains, persistently staring at humanity like something lost to the abyss.

I used to be able to answer and know I was right. Like two sides of a coin, there is good and evil. Those who save lives and those who kill. But life molds you, the person going into it is never the same one coming out.

The Life and Death of Liam Miller, Page 1

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Liam swung his staff in a wide arch. The metal rod shining in the fluorescent light of the training room. It’s mirrored surface exhibiting the time put into maintaining it. With a strength belittling its size, the staff cut through the air, racing towards its target.

The gong of a metal on metal clash sounded throughout the space when the staff crashed against a large tower shield. The two stood frozen for a brief moment as neither could overcome the other. The air around them trembling in anticipation of the fight to come.

Pulling back the staff, Liam lunged into a series of quick attacks. Stabbing and slashing his weapon forward again and again. Each attack trying to get around the hulking metal wall in front of him. But they all found the troublesome thing blocking their way.

Try as Liam might, the shield seemed to hone in on each attack. Appearing in front of his staff before it could score a hit on the person behind. The piece of metal was becoming a serious annoyance. More so with each attack.

Circling to his right, Liam tried a new approach to get around the metal wall. Flanking his opponent before the defenses could rotate, Liam changed his speed from a slow rotation to blazing, yet the shield continued to track him. Then he mixed it up and changed directions. Going first right then left, then switching it up with faints hoping to trip his opponent. However, the shield continued to track him. Always staying just in front of the next attack. If this continued, it’d be beyond a mere annoyance. It’d deserve the title of an actual problem.

“You can do better than that,” the familiar voice of his opponent, hiding behind the shield called out.

There was a laughter to the taunting call. The joy of a fight, even if it was only sparing, seeping into the words. And why shouldn’t there be, the owner of the voice viewed fighting as a cornerstone of life. Testing oneself against others in the most ancient of arts was why she got up in the morning.

“It’s a little harder for some of us who don’t carry around an entire wall as protection,” Liam said.

Stopping his circling, Liam bashed his staff forward. He’d hoped the shield would keep moving and overplay the rotation. That wasn’t how things turned out, with another gong it stopped the staff cold. The move only driving his statement home.

“It’s only half a wall. No reason to exaggerate.”

Oh yeah, no worries, it’s only half a wall Liam thought. Big difference that was, when you were trying to get around the thing and it kept moving.

In response to his opponent’s taunting, the end of Liam’s staff flared to life. A blue buzz of electricity arching over the top, wrapping around the staff in threatening sparks. Liam’s tried and trusted staff, almost a calling card at this point, had sprung to life.

Taking a moment to gauge where he should aim his next attack, Liam heard Gladius’s voice sound out from all around him, “What a great final battle! You die like a true warrior!”

Liam’s hands tightened around his staff, a cold sweat staining them at his teammate’s words. For fear of losing his weapon, Liam’s fingers tightened and re-gripped the staff. This was a sparring match, why would she get that intense? Maybe the armor was getting to her head? She was a battle maniac after all. Today she was living out those ideals in their fight.

Whatever caused Gladius to go all poetic on him, he could figure out later. For now it was time to get back to sparring and show this ancient warrior what those of the modern age were made of. A couple smacks to her head might even straighten her out.

Springing back into the attack, Liam collided with his foe. His staff flying through blows as Gladius pushed back. Each attack meeting her shield and sending electricity coursing into it. Numbing the other Hero’s arms with each blast. Strike by strike she was pushed farther backward into a defensive stance.

Seeing Liam take the advantage, the larger woman sent a few probing attacks at him. Sword darting around her shield for the first time. Each attack came in sharp cutting thrusts. Liam was fast though and stayed a few inches in front, dodging between the attacks.

With his staff’s longer reach and quick feet Liam could attack between his opponent’s blows, raining down strikes against her shield. Though these new attacks were quick and precise, lacking much of the power from those mere moments before.

A new stalemate emerged as the two continued to trade blows. Gladius’ staggered attacks weren’t able to take Liam down, but they were able to stop his flow. Sure Liam could push her back, but he still wasn’t able to land a single strike on the person herself. With his quick movements and flurry of attacks the longer this wore on the worse shape he’d be in. All his moves would tire him out long before his opponent. Unless he landed a critical blow, he was in trouble.

With the back and forth continuing, Liam knew he would not win. Gladius was still holding back. Unless she made a mistake, and there was slim chance of that, the woman would win out in the end. She lived for combat after all. She’d been in thousands of more fights than him. She knew what she was doing, and a mistake wasn’t on the menu. Liam needed to try something else, something new. Thinking on his feet, Liam dove into his bag of tricks.

Putting his strength into an overhead blow, Liam listened to it whistle through the air before he felt it connect with Gladius’s shield. Like a bell, a ring sounded out through the otherwise empty room. Loud enough for people to hear rooms away.

The overhead attack gave Liam a chance to back up. Buying space for his next move. A click from Liam’s armor signaled a small compartment on his chest opening up. Gladius saw this as she peeked over her shield then hunkered down behind it. Assuming whatever tech this was it would fire something at her.

Instead of aiming for her, the cylinder fired from Liam’s suit landed on the ground between them. Immediately it started to spew out a thick yellow gas. Coating the room in a cloud and bringing visibility close to zero.

“Where did he go?” Ullr asked, his voice seeming to come from the gas.

When did he get here Liam wondered? He was only sparring with Gladius and could swear the room was empty when they started their match. Maybe Ullr snuck in after it began? Wandering in to see two of his teammates giving it their best to win this fight. It would explain why he said nothing until now, afraid to distract either of them. At least the smoke could confuse the boss. Gladius was likely faring even worse.

Pulling himself back to the fight at hand, Liam switched on his HUDs infrared system. The scene in front of him blossomed to life as Liam got a good look at his opponent through the smoke. While it left Gladius clueless to where he’d gone. It was an advantage Liam needed to press.

Switching off the electricity arcing on his staff, it’s sparking died down. In the smoke it became an obvious clue to his movements, and he had to remain quiet. As long as Gladius couldn’t hear or see him she’d have no way of predicting or countering any of his attacks.

The knight’s sword wildly slashed through the air, first once, then again and again. Each slash a desperate attack through the soup thick smoke. Trying to find her quarry was becoming an impossible task. All the while Liam deftly avoided the attacks. Dancing between them as he circled around Gladius. Liam took the time to plan his next attack. He had to make the most of this advantage, no reason to take risks now.

“Who? The flying guy?” a new voice asked.

A voice Liam wasn’t familiar with. What was going on? Why’d they invite someone into the training area without telling him in advance? Not only that, but inviting them into the base. This was a serious breach of trust for a Hero. The majority of whom liked to keep their training a closely guarded secret. Ullr’s inconsideration sent a burning hot iron down Liam’s spine.

Then the words came to Liam. Why was the guy talking about someone flying around? He was on the ground and Gladius couldn’t fly. Why would he even want to fly right now? Sure he’d gain the advantage of height. But the sound from his rockets would give the game away. Banishing that horrible idea and the thought of the unknown man, Liam went back to stalking Gladius.

Circling around his blinded opponent Liam sent out a probing strike. It lacked the force of his previous attacks, but made up for that by deftly sneaking past Gladius’s guard. Landing on her exposed leg with a solid crunch. Liam’s lips curled up at his first attack hitting the other Hero.

The next few strikes had the same result. Each passing by the flailing guard to land on the same leg as the first blow. On the forth Liam’s mouth had turned into a fierce smile.

Gladius tried to counter, flailing backwards with her sword, but she was too slow. Every attack she threw passed where Liam had been, not where he was now. By the time the attacks came, Liam was already half way back around the woman ready for his next blow.

Two more strikes landed on Gladius. Neither of which allowed the woman to retaliate. Yet even together, all of Liam’s attacks were not enough to hobble his opponent. However, that was only a matter of time if he could keep hitting the same leg. Given enough blows, the damage would stack up to the point where it couldn’t be ignored.

With Liam attacking her from blind angles, Gladius changed her strategy as well. Darting to the side of the room, she tried to get out of the smoke. Only to find the entire space filled with the stuff. Regardless of where Gladius went she couldn’t find a clean patch of air.

“I saw him go this way!” Ullr shouted from all around Liam.

Ullr was tracking him? How could he follow Liam in the smoke? Did he have some way of seeing through it? Liam wasn’t aware the man had any ability like that. Or maybe he grabbed a spare pair of goggles from the workshop. Either way he’d have to keep that in mind next time they spared.

Wait, Ullr was trying to tell Gladius where he’d gone. That broke every rule of sparing. In a one-on-one fight only those taking part should be talking. Spectators shouldn’t be helping either side. After this, Liam would have a word with Ullr.

Huffing to himself Liam focused back on the fight. He kept creeping up behind Gladius, striking at her before jumping away. Keeping the other Hero guessing where he’d attack from next.

After another couple minutes of the guerrilla tactics, Liam was ready for the main course. During his last attack he’d seen Gladius stumble for a second before catching herself. She was feeling the blows, and not a moment too soon as the smoke was starting to clear.

With the decision made, Liam attacked in earnest. Driving another overhead swing at Gladius, this time slipping it past her guard and smashing his staff into her shoulder. The attack was powerful, having all of Liam’s weight put into it.

Gladius grunted as her hurt leg buckled from the blow. Only staying upright by slamming her shield into the ground and leaning on it. That had to hurt Liam thought as he made to get away, but Gladius wasn’t out of the fight just yet. Spinning around and swinging her sword in a backwards arch she caught Liam in the knee. Dropping him to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

It wasn’t a full power attack, that would’ve cut his leg clean off. But it wasn’t weak either. While it didn’t pierce his armor, the attack would still leave a nasty bruise in the morning.

Hearing Liam fall, Gladius took the time to right herself. Then pushed through the smoke until she was standing above him. Sword held casually to her side.

“Good fight. Call it for the day?” Gladius asked as she reached down. The tip of her sword moving forward with the gesture, as if inviting him to continue. The cold steel itching to taste blood.

Liam looked at the hand, his victory had been so close. Yet it had only taken one strike for her to flip the entire situation around. How had it been that easy to do? It pained Liam to note his catastrophic defeat.

“I thought I had you this time.”

“Nope, it’ll take more than a little smoke to do that. Maybe next time you’ll make me go all out.”

Liam took the outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. Yep the leg was sore from that one. Oh the joys tomorrow would bring, maybe he should ask Matt for crutches now and save the hassle of finding them later.

“Just wait for next time,” Liam said in mock threat.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“That was Source. Watch out for him. He just turned traitor,” Ullr sounded out again. His voice coming from everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time.

Liam stopped at the comment. A traitor? Him? No... he’d never do that. He didn’t even take paper clips from the ‘free office supplies’ closet at school. Fearing that would be the first step to a life of crime. How could someone like that become a traitor?

Trying to figure out what Ullr meant Liam noticed he was alone. Looking around, he couldn’t spot Gladius anywhere in the now clear training room. She’d vanished the moment Ullr spoke and so had all the smoke.

She wouldn’t have believed Ullr. Why would she with no evidence? Didn’t she trust him? They’d been teammates for months. With thoughts flooding Liam’s head the floor underneath him gave way. It was there a moment before, but now it was gone. Leaving Liam to fall in an empty space. The occasional gray blur his only company as they whizzed by his head.

With a bang he collided into one of them, then another. He was thrown between the shapes like a tennis ball. Striking one before bouncing into another. Each impact sending pain shooting through his body.

With his vision fading, the collisions stopped and the world around Liam came to a quiet still. The blurry shapes, spinning around him only moments before, were gone. Leaving only blackness in their wake.

A voice from nowhere and everywhere spoke up, “You owe her your life.”

In this empty place the sound echoed. Repeating the phrase over and over.

“You owe her your life, you owe her your life, you owe her… you owe her.”

“Owe who?” Liam asked. Frantically trying to find out what was happening.

There was no reply. The echos fading as soon as he spoke. Leaving no sound save his heartbeat banging in his ears. Each beat a thunderous roar in the otherwise quiet world.

The blackness was gone. Wait, what blackness Liam thought. Why was he thinking of the dark? Around him was a locker room. The stereotypical gym shower with a dozen showerheads all spraying water into the same open room. Yet Liam found himself alone. He tried to concentrate on what he’d been doing before he got here, but nothing came. Before this room there was only a blank space.

“Can you help him?” A voice asked, to no one, or everyone.

When did I get here, Liam asked himself and who do I need to help? He wanted to speak those same words out loud, but couldn’t find his voice. Every time he tried only gurgles and sputtering came out.

The water from overhead washed over Liam’s body. Bringing with it a revitalizing warmth. He’d been hurting before this, Liam remembered. Was it his leg, or maybe an arm? Liam stretched his limbs, waiting for pain to signal which, but none came. He could only feel the numbness that comes after a hot shower.

Looking to the ground Liam saw the water washing off him was crimson. As bold as a Merlot. Liam did a double take when he looked at his arms. There were no wounds a second ago. Now they were covered in them. His entire body was blanketed in wounds. Ranging from small cuts and bruises to long deep gashes. From the horrible sight he couldn’t understand how he was conscious. Yet all he felt was an ever present numbness.

“So many injuries, what was he doing?” a female voice asked. Questioning the exact thing Liam was wondering.

“Nevermind that. Can you help?” The first voice asked as it grew fainter.

The world around Liam started to lose its color. The shape was gone as he found himself floating away from the locker room. Out into the infinite black that surrounded it.

“I make no promises.”

Around Liam the world began to dim. Or Liam’s vision was going. It was hard to tell with the midnight black nothingness surrounding him. Before Liam could figure out what was happening, it consumed him. Leaving him lost to the passing of time.