Hero Final stand
842 Words
The General laughed, a sound like grinding metal. He was pinned to the ceiling by the gravity field, but he still acted like he had won.
"Time is up, Xin," the General sneered. "The portal is closing. You have sixty seconds. Do you save your planet, or do you save those few tiny souls?"
Xin’s hand hovered over the big blue button. Inside his helmet, red lights flashed.
"Warning," the Engine’s voice said. "Closing the Spire now saves Earth. But 4,200 people are still trapped inside the alien ship. If you close it, they stay in Earth-6 forever."
"Xin! Don't listen!" Mei’s voice crackled in his ear. "If you don't shut it down, the whole alien army will come through! You can't fight an entire world!"
Xin looked out the window. High in the clouds, the giant golden ship hung like a hungry monster. He thought about the people inside. They weren't soldiers. They were just regular people—moms, dads, and kids. People just like him.
"I’m not choosing," Xin whispered.
"What?" the General gasped.
"I said I’m not choosing!" Xin yelled.
He didn't hit the button. Instead, he grabbed the edges of the computer desk. His metal gloves dug into the alien steel.
"Host, what are you doing?" the voice asked, sounding worried.
"You said I’m a 'World-Changer' now," Xin gritted his teeth. "Well, I’m changing the plan."
[Overdrive Mode: On.]
Xin didn't push the power away. He sucked it in. He pulled the energy from the building into his own body. The silver mark on his chest began to glow with a bright white light.
[Level 11... Level 13... Level 15!]
[New Power: Reality Anchor.]
"Mei! Get everyone back!" Xin shouted. "I’m holding the door open!"
"Xin, you'll die!" Mei screamed.
"Just tell Chen I finished the job!"
Xin stepped off the floor. Since he controlled gravity, he didn't fall. He shot up like a silver rocket toward the golden ship. He threw out chains of pure light and hooked them onto the edges of the portal, pulling the hole in the sky wide open.
"People found," the computer said. "Sending them home."
With a huge scream, Xin pushed his energy. Bubbles of silver light wrapped around the prisoners and dropped them gently toward the city. Xin watched them fall like tiny stars. They were safe.
But the cost was high. The golden ship began to fall apart. The General, free from the gravity trap, flew up and stabbed a spear into Xin’s side.
"You fool!" the General screamed. "You saved the people, but now you have no power left to fight me!"
The spear went through his armor. Xin felt a sharp pain. He coughed up silver sparks.
"I don't... need power... to fight you," Xin panted. He grabbed the General’s arm with a super-strong grip. "I just need to finish this."
Xin looked at his chest. The mark was pulsing dark blue. He reached deep inside, to the heart of the meteor.
"Go home," Xin whispered.
[Final Power: World Reset.]
A wave of silence exploded from Xin. It didn't break buildings; it broke the bridge between worlds. The golden ship vanished into dust. The General screamed as he was sucked back into his own dimension.
The sky turned from purple back to grey. The portals zipped shut. Everything went quiet.
Then, the gravity came back for real.
Without his power, Xin began to fall. His armor was broken. His computer was dead. He felt so, so tired.
I did it, Chen, he thought. The windows are clean.
He waited to hit the ground. But instead of the hard street, strong hands caught him. A loud engine roared in his ears.
"I got you, Window Boy! Don't you dare die on me!"
Xin opened one eye. Mei was driving her flying bike, tears on her face. Below them, people were cheering. He saw Old Chen in the street, waving a dirty cleaning rag at the sky.
Mei landed the bike in a crowded square. People gathered around, looking at Xin with wonder.
"Is it over?" someone asked.
Xin sat up slowly. He looked at his hand. The silver mark was still there, but it was quiet. He wasn't the scared kid from the morning anymore.
"For now," Xin said. "It’s over for now."
"Host," the voice whispered faintly in his mind. "Energy is at 1%. I am going to sleep. But remember... there are other worlds out there. Level 20 is just the beginning."
Xin sighed and looked at Mei. "Do you have any of those noodles you talked about?"
Mei laughed and wiped her eyes. "Only if you’re paying, Hero."
As the sun set, Xin looked at the stars. They were beautiful again. But deep down, he knew his journey was just starting.
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