“Wow” 

The two stood at the top level in Middle of the City. It was a true proper City! Everywhere you looked there were people walking and bustling in and out of the buildings that were built into the walls of the canyon, each extending many stories high. Alleyways went into the walls every other building or so, stairways, that were by the rail protected edges, led down to the lower level, and beautiful bridges connected the far sides of the canyon with each other so that every bit of the City was just as accessible as every other point. But what really struck Chase, was how beautiful everything was, this wasn’t just building carved into a dusty and dirty canyon, everything looked so modern, the streets where made with paved concrete, there where street lamps for the night, none further than twenty feet of each other, and the buildings where like normal buildings

Oh wow, they have a Starbucks here?

But he forced himself to stay focused. For the time being, they fit in, Chase was wearing the civilian clothes he had brought, with his suit underneath, he just had to hope no one noticed the red and black gloves, and shoes that poked out from his hoodie and jeans

Instantly Chase was at the edge of the level they were on, bringing a gust of wind with him. Looking down he saw the start of the next level. Like a staircase, the levels went out about one hundred feet, then dropped off, becoming the next level, and so on and so forth, each level being fifteen to twenty stories high, until it reached the bottom. And there was the Castle

“That’s where we need to get to” Max commented, looking past the bridges below them, a hint of anger in his voice “That’s where the ‘man in charge’ is”

Chase used his vision and examined the area, the waterfall that came from the Dragons Mouth (Dragon Falls) had turned into a river, that went across the whole canyon, it passed through what Chase assumed was the main town square, and split fifty feet before it hit the castle, creating the moat that surrounded it. There was a very nice, very wide, cobblestone bridge across the part of the river where it split, and led across to the castle courtyard.

“Wow,” Chase remarked “You guys have like, an actual Castle and everything… So I take it, that this is a monocracy”

“Kind of” Max explained “There is a guy that is the head, but he isn’t a king… It’s kinda like the president I guess, he has a measure of power, but he also has a chamber of Congress that he has to get with and discuss things with before anything big can get done”

Chase was about to say something further but just then there was a sudden commotion behind them. They turned around and no sooner had they when suddenly a bigger man came flying out of the alleyway behind them. 

He hit the ground with a thud, the blood from his shoulder littering the ground

“AGH!!” The man grunted, “Someone please help me!!”

 “Uh Oh” Chase muttered 

The next part happened extremely fast

Suddenly a figure zoomed up to him out of nowhere and got on top of him, grabbing him by the tuffs of his shirt. He didn’t look older than fourteen years old

“Tell me what you-!!” 

But he was suddenly cut off by the hooded figure that exited the alleyway in a hurry

“Blur, bolt!” He commanded,

At that moment the bystanders had apparently gotten out of their daze, and some of them got into a battle stance. A fireball was thrown, but the kid was too fast, he let the man go, and jumped up, dodging the attack, instead, the fireball hit another bystander.

“Too slow!!” He taunted, and in a blur, he blasted off past Chase, over the railing and onto the level below, leaving only a gust of wind where he had just been.

​

Bewildered Chase looked over the railing to see the kid zooming around on the level below 

“A speedster?!” He exclaimed, just then the hooded figure shoved Chase and Max aside and made the same leap downward

Chase and Max looked at each other

“Chase I don’t think we have time” Max insisted

“A Hero doesn’t just ignore a crime,” Chase insisted “plus maybe if we come to the castle with two criminals in custody, ‘The man in charge’ will be more accepting of us”

Max paused…That actually was… (Maybe?) Not a bad idea

“Ok” Max nodded “You take speedy, I’ll take the other”

“Break” Chase finished, then pulled out his mask, slid it onto his face, and effortlessly jumped the railing into the stunned crowd below

He took off, being sure not to break the sound barrier, as he went after the kid

And Max was about to do the same, but just as he took his backpack off to reach inside

A hand grabbed his shoulder

Max turned around and immediately regretted it. 

Crap

                                                                          --------------------------------------    

Chase zoomed through the crowd, he saw the kid up ahead, and for a speedster he was surprisingly slow, going maybe three-hundred

Chase easily got up next to him, and the world slowed.

The kid’s head turned, and Chase could see his eyes suddenly widen

Chase gave him a smile, though sadly the kid couldn’t see it on account of his mask

Then before the kid could react, Chase jumped forward and spin kicked the kid square in the chest. With a yelp, he flew over the railing, but apparently, Chase kicked him too hard, because he didn’t hit the level below, instead he kept flying through the air, terror on his face.

​

The levels were built like a staircase, each level being about two-hundred feet high, and extending one-hundred feet out, before dropping off into the next level. The kid was currently flying past the the level he was supposed to hit, and onto the level below that. They currently on level for, and the kid was going to fly past level three, and onto level two.

The world slowed even more, still in the air from his kick, and flying forward very fast, Chase considered what to do, he had just seen the kid survive a two-hundred-foot drop, but that was when he landed on his feet and considering how he saw the kid wince when he landed, he doubted that he could survive a four-hundred-foot drop

“Right, save the kid”

Chase let the world move again just long enough for him to land and get stable, the stopped it once more.

OK the kid hadn’t fallen much farther, but he needed to get down two levels before the kid hit the ground, the fastest way to do that would be to push himself off the edge, land and then jump to catch him

The world became normal

On a dime Chase dug his claws into the concrete, then turned and broke through the railing, aimed downward at just the right angle, and pushed off.

He flew past the kid as he fell, landing on level three, then running to the edge again, and pushing off again, he landed with a grunt, just missing a group of people,.

Spinning around he wasted no time. He took off towards the canyon wall, then aimed up and jumped, being sure to do so lightly so as not to careen up to the fifth level. But no, he had done it perfectly, he came to a stop in the air a foot before touching the kid. And once more the world filled with life.

The kid slammed into Chase’s chest as the two fell. With the kids screaming in his ears, and the wind at his back, Chase put his legs toward the ground, bent them just enough, and

“Nngh!” Chase grunted once more landing silently on the ground and threw the kid to the pavement

Extremely dazed the kid turned on his back and faced up at Chase, staring directly into the eyes of his mask.

“Y-You’re fast!” The kid sputtered in disbelief “But I’m the fastest!”

“Not anymore” Chase grunted pulling the kid to his feet, grabbing his wrist in a bone-crushing grip

“No please you don’t understand!” The kid pleaded

Chase turned around and shoved him into the alley, and against a wall

“You’ve got a minute” Chase growled

The kid’s face showed relief,

“I wasn’t attacking that guy! Ok… Well, I kinda was, but I have a reason! That guy is the reason our Dad is locked-”

“Stay away from him!” 

Chase turned just in time to see the other flying straight toward him, it would’ve been a really good kick, but Chase easily dodged it do to his speed

The figure hit the ground and rolled in recovery, then quickly got into a battle stance, facing Chase. His hood had fallen down when he hit the ground so Chase could now see his face. He was another kid, but older, about 16. Brothers, if Chase had to guess.

“Stay back” The kid threatened drawing his claws

Of course he had claws, why did everyone have claws all of a sudden?

Now Chase was intrigued, they seemed to be made of keratin or something, they were natural, and they seemed much more animalistic, out of place almost, like they weren’t designed for human fingers, in fact they seemed like they were just longer, sharper extensions of his fingers bone, merging with the nail. But judging by the blood on the big guy’s shoulder back when he first saw him, they did the job just fine.

Chase chuckled to himself and drew his much shiner, bigger, and sharper claws, feeling the metal form to become sharper as he got into battle stance.

He could see the color drain from the kids face, and he felt his shadow flicker

Wait, what?! Not now!

And in that instant that Chase was distracted, the kid made the first move swiping at Chase’s face. It was a clean cut, and Chase stumbled back for a bit, 

But then he stood up, the claws didn’t break the bulletproof material that Chase’s mask was made of.

They were sharp, but they were made for penetrating flesh, not much else. 

Now Chase was mad, ignoring the looks from the shadows he lunged forward. Giving a swipe at the kid's face, but missing as the kid dodged back as fast as he could. 

“Run!” The kid with the claws yelled as he took off out of the alley, grabbing his brother’s arm. But as he turned the corner into the street Slash was already there, and before either could do anything, Chase landed a strong uppercut on the kid with the claws

The kid stumbled back onto the street, hitting the ground hard.

Chase absentmindedly grabbed the fast one just as he tried to zoom past him, and yanked him back by the arm, throwing him on the ground by his brother. But something interesting was happening

The older one clutched his shaking arm as tightly as he could, breathing in and out too quickly

What the heck?

“Nononononononoo” The kid muttered to himself, “I can’t do this now”

It felt like he was trying to hold something in, like he was about to lose control

“Rrrgh!” He grunted

“Luke!” The fast one exclaimed running to his brother’s side “breath! Just breath!”

Luke nodded and continued to breathe slower and slower

“What’s going on?!” Chase exclaimed snapping out of his anger

“He can’t- it’s- He just-” The other kid stumbled, trying to find the right words, but none came, “Never mind no time”

“Is there anything I can-” Chase But suddenly Chase stopped, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. Tenderly he reached behind and pulled a dart from his shoulder

“What the” He said as he started to lose his balance
 

“What is it?” The kid asked as his brother started to calm down
 

Chase looked up through his blurring vision, and there he was

“Isaac” He growled

Then, to the kid’s horror, he collapsed onto the ground, and the world went black.