Chapter 6
Justice and Zero had healed pretty well since their encounter with Mercy. Justice had decided to go out and think by himself. "I've never been humiliated like that... that is only one of the very few times I've been defeated in battle." He thought to himself as he ran. "She's strong... so what must I do to become stronger?" He asked himself. He was approaching a forest. He decided to head straight into it, disappearing into the dense undergrowth.Zero and The Creator had watched him go, not leaving the spot they had been in before. "Creator, why is big brother leaving us?" Zero asked with almost childlike inquiry. "Do not worry. He is just mad because he lost against Mercy. He'll be back soon. But where exactly does he think he's going?" The Creator replied. Justice, on the other hand, was traveling through the forest and sensed something rather odd. He headed towards it. "Isn't this the direction of Sayago's grave?" He thought to himself, not stopping or turning. He soon arrived in the middle of the place he recognized as the monolith built for Sayago by The Creator himself.
Justice sighed. "I knew it." He said to himself. He walked around the graveyard, examining the large monument. He suddenly saw a girl appear from the ground. It was Sayago. "Who are you?" She asked him quickly, in a lifeless voice. She looked as alive as Justice except for her eyes, which were dull and had no life at all.
"My name is Justice. I am a product of..." Justice began, but was cut off. "The Creator, right?" She asked. "Yes. And am I supposed to assume that you are as well?" He asked.
Present Time - 50 Years Later
Justice and Zero were running towards Sayago's grave as Justice finished recounting that experience. Zero looked over at him and saw him snap back into reality. "Did you remember something else?" He asked. "Yes. I met a girl on that day 50 years ago." Justice replied. "But what significance does it have to you?" Zero asked, a little interested. "All I know is that I heard a very bad way to gain power." Justice answered. Zero looked a little worried. He looked away from his brother and towards the green grass path ahead. "Brother, why do you want to remember about a bad way to gain power?" He asked. "Because I couldn't grasp it last time. I failed." Justice said, not looking at Zero as he responded. "And this is power I can control. If I wanted dark power, I could just rely on my instincts. But that would be a deadly mistake." Zero looked down at the ground. "Yes, it is," He responded. They stayed quiet for the next few minutes until they arrived at Sayago's grave. Justice inspected the monolith, as he had done so long ago. Sayago came up out of the ground in the same fashion. "Hello, Justice. So nice to see you again." She said in the same lifeless tone. "Sayago... I've come back with my brother, Zero." Justice replied. Sayago looked stunned for a moment and folded her hands. "Zero. He was a fused form of The Creator and his team. But this one..." She began, walking over to Zero and putting her hand on his face. He said nothing as she continued, "He's different. A creation of The Creator as well." She said, taking her hand away. "Her memories were inserted by The Creator... which means she's a work of his too, and not the real Sayago, as I thought." Justice thought to himself. "Why have you come back?" Sayago asked. Justice answered almost immediately, "I need you to tell me how to gain the power again."
Of course, the three villains were not going to sit around and wait for Zero and Justice to find them. Nero had gone off to find Zero and Mercy and The Dark One had gone off to find more of Justice's previous team members. Mercy was first to speak. "How many more of Justice's previous teammates do we know are still alive?" She asked. The Dark One sighed and closed her eyes, thinking hard. "That I know of, Justice, throughout his life so far, has had around 10 team members, at least. Of those 10 we've killed one, found a member of The Creator's team, and are still searching for the nine others of Justice's team." She replied, opening her eyes afterwards. "Ah... so Justice himself must know how many of his other teammates are alive still." Mercy concluded. "Of course, you simpleton," The Dark One replied with a hint of anger. "Don't call me a simpleton!" Mercy growled. They sped up, heading towards the ocean that Hope, Legend, and The Creator were at, if only by accident. Nero sighed and thought to himself. He needed a plan. He sensed Zero along with two others, one he knew as Justice and the other he couldn't recognize. Running through the field at hundreds of miles an hour he approached Sayago's grave quickly. He hid himself and lowered his energy signal. "Time to put a plan into action..." He mumbled.
Hope walked out of the ocean and realized that she was alone now. The Creator and Legend were playing a trick on her, and she didn't realize it. She looked around and thought to herself, "Oooh, I'm all pruny!" She then decided to try and find Justice or Zero or the other two. "Um... big brother!" She called, a little scared at the moment. No one answered her. She called out again. "Legend! Creator!" But no one answered. She started to sniffle a bit and tears fell from her eyes here and there. "Guys!!" She choked through the tears, taking off and running through the field. The Creator and Legend popped up out of the ocean water. "Was that entirely necessary?" Legend asked as The Creator rolled around laughing on the sand. "My sense of humor is really... really sick, isn't it?" He gasped in between laughs. "Yup." Legend replied tiredly. Hope was running still, not sensing anything or anyone until she ran face first into a tree that was near a forest line. "Ow!!!" She whined as she rubbed her face. She was quickly bound by a thread of darkness. "What do we have here?" The Dark One asked, clenching her fist at her side and squeezing Hope. "It's Justice's little sister Hope!" Mercy cackled. "Maybe we should kill her? That would send a big message to the two." Hope began to cry. The Dark One looked a little annoyed and said, "No, Mercy. Killing her with two on one would seem cowardly. If we ever see her alone again while we are, though... she's dead." The two vanished back into the darkness, letting Hope go. She cried loudly as Justice appeared at her side. She ran up and hugged him, tears flowing down her face. "Too late..." Justice muttered. "Those two meanies are trying to hurt me!!!" Hope gasped in between tears. Justice hugged her back and picked her up gently, taking her back to Sayago's grave. "It's okay now." He said, wiping the tears away from her eyes as they arrived.
Justice and Zero tried to comfort Hope, who was still scared and crying. Nero looked irritated. "I'll have to come back later... I can't take all four of them at once." He said, running away. Zero looked up, thinking he sensed something. "Must've imagined it." He said, going back to comforting Hope. Sayago turned her attention towards Justice, yet again. "Do you still want me to tell you how to gain that power?" She asked. "Yes." Justice replied quickly. Sayago told him that she had told him 50 years ago. "You have to kill me in battle. Then you will unlock all the secrets, combinations, and mastery of your powers." Justice sighed. "I remember now. I didn't... couldn't do it last time. You were too strong. But 50 years has made the difference thousands couldn't. I know how to beat you." He said, putting his hand on his blade. Zero took Hope and went a few hundred feet away. "This battle will be too much for you to sit through... Justice has to give everything he has. No help from Cozier." Zero told Hope, who looked a little shocked. Sayago had a bow and arrows appear through magic. Her bow was crafted from stone, but she wielded it as though it were nothing. The arrows were normal as well, but instilled with Sayago's silver energy. She strung her bow and aimed an arrow. "Your life depends on the outcome of this battle." She said, letting the arrow fly.
