“AAAAAAND THE WINNER…. ‘KILLER’ CASSIUS!”

Cassius raised his arm high and proud, well above where the referee could reach. He looked down at his opponent, still on the ground from the barrage he endured. In the back of the venue, he exchanged words with the fight promoter.

“That was your quickest knockout yet, Cassius. Only three months and you’ve beaten all my regulars. I put a word in at an arena for guys like you and they asked you to swing by tomorrow, here are the details.” he handed over a note on a piece of paper with an address and a time.

“Thanks, Damon. Call me if you ever need to humble one of your fighters.” Cassius chuckled on his way out.

All that mattered to Cassius was becoming more powerful than those he faced. He learned quickly and adapted almost instantly to any situation. There was an innate strength within him that pushed him to achieve even greater feats. The arena would pose a decent challenge.

Beneath an abandoned building, in a ritzy part of the city, Cassius searched for an entrance. Concrete parted on one of the walls he passed, and behind it, he could hear the arena. Heavy hits landed and bodies slammed the floor. Cassius passed by others carelessly, looking for a better view.

The arena was massive, and the fight had just ended, both fighters dragged out. Cassius was beckoned forth by an elderly man on the fighting grounds. He took a large spiral staircase around to the entrance and removed his shirt, prepared for battle.

Silence fell as the elderly man announced. “Please welcome our new fighter, ‘Killer’ Cassius.”

No applause, very little movement.

“He will be facing our very own, Coyote Wallace.”

Thunderous applause and shuffling. Excitement filled the air.

Coyote Wallace brushed past Cassius and took a stance on the other end, sighing as if this fight was not worth his time.

Cassius walked forward briskly, hands up in a boxing position. Coyote Wallace did not put his hands up. Instead, the beast snarled and leapt at Cassius, taking a bite out of his shoulder. Cassius looked to the fight caller, assuming there were rules. The old man was gone and Killer wasn’t upset, rather, he was delighted.

Studying the movement of Coyote Wallace, Cassius began to move in the same patterns. As Coyote advanced, Cassius pivoted and took advantage. Then, he went in for the kill.

Cassius reached for the legs of Wallace, which were thin and feeble. He grabbed with one arm and slammed his shoulder into the bone with his other side. Wallace howled in pain, and began to enter a fit of rage. Cassius stood near the wall and waited, already expecting an attack. He grabbed Coyote’s side and pressed him into the wall, using his momentum against him.

Cassius had won the match, to the surprise of the audience. Coyote Wallace, if alive, would take much time to recover. Grinning, Cassius walked up the stairs and out of the arena, patted on the back by many cheering spectators.

The early morning was illuminated only by street lights on Cassius’ way home. He walked past a street where he heard crying out. A man was being robbed and beaten by another. Cassius smiled wide and sauntered forth. Without a word, he began to wail on the aggressor. Punch one knocked him out, and the victim ran as he watched Cassius resume the gruesome beating.

Punch after punch, Cassius laughed, feeling as if he was the most powerful being alive. And he wished he was.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cassius saw someone in red approaching. He continued beating on the robber as he realized he was being watched by none other than HardStop. Cassius was a massive fan, idolizing his power.

“Leave this man be.” HardStop commanded.

“You don’t get it, he was-” Cassius began to explain, being interrupted by the pause of motion set by the hero.

HardStop floated towards Cassius, but something strange was happening. He was mid punch and he began to… move. HardStop had never seen this happen before.

“What…how?” the hero was baffled.

Power within Killer had been growing for many years, fatefully culminating here. As if shattering the glass of the universe, Cassius busted out from frozen motion. He completed the strike he was attempting, nearly killing the man he was holding up. Something was wrong, however.

HardStop moved the robber and resumed time. He looked to Cassius, who was frozen still, but not fully. He flashed from point to point wherever he was going. Cassius vanished and appeared closer to HardStop, confused about this condition.

“Fix… ME.” he pleaded, seeming to be in pain.

HardStop was called off that very moment to an important mission and Cassius was left there, still broken.

Over time, he would learn to hone this condition to his advantage and gain control of his movements more precisely. This movement would multiply his strength exponentially, as his momentum was infinite upon flashing, if he wanted it to be. 

One day, he knew he’d encounter HardStop again, not seeking vengeance, but offering gratitude. He would seek out power of all forms to become even stronger, and be known by all as Cassius Killmove.