User blog comment:Goldencahill/OC Written Fanfic Contest of Champions - Round 2/@comment-24335505-20161105201754

"Tragedy. When the feeling's gone and you can't go on it's tragedy".

Aaron Taylor staggered through Central Park, humming the Bee Gees song to himself and searching for a corner devoid of people. The few drinks he'd had earlier were affecting him more than he had thought. Sure, he was underage, but when you're one of the richest guys in town, the bartender can be convinced to look the other way. Plus, his reasoning behind hitting the bar was valid. He just wasn't having the best day. First his car was blown apart by a superhuman fight, and in his attempt to get revenge he'd ended up helplessly floating through the air with a lampost that was less dense than air wrapped around his midsection. He had been floating for hours, which gave him plenty of time to think, and the results weren't pretty. Between the self-loathing and lack of confidence, he really just wanted to be alone.

That was why he had come to Central Park this late. There weren't many people frolicking in the park in the middle of the night, and the setting was enough to put his mind at ease briefly.

Finally finding a bench, he slumped down and glanced off over the city. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and lay back, settling down and looking up to the sky. How could he possibly go back and face his teammates now? They'd never respect him again.

"Hey, you. I believe I have matters to discuss with you".

Aaron sat up, looking over towards the voice. Standing underneath a tree was some sort of... alien, maybe? Whatever it was, it wasn't human.

"Lady, look, I don't know who you are, but I just want to be left alone. I can't be bothering you sitting here."

"Actually, you are." she responded with hostility. "I encountered a man earlier, when I too was trying to be alone, and this man attacked me with a knife".

"What the hell does that have to do with me?" Aaron shot back.

The creature looked at him coldly. "His only form of identification traced him back to your company. You are Aaron Taylor, are you not? Can you explain why this Jack Smith came after me?"

Aaron shook his head. "I have no idea who Jack Smith is".

"That's not good enough!" she yelled back at him. "I demand you answer me!"

"Forget it, I'll find another bench."

Aaron climbed back to his feet and began to walk away. Suddenly, the creature teleported and appeared in front of him, now brandishing an energy blade. He sidestepped her thrust, hardening his fists to steel as he went. She spun around, swinging the blade in a brutal slash intended to incapacitate him. Aaron continued to back up, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. As she swung the blade around again in an arc, he caught her wrist with his left hand, and grabbing it with his right, he snapped the bones. The alien let out a cry and stepped back, vanishing.

"I don't care who the hell you are, or what your goddamn problems are, ok? Leave me the hell alone!" Aaron shouted.

He whirled around to see a sphere of blue light hurtling towards him. He ducked, letting the sphere pass over him, when it promptly exploded, showering him in sparks of plasma and sending him flying into the grass. He felt his wounds reopen as he collided with the rough terrain, and gritted his teeth. Converting his whole body into steel, he jumped back to his feet and sprinted at the tree where the sphere had come from. As he ran, a second sphere of plama floated up into the air. Slowing down, Aaron grabbed a pinecone and converted it to metal. Taking careful aim, he flung it at the sphere as it began to accelerate in his direction. The sphere exploded as violently as the first one, decimating the tree he was running towards and filling the air with burning leaves, gently floating on the breeze. The alien stepped out, her hands crackling with mystical energy. Putting them together, she let out a destructive cone of plasma. The plasma burned, even through his metal skin, but Aaron threw his arm in front of his face and charged through the stream, refusing to let himself feel the pain.

The alien was clearly surprised by his efforts and switched tactics, focusing the beam directly at his shoulder. Aaron screamed in agony and fell to his knees. The alien dropped the beam, and casually strolled over to him, still cradling her broken hand. .

"The next time you decide to send an assassin after someone, remember Kaelia Nir'bak, and maybe you'll think differently." she muttered, gazing down on him in pity. "Now I believe I'll be going."

She turned around, and began to walk away. Seeing this, Aaron was filled with rage. He wasn't going to be taken down twice in one day, not like this. He got up and shot a kick at the back of her knee, bending it forward and emmiting a sickening crunch. As she began to go down, he followed up with a punch to the head, sending her sprawling sideways on the pavement. He raised his fist again, and she let out a cry, throwing up a glowing energy barrier around herself.

Aaron was unfazed. He pounded his fists into the barrier relentlessly, fueled by the terror of the wounded Kaelia behind it.

"You think you can ruin my life because you had a hard time? You think I'm that big of an ass, do you? I came to this park for my own damn reasons, and my day's been no better than yours. I'm tired of getting beat on, I'm tired of not being respected, and most of all I'm tired of you."

Finally a punch struck true, and the barrier shattered, leaving only Kaelia on the ground. Aaron grabbed her leg as she instinctively teleported away, ending up in another park of the park somewhere. Spinning her around, he threw her into a line of trash cans, which sent various plastic wrappings and half-eaten food scraps flying everywhere. Looking at her slumped body on the ground, Aaron was suddenly overcome with a sort of sadness. He couldn't take out his anger on this poor girl, however violent she had been. Letting his steel transmutation fade away, he ambled over and reached out a hand. She looked at it timidly before accepting it and pulling herself back up.

"I... I guess I'm just tired." he murmured

She gazed at him with the same sadness in her eyes as he helped her over to a bench.

"No, you are correct. I was wrong" she stated, looking guiltily at him. "I never should have attacked you like that. I think someone has been playing us both."

Aaron nodded. There was no way these events could all be random. There was something, or someone, behind all of this, and he intended to find out who. Pulling out his phone, he called for a ride. He needed to do some research. Remembering Kaelia, he turned around to ask where she needed to go, but she was gone, only a faint shimmer in the air marking her earlier presence.

Looking up once again at the sky, Aaron finally made his decision.

"Goodbye Kaelia. I want you to know...I'll end this."