"Excellent!"
Seeing Russell vanish instantly on the surveillance feed, Cecil couldn't contain his excitement and slammed his fist on the command console.
On several screens from different angles, footage replayed of Russell evacuating civilians and unleashing a hurricane to defeat the alien army. The data streaming in from the incident was astonishing—bordering on the unbelievable.
"Director, Russell Hansen's speed appears to rival that of Red Rush."
"And…" Assistant Donald pushed up his glasses as he studied the tablet data. "He doesn't seem to have Red Rush's… defect."
Red Rush—the fastest man on Earth—was widely known for his impatience and his unwillingness to participate in many rescue missions. It wasn't without reason.
Though he had unparalleled speed, he lacked a normal human perception of time.
In other words, Red Rush could run a distance that would take others years in the blink of an eye—but from his perspective, it felt like trudging through years of boredom.
Even hearing someone say a full sentence could feel like days to him.
"Judging by Russell's calm expression after creating that hurricane with his speed, it's clear he doesn't share Red Rush's time perception issue."
So… was he an upgraded version of Red Rush?
"At last, some good news," Cecil sighed deeply.
The Global Guardians had been annihilated. Omni-Man was severely injured. The killer's identity was still unknown. There had been far too much bad news lately.
At a time like this, the sudden emergence of one of Earth's most powerful beings was a godsend.
Mark Grayson had already demonstrated remarkable strength and speed in several fights against crime. Although not quite on his father Omni-Man's level, he was still an exceptional powerhouse.
But…
"Russell Hansen isn't like Mark Grayson—he's a full-blooded Earthling." Cecil's eyes grew sharp as they swept across another screen showing Mark in combat.
"Didn't those two youngsters say they were going to spar somewhere?
Get a satellite to track them."
"Yes, Director."
Russell was the first to stop, arriving in a barren red wasteland. He glanced at his system panel.
Template Currently in Use: Red Rush
Abilities: Super Speed, Super Strength, Super Endurance, Super Defense, Bio-Field
"Although Red Rush is basically a bootleg Flash, he doesn't have that god-like 'Speed Force' cheat. He can't do the impossible—like having average strength but still move faster than lightning."
Which meant Red Rush's immense speed required a strong body to back it up.
He had super strength—tremendous strength at that. While not on par with Omni-Man or War Woman, he still ranked among the top-tier on Earth.
Combined with super speed that even Omni-Man couldn't match, Russell's current strongest template was undeniably Red Rush—far surpassing Immortal or War Woman.
He looked up at the figure flying toward him in the sky, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes.
Russell had decided—he would use this template to spar with his cousin, Mark.
"Cousin, is this the place? Colorado Canyon? I read about it in a geography textbook. Always wanted to come, but never got the chance." Mark descended and looked around.
An endless stretch of red plains, canyons towering on either side.
"It's peaceful here. We won't have to worry about hurting anyone during the fight." In the brief time they'd been talking, the two had already crossed thousands of miles to reach Colorado. Russell shoved his hands in his pockets.
The red and ochre earth beneath their feet baked under the blazing sun. The ridges in the distant canyon walls looked like the rings of time carved by nature. Weathered sandstone pillars rose like broken giant fingers on either side of the gorge.
Not a soul—or even an animal—was in sight.
"Hmm…" Mark nodded, about to agree, but the next moment—
Russell moved.
He shot forward like lightning, his fist tearing through the air, smashing straight at Mark.
Mark's eyes widened. He didn't dodge in time.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded, kicking up clouds of red dust. Mark flew back, crashing through several massive sandstone columns. From the rubble, he rubbed his face in disbelief.
"Cousin, that was a sneak attack! I didn't say start yet!"
"The enemy won't wait for you to get ready," Russell said with a smile, but didn't follow up with another hit.
"Alright, now I'm coming!" Mark grinned excitedly and launched forward—faster than any supersonic jet, instantly breaking through layers of sonic booms as he threw a punch.
Russell sidestepped smoothly, dodging the punch with perfect timing.
Mark couldn't brake in time and slammed into the opposite canyon wall.
RUMBLE!
Thousands of tons of rock came crashing down like an avalanche.
Covered in dust, Mark had just climbed out when a shadow descended—Russell was already in front of him, his fist raised under the glaring sun.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Over a dozen powerful punches landed on Mark's abdomen in the span of an instant. They were so fast, he didn't even hear them—his body simply folded forward from the impact.
With time seemingly slowed a hundredfold, he clearly saw his own spit flying from his mouth and shattering into droplets midair.
Mark flew again, crashing into a hundred-meter-tall cliff and leaving a deep crater.
"Again?" No time to breathe. Russell sprinted up the rock wall as if it were flat ground—his speed seemed to outpace gravity itself.
Mark quickly took off and countered with a punch.
They clashed from the canyon wall to the ground, from the ground to the skies above the canyon.
The earth trembled constantly—it was like two titans were brawling within the gorge.
After the fierce battle, the largely inexperienced Mark was repeatedly knocked around. But thanks to the incredible durability of Viltrumites, the only injury he'd sustained was a slightly swollen cheek.
"I'm done, I'm done. This isn't fun anymore.
I can't even touch you, Cousin."
Thrown yet again, Mark stabilized himself in midair and waved his hands.
This wasn't even a contest—it was just one-sided abuse.
His cousin Russell was far faster than him. Compared to him, Mark felt like an old man with rusty joints, being toyed with by a hyperactive teen.
"And I can't help but keep flying. There's no point in us sparring like this."
"Then don't fly." Russell had no way to counter Mark's natural defense as a Viltrumite either.
Of course, he wasn't willing to go all out and seriously hurt his clueless cousin—he wanted to win without causing real harm.
"Don't fly?" Mark crossed his arms and scoffed, giving him a you think I'm stupid? kind of look. "Then I'd just be a punching bag!"
"One week of exclusive gaming time."
Russell raised a finger.
Mark had average grades, and his aunt Debbie didn't allow him to buy a game console. He usually just read comics. When no one was watching, he often snuck in playtime on Russell's machine.
"One week?" Mark glanced sideways at his cousin, pretending not to care.
"Two weeks."
"Two?"
"One week and six days."
"Thr—"
"Deal!" Mark instantly appeared in front of Russell and gripped his hand tightly.
Russell chuckled. Mark grumbled, "How did we suddenly start negotiating down?"
....
[300PS= 1Bonus chapter]
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