Nothing could stand in his way, that was what he thought until…

  So close.

  He was mere inches away from righting the greatest wrong. Eradicating the Drazen Empire from the Phoenix’s perch would have ended the invasion once and for all.

  He could make out that annoying blemish in his domain. That same camouflage pattern marked his compulsory conscription into the military when the establishment promised the opposite. It was an uninvited guest who decided to show up unannounced after being labelled as KIA.

  He assumed everyone who stood in opposition to his will had fallen.

  The rival he outsmarted.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The masked Ascended that failed.

  The Crown Prince, who was a tad too late.

  And yet, the one factor he failed to account for had ruined his victory parade. Regardless, the final obstacle between him and godhood was this person decked out in the only remaining decommissioned uniform set. Where he hid for so long did not matter. How he returned from the grasp of the dead was not his concern. Even better, his coincidental return on this day to ruin his ascension. He cared not to answer these questions for it has come to this showdown of the ages. All that mattered was him, Neptune Smith, the hero of the world, eradicating this sight for sore eyes, rendering the dead…as part of the dead–and not his living dead–forever.

  Upon noticing the assault rifle bearing those dreaded keywords, “SAR”, his combat-ready stance and the authenticity of his legendary beret, Neptune knew the rumours of his survival were ultimately true. Instantly, his expression grew hideously insidious and twisted with the insanity of a hero’s warped sense of self-righteousness.

  “It’s you.”