Forty years ago, on the outskirts of Frankfurt, Kentucky, USA.

"Go away, go away!" a couple of big, sturdy kids pushed and rubbed the neighbor kids who were trying to play with them, "so skinny and still want to play baseball with us, huh!"

The child, who was clearly a lap younger than them, stared at the big black eyes and allowed them to shove a baseball rolling on the ground, mud and stains into his mouth, but he remained silent.

Behind him, the door of a house opened, and out of it came a well-equipped child with a baseball bat upside down, the siege on the side of the baseball field was too conspicuous, his eyes instantly locked, and he ran directly to this side, "Stop! Don't bully him!"

The older kids recognized the voice, and they all stopped and made a way, "Kevin..."

Kevin came to the emaciated child, pulled out the dirty ball that had opened his mouth, and took him to the nearby sink to wash, the child didn't look special, but no matter how he tried to get him, he didn't react, Kevin couldn't help but stare at him.

"Kevin, what are you doing protecting him? ”

"I'll protect it, don't trouble him in the future. ”

"It's up to you, it's really..."

The older kids were bored and returned to the baseball field, where the emaciated kid washed up and bypassed Kevin to leave.

"What's your name?" called Kevin.

“Matthew.Ballard.” Matthew turned to look at Kevin, who was half a head taller than him.

"I'm Kevin, Kevin.Bell, are you in elementary school? I'm in the elementary school that owns this ballpark, third grade. Kevin laughed, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Me too. ”

"You said you were too?!Third grade??, could you be the one who always came first? Yes, I heard that the man's name was Matthew. Despite being his age, Kevin was about the size of an older child, and his reputation for lounging around the neighborhood was in stark contrast to Matthew.

"Yes. ”

"That's great! Let's be friends. Kevin changed to a baseball in his hand, stretched out his right hand and shook Matthew's hand, "In the future, you play with me, and if you are bullied, you must fight back, if you can't beat me, I will help you, and then you can teach me to learn!"

Thirty-five years ago, Kevin's home warehouse.

Kevin struggled to pile straw and other flammable and explosive items aside, wearing his red and white striped varsity jersey, apparently skipping training after receiving a text message from Matthew.

Matthew stood in the middle of the warehouse and watched Kevin run around, and every ten seconds or less, a ball of fire erupted from his body, causing the entire warehouse to steam.

"Kevin, do I look like a monster now?"

"No, I think I'm handsome!like an X-Men!" Kevin panted, but still had a smile on his face, and he could hear unadorned excitement in his words, "And anyway, you still have me." ”

"Brush!" A person appeared out of thin air in the warehouse, Kevin's vision was instantly obscured, and the person casually placed a spatial barrier on Matthew, and then babbled and pulled out a note with black letters on a red background for him to see.

Surrounded by an opaque spatial barrier, Kevin would not be noticed by the outside world no matter how much he yelled or punched and kicked, but Matthew was still concerned about Kevin's situation and refused to say yes.

This awakened space group hadn't dealt with this situation yet, and when they were in a hurry, Kevin suddenly made a difference.

The opaque spatial barrier was removed, and Kevin's clothes tore through two large holes, and a pair of wide, sharp steel wings shone coldly.

"Look, I said you and me. ”

Twenty years ago, District 51.

"If I could leave everything in District 51 behind, I'd like to go here. Kevin pointed to a spot on Google Maps and drank down his bourbon, "The last town in the U.S. that still has a western cowboy spirit." ”

"While it's true that the mission of the Department is not challenging, do you really want to escape?" Matthew, dressed in a long black trench coat, had just returned from a mission.

We are 29 years old, 15 years in District 51, 15 years in life, there are only 15 years in life, there must be one of our own. ”

"You forgot the Ring of Life..."

"Hmph!" Kevin pointed his finger at himself and then at Matthew, "I haven't done a new energy input yet, and neither have you." ”

"Yes, but what does that have to do with me?" Matthew could vaguely guess what Kevin was going to do.

"If I'm going to go, I'm going with you. ”

Nineteen years ago, the American West town pub.

Matthew poured two beers, Kevin used to do this kind of thing, the change of roles brought out a mysterious sense of ritual, Matthew sat down, opened the kraft notebook that had been inseparable from him recently, "Kevin, I want to delve into the fusion of abilities." ”

"Okay, I have something I want to do, that's good. Kevin has always been a booze, and his name is well-known in the small-town bar gambling and drinking community, "But what is the fusion of abilities?"

"Most of the gods of the Age of Mythology possessed more than one ability, so when the mass of the ultimate fragment degraded to the point that it could only awaken one ability in one person, the multiple abilities possessed by a single god in the early days should still be able to merge with each other and coexist in a single person. Matthew has been an academic since he was a child, "There are very few people who have studied this area, and the latest conclusions can only prove that ability fusion is a combination of two abilities, not two at the same time." These two abilities will coexist in various ways and cannot be seen or used alone. ”

"Uh... Okay, you don't have to explain it to me, come on, you're so smart. Kevin poured another cup and Matthew took out a long shotgun, "I bought this and wanted to give it to you, I couldn't find a reason to give it to you, and now I just use this as an excuse." ”

Matthew took the gun and tried to fiddle with it a few times.

"Hehe, I won't use it, I'll tell you, this is an old guy, if you want to do this, then like this, take good care of it." ”

"Hmm. ”

Fifteen years ago, the roof of a small town share house.

At night, the loess and dust were dark, and only the bright yellow moon was large and visible, and the stars were scattered around.

"Kevin, I'm going to try to create the ability to merge the first person. Matthew's tone was flat, with unshakable determination in the flatness.

Kevin's mouth was no longer accustomed to it, "Matthew, are you serious? Didn't you say that to achieve the fusion of abilities, one capable person needs to give up his ability at the cost of his life and send it into the body of another capable person..."

"Yes, I'm willing to give up my abilities, I'm willing to die for it. Matthew's burning heart even mobilized the power in his body, and a little flame burst out of his palm, "Kevin, we have very good conditions, the elemental group fire and the steel group have coexisted in Hephaestus. Together, we were able to create the first person to be able to merge!"

"Wait, Matthew, do you think no one has tried it before you?" Kevin was a little anxious, this kind of death, once he died, he was really dead, "but not a single ability fusion appeared. ”

"I know that the success rate is of course very low. Matthew grabbed Kevin's shoulder, "But it's not impossible, if no one ever tries, no one will ever succeed." Kevin, would you like to bet this with me?"

"I... Probably can't promise you. ”

I don't say yes, without me, you should give up...

Kevin turned, soaring into the air, toward the distant sky.

Ten years ago, the Phoenix Islands.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it? All we see is a light and shadow from thousands of years ago, but it's long gone forever. Tonight was just as starry as that night, Matthew looked at Kevin in the distance, "So what I hate the most is the old stuff." "The pursuit of something that can change history is destined not to be bound by the past.

"But hopelessly, I just like things that are outdated. Kevin smiled silently and drank the wine in his hand, "I'm sorry for you, old friend." ”

"Earlytime, you still like this style that only a woman likes. Matthew frowned, trying to shake off the violet and aromatic scented air around him.

"Bourbon, from our hometown, on this deserted island, don't you want to have a little bit?" Kevin smiled again, holding the bottle and gently shaking it as if tempting, but also like confiding, "Speaking of which, this island was specially chosen by me, for you, Phoenix, the Fire Elf." ”

We've all left Area 51, Kevin shouldn't be able to find out where I am, how would he know I'm passing through tonight, and if he's been able to track me down, why bother to meet now?

"I don't say that you will think of the answers to these questions. "Kevin's eyes are deep and he seems to be able to read people's hearts.

"I see. Matthew smiled self-deprecatingly, and then suddenly became very excited, "The ultimate spirit - Shattered Star Eye, Nightmare, Spirit Upgrade!Kevin, my obsession with the fusion of abilities has always caused many people to regard me as a monster, and now you have nightmares, and you are even more like a monster in their eyes than me, so you finally want to open and prepare to join forces with me to create a monster miracle?"

Matthew summoned the flames all over his body, and the whole island was as bright as day, and the rolling heat with the smell of the trees scattered in all directions, and the flames turned into a torrent and surged towards Kevin's back.

Kevin spread his wings, the feathers that shimmered with cold light, tightly fitted, forming an impermeable wall, whether it was a heat wave or a monstrous flame, it was impossible to get close, "It's been ten years, and you still want to do this..."

"You, still won't come with me—" Matthew's dark eyes stared at the wall of steel feathers, and after a moment the flames dissipated, as he had done then, he would never force this man.

Matthew, I can't do anything for you, and I can't stop you from pursuing your dreams, I can only promise you that you will never die because of me, and you will never die in front of me.

At the beginning of the year, the Wisconsin Forest.

Kevin retrieved his letter from a town more than a dozen kilometers away, and when he opened it, he had already guessed the contents.

Do you say you hate outdated stuff the most... But in the end, you have to pick the steel wing species to fulfill your dream... And, it really made you successful...

"Matthew, it's been forty years..."

I didn't promise you at the beginning, hum, then now, I'll help this kid for the last time, die like this, and have a clear conscience when I see you.

I'm looking forward to teaching you all the knowledge I've learned all my life about the steel wings, whether I can get it, and how far I can go in the end... We... I'm looking forward to it...

Kevin's fingers slid slowly, and the sounds and images that had come to an abrupt halt as the sun cast a huge spot of light through the winged trees, shining like stars on the steel feathers scattered all over the ground, leaving one last sparkle of light.

Friends are like kings, although they die, they do not regret it.