*Chapter 2* Something Up With Number One

(Kazu was sitting in the living room alone in the dark. Reo walked in after a night of patrolling the city with Taku. He was worn out. Reo looked and saw Kazu. He decided to talk to him.)

Reo: *sigh* "What's up with you?"

Kazu: "Hmm? Oh, nothing, just thinking."

(Reo took a seat next to him.)

Reo: "Yeah, that's a pretty sad thinking face, and who the hell thinks in the dark?"

Kazu: *sigh* "I don't know man. I just sorta forgot about me having to go to other cities. As the top hero I'm expected to help all in need, but I kinda like being here."

Reo: "Here? This good for nothing city. Why exactly?"

Kazu: "Well it's not just the city, it's the people. I usually go to each city for at least three months, and leave after the crime is down, but this city has no crime at all and yet I've been here for almost seven months."

Reo: "You still didn't answer my question. Why?"

Kazu: "I-I like the team."

Reo: "This team? The team that has practically learned nothing you taught them? The team that will probably be the first to die if a real threat happened to this city."

Kazu: "I don't know, they all have so much more character than any other team I've had."

Reo: "That's true. They all definitely are full of 'character'."

Kazu: "It's just nice here. It feels like a real family. I know it's wrong, but I kinda wish more crime will happen soon. You know, just so I can stay and all."

Reo: "It is very wrong to wish that. It's very wrong and selfish."

Kazu: "I know, but-"

Reo: "You didn't let me finish damn it. It's wrong and selfish to wish that, but sometimes you need to be a little selfish once in a while."

Kazu: "Ok? What are you getting at here exactly?"

Reo: "I'm saying treat yourself idiot. Maybe tell the press that you're not leaving. Maybe tell them that you're staying. Do what you want."

Kazu: "Why are you telling me this? Don't you want me gone?"

Reo: "I really do, but other people like you and right now it's not my time to be selfish."

(Reo stood up and started walking away.)

Kazu: "Where are you going?"

Reo: "To bed. I'm tired as hell. Think about it Kazu, leave or stay. Either way I don't care."

(Reo left the room and Kazu sat there and thought for a few minutes. He didn't know what to do, but weirdly Reo helped him.)

(Morning finally came and Selene and Ruri were sitting on the couch watching the news. The news lady was still talking about the soon to leave number one hero. The news lady was sitting next to an older looking guy.)

News lady: "Our beloved number one hero will soon go off to another city to help them like he helped ours. Now who will take his spot in our city? Portaru has made a team of heroes during his time here, and today we will try and figure out who will take his place as the leader."

(She looked to the guy next to her.)

New lady: "Today I am next with professor..., I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name."

Professor: "Just call me professor."

News lady: "Oh, ok. Well, Professor, who do you think will be the next leader of our city's super hero team?"

Professor: "Well you don't know how they act on the inside of their headquarters. To us they're the heroes that save us. We don't know their personalities, the way they act, or how they act towards each other. We don't know their leadership skills at all, all we know is how they save us. So though we can make guesses on who we think it'll be, we'll never know for sure exactly who will be the next leader."

News lady: "So who do you think it'll be?"

Professor: "D-did you not just hear me? Is my mic on?"

News lady: "Oh, I heard you, but you didn't answer me. Who...do you, think...Will be. The next. Leader."

(The News lady leaned in on each word she said.)

Professor: "Um, uhh"

(The Professor looked around anxiously, and then the screen change to a screen that said technically difficulties with a drawing of a guy shrugging at a destroyed camera.)

Ruri: "Wow, that got intense."

Selene: "Yeah it did, but to be fair he didn't answer her question."

Ruri: "True."

(Kazu walked in after Ruri said that. Ruri turned over to look at Kazu.)

Ruri: "So you have about a week till you move on, huh?"

Kazu: "Yea, a little less than that, but yea."

Selene: "How do you feel?"

Kazu: "Alright I guess. Nothing new."

Selene: "Oh, ok. So you said you've done this before, right?"

Kazu: "Yea, I've done this for most of the time I've been a hero. Just kinda forgot that's all."

(Before any of them could say another word, Kazu walked out of the room.)

Ruri: "Kind of a hard thing to forget if you ask me."

Selene: "Yea."

(Dai and Taku were in the training arena, training with each other and talking.)

Taku: "So bro, you should make me like the co-leader when you're in charge."

(He shot a plasma shot after saying that and Dai made a quick dodge to the right.)

Dai: "First, I don't know if I'll be leader and second, there isn't a co-leader position to give."

(Dai made a drill come out of his palm and darted for Taku. Taku jumped out of the way and the drill went back into Dai's hand.)

Taku: "Duh, that's why you make one. No one's gonna question you, you're the leader."

(Taku used a plasma bomb to propel himself up into the air and land on Dai, but Dai throws him and pins him to the ground.)

Dai: "Taku, again, I don't know if I'll be a leader. Plus, no offence, I don't think you're co-leader material."

Taku: "What?!"

(Taku then broke out of the pin and slammed Dai to the ground and held him down.)

Taku: "Why don't you think that?"

Dai: "Well, you're more focused on girls then being a hero, I don't think you're that strong in general, and sorry, but most people on the team don't like you."

Taku: "What? No way. I'm like the jokester. Me and Reo have this ongoing joke going on where like, whenever I try to talk to him, he always says 'shut up, we're not friends' and I..."

(Taku stopped and thought for a moment.)

Taku: "Oh..."

Dai: "Yea, sorry bro."

Taku: "Well, I'm still stronger than you, so if you say I'm weak then that makes you..."

(Dai threw Taku off him, jumped up, put his foot on Taku's chest, and turned his hand into a drill while pointing it at him.)

Dai: "Sorry, I was caught up in the conversation."

(Taku couldn't get out of the position, he just lost that training session.)

Taku: "Oh, ok."

(Dai looked up at the clock.)

Dai: "Ooooo, lunch time."

(Dai got off him and started heading to the door. He stopped at the doorway and looked back at Taku.)

Dai: "Sorry Taku. Sorry this all happened. Maybe someday our dream will come true."

Taku: "Y-yea, maybe someday."

(Dai turned back forward and headed to the kitchen to eat. Taku sat up. He sat there for a moment in silence. He then got up and headed to the kitchen too.)

(Yui and Sara were walking around the city. It was about noon and they were gonna get lunch out in the city.)

Sara: "Ooooooo what should we get, what should we get?"

Yui: "Ummmm, I don"t know. What sounds good?"

Sara: "Hmmmmmm, mm mm mmmm. I have no idea."

Yui: "Well you did wanna go out to the city to eat."

Sara: "yeah, but I don't know what the city has. We'll have to check all over and find out what they got."

Yui: "Alright Sara."

(They finally found a restaurant where they took a seat and waited for their food.)

Yui: "Soooo, what do you think about Kazu leaving?"

(Yui took a sip of water.)

Sara: "Ummm, I don't know. I like Kazu, but I mean now my brother gets to be leader."

(Yui choked on her water a bit.)

Sara: "What's wrong?"

Yui: "Nothing, nothing, but do you really think Reo will be the next leader?"

Sara: "Yes of course. He is very strong. Don't you think so?"

Yui: "Yea. Reo is very strong, and powerful, and strong, and powe... uh I mean yeah yeah I think so too."

Sara: "Yeah, so don't you think he should be the leader then?"

Yui: "Well, I mean it's more than just being strong to be the leader."

Sara: "Like what?"

Yui: "Well, I mean you have to be nice and well...and Reo isn't the nicest one out there, you know?"

Sara: "Yeah I know."

(Sara looked down a bit like she was sad.)

Yui: "You ok?"

Sara: "Yeah I'm fine. It's just, No one knows Reo like I know Reo. He pushes people away to act tough, but he actually really cares about everyone."

Yui: "Oh really?"

Sara: "Yea."

(Sara looked down like she did something wrong. Yui was gonna say something but the waiter interrupted. )

Waiter: "Your food."

Yui: Oh, uh thank you.

(They started eating their meal in silence. It was very awkward, but Yui was afraid to say anything that would upset Sara. They finished their food and Yui paid.)

Yui: "You ready to get out of here."

(Sara nodded her head without saying a word. She still didn't look Yui in the eyes. Yui didn't know why she looked so upset or why she was so concerned on what everyone thought of Reo. They left the restaurant and headed back to the mansion, but Yui had to say something.)

Yui: "Listen Sara, I've never had any siblings so I don't know why you're so protective of Reo even though he doesn't even seem to like you sometimes, but if it makes you feel any better, I do like Reo. I'm still not sure about him being the leader, but he's definitely a great fighter and a good friend."

(Sara looked up at Yui. Yui smiled at Sara, then Sara started to smile too.)

Sara: "That's all I wanted to hear."

(Sara was back to her cheery self and began skipping to the mansion. Yui was happy that she was happy.)

Kage: "I swear I'll put you in a retirement home, old man. What is taking so long?"

Hugo: "Well, I mean most of my equipment did get burned so it's kinda hard to do what I'm trying to do with what I got."

Kage: "Jesus, just shut up and finish this crap. No more breaks till this is finished."

Hugo: "Though that is very unfair, I think I'm nearly done."

Cho: "That's what you said last week."

(She said this while hanging upside down off a dirty bed.)

Hugo: "No, I said I'm close to being nearly done, now I'm just nearly done."

Zazz: "Soooo, when can I kill someone."

Kage: "Don't worry Zazz, if the old man doesn't hurry the hell up, I'll let you kill him, as long as you make it slow."

Zazz: "Oh, it'll be slow alright. Soooo sloooow."

(Zazz licked his lips.)

Hugo: *Gulp* "Why did I start working for villains?

Kage "Cuz you're duuuumb. Now hurry uppppp."

???: "I might be able to help."

(A voice from a darker end of the warehouse spoke.)

Kage: "Damn it. Who the hell snuck in today, another idiot kid that needs to die?"

???: "No no, I'm no child, and I prefer you don't kill me."

(The man walked out of the shadows to be seen. He had raggedy dark orange hair, and wore a torn up shirt with some holey sweatpants. He had on no shoes, but the first thing Kage noticed was the robotic arm.)

Kage: "Oh god, what the hell happened to you?"

???: "Stuff, you wanna get into my past or you wanna know how I can help?"

Kage: "I wanna get into your past. Jesus, you look like a robo hobo."

???: "Ok, can you not say that?"

Kage: "I wish I could stop, but you look so bad."

???: "I get it."

Kage: "Like bad bad. Like what did you make that arm out of, it looks steampunk."

???: "Well it is mostly gears and stuff I could get from the trash."

Kage: "Hahahaha, you have a garbage arm. God, learn how to dress nice from me haha."

(Kage pointed at his suit as he said this.)

???: "Enough! Do you want my help or not damn it!"

Kage: "Yeah yeah, sure whatever."

Z: "My name is Z. I am very much into making people. From what I have heard you are making a person."

Kage: "Where'd you hear that from?"

Z: "Zazz."

Zazz: "Do I know you?"

Z: "Yes we've talked before, remember? Like a few months ago, when The Destroyer brought us here."

Zazz: "Ooooh yeah. I don't recognize you without your glasses."

Kage: "How are the glasses the first thing you latch on to?"

Zazz: "I don't know man. I don't notice disabilities."

Kage: "Oh shut up, I bet it was the first thing you noticed."

Z: "Ok, I don't care whether you noticed or didn't notice my arm, but either way I can help make this person, it's my specialty."

Kage: "Well when can you get it done."

Z: "About a week."

(Kage looked over at the news that The Destroyer and Cho were watching. It was a lady talking about how Kazu was leaving in a week. Kage looked back at Z.)

Kage: "That can work."