Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Temporary Hero

For Min Lwin, talking with his mother on the phone is the most comfortable time.

Even he is sleep in the small room for every night, he feels better than sleeping in a mansion.

Min Lwin really doesn't want to tell about his terrible life. So, he lied.

"My employer is very kind. She has started giving me a bonus. Working with her is wonderful. There is also a friend named Thomas Zhang. He is Chinese_Aremrican and he thought I was Chinese as well."

"Ha ha-ha... It must be because my mother's son is nice. Oh, how about finding a girlfriend? Do you like someone?

"Well...I like a classmate from my school, mom. We also chose the same major. She has short blonde hair and really beauty."

Min Lwin was talking about the girl who did not really exist to make her happy.In his mind, he really imagines about a girl he knows, she has short blonde hair and had green eyes. It's Sophia's appearance.

He said her as his imaginary girlfriend.

"My, look like she gorgeous. This time, you should bring her to my home when you get holiday."

"Well... But she's a bit wild. She's nearly going to shoot me as a thief while I'm visiting her home."

[If you tease me again, I will kill you.] Suddenly Min Lwin heard a strange echo in his head. He doesn't understand why he heard that sound. He even nearly drop his phone by panic.

"Holy...."

"So, your girlfriend is a tough girl. It's good... my son is a bit soft so you need a strong girl...huh, son... why?"

Min Lwin looked around to find the source of the sound, but he couldn't find anyone.

"Nothing... I think someone called me."

"Well... sleep in time after doing a lot of works, don't stay till late night."

Min Lwin don't know if it's an illusion. Why his mother is too much to worry about his future in these days.

"Mom, I will hang up for now."

Min Lwin put his big phone back in the bag. Then, he scratched his head and think.

"I really heard that sound for sure."

The voice of Sophia is really close to his ear. Look like she stands beside him to say that words. But in the middle of the crowd in the New York streets, there is not possible to find that girl by himself.

"Nothing to worry, It's may be an illusion thought because I used her name." Soon, the bus arrived at the bus stop he stand, so ran up. The journey to home is now really the beginning.

2.

On the way back home, he cursed the god for bad luck. Their township children's hospital is on fire now.

The fire fighters are trying hard to kill the fire and there are too many people looking at it.

Min Lwin drag his transformation luggage that contain his test suit and stood among the crowd that watching the case.

"How did it start?" He asked the old lady beside him. The old lady, who seemed to be kind, answered happily. She looks like waiting for a man to ask about this.

"I don't know, they say it's a gas leak. But in this era, we stopped using gas as fuel for a long time ago. Even when we cook, we just use electric or liquid nitrogen. Since, hospitals have oxygen machines, they don't have a gas pipeline. Some say it's because of a crazy fire mutants"

Min Lwin scratched his head lightly and look over the crowd. Behind the fire fighter engines, A report from a news agency is reporting the case.

"Reporting from Fox News from New York City. The state-owned children's hospital in ### township ### ward is on fire. The firefighters tried to extinguish but It's been a long time. Currently, the heroes has not arrived yet. They just enter the Argonaut Hero Guild Ranking Tournament held across two lanes from here.

We already contact the New York Hero Department and ask about that but haven't received a reply."

Min Lwin clenched his fist Many heroes today don't save the people who impasse in a building on fire.hey don't even consider it as their job anymore.

Instead of helping the fire cases, they just wanted to catch a super villain. Most of the current heroes don't care about people, they just care about money.

Some children are trapped on the 12th floor of the hospital. He could see they banging on the glass window also a nurse use a fire extinguisher to break the mirror with it, but the smoke are everywhere and there is no more energy because it is suffocating.

Fire fighters use a small hover bike to get close by using it, but the fire is too big now. If this is the case, the children will die soon.

Min Lwin looked back at his suit box, and he starts remember about Reagan's words.

"Void stream pipelines cannot bear heat.It's easy to explode." Min Lwin father died in the fire, and he still remembers that day. But, there is only one who is a equivalent to a C rank hero now and it's him.

"Whatever..." Min Lwin turned away from the crowd. And enter the lane behind the sight of crowd and pulled the lever from the box. Instantly, the box turned into a silver-colored super armor with a small reactor that bright blue.

He pressed the reactor to his chest and put on the suit. After that, thousands of devices have it installed automatically.

Then he started running down the road and shouted the crowd that closed his way.

"You're awaiting hero has arrived, ladies and gentlemen, please step aside."

Min Lwin speak loudly lie a hero from the movie from the 90s. The crowd turned to look at him and make a way for him.

The man with a silver Armour runs fast on the road. A fire fighter officer trying to stop him but silver robot gave two thumbs up at him and continue.

"I'm C rank hero Silver Knight. I'm here to help you guys." He immediately attaches to the wall of hospital and using the support plate of the suit to went up.

The crowd was watching him and some taking videos and start streaming live on the internet.

"Look here, the high-ranking heroes from across the street didn't come to the children's hospital. An unknown C ranker came to help us."

"Hey, hey... his suit looks quiet old. He even looks like a robot from a Tesla waste storage facility."

"This guy is not very famous, but he is a tech-type hero after all. Tech-type are not that strong right?"

"Although he is not a high ranker, It's respectable for arrive on time. What's his name?"

"Silver slave..."

"Your mother is a slave, and your whole family is a slave. I heard what he said. It's Silver Knight."

"Well done Silver Kid... Good luck to Silver Kid, Let's pray for him together."

"The guy above, I'll tell you his name Silver Knight!!!"

 [All of these dialogues are comments on live stream.]

Don't caring about what others say, Min Lwin in silver armor steadily went up like a spider on wall.

His steel fingers were digging into the surface of the brick wall for a foothold and went up.

The wall heat is too strong. Even a bottle of cold water can boil immediately there. Suddenly he was attached a part of the brick wall fell down, and he had to jump to the other side in fear.

Although the suit enhanced his strength, If he falls from a high place, he will be died for sure.

The silver ink colored robot slowly went up and now he is at fifth floor.

There is no people left in lower floors. The second floor is the last floor where the patients are still.

When he looked into the building, the fire extinguishing system in the building are already melted because can't stand on hot temperatures. His lips are twisted.

"WTF... the quality of this children's hospital's fire alarms and extinguishing engine are too low. Who know New York Construction Checkers get how many for this sh×t building."

Because of the temperature, Min Lwin inside the suit drenched in sweat and the suit system giving a series of alarms to him about high temperature.

[Temperature inside suit 51 °C Void Stream

The pipelines are expanding.]

Void Stream pipelines are similar to steam pipes that used in the past, the machine revolution era. But it's denser and use for strengthen the muscles of the body who wear the suit.

It is a type of advance technology that have much potential. However, if the heat is too high, the metal expands and cannot withstand the pressure, so it explodes.

The warning still rings. Gas leaks out between metal joints. If it's a flammable gas, Min Lwin probably dead by burning.

Soon, He reached the twelfth floor and was able to help the children. He smashed the window panes, then dragged each of the children through the veranda and into the fire fighters' hover bike.

After the last nurse has been transferred, his suit become overheated and the pipes burst. Then he started falling down.

"Oh my gosh… It looks like something happened to the Sliver Knight outfit. He's fallen upside down from the twelfth floor."

Boom!

The system stopped working after the silver ink robot fell onto the asphalt floor. Smoke is billowing out and all the Void Stream pipelines have been destroyed.

The smell of meat roaster start spread from Min Lwin body. Firemen ran to him and surrounded him with water hoses. After the heat subsided, A officer came to join him and said.

"Sir... we have an ambulance. Take off your suit? We can help for your injuries"

"No need...no need... A real hero can't get hurt. I'm on my own way. I'll go back."

Min Lwin knows the exact state of his body through the last signal of the system. Half of his lungs were burned by the smoke, and all his muscles were torn. Two ribs are already broken and the shoulder bone was out of place. If there is no mistake, He will die in fifteen minutes

Due to his pain, The officer's voice was blurred, and he cannot see clearly. He only heard vaguely.

At least he wanted to leave the place heroically before he dies.

Min Lwin waved goodbye to the crowd who were looking at him with strange expressions. The crowd start worry from his wobbly steps and distorted body.

"That Silver knight looks like half-tilted. Is he going to die?"

"Even the BBQ smell are coming out. Like lead-wrapped salmon."

3.

Min Lwin fell into the municipal sewer under construction in a deserted alley and could not get back up. He took off his helmet.

Now his face was red, It was burning and half of the hair was stuck to the helmet. On his head, the scalp was bald like a roast turkey. He was short of breath and felt as if he had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes.

Slowly, His heart was beating decreased. his eyes turned blur, and his energy gradually declined.

"I'm going to die.....ha..ha..ha..ha.." The young man laughed bitterly, but his laughter was slow because he was too breathless.

"At least I got to be a hero for three minutes. My goals have been fulfilled. Father, uncle, I was able to step in your footsteps, didn't I?"

Some hot liquid ran down his cheek. He didn't know if it was tears or the blood flowing from the blisters. His body had Fried. Since shut off pain and other senses of touch. His voice gradually softened. His whole throat was dry and it was like someone who had swallowed a cinder.

"I'm a hero."

He said his last word and took his last breath. After that, He closed his eyes.

....

....

"...."

... It's been a long time. His body gradually regained his sense of touch. His breathing also returned to normal.

Hmm... I'm not dead?

When he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of green eyes and blonde hair for the first time. It's Sophia. However, Sophia's skin was as pale as the dead, and she was about to fall at any moment.

"Hey... did you remember me?"

"Sofia... what are you doing here?"

"I came to save you."

"Is it because of you that I haven't died yet...but how can you heal me again?"

Sophia shook her head. The width of the rot entered Min Lwin's nose. In his mind, he felt as if Sophia had been died for a long time.

The girl said one by one.

"I can't heal you. I can only keep your spirit not out of your body and control your body's functions."

"Speak clearly..."

"I just stopped you from dying for a while, you'll be dead soon."

"Whey... girl, this is not a good thing. To delay the death of someone who is going to die is not joke, you destroyed my best dramatic moment?"

"Shut up... I don't have time. My body is also going to die, so...listen carefully."

"Wait...your body is going to die...are you going to die too?"

"Hey...it's just a body, you don't need to worry."

"Lady...if bodies die, people die too, right?"

"AHA... Leave it. Hey, do you still want to be a hero?"

"I'm about to die for a good hero's job."

"I said I can make you to be a real hero. A great hero who can even protect the entire world."

The girl took out a small silver crystal from her pocket.

"Take this, and you will be reborn as a powerful man."

"..." The dying young man took the crystal in the dying girl's hand.