Bubbling Rage

Ever since that day, the boy felt colder.

He wore the mask over half his face and fought in the alleys for food to survive.

Every day, the boy struggled against other abandoned people.

Every day, crawling back into the alley with cuts and bruises, scars accumulating on his body, but never on his mask.

During the day, he would watch the Hero Ads on the screens where the rest of the world lived while he hid in the garbage.

At night, he would fight for his life.

Life was rough for a long time, but the boy persevered, a rage bubbling inside of him.

He was starting to hate the world for what it did to him, why he was out and fending for himself like this. Dark thoughts sprouted in his heart, he wanted revenge!

5 years passed as his thoughts accumulated.

One night

The boy saw a wealthy looking couple walking by.

The boy pulled down his mask and held the dagger in his hand. The Mask had killed countless people to survive, these people would simply stack on top of the growing body count.

The Mask felt that the Boy was weak and didn't like him.

In his mind, the boy was a crying mess, still waiting to be saved, however the Mask knew better, there was nobody coming to save them! The Mask needed to act.

The Mask did what it did to survive for both of them while the Boy watched and let it happen, without the courage to do anything about it.

Tonight, the Mask would change their lives for the better! These people didn't deserve to be happy if he wasn't happy!

As the Mask stalked the couple, tailing them from the shadows, they were unaware, smiling as they talked, "What should we name the baby, honey?" The man smiled gently, holding her hand, "I was thinking either my grandmother's name or your grandfather?"

The Mask was disgusted with these people, the baby would end up in the trash just like him. These damn filth! No, he would fix it. He would save that baby by killing these people!

The boy licked his lips, his face contorted into a crazed state, his eyes brimming with savage madness!

He climbed up a drainpipe and hung off it, looking down at the couple as they were close to walking by. The Mask was getting impatient, his fingers itching as they tightened around the knife.

Finally, they arrived in place!

The Mask jumped off, holding the knife, but a fist flew out and punched him in the face, sending him flying back into a garbage heap.

The Couple looked over and a huge muscular man with a black half mask on his face, stood there, grinning as he cracked his knuckle duster covered fists. They were shocked and hurriedly ran away.

The man looked at the boy and said in a deep voice "Come on!" the Mask got up and flipped to a three point stance, holding the knife in a reverse grip. The Mask didn't give a damn who it was or how strong they were! This man ruined his revenge!

The Mask shot off the ground and attacked the man, who stomped out and sent the Mask flying before saying angrily "What the hell! I thought it was a tough guy!" he walked over to the Mask and took the mask off, revealing a young face!

The Man was stunned and stared at the kid, who panicked suddenly, reaching for the mask, saying "Ah… Ah… Hero… Hero…" as he reached for the mask in desperation.

The Man frowned slightly and squatted down, holding the mask as he asked "You think this makes you a hero?" The boy was in despair and cried, grabbing for the mask. The Man grabbed the boy's face and shouted "Answer me!"

The boy shivered in fear and cried, "Hero… Costume… Mask…" The Man frowned and looked at the boy's body. His frown deepened and he knocked the boy who, muttering "What the hell…" before picking him up and leaving the alley.

A while later

The boy woke up and looked around in a daze before being panicked and touching his face, starting to hyperventilate as the Mask's voice got louder and louder in his head! He held his head and shouted loudly, falling from a couch to the floor, curling up in a ball.

The boy was in a decent looking room, gray tiles floors, a couch, coffee table, and a wooden roof.

It seemed to be a room in a warehouse, which is exactly where he was!

The man walked in, wearing a t-shirt with jeans and boots. Very different from his Vigilante costume of a black mask, trench coat, and knuckle dusters.

He looked at the boy and walked over, frowning "What's your deal, boy?" The boy held his head and screamed, "Voice! Loud! Hurt! Pain!" The man muttered, "So you can't talk either… What a headache…"

He picked up the boy and handed him the mask, watching the boy calm down instantly, making himself smaller in a corner of the couch, shivering in fear.

The Man looked at him curiously and said "Go on, put on the Mask." The boy shook his head and the man was interested, asking, "Why?" The boy rubbed the mask with his fingers, saying worriedly "Mask… Hurt…" before gesturing to the man, adding "Hero."

The man suddenly laughed, saying "He can't hurt me! Let me talk to him." as he had a feeling about what was going on here. The boy teared up, shaking his head like a rattle. The Man rubbed his head and said "It's okay."

The Boy finally put the mask on and his entire demeanor changed, he glared at the man through the mask and lunged at him, clawing at the man's face. The Man grabbed the boy's face and slammed him into the couch, pinning him there as the mask actually wrapped his legs around the man's arm, trying to twist out of the grip!

The Man was stunned and laughed, punching the Mask in the stomach!

The Mask froze and coughed, trying to suck in air!

The man looked at him and curled his lips, as he sat on the coffee table, crossing his arms, "I've met worse villains." The mask growled and pointed at himself, saying "Hero." The man shook his head, saying "The people you were going to attack were innocent, Heroes don't do that."

The Mask clenched his fists in anger and the Man pulled the mask slightly. Something strange happened, the boy's mouth quivered, seemingly scared while the eyes glared at him through the mask!

The Man nodded and said "Better, now I can speak with both of you. Can you understand me?" The boy shook his head and the man sighed, feeling a headache, before getting an idea.

He picked up a napkin and drew a drawing of a hero on it, saying "Hero." The boy looked at the drawing and nodded, the man drew people behind him, saying "Hero save." The boy nodded again.

The man drew the boy attacking the people, saying "Villain." The boy was shocked and shook his head like a rattle, falling to the ground and backing off. The man dragged him back and threw him into the couch, drawing again.

He drew the boy again, stopping the masked boy, pointing at this and saying "You. Hero. Get it?" The boy pointed at the one protecting, saying "Hero." before moving to the one attacking, adding "Villain." before nodding to himself.

The man nodded and drew the boy with half a mask on his face, pointing at it saying "Hero? Villain?" the boy replied worriedly, "Hero." the man pulled down the mask, asking again, "Hero? Villain?"

The Mask looked at the picture and said with certainty, "Hero!"

The man scratched the scruff on his chin before dragging the boy to a bathroom, saying "Shower." as he closed the door behind him while leaving.

The boy looked around and took off the mask, looking in a mirror. The boy put the mask on halfway, saying "Hero. Together. Friends?" but answered himself angrily "Weak! No friends!" the boy took off the mask and looked sad as he took off his clothes, going to wash himself.