The Meaning Of Hero

"Geez, you managed to do all of this?" A member of the Hero Branch stared at the destroyed body of Red Ape. The villain's limbs were twisted and broken, but most notable was the fact that he had been badly burned, most of his skin being gone. Red Ape needed the entire medical team just to keep him clinging to life as they got ready to load him into an armored van.

It wasn't just the villain that shocked them either, though. The superhero was in bad condition as well.

The Hero Branch workers often didn't have powers; they were simply members of the government that helped out, so the sight of such a mighty being in a broken state was shocking. Myth rested on the ground, with many of the Branch doctors tending to his wounds.

The Hero Branch was who you called when you beat a villain. They were a part of the government that worked with the superheroes, being a sort of mix between the cops and the military. They were also the ones that called the shots, so a superhero wouldn't get too big of a head and think about taking over.

"Yes, I did all of this." Myth finally said. It wasn't good to lie, and the hero hated doing it, but that red-haired man had made it clear he wanted his name to stay out of this, and that girl was a minor, not part of a team, and on top of all of that, he could get in massive trouble if the big wigs learned he just let two people tag along with him, Supers or not.

"It must have been one hell of a battle." A sly voice seemed to echo around the street. Everyone froze when they heard it. The road had been closed off while they loaded the villain up, so a new voice caught them off guard. Walking from the end of the street with their hands in their pockets, there was a man with a sly smirk on his face..

He was in their early twenties, the same age as Myth, and, much like the resting hero, the man was dressed up in his very own hero costume. Money Tree was an odd man but strong. His outfit was just as strange, looking like something you'd see on a detective in a comic. A trench coat, fedora, gloves—all of that. What made it a costume, though, was the fact that it wasn't made out of cloth. Instead, the entire outfit was made out of dollar bills. An actual money suit. He even had a domino mask made from several hundred-dollar bills.

As the hero walked forward, the sound of loose change followed. "I've missed you, big guy." Money Tree grinned.

"Money Tree." Myth slowly got to his feet and managed a small smile. "How are you, sir?" He asked, holding his hand out.

"Ha! Yeah, don't call me Sir." Money Tree said, taking his hat off and tipping it. Dozens of coins dropped to the floor.

"Well, it's only right. After all, you are the leader of the Sub Enforcers, now." Myth tried to hide the bitter tone from entering his voice as he said that. It wasn't much of a secret that he had become a solo hero when the Branch selected Money Tree instead of him for the leadership role. "What brings you here?"

If Money Tree noticed the hostility, he didn't comment on it. Instead, the hero crouched down to stare at the villain. "Can't I just drop by to say hello to an old buddy?"

"It's not like you. Which is why I have to assume you have another reason for seeing me out of the blue like this."

"Yeah." Money Tree shrugged. "You got me. I'll cut to the chase. Why's he still alive?"

Myth followed the man's gaze and stared down at the burned body of Red Ape as the Hero Branch workers did their best to keep the man stable. "Believe me, I'd prefer someone like this guy to rot as well, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Information." Myth rubbed his chin and winced, feeling his bruised muscles and bones ache. "I know I'm a bit out of shape from a lack of serious fights, but I'm still tough, you know. When I fought Red Ape, he had something. That strength he showed off... He was hitting me hard enough to harm my bull form. Red Ape is just a normal human in terms of strength, so whatever he took gave him a serious power up."

"So, you're planning on sending him to Nightshade so they can figure out what it was?" Money Tree asked.

"Yeah." Myth nodded. "If a serious threat like Mars King or Green Wolf got what he took, I don't think any of us would be able to stop it. I'll let Boy Genius question this guy and lock him up in Nightshade."

Money Tree threw his arms behind his head and let out a low whistle as he looked at the destroyed building behind him. "So, who were they?"

"What?" Myth straightened up, and all the Hero Branch members seemed very interested in the conversation now.

Money Tree held a finger out, and the cash on his suit came undone, folding itself once, twice, then thrice as it became a little paper person. Then, a second one was made, a third, a fourth, and a fifth. "How many people helped you bag this guy? And who were they? They weren't members of the Watch Dogs, so they were new heroes, right? A lot more kids have been appearing with superpowers ever since the Emperor's stunt fifteen years ago."

"I already told them, but I took him down alone."

"Yeah, right." Money Tree snorted, and the cash rejoined his suit as the hero placed his hands in his pocket once more and leaned forward, a large smirk on his lips. "Since when can you do this? I know it wasn't in 'that' form. The burns are considerably less focused. That, and he's in one piece." Money Tree nudged the burned villain with his foot.

Myth grew. Not a lot, but the man gained a few inches, and the hints of horns started to appear on his head. "I awakened a new ability." It wasn't unheard of for a hero to gain a new power in the line of duty, but usually, it had to do with whatever their first power was. It was rare, but it was a thing that could happen.

"Sir, is there something we should know?" One of the agents questioned. "You aren't planning anything, Myth?" They all stared at the solo hero now.

"I beat him by myself." Myth growled out.

Money Tree stared at his friend for several seconds, then grinned. "Okay." The Sub Enforcers leader pulled away. "I'll put that in my report. But that rumor still stands. It's all over Hero Hub when your name pops up, you know. Everyone is wondering what Oleander's Monster is going to be up to. After all, ever since you left the Sub Enforcers, you've been on a bit of a losing streak. I was just curious if the rumors were true."

"The rumors that I'm starting a team of my own, I assume." Myth asked. "Well. I won't say they're wrong, but there is more to it than that."

Money Tree gave a small nod. "Neat. Well, I'll take point on getting this guy to prison. This time, he won't be escaping. You go take a break."

"Yeah." Myth shrunk down to his normal size, letting out a tired sigh. "I'm going to go take a nap."

"Hey." The man stopped and turned back to his friend. Money Tree was lighting up a cigarette, letting out a blow of smoke. "Stay safe. I have a feeling we're nearing a storm."

"Thanks for the advice." Myth ran his hand through his hair. He really needed that nap.

***

Nick jumped when the front door to his apartment was literally kicked in. "Ahh! Don't hurt me! All the valuables are in my friend's room; take them!" The door banged against the wall and shook the building as Jack barged in. "Oh, it's just you. Phew. Welcome back, Jack."

"Grab your shit!" The red-haired man yelled.

Nick raised an eyebrow as Jack stormed into the room. The man's clothes were a mess, having been burned and torn. In his arms, he held several things, most notably a backpack, a weird metal hand, a broken metal helmet, and also an unconscious child who looked a lot worse than he did.

Jack strolled forward, laid the girl out on the couch, then turned to Nick, who still hadn't moved. "Today, please!"

"Right!" Nick jumped up and ran to his room. It was rather plain, unlike Jack's, with just a desk and his bed. The dark-skinned man grabbed his bed and moved it out of the way. With that done, he could crouch down to the floorboard, and after struggling for a second, he raised a loose part of it up, grabbing a large white bag hidden away from the world. "You know," he said, stumbling back into the living room and dropping the bag on the table. "This stuff is supposed to be for when your heart keeps stopping, not for any random Super."

"Just do something." Jack snapped.

"I will." Nick went through the bag, looking for his tools. Finally, the dark-skinned man pulled out a strange white handlebar that looked almost like a thermometer. "I used to be one of the best healers when it came to Supers, after all." A smirk found itself onto Nick's face.

"And now you're a random security guard. Just hurry and do your thing."

"Geez, you're no fun when you're worried." Nick moved toward the girl and lifted the device. Her lower face was black, and the skin around her mouth had turned a nasty red. It looked like she had tried to dunk her face in acid. He clicked his device, and a low blue light buzzed out, going up and down her body and focusing on her eyes. "So, do I want to know why you brought a dying Super to the house?"

"Dying!"

"Kidding. Mostly." Nick leaned away as the device shut off, and he looked down at the screen that was on the front of it. "She would be dying, but her body is gradually getting better. She's got a mild healing factor. Nowhere as good as yours, but it's keeping her alive. What did this?"

Jack folded his arms after setting the other stuff he had brought on the table. "Well, she did it to herself."

"Like she dunked her face in acid?"

"Her powers."

"Ah." Nick gave a nod. "Her powers made her dunk her head in acid?"

"Fire burst out of her mouth."

"Damn, close." The healer rubbed at his skin, eyeing the girl up. "Still, that's strange. Powers usually don't harm the body. If you can control ice, you're usually immune to freezing to death; if you bend water, you can breathe in the sea; and if you can create fire, you're at least a little fireproof. The only case I've ever really seen of a power killing its host is you, and that's sort of a special case."

Jack absentmindedly rubbed at his chest, frowning. "Her powers, as far as I knew, were super strength, speed, and durability. Nothing insane, and I'd say she wasn't even that strong compared to others. Then she showed off her enhanced senses, and now she goes and lets out the world's strongest burp."

Jack sighed and walked to his room. Unlike Nick, his was loaded with comics, action figures, and posters of hundreds of heroes. He shifted his bed out of the way and opened the floorboard, grabbing one of two bags. When he returned to the living room, he held what looked like a weird golden microscope.

While Jack did that, Nick went through his own bag and pulled out a small vial of blue liquid. "You know, I only got three left after this. The last time your heart went and stopped, I had to use two just to get you back on your feet. You sure you want me to use this on her?"

"Just do it," Jack said, rolling his eyes.

Nick mumbled a few choice words under his breath, but he opened the tube anyway. He opened the girl's mouth and tilted the vial, allowing the liquid to drip. "I won't be able to get more of these. Wanna explain why this person is so important?"

Jack didn't say anything for several seconds. Instead, he had a shard of that strange helmet Hope had broken under the scope of the device he held. His fingertips glowed and sparked, and he began to slowly melt down and reshape the metal lazily. "She said this metal was familiar to her. Now that I'm looking at it closer, I've seen it before as well. 'Someone' once held a connection to it."

"Full Monarch?" Nick asked quietly. The room had grown somber.

"Full Monarch." Jack nodded, and for a second, the image of the Powerful Man came to his mind. The previous Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The man the Victorian worked under when she was still a sidekick and the only man who had been able to beat the Emperor.

A quiet groan cut through the silence, and the two men turned to see Hope shakily sitting up. The burn marks around her face had almost vanished, leaving just a faint red mark, and her bruised skin was also healing. Whatever Nick had given her did the trick. She wiped at her eyes for a second, and what was left of the red mask fell off her face as she looked around her surroundings, only to go on edge when she realized she didn't recognize anything around her.

"Hello!" Her head snapped to the man who stood over her. He was dressed in a suit, had plastic gloves on, and held a strange futuristic device.

She stared, then screamed. Nick jumped and did the only thing he could think of, which was also to scream. Jack facepalmed.

"Shut up!" The red-haired man screamed, and the screaming pair went silent.

"Mr. Larison?" She asked, groaning a little. She was still wiping ash off her face, but she felt better. It was not as good as when Paragon had healed her, but it was better than nothing. "What happened?" She went silent when she remembered the fight. That pain in her stomach, and then the feeling of vomiting. "Did we win?"

"Yeah." Jack explained. "We won. You collapsed after your little light show stunt, and I took you to the best healer I know."

She raised an eyebrow, eyeing the dark-skinned man who stood in front of her. He wasn't dressed like a doctor or anything fancy, really. He wore a simple suit. "This guy is a healer?"

"I'm not a Super." Nick explained. "Think of me as a doctor. About fifteen years ago, I worked for the government as a doctor for Supers."

"And you saved me?"

"Well, not me." The man gave a sad smile, looking down at the now-empty vial he had fed her. "I had a buddy named Doctor Blue. He was a Super, but not anything fancy like a hero. He was a healer who got snatched up by the Branch. Those kinds of people are too valuable, after all. He had the ability to make various kinds of medication. I fed you some of the few I had left."

She didn't need to ask why he was using the past tense and why he couldn't simply ask his friend for more. His sad tone was enough. An awkward silence seemed to settle in for a moment, broken by the sounds of a loud meow. That caused her to jump up. She nearly stumbled over, her headache kicking back in, but she crushed it down and grabbed her backpack, opening it up and letting the cat poke his head out.

She stared down at the kitten in her bag. To think all of this started because one little girl missed her pet. "What happens now?"

Jack finished looking at the metal helmet. It gave him so many things to consider. "The other animals were affected by that villain's power. Myth said he would give them proper help by calling in the Hero Branch. Thankfully, it would seem that the cat hadn't turned yet."

"So, can we give him back?"

Jack had a faint smile. "Yeah."

She nodded, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Then let's go!"

Jack's smile faded after that. "I have other things to look into. I won't be joining you."

She tried not to let her disappointment show when he said that. "Oh, that's fine. I'll just go drop this little guy off and then head straight home." It had been fun. It almost reminded her of when she got stuck on a level in a video game, and her dad spent the entire day helping her get past it. But at the end of the day, powers or not, Mr. Larison was still a stranger.

"You gonna manage?" Jack asked as she wobbled.

"Yeah, I'll manage."

Things got a little better when she left Mr. Larison's house. The world had stopped spinning, and her headache was fading away. The potion Nick gave her seemed to be kicking in. She placed her glasses back on now that she was in public. She still didn't need to wear them anymore, but it was fun swapping in and out of them like a hero persona. It also seemed to help set the world back in place and ease the heat that was pumping through her veins.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a small house that was on the edge of her neighborhood. She rang the doorbell, and there was shuffling on the other side before it finally opened.

"Hello." She said awkwardly to the woman who stood in the doorway. "I believe someone here is missing a cat." She asked, holding the animal up.

"Mister Fur!" The woman moved out of the way as her daughter practically jumped out of the house. She let out an amused giggle and handed the animal to the girl, who hugged it tightly. "You managed to find him!"

"We told you we would get him back." The sentiment might have been better if Mr. Lairosn bothered to come as well, but she was content with the happy look the girl had on her face.

She jumped a little when the little girl set the cat down inside the house and then pulled her in for a hug, wrapping their little arms around her waist. "It wasn't too much trouble to get him back?" The mom asked.

She winced a little, remembering all the fighting, the pain, and that burning in her gut. "No. We just found him, and he was fine."

"I see. Well, thank you."

"It was no issue. I'm glad I could help."

"I'll be sure to keep a better eye on him." The little girl said.

"You better."

She was finally let go, and she stepped away from the girl. She was waved off as she began to leave, heading back to the sidewalk. Her mind worked as she walked, reaching the street. Whatever that stuff that man had given her fixed her up. She was still sore, and part of her ached, but her bruises had all but faded. It sucked that the man who made that healing stuff likely died if that doctor's tone had been right. Powers that could heal were rare. Most abilities were made to cause harm; even her own were guilty of that.

Speaking of powers.

She looked down at her hand and took her glasses off for a second. The burning in her stomach was back, but it was faint. Her gut didn't feel like it was going to burst, but the pressure was certainly there. If she focused, she could feel the fire start to bubble up. Her veins even seemed to almost light up, much like Mr. Larison's did.

She put her glasses back on, shaking her head as she gave a small grin. She knew what she needed to do.

With the loss of her phone, she wasn't able to tell him she was showing up, but after a few minutes of walking, she reached the richer part of the city. By now, the sun was starting to set, and she knew her mom would be distraught; she just couldn't bring herself to care. She began to head for the border, the part of the city where it went from middle class to upper class. Everything became more packed in as she walked—more stores, more people, more life in general. She'd have to pass through here to get to her destination.

That was easier said than done, though. Crowds of people walked from store to store, and cars lined the road. Everyone was doing last-second shopping before places closed for the night, and Oleander was typically packed this time of year, being a very popular tourist attraction.

"Excuse me! Young girl! Would you mind helping us for a moment?" She came to a stop when she heard the voice. Someone was calling out to her in the crowd. She got worried for a bit until she saw who it was. A young woman. They couldn't have been older than seventeen and had a beauty similar to Ashley. The kind that meant this girl was clearly popular. Despite that, though, the girl had a bright smile on her face and casually flipped her long blonde hair. "Finally! Everyone kept ignoring me when I tried to get their attention." The girl huffed out. "You're the first person to have stopped."

"Oh, I am?" She just got suckered into helping tourists, didn't she? The strange, pretty girl wasn't alone. A friend, or maybe a sister, stood next to them. The second girl was almost the total opposite of the popular girl. They were shorter and wore very baggy clothes that covered her from head to toe. Only a bit of reddish-brown hair poked out, but that was enough to remind her of Mr. Larison in a way. The girl wore a pair of sunglasses and gripped a walking cane tightly in her hands, fidgeting a bit. "What exactly do you need help with?" She asked skeptically.

The blonde girl tossed something towards her, and if not for her newly enhanced reflexes, she was sure she'd have dropped it. Luckily, she caught it and stared down at the very expensive phone. "My name is Lily." The pretty girl spoke, still speaking in a very bubbly tone. "This is my sister, Sky. We're not from Oleander, and it's our first time. I was wondering if you could get a picture of us."

"A picture?" The building behind both of the girls had a large mural, one that held every single member of the Enforcers proudly standing tall. "Oh sure. I guess I can do that."

"Yay! Thank you. What do you say, Sky?" Lily said, patting her sister.

"I didn't even want to come out here." The girl named Sky said in a very bored tone.

"That's not the word I meant!"

She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly and raised Lily's phone. "Say cheese." She decided not to complain too much. Both girls were pretty, so she used this as a good chance to gawk at them a bit without having to worry about being noticed.

"Cheese!" Lily put on her biggest smile, but the girl in the sunglasses remained stone-faced the entire time. As soon as the picture was over, she handed the phone back to the blonde, who took it and began to gush over the picture. "We look so cool, Sky!"

"Neat," Sky said.

"Well, if that's everything I really need to-"

She never got to finish, as a few moments later, Lily's phone began to ring. "Oh, sorry, I need to take this. Hey, can you watch Sky for a second?"

"What-" Lily had already vanished into the crowd, out of sight, by the time the words left her mouth, leaving her alone with the other sibling. "Geez! That girl is intense!"

"You have no idea." Sky muttered. "Imagine living with her."

"I'd rather not." That caused Sky to let out a snort. It didn't last long, though, as the girl's face went back to being blank, and she stood there awkwardly waiting for Lily to get back. "I get the sense I'm bothering you." She said a bit awkwardly.

"It's not your fault. I'm just not a people's person."

"Ah. Yeah, I get that." She never really hung out with anyone besides Armin. "So... Sky, was it?" She trailed off.

"Yeah. That's my name."

"I'm Hope. Hope Lauren." Her words caused the girl to suddenly go rigid, and instantly she felt like she might have said something wrong. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Whoever Sky was, she was a bad liar. Luckily, the awkward moment didn't last too long as Lily returned, throwing her arms around her sister. "I think we should go, Lily," Sky said.

"I was just going to suggest the same thing! Kenny called and wants to meet up!"

Sky gave an awkward nod. "It was nice meeting you, Hope. Sorry."

"Sorry?" She didn't get any more from the strange duo, as Lily quickly began to drag Sky off once more. "What the hell was that?" Did she do something wrong?

Of course, she received no answer and decided it was best to simply forget about the strange meeting she just had. After all, with how big the city was, the chances were she'd never see either of those two girls ever again. Especially if they weren't from this city. She stood there for a few more seconds before also turning and disappearing into the crowd, the thoughts of the strange red-haired girl quickly fading from her mind. She had another place to be after all.

The city's middle class was crowded with many towers, even a few skyscrapers, and apartments. The upper class was spaced out, with actual houses and lawns; it looked like it belonged in a different city altogether. Kyle's home was enormous. Bigger than the house she used to live in had been. It wasn't quite a manor but looked rich with three floors, a basement, an attic, and a massive backyard. The garage was closed, but from a small window on the front of it, she saw an imposing and expensive-looking car that made Mr. Larison's look like a cheap toy.

She hopped the fence around the house, sticking low, and made for the back. She allowed her senses to increase a bit, and she could hear faint TV noises on one side of the house, but the rest of it was eerily silent. She spotted what looked like Kyle's bedroom on the third floor in the backyard.

"I always wanted to do this." She said quietly, holding a small rock. It took all her willpower to hold her strength back, and she barely flicked it, aiming for the wood next to the window. The rock hit it with a thud and buried itself slightly in the house, making her wince. "Shit."

Either way, that got his attention, and seconds later, the window opened. "Hope?" Kyle poked his head out, staring down at her with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She gave a half-wave and a slight grin. "Hey. How'd the thing with your dad go?"

"Uh, good? I mean, he's asleep now, after the celebration. Wait, are you okay?" Kyle pulled himself out of his window and began to climb down the side of the house, clinging to whatever he could get a hold of. He was slightly older than her, being sixteen, though soon she would be as well, and he was, of course, more athletic, but even still, he was ready to fall into her arms if he slipped. When he finally reached the bottom, he stood in front of her, looking her up and down. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" She looked down at herself and felt her face pale. Her jacket was in ruins, practically shredded and falling off of her. Her shirt thankfully survived, but it was burned, had a few holes in it, and was covered in ash. Her pants as well had turned a nasty black; dirt clung to her skin; and her messy hair was an even more tangled mess. "That explains the odd looks. Those girls totally thought I was homeless." She shook her head and gave a smirk, putting her hands on her hips. "I got into a fight with a villain."

"Seriously?" Kyle's eyes lit up at that. "Who?"

"Red Ape!"

"That cop killer! Hell yeah, give me five!" He cheered, holding his hand out.

She gave him a high five, her grin getting bigger. "Yeah. Also, I unlocked a new power."

It didn't take them long to reach their spot. Though saying that wasn't exactly right. They hadn't been back since she last tried out her power, but they arrived at the junkyard once more.

Kyle would have to return home before his dad woke up, and at this point, she was going to be grounded for life when she saw her mom. The sun was no longer in the sky, the moon was rising up, and the only light they had was from Kyle's phone.

"So, you said you unlocked fire breathing?" Kyle asked, taking a seat on the hood of a car.

"Well, I think so." She steadied herself and raised her arms, lifting the fridge up. She had found a hollowed-out fridge and packed it full of as much junk and weights as she could. The thing must have weighed over five hundred pounds easily, yet she didn't really feel all that pushed. She was on the roof of another car, using it as a bench while she lifted the makeshift weight up and down. "I don't think I'm quite ready to use that power again, though. It almost killed me." She said in reference to her newly awakened fire breathing.

Kyle winced and gave a nod. "So, how did you beat that villain?"

"Mr. Lar- I had the help of a superhero named Myth. He and I managed to defeat Red Ape, but since I'm not a hero, he said he'd call in the Branch and take the credit and leave my name out of it."

"Doesn't that make you mad? He's getting all the credit."

"Not really. I mean, I'm not a superhero, after all."

"You could be," Kyle said, leaning forward and looking at her while she lifted the fridge higher. "I've heard of Myth. He was a big shot a few years ago, but he's really gone downhill since leaving the Sub Enforcers. He's had loss after loss. I'm sure you're the reason he won."

"Maybe. He was strong too, though." Mr. Larison had also saved her life towards the end and even went out of his way to get her healed. She doubted she'd have beaten Red Ape on her own. Not to mention that new power she got nearly killed her. She really didn't want to try and spit out a fireball again anytime soon.

"What do you want to do with your powers?" Kyle asked, and he flinched a bit when she toppled the fridge off of her, sending it crashing into the sand next to her.

"I don't know." She sighed and fell back onto the car she rested on, looking up at the starry sky above. Her eyes traced the moon, following the massive crack in it that was created fifteen years ago by the Emperor. Real heroes and villains, people like the Emperor, the Victorian, or Full Monarch, were strong. So strong that her powers barely looked impressive. "Part of me really wants to do it, you know. I'd like to be a hero, but..."

"It's scary." Kyle dropped down onto the car next to her, letting out a sigh as he took a seat. "I know what you mean. I don't have superpowers, but I made up my mind ever since I was a little kid. I was going to be a cop like my dad no matter what."

"Do you think I could do it?"

"Become a cop?"

"A hero, stupid."

Kyle considered it. "I think you could. You've already done some stuff, right? And that was all before you could breathe freaking fire! That said, I won't force you. I mean, I can't." He chuckled. "I just think you could do a lot of good. Oleander is a mess. There are major gangs, and every day, it always seems like someone is doing something. The Sub Enforcers haven't been doing enough since Money Tree was put in charge, the solo heroes are being picked off every day, and Watch Dogs have become a joke in Old Dog's retirement. Besides, who said you'd have to be doing this alone?"

"What do you mean? Are you trying to say you want to be my sidekick?" She giggled.

Kyle laughed again and shook his head. "I'd rather not get into a fight with the trouble that seems to follow you. That said, isn't it obvious? You could join the Sub Enforcers."

"You think they'd let me on their team?"

"Why not. They exist for kid heroes to have a place in society. Also, I hear Paragon might be joining them recently." That single mention of Paragon instantly soured her mood. The thought of being in the same room as the healer made her blood boil. Kyle could apparently tell he said something wrong as he shrank back. "Okay, so maybe not the Sub Enforcers. You said you worked with Myth, right? He was strong back in the day and knows a thing or two. What if you ask to be his sidekick or something, or maybe his partner?"

She was about to say no, but then she stopped as she thought about what he said. She didn't hate Myth; he was a nice enough guy, strong and handsome as well. That said, she couldn't help but recall the rage he had in him. She'd love to work with him again, but being his partner would be a nightmare without Mr. Larison also there to back her up.

Wait!

Kyle was on to something.

It had been sitting in front of her this entire time. Someone she worked well with, who she knew would have her back, and who knew what he was doing. Someone able to keep her out of danger and improve her power.

It was all so obvious.

"I think I can do it." She said, sitting up. Kyle did as well, as she turned to face him. "What you said. Yeah, if I went in not alone, I'd have someone else backing me up. I could learn more and take it slow, and if it didn't work out, I could back out. If we formed a team, we wouldn't have to be worried about getting picked off, and we could even get sponsors and earn money." She bit her nail, thinking it through. She could even help her father.

A duo called the Pallet Boys had earned nearly a million dollars in sponsors alone. Of course, she doubted she'd ever reach that level. It would give her mom a break, and she would get to use her powers if she did, though.

"You're going to team up with Myth, then?" Kyle asked.

"Something like that." She grinned, nodding. "I'll ask him anyway. The worst thing he can say is no."

"You're going to need a good costume, you know. And a badass name. Something better than Fall Girl."

"I know. I already have a name in mind."

"You do?"

"Yeah." She looked down at her hand. "You'll have to wait to see."

"Well then, I look forward to it." Kyle had a big grin on his face. He seemed as excited as she was about this. Something seemed to flicker in his eyes. He leaned forward and-

A hand pressed to his mouth, stopping him in his tracks. "Uh, what are you doing?" She asked with wide eyes.

Kyle backed away instantly, feeling shame. "I mean, I thought... We were... Well, there was a moment, and I thought maybe..."

She stared at him before snorting and then giggled softly. "Kyle."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not into boys." She stated in a deadpan voice.

"Bu wuh?"

"Hit the deck!" A panicked voice yelled as a shadow fell over them.

She barely had time to half tackle, half shove Kyle to the ground as something slammed past them and crashed into a wall of scrap, knocking it over. "What was that!" Kyle yelled, sitting up.

"I have no clue." They stared at what had almost hit them. It was a large metal fist. Not one of the ones Red Ape had. Rather, this one was wide and bulky, made out of black iron, and hissing with fire. Her ears twitched as she heard someone running towards them. "Heads up." She warned Kyle, letting him get ready to run in case it got bad.

A boy came running around the corner. Or at least she thought he was a boy based on the way he was cursing. His voice was young and vaguely familiar. He was dressed head to toe in black armor that was shaped sort of like an ancient eastern warrior, one you'd see in a picture book, but the spot around his right arm was gone, showing the skin beneath it.

Her eyes lit up when she saw him. It was a hero. One she had heard on the news recently named Metal Ronin. "Are you two, okay?" Metal Ronin asked. "I am so sorry if any of you got hurt; I can call a healer right away! Unless she already left, that is. Oh God, I hope she didn't leave. Please say you two are okay."

"We're fine." Kyle snorted. "Your hand crashed over there."

"Thanks!" The weird cyborg warrior moved past them, grabbing the fist and ripping it out. "I came here looking for some spare parts and got a little carried away in my testing. That said, I should let you two know that while it isn't illegal to be here, it is very late, and spots like these have been known to be filled with gang activity. I would recommend against it."

She was about to say something but stopped. As far as he knew, she was just a normal girl with no powers, so this likely did look like an odd location to hang out with a friend. "Yeah, we'll keep that in mind." She assured Metal Ronin.

Kyle stood up and gave a nod to her, then gave the hero a dirty look. "Come on, Hope, I'll walk you back home."

"Yeah." She awkwardly followed after Kyle, shooting a look back towards the hero.

Metal Ronin watched them walk off and reached up to press a spot on his helmet. "Your son is heading back now, sir."

"I see." The voice of the newest police chief echoed through his helmet. "Ensure he gets back safely, and try not to let them spot you, Rowan."

"Yes, sir, and while I'm in the armor, I only go by Metal Ronin." Rowan was a little disappointed at that. His armor really had taken a beating in the fight with Mars King, so he would have loved to fix it up a bit. Sadly, he drew the short straw on who got to babysit the boy.

***

Hope was thankful that it was a Friday. All the crazy crap she went through today—the fights, the near death—whatever the heck that Nick guy was.

She was just ready to crash on her bed and call it a day. She stood in front of the door to the apartment, letting out a breath she was holding. Gathering her courage, she turned the knob and stepped into the room.

"I'm back." She announced awkwardly.

The lights were still on despite how late it had become, and her mom sat in her chair. The woman's hair was messy, almost as messy as hers, and there were heavy bags under her mother's eyes. Jane Lauren looked like a mess.

"I tried to call you." Her mom said.

"Yeah, my phone is still broken. You didn't get me a new one yet." She couldn't help but wince at the way her mom flinched at her words. She hadn't meant it to sound like an accusation, but it likely came out that way.

"Where were you?"

"Armin's."

Her mom stared at her with a blank look. "I called Mr. Moore. Want to try again?" She sighed and shook her head. "What happened to you?"

She took off the broken jacket she had, allowing it to drop to the floor as it broke apart. 'Oh, well, you see, mom, I have superpowers, and I actually got into a fight with a villain, helping a buff bull-man and someone who may or may not be related to the Victorian, at least they had powers close to her.' Is what she wanted to tell her mother, but her mouth locked up, and she didn't say anything.

Her mom stared at her as an awkward silence filled the room. "Hope, are you doing this because of Dad?"

"I can't say." She felt her mother's arms wrap around her, and she flinched as she was pulled in for a hug. "I'm sorry."

"Are you hurt?" Her mom asked quietly.

"Not really." She left out how her mouth almost melted off.

"Is this going to keep happening?"

"I don't know." She just stood there awkwardly in her mom's arms.

"Your dad said he feels a lot better. Those people from Reservoir made his pain nearly vanish."

"That's nice." Silence filled the room again. "Am I in trouble?"

"Yes."

"Damn."