Black Parade

"Psst!" a hushed his draws me from my internal revelry. Turning, I see Takata waving me over with a reproachful look on his face.

"What?"

"You shouldn't be here." he grouses, looking mightily uncomfortable surrounded by so many 'heroes'. Not surprising for an ABB gangster.

"I'm keeping an eye on things, I wasn't told otherwise." I drawl in response.

"You weren't told to 'watch' either. Get out of here, these aren't your people."

I gesture vaguely at the crowd, "Pretty sure they are, a quarter of 'our' people turned up to take part."

"They aren't ours anymore." He heatedly retorts, "Whatever, stay if you want, you're the one who has to explain it to the boss." he says before hurriedly stomping off.

Douchebag, if they didn't have me by the balls I'd be down there partying with them. The protest had only picked up in heat as it progressed, more and more of the Asian population in ABB territory taking the lack of gang response as a green light to take part. Various food stalls and activities had been hastily erected along the road the protest was marching down.

The PRT heroes had all started to slowly relax as time went on unmolested, all except Assault who seemed to be giving clipped responses to anyone who tried to strike up conversation.

Amy, or Panacea was notably not present, despite a good portion of her family being present. The mother-daughter duo Lady Photon and Laserdream were flying circles above the event, Shielder was hovering over his father Manpower, and Aunt Brandish...

Maybe they just had Amy tucked away somewhere, ready to work in an emergency. Then again, over my talks with her it sounded like Amy's relationship with her mom was 'rocky' to say the least.

Shaking my head, I look over at the front part of the line of people, where Mr Hotaro walked with a giddy-looking Takeshita at his side, the thirteen-year-old shouting and waving at everyone nearby, while occasionally begging her grandfather to buy her something.

Around them were other people I'd seen in the neighbourhood, some with their children while others their spouses. It was good to see them without a dour, depressed, or desperate look on their faces.

I let out a cool breath and allowed my eyes to wander. Maybe I should grab some soba from a stand-...?

My thoughts trail off as I catch a glint of white in my peripheral. Focusing on it, I'm horrified to see the faint outline of Oni Lee's mask in a darkened room on the fourth floor of a tower block. I don't know if he noticed me or not due to his mask, but as soon as I laid eyes on him he'd disappeared...

*Chiink!*

The sound fades under the cacophony of the celebration, but the screams of terror the next moment draw everyone's attention. Over near where Mr Hotaro and Takeshita had been a Oni Lee's figure materialised, causing those near him to shout and flee.

I myself tried and alert the heroes, but they had already keyed in on it, Glory Girl flying over to punch the head off the murderous ABB cape.

Unfortunately, she was moments too late as the grenades the man had dropped detonated.

*BOOOM!*

I was deafened momentarily, but that just meant I could observe the chaos in all its dark glory without sound to add to it. The bodies of those closest were utterly destroyed, arms and legs shooting over the crowd is a bloody display of gore.

A trail of smoke followed Glory Girl's somehow unharmed body, allowing Gallant to catch her with a loud grunt.

Mr Hotaro had been lucky enough to see the threat as it came, managing to shield Takeshita's body with his own... Other people had been between him and the explosion, acting as meat shields, but even then he and his granddaughter were lying limply on the road.

I myself could do nothing but gape at the scene, still deafened, still shocked. The heroes, after taking a moment to realize the severity of the situation, all began running around. Some worked with PRT officers to help the injured, while others left in search of wherever Oni Lee had disappeared to.

By the time my hearing returned, I'd begun to wish it hadn't. Agonized screams of the injured were barely audible over the sirens of both police cars and ambulances. A PRT agent was shouting orders at the citizens over a microphone, but most gave her no heed as they fled in any possible direction.

The Asian populous was even more horrified, the thought of the ABB recognizing their defiance and retaliating against them pushing them to run even faster. Those who'd set up their stalls simply abandoned them, leaving the road looking both abandoned and like a riot was going on.

My legs moved before I'd even commanded them, delivering me to Mr Hotaro and Takeshita's side. I flip them over and grimace at the mangled meat that was the old man's calves. They were spewing blood onto the floor without stopping, and my attempt to use my hoody to staunch the bleeding achieved little to nothing.

Takeshita didn't look all that injured, barring the large bump forming on her forehead, but I had no idea if that was the extent of her injuries.

Knowing the paramedics weren't coming for Mr Hotaro with all the other people needing assistance, I tore up my shirt into usable strips and created both a tourniquet, and makeshift bandages with which to wrap his wounds.

Mr Hotaro was an older gentleman, and he was frail compared to a younger man... I sincerely doubted he'd survive with the amount of blood he'd already lost.

Oh fuck.

I look up from my attempts to apply pressure to the wound and search my surroundings, wondering if Oni Lee would make another pass. That psycho was just the sort of person to make sure he finished the job, and his power to teleport and leave a clone of himself made him particularly hard to nail down, especially in a street like this which had many buildings to retreat and hide into.

"SOMEONE GET SOME FUCKING HELP OVER HERE!" I roar as Mr Hotaro continues to pale. "You idiot! I told you this whole is was stupid!" I bitterly rasp down at the unconscious man.

"G-Guitar Boy!? Are you alright!?" Glory Girl exclaims as she lands next to me, an almost wrathful snarl on her lips.

"N-no! He needs immediate attention or he's dead! Where's Panacea!?"

"Back at the hospital! I'll fly him over!" she says, not waiting another moment to pick up Mr Hotaro in a princess carry and blast off, leaving me and Takeshita in the middle of the street.

I kneeled next to her and pressed my hoody to her nose which was now streaming with blood... Shit, it was even dripping from her ears!

After taking a moment to think if she had any spinal injuries, I say fuck it and begin carrying her over to the nearest ambulance. Hearing the paramedic shout "Shit!" when he sees her is disheartening, but the haste with which they drive down the road gives me hope that maybe she'll come out alright.

Again I look around the area, and my shock turns to anger, both at Oni Lee, and the useless fucking capes that didn't 'expect' one of the two capes the ABB had taking action. Surely they have some way to stop Oni Lee from suicide bombing a crowd of people!?

The fucking news crews weren't helping my fury either, as once they figured the scene safe they returned to interview people, including a few injured who were barely slurring their words. For fuck sake, most people weren't even injured by Oni Lee, but by the crowd of stampeding people.

Soon enough most heroes returned to the scene, notably without ABB or his head in a bag as he deserved. He got away despite being chased by almost every hero this city had to offer, useless, all of them.

The sound of a loud ass engine coming down the road signals the arrival of 'the best' cape in the city, Armsmaster, who'd not even bothered to attend the protest before now. He skids to a stop next to Assault and Battery for a sitrep, but hearing "No VIPs were harmed." almost had me blowing a fucking gasket.

"NO VIPS WERE HARMED!? IS THAT WHERE YOUR DAMN PRIORITIES ARE AT!?" I angrily shout at him, interrupting them.

"Citizen, please vacate the area!" Armsmaster barks an order at me, which I ignore with 'grace'.

"Fuck off you smarmy armoured cunt! I'm sick of you PRT shitheads fucking up your ONLY job! My friends are probably dead because you didn't think the teleporting suicide bomber would make use of his only fucking ability!"

"Kid that's enough, the situation is dangerous and you need to leave-" Battery starts but I cut her off.

"You think I give a SHIT!? WHY THE FUCK DO YOU EVEN ALLOW THE ABB TO EXIST IN THE CITY!? ONE CALL TO ALEXANDRIA OR EIDOLON AND THEY'D HAVE THOSE CUNTS CRUCIFIED WITHIN THE HOUR! I already told you bastards where their hideouts are, where the brothels where they force people into SEX-SLAVERY are!?" I shouted, almost frothing at the mouth I was so angry.

"There's more about the situation than you know, the Triumvirate are too busy to come here personally-"

"TOO BUSY TO SPARE AN HOUR!? YOU FUCKERS MIGHT BE FINE ON YOUR YACHT OUT ON THE OCEAN, BUT THE REST OF US HAVE TO LIVE HERE! ALEXANDRIA COULD THROW LUNG INTO THE SUN! EIDOLON COULD DROP A FUCKING BLACK HOLE ON HIM! TOO BUSY!?"

"There are other priorities that require their attention, now calm down, we will do our best to fix this mess but you need to get yourself to safety." Armsmaster commands once more.

I let out a quiet, almost pitiful chuckle in response, "Other priorities!... You mean those photo shoots? Brand deals!? Meeting with foreign dignitaries!? Playing tea party with the president!?"

"The Endbringers." the man growls back at me.

"OH! RIGHT! THE ENDBRINGERS WHO THEY'VE BEEN UNABLE TO KILL! You say that like they're constantly attacking, rather than every couple months! Your excuse is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" I shout, spittle hitting his shiny boots. "JUST SAY IT HOW YOU MEAN IT! THAT WE'RE NOT RICH OR IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT BEING SAVED!" I hold my arms up with, leaving the destroyed street in the backdrop behind me.

"Armsmaster, go we'll handle this..." Battery attempts but the cape seems unwilling to lose a verbal brawl with a child.

"The world doesn't revolve around you. For everyone we save, someone is left out, that's reality."

"Yeah? I don't see you ignoring important politicians for nobodies like us! Just admit it you damn hypocrites!"

"Some people warrant a stronger response-"

"But not my mother!?" I interject with a growl, "Who's being held hostage in an ABB brothel, the same fucking brothel I told you bastards about! 'We are working to take action' BULLSHIT! I WAITED DAYS, WEEKS FOR YOU TO DO SOMETHING! YOU'RE LIARS, YOU'RE NO HEROES, JUST PAMPERED GOVERNMENT SCARECROWS!" I point a finger at his face, where his mouth was visible from his helmet, scowling lips twitching as if he wanted to slap me.

"I despise you, almost as much as the ABB. Go eat a bullet, you'd be doing the city a favour. The person they replace you with couldn't be any worse." I spitefully say, coming down from my rant. I had nothing left to give, I'd said my piece, let the 'best hero in Brockton' know just what a useless cunt he is. I turn to leave but stop as Assault grabs my arm.

"Kid, if you need help we'll try, you might hate us but we're your best shot at getting your mom out."

I snatch my hand back and run to a nearby alley, escaping towards my apartment. The heroes don't follow for whatever reason and are soon surrounded by news crews and broadcasters, which I'm glad for... I was tired, I just wanted to sleep the day away and forget today completely...