Let’s Be Heroes Mr. Larison

Being grounded didn't matter when her mom was going to be at work all day, and since school was out due to an attack that was stopped by the Sub Enforcer last night, it was pretty easy for her to just walk out of her home and go exploring the city. She had her destination in mind already.

Her fist pounded on the door. It was the middle of the day, nearly one P.M, and she was afraid he might be at work, but she had to try at least.

A loud groan came from the other side of the door as it opened, and she struck. "I want you to be a superhero with me!" She stopped and looked up at the dark-skinned man on the other side of the door, that wasn't Jack.

He gave her a nod. "I'm in," Nick announced. "When do we start."

"You weren't who I was looking for," she said awkwardly.

Nick gave the saddest look she had ever seen a grown man have. "Jack!" He screamed. "It's for you!"

"Tell them to go away!" Mr. Larison's voice came from what she suspected was his bedroom door.

"Okay!" Nick turned back to her. "Yeah, sorry, Jack's out right now."

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you let me in."

"Deal." Nick turned and waved her in. "He's in there, just kick the door down. He deserves it for what he did to the TV."

She walked into the apartment and looked at it for the first time. It was about the same size as hers, but on the other side of the city near the bridge leading to Lillian. There were boxes scattered everywhere and a few dirty plates. She didn't really get a good look the first time she had been here, but it seemed homely enough. She knocked on Jack's door. "Go away, Kid."

"Nah." She twisted the handle and opened the door, stepping into his room. "Whoa! You're an even bigger nerd than I am, Mr. Larison!" She looked around his room, spotting all the action figures. "Hey, I have this one!" She proudly poked a swimsuit model variant of Lady Time, still in the box.

Jack was seated in a chair, staring at a TV. His face was pale, and his beard and hair were even messier than usual. He was gripping his arm and twitching, but his eyes never left the screen watching the news, which talked about how Max Lightning, considered to be the rookie of the Enforcers, as he had been on for less than a year, fought off a squid invasion in Gladiolus City. In his lips, he held a cigarette, though it wasn't lit.

"You, okay?" She asked, going quiet.

"I'm fine." He snapped.

"You're a bad liar."

"Better than you." He grumbled. "What do you want, kid."

She huffed and folded her arms. "You know why I'm here."

"Kid, you see the state I'm in. Do I look like hero material?"

Hope had to agree with him. The fighting had taken its toll. Despite that, though. "I want to be a superhero."

"Then do it."

"I want you to be there with me." Jack eyed her up, so she continued. "I'm not that smart. I get that. Part of me is scared, too. But when we fought that villain, it was fun. I wasn't scared in the least. I want to be a good hero, but I have no idea where to start. I don't know how to improve my powers or what I need to do. You do, though. You tried this all before, right? You're strong, and with me, I can cover your weakness."

"You want to be my sidekick." Jack sighed.

"No. I want you to be my partner." That caused Jack to snort and nearly fall out of his chair. "I'm serious! I don't just want to be some random superhero. I want to make a difference. A big one. I want to join the Enforcers and keep Oleander safe, and I want to fight alongside the Victorian and defeat Calamities when they appear and-"

"You need air." Jack barked, causing her to gasp.

She nodded and took a second to collect herself. "I want you to help me reach that goal."

"What do I get out of it?"

"You get to be the guy that brags he helped train the next Victorian."

"Look, Kid. It's okay to dream of heroes. No shame in that. It's okay to even dream using your powers. Doing it, though. That's different. That's a commitment. One that takes a mental and physical toll on you. You'll lose. You'll lose so much that you'll go mad. It won't ever be enough. No matter how strong you get, no matter how many people you save, there are always the ones you fail. You're too late or not skilled enough to take down the bad guy. You're a child. One with a future ahead of them. Do you honestly want to step into a world like this? The only thing you should care about is getting good grades in school. Getting a good job. Marrying some rich dude, and then living the rest of your days out happily."

"I'm into girls."

"Then marry some rich girl, it doesn't matter. The point is this. Do you really, really want to be a hero because you can save people, make a difference, and fix this city? Or do you just want to do it for fun?"

Hope stepped forward, staring him down. "I want to help the Victorian. Not just her but the other heroes as well. They've done so much for me and my family. I want to repay them and lessen some of the burden. I want to be an Enforcer."

"You do know that there are thousands of Supers, and yet only ten are ever part of the Enforcers. Right now, there's only one position open on the Enforcers after Old Dog retired, but it's pretty clear that when Poseidon comes of age, she'll be taking that spot."

"That's why I want you to teach me everything you know while I stop you from having a heart attack in the field. We cover each other's weakness."

"You haven't even bothered to think of how this would really go, have you." Jack sighed.

"Not in the least." She sounded almost proud of that fact. "Your dream was to be a superhero, right? Well, so is mine. Let's work together."

Jack's fingers ran through his bushy beard, tugging on it. "We'll need costumes." He finally said.

"You're actually going to do it." She was a little stunned. She didn't expect him to actually go along with it.

Jack shrugged. "I've thought about it." What he didn't tell her was how much she reminded him of someone he once knew. "Besides." 'He wouldn't want me to waste this chance' was what he wanted to say, though it never left his lips. He stared down at his hands and didn't say anything else. "I'll do it, I guess. But when I die of a heart attack, it'll be your fault."

"Deal." She smiled. "So, I already have a costume. Sort of, anyway. A friend of mine helped." She had been a bit embarrassed at having to reject a boy, but Kyle was still a good friend, having walked her back home. He had been waiting for her to finally settle on whether she would be a hero and made something for her. It wasn't much, but it would do for now.

Jack gave a nod. "Let me get my stuff."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

***

Jack's car hit the busy street with a dull thud as they began to do what they were always told not to. Look for trouble. "I can't believe I actually let you talk me into doing this." Jack sighed.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Hope smirked. However, part of her was worried. Not about what they had planned but for his health. His car smelled badly of smoke, and already he had another cigarette in between his lips.

"We're gonna die."

"It'll still be fun."

"I can already feel the pain in my chest." Jack sighed.

"I'm sure the smoking will help."

She didn't look at him, but she knew he had the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips as they drove. The city was busy, likely because there was a rumor going around on the web that Harrison Avalon would be arriving in their city to address the fact that Zoo attacked one of his buildings. Because of that, it was a perfect day for crime.

"From what Kyle told me, the police are having issues on Spider Street." She explained. That Street was one most kids tried to avoid. Not because it was dangerous, but rather because it was so bland looking, old fashioned in a way that wasn't even retro, and had nothing but dozens of warehouses full of storage lockers. Her dad had a friend who allowed them to use one, and they kept a lot of their old junk in it on Spider Street.

"This Kyle kid. He knows you're a Super?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. I sort of awakened my powers in front of him, so hiding them wasn't an option." She sheepishly responded. "He said he'd help me out with the whole hero stuff. I think he's even more excited than I am." He really liked heroes.

"So, he's our guy in the chair."

"Guy in the chair?"

"Yeah, the person who gives us information and helps out. Mission Control." Jack shrugged. "Speaking of which, when we get out there, if we see some people don't go calling me Mr. Larison or Jack. We use our hero names, got that?"

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes. He was already working as a mentor. "So, see anything?"

Jack hit the brakes so hard she had to grab onto something, to make sure that she wasn't flung forward. The car behind them honked loudly, clearly pissed, but Jack ignored them, slowly turning off into an alleyway and getting his car into it as far as it would go before, he parked it.

She shot him a dirty look as they climbed out. "So, I take it you saw something."

"Yep, now follow me." He spat the cigarette out onto the ground and stretched his shoulders.

He led them further into the alleyway, reaching a turning point; he stopped her from going further and poked his head a little around the corner. The alleyway opened up to a street where an old warehouse stood on the other side. Two men stood outside of the doors, huddled near the entrance to another alleyway, speaking quietly.

"I ain't got them enhanced senses, so let me know what they're babbling about," Jack ordered.

"Right." She focused on her senses and allowed them to increase a bit, letting her hear.

"Hey, man, it's been a while. I'm going to a party and was needing some confetti." A loud voice that sounded like it was near her said. She could hear the faint sounds of scratching, and she realized it was the man itching at his skin.

"Sorry." A second voice said. "I don't have any confetti. He's a new boss; he's getting rid of the boring party stuff. What I got is even better. We call them Party Poppers."

"Can you hear them?" She nearly jumped when she heard Jack's voice. Despite being a whisper, it felt like an explosion, and she quickly focused on lowering her enhanced senses, shaking off the migraine that was forming.

"Yeah. We can go. They're just talking about party stuff. I think it's someone's birthday, and that guy is trying to get supplies." Jack stared at her with a deadpanned look. "What?"

Slowly, he turned and stepped out of the alleyway, walking towards the men. She had to jog to keep up with him. They were surrounded by alleyways, warehouses, and storage containers, turning the area into an almost twisted maze. Part of it gave her bad memories of the gang, but the good thing about the setup was that they didn't have to worry about any random civilians besides the two men who stood on the other side.

"Hey!" Jack's voice caused the two men to jump, and they whipped around, seeing he was already halfway to reaching them. "We throwing a party?"

One of the men, the dealer, looked like he was ready to bolt but stopped when he saw how Jack and her were dressed. "Are you two wanting to buy?"

"Aw man, do we look like people who buy drugs!" She couldn't help but wince a little at how he stared at them. They were dressed as heroes, so to speak. By costumes, they really just had whatever they could get their hands on.

Jack wore a pair of red sweatpants as well as a red hoodie. The hood was pulled up all the way, and beneath that, he wore a ski mask that showed his eyes and mouth but hid his ginger hair. He looked more like a common thug than a hero. He wore a bag around him that carried a few things, like medical supplies and the basics, just in case they needed them, but other than that, he looked almost normal.

Her own costume wasn't much better. Kyle had lent her a pair of gloves and a jacket, which she was wearing and had zipped up. He had outgrown it but said that his dad had made him wear it everywhere when he was a kid, as they were made with special threading that made it almost knife proof, though not that she needed the suit for that. She also had on a pair of blue jeans, and of course covering her eyes and a bit of her nose, wrapped around her face was the red cloth mask. It had been badly burned, part of it turning into a nasty black, but she couldn't bring herself to part with it. She had also taken the time to brush her hair straighter and tie it back into a ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way, and last, what had been left of the capes Halloween costume was wrapped around her neck as a makeshift cape. It was badly torn at the bottom and so small it stopped at her lower back, being draped over her backpack, which she also wore.

All in all, they didn't look like heroes, but Jack insisted they could get actual full costumes later. What mattered first was building a starting brand and theme. She chose the color blue, while he selected red.

Jack lazily raised his finger, and a spark of gold was the only warning the men had. A bolt of energy fired out and smashed into the buyer, and he was down, not even able to scream as his nerves lit up like a Christmas tree, and he spasmed before fading away into unconsciousness.

"Oh shit," The dealer didn't even get to speak as Jack reached the man and grabbed him by the front of the man's shirt smashing him back first into the wall of the alleyway, pressing him into a section painted with the faded seal of the mayor.

She couldn't help but wince slightly at the brutality of it all, but she assumed Jack knew what he was doing. "Start talking," Jack said with a grunt.

"What are ya some kind of hero wannabe?"

"As a matter of fact, we're superheroes." She announced, causing the man to snort. "What? it's true! I came up with a name and everything. I'm Cinder!"

"And I'm Battery." Jack said with gritted teeth. "I'm called that cause I store a ton of energy. Wanna see what happens when I discharge all that power while holding you?"

"You wouldn't." He was cut off by a scream as golden lightning burst from Jack's skin, and the man felt it course through him. It wasn't as much as the other man had, not enough to knock him out, but it hurt like hell before it faded. "Okay! You made your point."

"Let's lose the silly names. What are you selling, and where did you get it." Battery grunted.

The man nodded his head, a bit wincing. "Look, you didn't hear this from me, okay? I never liked the Super gangs anyway. Always prided myself on avoiding getting roped into Zoo or Bad Timers. I joined a smaller gang. One with normal people. No freaks allowed. Then some new asshole Super moves into town."

"The Wandering Coin?"

"Yeah. He takes over and starts absorbing all the gangs, including the one I was in. Suddenly we aren't just normal drug dealers; now we're selling his shit."

"And that's this party popper stuff?" Cinder asked.

"Yeah." The man nodded. "I don't know what it's actually called. I never saw the new boss, I ain't that important, but I know someone who has. You let me go, I'll talk. I don't even have the new drug on me. The big boss wants us to lure people like him to where it is and get them addicted, so they join up." He said, kicking at the unconscious drug addict.

Battery folded his arms as if he was thinking about it for a second. "Deal." He finally said. She shot a look at him, but he didn't say anything else.

The thug brushed himself off when Jack finally let go. "The Wandering Coin took over dozens of gangs, so they have dozens of bases. The only one I know about is nearby. It's in warehouse twenty-five and has a few guards. That's also where we keep the stuff. Anyone I could get to follow back would be high on it by now, and whatever the stuff is, it's enough to make them want to join after a single dose. Instant hook."

Jack nodded. "We'll check it out."

"So, I'm free to go?"

"Yeah. When you get out of jail." The bolt hit the thug in the stomach, and he hit the floor before his eyes could even go wide.

"Oh good." She sighed. "I thought you were going to let a drug dealer go."

"Nah. Just had to get his hopes up."

"It was a little mean, though."

Battery just gave a small shrug. "I'll bring a pillow for them to collapse on next time."

She nodded, satisfied, and thought about how to make him go through with it for later. "So, we're going to check out this warehouse?"

"That depends. You bulletproof?"

"Yeah. I think. I mean, I tanked an explosion, and you survived getting hit with a laser. I doubt bullets will hurt us."

Battery nodded. "Good enough." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin black phone. "This is a burner phone." He explained. "A lot of the heroes and even the villains have these. They're harder to track and can swap out their number or hide it. Don't ever use this to call friends or family. You use it only to call either me or the cops when you've knocked some thugs out. Hide it on your person at all times and try not to let people see it."

She nodded and gulped a little as he handed her the phone. She suddenly became self-conscious about her strength as she opened it up, careful not to break it. There were only two contacts, one being listed as Battery, with the other being listed as Police.

She dialed the police, and it only took a few moments. "Nine One One, what is your emergency."

She felt her throat tense up, and it became very hard to speak. Jack's hand gripped her shoulder, and he gave her a nod. She nodded back and gulped down the fear. "Hi. My name is, well, I'm..." Deep breath. "I'm on Spider Street, near an alleyway, as well as a warehouse numbered fifteen, I have two unconscious men here who were engaging in the act of selling and buying drugs, as well as a possible kidnapping, in a warehouse numbered twenty-five."

"Understood, officers are on route, and we've alerted the Hero Branch; please state your jurisdiction, and-"

Cinder clicked the phone off, pocketing it. "Let's go."

Battery gave her a nod, masking his grin. "First, I have something else for you." He reached into his bag that was at his waist and fished something out. "I worked on this the night I took it from Red Ape. That fire you have isn't something you should be using yet, so this will hopefully remind you to keep your mouth shut."

Her eyes lit up as he fished out a familiar helmet. The very same she had torn apart. Mr. Larison had seemingly fixed it up, reattaching the metal. He had molded it a little differently, as it looked off, being much smaller. It would cover up her entire upper head but leave her lower mouth visible with only a faint strap that would cover her jaw. The dot that had been in it was gone, covered in metal, and two holes had been formed in it for her to see out of. It almost reminded her of how Poseidon's helmet looked, though this one was slightly different.

She took it from him and lowered it onto her face. It would have been heavy if not for her powers, and it was a bit of an awkward fit, but she was able to get it strapped up and line her own mask up with the holes in the helmet to see out of. It was the one thing that looked professional like it could belong on an actual hero Costume, with just a bit of her hair coming out from the bottom of it.

She never even noticed as it glowed a faint blue, and Jack's eyes lit up, his theory being confirmed. "Thank you! Can I use the barrier and other stuff he did?"

"No." She tried to hide her disappointment as Jack snorted. "I ain't smart enough to fix it up that good. I tore out all the wires and anything else like that in it, then just melted it down and reworked the metal into what you're wearing. It'll offer you a little more protection. Also, it looks cool."

She nodded, rubbing at the metal helmet. It made her feel like a real hero. Like she actually had a proper mask that covered her upper face. It was made out of that strange grayish metal and felt warm on her head.

The two of them left the men there. They'd be knocked out for the rest of the day, so no worries about them leaving. They moved past the warehouse, eyeing the numbers as they approached twenty-five. "So, what do you know about the Wandering Coin?" He asked.

"Not a lot." She admitted. "I know they're a new gang, and that's basically it."

Battery nodded. "Well, luckily, we shouldn't need to worry. What that man had said confirmed an idea I already had. The Wandering Coin doesn't have a Super, or if they do, it's only the boss. My guess is the big boss is the one who made that drug Red Ape used. He mentioned something like that anyway. He's recruiting normal humans and getting them addicted to his super drug."

Her face paled at that. She had seen what that yellow drug could do. Red Ape had gone from having the abilities of a normal human to overpowering her and Myth casually. At that point, she wondered if even Mr. Lari- Battery could handle them.

They finally stopped in front of warehouse twenty-five, and Jack rubbed at his chest a little, letting his heart settle down. "You ready?"

"Yeah." She focused her senses and tried to listen in, only to frown. "It's silent."

"Huh?"

"It's silent." She said again. "And I don't mean like it's quiet; I mean I don't hear anything. Even if the building was empty, I'd still hear the sounds of insects or something like that, but there is literally no noise coming from it, all of the sound just bending or cutting off around it."

Jack stared up at the warehouse, his gut twitching a little. "I see." He strolled forward and grabbed the door to the warehouse, pushing it open. He sighed when he saw what was inside, and she collapsed to the ground, covering her mouth, as the smell hit them. "Someone beat us here."

She was glad for the helmet he had just given her as she suspected it blocked out the worst of it. She had heard of people dying; people died every day, and if it was from a villain attack, there was a good chance the news would talk about it. This was different, though.

She tried not to look at the state the bodies were in, crushing down her fears. Jack's eyes roamed over the many bodies of the Wandering Coin members as he gritted his teeth. Drug dealers or not, they hadn't deserved this. It was a brutal display, done up so their families wouldn't be able to have an open casket.

He stormed through the building, and Cinder followed quietly behind him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shot her a look, but she shook her head, wanting to stay.

There were a few crates scattered around, and they likely would have had that new drug in them, but they had been slashed apart even more than the men had, their orange liquid mixing with the red on the ground. Not a single box had been spared. He moved further into the back of the warehouse and stopped when he heard the voice.

It was twisted and distorted, the sound being bent and twisted around, likely from some power, but he heard it clear as day.

"I'll ask this one more time, big guy. Where is your real boss hiding out? The leader of the Wandering Coin?"

A corner up ahead led into a section of the warehouse, and Jack stopped Hope, holding her back as he peaked around. He felt his blood freeze by what he saw.

It was an open section of the room with only a chair and a table. Sitting on the table was a young girl. Younger than Hope. Her head was sloped as if she was asleep, and she wore what you would expect a child to wear. A simple shirt, pants, and a jacket. Covering her face, though, was a cartoon lamb mask. In her lap was a small box TV, which was playing only statically.

He knew who she was. White Lamb. A member of Zoo, who had the ability to distort sound. She could turn a theme park into the quietest place on Earth or simply ram a truck into your house and blow the building up, and you'd never even hear it. Sound simply stopped existing at places if she wanted it to.

In the chair was a man. He was chained up, his face bloody and beaten, most of his clothes save for his underwear having been stripped off of him. He looked like he was barely conscious.

And in the dead center of the room, dressed in his suit and his cartoon wolf mask, was the greatest villain of Oleander, Green Wolf, leader of Zoo. The man was walking back and forth, a long green energy sword clutched in his hands. "Don't go blacking out on me." He lightly slapped the side of the chained-up man's face. "Your boss sold some drugs to Red Ape. Drugs I didn't agree to let him use. It went and ruined the game I had set up. The leader of your little play group owes me an explanation."

"I told you." The man's voice was broken. Both emotionally and physically. "I don't know where he is. I just manage the loads that are dropped off here."

"See, that doesn't really help."

"Shh!" White Lamb suddenly set up and placed a finger to her lips. "It's starting." The TV she held stopped being all static and suddenly shifted to a clear view of a broadcast.

The camera showed off dozens of people who all stood in front of a massive stand where the Mayor of Oleander City stood. He was a bone thin man with black hair that was always messy and a pencil thin mustache. She had seen him a few times on TV, much like now. He was always a quiet and odd man who usually let others give the big speeches.

Standing next to him was someone she had wanted to see. She had seen the last Chief of Police when the mayor had given a speech last year. That chief had been an older, plump man who always had a smile on his lips. This Chief looked like Kyle but much older. He was an Indian man with a trimmed beard, his hair combed neatly, and a serious look on his face. His body showed how he worked out a great deal, and his eyes constantly scanned the crowd in front of him, looking for trouble.

Standing between the Mayor and the officer was a man she had seen in magazines. The richest man in America. Considered one of the greatest inventors, he inherited what was left of Sinicorp after the Emperor tore it down and turned it into the leading robotics company, creating gear for dozens of heroes. Harrison Avalon was by no means a handsome man. His posture was slouched, and his brown hair was messy. He was pale as if he hadn't gotten out a lot, and his suit was wrinkled.

"Testing. One, two, three, four, five six seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven-"

"The mic works." The Police chief barked, causing Harrison to jump.

"Sorry about that." The man gave an awkward smile, looking down at the crowd. "Hello." An awkward silence filled the air. "I'm..." The man stopped and reached into his pocket, fishing out a white card. He squinted at it and fixed his glasses. "I'm Harrison Avalon." He set the card down, nodding. "And I am here because-"

"Because one of your leading research facilities was attacked by the criminal organization known as Zoo." The Police Chief, Kyle's dad, took the stage, taking the microphone from Harrison. Unlike the scientist, he seemed at home in front of the camera. "For too long, Oleander has suffered at the hands of dozens of villains. I believe many of the Police have grown relaxed in our city. Already the villain known as Red Ape had managed to escape capture and had to be caught again by heroes. I won't stand for them doing what is our job. I am willing to accept the help, but from this day, I promise that I won't let an incident like Red Ape happen again. You can be sure that in the event a villain manages to escape, I will be the first person to chase him down and capture him again. My first order will be taking down the group known as Zoo, thanks to the help of Mr. Avalon."

Green Wolf flicked his hand, throwing a green knife of energy through the air, the handle of which hit the button of the TV, turning it off. "That man stole all Avalon's glory. I was looking forward to what the scientist would say at my declaration of war after I destroyed one of his labs."

"I liked watching it." White Lamb sighed.

Green Wolf gave a shrug. "Well, I didn't. Hey, what did you two think of it?" Cinder felt like her heart stopped when the eyes of that wolf mask casually turned in the direction of the corner they were hiding behind. He stood there staring as if waiting for them to come out. How long had he known? "Got nothing to say? Well, that's too bad." He raised his sword up, pointing it at the throat of the man in front of him. "Guess we don't need this guy."

He didn't even have a chance to bring the sword down. She was around the corner faster than Battery could stop her, and her fist slammed directly into the face of that wolf mask. Or at least that was the plan.

Green Wolf's hand had caught her fist, all the force fading away instantly as if it didn't exist. His masked eyes stared down into her blue eyes, which glowed through her cloth and metal mask. "Nice helmet."

A beam of golden light soared over her shoulder and smashed into the man's stomach. He let go of her as he was lifted up and smashed back first into the wall. Golden lightning seemed to dance over his skin for a second, but he flexed, and the energy of Battery's attack literally dripped off of him.

Battery walked out of his spot and stood behind her, staring Green Wolf down. "It's been a while since I've had this feeling." The villain sighed, twisting his body. "Are you? Nah, you're too young. Who are you anyways?" He said, eyeing the red hero up.

"Just a superhero doing what's right."