ChimpMan
Tree'O Champion
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Chapter 1: What is a Hero? (COMPLETED)
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Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
Barney’s attack did its job. Not only did he hit the wings, but the head and the damage was clear, as blood poured out. The hooded man watched as the body came towards him. He ducked as the body fell onto a ruined building. The effects of the battle with the Demon Lord had come to a conclusion, and that seemed to be affecting the demon before him too. Turning to ash before his eyes.
He walked over to Barney and gave a thumbs up. “Nice job, kid. You have a lot of potential. Say, you should join the Hero Association. I could put in a good word for you. I know some people. You both did well just now. I;m proud to see this generation doing so good.”
The city was slowly cleaned up as people were taken to nearby cities, put into housing by the Hero Association, relying on the buildings they owned in each city until things could be resolved.
@Shammy the Shamrock
He walked over to Barney and gave a thumbs up. “Nice job, kid. You have a lot of potential. Say, you should join the Hero Association. I could put in a good word for you. I know some people. You both did well just now. I;m proud to see this generation doing so good.”
The city was slowly cleaned up as people were taken to nearby cities, put into housing by the Hero Association, relying on the buildings they owned in each city until things could be resolved.
@Shammy the Shamrock
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
City-5, a once luxurious spot among most if not all of the world’s known cities, now stood as the graveyard of all those who had died. The rain fell hard upon the ruined city. Heroes who remained stood in the ashes of a once glorious spot that was alive with hordes of people going about their day, shopping, working, living, and now all that was taken away from them in a matter of seconds.
The Hero Association did what they could to lead an exodus of civilians out of the city, but that only did so much. Many lives were lost; both heroes and denizens. But the casualty was not something they could change. In the end, they saved more lives than what would have been had they not intervened.
The Hero Association put money into rebuilding a part of the city, with a large memorial in the center. Four obsidian obelisks with the names of everyone who died. In the center was the statue of Galactic Shield, the ones strongest hero, now gone. The names of those who gave their lives, and of course, those who lived to tell the tales.
The the city being rebuilt was nowhere near as grandiose as it it formerly was, it would suffice. A few roads rebuilt, repaired, and apartment buildings here and there with some shops from major corporations moving in, all in the hopes to truly bring the economy back. Even the greed was lost among the rich. Even big name fishing corporations moved in to reclaim the sea port for what it used to be.
In the center of City-5...
A crowd of people gathered before the monument that was still covered by drapes. People sat in the seats or stood near the railing. A lone man appeared to be walking on the stage. Black hair and tired eyes. As if he were attending a funeral of a close one, he wore almost all black save for his white tie. He walked over to the podium and cleared his throat before tapping the microphone.
His eyes scanning the crowd of all who came. Families, friends, aunts and uncles, grandparents, lovers, brothers and sisters, cousins, heroes, patrons, and celebrities.
“I thank you all for coming. Today we stand here before a once proud city. Though it is mostly gone, as many materialistic things, and those who roamed the city, we also recognize that we, as a species, stood up against the threat. A demon had appeared thinking it could take our lives and a few brave heroes managed to best the monster. It rang a little poetic tone to my ears. The fight for survival against all odds as humans defy even the greatest threats. You could kill our family. You might kill our leaders… In the end, we stand united against the odds and defy fate itself. So you don’t have to be a hero to be a hero. We stand together. We help one another, as we do to rebuild this city once more. We’re all heroes.
“As we gather together to mourn the lose of those we once knew, or to visit the place of the damned, we…” the voice drowned out. Nagoya sat in a chair. He held in his hands a phone. A part of him wished he could will himself to call Galactic Shield. He couldn’t. He knows he couldn’t because he had tried already. Each time the ring just kept going until his voice answered. But it was not the answer he wanted, it was the answer of his recording.
A boy next to him tugged on his shirt, a smile illuminating his face. “You’re a hero, right? I saw you on TV once.”
He didn’t have the strength to tug himself away. He just stared into the eyes. He was no hero. He didn’t feel like one, at least. He even felt the pain from the fight.
He recalled the events of Kyon’s fall. He was smacked far away and awoke to find someone lifting his body off the ground. He was taken to the nearest hospital in City-4. He woke the next day to find how Kyon fell. He felt like he hardly did anything. Gluttony did one attack and did more than he had done in all his own attacks. But then he heard his voice.
“.. to finish. So I wish to welcome his former student, Star.” The man said as he looked over to Nagoya. He was reluctant to get up as he really wasn’t feeling himself, rather dark deep down inside. Maybe the grief was simply depressing him.
He walked over to the microphone as the man smiled at him, the many faces looking upon him. “A hero…” he began. His hands on the podium and eyes looking down at it, as if staring off and in deep thought as what to say. “Many misuse this word. Rather… they misuse it as its use as a title. They think that is they become a hero or earn that title, they are the good guy. They believe they are law incarnate. Anyone today can call themselves a hero. That doesn’t make you anymore a true hero than someone just saying they’re a police officer. Sure, they garnish a badge, but do they hold the true virtue of one? Do they do all they can do as one would suggest one of that title or job would?
“Most people today claim themselves a hero are are the equivalent of a cop who uses their powers to run red lights, use their uniform of discounts, while helping people from time to time. Some people are heroes for the wrong reasons. Others for the right. I'm one because I'm an egotistical asshole who loves the attention. How many are that truly honest?
“I know many here would have me be silent and others astonished and left in shock at my brash attempt to speak this on such a day as this, but it’s important. It’s important because it’s for those who died to save every single one of your lives. They don’t do it to be rich. Most heroes are the doctors helping you out. The hero who never speaks his name. The one who faces danger, knowing they may not return. Fighting for peace, because pacifism is not the only way, as sometimes you must be willing to fight for peace. I’ll tell you what a hero is…”
He stopped himself. Thinking back to his former teacher, now a statue to be glorified for his death. He recalled what he was once told when he said to Galactic Shield, he was a hero. “I’ll tell you what a hero really is. Being a hero isn't just fighting the bad guy, it's going out of your way to save those who need your help. That includes helping kids on the right track, crossing a blind person to the other side of the road, picking food for the homeless, working on raising money for the starving and sick. Being a hero is about saving lives and going above and beyond, not having powers and wearing a fancy suit with a name attached. That's only for the egotistical and blind. It's someone who's willing to risk their lives so that others can live. The ultimate sacrifice. No one needs to know their name. Because credit is pointless. What matters is helping others. Even when they don't see it. That's what a hero actually is.” Nagoya finished as he walked over, grabbed the drape, focused on his power as he conducted plasma, heating up his hand as the drape began to catch on fire. The flames rising higher in the sky. The crowd looked as if they were utterly disgusted by the act.
“I may not be the best hero, nor might be those who saved every single one of your hinds, but from the ashes, we shall rise again. More will take our place. And in the end, we will be stronger.” He said turning to the crowd as the drape turned to cinder and ash, revealing the tall monument with the ray of sunlight peaking through the clouds, perfectly inline with the statue to the crowd for a dramatic effect.
The letters of those who died were marked on the monument, as well as those who defended the city. Barney, Gia, Leo, Crunch, Gluttony, Planeshifter, Paperboy Kid, Captain Sweatband, Chimp-Man, and many more. They had their own section in dedication. Those that sat in the crowd looked as many thought on what it truly meant to be a hero and how much they gave for those who do not fight to live.
Letters were sent out to those who lived during the Battle of City-5, each with a proud thanks, as well as fans sending in their praise, including those who lived through the horrors. This also included money for their efforts, as was normal for the Hero Association. Included were some invites to the Hero Association, as those who were involved wished to meet with them one by one. What that meant was unknown.
Those with letters will be written in the next post.
Intermission
The Hero Association did what they could to lead an exodus of civilians out of the city, but that only did so much. Many lives were lost; both heroes and denizens. But the casualty was not something they could change. In the end, they saved more lives than what would have been had they not intervened.
The Hero Association put money into rebuilding a part of the city, with a large memorial in the center. Four obsidian obelisks with the names of everyone who died. In the center was the statue of Galactic Shield, the ones strongest hero, now gone. The names of those who gave their lives, and of course, those who lived to tell the tales.
The the city being rebuilt was nowhere near as grandiose as it it formerly was, it would suffice. A few roads rebuilt, repaired, and apartment buildings here and there with some shops from major corporations moving in, all in the hopes to truly bring the economy back. Even the greed was lost among the rich. Even big name fishing corporations moved in to reclaim the sea port for what it used to be.
In the center of City-5...
A crowd of people gathered before the monument that was still covered by drapes. People sat in the seats or stood near the railing. A lone man appeared to be walking on the stage. Black hair and tired eyes. As if he were attending a funeral of a close one, he wore almost all black save for his white tie. He walked over to the podium and cleared his throat before tapping the microphone.
His eyes scanning the crowd of all who came. Families, friends, aunts and uncles, grandparents, lovers, brothers and sisters, cousins, heroes, patrons, and celebrities.
“I thank you all for coming. Today we stand here before a once proud city. Though it is mostly gone, as many materialistic things, and those who roamed the city, we also recognize that we, as a species, stood up against the threat. A demon had appeared thinking it could take our lives and a few brave heroes managed to best the monster. It rang a little poetic tone to my ears. The fight for survival against all odds as humans defy even the greatest threats. You could kill our family. You might kill our leaders… In the end, we stand united against the odds and defy fate itself. So you don’t have to be a hero to be a hero. We stand together. We help one another, as we do to rebuild this city once more. We’re all heroes.
“As we gather together to mourn the lose of those we once knew, or to visit the place of the damned, we…” the voice drowned out. Nagoya sat in a chair. He held in his hands a phone. A part of him wished he could will himself to call Galactic Shield. He couldn’t. He knows he couldn’t because he had tried already. Each time the ring just kept going until his voice answered. But it was not the answer he wanted, it was the answer of his recording.
A boy next to him tugged on his shirt, a smile illuminating his face. “You’re a hero, right? I saw you on TV once.”
He didn’t have the strength to tug himself away. He just stared into the eyes. He was no hero. He didn’t feel like one, at least. He even felt the pain from the fight.
He recalled the events of Kyon’s fall. He was smacked far away and awoke to find someone lifting his body off the ground. He was taken to the nearest hospital in City-4. He woke the next day to find how Kyon fell. He felt like he hardly did anything. Gluttony did one attack and did more than he had done in all his own attacks. But then he heard his voice.
“.. to finish. So I wish to welcome his former student, Star.” The man said as he looked over to Nagoya. He was reluctant to get up as he really wasn’t feeling himself, rather dark deep down inside. Maybe the grief was simply depressing him.
He walked over to the microphone as the man smiled at him, the many faces looking upon him. “A hero…” he began. His hands on the podium and eyes looking down at it, as if staring off and in deep thought as what to say. “Many misuse this word. Rather… they misuse it as its use as a title. They think that is they become a hero or earn that title, they are the good guy. They believe they are law incarnate. Anyone today can call themselves a hero. That doesn’t make you anymore a true hero than someone just saying they’re a police officer. Sure, they garnish a badge, but do they hold the true virtue of one? Do they do all they can do as one would suggest one of that title or job would?
“Most people today claim themselves a hero are are the equivalent of a cop who uses their powers to run red lights, use their uniform of discounts, while helping people from time to time. Some people are heroes for the wrong reasons. Others for the right. I'm one because I'm an egotistical asshole who loves the attention. How many are that truly honest?
“I know many here would have me be silent and others astonished and left in shock at my brash attempt to speak this on such a day as this, but it’s important. It’s important because it’s for those who died to save every single one of your lives. They don’t do it to be rich. Most heroes are the doctors helping you out. The hero who never speaks his name. The one who faces danger, knowing they may not return. Fighting for peace, because pacifism is not the only way, as sometimes you must be willing to fight for peace. I’ll tell you what a hero is…”
He stopped himself. Thinking back to his former teacher, now a statue to be glorified for his death. He recalled what he was once told when he said to Galactic Shield, he was a hero. “I’ll tell you what a hero really is. Being a hero isn't just fighting the bad guy, it's going out of your way to save those who need your help. That includes helping kids on the right track, crossing a blind person to the other side of the road, picking food for the homeless, working on raising money for the starving and sick. Being a hero is about saving lives and going above and beyond, not having powers and wearing a fancy suit with a name attached. That's only for the egotistical and blind. It's someone who's willing to risk their lives so that others can live. The ultimate sacrifice. No one needs to know their name. Because credit is pointless. What matters is helping others. Even when they don't see it. That's what a hero actually is.” Nagoya finished as he walked over, grabbed the drape, focused on his power as he conducted plasma, heating up his hand as the drape began to catch on fire. The flames rising higher in the sky. The crowd looked as if they were utterly disgusted by the act.
“I may not be the best hero, nor might be those who saved every single one of your hinds, but from the ashes, we shall rise again. More will take our place. And in the end, we will be stronger.” He said turning to the crowd as the drape turned to cinder and ash, revealing the tall monument with the ray of sunlight peaking through the clouds, perfectly inline with the statue to the crowd for a dramatic effect.
The letters of those who died were marked on the monument, as well as those who defended the city. Barney, Gia, Leo, Crunch, Gluttony, Planeshifter, Paperboy Kid, Captain Sweatband, Chimp-Man, and many more. They had their own section in dedication. Those that sat in the crowd looked as many thought on what it truly meant to be a hero and how much they gave for those who do not fight to live.
Letters were sent out to those who lived during the Battle of City-5, each with a proud thanks, as well as fans sending in their praise, including those who lived through the horrors. This also included money for their efforts, as was normal for the Hero Association. Included were some invites to the Hero Association, as those who were involved wished to meet with them one by one. What that meant was unknown.
Those with letters will be written in the next post.
Intermission
BlueClover
*Jumps Through Window*
Barney looked up at the guy, a smile growing from under his scarf. He put his newsboy cap on "Thanks! Hero Association?" He asked slightly confused, he had never heard of something like that before. His eye gleamed though since it had the word 'Hero' in it and that's what he wanted to be. He had a goal that day, to become the strongest hero he could be....except without the whole dying from a demon part. A cat jumped on his head "Mitten!" More started surrounding him "Watermelon, Strawberry, Buy One Get One Free Coupon, Tomato, Clover, 7/11, Beerus, Dog and Steve! You are all here," he picked up Watermelon who was actually a raccoon. He looked back at the man sitting down so the cats could form a blanket.
@VY Canis Majoris
@VY Canis Majoris
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Astra didn't know what the heck she was doing. Her life consisted of nothing but flames and bread. Well, lack of. Her life on the streets had been going for, how many years? Well, when she was young. She'd blocked out every memory she could to hide the tears. In the streets, you have to be tough. Astra's red mass of matted hair was not a usual sight. So, she hid it under her torn green hoodie. By now the color was hardly seen. Dirt, food, and other stuff covered the once bright green. Yeah, she never took it off. Though the hoodie was nothing compared to her own appearance. Grim, muck, blood, food bits, nearly anything you could think of had polluted her skin. It was easy to tell she had nowhere. Just don't say that to her face.
She finally decided to not starve and stumbled down the city streets. A sickly sweet scent filled the air, and she followed it, finally emerging behind a bakery. It was her lucky day, because several crates were stacked up. She let out a small gasp and rushed forward. The thin 'bandages' she had on her arms were really only cut up curtain pieces. She needed them to cover the awful burns she would receive from the power. Pulling off the dirty scraps, Astra glanced at the burns. Each one had several red lines coming away, a few even went towards the blood stream. Astra didn't care. She simply prepared to run. Her hands touched the cold wood and she focused. Heat began to rush down her arms, changing quickly to rapid blue flames. Astra bit back a cry, clenching her teeth. The box quickly caught and the young girl patted out the flames. People began to panic as the fire spread, but little thief had already stolen several loaves of bread. Then her warehouse collapsed, with her inside.
Astra let out a silent shriek as the wood collapsed. She curled into a ball, somehow managing to not get crushed. The tin, metal, nails, everything came down. Astra lay in an area nearly fully covered by wood, with only a slight gap for her to look through. It was incredible difficult for her to move, even the slightest bit, but she still stuck her hand out.
"E-Elp!" She called, unable to really say the words. She finally gave up and lay there, awaiting her visit with death.
((Open I guess?))
She finally decided to not starve and stumbled down the city streets. A sickly sweet scent filled the air, and she followed it, finally emerging behind a bakery. It was her lucky day, because several crates were stacked up. She let out a small gasp and rushed forward. The thin 'bandages' she had on her arms were really only cut up curtain pieces. She needed them to cover the awful burns she would receive from the power. Pulling off the dirty scraps, Astra glanced at the burns. Each one had several red lines coming away, a few even went towards the blood stream. Astra didn't care. She simply prepared to run. Her hands touched the cold wood and she focused. Heat began to rush down her arms, changing quickly to rapid blue flames. Astra bit back a cry, clenching her teeth. The box quickly caught and the young girl patted out the flames. People began to panic as the fire spread, but little thief had already stolen several loaves of bread. Then her warehouse collapsed, with her inside.
Astra let out a silent shriek as the wood collapsed. She curled into a ball, somehow managing to not get crushed. The tin, metal, nails, everything came down. Astra lay in an area nearly fully covered by wood, with only a slight gap for her to look through. It was incredible difficult for her to move, even the slightest bit, but she still stuck her hand out.
"E-Elp!" She called, unable to really say the words. She finally gave up and lay there, awaiting her visit with death.
((Open I guess?))
Naloth
Call me Nalo
Earl looked lost for words, unable to describe what had happened." Let's just say it looks like living hell." The phone hung up. He looked around at his fellow heroes who fought Kyon with him, he was glad they survived. It rained a few minutes later, what perfect timing. The ashes of Kyon blew away by the wind. Earl walked back to his destroyed apartment, picking up his ruined plants from the rubble.
Earl was not seen around the city for some while, until the memorial. He stood out from the crowd like a black sheep with a horde of white sheep. He could feel the stares he was getting. The speech Nagoya gave really got to him. A salty tears fell from his reptillian eyes. He received money from the hero association and a bag full of fan letters, that's a new one. He never got thanked because most people were scared of him.
He decided to go grocery shopping, stopping by a bakery to buy some bread. He stopped hearing a scream, he rushed inside the bakey as it collapsed. Debris fell around him, clouding his vision. He kept walking deeper into the mess, finally finding a hand sticking out." Hold on, you'll be okay!" He shouted in a urgent manner, grabbing the pieces of wood surrounding the person trapped inside.
@Echo Dreamsong
Earl was not seen around the city for some while, until the memorial. He stood out from the crowd like a black sheep with a horde of white sheep. He could feel the stares he was getting. The speech Nagoya gave really got to him. A salty tears fell from his reptillian eyes. He received money from the hero association and a bag full of fan letters, that's a new one. He never got thanked because most people were scared of him.
He decided to go grocery shopping, stopping by a bakery to buy some bread. He stopped hearing a scream, he rushed inside the bakey as it collapsed. Debris fell around him, clouding his vision. He kept walking deeper into the mess, finally finding a hand sticking out." Hold on, you'll be okay!" He shouted in a urgent manner, grabbing the pieces of wood surrounding the person trapped inside.
@Echo Dreamsong
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Astra pulled her hand back, cradling the charred mess her skin had become. The girl scooted back as far as she could, looking up at her rescuer. When the board was finally moved enough, Astra tried to pull herself out. That ended in a slight whisper of a scream as she pulled her hand back. Still, she wasn't going to let this new person see any weakness. Nope, she stood up as high as she could before using the burned hands to pull herself up. Sure, she was used to pain, but the fire would be stronger if she kept it in longer. Astra had survived two months without fire. That was hundreds more degrees. That and her already burned hands? Well, not good.
She pulled herself onto the debris pile and stared up at Earl with a terrified expression. He was definitely going to take her to jail! Maybe even stab her with her own spork! To say the least, she was a paranoid child. She shakily stood and looked around for an escape before taking off in a random direction. Then the wood collapsed underneath her feet. She gave the slightest whisper of a shriek as the little red head plummeted onto the hard earth, now once again stuck in the rubble. Astra tried to climb out, but her hands prevented that. Finally she sat in the pit, leaning against the side as she looked up.
Naloth
Call me Nalo
Earl looked at the strange girl, who appeared to be no more than ten years old, and hungry. She looked terrified at the sight of him, seeing her try to run away and trip on more debris. He dug his hand into his bag to take out a loaf of bread, breaking it into two pieces."I'm sure you're hungry." A genuine toothy smile on his face. It had been a few days since he willingly tried to be a hero, it felt nice to help people in need. His eyes wondered to the girls hands, they seemed burned. He knelt down and found a rag to wrap around the burn wounds.
@Echo Dreamsong
@Echo Dreamsong
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
It was the start of a new day for many when a letter was delivered by a drone near Barney. On the drone was a white seal over the black robot and the crate in it. The seal belonged to the Hero Association. It was not a big crate, it looked like the size of a binder. Inside was a single letter.
Dear Barney,
Your Actions In City-5 Were Recognized As An Outstanding Feat. You Are Noted As Being Very Different Than Others, Because You're Not Human. Not Physically, At Least.
We Invite You To Meet With Us At The Hero Association Headquarters. When You're Available, Please Make Your Way To the Hero Association Headquarters. Considering You Live In City-1, the base for the Hero Association, This Would Be A Grand Trip For You.
Once Here, The Questions Or Tasks We Ask Of You Will Be Presented. We Hope You Will Accept Our Invitation.
Ryuk
Public Relations
Hero Association
City-1
@Shammy the Shamrock
Dear Barney,
Your Actions In City-5 Were Recognized As An Outstanding Feat. You Are Noted As Being Very Different Than Others, Because You're Not Human. Not Physically, At Least.
We Invite You To Meet With Us At The Hero Association Headquarters. When You're Available, Please Make Your Way To the Hero Association Headquarters. Considering You Live In City-1, the base for the Hero Association, This Would Be A Grand Trip For You.
Once Here, The Questions Or Tasks We Ask Of You Will Be Presented. We Hope You Will Accept Our Invitation.
Ryuk
Public Relations
Hero Association
City-1
@Shammy the Shamrock
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BlueClover
*Jumps Through Window*
Barney was sleeping in his blanket of cats when he saw a metal being. He just stared at the robot before seeing the binder. He looked in it, reading it hastily, shaking at every word. A squeal of happiness could be heard as a smile spread across his face. "THEY KNOW ME! THIS COULD BE BIG!" He ran to The Hero Association headquarters immediately, a long trail of cats, a raccoon and a goldfish in his hands came as well. After getting lost for an hour he finally made it. Barney took a deep breath before looking down at Goldie his goldfish "Today is the day," he whispered walking in the front door.
@VY Canis Majoris
@VY Canis Majoris
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Astra winced as he touched her hands, pulling them back slightly. She wasn't really sure what he was doing, but it seemed nice. Still, Astra didn't want help, then she noticed the bread. Her eyes lite up and she gasped.
"Od?" She asked quietly, looking up hopefully.
(Gotta go. We will be in a car for almost all of today.)
Elision of Ecritures
The Demon Librarian
Push
A puff of smoke escaped from Hajime's mouth, forming into circles as he held his mouth steady. It had been a little while after the events that had transpired in City 5. Memorials had been built, damage had started to be repaired and the effects were starting to heal, but they still lingered like scars on the body after injury. He flopped down, back against the ledge of he roof of the building he had flown to. "Some A Class hero." he remarked at himself, taking another drag as he recalled the exact events and his participation in such events from the past attack. While most heroes pitted themselves against demons he arrived much later, a long and bothersome journey from city 22 which made him quite late when arriving to the scene. By that time he was incapable of fending off demons like others in his same class and instead was forced to do clean up duty. He shifted rubble, found citizens and aided n their evacuation and safety from the demons, but hadn't laid a finger on the actual enemy while others did that for him. He flicked his cigarette to the ground, sat up and stomped on it. He really needed to quit that habit.
He took a deep breath and looked over the scene of City 5, having decided to stay a little while in case they needed his help with any construction in addition to seeing the recent memorial. He was back after another arduous flying through clouds for a couple hours. Why did anyone ever want to have the ability of flight? It was always such a boring feature of his abilities outside of combat, albeit quite practical and saving him a lot of gas money, car expenditures of any kind and transportation fare. He wondered what would happen next now that all of this had settled down.
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
Sitting in the room with multiple men and women in suits, a small screen displayed the events of City-5. For this moment, they looked at a few heroes. Most notably Leo and Crunch. There were others, but these two were who they wished to discuss at the moment. The one using the projector screen for the board was a bespectacled male who looked to be in his early thirties or late twenties. His brown hair slightly pulled back and wavy yet short.
"Who is the one with the blonde hair?" A women asked. Their faces all seemed to be covered in shadow with only the light of the sun penetrating the blinds and the lights of the ceiling all on low. Only were they bright on the young secretary.
"That is Leo Kingston, Ma'am. He's currently a Class-A hero." The bespectacled man answered.
"Is he openly ranked?" The question came now from an older man.
He knew what the man was asking; was Leo in the top 10 of the Class-A's? The worker pulled a paper out from inside his coat, setting the tablet on a tripod. Looking over the report, Leo's rank was lost. Since the shift in ranks as of late, things were currently unclear. "Um, well..."
"It doesn't matter." That shocked him. He hoped he didn't hurt his impression with the heads here. This was the headquarters of the Hero Association after all. People would kill to work here and have the job he does with the connections he had. "With Galactic Shield's death, his spot was taken by Dragon Lord. With Dragon Lord currently sitting at the number 1 spot for Class-A, we might as well restructure the system." The old man said.
A younger male was quick to skepticism to the remarks. "You don't mean the "Initiative", do you?"
"Of course I do!" He slammed his fist on the mahogany table. "It's high time we set it up. The world needs an S-Class group of heroes. It will even strike fear in Them!"
"Do you forget? We're not talking about that at the moment. Let us address Lero Kingston." The women ended the conversation with the prune man.
"Leo, Ma'am", the worker corrected.
"Right. I say we bring him in. I say he should be put into the top 10, definitively. If we, by some chance" she said glaring to the older man" open up that idea, and mind you I will remind you we keep that to ourselves." She looked and stared into the worker's eyes. "But in the off chance, his rank will adjust to the stipulation of the ranks accordingly to that period. But that isn't now, nor are we going to worry about it. Gluttony has been advanced to Rank 4 with Shield's death, like Dragon Lord. Paragon of Justice was originally rank 7, now he's 6. With what we see of Leo, not only in what strategic moves he has made, but the use of his power against Kyon, I say we promote him to Class-A, rank 9. That's my judgement. What do the rest of you think? Top ten and if so, what position?"
The group of board members begun chattering to themselves on the details of Leo. After some time, they came to a common conclusion. But next was the other hero; Crunch.
Letter to Leo from the Hero Association:
Dear Leo Kingston,
The Hero Association wishes to formally congratulate you on your outstanding and heroic performance during the invasion in City-5. Due to actions, an important meeting in regards to you and your position in the Class-A bracket have been called upon. This is an important meeting. Please come alone. Try to avoid contact with the press, and do not let them know why you were called here, that you were requested to come, or anything that pertains to the content of this letter. What will follow is of a top secret matter.
Best Regards
The Hero Association
"What do you all think?"
"Boy" a female voice on the far end of the table said to him. "enlighten us on what information we have on "Crunch"."
"Well, he doesn't seem to have a truly human like structure."
"That's obvious..." one said in a condensing tone.
"What I mean is... His blood samples differ from that of humans... even from the species he represents. The way his biological functions work was unique and is why he had a high profile when he joined. He told us he lived in the swamps originally."
"What drove him to the city? That seems odd, especially to City-5. Seems to be a complete 180 in lifestyle."
"We... We don't know. What we know is his durability and strength levels seem higher than when he tested."
"Higher?"
"Yes, that's correct. It's a great improvement. Maybe it's the structure of his body or he didn't display all he had. This conclusion is derived from the Anatomists after researching Kyon's attacks, Crunch's test records, and how he fared against the Demon Lord. They concluded that he was overall better."
"Was a theory created on this reasoning? They, after all, study humans, not... crocodiles. Did they bring in Zoologists?"
"They didn't, just a hypothesis. They figured there might be some alien anatomy involved that might naturally advance and adapt to the settings. Compared to us, it would be seen as a hastened evolution."
The board looked at one another. "Well, he did seem to risk his life and fared well against the demon in a one on one fight for some time. Even if he didn't single handily beat him, he lasted against him. What is his class?" The old man asked.
"Class-B, sir."
"Bring him in."
"Bring him in?" The worker asked confused.
"Did I stutter? You do know how promotion works, right? A hero rises through the class, reaching the top of the top ten members of said class. After that, they're requested to come in and be asked on whether or not they wish to move into the next class. In short, I think he deserves to be Class-A. Mmm, low to mid tier. What say the rest of you?"
Chatter once again began as they discussed the setting for which Crunch would be in the Hero Association. After some time, someone yelled "bring him in!" and the order for a letter via drone was quickly sent.
Letter to Crunch from the Hero Association:
Dear Crunch,
It has come to our attention of your action in City-5 during the invasion by the demonic force. Do to what had happen, we wish to hold an interview with you in regards to what happened, your capabilities, and your future in the Hero Association.
Do not fret when we say "your future in the Hero Association" as this is no letter about letting you go. What you will be presented with is something you should be very happy about. We do hope to hear from you soon. When you are free, please make your way to the City-5 Hero Association branch. It is there we will further discuss your place in the Hero Association.
Best Regards
Jonesy Applebucket
City-5 Public and Hero Relations
@Kingmalikai @Naloth
"Who is the one with the blonde hair?" A women asked. Their faces all seemed to be covered in shadow with only the light of the sun penetrating the blinds and the lights of the ceiling all on low. Only were they bright on the young secretary.
"That is Leo Kingston, Ma'am. He's currently a Class-A hero." The bespectacled man answered.
"Is he openly ranked?" The question came now from an older man.
He knew what the man was asking; was Leo in the top 10 of the Class-A's? The worker pulled a paper out from inside his coat, setting the tablet on a tripod. Looking over the report, Leo's rank was lost. Since the shift in ranks as of late, things were currently unclear. "Um, well..."
"It doesn't matter." That shocked him. He hoped he didn't hurt his impression with the heads here. This was the headquarters of the Hero Association after all. People would kill to work here and have the job he does with the connections he had. "With Galactic Shield's death, his spot was taken by Dragon Lord. With Dragon Lord currently sitting at the number 1 spot for Class-A, we might as well restructure the system." The old man said.
A younger male was quick to skepticism to the remarks. "You don't mean the "Initiative", do you?"
"Of course I do!" He slammed his fist on the mahogany table. "It's high time we set it up. The world needs an S-Class group of heroes. It will even strike fear in Them!"
"Do you forget? We're not talking about that at the moment. Let us address Lero Kingston." The women ended the conversation with the prune man.
"Leo, Ma'am", the worker corrected.
"Right. I say we bring him in. I say he should be put into the top 10, definitively. If we, by some chance" she said glaring to the older man" open up that idea, and mind you I will remind you we keep that to ourselves." She looked and stared into the worker's eyes. "But in the off chance, his rank will adjust to the stipulation of the ranks accordingly to that period. But that isn't now, nor are we going to worry about it. Gluttony has been advanced to Rank 4 with Shield's death, like Dragon Lord. Paragon of Justice was originally rank 7, now he's 6. With what we see of Leo, not only in what strategic moves he has made, but the use of his power against Kyon, I say we promote him to Class-A, rank 9. That's my judgement. What do the rest of you think? Top ten and if so, what position?"
The group of board members begun chattering to themselves on the details of Leo. After some time, they came to a common conclusion. But next was the other hero; Crunch.
Letter to Leo from the Hero Association:
Dear Leo Kingston,
The Hero Association wishes to formally congratulate you on your outstanding and heroic performance during the invasion in City-5. Due to actions, an important meeting in regards to you and your position in the Class-A bracket have been called upon. This is an important meeting. Please come alone. Try to avoid contact with the press, and do not let them know why you were called here, that you were requested to come, or anything that pertains to the content of this letter. What will follow is of a top secret matter.
Best Regards
The Hero Association
"What do you all think?"
"Boy" a female voice on the far end of the table said to him. "enlighten us on what information we have on "Crunch"."
"Well, he doesn't seem to have a truly human like structure."
"That's obvious..." one said in a condensing tone.
"What I mean is... His blood samples differ from that of humans... even from the species he represents. The way his biological functions work was unique and is why he had a high profile when he joined. He told us he lived in the swamps originally."
"What drove him to the city? That seems odd, especially to City-5. Seems to be a complete 180 in lifestyle."
"We... We don't know. What we know is his durability and strength levels seem higher than when he tested."
"Higher?"
"Yes, that's correct. It's a great improvement. Maybe it's the structure of his body or he didn't display all he had. This conclusion is derived from the Anatomists after researching Kyon's attacks, Crunch's test records, and how he fared against the Demon Lord. They concluded that he was overall better."
"Was a theory created on this reasoning? They, after all, study humans, not... crocodiles. Did they bring in Zoologists?"
"They didn't, just a hypothesis. They figured there might be some alien anatomy involved that might naturally advance and adapt to the settings. Compared to us, it would be seen as a hastened evolution."
The board looked at one another. "Well, he did seem to risk his life and fared well against the demon in a one on one fight for some time. Even if he didn't single handily beat him, he lasted against him. What is his class?" The old man asked.
"Class-B, sir."
"Bring him in."
"Bring him in?" The worker asked confused.
"Did I stutter? You do know how promotion works, right? A hero rises through the class, reaching the top of the top ten members of said class. After that, they're requested to come in and be asked on whether or not they wish to move into the next class. In short, I think he deserves to be Class-A. Mmm, low to mid tier. What say the rest of you?"
Chatter once again began as they discussed the setting for which Crunch would be in the Hero Association. After some time, someone yelled "bring him in!" and the order for a letter via drone was quickly sent.
Letter to Crunch from the Hero Association:
Dear Crunch,
It has come to our attention of your action in City-5 during the invasion by the demonic force. Do to what had happen, we wish to hold an interview with you in regards to what happened, your capabilities, and your future in the Hero Association.
Do not fret when we say "your future in the Hero Association" as this is no letter about letting you go. What you will be presented with is something you should be very happy about. We do hope to hear from you soon. When you are free, please make your way to the City-5 Hero Association branch. It is there we will further discuss your place in the Hero Association.
Best Regards
Jonesy Applebucket
City-5 Public and Hero Relations
@Kingmalikai @Naloth
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
When Barney entered the building, the receptionist looked at him, perplexed as he whispered to a goldfish. "Can I help you?" She asked.
"It's OK, he's with me" man answered as he entered the room. He had cold green eyes and neat, gentlemanly mannered kept hair, parted it in the middle with gentle flicks outward together with an undercut. He looked to his guest. "You must be Barney. I was expecting you. You're a lot smaller than I thought, but that's not an issue. Please, if you don't mind, come with me." He said as he turned to walk down a hall with his hands together behind his back. The room of the building was large, polished wooden floors and concrete walls.
@Shammy the Shamrock
"It's OK, he's with me" man answered as he entered the room. He had cold green eyes and neat, gentlemanly mannered kept hair, parted it in the middle with gentle flicks outward together with an undercut. He looked to his guest. "You must be Barney. I was expecting you. You're a lot smaller than I thought, but that's not an issue. Please, if you don't mind, come with me." He said as he turned to walk down a hall with his hands together behind his back. The room of the building was large, polished wooden floors and concrete walls.
@Shammy the Shamrock
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Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
After the memorial was held, Nagoya had walked off, more notably after his speech. He didn't want to see the memorial. It was a reminder of how many people had died. He was an A-Class hero... Leo was an A-Class Hero. There were more than 3 A-Class heroes and many others below that who took it upon themselves to fight back and yet they couldn't save all those lives. Half of the city was blown to bits in a matter of seconds. It was like he was balancing the weight of the universe on his shoulders.
As he walked, an teenage girl sat on some ruble while others worked. "Oh look, it's one of the famous A-Class heroes who "defended" the city." She used her fingers and put stark emphasis on the word "defended". He looked at her with his hands in his coats pocket, eyes baggy and tired. He simply planned to walk all the way back to City-10. People had began looking at him and the girl as she started a commotion. "So much for heroes. Our strongest hero died, and when three Class-A heroes team up, they still can't properly defend the city. They let half of them die. Wouldn't a hero have saved all those lives?" She pointed at the memorial behind him. "You talk like you care, but all you did was talked the talk with a statue of all those names you couldn't save standing right behind you. You don't deserve to be called a hero." She finished.
Someone was trying to stop her when Nagoya held his hand up, stopping it. "She's right. We didn't, nor could we have saved them. I'd be lying if I said this was a successful save for City-5, because it wasn't."
"Damn right it wasn't." Nagoya just ignored her comment and kept walking until he passed her. "Hey!" She yelled as she ran after him and yanked him around, his head spun to meet her eyes when her hand slapped across his face, echoing a loud smack. His face looked down to the right from the hit as a red mark appeared. "It's because of your failure that my father... my mother... my baby brother... my entire family is dead!" He looked back up at her and could see the tears.
"I'm sorry... We did all that we could. If I could, I'd give my life just so your family could be here."
She gripped his coat and and buried her face in his chest as she sobbed. "I miss them so much." She said through her tears.
That was when he noticed someone who looked familiar, yet so far from home. It was Push, the A-Class hero of City-22. Such a long distant flight for him. What was he doing here? Did he try to get here but arrived too late?
@Elision of Ecritures
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BlueClover
*Jumps Through Window*
Barney became a bit nervous, guys in suits were always intimidating to him. He followed the man, at first being shy since the doctor always told him never to talk to strangers unless it was the pizza man. The cats followed as well except it was such a long walk that they jumped on barney, all of them taking residence in his hair except for the raccoon who sat on his shoulder.
The animals acting so calm made him finally warm up "How do you know my name?" It seemed odd that so many people already knew his name, before no one knew and the ones that did made fun of him, calling him a purple dinosaur. Barney started walking a lot faster, it finally clicked that he was in a place of heroes. Excitement came to his mind as he took in every detail, even a crack on the wall seemed to amaze him.
@VY Canis Majoris
The animals acting so calm made him finally warm up "How do you know my name?" It seemed odd that so many people already knew his name, before no one knew and the ones that did made fun of him, calling him a purple dinosaur. Barney started walking a lot faster, it finally clicked that he was in a place of heroes. Excitement came to his mind as he took in every detail, even a crack on the wall seemed to amaze him.
@VY Canis Majoris
Elision of Ecritures
The Demon Librarian
Hajime would've flown away from the City if he hadn't caught a glimpse of Star when he was at first in sort of a 'cruising speed'. The blonde hair was of course what caught his eye at first, but of course upon further inspection granted by a loop backwards, he confirmed it was star as the unmasked hero slowly descended down upon the area where Star was. He noticed a growing crowd forming around the fellow A class hero as he gave a Curt nod around, acknowledging their presence before he did the same with Star, his feet lightly touching the ground. The hero was actually not wearing any of his formal clothing, and simply wore his casual sweats and a ratty old t shirt. "Yo, Star. Funny seeing you here." the smaller man commented as others were rather perplexed about the boy's presence. "Who's that kid?" Someone asked amidst the murmurs.
"Oh wait. I think I recognize him! Its one of those A class heroes, Push, the Esper from City 22." A woman commented. "I knew he was short from news reports but I had no idea he was a child." She whispered. Hajime tried to look unfazed at that comment as he bit his lip. He took note of the girl who had thrown herself into Star's arms, just have her a small gaze for a few seconds, and then looked back to the other hero. "Anyway, if you're wondering I had just stayed around here after the memorial to help out a bit as necessary. Moving rubble, aiding construction, that sort of thing. But now that the commotion has died down construction has become more steady, so I was just about to go back to my City. After all, now that City 5 resembles that place, its becoming more apparent how much I'm needed there right now than here."
@VY Canis Majoris
"Oh wait. I think I recognize him! Its one of those A class heroes, Push, the Esper from City 22." A woman commented. "I knew he was short from news reports but I had no idea he was a child." She whispered. Hajime tried to look unfazed at that comment as he bit his lip. He took note of the girl who had thrown herself into Star's arms, just have her a small gaze for a few seconds, and then looked back to the other hero. "Anyway, if you're wondering I had just stayed around here after the memorial to help out a bit as necessary. Moving rubble, aiding construction, that sort of thing. But now that the commotion has died down construction has become more steady, so I was just about to go back to my City. After all, now that City 5 resembles that place, its becoming more apparent how much I'm needed there right now than here."
@VY Canis Majoris
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Naloth
Call me Nalo
Earl urged her the bread,"Sure, take it." The now bandaged hands were in better condition than they were before. The bakery owner yelled from behind Earl,"Hey! Who's gonna pay for this damage." He was addressing everyone, but Earl knew he was asking him to pay. He took out his wallet and produced 10,000 yen out of it."That should be enough, right?" A smirk grew on his face as the bakery clerk warily walked over and took the money, tucking it in his pocket.
He perked up as a drone descended next to him, holding a letter from the Hero Association, asking for a interview. He looked back at the girl, he could'nt just leave her by herself, there were no adults to watch her. "Hey, you want to come with me, seeing as there are no adults to watch you." He asked kindly, holding out one hand for her to grab.
@Echo Dreamsong
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Please contact operator to correct mistake
Astra looked at him nervously, clinging to the bread. Her hands stung, but they would eventually heal. The once pale skin was now covered in almost everything. Dirt, mud, bean goop, even ground beef. She was coated in filth. Seeing Earl honestly made the girl rather self conscious of that fact. Still, he gave her bread, bread even when she had nothing to give. He even paid for damage she had caused, not that he knew it was her.
Slowly, Astra accepted his hand. She slid her own frail one into his much larger and looked up. The fire had returned to the dull blue she had once had, even the sunken cheeks seemed to have a bit more color. Not that it could be seen under all the muck.
Naloth
Call me Nalo
Earl brightened up as she took his hand, he motioned towards his truck parked by the bakery."The name's Earl, What's yours little one?" He spoke absently, opening the door of his truck and starting it. Now, he had to focus on his interview. What would happen? What if he says something wrong? Would he get fired for saying that? Thoughts riddled his mind as he looked forward at the road.
@Echo Dreamsong
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Please contact operator to correct mistake
Astra panicked when he asked her name. Rule one of streets, never give your real name. Should she? Well, signing it would be okay. He did give her bread.
'Momma called me Astra... The baker called me scum... I go by scum now.'
She signed with a nod, fairly certain he wouldn't understand sign language. Then she nibbled on the bread, holding it close. When the car started moving she froze. She hadn't been in one for a little over four years. It honestly scared her half to death. Astra clutched her bread in terror as she stared at the window.
Malikai
What's The Story Mother?
Leo felt... pain. Pain and soreness all over his body. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing some of the parts that hurt the worst. There seemed to be an unbelievable amount of blood on his body, at least from what he gathered. Leo's eyes slowly blinked open, then immediately closed from the bright sunlight. After a few seconds he opened them back up. Leo was in the middle of a grassland. Not the prettiest one either, as the grass had all yellowed and was getting close to withering up and dying. Leo groaned as he stood up, taking a few minutes to do so. He fell back down after a few seconds. Leo grabbed what seemed to be a stick on the ground and used that to raise to his feet. This meant he leaned mostly on the stick. He looked down at his clothes, which he thankfully still had. Leo wasn't sure why his clothes had stayed on, they usually don't when he transfers into shock form. Something about what he did must have been different this time. The bad thing about his clothes was that they were covered in rips and scratches, likely from the risky maneuver he preformed.
Leo felt the pain again, this time it was more focused. Most of the pain was being felt on his right leg right now. He looked down and noticed nothing wrong with his left, however his right... his right leg had looked as if it had been punched with a hole puncher. Not through the center, but more to the side. Leo groaned and took off his multicolored jacket. He wrapped it around his leg, with it already beginning to soak up some of the blood. He sighed and tightened it to the point where it would hold on his leg. The thought that he would have to visit a hospital crossed his mind, and it only made him groan even more. He hated his visits to the hospital, How are you feeling sir? Does this hurt sir? Why are you so motionless sir? Every fucking time... I tell them that I can't feel pain as much as a normal person, and yet they still ask those questions. He shook his head and stretched his arms out to his side. Looking around, he couldn't see a city for quite a while, just the grassland.
The thought of cities sent another thought through his mind. A wondering of how the battle went... How long ago was it... Leo pushed that aside for the moment. Even if he wasn't sure if Demon King Whatever was dead, that didn't matter. What mattered was finding a way to a city, any city right now. Which meant finding a road. Which means... hitchhiking. Leo sighed, he had been forced to hitchhike a lot through his teenage years due to his master not wanting to pay for a ride. Leo learned quickly that the bad part about hitchhiking, is the trust factor. You're putting trust that the person you're riding with isn't a... bad individual. Unfortunately, you really learn what people will do to a teenage boy so far from the city limits. It was times like those when his powers and self-defense came in handy. For some reason they never expected him to have powers. Leo shook his head, focusing on the mission again. He began limping in a random direction, hoping to come across a road of some kind.
After what seemed like an hour, Leo had found a road. He smiled, limping a little faster towards it. Even if it seemed like nothing, it really was something. A road meant there would be signs, signs lead to a city, and a city will lead him home. With luck he'd be able to find someone that can give him a ride as well. Even greater luck would have them be nice people. Leo began walking down the edge of the road, hoping for the possibility of a car. Today was apparently his lucky day, as he soon heard the loud noises of a truck behind him. Leo turned around, holding up his thumb but still moving slightly. It was a red pickup truck covered in dirt. That usually meant a farmer. Leo grimaced, Now I have to hope that he isn't coming back from a trip to the city. If he is, then hopefully he doesn't mind going back to drop me off. As the truck neared the person inside pulled over to the side of the road. Leo sighed, a smile still on his face as he walked up to the truck. Leo got to the window, leaning down to see inside. The truck seemed to be as messy on the inside as it was on the outside. He also saw that the man driving must have been in his late sixties. Definitely a farmer though. The man looked at Leo strangely, as if not sure why he was out here, "Now what are you doing all the way out here?"
Apparently he's one to voice his thoughts. Leo noticed the country accent in his voice. It was noticeable, but not especially so. It made sense given where Leo probably is. Leo sighed, "To be honest... I'm not sure on the details. It's kind of hazy." It was a lie, but a necessary one. Leo wasn't sure on what this man thought of heroes, and certainly didn't want to scare what might be his only hope away.
The man chuckled lightly, "From the looks of you... frat party? A wild college night? Something like that?" Leo nearly broke out laughing then. In fact, he chuckled slightly as well. Not at what the man said, but that Leo could even be in college. The closest thing he's ever been to college is living in the same city as one.
Leo shook his head, "Something like that.... do you mind taking me into the city sir? I'd really like to get home and sleep whatever happened off." Leo played into what the man was thinking, trying his best to sound hungover. With how he spoke earlier it would be clear that he's capable of thinking about the situation he's in, but it would still seem realistic enough. The man smiled and roughly opened the passenger door.
"Sure. Was going into the city anyways." Leo smiled at his luck. He nodded and walked over to the passenger side. He got in and closed the door. It popped open after a few seconds. The man chuckled slightly, "Don't be afraid to slam it. Damn thing's been broken for years." Leo slammed the door shut and they began taking off down the road.
After a few seconds Leo leaned back and turned his head to the man, "Thanks for the help. Wasn't sure how long it was going to take for somebody to show up." The man shook his head smiling again.
"S'no problem really. Don't mind it since I was on my way there anyways," The man tapped on the steering wheel for a few seconds before turning to Leo, "Do you mind turning on the radio? Could really do for some tunes right now." Leo nodded and reached over to the radio. It was old and had a few options that Leo didn't even remember. He managed to find the right knob and turned it slightly, finally coming to a station,
The man next to Leo turned the radio station and some random country song came through the radio. Leo looked over to him, surprised by the sudden action. The man was shaking slightly out of rage. He turned to Leo again and relaxed, his body becoming a little less tense. After a few more seconds he finally spoke, "Sorry about that son... I jus' didn't want to hear any more from that bastard that's part of the Heroes whatever the fuck., Leo tensed up now, his eyes going wide before he relaxed again. The man took notice of this, "You don't support those bastards do you?"
Leo rubbed the back of his head, debating if he should be honest or not. After a few seconds his eyes hardened, "Yes... yes I do sir." The man shook his head, muttering something about youth or whatever. Thankfully he didn't say anything about the varying opinion, though he didn't talk at all. After a few more minutes Leo noticed the sights of suburbs around him. Then the grey skyscrapers rising around him as well. After a few more seconds the man suddenly slammed down on the brakes, with the car coming to a screeching stop in front of the police station.
The man didn't face him, but he did tell him one last thing, "I can't change your opinion. I know that. Which is why I didn't try. Police station is there for if you need help. Now get the hell out of my truck." Leo sighed and opened his door, sliding out and onto the sidewalk of the city. He remembered to slam the door, and then watched as he took off down the street. Leo bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled over what the man had told him. After a few seconds he decided to worry about this all later. For now, he was hungry.
It turns out that Leo was in City-1. He found this out after walking down the streets and starting to recognize some of the street names. Somehow he must have been flung from the battle he was in to the grasslands outside of his home city. Leo chose not to question the coincidence and instead just enjoy it. After going out to eat, and surprising himself with how much he did end up eating. Then he headed over to the grocery store. It was there that Leo got weird looks from people, probably due to the blood pouring out of his leg. So he hurried up his shopping and headed home as fast as he could. He rushed up the steps, noticing his neighbor exiting his apartment. The girl turned and saw Leo, "Oh, hey Leo. I was just feeding Goliath. He's really missed you... where have you been?" She crosses her arms slightly.
Leo remembered that he had told Olivia to watch after Goliath when he went on trips for the Heroes Association. Thankfully she hadn't argued to much, mainly because of how much Goliath likes her. For some reason Goliath really likes her... Leo almost feels jealous. It was also really nice to have someone know that he's a hero. Sure it's public information, but it still feels nice to tell someone that he's a hero and have them know that he is one. It gives him some relief to tell somebody about all the things that happen to him in a day's work as a hero. He shrugs slightly, sighing deeply, "I was at City-5, dealing with that Demon... but... I have no idea what happened after that. I'm just glad to be home." Leo smiles and puts his hand on the door. Olivia nodded and begun to head back into her apartment. Before she could go in, Leo spoke up again, "Do you maybe want to come in for some coffee or something?"
Olivia turns around, and Leo knows that face. She sighs and leans against her door, "The thing is... I have a lot of work to do. So... maybe later?" She phrases it as a question, but it sure doesn't come out that way. Leo nods sighing slightly.
Before heading into his apartment he turns around one last time, "Yeah... If you change your mind..." He trails off and just nods. Leo opens the door and slams it behind him. He slides down the door groaning in sadness and pain. Goliath walks up to him, sitting down in front of him and licking his face. Leo smiles, "Sorry about being gone so long buddy. It was really important business. I'm not going to go into the details, but I think it was another..." Leo stopped himself before he said the word successful. Even though they beat the villain, it really wasn't a success. Leo sighed and hugged Goliath close. He laid his head down on the dog before he had to move Goliath away. Goliath walked away and began eating again, occasionally he looked up from eating, as if checking on Leo to make sure he was okay. Leo took the plastic bag at his side and set it on the counter. He pulled out a roll of gauze, and immediately took his jacket off his leg.
Holding it up, it was easy to see the jacket had been severely bloodied. There also seemed to be some holes. Though this didn't bother Leo, and he just hung it up on a hanger in front of his bedroom door. It had become much easier to walk, and it was easy to see why. Leo looked as his leg had healed up slightly. Some of the muscle and skin was regenerating and small dots of electricity were clearly skittering around through the wound. Although the bone was still weak, so Leo would still need help to walk around. Though not for long, as Leo had found out when he was nine and broke his leg and it had mostly healed up by the end of the week. Leo grabbed the gauze from the table and wrapped it around his leg. Leo grabbed a pin from the plastic bag on the table and used that to get the gauze tight on his leg. Leo smirked and stood up. He winced as he put weight onto the leg, and fell back onto the ground, "Shit... still not strong enough... might need a cane..." Leo jumped up onto one leg, using the various furniture around his house to move into his bedroom. It was still a mess, but that was fine for now. Reaching into the closet, Leo pulled out an old cane. It was meant to be a Halloween prop, but it would work for helping him around for now.
Leo walked over into the kitchen and crashed down into one of the chairs. He smiled as his eyes moved down onto the table. All of his letters were brought out onto the table. Likely from Olivia, as she was helping out with this sort of stuff. Leo smiled wider at the thought of Olivia, then winced at their earlier interaction. He shrugged the thought off with some reluctance and sorted through the letters. Most of it was junk, though he did get two letters of importance. One was from the Heroes Association and the other was from his brother. They hadn't kept in touch much, so Leo knew it was probably something important that he was to know about. Leo put his brother's letter aside for a moment and picked up the HA letter. He tore it open and scanned across the whole letter,
Dear Leo Kingston,
The Hero Association wishes to formally congratulate you on your outstanding and heroic performance during the invasion in City-5. Due to actions, an important meeting in regards to you and your position in the Class-A bracket have been called upon. This is an important meeting. Please come alone. Try to avoid contact with the press, and do not let them know why you were called here, that you were requested to come, or anything that pertains to the content of this letter. What will follow is of a top secret matter.
Best Regards
The Hero Association
Leo's eyes widened slightly. Although he wasn't sure about the whole "press" thing, as the closet thing he had ever come to that was a little girl interviewing him for her school paper, this was still interesting. He wasn't sure what they would want to discuss, and hoped this wouldn't result in his termination. Taking that in mind, Leo felt he should dress a little nicer for this meeting. Leo took the letter and ripped it apart, throwing the remaining pieces into the trash. He walked into his room, having decided to put on some better kept clothes. After a few minutes of looking, and a few more minutes of trying to put on the clothes, he walked back out with a nicely kept white dress shirt. It matched with his jeans nicely.
Leo walked over to Goliath, kneeling down to look him in the eyes. Goliath whimpered slightly and licked his face, Leo smiled sadly, "I know, but this won't be for long. It's just one meeting, then I'll come home. I promise that I'll pick up some ice cream for you on the way back." Goliath's tail begins wagging crazily at the words 'Ice Cream.' He licks Leo's face with even more fervor, jumping around slightly. Leo laughs slightly as he gets up, "I thought that would win you over. Now then, I promise I will be back. Okay?" Goliath sits down, his tail still wagging slightly. Leo smiled and went over to the door. The door squeaked open, before slamming shut as Leo left. The lights being turned off just as Leo left the room. Goliath whimpered again and rested his head down on the ground in front of the door. He stared up at it, hoping that Leo would be back soon.
After a walk through the city again, Leo made it to the Heroes Association. He probably would have made it there sooner, but this was the first time he was using a cane with his journey. The first thing Leo notices is the large amount of news vans and reporters standing outside. Although he tries to walk by them without attracting their attention, they see him and begin to swarm him. A sea of questions shoots out towards him, with most of them being unintelligible through the crowds's noise. Leo sighs in frustration and pushes through the crowd. After what was a few minutes Leo walked into the doors of the Heroes Association, nodding over at the receptionist. She nodded back and pressed a button on her desk. One of the fifteen elevators lights up, and Leo walks over to it. He enters silently, enjoying the noiselessness inside the building.
After a few seconds he arrives on what he presumes to be the correct floor of the building. Leo walks over to the next receptionist, a man who's currently on the phone. Leo begins tapping his fingers on the desk as he waits. Finally the man puts down the phone and looks up at him with half-lidded eyes, "Mr. Kingston I presume?" Leo chooses to just nod in response, "Take a seat in the waiting area." The man picks up the phone again and makes another call. Leo walks over and sits down in one of the chairs, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. After a few seconds he picks up a magazine from one of the tables, Latest Winter Fashion? It's the end of summer, so I guess I'll check this out. Leo begins flipping through the magazine as he waits for whatever meeting he's supposed to have.
@VY Canis Majoris
Leo felt the pain again, this time it was more focused. Most of the pain was being felt on his right leg right now. He looked down and noticed nothing wrong with his left, however his right... his right leg had looked as if it had been punched with a hole puncher. Not through the center, but more to the side. Leo groaned and took off his multicolored jacket. He wrapped it around his leg, with it already beginning to soak up some of the blood. He sighed and tightened it to the point where it would hold on his leg. The thought that he would have to visit a hospital crossed his mind, and it only made him groan even more. He hated his visits to the hospital, How are you feeling sir? Does this hurt sir? Why are you so motionless sir? Every fucking time... I tell them that I can't feel pain as much as a normal person, and yet they still ask those questions. He shook his head and stretched his arms out to his side. Looking around, he couldn't see a city for quite a while, just the grassland.
The thought of cities sent another thought through his mind. A wondering of how the battle went... How long ago was it... Leo pushed that aside for the moment. Even if he wasn't sure if Demon King Whatever was dead, that didn't matter. What mattered was finding a way to a city, any city right now. Which meant finding a road. Which means... hitchhiking. Leo sighed, he had been forced to hitchhike a lot through his teenage years due to his master not wanting to pay for a ride. Leo learned quickly that the bad part about hitchhiking, is the trust factor. You're putting trust that the person you're riding with isn't a... bad individual. Unfortunately, you really learn what people will do to a teenage boy so far from the city limits. It was times like those when his powers and self-defense came in handy. For some reason they never expected him to have powers. Leo shook his head, focusing on the mission again. He began limping in a random direction, hoping to come across a road of some kind.
After what seemed like an hour, Leo had found a road. He smiled, limping a little faster towards it. Even if it seemed like nothing, it really was something. A road meant there would be signs, signs lead to a city, and a city will lead him home. With luck he'd be able to find someone that can give him a ride as well. Even greater luck would have them be nice people. Leo began walking down the edge of the road, hoping for the possibility of a car. Today was apparently his lucky day, as he soon heard the loud noises of a truck behind him. Leo turned around, holding up his thumb but still moving slightly. It was a red pickup truck covered in dirt. That usually meant a farmer. Leo grimaced, Now I have to hope that he isn't coming back from a trip to the city. If he is, then hopefully he doesn't mind going back to drop me off. As the truck neared the person inside pulled over to the side of the road. Leo sighed, a smile still on his face as he walked up to the truck. Leo got to the window, leaning down to see inside. The truck seemed to be as messy on the inside as it was on the outside. He also saw that the man driving must have been in his late sixties. Definitely a farmer though. The man looked at Leo strangely, as if not sure why he was out here, "Now what are you doing all the way out here?"
Apparently he's one to voice his thoughts. Leo noticed the country accent in his voice. It was noticeable, but not especially so. It made sense given where Leo probably is. Leo sighed, "To be honest... I'm not sure on the details. It's kind of hazy." It was a lie, but a necessary one. Leo wasn't sure on what this man thought of heroes, and certainly didn't want to scare what might be his only hope away.
The man chuckled lightly, "From the looks of you... frat party? A wild college night? Something like that?" Leo nearly broke out laughing then. In fact, he chuckled slightly as well. Not at what the man said, but that Leo could even be in college. The closest thing he's ever been to college is living in the same city as one.
Leo shook his head, "Something like that.... do you mind taking me into the city sir? I'd really like to get home and sleep whatever happened off." Leo played into what the man was thinking, trying his best to sound hungover. With how he spoke earlier it would be clear that he's capable of thinking about the situation he's in, but it would still seem realistic enough. The man smiled and roughly opened the passenger door.
"Sure. Was going into the city anyways." Leo smiled at his luck. He nodded and walked over to the passenger side. He got in and closed the door. It popped open after a few seconds. The man chuckled slightly, "Don't be afraid to slam it. Damn thing's been broken for years." Leo slammed the door shut and they began taking off down the road.
After a few seconds Leo leaned back and turned his head to the man, "Thanks for the help. Wasn't sure how long it was going to take for somebody to show up." The man shook his head smiling again.
"S'no problem really. Don't mind it since I was on my way there anyways," The man tapped on the steering wheel for a few seconds before turning to Leo, "Do you mind turning on the radio? Could really do for some tunes right now." Leo nodded and reached over to the radio. It was old and had a few options that Leo didn't even remember. He managed to find the right knob and turned it slightly, finally coming to a station,
The man next to Leo turned the radio station and some random country song came through the radio. Leo looked over to him, surprised by the sudden action. The man was shaking slightly out of rage. He turned to Leo again and relaxed, his body becoming a little less tense. After a few more seconds he finally spoke, "Sorry about that son... I jus' didn't want to hear any more from that bastard that's part of the Heroes whatever the fuck., Leo tensed up now, his eyes going wide before he relaxed again. The man took notice of this, "You don't support those bastards do you?"
Leo rubbed the back of his head, debating if he should be honest or not. After a few seconds his eyes hardened, "Yes... yes I do sir." The man shook his head, muttering something about youth or whatever. Thankfully he didn't say anything about the varying opinion, though he didn't talk at all. After a few more minutes Leo noticed the sights of suburbs around him. Then the grey skyscrapers rising around him as well. After a few more seconds the man suddenly slammed down on the brakes, with the car coming to a screeching stop in front of the police station.
The man didn't face him, but he did tell him one last thing, "I can't change your opinion. I know that. Which is why I didn't try. Police station is there for if you need help. Now get the hell out of my truck." Leo sighed and opened his door, sliding out and onto the sidewalk of the city. He remembered to slam the door, and then watched as he took off down the street. Leo bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled over what the man had told him. After a few seconds he decided to worry about this all later. For now, he was hungry.
It turns out that Leo was in City-1. He found this out after walking down the streets and starting to recognize some of the street names. Somehow he must have been flung from the battle he was in to the grasslands outside of his home city. Leo chose not to question the coincidence and instead just enjoy it. After going out to eat, and surprising himself with how much he did end up eating. Then he headed over to the grocery store. It was there that Leo got weird looks from people, probably due to the blood pouring out of his leg. So he hurried up his shopping and headed home as fast as he could. He rushed up the steps, noticing his neighbor exiting his apartment. The girl turned and saw Leo, "Oh, hey Leo. I was just feeding Goliath. He's really missed you... where have you been?" She crosses her arms slightly.
Leo remembered that he had told Olivia to watch after Goliath when he went on trips for the Heroes Association. Thankfully she hadn't argued to much, mainly because of how much Goliath likes her. For some reason Goliath really likes her... Leo almost feels jealous. It was also really nice to have someone know that he's a hero. Sure it's public information, but it still feels nice to tell someone that he's a hero and have them know that he is one. It gives him some relief to tell somebody about all the things that happen to him in a day's work as a hero. He shrugs slightly, sighing deeply, "I was at City-5, dealing with that Demon... but... I have no idea what happened after that. I'm just glad to be home." Leo smiles and puts his hand on the door. Olivia nodded and begun to head back into her apartment. Before she could go in, Leo spoke up again, "Do you maybe want to come in for some coffee or something?"
Olivia turns around, and Leo knows that face. She sighs and leans against her door, "The thing is... I have a lot of work to do. So... maybe later?" She phrases it as a question, but it sure doesn't come out that way. Leo nods sighing slightly.
Before heading into his apartment he turns around one last time, "Yeah... If you change your mind..." He trails off and just nods. Leo opens the door and slams it behind him. He slides down the door groaning in sadness and pain. Goliath walks up to him, sitting down in front of him and licking his face. Leo smiles, "Sorry about being gone so long buddy. It was really important business. I'm not going to go into the details, but I think it was another..." Leo stopped himself before he said the word successful. Even though they beat the villain, it really wasn't a success. Leo sighed and hugged Goliath close. He laid his head down on the dog before he had to move Goliath away. Goliath walked away and began eating again, occasionally he looked up from eating, as if checking on Leo to make sure he was okay. Leo took the plastic bag at his side and set it on the counter. He pulled out a roll of gauze, and immediately took his jacket off his leg.
Holding it up, it was easy to see the jacket had been severely bloodied. There also seemed to be some holes. Though this didn't bother Leo, and he just hung it up on a hanger in front of his bedroom door. It had become much easier to walk, and it was easy to see why. Leo looked as his leg had healed up slightly. Some of the muscle and skin was regenerating and small dots of electricity were clearly skittering around through the wound. Although the bone was still weak, so Leo would still need help to walk around. Though not for long, as Leo had found out when he was nine and broke his leg and it had mostly healed up by the end of the week. Leo grabbed the gauze from the table and wrapped it around his leg. Leo grabbed a pin from the plastic bag on the table and used that to get the gauze tight on his leg. Leo smirked and stood up. He winced as he put weight onto the leg, and fell back onto the ground, "Shit... still not strong enough... might need a cane..." Leo jumped up onto one leg, using the various furniture around his house to move into his bedroom. It was still a mess, but that was fine for now. Reaching into the closet, Leo pulled out an old cane. It was meant to be a Halloween prop, but it would work for helping him around for now.
Leo walked over into the kitchen and crashed down into one of the chairs. He smiled as his eyes moved down onto the table. All of his letters were brought out onto the table. Likely from Olivia, as she was helping out with this sort of stuff. Leo smiled wider at the thought of Olivia, then winced at their earlier interaction. He shrugged the thought off with some reluctance and sorted through the letters. Most of it was junk, though he did get two letters of importance. One was from the Heroes Association and the other was from his brother. They hadn't kept in touch much, so Leo knew it was probably something important that he was to know about. Leo put his brother's letter aside for a moment and picked up the HA letter. He tore it open and scanned across the whole letter,
Dear Leo Kingston,
The Hero Association wishes to formally congratulate you on your outstanding and heroic performance during the invasion in City-5. Due to actions, an important meeting in regards to you and your position in the Class-A bracket have been called upon. This is an important meeting. Please come alone. Try to avoid contact with the press, and do not let them know why you were called here, that you were requested to come, or anything that pertains to the content of this letter. What will follow is of a top secret matter.
Best Regards
The Hero Association
Leo's eyes widened slightly. Although he wasn't sure about the whole "press" thing, as the closet thing he had ever come to that was a little girl interviewing him for her school paper, this was still interesting. He wasn't sure what they would want to discuss, and hoped this wouldn't result in his termination. Taking that in mind, Leo felt he should dress a little nicer for this meeting. Leo took the letter and ripped it apart, throwing the remaining pieces into the trash. He walked into his room, having decided to put on some better kept clothes. After a few minutes of looking, and a few more minutes of trying to put on the clothes, he walked back out with a nicely kept white dress shirt. It matched with his jeans nicely.
Leo walked over to Goliath, kneeling down to look him in the eyes. Goliath whimpered slightly and licked his face, Leo smiled sadly, "I know, but this won't be for long. It's just one meeting, then I'll come home. I promise that I'll pick up some ice cream for you on the way back." Goliath's tail begins wagging crazily at the words 'Ice Cream.' He licks Leo's face with even more fervor, jumping around slightly. Leo laughs slightly as he gets up, "I thought that would win you over. Now then, I promise I will be back. Okay?" Goliath sits down, his tail still wagging slightly. Leo smiled and went over to the door. The door squeaked open, before slamming shut as Leo left. The lights being turned off just as Leo left the room. Goliath whimpered again and rested his head down on the ground in front of the door. He stared up at it, hoping that Leo would be back soon.
After a walk through the city again, Leo made it to the Heroes Association. He probably would have made it there sooner, but this was the first time he was using a cane with his journey. The first thing Leo notices is the large amount of news vans and reporters standing outside. Although he tries to walk by them without attracting their attention, they see him and begin to swarm him. A sea of questions shoots out towards him, with most of them being unintelligible through the crowds's noise. Leo sighs in frustration and pushes through the crowd. After what was a few minutes Leo walked into the doors of the Heroes Association, nodding over at the receptionist. She nodded back and pressed a button on her desk. One of the fifteen elevators lights up, and Leo walks over to it. He enters silently, enjoying the noiselessness inside the building.
After a few seconds he arrives on what he presumes to be the correct floor of the building. Leo walks over to the next receptionist, a man who's currently on the phone. Leo begins tapping his fingers on the desk as he waits. Finally the man puts down the phone and looks up at him with half-lidded eyes, "Mr. Kingston I presume?" Leo chooses to just nod in response, "Take a seat in the waiting area." The man picks up the phone again and makes another call. Leo walks over and sits down in one of the chairs, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. After a few seconds he picks up a magazine from one of the tables, Latest Winter Fashion? It's the end of summer, so I guess I'll check this out. Leo begins flipping through the magazine as he waits for whatever meeting he's supposed to have.
@VY Canis Majoris
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
The man turned around to face the small alien "We know a lot of things, Barney. We have eyes and ears in many places. Some rather not spoken of." They walked down the hall until the man opened a two large doors, opening the way into a large gymnasium. The room was massive, dwarfing most school gyms. There were sets of exercise equipment and other objects; cones, convertible walls, chairs, medical beds, and so on. There were few people inside, and those that were either wore suits, track suits, or white coats; the doctors.
"You see Barney" the man began as he stopped and looked down at the purple alien. "The world needs a hero. You showed the natives of this world that you can fight, and did so defending them. Soon you'll be receiving letters from fans, I bet. Because of what you did, and the time in the calendar year, we wanted to extend our gratitude to invite you to join the Hero Association. Someone put in a good word. They were adamant that you join and how much potential you had. He's a trusted individual.
"We normally have set dates and times for people to try out, and those that make it we base their scores on the written and physical exam to know where they should be places. What class and what rank. Because of your friend, we wish to invite you but need to run some tests. You don't have to worry about the written exam for now. We do want a physical exam so we know what you can do or are capable of. It helps to send you to places that might need you based on your skill set. It also helps for us to track your progress. What do you say?" He smiled down at Barney as another person walked up wearing an outfit suited for physical testing.
@Shammy the Shamrock
Autumn McJavabean
Prettier than you.
Edward stood by the large window in his office. He had the lights off and only the illumination that reached in from the outside. It was his way to feel calm, at peace, and certain of his thoughts. He used to be a hero. Well, what a hero was before the Association was created. Just petty thugs. He only had his martial arts and his experience with weaponry and in the military. It made him harsher back then, when he was young. The thought of how he was compared to today's heroes made him uneasy. Leaping from building to building. If people knew you, they might ridicule you and the state would come for you. Then you'd have to explain to mom and dad and your girlfriend why you dressed like some animal, in tights, and ran around the city at night beating people up. It was never truly his thing and was glad such history of him was long gone from the minds of people and the files of officials.
"Ahhhh" he sighed as he closed his eyes and then opened to look up at the sky. "So the time has come." He then looked at the folder that sat on his desk with a stamp of red signaling the importance. His stare at it lasted for a good five minutes, contemplating the many things to come with only the sound of the object on his wrist. Between the contents of this file sent to him by the board plus the rise in activity and strange sightings around the planet as of late was bothering the Association. Resources were not as strained, but the bodies were.
The sound of ticking from his wrist watch pounded. Each time the hand moves, it seemed to echo louder and louder and louder. Insanity. But another sound drowned his watch out. Finally. It was his cellphone. It was from the receptionist. He picked it up and answered "Yes? He's here? Great, I'll be happy to see him. Hmm? No... No, I;ll go out and meet him. Better that way than to rush him in the room." He hung up and walked to a door, opening it and appearing in the hall, making his way to the receptionist desk.
This man looked like the rest. Suit, nice shoes, well groomed hair, though brushed to the side, and a small scar on his chin with some facial hair growing. He greeted Leo with a warm smile, hands behind his back as one reached from behind and extended out to shake the heroes hand. "Mr. Leo Kingston. Please to meet you." He smiled widely with his teeth on full display.
@Kingmalikai
"Ahhhh" he sighed as he closed his eyes and then opened to look up at the sky. "So the time has come." He then looked at the folder that sat on his desk with a stamp of red signaling the importance. His stare at it lasted for a good five minutes, contemplating the many things to come with only the sound of the object on his wrist. Between the contents of this file sent to him by the board plus the rise in activity and strange sightings around the planet as of late was bothering the Association. Resources were not as strained, but the bodies were.
The sound of ticking from his wrist watch pounded. Each time the hand moves, it seemed to echo louder and louder and louder. Insanity. But another sound drowned his watch out. Finally. It was his cellphone. It was from the receptionist. He picked it up and answered "Yes? He's here? Great, I'll be happy to see him. Hmm? No... No, I;ll go out and meet him. Better that way than to rush him in the room." He hung up and walked to a door, opening it and appearing in the hall, making his way to the receptionist desk.
This man looked like the rest. Suit, nice shoes, well groomed hair, though brushed to the side, and a small scar on his chin with some facial hair growing. He greeted Leo with a warm smile, hands behind his back as one reached from behind and extended out to shake the heroes hand. "Mr. Leo Kingston. Please to meet you." He smiled widely with his teeth on full display.
@Kingmalikai
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Naloth
Call me Nalo
"I'll call you Astra, it seems like a much better name than 'scum'." He muttered loudly, driving off at a slow pace, seeing Astra terrified. The srive took about thirty minutes, considering that there was traffic. He parked right in front of the building, hopping out of his truck." You're welcome to follow me inside if you'll like." He shouted after Astra, walking inside the huge building. A Secretary walked up to him." Mr. Crunch, we're expecting you, please follow me." She briskly walked towards the elevator, leavong no time for Earl to say anything.
@Echo Dreamsong
- Status
