Realistic or Modern Hero's Virtue

[Farr Cyrone]

Ender sat on the top of a large building surveying the grounds of the mayor's house. His perfectly manicured garden had flowers and statues of all sorts. He smiled as he saw the butler pass below him, dressed in tux, mustache and all. He teleported behind the butler and put him on the roof, locking the door, and gagging him to stay quiet. He sat on the roof and made an illusion of the butler in the gardens, waiting for he mayor to come out of his home. He absentmindedly wiped his face and looked at his arm seeing blood and an odd, black liquid smudged on it. He frowned, both of those stains were hard to remove. That's when he felt it, the pain hit his head in waves and his eyes watered, not with tears but black liquid and blood. Darn, I forgot to go to the convenience store this morning... He thought, biting his lip. He usually went to the convenience store every friday morning to get a specific type of painkiller, Ibuprofen, for his migraines (A noted side effect of his powers). A gasped for air, Ender didn't even know he was holding his breath. He felt faint and the black coat that he wore just made him hotter and dizzier. He quickly wiped his eyes and peered down below to see the mayor, confusedly talking to the illusion. The mayor attempted to touch the illusions shoulder but it just faded away and the mayor automatically took his phone out of his pocket. To call Kai. Just great. Revenge mission: failure. Ender looked over to where he tied up the butler and sneered. But as he was just about to wipe his face, a strong feeling overcame him. And then he fainted.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami had just gotten off work when she received the call, digging through her bag for her throwaway cell before she answered. She listened to the Mayor blabber on for a minute, his voice annoying her quite a bit. He was very selfish, but it was her job to protect nonetheless.
"On my way."
She hung up quickly, getting changed before she rushed over to the mayor's. She brused her hands over her hair, letting her ears be seen again as her tails reappeared. She hopped along buildings quickly and carefully, landing on light feet in the perfectly polished yard.
"Is he still around?" She spoke in a rather soft voice, still firm but with an obvious kindness behind it.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

The mayor frantically blabbered to her that Ender was still on the roof of his house holding his butler hostage. He also explained that he had heard screaming up there and feared for his butler's life...

Ender awoke and blinked crusted blood from his eyes and face. Where was he? He looked around and he was on a roof of sorts, but fancier. Then, he heard the sounds of a person behind him and saw a tied up man wearing butler's clothing. Darn, I must've fainted mid-mission... He thought wiping the rest of the blood from his face and nose, then checking his ears. Ender hated it when stuff like this happened. He was so weak now that it happened more and more frequently. He stood up and his gaze got fuzzy, so leaned on a nearby lightpost. That's when he heard people's voice's below him. He leaned over the side to see and there was the dreaded mayor talking to the all-so-magnificent-Kai. Well, her hero name was Akai Shi, due to her red locks and tails but like heck he would call her that in a million years. He illusioned smoke around them, ready to jump into fighting action. (he didn't have to momentary life things you can see smoke, light, dark, etc.)

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami listened only for a moment, tuning him out as her ears twitched. She could only hear the faint rustling noises from above. She turned completely away from the mayor as she squinted a bit, raising an eyebrow to make out the figures on the roof.

She shushed the mayor harshly as the smoke appeared around them. She only sighed, eyes glowing faintly through the clouds of smoke as her tails flicked.
"Hiding, are we? Don't want to fight a losing battle again?" She taunted with a bit of a smirk.
The ends of her tails were encased with a blue fire, a flickering force of energy she bent to her will. Whatever she wanted, that's what it became.
"Leave the poor Butler out of this, his job is to keep the yard polished, not sit around on the roof." She spoke a bit louder, stepping around in the smoke carefully as she tried to devise a plan.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Crud. Kai is getting more ruthless I see... It would've been the perfect time for Ender to use momentary life right now but what if he fainted again? What if he died from blood loss? Then all of his advances would've been in vain. He illusioned a knife in his hand- teleporting behind the mayor and sticking the knife to his throat. All he wanted to do anyways was to kill the mayor. Not only could he kill the mayor but he could use him as a hostage and then kill him. Perfect. "Recede your fire! Or the mayor dies..." He could see her perfectly through the smoke but found himself confused as to why she was standing like that.

 

[Oneironaut]

She flicked her tails, the fire on her tails going out. She sighed softly, creating a few illusions of herself around him and slowly closing in on him.
"You look tired, Ender. You've reached your limit, and we all know it." She spoke softly, but her voice seemed to project itself.
"Put the knife down. You don't want it to end this way." She seemed rather calm, though the mayor's life was being threatened. She had a bit of doubt in Ender. He wouldn't really want to do that, would he?

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ender growled. "It'll kill him before it kills me. Back off, Kai...Where were you when he killed my father? As he continues to kill poor souls on the streets everday!! And what are you doing about it? Trying to stop me from trying to stop him." Ender's pupils dilated and he glared at her in utter disdain. "Or maybe you're one of the rich suckers that take the money we work hard for and sit on your butts, living in a vacation." He flicked his other hand's wrist, a gun appearing and pointed it at her, Honestly, he would never have the guts to actually shoot Kai but he wouldn't let her know that. He couldn't be seen as weak. Not now, not ever. So, he put his finger on the trigger, and smiled, showing his yellow fangs. It was the kind of smile a person in a crazy institution had and he knew it. He hated it, imagine waking up a good morning smiling into a mirror only to see that smiling back at you. But if it would let him win he would smile like this until his cheeks hurt and laugh. So, he did.

 

[Oneironaut]

The illusions circled him as her tails flicked, her pupils looking inhuman as she flashed a smile, canines poking out over her bottom lip.
"You think I'm rich, huh? Flattering, really." She sighed softly. "Do you really think killing him will solve anything? Do you think he won't just be replaced by another corrupt rich guy?"
She raised an eyebrow at him as he pointed the gun at her, her illusions all stopping in place as she did.
"Which one is me, Ender? Do you know?" She asked curiously, tilting her head as she crossed her arms. She was getting a little cocky, but she called his bluff. She'd seen that smile in many battles before, she was unphased. He was just another troubled vigilante thinking he was doing the right thing. Silly, really. Humans were odd in their thinking, one death did not undo the actions one has committed.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ender thought over her words. She was right, the mayor would just be replaced with someone just like him and the cycle would continue. But he still felt like he shouldn't just do nothing. Heck, he worked at a frozen yogurt store just to live in a cruddy apartment in a neighborhood full of delinquents. Who was he kidding even trying anyways? Kai would never quit, she was stubborn and even though she was right, what was she doing about it? Nothing, that's what. And in all of the pent-up rage Ender could have, he knew he just couldn't change it. He huffed, dropping the illusioned firearm on the ground. His face darkened, and he stared at her, trying to see why. "I could just teleport away right now. You know that. Straight into my apartment and continue with my day like nothing happened. But the thing is I've been meaning to ask you: Why do you care so much? Why do you care if I kill this mayor, just as you said he'll be replaced with someone just like him. Not like the police care, they've already given up. At this point they're only trying to save the civilians." He almost laughed as he saw the expression on her face to his remark." What? You like this guy or something?" Ender took a step back, pushing the mayor towards her and with a laugh teleporting to his apartment. And to cold chocolate chip waffles.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami sighed, brushing her hair back out of her face a bit as she got rid of her illusions, seemingly merging back into herself. She listened to him silently as she stared back into his eyes, ears twitching slightly. "Taking away his life does nothing but bring you down to his level. What makes you any better than him, hm? Fro what I've seen, lives of civilians mean less to you than getting your revenge. You're both selfish, centered around your own wants rather than the needs of others." She spoke bluntly, watching as he teleported away before she hopped up onto the roof to untie the butler and get him back down safely. She only offered the mayor a curt nod before she headed home. She lived in a rather small apartment, not in the best part of town, but it was what she could afford. She hid away in a back alley, changing her appearance before she walked up into her apartment to finally relax. She worked at a retirement home as a nurse, so her days were rather gross and stressful. Of course, she also had to deal with the pain in the ass mayor and Ender all the time as well.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ayden paced around his apartment and almost screamed with anger. Kai was right about bringing-down-to-level thing but he had made a promise to his dying father and he intended on keeping it. He tried not to think about that, though, as he put his waffles in the microwave. He already knew they would come out soggy, but he wasn't complaining. They were chocolate waffles, after all. Ayden racked his brain for a metaphor for that but couldn't think of any. It seemed like nothing in his life after it reheated seemed anywhere near as good as a chocolate waffle was. He bit down on his raw waffles as he sat down on the cheap couch that he got from the thrift store and started to type things on his computer. He always liked to burn off steam by writing fan fiction with his friend, Manami. He took the mug that he had off the table next to him and started to drink his stale-room-temperature milk. He spilled some on the couch when Manami wrote about a Kai fanfic idea. He wrote back something along the lines of 'That jerk wouldn't even get a normal boyfriend. She's even stubborn and one-sided on tv. ' She just wrote that Ender would get jealous and he snorted at the prospect. He and his friend continued to quarrel off and back-and-forth until 9:00. Ayden had to leave for work and Mana had to get ready for her job tomorrow so it was like an unspoken agreement. Ayden put on his apron and walked out the door, not giving it a second thought where Mana had gotten the idea from...

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami popped a microwave dinner into the microwave, hopping onto the computer once she pulled it out. She liked talking with Ayden, but it didn't seem like he liked Akai too much. For her, it felt like maybe he didn't like her by association. She continued to talk until they both had to log off, sighing softly and cleaning up her mess before she plopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she thought in silence. She heard cars honking and people in the streets, but it didn't bother her too much. She'd gotten used to the commotion over the years, but it was definitely nothing like home here.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ayden sighed behind his counter at the yogurt shop. Sometimes it was boring to sit behind a counter all day watching kids being tricked by their moms thinking it was ice cream. And the kids' moms being tricked thinking it was even a bit healthier despite it being a hecka lot more expensive. He looked up at one of the Tv's they had mounted on the wall. Kai was talking to the news reporter that if you see any signs of him, to report it. Bla bla bla. No one would ever find out that he was Ender, unless you were one of the old guys begging for money on the streets. But if you actually give them money it's sorta like a bribe so they won't tell the news reporters anything. It's more in it for them to just keep their mouths shut than to say anything. The mayor was saying something about politics and why but it was just stupid. He kind of wanted the mayor to put some money out there for info but he knew that the mayor was way too selfish to do any of that. He even had a faint memory of reporting a local crime bosses hideout when he was a kid. He attempted to ask for assistance for his father but he didn't get anything but a bird. The finger gesture kind. He continued to work at the cash register for the rest of the night.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami had passed out not long after she laid down, sleeping the whole night away until her alarm clock started blaring in her ears. She jumped up to slam her hand on her alarm, groaning loudly before she headed off to the bathroom to get ready. She had to smooth back her hair and tuck her ears away before doing her makeup and pulling on her scrubs. She checked the time before she tucked her phone in her pocket, figuring she'd have time to grab coffee on the way to work if she hurried. She pulled her shoes on as she headed out the door, walking down the street in a hurry. She preferred to walk rather than drive to work, it saved money and it wasn't super far anyway.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ayden pulled his messenger bag over his shoulder as he clocked out at the end of his shift. As he walked to his apartment building he heard an ominous noise from an alleyway. He rounded the corner and saw a crying girl, clutching to a backpack. He wanted to help the girl but he didn't want to alarm her. He walked towards her slowly so that she could see him and set his messenger bag on the floor. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?" The girl shrunk back against the wall and grabbed her bag tighter. "M-my name is H-Hazel." She moped but it was obvious that she was sick with something. "Okay, Hazel, and where are your parents? What are you doing here by yourself?" Hazel just looked at her feet. "I-I don't..." Hazel finally looked up at him, more confident. "I ran away from the orphanage. They're gone. I-I don't have anywhere else to go." He knotted his eyebrows in concern and stood up. "You need help. And I think I know just the person." He took out his cell and hurriedly dialed Manami's number, hoping that she hadn't left for work yet.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami had only just made her way to the coffee shop doors as she heard her phone ringing. She sighed softly, stepping aside as she picked up the phone. She figured Ayden wouldn't be calling her right now if it weren't anything serious. He would've just been getting off work anyway..

"Hey, what's up? Everything alright?" She asked with a hint of worry in her voice, shifting on her feet as she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. She wouldn't have much time to get to work now.. and if something were seriously wrong she might even have to call in.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

"Okay, so there's a girl named Hazel..." Ayden continued to explain, hurriedly as he and Hazel walked to his favorite convenience store (Located next to his apartment building.) He was going to head there anyways to buy more painkillers and some anti-inflammatory drugs to help control the side effects of his powers. "Hey, Hazel. Do you want anything...?" He turned and she was just staring at her reflection in the window. He went over and bought her the only clothes they had in stock. Oversized but they'll do. And a few candy bars, too. She didn't look like she'd eaten in days. The reason he was doing this was simple. He remembered even he didn't go to the orphanage because it was so underfunded. As a teen himself, he just did illegal child labor to pay for his own food. When he couldn't he ate the sewer rats. He slammed his cash on the counter. He would never go back to that. He touched Hazel lightly on the shoulder, waiting for Manami.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami listened carefully, sighing heavily before speaking softly. "I'll be there soon." She hung up after that to call into work, shoving her phone back in her pocket as she headed back down the street. She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought about having to take on extra shifts to make up for the day off. With everything she did for this city, she never got any pay. Her mind raced as she walked past crowds, nearly walking past the convenience store before she backpedaled up to the door. She walking in, offering a soft smile to Ayden and Hazel as she spotted them.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ayden waved to Manami as she walked in the door. "Hey, uh-" He rubbed the back of his head, thinking for the right words. "I'll pay you back for how much you miss at work but..." He looked over at Hazel, who had begun to tap on the glass. "I don't know what to do with her. I've never been good with kids even when I was a kid I had little to no social skills. Please, I don't want to leave her. I told you most of what I've been through." Excluding the mayor and the details of my father's death he thought a little guiltily as he called Hazel over to talk to her.

 

[Oneironaut]

"No worries, I'll pick up some extra shifts." She shrugged a bit, brushing it off as she looked over at the girl. She nodded as she listened to him, smiling softly at Hazel. "She seems sweet. If you don't have space, she can stay with me for the time being. Children are pretty easy to handle at her age, especially if her temperament is good." She tapped her chin a bit as she thought about it. It was a big responsibility, but she doubted the girl would want to go back to an orphanage. She understood why. She was never really open with her past and didn't have much intention to. All she ever told people was that she came to live here from Japan when she was young.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

Ayden grinned back at her. "No, please. You don't have to do that. It's my favor after all." Manami was always so nice and her voice always had a whispering to it that made it softer. He didn't really get to talk to her often but when he did that was almost always a prominent feature of hers. Hazel looked up at Manami with big, round hazel eyes. "Hello," She said, holding the straps on her bag. "I'm Hazel. You're Mo-na, right? Kind of sounds like this one girl with the last name lisa..." She trailed off, looking at her in wonder. Ayden noticed the guy at the cash register staring at them. He obviously didn't have anything better to do. Hazel continued to rant on to Manami about things but Ayden seemed more concerned about the way Hazel's eyes looked. They had a far unnatural shape and her teeth were too sharp when she smiled. Maybe it was just his imagination, though. He looked a similar way in the mirror too, honestly. He wondered how much it would cost to go to an eye doctor as Manami acquainted herself with Hazel.

 

[Oneironaut]

"don't worry about it, it's no big deal." She reassured Ayden once again before she smiled at Hazel. She noticed the pointy teeth and oddly shaped eyes, but didn't think much of it. Her own canines were rather sharp, so she definitely couldn't judge there. "Hazel, huh? That's a very pretty name. Mine is Manami, but you can definitely call me Mana." She paused for a moment, laughing softly as she listened to Hazel talk. Her eyes shifted between shades of blue and purple as she examined the girl, waiting until she finished talking before she held out a hand. "Are you hungry, Hazel? How does breakfast sound?"

 

[Farr Cyrone]

"Breakfast sounds great!!" Hazel declared almost triumphantly and she smiled the way you're supposed to when you're offered free breakfast. She lowered her voice as she asked "Are we going to have waffles?" Like she was daring Manami to say no. Ayden was about to say they should do that right now when the lights in the store went out. The cashier had that look between "This is the most exciting thing that's happened all my life." and "Why am I still alive?". Ayden almost laughed at him. Relatable. Ayden twirled around as he heard a screeching from the other side of the store. He had an instinct to get Manami out and leave before the horror movie music started to play.

 

[Oneironaut]

Manami instinctively scooped up Hazel, holding her close as she did a full 360 of the room. "Ayden.." she spoke just below a whisper, mind racing as she struggled to come up with a way out. She was trying to keep her cool the best she could, not wanting to risk a public transformation. Her eyes darted to the door before back over at Ayden. She didn't feel like she could leave either of the two, but she also couldn't have them know who she actually was. She cursed at herself mentally, debating with herself over her choices.

 

[Farr Cyrone]

It was just after dawn so the sun's rising cast shadows of light across the room. But with the apartment building to the east of them it was like the whole store was one big shadow. Or at least should've been to Ayden he blinked a few times and he could see everything around the room clearly, including Manami panicking with Hazel in her arms... "Manami watched out!" He screamed as Hazel bit her and tugged leaving an indention of a bite mark on Manami's wrist. "There's something in here, I'm scared!" Hazel cried but she was obviously up to something as she decadently bit her own arm. Ayden stepped back as Hazel approached him but she just simply cocked her head and made a shushing sign before wiping her mouth. "Dirty brat, Who are you?!" He demanded as Hazel rounded him. Instead, Hazel just looked at him confusedly like he was stupid. The cashier flicked on a flashlight and shined it directly at them and Ayden saw it. There were yellow spots down her cheeks and her wrists though they were so minuscule he didn't notice it before. She had gotten the yellowness ad survived it. Just like him. He gazed at her in awe as she turned to the gaze to the cashier, looking innocent. "Whatever it was, it got me..." She whimpered showing him the patch on her arm. Ayden never wanted to hurt a child so much in his life.