It was a rather quiet morning. Eating cereal with the rest of the family while the news was in the background. The paper hasn't came down over to this level yet. They don't know.

I twirled my spoon nervously in my green hands nervously. I tried to think of something else. Superhero movies. Some zaunite antics that I may or may not have to deal with. Infrastructure that needs to be fixed, but all I see is the body of the owner of the corporation skewered through the eyes and limbs as he rots away in an acidic pool of blood. His one good eye, staring right at me, begging to come out alive.

"So.. how was that unveiling sport? What did they show? Hopefully it's not some con-artist trying to trick people right?" Dad asked, enthusiastically.

"Uh.. yeah. It was something about filtering the sewers," ZAC said uncomfortably. Better to tell them about it now. "Then.. something happened." Suddenly, a small thump was heard from the door.

"Uh.. hold on there bud. I wanna see what's happening." Dad said as he made his way to the door.

Mom looked uncomfortably at ZAC, her face filled with worried. She was always like that when I'm out and about Zaun, but stood quiet. She can tell that whatever it was, it was painful. Best let the news tell it. She always had that trait about her.

"ZAC! Did this happen? A massacre!?" Dad shouted from across the room, stomping his feet as he slammed the newspaper on the table. In the front cover were big emboldened words that said the following: MYSTERIOUS MASSACRE AT H.I.V.E! MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE DEAD.

"My god.." My mom gasped.

I try to skim through the entire thing, but it was quickly interrupted by the sound of him slamming his hand on the table.

"Tell me what happened! You.. You could've been killed! The wardens were called at the 10th bell ! You arrived much later!"

"I.. I don't know!" I shouted, waving my arms erratically. " It.. just happened! The poison gas.. People started falling.. And I could barely saved anyone!" I shouted, under pressure. "I.. Just.. I just had to save them!" I start to curl back onto the chair like a turtle trying to hide. "I just wanted to save them as usual.. I couldn't let them die, but.. I did.."

"Sweetie.." my mom cooed. "Even the best heroes can't save everyone.. but this is absurdly dangerous. You should've went home the moment this happened!"

"And let people die? Mom! I have an unbreakable and flexible body! If someone has to fix this, it has to be me! Whoever this guy is, he needs to go, and I'm not gonna let this continue.."

Dad stomped his foot. "No! I refuse to let y-"

Mom quickly signaled him to stop with a hand on his chest. The screaming will get us nowhere at this point. She quickly approached me and guided to my secret room hidden underneath a desk for a private talk. The creaky wooden stairways take us to a room that had rugged stone walls with small pipes and various posters embedding it. Mom looked up to turn on the 1 light bulb hanging above us on a chain. "ZAC.. you know our situation right? You're not just some special snowflake, you're made to be a weapon. You remember those times in the lab don't you?"

"I know!" I huffed, sitting on my makeshift bed made of . "But.. I gotta make use of some of my skills. Can't You always told me that there's good and bad people down here mom. I just want to protect the good ones. Ones like you and dad. We can't those bad guys roaming around right?"

"Yes! I know what I said! But.. you know what else I said. 'Respect what you have before you give to others'. I know how you love to be the giver, always wanting to give people a happy, carefree life, but life isn't like those comic books you read. It's not as simple as 'saving a guy'. These things have consequences, dear. I just don't want you back in the lab again.." She got up from the floor. "Promise me you won't involve yourself in this incident."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. I remember those times. In a dark cage, only to be experimented on. They won't stop poking me or touching me or torturing me or smashing me... "I... I promise I won't."

"Good.. When you're ready. Come out and join us. I'm sorry but it has to be this way." The stairway creaked as she left. The door opens and closes, and I'm left slamming my body on my bed. "Ugh.. I just.. want to save them. Before something like.. that. Happens again," I sigh as I stare at the poster of Atomic Man hanging over me. What would he do in this situation..?


A week has passed. 7 days. No news came by. I sneak around at the Warden station near the scene of the crime, but all of it is just normal chit chat. Stuff like "How's your day" and "What's going on?" I wouldn't be so angry about it if it wasn't for the fact that this guy could come up anywhere and kill everyone on the spot. There's no reason to be calm here! Sure they sent a recon team to investigate the situation, but they still haven't found anything. It wasn't long until I leave the area to go to the commercias or cultivairs for relaxation or vent-fixing.

Today was different. When I come in, I heard someone screaming in a walkie talkie.

"Help! We! (Buzz Buzz) It! Found it! But we need help! We (Buzz) This is highly dangerous! Call (Buzz) Backup! (Buzz) It's not (Buzz) It's not (Buzz) The (Buzz... Crack!)"

Everyone was dumbfounded at the device on the box. All that remains were static and, if listen closely, faint breathing. I could let this happen. Not again. I look around the station to find the recon plans. Because it was so recent, it wasn't hard to find it.

Suddenly, a large gargling sound came from the walkie talkie. Someone was trying to speak, but it wasn't like the low voiced original warden. The device may be broken, turning voices into loud, incoherent static screeching, but the tone was not his. It was a lighter tone... A raspier tone... followed by sniffing. And sniffing. And sniffing. The light breathing was still prevalent..

People are sent out immediately to his location, and the lucky few remain in the station for they are not the ones to die this day. They all jump into the dark sewers, not allowing me to see where they were. Where's that location? I sneak over to the desk and try to find it.. but it was too late.

The scream echoed through the halls of the station followed by a static laugh in the distance. The connection died.

The men began to grab the device and scream "RETREAT! RETREAT NOW!" Out of desperation, I grab the map and made my way back to my room. It was a sewer map, but there were many locations they looked at, but one was unchecked. I glance at the golden arrow I picked up at the H.I.V.E. center and then I look up to the poster above my bed. I can't let this happen any longer. A real hero will never let this continue.