It took me a while to write this. I should really not watch anime/whatever while I'm writing things.

I want to apologise for the rather all over the place conversation. I figured that, at some points, Alfred would get excited about things and forget about the more serious stuff for a moment only to have someone remind him.

Once again, Al's online name is actually :) HERO :)


Alfred logged online and found only Gentleman-H8er on his favourite site. He frowned: did he really want to talk to this person? Unfortunately, he did not get much choice as the person immediately messaged him.

Gentleman-H8er: Have you accepted the fact that your favourite hero is a fraud?

HERO : I still don't get you, dude. What's your problem? He's not a fraud! He's awesome!

Gentleman-H8er: He is claiming credit for saving a man when he did very little in the rescue. He is a fraud.

HERO : What?

Gentleman-H8er: A man was carried to their doctor last night – but it wasn't by The Gentleman. It was by Birdman. But the person has obviously been bribed, making it sound as if The Gentleman did everything.

Alfred stared at the screen. How had they known? He had only told his friends. Oh, and those people at the diner he had eaten at. And the pizza delivery man. Feeling his cheeks heat up, he wondered what to say.

HERO : Maybe the person is a fan?

Gentleman-H8er: This is exactly what I feared.

And with that, the person logged off. Alfred blinked. What had that been about? Shrugging, he was about to log off when he spotted that someone else had appeared. His eyes widened and he hurriedly messaged them, hoping to catch them before they decided to log off.

HERO : Hey! I heard you were amazing as usual recently!

The_Gentleman: Not more so than usual, I can assure you.

HERO : Do you ever keep in contact with the people you save? Like, do they send you thank you notes and stuff?

The_Gentleman: I try to remain anonymous as much as humanly possible.

HERO : Damn!

The_Gentleman: Have I saved you, young maiden? I do not recall meeting you, Amelia.

HERO : Nah. Not in person. You just really fill me with confidence, talking to me on here, y'know. Saved me from being so lame.

The_Gentleman: I assure you, I have never seen you to be "lame". You are a clever and sweet girl. It is a shame that I cannot meet you in person. Perhaps, once the world is a better place, I can look for you.

HERO : Aw, man! That'll take too long! I want to meet you now! :(

The_Gentleman: Patience, my dear. Now, I must be away. The city is calling me.

HERO : Haha! That's so cheesy! But, good luck! And be careful! See ya! xx

The_Gentleman: Farewell, sweet Amelia.

Alfred grinned happily at being called sweet before staring at the screen in shock. He had never in his life sent someone kisses online. And now he had given The Gentleman some. What had he been thinking?! What was he doing? What was wrong with him? He groaned and put his head in his arms. He was going to be so embarrassed the next time he spoke to him or saw him. Panicking, he wondered if he should call Kiku or Francis or even Arthur to talk to them about it. Then the doorbell rang and his troubles were forgotten in favour of pizza.


When Alfred's parents came to the city for Thanksgiving, the college student in question was busy fighting one of the bosses in his games. His cell rang and he paused for a second till he had it pinned at his shoulder. He continued the game as he said, "Yo?"

"Hey, friend!" said his dad, cheerily. "And how is my son on this fine day? Excited for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" asked Alfred distractedly, frowning as he blew up part of the bad guy.

"Thanksgiving, Alfred."

"Huh? That's not till Thursday."

"What day do you think it is?"

"Tuesday."

"It's Wednesday – how long have you been playing your video games?"

Alfred paused the game once again, thinking. "Uh... Well..."

"Did you stay up all night again? Your mother and I have told you-"

"I know, sorry! Where are you guys, anyway? I'm supposed to pick you up at the station, right?"

"We're at the station... Perhaps we should just head to where you are – we do know our way."

"Ah!" exclaimed Alfred, leaping up. "I'll be right there! Hang on!" And with that, he hung up. He shoved his feet into some sneakers and tugged on his coat. Grabbing a scarf, he hurried out of his apartment and into the night.

He was running through the streets, hoping his parents wouldn't be too cold waiting for him when something in an alleyway caught his eye. He wondered briefly why he always spotted things like this as he skidded to a halt. He peered through the dark passageway, thankful for the light illuminating the scene.

Three people were blocking the way of two others. Alfred wondered if it was a couple of gangs. Would that mean that The Gentleman would turn up? Excited, Alfred entered the alley, sneaking up behind the three people who were there. One seemed to be dressed entirely in black, their long hair tied back. A woman was there, her dress and long blonde hair visible to Alfred, even in the gloom. The last one was tall and was wearing a scarf, though that was rather unremarkable at this time of year.

Getting closer, Alfred peered through the gloom to peer at the other two. He could see that they both had suitcases at their feet. He stepped closer just as the two people shifted and the light hit them better. He gaped at them. These two people... What were they doing here?

"Are you going to kill us?" one of them said.

"Net. Not yet," replied the tall man in his Russian accent. That was when it hit Alfred – the three people who were before him must be The Shadower, Edwina Scissorhands and, finally, the one who had spoken, The Big Freeze. "You will answer our questions first."

"We can't tell you anything!" one of the couple replied.

"Then you will be kept in our headquarters, aru," said the Shadower, shifting his position to a fighting stance.

"Mom!" exclaimed Alfred. "Dad!"

His parents looked up in shock. The three super villains turned to look at him. "Alfred!" exclaimed his mother. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to get you. What's going on?!"

"It... It doesn't matter! Go home!" said his dad, firmly.

"But-!"

"This is your syn, da?" said The Big Freeze turning to survey Alfred. "He is special, too? If he stays here much longer, he will be in danger..."

"Huh?" said Alfred, frowning, wondering what he meant by 'special'.

"Alfred!" said his mother. "Listen to your father and go home!"

"No! I want to know what's going on!" he exclaimed, his frown deepening.

"Sorry to intrude," said a voice in Alfred's ear. He gasped and spun round to see The Gentleman standing behind him. Birdman landed beside him a second later, accompanied by the Songbird. They all looked serious. "However, may I be of assistance?"

"Yes," said Alfred's dad immediately. "Take Alfred away from here, please."

"You will help us if we do, ja?" said Birdman. Songbird tilted his head.

After a pause and a sidelong glance, Alfred's parents nodded. "Yes."

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Alfred. "What the hell's going on?!"

"We do not have time for that, Alfred," said The Gentleman as he took hold of his arm. "I will take him home."

"No-!" began Alfred but he was already travelling away from the alleyway. He looked round at his parents. They gazed back sadly. What was happening? What was going on? What were his parents doing? He turned to The Gentleman whose jaw was set. "Hey! Let me go! I need to go back!"

"You will only get in the way, Alfred. I do apologise."

"But my parents-!" Alfred began when the sound of an explosion hit them. The Gentleman halted, his jaw dropping open. They both turned and stared at the plume of flames rising up from a few blocks away. "What...? Where... is that... coming from...?"

"I..." The Gentleman seemed just as shocked. Alfred stared at him. Did this mean that what was scaring him right now had actually happened? "It... Let us not tarry. Let us go!" The hero grabbed Alfred's arm again and hurried off.

"No! Please! We have to go back!" Alfred exclaimed, trying to pull himself away. It was to no avail and he twisted round to watch as the fire receded into the distance. He was soon out of sight of it. Finding himself in front of his apartment block, he glanced at The Gentleman. He seemed to be worried. The hero made sure Alfred got into his apartment.

"I must go. Please, stay here and I will return shortly." The Gentleman turned to go but Alfred grabbed his wrist and stared into his shaded eyes. The Gentleman looked alarmed but Alfred spoke pleadingly before he could pull away.

"Bring them back. It's Thanksgiving tomorrow. I gotta have them here!"

The Gentleman nodded. "I will make sure you do not spend Thanksgiving alone." And, with that, he pulled his arm from Alfred's grip and hurried off. Alfred watched him leave and bit his lip, retreating into his apartment to hug a pillow and wait.


When Alfred heard a knock on the door followed by the click as it opened, he leapt up and, still hugging the pillow, hurried into the small hall. The Gentleman was closing the door behind him as he reached him. When he turned, Alfred looked at him with a frown. "Where are they? Where are my mom and dad?"

"Alfred... Perhaps we should go inside."

"Where are they?"

"Alfred, please." The Gentleman laid a hand on his shoulder and began to guide him towards the living room. Once inside he made the American sit at the table. "Alfred... I am afraid-"

"Where are they?!" Alfred demanded, leaning forward and hugging his pillow tighter.

"They..." The Gentleman took a deep breath. "They are in the morgue. I am afraid that they were at the epicentre of an explosion. There was nothing we could do. I am sorry."

For a moment there was silence. Then Alfred laughed loudly. "Haha! You're pulling my leg, aren't you?!" He grinned at his hero. The Gentleman sombrely shook his head. "You're... They're right outside, right?"

The clinking of what the hero placed on the table seemed loud to Alfred. He stared at the rings. When he had reached an age to be interested in girls, his parents had had the talk with him which had swiftly went off into a tangent into how they had met. Both of them had played with their rings while they did so and Alfred remember them. He remembered the little bird on his mother's engagement ring; he remembered the floral pattern on her wedding ring; he remembered the inscription on the inside of his father's band.

All three now lay innocently on the table.

"I thought you should have them," said The Gentleman quietly.

"But... No... How did you...?"

"I must go now. We will take care of them until you are ready."

The American merely stared at the rings in a state of shock. He barely noticed his favourite hero leave. His favourite hero who could save anyone. Who always saved him. Who couldn't save his parents...

Alfred hugged his pillow tightly as his face grew wet...


It was two days later when Alfred heard someone let themselves into his apartment. He had been ignoring all calls and people knocking so he was surprised someone had the nerve to just walk in. After all, once the Gentleman had left, he hadn't bothered to lock the door. In fact, he had barely moved. Now, he curled up in his position and dipped the spoon into his rapidly disappearing ice cream,, not bothered by the intrusion. Running through his head the list of people it could be, he was only mildly surprised when the Gentleman appeared at the doorway in his full outfit.

"Alfred," he said.

The boy only looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. He placed the spoon in his mouth and hugged the pillow tightly to him. This caused a clinking sound, the rings on an old chain shifting as he did. He hadn't changed or bathed and he had dark circles under his eyes. However, he still forced himself to grin at the sight of his hero. "Yo! How's it going?"

"Alfred... You realise it has been two days, yes? A lot of people have been worried about you." He glared at the abandoned cell phone on the dining table.

"Yeah, well..." Alfred merely shrugged.

Surveying the room, The Gentleman caught sight of the pile of ice cream tubs littering the floor. Alfred saw him looking and shrugged. "It tastes good and I have nothing else to eat now."

Chewing his lip, the hero shook his head. "This is not good for you. Why have you shut yourself off from the world? At a time like this, you need your friends."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Do you blame us for what happened?" the other asked suddenly.

The American's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Of course not! It wasn't your fault that they were there in the first place..."

"Ah," said the British hero. He seemed to be relieved. However, after a short silence, he stepped forward, an air of alarm about him. "You do not mean to say that you blame yourself?!"

The spoon dipped into the tub again but Alfred had run out of the cold, creamy foodstuff. He frowned and dropped it where the others had landed. When he stood, he averted his eyes and made his way to the kitchen. "I was supposed to meet them. And I stayed here to play games." He gestured where his consoles lay, all unplugged from the TV. The games were strewn across the floor where he had thrown them in his grief.

"Do not blame yourself, Alfred," said the Gentleman with such ferocity that Alfred paused and turned to look at him. The hero's mouth was set in a grim line, almost as though he was gritting his teeth. "It is the fault of the people who killed them, not you."

Alfred only shrugged again. "I never asked but... Didja catch them?"

"No. I am deeply sor-"

"So they're still out there?" Alfred asked, looking at him with a determined expression. Over the past 48 hours he had been wondering what to do without his parents. He had come across an idea which he needed the Gentleman to agree to – and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Yes..." said the Gentleman, warily. Alfred turned to hide his sad smile and walked to the fridge-freezer. Reaching it, he turned back, another determined expression fixed on his face.

"Well, I want to help find them."

"Excuse me?" said the Gentleman. He looked taken aback.

"Let me help you find them! You're looking for them, right?! So... Let me be your sidekick. I know everything about you! And I can get gadgets from Eduard and use them and I'd be able to help you and-!"

"No."

"What?" asked Alfred, blinking in surprise.

"I said, 'no'," said the hero firmly. "It is too dangerous. I cannot let you die as well."

"But-"

"No! Alfred, you are alive. Your parents wanted you to live. You cannot put yourself in danger. You must not waste your life away in here eating ice cream either. So-"

"It's not fair!" exclaimed Alfred suddenly. He felt the tears coming again and anger rising within him. How could his hero treat him like that? How could he brush him aside so quickly? He hadn't seen what he could do if he put his mind to it. With these thoughts, Alfred realised he wanted to throw something at the hero. He grabbed the nearest item and lifted it over his head, turning to make sure he wouldn't miss. He was satisfied to see the Gentleman's jaw drop. Alfred shifted his stance to brace himself and, finally, threw it.

The fridge-freezer went sailing through the air and hit the spot where the Gentleman had been a moment before. The hero was now a few feet to the side and was staring at the appliance. Alfred stared at it in shock. What had he done?

"A-Alfred...?" breathed the Gentleman.

"Oh..." said the American as he rushed forward. "My ice cream!"

"Eh?!"

Alfred quickly righted his projectile and opened the freezer part of it. The ice cream tub had not been squashed as he had feared but had only fallen on its side. He sighed in relief and took it out, taking off the lid and immediately taking a spoonful. "Ah, that's a relief!" he said with a grin, forgetting for the moment what he had been doing.

"Uh... Er..." The Gentleman cleared his throat. "Alfred, do you realise what you just did?"

"Hm?" said Alfred around his spoon.

The Gentleman merely pointed at the gap where the fridge-freezer had stood and then at its current resting place. Alfred looked between the two. Hm? How did that get there? Oh, yeah. I threw it. I picked it up, lifted it over my head and threw it at the Gentleman – ah, I hope he doesn't hate me for that, I didn't mean it! Oh, wait... I lifted it over my head?! What?! How did I do that?! He dropped his spoon. "... Huh?!" He looked at The Gentleman in shock – the hero looked back, a mildly amused expression on his face.

"I think you should come with me, Alfred," he said. "We should probably introduce everyone to the new and improved you..."


By the time Alfred had showered (after tripping and ripping the shower curtain down, rail and all) and dressed, Alfred had fully accepted that he had super powers. It hadn't really taken all that long but by the time he reported to the Gentleman for a once over to make sure he was acceptable, Alfred had gotten to the stage of picking out a superhero name for himself.

"What do you think of 'Captain America'?" he asked the Gentleman with a grin.

The man looked up at him with a frown. "I am afraid that Marvel have that one copyrighted."

"Yeah, but, maybe they'd be willing to give it to an all-American hero like me!" Alfred pressed as the more experienced hero led him to the door. The man shook his head.

"You do not suit it," he said.

"Aw..." moaned Alfred, pouting even as he closed and locked his door. "Well, what about 'Mr. America'?"

The Gentleman looked back at him with a blank expression. Shaking his head, he took hold of Alfred's arm. "Come along – I have already told the others to be there as soon as possible. We must go quickly. Especially if we wish to avoid those who would do you harm-"

"What about 'American Hero', then?" asked Alfred as they moved off. The shorter man sighed and shook his head. "Well, if not that, why not 'The Patriot'?"

"I am sure you probably recall that name is given to another comic book character. I believe it is Marvel you must speak to again."

"Oh, yeah," Alfred said with another pout. He didn't pay attention to his surroundings as they hurried off. "'Strongman'?" The sigh from his hero gave him his answer. "'Mr. Strong'?"

"They both sound rather clichéd."

"Hmm..." Alfred mused – he had run out of ideas. He thought to his comics and glanced at the Gentleman. A surprised look crossed his face, his overly excited brain finally catching up on his companion's part of the conversation. Had the hero just talked about fictional heroes to Alfred? Deciding to test the waters, he suggested a new name. "What about 'The Flash'?" Getting no answer, Alfred probed again. "'Green Lantern'?"

"You are doing this deliberately..." said the other. Alfred grinned.

"Well, then: 'Star Spangled Guy'? Nah, that sounds kinda stupid. 'Badass Banner'." "We're here," the Gentleman interrupted him.

Alfred looked up at the tall glass building in front of him. There was a large logo above the front doors. LBJ. The young American frowned: he wasn't familiar with that logo. And, if this was really the headquarters for the heroes, he must have been fighting to stay conscious if he hadn't seen it the last time he was there. They entered and the hero led him to the elevator. After riding it up, they entered the headquarters. The heroes were waiting for them – and none of them had their masks on. Alfred froze and had to be pulled through the elevator doors by the Gentleman.

"F-Francis?" asked the stunned American, taking in his clothes. Or, rather, lack of them as he was wearing the Rose's 'costume'. The Frenchman winked at him but didn't say anything as Alfred's attention shifted. "Kiku?!" he exclaimed, spotting him wearing the Ninja's costume. "Y-You-!" Other people he had met recently were all waving at him or smiling sheepishly or, in the case of Feli, bouncing on the balls of their feet saying, "Ve, ve!"

"What is his power?" asked Ludwig, getting down to business. He gestured with his Orakel's mask to the couches and began to make his way to them. The Gentleman had to tug Alfred forward to get him there even as he answered.

"Super strength, I suppose," he told them, taking off his top hat. "He lifted a fridge-freezer and threw it without so much as a second thought. In fact, he didn't even notice." The hero guided Alfred to the couch and gently pushed him into the cushions. He sat opposite him, placing his hat beside him. Alfred's breath caught in his throat as he leaned forward slightly in anticipation. Did he know The Gentleman, too. However, the mysterious man kept his mask on and gazed back at him.

"Should we explain?" asked Matthew, raising his hand hesitantly.

"Oui. Mais... Who should tell him?" asked Francis.

"Alfred," said The Gentleman, ignoring the others. "You are an orphan."

His excitement vanished as he remembered what had happened two nights ago. "Yeah... I know," he muttered. Was this the hero's way of telling him to calm down?

"No. You don't," said The Gentleman. "You have always been an orphan. Since you were a baby."

"What're you talking about?!" exclaimed Alfred with a laugh. "I've lived with my par-"

"They were not your parents, Alfred-kun," said Kiku quietly, looking at him seriously.

"We are all orphans here, mon ami," said Francis. His mouth smiled but his eyes carried a heavy sadness.

"What? What are you talking about?"

The Gentleman took a breath. "When we were young, we were all in the same orphanage. As far as we know, two months after all us were gathered, a couple of scientists showed up and asked to take us. They said the experiments were safe. Just a behavioural experiment. They would take care of us. So they took us away to a secure location."

"This sounds like something from a movie," interrupted Alfred.

A click of The Gentleman's tongue caused Alfred to quiet down. The masked man continued his story. "They experimented on us. Fed us things. Radiated us. Gave the babies doctored milk. As far as any one of us can remember, it was traumatic. But, mostly, we do not remember – except in our dreams. Finally, though, the scientist couple developed a conscience. However, they could not stop their employers. So they escaped, taking a child with them, one of a set of twins. They were unable to save both.

"That child, Alfred, was you. You had already been experimented on but your adoptive parents raised you as their own. Which, considering their own conditions from having worked in those labs for so long, was easy to do. They could not have children of their own so you were theirs. And, even if they were not your biological parents, they were certainly better than a laboratory."

Alfred stared at him. "A... twin...?" he managed to say. His eyes widened and he glanced at Matthew. The Canadian looked sheepish but he smiled shyly at Alfred. "Matthew? Matthew's my brother?"

Everyone nodded and Matthew leaned across Francis to hold out his hand. "Eh. Hi," he said with a small smile.

The American hesitated for a moment, wrestling with what he was hearing. His parents weren't his real parents? He had been experimented on? He had a twin brother? He had an inkling that he should be devastated – his parents had lied to him and then had died without confessing. But he couldn't wrap his brain around this new information. Instead he broke into a grin. He grabbed Mattie's hand and pulled him towards him so that he was hugging him over Francis' lap. The Frenchman seemed amused; Matthew was less so.

"E-Eh?" he murmured, confused.

"A brother! That's so cool!" exclaimed Alfred. "I totally need to teach you how to be American!"

Someone cleared their throat and Alfred glanced round to see The Gentleman looking impatient. Had he not finished his story? Alfred let go of his twin and sat up, attentively gazing at the only masked person in the room.

"After you were taken away, Alfred," said The Gentleman, "the project, whatever its true objective, was abandoned and people were encouraged to adopt us. We dispersed throughout the world, unaware of where we had come from. Eventually, though, events produced rather strange reactions. Whenever one of us had a traumatic experience, it was as though one had unlocked something within us. Our powers manifested and we became what we are now. One by one, we began to investigate our past and, eventually, we were drawn here. Even Ivan- Ah, I'm sorry. Even The Big Freeze, The Shadower and Edwina Scissorhands were with us in that laboratory.

Alfred perked up, interested. These were the villains who had killed his parents. "You're not going to let them get away with it, are you? You'll catch them, right? And you'll let me help, won't you? I won't be so easy to get hurt this time!"

"Are you referring to those 'villains' or are you referring to the people who killed your parents?" asked The Gentleman, calmly.

"Well... Aren't they one in the same?"

"Which one of them had the ability to create an explosion of that magnitude?"

After thinking for a moment, Alfred realised what his hero was getting at. "There... There was someone else? But... Weren't they going to kill them?"

"Did you hear them threaten your parents with that option?"

"N-No... But... Who else could it be?"

"You remember that I said those scientists were experimenting on us? The experiments were never finished and we have no idea what they wanted. However, something like our powers cannot be anything but a profitable outcome. They must want to document it. Find us. Take us away and experiment on us more. But your parents... They were a loose end. And so..."

"But... They- Did they know?"

"Probably. As I hear it, they avoided the sciences in their chosen professions. A businessman and a secretary, yes? And they made sure to stay within the suburbs. Their first trip to the city and they were spotted..."

"Then how are we going to find who did this?"

"Well... I think Ivan has a better idea of who was behind this and how to find them. That's The Big Freeze to you."

"You're going to ask a villain for help?! But- But he's evil!"

"I would not say that..."

"Kesesese!" exclaimed Birdman who happened to be Gilbert. "Ivan is not exactly evil, Al. He is just doing what he pleases with his powers, ja? He is like... Like the... Antiheld."

"Huh?"

"The anti-hero," explained Matthew, helpfully. "He isn't exactly evil, but not exactly good either. He'll help us when he wants to. Though, usually, anti-heroes are forced into helping people. You know... Like... Um..." He glanced at The Gentleman for help.

"I suppose... Like Gabriel from Supernatural? Although, maybe 'anti-hero' is the wrong term... He does not work with us often, though, so we usually end up fighting him. I suppose it's a good cover for him when the need arises – he can claim that he is an enemy instead of on our side. When he is, anyway."

"Oh!" said Alfred in understanding. "But... is he really like that? I mean... He always seems so happy causing chaos."

"His... trauma... was rather prolonged," said Francis. "He had an abusive family who hurt him and his sisters. He ended up freeing them – by..." The Frenchman trailed off, glancing round.

Ludwig took over. "He killed his parents. That was when he discovered his powers."

Alfred's eyes widened. "Oh my God..." he breathed, shivering.

"Regardless," said The Gentleman, "we need his help. So you will have to accept this – do try not to argue with him, please."

Rolling his eyes, Alfred shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Wait," he added, realising what this meant. "I'll really be able to team up with you?!" His excitement returned tenfold and he grinned at the British hero.

"Well... Yes," the hero replied.

"Yahoo!" exclaimed Alfred, throwing his arms in the air. The heroes looked at him in a mixture of disbelief and worry.


The Gentleman had to wait patiently for Alfred whilst he chattered to the other heroes and bonded with his brother. One of the heroes, Elizaveta, assured Alfred that she would make a costume for him and drop it off at some point. Since she could shapeshift into animals, she asked him to keep a window partially opened so she could fly in with it. Alfred agreed readily. He found Antonio and Lovino in a corner. Apparently, they had powers, too. Antonio's was to make plants grow to their full extent, making his tomatoes more plump and far juicier. Lovino's was to do with water but he seemed a little antisocial so Alfred gave up on coaxing out a demonstration. It seemed, though, that they were more suited to being heroes in agriculture than a hero of a city. Though, Alfred added to himself, they would be handy if a zombie apocalypse ever occurred.

Finally, he bounded over to The Gentleman who had agreed to take the young American home so that he could process everything he had just been told. Once again, The Gentleman took his arm and led him back out of the building. Alfred was too busy chattering about what had just happened to notice the passing streets. He was only aware of his surroundings when they stopped in front of his door. He unlocked it and led the way in, still talking to the hero who seemed to feel obliged to enter, closing the door behind him.

"I really hope Elizaveta makes my costume with red, white and blue. It'd be cool to dress as Captain America but I guess that's copyrighted. And I wouldn't get my own name – people would just call me Captain America."

"Yes..." said The Gentleman. "Are... Are you all right, Alfred?"

Alfred blinked at the sudden question. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, it's just... You have been chattering non-stop since you found out about your powers and the heroes – yet, when I told you about your parents' past and our past, you did not bat an eye."

The new hero shifted uncomfortably, moving away from the Brit. "I... Well, I just..." He cast around for a change of topic – he didn't want to think about his parents too much in case he broke down in front of this interesting man. A sudden thought struck him and he flapped his arms excitedly, his parents momentarily forgotten. "Hey, hey! I have to ask you a question since you saved me last night! That was our deal!"

The Gentleman frowned. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"Why haven't you taken off your mask yet?" asked Alfred without hesitation. It had been bugging him for a while but he had pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on the fun stuff.

Twirling his top hat in his hands, The Gentleman looked down at his feet. "No... No particular reason. Just... Well... I expect you will be rather upset with me. I believe you think me amazing. But the person behind the mask... I doubt you will find them thus so."

"I'm sure I won't care! Let me see!"

Once again, The Gentleman hesitated before shaking his head. "No. I think it would be best to leave you to grieve for your... adoptive parents."

Alfred felt as though something had struck his heart, bringing with it a fresh wave of sorrow and guilt. He had pushed their deaths to the back of his mind and, with the hero's words, he was shown to be unfeeling. The young man glanced away as tears obstructed his vision. He refused to let them fall though. But The Gentleman had already turned away and, with a gasp, Alfred grabbed his arm. "No! Wait! Don't go – don't leave me!"

Looking back at Alfred, The Gentleman appeared hesitant, torn between running from him and staying to help him like any good hero should. He extricated his arm and looked at Alfred, a slight frown on his face. "What...?" he began. He soon trailed off, watching Alfred.

"Stay here with me and we can have ice cream!" said Alfred, forcing a grin to his face. It wasn't completely forced, though – the mention of ice cream had cheered him up. Especially now he had an image of flying fridge-freezers. "And you can take off your costume and relax."

"You seem awfully adamant that you want me to take off my mask..." said The Gentleman, still rather reluctant to move.

"Aw, c'mon dude! It's not as if it matters! We're all on the same team – I'm not gonna broadcast your identity to the world."

After a moment's thought and after he had gently placed his hat on the table, The Gentleman slowly reached behind his head and untied his mask. He hesitated again, holding it to his face. "Are... you sure?" he asked, gazing up at Alfred.

Seeing his uncertainty, Alfred grinned and crossed to him. "Don't worry about it, dude!" he said. With that, he gently teased the mask away from the hero and tossed it beside the hat. He stared at the man's face for a moment before stumbling back a step. "A... Ar... thur?"

"See?" said the Brit, frowning. "I knew you would be disappointed." With a scowl, he blinked a few times. Looking closer at those brilliantly green eyes, Alfred realised they were glistening.

"You... But..." Seeing how upset his hero was, Alfred relaxed a little. It was definitely Arthur. He hadn't changed a bit. "How can you be The Gentleman? You're way too..." Alfred searched for the right word to use without angering someone with super powers. "... Proud, I suppose. I didn't think you'd dress up and go around beating people up. Don't you have college work to do?"

Arthur clicked his tongue. "I can do more than one thing – especially with my power. And I have my reasons for becoming a hero."

"Did... Did someone die?" Alfred asked tentatively.

The man's face slowly changed until he was smiling softly. "No. I... wanted to be someone that a certain person would look up to. After all, when I was younger, I used to be a lot more introverted. I thought that I should try to be like my parents even though I was clearly nothing like them and I was obsessed with becoming better. I didn't make friends – what was the point if I moved every few months. But I learned that it was okay to be myself. And I actually mattered to that someone. After all, I was the person who introduced him to heroes and-" Arthur broke off, seemingly realising that he had given away who it was.

Alfred laughed. "Dude! You're still introverted!"

"Do you even know the meaning of the word?" asked Arthur, his tone of disbelief evident.

The American shrugged. "Does it matter? Anyway, do you know if that person looks up to you, then?"

Raising an eyebrow, the unmasked hero looked at Alfred in disbelief. "Well... I seem to have become their favourite hero. Not my attention, I assure you." Alfred grinned – that was good. But the grin was wiped from his face when Arthur continued to speak. "Are you all right, though?" he asked, a worried expression on his face. "I mean," he added hurriedly, "it's not as though I'm particularly worried that you'll be upset for long – you never did have a very good attention span."

Seeing his expression and knowing why he was worried, it all hit Alfred once again and he felt a sob burst from his mouth. The tears he had struggled to keep from The Gentleman began to fall down his cheeks as his eyes widened at his loss of control. He had cried very little in the time since his parents' death but now, in the presence of someone so familiar, he began to openly sob. "Th-They're..." Alarmed, Arthur hurried forward, gathering his American friend into a comforting hug.


Originally, this was going to be two separate chapters with a cliffhanger when he got told about how his parents were dead. But then I realised it was so short. So I basically put two chapters together.

When Arthur promised (as The Gentleman) that Alfred wouldn't be alone on Thanksgiving, he tried to come through on that and he was the person who kept calling and turning up at his door. He didn't walk in cause he wasn't sure whether it wise to bother him while he was grieving.

Ivan uses his powers to have fun. Yao uses his to gain money. And Natalya uses hers for her brother.

I have absolutely no idea what Al's superhero name is going to be.

The image I have of Al's fridge-freezer tossing is rather like Shizuo - with less bone breaking.

The title is a song title about death, by the by. Google is a wonderful thing.

I think that's all I need to say. Sorry for how long it took to write this. Sorry for the confusing conversation. Sorry for... anything else, I suppose.