The metro line in Manchester was much less polished than most other cities in England. The drainage pipes hung exposed over Leo's head with drips of muck-ridden water dotting the cracked walnut-tinted tile scratched with drying dirt from the boots of pedestrians. The quiet din of businesspeople rummaging through the dank tunnels with strobing racks of fluorescent lighting swinging above with every passing train. The metal cans with fogged and fingerprint-laced windows rumbled through the tunnels and shook the floor underneath Leo's brown penny-loafers.

The cracked oyster tile behind Leo coated in mildew, the boy sneered at the sight around him. Many of the passengers were insignificant people set to only work until they died. Even their faces, grey and generic, stared ahead like stone soldiers. A scraggly-bearded busker warbled away on a guitar as out-of-tune as the screeching brakes that pierced Leo's ears with every train that stopped on the platform.

"Hey, there he is."

Leo twitched his shoulder at the tapping from one of his friends. Not really a friend, but one of those other people that liked him because of his Pro-Hero dad. The boy covered the bruises around his wrist, and the welts by his neck burned from the way he was hit on the collar bone. He shrunk back and spun on his heels at the more annoying kid; a taller beanstalk of a pre-teen with small bat wings perched on his back. Pointing out towards the ledge of the platform, Leo quirked his head at a certain kid with a pink jacket.

"What a loser," Leo said without much discretion. "I heard he was thinking of going to U.A. I don't even think he knows Japanese."

"He's a waste of a seat," the other boy said. "Somebody could have used it, y'know."

Leo nodded before crossing his arms. The past few weeks, things had been especially tough on Leo. His father would come home more defeated and more exhausted than usual from his hero activities. Somehow, that had resulted in more bruises that shaded Leo's back like a chessboard. In turn, Leo had become even angrier and lashed out more at the lesser students of the school, specifically the boy swallowed by the pink jacket with mud and peat stains painting the tattered fringes. His heart was set aflame with pride whenever his other friends had cheered him, but he found the flame growing smaller like an aging lightbulb. His life was becoming quite boring, but the stress of his father on his life was beginning to take its toll.

Lost in thought, he almost missed his friend toeing forward and snaking his way around the roaming passengers and businesspeople.

"Where are you going?" Leo asked. He slid himself behind the taller kid as they snuck towards the ledge.

Another trains swished past with Leo's hair bouncing around his head. The other boy laughed with a mirthless lilt. "Well, he is a waste of a seat. We could use better people in our class."

Leo frowned as they took another ginger step forward. It was a slow dance around the crowd towards the pink jacket that stood between two women in pantsuits. They were two lions stalking after a gazelle in the concrete Serengeti, but Leo blinked and shuffled right up to the other bully's side.

"Like...are you serious?" Leo asked.

The other boy shot Leo an incredulous look. "Everybody says it. Why shouldn't we do something about it? A favor for the rest of the school."

Leo grunted out at a sudden stab to his chest. He rubbed the area around his heart and gave another glance at the boy. He was surprised at just how willing he were to go along with the plot. Sure, he had a good time making fun of the kid and recreating hell for him at his school. His tongue went dry as he racked his brains and realized how strange it would be to do worse harm.

"They'd know it's us," Leo said. "Headmaster knows by now what we do."

"And he still hasn't done shit," The boy responded with a crackling grin smothering his face.

Leo nodded along but still tried to be diplomatic. "We could get kicked out. That would kill our chances at any other school."

The boy flicked at his shoulder and brushed off some lint. "Like they care about us. We've been treated like villains from the day we got in there. Why shouldn't we start acting more in our self-interest."

They were halfway towards him. Another train rushed past with the lights swinging harsh shadows over Leo's face. The boy's mouth hung open, his heart beginning to race like the hydraulic wheels screaming along the tracks.

"They're cameras everywhere," Leo said. "Besides, I know our parents would shit a chicken if they hear-."

"Who gives a shit about them," The boy said. "Your dad never cared for you. You said it yourself."

Ten feet away. A few of the other passengers drained out like the leaking pipes in the ceiling. A train had stopped right at the end of the platform. With a bell ding, the doors launched open which allowed for travelers to flow through the doorways. The boy stood, his train not yet arriving. Within seconds, the doors lurched shut again, and the train buckled forward and shook aside towards the exit tunnel ahead.

Leo breathed through his mouth, his own lungs beginning to burn. All of this was true, and yet he still had reservations. Of course it would be against his interest to do this. If they were caught, it would be much more than expulsion for them. Part of him wanted to stick it to his dad. Surely, this would destroy what reputation he had left and would force him into a shameful retirement.

Yet, he stared lasers into the back of the boy's head. For the first time, now of all times, he was starting to regret his decisions.

"Shit," Leo tried to play off the encounter. "Let's just walk back. By the time the train comes, the rest of the gang will be off."

"We'll see them tomorrow," The bully lowered his tone to a whisper as they tip-toed even closer. "Besides, we are doing more important thing."

Five feet away. He could see the flakes of grime wedged between the follicles of his hair. Leo shoved his hands into his pocket, hoping if anyone saw this, they would know he could in no way be responsible.

Leo squeezed his fists and leaned over to his friend's ear. "Isn't he more entertaining though at school? We'll be bored out of our minds without him."

"Like they're aren't other losers to mess with," the friend said.

Just an arms length away, the tracks were clear ahead of the boy. He stood right at the yellow warning line, his tattered white sneakers scuffed with marks and a small hole by the soles. Leo and the other bully planted themselves right behind him. Leo held air in his mouth, worried that the boy would feel his hot breath tickle the back of his neck and alert him of their presence. There were no other people around him. Leo spun his head on a swivel and saw that nobody else was close to them or watching them. They would have no problems if they hurried out of the building.

"Play time is over," the bully said. He looked back at Leo and nodded at the boy. To save face, Leo returned the uptick in his chin and faced back towards him.

"If we're in this together, then fine."

"You do the honors."

Leo covered his mouth to muffle the sputter from his lips. "Huh?"

"If you do it, it'll be faster," the bully said. "Plus, I know how much you hate him. Thank me later."

Leo, still apprehensive, nodded with an unsure expression on his face. He stepped right behind the boy to the point where his cheap and musty jacket left a mold tinge of a scent on his nostrils. He curdled his face from the whiff, the boy clearly not being wealthy enough for decent soap. Leo slipped his hands out of his pockets and stretched out his fingers. He held out his palms right behind the boy's back and bit his lip.

The brunette realized that he had no problem hurting the boy when no consequences were at stake. Yet, as he stood on the precipice of inflicting ultimate harm, a sickening heartbeat pummeled Leo's ears. He stood frozen in time with not even the people on the other side of the tunnel moving. His knees buckled. His head bobbed downward as he nearly stumbled into the boy. His shoulders quivered, and Leo plugged his lungs from any oxygen as another voice blared out on the radio announcements.

"A phone call is here!"

Leo sprained his neck towards his left. An elderly man with a bowler hat and suit pulled out his phone. A ringtone blaring out All Might's voice exploded in volume as the man took out his phone. He pressed a button and cheered out a greeting to the person on the other line.

"Son, how are you?" The man asked.

The voices and noise floated away. Leo's amber eyes widened as he considered the boy once more. This was not something he really wanted to do. He had no free will, trapped between what his father wanted for him and what his friends wanted him to do. He never really wanted to harm anybody, but the catharsis from his father's anger had been more rewarding than it should have been. Leo set down his arms and tapped his wrist on the watch latched on him. The seconds, at first wading through molasses, ticked faster as Leo awoke to buzzing loudspeakers and passengers milling around in endless chatter.

Leo looked up to All Might more than anybody else. He would watch the videos and news reports, enchanted like the entire world's populace at just how perfect of a savior he was to many distraught citizens. It was not the man's stature that made him appealing to Leo. It was the confidence and optimism that, despite the tough road ahead, life could be better for anybody. At least, that is the message Leo received holed up in this miserable corner of the world.

Hero. That was the thing he wanted to be. His father was supposed to be a hero, but not to him. What would a hero do in this instance? Leo thought about it long and hard for the first time. A hero would not do any of this. The Pro-Hero known as Chronos had made his marks on Leo almost every day, and the watch on his wrist almost seemed like another one. All Might would think of him as the scum of the earth for picking on a defenseless person who did nothing to him other than exist in his presence. What a weak, pathetic hero he would be in the future.

With a final huff, Leo looked back around the entire station. It was dingy and clammy. He felt trapped in a spacious coffin as the dirt covered him, further encrusting him into the city of Manchester. A city he would be stuck in forever if he continued with the act. Forever with his dad in this miserable place. There had to be more for him, and he deserved better than to throw that future into the nearest receptacle.

Leo stepped back with a scowl of resolve on his face. He put his hands back into his pockets and poised upright.

"You crazy, bruv?" The other bully whispered in Leo's ear.

"No, you are," Leo said back. "And so are many other people in my life. And I'm not going to be like that anymore. I deserve better than this, and I deserve better than you."

The other bully blinked. Staring down at Leo in shock, the bully shook his head and stepped back in surprise. Glaring at Leo, the bully spun around and left the platform.

For once, Leo was happy. He actually stood up for himself instead of buying into peer pressure. The boy flashed a grin, his face straining from the rare expression of a genuine smile on his face. He folded his hands in his lap. Hearing the wheels of the next train coming, he realized it would be his train to head back home. Remembering the boy before him, he rolled back his shoulders and decided it was time to grow up. If he were to be like All Might, he would have to like and interact with all kinds of people.

The train beeped out a honk as more passengers gathered by the entry platform. Leo's heart slowed to a normal crawl, and his body felt much more energized with life.

The headlights on the train brightened and flashed a stark white light towards the side of the boy. Yes, he would follow the boy on the train. In public, there would be less of a freakout from being cornered by him. Maybe he would actually learn his name. He could learn to not be chained to other people's expectations and make his own happiness. Leo grinned and stepped towards the side in preparation on walking side-by-side with the boy.

"Hey," Leo started. "Hey, is this yo-."

Then, the boy in front of him leapt forward. He disappeared. His head plummeted under the precipice of the concrete platform.

He had jumped.

The train rushed over.

"So that's what happened."

In a much cleaner, albeit still dingy concrete box of a metro station, Leo sat next to Robyn on a wooden bench as the watched the trains fly past. Waiting for the Santa Monica connection, the boy had his legs crossed and head buried into his hoodie as he gazed at a millipede scurrying over the mocha cement below. It wedged itself into cracks and flailed for a second before slipping into the foundation of the floor.

Robyn, cuddled onto Leo's arm, clutched a plastic bag with sticks of butter in her other hand. Her face leaned onto Leo's shoulder as she stared out towards the train tracks.

"What about at school? Did your dad find out?" She asked.

Leo gave off a shrug. "Nothing to report. I didn't do it. But...they found a note on him in his jacket. He didn't mention me, but he talked about all the bullying he got," Leo blew out a sigh and scratched at the curled lock fringing his forehead. "Obviously, I knew who he was talking about. It was the worst kept secret in school. After that, everyone avoided me. I stopped talking to most everybody."

"So," Robyn brushed a strand of Leo's hair away from his eyes. "You felt just as guilty as if you did it."

"Gee, you don't have to spell it out," Leo rubbed away some gook from his eye.

Robyn sat up straight and pulled Leo's hoodie down from over his head. "But you can't feel guilty! I mean, yes, you were a major asshole. But...that's not Leo today. Well, mostly. but I guess the whole running over of Hawks was my bad."

"Right, but I stole a taxi and hit Midnight with a door," Leo said.

"But for a good cause," Robyn pointed at Leo. "If it's for a good reason, then you can do whatever you want. It's the Hero Law."

Leo blinked and turned back towards Robyn who had a wry smirk on her face. "Even if you're really famous and the world is watching you?

"Especially when you're famous," Robyn threw her arms open. "When you're a star, they let you do it."

"Do what?"

"Everything."

Leo massaged his neck, an overflowing sadness smothering his voice. "I just wish things could be so different. I've wasted so much time strangled by my own shadows."

Robyn scooted closer to Leo again and rubbed the back of the boy's nape for him. "A lot of people have made you feel bad. But...I think the people that make you feel the worst is yourself. I can't tell you how many times I hit myself. All of these thoughts about not being good enough and being stupid. Everyone in my middle school was so much smarter than me. Although, I will say the boys noticed me much more. I grew a lot in the last year or so, if you get what I'm saying," Robyn giggled in Leo's ear.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better," Leo shot back in a deadpan tone.

"In fact," Robyn ruffled Leo's hair. "My point is that you control how you feel. You control what you think about yourself. And I think a problem with heroes today is that no one thinks they need saving, too. There's nothing wrong with asking for help from people, Leo. There's so many people out there. Quirks, no quirks. Strong, weak. But all of them have thoughts and emotions. All of them have a reason for living, even if they don't know what it is yet. But I also know that all of them are valuable. All of them are loved. And all of them are deserving of the respect to be heard by someone. Anyone. You know, Leo, you're only a few decisions away from leading a good life. And I think you made a big one that day on the station. And...maybe you made another one just today."

Leo locked eyes with Robyn. "When I got Hawk's message."

Robyn shrugged. "Meh. I was referring to you buying me the butter. Now, I owe you! That means you can ask a favor of me! That's a big part of life, y'know. You scratch my back, yada yada yada."

Leo tried to suppress the smile on his face. "You're right. And...I guess I never exactly apologized for what happened in the desert."

Robyn smacked Leo's shoulder. "Please. That was nothing. And also, you don't exactly pack a punch, Leo."

"Wh-what?"

"I mean, you hit me and I thought I was bit by a mosquito," Robyn said. "Heroes need good upper body strength. Just something to think about."

"You're lying!"

Both of them erupted in laughter. Leo had not felt this free of anxiety in ages. His heart fluttered as another strain chugged past them. Flicking his gaze up at the neon green sign, the next train to Santa Monica was in the next five minutes. As he was distracted, Robyn smiled at the boy and scooted even closer to him, her knees just brushing up on the boy's pant leg. She rested her hand on the bench just inches away from Leo's, and the girl tilted her head towards the side.

"Hey, Leo," Robyn asked in a low tone. "Ever kissed a girl before?"

Leo, taken aback, snapped back to the girl closing in and stammered. "Wait, what?"

Robyn smirked. "When two people press lips together? What do they call it in England? Snatching? Brashing? I know there's a word for it."

"R-Robyn, maybe we should just sit here quietly and get home."

"Come on, Leo," Robyn leaned closer, her breath tickling the bridge of his nose. "I don't mean a romantic kiss. I don't even see you that way! Just a friendly kiss. A kiss between friends."

"Friends don't kiss each other!" Leo brushed out with a deep tomato fluster painting his face.

"It's not like I have the most practice either, but don't you want to get it over with? I bet my mouth tastes like pizza. I had it for lunch."

"No, Robyn. I'm perfectly fine with waiting," Leo said. "Besides, I can think of better settings for a kiss than an underground station."

The girl fluttered her eyes faster as she tilted her head upward. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll just sit right here for the next few minutes. Waiting with baited breath and pucked lips for anyone to come up to and lay a big smooch!"

"Help!"

Before Robyn could go any further, a shout rang out from the other side of the hallway. Leo shot up to his feet as the scuffling of feet squeaked on the floor.

From the other end of the platform walkway, Leo saw two men struggling for a briefcase. Robyn gasped when she saw it was the same older man from the bus earlier in the day. He kept shouting out as he tugged on the straps of his brown leather satchel. The other man, a Robber, grunted out as he pulled the man forward with the bag.

"Just let go, old man," The Robber shouted. "Make this easier for me."

"Get back," he shouted. "You don't know what's in here."

"That's why I'm trying to steal it!"

Leo sprung forward towards them. Robyn smacked a hand on her mouth as part of her wondered whether she should let Leo fight or aid him. All she had was a stick of butter, so she decided to hang back for whatever Leo was doing.

As the boy charged towards the fight, the older man whipped out a can of mace from his suit pocket and pointed it at the Robber's eyes. Letting go of one of the straps, he pressed down on the nozzle. However, a click sprung out from the can as the plastic nozzle broke from being pressed too hard.

"Oh, shit," The older man growled out as he dropped the mace.

The Robber took advantage of the distraction and gave one final tug on the bag. He snatched the case away and clutched it into his chest. Right as he turned, Leo passed the man who began to flee towards Robyn's side of the platform.

"Someone stop him!" The man shouted and pointed at the Robber who was laughing to himself.

Leo stopped himself right by the dropped broken mace and picked it up. Holding the can in hand, Leo concentrated what energy he had left in the day and hovered another hand over the can. The broken plastic from the nozzle reversed its break and fused back into place. Once fixed, Leo spun around and saw the Robber in between Robyn and himself.

"Catch," Leo shouted.

He flung the can of mace down the platform. It sailed over the Robber's head and twirled on its ends towards the waiting girl. Robyn dropped the bag of butter and held out both arms. However, in the blinding tungsten lights hanging above, she misjudged the aim. The nozzle smacked into her face. She squeaked at the hit as the can fell into her hands which gathered right by her chest.

With a quick blink, Robyn grabbed the can in her right hand and saw the Robber barreling towards her like a runaway train. He let out harsh snickers and pranced down the platform thinking he only needed to sidestep some small Chinese teenager.

The can of mace soundly in hand, Robyn flashed the output end of the nozzle and pressed down on the lever. As good as new, the lever opened up the valve right as the Robber sprinted just a foot in front of Robyn. The can shot out a thick ray of pepper spray right at the Robber. He ran into the cloud with his eyes taking a direct hit from the blinding chemical agent.

"Agh!" The Robber screamed. "Oh, God. Why?"

The Robber tripped and slammed his face onto the concrete with a sickening crunch. He writhed in agony like a dying caterpillar and rolled around on the floor. His eyes were set aflame with sticks of lava burning right through his corneas. He was blinded with the sting searing at his brain as if it were a steak on a grill. The briefcase, now opened on the top, slid to Robyn's feet, the girl picking it up and holding it up to her chest.

"Looks like this case," Robyn closed the leather lid of the satchel. "Is closed."

Linda groaned out and slammed her head on the desk.

The tin bucket of fountain pens tipped over and spilled its contents over the desk. A few of them rolled off the ledge and descended with a soft clatter onto the laminated floor that shined under the dim candlelight of the office. A titanic and spacious room with a ceiling that stretched higher than the lowest cloud of fog that roamed past the tall building, a cuckoo clock ticked on the desk as Linda continued to bang her head. The rest of the office was simple with only deep mahogany bookshelves with nothing but dust coating the surfaces. A single chair laid turnt over in front of the desk as the pale moonlight beamed through the narrow windows; slits from the light glowing a soft pallor over the interns who shook with fear from the aggravated politician.

A few advisors stood in front of the desk. Linda had been incorrigible the entire day. After cleaning up from the hot dog to her face, she ran towards the limousine. The group raced back to her office where she sat and screamed to the empty air for hours on end. Fortunately, she had lashed out against nobody in particular preferring to throw glass paperweights and china around. Soon, she confined herself to the chair, her normally shrill voice crackling hoarse from all the yelling.

With one more bang, Linda shook away the strands of unkempt blonde hair and cleared her throat. She puffed out the collar on her pantsuit with ketchup stains still dotting the lapels.

"I want him dead."

An advisor raised a trembling hand.

Linda rolled her eyes. "What?"

"By dead," Advisor asked. "What do you mean by that?"

Linda paused and pursued her puffed and chapped lips. "By dead, I mean his innards are ripped out and tied around his neck."

The advisor lowered her hand. "So...the permanent kind?"

Before Linda could scream again, the doors opened and spilled out bright light from the hallway of the Lieutenant Governor's mansion. In stumbled Hawks who dragged one of his legs behind him like a tired horse. His nose coated in dried blood, his hair spurted out in wild stalks with his eyes raking over the room. He etched on a haphazard smile and waved at the group.

"How's it hanging?"

Linda nodded at the advisors. They rushed past Hawks and ran out the room. The door slammed shut behind him while approaching the desk. The man, his limbs still aching from the events of the day, groaned out when he reached down and set the chair upright in front of the desk. He leaned on the wooden back of the leather chair and cracked a muscle in his neck.

"So, any news today?" Hawks asked.

"You useless carrot stick," Linda growled. She snapped a pencil in half and threw it at Hawks. The remnants bounced off his face, but he paid no mind except for a quick blink.

"A simple 'hello' would suffice."

"Where have you been?" Linda asked. "I expected the money six hours ago. You said you'd have it in the bank."

"And you," Hawks held his hand up to silence the lady. "Said I would be apart of your plan. For Daedalus."

"You are, you slimy, pickle-dicked shit sack," Linda shouted and slammed her hand on the desk. "That's why I trusted you to get the money."

Hawks delivered a chuckle and strolled over to one of the bookcases. He scanned over the spines of the ancient book and crossed his arms like an observant tourist at a museum. "You really think that kickback money from a few pawn shops is going to make a difference?"

"For Daedalus?" Linda asked. "Of course not. But those small business owners owe me. If I let them slip, next it's the unions. Then, the illegals. Before you know it, nobody is supporting me and this state falls down the tubes."

"What do you even care about this state anymore," Hawks turned his head and glanced at the lady from the corner of his eye. "It's not like you'll be along much longer."

Linda huffed before getting up from her seat towards a golden safe seated at the corner of the room opposite Hawks. "That might by a good point, but we have a long way to go before that."

Hawks narrowed his eyes at the different shades of covers on the bookshelf. He cringed when he heard the squeak of the safe behind him emanate through his ears. Linda opened up the safe and pulled out a tall glass of red wine. She bit down on the cork and popped the rubber out of the opening. Spitting out the cork, she chugged down on the wine right when Hawks grabbed a book off the shelf.

"I learned a few things today," Hawks said. "They know about us."

"About time," Linda swallowed the wine. "I thought Deku would have figured something from Edith's machine. Guy is such a moron."

Hawks stroked the book in his hand with a tender finger. "I was tracked down by Midnight. She knows I'm working for you all. I don't think they know why or for what cause, however."

Linda sat on her desk facing away from Hawks. She gulped down another swig and waved the bottle around. "You know, I considered her over you for a while. But, she had too many morals. A shame. It'd be nice having another woman around here. What else happened today?"

Hawks shrugged. "Not much. Just found out that intel. Oh, and Mohammad is short a thousand. He said he'll have it by next week."

"You're lying."

"You can call Mohammad right now. He'll tell you."

"No, you idiot. Something else happened today."

Hawks blinked and took a step towards Linda. The lady turned around in her seated position and clutched the wine bottle in front of her.

"Nothing that has to do with...this," Hawks said.

"Then what are you doing with that book?" Linda asked.

Hawks peered down at the book as he stroked the spine. "Research. I actually haven't sat down and read the Salton Sea Scrolls yet. Might as well know why we are doing this."

"Did you find the next page, by the way?"

"Nope," Hawks said. "But honestly, I think we already know what we need to. End of the world. Harbinger of doom. The typical prophecy bullshit."

Linda grinned. "By the way, are you swinging by the school soon?"

Hawks blinked at the sudden misdirection. "You mean USAHS?"

"There's a green kid in Class 1-A. I'd like you to kill him."

Hawks shook his head and twirled on his toes towards the exit. "Sorry. I don't do kids. I heard of these two new custodians at the school. Maybe you should hire them."

As he got to the door, he stopped midway through and turned back to Linda. "By the way, what happens if you lose the election? How will Daedalus continue?"

Linda laughed. "Oh, Hawks. This is for the future of humanity! To make sure the world's sacrifice won't be in vain. To advance mankind into the next level of evolution and travel! How naive you are, thinking there's a chance I could lose."

Hawks blew out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He stroked the scruff of his chin and kicked open the door. Slamming it shut behind him, he skirted past the eavesdropping body guards sheltered by the doorway.

Heading down the spiral staircase with a red carpet cascading down the wooden steps, Hawks peered down with resolve at his shoes. He ran his hand down the smooth oak handle and spun towards the main floor.

He realized that he had become extremely distracted from the day's events. True, Midnight was a wrinkle he had not expected. However, that random boy that tailed him across the city was the thing that made him paranoid. After all, such a timid and shy boy wouldn't possess the guts to kill him or find out any secrets. In fact, Hawks was quite dumb for assuming that was the case. Then again, he didn't explain away any of what those students might have seen. Hopefully they were too dense to concern themselves with why he was here to begin with.

Hawks pushes through the front entrance into the cool night. Cicadas chirped in the rose bushes that lined the long brick driveway leading up to the mansion. Hawks thought it best to walk towards the main road before taking off. He brushed past the bushes and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. He calmed himself. Still, nobody knew his true purpose there except for who sent him. Nobody else knew the true extent of the Project or why these supplies were so important. Yes, Hawks thought to himself in a smug stupor. Certainly, nobody would be able to piece the puzzle together. As far as anyone else was concerned, the puzzle was nothing but a bunch of squiggly lines scratched onto a piece of paper.

Right by the base of a tall oak tree, Hawks froze mid-step.

He twittered his fingers in the pocket. Only the thick wool lining scratched his digits.

No paper.

No missing page of the Salton Sea Scrolls.

"Fuck," Hawks muttered under his breath. "Steve is gonna be so pissed."

"You can't take me back," The Robber cried out. "You know what Corn Pop is gonna do to be if he sees me again?"

After the cops had showed up, they interviewed Leo and Robyn about the incident. One of the officers cuffed up the Robber who shrieked as he was carted away.

"Can't do the time?" The Officer smirked.

"I stole his matches. You know what they do to guys like me who steal matches in prison?" The Robber wailed.

He screamed in agony when he was dragged over the concrete up the stairs, his jaw smacking into every next step. His voice faded upward towards the surface street which left he cop mulling about to take pictures of the scene.

"I knew it was good luck meeting you earlier," the older man stood in front of the two students."

Robyn bounced into her tiptoes in front of the older man. "It was no problem. I was just gonna trip the guy or throw the butter at him, but then Leo grabbed the mace and made it go back in time!"

"Oh, so that's what happened?" The man said. "I thought your quirk just fixed things."

"Well," Leo tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. "I guess, in a way, it does."

"How about this," the man opened up his briefcase. He pulled out a small stack of thin paper flyers and fanned them in his hands. "I work with an ad agency for a movie company. There's this premiere happening in a month or two. So, if you kids aren't busy, you can bring your class over."

Robyn tipped the tickets away from the man and looked down at the slips of paper. "No way? Really? You'll do this for us?"

"Least I can do," the man said. "I personally used to not be a fan of people with quirks since I never got one. And you kids today have so much power and energy. All we had was Katy Perry and planking. A horrendous time for humanity, for sure."

Leo stepped forward towards the main. "But you feel different about them now?"

The man blew out a sigh. "I was too harsh on them. Said and did a few things I regret. Maybe paying it forward is a way to erase that."

BRZZZZ!

The phone vibrated in Leo's pocket.

Leo reached down and faced the name that flashed on his phone. A very familiar name. Part of him wanted to hang up seeing as he was in a good mood for once.

Yet, he knew his father was trying to be better. He had let call after call ring away since he left Machester. For all of his faults, he could not help but place a small bit of blame on what happened those years ago on his father. If he had just treated him better, then he could be happy for a change.

He faced Robyn, her sparkling blue eyes giving off an understanding look. She nodded towards Leo and gestures at the phone.

The boy turned his back and walked towards a corner of the station. Bowing his head, his thumb hovered over the answer button. He knew things could not be repaired instantly, but answering the call was a good place to start. He needed to forgive himself first for shutting his dad away before he could forgive him for anything else. He needed to forgive himself for being so weak.

No more.

Beep.

"Hello?"

"Uh...oh. Er...hello, son. Haven't spoken in a while."

"Yes, we haven't for some time."

"Has...class been okay?"

"Has your rehab been okay?"

"It's been going well. I've learned a lot. And...I guess I just wanted to talk to you for a while."

Before he knew it, the encounters of the past month spilled out like an overflowing dam. Leo recounted all of the strange people he had met from the buff spider guy to the angry screaming boy who somehow liked him. That rich kid that turned out to be a robot of sorts. Defeating the other team in the Heroes versus Villains challange. Going into Steve Buscemi's House, although he left out the dimension device since he didn't think he would be believed. His dad even chuckled at a few of the stories, recounting how careless he was back in his school days.

For the first time that he remembered, Leo had a real conversation with his father.

"Leo," Robyn said by the train tracks. "The next train is in two minutes."

Leo hunched back towards the wall and cupped his ear with the rumbling train crescendoing towards him. "It's time for me to go, dad."

A pause.

"I...hope we can keep talking like this," his dad said in a light warble.

Leo nodded. "We will. We will keep talking."

"Okay. Then..goodbye."

"You, too."

"Oh, by the way," his dad said in a sudden flurry of excitement. "I heard the Sports Festival is coming up. Any pointers or anything, and I can help you."

"Yes, that would be nice."

"Good night, son."

Leo said a soft goodbye.

Leo wondered if this was a new phase of his quirk that he had entered. Had he paused time for himself? Was he simply accelerating his own body's time to where veryone else seemed frozen? He had no idea if that was even possible.

Then, a bell rang.

Leo looked over at the staircase leading up to Hollywood Boulevard. He poked his head around the corner upwards towards the illuminated night sky.

Another ring.

Leo, less afraid and more curious, trudged you the steps. His shoes pattered on the ground making the only other noise in the silent world.

Biting his lip, Leo reaches over and touched the orb.

Then, a flash!

The orb atttched itself to Leo like the tendrils of a siren consuming a sailor. The light slipped upward over his skin. As surprised as Leo was, he let out no noise as the warm embrace seeped into his skin and lit up his body. Soon, his entire frame became encompassed in the light, and his heart slowed as the glow within him calmed his nerves. Leo felt drugged, comfortable in this luminary hug as the light fully enveloped within him.

Leo Agravain.

Normally, the boy would cry out at the utterance of the word in his head. A soft, gentle voice whispered right between his ears. A quiet and delicate female voice echoed through his head as the world around him became consumed with the brilliant flash.

You are the first and last line of defense. Against a harbinger of doom. You have learned how to forgive others and yourself. You've shown mercy for others.

You are the virtue of Patience.

You have less than one year to vanquish sin and evil. You have less than one year to save us all.

"What?" Leo asked faintly. His eyes dropped in an uncontrolled fatigue that broiled his body. "What is this? Who...who are you?"

"Leo! Hurry up! The train is leaving!"

Leo yelped as his feet landed back on the platform. As if nothing had happened, he was back at the station with Robyn waving from the open subway doors. The warmth of the orb's light gone, Leo shivered and blinked to readjust to the dim light in the cool station.

"What?" Leo asked himself. "What am I-? What just happened?"

The boy clutched his head. He felt himself walk up the steps. Everybody frozen. The orb and its addicting light. That beautiful voice. It had to be real.

"Leo!"

The boy swallowed and picked up his feet. Whatever it was, he could think about it later. He rushed for the doors, thanking the heavens above for his thin frame as he just slipped inside.

The train disappeared into the tunnel headed back towards the school.

Robyn situated herself next to Leo and elbowed him. This time, Leo was prepared and blocked it with his own arm.

"How was it?" Robyn giggled as she wrapped her arm back around the boy.

Leo, beyond being embarrassed or flustered, stared out the window. "Nice."

"Weird way to describe it, but sure," Robyn added.

"What's gonna happen the rest of the year, you think?"

"I'm not worried," Robyn said as the train bounced over the rails. "There's only so much we can do to avoid the good and the bad in life. But everything that you can share with someone, everything you can talk about and give to someone...everything is workable, Leo. Even what's happened to you. Even...what's happened to me."

Leo slid closer to Robyn. The girl, exhausted from the day, rested her head back onto Leo's slanted shoulder. She smiled as she closed her eyes to the rumble of the train.

Leo, deciding that things, at least for this one day, actually worked out, closed his eyes also with his nose buried into Robyn's soft raven hair.

They proceeded to miss their stop and ended up taking the wrong train. When they woke up, they were back at Union Station in downtown just as the trains shut down for the evening. That, however, is another story for another time.

Back in his small home, a toy trolley rolled across the screen towards a small tunnel. It disappeared inside, and Lloyd's head poked up from behind the mock replica of Los Angeles.

"I'm so glad I could tell you of what happened to my friend, Leo," Lloyd grinned and leaned on the table holding the model city. "I have a picture of Leo now. Would you like to see it?"

Lloyd flashed a picture on his phone of Leo scrunched between Robyn and James. Robyn, taking the selfie, had her arm draping both James and Leo closet to her. James had an annoyed look as his cheek was forced to Leo's from the harsh embrace. Leo stretched a placid smile on his face examining the camera with content.

"Leo apologizes to James for hitting him, and James promised to not be so aggressive. I wish we could get him to do that for everyone, but baby steps," Lloyd said.

Setting his phone back into his pocket, Lloyd sat down on the sofa and leaned forward.

"You see, boys and girls, a hero isn't somebody who goes to a school for it. A hero isn't someone who gets a license. A hero isn't a person who stops the most bad guys or is very strong with big muscles. A hero can be a person like my friend Leo. A hero can be a person like my friend Robyn. Sometimes, all a hero needs to do is treat a person like they are the lost important person to them. A hero is a person who does what is right to make people feel safe and happy...just because. And making people feel happy is as simple as talking to them, listening to them, and sometimes going on a trip with them. In your life, you may think of some heroes, but you should know that, to someone else, you may just be a hero yourself. And all it might take is just asking a person how their day is, or even going with them to buy some butter," Lloyd said.

With a happy sigh, Lloyd reached down and pried his fingers into the heels of his slippers.

"I hope you know you made today such a special day. You know how?" Lloyd stared straight ahead and pointed at you, the person reading this.

"By just your being you," Lloyd finished. "There's no one in the whole world like you. And no one ever will be like you. You are valuable, you are powerful, and you worth all the love and joy this beautiful planet has to offer."

Then, Lloyd sang a song, because of course the jocular Canadian would. He tied up his dress shoes and straightened down the buttoned shirt without a single crease or wrinkle. He grabbed the jacket on the coatrack and headed for the door. Just as he finished his song, he turned back around and waved at you.

"See you later, neighbor!"

The next morning, a burly man was awaken by a chirp on his radio.

"Sal to Brian. Sal to Q. You copy?"

The burly man woke up from the back of the cab. He clutched his head and stared at the sight around him.

Then, he startled himself and cried out.

He was in a junkyard with miles of destroyed metal and aluminum dotting an endless wasteland of dead vehicles. His taxi, based on the stripped front end, was completely ruined and blended right in.

"Sal to Brian. You've been missing a whole day? Where are you? The moment you get back to the garage, turn in your cap and badge. You're fired! Over and out!"

The man known as Brian jumped out of the car. Rows and rows of cars sat annihilated by fires and wrecks.

Brian turned towards the meter on the vehicle that spelled out the fare a customer owed.

Over nine hundred dollars.

"Who did I drive last night," The cab driver clutched his head.

He leaned onto what he thought was the drivers side door only to fall on his back. He smacked the driver's seat and lay there completely frozen. He tried to rack his brains, but only one other pressing thought came to the middle-aged man who lived with three cats at home.

"And where'd my canteen of bourbon go?"

END OF ARC!

Thank you so much everyone. We did it! Another one down.

Please tell me what you think and review. It's so important to me and makes me so happy for you to do so. Some great things coming up. Don't miss it!

What did you think? Interesting things have been set up. Do they mean anything? Give me your best guesses!

For me, I just loved writing this story about Leo and Robyn. Usually, if an author enjoys writing something, the audience does as well. But not always! So, either way, let me know! Any comments, insults or injuries are much appreciated!

Keep the energy going. You're the best readers I could have. I am so grateful for you all and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you. See you soon!