As much as I love helping my sister, there were some times she simply preferred to work alone to study. That was fine by me, it gave me more time to walk around in the city, see some of my friends and whatnot.

My go to spot is always the same, the large fountain in the middle of my towns square. Somehow, it seemed like no matter where the sun was in the sky, the light seemed to reflect off of the flowers surrounding the fountain, resulting in a jet of oranges and yellows that shot up into the air.

It was as beautiful as ever. So why did I feel so...so upset? My sister hadn't done anything wrong. I'd always known how much stronger than me she was. But...I knew it was all coming to an end here. Our dream of being a team forever. The illusion that I would always be by her side.

It...it just sucked.

As much as I always wanted to be the strong one, the manly one, to put up a strong face so my sister and my friends didn't have to worry, I had to stifle a sob that day.

I tried with all my might to light up my hands. As I'd expected, a familiar orange glow radiated from them.

That was all I really had in me. A slight glow, maybe as strong as a nightlight, and a heat just as weak to match. If I concentrated all of my energy, it could get decently hot on contact. Maybe a spark, if I was truly lucky on a good day. But nothing that would get me into UQM.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, "HEY!!"from across the street.

I looked up wondering who was calling my name. To my surprise though, the cry wasn't for me at all. It was directed instead at a muscular man in a green sweater that was sprinting away from the botanists store, cash in hand.

The distress on the shouters face told me all I needed to know about what had happened. I didn't even think about it-I just jetted after the tall man.

I don't know why I sprinted after him, and I didn't know what I would have done if I had caught up to him. I just ran at him, because somebody needed to run.

And I'd be damned if I didn't run when I had to.

The man ducked into an alley, and I quickly followed suit. So quickly in fact that I didn't have time to stop myself, and I smacked right into him as he stopped.

I fell onto the ground, awkwardly bouncing off the pavement before hastily standing up.

"Give...give that back!" I shouted in my best tough-guy-voice. The man seemed to go through a full range of emotions, starting with annoyance, then anger, then scariest of all- what seemed like a gleeful anticipation of what was about to happen.

"Or what kid?? Don't be an idiot, just run on home and let the grownups do their thing huh?"

It was at that point I noticed something I wish I'd seen before- this man wasn't alone. Behind him were two other men, each as tall as he was, all towering over me with a look that told me they meant business.

If I was smarter, I would've ran away. Would've ran to get help, get a grownup to help me out. But my body wouldn't move. It was a combination of fear and determination, adrenaline pumping so loud I could hear my own heart beat. And it seemed to tell me that I had to try.

"If you think you can just take that money because you're strong...then YOU'RE the idiot!" I shakily yelled. At least that's what I meant to say. I was shaking so much that I'm not sure how much they actually understood- but it was certainly enough to be mad.

The man in the green sweater grinned "alright kid, we warned ya!" Before punching me in the gut.

I jerked over, grabbing at my stomach and desperately trying to suck in air. As I was hunched over one of the men cracked me in the back of the skull-I didn't even get to see who. I collapsed to the pavement,scraping the side of my face on the way down. I wasn't lucky enough to be out cold though. The man stomped on my face, chipping my canine and causing the most painful bloody nose I'd ever gotten.

I was out for the count, and they knew it. The men walked away, leaving me a sobbing, bruised, and beaten mess.

I must have sat their sobbing for hours. "I...couldn't do a THING!" I beat my fists into the pavement "They just WALKED AWAY!!" I felt my voice get more desperate, shouting through the pain shooting from my nose and lungs.

I had never felt so pathetic. I had hardly finished whimpering "I'm no Reza...I'm no pro...and I'm no hero..." before a man walked into the alley.

I'd never seen this man before. He was tall and thin, looking as if a strong wind could blow him over.

Maybe he heard me shouting. Maybe he heard me crying, or saw me run after the thug who robbed the botanist. Either way, I was in no position to refuse help.

"Alright kid, quit your bellyaching. Let's get you patched up."

The man hauled me up and, carefully avoiding getting blood on his white coat, helped me limp off to somewhere he could help me get home.