Morale Hero: Prologue
My name is Sylvester Flores. I'm twenty-one, and I'm currently a lieutenant stationed at Fort Abyss. My mother asked me to keep a journal of my experiences in the marine, but with most of the information being classified, the most I can do is just write about the friends I made. And it was fun, until the attack happened.
"Damn Flores, how the hell did you get the rank of lieutenant. Your handwriting is garbage, absolute shit, straight up-"
"Alright I get it. Sorry I can't write in the tiniest letters possible."
"At least mine is readable."
"Yeah, under a microscope at its max zoom."
I look at my friend, and he's barely holding in his laughter. It was just too funny to hear his snorts that I just bursted out into laughter, with him doing the same seconds later.
"What are you doing here Tim, I thought you had a flight test today?"
"I did. But for some reason it was canceled?"
"Really? That's weird."
"I know, when I overheard some talks on the way back. Something about sightings of Korean soldiers doing something nearby."
"Oh. Hey Dale!" I called out. A few seconds later, a large man with black hair steps into the room. And that's large with both height and weight. I am still wondering how he passed basic training.
"What happened this time? Bombing threats or constant accusations that we were on their border?"
"Probably the ladder. It'll blow over in a few hours."
"What a class-." The earth shook, rumbling and dropping everything on my desk. I grabbed my journal before it could hit the ground.
"What the hell was that?"
"Look, outside." Dale called out. Looking out our bunk window, I see several more bombs flying towards the base. Anti air did its best, but a few bombs made it through.
"Take cover!" I dive to the ground and cover my head just in time as the shells hit. Rubble fell from the ceiling as we carefully made out way outside.
Alarms are blaring as commands are being shouted everywhere. After being handed a gun by one of the commanders, He ordered me to the fort's gates along with many others.
"Korean planes coming for another strafe!."
"I want those planes out of the sky right now."
"Man, all the anti air cannons!."
Amidst the chaos, several jets flew above and performed a bomb run on the airfield. As we hit the ground to avoid any flying debris, a bullet flies into the head of the soldier near me, instantly killing him.
"FIRE, FIRE!" At that command, we all opened fire at the incoming forces. Bullets all over the place, explosions going off every second, comrades dying left and right. I tried my best, firing at the closest enemy, but a sharp bite at my chest soon brought me to the floor.
"FLORES!" Tim shouted. He started to drag me back as our position was starting to fall. Inside the ruins of the base, he did his best to administer first aid, but I was too far gone for that.
"T-tim. Your hairline s-sucks." I chuckled a bit, but that was soon interrupted as I started to cough blood.
"You idiot, don't speak now."
"S-s-sorry. I just n-needed a f-final l-laugh. My l-lung is punctured. I c-can't make it far." With my last ounce of strength, I pulled out a small packet of cigarettes from my pocket, and took out my final stick.
"M-mind giving me a l-light."
Tim could only sigh as tears fell from his eyes. "You really are an idiot Flores." With my final cig lighted. Tim took one as well as he looked up to the sky. Doing our handshake one last time, we blew out one last puff of smoke as the ceiling came crashing down.
/~/
Waking up once more. I noticed that I was in a library of some kind, with several people in blue robes surrounding me, and another wearying white.
"Oh finally. If this one failed I would have assumed the weapon had rejected us."
"Weapon?" Looking at my hands, I noticed a flag with a blade lying at the end. Why am I holding this?
"W-what. Why do I have this, where are Tim and Dale? Did I die, did I get cap-"
"I'm tired of this and don't want violence, grab his voice and have it silenced. [Star Mute]"
My voice was cut off when a circle appeared on my mouth. No matter how tired I was, I couldn't speak.
"Grandmaster, how-" A circle appeared on that one's mouth as well. "Anyone else have any comments?"
"No mamm."
"Good now shut up."
The woman waved her hand, her white cloak suddenly burst away and started to make a pretty large platform made of… paper?
"Follow me and I'll explain everything." At the snap of her finger the circle was gone. I didn't know what to do in this situation so I decided to follow her. Can't hurt to get answers I guess.
Stepping on the paper. It felt solid as steel, but still had that flexibility to fold itself when needed. Even when I picked one up it felt and bent like a normal sheet of paper.
"Please don't touch the paper. It's hard trying to keep my concentration with your constant movement."
"Sorry. That's 218 pounds of pure muscle right there." I laughed.
"It's not that. I'm just not used to having people standing on my body."
"Man, you really gotta work on your punchlines." The girl just gave me a blank stare. It only took me to realize she wasn't joking. I laughed, visibly nervous to everyone who could see my face. Luckily for me, she was the only one here.
/~/
Reaching the top of her lab. I am released from her grip and drop to the cold ground. Picking up my head, I am startled by an animal trying to tackle me through his cage. While stepping back I almost fell off, but paper transformed her arms into paper and grabbed me.
"Don't fall please. Mihare already got on my ass for this place for being "Unsafe."
So that's what she meant. She was not joking, she is literally paper incarnate.
"Sorry, it's just that I got startled. Hold on, is that a fucking unicorn?" I look inside of the cage. White coat, long horn, it was hard to mistake it but that is certainly a unicorn.
"Impossible, these don't exist. At least I think they don't."
"Aww yes, the normal reaction." Pulling out a set of keys, the girl unlocks a door that leads to what seems to be a private study, or bed room. Books and other scientific notes are just spread across the floor without a care. She even has a bed in the corner of the room with also a mountain of notes lying around, how does she even sleep at night, does she even sleep?
"Now that we're in a more private section of the lab, I'm ready to answer your barrage of questions." The paper that we were just riding on flies over to the girl and forms into a chair.
"Okay so, who are you, what the hell are you, where am I, why do I have a fucking flag, and finally clean your room this place is filthy."
"Hey, just because I'm messy doesn't mean you can insult my lifestyle."
"That too. You were just speaking in a monotone and serious voice a second ago, but now you sound normal.
"Fine I quit." The girl flipped her chair and laid on the ground with a groan. "I owe someone so much money right now."
"What?"
"I was doing a bet to see how long I can act as a great sage to the next hero. But this is too difficult." The girl sat back up. "To make this easy on both of us, our world has these 3 weapons, The morale tools, the train, and the metronome."
"Wait, did you just say train?"
"Yes, don't ask me why, I'm just as confused as you on that. Anyways these weapons are used to protect the world from these waves, a phenomena that splits a hole in our reality and dumps in monsters. That's why the weapons chose to summon you here. They believe you're capable of handling this threat."
"I-"
"Oh, and if you fail. We're all dead."
"... Yeah I'm gonna need a better explanation than that."
"Also the normal reaction." The paper girl sighed and pulled out a chalkboard. Okay let's start from the beginning."
The girl then spent the next 3 hours and 24 chalkboards giving me a thorough explanation of the waves, weapons, and why I'm here. Many of the excerpts she gave were about the effects and dangers these cause on the world's stability. Younger me would have probably forgotten everything she said right now, but after being yelled at by my drill instructor for who knows how many times for forgetting formations, I decided it would be best to take notes.
She also said that her name was paper, and she was what's known as a sentient construct. Constructs being golem of an element or material that can move and stuff. Now who is the genius that decided to name her paper in the first place. That scientist must have been very bad at coming up with names.
"And that's the basics of all the research I've figured out. Now, are there any more questions?"
"Um yes, if you're the metronome. And I'm the morale tool. Who is the train."
"That bitch Riala."
"Who?"
"The reason why I'm like this. She took everything from me."
"You okay?" I put my hand on her shoulder. She looked like she was about to cry, but she stopped herself before the tears started to flow. Can paper people even produce tears? Should I ask or would that be inconsiderate of me? Damn my curiosity.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just not very fond of her.!" Opening a door to her balcony, I finally got the first fresh breath of air since I got here. The buildings here are something akin to traditional Mexican houses. Many people here were actually wearing Mexican clothing as well. Now thinking about it, the paper's clothing under her paper cloak is a Purple and Red huipil dress. Huh, that's neat.
"The city of Ken'bitch was created by the morale hero long ago. Although most of the information was lost to time, we do know from the stories of old that he failed to defend the waves properly, and relied on the world's fail safe. And although many died, he used this moment to save as many as he can, and create a city so we can prepare for another calamity."
Paper pointed over to the largest building here. Two flags of a Peryton flap in the wind, as hundreds of soldiers all swing their weapons in sync.
"Our army is 300 strong with many talented people being trained as we speak. With you leading us, I believe we will be able to do what the hero decades ago couldn't accomplish." The girl then kneeled to the ground and got into a bowing position.
"I beg of you, please save our world."
A/N: New original series, let's have fun.