Hey dudes and dudettes! Welcome back, I've got a few announcements before we hop in so let's get those outta the way, shall we?
First off, this chapter is a bit of a sharp turn from the "Happy-go-lucky high school drama and action" that we've seen so far. This chapter is honestly a bit dark. I should warn you that this isn't even close to how this story will become further down the lane. So...let me know if I have to ever change the rating on this story from T to M.
Second, if you haven't already heard (how couldn't you have?) we have a discord server now. It's pretty cool and the people are chill as hell. This'll be where I post announcements, polls, and even special previews of any given week's chapter a few days before release. If you're interested the link is on my profile, but if it doesn't work PM me and I'll get you a temp link.
Third, the first chapter of Pokemon Journeys has, uh, admittedly hit a snag. I don't have a lot of time in these past few weeks. Work has gotten much busier and the 40 hour weeks really tire me out (cry me a river I know), so it may take time to get chapters for that story out, as this one takes priority.
Think that's about everything. Alright, I hope you all enjoy and as always if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, contact me in any way you feel fit.
Purpose of a Hero
August 25, 2317
"Gah! I can't take this anymore!" Shaula whined, flopping forwards onto the breakroom table. Across from her one of her classmates, a small, scrawny girl with light red tinted skin and bright yellow hair, laughed and reached forward to pat the pinkette on her head.
"Come on, Shaula. It's not that bad. Just think, if they're eating this much and being as big a bother as you say then they're sure to leave a big tip!" The girl said, trying to reassure her coworker. The Fire Pit was a very popular restaurant amongst Pro Heroes, which is the very reason Shaula had asked her friend, Zuny, to ask her managers if they were hiring. She breezed through the interview and the first few weeks of her employment were smooth sailing. Just an hour after the usual lunch rush, a group of very strange men entered the restaurant and, unfortunately for her, were sat in her section. As the Fire Pit was a primarily buffet-centered restaurant, good for Heroes on the go to grab something quick in the middle of a shift, the scorpion-tailed girl had a fairly easy job. Sit them down, be nice, serve them drinks, be nice, check on them every ten or so minutes, be nice, and bring them their check when they were finished.
"These people aren't normal. That one big one has already cleared out HALF the buffet! I don't know where the hell he's putting it all. They're just so rowdy, I've had several tables complain!"
"OI! NEWTON, GET OUT THERE AND DO YOUR JOB!" Her boss, a stout man dressed in a fine Italian suit with greasy black hair, shouted as he stuck his head out of his office door.
"Yes, Mr. Waterton," she grumbled, grabbing her clipboard and walking towards the swinging door that connected the employee breakroom to the main dining area. The sounds of the rowdiest table in the restaurant reached her ears. One of the men, the rather manic looking one, was mumbling excitedly to himself as he connected wires to several different pieces of fruit, while another, this one calmly sipping tea, side-eyed him warily. Two of the men sat speaking in hushed tones to one another. Then...came the big one. He currently wasn't at the table, but instead gorging himself on anything within his reach, steadily working his way down the buffet table leaving not a crumb uneaten. 'Why me?' Shaula mourned, hanging her head. She smacked herself in the face a few times and threw on her best smile before walking up to the table. It only took her a few seconds to discern who the leader of the group was, because as she came closer he held up a hand to his friend, the one with sharp-toothed mouths embedded in his palms, to silence him. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Yes? What is it?" He replied, his voice calm but clearly annoyed, whether at her or his companions she couldn't tell. 'H-He's pretty cute.' She shook her head to clear the thoughts and gathered her courage.
"Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but I've received several complaints concerning the, um…"
"Loudness," he supplied with a smile. She nodded, slightly entranced. "Sorry about that miss, my friends here don't really get out much. They've no manners whatsoever. I'll try and keep them more in line."
"Ah, thanks," she murmured, turning to walk back to the breakroom, ignoring the burning sensation in her cheeks. After she scurried away, Spitfire scowled and reached his arm over to smack Kaboom on the back of his head.
"What part of 'lay low' did you not understand? Seriously, it's like working with children at times," the golden-haired growled, leaning back in the booth. "As I was saying, Leech. Your job is to infiltrate with Kaboom, get him in and find a suitable 'host', then get the hell out. Switch, you will stay in the safehouse, no arguments."
"I wouldn't dream of it, sir. I've no taste for such wanton destruction. Just make sure you are out of range, I'd loathe bringing such terrible news back to Lord Plague," the man said regally.
"Good, now Barty and I will be the distraction, we'll take the front while you and Kaboom get in, Leech. Everyone got it?" Everyone at the table nodded, though Kaboom only did so after being whacked in the head by Leech. Satisfied, Spitfire grinned at his men and held out his arms to either side of his body. "Alright then. Enjoy this you guys, our last meal as unwanted men. Tomorrow's headlines will introduce the world to the Black Order. All the freedom we've been enjoying by operating behind the scenes will be gone, every move we make will be monitored by the media, all our past crimes will be brought to light. Today we set in motion the end of Heroes."
Purpose of a Hero
Spitfire stalked along the crowded sidewalks of Yonkers, New York, his eyes set on the large looming building set just outside the city limits. The building rose at least ten stories, was made of primarily glass on the outside and had the words 'Miller-Braun' emblazoned on the roof in giant neon block letters. 'So this is it, eh? Everyone else should be in position by now. Just waiting for me to make the first move. Plague said there were minor Heroes stationed here at all times as security guards but they shouldn't be much of a problem.' Spitfire thought as he closed the distance between him and the building. When he finally arrived, he wasn't shocked to see a large number of people rushing about both inside and out. 'Heh, Fate is smiling on anyone takin' a smoke break right now.' Without any more preamble, he pushed open the doors, a malevolent smile overtaking his handsome features.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Black Order sends its regards. Now go in peace...meet your maker. BLACK INFERNO!" He bellowed and released a wide wave of ink-colored flames into the room, relishing in the sound of screams, though there weren't many. This particular attack was designed not to leave survivors. In an instant, it was over. The lobby, which had previously been a stark, polished white was now scorched black. 'Hm, not even a bone left behind. Good to see my attacks work on groups as well as single targets. Something I'd never have been able to learn before.' His attention was grabbed when a brunette woman shakily crawled out from behind the main reception desk, somewhat singed but otherwise unharmed. "Ah, someone lived then? Interesting."
"Who...Who the hell are you?" The woman demanded, her eyes wild as they swept the room. In response, the golden-haired man's grin only grew wickedly.
"Spitfire, the Fifth General of the Black Order. Gotta say I'm shocked you managed to live through my dark fire. I'm guessing you've got some sort of flame resistant Quirk or something? Oh well, who cares? You won't be so lucky this time." Spitfire took in a deep breath and released another column of black flames that streamed towards the woman with immense speed. From her hands, she produced a small ball of crystal clear liquid before shooting a beam of water at the incoming attack. The two met and created a massive explosion of steam, the force of it sending the woman flying backward where she crashed through the glass door leading to the main floor conference rooms. She landed burnt, glass embedded in her skin, and her vision blurry. On the other side of the explosion, Spitfire merely grinned and held out his arms to welcome the shockwave, which only managed to push him back a foot or so. "That all you got girly!?"
"Damn," Nina Heartholm groaned as she tried to push herself up. In the corner of her eye, she saw that the man's flames had spread to this area, blocking one of the two emergency exits on this floor. 'Shit, that's not good. People will have to either come through the lobby for the last exit, right into his line of fire or have to use the fire escape. Over a thousand people trying to move down that thing at once is a disaster waiting to happen. It's even worse for the people in the sub-levels. This isn't some random attack, this has been planned meticulously to ensure maximum casualties. Damnit, Boss where the hell are you?' She glanced up and her eyes widened as she watched a group of people, who had most likely come down the staircase, standing in front of the golden-haired fire breather. He smirked at them and opened his mouth. "Get away!" She tried to warn them, but it was too late. Her meager lunch made a sudden reappearance as she watched five lives snuffed out, leaving behind no trace except the piles of ash that were just as quickly blown away from the force behind the attack.
"Oi, Leech. You and Kaboom are good to go. Get him down below and retrieve 'it' while you're there. Have Barty toss you to the second story...tell him not to throw you too hard." Nina's eyes widened at this. 'There are more of them? I gotta get in touch with Boss.' She reached into one of the pouches of her belt and pulled out a small, pager-like item. "Oh? What's this? Calling for help are you?"
"No!" The brunette cried as Spitfire wretched the device out of her hands and stomped on it. He grinned down at her, black wisps leaking through the spaces between his teeth.
"Sorry 'bout your luck, girly. Fate is such a fickle thing sometimes. Killing isn't something I generally enjoy doing, but we all must do things we despise when destiny comes calling. Just think, your death is a brick in the foundation of the new world the Black Order will build. Take pride in the fact that, by dying here you've accomplished more than you ever could as a false Hero," Spitfire proclaimed, patting the girl on her cheek before rising. He opened his mouth and Nina nearly gasped at the sight of a sphere of black fire raging in the depths of his throat. The moment before the flames engulfed her however, the golden-haired man was thrown back as a man with boxing gloves punched his square in the face.
"Don't worry, Aqua! We'll handle this joker for you!" The man, whose green eyes were narrowed in anger, cried. Beside him, another man, this one dressed fully in a black cloak scowled at Spitfire, who got up laughing.
"Well, well. Gotta say, that shocked me. Let's see...Piston, the Punching Hero, and Dove, the Perfect Hero. Listed number thirty-seven and eighty-four respectively, if my memory serves me right. I'm impressed, Miller-Braun managed to convince the two of you morons into serving their greedy, corporate will."
"Cease your speaking, Villain," Dove growled before throwing off his cloak to reveal two massive, pearl white bird wings.
The Perfect Hero Dove
His Quirk: Wings
Dove has a pair of wings that allow him to fly. His current wingspan is nearly eighteen feet, though he claims it to be twenty.
"Taste my justice!" The man cried before swooping towards Spitfire, who grinned and ducked to avoid the flying roundhouse kick, only to grunt in pain as Piston used his spring-powered arms to deliver a devastating punch to the man's stomach. The firebreather slid backward and coughed, spewing a small number of flames in the process.
The Punching Hero Piston
His Quirk: Mach Punch
Piston can use the springs located in his arms to deliver punches at Mach speed.
"You won't get away with the crimes you've committed today, Villain!" Piston pronounced. Then, to the shock of the three present Heroes, started to laugh. He bent backward and laughed deep from his stomach, flames shooting out in the process.
"You must be joking! This is all you've got!? HA! Your power is weak! I'll turn each of you to ash!" He roared. The temperature in the room began to increase, slowly at first, but then Spitfire opened his maw wide and a wave of flames, possibly even hotter than the ones he'd used to melt the lobby earlier, sailed towards the three Pros. Dove grabbed Nina and flew out of the way, while Piston leaped as far as he could and managed to get out of the way. The flames kept going and connected with the far wall, easily melting through and carving a hole through several walls before emerging onto the busy street behind the building and colliding with a bus, causing it to explode. "Impressive, you dodged my Black Dragon's Rage. Do you see now, the power you face? I WIELD THE FLAMES OF TARTAROS ITSELF! ANYTHING IN MY PATH IS REDUCED TO ASH, AND YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN STAND AGAINST ME?"
"Damn, this guy is strong. We've gotta be careful," Dove stated. Nina nodded in agreement, barely able to stand on her own two feet, but frowned as Piston shook his head.
"We're no match for him. He managed to take one of my punches and is still standing, not to mention burn through tempered steel with his fire. I only hope a qualified Hero can show up soon. Maelstrom? Is your boss here?" The Punching Hero asked, turning his head to look at Nina, who sighed.
"He was underground when the attack started. I think sub-level ten? The fire has shut down the elevators and the door to the basement stairs is welded shut. I have no doubt he'll get here eventually, but until then we have to buy some time," she explained, standing up straighter and formed a large ball of water between her palms.
The Riptide Hero Maelstrom
Her Quirk: Water Pulse
Maelstrom can form a sphere of water that she can manipulate into any size or shape.
"Buy time? Alright, let's see how well you do that. It's been a long time since I was able to let loose with my Quirk at full power, not to mention how much stronger I've gotten in the past year since Plague found me. This is what I've been waiting for! I WILL ENJOY SEEING YOU BURN!" Spitfire declared, releasing another blast from his mouth, this one significantly cooler than the one from before, but no less deadly. Maelstrom sighed and shouted for her fellow Heroes to get out of the way before releasing a laser of water from the sphere.
"Mach 1 Puncheroo!" Piston shouted as he sprinted towards Spitfire. The villain dodged to the side as the Punching Hero slammed his fist into the ground where he'd just been standing, creating a crater. "You're fast!"
"You're just slow! You say Mach 1, but that's not really correct is it? Your punches are based on the force rather than speed. Your springs make them faster sure, but really they just increase the destructive power of your punches by giving them the force of something moving at Mach speed. An easy deception for your enemies," the fire-breather claimed, smirking at the shocked look on Piston's face. He then turned and launched an attack at Dove, who'd been attempting to dive bomb him while he was distracted. The flames surprised the Perfect Hero and he managed to bank to the side just in time to avoid being burnt...that is until he felt an intense pain in his left wing.
"DOVE!" Piston shouted as his partner's snow-white wing was engulfed in flames. The flier fell from the air and slammed, hard into one of the plate glass windows that lined the front of the room, breaking through it and crashing into a passing car's windshield. The Punching Hero didn't have time to worry about his friend though, as Spitfire's next attack was aimed solely at him. "MACH 2 PUNCHEROO!" He cried, throwing his fist forward as he swept under the flames. His target's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before narrowing. The fire-breather leaned his head to the side to dodge, only to be shocked when Piston caught him in the stomach with his other fist. In the span of a second, Spitfire flew through the air and skidded across the linoleum floor until he hit the wall. 'A feint. Very smart, these guys are truly battle-tested Pro Heroes so I didn't expect them to last long, but I'm actually starting to enjoy this.'
"BLACK INFERNO!" Spitfire bellowed, releasing his wide-spread attack. Piston grimaced and quickly glanced to each side looking for an escape, but the flames left him no space to move. He reared back his fist, ready to go with a full-powered punch to try and deflect the flames when he felt a pair of hands lift him up. It was Dove, his face twisted in anger and one of his immaculate wings singed black, many of its feathers burn completely off.
"Don't be an idiot, Piston. This guy's just messing around," Dove growled, glaring daggers at the fire-breather, who just looked up at them with a manic grin on his face. "Look at him, he's waiting for us to make our next move. This whole fight he's just been toying with us."
"What do you have in mind?" Piston asked, though his focus was on his partner's twisted and mangled right leg. When he noticed the Punching Hero's gaze, Dove sighed.
"I'm not walking anytime soon. From this moment on, I'm your aerial support, it's up to you and Maelstrom...speaking of which, gotta let you go!" The flier suddenly said, releasing his friend and flying over to their female teammate, who had tried to sneak attack the fire-breather, to little effect.
"Come on! You still haven't given me the fight I want! Give me everything you have! Stop holding back!" Spitfire yelled furiously. He glanced up to Dove, who's eyes hardened, and began building up an attack. "BLACK DRAGON'S RAGE!"
"SWIRLING WHIRLPOOL!" Nina screamed, attempting to get her attack to intercept the flames. However, Spitfire's power was too strong for the hastily made counter.
"NO, MALCOLM!" Piston cried out as the fire cut through the massive sphere of water like butter and completely enveloped the white-winged Hero. The fire didn't stop at Dove either, it continued through him and split through the roof of the first floor and out of the wall of the second and even into the adjacent building.
"Pity, bird-brain probably should've stayed out there after his wing was burnt. Before I hit him earlier he would've easily dodged that. Fate hasn't been kind to you Heroes today,' Spitfire said morosely, popping some sort of lozenge into his mouth and swallowing it dry. He sighed as he looked at his two opponents, both shocked beyond belief at what they'd just seen. "This is the fate that awaits both of you if you continue this fight. I'm a nice guy, so I'll give you one last chance. Leave now and I will let the both of you live. It's abundantly clear to me that neither of you can stand before me as my equal, and together you still don't come close to my power. Just go, I wouldn't hold it against you."
"You fucker!" Piston roared, He rushed forwards, tears streaming down his cheeks, and reared back his fist. "MACH 10 PUNCHEROO!" His springs groaned in protest but still caused the air around his fist to spark as it soared at the villain, who sighed and dodged it easily, stepping confidently into the Punching Hero's guard. He shoved his own fist into the Hero's gut and then kicked his legs out from under him.
"Pathetic. Your anger blinds you, this fight is over. You don't have to die, but you will if you continue." Spitfire's eyes shifted to the side and he managed to sidestep as a sharp beam of water split through the air.
"WE'RE HEROES! WE WON'T QUIT!" Nina screamed, sending blast after blast of pressurized water at the Villain, who sidestepped each and every one. He sighed, evaded the haphazardly thrown fist from Piston, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and threw him into Maelstrom, sending the two collapsing into a pile.
"That's what I hate most about Heroes. There is no changing Fate, yet you still try and fight it. When faced with an enemy far above your own skillset, you stubbornly throw yourselves at them until you die. Do you really have that much faith in the system? You believe yourself above those you try to save. Just think how many employees or visitors to this company could stand and fight against me, help others escape, or stop the blaze threatening to burn the neighboring building, but because of the Quirk restrictions placed into law by lawmakers two hundred years ago who feared the effects of these new powers, each and every person in this building will die." Both Maelstrom and Piston stared at Spitfire in shock as he finished his rant. Seeing the shock on their faces only seemed to enrage the fire-breather more as he took another deep breath. However, before he could a dozen thick vines sprouted from the floor beneath him. They quickly wrapped themselves around the Villain, trapping his arms at his sides.
"Boss!" Maelstrom said in relief as an immense amount of vegetation burst through the doors of one of the lobby's five elevators. Spitfire's eyes widened in realization as a man, who was oddly dressed in similar clothing to the women Spitfire had seen on gardening magazine covers, emerged riding a vine as thick as a python.
"You sonofabitch, Plague. You said there would be some minor Heroes as security, you said nothing about the number one!"
Purpose of a Hero
Meanwhile, trouble was brewing in the boy's dorm at U.S.A.E.I. Trouble in the name of Benji Wallaby. Oliver sighed as he watched the black-haired boy, who despite it only being the end of the first week had already gained a reputation as a pervert, argued with Lyon...or more accurately argued at Lyon. The orange-haired boy simply stared at him with that strange smile of his. "So damn noisy," he muttered as he picked up his black knight and knocked a white pawn off the chess board that lay on the coffee table before him. Marcus, his opponent and arguably friend, just laughed as he watched the carnage unfold.
"At least they've got spirit," the gray-haired boy added, his eyes looking over the board, trying to find his next move. Oliver's expression didn't change as his knight was taken, because immediately he moved his rook and a small smile graced his lips.
"Checkmate."
"Ah, damn! Why do you always win?" Marcus lamented, pouting slightly. As Oliver began moving the pieces back to their original spots, the gray-haired boy turned his attention back to the escalating screaming match. "Three...two...one," he mumbled and, right on cue, Narruk walked over and based both boys over the head, ignoring the fact that Lyon hadn't said a word.
"Both of you knock it off! I swear, ever since Friday all you two have done is argue. We're supposed to be on the same side."
"NO! WE ARE RIVALS IN LOVE AND I WILL NOT LET HIM HAVE HER!" Benji roared, pointing his finger accusingly at Lyon, who...as usual just smiled away.
"How exactly are we rivals if we are sure she despises you and tolerates me?" Lyon inquired, seemingly unphased at how he spoke of himself.
"S-SHUT UP, RIVAL!"
"Wait, those two are fighting over Melody?" Nathan asked from his seat on the couch, not too far away from the chess players.
"Did you just wake up?" That was Sirius, who'd been trying to watch television over the noise of the fight. When Nathan grinned awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, the indigo-haired boy shook his head. "Yes, Benji claims they are love rivals."
"Pft, that is amazing! Hold up, I gotta send a video of this to Mel. OI, BENJI! That dude said you had no chance with Melody because she loves that guy!" Nathan shouted, first pointing at Lyon and then at Narruk, who narrowed his eyes at the boy. Benji exploded again just in time as Nathan began recording on his mobile phone.
"This place is exhausting," Oliver groaned. Marcus laughed and made the first move, pushing one of his pawns forward.
"There's never a dull moment."
Purpose of a Hero
Huh, well that was dramatic. So a few ending notes. I didn't use submitted characters, though I was going to, for this fight because I knew one of or all of them would die. This doesn't mean I will avoid this in the future. I'm sorry to say there will character death in this story. Characters you have submitted will die, I'm sad to say. If you have any concerns about this, just message me. Odds are low but still entirely possible that a character you submit that didn't make it into my lineup of main characters will die. This may seem repetitive, but I'm just warning you now so no one complains when this happens (though I doubt that will stop people).
Welp, that's done. Hope you all enjoyed!
NEXT TIME ON THE PURPOSE OF A HERO!
Chapter 12: Overgrown