Heyo! What's good dudes and dudettes, how're your weeks going? Before we start this week's chapter I gotta say. CAPTAIN MARVEL WAS AWESOME! My quick, no-spoiler review: It was funny, action-packed, and Brie Larson (No relation to Nathan) was great in her debut. Ben Mendelsohn was awesome as well as Talos and Samuel L. Jackson was incredible as always.
Anyway, let's get into it. First, thanks to Hiatus for Beta-ing again. This dude has made the past few chapters a lot less sucky with his changes.
Next, I know I haven't been updating the character sheet, but I've gotta ask you to have a bit more patience with me. Jerks at my work have decided to triple my daily workload and it's taking up all the time I used to slack off and do housekeeping with this story at work. I don't get home 'til six (Work is an hour away) and still have to eat, shower, and plan/write the actual chapter for this week. When work calms down a bit I promise to update it, but until then the character page is basically ten chapters behind. Sorry about that dudes.
The same goes for the Pokemon story I wanted to start. I've made some headway in the planning department, but haven't yet put pen to paper. I really wanna focus on this story at the moment, so sorry about that as well.
As for this story, I've finished planning and...dammit this is gonna take forever. I gave you guys the Arc list several chapters ago (it's since gone out of date) and figured I should give you the full breakdown of Phase 1 for the Purpose of a Hero extended universe.
PoaH: Rise of the Black Order (Main Story Part 1)
PoaH: Teardrop (Side Story)
PoaH: Vesuvius (Side Story)
PoaH: Legacy of Tears (Main Story Part 2)
PoaH: Plague (Side Story)
PoaH: Aces High (Side Story)
PoaH: Journey into Darkness (Finale of Phase 1)
I know that's a lot to take in, but it's even worse when I tell you that there are 3 planned Phases I want to do. Now, I could just tell the main story and say screw the side stories, but I want this to be a whole universe centered around Melody and friends' adventures. I like to think of the Main Story as the first 3 Avengers movies. In Part 1 the main characters are still getting used to one another and always behind their foe. Part 2, they are still struggling to be a team most of the time, their problems are bigger, but they are starting to realize what their role in the world is. Part 3 is Infinity War. Every story up until this point pales in comparison as the Final Battle begins. The side stories are more like Ant-Man, Spiderman: Homecoming, and Captain Marvel. They are for the characters that weren't in the Avengers movies to start off with, but are integral to the plot moving forwards.
Okay, that was...quite a bit to swallow. No more preamble, let's get into the chapter! I hope you all enjoy and as always, if you have any concerns let me know over any communications medium you'd like.
Purpose of a Hero
Overgrown stared at the destruction around him in horror. Entire city blocks went up in flames as the intricate piping system beneath them spat explosive fireballs into the air. Smoke turned the early afternoon sky into a midnight black. Even his enemies stood and gawked in awe at the scene. For just a moment, their quarrel was forgotten and the four men all paid witness to the absolute calamity of a city that was now engulfed in flames. "Kaboom, you overdid it big time..." Spitfire muttered. Then there was another roar, a guttural, animalistic cry of rage. Massive brownish-green vines as thick as a school bus slammed into Leech and Barty, sending them flying back. Overgrown surged forward and tackled Spitfire to the ground, which felt hot on his exposed skin.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" The Hero bellowed, anger, fear, and bewilderment present in his tone. Spitfire had the gall to smile up at him, which earned a punch to his jaw that made him see double. His hand shot up grabbing the collar of Overgrown's costume, yanking him down so that the two were practically nose to nose.
"It burns, doesn't it? That overwhelming feeling of failure and uselessness," he growled, his voice venomous. The Hero noticed at the last second the black fire gathering behind his enemy's sneer and launched himself into the air to avoid the plume of hell flames. "How's it feel to be dropped to our level, Hero?"
"Be silent," Overgrown demanded, his normally stoic voice trembling with fury. He drew a handful of seeds out of a pouch and tossed them, glowing a bright green, through the air. They sprouted into the largest pumpkins Spitfire had ever seen, nearly as large as an SUV. Four of them fell towards the ground below, but they never made it as they were consumed by fire.
"That' all you got!?" Spitfire taunted and launched a ray of inky flames towards the Hero, who merely dodged, landing on his feet with a good ten meters between him and his opponent. "You just keep on fighting, eh? What? You think you're gonna avenge these people? Make it so they didn't die in vain? I'm flattered you think me and my team are worth so much."
"Frenzied Overgrowth!" The Hero screamed, slamming his palms onto the cracked asphalt. As it had been earlier, the earth beneath their feet was split apart by the growth of hundreds of plants.
"Black Inferno!" Spitfire countered. Unlike before, however, these flames only managed to burn through the first wave, leaving him open long enough for the second to hit the golden-haired Villain with the force of a bullet train. He grunted as his back slammed into a solid brick wall and then...Overgrown was there, throwing him to the ground and straddling him. The Hero pulled back his fist and shouted in fury, slamming blow after blow into Spitfire's arms, which he'd crossed over his face in a weak defense. Each of his next words was accompanied by another blow. "That's...not very...heroic."
"SHUT UP!" The Hero reared back his fist but felt something latch on and almost instantaneously his remaining energy and anger dissipated. He felt beyond tired, almost as if his remaining strength had fled from him, and he fell to the asphalt beside Spitfire with a thud. Over him stood Leech, a grim look on his face.
"That's enough auf that." For a moment, Overgrown thought that this was where he would die. Leech certainly looked up to the task, excited about it even as he reached down with his mouthed-hand. However, a hoarse voice stopped him.
"Leech." The subordinate and his superior appeared to share a silent conversation, after which Leech retracted his arm and sighed. Spitfire, now kneeling over the Hero, frowned. "The worst part about surviving an ordeal like this isn't that you watched your friends and innocents die...it's that you didn't, right Hero? I'm gonna let you live to tell the world what you've seen here today. The Black Order has made its first move, how will all of you fake Heroes answer? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested to see how you manage to regain the public's favor after such a pitiful display."
"Boss, looks like our ride is here." Spitfire then noticed a sound that could be heard over the chaos around them. Helicopter blades slicing the air. It took a moment for the vehicle to appear in the sky; it was sleek black and had an odd symbol emblazoned on its hull. The red outline of a lotus flower surrounded by a pair of laurel wreaths. The chopper set down in an empty lot fifty yards away, the site where a laundromat had stood not twenty minutes previous. Its sliding door creaked open, and a man with ghastly pale skin and a rather frail-looking body stepped out and made his way over to them, completely ignoring the apocalyptic surroundings. Leech and Spitfire immediately straightened up, though the latter looked somewhat annoyed to do so. Overgrown battled against fatigue in order to stay conscious and catch whatever piece of information he could from the villain's conversation.
"Master Plague, what brings you here?" Spitfire asked, staring at the man's back in disdain as he walked right by and smirked down at Overgrown.
"What do we have here? Spitfire, you've outdone yourself." His voice rattled like what Overgrown imagined a ghost's attempts at speaking would sound like. "This was the Operation Messenger that you were so secretive about?"
"You told me it was gonna be some low-rankers that would easily be disposed of," Spitfire snarled, ignoring the question. "Do you know how many times I almost lost fighting this guy? The only reason I'm alive and free is because Fate wants me alive. What the hell was your gameplan? What if I'd lost, huh? You'd be down another General!" Plague grinned at his fellow Villain's words nodded.
"I needed you to see just what you are capable of, win or lose I'd have been equally as happy with the result. Now, this is no place to talk. My diversion won't keep non-local Heroes away for long and those inside the city have all been...dealt with by Prophet's squad. I bid you farewell for now, Overgrown, but do not be mistaken. This is not the last time we shall meet." And with that, the leader of the Black Order retreated to the awaiting Helicopter, with Leech hot on his heels. Spitfire gave the downed Hero one last spiteful look before stepping into the chopper and sliding the door closed with a thud.
Purpose of a Hero
"Experts estimate the death toll in Yonkers will be anywhere from nine to fifteen hundred, making this the most devastating Villain attack since 2307's Battle of Las Vegas. The number of injured is still rising as more and more people are pulled from the rubble. Still very little information on the mysterious sickness that has already claimed the lives of seventy-five people and infected over two hundred more in the areas surrounding Yonkers, nor the explosion that rocked Jubilee Hero Agency in Scarsdale. What we do know is that a group of Villains known by the name 'Black Order' is believed to be responsible. Up until recently, reports have had the organization designated as a Level Two, but have now been moved to Level Five. If you have any information regarding these Villains, please contact our hotline. This has been Diane Simonds of News Six, we'll see you again at Eleven." The silence hung over the room like a thick blanket. The day had been going just fine for the ladies of the U.S.A.E.I. girl's dormitory, until the news report had started. For the last hour and a half, they'd watched, entranced, as several news helicopters had circled around the city, trying to get a clear shot of the mayhem down below through the smoke and flames.
One girl in particular had stared at the screen in ever increasing horror as she came to a startling realization. 'No...it can't be!' The view of the battle shook violently as the News Six chopper had to bank hard to the left to avoid a blast of black fire...very familiar black fire. It wasn't until the camera zoomed in and caught its first glance of the two combatants that she knew for sure. A chill went down her spine as she muttered a name underneath her breath, hating that she was so certain of it. "A-Akako?"
Purpose of a Hero
Kaboom groaned loudly as he came to his senses. The first thing he noticed was how sore he was, almost as if he'd been thrown through a wall or hit by a car. Then he recognized a sound, although he didn't hear it very often. The whir of helicopter blades. By the time his senses fully recovered however, he noticed there was something heavy on top of his chest. His eyes slowly slipped open and what he saw caused him to scream in anger. "SWITCH! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE, YOU BASTARD!?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down there sunshine." He glanced off to his right and saw Leech holding up his hands in surrender, his eyes storming with an emotion Kaboom couldn't identify. The mouth-handed man was slightly put off by the lack of his teammate's insanity and indiscernible babble.
"Calm down!? LOOK AT ME!" He roared, gesturing down to 'his' body. Leech's gaze flicked down but then he scowled and looked away.
"Rather not. Very disturbing hearing such a pretty girl talking like you. Thank God you didn't keep your voice. I-oh what the hell!? Keep it PG!" The Villain cried, quickly averting his eyes as Kaboom examined his new body.
"S-Shut it," a weak voice said from a cot nearly identical to Kaboom's on the other side of the helicopter's cabin. On it lied their leader, though it took Kaboom several moments to reach this conclusion. The General of the South Wind looked more like a corpse than a man who'd just taken on the country's Number One Hero and won. His golden hair had lost its sheen and spread over the man's sweaty face like a wet mop. The man's grey eyes had definitely lost their light, but the warning in them was clear. "Shut up and let me rest, o-or I'll turn you to ash then dump you out over Manhattan."
"You feeling aukay there, boss?" Leech inquired, reaching over to feel the man's forehead. His hand was batted away with a scowl overtaking Spitfire's face. He closed his eyes and his breathing became steadier. The silence stretched so long the New Yorker had begun to believe his superior had drifted to sleep. When he did speak, his voice sounded weak, not holding the arrogant undertones it normally did.
"...where'd Plague go?" Leech frowned and glanced towards the cockpit, where a solitary man sat in the pilot's seat, steering them away from the smoldering ruins of Yonkers.
"He got auff when we picked up Kaboom, this was afta you passed auut. Said he had something to discuss with Vesuvius and Switch. I wouldn't worry much, he seemed...happy aur as close to it as someone like him could get." Spitfire went silent at this, his gray eyes boring holes in the gunmetal gray roof.
"How far out?" He asked weakly. Leech relayed his message to the pilot who took a moment to respond.
"Thirty minutes until we get to the rendezvous and send y'all back to base."
"So...w-why's Kaboom a chick?" Leech could've sworn he saw the ghost of a smile on his boss' lips, but could only wince as Kaboom restarted his momentarily forgotten grievance. "Maelstrom. That's...or that was her name. Sidekick to Overgrown, the only one he's taken during his ten years at the top."
"Found her in the lobby after dropping him off. Had a huge bump on her head and looked like she'd been sent through a wall." Spitfire contemplated this for a moment before humming derisively.
"Her Quirk has something to do with water and it was fairly strong. Managed to counter some of my weaker attacks. This is going to burn him up," the Villain began to laugh. It started as a dry chuckle, indicating just how much his throat had suffered, and slowly grew into loud, rattling laughs that echoed off of the cold metal walls.
Purpose of a Hero
While the helicopter carrying three now wanted criminals arrived at a discrete helipad at an old military training ground, a group of twelve men and women met in a room with highly tinted windows at the top of a building in the middle of Manhattan Island. Each was rather old, the youngest aged forty-five, and showed expressions that were no strangers to stress. At the head of the table, an African American woman stood and clapped her hands. "Sorry for calling this meeting so suddenly, but with the situation in Yonkers I figured we could move the bi-monthly meeting up a week."
"This...situation has come at the worst possible time," Moshe Schaeffer, a man with sand-colored hair and wizened blue eyes, said, his tone grave. There was a rumble of agreement from around the rectangular table.
"With the loss of All-Might, we all knew something like this would happen eventually. However, I never thought our own top Hero would be the one who would fail so spectacularly," a grim-looking woman named Randi Riggins stated, her beady yellow eyes glaring at the video feed of Yonkers at the end of the table. The innumerable amount of smoke trails rising above the city made it look like a stereotypical cityscape in a disaster movie.
"Well, to be fair it seems that we cannot be completely blameless. Just two days ago, Councillor Patel pulled many of the Heroes stationed in Yonkers away to help hunt down a human trafficking ring in Greenburgh," added Elliot Copley, who was the only one in the room that appeared to be in a good mood. He laid his chin on interwoven fingers, his sea-green eyes shining in silent challenge as a man, Dino Patel, shot to his feet, face red with anger.
"You dare accuse me of being responsible for this travesty!?"
"Of course not, I was merely pointing out an irregularity in the city's security. Though, I'm not quite sure how this could have been avoided even with several more Heroes present. The Villains appeared to have a solid strategy in place, had it not been for Overgrown buying time there would have been countless more fatalities."
"You clearly have something you want to say, Councillor Copley. Out with it!" A stern looking woman, Benita Dailey, demanded, glaring at her fellow councilman impatiently. Copley smirked and slid a large packet of paper, which had been sitting in front of him for the whole meeting at this point, into the center of the table.
"The Charlestown Act. I believe this incident could have been avoided if my strategy was put into place months or, preferably, years ago. We were exceptionally lucky that the Number One Hero just happened to be in Yonkers for repairs to his equipment. However, what if this were to happen in say, Moosejaw? Galena? Walla Walla? Need I go on?" Another councillor, a pale-faced man named Danilo Meadows, chose this moment to speak up.
"Your proposal has been shut down ten times in the past four years if I'm not mistaken. While this speaks to your tenacity, the logistics of-"
"I agree with Councillor Copley." The voice came from the youngest member of the council, Nelia Derrick. Her blonde hair jiggled as she nodded her head vigorously. "It might take some effort, but I think this could be for the best. A Hero's job is to protect all people, not just those in the big cities. It's so rare for today's Heroes to think of the little guys. My hometown has a population of eight hundred and hasn't had the presence of a Hero in nearly four decades. It's a proven statistic that small towns are usually chosen as ideal places for evildoers to make their hideouts thanks to the lack of Hero influence. The Charlestown Act will help put an end to all sort of crimes. Drug and human trafficking, larceny, exploitation. The list goes on. I call for a vote to immediately enact the Charlestown Act."
The room was silent. An uneasiness swept over the twelve councillors as they all turned their gaze on the leader. Reyna Grenier sighed to herself and held out her hand. The packet was slid down the table, though the only movement in the room came from Councillor Copley's hand waving nonchalantly. It stopped at the edge of the mahogany table and she glared down at the navy blue text.
North American Hero Registration and Directory
Proposal #4827
"Charlestown Act"
Submitted by Elliot Jack Copley
08-25-2317
"You cannot be seriously considering this! Our Heroes have stretched so thin already, working overtime to deal with the rising crime rates since the Hero Killer event in Japan. This will stretch our ranks too thin, what if something happens and the stationed Heroes cannot handle a threat!?" Vincenza Moon bellowed, slamming a fist on the table. Unphased, Copley simply smiled and raised his hand. To the shock of no one, the packet levitated out of Grenier's hands, its pages turning rapidly with each movement of the man's index finger. Once he reached a certain page, the movements of Copley's finger stopped.
"Article Seven, something I simply call; the Elite Guard. A specialized task force appointed by this council that will remain in strategic cities around the continent, ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. Boston for the east, Chicago the central, Los Angeles for the west. Of course, these are up for debate if you feel another city would work better." Councillor Moon, though very red in the face, shut up and slumped back in his seat. Taking this as her cue to move on, Grenier cleared her throat to get the attention of the room.
"Two councillors have moved for a vote, so let's get this over with. All those in favor of enacting the Charlestown Act raise your hand, Copley since you pushed the motion and are my lieutenant you don't get a vote," she ordered, her eyes daring anyone to talk out of line. After a moment, hands began to raise.
Just four hands rose and Copley's grin fell. He exhaled through his nose and levitated the packet back to him before storing it in his brown messenger bag. "Yes, I expected as much."
"The motion fails," Grenier announced. The meeting continued for forty-five more minutes, but Copley couldn't find it in himself to care. A response to the Yonkers incident was written, a press conference called, and an odd plan was put forward. It was the only part of the meeting Copley paid any attention to after his vote.
"You want them to what?" Vincenza growled, glaring daggers across the table at Artie Mello.
"It would be a good experience for them to see the world they are stepping in to. Plus our own men have already begun clearing out the bodies. They won't have to deal with that, not yet," Mello replied calmly.
"They're children!"
"Who will one day face the horrors of our world in full force. It's their second week, so it's not too late for them to choose to back out and go to a regular school. Besides, do you really want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on cleanup? This is both cost-efficient and a good learning experience." To Copley's annoyance, Mello's plan went to a vote and, despite his misgivings, Prophet voted in favor of using the students of U.S.A.E.I. for clean-up of the Yonkers disaster zone.
Purpose of a Hero
After the meeting, Copley found a deserted office and pulled out a small metal circle, which beeped incessantly. He pressed his finger into the top of the device, making sure the door was locked and the security cameras were offline, and a holographic face appeared before him, bathing the room in blue light. "Prophet, I heard you were called in? How did the meeting unfold?"
"Master Plague, I apologize. Yet again I was unable to get your act to pass. It seems the voices for my proposal are much weaker than those against it." To Prophet's surprise, Plague laughed, a horrible wheezing sound, not entirely unlike the noise a bag of air makes when stepped on.
"You worry too much. Today is a good day, I never imagined Spitfire would pull something like this. He exceeded my expectations." Prophet sneered at this and shook his head begrudgingly.
"I admit, his plan worked better than my own would have. He was correct when he said that to use his entire task force would be a waste." The words felt like acid in his mouth. Prophet despised the golden-haired general. Ever since the miscreant had joined he'd done nothing but rebel against Master Plague's ways, go against their usual procedures. An emotion the old man had not felt in many years raged in his gut. Jealousy. He hated the fact that the newest member of Plague's inner circle had been the one to introduce his Master's organization to the world, and in a manner Prophet would never have thought of.
"I still don't trust him, but then again I don't trust any of you fully. He is the only one who has gone against his role as my pawn, it's what made me promote him in the first place."
"Master?" Prophet was confused at his leader's sudden rant, not to mention a little miffed at the thought that his devotion to the cause was still not enough to gain the Master's trust.
"He has the drive, power, intelligence, and lust for revenge to become a Villain more influential than even he knows. I expect you to keep an eye on him, dig up whatever you can from his past."
"He is insolent. His loyalties lie with himself," Prophet muttered bitterly.
"Not entirely true. He has shown he is not only capable of leading but has a certain level of camaraderie with his men. Even Vesuvius made the long trip out to see him at work and was impressed. He is not to be trusted, but nor is he just my puppet like Vesuvius or Puppeteer. A maverick like him will make a good ally, and a dangerous one. Now, I must be going. Keep your normal tabs on the Council and report back to me with any advancements."
"I will not fail you, my Master." Just then, there was a knock at the door causing Prophet's malevolent expression to turn back into the uninterested and amused one of Councillor Copley. The door swung open, creaking on its hinges, and in walked Reyna, her face as impassive as every time Copley had seen it in over ten years of working together. Despite her standing as the most powerful woman in the Hero world, he'd come to begrudgingly respect her and greeted her as such. "Head Councillor."
"Councillor Copley, you left rather quickly. We still have to go over the minutes and plan for our next meeting. I expect we will have to move it and all following meetings up a week to account for today." Her voice was professional and held an air of authority. Her fellow councillor put on his best poker face and hummed thoughtfully.
"Yes, though we may have to strongarm Vincenza a wee bit. That man is as stubborn as a mule." The woman's lips twitched slightly, showing just the briefest moment of emotion before the mask resettled.
"Come on, we've got work to do before we get to go home. How are your grandchildren by the way?" Reyna inquired, feigning interest in an attempt at small talk. Copley nearly rolled his eyes but went with a grin instead.
"Older, thinking they know better than anyone else, never visiting their poor old grandfather. My oldest grandchild is starting to get busy again with the new semester, so I don't expect to see him until he shows up, fashionably late mind you, to my birthday party."
"Sounds like my son, he's an arrogant little shit. Wants to be a Hero for the ladies," Reyna added with a roll of her eyes. After that, the conversations turned back to their work and the tedious job ahead of them. While they talked about who would replace Miller-Braun as the primary manufacturer of Hero costumes and equipment, the rest of the nation stayed glued to their screens, entranced, as the confirmed death toll continued to rise.
Purpose of a Hero
Well then...there's a council? Prophet is a double agent? Who is his grandkid? Hm, Buixy you're leaving too many questions dammit!
Well friend to that I say...yeah, there are quite a few unanswered or unclear things going forward. But where's the fun in revealing everything up front? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed that. We are nearing the end of this arc with only 2 chapters to go! See you guys next time (feel like I'm forgetting something but shit I don't remember and there's a hockey game on that I wanna watch so I gotta go)
NEXT TIME ON THE PURPOSE OF A HERO
Chapter 16: Clean-Up