chapterbychapterstories

[chapterbychapterstories]

Getting Lost

Oh shit, was that light familiar? It all looked the same in the dark. My foot shakes as I wait for it to turn green. The back of my hand runs across my mascara stained face. Three years in this city and I’m back to getting lost while searching for 3 a.m. burgers. If only-

The light turns green. Tears well in my eyes again. Four days have passed since Max died and here I am listening to his favorite song while getting lost. He would’ve found this amusing. When it came to getting lost with friends he was the best to be with. No panic, just eyes forward for the adventure. 

A round-a-bout I recognize. The statues of long dead men stare at me from their bronze pose. One of these streets lead to the outdoor mall that has a 24/7 Burger Palace. But which street was it?

Max got lost like this the night he died. It was 3-something-a.m. when he called me. I pulled up his location when the call dropped. That was our last conversation. He was unnaturally scared, and swore he saw his deceased abuelo waving at him. I pick a street, and catch a glimpse of someone standing under the next street light. 

It’s no one, some creep waiting for a gullible idiot to pull over. That happened to Max and I once. He was driving when a milk carton filled with glitter hit his windshield. It exploded in a barrage of rainbow sparkles. I called the cops while he had a panic attack. Still, I can’t believe he was going to stop. I giggle at the memory. There is still glitter on his car when you look at it just right. 

Four way stop. No one is coming but I take the opportunity to breathe. Max had a unique laugh. I still hear it. God why do I hear him laughing. A person is standing on the corner and our eyes lock. He is wearing an oversized black hoodie, but his hair is gelled with enough glitter to be seen from space. The air around me feels cold. Max?

 Right now I need to calm down. I drove past the man. It isn’t Max, Max is dead. They found him in his bed. His funeral is in two days. I have no idea how I am going to make it but I will. I’m just grieving. Everyone has been so overly nice to me since it happened. My boss hasn’t yelled at me, our friends all look at me like I will burst into tears at any given moment. 

Yeah, I did burst into tears at the Ramen Shack. But that was our place, one of our places. Okay, I also cried when I opened my phone at work the other day since his stupid face was my screensaver. It’s been changed, and I am going to move past this. 

I’m in a residential neighborhood with horrible street parking. Cars line the streets as if some celebrity is nearby. Max and I lived in a place like this before we dropped out of college. Two apartment complexes surrounded by some cookie cutter neighborhood with chaos streets designed by toddlers. We sat, high as two college kids could be, on that balcony planning our lives like the end was never coming. I see him again, this time peeking out over the railing of some apartment. He looks pale, but waves at me as I pass.  

 A spot appears and I take it. Once my car was in park I burst into tears. It’s not fair! We were supposed to play video games in the nursing home together. Forget burgers, I just want to go home. I want to curl up in my warm bed and forget I’m alive. 

Instinctive fingers reached for my phone in the dark. The blue light illuminated my car. In the mirror all I see is my pain. Face covered in lines of smudged mascara, my hair is greasy and matted, I look like a mess.

There’s a knock against the passenger window causing me to jump. My phone falls, landing on the floor under me. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Looking up I see a familiar smiling face. “Hey gurl! You look like hell.”

“Max?”

“Let me in and we can get burgers.”

I bend down, blindly searching for my phone.

“Hurry, let me in!”

“Take me home!”

The light dims for a moment before my phone responds, “Taking you home. Head east.”

“Please don’t leave me here.” He nearly sounds like Max. But like an AI version of him. 

“You’re dead!”

“Yeah, but I always promised to haunt you. Now you won’t let me in.”

I put my car into drive. 

“LET ME IN.” It was demanding.

This has to be a bad dream, it feels like a bad dream. Every hair on my arms is standing on end as a sense of unease takes me. Pulling back onto the road I glance into my rearview mirror. Max, or that thing wearing his face, is gone. Finally, my breath returned to me, my hands still shaking. On autopilot I focus on following my phone’s directions back home. I probably need therapy. 

Nothing looks familiar, but my phone dutifully tells me to make a left onto a street I now recognize. It starts buzzing. “Shit.” I hit the button on my steering wheel answering the phone. “I know I’m late, I got lost, but I’m on my way home right now. Nothing bad, but I’m lost.”

Silence. 

“You have every right to be mad. If you want to just lock the door I haven’t lost my keys and can let myself in. You guys have been kind, letting me stay with you and I know we all can’t work at midnight like I can so it’s okay.”

Nothing. Wait no, breathing. “Hey gurl, invite me in.” His voice is getting more metallic now. It sounds less and less like Max everytime it speaks. 

My heart freezes, but my hands move, hanging up the phone. It’s not real. None of this is real. I feel like I’m in hell. 

Through tears I look up in time to see it standing in the middle of the street staring at me. My scream is louder than the music. I slam on the breaks but I don’t stop in time. After a sickening pause I opened my eyes. When did I get up on the freeway? Where did it go? A horn pulls me from my fog. “Sorry.” I wave at the pissed off driver before going again.

The porch light is on when I pull into the driveway. My body feels heavy as I pull myself out of the driver’s seat. 

Inside I relock the front door and shut off the light. A copy of the post about Max’s funeral hangs on the fridge. It serves as a necessary reminder that he’s gone. 

My feet carry me to my room. I’m so tired. That thing, it had to be a mixture of my grief and exhaustion. None of it was real, and tomorrow I am going to wake up, refreshed, and find a good therapist. Our apartment is covered in pictures of us. Maybe tomorrow I will go over with another friend and box them all up. Sleep first, tomorrow after.

The bag around my shoulder hits the floor with a dull thud. My head hits the pillow, if I could muster the energy I would change into something more comfortable. Right now I can’t even-

My door creeks, slowly, until it clicks shut. I sat up to see what it was. A familiar dark figure stands there smiling at me. “Hey gurl! Has anyone ever told you how tacky Welcome mats are?”

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain Reports

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

19071333062

Date: 19.07.26

19071333062, code name Heal

Born in layer 33 in Queen’s year 13.

Power: Healing

Weakness: -

Personality: -

Appearance: Skin black, Hair unnatural, Eyes green. Male.

Assessment: Subject has been gathered by Drones, germinators had to be exterminated. Subject is still getting used to the new environment so any assessments made on personality would be inaccurate.

Signed

05050016004

Date: 04.06.34

19071333062

Power: Healing

Weakness: Costs energy, but can be regained.

Personality: Kind, but not too a fault.

Appearance: Skin black, Hair black, Eyes green. Male. Clean and well kept.

Assessment: Subject is close to top of his class for his attitude and his mercilessness in training. To my own surprise this evaluator highly recommends subject 19071333062 for the Hero Program. 

Signed

05050016004

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

Chapter 6

The hospital wing was quiet. Heal sat there, his face bruised, his body hurting. She had hit him again. But already he could feel the wounds stitching back together on their own. But laying on beds around him, others weren’t looking so lucky. These were the ones that survived the attack, hero recruits as young as 15 all slaughtered by her. Yet she had tears in her eyes. That image of her, covered in blood, tears flowing down her face, begging him to move. 

His team wasn’t looking as bad as the recruits. Flight took a nasty arrow in the shoulder that he couldn’t heal, Blast hit with a laser pistol was slowly recovering. 

Sharp footsteps clicked into the hospital wing of the Hero Program. Everyone seemed to stop and stare at the woman as she walked right up to the heroes. Her golden hair was up in an elaborate style that looked like a beehive. She stood in front of them for a moment, taking in their injuries. “Your majesty!” The Program Leader was running after her.

“You three have failed me a second time.” Her voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. 

“I’m sorry ma’am, it won’t happen again.” The Program Leader had reached them, and stood between the Queen and Flight.

“I know it won’t. Because if it does you will all be marked for extermination.”

Heal felt his blood go cold. The Queen turned glaring down at him. Her long manicured hand reached out, plucking a green hair from his head. “And make sure you keep your appearance natural.”

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain Reports

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

23041551010

Date: 23.04.30

23041551010 code name Weapon

Captured in streets of layer 21 appears to have been born in Queens year 15.

Power: Weapon Creation

Weakness: Untrained

Personality: None

Appearance: Skin unnatural, Hair unnatural, Eyes unnatural. Unkept.

Assessment: Subject exterminated 3 drones during capture. Subject has not spoken. This evaluator highly recommends the subject for the Hero Program.

Signed

12050005048

Date: 18.03.38

23041551010

Power: Weapon Creation

Weakness: Must be trained on weapons created.

Personality: Quiet, gentle, and protective of peers. Aggressive and dangerous to authority. 

Appearance: Skin white, Hair black, Eyes black. 

Assessment: Subject must be exterminated immediately. Subject has been through Reprograming but still hasn’t changed.

Signed

23041551063

Date: 26.05.39

23041551063

Let it be known on the record of warnings put forth by this evaluator. This evaluator is free for questions about the subject if asked.

Signed

23041551063

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

Chapter 5

The heroes had swept through the entire Undercrust. But back ways that have always existed became safe havens for those with reasons to hide. A particular sewer line became a temporary home for the three villains. Stretched out on the damp wall in front of them was a new map, more sewer lines.

Tele smiled, a new bomb resting in their grip. “So, are we going to do this or think about some more.” 

“Remember if anything dicy starts we bail without any hesitation.” WC added.

“Yeah, yeah, heroes show up with big guns we leave. Thanks mom.” They started, leading the group up the ladder to their destination.

The Uppercrust was a lot brighter than the Undercrust. The sun fought harder against the smog, the rich people pushed more people down to keep their streets clean and make space for their pristine gardens full of fake plants. WC had seen them before, but now standing in layer 01 facing the Hero Program building none of that felt real. 

The Hero Program building was massive, large windows acted like mirrors reflecting the light, and gray buildings back down to the trio. Drones ran and hovered around them shouting different orders. Tele smiled at them. “Your Villains have arrived!” Her bomb flew hitting the front door to the building. 

Chaos broke out from there. Dots of purple lit up around them when Barrier raised his guard. Lasers from the Drones weapons were easily absorbed as if they never existed in the massive machine. Next was WC and Tele’s time to shine. Solid metal balls covered in spikes flew on their own taking down several Drones. They could be blocked by physical shields, but Tele could pull on those too. 

Hero Program recruits began pouring out of the front doors, where they met WC. “I am sorry for what I am about to do.” WC spoke mournfully to them. Not that they cared. Twin blades flashed, changing when needed to other weapons. A boy with superspeed fell without so much of a fight. A really flexible teen girl permanently split in two. 

When the flood of recruits slowed, they heard a scream from above. WC didn’t have time to turn when it hit, an energy blast, but Barrier saw it. “Thanks Bair.”

A metal disk flew at them, but WC saw it coming, blocking it with a shield. “Thanks.” 

“Here.” She handed him the Drone shield. “I’m going to take care of them.”

A scream stopped her. 

They stood in front of their friends, blood fell from their abdomen, wide eyes watching them. It was time to go. An arrow flew from a bow WC made, hitting Flight in her shoulder. A laser rifle knocked Blast from her arms. Lastly Heal stood in their way, a laser pistol in his hands. 

“Just turn yourselves in, I know you’re not a bad person.” He pleaded. 

WC raised a short sword. “Move out of our way.” 

He trembled. How did someone like him make it to the hero program? Finally he moved out of her way without a fuss. She still hit him with a club as they passed, diving into the sewers they came from. 

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain Reports

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

03010449036

Date: 03.01.23

03010449036, code name Blast

Born in layer 49 of Queen’s year 10

Power: Energy Blast

Weakness: - 

Personality: -

Appearance: Skin white, Hair Black, Eyes unnatural. Male. Subject is small.

Assessment: Germinators were difficult with the subject being taken, but was worked through. Subject is the smallest of his age group, and has mostly slept through the evaluation. This evaluator doesn’t have high hopes for this subject but we will see.

Signed

26120020015

Date: 26.03.38

03010449036

Power: Energy Blast

Weakness: Uses a lot of subject’s already limited energy.

Personality: Tired, and dull.

Appearance: Skin white, Hair black, Eyes blue. Male. Subject is now tall, but still scrawny.

Assessment: Subject sleeps a lot, but Energy Blast makes up for the subject's lack of energy. This evaluator tentatively recommends subject for the Hero Program. If nothing else the subject would make a decent drone.  

Signed

23120020015

[chapterbychapterstories]

I love this. It makes me sad, and happy and if I ever did my own DND campaign and had this as a character I would have the party either fight or save him.

You're an adventurer. You've done some things in the name of good, you consider yourself a good person. You're a good person. But you're worried, worried you're going to be hurt, worried you can't save everyone. You're just a small human with a sword and armor, and you're going up agasint wyverns, and ghouls and vampires and the like. Because of this, a demon comes to you to talk.

The demon says he can help. He knows you know he's evil. But he's far from the worst evil in the mulitverse. If you had to choose between him and a tyrant dragon, or between him and an evil lich, you'd choose him every single time. He tells you he can give you the power to stop these things, if you just pledge yourself to him, you won't have to do much, just let him help you.

And for awhile you have his power. You fight with a firey sword and eldrich armor. With him, you save people you could never save before, and slain evils you never could have. There are some sacrifices, he tells you to do things, small inconsequential things, little rituals that don't mean much to you. This is fine, it's normal, adventurers have done this before.

As time goes on your demon tells you there are certain people who you can't fight, they're his freinds, and you consider that pretty ok. They can't be that bad if he works with you. This is normal and ok. Your skin is turning pale, and your eyes are changing color, but that's normal and excusable, you just tell people your family if further north then they're really from and they think you've always been like this.

You start to have freinds who stay away from you, they say your going down the wrong path. But they're the real evil ones, you need this power to do good, they're basically telling you that you shouldn't be doing good. You know your demon is evil, you're just making a sacrifice for the greater good. You're dressing more like someone who follows him now, but it's good quality armor and clothing so you don't mind. Sometimes there are people who he tells you that you can't save or can't help, you feel bad about it, really bad, but you tell yourself that there's no saving them anyway, the alternative would be not having the power to save them. This is normal and ok.

Eventually he starts telling you that you need to kill things for him. You assume they're people who need to he killed, and don't think about it often. This demon may be a demon but he's done so much good for you, his enemies can't be good people. He takes you to his realm a lot to show you off, to show how good you've been, you honestly feel kind of proud. You're too pale to pass as human now, and your eyes are a deep red, even your teeth are getting sharper, you just say your from an uncommon race when people ask. None of your old freinds talk to you. You know you have to be doing good, if this were wrong there would be a lot of evil you'd have to face in yourself.

You've relocated to the demon's plane now to live with him. He sends you out to other realms to kill people for him, you don't have time to ask who they are, he even let's you consume the blood of the people who you kill, it makes you feel good when you do. When you're not wearing the armor gives you, he just has you wear a loincloth and jewels. He pets your head sometimes and it feels good, and he shows you off to the other demons and you feel nice and pretty. He'll carve little symbols into your white skin, and has you wear a little color for him, this is normal, you're happy to serve him. He does what he wants with your body, but you feel ok about it, you don't have to worry about moral choices anymore, your demon always tells you what's the right decision, and all you have to do is go along with it.

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

Chapter 4

Layer 46 is nearly complete, no sign of the Villains. Each home, each nook and cranky has been searched. So far 96 people have been arrested for owning contraband, 40 were arrested for resisting the search, and another 138 have been arrested for unnatural looks. It all makes Heal uncomfortable, but he can’t do anything. Like everyone else he has orders, and he has his role to play in the larger society. 

The last block of layer 46 was looking like it was going to be easy. The whole practice of searching each layer with careful precision has eaten up 4 days of their week, but the group wouldn’t be able to hide for much longer.

Large chimneys funneled smoke from the factories up a layer to be processed, filtered, then released. It wasn’t a perfect process, but one that worked to keep the Uppercrust clean. This though led to a lot of smug and smoke to build up in the Undercrust. 

Heal moved past one of these large chimneys, the heat radiating off would be enough to fry a ration pack. The smell of burned, melted plastic hung in the air, making it hard to breathe. He moved past another chimney when he saw a door open. It was a small metal, and plastic shack illegally built cornered between three chimneys. A girl in a black hood stepped out of the door chatting with whoever was inside. “Halt!” Heal ran up to her.

His breath was heavy under his mask, his hero uniform hidden by the Drone cloak he wore. The girl stopped not looking up from his feet. 

“We are conducting a search of this area, please stand aside while I search this… hovel.” 

She didn’t look up as he pushed past her into the single room shack. Inside an old man sat at a large work bench. “Good afternoon Drone, how may I help you?”

“Leave the premises while I conduct my search.”

The old man didn’t move. He just sat in his chair looking worried. Heal raised his weapon when the girl came in. “Here grandpa, I will help you out while this gentleman searches.” She pulled at his chair and it moved. The old man was in a wheelchair. 

Heal could feel his face flush with embarrassment as the girl half wheeled, half carried the old man out of his home. The place was filthy. Grease, and metal parts lay scattered around the room, a rod with a magnet on the end caught Heal's eye. A way to pick up fallen parts. The man must be some kind of tinker, yet there were no projects on his desk. 

Stepping back out into the heated air he waved the man and girl over. “Was everything up to your standard Drone?”

“I need to see some ID.”

The man held up a broken, and repaired watch, his identification papers popped up to be scanned. 23070046062, codename Prospector, the old man worked building laser pistols in the factory, but had been retired when he lost his legs in a work accident. Family, none. 

“I need yours too.” He pointed to the girl.

She had stepped away helping the old man back into his shack. “Of course sir. Let me just get grandpa back inside.” 

“I need that now.” His laser pistol was raised. 

The shack door shut, she turned and looked up from under her hood. Her hair and eyes were an unnatural color, they looked like a flame and shadow. She held up her wrist with an ID pulled up. It wouldn’t scan at first, then it popped up. 23041551010, codename Weapon. Scheduled for extermination. Missing. 

He looked back up at her in time to get punched in the face. It felt like her first was made of steel, hard enough to crack his goggles.   

Hot, plastic contaminated air filled his mask, causing it to fog. His laser pistol was pulled from his grasp. 

Something blunt hit the cracked mask with force. Then there were footsteps. He couldn’t let her get away again. Reaching up, Heal pulled off his mask. “Get back here!” She was darting between the chimneys with speed Heal had only seen in Flight, but he followed. A laser shot came from behind a chimney, hitting his shoulder. Then he saw her. Hood threw back, orange eyes watching him with wide horror. The villain from before. 

“You’re that hero, the one with healing abilities.”

“You’re that villain that cut Flight.”

She scoffed, pistol aimed at him. The barrel was steady, as if she had done this a thousand times before. But her eyes met his. She was hesitating. 

“You don’t want to do this.”

“It is what must be done.”

“Killing me?”

“No, but.” the gun moved away from his chest. “Killing you wouldn’t further our purpose. We don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You could’ve fooled-” The next shot burned, it hit his leg. He shouted out in pain but she was gone.

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain Reports

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

10011327056

Date: 10.01.26

10011327056, code name Barrier.

Born in layer 27 of Queen’s year 13.

Power: Barrier Creation.

Weakness: Mentally weak.

Personality: Timid.

Appearance: Skin brown, Hair brown, Eyes brown. Male. Unclean.

Assessment: Germinators released the subject with no fuss. Subject is small, scrawny, and weak. 

Signed

16050011033

Date: 01.11.38

10011327056

Power: Barrier Creation.

Weakness: Can only block energy.

Personality: Weak. Subject would make a good drone if he wasn’t weak.

Appearance: Skin brown, Hair brown, Eyes brown. Male. Still doesn’t shower enough. 

Assessment: Subject has proven himself mentally weak. This evaluator recommends subject for the Distribution Program.

Signed

16050011033

Date: 22.12.38

10011327056

Subject needs push to make the right decision. Recommend subject for Reprogramming. 

Signed

16050011033

Date: 26.05.39

0406132796

Subject has run away from Reprogramming. This evaluator will provide any information requested to find the subject.

Signed

16050011033

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain

This is part of a larger story. Here is the link to Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Sewer water rushed around them as the Villains made it to the end. An open grate that poured the water down into large smelly pools of filth. Undercrust layer 50. The trio took the maintenance ladder down to the catwalks that led all over the city. 

People knew better than to push and shove. Sure the catwalks were crowded, but the streets were flooded with crap, literally, so you just moved with the flow, keeping an eye out for the bridge that led to your destination. The patched up rope bridge soon came into view. Built out of anything they could get a hold of, it had metal, wood, plastic, and even a particularly dangerous rubber patch. Tele led them over it, using their power to ensure they didn’t fall. 

The sketchy bridge led to a patch work building, a neon sign above spelled out “Bar Keeps Tavern” which to the three was home. Metal clanged together as Tele pushed open the door. “Welcome!” A large man popped up from behind the bar. His shaggy black and white hair draped over his eyes. “Children! Welcome back! How was the Uppercrust? Did you do anything fun?” He also talked a lot.

“Hey Keeper, the Uppercrust was bright, we had a ton of fun, and made good use of all those bombs.” Tele could also talk a lot.

“Good good, good to have you all back. More Drones around lately, it puts me on edge when you all are away. Drones make bad customers, but they always pay so it’s not so bad.”

“The Drones came in for a drink?” WC took her usual seat on the bar. 

“They’ve come in twice now. Weren’t very talkative.”

WC glances a Tele, “Well Keep if they come in again close up. They aren’t the kind we want hanging around.”

“Right, that’s a good idea. Thanks Wixie.” 

She jumped off the counter, going to the trap door that led to their hideout. “Anytime Keep.” The trap door was light, made out of some metal they salvaged. Down a couple steps, and a narrow tunnel, they found themselves in a large room. A table with maps of the Uppercrust, held down by a dud bomb, and a metal arm. Against the far wall was a fan that blew a cool breeze through the room and out the other side. It also brought the smell inside. Rot and crap, the smell of layer 50. 

Tele dropped their bag on the floor, heading for their hammock. “Home sweet, smelly home.” They collapsed into the makeshift bed causing the wall to groan. 

“I wonder how they picked the heroes.” Barrier leaned over the table tracing the route we took to the Queen’s mansion. 

“Through careful evaluation and training that killed a few ‘subjects’. Not that it matters, we need to plan how we are going to take down the Hero Program.” WC stood across the table from him. 

A remote hovered in the air in front of WC. “Oh, that reminds me!” Tele sat up in their  hammock, sitting in it like a swing. They had to be using their powers because if WC tried sitting in it like that she’d fall over. “I wanted to see if we made it in the nightly report.”

The remote clicked, a whirring noise came from a small projector above. A flicker, then a projected image of the nightly report came up on the wall behind her. She turned to see a grainy image of herself shooting a laser pistol at Flight. 

“Eeeeeeee!” Tele squealed. “Look, we’re celebrities!”

The video cut right after WC pulled out her sword, a stiff looking woman came on. “That video was taken earilier today by a Queen’s hover Drone outside her personal residence. Two of the Villains have been identified as 04061327096 codename Telekinesis,” an even blurrier  image of Tele came up, “ and 10011327056 codename Barrier-”

“Ah! Bair bair look, we’re famous.” Tele was jumping in their seat.

 “The unnatural one has yet to be identified. All three are said to be armed and dangerous. Any information on these villains must be reported to the Hero Program immediately.”

“Awe, WC they didn’t recognize you.” Tele slumped back into the hammock.

“That’s because I finally got all that junk they put into my hair and eyes out.”

“Yeah, stupid of them now they don’t know what you look like.”

“It also means they don’t know my power yet.”

“Well, now that we are celebrities I’m sure more people will follow us. Soon we will have the whole Undercrust fighting with us. Tonight I vote we eat and sleep.” A pack of food rations floated up from their stockpile, into Tele’s lap.

Barrier glanced at WC before grabbing a ration pack for himself, and settling into the hammock under Tele. “I, uh - I second that.”

This is why they couldn’t vote on anything. “Ugh, fine.” WC grabbed a ration pack for herself. “But tomorrow we plot the destruction of an empire.” She settled into a dingy couch. 

Above them in the bar Keep spoke with a few customers that came in, walking back and forth to serve drink orders. And just like a lullaby it puts her to sleep

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero x Villain

This is part of a larger storyline. Here is the link to Chapter One

Reports

08021451001

Date: 08.02.17

08021451001, code name none 

Dropped off at Hero Program, germinators unknown, appear to be born in Queens year 14.

Power: subject is too young.

Weakness: - 

Personality: -

Appearance: Skin white, Hair unnatural, Eyes unnatural. Female.

Assessment: Subject was dropped off at Hero Program HQ this morning. Germinators not found. She appears young, and fit, but further assessment needs to be done.

Signed

250790005064

Date: 07.08.32 

08021451001

Power: Flight

Weakness: Only flight

Personality: Subject is determined and strong of mind.

Appearance: Skin white, Hair blonde, Eyes blue. Female. Perfect uniform.

Assessment: Subject is well mannered. Top of her classes. This evaluator highly recommends the subject for the Hero Program.

Signed

250790005064

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero X Villain

Follow this link for Chapter 1

Chapter 2

“A man who yells, is a man with no control.” It was his father’s motto. Anytime a customer raised their voice in their small shop his father would whisper it to him. Despite being in the Queen’s golden office, high above the ground, higher still above the cities of the Undercrust, Heal was reminded of his father. The Queen’s Head of Security was red faced. His voice uneven as spit hit the Program Leader’s face. Blame for this was placed on the Program Leader, he in turn placed some on Flight.

“Do you have any idea what it takes to build an empire Program Leader?” The Queen glanced at him, taking control of the conversation. She was all proper, golden hair, golden eyes, gold, white, and black formal shirts and slacks. If she lost control she wouldn’t yell. “A proper mix of respect and fear. Do you know what your team earned you today?” He still didn’t answer. “Disrespect, and humiliation. I have given you this important position because I was informed you would be best for the job. Is that not true?”

“It is true.” His voice barely had any confidence. 

“Then why did you fail me?”

This time the Program Leader held his head up. “We weren’t expecting the unnatural haired one.”

“Which one?”

“The girl with the sword.”

They both turned to watch the footage of the fight. Two of the villains were already identified as 04061327096 code name Telekinesis and 10011327056 codename Barrier both from the undercrust layer 27. According to their evaluation reports the pair were not very powerful and had dropped out of the Hero Program. 

“All you had to do was exterminate those Undercrust villains. There were only three of them and your team couldn’t do that.”

“I apologize ma’am.”

“We are all lucky my kids were at school. My house has been demolished and will need to be rebuilt, not to mention your heroes’ reputation with the public will need to be regained.”

“I understand. We have begun tracking the villains.”

“Good, I want them in cuffs or caskets before sundown 7 days from now.”

They all bowed, taking their leave. 

The hallway outside the Queen’s office was clean, white and gold. A large window to the side revealed the sparkling overcrust city of layer 01. The buildings rose in stunning works of human artistry. Gold, white, and silver. Large bridges occasionally joined two buildings together, but the Queen didn’t want them cluttering the skyline.

Despite being the capital, layer 01 was also the least populated of the layers. Most of the high rise buildings, and small homes were empty or housed the working offices of people who lived in the other layers. Heal could still recall the bustle of life in the Undercrust cities. Packed with people in the cavernous environment. All the hustle made you forget you were underground. But that was before the Hero Program.

“Heal.” Flight pulled him from his thoughts. “You were our weakest link today. Program Leader and I will work with you one on one to make sure you can do more than just sit on the sides waiting for someone to get hurt.”

“Yes ma’am.” Now blame was shifting to him. Anything to keep Flight’s perfect record clean.

He didn’t have the flashy powers of the others. He couldn’t lift heavy objects, or cause explosions with his spit, but no one else had healing powers, and that made him invaluable. Even in the empty, glittering city of layer 01.

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero X Villain

This is part of a larger storyline. Here is Chapter one

Reports

04061327096

Date: 04.06.26

04061327096, code name Telekinesis 

Born in layer 27 of Queen’s year 13.

Power: Telekinesis

Weakness: - 

Personality: -

Appearance: Skin black, Hair black, Eyes black. Female.

Assessment: Subject has been gathered by Drones, germinators had to be exterminated. Subject is still getting used to the new environment so any assessments made on personality would be inaccurate.

Signed

05050016004

Date: 17.12.38

04061327096

Power: Telekinesis

Weakness: Can only lift physical objects. Subject struggles to lift living cells.

Personality: Disorganized.

Appearance: Skin black, Hair black, Eyes black. Subject claims to reject gender, but is female. Subject refuses to wear hair in the proper style. Subject is being difficult with uniforms.

Assessment: Subject is unfit for Hero Program. It is this evaluator’s opinion that subject 04061327096 is best suited in janitorial position.

Signed

05050016004 

Date: 22.12.38

04061327096

Dropped out of the Hero Program. Following the advice of the Evaluator subject will join the janitorial program. 

Signed

05050016004

Date: 26.05.39

0406132796

Subject is missing. Evaluator will provide any information requested.

Signed

05050016004

[chapterbychapterstories]

Hero X Villain

Chapter 1

KABOOM! The person behind the explosions laughs. “Another one!” A boy bent down lighting the fuse on the next boom holding it up for them. It lifted on its own blowing past the only one of them not enjoying the destruction. KABOOM! 

It is a beautiful day outside the personal residence of the Queen. Sun is fighting against the city smog. This far above ground you got away from the buzz of Undercrust lives. The drones that usually stood out front were long gone. They were not able to put up much of a fight against the three Hero Program drop outs. WC held up another bomb, they weren’t easy to get a hold of. Some were stolen from some Drone bases, others were made by Undercrust volunteers. A pipe she held was made by a friend whose power was to make things.  

KABOOM! More laughter. “Hold it right there Villains!” A girl in a white and gold leotard with a white cape dropped down from the sky. Whoever was running the Hero Program was really leaning into the sex appeal. Her hair was an unnatural gold. In her arms was a boy in a masculine version of her suit. He looked like he hadn’t slept in years. “Hit them Blast!”

Blast’s (the tired boy) hands came up, blue light condensed in his palms until “BOOM!” WC was ashamed to say she flinched. But a blue and purple barrier was up around them, protecting them. “Ha! You stupid Heros,” Tele’s bomb left their box, flying through the barrier and energy blas, “you’re done for!” Their purple, brown, and black locks flew behind them as always when they got excited. The bomb was aimed for Flight. She tried to dodge, the bomb was too fast.

Once the smoke cleared they saw her holding Blast like a human shield. “Heal, take this.” She tossed the boy like a rag doll towards the sidewalk. A man in the hero’s uniform leaned against what was left of the garden wall. He was much bigger than Blast, his skin was midnight, his hands glowed a green as he tended to the dying boy’s wounds.

Tele and WC glanced at one another. That wasn’t in the Hero Program’s training. But they supported a “competitive” environment. WC already had her hands behind her back, pulling them up to reveal a Drone laser pistol.

“You are all disappoints to the hero program! You could never defeat a true hero.” She came flying at them. 

“The Hero Program is a disappointment to the people.” WC shouted. She fired at Flight with accuracy that was foiled by the other’s speed. 

She was closing in. They didn’t have time for this. Holding her pistol behind her back she came up with a sword. Flight flew over them, reaching for Tele. WC for once, was faster. Blood spilled from a wound going from one bare thigh to her barely covered breast. She teetered off course, taking another bomb to the face. “HEAL!” She screamed racing to him. 

Another energy blast hit them, but Barrier was on top of it. “We should go.” He pointed to the empty bomb box. 

“Darn it, I was hoping to kill one of them today.” Tele sighed. But they ran.

“One last bomb.” WC held up the bomb still in her grasp. 

“Ooooo, give me give me!” The bomb floated, held firm in the person’s power. It flew towards the heroes covering the villains’ escape down the side street. A manhole cover lifted from its place moving just enough for WC and Barrier to fall through, followed by Tele. “Woohoo, I’d say people and individuality for the win!” They cried as their boots sloshed in the grim coming from the Uppercrust manors.