The Tale of a Hero

Blood.

Hot and sticky. Streaked across my face like a deep gash. Only it wasn’t mine. It was my mother’s. To silence her screams after the thief had gutted our father.

For just a wallet, a watch, a necklace, and a purse, me and my brother Ryo became orphans that day.

It didn’t fully register until I was crying over their still forms, Ryo still shouting things at the man that had done this. I couldn’t really hear him over my own crying.

‘Why weren’t mom and dad moving?’

‘Why won’t they get up and hold me?’

‘WHY?’

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I wake with a start in my bed. The same nightmare again. It hasn’t left me alone for nearly nine years.

“Ryu?” my brother calls. I must have woken him. “Are you okay?”

I can see nothing but a figure in the dark heading my way. “Just the nightmare again.”

He nods and wraps me up in a hug. A warm embrace I have missed. We’ve grown apart the last few years at this orphanage, but whenever I have the nightmare, he still comforts me. I wonder if he has them too.

We stay like that for a long time. So long, in fact, that I feel myself nodding off again. My last thought is a wish to do this more often. But, as life taught us early, all good things must come to an end.

When I woke the next morning, Ryo was gone. He probably went back to the room with all the older kids. Being younger sucked sometimes.

I got changed and went to wake my best friend Hibiki. Don’t tell him I called him that though. I enjoy teasing him too much to let him know that. Don’t tell my brother either. “No attachments,” he said. “It’s easier if it’s just us.”

But that sounded lonely, so I sorta did both. I have an attitude with everyone I meet, calling them names and pushing them away, but I also secretly clung close to Hibiki. I was the only one in the orphanage that wanted him around, so I guess we both needed a friend.

“Hi-baka!” I smacked him in the face with a pillow, and he woke with a sputter.

“Ryu!” he whined. “It’s too early for this.” He laid back down hugging the fluffy weapon. “And don’t call me ‘baka’,” he said as an afterthought.

“But you are an idiot,” I said. “Now, come on, get up! She’s coming today!”

Hibiki shot up, “Today?”

“Did I stutter?” I tease. “Of course, she’s coming today. Now, GET. UP.”

That got him moving. Any chance to see Mrs. Luna again was a good one. She was one of the few people in the world that had developed superhuman powers, and she was using them for good. It was a super that had caught the thief that killed my parents, so it was my dream to be one of them and save people from the same fate. Fortunately, Ryo, Hibiki, and I had all developed powers of our own. Unfortunately, supers were looked down upon in our society. And even worse, Ryo hated them. I didn’t really know why. They caught the thief and saved people, but still Ryo hated them. And he hated how I wanted to be one. That’s why we were growing distant.

That’s also why me and Hibiki were so close.

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He has always been a bit of an outcast at the orphanage, and I wanted to found out why. He was usually cleaning or doing some sort of chore when the other kids were playing. It was unusual for a boy of his energy to not play or have friends. And though I was new, I wanted to know why they avoided him.

“Why don’t you play?” I asked him once when he was sweeping.

He lowered his head, “They don’t want me to.”

I stooped to try to look him in the face, “Why not?”

He fidgeted nervously, “I’m weird.”

I eyed his nervous fingers, “‘Cuz you’re twitchy?”

“NO!” He put his hands behind his back.

I look at his vibrant head of blue hair, “Your hair?”

“No,” he says, grabbing his hair as if to shield it from my gaze. “‘Cuz I have powers.”

“Really?” I asked. “I think powers are cool! I even have a power!” He eyed me suspiciously, as if no one had told him this before. “That’s why I wear gloves.” I showed him my gloved hands. “Anything I touch, I can make explode!”

His eyes widened, “Really? Anything?”

I nodded, “Except people, so you’re safe.”

“Wow! That is cool!” His bright eyes lowered and he looked downcast. “I see why everyone thinks mine is lame now.”

“What do you mean? What is it?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

He sighed, “You know if you break a glass or cut your finger?”

I nod.

He gestured in a circular motion, “I can replay the action over and over.” He gave a slight smile, “I can also rewind it and fix it like it never happened.”

“Woah,” I whispered.

“I can even rewind myself saying something!” he beamed.

I arched an eyebrow, but he continued, “gnihtemos gniyas flesym dniwer neve nac I”

‘Huh?’ I stared at him blankly.

“I can even rewind myself saying something!” he beamed, repeating himself EXACTLY like he had said it before. He had actually rewound his motions and speech and then played it again like he was a tape recorder.

Then he looked downcast again, “But it’s a stupid power for a superhero, so I can’t be one.”

“EH?” I looked at him like he was crazy. “Stupid?” What was this kid thinking? “It’s perfect!”

Now it was his turn to look at me like I’d gone mad. “You could undo injuries!” I mimicked bad guys punching things, “You can rewind punches and we’ll know where they hit next! You could undo my explosions so I could blow up anything without getting in trouble!” A spark of light appeared in his eyes. “Don’t you see? It’s amazing!”

He just stared at me with big blue eyes. “We could be amazing.”

I held out my gloved hand, “You wanna be heroes together?” Remembering my brother’s warning, I added snobbily, “You could be my sidekick.”

But the light did not go out. “Really?” he asked.

“Of course,” I shrugged, but I really meant it.

He took my hand, “I’m Hibiki Sasuke.”

“And I’m Ryu Sazuki,” I shook his hand. “And we’re going to be the greatest heroes ever!”

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The next several years after that, we trained our powers together. We realized several things about ourselves during that time. Like, Hibiki can only rewind what he can see. This doesn’t mean he saw the event occur, but that he needs to look at the thing he’s rewinding. The amount of time that he can rewind things is also getting longer. Almost ten full minutes now.

As for me, I need to keep track of everything I ever touch with my fingers. If I lose any concentration on them whatsoever, they explode. It’s why I wore gloves as a kid, but to train myself, I take them off a lot now. Hibiki fixes any of my mistakes if I let my mind wander too far. My explosions are getting stronger, too, but that means I learned the hard way that I’m not immune to them. Burned my arm something good, but Hibiki rewound it to where it never happened and our caretakers were none the wiser.

We also met a hero. Her name is Luna. Of course, that’s just a hero name, but I don’t know her real one. And even if I did, I probably wouldn’t remember it. I have a terrible memory when it comes to names, so I just give everyone nicknames to remember instead. That’s where the nickname ‘Hi-baka’ came from.

I don’t need one for Luna though as that is already a nickname. She has long white hair the same white as moonlight, and long flowing robes. Her power is ricochet, wo no other power works on her. She just deflects it back. She comes to check on children at the orphanage from time to time. When she visits, Ryo avoids her like the plague, but me and Hibiki swarm.

I’m double checking that my blonde hair is styled up properly in a mirror when a finally clothed and ready Hibiki emerged from the bathroom. “Do you think maybe she’ll train us?”

We had been discussing attempting to apprentice with her just a few days ago. I nodded, “There aren’t that many heroes, since people don’t like them. I think they need all the help they can get.”

I really hope she will. I’m fifteen years old, and Hibiki is fourteen. The orphanage kicks you out at eighteen to fend for yourself. My brother has one year left here, then he’ll probably leave to find a job. I don’t want my brother to leave, but I know he will have to. He can’t support us both, and I can’t leave unless I’m adopted. So why not save him the trouble, and find an apprenticeship early?

“Come on. She’s probably already here.” We head to the front door together, and sure enough, she’s talking with the six-year-olds. Several of them are playing in her robes while she speaks to one quietly. She looks up at our approach and smiles. “Back for more stories?” her voice is like a bell, beautiful and clear in it’s notes.

“Uh, actually,” I begin. I’m not really ever nervous about talking to people, but since I want something from her, I have to be nice. I’m never good at being nice. And if I blow it, our hero careers could be over just like that. I decided it might be better just to say it upfront. “We were wondering if you could teach us how to be heroes.”

Her face grew serious. “It’s difficult. Being a hero.” She sighed, “And dangerous. You’re still just kids.”

“Please?” Hibiki asked. “We have powers and we’ve been practicing. We know the risks!”

She shook her head, “I can’t teach just anyone. Powers aren’t enough. You need purpose.”

“Please,” I whisper and Hibiki looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. I’ve never begged anyone for anything. “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of,” I added. “A thief killed my parents. I lost them when I was six. A hero caught him a few days later. I want to be a hero so that never happens to anyone else.”

There is sadness in her eyes as she looks over to Hibiki. “And you?”

“I never knew my family,” he says. “But Ryu is my family now.” I look at him now, my eyes misty. Is that how he thinks of me? “I want to protect him. I want to use my power to protect both people and heroes. Don’t heroes need protecting, too?”

“And I’m not going without Hibiki,” I say and grab his hand.

Her eyes grow wet. “Very well, that’ll do,” she gestured to the front desk. “I’m sure there’ll be paperwork, so go get packed in the meantime.”

I gasp. We did it!

“But-” she says. “You must promise me that you’ll be very careful. The world is a nasty place.”

We nod hurriedly and race to get packed.

“We did it Hi-baka! We’re gonna be heroes!”

“Woohoo!” he cheers and falls on his bed, only to roll off and start gathering his clothes.

“What are you doing?” Ryo asks from the door, and the happy mood drops like a brick.

‘Uhoh…’ I think. I stand from my packing. “Luna’s taking us. I’m going to be a hero.”

Ryo sets his jaw. “No.”

“Yes, I am,” I said.

“No, you’re not,” he said. I’ve had enough of his ‘stop-liking-heroes’ stuff.

“You’re leaving, Ryo!” I shout. “Why do you care what I do ‘til I’m eighteen?”

“Because, I’m coming back for you then. We’ll get jobs and start a new life.” He glares at me, “But not with you as a hero.”

“Why not?” I yell, “Why can’t I be one? They’re good people. Why do you hate them?”

“Because they failed!” he shouts, and I flinch. “They didn’t help save mom and dad,” he says tearing up. “They’re false hope, and fake ‘heroes’ that some idiots of society are starting to look up to.”

Idiots? That hurt. A tear rolls down my cheek. The man that caught the thief wasn’t false or fake. He didn’t know what he was talking about. “Ryo, I know they were too late to save mom and dad. But they’re not fake. And even if they are, I won’t be. I’ll be a real hero, Ryo. I’ll make sure what happened to us won’t happen again.”

“And. I. Said. No.” he enunciates.

Another tear rolls down my cheek, his words cutting like a knife. But my dream to be a hero still blazed within me. “And I don’t care.” I sniff, “I’m going to be a hero. And you can’t stop me.”

Ryo turns, “Then don’t come back looking for me when you’re eighteen. You’re on your own.”

“Ryo?” he walks out and doesn’t look back. “Ryo, wait!”

And just like that, my brother’s gone.

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I’m moping and wondering if I made the right decision as we follow Luna away from the orphanage. Hibiki tried to comfort me, but I brushed him off saying I was okay.

“There’s a new school I would like you both to see,” She says. “It’s specifically for young adults that want to be heroes.”

“A whole school for heroes?” Hibiki trembles with excitement.

“Yes,” she says. “They just started two years ago, which means you’ll be in the third class.”

“Do you teach there?” I ask.

“A bit,” she laughs. “But I’m more hands on in my teaching. I take the students out in the field to get real-world experience. I’ll be sure to do that with you, too.”

That sounded so cool. We could fight crime and save people as a school trip. I had to be dreaming.

“First things first,” she said. “Have you decided on hero names? Our true identities must be kept a secret from the public so they don’t try to hurt us when we’re off duty.”

Me and Hi-baka had thought of some cool hero names. I wondered which one he actually settled on. He had so many.

“Replay!” Hibiki shouted. “I’m gonna be Replay! It explains my power perfectly, too.”

“That is a good name,” Luna nodded. “And you, Ryu?”

I looked at my hand. The potentially explosive substance on my fingers glimmering in the sunlight. “Rupture. My hero name is Rupture.”

“That’s an excellent name, too,” she said. “Here we are.”

A small building sat in front of us. It wasn’t a tip-top state-of-the-art school, but there were kids in the front practicing holding a block in the air with whatever powers they had. It was already perfect. The flame grew inside me, and I finally felt free. I was finally going to be a hero.

I am Rupture. This is my story of how I became a legend.