《More or Less a Hero》


 『Act I: Before』

    "I''d like to thank you all for being here." I nodded to the huge crowd of people standing in front of the podium. "I''d like to thank everyone who nominated me. And I''d like to thank whoever chose these curtains, because they''re teal, my favourite colour." A mutter arose, sounding vaguely like ''Yeah, you''re welcome.''Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ��I''m sure you''re all wondering, how''d she get here? On this stage, today? If not, you still came, so I think it''s only fair fory''all to hear how this," I gestured around me. "Came to be. So listen up, and perk up your ears. It''s time to hear my origin story. It all began with a camera...and a dark night..."

 Prologue

    FEBRUARY 17,1995


    A black screen starts it all.A camera is the thief''s weapon of choice.


    Slowly, colour seeps in, and we can see an unfocused alley. The view suddenly sharpens, but we cannot see the mysterious figures, as they are hidden by shadow.


    "You sure ''bout this?"An unidentifiable voice. "She might not be ready."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Guess what?"A male asked sarcastically, "I''m actually realllyyyy realllyyyy sure about this. It''s totally not possible that this plan won''t blow up in my face."


    "Is that a bit of sass I hear?"


    "Yes, undeniabl-" He burst into a fit of coughing.


    "Jesus!Oh *BEEEPPP*, not again..."


    A bluish glow lit up the alley. The coughing subsides.


    "Oh *BEEEPPP*, Stevens, there''s someone spying on us! Get out of here! Just leave the cash!"


    The camera can pick up frantic wheezing as the owner drops it and runs. It rolls, then rolls off a ledge and cracks.


    A black screen ends it all.

 I

    February 17, 2019


    I was going to rob someone of their money today. And the weird thing was, I didn''t care. It didn''t matter that the old windbag probably had some chronic disease. Nah, that''s why I picked him. Family? Nah, didn''t matter anymore to me, ever since I had to find a way to get money. And fast.


    ''What a genius idea, Abby.'' I weaved in and out of the swarms of people they call crowds while trying to get rid of the sarcastic thoughts running wild in my head.


    I was stopped at a gate.


    "Who goes there?"A guard asked gruffly.


    Excuse me? Who says that anymore?? Hippy guards who have nothing to do???


    "Oh, I''m so awfully sorry, sir, I just ah, left my scarf with the master. At the meeting we had. Earlier..."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ''What the heck are you trying to do? Fluster him to death?''


    Shut. The. Heck. Up. I gritted my teeth and tried to batt my eyelashes at him.


    "Very well, enter," The guard bowed his head.


    I entered a very scrubbed looking mansion. Lasers aimed at me from dainty, greek-looking arches, and I decided to call them death-lasers. Oh frick...I guess I''ll have to do it the old fashioned way.


    I ran through the death traps and avoided swinging axes that defied physics that made me feel like I was in some freaky 90s retro game. Except in real life. In the end, escaping with only a few hundred thousand bruises and scrapes, I came to a door left ajar. I ran in, shut the door and sighed in relief, breathing heavily.


    A silhouette. Oh, dang it...looks like someone''s home.


    "Well, look who''s here."The silhouette spoke.


    "Who... are you?" I thought. It must have slipped out of my mouth because he answered me.


    ��I am Mackenzie Nicholas Stevens and you are going to be the next hero of the city. Come."He turned around, heading toward a weird cabinet, leaving his back exposed to me.


    Leaving me to throw a kitchen knife at his back.