ã€ŠRise (A superhero serial)ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Fuck no! No, no, no. Not again

    I feel my skin begin to heat up as I run to the bathroom. People rush past me through the halls checking their lockers, talking, having fun. God how he envied them, I had always wished to be different, to be special. But now that it had happened I really wasn¡¯t sure what all the fuss was about.

    45 years ago the first powered individual appeared in warzone in Sudan, a child soldier who could call up the waters to attack his enemies.

    Three days later the next one appeared, than the next, then the next.

    People with extraordinary powers have become part of our world now, there are those who try to hide their power, those who try to use it for their own gain, and then, then there are the heroes. Within a few years heroes became superstars, people who could slam through buildings and fight a hundred men without tire. They were simply put, amazing.

    And recently I had gained powers as well. Fuck.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I had never stood out of the crowd, was never good at talking to people and never a star athlete. A bit of a loser. Most people like me would jump at the chance to gain a superpower. But personally? I was terrified.

    I attended Garden Tower Secondary School, in Brisbane, Australia. It was a large school but not a very prestigious one. It was a high school of the middle class if ever there was one. And it was though that schools very halls I was now rushing

    I ran into the senior boy¡¯s toilets and went to the mirror. My usually dark brown eyes had been replaced with a plume of white hot flame and my bronze skin was beginning to burn up.

    Calm down. Calm down. I took in several deep breaths to calm my nerves and just like yesterday the fires died down.

    I had gained ability to bothcontrol particle vibrations and have an extremely durable body, this meant that I could create shock waves, which was surprisingly easy or as my ability was beginning to manifest itself as, ignite particles in the air. The force and range of the vibrations could be altered consciously and not have to worry about any of the damage hurting myself, but doing that would come after I could manage to do it on call. Last night it took me hours to calm down enough to put out the fire inside, I nearly burned down my building! Right now it was brought on by stress triggers. And it was just my luck that the cause of most of my stress was right here at school.

    That was right when the door to the cubicle I was in was kicked open.

 Chapter 2

    The lock clattered to the floor and I could feel the fire begin to rise up again. I looked at the boy in front of me, he stood a few inches taller at 6 foot. He was broad shouldered, with a dishevelled mop of orange hair.

    I recognised him he was one of the boy¡¯s from the year above me his name was Jack, he played football and was just your all round stereotypical douchebag. I also realised that I had been staring at him, trying to calm myself down for a solid 30 seconds.

    ¡°Why are you lookin¡¯ at me with that retarded look on you face!¡± He yelled, I knew what came next some poorly veiled excuse to beat me up. I had stopped asking why it was happening a while ago, better to just let it happen and be done. It was more of an inconvenience now than anything else.

    ¡°The fuck are you lookin¡¯ at, I¡¯m talking to you punk!¡± He said as he swung wildly at my face. I could have dodged it, but then it would have just drawn things out taken up more of my already precious time. The punch connected and knocked me of the still closed toilet I was sitting on. Fuck. That was going to bruise. I¡¯d have to think of an excuse for my mum later.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°He, piece of shit.¡± He said as he walked away. I lay there on the bathroom floor for a few minutes wondering how easy it would have been to just let loose and burn them all to death. Obviously I wouldn¡¯t, but the looks on their faces would be fucking priceless.

    The bell rang.

    I just kept laying there, I no longer felt like going to class. About ten minutes later I got up and walked home. It was winter and all though it never really got too cold in Australia the air was still crisp enough to be annoying.

    I walked along the side walk, trying not to make eye contact with anyone just want to get home.

    After about 30 minutes I make it to my building. It¡¯s one of the newer apartment buildings in the city and was pretty fancy. We weren¡¯t rich but we weren¡¯t poor either I climbed the stairs not wanting to wait for the elevator to arrive. Me footsteps echoed against the empty stairway until I hit the carpeted hallway of the 4<sup>th</sup> floor, I walked to my room. Number 456 and opened the door.

 Chapter 3

    The door swung open to reveal a tiled interior. I didn¡¯t pay it much mind as I powered through to my room. It was small enough room for my bed and desk but not much else.

    I quickly changed out of my school clothes and walk over to my desk I sit down and start meditating. I had taken to doing this a couple of days ago to help and control my power, and it was actually working a lot. I¡¯d recently been able to control when I use my flames and I have a moniker of control over how hot they burn and with how much force they explode outward.

    I open my eyes and to my surprise a few hours have passed. I check the time on my phone and it is 5¡¯o clock, my mother would be home in a couple of hours so I had a shower and started cooking.

    Dad had left us when I was five. That was 11 years ago, so for 11 years it had just been me and mum. She worked late so that we had enough money to stay here and to keep me in school. I still feel like a massive burden but ever since I started cooking and doing all the housework about 5 years ago it isn¡¯t as bad.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    I put the food on a simmer and head back to my room and check on my most recent project. An iron mask lays in front of me. I had been crafting it for a couple of weeks now to get it just right. It looked like a gas mask. I had painted it red, and it was finally done and looking equal parts terrifying and badass.

    Tonight would be the night I thought. Tonight would be the night I tested my power properly.

    You may ask yourself, why would I a kid who is afraid of his own power would want to go out and be a hero? Well, I couldn¡¯t tell you. Maybe it was because I had a good heart, or maybe I just needed to relive the stress of the day. It was probably a bit of both. But ever since powers first surfaced crime had skyrocketed. And I wasn¡¯t going to kid myself into thinking I could stop it alone. But I could help.

    I put the mask away for tonight and went back to dinner it was nearly ready and I didn¡¯t want to burn anything.

    Tonight. After everyone was asleep I would do it. I would become a hero.

 Chapter 4

    The door to my apartment was flung open and I saw my mother enter through, looking haggard and tired.

    We shared the same shoulder length black hair and bronze skin but that was were our similarities ended, she was short and petite whereas I was taller than average with a barrel chest and broad shoulders. Her eyes were chestnut brown as opposed to my black orbs.

    She looked up at me with a tired expression before a smile slowly crept across her face.

    ¡°Jethro that smells amazing as always.¡± She said with her Iranian accent, her and my father were both born in Iran, they had both moved here to Australia when I was born so that I would have more opportunities. Then dad left and everything went to shit.

    I smiled back at her, mother was always kind and hardworking, back when I was a kid I felt like such a burden on her. So when I was old enough to start cooking and cleaning I tried my best to do it to my fullest ability so that I could make up for the years idleness.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Thanks mum.¡± I replied, ¡°We¡¯re having spaghetti.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, smells delicious,¡± She said she started walking off in the direction of the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a shower I smell like shit.¡± She took of her name tag and put it on the kitchen counter, it read, ¡°Afari Kaine¡± she worked at a local grocery outlet as a manager, it wasn¡¯t as high paying as some jobs, or as exciting as others, but it brought in a steady wage, enough to live off.

    I finished cooking and waited for my mum to get back before plating up. She walked back into the room in casual clothes and still damp hair.

    We ate in relative silence which was quite odd for the two of us, but truth be told I was far too excited about tonight to make good conversation. My mind was only focused on one thing right now, everything in the background was just filler.

    It was 1am and I stood in the streets I was wearing a hoody, sweatpants, joggers, gloves and my mask. I sure did look the part of a street vigilante but now came the real test. I could talk the talk, but could I walk the walk.

    I thought this to myself as I ran off into the dark streets of Brisbane at night.

 Chapter 5

    Back in the day Brisbane wouldn¡¯t have been an easy city to find crime in randomly at night. This all changed after powers were introduced.

    Since then three main gangs have made the city their home.

    The Bandidos Sangrientos: A Latin American gang that had moved in during the early 2000¡¯s, their main shtick was drug dealing, all though they were beginning to move into the slave trade.

    The Seven Immortals: A gang that had moved in from south China and South East Asia, at first this group just ran muscle and other mindless jobs for the other gangs, and was close to being subsumed when they gained a new leader. A fearsome powered criminal that turned the tide, turning the Seven Immortals into what we know and hate today.

    Ablution: A mainly white gang that focused on extortion. They motto was ¡°Unto the pure the world shall be given¡±, their definition of pure being white Europeans. Their favourite past time was to go out and ¡°hassle¡± ethnic families. Personally, they had a special place in my heart as they had yelled obscenities at me and my mother several times.

    I walked at a brisk pace down the darkened streets, my footsteps echoing through the silence.

    I had been patrolling the western outskirts of Brisbane for the past hour, it was both good and bad. Good in the sense that no violent crimes where being committed but bad in the sense that it didn¡¯t seem like I was going to get to kick some criminal ass tonight.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    I was broken out of my stupor by the sound of jeering and cries for help from the alley up ahead. I walked up as quietly as I could and peered into the alley.

    Five men, all large and tan. Had backed up a young girl into the corner. They were blocking my view of her, but from what I could see she was scared.

    The men were clearly Sangrientos as they had he distinctive facial tattoo, probably wanting to sample their so called ¡°produce¡± before selling it off to Mexico.

    ¡°Come on honey.¡± The largest of them jeered in a distinctive Mexican accent. ¡°I just want a taste.¡± He said grabbing out for her.

    ¡°No please.¡± She said slapping his hand away. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone anything, so please let me go.¡± She begged tears streaming down her face. The men had moved and I could now see her face clearly. She was about 18 or 19, blonde and thin. She was wearing thick makeup which had now smudged due to the tears streaming down her face.

    ¡°Honey, you aint going nowhere, ya see we gotta make an example outa runaways¡± The large man said while unbuckling his belt. His buddies just laughed.

    I had seen enough and decided to put an end to it. I stepped out of the alcove I was in and took a few deep breaths while adjusting my mask, you can do this I thought.

    I cleared my throat and they turned with an annoyed look on their faces.

    ¡°S-stop right there.¡± I stuttered, fuck this was meant to be my big moment. ¡°Step away, let her go and nobody gets hurt.¡± I said more confidently this time.

    ¡°The only one who is leavin¡¯ is you boy, so run on home. Before I slice you up good.¡± He said producing a knife and brandishing it wickedly, the girl shied away visibly when she saw it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you to the count of three.¡± I said.

    One, they began to gear themselves up for a charge.

    Two, they started drawing makeshift weapons.

    Three, they charged and I ran to meet it.

 Chapter 6

    They roared an incoherent cry of fury as they charged forward, hands clasping makeshift knives, baseball bats one guy even had a length of chain! But I tuned it out as I focused.

    My power had manifested 3 months ago, ever since then I had been preparing for this day both mentally, and physically.

    About 2 weeks ago I had broken into an old abandoned construction site and had been practising controlling shockwaves and recently the occasional fire ball. But training against inanimate pieces of concrete and timber were far different than fighting actual living breathing people, as I was about to realise.

    For one thing, stone is far more durable than a person. I found this out when I punched the big guy with the bat. I directed a shockwave into his centre just like in training and I felt his ribs crumble into dust beneath my fist. He shot outward and smacked against the far wall next to where the girl was watching. He hit it with an audible crunch as his spine broke.

    Fuck. That was way too hard not only is he probably paralysed for life but I nearly hit the girl. That would have been bad.

    The other gang members backed up, slowing down their charge and looked at the crater in the wall where their buddy lay. They looked at each other as if seeing what the others would do next, and I was about to restate me offer for them to leave the girl alone when one smashed me across the jaw with a nail board and the others continued moving.

    Another power I had discovered while training was that I was pretty durable when I wanted to be. You may ask, why didn¡¯t I use it when I got hit in the bathroom earlier today? The answer to that is when a kid breaks his hand after punching someone questions begin to be asked.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    The nails blunted and the wood exploded into splinters. He looked amazed, from his point of view he just scored a direct hit. And he was right but they were starting to see that they had chosen the wrong fight.

    I ran through the storm of splinters and wood shards and, now deciding against the direct application of shockwaves to peoples bodies unless in extreme cases, I created a controlled explosion behind my elbow to propel my iron fist forward. It struck the gangbanger in the jaw, breaking it and knocking him out.

    Holy shit, I feel like fucking superman. I just took out two guys twice my age and haven¡¯t even taken a scratch. That was when the other three dogpiled me.

    I fell to the ground mentally kicking myself for celebrating prematurely. A wall of flesh blocked my vision and claustrophobia was in the beginnings of setting in.

    I panicked and sent a mass shock wave outward, blowing the people off me. It was¡­ effective, they flew into walls and I was soon the only one left standing. I picked myself up off the ground and made sure all the people were still breathing. The first guy it hit¡¯s breath seemed to be weaker than the others, but I knew fuck all about first aid and had no idea how to help him. Something I told myself I would rectify sooner rather than later.

    I heard a few sobbing sounds, and remembering about the girl I walked over two her. As I approached she recoiled from me and began to cower in the corner.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± I said in my most reassuring voice which, thanks to the gas mask, was a hard feat to perform.

    ¡°W-who are you?¡± She asked between sobs.

    ¡°I¡¯m no one important.¡± I said while handing her a phone from one of the dead gang members, ¡°Use this to call the police, tell them where you are and what your circumstances are.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know where we are.¡± She said, and after I hastily gave her some directions I turned and left.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said to my back as I walked off, I didn¡¯t turn back. She was just part of the bigger picture, there were more girls like her currently being held by the Bandidos Sangrientos. There was still work to be done.

 Chapter 7

    I walked several blocks away before ducking into an alley taking off my mask and the walking in a different direction home, caution was key.

    I walked for about another 20 minutes before reaching my building. Obviously not being to go up and in through the front doors I strolled to the back of the block to the fire escape. The ladder had already been pulled down from when I left my room earlier.

    I moved to climb up it when something hit me, I had been out for a while, what was the time. I checked my watch and it was 3:00 am, fuck I was going to be tired tomorrow I lamented as I began to climb.

    <hr>

    *Beep Beep*

    ¡°Ughhhhhh.¡± I groaned, to fucking early, my entire body was sore from last night and I could barely move my arm to turn off the alarm. I checked the time, 7:54 am fuck I¡¯m going to be late I said as I willed my body to move. My bus arrived at 8:00 and if I missed it that would mean walking to school on my already dead body, so I fought through the pain as I got dressed, brushed my teeth and packed my bag. I left the door with a piece of toast in my mouth.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    I flew down the stairs as fast as my aching body would let me, I got to the bottom and checked my watch 7:58, I can make it. I ran through the doors and bolted to the bus stop, just in time to see the bus pulling away. Fuck!

    <hr>

    I arrived at school at 8:49 m, 11 minutes before class. I walked through the school alone, I had never really had much luck at making friends and I was even worse at it when I got to high school, so I just walked through the crowded hallway to my year 12 Physics class.

    ¡°Hey did you hear what happened last night!¡± A scrawny looking year 9 said rushing up to his friends

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that he just walked up and without warning killed 5 Sangrientos.¡± Said another equally scrawny tanned boy.

    ¡°I heard that it was ten.¡± Said a taller looking girl she had shoulder length brown hair and was on the uglier side of being plain.

    ¡°Nah, did you idiots even watch the news?¡± Said a fatter looking one while holding his phone screen out to them. ¡°Look, right there!¡± He pointed, ¡°Five Bandidos Sangrientos gang members incapacitated by mystery assailant. He didn¡¯t kill anyone dumbasses.¡± He said going back to his phone.

    ¡°Well whatever the case good riddance.¡± Said the first one.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Affirmed the girl.

    I walked further away from the group, too far to continue listening to their conversation. But all across the school the main point of interest was that a masked vigilante saved a girl and took out five gang members.

    I walked to my physics class flushing with the attention. Even if they didn¡¯t know it was me.

 Chapter 8

    A shockwave rocketed my fist toward another man¡¯s face after he finished his futile attempts at stabbing me. I made a note to learn how to fight properly after this, as I had been relying on my powers a lot and without them I would be pretty pitiful.

    It was my third night out since I had started doing nightly patrols, and I was currently raiding a Bandidos Sangrientos drug den for more leads on their slave trafficking ring.

    I stepped over wounded bodies lying in prone forms, and people too high to move alike on my way further into the complex.

    I had already taken out the two guys at the door and four more people in the house if it could still be called that. The walls had been knocked down to allow room for dirty mattresses to be laid out for people to lie on, leaving the room smelling of plaster board and bodily fluids.

    A portly man in his late 20¡¯s entered the hall from a room at the back, probably to find out what all the noise was about. His eyes locked with the lenses of my mask and he reached for his gun.

    ¡°Oh shit it¡¯s you.¡± He said while drawing his pistol and emptying his clip at me.

    They left nothing more than red marks, as if I had been flicked relatively hard. After his failed attempts to take me out he turned and ran to a room in the back of the hall, yelling something in Spanish.

    I chased after him, that room looked important, mostly because it had a distinct decrease in the filth of the floor and walls, which I thought to myself was reason enough to go there in and of itself.

    I reached the door and tried to turn the handle, locked. Fuck why does everything thing have to be difficult. Fine, if they wanted to play hard ball, I would play hard ball.

    I front kicked the door, sending it off its hinges with an explosive application of force. The door rocketed into a desk, at which sat a man in a suit, knocking the pistol he was previously aiming at the door out of his hands. That didn¡¯t stop the other four people in the room from firing though.

    I was consumed in a hail of gun fire, it fucking hurt. Didn¡¯t do any damage, but hurt all the same. I walked through it like a demon and one by one neutralised the thugs with guns. The last one stood their trying desperately to fire his empty gun while begging for mercy.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I punched him in the teeth and added a small shockwave for good measure. Want mercy bitch, how about you don¡¯t enslave innocent women and then try asking for it.

    I stepped over his prone form and walked toward the man in the suit. I had changed as a person, a month ago I couldn¡¯t even look someone in the eye without blushing, now. I was fighting gangsters and saving lives. It felt good.

    I grabbed the suited man by the hair and pulled his face level with mine. I wanted answers, I had been out looking for the location of the main slavery ring for three whole days now, beating people up until I found someone sufficiently important, and I had a good feeling about this guy.

    It might have been because he wore a suit or that he didn¡¯t smell like he hadn¡¯t showered in a week. But the main reason was the stacks and stacks of cash stacked up on his desk.

    ¡°Hey shitface, you awake?¡± I asked my voice sounding quiet and breathy coming out of the mask.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± He said in a Mexican accent. The man had tanned skin and big brown bushy eyebrows and seemed to wear far too much hair gel for his own good. But his must distinctive feature was the large facial tattoo of a bloody knife under his right eye and running all the way down to his chin.

    ¡°I want to know where you are keeping the girls.¡± I said trying to sound menacing. I needed answers fast every day I wasted was another day that more people were torn from their families or sold overseas, it made me sick.

    ¡°Girls, what girls? There are no girls here. Look you seem like a reasonable fellow, I¡¯m sure we could make some kind of deal¡­¡± I cut him off with a normal punch in the teeth, I had no more fucking time for this shit.

    ¡°Ughn.¡± He groaned. ¡°Yes, yes the girls it¡¯s coming back to me, maybe if we made a deal I could tell you.¡± I punched him in the face again harder this time, I felt teeth fly back into his mouth and his nose flatten against his face.

    ¡°Tell me what I want to know!¡± I all but yelled into his ear.

    ¡°Ah, they are at the docks, in an old warehouse titled ¡°Jimmie¡¯s Cannery¡± you can¡¯t miss it.¡± He wailed, looks like my message was getting across.

    ¡°Good.¡± I slammed his head against the desk to knock him out and left the building.

    I walked into the cold night air and reached into my pocket for the disposable burner phone I had bought earlier today. While bringing it up to my face I saw my bloodied knuckles, shouldn¡¯t I be feeling something right now? Like a sense of remorse? It¡¯s what the people in the comic books feel after doing their jobs so why aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m not feeling anything, the only thing I think off when I think about it is that those people were bad and they needed justice to be served. Maybe people don¡¯t need a hero to hold their hand and whisper sweet nothings in their ear. Maybe they needed someone to take action, real action and cut out the cancer at the root.

    I dialled the police and steeled myself for the next raid. I would never be the celebrity hero, the one on the posters or the one on the t-shirts. I would be the hero in the streets doing what needed to be done. I would be the monster we so desperately needed.

 Chapter 9

    I hobbled back into my room at 4:30 am and took of my mask, chucking it onto my desk I shuffled slowly toward the bathroom.

    I took a shower and felt a hundred times better after washing off the blood and sweat, I stepped out and basked in the residual heat that the steam provided. I wiped of the fog from the mirror and looked over myself.

    I was covered from near head to toe in ping-pong ball sized bruises from the gun shots. I guess it could be a lot worse, I could be you know. Dead. I dried my hair and returned to my room, chucking the hood and jeans I was wearing into the trash. I was going to have to get a proper costume soon because I was very quickly running out of expendable clothes.

    I took another ten minutes to check my mask and wash the blood off it. Fuck, I thought as I saw a hole through the forehead and touched my hand to the corresponding bruise. That took me so long to fucking make and it is already fucked, god I hate guns.

    I flopped into bed and regretted my decision immediately as pain began to radiate from my bruises, tomorrow I was going to take out their main slave base. Tomorrow night I would do it, and tomorrow night I would be in far more pain.

    I woke with a start and checked the time, 11:00am I panicked briefly lamenting at the fact I would have to walk to school again before remembering. It was Saturday.

    I took my time getting out of bed, getting dressed and preparing for a long day, I packed a first aid kit, some food and my mask into a bag, put on a hoodie and walked out.

    I got about halfway through the living room before my mother accosted me.

    ¡°And where are you going?¡± She asked with a coy smile on her face.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°¡­ Out.¡± I said sheepishly.

    ¡°Out where?¡±

    ¡°Out with friends.¡± Ha, good idea, mum had always blamed the divorce for my reluctance to make friends but in truth I was just really bad at talking to people. She raised an eyebrow, really mum come on I¡¯m not that bad with people. Okay I guess I am but still.

    ¡°That¡¯s good Jethro, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re finally trying to talk to people, you know what I always said, people will like you if you give them a chance¡± She said as I left for the door. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re forgetting something.¡± I hobbled up and gave her a hug. ¡°Alright, go have fun.¡± She said as I shut the door and walked down the stairs and onto the street.

    I arrived at the docks about 40 minutes later and looked at ¡°Jimmies Cannery,¡± even to the untrained eye you could tell this was not just any cannery. What with the two armed guards at the entrance and more patrolling the roof. All carrying assault rifles.

    I could see shapes moving through some of its dimly lit windows along its three story sides.

    Even with just the guards on the outside this would be a hard nut to crack but I would bet my ass there were more guards on the inside. Coupled with the foot traffic right now meant I wouldn¡¯t be able to storm this thing by day.

    I pulled out my regular smart phone, the one I used in civilian guise and texted my mother telling her I would be out late tonight. A reply came shortly after with confirmation and I settled in for what was to be a long night.

    Night fell and the number of guards stayed the same, I was waiting for an opening when I saw him.

    A smaller man looking to be aged around twenty, covered in tattoos and leanly muscled, his name was Maximillian Garcea, but most people knew him better as La Pequena Sangre or The Little Blood.

    He was one of the powered lieutenants of the Sangrientos and from what I remember was a Geokinetic, a super with the ability to control mineral elements up to a point. He said something in Spanish to the guards and walked into the building.

    The two guards lingered for a little while longer before saying ¡°You heard the boss, said he wanted to sample the produce before shipping tomorrow, so common that¡¯s go pick out a few choice cuts for him.¡± The said laughing before walking into the building.

    Okay, if there was any time to do this it was now, no guards at the gates and the girls being moved tomorrow meant it was do or die. And I had no intention of dying tonight.

 Chapter 10

    I took out my burner phone and called the police, I had a feeling I was going to need some backup on this one.

    ¡°Hello, this is 000 what¡¯s your emergency?¡± Came the reply from a distinctly feminine voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need both the police and ambulances down at Jimmies Cannery, it is a suspected front for the Bandidos Sangrientos gang and powered gang member La Pequena Sangre, is on the scene.¡± I reported to the woman on the other side and, after a brief pause she responded.

    ¡°The emergency departments have been contacted, please stay where you are and wait for them to arrive.¡± She said, ha wait, fat fucking chance of that I thought while hanging up and walking around to one of the back windows.

    I pressed my mask up close to the glass and peered through.

    The interior of the first floor was a dimly lit massive 30 meter by 20 meter chamber, in which stood rows and rows of cages, and in each of these cages sat a girl aged around 18 ¨C 20 years old.

    Well not all of the cages were occupied, as when I looked through I could see the guards dragging of 5 girls toward the stairwell up which The Little Blood had just disappeared.

    Fuck, I had to get to those girls before he did something to them, I began to see red and was seething with rage having to physically calm myself down. Deep breaths, think rationally. Good. Now, time to plan.

    From what I know of The Little Blood¡¯s power he has a range of about 5 meters so if he is on the third floor he can¡¯t effect the fighting on any of the others unless he exposes himself, and since his power doesn¡¯t reinforce his body like mine does, doing that would put him at a disadvantage. So, my plan was to secure the first floor quietly if possible, quickly if not, the purpose of this was to avoid any of the prisoners being caught in a drawn out fight between supers. Then I would eliminate anyone on the second floor while keeping them away from the staircase until the police can evacuate everyone, while also trying to draw out The Little Blood, if not than I would proceed to sweep the third floor for him. The plan may have a few holes but I was never a strategist, I just hoped it didn¡¯t fuck up to bad and get him and everyone else killed.

    I waited until no one was in my part of the building before quietly shattering part of the window I was crouched at, I walked in and the first thing that hit me was then smell. It smelt like sweat, blood and despair and the visuals I was getting conveyed pretty much the same thing. The concrete on the ground was cracked and the inside of the cages had a couple newspapers on the bottoms of them. It made me want to simultaneously puke, and kill the guy who was doing this to these people. I would have to settle for his employees.

    The first man didn¡¯t even see me coming before I rendered him unconscious with a burst of shockwaves to the head, not enough to break bones, but enough to put someone to sleep and make them wake up with the worst hangover of their lives. The second didn¡¯t see me either, or the third. I had taken out about half of the twenty guards in the room before the captives started realise something was happening, they didn¡¯t speak for fear it would fuck up their chance at escape, but they watched me out of the corner of their eyes with a new expression, one of hope.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The last five guards were sitting at a table watching some Spanish sit com with their backs to me, I hit them with a ranged burst knocking all five out before this is way too fucking easy it thought as I addressed the people still in cages.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I said, trying to be reassuring. ¡°The police will be here soon and get you out of this place and back to your families, I have to keep going, I¡¯m going to make them pay for this.¡± I growled out the last few words as I walked toward the stairway and into the second floor.

    I poked my head out of the stair case and immediately regretted it when about 10 pairs of eyes focused on me in about 2 seconds. That¡¯s when they started drawing their guns and yelling alarms.

    I got the first guy before he could draw his pistol and punched him square in the chest, breaking all his ribs and smashing him into the guy behind him fast enough to break even more bones on both of them.

    I made it to my third target just before he fired by incorperating a lunge with a controlled explosion, literally rocketing myself forward, using the momentum to punch him in the temple, putting him down for the fight. That was when the shooting started.

    I got hit in the chest by a fucking storm of gun fire and, unlike most who would shy away from this I charged into it finishing of the shooters one by one as they slowly realised just who pitiful their bullets were to me.

    The Little Blood still hadn¡¯t shown himself I thought, as I moved over the bodies toward the entrance to the third floor. This either meant that he had jumped out the window and ran, which was bad. Or was preparing something for me, which was worse.

    When I stepped into the third floor I nearly fainted, it had the same appearance as the first floor, this being of a large open room but unlike the first floor this room had no cages, but what it did have made me wish it did.

    In each corner of the room was a massive spike about 4m long reaching near to the room¡¯s ceiling, and on each spike was one of the girls. Stripped naked, their makeup long since washed away by both tears and blood. They had a spike entering them just above the tail bone and coming out of their mouths. And sitting in the centre of it all in a throne made of stone was The Little Blood, with the fifth and final girls sitting on his lap sobbing quietly.

    He was short and currently devoid of any clothing save his boxer shorts, with tanned skin and piercing green eyes. But his most distinctive feature was the mad smile currently plastered on his face.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the infamous masked man finally coming out to play.¡± He said mockingly. ¡°I must apologise though as you can see I already started the game a little early.¡± He said gesturing to the girls impaled around him.

    I took an unconscious step closer as flame began to billow around me, the concrete I was walking on stared to glow red.

    ¡°Ah ah ah¡±, he said as he pointed a newly made stone dagger to the girls throat. ¡°You see my masked friend, you obviously don¡¯t know the rules of the game what with you going around and fucking things up like you own the place. There are repercussions for you actions and I intend to show you, intimately. What these repercussions are, starting with this¡± he said as he pierced the underside of the girl¡¯s jaw and into her skull.

    I exploded in a storm of hellfire.

 Chapter 11

    I rocketed forward like a sting missile, firing consecutive explosions from my back to gain speed, I was in his face before he had time to react and swung an explosion powered haymaker toward his jaw. A triumphant grin spread across my face as I watched my hand move forward, fucker thought he was tough shit! Let¡¯s see how tough he looks after I put him through a fucking wall. My smile was short lived however as right before my fist made contact the ground beneath shifted, pulling him away at lightning fast speeds.

    I looked on slack jawed as the man who just a second before was about to be knocked the fuck out, was now standing several metres in front of me wearing a grin that was far too similar to my own for my liking.

    ¡°Did you really think it would be that easy asshole?¡± He sneered at me. ¡°Nah, we gonna have some fun.¡± He smiled, and then everything went to shit.

    Two spikes make of stone came out of the floor right below my feet spearing through my shoes and scoring to gashes on the soles of my feet before I had time to rocket jump away.

    I landed and The Little Blood shifted forward again, moving the ground under his feet and keeping me in his range. Two clamps of rock formed around my ankles trapping me and began to squeeze, I could already feel my bones begin to creak even through my enhanced durability.

    The little blood looked at me smugly, a look that was quickly destroyed just like his stone clamps when my entire body exploded into a ball of fire.

    I looked around at the carnage I had dealt. The ground beneath me was cracked and covered in scorch marks as was most of the warehouse. As for The Little Blood, he was groaning as he attempted to rise from where he was thrown against the wall. This was my chance!

    I rushed forward toward him at top speed, hoping to get to him before he could regain his senses and drive me off again. My hopes dashed when just before I reached the farthest most edge of his range he erupted into a storm of spikes making me backpedal franticly to avoid being impaled.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I stepped back a stalked around the edge of the spiked sphere, this continued for a few moments before the spikes were withdrawn inward and replaced by the diminutive form of The Little Blood now clad head to toe in armour made of stone.

    ¡°You hit hard boy I¡¯ll give you that.¡± He panted stalling for time, time I wasn¡¯t going to let him have I took a step forward but stopped when he raised his hand and spoke again. ¡°Look, it appears we have a stalemate, you can¡¯t get to me because of my spikes and I can¡¯t get to you because of your explosions. So how about this, you let me walk out of here and I won¡¯t kill you and everyone you have ever loved. Sound good.¡± He smiled at me and I just stared at him blankly, did he really think that I was just going to let him go after all he had done, fat chance. I steeled myself and prepared to charge him. He must have seen the change in my posture as he stiffened slightly and put his hands in front of him in a nervous gesture, ¡°come on man, you don¡¯t honestly care about what happened to those sluts do you? I mean come one, they were worthless scum, half of them volunteered to ¡®work¡¯ for me after I offered them some drugs.¡± I began to see red, this trash though he was above them, thought their lives meant nothing, I looked around at their faces still frozen in a mask of terror and panic as they bore witness to this battle, no one deserves to die like that. I looked back at The Little Blood, well maybe some people do.

    As I tensed up to charge sirens wailed in the distance. The police! About fucking time, I looked back at my adversary to see him momentarily distracted by the sound of his impending capture, my time was now.

    I shot forward as fast as a speeding bullet, and by the time he looked back at me I was already in his field and almost upon him, he began creating spikes as fast as he possibly could, and even though I was so close one still managed to score a large gash along my side. But none managed to drive me off and I smashed into him like the hand of god, doing what I fantasized about at the start of the fight, I put him through the fucking wall.

    I loomed over his broken body, it was over those girls could finally rest in peace. The last thing I saw before I blacked out from blood loss was a police car driving up toward my prone form.

 Interlude 1 - Ultra

    ¡°John! Wake up you lazy bastard we got a call!¡± A shrill voice sounded from somewhere nearby I rolled over, desperate for a few more minutes of sleep.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± Small hands grabbed me and began to shake me awake. ¡°Some new vigilante tried taking down a new Bandidos Sangrientos slave ring and ended up in a super fight with The Little Blood, so we¡¯re being called out.¡± I was awake before she could say anymore, sitting up so suddenly I almost head-butted the mousy face looming over me.

    Her name was Sarah, but she was better known as Glitch, and her along with me and Harold, (the holder of the before mentioned whiny voice) made up the main part of the BCH, or the Brisbane City Heroes.

    I put on my costume and walked into the main headquarters of the BCH and was met with a cacophony of noise. It was like an anthill that had been kicked over, clerks and police frantically running all over the place trying to get this form or that signed and made ready before the fight was done, none of that was my concern however, my job was getting on scene and kicking ass.

    I walked up to the closest officer, a young name by the name of Bernard. He was new and always eager to please.

    I looked down on him, you tend to do that often when you tower over 6 feet.

    ¡°Briefing.¡± I grunted out. Every hero was required to be briefed on the situation before going into it, it had saved my life many times.

    ¡°Current version is that a vigilante with unknown powers runs in trying to play hero and starts duking it out with the big boys. Fight hasn¡¯t spilt over onto the street, yet but we think it is only a matter of time. So your job is to get in there, stop the fight, apprehend The Little Blood. In that order.¡±

    Good The Little Blood was no pushover and I was itching to get another go at him after last time.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    <hr>

    I soared through the air, arms to my sides and feet together I was akin to a missile. The people new me best as the hero Ultra, a man with flight, super strength and durability. A pretty generic hero all said and done but I could still kick some ass, and that was all that mattered.

    ¡°Dispatch, Ultra is approaching the scene now please standby.¡±

    ¡°Roger that Ultra, dispatch is standing by.¡±

    I flew into the area and was met by a veritable hoard of scantily clad young women. Well this wasn¡¯t how I expected my day to go. I flew done and they practically swarmed me, it was now I realised they weren¡¯t just the average super fight spectator, but the girls the Bandidos Sangrientos had kidnapped.

    ¡°Please, I wanna go home.¡±

    ¡°Help us!¡±

    They cried various things at me as I searched the scene, the building we were in front of was three stories, grimy and the kind of place you don¡¯t want to go to after dark, much like the rest of this part of the city.

    ¡°Calm down please, the police are on the way they will take you home to your families and get your statements, but for now please, is heir anything you could tell me about what is going on here?¡± It was the best I could do, I was never one for speeches and I really did need more information before I ran in there blind.

    In the next few seconds the girls blasted me with all their knowledge of the situation even the fact that the masked vigilante had tracked an engaged The Little Blood on the top floor.

    ¡°Thank you, the police will be here soon and they will take you all home.¡± And with that I flew off, could I have done more for them? Probably but my job wasn¡¯t to talk people down or be nice, I was a bruiser. My job was to hurt people.

    I flew up to the third floor smashing through a window.

    The scene i was met with was beyond gruesome, severla people impaled on spikes in each corner of the room, it was another thing that would haunt my dreams at night, but that was for later. Right now, right now i had a job to do.

    ¡°Dispatch, we have the kidnapped girls on the outside of the building opposite of the front entrance. And several dead bodies on the top floor¡± The electronic female voice sounded nigh immediately after.

    ¡°Roger that Ultra, first responders are already on the scene.¡± Good first responders already there, that meant cops and ambulances, what those girls really needed.

    I looked around the room and slapped myself after noticing the giant fucking hole in the wall. How did I not notice this earlier! I flew up to it and then looked down on the street and saw to battered bloody bodies.

    ¡°Dispatch, this is Ultra. I¡¯ve found them, send ambulances immediately.¡±

 Rise Lore - 1

    Infamous Villains

    Henry Conwirth aka Dogma:

    Henry was born to a heavily Christian family in Texas he went to church every Sunday always sat in the front pews went to bible camp and all that jazz.

    When Henry was 12 years old his school took him on a field trip to Houston while their Henry, who was always easily distracted wandered off from the rest of the party and was ambushed by a group of serial paedophiles. They kidnapped him and over the next few years he was subjected to torture both psychological and physical. Three years after his kidnapping Henry Conwirth manifested the ability to make anyone who hears a direct command from him obey. We know now that the first act that Henry did was force all of his captors to sodomise and then kill themselves.

    Over the next twenty years Dogma would go on to create a cult like nation spanning the entirety of the state of Texas, many invasions have been made to free the people he keeps under his thumb, all have failed.

    To this day the only reason that the Holy Theocracy of Texas doesn¡¯t rule all of North America is because of their monarch and deity has no wish to expand his territory and is content to stay with his play things.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Henry Conwirth is most well-known for his cruel tyrannical behaviour and a fondness for cowboy hats.

    The Collective:

    The Collective was a villain with the ability to overthrow the consciousness of and possess any individual within its line of sight.

    It first appeared in Cairo, Egypt and quickly subsumed the entirety of the city and some of the surrounding areas.

    The situation was finally resolved after the UN nuked the shit out Cairo

    The Butcher aka Johannes Van Beerban:

    Johannes Van Beerban was a butcher who resided in Amsterdam, he manifested after the death of his daughter and that very same day the men who were suspected of her murder were found partially eaten.

    The next day they found the judge who acquitted them with both his legs and one of his arms gnawed off.

    Then it was the lawyers, then the jury.

    Within a week anyone with anything to do with the crime was dead and eaten. That was when Johannes moved on to normal people. His power was the ability to gain permanent physical enhancements from consuming organic matter.

    By the time the police and heroes of Holland tracked him down he was already too powerful for them to stop. He still to this day travels around Europe eating a few people at a time.

    He may look fat and jolly but looks can deceive for this Santa won¡¯t eat your milk and cookies, he¡¯ll eat you.

 Chapter 12

    My eyes opened. Ow, too bright want to sleep. I closed them again.

    My eyes opened again. Ow, my side hurts still want to sleep. So I did.

    My eyes opened once more. Ow, it is too bri¡­ Wait, my room isn¡¯t this bright, where the fuck am I?! I sat up with some difficulty and then looked around, there was a light blue curtain surrounding my bed on all sides. The floor was clean, white and made of linoleum and the air tainted with a pungent smell of cleaning products. There is only one place this depressingly sterile in the world, a hospital. But why would I be in a hospi¡­

    It all came back to me in a rush and I instinctively moved my hand to my right side, nothing. Why the fuck is there no huge bleeding scar, or at least stiches? I lifted up my hospital gown and was met with an angry white scar running down from my rib to my hip bone, contrasty starkly from my bronze skin.

    Why the actual fuck is it white, doesn¡¯t that usually happen to scars you¡¯ve had for years?

    Wait, if I¡¯m not home then, my hands shot straight up toward my face to make sure the mask was still there and much to my relief, it was.

    But still why was my scar healed, and where the fuck was I?

    ¡°I can answer both of those questions.¡± Said a shrill voice as a man walked into the room. The man was short but not overly so and sporting a well-muscled frame from what I could guess from the bulges in his arms and legs around his costume. He had mouse brown hair thrown into disorganised mop and was currently studying me with hazel eyes.

    How did he know my questions?

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a telepath.¡± My body froze for a second, fuck a mind reader! I am so fucked, he probably knows where I live, my name, and my mother¡¯s name. Hell I was unconscious telepaths online say reading an unconscious person is as easy as taking candy from a baby so he probably knows my cousins dog¡¯s name (Ralph, for those who wanted to know).This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    He chuckled, a warm and reassuring sound and against all odds I found myself calming down. That set me even more on edge, how far in is he if he can already influence my emotions like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in your head, just reading surface level thoughts. I can stop if you would like.¡± He smiled at me, a large warm affair showing of teeth.

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I murmured out turns out I was really thirsty. He handed me a glass of water and I looked at him like he just shot my dog, mother fucker lied.

    ¡°Ha, I now that look. No, I¡¯m not in your head it is just I know what is like to wake up after being unconscious for a while.¡± I took the water tentatively and drank.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said with new found determination. ¡°Where are we and what the fuck is up with my scar?¡±

    ¡°We are currently in the BCH headquarters medical and holding wing and as to what is up with your scar, that white gash you have is the result of accelerated healing via powers.¡± He smiled at me again, I was beginning to hate that smile.

    ¡°How long have I been here?¡± This one was really getting me because my mother would kill me if I was out to late.

    ¡°Not long, just an hour. As we said, accelerated healing.¡± Alright that was okay, that meant it was still night and I had some time before my mother would be expecting me back home.

    ¡°Alright final question, can I leave?¡± I was worried about this ever since he had said ¡®holding wing¡¯.

    ¡°You are free to leave,¡± hell yeah, I screamed internally. I thought they were going to kill me or try and enlist me for some government testing facility. ¡°After we ask you some questions.¡± My heart dropped, fuck I am so fucked.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hold me here against my will without due cause.¡± I said, years of watching cop shows with my mother was finally going to help me with something, fuck you school TV can teach you valuable life lessons. ¡°So either you are going to have to arrest me or point me to the nearest door.

    ¡°Alright, you are under arrest for vigilantism. You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to an attorney¡­¡± He droned on with my rights but I was still stuck on one thing, under arrest. My mum was going to be really fucking pissed.

 Chapter 13

    I was marched through several clinical hallways, past people in suits who gawked before continuing on with their lives.

    Today was really not my day I thought. The shorter man in front of me paused and opened a light blue door on my left. The room was, in a word, Spartan. There were no furnishings apart from a long grey table and two chairs on either end. This is just fucking great.

    He walked me to the far end of the table and attached my cuffs to their respective spot on the table¡¯s top side.

    The man then sedately walked off to his side of the room and sat down with a thump. He pulled out a little rectangular recorder and placed it in front of him, near the centre of the table. He saw me studying it and said, ¡®For the record¡¯ then smiled at me.

    ¡°I, Officer Harold J Phillips, am questioning young mister,¡± he dragged on the ¡®r¡¯ obviously wanting me to say my name, well fuck that I wasn¡¯t giving the government any more details about my caped life.

    ¡°Look son, this will go a lot easier if you just cooperate.¡± He said as reassuringly as his whiny voice would allow.

    I just stared at him, focused on trying to stare holes through his head, actually some people could probably do that. Fuck, I pulled myself out of a day dream, focus Jethro.

    ¡°Alright, I am questioning a current John Doe, waiting on permission to ¡®un-mask¡¯ him.¡± Fuck, ¡®un-mask¡¯ this was all going to shit faster than school with a mass outbreak of diarrhoea.

    ¡°Alright son, first question. Why did you choose to become a hero?¡± He asked hopefully, I just continued trying to burn a hole through his head. He reached over and turned off the recorder and began to talk to me off the record.

    ¡°Look son, we aren¡¯t actually trying to arrest you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, could¡¯ve fooled me, you know with the cuffs and the whole ¡®you are under arrest¡¯ shtick.¡± He chuckled nervously at that.

    ¡°Yeah sorry about that but we couldn¡¯t have you leaving before we were able to ask you a few questions.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°So I can leave if I answer these questions?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Fuck me, I still didn¡¯t trust this guy I didn¡¯t trust the police in general, but fuck if I got to leave then sure, I¡¯ll answer some questions.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll answer your damn questions.¡± At that his smile widened and threatened to split his face in half. His hand moved back to the recorder and turned it back on.

    ¡°I will restate the first question, why did you choose to become a hero.¡± I was about to answer something inconsequential until I actually stopped and thought about the question, why did I become a hero? I mean, I wasn¡¯t all that outgoing of a person and all though I was never a bully I didn¡¯t stand up for anyone else so, why? And then it hit me, why not. I didn¡¯t really have a reason apart from a nebulas concept of right and wrong and a lot of boredom and pet up frustration, vigilantism seemed like a fun alternative to yoga or anger management.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I answered and he looked somewhat surprised by my answer before continuing on.

    ¡°Alright second question what is your end goal?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t really have one, when I first started it was to beat up some of the criminals I my local area, then it was to save the girls at the Cannery, after that I haven¡¯t really planned much.¡±

    ¡°Okay third question how amiable are you to working with others?¡± It may have just been my imagination but Officer Harold was looking hopeful now.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t really think about working with a team that much, guess I could do it.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! Alright last question, how would you feel about being the inaugural first member of the BCJH or the Brisbane City Junior Heroes?¡± His smile had reached new heights and seemed to have a mind of its own.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry the what?¡± I asked in confusion, the BCJH as far as I was aware they didn¡¯t exist so what the fuck was Officer Harold on about.

    ¡°The BCJH, the regular BCH is trying to get a large PR boost and we are seeing the popularity of young vigilantes, you included so our plan is to make a group of heroes similar to the BCH and have them become new defenders of the city along with us.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said warily ¡°what do you mean ¡®inaugural¡¯ first member¡± His smile faltered a little at that.

    ¡°You would be the first to join but I¡¯m sure after we have a leader for the group others would soon follow.¡± The smile was back in full force now and he was making animated had gestures.

    ¡°Hmmm, I have a question for you.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡± He said happily.

    ¡°Do I have a choice in this?¡± He looked shocked at this then smiled a cruel smile, I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t like his answer.

    ¡°Of course you have a choice son, we all do. Just so happens that your choice is join the BCJH as the group¡¯s leader or go to jail for vigilante justice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not giving me much of a choice here are you?¡±

    ¡°No, no we are not.¡±

    And that, ladies and gentlemen was how I became the head of the Brisbane City Junior Heroes, and the day my hero career truly began.

 Chapter 14

    I woke up the next day in my bed staring at the ceiling of my room, shit I have that PR thing today don¡¯t I?

    I rolled over, the last week had been a blur of forms, officials and being yelled at by my mother (yes they told her) so all in all not as bad as it could have been. Mum was, understandably pissed when she had found out about what I had been doing and nearly forbade me from continuing down the hero path, but with constant whining she eventually caved.

    I stood up and jumped a little as the chill past from the floor passed through my feet and into my body, fuck its cold. I walked over to the shower and let the hot water wash over me for a few minutes before snapping myself out of my stupor and washing properly, They told me I would have to be clean for my first PR meeting, costume fitting and then my first ever interview with the press, it was going to be a long day.

    I stepped out of my house at 8 in the morning and ran toward the train station my loose shirt and pants billowing in the cold morning air.

    I slowed my pace as I began to reach the headquarters of the BCH and checked my watch, 10:30 thank fuck I¡¯m not late. I walked through the glass revolving doors and was met with a truly immense foyer.

    The floor was made of black marble and was polished to a near reflective sheen, the walls were made of a slightly lighter shade of the same material but were still quite dark, these more macabre colourings were offset by the large columns that, six on each side and all stretching up to the high, vaulted ceiling.

    I walked up to the front desk, a grandiose affair made of dark wood. Standing behind it was a short attractive looking blonde woman as I walked closer I could see that her name badge read Lisa.

    ¡°Good evening sir how may I help you?¡± She said in a chipper voice was a strong Australian accent.

    ¡°Ugh yeah,¡± I said awkwardly ¡°I have an um, appointment with mister¡­¡± I dragged out the last syllable of the word mister as I rifled through my pockets for the business card I was handed yesterday.

    The woman, Lisa, just looked on with a bemused expression as I progressively got more and more embarrassed which would then fuck up my searching which would make me get more embarrassed, you get the picture. Fuck I was bad with pretty girls.

    Finally my hand clasped around the small slip of hard paper, I pulled it out smiled sheepishly at the receptionist and then the read the name.

    ¡°Mr Santana, I have an appointment with Mr Santana.¡± I said with a triumphant smile, I was happier about finding this slip of paper than I should be, I made a vow that I was going to burn it after I was done with this meeting.

    ¡°Thank you Mr Kaine, we have been expecting you.¡± She said with a slight smile.

    ¡°Wait how did you¡­¡± I stopped mid-sentence, expecting you. So that meant she already knew I was coming and I didn¡¯t have to look for the card, she was good.

    ¡°Come with me please Mr Kaine.¡± It was at this point I realised I had been standing still and staring off into space for a few seconds, if I was embarrassed before I was way more now, so much so I could barely mutter an okay before trundling of after her.

    She led me threw a labyrinthine series of hallways and staircases before we reached a door marked, ¡°PR Department¡± She opened the door and then ushered me through.

    The room we entered into looked more like something out of a sci fi mission control than a business¡¯s marketing branch. There were computer everywhere I looked and people were running around like someone had lit a fire under their collective asses. They carried a whole garden variety of forms and items, it was madness and I am man enough to admit I stared slack jawed as Lisa led me through the centre walkway.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After a little bit of leg work we approached a frosted glass door marked with ¡®J. A. Santana¡¯ Lisa opened the door and gestured for me to enter, when I did she promptly shut the door behind me.

    The room I had entered was interesting to say the least, the walls were lined with bookshelves expensively made and lavishly embellished but in contrast to this was the fact that the shelves were covered in vintage records and I even saw a book titled ¡®Marketing for Dummies¡¯ also the fact that the floor was carpeted with a neon pink shag rug.

    Much like the shelves, the desk at the far end of the room was expensively made of a wood that I guessed to be mahogany, and it was covered in fast food wrappers and trashy magazines.

    It looked like classical architecture and 80¡¯s funk had a love child and the man that rose from the desk was the epitome of this.

    He was tanned, had a perfectly trimmed black beard and immaculately groomed oiled back hair. From what I could see he was powerfully built and when he stood at full height he was about an inch taller than me. This image of a self-made business man was ruined as he was dressed in both a Nirvana t-shirt, ripped jeans, ray band sunglasses and Nike sneakers.

    He walked up to me at a brisk pace observing me the whole time, looking me up and down like a predator examines its prey.

    He stopped about a foot in front of me, then lunged forward and pulled me into and embrace kissing me on both cheeks before finally letting me go.

    ¡°Ciao, please take a seat.¡± He said in a Latin American and very not Italian accent while gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

    After we sat he spoke again.

    ¡°Well, look at you, the new little hero. Thank god who ever chose you had brains, tall, dark and quite handsome if I do say so myself. Do you know how hard it was to market Harold?!¡± He said with wild hand gestures before stopping abruptly, I then realised that hi question was not, in fact rhetorical and that he wanted me to answer.

    ¡°Um, not that hard.¡± `I said

    ¡°Ha, not that hard. Say that after you have to market someone how sounds like fucking squid ward!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he said in a much more calm voice ¡°let us get to business, come¡± He said while standing up from his chair and walking to a door at the far end of the room.

    When we walked through what first hit me was the temperature, I must have been shivering because Santana said ¡°We have to keep it cold for the fabricators.¡± Fabricators? Now I was curious but I said nothing further.

    When we reached the far end of the room Mr Santana pressed some buttons on a tablet he was holding and then several segments of the jet black wall slid back revealing.

    ¡°Costumes, every hero has one. But what makes it special from any old piece of clothing.¡± I looked around at the costumes lining the walls, I recognised ones for Ultra, Glitch and Mindhack and several others from before my time. ¡°There are three things: Utility, ie what can your suit do for you? Recognisability, because it is always easier to notice the costumed yahoo telling you to evacuate the burning building then the average Joe in a business suit and finally Marketability, now this is a big one. You see the BCH sells merchandise for all of their heroes, that¡¯s t-shirts, action figures, hats and all that jazz, now although majority of each sale goes back to the BCH ten percent is sent to the hero whose merchandise it is. And people are far more likely to buy merch for the hot chick in the skin tight costume than for the fat guy in the same thing. Now son this leads us to you, more specifically your new costume.¡±

    He said while gesturing animatedly to a case at the far end of the room he mays have spoken some more but by this point I was mesmerised.

    They had replaced the gas mask with a stylised reptilian head of some sort. There were sharp spines about an inch thick running down from the top of the head getting progressively smaller until they stopped at the tail bone. The suit looked skin tight and it was covered in small interlocking scales, and from what I could see the finger tapered into claws.

    The helmet was now blood red as was most of the suit, the scales had the same garnet colour but each of them was bordered by black making it look incredible, I was in love.

    I tuned back into Mr Santana¡¯s ramblings to catch the end and I was euphorically happy that I did.

    ¡°We are going to call it, I mean you Ddraig Goch, if you didn¡¯t know that is the name of the dragon on the welsh flag.¡± He kept speaking but I didn¡¯t hear anymore all I heard was, Ddraig Goch, the red dragon, it felt right.

    I was broken out of my stupor by the sound of an intern bursting into the room. Before Santana had time to rip his head off he began to speak.

    ¡°Ultra, told me to tell you that while they were busy on a job another villain started attacking a different part of the city, they cant get here in time so they are sending out the junior heroes,¡± He said between gasps then looked at me ¡°sorry the junior hero to deal with it, your orders are to suit up and then be briefed in the foyer.¡± He scampered off after his message was delivered.

    A few minutes later Santana was helping me into my costume, I was in a trance.

    The dragon was about to come out of hiding, and the world will know hear my roar.

 Chapter 15

    I walked with a purpose back into the foyer. When I first entered it was quite deserted but now? Now it was filled with people running about anxiously, this was fucking insane!

    ¡°Ddraig Goch?¡± A feminine voice asked from behind me.

    ¡°Yes that¡¯s me.¡± I said turning around, my normally low voice being augmented by the helmet into a deep smooth baritone. I turned around and I saw the woman from the front desk now wearing a suit and carrying to pistols that I could see.

    ¡°My name is Lisa Rebalchi, and I am to be your handler from the United Heroes.¡± She said while smiling slightly. The United Heroes was the organization that ran majority of hero organizations such as the BCH.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just full of surprizes.¡±

    ¡°Quite,¡± she said smiling ¡°now as per protocol you are to be briefed on the situation before entering into it. What we are looking at is an attack by the Dominators, they have breached a local high school and are currently taking hostages, the police were preparing for a siege when the Dominators stepped out, they said that ¡®it was no fun if we didn¡¯t fight back¡¯. We believe that they are currently waiting for a united hero response.¡±

    I gulped, everyone on the east coast knew who the Dominators were, not because they were the most powerful, or the smartest, no, we knew of them because they were some of the most cruel people in Australia. They were serial rapists hence the name Dominators. They numbered here and they mostly focused their attacks on young women. I was going to put them down, hard.

    ¡°What are their powers?¡± I found myself asking.

    ¡°They recently took casualties during a failed attack on Sydney so they only have original member, Bulldozer, he is a solid middle class tank, high durability and strength. Their two new members are a bit less powerful, Lancer a mid-range striker, his ability is that he gets stronger the longer he runs in a straight line. And finally Bongo, the ability to create localised explosions of sound, now go, you have lives to save.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± I finally said remembering something that she had said. ¡°You told me they were in a high school, which?¡± I spoke, my voice cracking.

    ¡°Bently, why?¡±

    ¡°No reason¡± I exclaimed while leaving.

    I walked outside of the building and began to fly off, yeah you heard me, fly. I had been training with my ability with the help of the BCH and I realised that if ii used a localised current of vibrations I could rocket into the air.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    I approached the scene at high speeds and took the time to examine it from the air as I still approached. The three villains were standing outside of the building in a triangle formation with bulldozer at the front and Bongo and Lancer flanking him, they stood about ten metres away from the police line. Waiting.

    I landed in the classic hero pose, cracking the pavement as I did. I turned back to the police.

    ¡°Please stand back, let me handle this.¡± I said far more confidently than I felt. It was at this point that the police and villains spoke in unison.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± They said.

    ¡°I am Ddraig Goch,¡± I spoke ¡°and you are under arrest.¡± I said pointing at the villains.

    That was all the cue the police needed to step back, they may have known who I was they may not have, but everyone knew not to get involved in a fight between capes.

    ¡°Like fuck we are!¡± Yelled lancer in a clear South African accent while beginning to charge, he never got the chance. Because as soon as I saw him move I unleashed the other attack I had been training with the BCH, my roar.

    I roared at the top of my lungs all the while amplifying the sound and directing it toward the Dominators, the effect was instantaneous. Both Bongo and Lancer fell to the ground clutching bleeding ears, writhing in pain, Bulldozer wasn¡¯t affected because of his durability, he charged toward me hoping to end he fight before I could do more damage. That was his first mistake, his second was thinking I could only use sound.

    I charged forward with the aid of explosions and met him in melee combat, his costume was a makeshift armour made from industrial equipment. None of it save him from my next attack.

    I deftly slid under his guard and delivered a rocket powered punch but when I hit his armour I used the contact to pump him full of shock waves, his armour crumpled and rattle in a way the showed he had multiple broken bones and was out of the fight.

    I walked up to his teammates who were now beginning to stand after the sonic assault.

    ¡°Should have stayed down mother fuckers!¡± I yelled while walking up to Lancer, sure I could have just put them down again with a sonic attack but they deserved so much worse.

    I reached him while he was doubled over still trying to stand with to ruptured ear drums, I kicked him in the arse, sending him sprawling and then stomped on his spine directing vibrations into it that turned it to powder. It was amazing what healers could fix nowadays.

    I left him paralysed on the floor as I turned to look at the next guy, a scrawny, weak looking young boy with dark skin who was staring slack jawed at his downed companions. I walked toward him menacingly, I was only a few metres away when he noticed me and threw his hands up.

    ¡°I surrender! I fucking surrender.¡± He yelled visibly crying.

    I turned back to the police who had moved to put handcuffs on the downed member of the Dominators they nodded at me and I prepared to fly away and give my report to the BCH.

    Before I could, a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around my waste, then another than another. I turned my head to look at them and saw a group of girls in school uniforms clinging to me saying their various thanks and one was crying softly into my chest while holding me in a death grip.

    And for the first time since the fight with The Little Blood, I truly smiled.

 Interlude 2 - Lights. Camera. Action!

    ¡°Cassie!¡± I groaned, flailing wildly with my arm in the direction of the speaker.

    ¡°Five more minutes.¡± I mumbled rolling deeper into the sofa.

    ¡°Cassie get up! We are on in five minutes.¡± Said the tentative voice of her intern, not wanting to annoy me but still needing to wake me up, I felt for this poor girl.

    I shot up like a rocket, Five minutes! I thought in disbelief, I only had a little nap.

    ¡°How do I look?¡± I said while rushing toward the mirror on the far end of my trailer.

    ¡°You look fine Cassie. Now go we don¡¯t have much time.¡± She squeaked at me while I gave myself a quick once over in the mirror.

    The fact that my makeup was still fine was truly a miracle, the same could not be said of my hair. It had gone into bed head mode from my nap so I picked up a hairbrush and began to furiously brush my shoulder length blonde hair.

    ¡°Cassie you have to go!¡± My intern squeaked again as I made the final adjustments to my hair and dress while stepping out the door.

    I moved as quickly as humanly possible while in heels, pushing past directors and interns and stage hands, making a beeline right for the stage.

    I stepped on to it with 30 seconds to spare, my co-host looking visibly relieved at not having to do the whole show himself. H leaned over and whispered angrily to me.

    ¡°Where the fuck were you?!¡± He hissed conveying as much anger as was possible in a whisper.

    ¡°I over slept.¡± I said shrugging.

    Before he could come up with a retort the trademark saying of television cut off our conversation, the show was starting.

    ¡°Lights. Camera. Action!¡±

    The opening credits to hero view played as I sat on the red plush sofa, next to my co-host Donny, the two of us together were the hosts of HeroWatch, the primary show on the activities on villains and heroes in Australia.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°And today we have a special episode¡± I heard the credits saying and for once they weren¡¯t exaggerating, we were interviewing the latest project by the united heroes to get the youth on their side, we were interviewing the new junior hero, Ddraig Goch.

    The credits ended and I saw him walk in, he had been dressed in a suit while still wearing his costumes mask of course, he was tall, about 6¡¯2, 6¡¯3 and had a broad shoulder athletic build, and from what I could see tanned, bronze skin.

    He sat down, looking uncomfortable but trying to hide it, the silence was beginning to drag after the roar of the crowd had died down and I was about to speak up to help the kid but Donny beat me to it.

    ¡°So, Ddraig Goch,¡± he drawled in his trademark Aussie accent. ¡°It has been a week since the events with the Dominators, we have reason to believe that this was a chance for the Junior Heroes to gain some publicity before recruiting more members. So I have to ask, have you had any luck on that part?¡±

    The young hero shifted his weight awkwardly, definitely more comfortable fighting crime then on a stage.

    ¡°Yes sir, we have had quite some success recruiting members, and I am happy to report that they will be revealed in a weeks¡¯ time at the latest HeroCon event being held right here in Brisbane.¡± He said in the methodical way reversed answers always sounded.

    ¡°So, Ddraig Goch, what made you choose this life, in particular the events tying a currently un-named vigilante with a similar mask and power set to you and the break-up of a Bandidos Sangrientos slave trafficking ring?¡± This was the big question, it had taken a little while for the studio to dig for this information but now they were 90% sure that the vigilante had been the new Junior Hero.

    For the first time in the whole of the interview he didn¡¯t look uncomfortable and leaned forward in his chair.

    ¡°If you want to know if that was me or not, the yes, yes it was.¡± He spoke in a deep baritone, not loudly but just enough that everyone in the room could hear if they strained. And strain they did, this kid had a whole TV studio hanging of his every word in the way that any reporter would envy. ¡°But if you want to know why I did it? I did it because it was the right thing to do,¡± the he looked at the cameras ¡°and because nobody else would.

    He stood up and left after that walking off the edge of the stage in a true drop the mic exit. People chased after him with questions, but not Cassie. Cassie was still rooted to her spot.

    She had been wondering the reason the UH had made him the pioneer of the Junior Heroes, sure he was good at fighting but so were many other people, people who didn¡¯t turtle up into rehearsed responses when quizzed. But now she knew, because on this day Cassie knew for sure that he had made at least one new fan.

    She smiled and walked back to her trailer, it was going to be a long day.

 Interlude 3 - Heroes Rise

    I opened my eyes and looked around, pink wall paper check, piles of stuffed animals check, tacky yet still cute bedsheets check. I was still in my room, thank god.

    I sighed with relief, after days in captivity I had become paranoid, I now needed to do this every time I woke up or went to sleep.

    I stepped out of bed, my silk night gown flowing down languidly from where it had risen to my thighs back down to the middle of my shins. I walked over to the dresser choosing a purple sweater and jeans, tossing them on before walking down stairs.

    ¡°Lillian, is that you?¡± My mother asked from the bottom of the stairway as I descended.

    ¡°Yes mum, what¡¯s for breakfast, smells delicious.¡± From the fact that her mother was making breakfast I could deduce it was 7:30 am, her therapist had told them that a strict schedule can help people recover after a traumatic experience and her ever supportive parents had jumped on this.

    My parents were ¡®new-age¡¯, they had read all of the parenting books, had taken me to the mummy and me sessions as a baby, supported me as I tried various arts and crafts, fawning and doting over even the smallest injury. Because of this you can imagine they had an even more inflated reaction than even the most diehard parents when they heard of my subsequent kidnapping and then rescue. They had paid for all the therapy, tried all the techniques and pushed up their care for me to next level, it was all quite suffocating.

    ¡°Oh, just pancakes, but thank you for asking.¡± My mother set a plate of the fluffy, disc shaped delicacies down in front of her before sitting across from her at the dining table.

    ¡°So honey, isn¡¯t today when your, ¡®auditions¡¯ are going to be held.¡± My mother asked with a sense of trepidation, she knew both of her parents didn¡¯t approve of her decision of joining the BCJH, but after I had manifested powers during captivity and then finding out that the man who saved me was heading the team I knew there was only one path to take, a path that led me back to him.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    She smiled an anticipatory grin, soon she would be getting the only therapy she needed, soon.

    <hr>

    My eyes opened slowly before I remembered what day it was, then I thrashed my way out of my bed and was down the stairs, changed and into the main section of my grandad¡¯s garage in less than two seconds, it payed to be a speedster.

    I looked at my grandfather as he worked on a car, Henry Bradman, formerly from Boston he had moved to Brisbane in the 60¡¯s making a living out of repairing cars, just enough to feed his family of five and then after they had left and the death of my parents in a car accident, me.

    He turned around, his broad shoulders rising from here they were previously hunched over the engine of a car.

    ¡°Donny, when did you get there?¡± He asked, not as surprised as he was when I had first manifested my powers, he was used to it now.

    ¡°A couple of seconds ago.¡± I said making a note to speak more slowly than I normally would as to be understood by normal people.

    ¡°Cool, anyway shouldn¡¯t you be off, those interview things are in a couple of minutes and it wouldn¡¯t do for a Bradman to be late on his first day.¡±

    A couple minutes, I looked at my watch in shock before rocketing off toward the BCH headquarters.

    My Grandfather just shook his head in his garage, ¡°Damn kid, he never learns.¡± Chuckling he went back to work.

    <hr>

    I rose from the floor beside her bed where I had been praying and began dressing conservatively, it wouldn¡¯t do to go out dressed as a Jezebel.

    I walked down stairs passing both my brother and sister as they walked back to their rooms, passing through the lower landing and into the dining room where my parents were waiting.

    Laura and Leopold Shrike were a very Christian family, and veterans of the local Catholic Church.

    ¡°Daniela.¡± My mother acknowledged while gesturing for her to sit.

    I sat down across from them.

    ¡°Mother, Father.¡± I said deadpan, this was it, this was the moment of truth.

    ¡°Daniela, as I am sure you are aware,¡± My father started in a deep baritone ¡°We do not entirely approve of this venture that you wish to undertake in due to its¡­ violent nature.¡± He said while gesturing with air quotes. ¡°But due to the nature of your gift leaving you on the sidelines and your arguments about how it will spread the good word of our lord and saviour and happiness among others in equal measure we have decided to relent.¡± A smile crept on to all three of their faces before her mother continued.

    ¡°Good luck my child, god bless you.¡±

    ¡°God bless you too mother.¡± I stood up, gathered my things and left toward the BCH, I would become a hero for the people, like our lord Jesus Christ.

 Rise Lore - 2

    Organizations:

    UH: The UH, or the United Heroes is an organization that brings together and organises hero teams all over the world, giving them support and resources to allow them to do what they do more effectively.

    The United Heroes has Jurisdiction in Africa, South America, Mexico, Australia and most of Europe, this makes them the farthest reaching hero organization in the world and without it most of the world¡¯s heroes would collapse, unable to support themselves.

    The founder of the United Heroes was a man named Harry Cartwright, better known as the hero Demigod. Demigod was and is still considered to be the most powerful human to have ever lived, in terms of both influence and raw power. He was corrupted during his fight against Abyssal, a villain with power to cause people to go mad. He now roams the world destroying the ¡®non-believers.¡¯ His fall from grace was a great loss to the world.

    The Cults of Dagor:If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The Cults of Dagor are the organizations of powered people that worship the corrupted Demigod now known as Dagor.

    Their modus operandi, is to travel into an area decimated by Dagor and then being to convert it to their religion.

    They are a plague on this earth and anywhere they surface the United Heroes snuffs them out without fail, but that takes time. Time enough for the Cults of Dagor to perform some of their perverted rights.

    The Kingsman:

    The Kingsman is the hero group that operates in the British Isles, they are supported by the government of the United Kingdom and have no affiliation to the United Heroes. The UK is the only country to have their own government funded hero team.

    The founder of The Kingsman was a man known only as Pendragon, he is the oldest living cape and considered to be the most powerful telekinetic in existence.

    He is used on the political scale as a sort of deterrent and is believed to be the only reason why the UK can continue to exist unmolested by the power that is fascist France so close by.

    The Mer: The Mer are an organization of people with water based powers based in the Pacific Islands, they rule this land as their personal domain where their word is law, to defy The Mer is to defy life itself.

    They are the reason why Australia finally accepted the aid of the United Heroes after decades of being standoffish toward their interference. For no because The Mer are much akin to the water they worship, no one can stand against them forever.

 Chapter 16

    I sat down, the cheap metal chair creaking under the weight of my costume, today I would be meeting the members that would form the rest of the BCJH. It was my task to forge this group of misfits into a proper fighting force, into heroes. Fuck me.

    I looked over to my left side, another revelation that had come to me this week was the fact that Lisa, the woman who I had met on my visit to the BCH PR department, was to be the liaison and handler for the BCJH. Yeah turns out she was just pretending to be a secretary to test me.

    She noticed me staring at her and gave me a smile causing me to blush under my helmet, I took it off, it would probably be better for the new members to see me, the real me.

    That gave me pause, as I undid the clasps and took of my helmet and thought to myself, who was I really? Until now I had been treating Ddraig Goch as a different person but was he really? Why was I trying to distance myself from him, was I ashamed of what I had done? No, that¡¯s not it, I only hurt those who did it. Maybe I was afraid, afraid that if I didn¡¯t keep these two lives separate I would find a different side of me, a violent side. A vicious side.

    I was broken out of my existential crisis by the opening of the door. Through it walked a short boy with dirty blonde hair, he was practically vibrating with excitement eyes darting around the room before landing on me. They were filled with a mix of apprehension and admiration.

    The next person to walk through the door was a conservatively dressed girl with shoulder length brown hair, she had strong plain features with a prominent brow and thick eyebrows. Around her neck she wore a crucifix.

    The third and final person to enter the room was dressed in a sweater with a generous neckline showing a fair amount of cleavage. She wore jeans and had long blonde curls that cascaded down to her back. She was stunning, with high cheekbones a cute nose and flawless skin. She looked back at him with a small smile and a slightly predatory grin on her face.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    They all sat down and we looked at each other for a few awkward sentences before Lisa nudged me under the table, it seemed I was to begin.

    ¡°Um hey,¡± I said meekly ¡°My name is Jethro, it¡¯s nice to meet all of you.¡± I said holding my hand out toward them, they shook it in turn before responding with their own introductions.

    The shorter boy held out his hand first, ¡°My name¡¯s Donny.¡± He said with a strong Australian accent, ¡°I¡¯m a speedster, and I just wanted to say sir,¡± he said looking at me ¡°I realy admire you work, taking down the slavers and those rapists like that! You were all Bam! Wham! Kablam! And they were all like, ¡®oh no please don¡¯t hurt me.¡¯¡± His voice had got faster and faster until at the end he was throwing his hands out in elaborate gestures while grinning like an idiot at me.

    I adjusted my estimation of his age, judging from the sound of his voice he appeared to be about 14 or 15.

    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± I said awkwardly, god I am bad at this!

    Before I could insult myself more the girl in the sweater smiled at me and then spoke.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Lillian.¡± She said in a sultry voice as smooth as silk while her eyes roamed over my face hungrily taking in every detail, she leaned closer before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward very much to getting to know you better.¡± She said winking at me, all I could do was blush before the final girl spoke.

    ¡°Charmed, my name is Daniella.¡± She said smiling sweetly at me.

    ¡°Well this has all been lovely hasn¡¯t it?¡± Said Lisa sarcastically. ¡°But we can¡¯t sit around here all day, you lot,¡± She said gesturing toward the three others, ¡°You have to go meet the PR department to have your costumes made.¡±

    I smiled sympathetically, I remember how much the costume guy had creeped me out, I would not want to have to go back there.

    Lisa must have seen my grin because she turned back to me before continuing.

    ¡°Jethro here will accompany you, think of it as teambuilding.¡± She said smiling innocently at me. Oh she was a devious witch. I would have to find a way to get her back after this but before that.

    I stood up, almost as soon as I was vertical Lillian had wrapped herself around my arm and Donny had begun to chatter nonstop.

    Yup, this was going to be a very long day.

 Announcement

    Yo, as you may have noticed rise hasn''t updated in a couple of day, that is because I have been writing a different serial called Warlord. But dont worry, the wacky adventures of Jethro haven''t ended, I will just be taking about a week to plan out the next few chapters and wirte a bit more for Warlord.

    Also read Warlord, do it, like actually, like im not kidding.

    ps: There were not enough characters in that announcement so here are the lyrics to All Star

    I ain''t the sharpest tool in the shed

    She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb

    In the shape of an "L" on her forehead

    Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

    Didn''t make sense not to live for fun

    Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

    So much to do, so much to see

    So what''s wrong with taking the back streets?

    You''ll never know if you don''t go

    You''ll never shine if you don''t glow

    Hey now, you''re a rock star, get the show on, get paid

    And all that glitters is gold

    Only shooting stars break the mold

    It''s a cool place and they say it gets colder

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.You''re bundled up now, wait till you get older

    But the meteor men beg to differ

    Judging by the hole in the satellite picture

    The ice we skate is getting pretty thin

    The water''s getting warm so you might as well swim

    My world''s on fire, how about yours?

    That''s the way I like it and I never get bored

    Hey now, you''re an all-star, get your game on, go play

    Hey now, you''re a rock star, get the show on, get paid

    All that glitters is gold

    Only shooting stars break the mold

    Hey now, you''re an all-star, get your game on, go play

    Hey now, you''re a rock star, get the show, on get paid

    And all that glitters is gold

    Only shooting stars

    Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas?

    I need to get myself away from this place

    I said yep what a concept

    I could use a little fuel myself

    And we could all use a little change

    Well, the years start coming and they don''t stop coming

    Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

    Didn''t make sense not to live for fun

    Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

    So much to do, so much to see

    So what''s wrong with taking the back streets?

    You''ll never know if you don''t go (go!)

    You''ll never shine if you don''t glow

    Hey now, you''re an all-star, get your game on, go play

    Hey now, you''re a rock star, get the show on, get paid

    And all that glitters is gold

    Only shooting stars break the mold

    And all that glitters is gold

    Only shooting stars break the mold