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One day can make or break your relationship with work. You start your day drinking a nice cup of joe, pumping iron, maybe even going for a morning jog. Ah, how innocent I was, minding my own business I was a C ranked hero in the hero association, I had been fighting evil for around 15 years and unlike those in B rank and above, I lacked some kind of over powered ability. Heck the only thing that I could do was talk, people seemed to back down from petty crimes pretty easily when you try to really help them with their issues.

Though that wasn't something I could use today. Before me was a wasteland; the city was crumbling as the sever S class villain's called the League of Supper Rugged Savages or (LSRS) had began laying waste to the city. The Beast like savages sought to bring civilization back to a primitive time where survival of the fittest determined who lived and died.

There I stood as the likes of Golf man and Roach girl laid before me. There was no escape, the beasts of LSRS had noticed me.

"Looks like the party is only getting started boys we've got some fresh meat!" Their leader Crunch called out.

"yea, boss we's gonna has a goods times," A large apelike LSRS member squealed.

Panic quickly over took me, there was still people trying to escape, how would they, these beasts were focused on creating as much carnage as possible. My brain was having a hard time recognizing that I was at a breaking point. Run, or be devoured so I can save as many people as I can.

I looked down at the ground a shiver crept up my spine, this was the end. I broke into a cold sweat, I was only 35 years old... and I was about to die.

I breathed in a deep breath and called out with my lungs as loud as I could. "hey, who opened up a zoo on main street?" Suddenly a dozen or so eyes traced towards me, I had become their fresh meat.

The LSRS closed in and surrounded me, I watched as several people made the opportunity to slip away, but there were still others trapped beneath the ruble.

I screamed a loud scream bellowing throughout the street, my eyes squinted closed as I let my voice rang free. I paused to see they're confusion.

"well, If that ain't a warriors below I don't know what is, too bad you got nothing to show for it." A large hand reached out and grabbed my hair.

As I was hoisted up I could feel each follicle puling against the grain of my scalp. This was my last chance. " Oh, so the big bad leader is gonna do his own dirty work, well at least I get to go down knowing the strongest of you got to do it.

The beast looked me in the eyes. "oh how good it is to be king."

I was viciously slammed against the ground my arm shattered on impact. "Gyaaaaaaaah" I cried out in agony. I soon felt the beasts foot on my back as he began to pull on my arm. I could feel every second as he slowly began to rip the flesh.

The pain suddenly stopped as I saw my arm ripped into the sky. Blood pulsated everywhere. Then the pain returned, my arm clear off my shoulder.

"Why not just crush his head." asked one of the leaser LSRS members.

"Didn't you hear him, he gets to be killed by the king, he asked for this." Corrected a smaller mantis like member.

"well kid, i guess it's time to meet your maker." The large beast grabbed my head with both hands. "any last words?"

I opened my eyes to look this beast in his face, king wore a gold crown signifying his leadership over there rest of the pack. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my chance. " To bad you won't be the king forever, your not the strongest one here anyways."

"That's where your wrong." he boldly proclaimed.

"well, there is about to be fore less of you." I let out a chide remark.

Crunch let out a long apelike scream as he began to squeeze harder I could feel myself slipping, and then suddenly the pressure released.

I began falling to the ground as I saw my savior in the distance, golf man had been able to stand back up, and like the hero's in the comics saved me at my last moment.

Before any of them could move they were swarmed as roaches came through the broken city streets and began to overwhelm them. I had lost my arm, but I had bought enough time for the real hero's to rejoin the fight.

The attack on the city outskirts was supposed to be our winning move against the Dread League. In reality? It was the worst massacre that the Superhuman Coalition has seen in its 70 years of existence. The plan was fairly simple, the Delta-class heroes would serve as bait to lure the lower villains and minions out of their makeshift fortress at one side of the river, the Gamma-class then would use their psychic powers to debilitate the force field built around the place, and then, the “coup de grâce”: The Big 7 would just spearhead and destroy the place to eliminate the threat that the League had been posing to the city these last 5 years… But let me tell you something, not even the Big 7 could have predicted the class of weapon that they had been preparing to use against us.

We were preparing the assault, at midnight, when suddenly a purple flash of light illuminated the dark sky and millions of energy projectiles came raining on us like an artillery barrage. The catch is that this was no mere energy attack, it was energy concocted from Element 115, the kryptonite of the superhumans. That thing took out almost everyone instantly. Not even the mighty Omega, the number one hero in all the world- no, the universe, could withstand such a concentrated amount of 115 in his body. Alas, almost everyone died, at least the important ones were killed, the only ones that remained were a bunch of normals, and me, because somehow I had the grandest idea of taking a bathroom break during the debrief session. Though, it’s not like I am- was important on the mission, I’m just a Delta-class good for nothing. Who the hell would need a “hero” whose ability is to control the internet in a full scale assault on a prison with no networks!? They were just going to use me, and a bunch of other deltas as live bait; bunch of jackasses. I am screwed.

…

…

But I couldn't let it end like this. I’m a hero, and those people needed to go back home with their families. The facility where we were located was ruined, the attack took most of the systems offline., but the reserve systems were somehow intact. I had to do something. And so I did. With my powers I hijacked the system network and activated the emergency evacuation plan: a secret portal that led to a safe zone. I tried my best to help the wounded to escape, to let them live another day, but I had no time, in the distance the warcry of those despicable monsters could be heard. I tried to activate what was left of the defenses, a few plasma turrets and laser traps. That would do while I held open that portal for people to escape.

First came the minions, the low class monsters and villains, entering and falling into the maze of traps that I had activated, and at first, they worked! They were burned, electrocuted or impaled with high precision projectiles… but then the high class douchebags came. One of them, Voltius, fried the circuits that were still standing, and everything went dark, except the portal. I used all of my power to keep that damn thing open while the last normals escaped. By then I had realized that I couldn’t leave, I had to do everything that I could as a hero to give the world at least a light sliver of hope. With power that was left on the bases reserves I sent a message to the mainland through the net. A warning.

I have accepted my fate, but even then, in this fruitless last stand that I find myself on, I hope that what I did today served to save someone. I hope that at least a father can get home and see their children because of me. I hope that someone remembers me. NetStream, Delta-class hero, signing out.

Horns were blaring everywhere as panicked screams rose over the city. Blood Drop used the life of his victim to fuel his magic. A spell to show a triumphant image as they displayed the city’s last great hero limping and nearly dead before him. Sinder, the hero of brightest flames, coughed and their skin’s shimmering ember gave out. The sacrificial ritual would soon begin.

Aided by every other nemesis, villain and two-bit super-powered crook in the city with their own agenda, Blood Drop commanded them to start slaughtering the Metropolis’ inhabitants. He started casting his greatest spell yet.

All emergency services were already mobilized to ferry as many people as they could. That final image of Sinder was either a planned move to produce as much death-inducing chaos. Or it was a mistake of bravado as now everybody knew to flee and get out. Several trucks, buses and vans were rushing out. All police had already locked down on private vehicles to prevent unnecessary traffic from slowing down every other service. Most people not being ferried out ran with whatever they could.

Marianne of the Flicker stood next to a season general and his soldiers. He glanced at the last remaining hero in the city before praising her. “Nice job convincing the Mayor to prep all this. How did you guess?” Marianne merely shrugged before answering. “Easy guess. It was just me and Sinder left. He’s beaten every villain out there twice over. Even he couldn’t beat them all at once though. And I’ve never had any delusions of myself. I know I can’t beat them.” The general nodded.

As reports started coming of the various rampages that started, orders started being barked out. Several teams began deployment to stop or at least delay the incoming onslaught. When the general looked back to ask what she was going to do, he saw nothing. The fox mask wearing woman with a dozen differently coloured ribbons, brightly floating around her pure white robe had vanished in the middle of the tumult.

A 4 metre tall exoskeleton powered by the nuclear core of Fission Fitz barrelled down on a crowd trying to enter a bus. A single cop stood several paces in between with their pistol drawn out. Fitz’ plan was to simply smash through the foolish man’s body with their heavy and thick steel plating. As he was about to trample the man, his image flickered and passed right through. A piece of C4 suddenly exploded in the exoskeleton’s knees, buckling the giant’s massive frame and dropping them. A splash of paint to obfuscate the sensors and Fitz would remain disoriented and/or blind long enough for the last of the group to get on the bus or run far enough away.

Hundreds of wolves made of semi translucent shadows barked and gnashed ahead of a single skeleton that pulled their leashes of steel-strong ice. Craster and his shadow hounds were heading to the slums. Barely maintained roads and crashed vehicles made any emergency services impossible to run here. People were running and with their hands unclasped, the shadows ran through the maze of the city’s worst maintained districts to hunt them down any alley possible.

Soon Craster began feeling from his shadow hounds psychic bond the catch and bloody deaths of his victims. He found it odd that very few had caught their prey. They were chasing down multiple scents and they saw the fleeing victims. However, multiple times, the scent would change or they would disappear around corners. He smiled as much as a skeleton can. “Marianne... How very amusing” He rattled. “You can only run through these alleys for so long with your limited illusions. How well can you fight me with that alone?” To his dismay, as soon as her last flicker disappeared, his hounds heard and smelled only a few remaining humans nearby. He cursed himself thinking she would do anything more than run away. Several bullets ricocheted of his body and motorcycle. Stratus Blast laughed at the soldiers trying to stop him. After slaughtering his last two groups, his third was just past a line of barricade of riflemen. Skidding to a stop near the wall, he made a finger gun motion. The energy he had gathered from the multiple people shooting him or the several crashes and trampling he’d gone through started to gather at the tip of his finger. He shouted “Bang!” with an exaggerated recoil and one soldier’s head popped off. He made another to kill the next and nothing but rock nearby burst apart. The third shot blasted a piece of the road behind. Stratus was confused for a moment until he remembered. “Marianne!” he shouted. “Dodge this!” With a fist, he waved at the barricade and produced a wave of explosions that sent them all in the nearby building’s wall. When the dust had settle, the dozen soldiers lay dead in a nearby rubble.

Grinning, Stratus eyed the group that was running away in the distance. As he started to rev his bike, as sudden sputter cut out his engine. Looking down, he saw white foam layered around his engine. The liquid pool that had been placed under him while he was distracted was quickly expanding and covering him in a restrictive foam. He knew that most of his saved up energy was already spent on clearing the barricade. He could get out with bursts of latent energy but it would take time and the motor’s internals would be clogged for hours. With a roar he shouted out to nobody else’s ears, “You bitch!”

The general was coordinating as many supplies and soldiers as he could when he heard a shuffle near him. He looked back and told Marianne. “Take a rest. I actually heard you that time.” Marianne was gasping for air and was doubled over. What little he could see of her skin was covered in sweat while her floating ribbons draped around instead and had a duller luster than before. Marianne shook her head and asked between gasps, “Meredith Mirage is next. Just tell me where you stashed the mirror shards.”

The general passed her a bottle of water and looked away. Knowing he wouldn’t tell her until she could breathe normally, she took the kindness he made looking away. Lifting her fox face mask, she took several generous gulps until it was empty. As soon as her breathing slowed down enough, she saw the general point at a location on the map near him. A location with the marker for Meredith nearby. “Thank you” she said, before seeming to flicker soundlessly out of the tent.

The morning started as any other, and like the days before I got up at 5, made my pancakes and eggs and ate them. 6: I started my workout, the one from my favorite anime. 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 100 air squats, and then 10-km run. It doesn't seem to do much for me but at least I have decent stamina. Now that it's 9am I report in to start my shift. As the fourth newest recruit I'm stationed out to the southern side of the outer sector to watch out for petty crime. I saw a shady man following a woman walking somewhere, presumably home, but that's when the call came in.

"Attention all heroes. A class 9 attack is coming from the north of the outer sector. All personnel make their way there immediately." A similar thing happened once to me on one of my offdays, I was just napping on the couch when we got the call, but that was only a stage 3. Even that seemed difficult. It was only now that I realized the true gravity of this situation. There was 10 classes. This was a 9. I used the exercises that my master taught me before he passed, that seemed to clear my head of the threat. However now I was thinking of him. All our fond memories together, all the fond times, the training. It all came rushing through my head. The baggage I didn't properly deal with. Of course it had to catch up with me now, on this day, at this time. I didn't realize it but I had been standing still for 5 minutes. I rushed my way over to the gates, but by then it was too late. My friends, the people I looked up to who were holding the lines down. They were all gone. Not even the legendary Bugman was able to do anything. I saw his body on the ground, looking dead. I stood atop one of the houses, thinking about everything I did wrong. How I was a failure as I hero, how all these people are gonna die and there's nothing I can do about it, but then I saw something. Bugman's eyes... they looked toward me, then returned to their old position. This brought me back to my senses. My hero is looking at me, he knows im here. I gotta make him proud. I jumped down from the rough and land in the generic hero pose; Mistake number one.

A bit louder than I meant to I say "Goddammit that hurt". Already I go making a fool of myself. 3 of the villains just start laughing at me.

"Get a load of this loser, I mean look at him, he doesn't even have a cool outfit." It was true, I was just in a standard set of athletic clothes and running shoes. But they didn't know one thing. I was a master debater and a phycology degree. That on top of my above average strength and speed but those wouldn't help me now. At least 20 people were looking on at me in awe, watching as what they thought would be some kind of legendary battle. It would not be. "Tell me mighty sirs, what are your names."

The biggest one speaks first "I am the mighty Vanguard." "The short stubby one is chaos." The one on my right? He's Hadria. And you, bold one?"

"Me? I'm Agent Hare" Chaos lets out a snicker. I ignore it. "You see, lets think rationally here. You've spilt enough blood, mine doesn't make a difference, it's just a waste of energy to kill me. I can not feasibly defeat such great men as you. But what is you really gain to achieve? Honor? by killing innocent people and those just trying to help? Glory? By ransacking a city not well enough defended?" By some miracle I wasn't dead on the spot. That was a good start. After weighing my options I decided continuing was my best option. However, before I started Vanguard had some words of his own to say.

"Agent hare, although I don't know what you're trying to do, I'm afraid you're mistaken. Our mission is chaos and destruction, which we're doing a pretty good job at."

As the master of words I am, I immediately found a flaw in his phrasing. Well actually two. "Well first off, destruction is subjective. I could say, destroy a medical issue someone is having, but am I destroying it to you? Perhaps those buildings over there had some major security flaws or structural integrity? Perhaps you have sped up the resolution of a critical error? In fact, seeing as this is the outer district, a lot of things here aren't up to code. Hell, you're even doing us a favor, and for that... I thank you." Somehow my complete bullshitting managed to confuse them, and stall for Bugman to rise and release his signature attack. He releases an army of killer wasps, and not your standard kind. These are actually deadly. Although Chaos sends a fireball killing many, it's not enough, and one by one they all fall.

"I will say Agent Hare. Your methods are... obscure. I do not understand what you did or how it works, but alas thank you. What rank are you again?"

"Oh I'm the third latest recruit sir. I have not yet received any ranking."

"Well then Agent Hare." He hands me some very fancy seeming clothing. "In the name of the AOIH I declare you, a Pillar."

"W-W-W-what? A Pillar? But sir, I've been here for 3 weeks. you have to be in the AOIH for at least a year to be a Pillar, but nobody goes that fast!"

"You not only saved my life son, but countless people. If anyone has any complaints you send them to me, okay?"

"Yes sir" I say.

Mumen rider

It wasn't meant to be this way- I wasn't meant to be on the front lines fighting this thing dammit!

The day had started off like none other, assigned to a pretty quiet area it seemed. Of course they reserved the dangerous areas to those of higher ranks. How miserable it must be- and how much I envied it. The want that is, the knowledge that people wanted you around was addicting it seemed. The glory that my associates chased, that sweet adrenaline, the rush, everything!

As bad as I wanted it this wasn't how I wanted to achieve it.

A dangerous group of villains was loose in the streets, reeking havoc and terrorising everyone that crossed their paths.

I was only meant to be helping civilians, it was a mistake that I was even called to the scene. Sadly I was one of the few heroes that were in the area at the time of the call.

I watched as the higher ranks fell to their knees, some with limbs torn off, dying or even unconscious. This wasn't my glory- it wasn't even meant to be my fight.

"Dammit..." I hissed, my voice quivering. I had no other option here! It was just me, at least until more backup arrived. Until then I had to do whatever I could in my power to slow them down or at least hold them off until everyone had fled the area.

I took a shaky breath, trying to clear my head as much as I could.

'Keep them busy Dusk, that's all you have to do.' I reminded myself, allowing for what could only be described as tendrils to stem from my exposed skin.

'Who am I kidding? I'm gonna get myself killed!'

I knew it was practically a death wish, I couldn't fight a whole group by myself, let alone hold them back after seeing their power. My mist and appendages would have to do, as well as my skills. I just hoped I could hold up.

But before I could change my mind I made my way darting towards them.

'Just hold them back- there's no need to die out here.'

I reminded myself, using any walls that remained standing and the surrounding rubble to my advantage. Luring them away from each other when I got the chance before the tendrils crushed them until debris.

That was one down and I knew I couldn't pull that trick again.

I don't know how long had passed, when I startled to stumble on the now street turned battlefield. Everything felt like it was getting darker, like something dimmed the lights and a bulb was nearly blown.

"Everyone's evacuated! Get out of there!" I heard someone shout from the ear piece that was jammed into my ear. But it sounded like they were so far away, I could tell my eardrums were likely bursted. But I couldn't comprehend why- why I was even allowing myself to do this, to go so far when I'd already done what I needed to.

Hearing that my legged finally buckled, if everyone was evacuated I didn't have to fight anymore-

The vague sounds of shouting felt so distant, I couldn't even tell how close they were. Bordering on the outskirts of all the surrounding debris. Unable to make out what followed.

Ah muttered as ah pushed the bloody fur out of mah eyes. Ah wasn’t even supposed to be here today.

It was supposed to be a normal Monday. Borin day at school, take care of any homework, maybe some training and an early evening patrol with one of the heroes of the Association. It was a school night after all. Technically trainees like mahself don’t get called up unless it’s another global invasion, or huge natural or unnatural disaster.

Heck the Arbiters didn’t even think ah’d ever be considered one of the big teams in the Association. Let's be obvious, bein bitten by a radioactive Mephitis mephitis ain’t exactly high on the power tree, even if ah could fly, and heal folks with radioactive pheromones.

Being tagged ‘Polecat’ was bad enough, but at least ah was able to get it changed when ah turned sixteen from the first name they assigned me with after mah powers showed up, ‘Polekitty’, being ah was just a kid. Honestly, ah’d have been happier even with the powers to stay at mah folks place near Apalachicola. At least ah wouldn’t be in this situation.

Ah hadn’t even been trained on any offensive uses of mah powers yet. Which was bad. The Earthen Watcher was buried up to his elbows, Captain Starling was fairly well plucked, Dr Chronos was out of time and the rest of the Association were even worse off.

And of course the assholes from the Villain League picked a day where half the city was downtown . Civilians were panicking, and to be honest ah was too-though tried hard not to show it. Ah was too far from the downed Association members to try to heal them and ta be honest, a bunch of them were probably beyond mah ability. The smart thing ah should do, the thing that the Gunner had drilled into us trainees, was to evac with the civics. We wern’t trained or ready to face the major leagues of evil yet.

Too bad for me ah’m stubborn. I could see them there advancing across the square towards the fallen Association. Professor Jealous, the Bonestealer, and their leader, the demonic Bytor, along with dozens of minions, henchmen, and zombies. Lots of zombies. Oh good, the necromantic manager Human Resources was there too. Greaaat.

He knew who ah was of course. The league had files on all of us, even trainees like me still in high school. “Miss Evans, isn’t tonight a school night?” he said, rather pleasantly.

I looked at the smoke rising across the city. “Ah think ya’ll took that out when you went after Captain Diamond an hour ago.”

“Probably, well on the bright side you can sleep in tomorrow. We have no quarrel with you child, run along now.”

It would be really nice right now if ah had a weapon of some kind. Or offensive powers. Still, like mah daddy said, take what you’re given and find a clever use for it. Instead of runnin, I simply flipped them off. Not very ladylike ah know…but ah was pissed.

“Rude” Bonestealer snarled, her tongue flicking out over her fangs “Can I remove her spine now? That mutated little bitch needs to learn some manners.”

“Really Sonia” Bytor replied “I have told you be cough fore, if they’re still young enough to be cough turned, then w…wee..” The Centurion of Evil began coughing more, Bonestealer and the others, the others who still breathed at least, were coughing as well.

True. Ah couldn’t do much. But what ah could do…is generate radioactive pheromones for healin..and thiols for other stuff. Specifically (E )-2-butene-1-thiol and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol. Which was forming a swirling yellowish green cloud around the Villain League. By now Bytor had forgotten about turnin me to evil and was firing large very unaimed bursts in mah general direction. Fortunately ah could duck behind the Earthen Watcher, the bullets wouldn’t harm him even while he was held in stasis, and he was pretty bullet proof.

The others wern’t doin any better, Bonestealer was clawin at her eyes and vomiting, ah grinned when ah saw it splatter all over Bytor’s expensive italian suit. The zombies wern’t movin, guess HR didn’t like the smell any better, and the minions were gagging and heading for fresh air. That’s when ah found out that grenade launchers really don’t have to be aimed as well..

It hurts, a lot, at least as ah’m flying through the air from the explosion ah can see most of the people managed to clear out..good enough ah suppose..ah see the ground coming up and everything goes dark.

Not dead tho…cause everything hurts. Especially Bonestealer’s clawed fist lifting me up by mah neck. Despite everything ah would laugh if ah could at the sight of Bytor as he staggers up next to her, suit coated in vomit and snot, eyes and nose still running, the stench even making mah eyes water.

“What the hell were you playing at child! You should know there was no way you could stop me, now you just made me angry.”

“A..ah wasn't trying to stop you” I managed to get out. Ah think ah might be missin a few pieces, and only one eye is workin…but ah still manage to grin weakly. “Ah just ne..needed ta slow you down..”

I saw Bonestealer drawing her other arm back, razor sharp claws ready to rip my spine out , when she suddenly looked up. Ah felt a weird tingle through me and reality shifted and ah was fifty yards away-and Bonestealer was holding a stuffed dummy with a bomb for a head. She screamed as it detonated, and ah felt the pain fade away. Ah looked up and saw the Shepherd, she was one of the instructors in combat metahuman medicine. “I’ve got you Rachelle,” she said. The bomb had to be, yep, Doc Schrodinger, the bright blue feline-American, who was never quite right after a teleporter accident involving a small cat. Ah let mah head fall back and relax. The Paragons were here.

Last thing ah saw was a white haired figure landing in front of the leader of the Villain League. I watched as Bytor and the Snowdog squared for battle, hearing him shout ‘let the fray begin!’ as ah passed out.