They advanced.'' Charrrge!!''
Some sprinted, others revved up their bikes, engines roaring through the plain field. They knew their lives might be lost that day. But fate had other plans.
Crashhh!!.
A lance of yellow lighting fell from above, striking the calamity. The heroes stopped all movement. Their foot rooted them all without permission. None of them understood what they had just seen. The hundred-handed calamity stood still, motionless. '' Where did that come from.'' one of the heroes questioned.
Valor comms buzzed. A breath, then a voice: hello, hello!, Valor. It's the department.
Valor: I'm here. What just happened?
Dept: Not sure, but... wait, there seems to be someone on the calamity.
Valor: Who?...
+++
On top of the calamity, Eric stood still, completely - mostly because he had no idea how he got there. The last thing he remembered was standing on the roof of the Ranvier Mansion. Until he called upon lightning, now he's here, on a hundred-handed, probably thousand-armed monster.
He turned slowly, trying to see where exactly he was. Behind him, the city and an old wall of stone. Ahead, the plains stretched out, and far in the distance, he could see the iron wall, a part of it broken down, like something rammed through it. And where he stood, ground of grey flesh, fingers projecting out like sprouted trees.
''Oh...damm it.'' He knew exactly where he was now.
A voice rang out in his head.
Eric
Eric!
''Raelion?'' he muttered. ''Raelion, why the hell are we standing on top of the calamity? We were supposed to be away from it, at least on a skyscraper. Planning. Strategizing. Not literally on its skull!''
''huh!'' Raelion snapped back
''Don't blame me. You are the one who ignited my power. Ohhhh, forgive me for assuming you had enough control not to fling yourself across the entire city. Apparently, I overestimated you.''
Eric blinked.'' You over-what? You teleported me!"
''Wrong.'' Raelion corrected'' Its all you. Once, my brothers and I gave you our power. I would rather exist to guide you to use it. I'm like what you people call a battery while you are the vehicle, and a rather unstable one at that.''
They argued nonstop.
Left. Right. Insult. Counter-Insult. Bickering like an old couple.
Raelion finally cut the noise. '' Eric. We can be bickering here. The monster is paralysed- my lightning froze its nervous system-but only temporarily, our time is limited.''
Eric(muttered to himself): This thing has a nervous system?
''We need to go now.''
Eric glanced around, '' Got any ideas?'
Immediately, the calamity began to tremble; the paralysis was wearing off, and any moment from now, the creature would proceed to attack.
''Nope,'' he said. '' Nope, nope, no, nope- no more waiting!''
Eric broke into a sprint across the head and jumped off its head. Falling. The air rushed around him in a cold, bitter plunge.
Raelion shrieked inside his mind. ''AHHHHH!, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I JUST SAID WE HAVE LIMITED TIME, NOT THAT WE SHOULD THROW OURSELVES OFF A FORTY-METER TALL MONSTER!!-''
'' I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! People born with morale are slightly stronger and faster than the average person!! Eric shouted as gravity had hold of his fate. Immediately, he realized.....he did not know what the heck he was doing.
Raelion was still screaming. ''You imbecile! You are aware that falling from this height will kill you, yes?. Lightning powers don't come with immunity to becoming a red smear on the ground!!. That's not how morale works.''
''I thought I was invincible!''
''Lightning'' Raelion barked, '' not immortality genius!''
He had to hurry, the chances of his survival from the fall were tinning. Eric's mind raced. Think...Think... then finally an idea.
''Hope this works!''
He clapped his hands together. Lightning flared between his hands- weak at first, flickering, then stabilizing into a controlled line of yellow electricity. ''Yes, it worked.'' Quickly, he stretched the line until it became a long cord. Eric swung it overhead and cast it toward the calamity's arm. The rope wrapped around the monstrous branch like an arm.
For a disturbing moment, he hung in open air, like a flea to a dog. ''Come on, I can't die like this, Aunt Tracy would kill me,'' he thought. Eric swung, again and again, with every movement the electric cord stretched longer but thinner until finally. A final swing did the trick; momentum carried him forth, the rope swinging in an arc that skimmed just above ground.
Eric released at the right time, falling into the grassy plains- rolled once, twice, before coming to a halt. Alive? Yes. He gasped while his heartbeat steadied. He was alive.
Eric dusted himself off, standing on the field, the presence of a calamity not far from them. The monster's towering body stood motionless from afar. ''Raelion, what now?...you and your brother dealt with calamities centuries ago,'' Eric asked, scratching the back of his neck.
Raelion's voice drifted in, a serious tone he carried. ''There's not much we can do. You have my powers, yes, but your body... It's not ready. You'll need to train your control and physique before you wield our powers properly... not to mention the side effects.''
Eric blinked...'' huh?, what side effec-ahhhh.'' As predicted, a sharp bolt of shock rushed through Eric's body, dropping him to his knees in pain.
Raelion chuckled.'' What you're experiencing, Eric, is a sharp, little side effect of having a body built like a twig. But don't worry, it won't last long.''
Eventually, the pain disappeared. Eric got off the ground.
''Thank you, Raelion.''
''You're welcome...Um.. Do I need to inform you that people are approaching us from afar.''
Eric spun around just in time to see movement, ''Oh wow, is the good for nothings.'' A convoy of Trucks approaching from a distance, kicking up dust across the plains.''
Eric glanced around. Dirt beneath his feet and his clothes. A plan was formed. With no time to waste. He knelt and tore a strip of cloth from his clothes, wrapping it around his mouth like a makeshift mask.
''What are you doing, Eric,'' Raelion asked.
Eric answered ''I can't let them see who I am.'' He loosened the dreadlocks, letting them fall wild over his face, partially hiding his features. Now, to finish, Eric made his power surge out. Flickers of lightning danced violently around his body. Eyes ignited yellow through the locs.
The Heroes arrived, and to them, they saw a powerful, mysterious Hero.
A massive bear-like hero squinted at him. Who...who are you?''
Eric smirked; the heroes didn't know who he was, meaning his disguise worked perfectly. An idea popped up later on. Why doesn't he mess with them, just a little? He straightened up his back and spoke in a deep, intimidating tone. ''I'm Black Flash.''
The hero group froze. Whispers and glances passed between them. ''Black...Flash?'' someone muttered. ''who the hell is he?'' , ''What kind of name is that? You sure he's a hero.'' some said.
Valor stepped forward, sharp-eyed '' Which department are you with, Flash?''
Eric let silence stretch for a while, for a dramatic effect, then answered '' Dept 8.''
His pride swelled that moment.
''Yeah...I was sent. To assist you guys. Clearly, they made the right call. It's obvious...You're...not so great at your jobs. That's why I'm here.''
Valor frowned slightly. Something wasn't adding up about all this.
Two departments were called for this mission. She knew every operative listed, every addition, every substitute. Nothing should slip past the chain of command. So why...was there suddenly a person ''Black flash'' standing here, wearing and cloth as a mask and radiating enough electricity to fry a bird mid-flight.
Her First thought was Mercenary.
Ever since calamity's started appearing in the First World, the underground industry had grown. The order for calamity parts has grown. Who better than a Mercenary to do this job? Some were skilled, strong even.
But mercenaries aren't dumb.
They never show up during a calamity is alive. Usually is when in bits.
But this boy- This.'' Black Flash''-was too early. Too convenient. Too...loud.
So her second thought was national level hero, which made more sense.
National level are different, awakened heroes. They aren't bound to departments. They are only summoned when a city is drowned in catastrophe. ''Summoned'' is not even the right word.
They are prayed for.
Because contacting a National-level Hero was like trying to catch Sound with bare hands. They operate on their own rhythm. Appearing at the brink of a disaster, then slipping back into the shadows.
Civilians adored them.
Departments around the first world respected and treasured them.
Governments feared them.
No one controlled them.
And yet...she had never heard of black flash. This boy looked young. His lightning morale was impressive, yes, but unrefined, unstable. He was powerful, she thought...but.
If he were a national-level hero, she would feel it. There was an aura of pressure they carried, radiance. When you feel it, you'll know. But this boy just carried raw.
If he could stun a calamity like that then there must be more to him than meets the eye. So for now, she would play along.
''Black flash,'' she said, her tone respectful but cautious. '' Thank you for coming.''