RICHARDS POV
“No” Leo had asked me the dumbest question after we got some food. Leo didn’t seem shocked at my reply, who wouldn’t have said the same thing well, maybe one of those heroes with the power to do what he wanted to do. “Yeah I saw that coming” I took a bite out of my burger “then why did you even ask it?”. He shrugged “don't know just felt like I needed to tell someone” Leo just picked at his food, he’s not shoving food into his mouth so something is definitely wrong.
“Why me?”.
“Well you're really the only person I could ask and really talk about with since my other friends are just normal people and Mia has her own shit going on”.
“True” I leaned back against the back of the seat as I made sure to do a quick check on Leo's mom.
“But you shouldn’t even be thinking about this especially after what happened today” He’s figuring shit out probably has a lot of emotions running through him right now.
“Why? Why shouldn’t I? They came after my mother let me repeat again they came after my mother and I have a feeling they're still not done with me”.
“And that means you should lie low, stay with your mother, wait for more experienced heroes to take care of the problem and not try to get yourself killed”.
“Really after everything that happened after everything those monsters did you expect to just lay down and let them get away with destroying my home nearly killing several times and what they did yo my mom!?” he pointed to the room where his mom laid “do you wanna see how she’s doing get a quick reminder not everyone is as durable or can heal like you!?”.
He was leaning over me as I could see eyes crackle with energy “first Leo please quiet down we don’t need anyone knowing what's going on with us and second that's not what I’m saying”.
A nurse came by and Leo quickly sat down as his eyes returned to their normal shade of blue “then what are you saying?”.
“I’m saying give an anonymous tip to the police or a local hero group and have them take care of it, it’s still helping take the underground down or at least make things a lot worse for them and it doesn’t involve risking your life against a whole gang”.
I could see Leo contemplate what I just said as he went silent and started to slowly hold that odd necklace in his hands, seriously what's with the necklace I know it belong to his grandpa but I feel like he’s a bit obsessed with it,
“I get what you're saying Richard I really do but I have to say no to your idea”.
“Why?”
“Simple it won't change anything” oh is he finally starting to see it?
Before I could say anything Leo continued speaking “don’t you think if it was that simple the underground and a bunch of other gangs in the city would be dealt with but they aren’t dealt with you wanna know why?” Oh boy he’s actually going down the rabbit hole!
“It’s because they aren’t important” I raised an eyebrow in confusion “explain”.
“Think about it a lot of heroes both solos and teams always go after the big guys, the gangs everyone knows down to each important member's powers and names. These gangs are both famous and feared and if a hero or group of heroes take them out you could imagine the massive amount of publicity that someone would get but the little guys the small group the ether new groups or the ones that like to lie low the ones that don’t do big things and not many people know aka the ones that won’t bring in a crown if there stop” YES! Finally someone else sees it. He just needs some more lethal methods and he's perfect!
I rub the bridge of my nose “ok I’m starting to see where you're going with this”.
“Then you would know that vigilantes aren’t just heroes starting out and don’t know what do or heroes who are violent and don’t like listening to authorities” they still make a big chunk of them “they are people who ether have been fucked with by the these minors gangs or realized the big guys won’t do shit to help you”.
“And so you're suggesting we do vigilante work?” Leo nodded as I sighed “but still us for to go against a whole gang with multiple evolve on their sides and know information about them it’s suicide”.
“Well Mia seems to know a lot about them and you're really strong and just seem to be getting stronger and maybe we can find other people that could help us”.
“Stop Leo just stop, I like beating the shit out of criminals as much as the next guy” a little too much more than the next guy “but I’m not risking your life or Mia's life on something stupid”.
I could see the brightness in his eyes dim as He just glared at me “your right I don’t know what I was thinking I just need some time to myself so could you leave”.
“Yeah you definitely need it also” I held up my phone “we should share contacts just in case” he nodded as quickly swapped numbers as I made my leave.
I knew he was lying, my enhanced hearing could detect his heart and even without it he was a really bad liar. I gave him my number just in case he does something stupid and he needs my help, aw I didn't know you cared. When I got outside it the sun was hidden by a sea of clouds that just rolled in, as Instead of running home I just started walking.
Today was just crazy as I somehow ended up committing several crimes while trying to help people. I’m glad Mia and her family are safe but I’m worried about Leo. I know he’s hurting but I hope he realizes that he can get himself killed if he does something stupid.
Well I’ve done stupid things but not as much as wanting to take out a whole gang. Well I guess I did mess around with Forge but I had six other people with me and I’m not even fighting them, it's Whale shark who is messing with them. The walk home was luckily uneventful as I didn’t get attacked by a random villain so that’s something. When I got home I nearly ripped the door off its hinges as I walked inside and fell onto the couch and tried to take a nap “Nice to see you mole rat” emphasis on tried.
Mary was resting her elbows on the couch as she smirked at me “nice to see you to sis”. Mary hopped over the couch and sat next to me “well you’ve been gone for the last couple days so I’m just glad to see my favorite mole rat”. “That implies you keep a list of mole rats” she grabbed and pulled my cheeks “just trying to be sentimental here”.
I pulled her hands off my face “you're still calling me a mole rat” she pouted as she sat back “it's just a term of endearment”. “I don’t think being called a rat is endearing” Mary shrugged. I turned my sense of touch a bit up as I relaxed into the soft couch hmm maybe I should find a way to use that sense more.
“So how's everything been going with you?” I turned to Mary as it took a couple seconds to find the right word “shitty”. “Care to elaborate?” I pondered her question for a couple seconds “hmmmm no”.
Mary rolled her eyes “well everything has been going great for me if you wanted to know” we really didn’t. “That's good to hear at least one of us was born with great luck” she nodded in agreement. “Yeah, been hanging out with Tora more lately, weirdly he’s been trying to recruit me and Rachal into his little team”.
At least he’s keeping his mouth shut, if he cares about his and his loved ones safety “didn't know he was a part of a hero team”. “Yeah he and a couple other newbies started some vanguard team but most of the people there are pretty cool”.
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“Did you accept” please say no please say no I don’t need you on the same as the guy who might tell you stuff that will get you killed. “Uh I said I would think about it. I'm still new to all this hero stuff, don't know if that team stuff is for me” a maybe works too.
“What about you Richy? Do you think you're solo or do you have a team that you want to join?”. That made me stop for a couple seconds, I never really thought about my future as a hero. Joining a team would be pretty nice people to watch my back, being able to handle villains a lot more efficiently and even funding depending on the group, also people you can socialize with.
But there are disadvantages to joining a team that going solo would……going solo……………going solo was such a stupid idea! I got the perfect offer, the vanguard themselves actually offered me some wannabe fighter who only had powers for a week! But no I had to get angry just because HE was on the goddamn team maybe he changed maybe maybe he didn’t but that's not the point dumb rewards and all.
I took a deep breath as I looked down at the cooking going down below me. A bunch of guys from the glacier gang decided to move from the docs and thought the slums weren’t already shitty enough. I smacked my face several times in an attempt to get rid of my anxiety, I think it worked. “You got this you got this” I whispered to myself as I hype myself up and took a deep breath. I did a quick headcount and ended up with 6 goons 2 had ak 47s and I could spot an assortment of more up close and personal weapons on the rest.
There were definitely more but I’ll probably be able to deal with them well I hoped at least. I already felt the black and white images already started to form as I found my first target, one of the men with a gun and jumped down. My target stepped into my landing zone as my boots got real acquainted with the back of his head.
Before the man in white armor could hit the ground I made him into a great springboard as I landed several feet away from him. “Nailed it” I whispered to myself and I saw a black and white version of me fall forward as blood pours from the back of their head well, my head. I dropped to the ground as I felt fly just above my head and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
I saw another projection of me fall forward this time it had a hole in there chest. Seeing where the bullet hit and since I’m crouching they should be about………there. I shot out my elbow behind me as there was a small boom and then the sound of bones breaking. I turned to see another glacier goon holding their very broken hand as their weapons laid not too far away from them.
“Don’t worry I may not have any anesthesia” I threw out a job and with another small boom he fell backwards as I could see his nose had smashed into his face “I have the next best thing hahahahahahaha kill me”. “Well you heard the man” I could already see the projections forming. I grabbed the wrist of the charging man with an axe and slammed my palm into his shoulder as he went flying.
“Huh You guys are a lot weaker” I spun on the balls of feet dodging a sucker punch and slamming my elbow into my wood-be attackers temple dropping them “then I thought”. I threw out 3 jabs in one quick motion sending the last 3 goons to the floor as I just kinda stood there. I looked around and just scratched the back of my head “really That's it?”. I think I overestimated these guys, I’m not even hearing the dozens of goons rushing to the room like I expected not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed. “Well uh this was uhm fun but I’m gonna call the police so cya” I pulled out my burner phone and tried to type in the 3 numbers for the police but I was failing horribly due to these damn gloves.
“I have more trouble calling the police then taking out a group of goddamn criminals” I tried yanking them off as I almost dropped the phone in the process. I then stopped as I heard a long and drawn out creek as I slowly turned to see a person half way through the door.
Well I think they were a person it was hard to tell since he? She? It? Yeah it looked like a living ice carving and a well made one at that. The statue looked like a heavily armored knight, each plate on the armor was polished and almost looked like actual metal for it being a bright blue. It was just one of many examples of how detailed this thing was from the straps keeping the armor together to the chainmail under it. The helmet was a bit off in my opinion since it had goat horns that were kinda out of place for a knight.
“Oh hi there uhm” I looked around “yeah this is definitely what it looks like” my icy friend didn’t even utter a word as it stepped forward with the door shutting behind it, I wonder if this is when the boss music starts playing. “Ok rude guess you don’t speak” an epiphany hits me as I snap my fingers “Oh! I get it now your one of those ice golem things glacier makes gotta admit you're a lot cooler in person”. The golem still not speaking started stomping toward me “oh you're about to try to kill me now aren't you?”.
I quickly jumped backwards avoiding a slam that sent pieces of concrete flying as I took a couple extra steps to build some distance “that's technically an answer”. I quickly straightened my feet and moved my shoulders width apart as I held my dominant foot and hand forward as I took a deep breath. I let out a flurry of jabs each one making a bang noise with it. The golem tried to keep moving forward but it was forced to move back as the invisible strikes started to hammer into the golem each strike causing a small bit of ice to fly off it.
The lightning fast strike kept coming as I shot out jab after jab pelting the golem with more invisible strikes. After about a dozen or so jabs the golem wised up and held up its arms in an attempt to lessen the onslaught. The golem stomped forward as I already saw the grey spikes form in my vision. I stomped into the ground as I felt the rush of wind shoot me upwards as I barely avoided an ocean of frozen spikes “hey I don’t feel like becoming swiss cheese!”.
With another rush of wind I flew forward and landed behind the golem and it took it a minute to turn around as I pelted it with more jabs knocking it forward. With surprising speed the golem spun around with a mean hook and even with already seeing it coming still got clipped across the cheek. Not even a second later another hook flew past my face as the golem started picking up speed as I was nearly running backwards to avoid getting hit. The bastard made sure I couldn’t just sidestep as each time I tried to move away from them it threw another hook in the direction I was moving, forcing me.
“hey could ” I duck under another hook “you” I tried side stepping the next one “please” I immediately had to step back to dodge another icey fist “CHILL OUT!?”. I don’t think it liked the pun as it reeled back his fist and put all its weight into its strike. Already seeing the attack coming I stepped back and quickly felt something solid hit me back.
Huh it backed me into a corner, wait oh SHIT IT BACKED ME UP INTO A CORNER! I frantically tried to dodge to the side as I was able to get out of the way of the icey freight train but I couldn't do the same because the explosion of ice came from his fist impacting the wall.
I grit my teeth as I felt my arm go numb as the ice traveled up it. I saw another grey projecting forming as I stomp my foot into the wall next me launching me to the left side of the room avoiding a wave of ice as The golem rips its arm forward. I took a deep breath as I let out a plume of frozen air as I noticed the windows in the rooms started freezing.
“This is w-why I d-don't like ice p-powers there such bu-bullshit!” I could feel the golem smile under its helmet as it sent out a wave of ice towards me. “I can’t just keep my m-m-mouth shut” I muttered as I pulled back my fist and punched the air in front of me as a shockwave shot forward. The two forces impacted in the middle canceling each other leaving an icy mist. I saw the grey projection of the golem rocketing through the mist like a frozen torpedo so I took a deep breath, took a step forward, pulled my arm back and launched my fist forward just as the golem flew through the mist.
I swear I saw its glowing blue eyes widen as my fist collided with its helmet turning into dust as a shockwave rippled through the room blowing everything back as the golem went through the wall. I shook my now bruised hand as I felt the biggest grin form on my face “now that's how you throw a proper punch!”.
I knew the golem was far from dealt with but I didn’t care as I kept moving forward. I felt my heart beat quicken as adrenaline started to pump through my veins and a rush of energy pulse through me. The golem was already pulling themselves back into the room as I got a good look at their frosty mug. The golem face was well lack of since it had no mouth or nose, just a pair of bright glowing blue eyes and obviously there was no hair on it would be funny if it had an afro or a man bun.
I started hoping as I let my right arm hang in front of me. The golem, speechless as always, grabbed the wall, ripped a chunk out and launched it towards me as it barely made it a foot through the air before I shattered it.
A pillar shot from the ground under the golem feet propelling it towards me as it held out its arms in a flying tackle. With a quick step I stepped out of the way, already turning as the golem skidded across the ground as I sent out a flurry of jabs before it could send another wave of ice. The golem's head shouted back as small bits of cie flew into the air and before it could regain its balance I dashed towards it.
I jumped into the air and slammed my elbow into what I thought was the golems jaw as the shockwave nearly knocked it to the ground. I then pulled back my arm and bashed my palm into its stomach area, shattering the armor as I turned with that same motion and slammed the back of foot into the side of its head as the shockwave sent it flying. “You know even if I know multiple martials arts, boxing is something I always start with, habits you know?”. The golem got up and ran towards me as once again it tried hitting me with a flurry of hooks. Instead of trying to sidestep it I moved my body to where the blow hit my shoulder and just as I hit it I rolled my shoulder diverting most of the force.
To add insult to injury each time I did this I hit the golem with a jab into its face cracking it more and more. The golem seemed to be actually getting frustrated as I kept pushing it back further and further as it finally did something new and tried going for a kick and it failed. I dropped to my knees and did a spinning kick cutting right through its leg like warm butter and with that same motion I spun with my out cutting right through its other leg as soon as it landed on it trying to keep its balance and well, failing.
I hop to my feet “now what you did was a very mediocre kick let me demonstrate proper ones”. I unleash a variety of different kicks I’ve learned over the years from a Brazilian kick to a crescent kick to a simple straight kick to even the classic roundhouse kick. Each kick let out a shockwave cracking and breaking more and more of its icy frame as eventually I stopped the onslaught. The golem battered and was nearly crumbling as I grabbed the golem by the head.
The golem almost fell over but I stop that by grabbing it by the head “hey this was a blast but I think we gotta cut it here I know I know it sucks but I got other stuff to do like going on a date and stopping super powered criminals stuff like that, I would say cya later”. I put a finger just below its jaw as I shook my finger, the golems burst open sending ice chunks everywhere “but I only make friends with people who have good heads on their shoulders”.
With that the Golem body fell to the ground as I let you deep sigh “holy shit! That was so much more intense than I thought”. If this was a golem how strong is Glacier gonna be maybe I should contact Wi……………what the fuck!?. I gripped my forehead as I had a massive headache as once again I had another weird vision and I didn’t even get a warning like last time it just kinda happened plus this one felt different, it felt older and was that even th “earth to Richard”.
A jab to arm knocked me out of my train of thought, ow. Mary was giving me a worried look “that finally brought you back”. “Why did you hit me?” she looked more confused now “oh I don’t you just stared into space not reacting to anything for a minute also what the hell was that?”.
I shrugged “I don’t know I guess I just zoned out” she obviously didn’t believe me but she didn’t continue to ask any questions so that's good. While I Was zoning out, Mary turned on the tv and was watching some animated show about dragons or something I really wasn’t paying attention. So I just continued trying to keep my mind off everything and relax as I was already very mentally drained after everything that happened today.
Well I tried to as I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket as I prayed it wasn’t Whale Shark wanting me to do another job. I picked up my phone and found I got a text message and it was from leo, yeah that's not promising. It simply read Richard, I know it's stupid but I can’t just let this go, I want to make sure they pay for what they did to my mom and to make sure no one else gets hurt because of that bastard, if I die maybe that will inspire someone else to do something.
I rubbed my temples as the only thing I could of was how stupid Leo was. He was gonna get himself killed and his mom will be left alone, Then help him even if what he is doing is stupid he’s still doing something that is the start of every great hero or villain's career, someone doing something stupid for the right reason but sometimes they definitely need help so go help him. Goddammit I sat up “Mary I’ll be back I gotta help someone do something really stupid”.
“Hey can I come?” I sighed “no Mary” I tried to leave but I felt a very strong grip stop me as I turned to see a very annoyed Mary. “oh no you don’t we haven't done anything in a bit and I want to hang out with my brother also I love helping people do stupid things”. I sighed as I knew there would be no convincing her “are we taking my car or yours?” she smiled as she hopped onto her feet “mine obviously” and we started walking to her car.