Leo Gucci is an 18-year-old high school senior living with his parents Jason Gucci, and Edna Gucci. He also had a little sibling, a brother by the name of Arnold. Leo had a passion for art since he was young and loved the feeling of bringing the images in his head to life.

His parents had been trying to get him to learn and make something of himself for over a few years now, but ever since he saw a real-life superhero in action he hadn’t been able to focus on anything but getting his abilities. It is said that if one was lucky and blessed, they would be able to awaken their abilities by the age of eighteen.

Sadly though for Leo, he found out a few months ago that he wasn’t one of the lucky ones. But this didn’t dampen his admiration for those superheroes. In fact, he even admired them even more for they had abilities he would never be able to have. So, he started drawing graffiti on the walls across the city of the many different heroes he admired. Mixing his two passions, heroes, and art.

Many of his friends tried to talk him out of it, telling him he would get into trouble with the law if he kept it up. But Leo had been defiant since he was young and refused to be threatened into giving up his newfound hobby.

Alaric High School 12th grade Class 2

“Hey Bobby, did you see the new one Leo made last night?! It was so sick bro, he drew Thunder Fury swimming in lightning!” Arthur said excitedly.

“Shhh, please try to keep it down, are you trying to get Leo into trouble?! And besides, Thunder Fury can emulate the sound of thunder to deafen his enemies, he can’t control lightning so what was he thinking?!” Bobby shook his head, not able to understand Leo’s artistic mindset at all. Bobby even took out a hero card from his pocket with an image and a description on it.

Thunder Fury

Hero Class: E

Strength: Above Average

Physique: Above Average

Intelligence: Above Average

Agility: Above Average

Endurance: Above Average

Abilities: Sound of thunder

Special moves: Thunder roar, and Thunderclap

“What do you know?! Of course, you can’t draw thunder, how do you expect him to draw sound, dumbass! Lightning is the next best thing!” Arthur argued.

“Brainless fan.”

“Artless slob.”

“Suck up!”

“Hater!”

“Hey guys, can you stop fighting?! Leo wouldn’t want you to fight over him like this. He loves you both equally.” Lara, a petite girl in the same class as Bobby, Arthur, and Leo interrupted the boys who were about to get physical.

“Who’s fighting over that dumbass?!” Bobby snapped

“Yeah, and who in the hell would want his love?! Who cares if he draws a hero with butterfly wings?!” Arthur also said snappily.

“Do you mean Superfly…?” Lara looked confused.

“Uh…no I was just trying to make a point. I forgot there really was a hero like that.” Arthur rubbed his head in embarrassment. And he really was embarrassed. The four of them were in the smallest club in the entire school, the Hero Worship Club. Their club motto was that if they couldn’t become superheroes themselves, they would at least worship those who were.

So to have forgotten the fact that there was actually a D-class hero with butterfly wings was considered an embarrassment for Arthur.

Superfly

Hero Class: D

Strength: Above Average

Physique: Above Average

Intelligence: Above Average

Agility: Good

Endurance: Above Average

Abilities: Flight and mental attack

Special moves: Brain fry, and Wing dive

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Leo is here!”

Suddenly the doors to the classroom were kicked open and a slightly tall, slightly handsome student with an athletic build swaggered in. But contrary to expectation no one was startled by the flamboyant entrance. Since this was how Leo always entered the class.

There were two times when his extreme way of entering the class didn’t work out for him though, once there was a teacher leaning on the other side of the door who was almost kicked out of the class through the window when Leo barged in. And another time the door was locked so Leo twisted his ankle when he kicked the door full force.

Oh, there was also the time when the door broke down but no one really mentions it much since no one was hurt during that incident.

But luckily for Leo, his parents were pillars in the community that helped people day in and day out. They fed the hungry, clothed the homeless, and even provided funds for the schools in the neighborhood to educate kids on the street who couldn’t get that opportunity.

So, having respect for his parents, no one really bothered Leo much even though he was quite rebellious.

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“Leo, you are finally here! That Thunder Fury graffiti was one of a kind bro!” Arthur said excitedly.

“It was inaccurate.” Bobby shook his head.

“It was unnecessary, and you could have gotten into trouble!” Lara said with her hands on her hips.

“But…I didn’t draw Thunder Fury…” Leo sighed. Looking slightly disappointed that no one could appreciate his level of genius.

“What?!”

“Do you mean it wasn’t Thunder Fury you drew?!”

“Or do you mean you weren’t the one who did it?!”

All three of them were shocked.

“Sigh, do you guys not keep up with the latest hero news? I didn’t draw Thunder Fury, I drew…” But Leo’s grand reveal was ruined by another student who was slightly chubby and had a serious case of acne on his face, Newman.

“It was actually his twin brother, Lightning Fury you drew right? According to recent gossip Thunder Fury’s twin brother didn’t want anything to do with being a superhero. And he wanted to somehow use his abilities to make money as an entrepreneur. But after that failed and he found out his brother was making serious money on Ads, he decided to join his brother in the hero game.” Newman said.

“That’s not true Newman, he just didn’t know what he wanted and now he does, that’s all! Where do you get off disparaging heroes like that?! Seriously Newman, what more do these people have to do to prove to you they are here to save us?!” Leo scolded with his finger pointed at Newman’s face.

“They could die.”

“What?!”

“You heard me. They could die. At least once in the news we could hear of a hero who was sacrificed in the line of duty. But no, it’s always civilians that die in these accidents while the heroes go, ‘Welp, we tried’.” Newman smirked before pushing his acne-covered face onto Leo’s finger prompting him to retract it. Newman then slowly walked away like a cat proud of its victory.

“That doesn’t make sense, why would heroes need to die to prove their dedication?” Lara shook her head.

“Yeah, Newman doesn’t know what he is talking about, he is just angry because no one invited him to our Hero Worshiping club!” Arthur said.

“That is not true. We invited him numerous times, but he just refused.” Bobby said.

“Dude really, what’s your problem?! Do you want to fight?!”

“Nope, I am a pacifist.”

“But you guys fought just yesterday?” Lara said confusedly.

“Well, that was yesterday, today I am a pacifist.”

“Guys stop! Stop arguing and let's talk about something else.” Leo interrupted them before it got heated again.

“Okay. Then, graduation is a few months from now. Should we talk about what we are going to do after?” Lara proposed.

“I am joining the Hero support squad. They accept regulars like us and if you can gather enough points you can even be assigned to more powerful superheroes in the future.” Arthur said.

“Me too. A cute girl like me will have all the hot young superheroes rushing to have me as their sidekick. And if one of them wants to date me…well, I’ll just have no other option but to accept…” Lara spoke as her saliva dripped to the floor.

“Uhh, disgusting, but I do have to agree with you guys about the Hero support squad. It’s the only place for geeks like us who know nothing but superhero crap. How about you Leo? Also Hero Support Squad?” Bobby said as he laid his head on his desk.

“No, that may cut it for you guys, but I really want to help them fight! I will join the company of my parents and open a hero support division where we will coordinate and track heroes giving them real-time support with information on accident sites on the ground. I even have plans on designing the wardrobes of heroes in the future!” Leo said excitedly.

“Damn bro, that sounds even cooler than our idea. Man, I wish my parents were that rich!” Arthur said with his fists clenched.

“Me too!” Lara pouted.

“Just keep dreaming you two,” Bobby said.

“Who says you can’t do the same guys?! Why don’t you guys join me, my parents already gave up on me doing anything else and have approved my idea. And they did say I will need to build that branch from the ground up with my own recruits. So, what do you say, want to work with me?”

“It depends on how much you offer,” Bobby said.

“And how much food you have at the company,” Arthur said.

“And if you will have hot sweaty superheroes going in and out of the place,” Lara said.

Leo “…”

Brrrrrring!

As the end-of-class bell rang, everyone rushed out of the school in excitement. And after bidding his friends goodbye Leo was thinking of the next best place to draw on, and also which superhero it should be. But a loud crisp whistle woke him up from his reverie. The person behind the whistling was a young sexy girl with slender legs and blond hair.

“Where do you think you’re going, Leo?” The girl said snappily.

“Elena, what are you doing here?!” Leo asked in shock. Elena was his cousin but also acted as an assistant for his parents. She usually handled the company’s day-to-day business so it came as a shock to him when he found her by the school gate leaning on a car.

“I am here to pick you up, silly. Today is your little brother Arnold’s birthday. And your parents want you there on time, not late like last year.” Elena said.

“Wow, and who is this fair maiden?” Like a ghost born to haunt Leo, Newman showed up out of nowhere gazing up and down at Elena.

“Hi, I am Elena, and you must be Arthur, Leo’s friend.” Elena extended her hand with a smile.

Spit!

“Who are you calling by that idiot’s name?! I am Newman, my fair lady.” Newman spat on the ground much to the shock of Elena, but he immediately gabber her hand before she could take it back.

“So…sorry, I am here for Leo, I um…need to take him home.” Elena pried her hands out of Newman's as she rushed over to Leo and began dragging him to the car.

“Oh, so you were Leo’s girl. Sorry, I live by a code and don’t steal a fellow classmate's girl if I can help it.” Newman said before walking away from the car with proud steps.

“She’s my cousin, you idiot!” Leo barked.

“Well then…sweet home Alabama…”

Leo “…”

Elena “…”

Thirty minutes later, at the Laurence Grand Apartment building, penthouse floor.

“Leo, you made it, wonderful. It seems you never let us down, Elena.” Leo’s mother Edna patted Elena’s head with a smile.

“You can always count on me, Aunty!” Elena said with her chest puffed out.

“And are you sure you won’t stay? Arnold would be extremely happy to have you here on his birthday.” Leo’s father Jason proposed as he set the birthday cake on the table.

“You know I would love to, uncle, but the house nurse only stays for a few more minutes. And I have to be there to take care of my mom when she leaves.”

“Oh, how thoughtless of me, I even sent you to fetch my son when you always go home early to take care of your mother. How is my sister-in-law doing these days?” Edna asked with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“She is doing much better Aunty, especially after you helped her get into that program. Her brain has even started to show neurological signs!” Elena said.

“Good, how wonderful. That is wonderful news. And you don’t need to thank me, you are my only brother’s wife and daughter. Taking care of you is something I should be doing. Sigh, if only my brother just hadn’t driven while intoxicated with your mother in the car, maybe he would have been alive and she would have been all right now.” Edna then began to sob silently.

“Now, now, don’t weaken this brave girl by bringing up traumatic things. Elena has achieved great things in the company and is even taking care of her mother single-handedly refusing all our offers for help. She is strong and capable so learn from her and become stronger. Don’t make things awkward for her.” Jason said as he shook his head.

“Yes, cousin, don’t mind my mom. You know how easily she breaks into tears. Just go home and be with Aunty, I will send you pictures of the party later.” Leo said as he separated Elena from his mother and walked her to the door.

“Thank you, Leo, be nice to your parents, okay? And your brother too, it's his birthday.”

“Can you stop nagging for once cousin? When have I ever been less than the ideal son and brother.”

Elena just stared at Leo with her eyebrows raised.

“Fine, I promise I will do better.” Leo relented. This must be the legendary Elena stare that his parents keep talking about

“I am serious Leo, time is short with those we love. And when you least expect it, it can become even shorter.” Elena warned as she walked out the door.

As Leo stood contemplating his big cousin's words, a tiny hand tugged on his cloth.

“Was that big sister Elena who left just?” A tiny inquisitive voice sounded as Leo’s little brother Arnold looked up at his big brother.

“Yep, she has something important to do so she needed to go. But have no fear, big brother is here!” Leo laughed as he lifted up his little brother from the ground and started swirling him around much to the child’s delight.

“Umm, Arnold?”

“Yes, big brother?”

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”

“Because they were itchy big brother.”

“Arnold Gucci! After I took all that time to dress you, how could you take it all off like that?!” Edna suddenly happened to pass by the corner and couldn’t help but be angry.

“Oh no, big brother, save me.” The boy screamed mischievously as he hugged his brother's neck.

“Have no fear, big brother is here! Don’t worry Mom, I’ll clothe him.” Leo said as he rushed into his brother’s room.

Edna shook her head in resignation before going back to the living room to help her husband.

Five minutes later everyone had gathered around the table singing Arnold happy birthday. And finally, it was time to blow out the candles.

“Make a wish son. And make sure you say it out loud so that it comes true.” Edna said as she leaned across the table to hear her son’s wish.

Leo rolled his head. Unlike other households, his mother had invented this weird tradition where they said their birthday wishes out loud so that she could make sure they came true.

“Okay, I wish…”

Boom!