I was twelve years old when I met the world’s symbol for heroes.
I was out with my friend Iraklis Drakos and his mom, walking across Liberty Square in our home city of Heraklion. I was messing with my gloves at the time. They were new and felt odd to wear, even if I had needed them. I was told that I did at least, and both Mom and Dad seemed to be more relaxed while I was wearing them.
A team of seven villains had attacked. Although they felt more like terrorists than anything else, with most of them holding traditional guns. In fact, all of them but the apparent ringleader carried heavy weaponry, while he only had a standard pistol in his hand.
They shot the sky for a bit, scaring most of the people away, but the terrorists managed to catch us and a few other unlucky folks as hostages.
“You should be honoured,” began the leader, speaking in English while a henchman on his right translated for him. “This will be the end of this corrupt, rotten era we live in. Our sins will be forgiven, and we will ascend to the next stage! But only through destruction can we create. And your lives will be the cornerstone of this ascension!”
The villain raised his hand, which began to glow with heat, and a burning beam so hot I could still feel the heat years later blasted toward us.
Only to be intercepted by a large, muscular figure that fell from the sky in front of us, cracking the ground below and absorbing the heat harmlessly. He was facing towards us, an enormous smile on his face.
Alpha Surge, the champion of champions, and the only singular international hero in our world, was standing in front of us, looking like he was ripped out of a comic book.
He had a square jaw, electric blue eyes, and black hair with white at the temples. He was clad in light blue spandex, a large white upside down ‘A’ inscribed in a diamond shape decorating his chest, and white boots and arm guards.
“Do not worry, friends. I’m here to help.” he reassured us in English using a strong, yet gentle tone of voice before turning back to the criminals. He began glowing, his skin and blue spandex in electric blue, while his eyes and everything else was white.
We all cheered loudly for the Alpha Surge, causing the villain to scream loudly and wordlessly, causing us to stop.
“We are an unstoppable force!” he screamed childishly, so much so that I even realised it even at twelve. “An inevitable outcome, something that not even you can stop!”
“You do have a flair for the dramatic, I'll grant you that,” said the hero, his voice now having lost all gentleness it had before. He lifted his outstretched arm toward the villain. “But your words are empty and your arrogance is greater than your skill. I absorb and manipulate energy! And you just gave me a ton of it.”
“Fire you fools! Fire!” yelled the villain, his face purple with rage. Heat came from his hands once more while his goons took aim.
Before they could do anything however, a series of electrical blasts from the hero’s hands shot straight past them, throwing them back to the ground, knocking all of them unconscious in a single move.
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Alpha Surge actually rushed over to check on them, making sure they were all breathing, and collected them in one area. Before we all had properly overcome our shock, he had already informed us that they appeared to be fine, apart from the fact they were unconscious.
Several of the people went over to thank the hero, some speaking English, while most were speaking Greek. With hindsight, he probably didn’t understand what they were saying but he still took the time to shake hands and have whatever semblance of a conversation he could with them, making sure they were alright.
Iraklis and I just stood there, looking at the massive man, too shocked to do anything other than stare at him with wonder. Iraklis’s mom, who was trying to push us toward him, probably made some sort of gesture to him, because he suddenly started coming towards us.
“And who are you two wonderful young men?” he said, as he kneeled to be eye level with us. His smile became a little softer, but he was still just as genuine.
We both had relatively good English knowledge, which was both a blessing and a curse in that scenario. The blessing bit should be obvious, but we were both so nervous, it might as well have been a curse.
“I’m Iraklis Drakos, sir! And I’m going to be a hero when I grow up!” said Iraklis suddenly, and loudly. He was also standing as straight as he could, saluting for some reason, and Alpha Surge laughed softly.
“And I’m sure you will. I’ll be waiting alright?” he said, an enthusiastic nod being the only response Iraklis gave, could give in his excitement as he claimed later on.
“And you, young man?” asked the hero, turning to me which caused me to yelp slightly.
A few years back something like this would have been enough to cause me an Asthma attack. Thankfully, the severity of my Asthma had lessened significantly, and I could hold myself together.
“I-I’m Alexander.” I responded shyly. “Sir.” I added quickly, as to not offend him.
“And do you wish to be a hero as well?”
“Well-I-I wish.” I said quietly, looking at my gloved hands. “But I don’t know if I can.”
He placed his large hand on my shoulder, looking at me in the eye. “Has anyone ever told you that you can’t be a hero?”
“Not-Not anyone in my family-or-or Iraklis for that matter!” I said hesitantly. “But many people-”
“Nonsense!” said the hero boomingly, causing me, and many of the bystanders that arrived to meet him, to just listen to him. “Everyone has good in them. A hero is someone that uses every talent in their arsenal, be it brains or brawn, to save, inspire and reassure others!”
He got up, spreading his arms wide. “Look at me for instance! What do I have that you don’t! Years and experience sure, but those can be gained. Some of the finest heroes I've worked with are people with seemingly useless powers, or no powers at all. What matters is the spirit. A hero's heart and mind. I choose to believe that anyone can have those qualities.”
“Do you really think so?” I asked him, and I could swear that my eyes were shining. I could feel the sparkle in them.
“I know so. If you still have the passion for it then, go to a Heroic Academy when you grow up. And if you do, I’ll know. But no matter what, I will look back on this day as the day I met two wonderful kids, and even more incredible people.”
Both me and Iraklis were practically vibrating where we stood. Here he was, the truest hero of the whole world, believing in us. And that was only the beginning.