In Central City, there’s only one hard rule: everyone dies.
Everything else? Soft, soft rules. Suggestions, really. Flying? Sure, why not. We’ve got fliers left, right, and center. Build a jetpack if you can’t fly on your own powers. Go nuts. Invulnerability? What kind? You’re going to have to be more specific. Healing factor? Oh, sure. Who doesn’t have that? I mean, dime a dozen, am I right? You aren’t even a classed hero if you don’t have a healing factor. And if we’re talking crime, grime, and bullshit? Central’s got that in spades. Anything’s possible. Except that one thing.
Everyone dies. That’s it. That’s the rule. No true immortals. They don’t exist. Total myth. Sure, you might live a thousand years, but you die eventually. You might be able to recover from a bullet to the brain, but there’s some amount of damage that’ll take you out. There’s no such thing as an immortal hero.
And if there is, well. Figure out a way to kill him, quick. Because if Alpha finds him, we’re all fucked.
Forever.
--
Cruising on a beat-up old scooter, a man in his late twenties glanced up at the sky. A tattered shirt waved on the breeze, threadbare jeans hung from bony hips, and an ancient helmet topped brown hair. A bundle of paper bags sat snug on the tray behind him, paper delivery order stapled to their tops. Smog reflected in his eyes, not even the pale shadow of the sun visible overhead. Even so, the humidity hinted at rain to come.
“Fuck,” he muttered, and cranked the throttle.
Cars roared all around him, rushing on to their own homes and jobs. The press and rumble of traffic echoed loud in his ears, the scent of exhaust heavy in his nose. His eyes traveled to the distant knot of trees on the horizon, a dense, huge forest mixed into the heart of the city. Men and women soared over the buildings, busy with something or another. Lights flashed and bodies clashed. Occasional flashes of enormous tentacles appeared, snaking between the buildings to strike the people. From here, the boom of imposing voices and the occasional burst of an explosion was all he could hear.
He looked away, barely suppressing a yawn.
Overhead, a streak of fire burned through the fog, a woman wrapped up in its heart. The raging inferno around her body left her face and features unclear, her body little more than a blur. Spinning around in midair, she threw a ball of fire behind her.
It soared through the smog and burst on the chest of a man with metal for skin. He let out a hearty laugh, audible from where the young man drove, and revved the jet engine that carved a hole through his abdomen. “It’ll take more than that to stop Jet Engine!”
Rather than regaling him with a response, the flaming lady tossed another dozen fireballs. They splashed against him, searing his metal skin red-hot. One landed right on his engine, and he fell back in the air, engine spluttering. He narrowed his eyes and sped up, chasing after the flaming lady. “Here comes the Jet Shoulder Charge!”
The flaming lady spun and flew off, but too late. His shoulder slammed into her back. With a shriek, the flaming lady fell out of the sky and tumbled toward the raggedy scooter below.
“Watch out!” Jet Engine yelled.
The rider slammed the brakes. The scooter skidded, bald tires struggling to find a grip, something mysterious in its chassis letting out a horrible screeching grinding noise. It drifted left and right, fishtailing to a halt.
The fiery woman hit the ground inches in front of him. She bounced, rolling down the road. Flames chased after her, plasma smearing over the asphalt.
“Come on! Fucking—stop!” the rider shouted, frustrated.
As if it heard him, the scooter finally stopped, drawing up inches before the tires hit the woman. He leaned forward, checking the scooter for damage.
Pristine, not a single additional bump or singe on the filthy old plastic. He wiped his brow, relieved.
“Citizen, out of the way!”
Whipping around, he almost smacked his forehead on shining metal skin. Jet Engine hurtled down at the lady, his eyes set.
Terrified, he dropped, narrowly dodging the blow. He revved the engine. The scooter groaned, struggling to respond. It jolted forward, then stopped.
He patted the scooter. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. You can stop stopping now. Go! Go!”
Jet Engine smashed the woman into the ground. Fire burst all around them, spouting up like a volcanic eruption. It loomed up in a wave, towering over the scooter.
Every muscle in his body tensed. Heat lit up his side, warning of impending fiery doom. He grabbed the handlebars tight and cranked the engine to the max. The scooter’s electric engine whirred. Wheels spinning, it screeched, then leaped forward.
With millimeters to spare, the scooter burst out from under the wave. Opposing traffic rushed at him, only a thin pair of white lines between him and steely death. He slammed the brakes, skidding to a halt inches before the front wheel crossed the second line. Putting his feet down, but leaving the engine at the ready, he stared over his shoulder at the battle blocking the road ahead.
Jet Engine bashed the flaming woman into the road. Once. Twice. Her eyes rolled up in her head, and the flames flickered down on her body, fading away. A last whisp of smoke emerged from her body.
The rider’s nose wrinkled. He eyed the road. That’s going to leave a hell of a pothole. Fucking supers, they all ought to—
Not now. Low key, low key. Hold back.
A gentle-faced woman in her early twenties laid in the street. Short, fire-red hair settled in waves around her face. Freckles colored her pale skin where her t-shirt and shorts revealed a limber body.
Rising from the ground, Jet Engine dusted himself off, his namesake burning down. He glanced over at the scooter rider. “Still alive?”
“Yeah, I—” Crackling sounded from behind him. Startled, the scooter rider turned. The paper bags burned merrily, blackening under a bright flame.
Jet Engine winced. “Oof.”
“Fuck!” Yanking off his shirt, the young man threw it onto the fire, stifling the flames on the bags. He lifted his shirt to peek. A few small flames jumped back up. Grimacing, he slammed the shirt down again, patting out the last of the fire. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“You alright there?” Jet Engine asked, walking over.
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“It’s—this goddam delivery—I’m not going to get any tip, and I’m late on rent, and—” the young man pulled his shirt back, revealing a blackened burn eating the center front of the shirt. His nose twisted in disgust. “Fuck!”
Jet Engine rubbed the back of his head. “Hey, sorry about that. Ability hunting for Alpha, you know how it goes.”
“Yeah. I know,” the driver spat. He shook his head, every fiber of his being tensed. Hold. Hold. Not yet. Not now. You can do it. Just a little longer.
“Look, I really feel quite bad about this. Why don’t I buy you a new shirt? And, uh. Whatever your delivery is. I’ll buy a new one of that, too.”
“I’ll still be late and get no tip,” he muttered.
Jet Engine raised his steely brows. He gave the boy a sharp look. “What?”
Turning a bright, smiling face up at the hero, the boy said, “Thank you, sir! Appreciate it, sir!”
“Excellent! What’s your name? I’m, well,” the hero gestured at his chest, “Jet Engine.”
“You can call me Levi, sir,” the boy replied with a sunny grin. Fuck off. I’m trying to be good, here. Ordinary. You’re getting in my way. Tempting me. Leave me to my shitty job and go.
“Come on, then. Let’s get you fixed up.” Jet Engine froze abruptly. He reached out and snatched up Levi’s hands.
Bright red burns stained Levi’s palms and wrists, raw and blistering. Jet Engine looked at the hands, then up at Levi. “You need medical attention. Now.”
Levi retracted his hands. “I’ll be fine, sir.” Better if you go.
“A healing factor?” Jet Engine asked.
Shutting his mouth, he looked at the ground.
Jet Engine rubbed his nose and grimaced. “I know I was just ability hunting, but Alpha’s not interested in healing factors anymore. He’s already absorbed enough. You don’t need to hide a measly skill like that.”
Levi smiled at him.
The steel colossus sighed. “Yeah, I get it. I get it. But it’s the price we pay for peace, you know?”
“I know,” Levi replied, pointing.
Jet Engine followed his finger to a nearby billboard. A muscular man with perfect wavy brown hair shot a perfect smile their way, fitted into a suit that perfectly displayed the shape of his body. Alpha. I’ll pay any price for peace in Central City!
Jet Engine laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. I guess he is up for election.”
“Not like it matters,” Levi muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Jet Engine shook his head. Hoisting the flaming woman over his shoulder, he hoisted Levi onto the other. “Let’s get you a shirt, and replace that delivery of yours. I’ve got to get her to Alpha before she wakes up. He’s been looking for a flame power for weeks now.”
“Uh, are we—”
“Hold on tight!”
The jet engine roared to life. Leaving the scooter abandoned in the middle of the road, they burst off into the sky.
Holding on with his burned hands, face distorted by the vicious wind, Levi muttered, “Damn supers.”
The roaring wind snatched his voice away, and not a sound reached Jet Engine’s ears.
--
“You’re welcome, citizen!” Leaving Levi on side of the road, Jet Engine roared off into the sky, still carrying the girl over his shoulder.
Levi watched him go, a customer-service smile on his face. He waved until Jet Engine vanished, then let his hand droop. His smile turned into a scowl. Shaking his head at Jet Engine’s back, he climbed up the stairs of the apartment behind him. One floor, two floors, as the rain began to fall, pattering down on the edge of the outdoors hallways that striped the apartment. The balcony creaked and sagged under his feet. Metal flakes dropped down from above, while rust-stained water accumulated in the low points of the cracked concrete path.
Four stories up, Levi knocked on a rust-stained door. The wind whooshed by, spraying him with the damp as the rain began to pour. He shivered and knocked again.
Seconds before his hand landed, an angry, overweight woman yanked the door out from under him. She scowled at him, disgust written all over her face.
“What are you thinking? Two hours late? Two hours late! I already canceled the delivery and re-ordered it, and received it since you were supposed to be here! Are you insane?”
The door slammed in his face. Levi stumbled back, still holding the bags. “Your groceries…”
Fucking supers. Bought me a new shirt and flew me here, but spent so long showboating to everyone we came across that it took two damn hours. I ought to—
Forcibly, Levi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Deep breath. Deep breath. Bright sides, let’s look for bright sides.
He looked from one bag to the other, then shrugged, picking through the abandoned purchases. I’ll say I delivered it. Free food for me, and a hassle for that bitch if she tries to report me. Bright sides all around.
His phone rang. Juggling the bags into one arm and wincing as he jostled his burns, he lifted it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Your vehicle has been impounded for impeding a roadway. If you want it back, please contact—”
“Come on. I can’t even afford rent, and now this?” He slammed the hang-up button and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He’d barely put it away when it rang again.
Yanking it out, he mashed the answer-call button and screamed, “I get it, my scooter got impounded. Shut up!”
“Oh. Sorry.”
Levi’s eyes widened. He lifted the phone to his ear. “Kella. I’m so sorry. Go on.”
“Are you sure? Your scooter got impounded,” she said, a hint of a tease in her voice.
“I’ll get it back, don’t worry. It’s no big deal. How are you feeling? Everyone treating you well?” He paced the hallway, burns forgotten, holding the phone delicately, the groceries hugged to his chest.
Kella laughed. “I’m fine. The doctors are all so nice. Listen! They say they can start surgery on the tumor tomorrow! If everything goes well, I’ll be back home in no time.”
He sighed. “Thank goodness. Focus on getting well. I’ll figure out everything else.”
Silence.
Levi checked his phone. It still showed the connected screen. He lifted it to his ear again. “Kella, are you still there?”
Kella took a deep breath. “Levi, it’s okay. We can figure something out. Mom and I. You don’t have to send all your money back to us. Save a little for yourself.”
Levi clicked his tongue. “Kella, what are you saying? I’m doing fine. I’m sending you a fraction of what I make. Seriously, don’t worry about it.”
Hesitantly, she said, “If that’s the case, then—”
“Of course that’s the case. I. Am. Fine. Hey, call me after surgery tomorrow, okay? Let me know how it goes.”
“Sure!”
“Talk to you later.” He hung up. Casually, he walked a few steps away, then dropped to a squat. Setting the bags beside him, he typed on his phone with both hands. “Surgery. How much is that going to cost?”
The phone search completed. He jerked away from the phone, startled. “That’s a lot of zeroes.”
He pressed the phone to his forehead, staring at the grimy floor. Biting his lip, he thought, running through idea after idea. “Shit. How do I find that much money?”
I could always—
He shook his head. “No. Bad Levi. We’re being good. Good, ordinary citizen.”
Casting his gaze up, he searched the sky for answers. “I owe them too much. I can’t not repay them. Come on. What can I do? Sell my organs?”
He tipped his head back and forth, shrugging to himself. “Sell my organs. That’s an option.”
Turning back to the phone, he typed in cost of a kidney. The phone replied with a cheery series of listings, none of them out of the hundreds range. The more expensive entries even included reviews and doctors vouching for the health of the seller.
Levi’s face twisted in frustration, and he lowered the phone again, once more turning his eyes heavenward in despair. “Right. Everyone and their dog has a healing factor. People make careers out of that shit. Come on. There has to be something. Something worth money, that I can do.”
There’s always monster hunting.
Yeah, but I know what I mean by that. And I shouldn’t. Not when I’ve been clean for so long.
Under the radar. Normal. Come on. Ordinary life, ordinary fixes. There has to be a way for normal people to solve this problem. Right?
The roar of an engine caught Levi’s ear. He looked up. Silvery light glittered in the sky. The flaming woman held Jet Engine tight and roared downward, flying with all her might toward the ground. Jet Engine struggled in her grasp, twisting left and right as he tried to break out.
Noticing the apartment, the girl flinched back and released Jet Engine. Rather than let her back away, Jet Engine grabbed onto her. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the apartment, and his eyes went cold. No longer pushed by the girl, he flew on his own power, dragging her toward the apartment.
Holy shit! Levi jumped up, sprinting for it. He made it two steps before Jet Engine smashed into the side of the apartment two floors above him. The building lurched, wavering with the strike. Levi latched onto the railing and barely kept himself upright. “What the fu—”
Concrete cracked and metal groaned. Overhead, the balcony drooped, sagging like wet fabric. Beneath him, the walkway crumbled, dissipating under his feet like dry sand. With an enormous rumble, half the building caved in. Levi tumbled, falling with the debris.
Damn supers.
He struck the ground. Debris smashed down on him, battering his body to pieces. The light in his eyes went dark, but not before a familiar message flickered before them.
[You lost a life!]
[Lives remaining: -17244]
He did it, not me. I was trying to be good. I was doing the right thing, for once. But now I’m dead. That ‘me’ died.
Long live me.