With a look of mild confusion, Remy sighed, his tiny hand engulfed by his father's. The HeroTech store always got the large man giddy which made no sense since there was no chance he would ever have the license to use them. His eyes were wide with glee as he stood, hands on hips, admiring the rows of high-tech gadgets.
“Dad, can we go home?”
“In a minute, son.”
Remy threw back his head in exasperation. One minute meant one hour. At least. He escaped his father’s grasp and waddled into an adjacent aisle filled with a wide variety of super suits. All of them were unoriginal, almost carbon copies of the top 10 ranked superheroes of the world.
Remy reached for one of the suits. It was black, splattered with a wild crimson pattern. The fabric was tough and lightweight.
“Do you like that one, lad?”
Remy jolted, only just noticing the bald shopkeeper. “We can find one for your size. You seem to be a superhero in the making.”
“What are you basing that on? My noodle arms? And I’m eight. You don’t know me.”
“He’s got a mouth on him, sorry,” his dad said, rushing in between them. “I think this would fit perfectly on you, Rem. I’ve always felt like you were the spitting image of Endless. Would you like me to buy this for you?”
The eagerness in his father's eyes was more than telling. He had smelled his intentions back at home but played along because boredom was taking over his life.
“I don’t know,” Remy mumbled. “Mom says I’m too young to be wearing stuff like that.” Seeing the disappointment on his father's face, he added, “Is there a suit like Amelia’s?”
“Ah, yes!” his father exclaimed with joy. “Of course! Why didn’t I consider this sooner? Shopkeeper, my good sir, do you have a super suit like Wide Awake’s?”
“Nope. Top 10 ranks only, I’m afraid.”
There was a period of silence. Just long enough to be considered awkward. Remy noticed the flash of irritation in his father’s eyes.
“I have to say, that’s quite unusual. She’s almost a top 100 superhero. Have you seen her statistics? Almost 1500 lives saved? How can one of the most efficient and tireless superheroes not have any form of representation?”
The shopkeeper shrugged. “The top 10 sell the best. It’s only business.”
“Dad,” Remy said, tugging his father’s sleeve. “Look over there. Are those the crimson gauntlets? How do they work again?”
Immediately, his father's look of disapproval moulded into a grin of delight. He crouched to his knees to meet Remy’s level. “Little man, those are what we call highly underrated.”
His father lifted Remy and rested him on his shoulders. “A lot of superheroes refuse to use these because they feel it’s too much of a burden due to their weight, but I believe they have unlimited potential. You see…”
For just over half an hour, Remy’s dad ranted about the offensive and defensive capabilities of the gauntlets and why superheroes should use them more. It was a speech Remy had heard many times before but it was the perfect way to quickly change the sour mood of the room.
Just like his superhero daughter, Wide Awake, his charisma and excitement were infectious. The genuine love and passion for superhero technology were palpable, evident in every dramatic hand gesture and emphasized intonation.
“... and that’s why the top 100 should use them more, son. Do you want to put them on?”
Remy stared at the humungous gauntlets behind the glass casing and then at his tiny, weak hands. He giggled. “I don’t think I’ll be able to fit in them, Dad.”
“I know that!” His father laughed back. “The question still stands. Would you want to put them on if you were built like me?”
“Well… I guess–”
Alarms blared in the Superhero Techno shop, and every phone shared a high-pitched screech.
“It’s happening,” his dad said, both fear and excitement coating his voice. “Hold on tight, son.”
Remy gripped his father’s wide shoulders tightly while the mountain of a man bolted out of the store and into the hustle and bustle of one of Everforge City’s mega supermarkets. Almost everyone moved in the same direction towards an open area filled with horizontal rows of purple emergency portals. Cheerful yells and frustrated squeals hurled into the air.
“It’s happening!”
“Another extraterrestrial threat? This is the fourth this week!”
“Fucking aliens again? Are you serious?”
His father darted past the crowd with strides that were probably three times the size of Remy’s, and with one elegant leap, he soared into a portal leading to the interior of a flying blue capsule.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Remy groaned as his father let him down. “You got capsule viewing again? But Mom said–”
“This is an exception, Rem Rem! This will be your sister’s 50th defence of an alien threat. There was no way I was going to miss this and not watch from the skies. You’ll understand one day when you have a daughter.”
Remy didn’t say anything. He simply grabbed his father’s hand, squeezing hard enough to stop it shaking. The capsule zoomed through the air, covering many miles within a matter of minutes before slowing to a halt, high enough to see a large hologram painting the sky.
An out-of-breath commentator began yelling enthusiastically…
“Ladies and gentlemen, whether you’re just visiting America’s Everforge City or have been a long-time visitor, you are in for a spectacular treat this Sunday afternoon. A planetary-level threat has once again dawned upon us!”
Hollers and screams emanated from the hundreds of capsules surrounding them.
“Now, as you may have already guessed, we’ve had a breach in our primary barriers and twelve formidable beasts have wormed their way into our planet, two of which are heading for Everforge as we speak. How do you think this is going to play out, Rich? What are we dealing with?”
Another commentator cleared their throat before speaking, “Well, John, we’ve got an invasion from the monstrous Gigamites, a respectable B-tier alien threat. They’re known for their ferocious offensive ability from medium range. One hundred years ago, it would take less than a thousand of them to delete us from existence methodically. ”
“Holy moly. Thank God for the Super Era.”
“Amen to that, brother. Fortunately, we have one B-rank superhero en route. Wide Awake is converging on them as we speak.”
Footage of an individual dressed in a light blue and white costume effortlessly flung themselves from skyscraper to skyscraper using thin threads of a shadow-looking substance.
“Now that’s my daughter!” Remy’s dad yelled. “Look at her go! How the fuck does she move so quickly? Oops. Ignore that word, Rem Rem. Don’t swear like me.”
The two Gigamites and Wide Awake simultaneously slammed onto the evacuated city street while Remy jumped, half hiding behind his father's leg. The aliens were bulky blobs of crimson muscle with four whip-like appendages jerking out of their torsos. They lacked almost every typical human feature, only possessing one gaping mouth. Dread sunk through Remy’s bones yet everyone else was more than at ease, punching the air excitedly in their paid-for capsules.
Wide Awake seemed to be the epicentre of their emotions. Close-up footage displayed her smile as she strolled forward, twin black daggers materialising into each hand.
The Gigamites lashed out with their tentacles in a rapid-fire attack pattern. Wide Awake evaded with minimal head movements or deflected with the shadow daggers. Gradually, she made her way towards the aliens who increased the ferocity of their attacks. Their zooming biological whips bounced into cars and street lights, immediately cutting them into fragments.
The large display in the sky briefly replayed the initial action in slow motion, and Remy smiled, fear evaporating away. Wide Awake made it look effortless. Joy flashed on her face as if the danger wasn’t present at all. As if everything was fine.
She's so cool!
“And Wide Awake has the upper hand already! Considering they’re equal tiers, shouldn’t this be more even, Rich?”
“Not at all, John. Wide Awake is the perfect match for the Gigamites,” the commentator explained. “With razor-sharp vision and reaction time, she is one of the most competent close combat fighters. And let’s not forget that B-rank superheroes are skilled enough to eliminate B-tier threats. She is definitely in her comfort zone.”
“Oh, and she’s in range!”
Wide Awake leapt into the air and hurled both daggers. As soon as they left her hands, they expanded into two humongous black swords and impaled the Gigamites, both aliens shrivelling into a gooey, steaming mess.
“And there it is! The finishing blow!”
Remy let go of his father's hand and rested both hands on the capsule's protective glass.
His father performed a goofy dance. “Woohoo, she did it! There was never a doubt in my mind! Why aren’t you dancing with me? At this rate, she’s going to break into the top 100 superheroes! Aren’t you amazed at your spectacular sister?”
“Yes. Can we go home now?”
Remy’s father snorted, as if his son had made a bad joke. “There’s still the post-fight press conference. We can’t just– oh shit, your mother’s calling. Let’s go home.”
----------------------------------------
Not to Remy’s surprise, the dinner table was heated that evening.
“Are you out of your mind?” Remy’s mother said calmly, yet cold as ice. “The boy is only eight years old and you take him straight into the heart of danger. How irresponsible can you be?”
Remy repeatedly stabbed at his vegetables with a fork, pretending not to hear. He hated carrots.
“First of all, those capsules are perfectly safe,” his father said, avoiding eye contact like his life depended on it. “Secondly, let’s not pretend he’s eight. The boy has a C-rank ability. He doesn’t require sleep like his sister which means his lived experience technically matches a 10-year-old.”
“And what difference does that make exactly?” his mother snapped.
“I don’t know; he’s double digits already. A big boy. Manly like his pops.”
“He’s actually right, Mom,” Amelia said, brushing a stray lock of black hair away from her eyes. She shared her mother’s rich chocolate complexion, while Remy’s skin was a few shades lighter, like their father’s. “Those capsules have very effective evasive manoeuvres in a worst-case scenario. They rarely get hit. Besides, I’m sure Rem wanted to see me in action. It’s not like he would be terrified or anything like that. Right, Rem?”
“I wasn’t scared of anything,” Remy lied unconvincingly.
“I know. That’s why you were squeezing Dad’s hand tight.” Amelia cackled. “What, you didn’t think I saw you?”
“My hands were cold! You know that!”
The family’s lively dynamics exploded into hard-to-follow arguments and then laughter, and then more arguments until eventually they all sat on the sofa to watch the replay of Amelia’s post-fight press conference. Remy scooped chocolate ice cream from a bowl with a spoon as the questions began to rattle off. Only the last one managed to catch his attention.
“Having successfully protected humanity over 1000 times with minimal casualties, you’ve had an explosive rookie year. Your execution is flawless and swift, and you’re already ranked 125 out of the 750 licensed superheroes. It feels like you’ll inevitably break into the top 100. Are you excited about that and the perks that come with being on the elite list?”
“Not really,” Wide Awake answered straight away, glancing at her watch. “It’s a blessing to be able to do this for a living and support my family but, at the end of the day, I’m here to be a hero. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid, you know? I already have more than enough perks or incentives or whatever. Right now, I just want to protect those I love and make a difference.”
Remy glanced at his sister and saw an opportunity when he noticed her embarrassed expression. “I love you too, Wide Awake.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t get his desired effect. She stared back at him, unfazed, smiling warmly. “Right back at you, little man.”