It was 1964 when the giant spherical object suddenly appeared in the sky. We'll never forget that moment. It was like the whole world held its breath as we stared up in awe and fear. For weeks, it was the only thing on the news. Everyone had theories about what the object could be, but the most common one was that it was of extraterrestrial origin. The governments of the world scrambled to figure out what it was and what to do about it, marking the beginning of the Space race. It was a time of uncertainty and fear, and we were all on edge. Countries around the world raced to be the first to develop a machine that would reach the Sphere. Ultimately, Russia was the country to prevail, developing Sputnik Sfera-1, the machine they claimed would touch the stars. They launched the machine into space to collect data, but the object attacked and destroyed it. I remember the horror I felt when I saw the images of the machine being destroyed. We realized then that we might be dealing with something hostile, something we were not prepared for.
The world government prepared for the worst and came up with two plans to deal with the object. However, before they could put these plans into action, a horror beyond imagination befell humanity. On June 30th, 1974, the sphere released about 50 beings called Spherions that landed in Russia and began attacking. It was a day that would live in infamy, a day that changed everything. We'll never forget the chaos and destruction that followed. The Spherions were ruthless, showing no mercy to anyone they encountered. They moved fast and struck hard, decimating everything in their path. The world was plunged into darkness unlike any we had ever seen.
And yet, even in the face of such overwhelming horror, something miraculous happened. People with extraordinary powers emerged from the chaos, people who would later come to be known as superheroes. They fought bravely against the invaders, using their powers to defend our planet. Together with what remained of the world's military, these heroes battled the invaders in a war that lasted for years. I saw firsthand the horrors of this war, the destruction and devastation that it wrought. But I also saw the bravery and selflessness of those who fought to protect our world. The attacks didn't stop, but more and more superheroes emerged to protect humanity. They are the reason humanity still stands today. We owe them everything, and we will never forget their sacrifice. Today, we remember that dark chapter in our history. We remember the heroes who gave their lives to protect our world. And we hope that we will never face a threat like that again, but if we do, we know that we will be ready.
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14-year-old Dan Drewitt walks down the sidewalk, his mind focused solely on the video game he's about to buy. The sound of the news report about the invasion fades into the background, just another piece of white noise to him. Although the event happened decades ago, it remains ingrained in the world's history and has become a common backdrop to everyday life. The monuments dedicated to the invasion blend in with the surrounding architecture, and the posters that read "Never Forget" have become a familiar sight to those who pass them every day. He learned about the invasion in school, but it's never been something that he's given much thought to beyond passing tests. As he walks by the towering monuments, he doesn't feel a sense of awe or reverence, just a faint curiosity about the events that took place so long ago. His focus returns to the game, and he quickens his pace, eager to get his hands on the latest release.
“TODAY’S FINALLY THE DAY!” Dan shouts while walking along the sidewalk.
Dan: “After months of waiting for it to go on sale, I can finally get my hands on it. The greatest game of all time. Curated by Hidemaro Fujibayashi, written by the hands of Akihito Toda, composed by the legendary trio: Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai, and art drawn by Takumi Wada and Satoru Takizawa. Huh, they really assembled the Avengers for this game!”
Dan races his way into the local game shop and immediately goes to the counter.
Dan: “You know what I’m here for, Arne.”
Arne: “Yep, and I saved this last copy for you. You’re in luck Dan.”
Dan’s eyes sparkled with awe and excitement as Arne rings up the game and puts it in a bag.
Dan: “I've been waiting for this for so long, I just can't wait to dive into this world and explore all it has to offer.”
Arne: “That’ll be 49.99 Bruindar.”
Dan takes out with wallet and pays for the game. He then rushes out the door.”
Dan:” Thanks Arne!”
Arne: “No problem. Have fun, Dan!”
Dan rushes home at a usually superhuman speed, leaving behind a cloud of dust in his wake. As soon as Dan gets home he heads upstairs to his room, but not before his mom stops him to talk to him.
Dan’s mom: “Hi Sweetie! Did you get the game?”
Dan: “Yep, and I’m going to be in my room for the rest of the night and probably won’t answer when you call my name. Get Brigitta to do my chores.”
Dan enters his room and sets up the game. A bunch of snacks is in his room,
Dan: “Alright, I got a bunch of snacks and drinks, and the bathroom is just down the hall. Now, it’s time for an all-nighter gaming session.”
Just as Dan is about to settle in for a long night of gaming, he hears a breaking news alert on the television. Dan hesitates for a moment, torn between his excitement for his new game and his curiosity about the news report. In the end, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he turns up the volume on the TV to hear the latest updates.
Newscaster: “Good evening, I'm Becklund Braun, reporting live from the Bruindarian News Corporation. While there have been no reports of a Spherion attack today, we have received breaking news of an armed robbery that has taken place in the 5th ward of Aurorstadt. According to our sources, the suspect is currently in a vehicle fleeing downtown. We will continue to bring you updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
Dan: “Are you FUCKING KIDDING me! I just started the game!”
Dan rushes downstairs and looks at the tv. A robbery was taking place downtown, and the thief was getting away with a large sum of money. Dan is angered, mostly because this broadcast interrupted him while he was about to play his most anticipated game of the year, but partially because of the innocent people who were being affected by this crime. He did swear an oath to himself that he would not sit idle will injustices were happening.
Dan races upstairs to his room and reaches under his bed and pulls out a box. He takes a handmade Superhero suit, riddles with holes.
Dan: “Didn’t think I was going to need to do this today. There usually isn’t any human-commited crime on Fridays. I usually expect a Spherion to attack today.” He says as he puts on the suit. Outside, a black dot becomes visible above the clouds.
Dan: “Man I really need to patch this suit up. Making a superhero suit out of a old Halloween costume wasn’t the smartest idea.” Dan quickly checks up and down the hallway to make sure no one is coming, then locks his door and opens the window.
Dan: “Alright, just have to deal with this and then I can go back to playing the greatest game of all time.”
Dan leaps out the window and flies off.
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The Thief races down the streets in his car, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He can't believe his luck – he's managed to pull off the biggest heist of his career, robbing the Bank of Bruindaria. Now all he had to do what get out of the country while evading the police that were trying to capture him. He soared through the road in a vehicle, barely missing the cars in his way.
Thief: “I can’t believe that just happened. I just robbed one of the biggest banks in the world. Now I just have to escape, and I can spend all this hard-earned... er... stolen cash. And with most of the superheroes busy in the other wards, escaping from the police will be a cinch.”
Dan flies through the air with a pissed off look on his face.
Dan: “Someone just had to commit a crime today. I could’ve been home playing Breath of the Wild right now.”
Dan flies for a few more miles the 5th ward of Auruorstadt before spotting the Thief dangerously driving on the street. Dan’s shifts his grumpy look to a more serious one and flies down to the car.
The Thief daydreams with a smile about what his life is going to be before he notices the shadow of someone flying about him. His face turns pale. His whole body immediately goes cold. It couldn’t be. He immediately darts his head out the word and looks upward to see a superhero flying above him.
Thief: “What the-” He presses hard on the gas pedal, making the car going into a frenzy as it presses forward at what seems to be the speed of light (not actually). Unfortunately, there is a building in front of him that a family of three walks out of. Panic grips the thief as he desperately tries to swerve the car away from the unsuspecting family, but it is no use. He was going to hit them before the car could fully turn. Fortunately for everyone, there was a superhero ready to save them. Dan immediately flies in front of the car and pushes against it, gradually slowing it down. Dan grits his teeth as his muscles begin to strain as he exerts more and more force to slow down the car. Dan and the car are inches away from the family before the car comes to a complete stop. “
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The family are holding each other tight, bracing for a hit the doesn’t car. The father looks up to see walk looks like a guardian angel, before the light fades and reveals a superhero standing between them and their demise. The mother begins to break down in tears holding their son. It was his birthday today, and they didn’t get a lot to give him want he wanted because they didn’t have a lot of money, and they wanted to make today special.
Father speaks to dan with tears in his eyes, barely managing to get a word out of his mouth.
Father: “Thank... you... for saving us.”
Dan: “No need to thank me. I’m just doing want needs to be done. Now go, get out of here.”
The father rushes his family to safety while Dan turns to face the thief, who is not in the car seat. In fact, he bolted out the car down the minute the car stopped and was already halfway down the street running at his top speed.
Thief: “There’s no way there’s a superhero out today. I thought they were all supposed to be in their wards today for the meetings. There’s no way my inside intel would lie to me!”
The Thief continues down the street for several more seconds, gasping for air with each step he takes, before Dan flies down in front of him and punches him in the face, sending the thief back several yards. Panic overwhelming the thief’s body as he takes out a gun and points it at Dan.
Thief: “I AIN’T GOING BACK TO JAIL. NEVER AGAIN!”
Dan steps toward the thief, but he shoots, which doesn’t affect Dan in the slightest since he was bulletproof. Dan continues to walk toward him, the thief emptying him mag on Dan as he got closer to him. Dan finally reaches the thief and picks him up, looking at him with disappointment.
The thief struggles to break free from Dan's grip, but he knows it's useless.
Dan: “So this is how you spend your Fridays. Robbing a bank and endangering innocent people. You could kill that family, you know.” Dan grips the thief’s clothes tighter as he says those words, his voice almost breaking as if it happened to him.
Thief: “Hey, it's not my fault they got in the way. They should've been more careful. And besides, I'm just trying to make a living here. What do you care anyway, you're just a glorified do-gooder in a fancy suit." The thief snarls, trying to break free from Dan's grip, but failing miserably.”
Dan: "You think it's okay to put innocent people in danger just to make a quick buck? You're sick, you know that? You are probably worse than the Spherions. I'm taking you in and making sure you pay for what you've done." Dan's voice is cold and hard, his eyes never leaving the thief's face.
The looks down defeated. He knows he lost. He was going to go back to jail.
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As the police officers handcuff the thief and escort him to the squad car, Dan walks over to the family huddled together on the sidewalk.
Dan: "Is everyone okay?"
The mother nods, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Dan places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I'm just glad I could help."
The little boy, no more than six years old, looks up at Dan with wide eyes. "You're a superhero!"
Dan smiles. "I'm just a regular guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time."
The boy runs up and hugs Dan. "Thank you for saving me on my birthday," he says. "If my sister was here, she'd hug you too."
Dan's heart clenches at the mention of a sister. "I'm sure she would, and I hope you have a happy birthday, little man."
The family watches as Dan stands up and flies away, his thoughts consumed by memories of his own lost sister. Dan couldn't help but smile at the child's gratitude, but the mention of the boy's sister made his heart ache. He had lost his own sister 2 years ago, and the pain of her absence still haunted him.
Dan flies back home with a heavy heart. As he lands on the rooftop, he takes a moment to compose himself before entering his room. The child's gratitude had touched him, but the mention of the boy's sister had reopened a wound that never fully healed. As he entered his room through the window, Dan scanned the hallway to make sure no one was around. Satisfied that he was alone, he removed his hero suit and changed into his casual clothes. Dan sat down in front of his TV and picked up his controller, intending to lose himself in the game world. But as he was about to start, the memory of his own sister flooded his mind. Dan glances over at a photo on his shelf, taken years ago with his younger sister. In the photo, she looked pale and frail, but her smile was the brightest thing in the room. For a few moments, Dan just stared at the picture, lost in his memories. But eventually, he took a deep breath and turned back to the game, forcing himself to focus on the game. He knew it was what his sister would have wanted him to do.
The family watches as Dan stands up and flies away, his thoughts consumed by memories of his own lost sister. Dan couldn't help but smile at the child's gratitude, but the mention of the boy's sister made his heart ache. He had lost his own sister 2 years ago, and the pain of her absence still haunted him.
Dan flies back home with a heavy heart. As he lands on the rooftop, he takes a moment to compose himself before entering his room. The child's gratitude had touched him, but the mention of the boy's sister had reopened a wound that never fully healed. As he entered his room through the window, Dan scanned the hallway to make sure no one was around. Satisfied that he was alone, he removed his hero suit and changed into his casual clothes. Dan sat down in front of his TV and picked up his controller, intending to lose himself in the game world. But as he was about to start, the memory of his own sister flooded his mind. Dan glances over at a photo on his shelf, taken years ago with his younger sister. In the photo, she looked pale and frail, but her smile was the brightest thing in the room. For a few moments, Dan just stared at the picture, lost in his memories. But eventually, he took a deep breath and turned back to the game, forcing himself to focus on the game. He knew it was what his sister would have wanted him to do.
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2 days have passed, and Dan is getting ready to go to school. He goes downstairs to eat breakfast, the aroma of pancakes enters his nose, making his stomach grumble with hunger. He smiles as he sees his mother already setting his plate on the table.
Dan's mother: "Good morning, sleepyhead."
Dan: "Morning, Mom."
Dan sits down at the kitchen table, eagerly anticipating his mother's famous pancakes. As he takes a bite, he closes his eyes and savors the taste. After days of his mother working non-stop at the store, he is grateful for this moment of respite. It's amazing how something as simple as eating can bring so much joy.
Eventually, he finishes his meal and gets ready to head off to school. He says his goodbyes to his mother and sister, giving them each a quick kiss on the cheek. As he walks into the living room, he notices his father sitting there, working on his laptop. It's a surprise to see him at home, given that he usually spends most of his nights at the military base. With so many men called to duty in the fight against the Spherions, it's rare for families to spend much time together. But in recent years, things have calmed down a bit, giving his father a much-needed break.
Dan walks up to his father, who is busy typing away on his laptop.
Dan: “Hey Dad. What are you working on?”
His father looks up from his screen and smiles at him.
Dad: “Just some reports for work. But I'm glad to be able to do it from home for once."
Dan nods, understanding how important his father's job is in the fight against the Spherions.
Dan: “Yeah, it's nice to have you here for a change.”
His father nods in agreement.
Dad: "I know, Dad. It's been too long since we've been able to spend time together like this."
They share a smile, both grateful for this small moment of normalcy in an otherwise uncertain world.
Dan: "See you later, Dad."
Father: "Have a good day at school, son."
As Dan walks out the Door. His mother stops him.
Dan’s mother: “Dan, make sure to come straight home if you get an alerted on your phone about a monster attack.”
Dan chuckled. He didn’t need to worry about that. He had superpowers to defend himself after all.
Dan: “Yes ma’am. I love you.”
Dan grabs his backpack and heads out the door. The bright sunlight blinds him momentarily, as he steps outside for the first time in two days. His eyes adjust to the light, and he takes in a deep breath of fresh air. It feels good to be outside again. As he walks up the hill towards his school, Dan's mind drifts back to the game he had been playing. He had stayed up late to beat it and he was feeling the effects of it now, yawning and rubbing his eyes. But the feeling of accomplishment was worth it.
Dan: “Man, that was such an amazing game. Staying up late to beat it was totally worth it.”
The familiar faces of his neighbors and friends greet him as he makes his way up the hill, each exchange filled with warmth and small talk. Other students are walking to school as well, vendors are selling superhero merchandise, and people are going to talk about their day, trying to get to wherever they're going. As Dan is walking, he can't help but feel grateful for the simple pleasures of life.
Dan finally makes it to the front gates of his school, Palette Academy. He makes his way to his first class of the day. Dan makes his way across the seas of students in the classroom and sits down and his desk. His friend Charlie comes up to him.
Charlie: "Hey, Dan! Did you finish that game you were talking about?" he says, and he settles into the seat next to his friend.
Dan: "Yeah, I finally beat it last night. It was epic. Ended up beating it in 2 days. Pulled an all-nighter to finish it last name." Dan says boastfully with a smile on his face.
Charlie: "Seriously Dude. That's some serious dedication. I don't think I could do that. I could only spend 7 hours max playing a video game before I get bored. How do you do it bro?"
Dan shrugs.
Dan: "I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. I guess I was just born with the abilities of a elite gamer. Anyways I probably going to take a one-day hiatus to catch up on some sleep. "
Charlie laughs. "Yeah, you look like you could use it. Hey, did you hear about the new exhibit at the art museum?"
Dan shakes his head. "No, what is it?"
Charlie: "It's this interactive installation piece, where you get to create your own artwork using different materials and tools. I was thinking we could go check it out after school?"
Dan smiles. "That sounds awesome, I'm in. Thanks for letting me know."
The bell rings, signaling the start of class. Dan and Charlie take their seats, ready to learn today about the Sphere and its impact on humanity. But as Dan listens to the lecture, he gets an intense feeling that something bad is about to happen. His stomach knots up with unease as he turns his head towards the window and looks upwards towards the sky to see the Sphere. It's floating in the distant sky like usual, but he can see a figure coming toward his direction at top speed. Then, just at that moment, everyone in the classroom receives an alert on their phones.
A girl's voice rings out from the alert: " Mercy of Monoceros! a Spherion has just arrived and is heading towards Künstlerviertel ward."
The classroom tenses up for a bit before bursting into full-blown panic. The teacher tries to calm everyone down by saying that a hero will be here soon to deal with the Spherion, and for a moment that works. Dan looks at his backpack. It contains his hero suit, but why is he hesitant to put it on? He's a superhero, right? He swore to protect people, but he's only fought human enemies before. He's never actually fought a Spherion before. These were the things that pushed humanity to the brink of extinction after all.
The moment of slight peace is interrupted when the figure crashes into the classroom. Everyone erupts into screams as they all scramble about. Some are caught in the debris; others are knocked out by the impact. It's a horrifying sight, and everyone's worst nightmare. But Dan knows he has to do something, and without thinking, he punches the Spherion with all his power, knocking it back. Everyone is too distracted to see what Dan has done, and Dan knows that now is do or die. He reaches into his bag, pulls out his superhero mask, and jumps out of the classroom to fight the Spherion several feet above the ground.
Dan's heart pounds with terror as he confronts the monstrous Spherion before him. Towering above him, the beast's massive form is a sight to behold. Its razor-sharp claws glisten with a menacing sheen, and its glowing red eyes stare unblinkingly at Dan with an intense, otherworldly gaze. The Spherion's body is round and bulbous, its massive arms rippling with powerful muscles. But what truly sets it apart is its bizarre, almost human-like legs, which only serve to make the creature even more unsettling. Its head is a mass of twisted flesh and bone, riddled with gaping, oozing holes that seem to pulse with a dark, malevolent energy. Dan knows that he is utterly outmatched, but he must stand his ground against this abomination from beyond the stars.