Short Stories

Fallen Foe

The man dressed in black and dark purple sat in his maroon chair with a sad sigh. He had devoted his life to becoming the world's ruler and craved for people to cower when they heard his name. He had been close to doing it multiple times, but was always stopped by the famous superhero: The Red Prince.

It was infuriating for his plans to be wrecked by a person of his size. While the villain was strong and taller, his enemy was a fast thinker and rather swift. They had fought many times, but it always came to a draw.

"I've won once again!" The Red Prince would say.

"All you've won is a stupid grin on your face." The villain would snap back.

Despite their obvious differences, they had silently come to a mutual agreement. Neither would win, neither would lose, and their battles would end but only for some time before they fought again. They never attempted to harm each other with more than a cut or a bruise.

Despite the little action, the people enjoyed their amazing Red Prince saving the day from the awful man in purple and black. They would cheer and scream as one was granted an advantage over the other. They were happy.

Until, one day, the Red Prince made a mistake. A very grave mistake. The day was like any other. The villain taunted and teased the hero about how he was elite and smart, while the hero would shout something back about justice and the safety of people. They stood on one of the tallest buildings; a deadly weapon used to strike fear into people sat on the edge.

"Your plan will never work! You are only one man, and there are many that would rise against you." The Red Prince declared.

"One man with many deadly weapons at his disposal is better than a man with ten bodyguards." The villain shouted back.

The hero chuckled. He enjoyed the strange, brotherly relationship he developed with the purple and black dressed man. Dark eyeshadow made his eyes stand out, and purple hair added more flare. I'm not saying that the Red Prince had paid attention to the villain's details, but he paid more attention to the details than most people. He knew that the villain's parents were a sensitive subject, as were his own. They were orphans that took different paths, and yet, their lives still found a way to intertwine.

They shouted taunts and playful statements back and forth while dancing in circles. It normally went of for a while, and that day was no different. It went on for a few minutes. People at the bottom of the building had stared up with wide eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

The wind was light and refreshing. It brought a cool break between the long moments of the scorching sun gazing down from it's place in the sky. Few clouds sailed through the sky. The Red Prince enjoyed comparing these days to the Phineas and Ferb episodes he watched with the other children at the orphanage.

The darkly dressed man slammed his fist on the table and leaned his head back as a tear forced itself from his eyelids and down his cheek. He choked back a sob even if no one was around to hear him. A scream of sadness and rage scratched at his throat. It begged to be released. To release his pain. To release his anger. To release his emotions that one could not name.

He planned on attending the funeral, despite his servant's advice. Not his servant. His friend. The only other person he had. Sunglasses and a black mask to hide his face; a formal black hat to hide his hair; and a simple suit for class.

His mind then drifted back to that day.

The Red Prince slipped. He was walking on the edge like he had always done. This time, a chunk had been loosened for unknown reasons. "You will be stopped once again, villain!" The Red Prince hollered with a small smile.