Hero

Three

"Xander?" she asks. "I heard screaming, but I didn't know you lived here."
"I'm fine. Yeah. I'm fine," I say reassuringly. "So you live here too?"I ask.
"Duh. Across the hall actually," she says turning around and pointing at the door.
"I'm going to go back to bed," I say awkwardly.
"Oh. Alright I'll see you later then," she says.
I close the door and walk back to my bed. I sit down on the edge of the bed. I put my head in my hands and think about my dream. "What does it mean?" I ask myself. I get up and go over to my desk. I sketch a drawing of the man I saw in my dream. I've always been pretty good at drawing. I guess when you're cooped up inside all the time you have to find some sort of hobby. I sketch him and only color in the bright blue eyes. I hang it on the bulletin board on the wall next to my door. I lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep.
The next morning, I decide I'm going to figure out my hero costume. I've decided I'm going to wear my black zip up hoodie with a grey t-shirt under it like I wore the time I save that girl. "What else?" I ask out loud. I rummage through my clothes and find a pair of black fingerless gloves. I slip the shirt, hoodie, and gloves on. I look in the mirror. I put the hood up concealing my black hair and blue eyes. I put on some worn out blue jeans. I put on a pair of black combat boots. I nod at myself in the mirror. "What do I call myself then?" I ask. I'm wearing quite a bit of black. Shade? I shake my head. "Shadow," I say out loud. I nod. "Perfect," I say satisfied with the name. I still need a mask.
I walk into the department store looking for anything that could be used as a mask. I find a masquerade mask, but it had feathers on it. Fuck it. I don't need a mask, I'll just keep my hood up. It keeps the light off of my face anyway. Just then I hear a scream. I run over to the source of the noise. A man is pointing a gun at the woman standing at the register. I put my hood up and run at the guy. He's too focused on the woman. I grab his shoulder and turn him around. I punch him in the face and he tries to shoot me, I put up a force field. He grabs a nearby man who's cowering behind a shelf.
"Don't move or I shoot," he warns.
"You don't want to do this," I say trying to calm him.
"What if I do?" he ask. "Keep getting that money!" he yells at the woman.
"You don't. Prison's a bad place," I say. He points the.gun at the woman. I make sure my hood is up completely. I conjure a blue energy ball and throw it at the gun. The gun flies from his hand and disintegrates.
"How-how did you?" he asks astonished. I point at the door and conjure another energy ball. He runs out terrified.
"Thank you for saving us!" the woman shouts running and hugging me. I just stay still until she lets go.
"What's your name?" the man asks.
"Just call me Shadow," I say.
I watch the news later that night and see my hero name pop up on screen. I sit up a little straighter, now interested in what they're talking about.
"He used some sort of energy ball. It was amazing it disintegrated the robber's gun. He said his name was Shadow, or well that was his hero name anyway," the woman I save says to the reporter.
"Did you see what he looked like?" the reporter asks.
"He was wearing a black zip up hoodie, black fingerless gloves, and blue jeans," she says.
"I meant what his face looked like," the reporter clarifies.
"Oh. No. He was wearing his hood up and I couldn't see his face. His eyes glowed blue when he used his power though," she says.
"Well thank you, Trisha," the reporter says as if she's insane.
It goes to the weather. I sit there in shock. I made the news. I, Xander Marcs, made the news. I made the news for something heroic. I get up from the couch smiling. I do a little happy dance.
A knock sounds at the door. I open it. Mya stands there looking pissed.
"What's wrong?" I ask, my smile leaving my face.
"Another hero?! Can you believe it?! Just what we fucking need!" she fumes.