Hero

An average storm

The thunder growls above, joining in my anger like a solemn vow of comradery, the world agreeing with me for the first time in I can't remember.

"You don't have to do this!" They inhale sharply, attempting to shuffle out of the chair they're tied to. "Please!"

"The last part, again." I command slightly, tears straining to stay in my eyes. A smile spreads across my mouth then, the tears fall, they shudder in response, or maybe the cold biting wind.

But they laugh. "That's not how this works. You could harm a lot of people; I don't want you to." The laugh turns weak. "It's a question of please, not a beg."

"We all start that way. Asking for the world to fix itself, hoping that pain doesn't happen. But it does." 

I place my foot on the chair, pushing it to the ledge.

"You're impossible. And wrong. I'm not asking for the world to change; I'm asking for YOU to change." 

"I am the world; I am the world's unfair judgement." I laugh this time, and more tears well up. "If you cannot beat them, join them."

"That doesn't sound like a philosophy that gets you much joy." They just smile at me, somewhat genuinely amused.

"Life isn't very joyous." I push the chair a little further, tilting them off the edge. "How do you do it?"

"Honestly?"

"Go ahead."

"I try to enjoy everything I can. I see people getting hurt and think, how can I help, not what a wretched world as I'm sure you do." He starts.

"-A little hyperbolic, but accurate. Sorry, continue."

"I'm... honestly, enjoying this conversation a little. It feels meaningful."

"Meaningful." Scoffing openly, I pull them back a little.

"Yeah, a lotta times we talk I enjoy it... I think your idea of joy is fucked."

"Language, please."

"Really? That's your line?"

"We all have our battles."

"And mine matters."

"Okay, that's enough insults for today."

"I wouldn't say that's an insult-" The chair screeches on the concrete, the sky cracks above and rain begins to fall. They whimper unconsciously as the rain pelts down on us both. " -just a small complaint about the way you think, and act, and conduct yourself. I mean really- " they turn their head and spit out some rainwater. "-God, bleh ah, this is all very dramatic, very supervillain, very... very you."

"At least I'm predictably evil."

"Evil's not real, evil's an excuse. Go ahead and keep using it, see how 'evil' I think you really are."

I nod to the two behind me, one finger up and a two-finger gesture to the side tells them 'A moment, please'. Pulling them back off the edge I set them down safely. 

"Am I misunderstood, then?"

"No, you're just not evil, no one is, you're hurt. Like an animal there's two reactions: lick the wound and heal; or lash out at whoever tries to help you." 

"I'm a poor animal, hurt? I just need to let someone in?" The rhetoric blazes through me, retrieving that anger again.

"Just because the animal's hurt doesn't mean you don't get angry at the bite." 

"Whatever, we're done here." My foot pushes them further back again.

"You realllly don't like listening to me." They grin and turn their head to look across the landscape.

The thunder ceases abruptly and a distinctly yellow flash of lightning flashes a block or so away, blinding me. In my blind state I let out a loud and knowing sigh. 

"Why do you always do that?! Just escape normally, do you have no decorum!?" I shout out, straining through the crackling air.

"I will never understand your values." 

Is the last thing I hear from them before the bright leaves, I open my eyes to the dark rooftop.

The chair is empty, again. And the ropes are gone, again; always takes my rope, have to keep buying more.

Annoying little twerp.