Super Heroes

Chapter 9

Henri was quiet the next morning when Luigi stopped by the bakery to pick up his morning muffin. As Luigi sat across from him, he didn't speak. He looked at Luigi, but he wasn't looking at Luigi. He was looking through him. His visible eye looked slightly red and there was a dark circle around it.

Luigi wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he also didn't want to overstep his boundaries. 

"Do you think it's selfish to die?" Henri suddenly asked.

Luigi shrugged, not really having mentally prepared for another conversation regarding mortality.

"Um... well everyone does it," Luigi pointed out. "So no. Not really..."

"Yeah..." Henri muttered, looking down.

"Are you alright?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah," Henri repeated, though it was clear he was lying. He looked terrible. And exhausted. He looked the way Luigi felt most of the time. (Though he was feeling less and less exhausted lately. It was probably the blueberry muffins.)

Luigi nodded, then looked down at his muffin as well.

"Does it matter? I just need you to stop! Please!" Dimentio begged.

"I won't." 

"Please?!"

"No."

"Why are you being so difficult?!" Dimentio had exclaimed. "Your brother can keep the city safe on his own!"

"I know."

Luigi frowned and shook his head, trying to push the memories away. The entire interaction that night was so different from any other experience he had with villains. So puzzling as well. He did get some of the answers he needed, but he could barely even focus on them or ask questions about them.

"Henri..." he muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Flamethrower could keep the city safe on his own?" he asked. "Without Mr. L, I mean?"

Henri blinked twice, then his eye seemed to focus. Finally, he was looking at Luigi, and not through him.

"What?"

"I mean, the other day when The Phantom attacked, it was Flamethrower who saved you, right?" Luigi pointed out. 

"....Right," Henri breathed, looking back down. "Honestly... he probably could."

Luigi let out a slightly disappointed sigh, though he honestly wasn't expecting any other answer. Flamethrower was the main hero. He was stronger. He had powers that people actually knew about. 

"But," Henri continued. "It wouldn't be the same. I mean... sure, Flamethrower could probably make it work, but I doubt he would. He needs Mr. L. The city needs Mr. L. He's not just the sidekick, he's the smart one. Even if he's not in the public eye as much, he's just as important. I think... if something bad happened to him, everything would fall apart."

Luigi raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah," Henri said, and a hint of a smile swept across his face.  "It's kinda like how I feel about you. Sure, you're not famous and the news doesn't report about you, but you're still important. You're still a hero to me. Even if you get scared sometimes. I think... anyone who claims Mr. L isn't a hero and that his brother could do it all without him must just be upset and desperate."

"Right," Luigi muttered, thinking back to Dimentio. 

He did seem rather desperate, though it was still unclear why. He acted like he knew about Mr. L's power, but that was impossible because no one ever remembered when he died. And if Dimentio somehow did remember, then why would he care? Most of the recent deaths were indirectly his own fault.