HotGuy and Canary 2: What It Takes To Be A Hero

Chapter 4

This chapter has loreeee ✨️

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"Tell me how you feel."

Grian struggled ruthlessly against the chains that bound him to the floor.

"Perhaps you feel... angry?"

His hands were numb from the cuffs digging into his wrists.

"Maybe you feel hatred."

He let himself sink against the wall, panting from trying so hard to escape.

"I can help you."

The glass walls of his cell taunted him with a hopeless promise of one day being free from this prison.

"Let me in."

Closing his eyes, he gave himself time to relax a bit, slowing his breathing.

"I can show you how to use the power."

"I don't want your power," Grian breathed, shaking his head weakly. "I don't need it and I don't need you. Just leave me-"

"You don't remember what they did to us?"

Grian's eyes shot wide open as memories - memories that weren't his own - flooded his mind. Memories of abuse and manhandling and threats from a man who was supposed to be a hero, of being restrained for being too dangerous. Memories of his betrayal. Memories he hated.

"There, there, my dear..."

Grian sobbed and shook his head frantically, trying to let go of the anger rising inside of him. "Stop-"

"Let me help you."

"You can't help me-"

"I can show you how to get revenge on those heroes and-"

"Grian."

The boy gasped and bolted upright, breathing hard and heavy. Standing in front of him was Zedaph, his therapist, in his hero costume. As Spectrum.

"Are you feeling alright?" His voice sounded awfully nasally, like he had some sort of cold or flu-like illness.

Grian didn't answer for a moment as he tried to shove away the lingering anger in his gut. "I- I-" He didn't know how to answer. Obviously he wasn't, but he was afraid he might say something to offend Spectrum.

Spectrum nodded and came closer to the cell, unlocking the door to come inside. "It's okay if you aren't," he said gently, sniffling a bit. "That's why I'm here."

Grian turned away as Spectrum sat across from him on the floor.

"I heard you struggling," the hero said. "I can imagine it brings up unpleasant memories."

Grian squeezed his eyes shut. "But why?" he whispered, unable to bring his voice to a normal conversational volume. "They're not even my memories, I-" He sobbed quietly. "I don't want to feel like this..."