Darknesss united

Chapter 16: If I Can't Be Your Hero...

Scar

It's my time to shine.

It's my chance.

It's my way of creating hope for tomorrow.

Because, without me, tomorrow will never come.

Everything's changed since that night I jumped out a window. I've learned the truth. A lot of truths, actually. That I have powers. That lives are worth far more than a quarter. That the only person to say nothing about my 'disappearance' is Notch. That I'd be more than happy to let Notch burn to death. Actually, I'd like that very much.

It's my turn to show the world that there's only so much one person can take.

Grian taps me on the shoulder. I turn to face him.

"Are you ready?" he asks.

"I was born ready." I reply, hinting at the wings now spread behind my back.

"Let's do this."

I fly, fly!, to the main room.

"Good luck with your big reveal!' Cub says. He hands me the button he made specially for this moment. It makes me look like I did as a hero, then unveils everything in a bonfire of soul flames.

"It's gonna go down in history." I promise.

Grian's hand rests on my shoulder. I jerk away from surprise

I wish I didn't. I really wish I didn't. I wish I had stayed there with his warm hand on me forever. A flicker of hurt in his eyes. Does he... no. He can't. He wouldn't.

I open the door with the Hermit's goodbyes echoing behind me.

I arrive in town square in my costume. The crowd parts for me in shock. I stand on the front steps of the courthouse. Grian flies in as Cuteguy. All the questions fall silent as I nod to him in approval. I don't try to stop him. I don't tier him up. I don't even ignore him. I publicly acknowledge him and let him go on with his day. He stands beside me in a small act of union and rebellion that sets the crowd ablaze.

"Why would you throw everything away?!" yells someone from the crowd.

"Because it was all a lie." A whisper barely exits my lips. I fall into each time a lie was exposed.

"...He killed Taurtus!" Grian yells from where he was tied.

A fire builds up until it bursts through my skin.

"He stabbed me." Cleo says.

"I never really died." Pearl whispers as she unveils who she was.

"He tried to kill me. I was five." Gem unveils a lost secret.

"Because it was all a lie!" I say louder, almost shouting.

"Because if Notch really cared about me, he would have searched! Because if he really cared about you, your lives would be worth more than twenty five cents." Five different news stations have showed up to broadcast my rant. Good. The more people who know the better.

"He let one of my closest friends die." I say.

"Did you hear what I said?!" I speak, my voice almost a scream. "He let one of my closest friends die. And he lied to me for years that he committed suicide and it's my fault."

I continue on my rant. "He forced heroes to lie about how much we're paid and how much we were really worth and how we were so poor I go to bed hungry most nights. Or we'd be left with nothing. He flaunted how merciful he was so if he fired us, we could never work again."

Some guy in the audience threw a rotten tomato at my face and yelled "Liar! Notch has saved more lives than you can count, you idiot!". I let it go right through me. The audience rubbed their eyes. Whispers of "did you just see what I saw?" echo within the crowd.

"You must be insane!" someone else yelled out. "Who would throw their life away like this?"

I try not to lose my cool. I need to stop myself for just a little while.

"You call me mad but I make perfect sense." I say. "Wouldn't you turn against the man, no, monster, who hurt and killed and hid so much?"

"He's hiding nothing!" a Notch fan calls out from the audience.

"You'll see just how wrong you are." I mutter under my breath.

I raise my arms in an 'X' above my head like I've seen done in movies. "If I can't be your hero," I call out. I press the button as I pull my arms down.

It all explodes in a burst of white and blue flame as everything I once was goes up in flames.

The thousands of people all fall dead silent.