To Be A Hero

Chapter 1

   'To be a hero. Ha! What a joke.' I thought as I walked down the glittery gray pavement. Each step I take adding a beat to my life. 'If only they knew...if only the people knew how hard it was, how hard it is, to be a hero.' I stopped just to think. I wish I could scream out loud without the nearest big shot superhero swooping down and saving the damsel in distress.

   I looked at my surroundings. I stopped right next to an alley, how cliché. I looked at the darkened hall, not being able to see beyond the first two feet, I sensed danger. 'Maybe I could walk down here and find a villain and beat the living day lights out of them.' I rolled my head and pondered the thought, stretching my neck muscles for the possibility of an encounter only to realize that I just want to go home and sleep. I started moving on home only after I had convinced myself I would have been able to kick, whatever's butt, was hiding in that dark corner.

I started on my way home. I kicked chipped pieces of concrete along with me. I smelled the stiff air of the new summer looking along the lush green lawns that will soon brown. I feel the sun warming my bare arms after a cool breeze brushed by. I continued trudging along, only to be stopped by one of those big shot "heros".

He landed in front of me, I stepped back slightly surprised but only because he didn't land on his feet. He put a nice dent in the poor concrete. "Nice landing for someone who can't fly." I sarcastically commented hoping he would take the hint and move on. I am always being hit on by the biggest three names in the superhero community Beam, Dagger, and Blaze. The best superhero, however, has been dead for centuries His name was Spearon and had the city named after him in his honor but that's a different story. I don't know why they always hit on me; it never seems to fail when I'm in my civilian clothing.

"I guess I'm just falling for you..." I am three seconds away from slapping him for that stupid one liner. He pushed himself up to twice my size and brushed off his gaudy dark blue cape. The tips of his golden blond hair sweeping the diamond shaped mask sealing his identity. As he reached up to brush the golden strays, his arms showed the relentless hours he spent flexing in the mirror. His whole outfit was a diamond blue with a tailored look screaming 'I'm better then you because I can shoot unnatural laser beams from my arms.' "How are you today?" He flashed a toothy smile, the typical phony "superhero" one.

I glared. "Fine." I gritted through my teeth. "Look, Beam. I wanna go home and not be standing next to you. I don't like you and you're annoying." I tell people how it is. I'm not a bad person, I just don't like the girls who are always 'hinting' at things, so I'm the opposite of them. I don't do subtle.

He frowned for a split second but then regained his composure. "I could walk you home!"

I paused for a second, trying to comprehend how someone could be so stupid. "Can you go swan dive into the pavement somewhere else?"

   A menacing low voice pierced between us just as I finished my sentence, "I see you've chosen my next victim for me. Thank you Beam!" It was one of the top rated villains, Stratosphere, and he was standing three feet away from me. Being a low ranking hero as I am, not because of skill but of popularity, we don't get these guys. We don't get the high ranking, perfect plan, not "by the book" villain, we get the one's freshly peeled off the streets. Stratosphere had the power of flight, a simple power but it's all in how you use it.

   Beam was fighting one of the highest ranked villains, and he had the gall to stop and flirt. Well, that would explain his landing.

   "Don't worry fair maiden," diamond boy was speaking again, "I will protect you." He launched himself into battle.

Thank God Stratosphere was there to save me from the biggest ego maniac I possibly ever had the nightmare of meeting. I honestly am a good person, under the right circumstances. I just don't have very high opinions of people who act like gods because they wear colored spandex and have some out of the ordinary ablities. I mean I have powers too, and I would love to be a well known hero but things don't always work out in our favor when we're not willing to act like a goodie two shoes and "put on a show". We're human still, we have flaws. However, the people want a hero who's perfect and showy. I like to get the job done and go home.

   As they were fighting it out, or as I like to call it, Beam getting his head beat in by a villain who out ranks him ten fold. I headed on home, again. I scanned the skyscrapers for any signs of the other big three. I knew that it was unlikely they would be in the same area as another high ranker for fear of not having enough civilian praise to go around, but I was on alert regardless.

   When I finally go to my apartment building I strutted through the lobby. The building smelled of fresh polish and lemon furniture cleanser, as usual. The floors were like glass with their crystal clear reflections of the tan ceilings miles above. Pillars of marble with arching support beams lined my way to the silver elevator. Everything was so white and clean with glittering lights streaming from the giant windows perfectly lined on the sides of the buildings.

   I didn't have to announce my business to anyone, they knew who I was. My family was pretty important if you couldn't tell by the over done hotel. It was a life but it's not my life. I'm simply just staying here until I move out. They have everything worked out, I prefer more of a challenge.

   I made my way to the elevator and stepped in. The red velvet lined the bottom half while marble invaded the rest. Mirrors lined the walls for the vain goddesses who forgot to look at them selfs for the thousandth time. I punched the glass button to take me to the top, the penthouse. The elevator roared it's way up and then came to a halt. I walked a few feet to my door and I stepped into the same over done style as the lobby called "rich snob".

   "I'm home." My voice carried into an echo through the excessively large room. I slipped my shoes off and set them next  to everyone else's.

   "Lilly?" My mom's cheery voice called out my little sister's name. There are seven of us so, it's a long game of guess who.

   "Nope."

   "Faith?" My older sister.

   "Getting warmer."

   "Um, Hazel?" She joked. That was our Germain Shepherd's name.

   "Yes mom, it's Hazel. I learned to talk and use door knobs." I sarcastically added in joyful banter.

She came out of the kitchen and gave me a hug. "I missed you Bunny. How was school?" Yes, Bunny is my real and legal name, really intimidating for a superhero. That's why we use alter egos.

I smiled up at my beautiful mother. "It was stupid." My mother is beautiful soul. She was a little chunkier then the "average" but what do you expect from a professional cook? They have to taste the food! My mom always said to never trust a skinny cook. Her brunette hair twisted and artfully pinned back into a perfect bun. Her golden brown eyes always captured the sun just right and gave her the beautiful look of innocence. She had a perfect completion, smooth and one color.

She smiled her perfect grin. "I'm sorry to hear that. You are still going tomorrow though."

As she walked back to the kitchen I sunk to the floor. "Can I please stay home. I hate school!"

I could hear her voice echoing from the kitchen again, "school's almost over."

I sighed and walked to my room. I wanted to sleep, then I will go out villain hunting.