Nobody Wants a Hero

1 - Shift

Burn marks stretch past the edges of the wall, holes are spread out all around the vibrant green grass, and cracked cement is being repaired. Mila presses her face against the gate to get a better look.

"Show offs," she mutters. The school is well-known for catering to the super powered youth of the city of Imperial. Mila, as well as every other high-schooler in the city, dream of getting into one of the three schools for enhanced beings.

"You're going to get your face melted off."

The girl turns her head slightly and groans. "No one is even out for practice. What are you doing here?"

"I am walking home from school. Like a normal person." The boy prys her away from the gate, unsticking unruly toffee colored hair from her face. It fell all around her golden brown skin.

"They denied me, Wyatt."

He feels frozen for a moment. The only way into that school is by having powers and he is sure his friend is incapable of having any. Her entire family has absolutely no history of supers. "Duh, you kinda have to be special or whatever." A vulpine smile pulls the corners of her lips up even more. She gets the same look in her eyes she always has when there was a secret she'd been keeping tucked away. She's always dying to get it off her tongue but she loves the suspense right before telling it more.

"Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't say anything yet."

"You don't," Wyatt mumbles and continues walking. He feels a tugging on his backpack, to which he demands she stops. The tug that makes him turn around is the one that almost makes him fall onto his back. It also confirms that he's dead wrong. Mila is still in front of the gate, with her grin and all. Any good friend would be thrilled. Key word being good. Wyatt still has secrets of his own. A shaky smile somehow finds a way onto his face.

"What is it?"

"Telekinesis for now," she starts to make her way over, "I feel like there's still...something."

Wyatt kept quiet for a while until is "dawned" on him she shares the same power with someone. "Huh, the same as Shift," Wyatt makes sure to note, continuing their walk. It doesn't faze her in the least that she has the same power as one of the city's villain's. "Fire with fire. None of the schools accepted me but, certificate or not, I'm going to be a superhero and kick his butt."

"It's illegal not to have one. Times have changed. You'll be in huge trouble if you get caught. You just developed your powers, right? My advice would be not to use them," his voice is more tense as they walk up to his doorway; the sound of his brother and sisters wreaking havoc are on the other side.

"How could you say that? Villains don't need one and I'm smart. I can figure it out on my own." Mila throws her arms in the air, not able to grasp why her friend shows no sign of excitement. Wyatt knows it's a pipe dream. You can't be a hero without a certificate and you can't be one if you're Mila Ellington. When people think of being a superhero, they only think of the glamour. They forget about the scrapes and bruises, the ruined relationships, the countless excuses, the lying, the fear or trauma of fighting against another super. They forget that you don't always win just because you can shoot lasers from your eyes. No, there are stronger heroes and stronger villains. Sometimes those lines blur together. Sometimes they forget whose side they're on.

"Amah, I'm home. Mila is staying for dinner again." Wyatt's mother looks up from cleaning dishes and reaches her arm out to hug him. His younger brother and sister run past him, punching Wyatt's leg as they giggle away. His college-aged brother is right behind them, trying to wrangle them up.