The Guardians Of Aeristar

Luke Warm

"Ants...running around like a bunch of ants", a chuckle escapes my lips as I watch the people in the streets below. They asked for help, no... for protection. Pacing back and forth on this rooftop I watch as people scramble below setting up for a political rally or some other event, I don't really know what nor do I care. I was hired to keep watch, to protect. I lean over the edge and watch as my thoughts begins to wander.

Twenty years earlier....

The Age of Heroes! Thats what the news reporter was calling it. Almost every day we hear of people with powers doing something spectacular. Flying around, shooting lazers, super strength, it all seems so wonderful. I wish my power was something special...all I can do is create hot air around me. Perfect for a winter night but not even close to special like some of the people in the news. I CAN make a candle flame dance pretty cool though. Laying in my bed I listen as the reporter in the TV in my parents room continues to talk about the events of the day. The Age of Heroes...What nobody seems to want to talk about is that along with the people who are using their powers to help others, there are those who do the opposite, who try to hurt others. That's what happened today, a "Hero" tried to help someone getting attacked only to be attacked themselves by..a "Villain"? I turn on some music as I realize how silly it all sounds. Heroes and villains, like some kind of bad comic book or a story written by a foolish teenager. With my power at least I wont have to worry about being frozen I guess.

I wake up with a start, listening closely I hear my parents are also awake. I hear a loud bang at the front door, is someone trying to kick it in? Whats going on? I hear my father head out into the hallway just as the front door is kicked in. I hear a fight stating and my mother scream as I rush to the door. Heading into the hallway I see my father laying on the ground the skin on his chest looked as if it was burned by a torch or something. I look up to see my mother being held by a stranger, his eyes wild as if on some kind of high. The more frightening aspect was his hands, they were glowing as if filled with electricity or something. His hand held tightly around her neck he looked at me and told me to back up or else. Scared I listened and began to back up, only to see his hand flash and hear my mother let out one last painful cry before being silenced. As I watch her body fall it seems as if the world begins to move in slow motion. This man just killed my parents, and for what? I look at his face and see a slight smirk, Rage fills my mind as I begin to rush towards him. He sets himself to fight back and I see his hands glowing again as they come for me this time. I know I am going to die but I cant let him get away with this. I swing my arm towards him and watch as he is forced back. Before I can even connect with my punch he is blown off his feet and thrown back against the wall with a thud. Staring in shock I see his skin begins to blister slightly and I realize what is going on. My power, in my rage I focused my power, to heat up the air around me, and increased the air around my hands to such a degree that it burned him. As I begin to calm down my mind goes back to my parents, I turn and see them both laying there, dead, I begin to break and drop to my knees crying as I hear sirens outside. The Age of Heroes they were calling, Where were they now?

Present day....

The president is giving a speech now, something about terrorists or something. An explosion catches my attention, the President is ushered off the stage to safety as I hop off the edge of the roof. "Time to earn my pay I guess" I say as I fall several stories towards the ground. Focusing my power I create waves of super heated air to cushion my landing. I chuckle again as I think about how I used to believe my power was useless. There is much I can do bu focusing my power in different ways, I've even learned how to control flames as well, the only limit is that I cannot create flames myself. That's why I always carry a lighter. I pull my lighter out and with a single flick I pull the flame off of it and throw it towards the newcomer on the scene who caused the explosion, increasing its strength until it almost resembled a flame thrower.

Am I a Hero? I don't know.

Am I a villain? I don't know that one either.

One thing I DO know is....

I am Luke Warm, and I've got a job to do.