(Old Version) The Blood of the Covenant

Chapter Four: Matthew

 "Hey, wake up."

Matthew awoke to someone poking him in the face. He shot up, batting away a hand as he fought the sleep from his eyes. When he looked over, the last person he would've ever expected to be standing there, was standing there. Red Sun.

"Hey, kid. You alright?" He asked.

Matthew blinked once. Twice. The hero that he had encountered the previous day had unmasked himself, exposing his naked face. He was a young man no older than twenty with dark skin, curly hair, and a pair of big red eyes that were alive and crackling with energy.

"Uh..." Was the only response Matthew could muster.

Why was Red Sun here? Why did he unmask himself? And how the hell did he find him amongst a city of thousands?

Red Sun gave Matthew some space, but it was impossible to conceal the questions that were written on his face. "Your wound..." he began. "It's gone...?"

Matthew touched the place where his gore makeup had previously been, feeling only a sticky smudge in its place. Crap. He came up with a quick little white lie. "I can borrow people's idios. Yesterday I touched someone with a healing idio, so I was able to heal myself."

"Oh," Red Sun said, the suspicion draining from his face. "Well, I'm sorry if I scared you yesterday. Is there any way I could help you...?"

That worked?

Matthew shrugged. Not in the way I need, he thought.

"You must live somewhere," Red Sun said. "Don't you?"

Matthew nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Okay, well, let me take you there. I've been looking for you all night. I can't let you fall into the hands of danger."

Matthew frowned. Was he really trying that hard to sound like a hero? To even look like one? However, he sighed and nodded, sliding off the lid of the dumpster that had served as his bed for the night.

"So...is that a yes?" Red Sun inquired.

Deep down, Matthew knew this was a way to redeem himself. If he let Red Sun take him back to his boss's estate, he could finish the job. But would his boss really want a lowly little hero like Red Sun? Would he shame Matthew for supplying a trophy that meant absolutely nothing to his rise of infamy? Perhaps he could convince his boss of Red Sun's worth by bringing up the fact that he was an AEM. But how would that hold any value to someone who was trying to collect well-known heroes?

Like heroes, villains were also trying to rise to fame. Only, villains didn't get paid for putting crime to an end. They were the crime. They wallowed in the horror their actions inspired in the population news articles, broadcasts, and gossip. Fear meant everything to a villain trying to make their mark on the world, and Matthew's boss, like plenty of villains, was trying to be the next big crime lord in Amberchase. And unfortunately, his plan made him worthy of such a title.

"Yes," Matthew said. "You can take me home."

Red Sun's lips peeled into a hopeful smile. "Great."

Matthew headed down the alley, towards the cacophony coming from the street, flanked by Red Sun. Like the previous day, the morning sky was polluted with ominous, grey clouds. The two boys walked quietly for almost the entire trek to the street, until Red Sun cleared his throat.

"You'll tell the police about me, right? You'll spread my name around?" He sheepishly asked.

Matthew frowned. "Why?"