The Alta Heroes (Reboot)

Caricatures Come Crashing Down

The dark entity shines his sword for the coming fight. After all, his brother wasn't a pushover, something he knows thanks to their millennia-long war. How'd he kill the bastard that was unfortunately his brother will be up to him. He could simply have his head on a platter. He could pound Starsis to pieces with merely his fists. Oh, this is the dark entity's favorite. Evilkin smiled wickedly as he envisioned ripping Starsis limb from limb with his regained power. The agony on the bastard's face will be priceless. Evilkin's evil chuckles are soon interrupted by the worst kind of news. These two flames of darkness were his messengers. Once they entered his mind, it broke. The sword, his hope, and his cold-hearted exterior. His children. His two boys. They were dead. They were both killed by... by... HIM! Evilkin snapped right there as he blasted a wall to pieces. The madman then walked towards his family room. In this room, shattered objects soon appear on the floor. Vases, family photos, clocks, and chandeliers. The evil entity was furious! His flames didn't go out after his family room was damaged. He didn't want them to, and he would've continued this rampage if not for the last good thing in his life. The last photo the three took before this happened. A day no parent wants to come. Every parent's worst nightmare. Evilkin loses his hate and trades it for heartbreak. Hot tears fall from his face as he releases sob after sob from the pain he once again faces. The very pain of losing his children. Evilkin hates Starsis for this journey they've been forced on, and he for sure wants to kill the brats who robbed his sons from him. However: the rage, hate, vengeance, and apathy aren't strong enough to counteract this sorrow that now gripped him. The man fell to his knees, sobbing like a newborn baby having been abandoned by unloving parents. Blood would be shed, but the tears need to come first. The light entity, unbeknownst to the dark entity, was watching the whole thing.
"Serves you right, scum," The man coldly said after turning his orb off. The monster will join his hellhounds in the underworld. But not yet. The light entity went from the couch he sat upon back towards the workbench he adores. Starsis takes a look at his secret weapon. Picking up that said secret weapon, the light entity unsheathes it slightly to see himself in the mirror. The man didn't recognize himself anymore. But this is what happens when this type of war comes about. The man hates this. He never wanted this. He did nothing to deserve this. This all could've been avoided had that cave never been found by his brother. His brother will get his comeuppance soon. That's a promise. The good brother, after putting his weapon away, gets back to work on his current plan. He doesn't know what'll be better for a bastard for him. Evilkin has the opportunity of being decapitated, impaled, or being sealed away forever. The possibilities of vengeance are in front of him. What one will he choose? He doesn't know. Starsis will decide Evilkin's fate once the time comes. The team of teens stood still as a wave of shock has them gripped in its harsh reality. They just killed. Sure, the monsters they've just killed were bastards from hell. The worst kind of supervillains. But, in their final moments, they were brothers. Brothers who loved each other to the point they couldn't live without the other. Shadow Bird himself was the one who had the most trouble stomaching this act. Heroes don't kill. It isn't part of who they are. However, when push came to shove, the heroes here had no choice. Taking a deep breath, Shadow Bird turns his back to collect himself. The team stands still in silence for moments on end. Asori still felt horrible about her cowardice. She couldn't believe she stood still whilst awaiting death. If Aubrey wasn't fast enough, the blade could've pierced her, or Jayden, or even Ashley. Blue became her face's color which makes Ashley worried for her. She wants to comfort Asori, yet her words can't come out. Jayden didn't know what to think of this ordeal. This shock, despite its strong grip on his mind, doesn't appear on the surface. The team, the journey, and the universe didn't need it right now. Aubrey felt the same way. Turning towards the team, she puts on a smile for the millionth time as she tries to calm the team's fears.
"Well, shall we get moving?" The team, after glancing at each other for a moment or so, share Aubrey's mask, Jayden being the first to follow suit.
  "Yeah. Let's get moving guys," The young leader tells his team. The forced smiles of the team get them through the entrance no problem. They're not gonna lie. This place is more beautiful on the inside than the outside. No stains were found on these mirrors. In fact, Shadow Bird couldn't help but make a few cocky poses from viewing himself in a random mirror. Ashley and Aubrey couldn't help but giggle at this arrogance Shadow Bird displayed. God, did he look like such a dork. The costume, the poses, and even the goofy smile. Even Jayden couldn't help but smile heartily. Asori didn't smile due to her fear of screwing something up. Ashley, while the others weren't looking, manages to get a glance toward the awkward girl. Asori turns her head toward the side, making Ashley's guilt spike to new heights. She wants to say something. She does. But she can't put it to words. So, she looked back toward Shadow Bird. Asori's eyes soon catch wind of the object of their interest. Feeling her body take control of her mind, Asori moves her body towards the object. The girl could see it. She sees her golden opportunity for her redemption. The chance to prove to the team she still has worth. The purple and black-robed gal, just as she reached to the entrance beholding the object's location, jumped and yelped at the sudden glass mirror slamming down in front of her. The team immediately turned around to view the incident and their member's reaction. Asori turns around to see the team staring at her. Guilt, sadness, and the like show itself through the fear written on her face. Their faces didn't look angry with her, but rather shocked beyond words at what was in front of them. Asori, however, didn't see that. She only saw the team being shocked at how stupid she is. Looking back toward the mirror, Asori shares the look of the team, yet not the feeling. The team saw faces they thought they locked away. Jayden witnesses a crying child looking up at the leader. Hell, the kid whom he saved back at the Village was a picture-perfect copy of this kid. Ashley didn't know why this bitch was here. She thought she buried her deep beneath her heart. How the hell did she come back from the grave? The blood in her veins is scorching hot when the necklace she threw in the ocean made it back into her life. Shadow Bird's cocky attitude couldn't mask the broken kid on the floor. If he tried, the kid would most likely be crying and screaming. Aubrey didn't know how to approach the little girl who just punched a hole through the wall. If she were in her shoes, she would probably bite, claw, punch, and kick at the person trying to comfort her. Anger is funny like that. Asori didn't do a thing except for staring at herself. Instead of her current get-up inspired by the series possessing one of her only sources of joy, the ugly forest green shift dress and leggings Jerrod made her wear revealed itself back to her. And she hated it. Not wanting to look at this anymore, Ashley runs up to the mirror and starts pounding it harshly. She didn't view the team's shaken response towards this reaction nor did she care. She really hates this mirror. She wants it to burn in hell. Managing to make a few cracks for the mirror, Ashley is soon stopped by Jayden and Asori holding her back. After this action is done, Ashley gets it together when she sees Jayden's and Asori's worried faces. Looking at her bruised hands, Ashley gets let go of by the two teammates. Taking a step back, Asori takes a deep breath before the young lady focuses on her fear and excitement, getting her two swords together to hopefully break down the door. The gal tries her best. She really does. She impales the mirror, slices at it, and does these motions again for the next two minutes. Each time she slices and stabs the mirror, the more her yells and grunts grow louder.
"Asori!" Jayden gets ignored as Asori is desperate to get them through this mess. Her usually focused swordplay becomes reckless and wild, slashing with both swords instead of one with each vicious strike
"Asori!" Jayden yells again. The young lady ignores him again. Having enough, Jayden walks up to her sternly as he harshly grabs her shoulder, pulling her away from the uncompleted task she tried so hard to complete.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry Jayden." This reawakened, sensitive girl's apology gets ignored by Jayden observing the glass she ruined. The young man, after a quick up and down examination, places his hand on a stainless part not ruined by the slashes of the wild child. His hand soon vanishes like it was reaching out into the seemingly unknown. Pulling it back, Jayden saw his hand wasn't cut nor missing, so he instinctively went inside the mirror. When he got to the other side, he was completely fine. No cuts, no bruises, nothing. Seeing the shard, he marches forward towards the object in a calm, rational manner. The team soon follow suit after seeing what their leader had done. The teens try catching up to him, but the roadblocks show up once again as the door slams down in their face.
"Guys!" Jayden said as he ran towards the door. Although a part of them wanted to go through that door, two other doors opened next to them.
"You guys ok?" Jayden asked genuinely, sticking his head out from the mirror.
"Yeah, we're fine," Aubrey said nonchalantly.
"Would it be easier to go through those other doors?" Asori asked bluntly.
"Wouldn't it be easier if we went with Jayden?" Ashley asked while she points towards Jayden's location.
"Well, how about we go our separate paths? More of these doors will pop up here and there, and if we go separate paths, there might be a shortcut out of this place," Shadow Bird suggests. The team nods in approval before Jayden makes his decision.
  "Ok then. I'll go my way, you go yours," Jayden stoically orders before taking his head back to the path he's on. Ashley and Asori go to the right door whilst Aubrey and Shadow Bird go to the left. The duo of black, red, and purple walk side by side to their destination only to be cornered by another mirror door slamming in their face. The two take the door on the right once again as the two remain silent during this whole process. Unfortunately, the young lady wearing purple and black just had to stare at a figment of Ashley's past life.
"What?" Ashley asked as Asori's gaze came back to her teammate.
"Can you stop looking at that?" Ashley asked annoyed. Asori awkwardly looks away from it as the two resume their journey. The two girls then go to the left door of the mirrored walkway during which the boy in navy blue and the girl in bright yellow are walking in a straight line toward their destination. Going straight through a mirror, the two begin talking to pass the time of this walking process.
"Your legs killin' ya, blondie?"
"Nah. I've been going on long runs since I was five. This is nothing," Aubrey boasts after chuckling.
"Same here. I've had to evade security beams that would've fried my ass like fried chicken, and not the good kind either." Aubrey chuckles once again at that pun before coming up with banter of her own.
"You know, I've actually put off fried chicken for good after I ate a piece that tasted like shit. It was that disgusting."
  "Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Well, when we get outta this place, I need to show you-" Shadow Bird's comment ceases just as his eyes go wide at the sight in front of him. If he were a betting man, the vigilante would guess the little girl that was young Aubrey got into one too many fights back in the day. Turning around, the blonde froze in shock at what she saw. Her bloody nose, black eye, and scraped knees were only a reminder of one too many shitty days.
"You ok?" Shadow Bird asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," Aubrey said, smiling warmly. Shadow Bird didn't question this defense mechanism due to him using it himself his whole life. Picking himself up and sassing the world who's beaten him down so many times. The duo continues their walk without further interruption from here on. Ashley and Asori, on the other hand, try desperately to ignore the images in front of them. They looked at each other once glancing at their days of bullying, closed their eyes at the figures trying to please others, and manage to ignore the days where the world was totally against them. All of a sudden, another slamming mirror door crashes upon them, making Asori yelp and slip on the ground.
"Sorry about that. I-I didn't mean-"
"It's alright, Asori. Let's just keep moving," Ashley said nonchalantly.
"Just ignore these things, alright?" Ashley said, noticing her teammate's obvious uncomfortableness.
"Oh, right. Sorry about that." Ashley then turns to Asori in a very angry manner.
"Look, I'm tired of you apologizing all the time for shit like this! It's not your fault! Why don't you just shut up about your daddy issues, ok?!" Ashley didn't know why she said those words. She didn't mean them. She just really hates this place. Every frame here reminded her of the cowardly, stuck up, high horse, and apathetic bitch she hates so much. Ashley just wants to get the hell out of here fast. However, karma's a bitch when you go back to your old defense mechanisms despite your best efforts at shedding them.
"Why don't you stop taking your shitty life out on me, huh?!" Asori snapped. Ashley turned back to her in that similar angry manner.
  "What did you say?" Those words pierced Asori's heart more than she'd care to admit. Those four words are what a pissed Jerrod said the most when angry with her. It means she was essentially dared to defy his authority again. She didn't care anymore. So, she just went for it.
"You heard me! I'm sick and tired of your attitude towards me! I swear, the only reason you're tolerating me is because of this mission!"
"Yeah! You know why?! Because newsflash, Asori! You're not the most important member of the team!" Asori then angrily shoved Ashley in a way she wished she did with Jerrod so many times.
  "You think I don't know that!" Asori felt hot tears she'd buried in her eye sockets fall out of her eyes. She didn't notice them though. Asori only cared for finally putting Ashley in her place.
  "You think I haven't been told that my entire life?!" Asori goes on a tangent involved with mocking Jerrod's voice.
  "Stay focused! You're doing everything wrong! Stop your damn crying! Your opinion doesn't matter, Asori!" Asori switches back to her normal voice to show Ashley she's not worthless.
  "I've been told that shit since I was just six years old!" Ashley's face and fists morphed into angry ones that she tries her hardest to keep tucked away.
  "And now you think that just because you went through some bad shit and did some bad shit that it makes you special?!" Ashley had enough. She slammed her fist near Asori's head as the crying girl could see the tears of her fellow female bubbling with rage.
  "What would you know about me?!" A moment of pause erupts in the atmosphere before Ashley's rant continues.
  "Huh?!" Asori and Ashley switch spots before the rant goes on.
  "At least he showed you some form of love! No one ever gave that to me! If they did, it was either because they wanted something back or because they had to for their fragile egos! I never had anyone there for me! People beat me up, teased me, got away from me like I carried the plague, and it sure as hell wasn't just a bunch of snot-nose kids! It was plenty of adults too! They even took part in beating me up and cussing at me when they had their turn! IF YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FEEL LIKE SHIT, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW A SINGLE THING ABOUT ME!" Roared the redhead whose tears flowed down her cheeks like Niagara Falls on a good day. Asori couldn't help but shed more tears at the sight of the broken little girl in a ball against a wall in one of the mirrors. Thinking she wasn't paying attention to her, Ashley screamed at her more.
"WHY DO YOU THINK I DID SOME OF THOSE BAD THINGS?! I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO ACCEPT ME! BUT NOOOO! BEA JUST HAD TO RUIN MY LIFE AFTER I CALLED HER OUT FOR BEING TOO MEAN TO SOME KID! AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS GREAT?! ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WHO I CONNECTED WITH MOVED AWAY BECAUSE OF THE SHIT SHE DEALT WITH AT MY OLD SCHOOL, THE GAL WHO WAS LIKE MY MOM DIED, AND THE SCHOOL DECIDED TO FINALLY KICK MY ASS OUT AFTER I FINALLY DID SOMETHING ABOUT MR. GODDAMN ADAMS' PRICKISH ATTITUDE ABOUT LIFE! MY ENTIRE LIFE WAS SPENT BEING SHOVED INTO THE DIRT BY THE WORLD, AND YET HERE YOU ARE! WHINING AND MOPING BECAUSE DADDY NEVER LOVED YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Ashley breathed heavily as steaming hot tears continue streaming down her face. Asori started breathing heavily too as this was too much for her. Ashley and Asori fell to their knees and sobbed like babies. Ashley crawled into a ball as she sobbed, herself tired of the world just being a dick to her. Asori had her hands clawed onto her hair and covering her eyes whilst sobbing, a thing she did every time Jerrod treated her like garbage. Asori now finally accepted that Jerrod never loved her. It was practically shouted in her face for the millionth time after all. This sobbing fit is soon replaced by the two previous teens walking together through their maze of memories. Aubrey cringed at the sight of all the versions of her that were beaten up, ignored, screamed at, and abandoned. She hated those parts of herself. So, she looked away from them in a scowling manner. Shadow Bird did the same only he doesn't scowl at the pictures of himself when he was a vulnerable little boy. The two later get separated by the mirror door between them. Although shocked at first, the young blonde tried to get through, but the images stayed with her. Her eyes couldn't help but view them. In a rage, her fists began breaking them one by one. She speeds down the hallway punching, kicking, and even headbutting one of the shards during her rampage. This said rampage even gets to a point where she punches and punches a reflection of herself after she hurt her little sister. She slams her fists into the wall over and over and over again until her knuckles start bleeding. Tears follow suit as Aubrey looks upon the blood-caked mirror that was her biggest regret. Aubrey feels the slight blood falling from her forehead before looking at herself in the mirror once again. It's then at that point Aubrey broke down. She didn't wanna do this anymore! She's tired of hiding behind a smile instead of being angry like she wants to be. In the end, her smile only hides all the heartbreak and sorrow she's had to bear, and she doesn't wanna do it anymore. Laying down near a mirror, her sobbing fit is copied by the one she did after accidentally hitting her sister. The one person whom she'd sacrifice everything for. Aubrey cried and cried before Shadow Bird took center stage from there. He is doing everything he can to ignore the mirrors in front of him. The beaten kid, the scared kid, the crying kid, and even the angry kid. These four similar phases he went through haunts Shadow Bird immensely. He wants to be away from them, but every corner he turns has one door close and another open. Eventually, Shadow Bird felt something in him break the moment he caught the mirror when he held Gabriel's corpse. Placing his hands on the mirror, Shadow Bird hyperventilated for a short while before going into a sobbing fit like his comrades. His hands held his body as he had his back against the glass while he cried with his head down. That day was the worst day of his life. He lost the man who saved him. The man who raised him. The man who is his father. Shadow Bird sobbed and sobbed. He didn't care about the person he had to be right now. He just wanted to cry. Jayden felt his grasp on reality falter and shake. These images. These damn images. The kid who cried and cried all because of his parents screaming at each other. The kid who just wanted an escape from that hellhole. The tears, of course, once again well up in his eyes. He starts running and running. He ran like never before. He ran and ran and ran. Jayden didn't care. He just wanted to get away from these reminders of who he is deep down. All of a sudden, Jayden found himself in front of the shard. It was right there. Was it all worth it? Can he finally get them all out of this hellhole? Jayden suddenly stops himself as a gut feeling points his body towards a mirror. The mirror was him after... she left him. A few tears came from Jayden's eyes, but he still went through with what he was about to do. Peeking his head through the mirror, Jayden's heart was attacked with glass more powerful than one of reading one of his favorite Transformers books. Ashley and Asori are sobbing as a result of another argument they had. How else would this crying explain the broken mirror behind Ashley? Taking his head from that mirror, he goes to another one where he sees Aubrey sobbing. Then, Jayden goes to another mirror where he sees Shadow Bird sobbing. He now finds himself in the center near his objection. The tears inside the young boy's eyes which cause him to sniffle and choke up. He tried and tried to not let it out. But he had to. Falling to the ground, Jayden couldn't stay strong anymore. He's held these tears back his whole life. Crying his eyes out, Jayden's new reality crashes onto him like the fear he held towards Optimus Prime, his hero since Transformers Prime, nearly dying during Prime's first episode of its final season. Even though life dealt him an unkind hand, his teammates, these kids just like him, had been dealt worse hands. Why else would they have acted the way they did? They were victims. Victims of the cruelty the world had to offer. Victims just like him. After he cries for a few more precious moments, another precious moment comes from Jayden looking up a picture on his phone. Optimus kneeling down is Jayden's most precious picture. Hell, even some of his pictures with Bella don't hold a candle to the number of times this picture puts a smile onto his face. This mech told him everything's going to be ok. You can do this. You will survive your parents' toxic relationship. You should forgive those who've hurt you. And most of all, young man, you shall be the best person you can be. Never forget that. Now, go out there and be the leader your team needs right now. Jayden's smile finally managed to dry up his tears. Who knew the thoughts he had in his head sounded so much like him? He really is the greatest.
"Thanks, Optimus," Jayden said silently. Wiping his eyes, Jayden stoically went to Ashley and Asori. The two, only being able to emit sniffles to each other, found the strength to hug each other.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too." Burying each other in their shoulders, the gals hugged for what seemed like forever. They didn't care. They needed this. They've been strong for too long.
"Hey guys," Jayden said silently. The two girls looked up to see Jayden gently motioning them to come outside. The two do so, Ashley and Asori holding each other whilst doing so. Soon after Jayden manages to get Aubrey and Shadow Bird to come out of their hellholes, Jayden opens his arms to the group. They didn't know what the hell this meant at first. But Aubrey knew what he was doing. Aubrey ran to him and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. Right after this realization, the team followed suit. To say the hug was tender is an insult. These kids never had a kind of hug like this. One that wasn't forced or was a reward for doing something for someone. The hug is what they all needed. The hug goes on for a good minute or so before it disbands. Jayden takes the initiative to grab the shard and everyone follows him back to the backpack. As they walked, while they didn't smile, a huge reality check entered their minds. They're not suffering this crazy shitshow of a journey alone. They had each other. And what else did they learn exactly? Well, they knew that this pain would be worth it. All of the pain. The tears, the beatings, the blood, and the screaming. It'll all be worth it once the journey is over.