The great hero age

Part 1

Connor willows has always been a handsome boy, he didn't really care much for his looks though. He would wear hoodies and just lazily brush his blonde hair out with his fingers. Now he is 23 and in college, girls on campus would stop and stare at him, some would giggle to their friends, some guys had even approached him before, none of them interested him, though. He'd never really liked anyone before high school, and even then he had only dated 3 people. It was a girl, then another girl, then a guy. After he was cheated on by the guy he had just decided that love wasn't for him and he should just give up.

He was never very social, he's had friends, not many but a few good ones. He was a smart kid growing up, never got into trouble.

It had been a couple years since the 2020 incident. Well more like a couple years since that whole year fucked up everyone's lives. So many people died Halloween night.
I remembered that Halloween night, but decided to push it from my mind. So many people died that night but so many other people gained so much. That was the great incident of 2020, besides from the pandemic that swept the world. The religious people thought it was god punishing us, the satanic people thought that Hell was merging into our world-' before he could finish his thoughts he had bumped into someone.

"Ohmygod! I am SO sorry! Ugh, and on my first day too..." I heard a small whine come from someone he had bumped into to but he didn't see anyone... then a slight "ack" came from the ground.

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't see you there." I bent down to help the guy that had just bumped into me pick up his books and papers he had dropped.
He looked sheepish, "yeah, not a lot of people really notice me, I guess it's sort of a talent that I have." He picked up a paper as he said it, he smirked and stood up, I joined him, handing back his papers. I didn't recognize him. He looked taller than he had just moments before, and more muscular. His hair was jet black, his eyes were a bit smaller, he looked slightly Asian but he had American or European in him and it showed.
"Hey, are you new?" The words slipped off of my tongue before I could stop them, 'did that sound rude?' He wondered silently.
The black haired boy smiled slightly, "yes and no. I enrolled here and came for the first day of school but I had a family emergency in Japan and had to go back for a few months, but I'm back now."
"Oh, that's cool." I simply said, I looked lazily sideways, not really caring to keep the conversation going any further. The mysterious boy got the hint and waved good bye, I just gave him a head nod and continued out of the school gate and to the place I worked, and just like that the boy was gone from my mind.
***
Connor had heard about hero's before, it seemed there were new ones everyday, he knew that wasn't true but it seemed like it. He sipped his coffee and leaned against the counter at his work, the sun had disappeared and the moon had come out, still deformed from 2020. Nobody thought the moon was pretty anymore and most people stayed inside. Fearing what happened then would came again. Connor wasn't scared, he lost people to that incident but he knew it was probably only a one time thing. He didn't mind the night sky, although looking at the moon still sent chills down his spine.

He watched the news, he didn't really care for it but his boss loved to watch it, he didn't really know why, it was depressing. Suddenly a new report came in, the last on the screen began showing pictures of a masked man that was spotted in our city. She began to cover the story "a masked man saved 5 people held hostage in dangerous and gone wrong, robbery. Everyone safe... police arrested guys..."
I stopped listening then. It was interesting, to have our very own local hero. Suddenly the bell connected to the door, rung, I put down my coffee mug that only had a little bit of coffee in it, and went up to the counter to see who it was. A tall guy, a little taller than me, stood at the counter looking absently at the TV. He walked over and out of sight. I had emerged to see if he wants a table or if he was sitting at the counter with the stools. It was the latter. He looked at me as soon as I came into his view. He was shifting in the seat, presumably to get comfortable. He had jet black hair, I realized I knew who this was, this was the guy I had bumped into earlier in the day.
"Hello! How can I help you tonight?" I greeted him, his head cocked back slightly and I noticed a cut that was on his left cheek that wasn't there before, it was small but visible. It looked as if he got a paper cut or something on his face.
He smiled at me, recognizing me also, "oh, hey, It's you from earlier."
I kept forcing my smile hoping that he didn't want be friends or some bullshit like that. "Uh, yeah. So, do you want minute to look over the menu or do you know whatchu want."
He was about to answer when his eyes glanced down at my name tag "just coffee, Connor." He smirked. I turned around to get his coffee when I rolled my eyes, 'this guy is weird' I thought. I turned back to him, he was looking at the TV again I set his coffee down in front of him.
I was about to walk away when he said "oh, hey! Aren't you going to ask my name?" I rolled my eyes again, 'was this dude serious?'
"So, what's your name?" I said it with a hint of sarcasm and a hint of 'stop talking to me'.
He smiled wide, his eyes creasing, "my name is Zero, Zero Hiroshima!" He stuck out his hand for me to shake but I didn't take it. I looked at the out stretched hand and then back at the owner of the hand. I turned around and walked away without a second thought.
     I heard the guy calling after me but I didn't really care, I had already rounded the corner to the back office area. It wasn't like I needed the job or anything' Connor thought, 'mom just made me take it so I would be more social, or something.
     After a few minutes I heard the bell ring at the cashier, my boss waved to me that I should take it, she was on her phone as usual. I rolled my eyes at her, she didn't see, and walked to the front. I saw the black haired guy, Zero, waiting to pay.
     I put on a small fake smile and asked "are you waiting to pay?" He smiled at me when he saw me.
     "yep!" He responded, under the lighting of the diner I noticed how handsome he actually was. It caught me off guard for a second, he was tall and fairly muscular. He was lean but not skinny, and he was tall. I guessed maybe 6'2 or something near that, he was taller than me at least, I was 5'8 so I guess he was somewhere over that. He looked at the TV on the wall, his hand absently combed through his black hair, his eyes looked focused and his face steady. Just by looking at him you could tell how smart he actually was.
     Zero looked back at me, "are you going to pay or just keep staring off into space?" I said with a monotone voice.
     He chuckled slightly "I might do both. After all I'll be looking into your eyes, so I might see the stars."
     My face dropped, I didn't even try to smile anymore "is that your lame attempt at flirting? It's not good, nor is it working. Can you pay and just leave?"
     Right as the last words left my mouth my boss tapped my shoulder behind me, "is that anyway to speak to a paying customer? Huh?" Although my boss was 5'6 she was still scary as hell.
    I crossed my arms over my chest "mave, hes flirting with me. You know how I hate flirting." I said with a slight wine to my voice.
     She didn't look sympathetic, "get over it pretty boy, people flirt, you flirt back and then wish them well. And if they get out of control with it you tell them where to shove it- understand boy?"
     I cracked a small smile and nodded, "so are you going to pay with cash or card?" He chose cash and even left me a good tip. I waved him goodbye and went to the back to change and get my stuff.
     My boss waved me goodbye at the door, Mave was scary at times but she was genuinely a good person that cared a lot for a lot of people. I popped in my earphones and put my phone in my hoodie pocket. I hummed to the tune as I walked. I didn't want to live in the dorms so I got an apartment somewhere cheap, I didn't really care where I lived. It was all the same everywhere anyway.
     I turned down my usual street, knowing it was only about 2 1/2 blocks to my apartment. That's when I saw something, there were some guys around an old vending machine with a slight glow to it, behind a building I was passing. I just ducked my head down and tried not to get noticed or make any sort of eye contact. That's how it was in this city, if you don't make eye contact then, if you were lucky, you wouldn't get mugged or shot or something.
     

      But Conner wasn't lucky this evening, one of the guys had shouted something in the direction of where he was walking. He looked around and saw no one. He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that night. He stopped and looked at the guys, one of the guys was shouting something at him, he didn't really care to take his earbuds out.
     But he knew what was being said "eh! You! What? Are you deaf or some-thin'?" Conner took out one of his earphones "what is it?" Conner replied. Then they all started walking towards him, shouting things like "ooh~ a pretty boy wants to get his ass beat!"
     "Yeah! Yeah! Let's show him guys!"
     "You guys don't want to mess with me right now. I'm in a really bad mood." The drunken guys didn't take Connors warning, "awe, I'm not scared of a shortie like you. I mean what can you do?" They all began laughing at the man in the middles comment. That's when Conner went into action. He punched the middle guy right in his face, he stumbled back and the two other dudes beside him stood there for a moment, shocked. The middle guys nose began to bleed. Conner cursed himself, his hand hurt from that punch. The two other guys looked from one to the other and then charged him.
     "Oh your going to pay for that!" The one on the left yelled out.
     Conner watched all of the guys moves, it helped that they were both drunk. They swung, trying to hit Conner in the face but he dodged. At least his small height gave him speed. Conner thought. Conner kicked the dude on the left in the stomach, that took him down but the one on the right was still swinging and then Conner felt an impact on his side. The middle dude had recovered enough to start fighting, and Conner got hit. He gasped in pain and shock at the blow. Conner was hunched over and all three men were now standing over him. He fell to the ground as one of the guys proceeded to kick him. He laid up against the wall, one hit after another, Conner trying to catch his breath only to have it knocked out of him again. His vision was blurred, they sounded far away, then the kicks stopped. Conner laid there for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He noticed some shouting coming from the men, then he sat up slowly, his stomach and ribs hurt. That's when he noticed a figure coming towards him.
     The shadow bent down and looked at me with concern, this wasn't a shadow but a person, I realized after squinting my eyes trying to make out the figure. He looked worried for a stranger, his lips slightly parted and his masked eyes showed worry.  
     Then he said something to me, "hey, are you alright?" Then everything went dark as consciousness slipped out of my grasp.
***
     I woke up in a room that I recognized, my room, in my apartment. My head was pounding, I reached over on my side table to grab my phone, but it was gone. 'Did I forget to charge it last night?' I thought. Then I remembered the events of last night and wondered if that was a dream. I sat up and walked to my closet first, to get some clothes. Than I went to the bathroom, opening the door and stepping inside. I pulled my shirt off and started the water, as I turned around to face the mirror, my eyes widened. Last night was NOT a dream. There were yellow and purple bruising on my stomach and back. I noticed my busted lip and a small bruise on my cheek. 'Great' I thought rolling my eyes 'now Mace is going to ask what happened and when I tell her she'll be out for blood... that or she'll laugh at me for being so pathetic' I considered. As I was tracing my bruises with my hands the bathroom door opened. My head whipped to that direction and I saw a guy.
     It took me a minute to realize who this guy was, "Zero," I muttered "what are you doing here?" My whole body turned towards him. I saw his eyes were slightly wide as he looked down at me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe.
He parted his lips to say something "uh, I thought you would need this." He raised his hand to show a bag of ice with a small rag under neath.
     I crossed my arms over my chest, then I noticed a small blush across his cheeks, his eyes adverted their gaze at me and his hands nervously went to the back of his neck. "What are you doing here?" His hands went by his sides and he said "you, don't remember?"
     "Remember what?" I said impatiently
     "I saved you from those three guys, they were beating on you pretty bad and I was passing by."
    My brow furrowed, I was sure there was a masked man asking me if I was okay before I passed out. "So, there wasn't a masked man that saved me?" ....

Hello! This is the author. Anyway I wanted to say that this story is for my amusement. And that there's cussing and some boyxboy romance scenes... but later....
any-who, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!