Not All Heroes

Chapter 1

Half a decade later, and nothing has changed. The man was still Phil, he was still as ordinary as people came, save for the wings on his back which seemed to only grow with age.

Half a decade later and he found himself hiking through the forest, friends left behind as he went on ahead, up on the path and down through the trees. The crisp air made his muscles twitch, ache for the freedom that society has trapped him in, to be able to glide and laugh and forget.

When had the city become his cage? It was like saying that nests confined the birds that slept there. It just didn't make sense.

So perhaps it was a good thing that his mind began to wander, getting lost in the trees in the stead of his body. Get so lost that he made a misstep, a foot too close to the edge of the path that sent him sprawling, falling down the steep hill of sharpened rocks and pointed sticks to rip apart his jacket of spring green to tatters, dead leaves and dew dappled grass to soften his landings.

Phil swore at the stings of air brushing against the shallow cuts on his arms and legs as he stood, dusting the mud and dirt from his pants with a sigh.

He expected to be alone, as one does when they're deep within a forest, off the hiking path. So when he heard the crack of a twig and the rustling of leaves, his head snapped up, body tense in anticipation. But then... they relaxed, as he began to register the company he had with him.

They were two identical boys, no older than six. One lay asleep, nestled between the thick roots of the tree, while the other watched Phil with a caution that only wild animals could ever display, body posed to run or to fight, he wasn't sure which.

They were obviously brothers, that much was clear with their dark eyes and dark hair. Either they were brothers or they were clones, and Phil knew for a certainty that technology had not advanced so far as to enable human duplication, though he himself could be said to be contrary to any advancements science could ever make.

Slowly, he raised his arms up as he stood, a kind smile playing on his face.

"I'm not going to hurt you two." He said softly, and those words seemed to be enough to let the guard of the boy falter, just for a moment. As if those were words he never expected to hear out of another human being.

"Are you lost?" Phil asked, quiet as to not stir the other from his slumber as he took an experimental step forward. "Where are your parents?"

"Gone."

The child's voice was startlingly deadpan, the word said with the inflection and tone that implied that they weren't dead, no. But for all intents and purposes, they were more equal to strangers than flesh and blood to these kids.

The man couldn't imagine any situation where a parent would leave their children in the forest alone. Couldn't imagine any reason abandoning them in the wild to starve would be a good idea.

The other boy shifted around in his sleep with a small moan, a small hand grabbing his brother's wrist, dividing his attention.

"Techno..." He mumbled, the presence clearly a comfort as he drifted off into silence again. Phil's chest ached at the sight, these two brothers who had no one but each other for company. Who would defend and fight for each other despite being so weak and so young that they could barely defend themselves.

There was no hesitation between the minute the idea came into his mind, and the second he manifested it into sound.

"Do you two need a place to stay?" He asked, kneeling to be eye level with the boy, who seemed to freeze up and stiffen in response. "Your name is Techno, right?"

The boy gave the barest of nods, and Phil smiled.

"Look, Techno. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I just..." He hesitated. "I wouldn't feel comfortable knowing that you two are out here all alone. They're saying it's gonna snow tonight and..." He gave another pause, and a sigh. "Maybe just even for toni—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the young child got up from his place on the ground. Before Phil could even react, the boy's arms were around him; thin, small, and cold. The man smiled, putting a warm, reassuring hand over his shoulders.

"Maybe for now," He laughed, giving the kid a pat on the back as tears streamed silently down the child's face in gratitude. "You can help me bring your brother up the path? And then afterwards, you can tell me your story if you're comfortable."

And the boy named Techno let go and nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve before turning to wake his brother with the news.