Night One Hundred And Six
Age ???
A Hidden Lab...
'W... Where am I?' Hero thought looking around. He was in a large room, but his feet weren't touching the ground. Rather he was floating and looking around. Like he was a ghost.
"You're lucky you got that blood sample..." Mr. Hyde said nodding his head. He was in a large room filled with several glass tubes covered in green liquid... "This should do nicely for the project Piero..."
'Dad?'
"I'm just glad I can help." Piero nodded entering the room and looking around. At last he could be seen without his makeup or mask... He had umber skin, like a mix of reddish and brown, that didn't look very natural, and had a few scales all along his body, and short messy silver hair, with blood red eyes. Like all members of the Dragon Clan... "I really do love humanity... I killed my own brother for this species... Plus I married a human, and even have a beautiful daughter of my own. She's in that rebellious phase though... Wants to join some silly group called the Enforcers."
"Your daughter wants to help people. I think that's sweet." Hyde laughed. "I'm curious in how strong she'll be... After all she's part Dragon... Though she didn't inherit the skin, or scales of you folk. She also doesn't have a Crest since those have to be passed down with only twenty six existing..."
"I guess it's my fault she's like this. I mean I named her Hero for God's sake..." Piero let out a laugh of his own as he moved further into the lab looking around some more. He finally stopped in front of a large test tube where a young new born baby rested. "Hey... Who's this one?"
"They all have the same DNA sample since I'm just using Orion's-"
'Orion?'
"I meant what are you naming him?"
"Oh... Well we really don't name them... The only one we have now is being called Reaper but he's already considered a failure..."
"I see..." Piero nodded his head for a moment as he reached out and placed his hand on the test tube. "Row."
"What?"
"This one will be named Row."
"That's... An odd name sir..."
Piero simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm an odd man..."
'Row...' Hero frowned but felt the void shake as it began to shatter...
Age ???
"You have to try harder!" Mr. Hyde yelled at the small five year old Row. "You have to use that power! You have to mean it!" He screamed out.
"I... I'm trying..." Row said quietly the green scar over his heart glowing. "But... But it hurts when I use it."
"Then fight through the pain! You need to harness that power." Piero said over in the corner where he rested. "I had to kill my own brother to give you that Crest... Use it."
Mr. Hyde let out a sigh pushing up his glasses. "I guess you're going to need some help Row..." He said clicking open a briefcase. "You have the DNA of several people relating to the Dragon Clan... So I assume it's only fair that I give you a Dragon like motivation..." He pulled out a small tube of glass where a small white like creature could be seen moving around... "This is a piece of the Prince... The strongest Bestia Macht that was sealed away by Master Storm... It's only a small piece..." He said slowly moving towards the young boy. "Still though... I'm betting if this thing is inside of you it'd kick start that Crest. After all you'd need to get it out before it devours your organs. Or maybe... You'll use that Crest to recreate those Organs?"
Row tried to back up but the mans hand came out as he gripped Row's arm. "W... Wait-"
"Either way." He clicked a button on the glass box as it began to open and the bug slithered out stabbing into Row's arm and slowly sinking into his flesh. "I'm sure you won't die from it. If it does we can always fall back on that brother of yours. Vil. So don't go screwing up. Other wise we'll have to put him through this as well. If you really want to be a good brother than bare that pain so he doesn't have to..."
The labs filled with the screams of Row as the long worm like Bestia Macht bore its way into his flesh...
Age ???
'Where am I now...'
"It hurts!" A slightly older Row cried out as tears streamed down his eyes. "I don't want to do it anymore..."
"You have to do it!" Piero yelled out. "Please... I know you can... I know you can use my brothers power... I... I didn't kill him for nothing... Please God... Use it..."
'What's going on?'
Row closed his eyes for a moment as his 'D' shaped scar lit up with a green energy. He shook and blood began to flow out of his nose but something began to happen. The space in front of him shifted and changed as something began to morph. And in a flash of green light a man looking exactly like Piero appeared.
'What the hell?' Hero asked staring with wide eyes.
"Y... Yume... Is that really you?" Piero whispered.
"No..." Yume said sadly shaking his head. "It's not... I'm sorry... I'm not real. You killed me and ripped out my heart... I'm just a dream made by that Equation and this little guy here..." He smiled placing his hand on Row's head.
"I... I'm sorry..." Piero whispered looking down. "I'm sorry I killed you..."
"It's okay. I forgive you... I'm your dream after all..."
'It's shaking again...' Hero realized.
Age 1979
"Oh he's adorable." The scientist said petting the dog. "What's his name."
The girl let out a small snort as she pet the dog. "My dad was kind of lame when picking the name. He called it Hero naming it after me. He has a problem with naming things after me I guess..." She laughed. She turned staring at 'him' for a moment. "Oh Row? Do you want to hold Hero?" She asked slowly handing the small dog down to the little boy with snow white hair and ruby red eyes.
"Thank Ms. Hero!" The boy said happily as he was handed the dog.
'That girl is... She's Hero?'
"You're a good kid." She grinned patting his head. She stood back up and folded her arms. A small white marble could be seen in her right hand for a moment as she let out a small sigh. "So... How is he handling it... You know... My power? And my Uncles Crest?"
The scientist let out a small grunt for a moment as he stared down at a small paper. "Well... Thanks to the D-Crest that was placed inside of him we were able to use the power to copy your Equation... The Dragon clan has some rare abilities indeed, being the children of God... We also plan on using it to make an Equation for the little one. We call him Vil. I guess you can say he is Row's little brother if you wanted to get technical..."
'The Dragon Clan... Vil?'
"Interesting..." The female Hero bent down and began to look Row over. She raised his shirt up and nodded her head when she saw a large scar where his heart should have been. The scar was shaped out in the letter 'D' somehow. She nodded her head for a moment as she placed her hand over the heart. "I'm surprised he was able to handle the power of a Crest... After all everyone else who had it placed in them died, or went mad..."
"Well... To be fair young Row here isn't exactly a human now is he..." The scientist chuckled.
'What... Am I...'
"I guess not... So do you think he can use it?"
"Use what?"
"You know... The power of the Dragons? Can he use that-" She was cut off as the dog she had with began to bark loudly. Seconds later the entire room shook as a loud explosion could be heard. "What the hell!" She yelled. Her right arm glowed and changed becoming a large clawed arm with iron feathers coming off of it. "What's happening-"
The wall suddenly exploded and collapsed as a man walked in. He wore a glass like clown mask that covered his upper face but everyone in the room recognized him instantly. Piero...
Hero stared at the man as her eyes went wide for a moment and she moved her way in front of Row keeping the little boy safe. "D.. Dad..." She asked staring back at the man.
Piero ignored her as he turned to look at the scientist who seemed to be freaking out now. "Mr. Hyde..." Piero said bowing his head for a moment. "You must die..."
'Dad? Why are you- No! It's shaking again!'
A Few Hours Later...
Flames covered most of the lab as it began to collapse more and more.
It was hard breath...
Despite that though Row managed to walk forward at a slow and simple pace nearly tripping a few times. All around him was flame and ash.
"Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live..." He repeated it over and over as if it would save his life. "Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live..."
"H... Help... Me..." A painful voice cried out. Someone was under the rubble...
Row stumbled forward tripping over his own two feet when he heard the voice. He turned looking at the person for a moment before he turned back away and began to walk off.
'Where are you going!' Hero yelled watching Row walk off. He shook his head and turned back to the body pinned down and tried to help but his hands went through it. 'Shit! Hey He- Ro- Little me! You have to save this guy!'
"Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live... Dream I can live..."
'You can't just leave him!' Hero yelled in anger.
But Row did...
Several times...
Any time they came across someone begging for help Row just looked the other way and left... He just kept saying those words over and over again.
'How many...' Hero asked quietly as he stared at his hands. 'How many people did I... How many people did I leave to their deaths!'
Row stumbled forward finally collapsing as his body gave out.
Hero stared down at his younger self. 'Get up... Don't die... You think you can just die after leaving so many people! The hell back up!'
There was a quiet shuffling as both Row, and Hero looked up and they saw Piero walking towards them...
"You're... Alive..." Piero asked quietly. Slowly a small smile came onto his face as he wrapped his arms around Row. "Thank you God... One's alive..." He smiled as tears flowed down his face.
'I... I remember this part...' Hero muttered quietly. 'I remember the look you gave me... But that look wasn't for me was it... No... You gave it to Row... So then... Who am I?'
Age ???
"Hero."
"Hero."
"Hero."
'That's right...' Hero thought nodding his head. 'You called me... Hero...'
"Hero..." The scene seemed to change showing a slightly older Row, and Piero who was back in his make up... The two of them were seated on a simple wooden shack. "I'm tired Hero..." Piero sighed looking down. "So tired..."
"My name is Row..." Row said quietly.
"It's hard Hero... I'm just so tired."
"My name is Row dad..."
"So... So tired..."
"D... Dad..." Row asked. Piero simply let out a groan showing he was listening. His face was still covered by a white glass mask. "Why do the Bestia Macht harm people?" He asked innocently.
Piero was silent for a moment as he scratched his beard. "Because their is evil in this world."
"What?"
"The Bestia Macht... They themselves are not evil. Rather they fill a goal on the opposite side that is Justice. From their point of view we slaughter millions of them and take over their lands. Should a beast seeking revenge for the death of a loved one be called evil? And what of us? Can humans truly be called good just because they fight the Bestia Macht. Can they be called good because they help someone out an don't expect a reward." Piero slowly raised both his hands out holding them to the boy. "In the left hand you could save one person you love. In the right hand you could save a thousand strangers. Does saving the person you love make you evil? And does allowing that person to die and save a thousand strangers make you evil. What would you chose."
The young Row stared at both hands before he grabbed both. "I'd save one thousand and one people."
"I had a dream once..." Piero laughed. "I wanted to save everyone in this world. To vanquish despair itself and leave only Justice. I wished to one day destroy the concept of evil itself leaving only the good behind. A dream like that... It was impossible though... So I settled... I settled for just saving every person I saw that was in front of me. Every person who suffered from despair... I would reach out and pull them from the abyss... And in the end I failed that to. At the end of my path I managed to only save a single child at the cost of my brother, my love, and my own sanity. And yet..." He reached out placing his hand on Hero's head patting it as he gave a small smile filled with so much pain staring down at the little boy. "I'm not sad I saved you... Row. This just means I'll have to give my dreams to you."
"You called me Row..." Row smiled but it soon turned to a frown when Piero didn't say anything. "Dad..." Piero's body slowly slumped forward as his mask fell off hitting the floor and showing his glassy eyes. "Dad... No..." Tears streamed out of Row's eyes as he stared at his body. "D... Did me inheriting your dream kill you..." He sniffled as he slowly looked back up to the sky. "I can't do it though... I'm not... I'm not a Hero... I'm not strong like Hannah... When I needed to save people I left them to die! Please don't go and leave your hopeful dream to a failure like me!"
Row slowly closed his eyes for a moment as his scar seemed to glow for a moment.
"I'm... A Hero..."
'What?'
Age 1991
Hero gasped as the tail came down on his body once again and he was pushed in to the ground deeper. 'I... I can't... I can't my body...' He thought with terror realizing he was out of power. 'Am I gonna die?' His vision blurred as everything began to get darker, and darker... His hearing began to slowly go out as his mind began to panic. 'N... No... I don't want to... I don't want to die!'
"Wake up!" Jester screamed slamming her tail down again and again, and again. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
Hero was pushed deeper and deeper down. 'I can't hear or see...'
"Wake up!"
'it's so dark...'
"Wake up!"
'cold...'
"Wake up... Wake up... Wake..."
'ken... kitsune... light... emma... sera... lucy... dawson... jackson... katrina... sif... nick... leena... I... Irene? Why can't I remember any of their faces... Did I... Ever exist?'
(I'm up...)
The dragon gritted its teeth as it raised its fist up above its head. "I said wake up!"
Over with One he let out a small sigh. "I pity. I thought he would put up more of a fight... Oh well... I guess I should turn this on and-"
"Will you shut the Hell up you Bitch." A voice cried out. There was a flash of green light as the Dragon's body literally exploded in a hail of gore and Jester was ripped out of the beast. The entire alleyway seemed to suddenly be clouded in a bright green energy as One stared in shock at Hero?
He was out of the crater his wounds slowly shutting. His look was different though. Those kind heroic eyes were gone. His left arm was wrapped around Jesters neck having easily ripped her out of her dragon armor like it was nothing. His chest glowed showing a glowing 'D' shaped scar...
His grip got tighter as he pulled the Jester closer glaring into her glass mask and staring at his reflection. "I... Was... Trying... To... Sleep..."
"R... Row?"
"Listen..." Row growled rage flashing in his eyes. "I'm sleeping. Don't. Fucking. Wake. Me. Up." He tossed her body to the ground as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he hit the floor.
"What the hell just happened!" Hero asked now sitting back up. "Why am I not in the ground? Hey my bodies healed? Did I beat you?"
The Jester slowly stood back up and dusted her body off. "I see... I was right then?"
"What?" Hero asked blinking a few times.
"You're not real."
"What?"
"The Dreamer Crest allows the user to create dreams and make them real while the user sleeps... I almost woke Row up which is why you blacked out. You... You're a Dream he's having... You aren't real... You're just Row's dream. A personality he created to follow after Piero's dream. He knew he could never fulfil his promise to his precious dad so he gave up and went to sleep letting you try. You're nothing more than a dreamed up personality. I bet that's why you also go by Hero. Piero was insane after he lost everything and must have called Row that several times due to his broken mind, so when you were made you took on that name. You might have Row's body, but you Hero Law, are nothing more than a pathetic pretender..."
"Oh... Is that it..." Hero said quietly.
"You don't sound as sad as you should be..."
"Well... I kind of new something was wrong. I've already accepted I'm not this Row person everyone else knows. I'm Hero Law, the son of Piero, and the one that's going to inherit his dream! Oh and you were wrong about the name thing... Dad might have called Row Hero after his daughter but that isn't why I took that name... I'm a God damn superhero! A Hero for Justice!"
"So naive... I'm going to crush you and those foolish dreams..." The Jester hissed.
"You can try it... I'm pumped up now." Hero smirked. "My bodies been fully healed and I'm ready for round two."
"You're different now?"
"I'm not." Hero shook his head as the flashes of all the people Row had left went through his mind. "I'm just more determined to save everyone in front of me! You waking Row up pumped me up!" Hero announced as his right arm glowed and changed. Now a green light seemed to seep out of the claws making the Jester frown under her mask.
"Well how about I let you in on a secret Hero... Row didn't wake up. That was him beginning to but he's not up yet... Because when he does wake up, when he is finally up, the dream ends. No more Hero Law." She smirked when she saw the shocked look on his face. "That's right. Much like when an Equation loses it's master, all your memories, thoughts, feelings, they'll all disappear. Row might not want to wake up but he's starting to... The longer you fight the closer he gets... It could be years, months, weeks, days, hours, minuets, or even seconds, but he's going to wake up. And you'll go away forever! Even if he remakes you that Hero won't remember any of this! Yes I love that look! That despairing look on your face! I love I so much!"
"Y... You're saying... No matter what... I'm going to vanish..." Hero muttered. "I'll just die... Vanish into nothingness huh..."
"A Dream doesn't get an after life!"
"In that case I'll stop you before that happens!" Hero yelled shifting his arm into its blade mode.
"What? You're actually getting inspired to try even harder from the thought of your own death? You're some kind of masochists aren't you."
"No. I just don't believe you. I'll find a way to keep Row asleep. Row might have been strong, but in the end he wasn't able to save even a single life, and gave up. In that case it's safe to say I'm superior. So even if I'm scared, even if I'm just using his borrowed power, even if I stand no chance, I'll keep fighting because..." Ken! Kitsune! Max! Shiki! Arthur! Light! Emma! Clause! Sera! Hannah! Lucy! Dawson! Okami! Jackson! Katrina! Sif! Nick! Master! Vil! Reaper! Hero! Leena! Irene! And... Row! "I'll keep fighting because I'm a Hero of Justice! A Superhero!"