Night One Hundred And Fifty Seven
Age 1991
The Catacombs...
"Shield Of Hope."
"What?" North asked frowning.
"That's the name of this shield." Hero said walking towards the man and spinning his arm on its joint. "This arm allows me to protect." He clenched his hand into a fist as a mass of green energy swirled around it, making it look as if it was on fire. "But it also allows me to shove me hope down the throats of you bastards."
'Hero... You sure you can actually kill another human? You're going through a lot right now... Your emotions are swirling... Hate, fear, want, desire to protect. You're going from good to evil mode a whim right now... This isn't usually how you fight.'
"I can..." Hero said bowing his head. "I have to do this... If Irene sees her brother like this... No... I'll save her from that by killing North... And Shelly and Ken... Both of them are so young... I can't let either of them be the one to kill this man. It has to be me. I'll be the one that delivers the killing blow. I'll take this burden, and the guilt with me."
'You know Ken has killed before...'
"I don't care." Hero said shaking his head. "That's not the Ken I know, and she's trying to change. I'll help her change. I'll sacrifice my good will and put North down... I heisted so long ago when I fought Mr. Hyde, for the first time, and didn't aim to kill... No longer. I'm going to let North win. I'm not going to save him. I refuse to save him."
'Hero... You've really surprised me. Do whatever. I honestly don't care. Though I doubt you can bring yourself to kill. You're far to pure. You're white like snow. Than again snow does stain easily doesn't it... Nothing stays pure for long. The first kill is the hardest hurdle to get over. Let's see you climb.'
Hero ignored Row as he fired forward and threw out a powerful punch. North easily dodged the punch as the force of it slammed past him. Hero's punch was way stronger than his clawed arm, as it easily exploded an entire wall of bone the green flames swirling around it. Speed, Power, and Defense. The only downside this arm had, was that it was far shorter than his drill and clawed arm, and lacked any ranged attacks, like his canon, or claws. Still... The power, and desire to protect those he held dear, not just Ken, and Shelly but the world itself swirled in his new arm.
"Shit!" North cursed. He spun around slicing out with his ice sword but Hero easily blocked it with his shield arm causing the blade to shatter as North's eyes went wide. "That arm... He's on the verge of leveling up... How the hell can this recruit, be close to reaching level two? Not even Eins or I can do that? I know a level doesn't mean that person is stronger, since I'm stronger than Max, even when he's in his level two state but still... What the hell are you!" North yelled.
Hero gave a small smirk as he blocked more of the strikes. "A Hero of Justice. A Superhero. I'm Hero Law... Or have you forgotten that?"
"Damn you Hero!"
"So you do remember my name. Good. Remember it when you end up in hell. This arm is going to be the thing that beats you North."
Ken watched Hero fight as she frown. "You better not fail Hero... And... Are you... Can you really bring yourself to kill another human..."
"You said you could?" Shelly asked.
"Yeah but..." Ken slowly dropped to her knees clutching at her gut wound as she took a seat next to Shelly. "I was made to kill... Hero was made to save. It's easy to say you're going to kill someone. Even easier to go to do it. But at the moment when it comes down to it... That's the hard part. That's the part that requires us to break past our limits and commit murder... It can be haunting..."
"Have... Have you killed..."
"I have..." Ken nodded. "When I was ordered to..." Ken looked down at her hands for a moment. "But... I... I want to change... I want to be better than that version of myself..." For a second she remembered that crazed version she had been. "I don't... I don't want to be a weapon, or a beast... I want to be someone who can protect my friends." She looked up staring at Hero. "And I know Hero's the same. Right here and now... He's fighting to change. He's trying to evolve into someone who can beat North, someone who can protect his friends. Someone who can protect the entire world."
"But... That's what North did... And it broke him..."
"And it might very well break Hero... Even now he doesn't seem to be in a right state of mind... If he isn't careful that hope he's brimming with, could turn into a pit of despair. If Hero makes one wrong move, he could snap just like North. This isn't a fight of if Hero, can beat North. He's fighting to see if he can stop himself from ending up the same way."
North fired forward jumping into the air and crashing down with his blade but Hero simply blocked it. His icy blue eyes met Hero's ruby red ones as a mini shock wave exploded around them both. "Do you really think you can beat me." North growled.
"If I say yes will it make you mad? Also... I see you're starting to get your sense of self back huh?"
"Damn you..." North pressed down but Hero's new arm proved to be to strong as he stood his ground glaring back at North. "Why do you think you're so special. Why do you think your dreams of world peace are better than mine!"
"Because I'm not doing it alone." Hero said shaking his head. "Look at you... You closed everyone off and tried to help everyone all by yourself... You're right in the sense that me and you both have foolish dreams, as well as a desire to save others. But what keeps us apart, is the fact I don't believe in the greater good. You scarified how many just for a shot at the future. I'd rather save everyone today, than worry about tomorrow."
"Fool." North spun around delivering a powerful kick but Hero caught it with his left arm. "You don't think I thought of all of that? I was like you... And don't act like you're different." He grinned leaning forward. "You didn't save Shelly, or Ken, when you had the chance. You wanted to fight me, the same reason Ken didn't take Shelly out when she could have. You did the same mistake she made, and she did the same mistake I made. Right here and now. You're alone-"
"You're wrong."
"What?"
Hero closed his eyes, still gripping North's legs. "Well than... Look into my eyes and I'll show you just how wrong you are." Hero opened his eyes for a moment North saw it.
He saw an ocean of red, and he saw them. Not just Row, or the massive pillar of red claiming to be God, or even Hero. He saw Piero, Vil, the female Hero, Ken, Shelly, Max, Shiki, Jackson, Dawson, Eins, Kitsune, Light, Irene, Katrina, and he even saw himself standing among them. North saw all of them as he stared at Hero.
"I've lived my life with the want to be a hero. Someone that could save others, and create a world with no conflicts. I know a dream like that won't ever be possible. I'm not a fool. No one can solve the problems of the world itself. So I thought smaller. I'll save everyone in front of me. That was my plan. But that to is flawed when people like you exist. I know its selfish but I'd rather save those I care about, and those that have molded me into the person I am today rather than save you!"
"What the hell are you!" North yelled.
"I told you. I'm Hero Law. I want to be a symbol of justice, a superhero, but I'll settle for saving my friends!"
North slammed Hero back as he jumped away. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you damn monster!" The dragon heard grew even larger as he fired towards Hero and slashed out with his sword as hard as he could. Hero blocked the strike and brought his arm back.
'This is it...' Hero thought clenching his hand into a fist. 'One punch... I can end him now... I can kill him here and now... I... I... I... Can... I... I have to be the one to do it... Shelly and Ken... Both of them are to young to be the ones to kill another human. They're still kids. I won't put this on them. I'll do it... I have to be the one to do it, so they don't have to.'
North slammed his arm into Hero's face as hard as he could pushing Hero back as he gave a large grin. His dragon head opened up and the fangs of the mouth stabbed into Hero's legs making him hiss out in pain. North raised his arm up and brought it down as hard as he could slamming Hero into the floor over, and over again, with all his might as he let out a loud laugh. He brought Hero down again, and again, and turned his body throwing Hero who spun in the air morphing his arm to the clawed version and using it to catch himself.
Hero breathed heavily as he stared at the ground. "I can do this... I can save them from this... I just need to focus..."
"Throwing yourself at an issue to help them all out!" North laughed forming his sword as he launched at Hero. "That's exactly what I was doing you fool! Even if you do kill me you'll just become another me!"
"You're wrong." Hero's right arm suddenly morphed back into his normal human arm. "I'm going to protect my friends no matter what. But it isn't like you. I don't believe me wanting to help my friends makes me a superhero like you were claiming. Helping your friends out no matter what is just common sense. What makes us different and while I'll never end up like you, is because when I confront the issue of saving the entire world, I won't do it alone. Just trying to give powers to everyone in the world... I'd rather inspire everyone else to save others, than save everyone. That's why I'll only focus on the others that are in front of me!"
'Stop talking and fight you idiot! He's gonna run us through! I knew you couldn't bring yourself to kill him, so just knock him out quick-'
North landed next to Hero and slashed out with his blade. Hero's arm was still in his human mode and he ducked under the sword dodging it. The blade went over his head, but North threw out a powerful punch connecting with Hero's face and throwing him back.
Hero crashed across the ground and slowly pushed himself back up. "Goodbye North... While I can still say it."
"Haha... What the hell are you talking about imposter? You can't bring yourself to kill me? It's hard right? It took me forever to work up the nerve the first time I had to do it!"
"I was just saying it before I killed the monster."
"Monster?" Hero slowly brought his right arm up reviling why he had changed it back to normal. Within his hands he held a vial... The same kind North had been injecting himself with. North's eyes went wide when he saw it. "When you ducked under my sword you... You took it?"
Hero ignored the man as he jammed it into his neck and pressed down. He closed his eyes as he felt it take affect. The rush was like nothing he'd experienced. Even more power, than when he was bonded with Kitsune coursed through him. When he opened his eyes he now stood in a large lab... A Bestia Macht made out of ice stood in front of him growling as it charged. Hero raised his right arm up as it morphed into its shield mode the green flames exploded out of the fist as he brought his arm back.
It wasn't even a clash.
As soon as the beast reached him he delivered his strongest punch, putting his all into the attack. All his hate for Row, and hate for God, his hate for himself, and his hate for North. His guilt, his sadness, his happiness, the joy he felt saving Shelly and Ken, as well as the sick joy he was getting from killing this monster even when he knew what it really was. He put everything he had into this single fist.
And in one punch rammed it through the beasts chest, straight through its heart. Hero closed his eyes.
And when he opened them he saw back in the catacombs. Shelly, was looking at him in total shock, while Ken gave him a look of pity. North was in front of him, his head on his shoulder. It almost looked like they were hugging save for the fact that Hero's entire arm was impaled straight through the mans chest.
North spat out a large glob of blood as his eyes went wide. The ice armor around him slowly vanishing. "W... What the... The hell... How did... I don't get it..."
"What's not to get North..." Hero said slowly ripping his arm out of the mans chest. He fell back landing at Hero's feet and looked up into the ruby red eyes, which held an unknown emotion in them. Hero stared down at him with a blank look as he cocked his head to the side. "You said it yourself... The Hero, always wins."
North let out a small chuckle as he slowly looked up to the roof above him. "Oh... Oh... That's right... I guess he does. H... Haha... Ha.. Ha. H-"
Hero turned away as he walked towards Shelly and Ken. Shelly flinched away from him as he reached out with his left arm. The scar on his chest ignited as most of the damage on them slowly vanished.
"See. Told you I'd-"
Ken slapped Hero across the face as hard as she could leaving a large red mark across his face. "You idiot!" She screamed. Tears were streaming down her face as she stared at him. "Damn it Hero... Why... You were supposed to be better than me... You were supposed to be the good heroic member of the group! The smart one... So why did you do something so dumb, and take him on alone! Why? I'm the dumb hot headed one. I should have been the only one to do it." She cried out.
Hero was silent for a moment giving a small smile. He looked down at his right hand which was stained red still. Ken threw herself at Hero as she began to break down. Shelly was also crying though hers was barely noticeable and she looked away.
"I... I just... I just wanted to keep you all safe."
"You're a bad liar..." Shelly said sniffling slightly.
'She's right you know...' Row's voice said. For a moment Hero swore he could see the grin on Row's face. 'How about you give the real reason... You wanted to see if you could do it right... You wanted to see if you could kill another human... Because you know... The days are getting shorter. Sooner or later... You're going to have to face me. So you want to be ready right... Ready for the day when you kill Row Law. In the end that bit about friendship, and wanting to be the one the bare the guilt was all a load of bull wasn't it? You just used poor North as a testing dummy... I take back what I said Hero... You aren't pure white snow. You're nothing more than the stain that takes over the snow. Otherwise you'd have let one of us do it and save you the guilt-'
'You're wrong.' Hero responded in his mind.
'What? I'm wrong.'
In a single moment Hero stood within the void standing in front of Row making the teen step back. "I'd never have put you in a position to kill North. I had to be the one to do it. Light is the only one I think could kill and bare it. Kitsune might... Irene, and Eins, as well as Max, Shiki, Shelly, and Ken, I'd never force that onto them. And... I'd never force that on you either Row. Because... You're just a kid."
"K... Kid?" Rage filled Row's eyes when Hero placed his hand on the boys head. "How dare you call me a kid! I'm older than you technically? If anyone's a kid it's you! I made you when I was 10, so that makes you 6!"
"Come on Row..." Hero opened his eyes as he was back in the real world still holding onto a sobbing Ken. 'Let's go see your friend... A promise is a promise after all...'