Night Two Hundred And Fifty One
Age 1991
The Void...
"Trying to trap me in a false dream like realm?" Hero asked looking around the pitch white lab as he raised an eyebrow. "Sorry but that wont work. Not when I have Row to break me out of it. Row."
'...'
"...Row?"
'...'
"Row?"
'...'
"Row!"
'...'
"I'm sorry..." The voice of Ava said speaking all around him. "But I'm afraid we're so repressed right now not even Row could reach us." Her voice mused. "As it stands we don't really exist. Not really. Our bodies and even our consciousness remains in the real world. It is more akin to say we are everything and yet nothing. A Shadow of who we are in a realm of shadows. Though you should feel happy and even honored... After all... I'm giving you exactly what you wanted aren't I!"
The floor underneath Hero exploded as white sludge seemed to rise up slamming into him. The sludge seemed to bubble up growing larger and larger and forcing him up as he slammed into the roof above.
Only... He didn't.
Everything seemed to go upside down and shift around him as he seemed to go through the roof as if it was a liquid. Only now it wasn't the roof it was the floor and he was coming up. He was emerging into a new scene. As he came crashing out he found himself in a strange lab like room where a man with brown hair could be seen hovering over a much younger Ava. Evans and Ava. Before the experiment. Neither of them seemed to notice Hero.
"Why do you care so much about my past?" Ava's voice asked. The floor next to him rose up as Ava began to pull herself up.
"I just..." Hero stared at the man for a moment. "I just know that man."
"You do?"
"Yeah... You were in the Third Generation Project right. The First Seraphin..." Hero mused. "Well I guess you could say my project. The one that involved clones. I guess it would be fair to call it a fourth Generation project. Or at least Row called it that once."
"I'd imagine that Evans, as well as Mr. Hydes worked on all the projects..." Ava said quietly. "First they tried to bring the dead back to life so they wouldn't have a need for lost Enforcers. But you've seen Light so you know how unstable that is. Then they tried to find a way to bind the Bestia Macht to human form. Mother created Mankind, and God created the Bestia Macht. They thought that by binding that essence they would be able to create someone close to God. That was me. And it was from my blood that other Seraphins were born. Next came that fusion. The ability to merge but it got nowhere. After that came cloning. The first few batches ended up failing. You and that other one... Your little brother as you call him. You two were the only ones who seemed to come out sane. Though I used that term loosely when describing you. Now... Now they're on their Fifth Generation. Turning Animals into humans and making Anima. How long do you think it will take before they create something that can step into the realm of God."
"That's easy. They've already done it." Hero said casually. "The power you've shown today. I'm convinced. You're way stronger than I could ever hope to get." Hero laughed. "That kind of power seems like its out of my reach. I have to save you for sure. Your power... I bet you could even beat Otoko!"
Ava gritted her teeth as the room began to shake. "There you are with that again. Using me. You're just like all the others." She hissed. "The fact you have his face and voice makes me disgusted." She growled. "And you don't deserve that name." Hero was silent for a moment not saying anything. "You don't even exist. You have no right to life. A little boy had the worlds issues thrown on his shoulders. Had the task of saving everyone in all of creation. Stopping God. Saving everything. But humans are idiots. They picked and prodded at this weapon. But he was no weapon. He was a human being. A living creature. And they broke him."
The image changed as everything around them began to shift. They stood now inside of a simple cabin. The body of Piero rested on the floor his will finally fading. Row Law, a young ten year old boy stared at his father with wide eyes.
"N... No." The young boy said as tears began to leave him. "You... You said you wouldn't leave me. You said you would save me. How could you... How could you leave me after entrusting me with a gift like that!"" He screamed out. The young boy collapsed down hugging his knees as he buried his face in between his legs. "This world is..." His eyes began to slowly shut as the scar on his chest began to light up. "This world is hell. And yet... I still want... I still want a hero. A Hero of Justice. A Superhero able to save it all." He whispered out as his eyes slowly shut close.
And Hero Law was born...
"Look at it." Ava hissed as Hero stared at the young ten year old boy. "The day you were created. A Dream brought forth from a scared and hopeless child. A real Hero would give their body back to this poor, poor creature. But instead you lock him away. Forcing him to watch his greatest failures. You." She turned glaring at him. "Hero Otoko is what a hero should be. He had a dream. And for our sakes. For the sakes of the people. He got rid of it. And with it his weakness vanished. I'll admit that your goal is far more great than his. You want to kill God and save this world. Give it a pretty sky and end the Bestia Macht. Create an Earth where war can end. Kill the Squid and save all the other Worlds as well. That goal is indeed a pretty one. But... Just because one is pretty doesn't make it practical. He wants to save us. No matter what. Because he failed. Because he knows what its like to lose. So he stood back up and tried to save one world. Sure his goal isn't as grand as yours. But does that make his Dream any less valuable?"
The image around them began to change once more. This time it showed the day Ava began to change into her new form. The dark matter eating away at her. And for a moment Hero could feel it. He could feel the pain and suffering she had to go through as every cell, every atom, every molecule, all came undone, and then she was rebuilt using a new source. Dark Matter. Piece by piece. Done so much and rebuilt it was hard to say if she was even the same Ava Vil or a new entity that happened to look at her.
"You're dream isn't even your own." She hissed out. "It isn't even Rows... It was Pieros. That damn man. He died. And in his death he forced his goals onto Row. He forced his ideals and his life as well as his dreams onto his son. Like a cruel and hateful being he brought Row more suffering. And in return Row created you to hold those dreams. Can't you see how pathetic it is. You hold the dreams of someone else, who in return was forced to hold those dreams, by a bitter man who hated the world. I almost pity your sad excuse of an existence. You never had a fair chance. You were a defective tool from the start. You never had a chance to leave that hell did you."
The image changed once more to that day...
The day the lab caught fire. The day the attacked happened. They stood in the halls as they watched Row Law cover his ears and close his eyes as he walked past everyone who needed help all for the sake of his own life.
"Look at it. A creation made by man. A child who only wanted to live so he tried to save himself. He holds the burdens of a survivor. Someone who was forced to leave them all. The amount of pain and guilt he holds. All that suffering and self hatred. All of that was passed to you. This hatred that forced him to accept Piero's dream. That dream which was passed down to you. Can't you see how pathetic it all is. You get to have a choice." She said holding her hand out. "Please. You can help people. You can help Hero. You can save the world. You have emotions. You don't have to follow this cursed dream. You can live. You can be Hero Law. What do you say?"
Hero walked forward passing her. He moved over to one of the people trapped behind rubble and reached out but his hand phased through it as he couldn't affect a memory.
"Still so stubborn." Ava hissed out.
"You said I have a choice right." Hero said slowly standing back up. The image around him began to change. It changed to one of hope. A young snow haired boy who had collapsed and was unable to move looked up and saw the face of Piero Law.
"Oh thank God." Piero said tears streaming down his face. "One lived. One... Lived." He said as the tears grew and he began to sob.
"That choice I'm going to make is. Life. I choice life." Hero said squeezing his hand into a fist. "You're absolutely right. I'm not a hero when compared to Otoko. He has his dream and goals. Mine were handed to me. Again and again I had them passed down. Dreams and ideals I could never even have a hope of thinking up myself. But still... Piero Law chose to come back and look for survivors. Row Law choice to give me emotions and the ability to think for myself and exist. And I'm choosing to accept the dreams they passed down to me. You were right about that. I haven't been forced to follow this dream. It's always been my choice. I'm choosing to stay on this path. I'll see it through no matter what. I'll follow the dreams they both passed down to me. I'll become a Hero of Justice. A Superhero."
Ava clicked her tongue and made a face as she glared at him.
"How can you still call yourself a Superhero when you're holding your own body hostage and going against the man trying to save the world. You don't even see the fact that you're the villain of this tale do you!"
'I can continue to call myself a Hero of Justice because I'm going to save them all. Row and Hero Otoko. And you as well. Even God. I'll save you all. Otoko's plan will work. I'll say that with a smile. But... That doesn't mean it's right. To bare the suffering of everyone... All for the sake of us. To throw even your desires, friends, and goals, away to save strangers. The same goes for Row. If he became God. I'd imagine that would make him sad. And I hate sad endings. I hate bitter sweet endings also so thats out as well." Hero smirked holding his right arm out as it began to glow and change. All around him everything began to crack. "If the happy ending they seek results in them getting a sad ending then whats the point. I refuse to let them throw themselves away for the sake of others. I'll seek out an ending where everyone is happy!"
"To do so is throwing yourself away as well." Ava hissed out. "Can't you even begin to understand how hypocritical such a goal is?"
"Maybe but... At the end of the day its the goal that I chose to follow. A pretty dream. Why can't it be pretty and practical? I'm selfish like that. A Greedy Hero of Justice who won't be happy until I've created an ending with no bitter sweet moments."
"Such a thing is impossible." Ava screamed.
"Well. I won't know until I tried right? I'd never forgive myself if I gave up." Hero mused. "Oh... And another thing."
The cracks grew larger as everything around them began to shatter and break apart. "What? He's undoing the connecting?" Ava asked in shock. "B... But how? Wait... You're not asking for Row's help... Shit. This is the power of the World again isn't it! You greedy son of a bitch! You're actually asking the world to lend you enough power to shatter out of this dream scape! What a Greedy Hero!"
Hero gave a half smirk as the cracks grew even large and the void began to shake. "You know Ava." Hero said his smile growing. "I think I'm falling for you. Looks like my harem ability back fired."
And with that the void shattered as both came to in the real world once more...