[PRESENT DAY]
"I'm gonna be the world's greatest Hero!"
The young man stood proud as he shouted from the top of his city's tallest skyscraper. His amber eyes shone with excitement and determination. He came up here when he needed to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It was calm, isolated.
It was his special place.
He felt free.
'Tomorrow's the day. I've been waiting for this since I was just a kid. Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of my life…"
His thoughts were interrupted by a buzz from his phone. He sighed and took it out of his pocket.
'Dinner. Now'
He clicked his tongue and he began to type.
'On my way'
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and zipped it up.
'Can't have it falling out again,' He thought, remembering all the money he'd spent on cell phone repairs and replacements over the past few years. He sighed once more and put his backpack on. He approached the edge of the skyscraper and crouched on the corner, taking in his favorite view one last time. The sunset was a perfect mosaic of pinks, purples, and oranges, and the clouds accented the multicolored sky.
The young man stood up and turned around, his arms outstretched. He closed his eyes, and inched towards the brink of the building. He began to lean backwards, and ever so slowly began to tip over. Suddenly, he was free falling. As he fell backwards towards the ground, he opened his eyes, grinned, and flipped his body around.
With a loud "WOOOHOOO" he engaged his powers and controlled his trajectory. He weaved through buildings at breakneck speeds, scaring birds and people alike. He eventually ended up at a modest condo complex, landing on top of a building near the center. He jogged towards the edge and flipped off, once again using his powers to float into the window to his room. Hovering just a few above the ground, he tossed his backpack on his bed and floated his way to his couch. He flopped down onto it and took his phone out, beginning to scroll through social media.
"Trey…Treyyyyy…"
The young man froze in an attempt to be silent at the sound of his nickname.
"ATREUS! I heard you come in, kiddo. Get your butt out here and help me out," a woman's voice shouted from the kitchen.
Atreus rolled his eyes and levitated once again.
"Coming, Aunt Ruby."
He floated into the kitchen, where a middle aged woman was putting the finishing touches on a small feast.
"Take all this to the table for me."
He concentrated on all the food in front of him, and all of it began to levitate. He willed it all to follow him to the table, where they all placed themselves down neatly. It was all of his favorite foods; burgers, barbeque, small pizzas, even some desserts. He couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Congratulations on getting into the Academy, Atreus. Alright, let's dig in." Aunt Ruby was already seated, a wild look in her eye as she gazed at the food.
Atreus laughed.
'She's more eager to eat than me.'
He sat, and they began to enjoy their small feast.
.
.
.
The duo was sitting in their living room, laughing and reminiscing about their last few years together. There was still a bittersweet feeling underneath it all; they both knew this was the last night they'd spend together for a long time. Aunt Ruby's expression began to fall as this reality dawned on her, and she faced her nephew.
"Atreus, I need you to know I'm beyond proud of you. You got accepted to the most prestigious Academy for Heroes, and you've overcome…so much…TOO much…for someone your age. Ever since your parents…I-"
Atreus lunged and hugged her. She was the closest thing he'd had to a parent for most of his life. She quietly sobbed into his shoulder.
"I-I…I know your parents are also so, so proud of you. Wherever they are, I know they're smiling down on you honey. It's just…"
Atreus pulled back.
"Just what?"
Aunt Ruby looked her nephew deep in the eye and grabbed his hands.
"This life you want, it's dangerous. You know this. Your parents…they died living by the same ideals you chase now. And the Crusaders are attacking again…if I lost you too I just…I don't know how I'd keep going…"
Atreus used his sleeve to wipe the tears from her face. He understood.
This was the Age of the Hero.
An unprecedented period of power, brought upon solely by the emergence of superhumans. The era was so-named for the great Heroes living at the time, all of whom performed immense deeds in the name of peace, justice, and prosperity. Amongst all these great Heroes, the nation of Altea was home to an exceptional few who sat at the top of the mountain.
They were the upper echelon.
The elites.
The strongest.
They were The Champions.
But where there is light, there is always darkness.
The very existence of The Champions invited challenge.
Challenge incited conflict.
And this conflict bred catastrophe.
Just over a decade ago Altea's rival nation of Dargon, under the rule of an oppressive zealot dictator, amassed their own group of superpowered individuals to contrast the might of The Champions; the Crusaders. Naturally, neither nation's government wanted to compromise the power of their Heroes, leading to a devastating war.
Cities were leveled.
Millions of lives were lost, including those of Atreus' parents.
After years of conflict, the nations declared a ceasefire, eventually leading to a flimsy treaty. Governments all around the world were now bracing for the second coming of this war, as Dargon began using the Crusaders to encroach upon and conquer surrounding sovereign nations. It was dominating the news cycle. The Champions and government of Altea had been outspoken in their condemnation of Dargon's current actions; it was just a matter of time before the nations would inevitably have to confront each other once again.
"I get it, Aunt Ruby," Atreus comforted his mother figure. 'Although I couldn't care less about the Crusaders,' he thought to himself. 'I'm stronger than every one of them.'
"I'm not gonna get tied up in all that. I don't want anything more than to prevent others from feeling the same pain of loss I did. I'll ensure it at any cost. I don't care about the politics of being a Hero, or the conflicts between nations. It's all just noise to me. All I want to do is save those who need saving. That's it. And I'm strong enough to hold my own, you know that! If I just work my way up and eventually join The Champions, I'll be able to protect everyone."
Aunt Ruby couldn't help but smile. She put her hand on his face, taking a good look at the person she loved more than anything in the world.
"You're so much like them."
They embraced once more before departing to their rooms.
.
.
.
As Atreus laid in his bed and stared at the ceiling, he couldn't contain the excitement building in his stomach.
'Tomorrow, everything changes.
Tomorrow, I walk through the gates of the Academy.
Tomorrow, I take my first step towards becoming the world's greatest Hero.'