Kenzo whispered softly into the dark corners of his room, his eyes never leaving the mutilated body lying in his closet. "They mourn for you, they mourn your loss... but they do not realize that you are still among the living." Kenzo moved Astroman's head, listening to the sound of broken bones, and noticed that Astroman was still breathing despite there being no other signs of life.
"Tell me, Astroman, what must I do to end your existence?" After pushing his head aside, Kenzo shouted as he stomped on Astroman's head repeatedly, not with enough force to break the floor, but enough to cause damage to the closet.
"Because of you... death has become elusive for me. Do you understand what I mean, Astroman?"
"What's happening upstairs?" Julia wondered, watching her husband deliver a farewell speech, as she blinked repeatedly and looked at the ceiling.
"Maybe Kenzo is performing some strange rituals, no need to worry," she said indifferently.
"Julia, how many times have I told you not to belittle your brother like that?" her mother scolded.
"Okay, okay..." Julia replied nonchalantly, waving her hand.
Emma, who married a superhero from the Heroes Guild, knows her family is unusual. Her daughter Julia, who possesses superpowers, chooses not to use them, believing that power carries great responsibility.
Kenzo was the most complicated among them. He was the son of a former member of the Heroes Guild, whom Arno and his colleagues had to deal with firmly. His mother became insane and almost killed Kenzo as a child. Arno found him chained up as she tried to strangle him, screaming, "He should never have been born such a monster in this world."
When Emma heard the story, she immediately adopted Kenzo, and when she met him, she couldn't help but cry. Kenzo, with his hair and skin white as snow, was different, but calling him a monster was tragic. Emma tried to embrace him, but Kenzo refused to be touched.
After 14 years, Kenzo remained the same, and surprisingly, Julia was the only one who could talk to him normally. He lived an isolated life, receiving home education due to his sensitivity to the sun, and remained under the care of Emma and her husband Arno.
"Look outside, number one hero."
Upstairs, Kenzo was holding Astroman, both basking through the window.
"The calm prevails even without you, but things have become boring. You're supposed to be from another planet, right? Can you tell me where you're from?"
Kenzo tried to lift Astroman's hand, but it fell.
"Because of you, no one here can kill me, and if they win, I'll become like you, alive but helpless."
...This is not good, Astroman, not good at all-- I want to die. At least you have to tell me when you will recover from this." ("...")
After a silence, Kenzo said, "I'm fed up, I'll take you back."
After throwing Astroman's body on the floor, Kenzo headed towards the bed and lifted the mattress with one hand, revealing dark leather clothes and a black helmet. Looking at Astroman, he said, "Once you recover, I'll be waiting for you. Okay, Astroman?"
Then Kenzo said, looking towards Astroman's body, "And don't tell anyone about my identity, you're the only one I trust. But it's okay if you do because I'll kill everyone who knows. But please don't do that. Don't tell my sister...
Okay, Astroman? That's a promise."
"Despite the deep gap left by Astroman, we, the remaining heroes, promise to do our best to fill it."
In the heart of the city, Whitefang, Kenzo's adoptive father, delivered a eulogy for the fallen hero, and his words echoed through the silence that hung over the large crowds and listeners across their screens and radios.
"A great hero may emerge one day. But there will never be another like Astroman--"
"Oh my God!"
"What in heaven's name?!"
Whitefang had barely concluded his moving speech when the terrible silence that had enveloped the audience turned into a sudden uproar, expressing their shock and fear. Everyone looked up to the sky. Arno, along with the other superheroes, froze in place, staring upwards.
As Arno turned towards the sky, he felt a light breeze pass by him, followed by a faint rumble.
"..."
In a moment of mysterious calm returning to the crowd, Whitefang slowly turned towards the source of the sound, breathing deeply.
"Astroman!"
Seeing the deformed body that suddenly appeared beside him, Whitefang could only step back cautiously, and at that moment, something gently touched his back.
"Great speech, Whitefang."
"!!!"
Quickly, Arno drew his gun, but before he could aim, he was slapped across the face. The superheroes gathered around and surrounded the individual in black clothes. "Shadow!"
The audience whispered in shock, those who had come to honor Astroman screamed in panic at the sight of his deformed body. They were seized with terror, but they were unable to move, their breaths vanished, and their blood raced. "Rest." *The echo of the voice awakened them. They turned to find Shadow standing,*
"I didn't come here to harm any of you."
Then Shadow raised both hands, palms facing the crowd. Even with nearly a dozen superheroes surrounding him, he didn't hesitate to turn his back on them; instead, his focus was entirely on the audience.
"As you can see, I have returned your symbol of hope," *Shadow said then, his black helmet visor almost sticking to the microphone*,
"Welcome back."
"Shadow, how dare you-- M!"
"You had your chance to speak, Whitefang. It was a very good and fine job."
Before Arno could finish his words, he felt an arm wrap around his neck, threatening to remove the white mask covering half of his face. Then he looked towards Shadow, only to see another identical copy of him slowly emerging from his body; they replicated themselves and guarded him in a circle.
Then Shadow said: "Astroman is alive." And although this was great news, no one in the audience could express their joy... How could they, when they clearly saw how deformed his body was. Even those watching from their screens couldn't believe what they were seeing, completely shaken by Shadow's sudden appearance.
"Maybe in a few weeks, or months, or maybe even a year; he will rise again."
Shadow's long, deep sigh echoed through the air, "But until then, you have to settle with the other weaker heroes. But don't worry, people. Until Astroman rests; and until Astroman can't save your pitiful lives, I will also take a break."
The other superheroes could only look at each other through Shadow's words. In truth, they might all appear ready to fight him at any time, but how do they hope to defeat someone who was able to play with the strongest superhero ever?
"Until Astroman remains asleep," Shadow then lowered his hands and placed them on the podium, "I, Shadow...
...will pause until Astroman returns."
***
"...Even with Astroman receiving the best care possible, there are still no signs indicating his awakening. They are doing--"
"I'm bored."
Kenzo let himself fall onto his bed where his monotonous voice almost filled the entire room, only drowned out by the news he was playing on his phone. It had been a month since he announced his temporary hiatus to the world, and he hadn't worn his suit since then.
His life had become as monotonous as his voice: wake up, eat, pretend, sleep. He no longer found any excitement in watching the videos he had taken of Astroman. There was that itch growing inside him; an itch that could only be scratched by the smell of blood lingering in the surrounding air. A void that could only be filled by life fading in his hand.
"...In line with this, the global government has announced the start of a new project - an academy. An academy that will help nurture and hopefully one day train the next superhero...
...who will become the next Astroman."
Kenzo blinked several times as he raised his phone in the air, his eyes carefully watching the news anchor speaking on the screen. And with every second the news reflected in his eyes, a smile also slowly crept onto his face.
"Finally, something for my amusement...."