What is a hero?"
"A champion?"
"A savior?"
"Someone who always there to stop the bad guys and save the?"
"Maybe someone powerful enough to protect the entire world all by himself"
Those were the questions Exelirus found himself asking as he watched the final episode of the Adventures of Captain Cosmic, wondering if Kinex had a hero as powerful and as great as him, maybe it have fallen to the Sabraxian.
Staring at screen and watching the final scene in the cartoon as the captain flew around the world, greeting the people as they all cheered their hero and thanked him for once again saving the day before flying off to his fortress on the moon. Let out a deep sigh its steely doors opened up and he flew. Once inside the room filled all his equipment, gadgets, and tools he uses for his hero business, treasures, artifacts and dangerous weapons he amassed throughout his years of fighting against the tyranny of evil, glancing passed it all, his gaze fixed upon thing in particular. His most prized possession, a small glowing orb. Reaching out to it and placing his hand to it, an holographic image on his mother hugging a younger him appeared.
Recalling the final words she told;
"My Cosmonica's light forever guide your path my child"
A small tear formed on eyes as he recalled though words, placing a hand on the star on his chest that glowed warmth as he did so. An alarm then went off, signal that he was needed.
He then wiped away the tears on eyes before placing the orb back and set off to save the day once more from whatever threat that threatens it.
Exelirus looking at the screen as the credit rolled in, couldn't help but wonder how he and Captain Cosmos were similar in a sense, both of them were the last and sole survivors of their races, both of them had to helpless watch their home worlds be destroyed, and both of them seem to have found themselves in a strange new world.
Exelirus then let a deep sigh.
'Yeah right', he thought to himself as he glanced at the screen. Captain Cosmos was a fearless who never backed down from a fight, he always fought to save day, using his incredible power to protect and defend the innocent while, recalling his brother and how in the end he could move his body fast enough to save him, all he could was run away.
Looking at the screen and seeing his reflection as the credits kept roll, he thought himself, he wasn't a hero, and he could never be hero because at the end of the day he was terrified little boy that could only run away.
Exelirus was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of the house doors opening up.
He then shifted his gaze to the door, finding standing by it, her suit partly and partly soaked.
"What happened to you?" asked Exelirus upon seeing her.
"Abominable and Sunflare, the most annoying crime duo in Hilltop", said Daniela tiredly as she put away her suit, revealing her many sores and bruise.
Daniela then touched her sides, wincing as it cracked a little.
"That's definitely going to hurt in the morning", said Daniela with a play smile on her face.
"Are you okay?" Exelirus asked with a hint of concern and worry in his voice.
Daniela taken aback bit by his words just smiled at him.
"Of course I am, I'm the Speed Star", she spoke as he went to him and ruffled up his head.
Shifting her attention to the TV screen, the seeing the credits finally finish.
"Don't tell me the you watched the entire season", Daniela spoke before shifting her gaze to the clock and saw it was past twelve.
"Oh come, you've got to be kidding me. It's that late", Daniela groaned before slamming her palm on her face.
"Alright time, that's enough TV", she said as she put off the television.
"Its way passed your bed time", said Daniela before walking Exelirus down to his room.
Once there Daniela tucked him.
"Sorry for late kid, I kinda lost track of time after Abominable froze me in to an ice cube", said Daniela with an apologetic look on her.
Exelirus have lived with her for long has gotten quite accustomed to her crazy stories and chose to no longer question them.
Daniela, having tucked Exelirus in for the night, made her way to door but before she could leave she was stopped by Exelirus softly calling out to her, "Softly calling out to her"
"Yeah", she spoke as she shifted her gaze to him.
"As a hero, do you ever get scared when you're out fighting crime", the blue haired asked shyly.
Daniela upon hearing his question looked gentle sky blue eyes before smiling playfully and saying, "Me, get scared, I'm the Speed Star. The fastest hero in Hilltop if not the entire world, I never get scared".
Exelirus upon hearing what Daniela said just smiled weakly before saying, "Alright then, goodnight".
Daniela just smiled, though a bit taken aback by his question, chose not to dwell and think too much on it, having given him a satisfactory answer, she just flashed a smile at him and left the room.
Once Daniela was gone, Exelirus just stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking aback how Daniela said she never got scared as a hero serving as further reinforcement to him that someone as frightened and terrified as he could never be a hero. Thinking back to his family, his father, who, along with the rest of the Kinerix warriors who gave their lives to protect Kinex, his mother was sacrificed herself to keep both he and Sonikro safe, and final Sonikro, the one who saved him at the cost of his life. His family, the people that gave their lives so he could live, the reason main why, somehow, someway, he made it to Earth, they were the closest things to actual heroes he could picture in his mind, them and Daniela, the one who gave him a chance and a home on this strange world.
Letting out a deep breath, Exelirus found himself question why he was there, still breathing and alive, why did he survive while entire race along with his family and planet had to die, why was he give a second chance on Earth and not them, and, did he deserve any of it. Those question kept plaguing his mind, and slowly closed his eyes and drifted away to sleep, so did the horrify and dread scene of a dying Kinex during its final days.