***first POV***
With a deep breath, my eyes flickered open and ignoring the slight stinging pain I felt, I kept it open and looked around me.
The debris-filled sky was the first thing to be registered by my senses and then came the screams, howls, gunshots, explosions and mechanical whinings.
Pushing myself up, I looked at the rubble around me, my heart racing at the thought that I had survived the destruction of the La Fierte.
The La Fierte was a tall mighty museum which contained and summarized the happenings of the fourth world war. It told of the mad villains who had sought to drive humans to extinction.
Statues depicting the villains and their tolls were placed all around the museum, and then of course there were also the statues of the heroes who had risen during this desperate time.
Men and women who despite the odds, stood at the forefront of humanity's army and led the charge against an enemy that threatened the
race's existence. Washington was one of these heroes, he wore a costume of blue and white and on the forehead of his mask there was a golden star. He was the one I had been excited to go to the museum and see.
I had been all giddy about it, bouncing up and down at home and especially being a nuisance to my parents.
Washington was all I could think about and though today had come and I had finally gotten to see my favourite hero, how could I have known my day would end in a disaster.
It had just been some minutes after I had seen Washington's statue and was watering at the sight of his actual hero suit when the bomb or whatever it was hit.
I had left my parents some steps behind to race up to the large glass case that held up Washington's suit when a strong treble ran through the building and I could only turn and stare at my parents who screamed and rushed towards me in vain.
Recollecting the events that had happened before I passed out, I stood up to my feet, a weakness which came from my body going through me as I croaked out my first words.
"Mom" Seeing the destruction around me, though my 13-year-old mind was still having some trouble properly processing the events that had just happened somewhere within me the realization that I had lost my parents was birthed.
"Mom, Dad" I screamed out as the just birthed feeling grew stronger, I took some steps forward in the direction I had last seen them, my eyes locked on the scorched earth that lay where they had been, but then I was forced to stop moving as above me, a massive boulder definitely a 100 times my size fell from the sky headed straight for me.
Looking up, I froze in place, terror going through me as the hand of death grasped me, and when the heavy pressure from the descending rock hit me, I found myself wheezing.
My lungs seemed to have shut down unable to pump oxygen and just when I thought I was done for, set to be crushed beneath a boulder, there was a shout, a flash of yellow and then I was lifted up.
Being carried on the shoulders of a big man in a yellow suit I was taken away from my previous location, only able to stare wide-eyed as the bolder hit my previous location some seconds later.
The powerful explosion and shockwave that was released by the impact was all that filled my mind and sight for nearly a minute and I would have continued staring at the scary site of destruction if it wasn't for my line of sight being cut off by a grinning face barking at me.
"Kid, are you alright" the concerned but still calm thick voice asked and though there was a lot of pain in my heart, staring at the happy confident grin of the man in yellow I couldn't help but answer.
"Yes"
"Cool, now stay here I've got to go save the others."
Being dropped on my feet, I watched with a daze as the man in yellow turned and rushed back into the large wreckage of what was the La Fierte and several other buildings around it.
I watched the man in yellow run back into the fire and smoke, my gaze only leaving his direction and looking at my surroundings when he went out of sight.
A small hill, some distance from the destruction and chaos was where the yellow clothed man had placed me.
I don't know when but after some seconds I fell on my butt, my heart palpating as my mind fought against reality but then just as my eyes got watery before tears could fall, the man in yellow appeared running back towards me, he climbed up the hill, dropped a body beside me and the threw me a concerned gaze.
"what's the matter."
"My parents" I croaked out.
"Don't worry, I'll look for them, for now just stay here and watch over these people"
With these words, the man in yellow departed and I could only watch on as he rushed back into the chaos.
A few minutes went by and then despite the sounds of fighting and shooting I could hear from where I sat, he reappeared minutes later this time with a person on each of his shoulders.
He dropped the people, flashed me a grin and ran back into the chaos.
Several times this happened, and though sometimes he took longer to return he always did with people he had saved in hand.
While I prayed against my better senses and eagerly waited for him to bring my parents, I couldn't help but also be taken aback by the spirited gaze on his face despite the fatigue that was beginning to show on his face.
I don't know when, but at a point, I fell asleep and then the next time I woke up, it was to the sight of him all beaten up, his breathing laboured and one eye shut as he trudged up the hill, two people each on his shoulders.
I watched as with a groan of pain he dropped them amongst the crowd of people he had saved and then without rest turned to return to the chaos in the distance.
Without thinking I got to my feet, rapidly navigated my way through the group of people around and moved to him as he began making his way back down the hill.
"Stop, you'll die" I screamed out to him.
My words had the man in yellow stopping in his tracks and he turned back to me surprise on his face.
"But if I stop, who will save your parents."
I bit my lips at his words, and then just as he wanted to look away from me and continue on his way I spoke.
"You don't have to look for them anymore, they're dead."
Saying these words had the dam of tears I had been holding back all these time opening and tears spilling down my eyes.
With a heavy breath the man in yellow climbed back up to me, and then kneeling down he hugged me.
"I'm sorry, You shouldn't have to accept such truth at such a young age."
"Please don't go back in there, you'll die."
More surprise flashed in the man's eyes at my words but then he chuckled and shook his head.
"If I don't go back, who will save the parents of those behind you."
I was taken aback by the words of the man in yellow and could only watch as he got back to his feet patted me on the head and continued on his way.
"Who are you"
"Ehhh, you can call me Yellow Man"
The name Yellow Man reverberated through my mind but before I could put more thought to it, a light but sharp pain went through my head and the world around me crumbled as I found myself opening my eyes as the narrowed gaze of my boss rested on me, his scowl alerting me to the fact that I had fallen asleep at the counter.
"Nash, do I pay you to work in my store or sleep in it."