A Time for Heroes

Alva J. Roberts

The setting sun painted the world in shades of blood red crimson. The shattered rubble-strewn street stretched out in front of Vance, the burned out husks of cars could be seen protruding from the larger piles of debris. The few buildings that still stood leaned dangerously inward, threatening to collapse on top of him.

“Welcome to Haven, The City of Wonders,” Vance whispered. In his mind's eye, he could still see the crowded city in all of its former glory. He could hear the sounds and see the busy, fast-paced lives of over eight million people playing out before him.

“Is it safe to stand here?” one of the women asked.

“No, it isn't,” Vance replied, shaking his head, blinking back the tears. The newbies didn't need to see him cry on their first day.

He pulled his trench coat tight around his body, as if to hide who he was, as if to hide his failure. “Come on, it takes awhile for their eyes to adjust. There is maybe twenty minutes at sunset and sunrise when you can avoid the patrols. Try to stay low and keep near the cover... God know there's enough of it.”

He hurried down the street as best he could. He hated walking the streets. The wreckage made it almost impossible to get anywhere. It made him feel like a sitting duck.

“Stop,” Vance commanded, “that's our target, the old department store down at the end of the block. There isn't much cover. Once we step into the open, you run. Don't look back, don't help each other. That's why I am here. I promise, you will all make it. There will be somebody inside to take you down below. Everyone got it?”

A chorus of nods and lackluster affirmatives greeted his statement. They would listen, he could see an almost unconditional trust in their eyes, they knew him, or at least they thought they did. Hopefully he would deserve their trust.

“Okay. Then run.” Vance instructed, standing towards the back of the group as they sprinted forward. He kept his eyes locked on the sky. If any of the Others were around, they would be airborne.

A slight whispering sound was the only sign, but it made Vance's heart pound in his chest, and fear churn in his belly. They were here.

“Run! Hurry! Run!” Vance screamed, trying to push the stragglers to greater speeds. A blast of white hot energy slammed into the concrete next to them, sending shards of pavement flying in every direction.

“Damn!” Vance spun around to face the bug-like alien aircraft that hovered behind him. He threw off his trench coat, revealing the torn and dingy black and gold spandex that lay beneath. “I'm the one you want, you monsters. Thermo is still here!” Vance screamed as he flew into the air, fire erupting from his hands.

The Other's energy cannon spun to take aim at his approaching form. He dodged the blast and launched a ball of fire the size of a small truck at the ship's sensor array. The flames wouldn't hurt it, but if the aliens inside were watching, they would be blinded for a few moments. If he was lucky, he might be able to take out the ship, if he wasn't he could at least buy the refugees time to make their escape. He promised them they would make it, and he never broke a promise.

He hurled himself forward, grabbing a hold of the top of the craft. The Other's built their airships for combat against other aircraft. The thing hadn't been designed to fight something so small or in such close quarters.

He pressed his hand against the blue-green metal and closed his eyes, letting the heat travel through is palm. Sweat poured down his face, and a grunt escaped his lips as he tried to increase the heat. Controlling and creating fire was easy, but this was different. Creating enough heat to liquefy the metal took concentration.

The Other's craft raced forward, rocketing between the iron skeletons of the rotting skyscrapers. The wind tore past Vance's face, the muscles in his arm bulging from the effort of holding on to the speeding airship. Thin rivulets of molten metal poured down the side of the ship.

As his hand slid through the metal shell, he snarled and let loose a ball of flame inside the vessel. He forced himself to turn an indifferent ear to the screams of pain, but it was hard. Killing still didn't come naturally to him.

He flew upward, trying to counteract the inertia of the ship. As it was, he was still thrown backward at break neck speed. He spun in the air and flung his arms up in front of his face, just before he smashed through the thin wall of a ruined skyscraper. He bounced along the floor of the building, crashing through cubicles and desks, before sliding to a stop next to a dust covered copy machine.

“Ouch,” Vance whispered before letting his pounding head drop to the floor.

***

“What were you thinking?” a husky female voice boomed.

“I was saving the lives of innocent people!” Vance replied. His head was still throbbing, and his body felt like one giant bruise. He didn't want to argue with Sara, or as she was better known, Ms. Remarkable.

“You could have brought them right to us. You could have killed all of these people!” Sara's shockingly red hair bounced as she gestured to the complex around them. Her green and white spandex was almost completely covered by a huge green cape.

They were in the largest of the rooms in the cavernous complex composed of old sewer and subway tunnels. Thanks to Dr. Franklin Jones, the Mindscape, there was food and water for the nearly twenty-thousand people who made their home beneath streets of Haven.

“What was I supposed to do? Let the Others have them?”

“Vance, we have to act for the greater good. We can't sacrifice everyone to save a few. This isn't what you do anymore, your heroics are going to get people killed. The Others are hunting down all the metahumans.”

“You were never a member of the League of Heroes. You didn't see Haven's Fall. You didn't see the League's Last Stand. We saved three million people. Three million people got out of Haven while we held off the first wave of Others. Saving people isn't what we ‘do', it is who we are. If you don't understand that, maybe you should hang up that ridiculous cape and get the hell out of my city,” Vance said, turning and walking away from Ms. Remarkable.

His eyes were greeted by dirty children playing in piles of trash. Mothers watched them with vacant, hard eyes that wouldn't focus on anything.

Vance swallowed, his anger replaced by grief. They had a chance. At Haven's Fall, they had a chance. Every superhero and villain in the continental US was there. A thousand men and women fighting an army of an estimated three billion…and they almost won. But they weren't strong enough, they weren't fast enough. They failed.

Vance knew he should have died that day with the rest of the League of Heroes. He had been knocked unconscious about half way through the battle. Just when everyone was realizing there was no way to win. It was a realization that only made Haven's defenders fight harder as they all died one by one. Vance could still remember the bodies, those of his friends, and of his enemies. The aliens had hung them on the sides of the surrounding buildings, a warning to those that would try to fight them.

When Vance joined the League he swore an oath to protect Haven and all of its people. It was the only promise he ever made that he couldn't keep.

Thermo, it is imperative that I speak with you, Mindscape's telepathic voice broke into Vance's thoughts.

“On my way,” Vance said with a final glance at the children. “We saved three million…and watched the other five die.” Maybe Ms. Remarkable was right. Maybe he was just an old relic trying to hold on to a past that was long dead. Maybe the time of heroes was over.

***

“Are you sure?” Ms. Remarkable asked, her voice shaking with excitement.

I am reasonably positive. The Queen of the “Others”, as they have so inaccurately and ineloquently been named, will be less than three kilometers from where we are currently standing. The transmission I intercepted was very specific. She will be inspecting the Factory tomorrow morning. Mindscape's “voice” echoed inside their heads. He had been born without a tongue, but his telepathic abilities more than made up for the lack.

“The Factory ,” Ms. Remarkable's repeated with a mixture of fear and awe. The Factory was one of the first targets of the Resistance. Over ten thousand men and women had died in their various attempts at halting the Other's manufacturing efforts.

Vance swallowed hard. The Queen. The Other's needed to visit the Queen once a month, the chemical reaction caused by touching the Queen was what allowed them to breathe the atmosphere of Earth. Kill the Queen and you killed them all. “We need to gather every man and woman who is willing to fight. The Resistance is going on the offensive.”

***

Vance pulled his mask over his face. He hadn't bothered with the thing in years, but today he was more than just a soldier—he was a symbol to a few thousand desperate survivors. He hated having people look up to him. He was just a man, an insurance salesman who took a bath in a chemical spill and became Thermo. There was no way he could live up to their expectations. Sooner or later he would let them down, just like he did at Haven's Fall.

The Queen's convoy should be arriving in a few minutes . There are two airships and approximately twenty thousand foot soldiers in her entourage, Mindscape's words reverberated inside of Vance's head. It was as he expected, the Other's ground vehicles faired no better in the rubble strewn streets than man made ones.

They were hiding in the burned out husk of an old warehouse. The Factory could be seen through the large holes in the walls. The Other's erected the building right after taking the city, and it still gleamed with its newness, despite being nearly five years old.

“Ms. Remarkable and I are going to take out the airships. You guys concentrate on the foot soldiers. Mindscape will do what he can to help,” Vance said to the mass of bodies around him. The air was thick with the stench of unwashed flesh and fear. These people weren't fighters, but they were survivors and that counted for something. Hopefully, it would be enough.

“Vance,” Ms. Remarkable whispered, her fingertips brushing Vance's arm.

“What is it, Sara?” Vance asked, trying to make his voice as gentle as he could. He shouldn't have gotten so angry earlier. Now that he had time to cool down, he realized that, despite what she said, she had just been worried about him.

“I just wanted to tell you that I…that we…”

“Don't. You don't have to say it. We've been dancing around it for years. But I know, and I feel the same way. When this is over we'll…”

THEY'RE HERE! Mindscape's telepathic message was laced with anxious fear.

“When this is over,” Vance repeated, giving Sara his most winning smile, before turning back to the crowd, “everyone get ready. Stick to the cover. Be careful. And good luck.” Vance held himself rigid, and sucked in a deep breath.

“Attack!” Vance ordered, throwing open the warehouse door. The people scrambled out of the building taking up positions along a ridge of rubble. Vance hurled himself into the air, Ms. Remarkable at his side.

The first gunshots echoed through the ruined streets just as he reached the airship that flanked the Queen's huge conveyance. An energy blast zipped past him, scorching his uniform. A thunderous crack and screams of pain told him when the blast struck the ground. A lump formed in his throat, but he tried to ignore it. They wouldn't be the last people to die today.

He could see the small green and white blur of Ms. Remarkable in the distance. She had flown away to pick up speed, the super strong, nearly invulnerable woman was going to ram the other airship.

Vance grabbed a hold of the top of the nearest ship, and placed his hand against the blue-green metal letting it heat up. He snarled in concentration, they were going to win today. If it was the last thing he did, he would not let more people die in vain.

The sound of crunching metal and miniature explosion thundered behind Vance. Ms. Remarkable had reached her goal, but Vance couldn't look over to see the results. He hoped she was okay.

A surge of energy crackled around the hull of the airship, nearly throwing Vance off. The Others were learning. He and Ms. Remarkable must have destroyed enough of them that they came up with some close range defenses. An involuntary screech of pain escaped his lips. His whole body was spasming and twitching with the electrical charge. His fist clenched even tighter using the pain to focus his concentration. Tendrils of acidic smoke rose into the air as his hand slid through the outer hull of the craft.

“Got you,” Vance said as he released a wall of fire inside the hovering craft. He launched himself skyward, watching in satisfaction as the ship plunged towards the earth. A wave of noise struck him, a thunderous cheer rising from the soldiers below. A gigantic blast of energy silenced their cheers, killing hundreds. The Queen's ship was not defenseless.

“Help the soldiers, I am going to take out the cannon on the Queen's ship!” Ms. Remarkable shouted. Vance nodded, unable to take his eyes off the broken, mangled bodies below.

Vance raced towards the battle, heaving a ball of flame as large as house at the mass of short blue skinned foot soldiers. Fire raced along the alien's lines. The tiny almost human forms contorted in pain as he turned them into black smoking chunks of charcoal.

He swooped down going in low and zipped to the side, constantly moving as he hurled small balls of fire into the bunched up mass of soldiers. He had to keep moving, he forced his body to even greater speeds. The people needed him, and he would save as many as he could. The aliens howled in pain as he passed over their heads, leaving a trail of scorched little bodies in his wake.

The Others switched their target and took aim at him. A hail of energy blasts rained passed him. Vance grunted and shot upward as fast he could. He needed some altitude, then he would come in for another pass.

Energy ripped through his left shoulder, and his calf. Pain thundered through his body. He was too slow. Another blast skimmed the small of his back. Another wave of pain washed through his body. He was falling. Yet another blast smashed into his side.

“Got to…fly,” Vance mumbled, as pain clenched his lips tight.

He crashed into the ground hard, barely able to slow his descent. A group of Others ran towards him, a gargantuan energy cannon pointed at his head. He was too stunned to defend himself. He was going to die.

But the Others stopped.

Hurry! I can't hold them for long! Mindscape's voice hammered into Vance's head.

Vance forced his battered body to move, he flew upward as fast as he could. As his flames engulfed his would be killers their energy cannon exploded, sending shrapnel tearing through the enemy lines.

Another storm of energy blasts crashed in around Vance. He had to fly, he was a sitting duck. He soared upward, flying higher and higher. Another explosion, louder than any of the others, thundered in the sky above him.

The cannon on the Queen's ship was gone. The scorched and blackened, green and white form of Ms. Remarkable was falling Earthward, from the center of the explosion. Her ridiculous cape was a mass of flames.

“Sara!” Vance screamed, his eyes locked on her plummeting body. He began a dive. He was too far away. There was no way he could catch her, but he had to try.

Stop! She's dead! There is no way she could have survived; Mindscape's telepathic message came with enough force to stop Vance in his tracks.

“I…can…save her!” Vance grunted trying to throw off the mental leash holding him.

What did they tell you your first day in the League?

“You…can't save everyone,” Vance whispered, as Sara's body cracked into the pavement below with a sickening thud. Tears rolled down Vance's cheeks.

Take out the Queen, then you can save everyone who is left. Ms. Remarkable cleared the path. Don't let her die in va— Mindscape's telepathic voice cut off, leaving Vance feeling empty and cold. He was probably dead, too.

Vance hovered for a moment. His adrenaline was wearing off. Pain, hammered at his body. The smell of his own burnt flesh was thick in his nostrils. He had never felt so tired. Even at Haven's Fall.

“Never give up,” Vance whispered. It was the second thing they told him when he joined the League. He shot towards the Queen's ship like a fiery bullet, darting into the hole left by the explosion.

He was in a hallway the metal of the floor and walls melted and twisted from the heat of the explosion. Up ahead he could hear angry shouts in the strange language the others used.

He rocketed forward, shooting fire in every direction. More energy blasts shot down the twisted metal hallway of the ship. Vance sent a wall of flame dancing along the metal floor in reply. The Queen's guards screams echoed off the thick walls.

His flame began to sputter. He needed rest, he needed to heal. He had no idea where he was going, but one way or another, the ship was going down, with the Queen inside. He raced down the hallway, sending balls of flame into every computer terminal he could see, one of them would bring the ship down.

He fire sputtered again and he fell to floor bouncing along the hallway; he was too weak to fly. Vance stumbled to his feet amidst a deluge of energy blasts. He snarled and ran forward shooting fire towards his attackers. The tiny columns of flame did not have the force of his earlier attacks but they were just as effective. Vance staggered forward, nearly tripping over the piles of bodies.

Something hurled him against the wall. There was a loud popping sound as his ribs shattered on impact. Vance's flames winked out, his battered body no longer able sustain the fire.

You think to kill me? an alien voice thundered in his head. He looked up to see the Queen scuttling down the hall towards him. Her massive insect-like form loomed over him. She looked like some kind of giant deformed spider, with eight hairy legs and massive jaws that could crush steel.

“Unggh,” Vance moaned, sending a ball of flame toward the creature. The fire bounced off of her thick exoskeleton. Vance was jerked across the room, and smashed into another wall, he felt the bones in his arm snap under the impact. They had reports about how dangerous the Queen's telekinetic powers were. Vance had never believed she could be so strong.

You are a fool, but a troublesome one. I will feast on your organs. What arrogance to think you can kill me. Vance screamed as the Queen's telekinetic powers latched onto his tibia and wrenched it through the skin of his leg, sending a fountain of blood across the room. She was playing with him.

Vance's hand snaked out to one of the Other's energy guns, he jerked the unfamiliar weapon up and sent a wave of white hot energy across the room toward the Queen. The energy dispersed before it ever struck the Queen.

Something in her insect-like face changed, and Vance knew she was laughing.

Our weapons cannot harm me. I made sure of that. Vance flew up into the air and spun in a circle hovering, before being dropped to the ground. So you are the last one? The last hero this dreadful planet could dredge up. You are…disappointing.

A pencil thick line of fire shot from Vance's fingertips, tearing through the Queen's eye. “I'll…try harder,” Vance whispered, as he attempted to force his broken body into action.

His body flew backward slamming into the wall, the Queen's telekinetic power crushing the life from him. Vance grunted as his felt the rest of his ribs give way under the pressure. Blood shot from his nose and mouth, as he dropped to the cold metal floor.

You will suffer for that! Your death will be long and agonizing! And after I am done, after I have eaten you piece by piece while you still live, I will hang what is left from the tallest building. Then this city will see what has become of its guardian, and it will know that there is no one left to protect them! Before you die, tell me why did you think you could win? The Queen's massive jaws loomed over Vance's head.

Vance thrust his hand forward, into her mouth and released all the fire he had left. The Queen shrieked in pain throwing herself backward, her body crackling with a fire that burned her from the inside out.

“I…didn't…think I could win…but I…had to try,” Vance whispered, blood trailing down his chin. His hand clattered to the metal floor, his arm too weak to hold it up. The world was growing dark, and the ship was plummeting towards the ground. Vance's eyes grew heavy and shut.

Soft hands lifted him into the air. He was flying. Vance opened his eyes.

“Sara?” Vance asked, barely able to recognize her blistered face.

“Don't worry, Vance, I got you,” Sara said, her voice cracking as tears washed down her cheeks.

“You're alive?” Vance whispered, was he dreaming? Was he dead? “The Queen...did I…”

“I made it. She didn't, you got her. It's over. You saved us all.”

Vance closed his, eyes as, despite the pain, a smile crossed his face. Maybe the time for heroes was just beginning.