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One tragic event after another breaks down the usually optimistic John Elio, and after a series of attacks on his family, he finally loses his patience. He burns with righteous anger and is on a one-man crusade to bring to justice the people who have gone after his family. Even though all the heroes and law enforcement of Solis are hunting him down, no one will stand in his way to ensure his family and hometown's safety.

A Gentle Man's Wrath: Chapter 3 – When the Cross Condemns

Chapter 3 – When the Cross Condemns

Because my actions today have scared my targets into their safehouses, I can easily take care of those who attempt to escape as they expose themselves in the now desolate streets of Solis. Their superhuman bodyguards either fail to protect them or flee at the sight of me, allowing me to take care of my target and move on to the next one. The last remaining men and women on my list should be in places that they think I won’t find them in, but thanks to my overcharged powers, my senses guide me to them and deliver their due punishment. It’s now the afternoon and the sun is setting. There’s not a single soul on the city streets, a target left, or an opponent who dares challenge me.

I watch the sunset from the highest rooftop in Solis and imagine what it would’ve been like with Isaias and Irlene, and if they’d be proud of me for accomplishing what they wanted me to do in the way that I did it. What would we even talk about if we ended up being a normal family? Would Idelle accept them after all the experiments they did to her and made her do? I wonder what my adoptive parents will say when I go back to them, or if I can live normally with them again, or if I have to visit them in secret just as Idelle did when I was a kid. The reality of what I’ve done settles in, and even though I still don’t have any regrets, I start to feel concerned about my future life on the run. I refuse to go to prison for doing the right thing in the only way I know how, and I don’t care to explain myself to officials and a public who might find it hard to accept my explanation for acting in the way I did.

I get a notification about the scans I uploaded, and then a call soon after from the person who contacted me before. They yell at me again for what I’ve done, which I absently listen to while continuing to watch the sunset, thinking about my future and family, both deceased and living. At the end of their rant, they ask if I’m listening and still there.

“I did what I had to. That’s all there is to it,” I say.

After a long sigh and short silence, they say, “You did, and we have to admit that you did something in a single day that would’ve taken us at least a week.”

“I don’t care for a reward or to join you, if that’s what you’re offering next.”

“Too bad. You’re going to have to come to the outskirts of Poca Bellezza for something your parents wanted you to have. You’ll either get it straight from us or we’re going to find you to hand it to you, personally.”

“Fine.”

The location of the meeting is sent to my device, and I head there immediately. The place where the meeting is held is a warehouse with no windows and no nearby roads. A group of black cars is parked around the warehouse, so I go inside and am surprised to see that it’s decorated for a party with dozens of tables and a large series of tables with catered food and drinks. The people inside congratulate me on what I’ve done and act as if they’re my neighbors and good friends, and the person who talks to me the most is the one from whom I took my device. He explains all the crimes of the people I killed and put away, and that scanning their related devices and identities will expose them to the public.

With the scans of their DNA and passwords, these people were able to unlock their dirty secrets that my targets held behind locks that could only be broken with their blood. I don’t care to hear the specific crimes of these people and how they’re now being exposed to the public, while their friends in the media justify my actions. The only thing that gets my attention is my possible return to being a normal hero again.

“Your behind-the-scenes status is that of a government agent. It’s why you were originally blacklisted from joining any hero association since you were technically assigned to us by your parents,” the man explains. “Because of that and what you’ve done, whatever crimes held against you will be erased in due time.”

“Does that involve me helping you again?” I ask.

“No, not at all. Think of it as your reward from us, and an incentive to help us again. You’ll have to be in hiding and not cause any trouble for a few months at least or a year at most, and you can go back to being a normal, nine-to-five hero in Solis as if nothing happened, though people may look at you differently, but who cares when they know you were acting for the greater good.”

“Right…”

“Since you mentioned it, I know you still want to be a hero, so you might as well help us out. The country always needs wet work done behind the scenes. You’ll get a good paycheck out of it, a comfortable living, and you’ll travel the country and world. It’s a good deal, ain’t it?”

“I do have one thing I’ll do for you,” I say as I show everyone my device and a list of faces and names. “My parents seemed to have a personal list that was only for me and was revealed after all the targets were killed. All the people on this list are in this warehouse, people who my parents knew were traitors to their country and beliefs.”

“Wait a second! That could be a glitch, or it could be hacked!”

“You’re just saying that because you’re on the list. My eyes see that God has judged you guilty of your crimes and are unrepentant for them. The only mercy I have for you is a quick death, so you don’t continue to sin and earn a lower place in Hell.”

In a few seconds, I kill my real final targets, all of whom evaporate into nothing at my slightest touch. With them dead, my body goes back to its normal appearance and is no longer glowing or pure white. Looking around at the rest of the room, they don’t seem too bothered by what I did. They say that they trusted my parents, and betrayal and people with ulterior goals are expected in this line of work, so they don’t mind what I’ve done, and to contact them through my device if I want to work with them again. After eating and drinking a bit, I head back home and visit my parents and sister in the hospital. They’re fine, but will have to stay in the hospital for a bit before they’re okay enough to leave.

I explain to them what happened and what I’ll have to do so I can go back to living as a normal hero. My parents understand, but Idelle is silently angry about it.

“I’ll visit you as often as I can,” I say to them.

“I hate that Isaias and Irlene were the reason you’ve been through so much, and I hate it even more that I wasn’t there to help you through it,” Idelle says as she fights against her tears.

I hug her and say, “It’s alright. Thanks to them, Poca Bellezza and our family will be safe from now on.”

“Can I come with you? We can hide in secret together and make up for the time I wasn’t there for you.”

“I’d like for you to take care of our parents for a bit, so that no hidden threats attack them or our town. If I don’t come back in a year, then you can come for me, alright?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Please, Idelle. I need you to do this for me.”

“Tch. Fine. How where I know to find you?”

“Heh, you’ll know. I’m a hero, after all, so I’ll be causing some trouble here and there to protect the innocent and uphold justice.”

I kiss my family before leaving and heading off in a direction I feel God pulling me. With them safe, I can rest easily, and yet, at the same time, I feel the calling to fight. The flame inside me to be a hero hasn’t gone out yet, so as soon as I find people who need help in the city I find myself in, I leap into action as God’s weapon of peace and order.

The End

A Gentle Man's Wrath: Chapter 2 – Mercy Giving Way to Justice

Chapter 2 – Mercy Giving Way to Justice

From atop one of the many tall buildings in Solis, I look down at the busy Sunny City of Tomorrow and consider my first targets, as if I’m having second thoughts about what I’m going to do. Not too long ago, I would’ve considered that this was too much. I would’ve left tasks like this to Luke, Titus, or Idelle, who were experienced with secretive work, or Mark, who would want the glory of it at the cost of getting in over his head. Now, I have nothing better to do. My prayers have led me to do this, so I consider it to be God’s will for me, even though it feels out of character, yet in character at the same time.

In reality, I’ve never cared about following the laws of the country exactly. A common saying in Poca Bellezza is to love your country, but not necessarily its government. The saying is inspired by one of the core values of our country, the Columbian Union, and how revolutions can be justified and the right course of action, no matter how much chaos they cause, as long as justice is served and true order is established. We also value God above all and see Him as the source of right, wrong, and all that defines the law; therefore, we don’t care about what the laws of men are unless they contradict what we know to be right and wrong. Right now, I don’t care if the country villainizes me for what I’m going to do. I only care about justice and its execution. Looking at the device, I consider my first target and am about to leap into action, until a superhuman I used to work with approaches me from behind and calls out to me to make herself known.

“John,” she says. “Think about what you’re doing before you act. Think about how it could affect your life and what it means for the country.”

“Who are you working for? My parents’ side or their enemies’?” I ask.

“You can handle this in a better way behind the scenes, and not make it into a mess.”

“I’d rather do this in broad daylight, so that what’s done in the dark is brought to the light. If you try to stop me, I won’t hold back. I won’t even care if I kill you. Stay out of my way.”

Leaping into action, I jump off the building I’m in and crash into a nearby skyscraper, a hero association, and start going after my targets. One after the other, they are either killed or knocked out in one hit. My device buzzes, reminding me to scan them or whatever is left of them to confirm their deaths and certain devices they’re associated with, if they have any. I’m not sure what the purpose of this is, but my parents had to have a point to it, so I do what it asks and move on. Before the building can be on alert, I’m gone.

I break the window, run down the side of the building, and leap off the side into the next one. No superhuman-proof wall, ceiling, or floor is an obstacle to me, nor is the security that guards the people I’m after. I break everything and everyone in my path, and the Will of God decides who dies and is spared through me. The alarm is raised in this building now, but I still take my time scanning and cleaning the building of targets before moving on. Superhumans, vigilantes, and law enforcement of all kinds know what I’m doing, and because of the nature of what I’m doing, a group of them descend on me, ready to take the glory and paycheck for bringing me in.

They read me my rights and try to talk to me out of continuing before I simply sprint away with my superhuman speed as if they weren’t speaking to me, to begin with. The location of my next targets is a park, a shopping district, and a recreation center all in one, and I get to work. I don’t even need to take a second look at my list of targets because my enhanced powers have given me the sense to pick out corrupted souls who are beyond the hope of mercy from a crowd. The sight of them disgusts me, and I could smell their rotting souls from blocks away. When I hit them, the parts of them that I hit turn to mush as if they’re made of soft snow or, rather, sludge. It makes sense since these people manipulate the common man, the poor, and children to suit their needs. I don’t care to read on the device to know the exact details, nor do I need to. My only care is that their a target marked by my God and parents, and that’s all that matters.

While I’ve been getting rid of my targets, the heroes, vigilantes, and law enforcement have been trying to stop me with little effect, like a swarm of wasps trying to sting a man who's wearing metallic body armor and trying to get rid of their nest. Fortunately for me, some of the people who claim to be part of their group are part of my target list and come to their unknowing deaths. My attackers call for more useless backup whose efforts do little to stop me.

“This guy’s a monster!” one of them says.

“Go to your homes. You’re wasting your time,” I say.

Speeding off again, I go from location to location, getting rid of targets who live in the richest skyscrapers to those who live in the lowest slums. My day’s long fight has probably put every hero, self-proclaimed vigilante, freelance hero, and cop on my tail. As I look around me from the top of the building I’m on, I see hundreds, maybe thousands of people heading towards me. The device buzzes and notes an incoming call with no caller ID besides a series of letters and numbers, probably a code name. I run away from my attackers and answer the call.

“John! Are you insane?! Just what in Hell do you think you’re doing?!” the voice on the call says.

It sounds like the man I met yesterday, but his voice is heavily distorted, so I’m not entirely sure.

“What my parents and you wanted me to do.”

“We didn’t want you to go about in this way! You’re causing too much damage and making this too public! The PR is going to be a nightmare for you. You’ll never live a normal life again as things are.”

“I don’t care as long as justice is done and my family is safe.”

“You should be worrying about the safety of the people in Solis. You’ve created an opportunity for the villains and criminals who have their eyes on Solis, an opening to steal and establish themselves, thanks to you having the majority of the city’s protectors after you.”

“Some of them are my targets, so I’d say it’s a good thing, so I don’t need to search for them. Thanks for letting me know.”

I hang up on the agent and let my sense of justice lead me to my next targets. I stop dozens of robberies, neighborhood takeovers, assassinations of officials and public figures, kidnappings, and more before being met by an entire entourage of villains who swarm me. Again, they’re nothing but annoying insects to me, so I treat them as such, beating them down and ending the lives of those that deserve it. My rage reaches a boiling point, forcing me to scream so loud that a bright light bursts forth from me, enveloping the area around me and turning all the villains to ash. By the time the city’s protectors catch up to me, they hesitate to attack.

“Come on, guys! He’s right there!” one of them says.

“Yeah, but have you seen what he’s done?”

“We can’t even keep up with him!”

“He’s beyond human!”

“What chance do we stand against him?”

“If we all attack him at once, we can beat him!”

“Yeah, but we might not all come out alive.”

“Did you see how he wiped out all those villains in an instant?”

“The glory and payout ain’t worth it. I’m out.”

“I’m not going to risk my life to even attempt to scratch a monster like him!”

The city’s protectors start to either leave, charge at me, or watch to see what happens from the sidelines. Just like the others who challenged me, whoever chooses to fight me falls without much effort from me. Seeing that their allies have fallen, the rest of the protectors either leave or hesitate to do anything.

I bow my head in respect to them and say, “I understand why you are attacking me, respect your decision to do so, and I have no hard feelings toward any of you, but if you keep pursuing me, you will fail. Trust me when I say my goals are righteous, even though I can’t guarantee you'll see why. So, please, leave me alone, or I will put you down.”

The remaining protectors leave, not even bothering to take their allies with them to receive medical attention. Looking in the sky and ground, I see that the ashes of all the villains I killed have finally stopped falling, leaving a macabre layer of black ash on the ground. I take the injured protectors to a nearby hospital, leave them in the care of the doctors, who are terrified of me, and go back up to the rooftops to look at the remainder of my list in peace. There aren’t many people left, and it’s only the early afternoon. I started my hunt in the morning, and there’s still time in the day to get more done, but then again, I’m not the least bit tired. In fact, I feel like I’ve done nothing more than take the normal human equivalent of a warm-up jog in the morning.

The powers that I have that completely turn me white and overcharge my abilities haven’t ever lasted this long, so I assume God needs me to still be this overly powerful to accomplish my tasks. Another strange thing is the silence and the lack of things happening around me. I expect to be ambushed or shot any second, but nothing happens. Going to one of the busiest centers in the city, I see that barely anyone is here, and the people who are here are rushing to get to their destination. On the many screens in the area, I see the news reporting all the death and destruction I’ve caused, my defeating of multiple hero and villain groups by myself, and the hero associations coming up with a plan to bring my streak of terror to an end, either through negotiations or force.

The public is advised to keep their distance from me and report sightings to authorities so they can track my movements to inform everyone else to stay out of my way. Those who are looking around for me see me watching the news from rooftops and flee in terror. My life truly won’t be the same after today, but I don’t mind. I have no regrets about what I’ve done because I know I am justified. My family’s and town’s safety will be protected, and those opposing my blood relatives will face justice for their crimes. Now, all that’s left are the final touches, and as for my future as a fugitive, I’ll worry about that once I’m done.

The world has never been my permanent home, so I can’t say I mind too much. I've always been an opponent of it as an agent of my God, an enemy to be feared, especially now that I’m no longer holding back or playing nice.

A Gentle Man's Wrath: Chapter 1 – One Bad Series of Events

Chapter 1 – One Bad Series of Events

The life of a freelance hero is difficult, especially for me. Isaias, the general who put me on a blacklist from all hero associations, already knew that I wouldn’t accept payment from the people I help without them begging me to or making me feel guilty for not taking it. Even though I live with my parents, I still need to make money to help support them and save money for when I eventually live on my own or with a wife and children. Additionally, being a freelance hero means I’m responsible for any damage I cause during an arrest or fight with a criminal or villain. Usually, the hero associations cover for the damage since they’re backed by the government, but freelancers like me have to pay an arm and a leg if we break the smallest thing. It’s especially harder for me since my powers of strength and speed can easily cause damage in places like Solis, where I used to work.

Because of the risk of so much damage, I only work in Poca Bellezza, my rural hometown, where most of my work is charity work helping the residents and occasionally arresting a few criminals. I don’t get paid much, but it’s honest work, and the people are friendly and don’t press charges if I end up damaging something. The friends I went to the hero academy with, who work in Solis, try to get me work in the city, but I refuse them. I still don’t feel like I can trust them after they sold themselves out to Isaias and put the people of Poca Bellezza in danger for a foolish challenge, so I can work independently in my God-given role as a simple hero and don’t have to help Isaias and his wife in their shady dealings. I don’t even hang out with them anymore and have blocked their calls and texts on my phone.

Tragedy strikes one day when a group of tourists comes to Poca Bellezza and is attacked by a villain. By the time I get there, the bus is destroyed, and many of the parents and children are dead or critically injured, with only one child left alive. After beating the villain down, I hand them off to the authorities and rush the last living child to the hospital. Over the next few days, I visit the child to check up on him and see if he’ll make a full recovery. Unfortunately, the doctors tell me he won’t make it, and the child has asked to pray the rosary with him. The child flatlines during the prayer, and the doctors rush me out as they desperately try to save his life and fail in the process.

Afterward, the child’s family, who were also here, mourn his passing at his bedside. I finish praying the rosary with part of it in the child’s hand. At the end of the prayer, the child miraculously wakes up from death, thanks me, and goes back to his long sleep. The doctors have no answer as to how this could happen, even though the child’s heart has stopped beating with no brain activity, and the family is sorrowfully thankful.

“I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t save him,” I say to them.

“You still fulfilled his final wish. I’m sure he’s in Heaven because of you,” the child’s mother says.

“Yeah…Yes, you’re right. That’s the only bright side of this situation.”

During the next day, I’m randomly attacked by Isaias and Irlene, who are still wearing the same red, blue, and gold military uniforms that I saw them wearing in our last encounter, and have some strange light shining in their eyes. Because they attack me without warning and saying anything, I’m forced to defend myself against them without holding back. As our fight continues, my old friends from the hero academy, Mark, Titus, and even Luke, join the fight and have the same light in their eyes. Luke is in a robot he manually pilots from within, Mark wears his usually flashy hero outfits, and Titus is decked out in his police hero uniform. My skin turns white as it powers me up on its own, my strength and speed increase, and no attack can pierce my skin anymore. With my God-given powers, I’m able to defeat all five of them; however, I’m unable to hold back either because of my powers or my frustration with their second betrayal and attack in my hometown.

Going over to Isaias and Irlene, who are still conscious, I ask them, “Why are you here?”

“It’s…it’s not of our choice, son,” Isaias says. “We tried to increase our powers and become like you, but we were tricked and mind controlled by the person, who we thought was a virtuous priest. Heh, I guess it makes sense that we’d get tricked. What we consider a faithful man is different than what a faithful man like you actually is, and here we thought we knew our friend better.”

“What are you blabbing about? Speak clearly to me, for once.”

“We acted foolishly again so we could get you to rejoin our family.”

“We should’ve focused more on caring for you and your sister instead of our larger goals.”

Isaias and Irlene tell me how proud they are of me, and my sister, Idelle, tell me that they love both of us, and then suffer some sort of seizure that makes them bleed from their head and eyes before seeming to die.

“No, no! You can’t leave before you tell me more!” I say out loud.

I grab Irlene, Isaias, Luke, Titus, and Mark and carry them all to a nearby hospital. It doesn’t take long for the doctors to come back to me to confirm that they all died for sure, and there was no reviving them. As I stand over the bodies of my blood-related parents with my sister, I can’t help but feel mixed feelings. Isaias and Irlene had experiments done on Idelle and me when we were younger to make us into superhuman soldiers for the country, and did dozens of shady things behind the scenes, using their power to make the country better in their own way. On the other hand, they did genuinely care for us and the country and wanted to become better people.

Part of me wonders if they would’ve actually become better people if I took their offer to join them, but I can’t let that bother me. Of course, I had temptations to plan how to change them beyond prayers and penance, but those were useless. I know God wanted me to be a simple hero and not the behind-the-scenes hero of the law that my parents wanted me to be. Still, I can’t help but wonder and think about all the things left unsaid and undone by their sudden passing. I only learned their real names and spoke to them recently, and now, they’re gone forever, and I have no clue whether their souls are destined for Heaven or Hell. I can only pray and hope for the best for them.

“They got what they deserved,” Idelle says.

“How could you say that about our parents?” I ask.

“You didn’t know them like I did. I knew there was always a good possibility that they’d be stabbed in the back in their pursuit of power and change. They had their sights set so far ahead into the future that they hardly paid attention to what was in front of them.”

Not wanting to argue with her over the bodies of our dead parents, I shut my mouth. Five days pass, and a funeral is arranged for my friends and parents. My parents mustn’t have had any true friends or family since no one I’ve ever seen shows up. The only people at the funeral are friends and family of my friends and the same townspeople they put in danger, who are here more for me than them. Maybe the people they’re close to are watching from the shadows, or it’s likely the people they were close to were like distant coworkers, who were only close to them because they had similar goals or used each other to reach their goals. Whatever the case may be, I try to pray and think of something to say as my time to say something about them during the funeral is coming up, and I have little to say.

A series of explosions suddenly stops me before I reach the altar, and parts of the roof fall on everyone in the church. I’m only able to save some from injury as a group of people start attacking us. With my attention split up so much and so much evil being done around me, my skin goes white, and I go on a frenzy, uncaring which of the attackers I go after or if I end up killing them in a single blow or not. My rage is drawn upward as if someone is grabbing my face and forcing me to look up. Above the chaos, I see a man dressed in a priest’s garb with light shining from his eyes and the holes in his head, the same light that’s coming out of the people who are attacking us.

It's obvious to me now that he’s the one who made my family, friends, and these people attack me, so I jump further into the sky than I’ve ever jumped to grab the man, crash him down into the ground, and beat him until there’s nothing left him but bits of flesh, pieces of bone, and blood. Now that he’s dead, those under his influence have also died. Some of the townspeople died, many are dead, and a few managed to survive with scratches and minor burns. It’s thanks to the police and superhumans who attended the funeral that many were able to survive. As for my adoptive parents and Idelle, they’re in critical condition, so I bring them to the hospital along with others who are badly injured.

Please, God, help me not lose more family. You’ve been good to me my entire life, filling me with an uncountable number of happy moments and times that I will forever treasure. Why now have you tested me in this way without a single lasting comfort? Why give me the strength to overcome my enemies, but not a way to prevent tragedies like the ones I’ve been going through? Have I been so blind and close-minded to your wisdom? Do I care too much about what’s in front of me that I lose the whole picture?

A doctor comes up to me and says, “There’s good news, John. Your parents and sister are stable.”

“Thanks be to God!” I say as I stand up with tears in my eyes, and nearly break the doctor’s body and arms with my hug.

“I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine. I get it after everything you’ve gone through, but you should be thanking Timeo Severe. He’s the one who gave your family special health insurance, which saved their life.”

“Timeo Severe? Who’s that?”

“The head of one of the most powerful families in Meridian. His family specializes in medical care, charity, and education, and has been trying for years to turn his crime-ridden city into a safe one. He’s expressed interest in meeting you and has been trying to reach you through the hero association.”

“Unfortunately, I’m black listed. It’s a long story, but I have to meet him one day to personally thank him.”

“You’ll have to wait a bit since on his honeymoon with his new wife, Darcy Travail.”

“That’s fine. I need to be here, for now.”

“Here? I know you want to be here for your family and fellow townspeople, but you’re a mess as well.”

I look down as if for the first time and notice that my cape, shirt, jeans, and boots are in tatters.

“I’m fine. Trust me.”

“But you need your rest. You’ve been through so much, and I’m sure even a superhuman like you needs it.”

I know the doctor is right and concur to leave the hospital for now and come back later. Going back home, I put on a new pair of clothes, a simple yellow shirt, a blue and red hoodie with a golden cross on the back, and a new pair of jeans and boots. Feeling the clothes, I remember how my now deceased friend, Luke, bugged me to put ballistic weave or some other kind of material in all my clothes so I can be extra protected, Mark criticizing my simple, farm boy fashion sense, and Titus mocking both of them. Going back downstairs, visions of the past remind me of all the good times spent down here, making my sister smile, eating my favorite breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast with orange juice, all the movies my family and I watched together, the books we read, and the daily prayers we prayed.

Thinking of prayers, I head out to the destroyed church. It’s been hours since I was here, and it’s hardly been cleaned up. I’m sure that bits and pieces of the people who were killed here can still be found, but I keep that thought out of my head because the bodies of my blood-related parents were destroyed in the battle. Going into the destroyed adoration chapel, I sit by the altar and pray. During my childhood years, I’d uncontrollably go here since God gave me my powers, and the experiment done to me involved me being born in and constantly spending time in an adoration chapel. Even now, I feel most at home here, although the entire building is in ruins and the monstrance is shattered.

There’s nothing more to be said or asked of God. All I can do is silently pray without thought or word and allow God to speak in the silence. This silence I seek to find comfort in doesn’t last long, as it starts to rain. Despite it, I refuse to move and simply put my hood on and try to be at peace. A few more minutes pass as another interruption comes. Three cars pull up to the ruins of the church, and men in suits and armor approach me.

“John Elio?” one of them says.

“Yes?” I ask.

“Isaias and Irlene Kruk left you a heavy inheritance, and we are here to deliver it.”

“I don’t care for it. I wished they were still here rather than scattered in pieces across your feet.”

The people here don’t look at the ground and their shoes to make sure they don’t have blood or flesh on them. There’s something cold and impersonal about them.

“They’re the reason why you’ll be set for life, and the lives of the townspeople don’t have to pay their medical bills.”

“Are you with Timeo Severe?”

The question seems to confuse the man talking to me.

“No. He has nothing to do with us. We worked with your parents behind the scenes to protect this country and make it a better place, and now, we need you to fill their shoes.”

Praying in the silence, I wait for a God-given answer, and for Him to answer through me.

“I’ll help you, but not won’t follow in your ways.”

“You’ll have to if you want to protect your town. Don’t you think it was a bit overkill for someone to attack your parents’ funeral and everyone in it, if they just had a grudge against them and you?”

“I know that. Still, I refuse. Tell me what I need to know, and I’ll take care of this in my own way.”

“Heh. You sound like your parents, but you don’t have the same power and influence they did, kid. Now, you listen to me-”

Immediately, my body and clothes turn white, and I grab the man by the collar.

“You listen to me. I refuse to work with corrupt men and get involved in their crooked methods. If you want my help, tell me where I need to go and the people I need to go after.”

The other people here activate their powers and have their guns trained on me. Not wanting to waste time, I beat them all down and grab the man’s collar again in the blink of an eye before another drop of rain hits the ground.

Seeing what I’ve done, the man says, “Solis. Everything you need to know is on this device. We were going to give it to you if you cooperated.”

Before the man can crush it with his super strength, I grab it out of his hands.

“Thank you,” I say before taking the man and using him as a weapon to total the cars that the people came in.

The device he gave me is activated by confirming my identity by scanning my fingerprints. The names and locations I’m given list people, criminals, villains, heroes, and citizens of varying kinds of power. If they’re who I need to bring to justice to protect my family, then I will. Even if it means being ostracized from society or dying in the process. Before leaving Poca, Bellezza, I kiss the broken monstrance, kneel, cross myself, and leap into the air and sprint at high speed toward Solis. There is no time to hold back or care about doing things by the book. Now, it is the time for merciless justice.

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John Elio and his sister, Idelle, are enjoying their time off in John's rural hometown of Poca Bellezza until they are suddenly confronted by the general who has been secretly commanding Idelle. The general reveals himself to be John's real father, and his assistant admits she is his real mother. Both of them want John to rejoin their family, but when he refuses, they put his town and its people at risk of destruction and will force him to be with them unless he passes their challenges for him and his sister.

Even in Conflict, Honor Thy Father and Mother: Chapter 3 – No Holding Back, Even Against Family

Chapter 3 – No Holding Back, Even Against Family

At the community center, I find that the shelter that was constructed in times of superhuman attacks and battles is badly damaged and has dozens upon dozens of people surrounding it, some of whom I recognize. I see my friends from the hero academy that I went to and fought alongside, such as Luke, Titus, Mark, and a few other recognizable faces. They talk about how Isaias bought them out with whatever they wanted: fame, money, or moving up in the hero ranks, that this is nothing more than a playful fight, that they’re sorry for being on the opposing side, and it’s nothing personal. All their excuses for being a part of this blend in my head as nothing more than them admitting to being sellouts and taking part in something they don’t understand, is more dangerous and destructive than they think. I’d say that they think of this situation differently if their hometown were under attack, but then again, some would see this situation as a necessary evil for greater fame and fortune to attain their goals.

“See that? Even your closest friends and allies will turn against you for the simplest things,” Isaias says.

“You’ll have to train in dealing with facing that kind of betrayal. It’s one of the hardest things to do as a hero and, in our line of work, it happens more often than we like to admit,” Irlene adds.

“We’ll also be on their side. Now that you’ve both fought alongside us, you know how we fight, so it should make it easier for you.”

“Us? Against all of them and you?!” Idelle says.

“Given your powers and determination, you should be able to just get by. You need to know what that feels like as well.”

“It’s all for your betterment. You’ll thank us later.”

“Shut it! Can you trust those villains you’re fighting with not to turn on you or turn their attention to the townspeople and use them for their benefit?” I ask.

“You’ll have to beat us to prevent any possibility of that happening. Come on, son. Show us everything you have and more!”

An ambush of villains who were hiding in the surrounding area of the community center attacks us. The odd, sinking, blood-boiling feeling from before quickly hits me like a rocket from a launcher, and my entire body feels like it’s cold and hot at the same time as it instantly turns white. I can hear Idelle, Isaias, and Irlene arguing, but their exact words are muffled. I fight back against everyone who goes after me, sometimes defeating them quicker than I expected or killing them when I didn’t mean to. My friends, Titus and Mark, try double-teaming me with one of Luke’s robots backing them up, all of whom fall in seconds.

That blood-boiling feeling grows and grows with each passing second, and foe defeated, whether they’d be sellout hero or depraved villain, all of whom have been judged for punishment in my mind as if I could read their souls and know exactly what God wants me to do with them. My skin and shirt then go completely white as I speed up and reach past my boiling point. There’s no holding back anymore. Not against people like these. This place, once a joyful meeting place of Poca Bellezza’s families, is in ruins, and its people are cowering in a shelter, fearing for their lives. This fight and the reasons behind it are pointless, except for bringing justice to the sinful and humbling the survivors.

My strength and speed have now quadrupled, and no one can last even a second against me as I defeat foe after foe with terrifying speed and nothing held back. No one who doesn’t deserve mercy is instantly killed, and those who do are incapacitated and unable to move or knocked out cold. My righteous wrath leaves dozens upon dozens of bodies in its wake, and my anger for today’s injustice is such that I scream so loud that the force of my scream causes an explosion of light that bursts forth from me and consumes everything and everyone around me. In the blink of an eye, certain foes were evaporated, knocked out, or rendered immobile. As for Idelle, she’s fine except for the wounds she suffered during the battle, and the surrounding community center has been miraculously repaired as if nothing had happened to it.

Meanwhile, Isaias and Irlene are lying on the ground, struggling to get back up. Looking at myself, I see that my skin is whiter and brighter than before, and my once bright red shirt with a golden cross on it is now just as white as my skin, and the cross on it is silver. The wounds on my body seem to glow, and looking at myself in the glass of one of the buildings, I see that my hair is also white, and the color from my eyes is completely gone. Additionally, my blue jeans and brown boots have also lost their color. What kind of power is this that’s been lying dormant in me?

As my anger subsides, the color returns to my skin and eyes, but not the tatters that are my clothes. Idelle looks at me more concerned than afraid and goes over to hug me. I hold her tightly in my arms and tell her that I’m okay.

“Are you? What was that?” she asks.

“I…don’t know at all. It’s another God-given power that I’ll have to figure out later,” I admit. “All I know is that those who deserved mercy got it, while those who didn’t instantly died.”

“That was amazing,” Isaias says as he struggles to get up. When he eventually does, he comes over and pats me on the side of my arm. “You accomplished things beyond our expectations, son. You’ll be a legendary hero. I know it.”

Irlene gets up and tells us how proud she is of us and hugs us with Isaias in one big family hug. Idelle and I push them away after a second.

“We won. Write your checks to repair the damages you caused and get lost,” I say.

“We’ll be back soon, or you’ll come to us. Look at your hero buzzer,” Isaias says.

Looking at my hero buzzer, I see that…I’m not associated with any hero associations.

“What did you do?”

“Fire you from the association you worked with and blacklisted you from joining any from the back end. Did you really think I wouldn’t have any other way to push you to join us? You’ll either have to work as a freelance hero or join us if you want to do legitimate work.”

“Write your checks, take your wounded, and leave!” I say as my skin suddenly goes white for a second before returning to normal.

Isaias and Irlene tepidly agree, hiding their terrified feelings behind false smiles, thinking that they’ve still somehow won. The two of them then call their men to come here, take the townspeople back to their homes, write the checks they need to, and take the injured to the nearest hospital. When Idelle and I go back home, we tell our parents what happened. They try to emphasize our victory, but it feels too bittersweet to feel good about. In the following days, Idelle and I help rebuild Poca Bellezza with the help that Isaias and Irlene have paid for.

Afterward, the townspeople throw us a surprise, daylong thank-you party for saving them. They call us “The Saviors of Poca Bellezza” and have even created a statue in our image. It’s a fun time and does reinvigorate my downcast spirit a bit, even though I still feel fearful for Isaias and Irlene’s eventual return. Still, the townspeople want us to be happy, so I put on my best smile, thank God for my real family around me, leave the future in God’s hands, and enjoy the present moment as much as I can, as God intended.

 

The End

Even in Conflict, Honor Thy Father and Mother: Chapter 2 – Family Fighting Activity

Chapter 2 – Family Fighting Activity

Idelle is in her golden armor and crimson bodysuit, and making sure I’m fine every minute as I’m sitting down on my parents’ couch and they try to cheer us up and tell us to eat our breakfast, so we can be ready for the upcoming fight. Knowing our parents are right, Idelle and I eat faster than we expect. I then start calling friends and associates that I have over in the hero association that I’m a part of for help, but none of my calls go through, not even calls to my friend’s personal phones or hero buzzer. My calls to the local hero association don’t go through either nor do my calls to the police.

“I should’ve guessed they’d block all our calls for help,” I say out loud.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to involve others in this?” Idelle asks.

“They won’t be involved in the fighting. Instead, I want them to help the townspeople stay safe and away from the fighting.”

My parents suggest calling everyone they know using their phones, do so, and can get through to people to let them know what’s going to happen. Despite it being a spur-of-the-moment notice, the people we know agree to do what my parents tell them and inform the police and heroes to get everyone to a safe location.

“The people of Poca Bellezza are incredible,” Idelle says.

“It’s the famous southern hospitality,” my mom says.

“You two should be in a safe location, too. I don’t want you caught up in more of this, especially since Isaias and Irlene already seem to hate you,” I say.

“We’ll help where we can, while staying out of your fight. We wouldn’t want to distract you from beating whatever challenge those two scumbags have for you. I’m sorry that I called your real parents that,” my dad says.

“You have nothing to apologize for. They aren’t my real parents. You two are.”

My parents smile at me, call me their true son, and give me a hug. They also call Idelle their true daughter and drag her into the family group hug, which makes her cry a couple of tears of joy. The hug lasts for a minute before we let go. Idelle and I say our goodbyes and head into the town since our hour of rest is over. When we arrive in the town, we see that the once bustling and friendly place we once knew is a ghost town with no sign of life in sight, which is both good and off-putting at the same time.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t know this was going to happen,” Idelle says out of nowhere. “I had no idea those two would try this or cared so much about taking us back into their family.”

“I don’t blame you. From what you’ve told me and what I’ve seen so far of the general, he’s a very secretive guy, who doesn’t tell the whole truth when he explains things,” I say.

“No, I should’ve known, and shouldn’t have let his reassurances convince me to stop asking him so many questions. He’s manipulative, makes you think that he’s told you everything, and I should know that better than anyone.”

“It’s okay, Idelle.”

“The same thing goes for Irlene. I should’ve told you about her sooner, but she’s just as secretive as Isaias, if not more so, because she acts behind the scenes without being seen or acknowledged by anyone.”

“It’s fine. If anything, I’m more upset at how upset you are at yourself, so please, stop.”

“…okay.”

Idelle and I wander around the town, anxiously waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. We keep searching and waiting until Idelle gets a call from Isaias. The look of surprise on her face and tone of voice suggest something bad is happening.

Once she gets off the phone, I ask, “What did he say?”

“He knows where all the citizens of this town are hiding and-”

Irlene comes down from the sky where we are, cracking the concrete around her, and somehow not dirtying her uniform.

“I’m sure you would’ve guessed it by now, but we have eyes and ears everywhere. Did you think we wouldn’t have people or cameras watching our children?” Irlene says.

“You had me watching him! You said you weren’t going to send anyone else,” Idelle says.

“We meant that, at the time, but then changed our minds. You were a bit too unhinged in your hatred for us to completely trust.”

“You’re the reason why I’m like this!”

Idelle charges at Irlene, who blocks all her punches, kicks, and attacks from her snakes.

“Don’t spend too much of your energy on me. You’ll have a better foe to fight soon.”

Isaias runs at us from a distance I couldn’t see him from and stops the two from fighting by getting in between them.

“Our training dummies have arrived,” Isaias says. He points in various directions around town and in the sky to turn our attention to the coming threats. “More villains, criminals, and bad actors in government and business are here to clean their records with your defeat. What they don’t know is that your mother and I will be helping you in this fight because I want them dead or behind bars just as much as both of you do.”

“I’m not a hero to cleanse the country of villains and criminals! I only do it to serve God and my community,” I remind Isaias.

“Son, you have to have your sights set on the bigger picture if you want to accomplish that. Now, let’s focus on the enemy ahead and engage in a little superhuman family activity.”

Before I can get a word in, a barrage of explosions and powers hits us and separates me from Irlene and Idelle and causing damage to the surrounding area.. Unfortunately, Isaias is still with me since he wants us to fight together, which I reluctantly accept. We then head into the fray of battle, both of us using our speed and strength to take down our enemies one after the other. There’s even a bit of synergy and common tactics between us as we use the bodies of our foes against one another, and attack certain foes together, who we think need our attention.

“Did you have to send these many people to attack us?” I ask.

“No, there were fewer, but I expected them. We knew that giving the people who distrusted us too great a deal would have them bring backup to make sure this wasn’t a trap,” Isaias says.

“Which it was. You didn’t have to be dishonest with them.”

“I wasn’t. I only told half the truth. You get used to speaking the language of half-truths when you’re in my business.”

“I hope I never am.”

“We’ll see about that. You also wouldn’t have had to face this many people if you had killed the people I first sent after you. Now, they’re back up and brought more of their friends here.”

“I only kill if absolutely necessary, not because someone tells me to, even someone who says they’re my true father.”

“I understand, but this is that absolutely necessary situation. Just like the villain you threw into the sewage system, the law can’t legally punish these people, and can only send them away with a slap on the wrist or kill them behind closed doors and deny they did anything. Trust me when I say that I live by the same rule you do and that people are worth more dead than alive.”

“You have to view it in God’s way, and not your own.”

“I do everything for a higher power. When you’re in the same position I am, you’ll come to see that the shady way of doing things isn’t always necessarily evil.”

“I find that hard to believe because look at what you’ve done already. Look at this humble, quiet town that now suffers because of you.”

Isaias and I have already fought around and in my old school, the dinner I frequent, old toy and game stores I liked to shop in, playgrounds, churches, and food stores, all of which have nostalgic and personal value to me because of the memories associated with them and the people who I knew that worked in them.

“This isn’t the first time the government’s had a publicly secret execution like this. We have enough money and people to cover this entire thing up and make it up to the people we’ve hurt. You and they will see the greater good done through all this violence and destruction soon.”

“Tch. You’re unbelievable.”

Our fighting continues and lands both of us in the police station, thanks to encountering a strong foe who punches us both into the building. As we get up, Irlene also flies into the police station with us, and Idelle soon follows.

“Are you okay?” I ask Idelle.

“I’m fine, son,” Irlene says in her place. “Your sister is playing rough with me, but I understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been getting in cheap shots and allowing me to be overwhelmed by our foes. It’s something that I’ve done as well when I worked with people I didn’t like or wanted dead. Your father and I were deployed in circumstances where we didn’t need to write reports, and our superiors didn’t care what happened as long as the objectives were accomplished, so I used them to get rid of bad actors and evil people we were forced to work with.”

“That’s why you’re the slimiest out of the two of you,” Idelle says, referring to Irlene and Isaias.

“Your father is more slimly, if that’s what you want to call it. I can’t manipulate legalities and the wording of laws to suit our purposes like he can, and make everything that we do seem legally and morally correct.”

“And I can’t hide things and our enemies behind the scenes like you can,” Isaias says.

“You two can be lovey-dovey about your backstabbing practices later. Everyone is converging on us now,” Idelle says.

“How about we switch up partners? I’d like to spend time with my son, since my daughter doesn’t seem to like me,” Irlene says.

“Sure thing,” Isaias says.

Before Idelle and I can say anything, Irlene and Isaias separate us from one another as our foes converge on us and level the police station.

“What did you say to Idelle?” I ask Irlene.

“What do you mean?”

“She isn’t one to jump to violence, unless she thinks she needs to. What did you say to tick her off?”

“Nothing at all, except reasoning my love for you and her.”

“She doesn’t want to hear that. Isaias and you have put her through too much for her to care about hearing you out.”

“Then let me convince you about it so you can talk to her.”

Our foes attack Irlene and me as we’re talking, so we focus on that for now. As I fight, I see Irlene fighting in her own way in the distance. She viciously attacks her enemies with her fists and legs, just like Idelle does, but she doesn’t care to use their bodies as weapons against their allies; however, she does come to my aid, drawing some of the attackers' attention away from me. Wanting to keep her safe and unhurt, I try to redirect their focus onto me and make myself appear to be a more urgent threat.

“You’re more like me than you think,” Irlene says as we start to fight more closely together. “Whenever a person I care for is in danger, I become more vicious in my attack and throw myself into danger, not to say that your father doesn’t do the same. Where we are the same is in our goals being more short-term than your father’s long-term goals. We both know that what’s done in the present moment matters more than what could potentially be done in the future.”

“My methods are more honest and legal, and my way of fighting isn’t as vicious as yours.”

“We may disagree on many things, but I will admit your gift of strong kindness. Watching you treat everyone with kindness and help everyone, no matter who they were, touched us and made us reexamine how we acted. Also, seeing you happy with your adoptive family did admittedly make us jealous and yearn for normality.

“If you want that, then why did you have to put us all through this test?”

“Our family trade is violence. It has been for generations, my side of the family known for its military service, and your father’s known for law enforcement and the politicians it's produced. This is just how we do things to show our character and intentions.”

I’d say it’s warped and continue the conversation, but I’m tired of the back and forth and just let Irlene’s actions and mine speak for themselves. We intensify our efforts to finish the fight, remembering that we need to help Idelle and Isaias, which makes us fight faster regardless of the damage done to us, and we head toward the sounds of fighting to find that they have finished their side of the battle as well.

Going up to them, I say to Isaias, “That should be all of them. Is our test done yet? Have we passed it?”

“It’s not over yet. What’s the most important part of being a hero to you?” Isaias asks.

“Saving…” I grab Isaias’s collar. “You didn’t put the townspeople in danger, did you?!”

“Depends on what you do next. Better get to the community center soon.”

I grit my teeth and head off. There had better not be a hair harmed on them or else!