The shovel stabbed into the cold ground, and with a grunt, he raised it up, forcing the dirt off of its spot. “You seriously ain’t gonna help?” Jack grumbled.


    Nick rested on the hood of the truck, texting away on his new phone that Jack had bought for him. “Can’t. Need to see if this team I bet on wins.”


    “Gambling again?”


    “It’s only gambling if I lose. If I win, then it''s a smart money method!”


    “No. Just no.”


    Like all cities, Oleander had its fair share of graveyards. It was rare that you would find a dead Super body. Most were cremated to ensure they couldn’t be studied or tampered with by enemy forces. That said, unknown to your average hero, there was a graveyard that would serve as the final resting place for the less heroic folks in the world.


    Unmarked graves in the past were used for executed prisoners. Here, though, in a hidden back section of the graveyard in the poor part of Oleander, was where many villains would bury their deceased comrades. A secret among the villains. Jack moved more of the dirt away until he had finally dug a six-foot hole.


    Even with super strength, it had been hard work.


    Jack grimly placed his arms under Polaron and lifted the man up. He gently placed him down on the ground. It was crude. It was not the sort of place he would want to end up, but it was the best that Polaron would get from him. He looked down at the body in silence.


    Made out of twisted metal, Polaron looked almost like a human skeleton. The man didn’t need to eat, sleep, or breathe, surviving entirely off of raw metal, which his ‘flesh,’ or rather metallic bones, would pull in and absorb. His powers, however, like most monsters created by the Emperor, went out of control, and he had been forced to wear a suit of armor that kept them under his command.


    For just a second, the image of P came to his mind. A young boy forced into a war by a selfish monster.


    ‘He had been a boy back then.’


    Jack nearly jumped when he heard the voice. It was a familiar, playful tone, one he hadn’t heard in nearly fifteen years. He looked around but saw only Nick, who was still resting on the truck’s hood. “You say something?” Jack asked, climbing out of the hole.


    “Huh?” Nick set up and shot his friend a look. “No? I didn’t say anything.”


    “Right.” Jack shook his head and rubbed at his chest, a frown coming onto his face. “Sorry, it’s just ever since I told the kid the truth; I can’t help but think of him. Part of me wonders if I made a mistake. Letting her know so soon. Was it a mistake for Full Monarch’s legacy to come this early...”


    Flames that were filled with the light of hope. Able to rival the light of hate. Determined to save the world with the light of justice. He was harsh to his foes and calm to those he called his teammates. Fire that could burn and heal. Full Monarch had really been something else.


    He had no idea how long he was out there. Thankfully, filling the grave took considerably less time than it had taken to dig it, solemnly covering the body of the former villain. Jack looked down at his watch and sighed. He scratched at the bit of facial hair that was starting to grow back in his face. “We should head back. They’ll be leaving the memory any second now.”


    “Aren’t you going to say any last words?” Nick questioned.


    Jack gave an awkward shrug. “Here lies Polaron, formerly known as P. Sorry I killed you.”


    “My bad, P, didn’t think he was going to suck so bad at last words; I’ll give it a go.” Nick cleared his throat and slid off of the truck''s hood, standing in front of the grave next to Jack. “I guess I didn’t really know you all that well, but I’ve seen a lot of monsters in my time as a doctor for the Hero Branch. Most are insane and have no control over themselves. You weren’t like them. You were truly amazing, keeping your sanity. Guess that’s what makes you being a bad guy all the more tragic?”


    “That was worse than mine.”


    “I tried at least.” Nick shrugged. They climbed into the car, and Nick started it up, ready to leave. “Are we stopping anywhere else or heading straight home?” He waited for his friend to answer, but Jack never did. “Uh yo. Buddy? Earth to Jack?” He shot a look at his friend. Jack’s brown eyes were locked onto the mirror in the car, staring at the back seat through the reflection. He turned around, expecting the worst, but saw nothing. “Um, Jacky, whatcha looking at?”


    Jack stared at the reflection in silence. The man in the back seat stared back at him. Resting in the backseat of their truck, the man had messy blonde hair that he had obviously attempted to comb and keep neat but failed. The man had bright, fiery red eyes that shone with the light of the sun itself. The man wore a gold skin-tight outfit with bits of white across it. A butterfly was woven into the center of the suit, and a long cape covered part of his body. Most of all, though, the man had a giant smile on his face.


    Full Monarch.


    The greatest hero in the world.


    Jack slowly turned his head around and stared at the empty seat. He looked back at the mirror and found it was empty now.


    “Jack?”


    Jack quietly rubbed at his nose, which had begun to bleed, the pain in his chest gradually growing worse. “Sorry. I was just remembering something. Let’s head back.”


    “Uh, yeah, sure. You okay, though?”


    “Yeah. I’m fine.”


    Nine months left.


    The clock was ticking.


    “When I’m dead, you can’t have my stuff.”


    “What!?”


    Jack stared back at his reflection. “Oh boy.” He winced.


    He just had to keep going for a little longer. Just a bit more effort, and his story would be done. Just a bit more effort, and he could finally rest.


    ***


    Everything changed once again. A swirling mass of colors circled her. She gripped her mother’s arm as the world faded and reloaded. They were in a hospital room now. It wasn’t a very big one. It reminded her of her father’s, in a way.


    Max Lightning rested against the wall with his arms folded. She stood in a corner with her mom, and Nier rested in a chair, facing a medical crib. A baby slept peacefully, its body twitching every now and then. He was a baby boy and had a shock of reddish brown hair. Currently, his eyes were squeezed shut. The Lord transformation had finally ended once the child calmed down so it no longer glowed with the force of a sun.


    In another corner of the room, the baby’s metal pod rested. It had finally stopped glowing and seemed to have deactivated.


    “So that’s Full Monarch?” She placed her hand on the crib, staring down at the child. “He’s so cute! You’re going to grow up to be a big badass hero, aren’t you! Yes, you are! When you see Lucifer, be sure to really kick his ass!”


    “Please stop talking to the baby.” Max Lightning sighed.


    She giggled and pulled away, throwing her arms behind her head casually. Her eyes looked over to the pod, and she tried to lightly kick it, but her foot phased through it. “If I’m the Lord of the Sun, then that means that, in a way, Full Monarch is like my brother or something, right? If we came from the same pod?”


    “Not exactly.” Max Lightning shook his head. “When a Lord dies, the pod that birthed them ceases to exist. It vanishes from the world instantly. That said, if the title is passed down, then the pod remains and is instead also passed down to the next Lord. Lord’s have a weird connection to their pods. It almost feels alive to them. Maybe in a way it loves us. When my father died, he passed the power down, and the pod now belongs to me, despite the fact I wasn’t created from it. I guess it’s like adoption of sorts. When a Lord doesn’t give transfer of their title and powers, the Pod fades away and a brand new one will appear somewhere on Earth. The moment Full Monarch died in his battle with the Emperor, I used my power over the Paths and saw your pod be picked up by a fisherman.”


    “My dad.” She folded her arms and nodded. “So, I’m not the aunt of the Victorian then. That sucks.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well. If that’s everything, then let’s get out of here. I mean, this has been fun and all, but I think I’d like to get back home.” As interesting as it had been to see the previous Lords, she was more concerned with her father''s health now that she knew what her goal was.


    Max Lightning’s eyes darted over to her for a moment. “Well. I already told you why I brought you here. Think carefully about how you answer, child. You are a Lord—one of humanity’s four great weapons. You will turn all other factions into adversaries. Even the side you do choose might not have your best interests at its heart. There are hundreds of villain groups, dozens of which are thousands of times stronger than Zoo or the Bad Timers. As it stands, most don’t know who Cinder is. The longer you stay in the spotlight, though, the more you risk them discovering who you are. Rest assured when I say that it will happen one day. Knowing that, do you still want to be a hero?”


    “Ever since I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I’d be a hero. When I first got my powers, I was scared. I was afraid I would reveal myself and die at the hands of some random villain.” She looked down at her hand, feeling the fire beneath her skin. “The more I tried, the more things seemed to go wrong. I kept getting hurt and feeling like I didn’t make much progress. It would be straightforward to just throw in the towel and quit. That said, I’ve met a lot of new people.” Images of everyone came to her mind. Kyle, Armin, Lois, Mr. Larison, and finally Sky. “I made some new friends and got to see the heroes I love up close. I was happy. I think I was really happy for the first time in a while.” She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Also, I want to save my father. Not just him but other people, too. I’ve gotten stronger, and I really think I can do this. And in a way, things haven’t really changed the more I think about it. I started afraid that I would reveal myself and die. From what you told me, that’s what being a Lord will do to me. On top of that, I doubt I’d be left alone if I just stopped being a hero. Some villains have already seen my powers in action.”


    “It isn’t just the villains you will have to worry about.” Max Lightning’s voice was stern. “The heroes are a concern as well.”


    “They are?”


    Max Lightning turned to look at Nier, who was slumped over the crib, looking down at the child. “What did you think of him?”


    “I mean, he was cool and all, but I’d rather focus on finding the current Lord of Life rather than idling on about the past one, you know.”


    Max Lightning nodded his head. “I was the son of the last Lord of the Sky. Poseidon was the great granddaughter of the one before that. I also have reason to believe that this ‘new’ Lord of Life that the villains were after could be related to the last Lord of Life as well. Do you see the issue I’m getting at?”


    “Hope’s not related to Full Monarch?” Her mother asked quietly.


    Max Lightning turned to stare at her, and she felt a strange chill go up her spine. “I wasn’t born with the power of a Lord. When I was a young man, my father died. When Poseidon was a baby, her great-grandfather died. With the deaths of the Lords, their power went to us. It’s passed down to a member of their family. All but the Lord of the Sun. Instead of going to the Victorian like it should have, it went to you. The Victorian is strong. She got to where she is with sheer hard work. The power that should have been hers ended up in you. So now we have a strange situation. What will the other heroes think?”A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    For a moment, she felt like her heart stopped. Her face paled, and her arms shook. “A- Are you saying the heroes would kill me?” Her mother''s eyes went wide, and the woman stood between Max Lightning and her daughter protectively.


    “I doubt they would go that far. Still, they might try and force you to give up the title. Doing so only happens on a Lord’s death bed, though. The best case if they made you do that is you’d live but be reduced to a normal human. The worst case is you die, but in turn the Victorian or her daughter becomes the new Lord.”


    “She has a daughter!”


    “I used to be married to the Victorian and had a daughter with her. Not important.” Max Lightning brushed past it. “The worst-case situation, and the one the heroes might come to, is that you dying could cause the Lord’s power to simply vanish since you aren’t related to the Victorian. I don’t know. And neither will the Enforcers. So we’re left at a crossroads.”


    “What exactly would they do?” Her mother asked with narrowed eyes.


    “Do you know why Poseidon has her freedom? It’s because she’s strong. She has defeated every villain that has attempted to go up against her. At the age of seventeen, she has power that rivals and perhaps even surpasses that of the former Lord of the Sea, Mr. Sini. She’s even been able to fight Fable, a Super many consider to be one of the ten strongest in the world, up there with the Victorian, Lucifer, Golden God, and Boy Genius. You, however, Ms. Lauren, are not strong. Your power has proliferated, but you haven’t shown anything above standard Super levels. The heroes wouldn’t just let you walk around and be free if they discovered you were a Lord.”


    “What are you trying to say?” Her mother folded her arms, trying to stare the Enforcer member down.


    Max Lightning held his hand up slowly. “Relax. Larison and I haven’t told anyone. We kept it a secret for a reason. He even ensured that Whisper wouldn’t blab when she found out.”


    “Whisper knew!”


    “Yes. That’s not important, though.” Max Lightning stated. “You don’t need to just hide from the villains but from the heroes as well. There are several villains out there who have dark powers. Some of them can control people. Namely, Fairy Queen or Uriel, members of the Emperor’s Organization and Lucifer’s Immortals, respectively. There are others, as well. The heroes would be scared of you getting controlled by one of these powers or simply being killed off and the power ending up in the hands of the villain’s if they find the next Pod first. If I had to guess, the heroes would put you up somewhere away from all the danger.”


    She leaned against the wall, frowning. “So, basically, you’re saying I would be locked up, forced to train and get stronger before they let me go?”


    “That’s correct. However, you would be locked away with no loved ones or friends. Trapped and put through training every single day. If I’m being honest, I think it would take nearly fifteen years before you reach the level of Poseidon. And only then would they be fine with letting you walk around.’


    “Fifteen years of not seeing any of my friends. Hard pass.” She said, shaking her head. “That defeats the whole purpose of me being a hero. I won’t be able to save my dad like that or fix Oleander City.”


    “That’s why you’ll need to be careful.” Max nodded along with her. “The Lord of the Sun can do more than just create fire. Usually, I would recommend practicing other things besides just your fire to improve your power, but for you, doubling down and only using the powers you have so far is the smarter play. It’s best not to risk someone like the Victorian getting any ideas. In the meantime, I will be doing my best to throw them off your trail. You must grow stronger. A lot stronger. Each Enforcer is able to protect an entire city, and in turn they can tear one down. The villains we fight are just as strong, if not stronger, and far more cruel. You are playing a rigged game. At best, all I can do for you is help you keep up in this cheated system."


    “Why are you doing all of this, though?” Her mother asked, frowning. “You’re going through a lot of trouble to help my daughter. You and that weird Larison guy.”


    “Larison’s reasons are his own as for why I help. I owe Mr. Larison a great debt. He saved my life. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. Without him, I doubt anyone would have been here. He asked me to help, and so I shall.”


    “So it looks like Hope will have a lot of trouble if she’s going to stay as a hero.” Her mom sighed.


    She looked towards her mom in shock. “Are you really fine with me being a superhero?”


    “Hell, no.” Her mother’s words caused her to nearly deflate. “But I doubt I can stop you. Especially if it means it could save your father’s life. That said, we’re going to have hundreds of new rules, and you will still have a curfew. And it had better not start affecting your grades in school!”


    “Right.” She shrunk back under her mother’s glare. “It won’t. I’ve been good about it.”


    Her mom pulled her in for another hug, holding her tightly. “I don’t care if you’re a hero or not. You worry about yourself before anything else; do you understand that? You save your own life before you save some stranger’s, mine, or your father’s. That’s a rule I won’t let you break.”


    She gently wrapped her arms around her mother. “I’ll be careful. I swear. I have a new friend who can heal me a bunch, and she’s pretty cool; I’ll introduce you, though I guess you’ve met her already. Oh, you need to meet my boss and Whisper; also, you’ll never guess who Armin is. Oh, and also I met the Victorian, which was-”


    “Hope, you’re rambling.”


    She giggled softly and reluctantly pulled away from her mother’s embrace. “Okay, Mr. Lightning. If that’s everything, then I’m ready to go-”


    The door to the room slid open, and Wano entered. The blonde man still wore his red uniform, though it was missing the storm cloak she had first seen him wearing.


    “Nier.” The man called out, causing the boy to jump.


    “Hey, Reggie!” Nier turned and managed to flash a small grin. “How are you doing?”


    The man’s eyes narrowed, and he shoved past Nier and looked down into the crib at the small baby. “Is that him?” The soldier asked.


    “Yeah.”


    “How can you be sure he’s the Lord of the Sun-“


    The baby let out a strange sound in his sleep, and golden lasers erupted from his eyes, which opened for a second, melting a hole in the roof above. Nier lightly swatted at all the debris that fell. “Just a hunch.”


    “Just like you.” Jane teared up a bit, wiping at her eyes. “Such fond memories.”


    She looked at the man named Reggie and eyed him up. “Your dad''s name was Reggie? I thought it was Wano.”


    “Wano is his surname and mine.” Max Lightning explained. “He passed the title of Lord down to me when he was killed. That and a weak ability to create static electricity. A lot of heroes'' children inherit at least one of their parents'' powers, like your friends, Snowdawn and Myth."


    “Then you have Paragon, who has powers not similar to her parents at all.” She nodded.


    “No, that''s different.” Max Lightning said, shaking his head. “Paragon is adopted. Her real parents are-“


    Wano cut off whatever Max Lightning was about to say by turning away from the child. “When Sini gets back, he’ll expect a full report on what happened out in the field, Nier. You’re lucky. Most people don’t come back after fighting Lucifer.”


    “I’m not most people.”


    Wano nodded before heading out of the room. The door slid shut behind him. A second later, though, the door suddenly opened again. “You forget something, Reg-“ Nier joked before he stopped when he saw who entered.


    She felt her eyes go wide when she saw the woman. She could feel a fire in her veins heating up and pulsing. The woman looked sort of like Sky, though more grown up. Whereas Sky had red hair, this woman had brown locks, and her eyes weren’t blind but were a pretty yellow color. The woman wore a loose set of robes and walked into the room, looking at Nier.


    “Who is she?” She questioned. Part of her knew right away, though. This woman was related to Paragon in some way.


    Max Lightning watched the woman closely. “Humanity’s biggest traitor is who she is.”


    The woman didn’t look evil. She walked into the room softly, smiling down at the boy who rested in the crib. “Still here?” The woman asked. Her voice even sort of sounded like Sky’s, a slight mocking buried under the melodic tone.


    “Yeah.” Nier replied. “I’ve been just looking down at him, thinking. Are Sini and the others back yet?”


    “Not quite.” The woman lightly brushed her fingers through the blonde’s hair, and instantly, all his wounds vanished as he let out a sigh of relief. “I heard you faced Lucifer in combat.”


    “Yeah, but he got away again.” Nier bemoaned and slouched down against the crib. “As usual, that cockroach is still living up to his name.”


    “The others made it out fine, from what I heard.” The woman stated. She stared down at the baby and gently stroked its face. “So that’s him.”


    “Yep.”


    “It’s been a while since all Four Lord’s have been in one spot.” The woman hummed. “Could this be fate or something else?”


    The woman giggled slightly. She had a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact this woman was some mega traitor. “What did you mean when you said she is a traitor to mankind?”


    “I don’t know her name, but she was often called the Princess of Life. A child of a previous Lord of Life. Like how Victorian is crazy strong, thanks to being the daughter of Full Monarch, this woman is also just as strong.” Max Lightning explained. He spoke in a cold tone, and lightning was practically starting to seep out of his eyes. “This woman also happens to be the mother of someone you know well.”


    “Sky.” The resemblance was uncanny.


    “Paragon is the daughter of both Nier, the Lord of Life of this era, and the Princess of Life.” The man explained. “I believed for the longest time she was going to be the newest Lord of Life when Nier died. She has amazing healing powers, but it seems the power didn’t reach her.”


    “Earlier you said the Wandering Coin member was the Lord of Life? You also said you believed Nier was their father? So then...”


    “I believe Paragon has a sibling. One who inherited the power and decided to be evil.” Max Lightning finished.


    “Evil’s a strong word. I’m sure they’re just misguided.” She muttered. She really hoped, pun intended, they weren’t actually evil.


    “We’re lucky to have you.” Nier finally looked away from the child and up towards the woman, giving a smile. “We’d all be dead if not for your healing.”


    “Yes, well, it is rather unfortunate this war is lasting as long as it did.” The woman sighed. “Lucifer... To think he would go this far all in the name of his dark God. Damn the Shadow.”


    “We’ll find a way to stop him.” Nier promised. “Hope will win.”


    “Yes.” The woman’s eyes roamed the room for a bit. “Hope.”


    She scratched at her chin awkwardly. “So is there anything else I need to know about Lightning?”


    “You paid attention to how Nier fought, correct?” Max Lightning asked.


    “Yeah. Of course. It was hard to look away. Why?”


    Max Lightning’s eyes traced Nier. “Well. In reality, I am unsure if the leader of the Wandering Coin is truly the Lord of Life.”


    “What? Then who else could it be?”


    “I say I don’t know, because the state of Nier is an unknown. He could be alive in the present time.”


    “If he’s still alive, why haven’t I heard of him?” Her mother frowned.


    "Oh, you have.” Max Lightning slowly closed his eyes. “Shortly in the future, Nier trains the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, who will go on to become the hero Full Monarch and defeat Lucifer. A bit of time after that, the first ever recorded Calamity attack of the Beast from Space happens. It is around this time the concept of superheroes is brought forth, the Enforcers are created, and Full Monarch claims his title as the world''s strongest hero in his battle with the Beast. It’s also around the time Nier goes missing only to return dozens of years later. You see, the entire world knows who Nier is. Fifteen years ago, Nier, the Lord of the Land and Life, used his title and powers to create powerful monsters and declare war on Earth. Though he went by a new name when he did this.”


    Nier was...


    The sounds of a baby giggling caused Nier to turn around. He stared down at the child and gently picked it up, holding it in his arms. “Right. So I guess starting today, I’m going to be the one to train you, little guy. In that case, you’re going to need a name. I’ll name you after a friend I once knew. You even sort of look like him.” Nier stated, smiling. “Get ready because I’m going to make sure Lucifer never harms you. Jackson.”


    Hope stared into the child’s eyes. The one who would later go on to become Full Monarch. “Jackson?” The child stared back at her and giggled. After a moment, her gaze turned to look back up towards Nier. The man that would one day become the Emperor.


    “That’s about everything.” Max Lightning’s words caused her to jump. “I can’t keep us here for too much longer. The Paths will start to break. It’s time we leave.”


    “Right.” She gripped her mother’s hand, staring at the child. “Let’s go.” Max Lightning clasped his hands together, and with a wave of energy, the world began to fade. She balled her free hand into a fist, her mind racing over every detail of the fight between Nier and Lucifer. She was going to get stronger. So much stronger. “This is the start of Cinder’s story. Get ready, world, because soon I’ll be a big shot!”


    ***


    Darkness.


    There was no light. Sky felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster. She could hear the sounds of hospital equipment all around her. She tried to focus her powers and connect with Destiny, but it failed. The bird was too far away from her. She would have to wait and call him over.


    Her body ached, and it was hard to breathe. It was nothing compared to the pounding in her head, though. It felt like her skull was about to crack open like fire was swirling around in her brain.


    “Sky.”


    She felt her breath hitch when she heard the voice of her sister. Lily, also known as Poseidon, gently reached down to hold her hand. She gasped when she felt the hand.


    She didn’t have her gloves on. She was in a hospital bed, and her sister was-


    Lily’s hand caused her to shiver. Her sister’s hand was different. The girl wasn’t in her human form. How long had her sister stayed in contact with her? The last time her sister turned into this, it took both Fable and Boy Genius to turn her back.


    “Are you okay, Sky?”


    Her sister’s voice was different. It had a bit of a rumble to it. Lily’s hand was larger as well. She couldn’t see her since her eyesight was gone, but she could feel it and hear it. The girl’s hand felt scaly and slimy, like touching a fish. She could also hear something moving around the room, sloshing around the floor and slithering.


    She tried to speak or make any sort of noise, but she couldn’t. It was hard to focus. To think. Her mind was a mess, her thoughts breaking apart.


    “Shh.” That hand lightly brushed the side of her face, and she felt a cold tendril brush her leg. “You shouldn’t speak. You’re still hurt. You shouldn’t even be up yet. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”


    Despite being blind, she squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could. The last time she had looked at her sister, Lily had blinded her. Who knew how far Lily’s transformation had come this time?


    “Keep resting. Your big sister will keep you safe. I’ll make sure nothing ever hurts you again.” She didn’t bother pulling away. She knew Lily wouldn’t let her go. Not until her human side came back out. The tendrils had already wrapped around her body, forcing her into a strange embrace. She did her best to ignore it and fall back to sleep, hoping this nightmare would be over. “As for that girl who put you in this situation.”


    She felt her blood run cold momentarily when she heard the dangerous edge in her sister’s voice.


    “I won’t let her get away with what she did to you.” She sat up, forcing her body to move. She threw her arms out, trying to shove her sister away from her. “Sky, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be moving around.”


    She felt something drop from her mouth. Some sort of tube, part of the medical equipment. Her throat felt sore, and she could feel herself on the verge of blacking out, but she ignored it, trying to speak.


    “G...et... Out.”


    Her voice cracked and broke. She wondered how long she had been here. Not long enough, that was for sure.


    “But-”


    “Get out. A... And don’t you dare harm my friend. I’ll hate you if you do…” She could feel blood pouring down her chin. L- Leave.”


    An eerie silence filled the room. Then she heard the sounds of slithering, followed closely by a door opening and closing. Sky sat there, surrounded by darkness, before she slowly collapsed onto the bed, falling back into a deep slumber.