Moonlight

Kip woke up from his slumber, the memory of him losing Marley sticking for some reason. Kip pushed it away, it happened two years ago, something he did not want to remember.

Marcus leaned over, "Being a Freshman in High school literally is the same, I thought things were supposed to get spicy."

Kip looked at Marcus, "Why, school is school?"

Marcus rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant bitch."

Kip smiled as he looked down at his textbook, ninth grade Hero History class was almost the same as junior high.

"Mr. Dagger, you think I didn't notice you were sleeping, lunch detention."

Kip frowned, it looked like things were different. Mrs. Raggesy fumed as she continued to lecture Kip about his sleeping habits.

Second period ended and Kip followed the shuffle of feet into the hallway.

"Hey Kip," A slim girl with long brown hair and a sunflower hair clip smiled as she saw her crush walk out.

Kip wanted to ignore her and keep walking,

"Yo Susan,"

Susan Small, the biggest superhero fanatic out there, was Kip's new high school friend. She actually had a blog about superheroes that Kip found a liking too, their only connection. Marcus flipped her off and headed in the opposite direction.

"So are you doing anything after school?"

Kip's heart skipped a beat, "Oh um, I'm probably gonna just watch YouTube."

Susan puffed her cheeks up, "You are a horrible liar, are you going to do that again?"

Kip pondered what she said,

"I'm not gonna go practice for the Hero Exam, not interested."

Susan looked at Kip, his blonde locks bouncing as he walked. She stared a little longer than usual.

"I know you have a superpower Kip."

Kip laughed as he shrugged his shoulders,

"And? Just because I have a superpower doesn't mean anything."

Susan puffed her cheeks out in annoyance, "Do you not understand how rare it is to have a superpower? People need more heroes."

Kip stopped walking, "No, people need to wake up. Heroes won't save anyone."

Susan watched him in confusion, the outburst unlike him, "Are you alright?"

Kip continued walking, the fakest smile he could muster on his face, "Yeah I'm fine."

Susan did not press any longer,

"So what are you doing tonight?"

Kip's eyes sparkled as he thought of what he would be doing, the slightest smile on his face.

--- --- --- --- ---(Time skip)

it was night, the moon high in the sky and not a single star could be seen. Steam rose from sewer drains and a slight drizzle of rain licked the concrete. There was an alleyway, three men dressed in all black moved quickly.

"Why are we patrolling again, the boss said we wouldn't touch Twilight again."

The skinniest one on the left said as they stalked down the long path. His name was X, an ex-marine who found working for the bad side paid more than the usual.

"Because, ever since the trade was ambushed we need to be extra safe, Im doing Ace a favor." The muscular one in the middle one said. His name was Dragger, a low class criminal on the run from murder.

It was as if those who had to run from society started to form groups, hoping to find luck were their life ended. Not hoping to find prison time.

The third one kept his gaze away, not daring to say a word.

"So going against his orders is being safe?!" X proclaimed.

"Yeah, so what about it?" Dragger said as he cracked his knuckles.

The tension rose between the two, bodies turning to confront one another.

"Both of you, stop."

The two turned toward the third one,

"Garvis can talk, how many words was that in the last hour?"

"Apparently he is usually mute and says very few words, or that's what Company said."

Garvis, an old man with a horrible gambling problem, that problem usually involved gambling his life.

Garvis stopped and sniffed the air,

"What time is the buyer coming in, so I don't mess up the information web?"

The two exchanged looks, even through the black masks, they knew that was an odd question.

"I think it's tomorrow during midnight at the docks right?" Garvis said as they passed under a fire escape.

X sighed, "Yeah it is."

Dragger playfully hit Garvis on the shoulder, "if you already knew, don't just ask like that, you had us worried that you were someone else."

"Well it's because I am." the voice cracking at the end.

Garvis quickly throat punched the muscular Dragger and rapidly kicked his knee. As the swift movements happened, orange electricity crackled after each impact.

X was appalled from the blur of motion as his companion collapsed to the pavement.

"Garvis?!" X asked with all hope slipping loose.

Garvis laughed and removed his mask, the middle aged face which should of been, gone.

Instead a young face covered by a black blind fold with holes cut were his tantalizing orange eyes were in Garvis' place. Two glowing orange pupils surveyed the man.

The blind fold he wore, the orange eyes, the electricity. X had a realization as he scanned the young boys face.

It was the kid who started to pop up lately, a false hero who was not afraid to get his hands dirty. A person on his list that he was told to strictly avoid, even the media painted him as a criminal while the criminals only saw him as a crazed hero. He had no place, only justice serving on his side.

He only became relevant as of this week, criminals unconscious on street roads covered in orange paint. The Vigilante starting a name for himself.

"You're him."

X started to shake as he came to the conclusion.

"I knew I had a reputation but there is no need to flatter me."

Kip's forearm crackled with orange energy,

"I'm sorry about this but I can't have you spilling anything about tonight."

X took off in a dead sprint, fear of Kip's power reaching his imagination.

Kip stepped away into the darkness of the night, only to appear in front of the criminal. He stood between him and the street, a smile on his face. The criminal did his best to stop but a dangerous upper cut caught his jaw.

X's body lost all energy and collapsed were he stood, a thud making the night go silent once again.

Kip breathed hard, the use of his power still unstable. The manifestation of his strength starting to grow. It was called Cancellation. If someone with powers did not use them, they would slowly exhibit signs of denial, similar to drug use. A type of withdrawal a teenager could barley cope with.

Kip had to release his pent up power, unsure of what would happen if he didn't.

He crouched down and pulled X's body closer, examining the tattoo on his forearm. Same as all the other ones he saw. The young boy sighed as he felt the rage he had subside. The unknown power within him finally dying down.

Kip knew how his power worked technically, and he knew one day he could get what he wanted. To finally best Mighty Man, to prove that real power came from saving others. Saving any and all life in danger.

"Bark."

Kip turned to see Marley appear for a split second. He held back his tears. He questioned his actions as he caressed X's chin. His mandible felt like play-dough to Kip, the impact already bruising.

He could not do this forever, yeah beating up street trash was helpful, but it got him nowhere. Mighty Man was still the second ranked Hero, and Marley was still dead.

Kip's eyes twitched, he could only change one of those things.

--- --- --- ---

"Kip!"

Kip yawned a he lifted his head, "Yes Mr. Worster?"

The pudgy white man pointed at him with with a ruler stick, "How dare you sleep in my class, this is not kindergarten. Detention!"

Kip grimaced and leaned back in his chair.

"We need a clean up on isle three, I repeat, a clean up on isle three." Marcus grinned as he pointed to his cheek.

Kip quickly wiped the saliva away. He was really good at drooling, one of his strong suits.

"So you ready for the Hero Exam, hopefully there will be over a hundred this year, kind of sad that it plummeted so much."

Kip watched as Mr. Worster angrily scribbled things on the floating smart board, magnets holding it in place.

"It probably will die out soon enough, society seems pretty chill with only ten heroes." Kip wondered off toward the window, "Sadly"

His gaze fell upon the track, instead of a class slowly dying, a single boy jogged on the track. He was a dark tall boy with an incredible build, almost like the tracksuit he was wearing was bound to rip. he did not falter as he moved, his face focused forward.

Kip blinked a few times as a gust of wind slapped against the window, his attention drawn away from the boy. It was Mathew Striker, the most promising young Hero who would easily pass the exam.

His power still unknown to the world.

Kip wondered if he could beat him, his power to be feared too. The class all focused on the board, well Marcus picking his nose.

Kip however, contemplated one thing that Susan implanted in his mind. The Hero Exam, a test to be sent to Hero High, the pinnacle of the Super Age. A place where superheroes were cranked out to stop the onslaught of evil.

Only that onslaught died decades ago.

Kip remembered his days of nerding out on comic books. Trying his best to learn all the powers known to New America, and matching them with Hero names. The time he reenacted famous battles such as the Battle of All, or the Massacre in the Sky.

So many memorable moments drowned by what happened two years ago. Kip no longer was the geek he knew himself as. He was replaced by a double life. Sneaking out to bust baddies to help him keep sane while acing every math test. It was tough stuff, and balancing that with the hatred he had for Mighty Man was killing his sleep habits.

In hindsight, Kip was just an average teen.

Although, Kip's eyes grew wide as he saw smoke rise from a skyscraper that overlooked Sunset City. His other classmates' phones buzzing as an alert was sent out to all people in a ten mile radius.

"Villain attack on Green Core Operation Center. Thirty Five dead, and no active response yet.

Please evacuate the area as Heroes are sent!

-Hero Alert-

Click to learn more...

"

Kip stared at his screen, the reflection of his brown pupils looking back. His blonde hair wavering above his phone.

Tap...

Kip clicked the "learn more" link.

"Active Hero Called- Mighty Man."