When A Pillar Falls

Breathable air was scarce,lungs filled with smoke and the peaceful air of Sunset City tittering on the edge of despair.

A villain attack, something so rare that it was beyond a terrorist attack, beyond a declaration of war.

This attack would forever throw the world of Good versus Evil back into the fray.

"This is your Hero Live reporter Anna Strife, and below me you can see the main conference center of GreenCore, a law firm dedicated to international Super Power cases and leading designer for the new era of home advancement. Just a few minutes ago the skyscraper was set ablaze by an unknown man, all we know is that he is dangerous and a ten mile radius has been set up just in case of collateral damage."

A helicopter soared over hundreds of people beeping their horns as traffic moved slowly, the fire spreading. Shouts and screams filled the sky as much as the black bubbling smoke did.

Who would stop this?

Mighty Man touched down on an empty avenue, the road cracked and huge craters scattered about. The few smaller buildings on his right completely obliterated.

The muscular man flexed his muscles and sucked in the ash filled air.

"You got this, believe in yourself, save the day, and get the money."

Mighty man smiled with perfect teeth as he created a small vortex just below his cape by rapidly moving his back muscles. His yellow cape slapped the air and the dense smog around him dispersed.

"Just another day of work..." he proclaimed as he started his march toward GreenCore, the building rising hundreds of stories in the sky.

Mighty Man grimaced as he heard screams to his left, the piles of black still blocking most of the streets. It was as if black mist fell upon the under side of the GreenCore building, the high rise scarily leaning.

WOOSH

The Hero zoomed forward, the air around him splitting as his massive muscle fibers pulled an retracted. He could hear the shouts of his name.

"Mighty Man, Mighty Man, Mighty!"

The grin was scraped from his face as the chants grew louder. It was a backfire from his power, the ability to hear those who believed in him as they spoke about the Hero. The power of their hope seeping into his ears before radiating power through his body.

Messiah, the power in which he became more powerful, the more people believed in him.

The Second Ranked Hero.

A small blast of concrete exploded on the sidewalk next to him, "Help! Someone Help!"

A woman lay still under the concrete of the cafe, a man next to her clutching her arm, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Please, someone..." the man said as he closed his eyes.

"No need to fear citizen, as long as I stand, I shall help!"

Mighty Man chuckled as he easily lifted the rock, the woman gasping for air and clutching her back. Immense pain ran down her body.

Mighty Man lost the almighty persona and looked at the man, "You, get her out of here now, whoever did this is a great foe and the longer you stay, the longer you put both of your lives at stake."

The man stared at Mighty Man, dumbfounded about seeing his idol in the flesh which started to break his consciousness.

"Now!" Mighty Man boomed, the air around his lips blasting forward and brushing the man's hair back. He nodded and helped the woman up.

The Hero turned toward the fire, eyes watching carefully as he continued his approach.

"Who dare stalls the peace of humanity, step forward and be punished for your crimes!"

Nothing, just the crackling of the flames and distant screams. Mighty Man bit his lip, his gaze toward the helicopter which hovered above him.

He quickly took a heroic pose and kept walking. The ground crunching under his immense pressure, he could care less about damage control at the moment.

"Boo..."

Mighty Man quickly turned toward the voice, a blur of movement connecting with his face. His feet stayed gripped to the ground and his face was pushed backwards.

Mighty Man gasped for air and clutched his nose, it was broken. So quickly the Hero was put on guard, his cape ceasing to majestically flap.

"Ooooo, did that hurt by chance, sorry if it did." A man stood in a simple grey business suit, "Habit."

"What the hell are you, where you the one w-"

The man sighed, "No, No, No. please let's not go cliche this time, just try to beat my ass and we call it a day."

Mighty Man spit blood on the ground, the thought of his handsome face altered angering him. He could almost feel the ratings going down.

"Then, shall I repay you for what you have done?"

The man had spiked brown hair, a scar across his face, and a morning beard that was yet to be shaved. He looked normal, almost like he was on the way to work. Mighty Man noticed this, "You just got your Powers didn't you?"

The man smiled, "Name is Jason Morgan, I work at GreenCore," he glared up at the building, "Or at least I did."

Mighty Man readied himself and pushed power to his outer skin, forming a barrier to stop another punch.

"I got fired, I wanted to end it all, leaped out of my office window." Jason lost his smile, "Then everything kind off just went....Boom."

Most powers came from traumatic experiences or a moment of near death, it seemed Jason experienced both. Mighty Man would not know his power, or the inner workings of it. However, neither would he, new Supers usually unstable and dangerous, the reason so many people died. It was more dangerous for powers to form in adults, the chance of it being more powerful evident.

The fire flickered for a moment, "So what do you plan on doing? If you are a good man Jason, than turn yourself in."

Jason scoffed, "Hah! You actually think it's that easy. I heard the news, fifty five dead, one hundred injured, all because of me. I can't just turn myself in, for the sake of keeping my good guy look." Jason lowered himself, "Also, the old me died the moment I hit the ground, the new me will make sure I never experience it again."

"Tsk," Mighty Man reeled his arm back.

"Mighty Punch!" He boomed and rocketed forward, his fist quickly slicing through the air and connecting with Jason's stomach. Jason may somehow be powerful, but he was not invincible. He was inexperienced, a new born in the face of a man in his prime. This battle would be decided quickly.

The impact sent Jason spiraling into a concrete wall, the pawn shop collapsing inward atop him. Mighty Man was sure Jason could take a hit like that, knowing how it felt to take one from him.

The Hero waited as he saw the support beams slowly move.

BOOM

White light exploded form the pile of debris, a crazy amount of smoke and power blowing everything away. Mighty Man dodged to his left as half of the pawn shop flew past him. Mighty Man understood his power was related to explosive power, but the punch before was still keeping him cautious.

"I thought you were a hero, a protector of the weak? But you just went and punched a businessman for no reason, talk about a brutal move." Jason stood from the ruble, black marks covering his skin. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

"My favorite sport is basketball, you know that?"

Mighty Man stopped from sending another devastating attack his way, "What?"

Jason dribbled an invisible basketball, "I said basketball was my favorite sport, I use to play it with my son all the time. My wife, Carrie, would be inside with the most glorious smirk. Man I loved that woman, but more importantly I loved our son, and he loved basketball."

Jason pretended to shoot a shot at the rim, he sighed, "Probably an air ball."

Mighty Man clenched his fist, "What are you trying to do? Fight back."

Jason shook his head, "I apologize for the first hit, just pent up anger about my boss, but... I'm done fighting."

Mighty Man glanced up at the helicopter.

"Mighty Man is frozen, who is this new villain that has him on the ropes?! Is this City devastation worthy, is his power brainwash?!"

Anna the reporter looked at the camera, a finger from her cameraman signaling her to keep talking.

"We have witnessed the famous Mighty Punch, but it seems the Supers are exchanging words. Mighty Man most likely trying to keep him from continuing the fight."

Mighty Man gritted his teeth, "You have to..."

Jason rose an eyebrow, "I killed soo many, I can't..."

"You have to! The people will not be satisfied with a half baked fight! They will be enraged, you ha-"

"I also liked baseball, never did that with my son. Actually, I wonder were he is?"

Mighty Man had to give onlookers a show, if he convinced the man to turn himself in, then he would get paid minimal for the job. What would the families of the ones he killed say about letting the man who did it walk away. They would not believe in him.

It was clear, Mighty Man's biggest fear, being powerless. He needs others to flourish, even if a few people hated him, it still tanked some of his power, power he could possibly need to fight greater threats. His manager would never let him hear the end of it.

"What about that talk about being born anew, is that just gone?!"

Jason scratched his head, "Yeah, I'm not gonna go insane so my son can see that, what kind of father would I be?"

Jason smiled.

Mighty Man dug his knee into Jason's chin, the explosion of movement catching him off guard. The businessman was sent flying up in the air, his body groveling as the air rushed out of his body.

BOOOOOM.

Another eruption of white light took up the sky. Mighty Man's features went dark, "Sorry Jason, for business."

He understood his power now, the harder Jason was hit, the bigger the explosion after. But it only worked that way. He could conjure the strength but the explosion would never come without a trigger. Being hit was that trigger.

Detonation, a power in which the holder will explode after taking a hit of great force, the greater the force, the greater the explosion after.

Jason's lifeless body thudded against the pavement.

Mighty Man slowly watched his fist release steam, his power dwindling for some reason. Someone who hated him was close.

Kip stared at Mighty Man's back.

The Hero quickly turned around, his presence glaring in the wreckage of downtown.

"What the hell are you doing kid, get the hell out of here." Mighty Man forgot to use his persona. He cleared his throat, "Please leave the premises, the villain may be conscious, it is dangerous to be here young one."

"Cut the bullshit."

Mighty Man's power deactivated, the hate he heard canceling his power away. Mighty Man swallowed hard and took a step back.

Kip wiped away a tear, "How do you do it, this facade, is money really that enticing?!"

Mighty Man sighed, just another kid with questions, he thought. But why the hatred, he asked himself.

Kip felt the lump in his throat, he had no idea what he was doing. His body moved on his own, like someone was pulling him toward the man he hated, toward the man who killed the last piece of his dad. The idiotic, clumsy, hilarious, and fanatical kid was gone. That persona left a long time ago.

"I use to look up to you, you were my favorite hero, somehow you still are. It drives me crazy, I have to know Mighty Man. Just one question is all I need."

The question that would determine Kip's future.

Kip looked up at his idol, the man who replaced his father reflected in his eyes. The same replacement who betrayed his biggest fan.

"Do you even remember me?"