⁕ Need For A Hero

As night fell, Mike's mansion was illuminated by only the slight glow of the small lamps and television in the living room. Since the pair had just come out of their shower, Mike was still drying his hair with a towel while Kadyn used the hairdryer. 

[Kadyn] - "Our children can't learn of what we were doing while they are still in my belly. "

Said Kadyn as she cut the power off to the hairdryer. 

[Mike] - "Don't worry, they won't suspect one bloody thing about their jolly-looking mom. "

Said Mike as he abruptly smacked Kadyn on the ass. 

Kadyn jumped up and spilled her green nail polish into the sink. 

[Kadyn] - "God damn it, Mike! Be careful, you dummy! "

Yelled Kadyn with an annoyed face. 

After picking up the polish bottle, Kadyn placed her foot against the sink and began applying a green shade to her nails. 

[Mike] - "So? Are you spent or are you still kickin'? "

[Kadyn] - "I'd like to watch a movie... If you aren't too tired already. "

Said Kadyn as her irises turned purple. 

[Mike] - "Me? Tired? Oh please, ain't you the one who always falls asleep first? "

Said Mike with a smug smirk. 

[Kadyn] - "Wanna bet? We will watch movies until one of us falls asleep and the loser has to attend to the kids if they cry at night for a whole year. "

Said Kadyn with a smirk of her own as she came face to face with Mike. 

[Mike] - "Don't swallow more than what you can chew, Lemon. "

[Kadyn] - "And I get to decide the name of one of the twins. Our deal starts now. "

Said Kadyn as she remotely activated a movie on the television. 

Hours later, while Mike was still watching without any sign of fatigue, Kadyn was struggling to keep her eyelids open. With her whole body pressed against Mike and wrapped in a blanket, the heat alone was making her feel sleepy. 

[Mike] - "Well, looks like I'll be very well-rested during that first year. "

Said Mike in a taunting voice while glancing at Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "I didn't lose yet. I'm just... Just a bit bored. "

Said Kadyn in a sleepy voice as she tried desperately to stay awake. 

Meanwhile, outside of the mansion's gates, Dane stood in the cold night surrounded by a ring of cigarette butts. Despite arriving a few hours earlier at the mansion's gates, Dane struggled to find a proper way to convince Mike to help. After all, even for Mike, Dane understood that it would be a herculean task to take down all three of the foes that are currently terrorizing the Allied Forces. On top of this, Mike is under no obligation to help.

As Dane reached into his cigarette pack to fish for another one, he realized that he had blown through all the three packs he had with him. 

[Dane] - "Son of a gun! How long have I been standin' around here? "

Cursed Dane as he took a look at his phone. 

Just as Dane threw his burnt cigarette onto the floor, a bright flash suddenly broke through the sombre night. The convoy of three trucks abruptly stopped in front of Dane before a wave of Blue Guards and agents stepped out of their vehicles. 

[Dane] - "What in tarnation? What is this all about? "

[Agent 11] - "You are taking way too long, mister Dane. Have you spoken to our man of the hour like you said you would? "

Said the agent as he walked toward Dane.

[Dane] - "Ya bastards, I told ya to let me handle this! Instead, you son of bitches tracked my location and followed me here. "

Screamed Dane with anger. 

[Agent 11] - "Every minute you waste here, thousands of men are dying out there on the frontline. You better have a fucking good reason to not proceed after all this time! "

Said the agent in a firm voice.

[Dane] - "I'm tryin' to think of a way to convince a man who you, as an organization, has wronged, humiliated and violated to fight for you. On top of all this, he is under no obligation to fight for you or your government. "

[Agent 11] - "My government is also yours! Either we get this Mike guy to help us or we all die. I'm ready to serve my country and the interests of my people and I'll do it by any means even if it requires the usage of force or violence. So step out of the way, Dane. "

[Dane] - "The Allied Forces or the United States government is not my cause or my government. I did this to protect the innocent lives that will perish if we don't stop whatever evil is rampaging through our frontlines. "

The agent abruptly punched Dane in the face before ordering his men to force the gates open. While Dane was trying to stop the bleeding from his nose, he looked up at the agent with disdain and resilience in his eyes. 

[Dane] - "Do ya think ya can convince him with force? Don't be ridiculous, he will wipe you and your people out of the face of this Earth before you can utter a single word of intimidation at him. "

Said Dane before he spat blood onto the agent's shoes. 

[Agent 11] - "We got our own ways to make him comply. "

Said the agent in a cold voice as his men moved into the massive garden before the mansion. 

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Mike glanced one more time at Kadyn and realized that she was already sound asleep. Mike smiled at the sight of his adorable wife sleeping against his shoulder before gently kissing her on the head. Just as Mike shut off the television, a loud ring suddenly came from his doorbell followed by several knocks. Alerted by this unusual incursion, Mike carefully slipped out of Kadyn's grasp without waking her up before approaching the door with his crystals activated. 

As soon as Mike opened the front door, he was met with the sight of Agent 11. 

[Agent 11] - "Good night, mister Mike. We are quite tight on time, so let me get right to the point. There was an attack on the Allied Forces by what we presume to be three very powerful cyberknights that our forces couldn't contain nor challenge. We figured, for the best interest of the world, of freedom and democracy that you help us defeat these terrorists. "

Said the agent as he extended his hand toward Mike.

[Mike] - "Well, good night, down syndrome James Bond. I don't know, maybe I don't feel like helping an immoral corporation that shows up with guns at my doors in the middle of the night. So let me also be quick with you as well. I'll show your brain freedom like Lee Harvey Oswald if you don't fuck off from my property, ya bloody terrorists. "

Responded Mike sharply in a taunting tone while leaning against his door frame.

The men behind the agent shuddered at Mike's words while the agent swallowed his frustration and kept his composure. Just as Mike was about to shut his door, the agent pressed forward and held the door. 

[Agent 11] - "We are willing to negotiate! We are ready to offer you anything you ask in exchange for your help. Money, power, information, anything you could think of. "

[Mike] - "Well, release all the children still kept in your experimentation facilities, slam execution charges for all your leaders, and fix your awful hairline that caused a fucking hurricane to form when the wind simply passed by your head. "

Said Mike before blowing a breath of air at the agent's head.

Suddenly, a massive gust of wind formed behind the agent which snatched one of the special force soldiers into the air. The agent, now left with no option, made a discreet hand signal to the men behind him. While he distracted Mike with useless talks, three Blue Guards climbed up the window and located Kadyn. Activating his ability, the lead guard smashed through the window before pulling Kadyn toward him. 

However, the men clearly underestimated Mike's reaction speed. As soon as Mike heard the sound of broken glass, his hand reflexively raised up. Before Kadyn was even moved a millimetre off the couch, the lead guard's crystals suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces followed by the shattering of his body into ten thousand pieces just like his crystals. Upon seeing the carnage, the two other guards attempted to flee only to be lifted off the ground and forcefully fused with each other. The subsequent blob of flesh then fell off the window before exploding into a splash of red. 

In a panic, the agent and his men pulled out their weapons and aimed their barrels at Mike. 

[Agent 11] - "Don't move! We... We have you surrounded! Come peacefully or... "

Said the agent while trembling. 

[Mike] - "Or what? You'll make my entrance dirty by pissing on it? "

The agent suddenly realized that he had pissed himself while confronting Mike. The look on Mike's face was that of pure focus and there wasn't an ounce of uncertainty if he had to kill everyone present. 

[Kadyn] - "What's going on? By the way, I didn't fall asleep, I was just resting my eyes. "

Said Kadyn as she stumbled toward Mike. 

In a desperate attempt to control the situation, the agent foolishly aimed his weapon at Kadyn.

[Agent 11] - "Back off or I'll- "

Before he could finish his sentence, his pistol abruptly melted in his hand before forming a large metal spike which shot through his neck. As the agent fell backward before rolling down the stairs, the rest of the men quickly understood what they were up against. A few of the wiser agents and spec ops quickly ran away. As for the few who were one step behind, Mike abruptly turned their weapons into large spikes which stabbed through their knees. 

[Mike] - "What are ya waiting for to run? You also want a limited-time face-hugger, is that it, ya bloody animals? "

Yelled Mike as the rest of the men began limping toward their comrades in agony. 

During this time, Dane slowly walked toward the mansion while the bloodied men limped past him. Soon, the light of the three cars disappeared into the night never to be seen again. As Dane reached the front steps leading toward the main entrance, he gazed at the dead Agent 11 with a look of pity in his eyes. 

[Dane] - "God damn moron... Enjoy your Darwing Award. "

Dane raised his head before suddenly locking eyes with Mike who still stood by his front door like a loyal guard. 

[Dane] - "Listen, Mike, I know this might look bad but I'm not- "

Said Dane as he lowered his hat.

[Mike] - "Sigh... I know, Dane. Come in, have a seat. "

Dane was surprised at how well Mike immediately decoded the situation without him uttering a single word of explanation. With an acknowledging nod, Dane quickly moved into the mansion where Kadyn welcomed him and guided him to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Mike took one last look at his surroundings before using his ability to bury all the dead bodies and evidence around his property. As he closed the front entrance, everything looked as if nothing happened that night. 

Later, after serving everyone with a cup of coffee, Kadyn sat beside Mike while holding her own cup. 

[Dane] - "Congratulations, I see that everything's going well for you and Mike here. "

Said Dane nervously while holding his cup. 

[Kadyn] - "Thanks, we are glad to be living our dreams here. "

Said Kadyn as she stuck her shoulder against Mike's. 

Meanwhile, Mike was still acting cautious as his eyes darted around the house looking for any anomalies or presence. 

[Dane] - "How many months? "

Said Dane nervously as he pointed at Kadyn's belly.

[Kadyn] - "Oh, eight months already. I can't wait to hold them in my arms. "

Said Kadyn with a huge smile. 

[Dane] - "Yeah, congrats on having twins. I mean, it's going to be a huge responsibility and- "

Before Dane could finish, Mike suddenly cut in. 

[Mike] - "Dane, I haven't been updated on what's going on outside so far. For these blood cunts to break into my house and threaten my wife and children, they must be quite fucking desperate. Tell me how bad is it? "

Said Mike in a firm voice. 

[Dane] - "Oh... I reckon I couldn't euphemize the truth any further, so I'm just going to spill the beans then. It's bad, alright! Normally, I would never ask for you to help the people who wronged both you and your wife but the situation is dire. The "terrorists", as we call them, are a trio of cyberknights we aren't very familiar with but are extremely powerful. "

Said Dane as he showed Mike his tablet. 

[Mike] - "CR-455... War... Death. "

Murmured Mike as he immediately recognized the men in the pictures. 

Mike sighed heavily while returning the tablet to Dane.

[Mike] - "I understand why you had to come to me. Simply put, hell's gates had been opened and I'm the only one with the chains to close it. "

Said Mike with a grim expression on his face.

[Kadyn] - "Huh? What do you mean by that? "

Said Kadyn with a surprised expression. 

[Mike] - "CR-455 is a mimic ability user. His ability allows him to copy another person's ability by simply drenching his crystals in that person's blood. I suppose he has obtained a very powerful ability. Combined with the assistance of the two ancient crystal warriors, I'm the only person in the world with the tools and knowledge to stop their rampage. "

Dane didn't speak and instead nodded his head in agreement before looking away. On the other hand, the blood in Kadyn's veins immediately ran cold as soon as she heard Mike's explanation. 

[Kadyn] - "Eh... there must be another way to stop them, right? "

Said Kadyn as the cup in her hands began to shake. 

As much as Kadyn wanted to believe that there could be another way, the sombre look on Mike's face shattered her hope as soon as it appeared. 

[Kadyn] - "Can we have a moment, Dane? Just leave us for a while. "

Said Kadyn as she slowly deposited her cup. 

Dane nodded his head before rising from his chair and grabbing his coat. 

[Dane] - "Partner, got a smoke ya can borrow? "

[Mike] - "Yeah, you can fish a few from my coat pocket. "

Dane moved toward the entrance where he found a few Cuban cigars inside Mike's coat. Cautiously, he shut the door behind him and lit himself a cigar outside. Meanwhile, upon seeing the fear in Kadyn's eyes, Mike reassured her by holding her hands. 

[Kadyn] - "No... You can't! I won't allow it. "

Said Kadyn in a trembling voice. 

[Mike] - "Whether you like it or not, you forget who we are. We can keep pretending that we are just two regular lovers but how long do you think we have before reality comes knocking on our doors? "

Said Mike in a sincere tone.

[Kadyn] - "I won't listen. I listened to you last time and look how it turned out. I'm not about to lose the only person in this world I love because he wants to be the hero of the hour. "

Said Kadyn as tears began streaming down her cheeks. 

[Mike] - "Yet, am I doing this because I want to be a hero? I have a wife and two children to protect. Do you think they'll stop after they are done with the Allied Forces? I don't like this any more than you do but that's my duty as your husband and as the only man capable of putting a stop to this mayhem. This dream of ours will never be a reality if we have to live in constant fear of the outside. "

Said Mike as he pressed his face closer toward Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "It's the same thing you said last time, Mike. You never change, don't you? Even if we were to live like rats, at least we are whole as a family. I don't want to sleep alone in these cold white sheets and neither do I want to answer when our children are going to ask where is their father. "

Said Kadyn as she avoided Mike's stare by pressing her head against his chest. 

[Mike] - "Hey, who said they'll be a challenge? I'll just wipe the floor with them and come back home at sunrise as if nothing happened. "

Said Mike as he smiled confidently.

[Kadyn] - "Stop it! I know you enough to see what you are trying to do here. You are always acting so confident and so brave without ever thinking about yourself. You deserve happiness too. You already gave your heart once, that's more than enough for a person in his lifetime. "

Said Kadyn as she tapped her finger against Mike's heart. 

Mike took a moment before he understood Kadyn's gesture as it reflected what he did before he died in her arms after fighting Sniper. In response, Mike gently hugged Kadyn.

[Mike] - "Would I ever have a heart to begin with, if not because of you? You went above and beyond and pulled me out of death's claws. Why shouldn't I do the same? "

[Kadyn] - "Because... because... because I'm selfish. I admit it, I'm selfish! I have lost everything and everyone. I know I shouldn't keep you here, I know deep down who we are, yet, I want to go against all logic and reason just to pretend. Because reality alone will drive one insane, and I have finally found a reason to pretend when you came back. "

Said Kadyn as she wiped at her flowing tears. 

[Mike] - "Alright, then let's pretend. We'll pretend this conversation never happened and tomorrow will just be another day like the others. "

[Kadyn] - "Sniff... Thank you... "

Later, Kadyn followed Mike to the entrance where he confronted Dane. 

[Mike] - "Dane, thank you for coming. However, I have to stay behind for obvious reasons. I hope you can understand me. "

[Dane] - "Sigh... I understand, Mike. It's your decision, after all, I can't force ya. "

Said Dane in a disappointed tone.

[Mike] - "Hey, before you go, here's a little parting gift. "

Said Mike as he passed one of his premium cigars to Dane. 

With that, Mike slowly shut his front doors while Dane descended the steps. As Dane took a closer look at the cigar, he noticed how Mike carved a few words into it. 

"Wait in the park West of my mansion. ETA 2 AM. "

To be continued...