Chapter 4

Dante stood outside, watching as his friends loaded their belongings into a large truck. Today marked the start of their new lives, moving into their designated living spaces and beginning their internships as heroes. He folded his arms, his expression unreadable as Victor shut the truck's doors with a grin. The two turned towards Dante, "Well bro, this is it, today, we become what we dreamed of."

Legna let out a small sigh and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear, "I do wish you accepted Dante. It would've been such an amazing experience having us all working in the same faction." 

Dante gave a forced smile and waved his hand dismissively, "Nah, you don't worry about me. You'll both do fine without me." The two exchanged glances and looked back at Dante. "Wish us luck Dante, we hope to become heroes you can be proud of." Victor extended his fist out, as Dante nodded and returned his fist pump. "You don't have to worry, I know you both will."

Legna walked up and gave Dante a small hug. Dante returned the hug as she let him go. With a few more parting words, they turned back towards the truck and walked over, finally stepping inside. Dante watched, as the truck pulled off. 

Dante wondered, what does he do now? Guess he had nothing else but to continue his own life, cheering on his friends from the comfort of his own home. He shoved his hands into his pocket, pulling up his scarf over his mouth due to the cold air. He figured he should head out into the city, maybe pick up a new book, and treat himself to some coffee and dessert from his favorite cafe. He began walking, and his mind wandered, his feeling torn.

On one hand, he was proud of them. He wanted to see them succeed and become the heroes they wanted to be, and being with the Ironclad Division was gonna help them with that, even if they didn't align with Dante's views. He hoped they became strong, and maybe they could be the change the Heroic League needed desperately, at least to him…

But on the other hand, he was sad. Without his friends, he knew he would start feeling lonely without their presence. But, he didn't want that to overshadow his pride for them. So he shoved it down and began to think of the more positive sides. He wondered what superhero names the two of them would come up with. He recalled a memory, Victor always came to him with demo names for when he became a superhero. Most of them sucked, but his enthusiasm is what stuck with Dante. Victor always said how when he became a superhero, he wanted a name that would leave lasting impressions on people, and in a way, Dante understood what he meant. Names didn't seem all that important, but to Victor, it felt like one of the most important things. 

And regarding their suits, he wondered what kind of suits they'd pick and design. Victor seems like the kind of person to pick something more flashy than practical, but he's not stupid enough to put looks way over effectiveness. And then there is Legna, who always seemed more technical than Victor, so he could see her putting effectiveness over the look, if it worked best for her, it didn't matter how it looked. 

But more than that, he hoped they were being treated well at that faction. However, a lingering feeling in his head made him think otherwise. He didn't know why, but his trust in the Heroic League peered into his judgment. But, he made every attempt to push that down and pray that his friends were treated how they should be. With the offers, he would think they were being treated well. But, he just didn't know. As he thought, he glanced up and noticed he had arrived at his favorite bookstore. He let out a small sigh, his breath visible in the cold air. He walked up the steps, and was ready to search for a new book to add to his collection.

Victor and Legna sat in their seats, silently doing their own thing, but they were constantly distracted by their overwhelming excitement. The drive felt like and drawn out, and parts of them thought that it would never end and they would wake up finding out the whole thing was a dream. But, when they looked outside the window, it was thrown out the window immediately. A large building stood next to one that they recognized all too well, the Ironclad Divison building, which stood tall and imposing. The vehicle came to a stop and the two young adults jumped out of the car and looked up at the tall building. "Whoa, is this where we're staying!?" Victor screamed, as Ryoji stepped out with a smile on his face.

"Yes, I was able to get this building cleaned up and repolished, and now, it's all yours. I'll have my guys move your stuff in, all you have to do is wait outside for a bit. Once you get settled in, you may rest. Because tomorrow, we get into business. Have a good rest of your day." He explains, hopping back into the car as guards come out from inside the building. They rushed over and quickly began taking things out from inside the back of the moving truck. Victor and Legna looked at each other and their smiles grew way bigger. They were ready! But, Dante rang in the back of their mind, as they wished he was here with them to experience this. But, they respected his wishes and were ready to accept that he wouldn't be here, but always supporting them from the side. The two waited outside until the guards were finished moving in their things. 

...

Dante took a small sip of his coffee, his eyes engrossed in his new book, a small slice of white cake next to his cup. It was covered in white icing and a bright red strawberry. He mouthed the words to himself as usual, as he grabbed a nearby fork and reached for the strawberry on top. He stuck the tip into it and lifted it into his mouth, taking small bites of it. He decided to sit the book down for a moment, as the sweetness of the strawberry with the added tartness of the small bit of icing distracted him from focusing on the contents of his book. As he ate his cake and drank his coffee, he wondered when he was gonna visit his family. His schedule is super filled with his classes, but maybe if he took a week off he'd have enough time. They were a city away, and taking a train would probably take about a day. He should probably schedule a visit around Valentine's Day, since he had nothing planned on that day. He also had to remember to say something ahead of time, so why not do it now? He went to reach for his phone, when his eyes traveled out the window he was sitting next to. Outside, near an old abandoned building, which he remembered was an old pizza shop. A man sat by it, black hair in front of his face, and he looked a little older. His clothes were dirty and tattered. Dante stared at him, something about him just kept Dante's attention, he didn't know what. He let out a soft sigh and stood, grabbing his book and putting it under his arm. He reached for the empty plate and coffee cup. He threw the items away and walked towards the counter. He quickly ordered a cup of coffee. After quickly paying, he rushed out in the direction of the man. He thought about if he would've done this any other time. No, but things were different. If anything dangerous were to go down, he was confident he could get out of it without any issues. With powers like his, confrontations like this were easy to get out of. He reached the man and held out the steaming hot cup of coffee.

"Here, it's pretty cold out here, thought you could use something to warm you up." He said, as the man raised his head and looked surprised at the offer. He stared at the cup for a moment and reached for it, taking it out of his hands. He lifted the cup and took a small sip out of it. 

Dante turned towards the city as people passed by, "So, what's your story? What're you doing out here? It's pretty cold." 

The man gave out a gritty laugh and shook his head, taking another sip of the coffee, "Don't worry about it kid, you're too young to understand what I'm going through." 

Dante frowned, "Try me."

He looked at him with a side eye, testing his drive. He sighed and looked at him, his blue eyes staring deep into him. "I didn't play by the rules." As that line slipped from the man, a sudden chill rushed through Dante's body, but he assumed it was due to the cold weather. He stepped a bit closer, "What does that mean?"

He lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes, "Just know kid, the heroic league doesn't let people stray from their established rules. You don't follow them, you're dead weight." Dante's eyes widened, and the man turned his head to the side. 

"I tried to fight back, but no one is gonna win a battle against the top people in the world…" Dante's heart picked up, and he felt the need to learn more. He opened his mouth, ready to press him for more information, but the man suddenly stood. He turned and walked off, "Thanks for the coffee kid." As he walked off, Dante was left confused. 

Who was this guy? How did he try and fight back against the Heroic League? What was so important and dangerous that he risked everything to try and expose it? These were the questions Dante was left with, and he didn't know what to do with them. He turned, ready to call out to the older man, but he had disappeared into the crowd, and he had no way to find him now. So he was now left with a bunch of questions and not enough answers. And what was he to do now? Just go on about his day like this conversation never happened? He had no other option, so he gripped his book tightly and turned, and began walking, hoping to head somewhere to take his mind off of everything that happened, though that would be almost impossible.

The night air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city. Dante walked through the dimly lit streets, his hands buried in his pockets, his mind a storm of thoughts. Ever since his encounter with that old man, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong with the Heroic League, or at least parts of it. If that man had risked everything to try and expose them, then just how deep did the corruption run?

Things like this were reasons he didn't trust the Heroic League, but they were nothing more than assumptions and gut feelings. Now, those things he had suspicions of, were almost confirmed. Things like that, were things he wanted to stop, but how would someone like him go about it? He didn't even know what was going on, and the only guy that DID he had no way of finding, not easily. He was stuck in his thoughts, but something cut through them.

A scream, loud but quiet due to the distance. His head quickly snapped to the sound, and without thinking he rushed over. His feet led him towards a nearby alleyway and he was about to the turn the corner, when voices popped out from the other side. He skidded to a stop and hugged the corner. He quickly peeked over, and a sight was presented to him.

A group of men surround a woman, who is clutching her purse tightly to her chest. The man in front had a small flame licking his palm, the small flame lightning up the dark alleyway, which made his sinister smile glow maniacally.

Dante clenched his fist, wanting to step in, but his gut held him back. What was he supposed to do? His powers weren't made for combat, at least that's what he thought. He was supposed to be able to fight someone who could easily burn him alive? This was something heroes were meant to handle, but clearly, no one was showing up. So, it was left up to him?

The woman cried, pleading as they inched closer and closer. She screamed at them to stay back, but they weren't listening, "Come now, just let us have the purse and we might not cook you alive." The man said, ready to reach for the purse. Dante didn't want to watch this and clenched his fists hard. 

And suddenly, "Hey!" The men looked over, and Dante walked out front the corner, his heart beating against his chest. The men laughed and pointed, "And what do we have here? A wannabe hero huh? Let me guess, you're gonna be this woman's knight and shining armor?" He asked, challenging if Dante had the guts to step in. Dante walked up and between the two of them. The woman blinked and hid behind him, her hand lingering on his arm. He pressed his lips into a thin line, and the thugs could sense his nervousness.

"Fine, you're funeral then!" He screamed, as the fire in his hand grew in size and he drew his arm back. Dante exhaled and was ready, as his fist came rushing out, a ball of flames roaring from his hand and rushing towards them. Dante quickly turned and grabbed the woman by her shoulders, pulling her out of the way as the fireball crashed into the wall behind them, setting it ablaze as the two rolled on the ground. Dante covered her, hitting the ground at full force. 

Once recovered he quickly helped her up, "Now run!!" He shouted as she was now on her feet. She hesitated a bit, her eyes flicking between her escape route and Dante. She nodded and quickly ran. The man turned and smirked, "Oh no you don't!!" He clenched his fist, fire roaring from his fist. 

Dante's eyes widened and now was his chance. He shot his hand out, and power surged from his fingertips as a purple outline glowed from his body, his eyes turning a purple hue. Suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks and turned towards Dante. He was confused, if he was right there, where was he aiming? He shrugged it off and aimed his fiery punch towards Dante. He quickly rolled under his attack, before quickly sloppily blocking a kick from one of his henchmen. He was shoved backward onto his back. He quickly rolled out of the way of a stomp. As he rolled, he quickly rose to his knees as they were all in his sights. He had never done this before and didn't know the consequences, but it was worth a shot. Power surged through his body, as they all froze. They all looked confused as Dante felt his vision blur as he turned towards the nearby fire exit and forced his body to grab onto the bars and pull himself up. As he climbed, his muscles screamed for rest, but he didn't have time yet. He reached the top of the building and lay on the roof, breathing heavily. After a short rest, he rose and looked down, the men all arguing, questioning why they were in the alley. He stood on his feet and looked to the side, the cold air blowing through his hair. He hoped that woman was alright, but a thought lingered in his mind. He wondered if he should've erased his face from her memory, in case she went and told someone about him. He shook his head, he had no right to mess with someone's memories like that, not the innocent. He reached for his phone and quickly called the police, giving them a tip about some thugs in this alley. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the roof. He wanted to make sure they didn't leave, and if they tried, he would just erase their memory whenever they tried to leave. 

And to make the police job easier, he should restore their memory of what happened, so they don't act super confused when getting arrested.

After a while, Dante felt the fatigue hit him hard, he found himself barely able to keep his eyes open, and at times he would forget why he was there just to remember shortly after. His eyes rolled over at the incoming red and blue lights, and knew he the work was done. He stood and waved his hand, quickly giving the thugs their memories back before erasing his presence in case there were some kind of police cameras somewhere on them. He quickly left on a different fire escape and landed on his feet, nearly falling over. He hoped he was able to make it back to his dorm before he passed out.

As he walked, his mind was replaying the stunt he pulled. He couldn't lie, he liked it. This way of doing things, on his own accord, with no one telling him what to do. This was how he wanted to be a hero, this was his definition of a hero. Someone who would and could help people whenever they could. Only probably was that today showed him two problems.

One, his body clearly had a limit, which means he can't constantly go around constantly erasing memories of people he fights. He needs a way to conceal his identity, which cuts down on his use of his memory manipulation. He'll obviously use it in combat, since that was his main source of power.

And second, he needed to be stronger. He knows his body was enhanced after gaining his powers, but this clearly wasn't enough. He felt like if any of those attacks hit him, he would've been down for the count. So, he needs to find a way to get stronger.

He wasn't ready, but he was on the right track…