Hero Awakening: Shadow Vanguard

Michael Black

It was night, the dull light from the crescent moon, aided with the faint light of stars, poorly illuminated the dark streets. Being the most popular boy in one of the prominent Elite high schools was a rather demanding unpaid job.

Michael sat on the rooftop of his family house, his eighteenth birthday party had just concluded and while there was a mountain of gifts in front of him, he was only interested in one. His best friend, Daniel Hardwood laid unconscious at the far end of the roof, while guests and well wishers left the premises until it was only the two of them left.

This was the night he opened Pandora's box, the only gift his father had left him before his death. He was the son of the most renowned superhero in town, and while his parents had powers that granted them superhuman strength, Michael had been born with no supernatural abilities.

At first, none of that mattered to him. In the world he lived in, only two percent of the population were able to awaken supernatural powers, and just two years ago, his best friend had become one of the awakened humans. Only he knew about this, not even Daniel's parents were aware of the development. Daniel hadn't been the only awakened individual, about five percent of the population had somehow also awakened superpowers, and this sudden development had thrown the city of Geo into complete chaos. Crime rates had increased exponentially, and rogue awakened individuals had begun to harass the unawakened masses.

Michael felt safe with Daniel around, however, in the absence of his friend, he knew that protecting himself against beings with superhuman abilities would be nearly impossible. That reason alone had thrown Michael into a state of mild depression. He felt incompetent, the son of the most powerful superheroes had been born without any powers.

"Hey...."

The voice had stopped his involuntary stargazing and brought him back to his environment. Daniel was up and had been standing over him for a while now, yet he hadn't noticed. He turned towards his friend and forced a smile before returning his gaze to stars in the sky.

"What's on your mind? It's your birthday, don't be so gloomy all the time." Daniel chastised as he pulled his sad friend up to his feet. "I know you miss them, but I'm here for you. I'll never leave, I promise."

Michael chuckled lightly before giving his friend a pat on the shoulder for his support. "I know you won't.." He drawled and Daniel smiled weakly.

"It's two in the morning, you should get some rest before dawn." Daniel advised, but it didn't seem like his friend was listening.

Michael picked up as many presents as he could before he turned to reply to his friend. "There's something I have to do, I'll likely go to bed after that. Don't wait for me though, you're free to sleep whenever you want."

"Are you kidding?" Daniel said in obvious protest. "There's no way I'm going to bed when you're still awake. Who's going to protect you if a burglar sneaks in?"

"You're not a superhero, Daniel. You don't have to protect me." Michael answered curtly before descending down the stairs to the attic. If it wasn't for him and his childhood trauma, Daniel would have likely enrolled into the heroes scheme by now. It was a government program that recruited awakened individuals into an institution created for them specifically. There, they were trained to master their abilities, and depending on their performance, hero licenses were awarded.

Unlike him, Daniel had always shown interest in being a hero since they were little. Once, Michael Black loved the thrill and excitement that came from watching his parents save people. However, after they'd been killed by an escaped S ranked villain, he had lost his thrill in heroism. To him, heroes were fools who had no value for their lives. Throwing themselves in front of danger recklessly for a society that complains nonstop of how much of a nuisance they were.

"I know I'm not a hero, but I'm your friend, and I'm going to save you with or without my powers." Daniel said with a proud grin as he chased after his friend into the basement. For a while, Daniel was confused, but after a minute of intense thinking, he hurried after the fleeting image of his friend in the dark.

The basement used to be the base of operation of the Blacks, the two most powerful superheroes Geo had ever known. Michael never went down there, he hadn't been down there in seven years, so the sudden decision to finally visit the one place he despised the most had left Daniel a bit awestruck.

"Is everything alright?" Daniel asked the moment the bulbs came alive. He had never been down here before, but Michael had told him a lot of stories about what used to be his parents "lair."

"2-9-0-4-2-0-0-0-4." Michael called out as he imputed the password of the door before them. "There's something I have to find. A black box." He replied to Daniel who merely dropped the gifts in his hand and raced inside the now open room. Although it hadn't been used for nearly a decade, it was still in perfect condition.

"Welcome, Mr Black." An electronic voice welcomed the moment the boys stepped inside. There was a low subtle hum from the running computers in the room. The walls, unlike the rest of the house, were constructed with platinum, and its silver color added a subtle, yet regal and opulent atmosphere to the room. The armory showcased an impressive arsenal of high-tech suits, gadgets, and weaponry, each meticulously designed for different missions and purposes.

"Don't get carried away, we're looking for a black box remember? My father said it would be here waiting for me on my eighteenth birthday." Michael said to his friend who had become distracted by the sight before him.

Pulling himself back to reality, Daniel got back to helping his friend search for this mysterious black box.

After spending half an hour on an unfruitful search, the two friends fell down to the floor in exhaustion. Their eyes were heavy with sleep, and neither of them had the energy to look anymore. Although Michael understood that his father would probably not leave something he termed the "Pandora's box," in the open, he had no idea where he might have hidden it too. Unlike him, his father had the mentality of a superhero. And believed that someday, villains would attack his home and steal away this valuable box.

"....can't we continue in the morning?" Daniel inquired while he struggled to keep his eyelids open. Despite the fact that his body metabolised a lot quicker than the average human, the alcohol he had consumed was yet to leave his system. He might be a year older than Michael, but his friend clearly had a higher tolerance for alcohol than he did.

"I'll keep searching, you should get some rest." Michael replied before getting up once more to continue his search. Once again, Daniel rose to oppose his friend, but this time, he wasn't successful. His body was far too heavy, and before he could make a move, he was fast asleep on the cold floor.

"Andrometa?" Michael called out abstractly.

"Yes Mr Black?" The electronic voice of the artificial intelligent system of the room replied.

"Show me the Pandora's box." Michael demanded

Suddenly, hidden mechanisms hummed to life and in the middle of the room, a sleek table slowly ascended from the titanium floor. Slowly it reconstructed itself with a precision that could only be achieved through advanced engineering. .

As it reached its full height, a small black box materialized atop its smooth silver surface. Excitedly, Michael tried to reach for the box, but an invisible force stopped him from reaching any further than an inch.

"Access Denied!" Andrometa repeated each time the boy tried to reach for the box.

Frustrated, Michael slammed his fist into the invisible barrier, and while it seemed like he was punching air, it felt as though he was punching solid concrete. Soon his knuckles began to bleed, and all of a sudden, Andrometa's electronic voice filled the atmosphere.

"Access granted!"

Without hesitation, Michael reached out to the small box with his bleeding hand and snatched it off the table instantly.

"To reach for the box, you must show that you're a true Black." Michael recalled his father's words, and suddenly it made sense. He likely needed to provide some sort of DNA identification. If he had known that, he would have simply provided his saliva instead of shattering the bones in his hand.

With the box in hand, Michael searched for a lid but found none. However, what he found was a fingerprint scanner just by the side. With a deep breath, he pressed his thumb against the scanner, and in the instant, blinding rays of light consumed the entire room. Michael could feel the heat of the box burning through his palm, but no matter how much he tried to drop the box, it wouldn't budge.

"ANDROMETA!!! MAKE IT STOP!!" He screamed out, but the system completely ignored him. He screamed out to his friend, but just like the artificial intelligence, he was completely ignored. The pain was slowly becoming unbearable, and slowly Michael could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Is this death?" He questioned himself as he felt the bones in his knees suddenly lose strength. "I'm going...to die..?"