June 5th, 2018. 10:45 AM.

  Elio’s face begins to trickle with sweat as he shadowboxes in a sunlit clearing on a park lawn, his fists slicing through the air, each strike snapping back as fast as they’re released. Veins bulge on his neck and forehead as his jaw clenches, he takes a deep breath and presses his palms together. He notices his body sweating; “Holy shit, I just realized how hard I’ve been practicing. I never sweat like this from simple training!” Elio stops and looks at his phone.

  “I’ve been training for ten hours straight. I can eat later, for now, I gotta keep going!” Elio pepped himself. He put his phone in his pocket and continued training; “Elio! What are you doing out here?” Elio turns around upon hearing the voice, he sees Gastronaut approaching him, his body language showing a friendly attitude.

  “Gastronaut…” Elio takes a deep breath as he stops training; “...what’s up?” “I was asked by Nasuka to go look for you, she told me she wants to meet you.” “Oh, really?” Elio asks as his body relaxes. “Actually, this works in my favor. I can prolly learn more about her by speaking to her personally.” Elio pondered in realization. “Well, alright then. That sounds good to me!” “That’s great to hear, but first…” Gastronaut fans some air away from his face; “You need to get yourself cleaned up! You smell like Mig’s breath, what are you even training for that needs you to smell like that?” He asks, still fanning the air from his face.

  “Oh, you see, I’m a very paranoid person, so I’ve been training non-stop to prepare for the execution, that way in case Ray escapes, I’ll be ready for it. He’s a shifty one, y’know?” Elio explained. Gastronaut scoffs; “Tell me about it. Topic aside, let’s get going, this heat’s atrocious.” Gastronaut beckons while beginning to leave the park, Elio tails after him.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 12:00 PM.

  A phone begins to ring on a polished mahogany desk, its blaring gets interrupted when a woman’s hand picks it up. “Speak.” She demanded with an annoyed and authoritative tone. “Mayor Khatri, we need your decision on the budget-” “You handle it. I’m already swamped enough, dealing with Ray’s execution. “But ma’am-” “Just make a decision and let me know later!” Nasuka barked at the caller. The caller hangs up, Nasuka groans irritably, pressing her hands on her forehead; “These calls never end, I need a vacation after this…”

  The moment she mutters those words, the phone blares again, she presses the button; “Ms. Khatri, Elio King is here to see you.” Nasuka’s eyes immediately light up as she hears his name. “Send him in right away!” She demands, after a few seconds, Elio steps inside of the office.

  Elio glances around for a second to take in the interior, her office, a spacious room adorned with elegant Indian decor. Rich tapestries in vibrant colors of crimson and gold hang from the walls, depicting scenes of traditional Indian life and mythology. Her desk dominates the center of the room, accompanied by plush chairs upholstered in silk brocade with intricate patterns of paisleys and flowers. The floor, covered with a luxurious Persian rug, its deep hues of blue and red complementing the warm tones of the furniture. Brass lamps and figurines of Hindu deities adorn the shelves, casting a soft, ambient glow.

  Nasuka takes in Elio’s appearance, her eyes quickly turn into disappointment as she pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. Elio tilts his head in confusion; “Did I do something wrong? I was expecting that the person in charge of the city would be more happy to see the dude who took down your city’s worst criminal. But alright then-” “I thought you’d be older.” Nasuka answered bluntly as she pouted in frustration.

  Elio quickly gets annoyed by her attitude, as well as what he knows of her. “Ray, I’m making DAMN sure I’m saving you! Then I’m getting this city a better mayor, cause who does this bitch think she is?” Elio takes a deep breath; “Rather picky about your heroes, not that I care. Anyway, what exactly do you wanna speak with me about?” He asked calmly while crossing his arms.

  “I’ll be honest…” Nasuka looks away, feeling embarrassed; “The reason I thought you’d be older was because I was hoping I’d be able to have a quick break from my work and maybe have a date.” As she explains, Elio slumps his shoulders forward, groaning in annoyance. “Seriously?” Elio asked irritably.

  “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you don’t have needs!” Nasuka retorted. Elio responds by looking off to the side; “I’m seventeen, I don’t have needs… besides, I’ve had a rather complex dating history.” He explained, his voice softer. “And I’d rather not get into that…” He thought.

  “So, is that all you wanted me to show up here for, or… is there something else? What about my peace prize?” Elio shrugged his hands upon asking. “Oh, that. I apologize if this sounds distasteful, but I’ve decided your ceremony will be at the same time of the execution…” As Nasuka keeps explaining, Elio stands in a daze. “You’ve gotta be kidding me! What’s with this person?! Holding an award ceremony while having Ray killed?! Actually, wait, this might be good for me. I could use this to ask some questions. Yeah, I’ll do just that.” He pondered while waiting for Nasuka to finish explaining everything he wasn’t listening to.

  “I see…” Elio gives a quick, superficial response; “Also, about earlier, I’m actually pretty hungry. You think we could grab something to eat?” He asked in an attempt to steer the topic to something else. “This kid didn’t listen to a word I said. And did he seriously ask me to go out with him? I bet my soul he doesn’t want to pay either. Whatever, I guess it’s the least I could do since he brought Ray’s living status to light and even took him down.” Nasuka pondered irritably before sighing.

  “Alright then, but I’m inviting Gastronaut and Guerilla, I don’t trust you completely.” “That works for me, I just need food right now.” Elio responded before perching on the desk; “But since I stopped Ray, I get to decide where we eat, got it?” Elio demanded while pointing to himself.

  “Fine, that’s fair…” “His initiative is annoying me, but then again, this might be due to how long I’ve been in control of Mig, Gastronaut, and Guerilla. Perhaps he’ll either grow on me, or if I’m lucky, he’ll do what I say.” She sighs. “Alright, cool!” Elio responds while taking his phone out and typing his number. “Just give me a call when you’re ready!” He sets it on the table.

  Nasuka doesn’t say a word, she just writes it down. “Peace!” Elio said as he nabbed his phone back after she wrote down the last digit and began leaving. “Wait, you’re just leaving right now?” “I’m tired, I wanna nap before getting dinner.” Elio leaves after answering, not letting Nasuka have the chance to respond.

  He walks past Gastronaut while tapping his shoulder; “I’ll see ya around, slugger.” “Hey, watch the hard R, but yeah, take care, Elio.” Gastronaut replied.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 1:45 PM.

  Elio climbs back up the attic, carrying a plastic bag; “Yo, Julia, I got the drink you wanted.” Elio calls out, grabbing the bottle and tossing it. “Thanks.” Julia catches the bottle. “I’m guessing something happened while you were out and that’s why you needed to talk with me here?” “Exactly right!” Elio answered as he closed the attic.

  Elio cracks open a can of beer, taking a quick drink; “So I ran into Gastronaut while I was training, turns out Nasuka wanted to see me.” “What did she say to you?” “She’s having my peace prize ceremony right before Ray’s execution, so even if we don’t know the exact date, we’ll know once it goes live. Also, even better, I have a dinner date, so I’ll be able to gather a bit more info since she’ll be having Gastronaut and Guerilla as bodyguards. I think I’m on Gastronaut’s good side, so I’ll possibly be able to sway him to telling me some more.” He explained.

  “Eww...” Julia answered while opening her sports drink bottle and taking a sip, she exhales. “Though I will say, I wasn’t expecting an opportunity like this. You should definitely capitalize on what you said about being on Gastronaut’s good side. If what you’re saying is true, then I say go for it, cause you’ll need all the extra info you can get before you try to save Ray.” Sje added.

  “Yeah…” Elio answered softly while looking at the floor. “Are you alright?” “A little… I’m just super on edge. I’ve been training like hell, and I’m confident in my skills, but what has me worried is that I feel like I’ve been reckless with how I’ve been handling things.” “I’m guessing it’s not just betraying Ray that’s had you feeling like that, right?” Julia asked.

  “Exactly, I’ve actually been feeling this way for a couple of years now. I won’t say exactly what caused it, it started before I even met Reggie, but it’s been super prominent ever since I took him in. I fear so much for others safety, I end up acting out of emotion, rather than rationality, and then I end up putting others in danger or hurting them. I can only imagine how much Ray’s hurting from my betrayal, cause that cut me like a knife. Even if I save him, I don’t expect him to forgive me, but as long as he’s ok, I’m fine.” Elio vented before taking another drink of his beer.

  “Yeah…” Julia pauses to take a sip before continuing; “By the way, I’m sorry with what I said, when I yelled at you up here. I-” “No, it’s fine…” Elio interrupted. “Don’t apologize, it’s something I need to work on. I can’t call myself a hero if I just hurt others, what I did was cowardly. There’s a difference between a hero and a coward, both are afraid of dying, but heroes fight despite the fear while cowards weasel their way out of a bad situation without the regard of others. That’s what makes courage, and I didn’t live up to that.” He explained.

  Julia looks down at the floor; “Right…” She remembers how Elio started tearing up; “...those let me know you were being genuine. Damn, now I feel myself trying to fight back those tears again.” Julia paused as she could feel herself about to say ‘sorry’ again.

  “Elio…” “Yeah?” He looked up before noticing Julia put her hand on his shoulder. “Just do your best and come back with Ray, alright?” She asked softly while having a soulful look in her eyes. Elio pushes his shades up, looking back at her before giving her a nod. “I promise.”

  Julia smiles; “Good!” She replied with enthusiasm. “I believe in you, if you were able to beat Ray, then you can save him just as easily!” She takes her hand off his shoulder and steps back, giving him some space. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right!” Elio stands up and jabs a hole in the side of his beer can, shotgunning it down quickly, wiping his face when he’s done.

  “I guess I just needed those words of encouragement!” He continued as he pressed the can against his head, crushing it before throwing it away. Elio presses his fists against each other; “Nasuka, Mig Acrid, Guerilla, and Gastronaut are going down! That promise is becoming reality!” He declared as he pounded his fists, creating a small spark from the heat generated.

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  Julia begins to grin from ear-to-ear, knowing that Ray has another chance at being saved; “I know I was trying to be realistic a few days ago, but I’m starting to feel that realistically, you don’t have a chance at failing. Thank you, Elio.” Julia cheerfully replies. “Of course! Well, I better head out and get in some more training before this date! Cya around, Julia!” Elio taps her shoulder with the back of his hand before opening the attic; “Bye Elio!” Julia waved. Elio hops out and starts leaving the restaurant.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 6:00 PM.

  Elio steps inside the restaurant for dinner, dressed impeccably in a sleek black blazer, complemented by crisp black dress pants. His green button-up adds to the sophistication while freshly polished black shoes complete his ensemble. He looks around, taking in the warm and inviting ambience: rich mahogany tables with crisp white tablecloths, soft candlelight casting a warm gentle glow, walls adorned with classic Italian artwork, and shelves lined with fine wine bottles. The ceiling boasts elegant chandeliers, while the aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering sauces fill the air, creating a sense of luxury.

  He quickly spots where Nasuka’s sitting, thanks to Gastronaut wearing his signature space helmet, and Guerilla still wearing his outfit. Elio decides to make his presence known, in a graceful whirl, Elio performs acrobatic moves, creating fluid and elegant movements as he twirls toward the dinner table. Upon arriving, Elio draws a crimson rose, presenting it for her, he takes off his shades; “Hey.” He said alluringly. “Take the damn rose!” He shouted internally, trying to mask his frustration.

  Nasuka is momentarily startled by his performance, with a sudden shift in focus and heightened awareness. She exhibits signs of nervousness from it as she avoids eye contact before reluctantly taking the rose; “T-thank you…” Nasuka hesitantly responds with a hint of happiness in her voice. “My pleasure!” Elio replied. “That’s the last gift you’ll be getting for a long time, so cherish it.” Elio barked internally.

  He sits down in a chair, leaning his neck back. “Anyway, what’s up, Gastronaut, Guerilla? How y’all doing?” Elio asks, lifting his arm up for a quick wave; “Fine, as you’d expect, keeping watch.” Guerilla answered before standing guard. “Cool, how ‘bout you, Gastronaut?” “...” Gastronaut doesn’t respond, all that's is a faint snoring sound.

  Guerilla instantly takes notice and reacts by striking Gastronaut in the side with the back of his rifle; “Look alive.” He ordered. Gastronaut wakes up; “Huh- oh. Hey Elio, when did you get here?” “Gastronaut, you’re the worst bodyguard in history…” Nasuka muttered irritably as she grit her teeth.

  “Just now. Oh, and I was asking how you’ve been.” “Oh, tired. I wanna go to sleep-” “Gastronaut, just do your job!” Nasuka barked, interrupting him. Gastronaut holds both of his hands up; “Aight then.” He answered. “Believe me, I don’t wanna be here either.” Elio thought as he looked at the menu. He letsout a low whistle; “It all sounds so good…” Elio gets lost, thinking about what he wants.

  “Please, order whatever you want, Elio. It’s on me.” Nasuka informs him in a seemingly more upbeat tone, still flattered with his performance. “Alright, I know what I want.” Elio then leans back on his chair; “Hey, waiter, I’m ready!” He calls out as he waved.

  “No manners…” Guerilla commented under his breath as the waiter comes over. “I’ll get three orders of the tortellini with brown butter and sage, please.” Nasuka immediately raised an eyebrow with a bit of an offended look on her face. “THREE?! I would’ve been less irritated if you ordered the most expensive item, but you’re demanding three orders?!” She thought. Guerilla remains completely silent and professional while Gastronaut lets out a small chuckle; “My fault.” Gastronaut says as the waiter leaves.

  “By the way, I forgot to ask this earlier, but why’s Mig not here?” Elio asked casually, all three of them stay silent for a few seconds before Gastronaut and Nasuka both turn to look at Guerilla. “Guerilla?” They ask in unison. “Mig prefers eating alone, Elio. I’m sure right now, he’s locked away in his room, eating his dinner with the lights off.” “That’s strange, but I ain’t gonna question it.” “Thank you.” Guerilla nodded.

  “Something’s definitely up. Why were those two so surprised by that question? Is he not actually eating? Damn, it’s like the more I try to do something, the more I gotta investigate new shit!” Elio wondered.

  Elio continues to lean back, lost in thought; “Shit, I’m so hellbent on saving Ray, I almost forgot about Reggie! What am I gonna do about him after I finish this up? It’s been four days since he got his surgery, so it’s likely he won’t transform, but I’m still paranoid about that… this is such a pain.” Elio questioned, not even aware that all three plates he ordered are in front of him.

  “Elio.” Guerilla says sternly; “Huh- oh! Oh, I didn’t even know it came out already! Sorry ‘bout that, I was so lost in thought.” Elio said before grabbing a fork and eating his food. “So… Elio, why did you come here to Violet Paradise? Surely you didn’t come here for me-” “Pfft, nah.” Elio cut her off, accidentally letting out a laugh. Gastronaut closes his eyes and stifles a laugh; “I’m so glad that I was allowed to keep this helmet on, I don’t know how people would react if they could see my face.”

  Elio finishes his plate and kicks back; “Elio, why did you order all that if you’re only going to finish the one?” “The other two are for your bodyguards.” Elio answered Nasuka casually while waving his hand. “That’s nice of you, but we have to stand guard.” Guerilla informed, though his tone showed that he's grateful. “Well, then Elio, you take my place while I eat, alright?” Gastronaut suggested.

  "Yeah, no problem, dig in. Then you can keep watch while Guerilla eats.“ “I ate before we left, you can have both plates, Gastronaut.” Guerilla gestured with his gun. Gastronaut pops his lens up; “Sweet, thanks!” He happily slung both of his arms toward the plates and got started on eating them. Nasuka let out a disgusted scoff at his eating manners.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 6:35 PM.

  Ray sits with his back leaned against the wall, locked up in a lonely cell with his arms cuffed, surrounded by the feeling of suffocation, isolation, and powerlessness. The air stale, the walls closed in, amplifying the echoes of his thoughts; “I don’t know how much I can keep going on with this. I’m tired…” His movements are restricted, every moment elongates in a disorienting blend of fear and resignation. The metal cuffs dig into his wrists, a constant reminder of his confinement as they drain his power.

  He suddenly hears the footsteps of someone coming by, he tilts his head to gaze out the cell, staring at the high-tech interior, the sleek, minimalist architecture with stainless steel and reinforced glass surfaces. LED lighting illuminating the corridor lined with high-definition surveillance cameras. His cell door is made with reinforced composite materials with electronic locks.

  “It’s like being in that damn attic, so dark, so lonely… I just wanna be able to go outside and enjoy life again, and the one time I do go outside, I’m right back inside again. I wanna hang out with Julia without needing her to climb inside the attic.” Ray’s mind wanders as he continues to look out the cell.

  “Are you doing ok, Ray?” “I know that voice…” Ray muttered As the steps got closer, Mig stared him down from outside the cell. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you doing ok?” He asked while biting down on a piece of meat, taking out a huge chunk. Ray chooses not to answer, not wishing to succumb to any possible form of taunting, he then notices what Mig’s eating and does a double take. “Wait… is that…” Ray asked himself as he took a closer look.

  Mig’s sharp teeth tear through the flesh effortlessly as his powerful jaws crunch bones and sinew. Each bite is purposeful, extracting maximum nutrition as he relishes in the taste and scent of blood. “A human arm?!” Ray stared in horror. “So all those times when Mig wasn’t present and I was only fighting the other two, he wasn’t eating regular food and being lazy, he was hiding that he was eating people?!” Ray tries to avoid puking; “Oh my God…”

  “Anyway, the reason I’m here is because Nasuka tasked me with taking your last meal request.” He explained, his voice muffled due to still gnawing on the arm. “You better pick something good, that’s all I can say.” Mig goaded as he swallowed a piece of flesh.

  “Elio… why would you choose to side with them? These monsters?” Ray asked in sadness before taking a deep breath. “No… that’s fine. I don’t want a last meal request.” He answered quietly. “That’s a shame. Oh well, I’ll tell Nasuka when she gets back from whatever restaurant she’s out at. Bye Ray.” Mig waved casually as he begins walking away, crunching on the bone.

  As his footsteps become more faint, Ray slumps his head forward, feeling nauseous and weak as he vomits onto the floor in front of him, his body retching as his abdomen contracts. His body feels slight relief afterward, but he’s left uncomfortable and emotionally distressed.

  “All those times I was kept hidden from this city, if Julia, Carlos, or everybody else at the restaurant were discovered to have been hiding me, what would happen to them? Would they be killed and fed to Mig?! The thought is leaving me worried about what might’ve been. And Elio… I hate superheroes.” Ray reflected in silence as he leaned back against the wall, breathing with his mouth to avoid smelling his own throw up.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 8:45 PM.

  After dinner, a limousine begins driving through the gates of a mansion. Elio looks out the window to see its exterior boast a grand facade with intricately carved stone columns and a sweeping staircase leading to double mahogany doors. Tall, arched windows with stained glass panels reflecting the light from the city’s lights. The large front lawn is impeccably manicured, dotted with sculpted hedges and colorful flower beds. A marble fountain at the center adds a touch of elegance, surrounded by classical statues.

  “This place is nice, but I couldn’t imagine living here. So much land that I’d have to pay to keep, I’d never be able to get anything done. I wonder how Maxi’s lodge is doing? I can’t lie, I’m already feeling homesick and I haven’t even been away from it for a full week.” Elio wondered while he leans his head back, staring at the view.

  As the limousine pulls forward and parks, a butler opens the door for Nasuka, she steps out as Elio gets out as well, followed by Gastronaut and Guerilla, Elio then does some stretching, his bones making popping sounds. “Well, I had fun, dinner was really good. I still make better food though.” Elio commented.

  “You never mentioned anything about being a cook this whole night, Elio.” Gastronaut replied. “Nah, I’m serious, trust me, I’ve been told by chefs in Gull’s Bay that I could open up my own restaurant.” “Aight, I’ll take your word for it.” Gastronaut holds his hands up.

  “Oh good, you’re back.” Mig called out as he began walking down one of the mansion walls, his body completely horizontal. “She’s all yours, Mig.” Gastronaut responded. Mig starts walking on the floor; “Of course. Let’s go, Nasuka.” Mig gestures for the doors.

  “Right, but before that…” Nasuka turns to look at Elio, she smiles widely; “I had a really fun time tonight, I hope we can do it again sometime.” Elio side-eyes her; “Yeah, sounds good to me.” Nasuka giggles before making her way into her mansion.

  “Finally, the shift’s over. That was so damn boring.” Guerilla said suddenly, catching Elio by surprise. “Oh, what the hell? I didn’t know that the professionalism was just an act by him. He sounds so much more casual!”

  Guerilla takes off his headgear, his face bores the weathered lines of experience he’s had as a hero, etched deeply around his piercing eyes. Across his rugged features, faint, yet visible, are scars that tell stories of his past battles. Thin lines tracing across his cheekbone, a jagged mark along his jawline, and a faded, but noticeable indentation above his brow, each scar a testament to his resilience and the challenges he had faced.

  “I’m ready to go when you are.” “I’m ready.” Gastronaut replied before looking at Elio. “Guerilla and I are gonna goof off, you wanna come with?” “Huh? Oh, sure, I’m down. What’re we doing?” “Not sure, we just like going around, seeing what there is to do.” Guerilla answered as he shrugs his shoulders.

  “Count me in then!” “Cool! Let’s get going!” Gastronaut said excitedly as he began walking and beckoned for Elio to follow them.