Elio decides to make small talk as they leave the mansion; “Quick question, what do y’all think about Nasuka?” Guerilla immediately stops walking and groans while grimacing. “Elio, I feel bad for you. Any Earthling that’s strong, she tries getting good with. I know she told you that she wishes you were older, but she feels so lonely, that she practically forgot about that.” “Oh gross, what the fuck?” Elio reacted, stepping back in disgust.

  Guerilla then grabs a cigarette out of his pocket and flicks it into the air, he then snipes the head of it, lighting it before catching it and taking a puff. “Ever since she lost her son, Advik, she’s been super lonely, six years. I wanna feel bad, but the way she goes about it is so poor.” Gastronaut explained before continuing while slinging his arm over to Guerilla and wrapping it on his shoulder. “Seriously, Guerilla’s had it BAD. I’ve seen it a few times, she does shit like resting her head on his shoulder when she vents, I think one time, she literally unbuttoned her top-” “By ‘one time,’ you mean every time.” Guerilla cut him off, giving a side-eye.

  “E-every time?” Elio asked, dumbfounded. “Every time.” Guerilla said before taking a puff. “It’s one of the reasons I started smoking.” “Lord, have mercy.” Elio shook his head; “That has to be annoying.” “You have no idea.” Guerilla replied. Gastronaut notices a nearby movie theater; “Hey guys, what about the movies? Infinity War is still in theaters, we haven’t found the time to see it yet, Guerilla.” He suggested, wanting to steer clear from having to deal with Guerilla getting stressed.

  “Oh right, we were gonna see that. Elio, are you fine with that?” “Yeah, I already saw it, but I don’t really mind seeing it again.” Elio answered while crossing his arms. “It came out almost two months ago, so the screening shouldn’t even be that packed.” “That’s a good point, Elio. Aight then, it’s settled, we’re watching that.” Gastronaut answered.

  Guerilla takes out his card and hands it to Gastronaut; “Buy me a ticket, I’m gonna finish smoking this first. I’ll join you two after I grab my popcorn.” “Got it! Let’s go, Elio.” Gastronaut began walking inside with Elio following suit.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 11:20 PM.

  “Yeah, Hulk fucking sucked.” Guerilla commented as they left the screening before taking a sip of his soda. “I told you. Same dude who fought the U.S. Military, now look at him.” Elio replies. “I liked the Stan Lee cameo. I thought that was charming to see." “It’s funny, but for the ten-year buildup, the cameo was a bit underwhelming.” Gastronaut replied. “I can see that. By the way, Elio, what was your favorite cameo from the saga?” “Definitely the Guardians 2 cameo, the idea of him being a Watcher Informant is so goofy, it just works.” Elio answered.

  Gastronaut has a light laugh. “I forgot, that one’s really good. I think my favorite’s the one from Ultron.” “Oh, the one where he steals Thor’s booze and gets fucking wasted? That one’s a good third for me.” “I’m guessing second place is when he’s a cyborg barber?” “Bingo!” Elio snapped his finger.

  “My list is probably the same thing. But uh… yeah, pretty good movie. I probably wouldn’t watch it again, but yeah.” “Agreed, anyway, what are you up for now, Guerilla? It’s your turn to choose now.” “Hmm… Well, I didn’t eat that much popcorn, and I skipped dinner at the restaurant, so I'm pretty hungry. Elio, you said back on the porch that you could open your own restaurant, according to chefs. You think we could try out some of your cooking?” Guerilla asked.

  Elio’s face lights up as he dons a grin; “You made possibly one of the best decisions of your life just now. Where’s the nearest store- wait, are any of the grocery stores open?” “Nah, but given our status, we can just waltz right in, grab some stuff, and we’ll be good as long as we leave money on the counter.” Gastronaut answered. “Oh, alright, then let’s go.” Elio responded. Guerilla beckons for him to follow him and Gastronaut.

  * * *

  June 5th, 2018. 11:35 PM.

  As they get to the grocery store, Elio heads inside, slipping through an unlocked back door, careful to avoid triggering the bell to jingle. He moves quickly, grabbing tons of essentials; a water jug, vegetables, broth, beef, flour, dairy, seasoning, pots, utensils, and some alcohol. Remembering each price tag on each shelf, Elio lays down the amount of money from Guerilla’s wallet that he calculated, right onto a counter. He quickly leaves the building, carrying all the stuff he grabbed, he then treks down the road to the building that he’s to meet them at.

  He looks up at the tall building; “HEY! GASTRONAUT, I GOT THE STUFF! HURRY AND CARRY THESE UP!” He called out, getting his attention. Gastronaut walks over to the edge of the roof; “Got it!” He responds, jumping off the building and using his jetpack to make him land safely. He claps his hands, making each bag float in the air before grabbing onto Elio and making both he and himself weightless.

  “Here we go.” Gastronaut said as he uses his jetpack to make them fly all the way up to the roof. He sets Elio down before flying back to grab the bags, coming back up in mere seconds and setting them down as well.

  Elio clasps his hands; “Alright, watch me work my magic!” He shouts excitedly as he starts laying out the ingredients before getting to work.

  He heats up a large saucepan, combining water, potatoes, carrots, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, and garlic before sprinkling salt and beef bouillon over the mixture. As he covers the pot with a lid, Guerilla looks at his wallet; “Geez, how much did you spend?! This better be worth it!” “Don’t worry, you’ll love it!” Elio responded while brushing his hand. “If you say so…” Guerilla responds, taking his word with a grain of salt.

  Elio continues cooking, heating up a skillet, cooking the beef until it’s brown and draining it afterward. He then stirs the cooked beef and two cups of milk in the pot, heating it through before combining another half cup of milk with all-purpose flour, stirring it until it becomes smooth. He reduces the heat, stirring for a few minutes until the soup thickens. Gastronaut watches intently as Elio puts American cheese into the pot and begins stirring until it melts, topping it off by seasoning it with cayenne.

  “Alright, y’all enjoy!” Elio announced excitedly as he filled up a bowl for each of them. Guerilla takes in the smell, exhaling through his mouth quickly; “Whew! That smells great!” He comments as he grabs his bowl and spoon. He takes one bite and immediately his eyes widen, he tastes the burst of flavors, amazed by how well-cooked the soup is; “This soup is like firing a gun loaded with flavor!”

  He begins taking more bites; “Each spoonful is hitting me with a blast of cheese, spice, savory beef, and vegetables! It’s an explosion of taste with each bite!” His mind raced as he continues eating, not even realizing that he had already finished his bowl. “This… is the greatest meal I’ve ever had in my life…” Guerilla commented in awe. “Aww, come on, man, you have to be exaggerating, I get that it’s good, but-” “No, he’s right. I second this.” Gastronaut interrupted.

  “Wait, for real?” Elio asks in soft surprise, raising an eyebrow. “Without a doubt. In the forty years that we’ve been alive, we never once had something this good.” “D-did none of you have taste buds until today?” Elio asked, still surprised that they’re this fond of his cooking. “Where we’re from, we didn’t have the best food.” Gastronaut answers calmly, though seriously.

  Elio immediately takes the conversation more seriously as well; “Oh shit, where did you guys live then?” He curiously asked. “Titan, one of Saturn’s countries.” Guerilla answered as he grabs another bowl. “I didn’t know you guys were born on Saturn. Why was the food so bad there?” “It’s a hellscape there, food is not only scarce, but hardly ever preserved, so we would usually have to fight for rotten food. And as you’d expect, that just leads to disease spreading, so we also had to deal with plagues there.” Gastronaut explained before chugging down an entire bowl of soup.

  “Jesus! A-and nobody talks about this?! I’ve never seen this said anywhere on TV, nor any sites that I’ve looked up when wanting to learn more about the other continents!” Elio reacted in shock. “Though I guess this explains why they like my cooking so much. I’m curious now…” Elio ponders.

  “If it’s alright, could you go more into that? Like, is that the reason you guys decided to become superheroes?” Elio asked carefully. “Yes. We became superheroes for that reason, not just Gastronaut and I, but also Mig. We were all friends when we were younger, having each other’s backs, but we wanted to get away from it all. Hold on…” Guerilla notices the beer pack that Elio brought up.

  He grabs one and tosses it to Gastronaut, one to Elio, and then cracks one open himself, taking a drink. “Alright, so as I was saying, we wanted to get away from that life, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, so we decided to join the Emerald Faction since this area’s part of their territory. We couldn’t go anywhere else.” “Why not? What happened?” Elio asked.

  “I don’t wanna say it…” Guerilla answered hesitantly. “Gastronaut?” “Nah, I don’t think you’d wanna hear it.” He responds quickly before chugging down his beer and grabbing another.

  Elio sighs and takes a drink of his beer, taking in the view of the bright, golden city under the night sky, gazing at the myriad lights. The streets below, resembling veins of light, bustling with tiny vehicles. Towers of glass and steel reflect the moonlight, creating a dazzling contrast against the dark sky. The cityscape is alive, with distant sounds of traffic and the occasional sparkle of a neon sign, all underlined by the steady hum of urban life.

  Guerilla decides to break the silence; “Though I’ll be honest, I don’t wanna see Ray being executed.” Elio immediately glances at him. “Huh? Wait, I thought you hated him.” “Not really, I just feel bad for him, but there’s nothing that I can do to help him out, none of us can, really. If any of us help him, that’d make us traitors of the Emerald Faction for helping a menace in Emerald territory live, and we’d just be hunted down and end up just like him, and he’d still die.” Guerilla explained.

  “Wait, seriously? So there’s NOTHING that can be done?” Elio asked. “Nothing.” Gastronaut answered. “I talked with him last night after my shift-” “Wait really? What did he say?” Elio interjected Guerilla curiously.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  * * *

  June 4th, 2018. 9:50 PM.

  “Ray.” Guerilla called from outside the cell. “What…” Ray answered with attitude, not wanting anything from him. “I want to talk about something, I’ve always been curious about it. And if I don’t say it now, I might never get the chance-” “Cause of my execution, right?” “Exactly.” Guerilla answered.

  Ray takes a long exhale; “What could you possibly want to discuss?” “It’s about you. I know we’re not on good terms with each other, but I never held any resentment for you. So I just want to know why exactly you did all that you did. You possess such amazing power, but… you let it all go to waste. Why?” He asked in a calm, almost sincere manner.

  Ray looks down, trying to process the question; “You were aware of the consequences, but still…” Guerilla trailed off, waiting for a response. Ray sighs; “Well, since I’m gonna die, no point in me hiding it. I stayed despite my powers because I wanted to try and redeem my name by helping out others. That’s why I became a criminal, to fight off the greed here in this city, to help others remain functional.” He explained.

  Guerilla remained quiet for a few seconds, closing his eyes and nodding slightly; “A noble cause… that’s what you’re saying. Despite their misfortunes not being your problem, you still wanted to help out of desire, not obligation. That’s true justice in my eyes, helping others, even if it means going against the system. It’s a shame, the position you’re in… if things weren’t so bad here, I’d love to see what you could’ve done as a hero.” Guerilla responded, his tone sympathetic.

  Ray stares at the floor while listening, he closes his eye, getting a mixed feel. “Right… if you tried to get me out of here, that’d end badly for the both of us because of the Emerald Faction, a wasted effort.” “Yeah… and the last thing I wanna give is a false sense of hope. I’m sorry if you’re getting whiplash from this, I’m not trying to paint me as a good person in this situation.” Guerilla explained.

  “That’s fine. I may hate you, but I can at least say I respect you for being honest about it. And I do appreciate you not giving me a false sense of hope, especially after what Elio did…” Ray explained softly. Guerilla nods, not wanting to say anything about it, he just waves as he walks off.

  * * *

  June 6th, 2018. 12:00 AM.

  “Damn…” Elio reacts in quiet surprise, taking a drink of his beer; “I feel awful. There’s really nothing I can do either. Most fucked up part is knowing how Ray feels about the whole thing and that my peace prize ceremony is right before the execution. Just rubbing salt on the wound…” He said quietly. “Yeah, it’s just… not right. I really regret becoming a hero…” Guerilla admitted, closing his eyes.

  “Same here…” Gastronaut spoke up; “I’m glad we could have this talk though… It's nice that there’s more people who can understand.” He grabs himself another helping of soup. A small moment of silence dwells, all three of them feeling a slight connection through relating with one another on how they see the situation.

  Elio speaks up; “Fuck Nasuka?” “Fuck Nasuka.” Guerilla and Gastronaut in unison, reply confidently. “Cheers to that.” Elio responds while holding up his bottle, Guerilla lifts up his arm while Gastronaut slings his arm over, they all clink their bottles before drinking. Elio gazes at the cityscape once more; “Ray, it’s not gonna be too much longer till you’re free… just hold out.”

  * * *

  June 7th, 2018. 8:15 AM.

  Back in the attic, Elio’s phone begins to buzz, he jolts himself awake, pushing himself off the couch, performing a side flip and sliding on his feet toward Ray’s desk. “Please let today be the day… please- yes!” Elio recognizes the phone number, it belongs to Nasuka. “Yo!” He answers in excitement. “Elio, your ceremony is tonight, be ready by eight PM sharp. It’ll be held at the Maut Altar, your speech has already been written, so just make sure to look sharp for the occasion, you’ll be live on TV.” Nasuka explained.

  “Got it! And I’m guessing Ray’s gonna be there, and the deed will be done once my speech is over?” “Yes, exactly. Why?” “Cause there’s some words I wanna say to him before it’s over with.” Elio replies casually. “Oh… yeah, that works.” Nasuka responded, sounding surprised, but understanding the reason. “I’m writing this down right now, Maut Altar… eight PM… dress to impress…” “That’s all. I’ll see you until then.” “Alright, peace!” Elio responds before hanging up the phone.

  Elio sets his phone down on the desk before taking a deep breath; “It’s finally time…” He puts his hands on his head, brushing his hair back slowly. “Fuck, I’m nervous. The whole city’s gonna be watching, and possibly people around America are going to see this as well. Thank God the speech was already pre-written, I’ll just get through that, walk toward Ray, break him out of there, fight off those three, then after that, I think I’ll just grab Reggie from that vet. I can’t risk having him there any longer.” Elio pepped himself. He pounds his fists together; “Yeah, that’s definitely for the best!”

  * * *

  June 7th, 2018. 10:00 AM.

  Elio and Julia sit on a weathered park bench under a large palm tree, Elio’s arms are draped over the bench’s backrest as he leans his head back, while Julia sits upright. Dappled sunlight filters through the leaves above, casting a patchwork of light and shadow on them. They quietly listen to the park hums with the distant sounds of children playing and birds singing.

  Elio takes a deep breath, sighing; “I gotta say, Julia, this is helping me a lot more than I thought. I’ve been stressing about this whole situation so much, I feel a little less on edge for once. Thanks.” He said with sincerity. “Of course, man. I’m just glad that it’s helping, even if just a little. I know I want you to help Ray, but I want you to be safe as well. You’re the only person I’ve met besides Ray who’s trying to fight back against this city, so I feel on edge too, I don’t want you feeling pressured since all my hope’s riding on this day, y’know?” “Yeah…” Elio trailed off.

  Elio then pushes himself from the backseat, leaning forward and resting his arms on his thighs; “I’m gonna win. I don’t even care if the Emerald Faction’s own leader comes after me, I’m not gonna run away anymore. I’ll fight whoever tries to kill Ray, that I can promise.” He declared. Julia stares at him, analyzing the look of determination plastered on his face, she gives a small smile. “Thank you, Elio. I really appreciate how far you’re willing to go to make up for what you did.” She said softly as she pat him on the back. Elio nods; “Of course…” He nods before the two remain silent, enjoying the park’s scenery.

  After a while, the two hear an ice cream truck jingle playing, they both look toward the direction of the sound, spotting an ice cream truck driving on the street near their location. Julia glances at Elio; “Hey, Elio, you wanna hear something funny that my dad and I did one time? This was back during my freshman year.” “What’s up?” Elio lifts his head, looking at her more attentively.

  “So uh… I was just riding in the car with him, and we went through a neighborhood. I rolled the windows down and he started driving slowly, he then turned the volume up to the max, and-” She interrupts herself with a quick laugh. “I started playing an ice cream truck jingle through the bluetooth-” She gets interrupted as she hears Elio letting out a massive belly laugh, the tone being completely genuine, which gets her to start laughing as well.

  “Yo… how have I not thought of that yet? Dude, that’s so fucking funny! I can imagine how pissed all those kids must’ve been-” “Oh my God, you have no idea! My dad and I were dying, even the parents were mad!” “That’s even better!” Elio cackled. “And then to add insult to injury, we decided to get ice cream before going home!” Julia adds, Elio starts laughing even more, so much to the point where he temporarily forgets about the situation he’s in, fully relaxing.

  The laughter finally dies down, Elio takes a deep breath and wipes a tear from how hard he was laughing. “Whew! Nah, I feel a lot better now.” “I’m glad to hear it.” Julia smiled. Elio stands up; “We gotta do this again sometime after I save Ray. Hell, even better, let’s invite Ray on this kind of stuff, he definitely needs this as well.” “I was thinking the same thing! Besides, it’s been way too long since I’ve been able to do anything with him, so I’m really looking forward to it.” Julia replied, excited by the thought.

  “Of course!” Elio nodded, holding out his hand. Julia grabs his hand and the two shake on their promise. They break the handshake; “Alright, I think I’ll be heading out now, I just need to mentally prepare myself.” “You go do whatever you need!” “Yeah, and after Ray and I beat those three, we’ll meet you back at the restaurant!” Elio declared.

  “I’ll be waiting.” Julia answered as she closes her eyes while putting her fist on her chest. Elio smiles; “Stay strong till then! Peace!” Elio encouraged her as he began to walk off, holding one hand in the air, waving goodbye.

  * * *

  June 7th, 2018. 8:00 PM.

  Thirty minutes have passed since the ceremony began. Mig, Gastronaut and Guerilla stand on guard as Nasuka stands at a podium, speaking into the mic, giving her closing speech. “In closing, let us remember that peace and prosperity are not mere words, but the foundation upon which we build our future. It is through our collective efforts, unwavering commitment, and shared vision that we can create a world where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. Let us dedicate ourselves to fostering understanding, nurturing, compassion, and working tirelessly toward a brighter, more harmonious future. Together, we can turn our aspirations into reality and leave a legacy of peace and prosperity for generations to come. And before we continue on, I’d like for the hero who made all of this possible to come up and make his speech, Elio King!” She closes her speech with enthusiasm, no longer looking at the speech she had written.

  The crowd claps loudly for them.

  Elio gets up off from a chair he’s sitting in, wearing a fancy Victorian tuxedo crafted from luxurious black velvet, featuring a gold brocade lapel and intricate gold embroidery along the cuffs and hem. The fitted waistcoat, also adorned with gold accents, complements the high-collared white shirt and gold silk cravat. The matching black pants, tailored masterfully, with a subtle gold stripe running down the sides, adding a touch of opulence to his ensemble.

  A massive crowd rambles as he begins to walk, the air buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Cameras from various news outlets are positioned strategically, capturing every moment. The large stage with the podium standing at the center, adorned with banners and flags. The crowd’s energy crescendos as Elio slowly begins to walk toward the stairs that lead to the podium, the sea of people and camera flashes making Elio’s eyes squint.

  As Elio begins trekking up the stairs, the altar reveals itself more, the futuristic execution altar shows its sleek, metallic platform suspended in the center of a high-tech chamber. It features integrated, automated restraints and a holographic interface displaying Ray’s crimes. He finishes his walk up the stairs, finally able to see Ray, strapped to an electric chair, the straps made from an elastic foreign material, restraining even his great strength. He sits there, looking lifeless, having already given up.

  Elio steps onto the podium, shaking Nasuka’s hand; “Thank you.” Elio said before breaking the handshake and being given a trophy for his peace prize. As he holds it, he takes a quick glance at it, the golden trophy depicts a man with his hands clasped in front of him and his head lowered, standing in a reverent, thoughtful pose. The figure is detailed, capturing the contours of his musculature and folds of his clothing, all rendered in polished gold. The trophy’s base is sturdy and simple, complementing the elegance of the figure above.

  He speaks into the mic while taking quick looks at the pre-written speech below; “It is my greatest honor to be here, Violet Paradise. Today, I stand before you as not just an individual, but as a representative of a collective yearning for peace and justice…”

  As Elio rambles on with his speech, Ray sits strapped to the electric chair, his posture slumped and eye hollow. His face is gaunt, with shadows accentuating the lines of exhaustion and despair etched deeply into his features. His shoulders sag, and his hands, bound to the armrests, lie limp. Every aspect of his demeanor conveys a profound sense of emptiness and defeat.

  “Where did I go wrong…?” Ray asked himself, his eye beginning to drift down toward the floor.