[OPEN HERO SHOWCASE] SUGAR, SPICE, & EVERYTHING NICE!

Snap, crackle, pop! The sky was ablaze with fire and smoke as the ongoing chaos erupting above The Great Apple proceeded to darken the skies above the towering cityscape with smoke and raining ashes with each toil and rumble of heroes and villains alike conflicting endlessly in this city.

Or...at least that's what she had seen on TV!

In fact, truth be told. This was the first time Dima was laying eyes on the city, finding the marvelous design of humanities social hubs to be...incredibly fascinating considering the cavegirls tendency to be raised in jungles and cages. Dima, being raised as a government owned asset was rarely afforded the freedom to go where she pleased and when.  But today was a special day! Today, was the day Dima would be given her warrior name!

A rite of passage for a Furyian of her age, and one with incredible pressure as Dima twiddled her thumbs awkwardly.

"C'mon Dima, are you ready yet? You can't hide up here forever kid, this is supposed to be your big day!" A little machine droid quipped, levitating beside her atop a massive new york skyscraper next to Dima as the girl dangled her long legs off the edge daintily as Dima bit her lip and awkwardly held her tail close to her chest as if it were some kind of stuffed animal. The droids analytics could easily tell that the alien girl was incredibly nervous. The anxiety radiating through her colorful scales as her ears fluttered awkwardly as she whined quietly. "What's got you all spooked huh? Is it the media? All them cameras and questions make even the best in the business freeze up ok you'll be fine! Just repeat what The Director told you to say got it? Anyone ever tell you how cute you look when your anxious?" The playful machine poked, making the xenos many alien eyes all flare open and her barbed, bladed tail to rattle.

"DIMA is NOT CUTE!" She barked, shoving a clawed finger into the little levitating robot before stomping off on the edge of the rooftop skyscraper. "You'll see! When Dima gets her warrior name This One will be mighty and dazzling! Pretty too! O-oh, AND so beloved all the pretty boys and girls will flock to give Dima kisses and praise~" She paddled on with quite the smug look as she chittered in the sheer delight of her imagination as her inflated ego certainly in desperate need of stroking sang a sweet song of vainglorious greatness to the young xeno as she rolled her shoulders, using her upper pair of arms to pull the cloak around her nice and close. Smothering herself in the warmth of her furred cloak. "Then everyone back at base will be jealous and wan't to be Dimas friend and give this one their extra food during lunch~" The girlish xeno went on, her headspace clearly very different from the 'usual' heroes who tended to. But with today's RED CARPET EVENT taking place on the ground below Dima would certainly not be the only one here at this event getting the recognition and screentime young heroes deserved.

From her elevated birdseye view, Dima could see the growing crowd gathering beneath as countless heroes with both big names and small took their positions on the stage while welcoming the new, young blooded talent to the showing. A Hero Show of sorts. Live on the streets of New York small organizations, government sanctioned hero divisions, independent sponsors & Hero Quest Media are all linking together to host this bizarre 'Heroes of Tomorrow' kind of red carpet showing. Many of the first had arrived now, wearing their tactical gear and hero suits as if to make an impression to the any spectators who, with a single phone call could change the lives of many up and coming heroes with few prospects.

And of course, advertising for the 'hottest new talent' was what this whole event was about. And sure enough, it was already starting to heat up!

Her assistant droid X9 looked Dima over as she began to walk the tightrope atop the skyscraper childishly, whistling quietly to herself while her five eyes stared down at the little ant-like people stumbling about the event.

There was a great fear swelling in her chest. And because of this, she hesitated greatly to even come down from her perch high above the event.


"Lori may i just say that today is a GOOD day to be a fighter, to be noble, to be a HERO! Hello ladies and gentlemen Levi & Lori here covering the 2024 Midyear Hero Show! For those of you joining us for the first time this is a showing where we put a spotlight on the heroes whose name go unsung compared to the big boys whom are not only revered by the public...but beloved by the masses."  Levi spoke into his microphone while beside his twin sister, also holding a mic.

"That's right Levi, and today we've got EXCLUSIVE  interview access to the High End players of the game. From brand new Government Sanctioned Hero Divisions, Professional Leagues of Justice, Security organization and Special Sponsors we're gonna bring you the biggest stories of the year! From the vigilante kids who chased a dragon through central park and managed to rescue over one hundred people to the nobody nonames who stopped a bank robbery JUST last week! Sordid heroic affairs leading to new generations of crime fighting we've got the secret son of The Immortal & Swan Song making their debut here, and many, many other surprises. Get settled in cause it's gonna be a long night! Now before these messages from our sponsors lets hear it from the big men themselves!" Lori gestured the camera to look up towards the stage where some of the biggest names in hero business worked the crowd over and organized the event to officially begin, and four the young bloods to finally make themselves seen. For better, or for worse.

“So remind me again why we are going to this stupid hero show?” Lucas coasted through the air as he made his way to the event. Clearly reluctant to make an appearance at the show.  

“It is the biggest hero show of the season...” Speedrun replied as he weaved through the cars below, speaking into the team comms. “And it’s a perfect place for networking, getting the teams name out there, work on that image of ours.”  

Lucas shook his head. “We’re heroes, not celebrities...” He replied. “We aren’t out here to earn clout, we’re out here to save lives, stop the bad guys.”  

“I know, but it doesn’t hurt to show a little representation...” Speedrun needled between two cars. “It’s a good way to tell people they can count on us, that when they see us, they will be safe, the event is going to be broadcasted around the world, with everyone watching, why not make an appearance?”  

Lucas sighed. “Alright, you got a point, let’s go tell the world they’re safe with us.”  

“I just hope they have catering...” Ben flew up next to Lucas. “I had a light breakfast thanks to running mans impromptu training session.”  

“Hey...” Mason replied. “It comes with the job.”  

Lucas chuckled. “I think what he means is the bad guys don’t wait on you, you gotta always be ready for an attack, and that means sometimes you skip breakfast...” Lucas spotted the red carpet, seeing the large crowd of people gathered. “Okay, we’re closing in, Shift and Skyscraper should already be on the scene, probably chatting up one of the reporters.”  

Suddenly, Lucas body started to feel odd, as if the blood in his body was trying to pull towards something as he flew by the tops of the skyscrapers. As he drew closer, the sensation became nearly overwhelming, if it wasn’t for his strength. Then, he saw them, a figure on one of the rooftops, apparently the person his blood was trying to draw itself too. He stopped mid-flight and hovered as he looked to them, Ben flying off towards the Show.  

“Hey, what’s going on?” Ben came to a stop as well, turning to see Lucas looking to the figure on the rooftop.

“Go on...” Lucas replied. “I’ll be right back.” He drifted slowly towards the figure, his body moving practically on its own.  

As he drew near, he could see the figure was clearly not human, and appeared to be feminine in nature, though he wasn’t sure how anatomy worked for them, as they also had four arms, purple skin, and a tail. From looking over their visage, Lucas first noticed the mouth, with pursed lips that seemed to extend beyond into a much wider maw, a series of external teeth that seemed to have a light blue glow on either side. The next noticeable feature was her ears, which extended out from each side several inches before coming to a point. She was either genetically modified in some way, or an Alien of some kind.  

“Hello there...” Lucas spoke up after some time, not sure which pair of eyes to look at, then realizing there was a fifth one in the center of the beings forehead. “I am Frontline.”

Becoming a hero like the one's she once watched on televsion saving lives and beating the bad guys wasn't something Lyra concived to have done to her, but when her destiny spoke otherwise she took up the mantle and showed the world what she could do....even if it was something small like saving a cat out of tree; despite the scratches she recieved in return.

So when this 'Hero Show' was being talked about around the street's of New York, Lyra fully understood that someone like her; a minor hero wasn't capable of attending, she didn't even figure out the time or date. But her older brother, to whom knew of her identity decided otherwise to which he gotten one of the many flyers being passed around and with one day visiting her used magnets from her fridge and placed it on there with a single sticky note in the corner with his handwriting:

Show them how amazing you are!

The only problem still remained that Lyra didn't believe she was in those type of leagues so for the last couple of weeks while she could've removed the flyer, she walked past it, stared for a few minutes, and then continued on with her plans. It wasn't until the very day of the convention of sorts was taking place that she finally stood there glaring a bit at the piece of artwork and sighed before going to the bathroom.

"Should I do this?" she asked her own reflection before taking some more few breath's before calling out to no one but herself. "If this is to be, show me a sign!" and within minutes her radio which was blasting music for the last few minutes started to talk about the many different seasoned hero's and newcomers alike attending. Lyra defiantly knew this was the sign she was waiting for and within seconds transformed into the Blue Phoenix before texting her brother about attending.

Flying to the area which was somewhat close to her own apartment was great, since she hadn't worry about finding it. Making her way through the large crowds she watched as people were screaming while holding up signs and she wondered what was going on until she took notice of the animated banner speaking about a heroine who was lost had returned.

Someone named Eclipse, to whom Lyra never heard of; but the name was cool. Watching the female she took note of other's and within seconds was pushed by a unknown hand to make her way out there, and despite glancing back and not seeing anyone suspected it to be her brother, she gave a small wave hoping that's all it needed for a conversation to start.

Molly had been promised enough money to handle Rai’s therapy for a year.

And thus, two war horses on parade down the crowded New York City streets. It was an unfathomable sea of souls to the two reavers, redbloods, humans, some other things in between. All showing off what they had like street bards. Grimorah’s monstrous form, head held high and gray hooves prancing as if ready to charge beneath Rai as her eyes sparkled wide with endearment. For once, they weren’t the biggest spectacle around. Rai kicks Grimorah into a brisk trot to match Damballa’s to catch up with Molly. “Molly, I think that lady had a tail like us.” She whispers as if she were a child pointing out oddities to a parent.

“She probably did. I think every red blood in the world must be here.” Molly takes a look around before stroking his gauntleted hand through his mare’s inky black mane. “Anyway, what did I sign up to do again?”

“Oh , its a TV show. It’s like books, but it shows up on the talking box in people’s houses somehow. People write down what you say and do, but it shows up on the box and people stare at it all day long!” Rai chirps as she settles into her saddle. “Apparently it means you’re pretty enough to be a ‘movie star’. They're going to want you to just be really cool!”

Molly rolls his eyes. If the humans of this world saw him as interesting enough to want to see what he says and does all day, it was no skin off his nose he supposed so long as the bills were paid. He hadn’t been told much other than to dress nicely, so he spent the entire day yesterday polishing his bronze armor to the point it glittered in the streetlights, his eyeless helm currently rested under his arm. His golden hair was freshly washed, braided, pleated and held together with bronze pins. He’d gone so far as to wash his gambison, beat it dry and Rai had perfumed it with dried flowers from her garden so he’d smell nice. Even Rai’s armor had been freshly oiled, restrapped and her brand new white cloak pinned in place under her pauldron with a banded iron pin. Part of her cringed at daring to wear the white cloak she hadn’t yet aged into but as Roth put it- she’d earned her white cloak the day she’d burned alive and sprouted silver wings. It was Hayseed’s, and she wore it so that his name may still carry some meaning. Respect she’d earned through deeds rather than simply hoping to live long enough to deserve.

“I think this is the place.” Molly halts the black mare and soon Grimmorah stops right behind her as the two peer through the crowd to what seems to be an alleyway of carpet. The two look at each other for a moment confused. It’d been reiterated to the pair many times, no horses on carpet, but now it was outside? The pair decide against the red carpet, rather detouring until stopped by a producer.

“Oh, Molly, you’re actually here!”

“Um. Yes? We are a bit lost.”

“We, Oh! Who is this!?” The man’s eyes lit up upon seeing the doe eyed painted lady. Her devilish appearance was only betrayed by the absolutely enamored expression on her face as stranger and stranger people walked by. She snaps back to reality as she realized she was being mentioned.

“Oh, um. I am Rai. I am here for Molly. He is my brother.” She perks up before a lady with wings walks by. “Molly. I think that's an angel!” Or at least a much nicer version of an angel. All she knew was there was a winged lady on the forbidden carpet.

It was as if the producer only saw ratings. She was stunning to look at and seemed to have a marketble enough allure to her. “Ah yes, so is she joining you here?”

Molly’s face fell as he sensed a bit of a shift. With a lift of his reigns the black mare beneath him shifts, turning broadside to block his view of his adoptive sister. “No, She is here as I do not feel comfortable leaving her alone. She is.. Um.” Molly searches for words. “Support.”


“You sure you don’t want to be on TV?” The producer draws out the last words as a bit of temptation. “You can both be big heroes.”


“Um… I- I can’t really fight anymore.” Rai deflates, wind taken from her sails. “But I am here to help Molly if I can. So if my staying helps, I will.” She offers, taking Grimorah to step around Damballa, giving a cringed look back. Molly only gave a stern look before he was led back to the forbidden carpet. He quickly found his niche as the new kid on the block, suddenly bombarded by reporters. Asking for his name.

“Um… Mol’Sho Kai?” He responds, hands crossed over the pommel of his saddle.

“No, No your hero name!”

“Hero name?” Molly is taken aback. Why was the name he spawned with not wanted? Even Rai was confused as well. She leans down to the producer. “What is a hero name?

“A title heroes use. It has to sound cool!”

Rai stares blankly before moving her hands in a bastardized sign language.

make up some bullshit

“I am Demonhunter of Dis.” Molly responds with grandiosity, taking this as que to follow all the fairytales. If they wanted a show, it was a show they would get. He lifts his reins, heel pushing up Damballa’s sides as she rears valiantly. Shadowy hooves flaring out into the night with a hellish squeal. Molly did a damn good knight in shining armor impression as the mare rights herself prancing forward triumphantly earning a pat on the neck. He finds himself snickering at his choice of mantle. Demonhunter was a somewhat blanket term for Reaver. A clergyman who didn’t much care for a reaver’s given name may just call him Demonhunter.

He looks back to Rai who gave him her usual big dopey smile and a double thumbs up in praise.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

This was the literal definition of hell to Deimos. He paced in his bedroom nervously adjusting his tie and shifting in his suit. His wing now almost fully healed and sky-worthy but did cause a major problem with obtaining a nice suit. Turns out special seams had to be cut into the shirt and jacket and his mother sewed the damned thing around them. He’d have to be cut out of them at the end of the night. He gives one last look in the mirror with crossed arms.

His hair had been altered back to its original deep brunette and back into its normal cropped fashion. He looked just as he did on the day of the London attack, except he could have sworn he’d grown an inch taller and his shirts were starting to fit tighter. He did have to admit, he did look pretty handsome in a suit. Deimos grabs his phone before taking a mirror selfie texting to Jordan, probably the only picture in existence of himself all dressed up snazzy. His room behind him is an absolute mess of books and magical components as per usual.

He then texts Cas. “On my way.”

Before setting his phone down to grab his bag., returning to his phone to text Jordan the photo and a quick ‘See you later, may need help getting unstitched from this suit later. I feel like a flying monkey from the wizard of Oz in this thing.” Followed by a skull emoji and three hearts. “ily”

And with the dreadful mistake not yet realized that he’d accidentally sent that to Cas and NOT his boyfriend he bounds into the backyard, transforms into his draconic form and heads for New York City.


XXXX


The stars of the New York sky suddenly glow brighter than ever before as the dragon approaches. Almost invisible from first glance, but the black figure begins to clear once he dips from the skies and into the glow of the streetlights. His wonderful trilling like draconic music, a haunting serenade of fire and magic as Deimos lands in a pre-cleared space. His wings spread, beating once as his hind legs find pavement. His second set of wings descends to stabilize him as his weight settles onto his legs and his wings tuck back against his back. If he wasn’t big before the first London attack, he was much larger now. His shoulders and hindquarters more rippled with muscle and his scales more gleaming like hunks of volcanic glass. The stars on the underside of his wings glowed with the light of a dying cosmos.

The waves of darkness dance across his form as soon instead of a dragon was Deimos as a man, the last pieces of his draconic heritage being the brilliant set of winds now folded against his back.

Oh god had he shown up too early? There were so many people and now he was being gawked at. Where was Cas? Cas was so much more suited for this. He was a much better people person. Deimos forces a smile before making himself proceed in the shaking of hands and greeting of people the best he could. All this hell for a damned good purpose.

Scions were growing by the day, and as far as he knew the only two to stop them were him and Cas. Erebus alone was a problem, but that day on the beach, there was more than one Scion. A two versus one fight spelled death for Deimos and by proxy the world. There had to be somebody worthy of the mantle of champion, someone else who could join in these fights when they popped up. And where else to find a hero than a hero fair.

Lennan was nervous.

His roles in heroism were tangential at best and yet despite that he was stepping up to a con of some sort for the up and coming young heroes. Who exactly was funding this thing anyway? His mom had been in New York for an art expose but she didn’t really expect him to stick around. Something about needing to experience The Big Apple for himself, and it looked built up again. How did they rebuild so fast anyway? He’d dressed up in a hero costume for the occasion even, something he managed to order from one of those designers who were all about the privacy of their clients.  It was a traditional looking hero suit with the black and flashes of brilliant pink on his gloves, the chest and even the small mask set on his face. He’d been told it would obscure his appearance well enough through some kind of new tech.

His phone was buzzing like crazy in his pocket, the faint vibrating that occasionally broke his concentration. Mostly on the  arrangement of heroes that had been gathered for this big even. What were they hoping to find here anyway? The same thing he was probably. Promises of heroism making money, better equipment and maybe even suits. He could tell that there were some eyes on him, the suit of lesser professional make and possibly that magnetism his mom always told him he had. Something about people always having to looked wherever he walked.  Popularity was a pretty easy thing when people always wanted to talk to him.

He wished Connor could be there. The strange guy with the contacts, or maybe even just his screaming friend with the bully that seemed all too defensive of him. Lennan, pursed his lips, taking in the gathering around him. What exactly was he going to do? Already he was beating himself up over and over in his head.

Enough to not even really notice when someone bumped into him. He just looked to the guy, hood pulled up just walking in the opposite direction. All he did was shrug and keep moving on.

It didn’t take too long for him to get approached however. A smartly dressed woman with a kind of professional expression. He furrowed his brows a little, wondering what she could want. There were flashing cameras in the distance and the shape of something flying in the distant air. Peoples attention were more on that, even the woman who had been approaching him quickly looked to see what it was about.

Never mind then?

As soon as he was going to walk along a shape stepped into the corner of his vision with a hand out stretched. He was tall, taller than him with face shrouded in shadow. ”You dropped this.” His wallet was in the mans hand.

”Oh...thanks?” The man didn’t seem to stick around, walking off after offering him a small smile. Maybe coming to a big hero gig with almost no renown was a stupid idea, but still he had to try right? He eventually stopped, seeing a small group of heroes one of them floating off towards...a blue woman? What was that about anyway? Not paying as much attention led to  Lennan nearly running into a horse...wait a horse? It looked strange for a horse and felt even stranger, though he couldn’t quite tell why that was.

”Never heard of a hero with a steed before?” He noted, considering the horse and then the woman astride it.  She didn’t exactly fit in with everyone else around here did she?

--

”Do we really need to go to  some hero gig?” Christian complained, adjusting a fancy looking red tie. He had been sure to  dress up, though not in the suits those heroes on the news dressed up in.

”I want to meet with this worlds protectors. They might be some promising defenders against the...coming threat.”

”I’m not confident we’ll find anyone who can help us there. Pretty sure it’s mostly a money thing.”

”Money isn’t that big an issue.” Cas didn’t seem too daunted by the concept, all too confident in his speech and mannerisms.  He looked to his phone, seeing a few texts from Deimos and some from Vera who said she had went there ahead of them.

The two of them paced around a hotel, one that Christian said was donated to them from an interested financial benefactor. Cas wasn’t sure why they needed someone like that but ”Well we better get there soon. I hate big things like this.”

He was still looking down at the phone, instead  brows furrowed in confusion. ”What does ILY mean?”

”What?”

”ILY. What does it mean? Deimos texted it to me and something about unstitching his suit? Strange words to send me, ” He looked up and Christian was just staring, blinking with mouth agape as if he had heard something strange.

”I….i’ll explain it later. Maybe he just sent it to the wrong person?”

”Perhaps? The common of this world is strange I have to say.” He had taken some time to get used to it, though he had plenty of help with some of the words that just seemed to escape his grasp.  While his friend wore armor, Cas was dressed more in that regal, golden plate that looked like it required too much money. Despite what logic said about gold, the armor was as strong as if not stronger than steel.

”Let’s get moving then. Our dragon friend won’t appreciate being made to wait.”

So it didn’t take the two too long to reach the venue. People milled about, mostly trying to get the attention of  some of the heroes. Cas even looked a little excited, lips curled into a s mile at all the people around him.  Defying the bonds of their planet, one even sporting a brilliant looking pair of wings.  Despite the growing sentiment against angels, Cas always found them so amazing. Usually they were the messengers and enforcers of the gods where he came from, but here they were mostly known for serving a single one.

He even drew a little attention from some people.  A young looking woman, maybe only a little older than Cas and dressed in a more simple outfit. “Christie Newman here. I run a blog called News with Newman...not original I know. Are you Casmaudius?” She got his name right, which wasn’t as common as he would have liked.

”I am.”

“Great. I wanted to get a few words with you. Is it true you’re having a feud with the known humanitarian and Cake King himself Kade?”

”I’m sorry, whose saying I’m feuding with...what is a cake king?”

“Well we have video footage of the two of you arguing. It looked a little heated. Speaking of what is your relationship with the hero Speedrun? Are you working together?” She paused, hands resting on the girls shoulder lifting her up and seeming to pull her away.

“Alright, fuck off.” Vera noted, looking as casual as ever. Wearing only small parts of armor to augment her clothes rather than fully wearing armor like Cas. “Boss isn’t here to answer your tumblr questions.”

“Tumblr! I’ll have you know I have millions of readers daily!”

“Whatever. We’ve got more important business than hearing you out. Deimos is looking for you Cas.”

”Oh, I guess I need to go. Sorry for the rush Miss Newman.” He bowed his head in apology and walked off, leaving the young woman confused as the paladin and Christian followed. He was happier with his friends, the people who had started with him in his divine calling. Vera was newer but he could feel it, that genuine desire to help people that was just under the surface. He knew she wouldn’t fail him. Eventually the three of them reached what looked to be a group surrounding a more sheepish looking man, though to his eyes he could see the dragon beneath.

Vera parted some of the people with a seeming ease and he stepped into the center. ”Sorry for being late Deimos. I miss anything?”