Arthur gazed at the neatly arranged clothes on the steel bench, mirroring the outfit he had worn five years ago. A blue trench coat, a crisp white shirt, black jeans, sturdy combat boots.
They looked clean… brand new, even. He ran his fingers over the fabric, the texture stirring memories of the days when these clothes carried his petty crimes.
Flamestar leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, "You look as though you've never seen clothes before. Considering that was the style you wore prior to your arrest, I thought you might feel more at ease wearing them again. Unless you prefer something different?"
Arthur didn't answer. He simply dressed, feeling rather comfortable with his outfit. He could hardly believe that after all these years behind bars, he was actually going to see the other side.
"Warden wants to see you before we leave," she said.
Arthur didn't say anything; he simply walked behind her.
The warden's office was a stark, white-walled room. The man himself sat behind a wooden desk—a bald old man with a scarred face and an unreadable expression. Warden Enoch had been part of the justice system for 54 years. No warden had kept this place under control other than him, mainly due to his Trigger, Deadman, which summoned hordes of the undead to keep everyone in check.
He didn't offer Arthur a seat. He expected him to either sit on the floor or stand where he was.
"Let's make one thing clear," Enoch growled, "I'm against the idea of letting even a fraction of sunlight touch you, but due to Lady Flamestar's service as a hero, I can't deny her request. But I should let you know, if you step out of line just once, I'll personally drag you back here myself. I'll shove you into the darkest abyss and throw away the key."
Flamestar sighed, "He's not going to be a problem. Just have some faith in him."
Enoch ignored her, his gaze fixed firmly on Arthur, "You killed the Number One Hero—a man whom billions admired, a true symbol for the people—and you took him away. You wear that title proudly, showing no empathy for those suffering the consequences of his death. Many countries have seen an increase in crime from cities he protected. His grandson, the last family he had, cried for months after losing his only relative. Villains now see you as potential successors to Lord Kaizer? Hell, brand-new villains have appeared causing trouble because, let's face it, our ten heroes are a joke. Do you even feel any regret for what happened?"
Arthur met his stare, "Yes. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and look what it got me. Five years of my life gone in a heartbeat. Why wouldn't I regret that mistake?"
A beat of silence.
Then, Arthur continued, "My Trigger is called Absolute Authority. I don't know its full potential or even if my two skills are the correct ones, but I know two things at the moment."
He tapped underneath his left red eye, "This one can disable Triggers. I'm limited to one person at a time, and I need to deactivate it in order to return the ability to the user. At the moment, it's only temporary, and I'm not sure how long it takes for the ability to return."
Then, his right blue eye, "This one summons the knight you saw earlier, but I'm not sure if that's the actual ability. Right now, I'm basing it off what I've seen so far. It follows my thoughts but sometimes acts independently when it feels like it. It doesn't like going far away from me since it wants to protect me."
Enoch's frown deepened, "And you're telling me this why?"
Arthur's voice was low and cold, "So you know that if I ever become a problem… you'll have an easy time bringing me down."
Enoch chuckled as his black eyes glowed with bright green energy, "Trust me, it will be pretty easy to drag you and shove you behind bars." The growls of the underworld echoed throughout the room as a green portal appeared behind him, the undead trying to escape.
Flamestar's hand clamped onto his shoulder, "You don't need to worry." She smiled at Enoch, "He's going to be a Hero. One who protects the innocent." She said, filled with enthusiasm.
Enoch scoffed, "Do you need a bracelet?"
Flamestar shook her head, "I'm good; let's just go already."
During the walk down the hallway, Flamestar walked in front with Arthur between her and Enoch, "What should I expect outside?" Arthur asked.
"Nothing major has changed in the past five years. Besides what Enoch mentioned, things have been the same so far. Golden City may have received new updates in terms of infrastructure. Oh, we have a new top five," Flamestar explained.
Immediately, she noticed the gate up ahead, "We're almost there. Hope you're ready to see the sun for the first time in years."
The prison gates groaned open, sunlight flooding Arthur's vision.
He flinched as the sun's glare shone onto him, "So the rumors are true!" Then, his blood froze as he heard a mysterious voice waiting for them.
Standing in formation before him were the top five heroes of this era.
Glamourbabe, the Idol Hero (No. 5) – A dazzling woman with long, curly pink hair, dressed in skimpy outfits that showed off her body. Bullet Blitz, the Speedster Hero (No. 4) – A lean man in sleek black spandex, wearing a black mask with lightning bolts for eyes. Conquer, the Raging Hero (No. 3) – A muscular man wearing nothing but shorts and sneakers. Machineprince, the Metallic Suit Hero (No. 2) – A young man wearing a high-tech white armored suit.
And at the front—
Wateredge, the Water Hero.
The new Number One.
With a single step, water surged beneath his feet, carrying him forward until he was inches from Arthur's face, "You don't belong out here," Wateredge declared, "Get back in your cell."
The air crackled with tension.
Flamestar stepped between them, "Stand down, Tristan. The Association approved his release."
"Like hell they did!" Conquer roared, "No way in hell I'm going to let that brat step foot out of this area."
Arthur didn't react. He had expected this.
Glamourbabe twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "Oh, come on~! He's just a cute homeless guy. What's he gonna do?"
Bullet Blitz's eyes narrowed, "You say that, but we all read the reports. His Trigger is dangerous, and there's a reason we kept him behind bars."
Machineprince's visor flickered as he analyzed Arthur, "S-rank threat level. Recommend immediate containment."
Wateredge raised a hand—a swirling blade of water forming in his grip, "Last chance. Walk back inside, or I drag you in."
Arthur exhaled.
Then—
His left eye flashed red.
Wateredge's water blade splashed harmlessly to the ground.
Silence.
"What the—?!" Wateredge staggered back, his Trigger suddenly gone.
Arthur's voice was calm, "I told the warden and Flamestar already that I'm going to be on my best behavior, so you don't need to worry about anything."
He glanced at the others, "I'll just say it—looking at the five top heroes here, I can kind of see why the guys in prison feel embarrassed that they were stopped by one of you. All of you are a joke," he said with a cocky smirk.
Each one of them had a furious look on their face.
Flamestar's eyes widened, "Arthur—"
"But don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I want to start trouble or anything, just stating the facts." He lowered his head.
"But you should know that the lady with the fine ass over there really believes in me, so I suggest you trust your fellow hero's decision. But if you're going to judge me… at least judge me for what I do now, not what I did then. A man can change if enough people give that person their support." Arthur said.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then—
"Tch. Fine." Conquer crossed his arms. "But screw up once, and I'll break you myself."
Bullet Blitz relaxed slightly, "…We'll be watching."
Glamourbabe giggled, "Ooooh~! A redemption arc! How dramatic! I just got a killer song to write."
Machineprince's visor dimmed, "Threat reassessed. For now."
Wateredge's jaw clenched, but he finally stepped aside, "This isn't over."
Arthur didn't answer.
Flamestar grinned, "Well! Now that that's settled—" Flamestar gently pinched his right ear, "What's the nickname you called me just now?" She showed a passive-aggressive smile.
Arthur calmly replied, "You are the first woman I've seen in five years, and not only that, you're wearing tight spandex. I thought you realized that after all the guys were cat-whistling at you when we started walking back." Flamestar's horrified reaction answered his question.
Before Flamestar could respond—
BEEEEEP!
A deafening alarm blared from Golden City.
"ATTENTION ALL HEROES!" A robotic voice boomed from nearby speakers.
"S-CLASS THREAT DETECTED IN DISTRICT 9. ALL AVAILABLE HEROES, RESPOND IMMEDIATELY."
Arthur blinked, "S-Class?"
Flamestar's expression darkened, "The highest disaster level. We have to move."
Wateredge shot Arthur one last glare before water surged around him, launching him into the sky.
The other heroes followed—Bullet Blitz in a blur, Machineprince with jet thrusters, Conquer leaping away with Glamourbabe on his back.
Only Flamestar remained.
She held out a hand.
"You coming, Hero?"
Arthur stared at her outstretched palm.
Then, for the first time in years—
He took it.