Kai was a young brash boy with green hair and pointy ears, he was a freshman in Highschool, he was in the 9th grade. He was watching the television screen at his home. He had just come home from school. In this world Verenthia the peace was kept by a group of heroes called "The Hero Association." Currently the most important of all the superheroes at least in City B was Captain Terra who could be seen on everything. There were comic books, video games, Mangas, films, television shows, etc. Kai and his friend Da'if were watching the television screen on which was Captain Terra. The reporter asked Captain Terra a simple question. "Mr. Terra, what is your advice to the next-generation of would-be heroes?" Captain Terra cleared his throat and triumphantly said, "To all those of the younger generation, I implore you to join the Hero Association, we need the best and brightest and if you're lucky you could be the number one hero! Hahaha!"
Kai and his friend turned off the TV. "You want to go down to the Comic Book store?" said Da'if. "Man, you're reading my mind," said Kai.
The battle against Lucifer was finished and our heroes were ready to return home. When it was all said and done, Zaiyal, Talus, Tashkent, Noah, Ungar, Sir Rhyme, Martreya Buddha Narcis and Guan-Fu the Slug man decided to return to their old world. Zaiyal was excited after what seemed like for so long he would finally see his wife and children again. Esther and Turil hugged Noah and they all said their goodbyes. The Archangel Michael created a portal and said, "enter this portal, and your woes will truly be at an end." All eight of them walked through the portal and the portal closed behind them.
Zaiyal, Ungar, Sir Rhyme, Narcis, and Guan-Fu were in shock. "What's wrong?" said Talus. "...This isn't…our world…" said Zaiyal. Talus in shock looked around. They were in some futuristic city, there were flying cars and regular cars, everything was spotless and clean. Where they were, it seemed extremely unclear. Sir Rhyme, his poetic mind racing, began to scribble notes on a holographic pad. "A place where the sky meets the ground, and technology sings without a sound. What marvels lie in this neon haze? Are we lost in time, or trapped in a maze?" Narcis adjusted his eyes, his eyes darting around. "It looks advanced—like something out of a sci-fi novel. But how did we even get here? Last thing I remember, we were—" "We were in the realm of the Angels!" Ungar interjected, his voice a mix of panic and excitement. "Remember the portal? I thought it would lead to our old world?" Guan-Fu, calm amidst the chaos, scanned the horizon. "Legends often hold truths. Perhaps we've crossed into a different realm entirely. We need to figure out how to return." Zaiyal took a deep breath, grounding herself. "First, we should gather information. Let's find someone who can explain what's going on. We can't stay here unprepared." As they moved cautiously through the streets, the dazzling lights of the city flickered overhead, casting vibrant reflections on the polished surfaces. They passed towering structures made of glass and metal, each one more impressive than the last. Zaiyal asked a young man, "Excuse me, what planet is this, is this Helios?" The man looked confused, "this world hasn't been called Helios for a little over 1,000 years, it's called Verenthia, is this some kind of joke?" Zaiyal began to stammer, "...no, its fine, we'll be on our way." Everyone was shocked, "this is Helios, it's just everyone we know is dead now, I guess we'll have to just adjust it, but the problem is, I don't know where we should begin," said Zaiyal. Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind them. "You're not from around here, are you?" They turned to see a figure approaching—an androgynous person with striking silver hair and luminous skin, dressed in sleek, form-fitting attire. "I can help you. But you need to be careful; not everyone here is friendly." Talus exchanged glances with the others, then stepped forward. "Who are you?" The figure smiled, a glimmer of playfulness in their eyes. "Call me Nova. And like I said you folks don't look like you're from around here, I'm one of the resident heroes so I think I can help you out. You folks need to join the Hero Association with the latent powers I'm sensing within you."
Zaiyal stammered with sweat pouring down his face with a hesitant growl and yelled, "hey, how do you know that you can trust us, after all we're complete strangers?!" The man Nova simply laughed, turning around slowly, "the fact that you would ask such a question proves I can trust you. An untrustworthy person would never have asked such a question." Zaiyal, now furious but confused, said quietly, "well in that case, how can we know that we should trust you." Nova said, "Well I guess you're going to have to just trust me, it seems you don't have much of a choice anyhow." Zaiyal gritted his teeth in anger but Ungar simply put his hand on his shoulder. "We need to follow him at least for now. For one, we need to find out what this Hero Association is," said Ungar. Zaiyal's resolve wavered, but he nodded reluctantly. They needed answers, and Nova seemed to hold the key. With a deep breath, he followed the androgynous hero, their fate intertwining in this strange new world. They began to walk faster, "so hey where are we going, it's getting kind of late, the sun going down and all. Well uh… suns I guess this planet has three, so where are we going?" said Talus. "To my mansion, it should be just a few blocks from here. It's in the suburbs," said Nova. Everyone gasped in shock. Moments later, they arrived at Nova's residence, which indeed resembled a grand palace. The structure towered above them, a marvel of sleek glass and shimmering metal, adorned with glowing lights that pulsed like stars. The entrance was framed by lush greenery, creating an otherworldly ambiance. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by an expansive foyer with high ceilings and walls lined with holographic displays showcasing past heroic feats and the history of Verenthia. He had a large painting of George Washington on one wall, another of Genghis Khan and another of the Muslim Sultan Saladin. He also had a beautiful painting of the Polish Winged Hussars charging into the Ottoman Turks as the Muslims of the Ottoman Caliphate tried and failed to seize Vienna from the Christians in 1683. Gold and silver embroidered all of the paintings. The house resembled the Palace of Versailles in Paris before it resembled a house. "Welcome to my home," Nova said, a hint of pride in their voice. "You'll be safe here while we figure things out." "Safe? From what?" Zaiyal asked, crossing his arms defensively. "From the forces that might take an interest in you, not to mention the Hero Association knowing there are powerful individuals who don't carry Hero License that's important on this planet," Nova replied, their tone turning serious. "You've arrived at a time of great change, and there are those who will see your powers as either a threat or an opportunity."
"Great change?" Sir Rhyme mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "In a place where technology thrives and the heroes stand guard? I originally came from a land full of magic i.e. the realm of Magic Land, and primitive technology, and I can assure you this place is less likely to experience great upheavals," said Sir Rhyme. "Yes," Nova confirmed, leading them deeper into the mansion. "But not every hero wears a badge of honor. Some have their own agendas. That's why it's crucial you understand the Hero Association—who they are, and how you fit in, and its not just the heroes, the situation is highly complex, and to add insult to injury there's the frozen I believe to be Super Hero I found a few days ago, weirded yet he's still alive and he was in this house, I'll unfreeze him in the morning but that's none of your concern right now. Just know that the situation is incredibly complicated and everything in this world is absurdly political. Everyone has their own agenda, and that's just the way it is." Noah replied in shock, "A frozen superhero?" Nova calmly stated; "yes but that will be dealt with in the morning, but I will admit it's quite strange," said Nova. "Okay fine! But tell me this, what's your god-damned agenda! You can't possibly be doing this out of the goodness of your heart," said Zaiyal. Nova paused, placed his hand on his mouth and laughed in a jovial effeminate way, "Ohohoho, well you'll just have to find out what my agenda is. Why would I spoil it so soon, it would be more interesting for you to see how it unravels," said Nova. Zaiyal began to grind his teeth in anger as he thought to himself, "he's just toying with us. But why is he doing this? Something about this stinks like shit."
As they settled into a spacious living area adorned with plush furnishings and intricate designs, Zaiyal finally let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "So, what exactly do we need to know?" Nova smiled, a glimmer of excitement in their eyes. "To become heroes in Verenthia, you need a license I can already tell you have all seen your fair share of battles, but you won't survive except as fugitives in this world. You're very strong but you're not the strongest. So you should let me lend you a helping hand." "And if we refuse?" Zaiyal challenged, his defiance still simmering beneath the surface. "Then you'll remain vulnerable in a world that doesn't care about your past," Nova replied evenly. "I'm offering you a chance—a way to not only survive but thrive. But the choice is yours." The weight of Nova's words hung in the air as the group exchanged glances, the enormity of their decision looming over them. Zaiyal felt his resolve shift, the hope of becoming something greater igniting within him. Perhaps this was their path forward after all. Nova began to walk upstairs, it's about 8:30 PM. I usually go to sleep early but you're all welcome to stay up. I have hundreds of thousands of films on my hard drive that you can enjoy in the theater room, I also have every gaming console and game known to mankind, my favorite is either Ninja Gaiden or Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! They are earthling titles, but they are quite good, there is also a massive Library with hundreds of thousands of books on history, philosophy, fiction, metaphysics, theology, astronomy, theoretical physics, economics, etc., etc., etc., I have many television shows backed up on my hard drive including dramas, comedies, cartoons and anime, I have internet as well. I have literally hundreds of trillions of videos from a video sharing site website that was discontinued about 1,500 years ago. The site is called YouTube and apparently I possess every video ever uploaded on it since it was first created, I have to say a lot of them are terrible but that's just me. Anyway, enjoy yourselves, oh Zaiyal and Ungar. I need to talk to you privately for a moment, I can tell you two are the de facto leaders of the group. And I need to talk to you about the big day we have tomorrow," said Nova. "I'll be in my study."
Ungar and Zaiyal looked at each other and followed Nova into the study, while everyone shrugged and checked out what Nova's home had to offer. After they entered the room Ungar closed the door behind him. "Ok what is it? What do you want to tell us?" said Ungar. Nova quietly sat down and poured himself a glass of Brandy smelling it and oddly enough mixing it with some wine. He put on some bifocals and slowly turned towards them, "you see great men are often seen as terrible by others. It's been like that since the dawn of history. Jesus Christ was hailed by countless Billions of souls as the Messiah but the Pharisees and the Talmudic Jews that came after them considered him a deviant Jewish apostate, the son of a whore and a Roman soldier who gave birth to him while she was menstruating, Genghis Khan not only secured a massive empire spanning throughout Asia and Eastern Europe in the 13th century but a legacy for his people he [Genghis Khan] after all became the father of the nation but was viewed as a tyrant by countless others, the Muslims and the Russians were certainly no fan of his, Gandhi was viewed as a freedom fighter by his people and as a troublesome upstart by the British authorities; Winston Churchill even wished he would die, the Prophet Muhammad was viewed as a divinely sent prophet by millions of followers throughout Asia, Africa and Europe but many considered him a warlord and a deviant, and Adolf Hitler considered a demon worst than Satan himself in the western world especially after the Second World War was viewed as a hero in many East Asian and Islamic societies… What I am trying to say?… You see, history does not pick sides, it just picks those who are to be remembered. What do all of these men have in common? They are remembered far into the future; it's been thousands of years since they all passed on into dust, but their names still carry weight and their legacies are great. Providence smiled upon them, and I hope that Providence will smile kindly upon me. This is something I want to claim for myself you see," said Nova.
Ungar confused said, "what is it then you want to be a god? You want to achieve world domination?" Nova laughed in his infinite fashion, "Ohoho no, world domination is quite boring, and to be a god I simply do not have the hair for it or the physique, for if Apollo looks like those statues the Greeks and Romans sculpted eons ago than I am not worthy to sit on my throne at Mount Olympus and claim my status amongst the gods," said Nova. Zaiyal, frustrated beyond belief screamed, "Well then what? What could you possibly want?!" said Zaiyal. Nova waved his glass back and forth, put it to his lips and gulped down the rest of the brandy. "Isn't it obvious I want to be remembered. I want to be remembered for what I said and what I did. For ideas and things that people will want to emulate but will not be able to so easily. "Not just in commerce but in the world of ideas to our age is putting on a veritable clearance sale. Everything can be so dirt cheap that one begins to wonder whether in the end anyone will want to make a bid,"" said Nova. Ungar said, "Kierkegaard." Nova clapped his hands together, "that's right Søren Kierkegaard, one of my favorite philosophers, so you know of his work?" said Nova to Ungar. Ungar crossed his arms together, "No never read a word of his." Nova curiously retorted, "Oh? Then how did you know the name and the origin of the quote?" Ungar laughed, "You could say I know the man intimately," said Ungar. Nova with a look of devilish curiosity replied, "you know a 19th century philosopher intimately, how intriguing, but you'll have to tell me that in the morning. I've told what I needed to tell. Good night you too," said Nova. Ungar and Zaiyal left the room. Zaiyal was uneasy that he was hiding something from them. What did he mean by he wanted to be remembered?
As Zaiyal and Ungar stepped out of Nova's study, the conversation weighed heavily on Zaiyal's mind. Nova's ambition to be remembered nagged at him, raising more questions than answers. What did it mean for them? Could he truly be trusted with their lives—and their destinies? In the living area, the atmosphere was vibrant and alive. The rest of their group was settling in, absorbed in the vintage charm of Super Smash Bros. Guan-Fu chuckled as he watched the anime Inuyasha on a different television screen, while Tashkent laughed, egging Talus on in the game. The room buzzed with excitement, a stark contrast to the gravity of the conversation Zaiyal had just left. "Hey, what's going on in there?" Noah called out, pausing his game. "You guys look like you just heard the world was ending." Zaiyal forced a smile, trying to shake off the unease. "Just some heavy philosophy. This Nova is a real character." "Philosophy? Sounds kinda boring! Check this out!" Noah tossed the controller to Zaiyal, who caught it reflexively. He settled down beside Talus, who was already deep into a match. As Zaiyal played, he found himself distracted, unable to concentrate on the game. His mind kept drifting back to Nova's cryptic words. "I want to be remembered." The phrase echoed in his thoughts, sparking a mix of curiosity and wariness. Meanwhile, Ungar joined Guan-Fu, who was still glued to Inuyasha. "What did you guys talk about?" Guan-Fu asked casually, though his eyes scanned the room, noting how everyone seemed blissfully unaware of the tension. "Just stuff about becoming heroes and what it takes to survive here," Ungar replied, eyes flickering between the screen and Guan-Fu. Guan Fu was not satisfied with that answer but before he could say anything Talus interjected. "Yeah, we heard this weird nonsense from Nova about his legacy and being remembered through the ages, the ego of this guy I can't relate. I remember not too long ago when I didn't even have one." Zaiyal chimed in, finally putting the controller down. "Doesn't it feel a little… off?" Ungar nodded slowly. "He's clearly ambitious. But ambition can be a double-edged sword. We have to be careful about aligning ourselves with someone who might have ulterior motives." Just then, Sir Rhyme piped up from the couch, scribbling on a notepad. "What if he sees us as stepping stones? Our powers could enhance his own narrative. We have to be vigilant, my friends, lest we become mere characters in his grand tale." "That's exactly what I'm worried about, I think that bastard thinks he can play us for fools," Zaiyal said, running a hand through his spiky black hair. "If we're going to join this Hero Association, we need to know who we're dealing with. What if Nova isn't just a guide but a player in a larger game?" Noah laughed, "it should be beyond clear that he is. But we need him, without him we can't even begin to figure out what this game is, let alone the rules for it." Talus paused the game, glancing at the group. "So what do we do? Keep our guard up and watch our backs? But just as it seems he is utilizing us whether or not that's true, regardless we need to utilize him." "Exactly," Ungar agreed. "But we can also use this time to learn about Verenthia and the Hero Association. Knowledge is obviously critical, and it'll help us decide how to approach this." As the night wore on, the group played games, watched shows, and chatted, but Zaiyal's mind remained a whirlpool of thoughts. Each laugh and cheer from his friends felt distant, and the excitement of a new adventure was marred by uncertainty. Eventually, the gaming session wrapped up, and one by one, they began to drift off to sleep in the luxurious mansion. Zaiyal found himself staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling like leaves caught in a storm. He wanted to believe in a better future, to be a hero in this strange new world, but something about Nova's ambition gnawed at him. The next morning would bring the promised revelations about the Hero Association, and with it, perhaps the truth behind Nova's grand designs. As sleep finally took him, Zaiyal resolved to keep his eyes open—and his heart guarded.