Aermes awakens to sirens blaring all around him.
He leaps out of bed when suddenly, his Four Rings snap directly onto his wrists and ankles. The Flight Suit instantly activates as if sensing the danger imminently inbound. He doesn’t run. Instead, his suit thrusts him forward, down the halls before leading him to Emidas’ throne room.
He can see Emidas sitting still, right hand placed on his sword, staring blankly ahead.
AERMES: Sir…?
Emidas remains frozen in place.
AERMES: SIR!
Still, the King shows no movements.
AERMES: “What the fuck is going on here…King Emidas do you not hear the sirens?!”
He looks around to find any signs as to what is unfolding before him. To his left, he sees a wall full of holographic monitors. Several news stations report that an “8.7 EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THE WEST COAST”, as the caption glides on repeat across the screen.
Soliders and Generals enter the room. They see their King fixated on seemingly nothing before turning their gaze towards Aermes.
GENERAL BACIU: “STOP WHERE YOU ARE.”
AERMES: “WAIT, I KNOW HOW THIS LOOKS. I GOT HERE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE YOU GUYS, HE’S STUCK, HE WON’T MOVE!”
The men move closer in circle formation, arms at the ready. Aermes turns his head towards the sky, rings rotating faster and faster. The soldiers fire sedation rounds, but just before the darts reach their target, his Rings spin rapidly, creating a gust that renders the attacks useless. When the wind subsides and the men regain their vision, the boy is gone.
When he reaches Los Angeles, what he finds is utter chaos. Buildings crumbling, people hanging off balconies…the cries for help seem to come from everywhere at once — flames and smoke are burning through the night sky.
He springs into action. Without hesitation he soars between the skyscrapers, catching falling civilians and using his upgraded Flight Rings to put out the flames. His visor has upgraded features as well. They tell Aermes the exact flight path needed to minimize the loss of life. He works through the night without rest, and when the morning dawn approaches, with his body barely able to move, he begins his descent, to finally touch the ground after 10 straight hours in the air.
People look upwards and the crowd erupts into thunderous applause. He looks around to see mothers reunited with their children and fathers holding back tears with countenances full of appreciation.
“YOU SAVED US!”
“THANK YOU!”
“WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SON?!”
What is this feeling growing inside his heart? What is this emotion that he has never felt before? But the people around him know full well what he has done, their hearts singing in gratitude for this young man’s bravery. The smartphones begin to record as he gets closer and closer to the ground. And just like that…
A hero is born.
