Chapter 41: Be A Hero Percy (2/2)
Percy nodded, stepping out of the class, walking into the swarm of classmates going through the tight corridors. He looked down at his phone, seeing no notifications. He sighed, putting his phone away, looking on with a dead look. He walked through the crowds without much presence slowly going with his day. He wiped his eyes, trying his best not to cry. That was when he bumped into a girl when he wasn't looking. He fell to the floor as she dropped her papers. Both looked at each other as the girl was the one who looked horrified. Percy stood up, wiping his eyes. ”Excuse me!” He ran past as his emotions were being too hard to handle. As the bell rang, he went the opposite way to his class as he headed for the roof.
It was already raining when Percy found himself on the roof of the school. He stood idly by allowing himself to get drenched. He dropped his bag and phone as he walked over to the roof edge. Standing on the side, he bit his lip. He hesitated for a short moment before stepping off the roof. As he began to fall, he felt something grip him stopping his fall. He jerked back looking up, seeing the same girl he had bumped into holding on for dear life as she held Percy in one hand while she held the railing. ”Help me here!”
”What… what are you doing?”
”What does it look like?! Saving your life idiot.”
Percy noticed the girl's hand was slipping as the two were close to falling. ”Let me go! You'll fall too.” He tried breaking free, looking up in horror. ”Please! Just let me go. I'm not worth it…”
”Don't let go! If you fall, we fall together!” Percy flinched as the girl tugged him, screaming out as she managed to pull him up back onto the roof. Both laid back with the rain showering them as she began panting. ”Are you alright?”
Percy looked up at the grey clouds confused as he too was lost for words. ”Why?”
The girl held his hand smiling. ”I wasn't going to let you fall. I'd be sad if you died.”
”How? How did you know?” He sobbed, having the tears mix with the rain.
”I felt the pain when I bumped into you. You were crying out. I knew something was wrong. Boy am I glad I followed you!”
Percy soon realised how stupid he was trying to take his life. He began crying out loud. ”You saved me… what. What the hell was I thinking?!”
The girl stood up, drying her skirt as she smiled. ”I'm glad you're alright.”
Percy turned around, still lost. ”Why did you save me? You were willing to fall with me. What idiot would do that?”
”I'm not an idiot thank you. A hero would be willing to sacrifice their life to save others, no?”
Percy flinched standing up, unable to come to grips with her reasoning. ”A hero? What, what is your name?”
”My name? It's Zinnia. I need to get to class. Stay strong.”
Percy stayed still looking lost as Zinnia left. He smiled lightly wiping his drenched face. ”Zinnia… my hero.”
****
Vanguard stood over the hole, watching the two streamers struggling to hold on. He laughed to himself, standing on the clone crushing it. The clone was destroyed as another one quickly formed, stopping the fall. He kneeled tutting. ”How revolting. Throwing your life away for something so dumb. The concept of heroes makes me sick. So good and pure. They are cast aside if they fail and can never get what they want. Do you want to be a hero so much?! Let me give you a heroic death, Percy!”
As Vanguard was readying the killing blow, he felt the entire room drop in temperature. His body began to shiver. He gasped, turning around. ”Alton!”
Alton had frozen his restraints over until they shattered. Now his whole body was a pale white his eyes entirely dead of colour apart from a small hint of yellow. The entire shrine was frozen as he cupped his hand back. Serval icicles ripped from the ground stabbing into Vanguard he fell to the ground shaken by the unseeing attack. This gave Percy enough time. He looked down at Zinnia, pulling with all his might. ”Help me!”
Zinnia looked shocked that Percy was still not giving up. ”Why?”
”Because! That's what heroes do.” Zinnia stopped as she smiled, realising her mistakes. Gripping Percy with both her hands she refused to let go as the clone and Percy pulled with all their might. Feeling his grip slip, he threw Zinnia over his shoulder as she fell onto the floor. His gripped from the clone dropped as Percy fell. He wasn't worried this time. Holding his hand out, he grabbed it tightly as his body suddenly swapped with his clone. Percy was now hanging on the edge holding on as his clone faded into nothing falling. He laughed to himself, holding on. ”That was awesome!”
Speaking too soon he felt himself slipping again. About to fall Zinnia caught him and although injured, she powered through helping Percy up. Both lay on the stone ground panting. ”Thank you, Percy.”
Percy noticed how much in pain she was in, and even then, risked herself to help him. He felt dumb for forgetting that for forgetting what it meant to want to be a hero. He stood up, ready to confront his fears. ”Vanguard!”
Vanguard turned seeing dozens of clones of Percy surrounding him. He gritted his teeth now slightly concerned. ”I've decided. I was so afraid to admit it. I didn't want it to be true. I wanted to believe you were good. You were my hero. I wanted to be like you that scared me. But now. I see it clearly. I understand.” He turned to Zinnia, smiling. ”I have a new hero. I don't need you anymore! I am Vanguardian no more!”
”You heard the kid; he's done with you. And soon the world will be too. It's over Vanguard.”
Vanguard stepped back, clutching his head. ”No, no! No! NO! it is not! I won't let you take the only thing that the world will remember me for!” He screamed as the ground began to shake. The ice shattered as he roared in pain. ”Vanguard will never die!”