Slipster/Always a Hero

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The sun slid effortlessly into the horizon beyond the war-walls. The final ribbons of color trailing behind its' daily journey arched across the heavens; fading slowly into the coming night.
Darkness again descended upon the city.
The evening was quiet enough; a rare calm amidst a never ending storm. And it was here that he began his watch, high above the streets of Brickstown.
Waiting…
Thinking…
Across from his rooftop perch was the apartment belonging to the Stance family; a mother and father who still mourn their son. It has been nearly two years now but they feel the loss everyday. More so, perhaps, because that loss was never fully explained to them. They could never have known that the simple act of mentioning their son’s uniqueness at work would one day be the cause of his demise. These two upstanding and moral citizens of Paragon are research technicians at a lab funded by Crey Industries. Yet even though their benefactors have been involved in some questionable practices, neither of this couple are evil in any way, nor have they ever participated in any of the acts that have secured front page headlines across the city. They are in it for the science, for a chance to help make the world a better place.
They were the true victims.
The only thing that they were guilty of is raising a son to respect others, to look out for those who can’t fend for themselves, and to use whatever gifts he was given for the greater good of all.
Their son; the Hero.
The figure watched as they sat down for dinner. This was a special night, he knew, because they had a guest as well. Their son’s fiancé, his voice of reason and his support, joined them for this meal. He saw her then, as she entered from the kitchen carrying a cake with brightly lit candles atop its frosted mount. The woman set the platter before an empty seat at the head of the table.
The figure took a deep breath of the evening air, savoring it as if he could taste the cake itself.
This was a tradition.
This was a birthday in memorandum because the guest of honor could no longer be there.
The figure hung his head. How could they know the evil that pervades the hearts and minds of some in this city? People like this shouldn’t have to know… shouldn’t be exposed to the horrors of loosing someone dear to them.
Or to the monsters like him.
The figure raised his eyes again as another landed on the rooftop beside him. It was a woman, with white leather boots covering her up to mid-thigh. A tight short-sleeved shirt, skirt, shoulder pads, a set of power bracers and a helmet completed her look. Tall and athletically built, she smiled at her mentor; bright eyes sparkling behind her visor.
"Ready for hopefully mundane evening, Slip?"
The man forced a smile, knowing full well that it was hidden in the shadow cast by his hood.
He knew this woman as Sonia; a fellow hero and friend in addition to being his protégé. Among the streets and alleys of the city however, she was known as Golden Mace.
She too used to work for Crey. Her long and lean physique belaying a brilliant mind that designed all the technology she uses to fight the wrongs of the world. Her power bracers gave her enhanced strength and radiated an aura that protected her from all but the most severe attacks. Her boots allowed her to leap great distances and even fight more efficiently.
Sonia was one of the precious few who knew the true evil behind Crey. Slipster respected, and trusted her for the decision she had made when she found out. And had taken her under his wing when she announced what she wanted to spend her life doing instead.
He wondered at times if she knew what they had done to him. Even he couldn’t, or perhaps didn’t want to, remember all the details. To him it was all a blur of pain and suffering; a jumble of scattered puzzle pieces that came together from time to time; on nights like this.
Sonia took a seat at the roofs edge beside the other hero; her legs dangling over the ledge. She took a moment to focus her eyes on the scene across the way.
"Are they yours?" she asked.
Slip could find nothing to say, but knew that Sonia had learned very well to read his silence. A nervous twitch of his feline like tail, a dismissive flick of the tip, was all the answer she needed.
"She’s gorgeous." Sonia replied.
"I know…" he whispered.
"Why haven’t you told them?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. It was not the first time she had asked her mentor that and it would certainly not be the last. However long it took for him to finally get up the nerve to do it.
But he was already lost in himself, his mind drifting back to the laboratory. Back to the months of tests, the sedatives, the genetic manipulation, and the operation that finally killed the man his family once knew… all in the name of science.
Slowly he pulled his hood back, letting it fall to his shoulders.
Sonia took in the sight of her friend’s true face as quietly as she always did, out of respect for what he had been through.
A gentle gust of wind stroked his fur and whiskers; but there was a fowl scent in it.
Out of a reflex that he still had no control over, Slip’s ears lay down flat against his head and his muzzle wrinkled up, barring sharp canine teeth in a snarl.
Sonia had learned very quickly what that meant. She always learned fast.
There were Protectors near.
In the next instant, he was on the ground ten stories below; a black and yellow blur of movement. He spied two of the Protectors mingling with a group of scientists and descended on them from above. With one sweeping movement he sent them all flying flat onto their backs. One of the Protectors was the first to stand again. He focused his sights on that one, swiping brutally at the air with his claws. The resulting shockwave knocked the Protector back further into the side of a building and he slumped onto a dumpster below; stunned for the moment.
Slip turned just as one of the scientists flew through the air beside him; a concussive force following in his wake. Golden Mace was behind him now, cleaning up those that she could handle. The other Protector set upon him, her claws unsheathed. She struck, and swiped at him, but couldn’t land anything more than a glancing hit as he bobbed and weaved around her. He brought both his fists down hard, knocking her up into the air. She recovered quickly from that and attempted to fly away. She did not see the dust curl around Slipster’s feet as he leapt skyward after her. Ironically, thanks to Crey, he now had more than just his speed to aid him.
He could sense her fear when she looked back to see him in pursuit. The Protector attacked once more and connected, but it was a weak blow and easily shrugged off by the hero. Which was more than could be said about the strike that he returned to her. The protector plummeted from the sky like a lame duck and collided with a rooftop; finished.
Slipster arrived back on the ground in time to watch Golden Mace take down the last of the minions. She was breathing heavy, stray wisps of hair falling out from under the helmet, but still managed a triumphant smile. It only reassured him of the great potential that she possessed. Together, they walked over to the dumpster where the first Protector was still laying. The defeated pawn lifted his head in a pained attempt to move, but had neither the energy, nor the will to do so.
He looked first at Golden Mace, not recognizing her. She wasn’t seen enough at this level yet for them to be concerned about her. But her mentor however…
They all knew who he was.
"Slipster?" the Protector manages to say with some effort. "We are no match for you… why do you bother?"
He pulled the hood back again, and leaned in close, pressing his muzzle right up against the faceplate of the Protector’s helmet so that his reflection stared back at him. He let him take a good long look at the feline shaped head, the wide nose and squat ears, the pale yellow fur and black spots of a cheetah.
He could suddenly sense the fear in him now as well.
The hero didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. He only backed off, pulled his hood up and walked away.
"Say hello to the Countess for us will ya?" Sonia quipped. "My name is Golden Mace; remember that for next time."
Slipster couldn’t help but grin inwardly at that parting remark. It let him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sonia was in this for the long haul. The Countess would soon have them both to worry about. :Two thorns festering in her side; and it would only be a matter of time until more heroes heeded the call. Someday, he imagined, Crey would have a dedicated group of watchers to contend with, to thwart them at every turn.
Yes, the Crey Watchers.
He was brought back to his senses by the commotion as they stepped out onto the main street. People had come down from their apartments to see the heroes they had just watched take on the Crey forces.
"I’ve never met a real hero before!"
"Wait till I tell my friends about this!"
"I hear that Slipster took on the Countess herself once!"
It still overwhelmed Slipster to a degree when they all started crowding in around him, but mostly because gatherings of any sort made him uncomfortable now-a-days. Golden Mace however, was eating it up, and she deserved it.
"You really were amazing out there."
Slip turned sideways to look the person who had just touched his shoulder and froze. It was a woman with shoulder length strawberry blonde hair that framed gleaming hazel eyes. Her skin was pale like a porcelain doll, her features subtle and her figure voluptuous.
She was still the most beautiful being that he could ever remember meeting.
"Laura…" he whispered under his breath.
"I watched you from my apartment," she continued, not having heard what he said. "I have always been in awe of your kind and the things you do to protect us. My fiancé used to be a hero."
Slipster stammered for a moment.
“What happened to him?” he found himself asking her in a voice so hoarse even he barely recognized it.
She looked around cautiously before answering. "The official report is that he died as a result of a failed power enhancement experiment at a Crey lab. But I don’t trust that. Jon was always happy with himself just the way he was, I can’t believe that he would have gotten mixed up in some program to change that. It just wasn’t him."
"I am sorry for you loss."
She smiled painfully at him. "Thank you, but don’t be. I’m not giving up on him just yet. There is still a chance he’s out there, somewhere," she said gazing off at nothing in particular.
As the crowd begins to disperse, Golden Mace hurried to her mentors' side when she saw who had cornered him. Even Slipster had to admit that he hadn’t realized just how similar these two women were, until seeing them side by side. Even when he had forgotten Laura, he had not really forgotten her. He had found someone who reminded him of her.
"Everything ok, Slip?" Golden Mace asked.
"Fine," he replied in a slightly less shaky voice. "I was just hearing about her fiancé and his time as a hero."
Sonia nodded, but still shot him a curious sideways glance.
"Well, I should probably be going, let you two get back to your duties," Laura said as she turned to walk away.
"You don’t want to keep that cake waiting too long," Slipster said without thinking.
By the time Laura had turned back to look questioningly at him, he was gone; a gust of wind the only sign of his sudden departure.
She turned to Sonia then, confused. "Was it something I said?"
"You’ll have to excuse him, he’s not too comfortable around people with how he… ya know, looks." Golden Mace said, gesturing to her face.
Laura nodded absently. "It’s what’s inside that counts. If you have a good heart, that’s all that matters."
Golden Mace chuckled to herself at that. "I’ll make sure to pass that along."
"How did he know we were celebrating a birthday?" the other woman asked.
“I could be wrong,” Golden Mace began, spinning a story as she went. "But I think he knows you, or knew of you, through this hero boyfriend of yours. It's his birthday you are celebrating today isn’t it?"
She nodded. "Yes, it is."
"I know Slip never says much, but he cares deeply about friends and family. If something happened to your man, he’s trying to figure out what and who did it."
"And if he’s still alive?"
"Then we’ll find him."
A smile came to Laura’s face, and her eyes glazed with tears. "Thank you. They say I’m crazy for hanging on, but anything you can do is appreciated more than you know."
Golden Mace smiled her knowing smile and took Laura’s shoulder in her hand, giving it a little squeeze. "You have to hang onto the good ones when they come along, Girl."


It didn’t take long for Sonia to find Slipster again. He had retreated back to the same rooftop as earlier, where he could remain observant, but unseen. The hooded figure was seated at the edge of the roof with his knees tucked into his chest, and his tail twitching idly at his side.
"I’m sorry," he said as she approached. "I panicked… I… was afraid Laura would know."
Sonia took off her helmet and set it down before crouching beside him. She shook her head a little, loosening the tangled knots in her short black hair. Her features were tight, thinking; her icy blue eyes searched their mentor.
"She’s not as emotional and naive as you may think she is, Slip." Sonia began. "Laura doesn’t believe you are dead. More than that, she believes it was Crey that covered up the truth."
"The man she knew is dead, Sonia. I can never be what I was… I can never again be what she loved."
"And how do you know that she can’t learn to love you for who you are now?"
"I’m a monster!" he shouted abruptly, a growl escaping his throat as he spoke. Sonia almost fell backwards in shock. "A damned freak of nature! I’m not human anymore… I’m nothing more than an animal, Sonia…" his toned trailed off as if he wanted to cry.
Carefully, she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Looks don’t make you human, Slip, you should know that by now. The people of this city adore you regardless of your outward appearance. They see something more important, they see actions, deeds, and those deeds show character and what is hidden inside us all."
Slipster remained silent.
"You are half and half, Slip, and your animal instincts can only rule your humanity if you want them to. You may even be more human than most because you are aware of what it takes to achieve that status."
He looked up at her from beneath the hood. His eyes glowed in the pale moonlight.
"Slip… Jon, she still cares for you. She wants you back, wants some news of your true fate. You can at least give her that peace of mind."
Slipster took a deep breath and sighed. "You are right you know."
She jabbed him hard in the arm. "Of course I’m right! I’m the woman here." That got the smile she was looking for out of him.
"I just need time, Sonia."
"I have no doubt that Laura will wait for you."
"Neither do I."
A sweet smell caught the man’s nose which he quickly attributed to the bag resting beside his companions helmet. He nodded his chin in its direction. "And what is that?"
Sonia smiled. "Oh, this? Just a little present I picked up on my way back."
She removed a small box from inside and opened it to reveal two pieces of cake. Sonia handed him one. "I thought you deserved this, seeing as how we are missing your party and all. Laura was gracious enough to give us some for the road."
Slipster sat dumbfounded for a moment before he felt the warm tears running down his cheek fur.
"This is my first celebration since… since…" he paused again, wiping his eyes and collecting his thoughts. "Thank you, Sonia. I don’t know if you really understand what this means to me."
"Of course I do," she began, sliding over so that she was pressed up against her mentor’s side. "It’s the start of healing." Sonia pulled back the corner of Slip’s hood then and kissed him gently on the side of his face.
"Happy Birthday, Fuzzball."


Someday I will tell them.
Someday.
Until then I will live as I have always lived; protecting those who need protecting. I am an instrument of good, and no matter what other hardships lay in my future, that is exactly what I will remain.
A Hero.

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