The World Needs A Hero
Title: The World Needs A Hero
Pairing(s): HanChul, QMi
Genre(s): Sci-fi, psychological, superhero!AU
Length: 4983 words
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It takes more than saving people and adhering to morality to be a real superhero.
Inspiration(s): The movies Watchmen and The Dark Knight. Brilliant movies, totally recommended.
```
Han Geng never understood why the Red Cinderella never killed him when he had the chance. Each time the superhero was within dangerous levels of combat, his arch nemesis decided at the last minute to be merciful when any other cruel hearted villain would have already slashed at his throat to end the ongoing battle once and for all. And he always came up with the lamest excuses as well, the douche! It was always now why would I get my hands dirty when I just filed my nails or nah, I’ll kill you next time when I feel like it or what the hell are you still doing here, get out of my sight!
Luckily, the most recent time had a much more original excuse. The Red Cinderella had set the police station on fire with a whiff of one of his characteristic red cigarettes during the late evening before closing hours, and this as a result had Han Geng running to his locked closet, slipping into his superhero outfit-fitted black armor, boots, and dark-screened motorcycle helmet-and exiting his tiny flat through the back window where he proceeded to speed down the road onto his steel-clad motorbike like everybody’s life depended on it (which, ironically, was not that far off the bat considering the circumstances).
As he neared the scene of the crime, Han Geng noticed a tall orange-haired man in a top hat and chic bullet-proof suit, Gentleman Mimi was what they called him, and smirked as the most charming and best-dressed superhero appeared with coughing survivors in his arms and disappeared back inside the blazing building with his teleportation powers. Hopefully he managed to teleport himself safely and not by some incorrect calculation of grid coordination numbers appear in between a chair (he always managed to get his head stuck through something made of wood, which was alright if not for the fact that he was supposed to be saving lives). Han Geng cranked up his speed-o-meter and concentrated on his own power of intangibility, smoothly zooming through the solid walls of the police station and into the fiery interior. Quickly he scanned his surroundings through his laser-vision helmet and went through the oh-so-tedious chore of stifling the fire, getting everybody out safe and sound, and making sure that Gentleman Mimi’s head was not caught between the chair legs (or his own, for that matter). Only then did he scan for clues, and sure enough in the alleyway behind the station there was an arrow constructed of red cigarettes pointing south. Against his own good sense, he followed it, and after fifteen minutes of running he was ambushed. Surprise, surprise. Unfortunately, he was ambushed by limbs and human skin-the only things that he was unable to phase through.
“Hey hot stuff,” the redhead purred as he held his long red fingernails in front of his neck, the edges of his ornate mask scratching against the superhero’s face. “How was your night?”
“Quite relaxing, really,” Han Geng replied, sighing. “Thanks to you.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure,” the villain replied with a feisty smile, his sharp claws playfully dancing near his enemy’s jugular vein. “Speaking of pleasure-”
Han Geng closed his eyes behind his helmet. “What do you want?”
“Oh, just wanted to get to know you better,” the tip of the Red Cinderella’s tongue swiped against Han Geng’s ear. “People always reveal their true selves right before their deaths, you know, and considering how we have only talked when you are on the brink of dying in my arms, I can safely say that I probably know you better than all of your closest friends.”
“You didn’t kill me all those times,” the superhero noted calmly. “What makes you think that I won’t assume that you won’t just let me go again?”
“Don’t push it, hot stuff. I’ve got the upper hand at the moment, and you know how much fun having the upper hand can be.” The Red Cinderella chuckled when the man in his hands grunted nonchalantly. “So, I have a proposition for you. If you agree, I’ll let you go.”
“So what’s the proposition?”
“Take off that pathetic excuse of a helmet, and I’ll take off my mask which, by the way, probably costs more than your freaking house. Then we’ll call it even and continue on with our superhero-villain business just as before.”
Han Geng tensed, and his first reaction was to flee, for being a superhero also meant protecting one’s identity at all costs. “What will happen if I refuse?”
“Darling, I’m the Red Cinderella, you never know what will happen when it comes to me. But does this give you a good enough idea?”
On his collarbone Han Geng felt the prick of the sharp blades that were the redhead’s four-inch nails. “I’d rather die than reveal myself to a scoundrel,” he hissed defiantly, wincing as his skin started to peel. “Especially you.”
“You know, I don’t particularly like the term ‘scoundrel’,” the cat-like man remarked airily. “I prefer ‘Byronic hero’ in the loosest sense of the term.”
Han Geng scoffed. “The words ‘Red Cinderella’ and ‘hero’ should not even be in the same sentence.”
“Ah, but you see, I said Byronic hero. There’s a remarkable difference between the two, and if you had half as much brain as I did, you would know that.”
“Okay, so back to the main discussion: why do you want me to take my helmet off? Besides the obvious?” the motorcyclist spat icily, clearly annoyed at the direction the conversation was heading. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to kill me on the spot than to go through all the trouble to seek me out in the dark abyss of superpowerless reality?”
The villain smirked. “Now what would be the fun in that?” The redhead leaped backwards and gracefully landed on all fours. He pulled out a red cigarette out from inside his jacket. “Meet me at the Miracle Cafe tomorrow at six. I expect you to be on time and unmasked.”
“And what if I don't?”
“I’ll get mad,” the Red Cinderella replied breezily. “And nobody likes seeing me mad, trust me.”
“And how do I know it’s not a trap?”
“You don’t.”
Han Geng grimaced. Just what he needed. “And you, will you be unmasked too?”
The villain rolled his eyes. “Yes, now are you done asking questions?”
“No,” Han Geng deadpanned. “How will I know who you are?”
The Red Cinderella laughed wolfishly. “Oh trust me, you’ll know.” And with that, he threw his cigarette to the floor and he stylishly disappeared in a small burst of fire. Nearby the city clock tower struck twelve midnight, and the chimes resonated into the night.
```
“Are you sure that’s what he said?”
“Yes, Zhou Mi, I’m fucking two hundred percent sure that’s what he said!” Han Geng dug his fingers into his temples and sighed noisily in frustration. The briefs on his desk were not going to be proofread by themselves, and the high-pitched screaming at three in the morning was not helping his migraines. God, he hated being a lawyer, but even superheroes needed to pay bills once in a while.
“You are not actually considering going, are you?” the taller man flailed his arms around the dimly lit flat, almost knocking a stack of papers over with all the movement he was causing. “The guy is practically waving the danger signs in front of your face!”
“The Red Cinderella is known for being sneaky and cunning,” Han Geng rolled his eyes. “He’s mastered the art of lying to the point where his truths have become lies and his lies have become truths.”
“So you think that he’s telling the truth this time? By using something akin to a lie?”
“Possibly. And really, what have I got to lose?”
Zhou Mi gaped at him. “Uh, your life maybe? Look, Han Geng, it’s not safe.”
“Mimi, I’m never safe. I’m a goddamn superhero.”
“Alright, fine,” the gentleman sighed, adjusting the sleeve of his three-hundred dollar blazer. “Say you went to this cafe and everything went as it should have been. You are unmasked, the Red Cinderella is unmasked, both of you are civil to each other, and both of you know each other’s identities. What good does that do?”
The lawyer shrugged, twirling a pen in his right hand. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be able to report the guy to the police and lock him up for good? Maybe I’ll kill him right there and then?”
“There’s no need to be crude. What I’m saying is that you need to weigh the options.”
“I know,” the older of the two enunciated. “Remember, I’ve been at this business longer than you have.”
“Just looking out for the last living superhero in the city,” Zhou Mi whispered, eyes shading over. “It’s just you and me now, and if we want to keep living we have to look after one another. I just don’t want you to end up like Henry. He was just too young to die like that.”
Han Geng opened his mouth but found no comforting words. “It’s not your fault that he fell, Mimi,” he deadpanned. “Henry was inexperienced and he read one too many comic books. He didn’t fully understand the life-or-death route that our kind walked on. After all, you weren’t the one who murdered him, GameQ did. You couldn’t have helped the boy even if you tried.”
Zhou Mi swallowed back tears and turned towards his best friend, eyes shining in the obscurity. “I watched him fall, Han Geng. It was after you started running after the Red Cinderella to stop him from setting the SM Corporation on fire. I chased GameQ to the top of a skyscraper, where he telekinetically lifted Henry right over the edge of the roof, his violin was snapped in half floating right beside him, and before I could reach him GameQ just let him drop. I tried to save him, but right before my eyes he was gone. I couldn’t even find his body! If I only just got there a second earlier I could have-”
“You could’ve what, Zhou Mi?” Han Geng barked. “Saved him? Look, I swear, if you keep berating yourself in guilt I will get over there and will not hesitate to knee you in your crotch.”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just miss him terribly. He was a good boy and he deserves vengeance.”
Han Geng pursed his lips. “They all do.”
“It’s funny, you know. There used to be so many of us. I still remember how Eunhyuk and Donghae would patrol the streets together, not even bothering to hide the fact that they’re making complete fools of themselves. Siwon and Ryeowook always keeping the peace among us. I was always jealous of Leeteuk, with his impeccable flying abilities and all. We were the closest of friends and most trusted allies, weren’t we?” The well-dressed man laughed brokenly. “Now all I have is you.”
“Times have changed, and the score is tied. It’s two against two now, and if we win this,” the steel pen in the lawyer’s hand snapped in half, “We will have our vengeance.”
```
The Miracle Cafe was pretty much packed at six (as it definitely would be; it was practically the most in and hip place in town, for crying out loud), and Han Geng had half a mind to just make a one-eighty degree turn and calmly walk back to his flat where he had some desperate last-minute filing to do. In fact, he was on the verge of doing just that before he caught sight of a stunning young man not much older than himself discreetly flaunting his immaculately red nails as he sipped at his coffee. He was dressed quite expensively, much like Zhou Mi except with more of a focus on glamour, and in place of bright red there was only black pigment in his hair styled in a layered shoulder-length cut to compliment his pointy face. Han Geng narrowed his eyes and against his better judgment decided to approach his supposed archenemy, every limb in his system ready to be activated in a millisecond’s span.
“What took you so long?” was the first thing he said.
Han Geng had planned on sifting through his List of Insulting Comebacks but instead he found himself chuckling at the opening remark. “Waiting for somebody?”
“Stop the act, hot stuff,” Mr. Red Fingernails quipped, a playful smirk gracing his lips when he noticed the subtle tensing in the other man’s shoulders. “You know, for a superhero, you must be pretty daft to think that I haven’t done any research on my enemies.”
“Uh huh, and what do you know about me?”
“I know that your name is Han Geng, you’re twenty-three, you’re a lawyer, you’re the only child, you’re originally from China, you are professionally trained in martial arts, and a whole lot of other background information that is probably stored at the back of your cramped attic of a mind and therefore unworthy of being repeated. Funny how you didn’t even bother to pick out a cool superhero name like the rest of them. Isn’t it a bit risky to use your real name in these kinds of situations?”
Han Geng shrugged and took a seat opposite the unmasked Red Cinderella. “I figured that people usually miss the most obvious points. Screws up their psychological expectations.”
“Clever,” the villain complimented, grinning.
“What do you want, Red Cinderella?” the Chinese man put on his this is serious business and I intend on treating it like serious business face.
Apparently, the Red Cinderella did not share the same attitude, as he kicked back and started inspecting the back of his hands from under lidded eyes. “Oh please, call me Heechul. It’s uncanny, I wanted my villain name to be something royal like Heenim, but instead the public decides to stick on a tacky label whenever referring to me. At least Youngwoon had a cool name like Kangin.”
“Heechul,” Han Geng repeated sullenly. “Is that your real name or one of your many aliases?” It was common knowledge that the Red Cinderella had pulled off many stunts in the past, the majority of which included the need for fake names and pseudonyms.
“That’s your decision to make.”
“I’ll get back to you on that, then. Another question: why haven’t you killed me yet?”
A mischievous glint entered the villain’s eye. “I’m here to share my personal opinions of general society.”
Han Geng quirked an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“I believe that the human race follows an endless cycle of chaos and entropy that can only be restarted by external forces beyond their tangible control. As with any physical law of nature, everything always becomes less and less orderly with time, and the single method of putting it back together would be a psychological installment fueled by, you guessed it, us.”
“Us?”
“Yah, us. The ones with superhuman powers, the freaks who were blessed with special abilities, or whatever you want to call us.”
“You mentioned a psychological installment?”
Heechul grinned maniacally. “Eternal global turmoil.”
Han Geng’s dark eyes darkened further, anger building up in the pit of his stomach. “So you basically suggest that we keep every single person on this world fearing for their very lives? Have the peace on Earth shaken for eternity?” He exhaled sharply, exasperated with the discussion. “I knew you were crazy, Red Cinderella, but everything that comes out of your mouth is madness. Why would a respected hero like me abide to your suggestions in the first place? The people depend on me for their safety.”
The grin only widened. “Exactly. Think of it this way. Can you feel your teeth?”
The tip of Han Geng’s tongue involuntary swiped against the inside of his jaw. “Of course I can.”
“Now you are, because I made you notice them. Are you always aware of them, though? No, you aren’t. You take them for granted no matter how useful and fundamental they are. You don’t pay attention to your teeth until something bad happens to them, like a motherfucker of a toothache that throbs at the slightest twitch of your jaw. You can’t talk without wincing. You can’t eat anything hard. You can’t enjoy your food even when it’s nice and soft and creamy. Heck, you may not be able to smile if the case is terrible enough. Only then do you wish that you have your teeth in tiptop shape and only then do you realize the importance of them.”
“Your point is?”
“God, you really are daft,” the effeminate man rolled his eyes. “My point is that world peace would only be achieved if humans are aware of the idea of world peace. Imagine every person in the world praying at the foot of their beds each night, thanking the ones above for another day to live. Imagine every little child born into this world, taught to live their transient lives to the fullest. Isn’t that what world peace is all about? People actually being happy and in harmony with each other?”
The Chinese man frowned, confused. “And why are you striving towards world peace, Red Cinderella?” he sneered, not in the least convinced. “Bored of the tediousness of the villain world consisting of manipulating your wicked ways on innocent people?”
“Han Geng, villains are also superheroes, just a different type. We are the ones who do the dirty work, the ones who are directly scrutinized by the public eye, the ones who carry the blame on our backs. Without villains, superheroes wouldn’t exist. Without me, you wouldn’t exist.” Heechul pointed his perfectly manicured second finger at his enemy. “But together, the previously unreachable definition of world peace will exist.”
The superhero took a moment to digest the information before nodding a tacit agreement. “Alright, last question. If that was all you wanted to say, why didn’t we just meet somewhere less special with our masks, in the darkness of some shabby alleyway or something?”
Heechul smiled kindly, and for a moment there Han Geng actually thought he was quite beautiful. “I wanted to see your face in person. The photo from your driver’s license I stole from you is such a drag in that it really does not do you justice at all.” The pretty boy laughed when Han Geng fumbled for his wallet to find that, sure enough, his driver’s license was missing. “Besides, forgive me for sounding like a ditzy teenager who indulges in way too many romance novels, but I have always wanted my first date to be absolutely perfect.”
```
Zhou Mi had never been superhero material. He had always been too empathetic and too easily swayed by any act of kindness no matter how small. Every criminal that he caught always got away with a mere injury (sometimes not even that painful) or short jail sentence, or in more severe cases he would recite one of his many lectures on How People As Individuals Can Make The World A Better Place. Hell, he did not even have the capability to kill anything living even at the cost of his own life. When he was younger, he would cry whenever somebody stepped on a bug or ran over a squirrel.
This would theoretically be a serious problem in the very unlikely and therefore hypothetical situation in which the enemy stands in front of Zhou Mi, beckoning him to end his life. Which was why he was practically sweating bullets as he held a gun in his hands at the temple of a surprisingly calm GameQ. It was the strangest thing: one minute Zhou Mi was just ambling down the hottest shopping district in the city and the next minute he was testing his altruistic capacities in a basement-like room surrounded by computer screens. How the hell did that happen?
“Kill me,” GameQ taunted behind his steel black face mask that covered everything from his chin to in between his dark soulful eyes. “I want to know if you can do it.”
“I can,” Zhou Mi gritted through his teeth. “But I prefer doing things the clean proper way.”
The villain let out a soft chuckle. “The clean proper way? Such as what? Putting me in handcuffs? Whisking me off to the confines of prison? You know very well that my telekinetic powers can get me out of almost every situation, not to mention the fact that I am a natural computer whiz slash hacker slash virus-programmer.” GameQ’s eyes which were previously covered by messy brown curls came into view. “All the more reason to kill me. If you don’t, I’m never going to stop. Do the right thing, Gentleman Mimi.”
Zhou Mi swallowed, heart speeding. “How do you know that I’m Gentleman Mimi?”
“Computers can find almost everything these days.”
“Then how come you haven’t killed me if I was such an easy target?”
“There’s no such thing as an easy target,” GameQ replied. “And there’s also no such thing as total altruism. If you don’t kill me right now, Gentleman Mimi, you are putting the whole city’s fate at stake. Do remember that I was the one who killed Mochi, your violinist friend. So what’s it going to be?”
Almost immediately the gun dropped to the ground, the clattering of the metal impact thunderously resonating around the room.
“So you’ve chosen altruism,” GameQ conceded, disappointment evident in his eyes. “I can never bring out the darkness in you, can’t I? I would have hoped that slaughtering off little Henry could have driven you over the edge at least a little bit. But despite my efforts, you never seem to waver from your Idealistic View Of Life.” The villain laughed bitterly. “You and I have a lot in common.”
Zhou Mi pressed his lips together. “I’m nothing like you. I don’t kill-I utterly refuse to kill-and I hope that I am never put in a situation like this again.”
“I do kill. I don’t murder.”
“I also do not lie,” Gentleman Mimi accused. “You murdered some of best friends.”
“No, I killed them. It’s not murder if I did not want to do it.”
“Then why did you?”
“It was the only way to keep my allies safe. I do not deny that I was the one who took their lives, but you must also realize that had I not done what I did, my own best friends would have been killed in their stead. If I had not thrown Siwon into an electrical fence he would have stabbed Yesung with his cross. If I had not thrown Henry off a building in time the vibrations from his violin would have penetrated through Red Cinderella. I did it to save my friends’ lives, not to commit murder. I would believe that you of all people would understand the power of friendship.”
Zhou Mi lifted his chin defiantly. “So there is a chance that you will kill me despite the fact that there is one hundred percent chance that I would refuse to do the same.”
“Unfortunately yes,” GameQ admitted, genuine sadness coating his velvety voice. “But that’s all going to change now.” The skinny figure untied his mask and Zhou Mi gasped when a handsome gaunt face was revealed. GameQ was young-much younger than his deep voice made him out to be. “Because from now on, we’re allies.” And then the villain smiled with such sincerity that Zhou Mi almost did a double take in wonder. “My name is Kyuhyun. I’m glad that we can finally meet face to face.”
“Why me? Why approach me of all people to show your face to? I may not have the ability to slay you but I will not think twice when telling the authorities.”
Kyuhyun looked away. “Because I wanted to. For my own personal reasons.”
“For your own personal reasons,” the taller man repeated. “I assume it is contempt that you feel for me.”
“Hardly. It’s a dangerous line we tread, Zhou Mi.” Kyuhyun swallowed, carefully choosing his words. “I wanted you to see me just in case we failed to come to an agreement that would ultimately wipe out the last of the superhuman population. I wanted you to see me, really see me for who I am-just your average math nerd and techno geek with a lot of time on his hands. I’m not the image my mask creates for me.” The telekinetic man leveled his clairvoyant gaze. “You only know me as GameQ; I want you to know me as Kyuhyun from now on. Can you do that?”
Zhou Mi searched the dark eyes from behind his orange hair and saw nothing but pure honesty and openness. He smiled. “Yah. Yah, I think I can.”
```
Weeks later, news leaked out to the public that the members of the superhero clan, whether heroes or villains, would be declaring war against the world. The reason was not stated. It started in town, where it spread like wildfire. Within weeks, the whole nation knew about the alleged war between the people and the supers. A month after the first declaration and several mysterious threats later, the whole world became aware of the superheroes’ change of heart.
Some countries started producing mass amounts of nuclear weapons in response, and at the end they were shocked as well as horrified out of their minds when some went missing (thanks to GameQ) and the rest of them failed to explode (thanks to Heechul). More and more people turned to religious groups who went into intensive prayers and long periods of fasting, all of them begging the higher beings for salvation both before and after their life; Han Geng could not help but believe that Siwon would have been proud. Newspaper companies splurged on the topic of human extinction, innovative movies were made with the superheroes as antagonists, bumper stickers telling people to cherish the rest of their lives were tacked onto the back of cars. Racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination were neglected in the face of a greater danger; who had time to deal with matters such as skin color when any minute, bloodthirsty attackers were enhanced abilities could show up on your doorstep. A miniscule percentage attempted suicide, and the ones who survived were admitted into asylums.
However, like the super quartet suspected, the majority of the global population chose instead to dismiss the news as mere rumor despite being chilled to the bone at the prospect of its truth. And amidst the chaos and panic, there were children growing up watching television shows about the post-apocalypse and knowing that they needed to live while they still could, like it was the last day of their whole life-a life to be proud of.
It was thus world peace was achieved, and all Heechul, Han Geng, Kyuhyun, and Zhou Mi had to do was to sit back and watch as the world united against a danger that would never strike.
Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun retired from the superpower world to experience the hardships of normality, and disappeared into the beautiful chaos. Han Geng and Heechul carried on. Together.
```
Years passed, and when eighty-three-year-old Han Geng looked at the world, he definitely believed that he had done a fine job. Hand in hand with his red-haired spouse, he had raised two beautiful girls, all of whom developed superpowers of their own. Jessica was the loving eldest daughter and she inherited Heechul’s beauty as well as his penchant for changing his hair color. However, she did not need hair dye considering the fact that she had built-in morphing features that could temporarily make her taller, change her eye color, as well as make her less attractive to lessen the amount of dating offers she received per day. The younger Krystal was beautiful as well, though exponentially less ladylike. Almost always clad in loose comfortable clothing that were more often than not caked with grass stains and mud, she had the gift of speed and was the champion of every sprinting competition she entered, winning against every boy who had the gall to challenge her.
The day Heechul and his husband broke the news of their impending responsibility to the world, the girls’ reactions could not have been more different. Jessica was mildly resentful, for all she wanted for herself was a normal life with a normal education with a normal job and hopefully have a normal family-not the duty of making sure that the world continued to think that the supers were about to kill them all. Of course, she was a girl who went through with her responsibilities no matter how much she despised them. Krystal, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. Competitive, goal-driven, and ambitious in nature, she was all for the idea of having the power to keep the peace on Earth. “Just wait until my threat messages come out!” she exclaimed, beside herself with excitement. “The people will all be scrambling!” (Heechul had laughed; Han Geng looked scandalized).
So far, the girls had done a marvelous job. Lowering himself onto the couch, he turned on the television and smirked when an advertisement promoting individual superpowers to fight against the forthcoming war popped up. “A scam made out of steroids, no doubt,” he remarked.
“Count on humans to freak out over death threats,” Heechul laughed as he came out from the bathroom smelling like strawberry. “And to think that before this, television was all about anorexic women, car commercials, and porn.”
“Yah, those were the days.”
“No, darling,” Heechul placed a chaste kiss on his husband’s lips, trademark red nails lightly scraping along Han Geng’s temple. “These are the days.”
Pairing(s): HanChul, QMi
Genre(s): Sci-fi, psychological, superhero!AU
Length: 4983 words
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It takes more than saving people and adhering to morality to be a real superhero.
Inspiration(s): The movies Watchmen and The Dark Knight. Brilliant movies, totally recommended.
```
Han Geng never understood why the Red Cinderella never killed him when he had the chance. Each time the superhero was within dangerous levels of combat, his arch nemesis decided at the last minute to be merciful when any other cruel hearted villain would have already slashed at his throat to end the ongoing battle once and for all. And he always came up with the lamest excuses as well, the douche! It was always now why would I get my hands dirty when I just filed my nails or nah, I’ll kill you next time when I feel like it or what the hell are you still doing here, get out of my sight!
Luckily, the most recent time had a much more original excuse. The Red Cinderella had set the police station on fire with a whiff of one of his characteristic red cigarettes during the late evening before closing hours, and this as a result had Han Geng running to his locked closet, slipping into his superhero outfit-fitted black armor, boots, and dark-screened motorcycle helmet-and exiting his tiny flat through the back window where he proceeded to speed down the road onto his steel-clad motorbike like everybody’s life depended on it (which, ironically, was not that far off the bat considering the circumstances).
As he neared the scene of the crime, Han Geng noticed a tall orange-haired man in a top hat and chic bullet-proof suit, Gentleman Mimi was what they called him, and smirked as the most charming and best-dressed superhero appeared with coughing survivors in his arms and disappeared back inside the blazing building with his teleportation powers. Hopefully he managed to teleport himself safely and not by some incorrect calculation of grid coordination numbers appear in between a chair (he always managed to get his head stuck through something made of wood, which was alright if not for the fact that he was supposed to be saving lives). Han Geng cranked up his speed-o-meter and concentrated on his own power of intangibility, smoothly zooming through the solid walls of the police station and into the fiery interior. Quickly he scanned his surroundings through his laser-vision helmet and went through the oh-so-tedious chore of stifling the fire, getting everybody out safe and sound, and making sure that Gentleman Mimi’s head was not caught between the chair legs (or his own, for that matter). Only then did he scan for clues, and sure enough in the alleyway behind the station there was an arrow constructed of red cigarettes pointing south. Against his own good sense, he followed it, and after fifteen minutes of running he was ambushed. Surprise, surprise. Unfortunately, he was ambushed by limbs and human skin-the only things that he was unable to phase through.
“Hey hot stuff,” the redhead purred as he held his long red fingernails in front of his neck, the edges of his ornate mask scratching against the superhero’s face. “How was your night?”
“Quite relaxing, really,” Han Geng replied, sighing. “Thanks to you.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure,” the villain replied with a feisty smile, his sharp claws playfully dancing near his enemy’s jugular vein. “Speaking of pleasure-”
Han Geng closed his eyes behind his helmet. “What do you want?”
“Oh, just wanted to get to know you better,” the tip of the Red Cinderella’s tongue swiped against Han Geng’s ear. “People always reveal their true selves right before their deaths, you know, and considering how we have only talked when you are on the brink of dying in my arms, I can safely say that I probably know you better than all of your closest friends.”
“You didn’t kill me all those times,” the superhero noted calmly. “What makes you think that I won’t assume that you won’t just let me go again?”
“Don’t push it, hot stuff. I’ve got the upper hand at the moment, and you know how much fun having the upper hand can be.” The Red Cinderella chuckled when the man in his hands grunted nonchalantly. “So, I have a proposition for you. If you agree, I’ll let you go.”
“So what’s the proposition?”
“Take off that pathetic excuse of a helmet, and I’ll take off my mask which, by the way, probably costs more than your freaking house. Then we’ll call it even and continue on with our superhero-villain business just as before.”
Han Geng tensed, and his first reaction was to flee, for being a superhero also meant protecting one’s identity at all costs. “What will happen if I refuse?”
“Darling, I’m the Red Cinderella, you never know what will happen when it comes to me. But does this give you a good enough idea?”
On his collarbone Han Geng felt the prick of the sharp blades that were the redhead’s four-inch nails. “I’d rather die than reveal myself to a scoundrel,” he hissed defiantly, wincing as his skin started to peel. “Especially you.”
“You know, I don’t particularly like the term ‘scoundrel’,” the cat-like man remarked airily. “I prefer ‘Byronic hero’ in the loosest sense of the term.”
Han Geng scoffed. “The words ‘Red Cinderella’ and ‘hero’ should not even be in the same sentence.”
“Ah, but you see, I said Byronic hero. There’s a remarkable difference between the two, and if you had half as much brain as I did, you would know that.”
“Okay, so back to the main discussion: why do you want me to take my helmet off? Besides the obvious?” the motorcyclist spat icily, clearly annoyed at the direction the conversation was heading. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to kill me on the spot than to go through all the trouble to seek me out in the dark abyss of superpowerless reality?”
The villain smirked. “Now what would be the fun in that?” The redhead leaped backwards and gracefully landed on all fours. He pulled out a red cigarette out from inside his jacket. “Meet me at the Miracle Cafe tomorrow at six. I expect you to be on time and unmasked.”
“And what if I don't?”
“I’ll get mad,” the Red Cinderella replied breezily. “And nobody likes seeing me mad, trust me.”
“And how do I know it’s not a trap?”
“You don’t.”
Han Geng grimaced. Just what he needed. “And you, will you be unmasked too?”
The villain rolled his eyes. “Yes, now are you done asking questions?”
“No,” Han Geng deadpanned. “How will I know who you are?”
The Red Cinderella laughed wolfishly. “Oh trust me, you’ll know.” And with that, he threw his cigarette to the floor and he stylishly disappeared in a small burst of fire. Nearby the city clock tower struck twelve midnight, and the chimes resonated into the night.
```
“Are you sure that’s what he said?”
“Yes, Zhou Mi, I’m fucking two hundred percent sure that’s what he said!” Han Geng dug his fingers into his temples and sighed noisily in frustration. The briefs on his desk were not going to be proofread by themselves, and the high-pitched screaming at three in the morning was not helping his migraines. God, he hated being a lawyer, but even superheroes needed to pay bills once in a while.
“You are not actually considering going, are you?” the taller man flailed his arms around the dimly lit flat, almost knocking a stack of papers over with all the movement he was causing. “The guy is practically waving the danger signs in front of your face!”
“The Red Cinderella is known for being sneaky and cunning,” Han Geng rolled his eyes. “He’s mastered the art of lying to the point where his truths have become lies and his lies have become truths.”
“So you think that he’s telling the truth this time? By using something akin to a lie?”
“Possibly. And really, what have I got to lose?”
Zhou Mi gaped at him. “Uh, your life maybe? Look, Han Geng, it’s not safe.”
“Mimi, I’m never safe. I’m a goddamn superhero.”
“Alright, fine,” the gentleman sighed, adjusting the sleeve of his three-hundred dollar blazer. “Say you went to this cafe and everything went as it should have been. You are unmasked, the Red Cinderella is unmasked, both of you are civil to each other, and both of you know each other’s identities. What good does that do?”
The lawyer shrugged, twirling a pen in his right hand. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be able to report the guy to the police and lock him up for good? Maybe I’ll kill him right there and then?”
“There’s no need to be crude. What I’m saying is that you need to weigh the options.”
“I know,” the older of the two enunciated. “Remember, I’ve been at this business longer than you have.”
“Just looking out for the last living superhero in the city,” Zhou Mi whispered, eyes shading over. “It’s just you and me now, and if we want to keep living we have to look after one another. I just don’t want you to end up like Henry. He was just too young to die like that.”
Han Geng opened his mouth but found no comforting words. “It’s not your fault that he fell, Mimi,” he deadpanned. “Henry was inexperienced and he read one too many comic books. He didn’t fully understand the life-or-death route that our kind walked on. After all, you weren’t the one who murdered him, GameQ did. You couldn’t have helped the boy even if you tried.”
Zhou Mi swallowed back tears and turned towards his best friend, eyes shining in the obscurity. “I watched him fall, Han Geng. It was after you started running after the Red Cinderella to stop him from setting the SM Corporation on fire. I chased GameQ to the top of a skyscraper, where he telekinetically lifted Henry right over the edge of the roof, his violin was snapped in half floating right beside him, and before I could reach him GameQ just let him drop. I tried to save him, but right before my eyes he was gone. I couldn’t even find his body! If I only just got there a second earlier I could have-”
“You could’ve what, Zhou Mi?” Han Geng barked. “Saved him? Look, I swear, if you keep berating yourself in guilt I will get over there and will not hesitate to knee you in your crotch.”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just miss him terribly. He was a good boy and he deserves vengeance.”
Han Geng pursed his lips. “They all do.”
“It’s funny, you know. There used to be so many of us. I still remember how Eunhyuk and Donghae would patrol the streets together, not even bothering to hide the fact that they’re making complete fools of themselves. Siwon and Ryeowook always keeping the peace among us. I was always jealous of Leeteuk, with his impeccable flying abilities and all. We were the closest of friends and most trusted allies, weren’t we?” The well-dressed man laughed brokenly. “Now all I have is you.”
“Times have changed, and the score is tied. It’s two against two now, and if we win this,” the steel pen in the lawyer’s hand snapped in half, “We will have our vengeance.”
```
The Miracle Cafe was pretty much packed at six (as it definitely would be; it was practically the most in and hip place in town, for crying out loud), and Han Geng had half a mind to just make a one-eighty degree turn and calmly walk back to his flat where he had some desperate last-minute filing to do. In fact, he was on the verge of doing just that before he caught sight of a stunning young man not much older than himself discreetly flaunting his immaculately red nails as he sipped at his coffee. He was dressed quite expensively, much like Zhou Mi except with more of a focus on glamour, and in place of bright red there was only black pigment in his hair styled in a layered shoulder-length cut to compliment his pointy face. Han Geng narrowed his eyes and against his better judgment decided to approach his supposed archenemy, every limb in his system ready to be activated in a millisecond’s span.
“What took you so long?” was the first thing he said.
Han Geng had planned on sifting through his List of Insulting Comebacks but instead he found himself chuckling at the opening remark. “Waiting for somebody?”
“Stop the act, hot stuff,” Mr. Red Fingernails quipped, a playful smirk gracing his lips when he noticed the subtle tensing in the other man’s shoulders. “You know, for a superhero, you must be pretty daft to think that I haven’t done any research on my enemies.”
“Uh huh, and what do you know about me?”
“I know that your name is Han Geng, you’re twenty-three, you’re a lawyer, you’re the only child, you’re originally from China, you are professionally trained in martial arts, and a whole lot of other background information that is probably stored at the back of your cramped attic of a mind and therefore unworthy of being repeated. Funny how you didn’t even bother to pick out a cool superhero name like the rest of them. Isn’t it a bit risky to use your real name in these kinds of situations?”
Han Geng shrugged and took a seat opposite the unmasked Red Cinderella. “I figured that people usually miss the most obvious points. Screws up their psychological expectations.”
“Clever,” the villain complimented, grinning.
“What do you want, Red Cinderella?” the Chinese man put on his this is serious business and I intend on treating it like serious business face.
Apparently, the Red Cinderella did not share the same attitude, as he kicked back and started inspecting the back of his hands from under lidded eyes. “Oh please, call me Heechul. It’s uncanny, I wanted my villain name to be something royal like Heenim, but instead the public decides to stick on a tacky label whenever referring to me. At least Youngwoon had a cool name like Kangin.”
“Heechul,” Han Geng repeated sullenly. “Is that your real name or one of your many aliases?” It was common knowledge that the Red Cinderella had pulled off many stunts in the past, the majority of which included the need for fake names and pseudonyms.
“That’s your decision to make.”
“I’ll get back to you on that, then. Another question: why haven’t you killed me yet?”
A mischievous glint entered the villain’s eye. “I’m here to share my personal opinions of general society.”
Han Geng quirked an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“I believe that the human race follows an endless cycle of chaos and entropy that can only be restarted by external forces beyond their tangible control. As with any physical law of nature, everything always becomes less and less orderly with time, and the single method of putting it back together would be a psychological installment fueled by, you guessed it, us.”
“Us?”
“Yah, us. The ones with superhuman powers, the freaks who were blessed with special abilities, or whatever you want to call us.”
“You mentioned a psychological installment?”
Heechul grinned maniacally. “Eternal global turmoil.”
Han Geng’s dark eyes darkened further, anger building up in the pit of his stomach. “So you basically suggest that we keep every single person on this world fearing for their very lives? Have the peace on Earth shaken for eternity?” He exhaled sharply, exasperated with the discussion. “I knew you were crazy, Red Cinderella, but everything that comes out of your mouth is madness. Why would a respected hero like me abide to your suggestions in the first place? The people depend on me for their safety.”
The grin only widened. “Exactly. Think of it this way. Can you feel your teeth?”
The tip of Han Geng’s tongue involuntary swiped against the inside of his jaw. “Of course I can.”
“Now you are, because I made you notice them. Are you always aware of them, though? No, you aren’t. You take them for granted no matter how useful and fundamental they are. You don’t pay attention to your teeth until something bad happens to them, like a motherfucker of a toothache that throbs at the slightest twitch of your jaw. You can’t talk without wincing. You can’t eat anything hard. You can’t enjoy your food even when it’s nice and soft and creamy. Heck, you may not be able to smile if the case is terrible enough. Only then do you wish that you have your teeth in tiptop shape and only then do you realize the importance of them.”
“Your point is?”
“God, you really are daft,” the effeminate man rolled his eyes. “My point is that world peace would only be achieved if humans are aware of the idea of world peace. Imagine every person in the world praying at the foot of their beds each night, thanking the ones above for another day to live. Imagine every little child born into this world, taught to live their transient lives to the fullest. Isn’t that what world peace is all about? People actually being happy and in harmony with each other?”
The Chinese man frowned, confused. “And why are you striving towards world peace, Red Cinderella?” he sneered, not in the least convinced. “Bored of the tediousness of the villain world consisting of manipulating your wicked ways on innocent people?”
“Han Geng, villains are also superheroes, just a different type. We are the ones who do the dirty work, the ones who are directly scrutinized by the public eye, the ones who carry the blame on our backs. Without villains, superheroes wouldn’t exist. Without me, you wouldn’t exist.” Heechul pointed his perfectly manicured second finger at his enemy. “But together, the previously unreachable definition of world peace will exist.”
The superhero took a moment to digest the information before nodding a tacit agreement. “Alright, last question. If that was all you wanted to say, why didn’t we just meet somewhere less special with our masks, in the darkness of some shabby alleyway or something?”
Heechul smiled kindly, and for a moment there Han Geng actually thought he was quite beautiful. “I wanted to see your face in person. The photo from your driver’s license I stole from you is such a drag in that it really does not do you justice at all.” The pretty boy laughed when Han Geng fumbled for his wallet to find that, sure enough, his driver’s license was missing. “Besides, forgive me for sounding like a ditzy teenager who indulges in way too many romance novels, but I have always wanted my first date to be absolutely perfect.”
```
Zhou Mi had never been superhero material. He had always been too empathetic and too easily swayed by any act of kindness no matter how small. Every criminal that he caught always got away with a mere injury (sometimes not even that painful) or short jail sentence, or in more severe cases he would recite one of his many lectures on How People As Individuals Can Make The World A Better Place. Hell, he did not even have the capability to kill anything living even at the cost of his own life. When he was younger, he would cry whenever somebody stepped on a bug or ran over a squirrel.
This would theoretically be a serious problem in the very unlikely and therefore hypothetical situation in which the enemy stands in front of Zhou Mi, beckoning him to end his life. Which was why he was practically sweating bullets as he held a gun in his hands at the temple of a surprisingly calm GameQ. It was the strangest thing: one minute Zhou Mi was just ambling down the hottest shopping district in the city and the next minute he was testing his altruistic capacities in a basement-like room surrounded by computer screens. How the hell did that happen?
“Kill me,” GameQ taunted behind his steel black face mask that covered everything from his chin to in between his dark soulful eyes. “I want to know if you can do it.”
“I can,” Zhou Mi gritted through his teeth. “But I prefer doing things the clean proper way.”
The villain let out a soft chuckle. “The clean proper way? Such as what? Putting me in handcuffs? Whisking me off to the confines of prison? You know very well that my telekinetic powers can get me out of almost every situation, not to mention the fact that I am a natural computer whiz slash hacker slash virus-programmer.” GameQ’s eyes which were previously covered by messy brown curls came into view. “All the more reason to kill me. If you don’t, I’m never going to stop. Do the right thing, Gentleman Mimi.”
Zhou Mi swallowed, heart speeding. “How do you know that I’m Gentleman Mimi?”
“Computers can find almost everything these days.”
“Then how come you haven’t killed me if I was such an easy target?”
“There’s no such thing as an easy target,” GameQ replied. “And there’s also no such thing as total altruism. If you don’t kill me right now, Gentleman Mimi, you are putting the whole city’s fate at stake. Do remember that I was the one who killed Mochi, your violinist friend. So what’s it going to be?”
Almost immediately the gun dropped to the ground, the clattering of the metal impact thunderously resonating around the room.
“So you’ve chosen altruism,” GameQ conceded, disappointment evident in his eyes. “I can never bring out the darkness in you, can’t I? I would have hoped that slaughtering off little Henry could have driven you over the edge at least a little bit. But despite my efforts, you never seem to waver from your Idealistic View Of Life.” The villain laughed bitterly. “You and I have a lot in common.”
Zhou Mi pressed his lips together. “I’m nothing like you. I don’t kill-I utterly refuse to kill-and I hope that I am never put in a situation like this again.”
“I do kill. I don’t murder.”
“I also do not lie,” Gentleman Mimi accused. “You murdered some of best friends.”
“No, I killed them. It’s not murder if I did not want to do it.”
“Then why did you?”
“It was the only way to keep my allies safe. I do not deny that I was the one who took their lives, but you must also realize that had I not done what I did, my own best friends would have been killed in their stead. If I had not thrown Siwon into an electrical fence he would have stabbed Yesung with his cross. If I had not thrown Henry off a building in time the vibrations from his violin would have penetrated through Red Cinderella. I did it to save my friends’ lives, not to commit murder. I would believe that you of all people would understand the power of friendship.”
Zhou Mi lifted his chin defiantly. “So there is a chance that you will kill me despite the fact that there is one hundred percent chance that I would refuse to do the same.”
“Unfortunately yes,” GameQ admitted, genuine sadness coating his velvety voice. “But that’s all going to change now.” The skinny figure untied his mask and Zhou Mi gasped when a handsome gaunt face was revealed. GameQ was young-much younger than his deep voice made him out to be. “Because from now on, we’re allies.” And then the villain smiled with such sincerity that Zhou Mi almost did a double take in wonder. “My name is Kyuhyun. I’m glad that we can finally meet face to face.”
“Why me? Why approach me of all people to show your face to? I may not have the ability to slay you but I will not think twice when telling the authorities.”
Kyuhyun looked away. “Because I wanted to. For my own personal reasons.”
“For your own personal reasons,” the taller man repeated. “I assume it is contempt that you feel for me.”
“Hardly. It’s a dangerous line we tread, Zhou Mi.” Kyuhyun swallowed, carefully choosing his words. “I wanted you to see me just in case we failed to come to an agreement that would ultimately wipe out the last of the superhuman population. I wanted you to see me, really see me for who I am-just your average math nerd and techno geek with a lot of time on his hands. I’m not the image my mask creates for me.” The telekinetic man leveled his clairvoyant gaze. “You only know me as GameQ; I want you to know me as Kyuhyun from now on. Can you do that?”
Zhou Mi searched the dark eyes from behind his orange hair and saw nothing but pure honesty and openness. He smiled. “Yah. Yah, I think I can.”
```
Weeks later, news leaked out to the public that the members of the superhero clan, whether heroes or villains, would be declaring war against the world. The reason was not stated. It started in town, where it spread like wildfire. Within weeks, the whole nation knew about the alleged war between the people and the supers. A month after the first declaration and several mysterious threats later, the whole world became aware of the superheroes’ change of heart.
Some countries started producing mass amounts of nuclear weapons in response, and at the end they were shocked as well as horrified out of their minds when some went missing (thanks to GameQ) and the rest of them failed to explode (thanks to Heechul). More and more people turned to religious groups who went into intensive prayers and long periods of fasting, all of them begging the higher beings for salvation both before and after their life; Han Geng could not help but believe that Siwon would have been proud. Newspaper companies splurged on the topic of human extinction, innovative movies were made with the superheroes as antagonists, bumper stickers telling people to cherish the rest of their lives were tacked onto the back of cars. Racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination were neglected in the face of a greater danger; who had time to deal with matters such as skin color when any minute, bloodthirsty attackers were enhanced abilities could show up on your doorstep. A miniscule percentage attempted suicide, and the ones who survived were admitted into asylums.
However, like the super quartet suspected, the majority of the global population chose instead to dismiss the news as mere rumor despite being chilled to the bone at the prospect of its truth. And amidst the chaos and panic, there were children growing up watching television shows about the post-apocalypse and knowing that they needed to live while they still could, like it was the last day of their whole life-a life to be proud of.
It was thus world peace was achieved, and all Heechul, Han Geng, Kyuhyun, and Zhou Mi had to do was to sit back and watch as the world united against a danger that would never strike.
Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun retired from the superpower world to experience the hardships of normality, and disappeared into the beautiful chaos. Han Geng and Heechul carried on. Together.
```
Years passed, and when eighty-three-year-old Han Geng looked at the world, he definitely believed that he had done a fine job. Hand in hand with his red-haired spouse, he had raised two beautiful girls, all of whom developed superpowers of their own. Jessica was the loving eldest daughter and she inherited Heechul’s beauty as well as his penchant for changing his hair color. However, she did not need hair dye considering the fact that she had built-in morphing features that could temporarily make her taller, change her eye color, as well as make her less attractive to lessen the amount of dating offers she received per day. The younger Krystal was beautiful as well, though exponentially less ladylike. Almost always clad in loose comfortable clothing that were more often than not caked with grass stains and mud, she had the gift of speed and was the champion of every sprinting competition she entered, winning against every boy who had the gall to challenge her.
The day Heechul and his husband broke the news of their impending responsibility to the world, the girls’ reactions could not have been more different. Jessica was mildly resentful, for all she wanted for herself was a normal life with a normal education with a normal job and hopefully have a normal family-not the duty of making sure that the world continued to think that the supers were about to kill them all. Of course, she was a girl who went through with her responsibilities no matter how much she despised them. Krystal, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. Competitive, goal-driven, and ambitious in nature, she was all for the idea of having the power to keep the peace on Earth. “Just wait until my threat messages come out!” she exclaimed, beside herself with excitement. “The people will all be scrambling!” (Heechul had laughed; Han Geng looked scandalized).
So far, the girls had done a marvelous job. Lowering himself onto the couch, he turned on the television and smirked when an advertisement promoting individual superpowers to fight against the forthcoming war popped up. “A scam made out of steroids, no doubt,” he remarked.
“Count on humans to freak out over death threats,” Heechul laughed as he came out from the bathroom smelling like strawberry. “And to think that before this, television was all about anorexic women, car commercials, and porn.”
“Yah, those were the days.”
“No, darling,” Heechul placed a chaste kiss on his husband’s lips, trademark red nails lightly scraping along Han Geng’s temple. “These are the days.”