The Tale of Hyper

Bleak. Lonely. Desolate.

Such was a world without Hyper. Experimenting one day with a new formula for coffee, our unfortunate (or, dare I say, fortunate) hero concocted a mix that altered his chemistry, infusing his DNA with caffeine. Ever since, he has been the ever-vigilant watchman we all need to feel safe: sleepless, brave, quick, and able to whip up any piping hot or seriously cool coffee in less than a minute.

He was the hero we never expected, but all love.

...

The streets were quiet as he strolled; not even the local veteran thieves dared tango with Hyper on the prowl. He had kept the streets clean since he had come into his power, ensuring that the citizens of his hometown of Capulus felt safe. How fitting the name of his town was, he would never know since he hadn't paid attention in his Latin class. All the same, he had patrolled his home and kept it trouble-free for a while now.

But tonight felt... different. Slightly menacing, like a fearless chihuahua with its little teeth bared. Long gone was the serene, secure feeling of safety Hyper had created, instead replaced by a ticking sense of foreboding. He could feel it twisting inside him as his jitters started slowing down. His eyelids betrayed him, beginning to droop, something they had never done before. He finally began to sway, a strange urge settling upon him as a figure slowly sauntered forth.

"Well... well... well... Who... do we have here?" The shadow lulled, making sure to take his sweet time as he spoke, though he sounded as though he could seriously do with a good nap. As he slunk from the shadows, a silver S shone on the chest of a sleek suit. A... villain?

"Who...?" Hyper questioned, though it was difficult to finish the inquiry as he was busy fighting to keep his head from nodding off, overcome with a powerful wave of drowsiness. He kept drifting between the states of fatigue and acuity, struggling to remain alert against whatever force was attempting to weaken him. He didn't like where this was headed.

As he finally finished his journey toward Hyper, the villain let a slow, sly smile spread across his face. "Sombra." He curtly introduced himself with a short nod, though he made no movement to extend his hand. An icy sarcasm burned between the two. "Pleasure."

"Hm?" Hyper echoed, confused. He hadn't listened in Spanish either. "Sombra?"

"Ah, sleeping in Spanish class, were we?" Sombra chuckled, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, naughty, naughty."

Hyper furrowed his eyebrows, remaining silent as he waited for some sort of clarification that never came. Sombra seemed to enjoy watching him writhe to form an explanation, standing smugly by until he finally pierced the silence; However, his expression had hardened. The complacent look still shone upon his face yet was soon eclipsed by a cold stare from dead eyes.

"I've been watching you; you know. The way you parade down the streets as if they were your own, handing out caffeine and only delaying the inevitable." The words twisted in his mouth, becoming weapons as he altered the truth to his liking. 'Caffeine' was spat as if it were an obscenity, disgust evident on the villain's face.

"Why do you do it?"

Hyper frowned, mind still groggy from his new nemesis, "I... keep the streets safe from villains like you and help my citizens to stay awake through trying times. They love me."

"Is that so?" Sombra stepped closer, beginning to circle the confounded hero as a shark ensnaring its prey. Hyper felt another jolt of lethargy, no doubt from his opponent, combating it with a wave of caffeine from his emergency stock. He sneered, his arm hurling toward his target with a surprising burst of speed in retaliation. He was done with the chit-chat. This man was obviously up to no good.

Sombra just barely dodged, caught a bit off-guard by the sudden movement yet reacting quickly. He seemed to disappear, melting into the shadows he had come from, snarling with a vicious, "That all you've got?"

A slight shimmer in the air was the only tell before a foot was sweeping beneath Hyper's legs, causing him to stumble and lose his balance. He let out a surprised yelp as he clawed the air for something – anything – finding Sombra's arm by chance and dragging the other down with him. Struggling for the advantage, Hyper attempted to use his enhanced speed; but once again, Sombra had slipped from his grasp into oblivion. Hyper shot up, scanning the scene for any sign of the elusive shadow. His eyes were wide, and senses heightened from the adrenaline, eyes darting and head jerking from side to side as hands stood at the ready by his waist.

A fist materialized, locked in to connect with his head, but he had seen the slight mirage beforehand. Hyper grinned, not able to be fooled a second time. His readied hand shot up and caught the offending fist between the firm fingers, twisting the arm with fiercely raw strength until he heard a pained groan. But Hyper soon let out a cry of his own, the forgotten hand quickly materializing and finishing the job as he was distracted, striking him, and causing him to stumble back. He lost his grip, dazed from the sheer force. Sombra made use of his borrowed time, nimble fingers quickly finding Hyper's temples and sending a surge of power coursing through them, the hero's eyes frantically fighting to stay open as he did.

"Y-you... villain!" He muttered weakly, dropping to his knees as Sombra's will overpowered his own.

The burning hatred returned to Sombra's eyes, words quiet yet causing even the proudest of mountains to cower in fear.

"Me?" He whispered icily, eyes searing holes through Hyper's skull. "I'm not the one who persuaded people to trade sleep for caffeine. I'm not the one that got everyone addicted to coffee. I'm not the one who terrorized every delinquent into submission. I'm not the bad guy."

He paused, leaning in close as Hyper finally succumbed to the slumber.

"You are."