Heroes and Lies

We've all heard the stories of good versus bad, right versus wrong.

The Hero wins, and The Villain goes to prison.

The Hero persuades the Villain to see the error of their ways and start anew.

The Villain falls in love and asks the Hero to help them become a better person.

The Hero, in a moment of moral ambiguity, does what they promised they never would and kills the Villain.

At the academy, these scenarios were imposed on us as if they were real. Children with gifts were torn away from their families and brought to a special school. It wasn't like the comic books—there were no happy montages or heartfelt conversations with wise mentors.

One of the most revered hero academies in the world was the Guardians of Valor Academy (GOV). In this prestigious institution, gifted children were trained to become heroes. To myself and many others, it was a prison sold to our parents as a home away from home. In this place, their children would be molded into the heroes the world needed.

When I was young, everything they taught us made sense. Everything "right" or "wrong" was decided by the Council. There was never any room for thinking another way. And there was never any reason to distrust them.

The Council was a group of old heroes who told us where to go and who to save. They had been just like us at one point—scared and alone, taken from their homes—and we all trusted them—all of us, except for my best friend.

When I was fifteen, a new student came to GOV. He was a late arrival. I watched him walk in with great interest. Students were brought in no later than ten years old and never transferred, yet here he was—a boy my age. He wasn't fighting the heroes who were bringing him in like everyone else had. He wasn't begging for his mother or his freedom like I had. His indifference intrigued me.

For days, I thought about this boy. They usually locked the new students away for a week or two, called it acclimating to the new environment. Kids with powers can be reckless, after all. So, when I saw him two days later in my field training class, I was shocked, to say the least.

This was a beyond-gifted class designed for students with powers above the 'norm.' Those with more than one ability or one that was more powerful and required practiced control. He sat next to me that day on the grassy hillside a few yards from the track; I stuck out my hand, but he refused it with a kind smile.

"Levi Noraco," he had said, and the look in his eyes made me worried, but I couldn't understand why.

"Lorenzo Cottier, most people call me Loren, though," I said back, giving him a nod that I knew gave away my uncertainty about him. Levi had just kept smiling as he looked out towards the field, asking what the plan was for class that day.

He quickly became my greatest friend and confidant. We graduated at the top of our class and moved to the city together. I joined FDP, the Federal Division of Powers, and Levi took a private security job. It was a dream come true.

We were real heroes.

Or, at least, I thought we were.

For a decade, everything seemed perfect until an assignment came to my team. I held the file, flipping through the pages, looking for a clear indicator that this was a misprint. At the same time, my boss, Agent Lance Carver, stood before us, briefing us on the mission. His tone was so light, so normal, as if each word he said wasn't destroying me.

"The target is still just a suspect at this time, so we need him alive. He is a GOV Academy graduate, so remember he is highly trained." Carver glanced at me. I felt his eyes burning holes into the top of my head, but I couldn't look up from the file. "Levi Noraco, code name Oracle, is said to have the ability to see the future—"

"I thought the power of clairvoyance was disproven decades ago?" Agent Audrey Parker asked.

I like Audrey; she was kind and good-natured despite being able to burn just about anything to a crisp in under five seconds. She'd have my back on this one if it went sideways, so I glanced toward her and gave her a small smile and nod.

"It was." Carver's eyes were back on me, and this time, I met them, swallowing hard against the anger growing inside me. "However, his known powers are teleportation and regeneration, so we need to approach with caution."

Agent Brent Myers scoffed to the right of me. "You're telling me this guy has two of the highest-graded powers, and we are only getting tabs on him now?"

The champion asshole award had been firmly in Myers’ possession since birth. Despite his main power being speed, he was short and stocky. His secondary power wasn't any better fit to him, minor time manipulation. Every time he used it, though, his nose bled, running like a broken faucet.

"Until this time, he was not considered to be of any concern. Now, however... he is wanted for questioning regarding the murders of… two hundred people." Carver looked at me grimly as I wasn't able to hold back the gasp that ripped up my throat.

"This is a fucking joke, right?" I held up the file, and Carver sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose firmly.

"Cottier, do you know Oracle?" Agent Elliot Ryder asked, and I sighed, turning to glare over my shoulder at him.

Elliot was an enigma. He was the only non-powered Agent ever to make it to the FDP. His parents were old-school heroes. Shadowstrike and Eclipse. They helped establish the FDP and were two of the first Agents to grace its halls. Elliot, with his meager looks, shaggy brown hair, and timid voice, was suspected to be a late bloomer. The higher-ups offered him the job in our research department as an offering to his parents.

I turned back to Carver when Elliot had said nothing more and just stared at me with a blank look. Holding up the file again, I waved it slightly in Carver's face. "Honestly, Carver, what the fuck is this?"

"It only came to me this morning. They made the positive ID only hours ago, kid. I wanted—"

"No! No, this is wrong, Carver. We obviously are looking for a shifter or maybe a... a... I don't know, but it's not him." I stood then slamming the file down; unsure what to do with my empty hands, I crossed my arms.

"I hope it is. Which is why we are bringing him in unharmed and alive." Carver pointed at everyone else on our team as he gave the indirect order.

"You go to school with this freak or something?" Myers scoffed again, and I turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You GOV preps have always been something else."

"They live together," Aubrey offered with a smirk before I could yell at Myers. I turned to her, raising my brow, confused how she could know that. I kept my private life locked up pretty tight. "Or is there another reason you have the same address?"

I rolled my eyes at her lighthearted tone. "He is my roommate."

"Oh… and they were roommates." Elliot joked, still behind me, causing me to sigh heavily.

"This isn't a joke. Levi... he—he isn't capable of this." I picked up the file, glancing through it again before tossing it back to my desk. "He volunteers at homeless shelters and pet rescues on his days off. He's dragged me along a few times." I clarified before anyone could argue for an alibi. "He works for Porter Lawrence, the founder and CEO of the Hologenxs Foundation."

Aubrey's head tilted to the right slightly as she flipped through the file, clearly looking for Levi's employment background. "Isn't that the guy that's power can, like... cure cancer?"

"No," Elliot offered, walking to stand beside Carver. "Kind of, actually. He can transfer the disease. He takes it, but he has to put it somewhere else, or it will manifest inside of him. That's why he founded Hologenxs: It grows organisms for him to put the disease in... I think. I need to do more research."

"It’s a hell of a lot more complicated than that," I rolled my eyes before looking to Carver again. "Give me time. Levi isn't home for two more days. Till then, he is on a rotation guard with six others. He couldn't step away even if he wanted to."

"You know his schedule that well?" Myers looked at me then, putting his file down so he could cross his arms.

I glared down at him, standing to my full height, over a foot taller than him, and smirked as he backed down, dropping his arms with a huff. "He has a cat, so I need to know when he is out of the country. And also, yes, he is my best friend; we talk about his work a lot."

"Enough to build an alibi?" Myers sneered at me, and I stepped towards him, getting in his face.

"Fuck off, Myers. I could—"

"Okay!" Carver clapped once loudly, pushing between us. "Both of you cool it. Loren... kid, I can give you one day. Call Levi. Get him home and bring him in. If we don't handle this quickly, it will move up to the blackout team!"

I had grabbed my jacket, phone, and badge before he had even finished speaking. I rushed out the door and down the stairs, with his last few words being yelled to me. Before I knew where I was headed, I was home.

The apartment was pitch black and silent. I could only make out the outline of Cavrick, Levi's tabby, sitting on his perch by the window. When I flipped on the light, I jumped back in surprise; Levi was sitting on the couch.

"Sorry," he whispered, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

I sighed, walked over, and threw my jacket on the table between us before falling into the chair opposite him. "For what? Being creepy as shit sitting around in the dark… or the other thing."

"I didn't mean to, Lorenzo. I got back early, and I fell asleep on accident, waiting for you to get off shift." He shrugged, "figured we could grab a bite." He groaned, stretching his back before leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He was the only person that ever used my full name anymore—outside of when Carver was pissed at me.

"Sorry to wake you up." I sneered, and he stared at me, confused. Silence filled the room, and I shook my head.

"Oh," he muttered, rubbing his right hand over his mouth. A nervous tell he had since before we met. "So... you know?"

"So… it's true?" My sarcastic tone was lost as my throat felt dry and my lungs hurt. "You're a... you're a villain." I scoffed, covering up my disbelief with a forced laugh. But I knew he knew how much saying it out loud had hurt me.

"No." he shook his head. "Not in the conventual sense anyway."

I scoffed loudly, "What the fuck does that mean?"

"You know," he laughed a little, but it was bitter-sounding—strained and forced as he rubbed his hand over his mouth again. "I saw this moment the day we met. Saw every possible outcome… but I think there might be one I didn't see if you—listen." He raised his brow with the silent question.

"You are wanted in connection to two hundred murders. Two hundred." I tried to say it firmly, but my voice broke slightly as I repeated the number.

"Well… actually—"

"It's more than that, isn't it?" I dropped my head back and closed my eyes. I could feel my stomach fighting the urge to expel everything in it. My throat was already too tight, and my lungs were struggling. "Why shouldn't I kill you right the fuck now?"

"Because you don't want to, and... they deserved it?" My eyes snapped open at his words. I glanced at him just in time to watch him shrug.

"Run that by me again and go heavy on detail this time." I lifted my head enough to glare at him, and he sighed, nodding.

"You know I see the future; it's not a gimmick. You know there are a few, sometimes dozens of different possibilities for each moment, so I can't just predict shit." I nodded, waving my hand annoyedly so he would get on with it. "There are some people that no matter what decision they make, it leads to the same outcome. One in a million."

"Levi, I need you to get to the point quicker," I said through clenched teeth, afraid that if I opened my mouth anymore, the bile creeping up my throat would finally win.

"Hitler."

I rolled my eyes, wanting to scream at how frustrating he was, but only managed to growl out, "What?"

"Hitler, his fate was predetermined. No matter what actually happened in his life... it always ended the same. There are others out there, horrible people whose lives have one trajectory. We let them live for as long as we can. Force opportunities that would inspire change, but when the key moment comes, and there is no other possible future… killing them saves others." He stood up and started pacing as he spoke.

"How... how many outcomes does this conversation have?" he stopped and looked at me.

I could see tears forming in his eyes, but his face and voice held strong. "Three."

I nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Those would be?"

"Two end with me dead, one with you." He bit his lip, another nervous habit. Now that I thought of it, he had more than a few of those; it's why I thought he'd never be capable of lying to me. "I'd like to try and create one we both live through."

"You said we before?" He looked confused, so I continued, "You said we let them live... who is we?"

"You know how I came to GOV late?" I nodded once, "My family has been stopping horrific events since the '60s. I... I was sent there to watch someone."

"Who?" I growled out, clenching my fist, as Levi sat back down.

"Lorenzo, there is one pivotal moment in every one of these people's lives, a moment that we try to intervene in. If they make that choice, it cannot be changed. My grandfather tried not to after that moment happened, but nothing he did changed the outcome." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "But if we eliminate the person," He let his words hang in the air as I glared at him.

"So, you try to what? Rewrite the present to create a future that doesn't exist?" I sighed annoyedly as he nodded.

"Yes!"

"Who were you sent to watch Levi?" I asked again, realizing he never answered.

"You." I sat up straight, looking at him with wide eyes. "At sixteen, you were offered the opportunity to leave GOV and join the elite hero program. You said no because you didn't want me to be alone. But if you had gone... you would have died trying to save people, but it would have—" he shook his head and bit his lip.

"I would have what?" I stood up, kneeling beside him, "What would I have done?"

"I don't know for sure; I refused to see; it was my father's vision. But your main power is elemental manipulation, so probably something big. My father told me to kill you as soon as we met. Your powers made you too dangerous... but I—" he cut himself off to lock his gaze meeting mine; unshed tears were suspended precariously on his lower lashes. "I trust you."

A harsh knock on my door snapped our attention to it. "Cottier, open up! I know he is in there; air control called and told us Lawrence's jet landed hours ago!"

"Fucking Myers." I hissed, going to stand, but Levi's hand on my arm stopped me.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was soft, but his eyes were now pleading. He gripped my arm tighter.

"I shouldn't." I licked my lips, staring at the hand on my arm. "Trusting you would be the wrong thing to do."

"Cottier!" Myers called again, fist slamming against the wood of our door.

"Or it's the right thing… The Council aren't the only ones that get to decide what is right and wrong." Levi dropped his hand from my arm only to offer it to me instead. "Let me get us somewhere safe. I know you think what I've done isn't right, but it is. What they do… what GOV did to us… that was wrong. Please, Lorenzo, please trust me. Please trust that it is the right thing to do."

I stared at him while the pounding on our door intensified. Myers continued to yell threats, but all I could focus on was Levi. Finding out about his double life should have destroyed my loyalty to him, but all it did was throw the very fabric of my beliefs into a shredder.

Grasping between the academy's teachings and Levi's kindness, I realized I didn't know what the right thing to do was, what 'right' and 'wrong' actually meant. All I knew was that my best friend, the kindest person I had ever known, had offered me his hand and begged me to listen.

So, I did—I reached for his hand, grasping it tightly. "I trust you."

The End.