“Are you insane?” David said, his expression hysterical. “You run out there with absolutely no real fighting experience, straight into danger, and jump down a few floors, and for what? If they had guns, you’d be dead!”

“Dad, chill out! First of all, you taught me a few moves before. That counts as something. Also, I did help make your job easier.”

“Wow. Okay, run me through the entire thing from the start. How did this happen? Where’d you get that costume? Why did you come?” David asked, facing his son seriously.

Andrew took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “I never did tell anyone what really happened at SOUL. Back at the GMO section, when the attack happened, I got shot in the elbow.”

“And you didn’t think of mentioning that until now?”

“We’ll get to that. The guy ran out of ammo, I think, so he grabbed some chemicals off a table and forced me to drink them. Then I got knocked out. When I woke up, my elbow was fine, so I cut myself on some glass to see if it would heal, and it did. I’ll show you right now.” Andrew proceeded to pick up a knife from the kitchen counter and gave his finger a small cut, holding it out for David to see.

“Incredible,” David muttered, watching the blood that appeared soon vanish, as Andrew’s finger became unblemished. All of David's agitation had vanished, replaced by awe. “So you get your powers from some random mix of chemicals?”

“Seems to be the case. Basically, I now have increased resistance to damage as well as speed-healing, I suppose. And enhanced strength.”

David nodded. “Convenient. If that’s the case, why didn’t you just run from me? You could probably have survived even if I shot you.”

“Yes, but I had this idea that maybe cuz you were by yourself at that time, I could reason with you that I’m a good guy, and establish a kind of secret superhero-police partnership. Then you wouldn’t inform the rest of the police, then maybe they won’t keep looking for me like a wanted criminal. Then I could do my stuff without clashing with the KCPD.”

“Ah. Wow. You really want to copy the comic book superheroes, huh.”

Andrew laughed and gave a small nod.

“Well, I guess that didn’t exactly work.”

“Yeah. Thanks for trying to arrest me. Of course I had to run. Then you had to call for backup. So it gave me no time at all to explain myself.”

“And then you showed me your face.”

“I only did that cuz I had no other choice. That’s all. I’m not gonna go around showing my face to anyone else.”

“That’s smart. Don’t tell anyone about your powers, either.”

“Okay. Anyway, on the day I went out with Melvin, Penny and Su-Jin, which was about a week ago. That night, I ended up taking down a robber. Not that I intentionally hunted him down or anything. You might’ve come across the case in the precinct, maybe? The robber was Derek Hanks.”

“Maybe. Can’t remember.”

“I stopped him because a woman was robbed. That incident made me feel like I made a difference in someone’s life. It kind of empowered me. So I got the costume a few days later. So far, I haven’t gotten to doing any real good besides that and earlier today.”

“Well, did they see your face?”

Andrew nodded. His father seemed displeased, so he had to try and convince him it was fine.

“They won’t remember it, though. It was at night, not very bright. Besides, it’s not like my face will appear on the news or anywhere. They’ll forget it in a couple of weeks.”

“Still a risk. That aside, you’ve surprised me. Normally you seem to lack confidence in yourself and not step out of your comfort zone, but now I see you’ve grown out of that.”

“No, I don’t think I have. But, with these powers, I can see myself trying. It’s like, stepping out of my comfort zone and all that. And you know, maybe I’ll get recognised by people. Then I won’t be insignificant anymore.”

“Son, listen. You’re not insignificant. Not to me, not to your mother, not to your friends. But, if recognition is the reason that you want to do good, I think you should reconsider that. After all, what makes a person is not only what they do, but also why they do it. And to be frank, I’m not exactly comfortable with you running around, stopping criminals and putting yourself in danger.”

“Okay, look. I know that if I do this for recognition only, then my actions will be agenda-driven, which I totally agree is not good. But, if you let me do this, it’ll help me boost my self-confidence. It’ll help me for the rest of my life. Besides, I literally just showed you that I can heal from damage. There’s no way I’ll be in any more danger than you are every time you go out to stop bad guys. I have a giant opportunity to do something great, to change myself. I don’t think you should deny me that. They say that parents want the best for their children, and well, I think this is the best for me.”

The floorboards creaked awkwardly, drawing their attention.

“As much as I also don’t like this idea, you have a fair point,” Juniper spoke, standing at the doorway of the kitchen. “But I’ll still be concerned for your well-being, so, I think that if you want to go out and play hero, you can only do so during the occasions where your father allows it. I think this is fair enough for both parties.”

David sighed. “Gimme a while. I need to think about it.” He turned to face Andrew. “If you go out, you have to do good things for the sake of others, not for yourself. The self-confidence thing should be a bonus, rather than the reason. That’s the only thing that can keep you from becoming someone like the Skydra.”

“Okay. I understand.”

David took a sip of water, before he continued. “One more thing. You need to be careful of what you do as a vigilante. You can’t kill anyone, you can’t just attack anyone, you can’t really do much except for stopping someone who committed a crime in your face or if it’s reasonable to assume that the person is fleeing from the scene of crime. And you have to ensure the force you use is just enough to keep the person down, without injury. No broken bones.”

“That’s a lot of rules, but okay. I’m not gonna kill anyone.”

“You need to keep your identity safe, too. Whether it be from criminals, or from the general public,” Juniper said.

“Yeah, I know. I have a costume. Mask on, at all times.”

“Okay, tell you what. I’ll get you a police scanner. Whenever you’re done with schoolwork and piano, then you can check it out. And call me before you do anything,” David stated.

Andrew nodded. It seemed fair enough, considering that most parents would want their children to have the right priorities. Although just a tiny part of him was irritated by all the rules he had to follow. The Skydra never followed any rules when he first started out. Two months of avoiding capture by authorities before they made the deal. But I have to follow rules.

...

In his hands was a somewhat bulky device, nearly as long as a tablet but its shape resembling a walkie-talkie. Andrew pressed a few buttons, causing static and noise to ring out from the gadget.

Eventually, he picked up something discernable on the police scanner which his father gave him yesterday.

“We have a 10-60 right outside Aurum Horizons Biolabs, at Calcott Boulevard. Observing now.”

Andrew checked online to find out that 10-60 meant that there was a suspicious vehicle in the area. He thought of going to Calcott Boulevard to take a look, but he still had to ask his father.

“Dad, there’s this suspicious vehicle at Aurum Horizons, and I finished my homework, so can I go take a look?” Andrew spoke into the phone, as he looked for directions to Calcott Boulevard on his laptop.

“Yeah, I heard about that too, and I might be sent there later if the thing turns out to be a Cottonmouth case. The thing is, if something were to actually happen, because you’re not with the KCPD, you can’t legally enter the facility and do anything. If you did, it would be trespassing, because it’s not a public place. And then my colleagues will have to arrest you because you’re committing a crime right in their face. Which is bad for everyone, except the criminals.”

Andrew sighed in response. His father was right, without a doubt. But still, the thought of going there anyway crossed his mind. After all, he could at least stand outside and keep watch, and if something bad were to happen, he could be ready to cut off the bad guys’ escape routes.

“Tell you what. You can go there, stay around the vicinity, as long as you don’t go anywhere beyond the building’s main lobby. Up until that point is technically not restricted to the public.”

“Nice. Okay. I’ll let Mom know and then I’ll go.”

Dropping his phone quickly, he grabbed his costume from the laundry room and sped past Juniper in the living room.

“I’ll be going to Calcott Boulevard. Something might happen there, and Dad agreed to let me go there and observe for now.”

“Come here,” Juniper said, as she embraced her son tightly. “Be careful, don’t break any laws, and come home by eleven. Make sure you stay in one piece.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. Bye!”

An average person would likely reach up to sixteen kilometres per hour on a bike, but it could vary depending on the person’s fitness level. For Andrew, his fitness level was over the roof, because of his powers.

He checked his phone as he lifted his bicycle and took it down the porch. It would take ten minutes to get to Calcott by car.

“Well, let’s set a new personal best,” Andrew whispered.

...

Andrew sat on a bench, his bicycle tied and locked to a bicycle parking rack nearby. There were drops of water trailing off his bike, except for on his seat and the handles. He took a sip of his canned juice drink, and shuddered. He clutched his wet jacket tightly as the wind rose. His powers didn’t give him cold resistance. It was a cold summer night, because there was a light drizzle ongoing.

He turned his gaze towards the building that was known as Aurum Horizons Biolabs. The lights were on. It was still during its operating hours, and some employees could be spotted through the windows.

The suspicious vehicle that was mentioned by the policeman earlier was nowhere to be found, but there was a police car parked nearby. Andrew assumed that it belonged to the officer who reported the 10-60 earlier. He got up and took a few steps forward, but stopped. If he went forward to ask the policeman about the vehicle’s disappearance, there was a high chance the police officer would just ask him to go home to avoid risking danger.

He glanced at his phone. It was a little past nine, which meant it took fifteen minutes for him to get to Calcott. He was slower than the average car, but was fast nonetheless. However he doubted that his bicycle would last very long if he frequently cycled using his powers to speed up.

Andrew choked on his drink when the building shook in front of his eyes. Glass windows shattered simultaneously as smoke billowed out of one of the upper floors of the building. The explosion casted a faint orange glow in the area, illuminating even the dark trees of the small park where Andrew was at.

He heard a car door shut. The police officers had gotten out of the car and, although they seemed to be shocked, they also seemed to be prepared. One whipped out his transceiver, which Andrew guessed was to call for backup. Another pulled out his weapon, heading for the facility’s entrance.

Another explosion tore through more objects in one of the rooms, shattering windows and lights. A man appeared at the cracked edge of a window sill, and let his weapon rain bullets down.

One of the officers looked up and fired back, yelling something that was inaudible to Andrew. The man retreated into the safety of the building. The officer then ran into the facility, passing scared employees who were fleeing the building.

The cries of fearful civilians reminded Andrew of his own fear. When he felt vulnerable and endangered. His memories of the SOUL incident were still fresh, and he probably could still die even if he had his powers. But he focused on the fact that lives were in danger, and what those people were feeling, he had felt it before. The fear of loss—the fear of death. That feeling was a horrible one, a feeling that he wanted no other to experience.

He heard the wail of police sirens. The backup had come. A police barrier quickly formed, making sure no civilians would cross into the danger zone. Officers filed out of their vehicles, preparing to enter the facility.

Still at the bench, Andrew could recognise, although barely, the forms of his father, and his three colleague-friends. They would definitely be in danger, even though it was a common thing for them as part of the KCPD.

But Andrew wouldn’t sit by and idle, not if he could make sure his father, and other innocents, stayed safe. His father worked to help make Karabone City safer for its people, so that people could return home to their families. Now it was his turn to do the same.

He set aside any thought of self-gain from doing this. His father told him not to be driven by his own desires, but to do good things because it would help other people. But he had to break the rule his father set for him—he had to trespass. But right now, abiding by the law of not trespassing was worth nothing compared to being able to save maybe even one life. He reasoned that the police would be more preoccupied with the people raiding Aurum Horizons than a guy in a costume running around.

In the cloak of darkness in the park, he became something else. Then came the problem of hiding his belongings somewhere that only he could access. He looked up. The trees were perfect at this hour, where the dim park lights meant that nobody would notice a bag in a tree’s branches.

Securing his mask, he leaped off the tree and sprinted forward, fleet-footed and agile, as he dashed past the sealed-off area and past the police cars.

“Hey! This is a restricted area!” a coarse yell came from behind. “Civilians are not allowed past this point.”

The policeman gestured for Andrew to get out of the area.

“You have more pressing matters at hand than to stop me,” Andrew responded.

“Are you looking for trouble? If not, get outta here. Don’t waste my time.” The officer pulled out his weapon, although he didn’t point it at Andrew.

Andrew stretched out an open palm, the slit of the mask showing his determined eyes. “You can’t hurt me, and you can’t stop me. I’m only trying to help out here, which is to take those guys down. You know, the ones that made those booms?”

“You’re breaking the law by entering this area!” The officer now raised his weapon.

“Sometimes doing the right thing means breaking the rules,” Andrew replied, and turned his back on him, stepping towards the bank.

The officer seemed ready to let out a warning round, but one of his fellow officers stopped him. “We should be going in now to back up the rest,” he firmly said, “not wasting rounds on this guy. The way he said that you couldn’t hurt him, I get the feeling he wasn’t lying.”

“How the heck would I know that he ain’t with those criminals?”

“I don’t know. If he was, maybe he’d attack us right now. After all, what reason not to?”

“That’s right. Thank you, Officer,” Andrew said, and sped into the building. “And I guess I could bring you a beaten-up criminal later. How’s that sound?”

The officers stared at him. He stared back wordlessly for a few seconds, and ran off into the building unopposed.

Now in the much more illuminated interior, he quickly scanned the lobby area. Aside from police officers running in and heading for the higher levels, the employees had already fled.

Some officers noticed him, and reacted by drawing their weapons.

A policewoman, whose attire was different from the rest, most notably lacking a headdress, stood before Andrew with her weapon pointed straight at his forehead. “Halt! State your identity and your business!”

Andrew froze, putting his hands up instinctively. He had no idea what to respond with, and he didn’t want to find out right now whether he could survive a headshot.

Luckily for him, someone came to his defense. “Captain! He’s on our side!”

Detective Lakes hurried towards the two figures, quick to put his hand on the Captain’s weapon.

“So you know him. You can tell me who he is,” Captain Yamada responded.

“Uh... I don’t know his name, but he’s a good guy,” David said, scratching his head.

Andrew knew he had to say something. He couldn’t let his father try and talk his way out of it alone.

“You can call me... the Sanguine Reaver,” Andrew spoke. It felt like an original name, despite being a few syllables too long. He had been thinking of a name ever since the night he beat the robber.

“A vigilante, then?” Captain Yamada responded. “What, with your costume and not giving me your real name.”

“Yes. That’s not illegal, is it? Please don’t arrest me.” He found himself staring at the scar across the Captain’s cheek.

“Not until you stepped past the police barrier outside. But if Detective Lakes vouches for you, I suppose we do have more pressing matters at hand. Get out of here now, before you either get shot by the bad guys or I change my mind about you.”

“But I have powers. I can take a bullet, I can hit hard. I can help.”

“Ok, but even if I were to let you help us, it’ll be quite complicated. We have our protocols and ways of operating which you don’t know. I think it’s best if you leave for a safer place.”

“How about I take him with me?” David suggested. “I know a bit about him, so I guess I could make it work.”

The captain gave a slight nod. “Very well. But make sure this does not compromise your efficiency. And, we shall have a chat after this. Including you, vigilante.”

“Yes, Captain,” David firmly responded. “Let’s go, Sanguine Reaver.”

David dragged Reaver to the side. His face was filled with annoyance. “What were you thinking? I told you not to go inside the building!”

“But, when I saw the employees run out, I figured lives were worth more than following the law. Besides, there were two policemen at the barrier who ended up letting me enter.”

David grumbled to himself. “Fine. You can take bullets, right?”

Reaver nodded.

“What about explosions?”

Reaver shook his head. “Don’t know. Guess we’ll find out soon.”

“No. You steer clear of explosions. Follow my instructions. Basically pretend you don’t have regeneration.” He signalled for his squad to gather. “Meet the Sanguine Reaver. I guess he’ll be joining us today.”

“How’d you know this guy?” Detective Slyde asked.

“Save the questions for later. All you need to know for now is that he’s here to help, he has some sort of regenerative abilities and he can hit hard.”

Harrison extended his hand to the Sanguine Reaver for a handshake. Detective Thomas kept his distance, but gave a thumbs-up sign.

“We’ll sweep the fourth floor for suspicious objects and any criminals. Valeria, you take the lead, I’ll give Reaver a quick briefing and join up with you later,” David announced.

Detective Hardy nodded and motioned for some officers to pay attention to her. They moved a little to the side to give David and Reaver some space to talk.

Then, Reaver noticed a masked figure appear at the door of a staircase. That person raised her arms, exposing a heavy-looking chrome-plated weapon. From a distance, he could hear the weapon’s hum getting louder.

A silver disc exited the weapon’s barrel and sliced through the air, heading straight for the officers around Reaver. The disc glowed red, beeping softly but dreadfully as it sailed towards them.

They wouldn’t make it out in time, even if they all saw the disc and tried to get away.

As the disc neared them, Reaver felt a sense of dread. He recalled the SOUL incident, the day he thought he would die, yet he survived. But this time, it was not a bullet, but an explosive disc. One that would tear through his body unlike the bullet.

He turned around and ran, driven by pure instinct. His only thought was to get out of range and to safety. Nothing else crossed his mind.

He noticed his father a few metres to his left, facing the disc, his hand in a swinging motion. He bravely flung a transceiver towards the explosive, sending it off-course.

Nevertheless, the disc burst open, releasing sparks, flames and shards of metal that found their way into flesh and marble, blasting back and burning officers in its range.

Reaver felt the searing heat on his back, the explosion propelling him into the air. He blacked out as he crashed onto the floor a few metres away.

After some time, he came to. His vision was blurred and hearing inactivated temporarily by the ear-splitting crackle of the incendiary device. His back felt scorched, and his body was stinging, and he suspected that he had been severely damaged by the explosion. He groaned, struggling to move his limbs. His powers would likely keep him from dying, unless the damage was too widespread.

Eventually, his eyes managed to focus, and he saw the aftermath of the explosion of that single device. There were a few downed officers, although from his position, he was unsure if they were just knocked down or knocked out.

The faint but chaotic mixture of sounds began to drift into his ears. There was the rattle of gunfire, the wails of the wounded, and the cries of sirens.

He had to get up. He had to do something. He remembered David throwing the transceiver instead of fleeing. It likely spelt his doom.

Reaver put his hand forward, pushing himself up. It was then he realised that his body was completely blood-red, not due to bleeding, but rather it was his powers. It resembled the time the robber grabbed his leg, but it turned bloody and even covered part of his jeans. But this time, it was on a much larger scale. It was either that, or his costume was destroyed by the explosion while his own tissue regenerated from the damage.

It took him a moment to stabilise himself, as he looked around for his father. He spotted a wounded Harrison lying on his back unconscious. Blood streaks jutted out from metal shards embedded in his flesh.

Reaver looked away. He saw a few other officers who were in better condition, such that they were beginning to get up. Then he saw his father, motionless and lying in a pool of his own blood. Visible burns marked where his skin was visible.

Reaver was horrified. His worst fears about his father being a part of the police had been realised after years of worrying. He took a step closer to his father, before he heard his name.

“Reaver?” Valeria shouted. “Is that you?” There were scrapes on her arms, but that was about it. She was also firing at the staircase, along with a few other officers, to keep the shooter pinned. “Would really appreciate it if you show us what you got now!”

Reaver realised that if Valeria still called him Reaver, it meant that his mask was still there. His identity was still safe.

He pointed at his unconscious father. “What about Detective Lakes?”

“You take out the shooter, I’ll take care of the injured. Make it quick and don’t get blown up! And what’s with your voice?”

Reaver nodded. His father would be in Valeria’s hands. Focusing back onto the task at hand, he crouched and ran towards the staircase, steering clear of the cover fire. And he thought about his now-coarse voice. Maybe the explosion caused it. Anyhow, it was a worry for later.

When he neared the staircase, the officers ceased fire, but kept their weapons ready, to give Reaver space to take down the shooter.

Sticking his head into the doorway, he saw the shooter grip her weapon tightly, finger on the trigger, ready to blow his brains sky-high.

“I’m ready to die. Are you?” she said as she pressed the gun against his forehead.

Reaver stared back at her. In between her eyes, there was a small snake tattoo with flames spitting out of its forked tongue—the symbol of the Cottonmouths.

Another silver disc shot out.

Reaver found himself seared again by the flames of the explosive, blasted towards the left of the building. Two close-ranged explosions were much more than he had bargained for tonight. But he was sure the woman blew herself up in the process.

He crashed into a heap in front of a glass wall, as he struggled to move and bear with the pain. His body felt numb and heavy, and it was nearly impossible to even move his fingers. He groaned weakly as he raised his head a little, and saw his own faint reflection in the glass.

A maroon monster stared back at him. Its eyes were like an axe’s blade, pale and almost pearl-like. He finally managed to move his hand, to touch his face. The creature did the same.

It was clear to him that he looked nothing like a human now.

...

Andrew stood beside an unconscious patient in a pale-yellow hospital room. His mother was seated opposite him, by the other side of the patient’s bed.

They watched David, unconscious, lying helplessly, attached to an IV drip. His body was bandaged up, concealing the numerous burns and abrasions sustained during the incident at Aurum Horizons.

Andrew looked away. It was unfair for his father to be in this state. He looked at his own hands, nearly spotless and free of scars. His father made a brave sacrifice by knocking the bomb off-course, even if it meant he would remain closest to the blast. On the contrary, Andrew paid no attention to the safety of anyone else but his own.

The reward for David’s sacrifice was a lifelong mark of scars. A permanent reminder of what happened. He didn’t deserve it. But at the very least, he was still alive.

“Mom... I’m sorry,” Andrew muttered, barely looking up at Juniper.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” she replied firmly. She remained strong, not shedding a tear, knowing that their family was blessed to still have David survive.

“It’s my fault that he’s like this.”

Juniper was silent this time, her expression serious.

“Even though I kept insisting on being a hero, because I could take the damage, in the end I still ran away,” Andrew spoke, his voice shaking. “I could have been the one to deflect the disc, and even if it exploded, I would probably be fine. But I was scared, and concerned for only myself. What Dad said about the motive behind a hero, I didn’t go by that motive. I didn’t go there tonight for the sake of others. So I failed him. I failed you.”

Footsteps were heard as two people entered the room. They were his father’s colleagues, Frank and Valeria.

“How are the two of you?” Detective Frank Thomas said as he handed a cup of coffee to Andrew.

“Thanks,” Andrew responded. He avoided the question, however.

“I’m just sad that I won’t be able to hear his voice anymore,” Juniper said, receiving her own cup of coffee with appreciation. “But I’m still thankful that he’s alive. Even with all these years of trying to prepare myself mentally in case something bad happens, I still don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Frank nodded. “He’s strong. He’ll wake up soon. No coma’s gonna keep him down. I know it.”

“Also, just in case you didn’t know, David knows a superhuman vigilante called the Sanguine Reaver. He wore this black ninja costume, with some red highlights, and had the ability to change form into a maroon-coloured humanoid being of sorts,” Valeria described. “I personally saw him survive two explosions. And honestly, he wasn’t the most helpful vigilante, but he did manage to get to the shooter who hurt David.”

Juniper nodded, putting on a confused face. “This Sanguine Reaver, huh. I never knew that. I suppose I’ll find out more.”

It was the cue for Andrew to keep his mouth shut about his vigilantism, so he put on a surprised face too. “Where do all these guys come from?”

Valeria shrugged. “Super people turn up once in a while. But he’s the first in Karabone. Not counting the Skydra, who probably isn’t a superhuman. Anyway, I think we’ll go check on Harry. He was kinda hurt too. You two should head home soon, it’s been a long day.”

“I think we’ll stay for a while more. We’ll see you soon,” Juniper said.

Frank and Valeria nodded and left the room, leaving Juniper and Andrew alone with David.

“From now on, don’t fail us. Be better,” Juniper said.

He gave a solemn nod. Now he had a mission to accomplish.