Tale Of Heroes: Rise Of The Hero Squad-Chapter 40: The Resolution

By the door he still stood, looking at his loved ones. Their decision mattered the most. Even though he wanted in on the plan—to fight on the day of disaster—he still wished for them to decide his fate.

He said inwardly to himself,

I can’t lie... I want to test what I can do with this power. I want to show the world that I matter too, that I can help. So please... let’s accept this.

Bethany slowly raised her head. She spoke softly.

"Will you come back?"

Tomika looked at her, surprised to hear those words.

Bethany repeated, her voice trembling.

"Will you come back?"

Tyler rushed toward his beloved, falling to his knees. His eyes twitched. He tried to speak, but he stuttered.

"I—I... I’ll try."

She chuckled at his response.

"So even you’re not sure you’re going to come back, and you want me to say, ’Oh, babe, go ahead—risk your life for a fight that doesn’t concern you.’"

Tyler responded quickly.

"But it does. It does! You heard what he said. I’m already involved, and I don’t want to be ignorant. I want to—"

She cut him off, her voice tense.

"But you brought this on yourself. I told you not to go, but you did."

Tyler looked away from her eyes.

She continued, "I don’t want to be selfish... but for you, I will be selfish."

Tyler raised his voice. It echoed through the motorhome. His eyes sharpened; his tone was fierce.

"No, you aren’t selfish. Neither of you has ever been selfish."

He gripped Bethany’s hands.

"As a matter of fact, I’ve been the useless one. You’ve been the mother, the father, and the sister. You’ve been the provider—the anchor of this family. I’m the one ruining things. The lazy one. The one holding us back."

Bethany gently cut him off, not wanting him to insult himself.

"That’s not true."

"It is true." His eyes were heavy with pity. "They say when a man works hard, whatever he touches prospers. But for me, it’s the opposite. I’m sick and tired of being a failure."

"I fall sick and run to you for drugs. I get sad and cry in your arms. It should be the other way around. And I want to change that. For once, I want to provide. So please... let me."

For a moment, silence filled the room. No one spoke.

Then Tomika finally broke it.

"You big dummy... you know you have your usefulness."

****

12:12 p.m.

Hero Association Building—75th Floor

One of the widest floors in the 80-story fortress of the Hero Association housed the emerging fighters of Ultra City. They were gathered in the conference hall.

White lights brightened the room, and the efficient air conditioner pushed back the heat of the sunny afternoon. Around the large circular table, each of the guys sat in their respective seats, with Layla and Johnathan among them.

There was chatter here and there from everyone, but it was time for work. Timothy stood up from his seat, lightly knocking the table to grab their attention. He cleared his throat. The silence that followed wasn’t heavy—just the kind that said, We’re ready. Go on.

Timothy began.

"Good day, everyone. Before we get into the main agenda of this meeting, I’d like to say a few things.

"It’s been a journey—a shocking one, to be precise. The past weeks, or month, have been something I never would’ve imagined. Not in a million thoughts. I met Raymond and thought, Yeah, fine, a new face. Let’s see how we get along. And we did—which honestly shocked me, because I don’t make friends. I don’t have friends. Layla and Johnathan have been the only ones I’ve worked with for years. And now there’s the four of you." He chuckled, shaking his head.

Derick leaned toward Larry and whispered, "Did he change during the coma?"

Larry muttered back, "Just shut up and listen."

Timothy’s voice continued to steady the room.

"I’ve done bad things—things I know I’ll face the consequences for sooner or later. But that’s not the point. I still think I’m learning. I still feel I’m growing in this world of heroes and villains.

"I thought I had learned from the best, but now I’m sure I didn’t pay enough attention to his teachings. It led me to a conclusion: I’m not a hero. I’m a monster. That fragile thirteen-year-old dream of wanting to be a hero... it was just fantasy.

"When you get involved in a world of good and bad, you have to think straight. And when you choose good but your mind isn’t in the right place, you’ll walk a path you regret. I’ve walked that path. But I want to change—with your help.

"Listen, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s a gradual process." He turned to Max.

"I’ll try to be better."

Two hands met—Derick’s hands—and his sudden clapping drew everyone’s eyes to him. The dark-skinned man was smiling as he said, "That was beautiful. So beautiful."

Everyone gave him disturbed looks. Larry was the first to speak.

"Yo... he wasn’t giving a motivational speech. The man was pouring his heart out, and you’re cheering."

Amid the chatter, Raymond stood, also tapping the table to call attention.

"I’m not giving a motivational speech," he said. "I just want to say a few things. When I first came here, my only thought was that the Association hated me—that they sent me to a city with little crime.

"But look at us now. Shit’s about to go down in a matter of days, and we are the goddamn protectors." A smirk crept across his face. "We’re going to be a badass team.

"I feel like after this, there’ll still be others we’ll have to face—and I’d love for it to be all of us standing together as a team. Sure, only three of us are officially recognized by the Association, but we are Ultra City’s heroes."

As the guys talked, Layla and her assistant, Johnathan, had their own quiet chat. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"They do know that you’re here and that the main matter at hand hasn’t been discussed yet, right?" Johnathan asked.

Layla sneezed before replying, wiping her nose with her handkerchief. "Oh, please, Johnathan. Let them enjoy the moment."

"I know, I know," he said. "I’m just saying—the earlier, the better. We need to plan. I’m even glad they’re going into this without those brooding faces for once."

The chatter gradually died down. That meant one thing—the real matters were about to begin.

But then Timothy’s phone rang. He checked the caller ID—an official from downstairs. He tapped Answer.

"Mr. Timothy, a guy and two ladies are here. They claim you gave them your card and told them to come see you."

"Yes—Tyler Smith and his family. I hope you weren’t harsh on them," Timothy said.

"Not at all, sir," the caller responded.

"Good. Send them up—they’re important people."

He ended the call and turned to everyone in the room.

"Looks like we’ve got ourselves another aide."