Hero Wanted - 2. Chapter Two

It was fifteen minutes before noon and Ryan was sitting at the small living room of his small apartment located in a small neighborhood of the city. The window’s curtains were open with the street in view, so he could see when the car would arrive to drive him to that restaurant. He was not hungry even though he did not have breakfast yet. He did not have any appetite since his mother passed away. He was so depleted from crying that he had little energy to eat. Though, it was not like he had the extra money to buy food other than bags of chips from the local gas station.

Ryan also had not taken a proper shower or bath either because that was where he found his mother’s body. It was hard enough to sleep in the apartment alone, and taking a shower exactly where his mother took her last breath was out of the question. So, he had to survive on a stick of deodorant and the kitchen sink where he at least washed his hair that was starting to become more overgrown and untamed. However, he was not thinking about how to spruce up his appearance, just how to survive now that his mother was gone was the main concern.

Ryan did manage to at least make a small bowl of the remaining cornflakes in the food cabinet and milk that was two days expired for breakfast, but threw it away after the sour taste of the milk hit his tongue. Now only with a reused bottle of water in his hand, he sat on the living couch and turned on the twelve-inch television that had the screen that ruined your sight if you watched too closely.

Flipping through the channels, Ryan stopped when the news was displayed. The news reporter was talking to a correspondent from London about the recent Colossus attack that struck the United Kingdom’s capital a few days ago. Footage then played of Champions fighting against the Colossus with their range of weapons from blades, blunts and even levitating discs that fired laser beams. He watched as the screen displayed a Champion with a massive hammer-like weapon deliver the final blow to the Colossus’s core, causing it to collapse backwards to the street, defeated.

It was always thrilling to watch Champions flawlessly fight and finish the Colossus. They were literal superheroes in Ryan’s eyes, just like the ones that he read about in his comic collection. And it was all because of small devices called nodes that were implanted on the nape. Connected to the nervous system, they could be controlled mentally and granted an average human with superhuman abilities like super strength, super speed and even psychokinesis. They were heroes. Saviors… Champions.

The news reporter then switched topics, now reporting about the third anniversary of the Colossus that invaded Chicago and took the lives of an entire platoon of Champions. The Colossus displayed the new ability of firing jagged projectiles at the Champions and when the Lieutenant who led the platoon did not fall back, he ended up getting the rest of his platoon killed in the process…and one of those killed was Mr. Johnson’s only son, Rory. Fortunately, that same Lieutenant was stripped of his ranks and dishonorably discharged from the service.

Ryan, though he idolized the Champions, could not imagine fighting against the Colossus let alone be in any other military branch. He was always thought of himself as too much of a weakling, not being able to do even one pull-up during a gym test one day in middle school that resulted in endless taunting that lasted for at least two weeks. Nor did he think he had any courage to fight in the battlefield since he could not even stand up to the people taunting him that only ended when his mother called the school when she saw his black eye.

Ryan guessed it was the only good thing about being poor since it was mandatory for all adults, upon reaching the age of eighteen, who came from wealthy backgrounds to become Champions. This was because of the extraordinary cost of the nodes due to the rarity of the material needed to create them which was a gold-like substance only found in the Laguna province of the Philippines. The wealthy had to pay a very high tax for the nodes to be created and sacrifice their children to create soldiers who would fight against the foreign beings called the Colossus. Though enlisted Champions have some preferential treatments, being one was still brutal with training that beat even the Marines’ way of life since they were the only people capable of protecting a city from utter destruction, so they did not mess around.

A commercial then appeared with a top-ranking Champion sponsoring for a brand of running shoes when he saw a black SUV appear on the street. The car most likely belonged to the former President since no car of that make or model ever appeared on that street before.

Turning off the television, Ryan walked out of his apartment and into the car where inside he was greeted by the driver who looked like a Secret Service agent. He told Ryan where they were heading and after he confirmed that he was ready, they began driving to the destination.

***

To say that he felt awkward sitting in the five-star restaurant was an understatement. He felt completely underdressed compared to the other restaurant patrons who were all wearing formal clothing that you could only get at places like Fifth Street Avenue. It was apparent when he entered the establishment and was greeted by the greeter who looked at him like he was wearing a bag over his head, most likely due to his unkept hair too.

However, Mr. Johnson called out to Ryan from nearby and the greeter plastered on a fake smile before taking him to the table where Mr. Johnson was sitting at. After he sat down, he could not help, but admire his surroundings. Never, never had he ever been to a place so expensive and luxurious with the ornate ceiling, a live classical band and of course the fancy patrons eating food that must have cost more than his apartment’s monthly rent.

Distracted by it all, Ryan could hardly hear Mr. Johnson calling out to him. But eventually he did and he apologized as he accepted the menu that Mr. Johnson extended to him.

Mr. Johnson chuckled lightly, though, and returned his eyes to his own menu. Opening his own, Ryan was stunned by the strange language that he was reading right now. The names of the dishes must have been in Italian since the only words he could recognize was spaghetti and lasagna. Not even a description was provided, he assumed because the people who dined here must be cultured in the fine cuisines of Italy. And do not get him started on the prices that were printed on the appetizers alone.

“Hello, gentlemen. Are you both ready to order?” a classy waiter asked with a notepad and pen in his hands.

Giving his menu to the waiter, Mr. Johnson said, “I would like a simple chicken parmesan, please.”

“Excellent. And you sir?”

Ryan looked up and said, “Uh…is spaghetti okay?”

Mr. Johnson chuckled again and said, “He’ll have the spaghetti with pork bolognese.”

“Great. I’ll have your orders sent and you will receive your dishes in ten minutes of less.”

The waiter extended his hand to Ryan and it took him a second to register that he needed the menu Ryan was still looking at back. After awkwardly giving the menu back to the waiter, he walked away and Ryan gratefully took a gulp of a cold glass of water next to him that settled his nerves a little.

“Are you okay, Ryan?” Mr. Johnson said with his hands clasped on the white-clothed table.

“Oh, uh…yes, I am… Just never been to a place like this before,” Ryan admitted.

“I hope you did since you’re the one paying.”

Ryan’s eyes widened at Mr. Johnson before the man chuckled. Ryan relaxed in his seat again and could not help, but smile a little at the person who seemed so serious while he was giving speeches and interviews as President. Now here he was, sitting at a table with a person like Ryan and telling jokes.

“Now that the tension has eased, tell me how you really are, Ryan? I’m all ears.”

Ryan looked at Mr. Johnson with a slight perplexed look before saying in a saddened tone, “What can I say? I only lost my mother only a week ago and right now I’m at a restaurant about to dine on a five-star meal with a person who’s claiming to be my father. To say that I have mixed emotions isn’t really explaining it well at all.”

Mr. Johnson nodded. “I understand…at least I hope to. I’ve only known your mother for a short period of time…but what I remembered of her was that she was a very kind and caring woman and the world is lesser because of her passing. To be grieving and then being told you have a father must be…difficult to fathom all at once.”

Ryan just nodded and took another gulp of his water. “You can say that.”

“Your mother wouldn’t want you to end up where she is now…wherever she is.”

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. “Why are you saying that? Do you think I’m considering ending myself too? And how should you know what my mother wants or wouldn’t want for me? You said you only knew her for a short period of time, and then you abandoned her to raise a child all by herself with no support coming from you at all.”

“I didn’t abandon your mother, Ryan. Please, let me explain.”

“What would you call it then?” Ryan asked, anger suddenly starting to rise from inside him.

“Your mother…I wanted to help. I wanted to at least offer her money, so she could support herself and you, but she still refused any aid from me because she feared…”

“She feared what?” Ryan asked with his arms crossed.

Looking up at the ceiling, Mr. Johnson then returned his eyes to Ryan and said, “It’s complicated…but to put it simply, she didn’t want your destiny to being enlisted into the military and protecting the country against the Colossus. She knew that being the known child of a world leader would undoubtedly lead to your eventual recruitment and she thought that any assistance from me was just me trying to manipulate her into later giving you up. She didn’t want to risk you becoming exposed…she loved you too much to let that happen.”

“Then…then why did she commit suicide?” Ryan asked quietly.

Looking down, Mr. Johnson said, “She wanted you to have a better life—”

“By what? Killing herself?” Ryan said, stunned.

“Your mother, before she passed, called me with a private number I gave her that she could call if she ever needed my help. I couldn’t answer at that time, so she left a message and she said that she saw your acceptance letter and she thought the only way you could pursue a better life was if she passed on, so you wouldn’t have a need to stay in your apartment and that I could give you the opportunities that you deserve… Unfortunately, I didn’t hear the message until days later since I have given up hope that your mother would ever call…but she did, and it was for you.”

Ryan did not know how to respond. He just covered his face with his hands and tried his best to hold his emotions inside that were already wanting to overflow and consume him. Even in death, his mother did it because she believed it would only help him, her only child, in the long-run. She did not kill herself because of the fear of strained finances or work-related stress, but because all she cared about was Ryan. She really did put him before anyone else…especially herself.

Managing to calm the storm that was happening inside him a little, Ryan uncovered his face and sniffled as he looked at the condensation dripping down the glass of water on the table for some type of distraction.

“Do you need time for yourself?” Mr. Johnson asked with a concerned look on his face.

“No...I’m okay,” Ryan assured before taking a deep breath.

The waiter soon returned to their table with their meals. After gently placing them down, Ryan took his fork that was wrapped with a white cloth napkin and rolled the utensil into his spaghetti. The aroma that was wafting off his dish was incredible. He never smelled something so good before and when he took a bite of his spaghetti, he escaped into bliss even if was just for a moment. This was nothing like the spaghetti his mother and he ate from a frozen box. The sauce was not watery, and the meatballs were not frozen in the center, but tender and warm like the rest of the dish.

Only stopping to get a drink of water, Ryan ate his meal graciously and only ten minutes have passed before he took the stray noodle into his mouth. He also finished the rest of his water and wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin. He looked at Mr. Johnson’s plate where his chicken parmesan was still only half-finished.

“Sorry if I ate too fast,” Ryan apologized.

Mr. Johnson smiled and said, “There’s nothing wrong with having a good appetite.”

“I guess…I haven’t had one since…you know,” Ryan confessed.

“I can relate. When Rory died, I could barely eat, let alone leave my bed. It was one of the worst times of my life, it not the worst. You learn how to move on, however, and you will too.”

“I hope so. My mother was the only person who ever cared about me…and she was the only person I ever cared about too,” Ryan said as he twirled the fork in his hand.

“Ryan…I want to do right by you,” Mr. Johnson said.

“What does that mean?” Ryan asked, curious.

Pushing his plate back and leaning forward on the table, Mr. Johnson said, “I want to give you the opportunities you deserved since birth, Ryan… You are my son after all.”

“Your illegitimate son,” Ryan clarified.

“You’re not. You’re just my son, and no one is going to tell me differently, and it’s what your mother wanted for you.”

Placing his fork down, Ryan leaned back against his chair and said, “And…what’s the catch?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m basically the son of the former President of the United States of America…and because of that, I’m mandatorily obligated to be recruited into the military, specifically the—”

“I won’t let that happen, Ryan…and by that, I mean you will be given a gift…a gift from Rory himself that will make you more powerful than even the seniors of the academy.”

“What gift is that?”