CHAPTER 44: Me Too
GAMBLING AGENCY BUNKER – NIGHT
Tapeshot sat on a crate. His hands trembled. He stared at the ground.
Me too… me too, I wanted to be a hero like you, Captain Man.
He closed his eyes.
---
Flashback – Tapeshot, Before
MYERS ACADEMY – YEARS AGO
A young man. Round glasses. An impeccable uniform. Trembling hands.
Tapeshot. A Myers student.
He trained day and night. He mastered his power — tape. Adhesive bands of Ether. He could bind, immobilize, project, trap.
He was good. Very good.
"Graduate. Congratulations, Tapeshot."
He had shaken the director's hand. He had smiled. He had believed.
---
HERO ASSOCIATION – A FEW YEARS LATER
He wore the costume. He had a hero name. He was in the top 10 of Class A. He was close to Class S.
"Tapeshot. 10th of Class A."
He had given everything. Sacrificed everything. To be like Captain Man. To reach the top.
Then he had seen.
The schemes. The lies. The experiments. The secrets. The heroes who closed their eyes. The executives getting rich.
"The Association has really crossed the line."
He had posted the message on Nano-Neko.
"My tapes and I are out. It's impossible for me to be associated with that kind of organization."
He had left the Association.
And he was there. In a bunker. With low-tier heroes.
---
Back to the Present – Midas's Speech
Midas stepped onto the stage. Microphone in hand. Hundreds of pariahs. Hundreds of rejects.
"MY PARIAHS."
His voice echoed.
"WELCOME."
He paused.
"You're here because you were rejected. Despised. Forgotten. The Association treated you like less than nothing. Pariahs. Garbage."
He clenched his fist.
"You graduated from Myers. You mastered your powers. You reached the top 10 of Class A. You came close to Class S. And for what? For them to tell you that you weren't good enough. Not pretty enough. Not media-friendly enough. Not profitable enough."
He spread his arms.
"LOOK AT YOURSELVES. Look where you are. A bunker. With low-tier heroes. Unknowns. No-rankers. Is that what you deserve? NO!"
He slammed the table.
"The Association is a machine. A machine that grinds dreams to dust. It takes kids full of hope, it trains them, it exploits them, and when they no longer bring in enough, it throws them away. Like shit."
He looked at the assembly.
"IT CALLED US PARIAHS? THEN LET'S BE PARIAHS. BUT PARIAHS WHO FIGHT."
He raised his fist.
"Enough. Enough of bowing our heads. Enough of closing our eyes. Enough of letting those bastards decide who has the right to be a hero and who doesn't."
His voice grew colder.
"For that, we're going to prove our worth. Deploy everywhere. In the name of the Gambling Agency. Tell them they need to stop the threats before the Association's heroes. Show them what pariahs can do."
He smiled.
"And if the Association wants war… it'll get one."
The pariahs screamed.
---
Tapeshot – On a Mission
EAST DISTRICT – NIGHT
A building on fire. Screams. Civilians trapped.
Tapeshot arrived.
He raised his hand. Bands of Ether tape shot out. They hooked onto beams, walls, debris. He pulled. The debris moved aside. The civilians escaped.
A child was crying. He took him in his arms.
"It's okay. I've got you."
---
ANOTHER DISTRICT – A CLASS C DEMON
A monster. One meter eighty. Gray. Teeth. Claws.
Three Association heroes were already on the scene. They were getting wrecked.
"WE NEED BACKUP!"
Tapeshot landed.
"No need."
He threw his tape. The demon was bound in a second. One band on its mouth. One on its claws. One on its legs.
"K.O."
The three heroes looked at him.
"…Who are you?"
"Tapeshot. Gambling Agency."
---
STREET – A RESCUE
A woman screamed. Her bag was stuck in a burning car.
"HELP!"
A Class C hero arrived. His name was Sparky. His power: producing sparks. Not very useful.
"Uh… I… I can make sparks?"
Tapeshot arrived.
"Step back."
He threw his tape. The bag was pulled out of the car. The woman caught it.
"Thank you!"
Sparky looked at Tapeshot.
"You're… Tapeshot? The hero who left the Association?"
"Yeah."
"…Can you teach me?"
Tapeshot looked at him.
"Join the Gambling Agency."
---
ANOTHER RESCUE – A LOW-TIER HERO
A Class B hero. His name was Bubble Gum. His power: producing gum. Not very useful.
He was stuck under debris. A demon was approaching.
"HELP!"
Tapeshot arrived. He lifted the debris. Pulled Bubble Gum out. Threw his tape at the demon. Bound it.
"Thanks…"
"Join the Gambling Agency."
---
The TV Panel – Tapeshot
NANO-NEKO – LIVE BROADCAST
A host. A smile. White teeth.
"And now, a new feat from Tapeshot! The hero who left the Association to join the Gambling Agency!"
The screen showed the images. Tapeshot saving civilians. Binding demons. Helping low-tier heroes.
"Remarkable efficiency! And that's not all. The number of Class C and B heroes leaving the Association to join the Agency is exploding!"
He turned to the camera.
"So, Tapeshot. A word for our viewers?"
Tapeshot appeared on screen. He was in the field. Sweaty. Smiling.
"Join us. We fight for you."
The host nodded.
"There's a hero with values. And I love that."
---
TO BE CONTINUED…