(Outdated) The King of Elements (part 2)

Chapter 19

"Hiro!" Dre called through The World Where Titans Sleep. He looked around expectantly, questions overwhelming him. "Where are you!?" Nothing. Not even the wind seemed to pay him any attention. He barred his teeth. Darn it.

"Need something, King?" he heard Hiro ask through the void. His voice sounded smug as he continued. "Looks like you almost bit the big one during your little field trip to Southern Amity."

"I want to get stronger," he said through his teeth. "I want to hone in on my power. I need it-" He felt a presence appear behind him, though he didn't need to turn to know who it was.

Hiro chuckled behind Dre, his back turned to him. "You want to get stronger. What drives your thirst?" He looked over his shoulder. "Is it because you feel like you have to because of your blood?"

If he was paying attention, he'd know exactly why I need to get stronger.

"No. I want to get stronger to protect my friends and my family. You saw what happened earlier today at Moonlit Town. Those bastards were trying to violate Megumi and make me watch." Barring his teeth, he turned towards Hiro and continued. "I couldn't do anything but sit there, powerless! The fact that she saved me when I couldn't save her just pisses me off more. If I can't even save my friend from two people, then how can I call myself as a true King?"

Hiro closed his eyes in consideration. When he reopened them, he gave a wide grin. "Let's make some changes to that then."

Dre looked at him, perplexed. Then, his eyes brightened. "You mean I finally get to fight you?"

Chuckling, Hiro said, "Sure, kid. Just don't hold anything back." He unsheathed his crystal-like sword.

Finally. Dre reached for his back, hoping to grab the handle of his sword but found only air. "See what's wrong with this picture?" Hiro asked, returning the sword to its scabbard. Dre scowled as he crossed his arms, glaring at the fallen King. "You've got to take it slow. I know how excited you are about basically being a superhero, but you can't skip over the baby steps. Dick Grayson had to go become Robin before becoming Nightwing, remember? Or, are you familiar with the Batman comics?"

Dre squinted in suspicion at his accusation. "You aren't going to become a reanimated superhero, are you? Because I'm pretty sure most people would rather not be saved by Superzombie."

"What?"

"Nothing." He really had to learn to control his impulsive mouth.

Hiro laughed as he shook his head. "You've got so much to learn. You have the ultimate power resting inside you, just waiting to get released. I was in the same boat that you're in now." His face hardened. "Though my reasoning for being trying to learn how to hone in on my powers were the complete opposite of yours."

Dre tilted his head. "Weren't you trying to protect your friends and the planet?"

"Not at first. I only had one thing on my mind once I learned that I was the King. Revenge. Revenge on the person who killed my parents and tried to trick me into turning my back on the world that I hardly even knew about."

That took him by surprise. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, he ran his fingers through his crimson hair. "My parents were killed when I was younger by a member of the Adranés, Amians who were born without an element."

"You mean that could actually happen?"

"Yeah. It's uncommon for it to happen, too. Basically they have the same strengths and weaknesses as the elemental group that they'd belong to, only they don't have the elemental power to rely on. Because of this, the Sages had decreed that the Adranés would be exiled. My master took me on as his disciple after he murdered my parents with only one objective on his mind: use me to get the one thing that would give him an elemental power." He looked at the sword on his hip. Hiro exhaled. "Or, at least that's what he said. He was like a father to me."