PRESENT:
The ash and smoke grew thicker and thicker; I coughed once, then again, until the dust began to invade everything, expanding uncontrollably. My head throbbed, my ribs ached, and my arms, along with the rest of my body, were covered in small cuts and wounds.
But that didn't matter to me now; the protective tank top was right in front of me. From the torso down, he was crushed against a concrete wall, and to make matters worse, a pool of his blood was spreading. Even with all that, he spoke calmly, almost as if the pain didn't exist, either telling his story, explaining the situation, or trying to calm me down before everything went to hell.
At first, I thought his story would be the same cliché of the guy who wants to become strong out of pride or to show off his muscles and all that. He was able to completely shut me up, whether it was because of his mother, his fears, and I understood why he took that name. And when he put on that sleeveless shirt, for him it wasn't just any old piece of clothing: it was the living promise to protect and help anyone in need.
I remained silent as he spoke, not even blinking. You'd think a boy like that would end up being a prominent hero. But of course… fate always has something in store for you. "So you think your mother isn't proud of you?"
Her gaze lowered, as if thinking about it hurt too much. She never had the courage to ask him. Maybe if all this hadn't happened, she would have. "Maybe yes, maybe not." It seems silly, but she was afraid of knowing the answer. She was ashamed to look me in the face, so she just kept her eyes down, staring at the floor. ""Since I became a hero, we've only talked about it once..." Her voice sounded muffled, but firm. "That day, I noticed a strange mixture on her face: concern and pain, even though she tried to hide it. And yet... every morning before I left for work, she always hugged me and asked me to come back safely."
So, with a genuine smile, I said almost in a whisper, "Mothers are amazing." Tank Top Protective looked at me and smiled weakly. "You'll think I'm a mama's boy." I chuckled, surprising him a little. "Not at all." I turned my head, a little embarrassed. "I like it when my mom's happy, too." I lowered my head to think about what I would say next. "You know, I'm like you, too. I've lost several loved ones along the way, which doesn't motivate me to keep going, but I see my mom, my family, those who believed in me, and that drives me to get up and show the world that I haven't given up yet." Tank Top is surprised to hear all this, and a small smile plays on his lips. "Hey, kiddo, you're really proud…" I reach up and press my thumb against my chest, smiling proudly. "Of course I want to be the pride of my family and everyone who believes in me; and I also want my legacy and my mark to be etched in everyone's minds." I said all this smiling with my eyes closed, but at that moment Tank Top looked surprised and, with a smile, said, "You're not from here, are you?"
When I realized, I wasn't wearing one of my gloves, as it had torn and fallen off my hand, so in embarrassment I quickly tried to cover it. "Calm down." Tank Top Protective smiled. "When you woke up in the collapse, I saw you without a hood. Calm down, I won't ask you anything. It's clear you're a good boy." Those words gave me more confidence, but I was still nervous. "Well, thank you very much..." Everything started to shake, making the place where we were about to fall at any moment. Tank Top Protective knew time was running out and looked at me seriously. "Listen, you have to go, no matter what you do from now on or what decisions you make, you should always do the right thing, enjoy your life and remember this: you are never alone, NOW GO!" Swallowing my anger for not being able to save him, I ran. As I ran, Tank Top watched me walk away; he spoke for himself one last time. "Mother... you were right. In the end... I wasn't useless, Goodbye, Mom." And with one last smile, the hero disappears in a shower and cloud of debris and dust.
I barely managed to get out of the collapse; at the last minute, I jumped, and as I fell rapidly, I had to cover myself to avoid the small pieces and dust that flew from the falling debris. In the end, I had to get up, and where the hero who only wanted to do the right thing and be the pride of the only person he loved was, there were only stones and rubble left.
Looking down, I found a Tank Top Hero Association card, so I picked it up and smiled. "You did great, buddy... now you can rest," I whispered, stuffing it into my shirt pocket. I looked up and saw where people were desperately trying to climb out of the collapse, and I knew I had a job to finish.