Tiny Hero Ch 13: The Fire Within

Peter stared down at his trembling hands — only, they weren't just hands anymore. They were burning.

Literal fire ran along his skin, dancing in waves of gold and crimson. It didn't hurt. In fact, it felt... good. A deep, soothing warmth spread through his whole body, like the world's softest blanket fresh out of a dryer.

"What is this?" he muttered, holding his palms up as sparks leapt into the air. His voice was shaky, more awe than fear.

The ground beneath him was scorched, steam rising where his boots touched. Around him, the air shimmered from the heat. He blinked a few times, half-expecting to wake up — but the smell of smoke and melted asphalt told him this was painfully, vividly real.

Before he could think any further, a deafening voice boomed from above. "WHAT... ARE YOU?"

Peter snapped his head up. The two Obelisks — those titanic humanoid figures that had crushed half the city just hours ago — were staring down at him, eyes wide and fearful. Fearful. That was new. Usually, he was the one doing the trembling.

"I—uh..." he started, then stopped. What the hell was he? Some walking bonfire? A superhero knockoff?

Another Obelisk shouted, his voice shaking the air. "SPEAK, LITTLE THING! WHAT ARE YOU!?"

Peter almost laughed. He didn't even know himself. But something about their towering fear flipped a switch in him. He straightened his back, fire still pulsing along his veins, and stepped forward. "Obelisks' your reign of terror... is over!"

As soon as he said it, his brain screamed, oh my god, that was the corniest thing you could've possibly said. He cringed a little. "Wow, yeah, okay, that sounded way cooler in my head—"

"YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP US?!" roared the  male giant. His body rippled with fury, his muscles straining atop the cracked, ground. His skin laced with dirt and small stains of blood. Each breath he took made the very air rumble.

Peter's bravado evaporated instantly.

"Okay, uh, maybe let's not—"

The giant swung a fist down. Peter barely had time to raise his hands.

"Wait, WAIT, don't—!"

Instinct kicked in.

A torrent of fire exploded from Peter's palms, slamming into the titan's chest and face with the force of a cannon. The Obelisk roared in pain as his massive body was hurled backward, crashing through a crumbling building. The shockwave sent cars flipping, glass shattering, and Peter stumbling back with wide eyes.

"Oh. Oh, holy crap." He looked at his hands again, smoke curling around his fingers. "Okay, that was... new."

The female Obelisk — her long pink hair flowing like molten silk, dropped to one knee beside her fallen partner. "Are you hurt?!" she shouted, voice cracking with panic.

The man groaned, clutching at the burns seared into his chest. "It burns like hell..."

"How dare you!" the woman screamed. Her hand swung out — and suddenly, entire cars were airborne, spinning through the sky like toys.

Peter's stomach dropped. "Oh, come on!"

He threw up his arms, flinching as the first car flew toward him.

"NO!" he shouted.

The air erupted.

A massive wall of flame exploded outward, surrounding him in a blazing ring. The cars melted midair, their molten frames crashing harmlessly outside the circle. Peter stood at the center, panting, his hair ruffled by the sheer heat.

He blinked through the smoke. "Okay... that was kinda awesome."

But the Obelisk woman wasn't done.

"DIE!" she roared, ripping up chunks of buildings and hurling them like boulders. Whole slabs of concrete hurtled toward him.

Peter ducked, thinking fast. "Alright, alright, think, think—jetpack moment? Maybe?"

His eyes darted to his hands. Then, acting on pure impulse, he pointed both palms downward and fired.

The blast was insane — a fiery rocket burst that launched him straight up like a missile. "OH—OH MY GOD!" he screamed as he shot into the sky, barely dodging the raining debris below.

Wind tore past him. His jacket flapped violently. He could see everything — the ruined city, the smoking ground, the two towering Obelisks below.

And he was going way too fast.

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap—"

Before he could stop himself, he slammed right into the woman's face.

CRACK!

Her head snapped back as she fell like a collapsing skyscraper. Her body hit the earth with a ground-shaking crash that sent shockwaves through the nearby streets.

Peter tumbled midair, yelling incoherently, before crash-landing into the ground hard enough to leave a crater. He groaned, sitting up slowly.

"I'm okay... probably. Yeah, mostly okay."

He brushed off some soot, looked up — and blinked. The Obelisk woman was out cold, her enormous form sprawled across the wrecked district.

"Oh. Wow." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess that worked."

The male Obelisk staggered to his feet, face blistered and burned. He glared down at Peter, his eyes glowing with fury. "You... will pay for this you little shit."

Peter smirked despite the ache in his ribs. "Yeah? Probably."

The giant knelt down, gently lifting the unconscious woman into his arms. His molten eyes still burned with hate as he muttered, "One way or another, we'll  get you back for this."

Peter tilted his head. "Kinda ironic, don't you think?"

The giant snarled, turning away. With each thunderous step, he carried his partner into the smoking distance, their massive forms vanishing into the haze.

Peter stood still for a long moment, listening to the echo of their retreating footsteps. The city was silent except for the crackle of fire and the distant groan of collapsing steel.

Then he exhaled, his body relaxing for the first time.

The warmth that had filled him was fading. The flames along his arms flickered, dimmed... and went out. His blue, translucent form — whatever strange energy had been inside him — began to fade too, dissolving into the air.

He stared at his hands again. Normal. Ordinary. No fire, no glow. Just skin and sweat.

"Well," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "that was... something."

He looked toward the horizon, where the Obelisks had disappeared.

"Don't come back," he whispered. "Seriously. I'm not even sure how I did that."

His legs gave out, and he dropped onto the cracked pavement, laughing weakly. "Oh man... I'm definitely not getting paid enough for this."

The fire was gone, but somewhere deep inside, he could still feel it — faint, quiet, waiting.

And he wasn't all that sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. What was this power, what was he?

He felt dangerous.

And that terrified him more than the Obelisks ever could.