Bloodbound

Arc 1: Rise! The Destined Generation

Chapter 1

Enter the A.H.A! Will They Become Heroes?

Dreams, a concept every living person knows of and strives to accomplish in their lifetime. Coming in all forms, some may involve living a more relaxed lifestyle, while others may want one full of exciting action and thrills. Most worked long and hard towards their goals would often accomplish what they had set out to do, while others would find themselves in a lesser position. Living in a world of heroes and villains was not easy and one which required constant attention and surveillance. But so long as heroes existed said danger would find itself opposed every time. But who were these heroes? Citizens. Your typical, everyday citizen who laid their life out in hope of protecting the innocent. Something your everyday hero knew all too well.

Location: Pekmont City, U.S.A

Date: May 23

Time: 9:30 A.M

It was not every day the United States Hero Corporation accepted applications from up and coming heroes in training, but with summer vacation having arrived for all the newly high school that meant fresh talent just waiting to be picked up. Located in the sprawling, almost futuristic metropolis of Pekmont City, the local Hero Corp prepared for a day of both highs and lows. No doubt those who applied were excited to show their true strength, but in truth less than half would continue towards their professional careers, leaving the rest to deal with their crushed dreams.

Living in a big city like Pekmont had its perks, but there were a few downsides that took away from the overall experience. And one such downside included the early morning commute. Whether on the road or on the sidewalk you would find yourself trapped in either a sea of cars or crowd of people, bumping shoulder to shoulder. There were, however, those who sought to get around such annoyances through other means. Whether the Hero Association liked it or not some resorted to using their Quirks to get around more efficiently. And for one such Valerie Valentine her power allowed for just that. Having dashed into the maze of alleyways in Central Pekmont, now was the time.

"No police, no drones, piece of cake." She said with a sly smirk, gazing up at the brick wall in front of her. "Let's see. Taking the sidewalk would run me around 15 minutes, but with my Quirk…maybe 5 at most? But is it worth the energy?" she pondered, giving her chin a questionable tap.

Either force herself through the congested crowds or bend the rules a bit and use a bit of power to avoid it all together. Tough choice. Not. This was but a once a year opportunity and she could not miss out on it. And so, clenching her fists she focused only on both arms and legs. In that moment, all four appendages became engulfed in a transparent, yellow energy, as it took the shape of clawed hands and feet.

Name: Valerie Valentine

Age: 21

Quirk: Spiritual Beast- Flooding her body with energy from her very soul, she's capable of enhancing her very being for both quick traversal and offensive attacks. Though, an overreliance on such power could result in major fatigue.

"Oh yeah, that's the stuff. We're rolling on ahead now." He said, with vigor. The surging energy gave her muscles a much-needed boost, while also giving her body a refreshed feeling. Now came the fun pat. Adjusting the red and black hat atop her head, she gentle held it down before squatting low to the ground. "Up-up…and away!" She exclaimed, before propelling herself up with a single kick.

Like a rocket, she took off through the air, towards the top of the three-story building before her. Not a soul was around to witness the magnificent jump, meaning if she could leapfrog from building to building as discreetly as possible, she'd be home free. No fine from the police meant less headaches. And besides, come the next day she'd be one of the pros! At least, that's the outcome she hoped for. The final test would determine where she'd land in life.

Once atop the building she wasted no time in dashing to the right, towards its edge. And much like before she took off, landing on the one adjacent from it. Testing would begin in 11 minutes. Plenty of time, for sure, but she'd made it a point to arrive early so as to scope out her fellow participants. It made her wonder, what kind of Quirks would she see? As per the normal, the physical/combat test would pit them against their local pros. Sweet, huh? But who would her opponent be? God. It made her both excited and anxious just thinking about it.

While jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her long, blonde hair flowing in the wind, she kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Much like justice, crime too could appear at any moment. Just as the thought came to mind though, a loud, desperate cry caught her attention. The cry of someone in need of assistance! Glancing down at the streets below she managed to catch a gander at what was going on. Someone had knabbed a poor boy's wallet, and said boy was in hot pursuit on his bike.

"Come back here, bastard!" the boy scowled through his clenched teeth. If his ears could fume, they would have, as he peddled faster. Though, despite his attempt at catching up, the man on the motorcycle was just too fast. "Tsk. Come on legs, faster." He huffed, while swerving between cars.

"Give it up, kid! You'd have to have motors inside those legs of yours to have any chance of catching up to me." The man said, giving off a victorious laugh as they approached an upcoming intersection. "I'll give you this though, you're pretty persistent."

"Grrr. If he gets away…No. Shut it, Chase, you've got this. Just gotta focus and don't look back!" The boy thought to himself, his gaze fixated in the target ahead.

If worst came to worst he'd have to risk a fine, or worse, a confrontation with the police. Still, if it meant retrieving his stolen property then screw it. No way in hell he'd let some scumbag take away his future. With his silver eyes alit with determination he put the pedal to the metal as they sped into the intersection's center, causing all vehicles to come to an abrupt halt.

"Now!" He exclaimed, extending an arm out.

Just a bit longer and he'd have his wallet. But, before he could do anything, a sudden, strong gust of what felt like wind swept over the area, knocking the two from their bikes and to the ground. Was it wind though? It had a golden hue to it.

"Well, that was interesting…" the boy said, as he let out a slight groan, his bike now laying on its side 5 feet away.

"What the hell?" the thief huffed; his own vehicle having been flung across the pavement. "Gah! What happened to my ride?!" he expelled in abject horror; his bike having taken quite the beating. "Grrr. Who did this?! Show yourself, coward!"

"Suit yourself." They both heard from up high.

Of course, their little intruder had no problem revealing herself to those she had taken down. From atop a nearby light pole, a girl with unruly blonde hair stood, her white, button up shirt and green, plaid mini skirt flapping in the breeze. All the while she glared down at the thug with her single pink eye, the other covered by a black eyepatch. The wardrobe was very much form fitting, which the young man quickly took a notice of.

"Holy crap. Now that's a woman." He thought to himself, jumping back to his feet.

He could not deny it. A woman with impressive power was certainly welcome at times like this, especially ones as cute as her. The lovely, mature curves of her body helped contrast against the dead serious aura she was giving off while glaring down at their target. Their perp though, he felt something completely different. Frustration, anger, the urge to put her in her place after messing with him. Yes. She would suffer dearly for her interference.

"I'm going to ask you only once to relinquish yourself to the police or risk my wrath." She threatened, pointing straight at him.

"Tsk. Damn pest." The man mumbled, while reaching for his left, inner coat pocket.

Oh, of course the idiot had a gun. Why waste energy using his Quirk when a bullet would get the job done all the same? At least, that is what their perp would have liked to have believed. But upon taking aim at the young lady something suddenly engulfed the entirety of his hand and gun. Something warm, slimy, sticky, and bright red.

"What-What is this?" he demanded to know, turning around to see where it had come from. However, upon doing so he was met with a swift headbutt to the forehead, as the young man pulled him towards himself, delivering the final blow. Intense pain radiated through his skull as he stumbled the ground, "Argh!" he cried out as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Everything had gone dark.

What he hadn't seen was how he'd been tricked. The red substance was not just any random goop, but instead the right hand of the boy he had stolen from. While his hand slithered back up onto his arm, he took the opportunity to kick the gun out of the man's hand, while using his other hand to clutch his pulsing head.

"Ugh…Should have thought twice about that." he groaned, the intense pulsing still radiating through his poor skull.

Name: Chase Carnel

Age: 22

Quirk: Bloodbond- Allows the user to turn portions of their body into blood, while also manipulating its physical attributes.

Side Effects- Long periods of use may cause severe exhaustion and cramping throughout body.

No doubt with the amount of people spectating that at least one of them had called the police for help, but just in case, best to take precautions. While jumping down from up high, Valerie watched as his fingers turned red, slithering towards the bastard, tying up both arms and legs. No way he would escape righteous justice on his watch.

"There we go. No getting away now." he said with big, satisfied smile on his face. But wait, he had nearly forgotten. Reaching down into his left pocket, he retrieved what belonged to him. A wallet with only an I.D card, 30 bucks, and a Hero Course Verification I.D. "Alright. Everything's here and accounted for." he said with relief, letting out an audible sigh.

Despite having little cash, it was not what was most important at the time. Upon placing it back in his pocket, the familiar voice of the helpful stranger caught his attention.

"You're a hero in training too, huh?" she questioned, having spotted the I.D card during her approach.

Turning around, their eyes locked as he put on a big, toothy, goofy smile in response to her question.

"Yep, at least until today's over with. Then I'll be a full-fledged pro." he said with great confidence.

"Oh! So, you're headed to the exam sight too?" she asked with some excitement.

"You know it. Gonna finish up what's left and claim a spot among the ranks." he boasted, giving off the impression that he was simply trying to impress her with his overconfident attitude. "Were you going to watch?"

"Try 'participate'." she replied, holding up her own after pulling it from her shirt pocket.

A look of excitement overcame his face after looking over the contents etched onto the piece of white plastic. More participants meant more fun for everyone, especially the crowd. It was not uncommon for citizens to show up to watch, along with anxious sponsors. It happened every year, and every year the stadium was filled with plenty of cheering howls from the peanut gallery.

"Nice! Uh…Valerie Valentine?" he read out, eyes scanning the entire card. Including her picture. "Pretty name." he followed up, giving her far softer smile than before.

"Thanks, Chase Carnel." she responded, flashing her own cute smile while lightly blushing at the compliment.

Their conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of incoming police sirens. Not good. With only ten minutes left to reach the stadium they could not afford to answer questions. Best to leave the culprit where he laid and press on, lest they be late and lose the opportunity. Grabbing his bike, Chase hopped on before looking back at the fellow examinee.

"Need a ride?" he offered, standing up on the pedals. Giving over access to the seat to her instead. Why not be a gentleman? "Unless you'd like to be late."

Like she needed think about it. No way in heck she would miss a date with destiny. Not when it was so close. And so, hopping on, the two took off down the street in front of them, leaving the punk and police in their dust. Next stop. Pekmont Stadium!

It could not be understated just how big of an event this exam was to both the A.H.A and the citizens it helped protect. Only once per year were others allowed an opportunity to prove themselves. Nearly 300 had attended the academy from Grade 9-12, only 150 made it through with their sanity. And out of those 150 only 45 made it through the first portion of the written exam. Only for another 30 to flunk out during the second portion. They dropped like flies, and for good reasons. To the American Hero Association, only the those with enough dedication and will power be worthy of entry. Classes may have been long and tedious, and tests, brutal to the core, but if one could push past their mental limits, salvation awaited them during graduation.

Downtown Pekmont, being populated by both large and small businesses alike, saw no shortage of advertisements for upcoming products and local events. From the latest fashion statements, to the hottest cuisines, ads were scattered everywhere on all jumbotrons. Heck, there were even drones that would soar around the city, sharing any current news with their holographic displays. And what better way to sell your products than with the faces of the local heroes? Depending on rank, certain heroes were often hired by certain types of companies. Those on the higher end were normally sought out by large, more extravagant corporations, while those at the lower end of the spectrums were sought by smaller companies and business. Overall, a nice edition to their paycheck. Speaking of advertisements, the finals for the hero examination were the talk of the town, which meant ads were flung everywhere to promote the event.

Seats filled rather quickly as people poured in in anticipation for the upcoming event. Having been constructed in the same style as a football stadium, there were plenty of seats to go around. Nailed to the inner walls along the rocky field were electronic signs, displaying several past victors and their current rank. Meanwhile, inside the outer ring where spectators entered several stands sat, allowing those who needed it a chance to buy delicious snacks and collectables related to their favorite heroes. While everyone settled in, one host sat on high inside a special spectator booth meant for hosts and guests only; allowing them to view the event from above.

"Seems we're going to have another packed event this year." the older man said, combing his short, white hair to the side a bit. His light blue eyes shining in the room's light. "The question is where's my partner." he questioned.

While not a formal event in the slightest, he had felt it necessary to wear more formal clothing. A white, button up shirt and black dress vest covered his torso, while a pair of black dress pants and shoes did the same for both his legs and feet. Was it a bit too much for an event where adults would beat the snot out of each other? Perhaps. But he liked it all the same. It made it feel more distinguished. Speaking of being distinguished, not one minute later did his fellow partner arrive to claim his spot. A tall, rugged man with well-toned muscles all over his body. And much like himself, he too wore a more formal wardrobe. Complete with a white dress jacket, a red, button up shirt, white slacks, and shoes.

"So, you finally decided to show up, Metalhead." he said in response, his neutral expression having yet to change.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that, Vince. It's just Colt from now on." he grumbled; his own rugged expression having also refused to chance. "I've left that name in the past."

"That may be true, but today you're among other heroes." Vince addressed, casting a small smirk his way. "Best to keep things familiar for our other friends as well."

"Whatever you say." Colt said, planting his butt in the seat next to him. "So how much longer before we get things started?"

"Four minutes."

Four minutes remained before things would kick off, giving their participants more than enough time to prepare.

"You said your nephew was participating this year, correct?" asked Vince.

"Yes."

"You two have been training for quite some time, haven't you?"

"Eleven years."

"Well, I hope it all pays off for him today."

"Hmmm…As do I."

Despite the extra weight, Chase had hardly any trouble peddling them both to their destination. Then again, it was but a straight shot from their previous location. Regardless, they had made it with time to spare. After showing their I.D cards at the front desk both were led into a large room where their fellow heroes in training waited.

"Whew. Talk about working up a sweat." he said, wiping said sweat from his forehead, before ruffling up his messy, maroon hair.

"Sorry about that." she said apologetically.

"It's no big deal. I offered and you accepted." he replied with a friendly smile. "Actually, I'm more surprised you accepted at all. Getting on a bike with a total stranger? Kinda dangerous, huh?"

"A stranger who took down a criminal. I doubt you're that threatening to me." she responded, giving a little smirk.

"I guess." Chase uttered, while looking around the room for anyone familiar.

The place looked like a high school locker room, though it lacked the smell of body spray and B.O. Thank god. Aside from themselves, everyone else was busy either conversing with one another or playing with their phones. But one guy caught his attention straight away. A man with what looked like shiny, light green skin, two insect-like antenna, and solid, yellow eyes. Two large, dark green markings crossed over both of his eyes, kind of like birthmarks. This mutation was not just standing around and waiting though, but instead practicing on a nearby punching bag. But instead of his fists, he used his well-formed legs to strike over and over. Others did not seem to notice him though, or simply did not care enough to approach. But upon finishing his last kick, the insectoid took one look over his shoulder and gave him a nasty glare.

"Oh boy." he thought nervously.

"You okay?" asked Valerie.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Perfectly fine. Just a bit nervous is all."

Just then a voice came over the loudspeaker. The time had come to prove their worth and show off what skills they possessed. Their futures depended on it. No pressure.

"Attention all examinee participants, if you would please direct your attention to the westward wall, we'll begin your examination." the lady explained to them.

Face the wall? Why? The request seemed odd at first, until the low clanking of turning gears and the rumbling of the wall caught their attention. It was not a wall, but a large, stone door that lead into the stadium itself! Once lowered, the marble floor behind it elevated slightly into a low incline ramp, leading to the light at the end of the tunnel.

"If you would, please proceed to the field." she politely asked of them.

Welp. The time had come. From down the hall they could hear the roaring of the crowd. There must have tens of thousands out there waiting. Best to take a deep breath and proceed with their best foot forward. And so, after four long, grueling years they began their walk the path of a brighter future.