A chorus of murmurs spread across the mob of press. Heroes were supposed to be a symbol of hope, that they were supposed to look up to. They were supposed to smile even in the face of danger.
Heroes are meant to give people hope regardless of if it was false. And protect humanity from crisis and the invading alien abominations.
Ichor didn't pretend that everything was alright. He told them to their faces that humanity had no chance in defeating the ever-adapting Xenosapians, and that made them despair.
This was likely because many people saw Xenosapians as nightmares… hellish and inescapable walking nightmares. Especially for those few people who had witnessed their carnage firsthand and had survived it. Xenosapians were cruel, savage, bestial and dreadful.
They instill fear to the hearts of people, going around butchering humans without remorse, mostly giggling strange noises while doing so.
They were seen as the Symbol of Dread by people.
"Did he just say there is no hope for us?"
"Are we gonna die in the end? After all the suffering? All the struggles? Might as well give up now rather than later."
"You're lying right? It can't be… We can defeat them, right? We can stop those demons! We've to. They killed my children and ate their corpses like wild beasts. That's why we have to win. We have to teach them a lesson…"
"Are you saying we can't win? Who's going to avenge my brother's death, eh, Mr Hero?"
The chattering of the people grew overwhelming by the second. People could easily panic at the slightest sign of despair… utter hopelessness. And they could easily lose faith in Symbols. That could be very chaotic as the Symbols were what kept civilization together and going.
"What Ichor said might be the truth, but it is what you believe that sets you aside from others. Three decades ago, if you were told that humanity could ever rebuild its civilization would you have held onto that hope, blindly? No. But that's exactly what we did, we believed in a blind hope, holding on to our belief while hiding from the Xenosapians. And here we are today living in Shelter Cities."
"My point is that, we might not be able to completely eradicate them at this current age and time but as long as there is a future for us, then there are countless probabilities of what the future could unfold."
"Countless possible futures ready to be unravelled. And it all depends on the decision we make today. If we throw ourselves to the Xenosapians and allow ourselves to be devoured, there will be only one future written down for us… and that future is total annihilation. But if we keep fighting and hoping, then we might have a chance against them in the possible future."
"Continue to put your hopes in us, your Symbols, and I assure you that we promise to never waver or despair in the face of danger. Thank you." One of the five Heroes, Iron Knight who stood behind Ichor, patted him on the back and stepped forward to address the panicked crowd.
After speaking the crowd broke out in cheers and applause. The press recognized the hero instantly; black-haired, dark brown eyes, with broad shoulders and a sharp jawline. He looked like a military veteran.
"Hero Iron Knight…" They cried out in tears of joy, their hope redeemed.
Ichor glanced at Iron Knight from above his shoulder. Iron Knight smiled at him while waving at the cheering crowd, he assured him that he got his back.
Although Ichor was older than Iron Knight, they were good friends and teammates out in the field. They had each other's backs and made sure to step forward when any of them was in a time of need.
Ichor was a Hero during the Dark Times, while Iron Knight was a second generation gifted Superhuman, probably in his early thirties. Ichor was able to recognize Iron Knight's talent and they became comrades and good friends. Only people who were the same, could understand each other, after all.
After the Heroes left the scene of the incident, Ichor was seen ascending into a military-grade vehicle, Iron Knight there to see him off.
"Hey! How about dinner at my place tomorrow night?" Iron Knight offered. "Carl is four already, he needs to know that his godfather is an S-Rank Pro Hero. You know kids his age like to brag about that in school."
"I am not sure, Jason. You know I am not good with kids. Annie got married and I couldn't even attend her wedding. She had a kid, a girl, and I wasn't even there as well. My daughter and granddaughter already hate my guts. I don't want to disappoint another person." Ichor said, his expression completely betrayed his stoic personality. But his voice remained hoarse and unhurried.
"C'mon, Steve, being No. 5 in the world shouldn't mean that you're always busy. Try and make time for family and friends, after all, that's the reason why we keep fighting, right? To ensure that our families get to see a future free from all this war, a place where they can live in peace." Jason said with a smile, he turned around to walk away. He waved his hand while adding:
"Take your time to think about it all day, Steve. When you finally decide, drop by and have some dinner with us. I would like to introduce you to my kid. I want the little boy to grow up and become a great Symbol like you someday, Steve. It's never too late to make amends, it all depends on the moment you decide to take the first step." Jason walked away, leaving Steven Truman, the world's No. 5 Pro Hero, Ichor, momentarily speechless.
"Heh… he sure has a way with words." Steve chuckled.
"Clark, see that you arrange a fine suit for me, I've got a dinner to attend tomorrow night." Steve said to his PA who came to drive him home.
"Yes sir. Anything else?" Clark inquired.
"Connect me to my daughter, Annie, it's about time I apologize and make up for all the time I wasn't there to be with my granddaughter." Steve added.
"Right away sir." Clark nodded.
'How long has it been? 18 years? Time flies. I guess I suck at being a dad… and granddad.' Steve thought as the car drove off.
***
That night, Carl and his family ate dinner happily. His father told them that he had invited a guest over, who was likely to show up and join them for dinner tomorrow night. According to him, he said it was an important figure. One of his dad's friends.
His mother was excited saying that she was going to go all out in preparing tomorrow night's dinner.
Carl couldn't wait for the meal, however, he had never anticipated the guest to be the world's 'No. 5' S-Rank Pro Hero.