Hero

[junkerin.livejournal.com]

Title: Heros
Artist: bluefire986
Author: junkerin
Rating: PG13
Warnings/Spoilers:none
Summary: Jensen "Kano" is the Superhero of Olympic City. Jared "Dusty" not so much. Attending the Academy together they grow up until they have to face an old enemy and find out an astonishing truth.

Art: https://bluefire986.livejournal.com/28505.html
Story: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35443333
A big thank you to jdl71 for betaing this thing and making it into a story.
And a big thank you to bluefire986 for organizing this!



Heroes
Jensen was in pain.
Through the broken glass of a dirty window, he could see grey clouds and rain before the majestic mountains of Olympic City.
Rain! He longed to feel it on his skin. To feel the power every drop carried. But he was bound with icy shackles with very little hope to free himself.
What a tragic irony that the element he controlled was the one who held him captive. Jensen was a water commander and not just anyone, he was probably the most skilled, gifted, and powerful water commander in the US maybe in the world.

Jensen´s talent or gift had shown when he was five years old: his mother had sent him to take a bath and the little boy that he was he “asked” the water not to make him wet. His parents had been surprised, none of them had any superpowers. They had taken him to the Olympic Academy for Elemental Control, where he was tested, and his huge potential had been discovered and developed.

But all this didn’t help him now! True he commanded water, but it had to be “alive” not frozen, he wasn’t an ice princess, he thought sarcastically. Usually, he would move the ice crystals, rubbing them together so they would melt, but he was so cold!
But every breath hurt and just made him colder! Everything hurt: his head from the cut above his right eye, his chest hurt where a large iron beam had crashed into him and his legs hurt where they were stuck in something he would call an ice cube. The handcuffs around his wrists were icy and frozen, biting in his skin. He was just exhausted and hurt.
Suddenly he saw a movement by the door of the warehouse he was in.
He had called for backup when he had followed the Red Demon around the city and finally in here. But it seemed that had been Red Demon’s plan all along: separating Jensen and his friends, spreading them all over the city, and binding their efforts in many different locations. Again he saw a movement in the shadows by the door. Jensen squinted his eyes to make out who had come.
Red Demon was working on another firebomb to push Olympic City even more into chaos.
“As you can see Kano, I kept your friends busy.” She taunted Jensen not even bothering to look at him, knowing the bindings would hold him. There were several TV´s put up showing the news who which reported about the attack Olympic City was apparently under.
“It´s probably Chris -Shadow Knife,” Jensen thought to himself, watching as the shadow moved carefully closer.
“As you can see,” the reporter on the TV said, “Shadow Knife just got 5 people out of the destroyed building. This is the largest attack on Olympic City I have ever encountered. The Red Demon and his Devils launched four bomb attacks: This apartment house behind me, the entrance of Olympic General Hospital, The Olympic Arch Bridge, and at the farmers market at Olympic Square.
Our superheroes Chaos, Sound Wave, and Arla are on location helping the police and firefighters. To my knowledge, Kano is following the Red Demon to stop further attacks and bring him to justice.”

Despite his pain, Jensen was irritated. Shadow Knife (Chris) was on the other side of the town still rescuing people. Chaos (Chad), Sound Wave (Steve), and Arla (Genevieve) were also busy at other bomb sides.
Who was here to help him?
Jensen squinted his eyes. Hoping against better knowledge that it wasn’t Jared (Dusty).
The shadow moved closer, and Jensen was able to make out Jared´s large frame. Jared, the weakest of all students that had ever attended the academy. The shame of the academy, as one of their teachers, had called him on numerous occasions. Jared had no real superpower to speak of, the most obvious one was that he left little heaps of dust behind, hence his name Dusty.

12 years earlier:
Jensen hurried along the corridors of the academy. He knew he was late for his math class, but practicing his superpower was just more fun than sitting in a classroom and having to learn like every other ordinary 16-year-old student.

He had to cross the entrance hall on his way but there was Jeffrey Dean Morgan, better known as Cascade, the principal of the academy. He was arguing with a woman.
“You HAVE to take him!” the woman shouted at Mr. Morgan.
“Mrs. Padalecki, Jared´s test results are not consistent, promising yes, maybe, but I´m not sure the academy is the right place for him.”
“Mr. Morgan, a strong man like you can handle such a little shi... boy. I mean.” She put her hand on Mr. Morgan’s arm smiling seductively up at him. Grudgingly and a little bit grossed out Mr. Morgan freed his arm, turned around, and faced a little boy hiding by the door.
“How old are you Jared?” he asked the boy much more friendly than he had spoken to his mother.
“I´ll be ten in two weeks.”
“I understand.” He turned back to Jared´s mother. “Mrs. Padalecki I´m sure you are aware of the fact that this academy takes only new students till the age of ten.”
“Oh is that so? No, sorry I didn’t know that,” she answered sweetly and even Jensen with his fourteen years knew she was lying. “I have a proposal: I leave Jared here and you find out if he is worth anything. I come back in two weeks and if he didn’t fit your standard, I take him back. Okay?” Mr. Morgan threw Jared a pitying look and nodded his agreement.
In a flash, Mrs. Padalecki was at the large wooden entrance door.
“Be good,” she called to her son and was gone. With a heavy sigh, Mr. Morgan turned to Jared and smiled a sad little smile.
“Welcome to the academy, Jared. So the tester thinks you are an earther?”
“Yes Sir.”
Earther, yes for sure. The boy’s face was dirty and his longish hair hadn’t seen a brush in ages and around his torn and dirty shoes Jensen saw a heap of dust.
“Jensen stop hiding and come here. Jensen this is Jared, Jared this is Jensen, he is one of our most promising talents. Jensen, please bring Jared to room 304 and help him get settled in. Show him around, let him take a shower, and be down to the cafeteria for lunch, so I can introduce him to the other students and teachers.”
Jared looked up at him, a young, tall boy with sandy blond hair and the nice blue cloth he was wearing, the difference between them couldn’t be more obvious!
Jensen motioned to him and Jared followed him upstairs.
“For the two weeks, you’ll share a room with Chad. You´re almost at the same age and he´s an airer. Earth and air usually fit well.”
“Not for two weeks,” Jared said quietly
“What?” Jensen asked obviously irritated.
“She won´t come back. She´s happy to be rid of me,” Jared explained a slightly shocked Jensen.
“Nah I´m sure she´ll be back. Where is your stuff?” Jensen asked after an awkward pause. Jared held up a small backpack.
“Is that all?” Jensen asked. The first time his parents had brought him here he had like three large suitcases with him and even now when he went home every weekend he had more luggage than this boy.
Jared nodded.
“Well no problem, here in the academy we wear colors according to our element. I´m water so I wear blue. Chad is air so he wears white or gray. You´re earth so your colors are brown or green.”
“And fire?” Jared wanted to know.
“Fire would be red and black but fire is the most seldom element. Earth is the most common one. From 100 elementals are 70 earthers, 20 airers and 9.9 water commanders and only 0.1 are fire controllers.”
“Have you ever met one?” Jared asked in awe. Jensen had to smile commoners were always so impressed with the fire controllers.
“Yes, we had a teacher here who was a fire controller, he moved to Italy and he wasn’t that strong. I would prefer a strong level 5 earther over a level 1 fire controller in a fight.”
“But I´m not a 5, I just leave dirt behind,” Jared explained.
“Well, maybe you just need some practice. And now get a shower and dress. I don’t want to miss lunch,” Jensen said handing Jared some brown cloth.


“His mother just left him here. I´m sure if Mr. Morgan hadn’t agreed to keep him, she would have left him somewhere along the next highway,” Jensen told his friends Chris and Steve. Chris and Steve were a year older than Jensen, but had entered the academy later than Jensen, so they were in the same class.
“I heard he´s eight,” Steve said.
“He turns eight in two weeks,” Jensen clarified.
“That all sounds suspicious,” Chris said and turned around in his seat in the cafeteria. Jared sat two tables away between Gen and Chad. He had taken a shower and his longer hair was still a little bit wet.
“Yeah, it does,” Jensen agreed. “Just another little earther.”


Jensen and his friends were sitting in Mr. Beaver’s class “History of the elemental control” when there was a knock at the door. At Mr. Beaver´s “Come in.” Jared opened the door.
“Mr. Morgan sent me,” Jared explained handing a piece of paper to Mr. Beaver.
“Okay take a seat, Mr. Padalecki,” Mr. Beaver said after he read the message. The young boy ducked his head and headed to an empty chair, leaving a trail of dirt behind.
Mr. Beaver choose to ignore the dirt in his classroom and continued his class. “Can you tell me who was the first elemental controller?”
Jensen suppressed a yawn, who cared about the history? When it seemed no one wanted to answer, a hand in the last row slowly rose.
“Mr. Padalecki?”
“The first elemental controller were the Olympics in Greece around 950 b.c. ….”
“Good Mr. Padalecki.”
Jared continued, “Because of their powers they were worshipped by other humans. The next rise was 700 years later when the Romans came to power. Since then we see a pattern of rising and vanishing of the elementals. They come for 200-300 years into power in larger groups around the world. Followed by a time period of 500-800 years when mostly weaker elementals can be found and mostly individuals, no groups,” he finally finished the other students looked at him like he had grown a second head.
“Very good Mr. Padalecki, looks like I finally got a student interested in history.”
At that Jared beamed at Mr. Beaver and Jensen rolled his eyes – what a nerd!


“This is so disgusting!” Charlotte complained “He leaves his dirt everywhere! I can’t sit down without checking if this dirtbag left something behind.”
“He´s still very new here.” Jensen tried to placate his friend.
“Oh you shut up,” Charlotte laughed back “You just like to have him around because he´s your fanboy number one.” She added coolly, “And he makes us earthers look dump and dirty. I´m neither but he – he leaves his dirt everywhere! This disgusting dusty lets his dirt laying around!”
“Dusty! That is funny!” Chris laughed and Jensen and Steve couldn’t help themselves and joined in.
Jensen and his friends didn’t care much about the academic classes. They figured, that when they were working in the future as superheroes they didn’t need algebra, history, and all the other boring classes.
During the next week, Jensen got the impression that Jared befriended that crazy other young boy Chad. Not that he cared much about Jared – Dusty and Jensen didn’t like Chad much; he didn’t show respect to the older students and somehow he had managed to upset Charlotte, who in return declared Chad and Jared as persona non grata.

During practice time the students were sometimes ordered to work together with other controllers of the same element so the power would increase and the effect would be larger. That meant Chad had to work with Chris and Steve (all air) and Jared had to work with Gen, Milo, Charlotte, and all other earthers.
Since Jensen was the only waterer apart from Mr. Morgan he trained with him another time and watch his friends.
They were outside and the earthers had the task to build four earth walls like a dam or whatever around them. For a strong earther or many little earthers (as Jensen called them) combining their power that shouldn’t be a problem. The usual way to accomplish this was by letting some earther stand shoulder to shoulder to combine their strength. To Jensen´s surprise, Charlotte put three earthers on one side and Jared across from them.
Jared didn’t stand a chance when the combined power of three earthers against him. He was buried in a cloud of dust and dirt. Charlotte and the other earthers laughed when Jared finally emerged from the earth pile and Mr. Armstrong their teacher called Jared the disgrace of the academy.

Jensen, on the other hand, didn’t know if he should report Charlotte to Mr. Morgan; she had set up Jared to fail and cemented Jared´s nickname Dusty but on the other hand, Mr. Armstrong was a teacher and had also laughed at Jared.
When Jared had crawled out from the dirt dirty and with tears in his eyes from the humiliation, only Chad went to him and offered him a hand. Jensen didn´t know what to do, Charlotte was Jensen´s friend, so he kept quiet, but didn’t join the laughter at Jared´s expense and never called him Dusty – till it became his Superhero name -.

To say Jensen watched out for Jared would be too strong. He didn´t join the teasing and he was glad Jared had found a friend in Chad. If he gave tips to Jared on one or two occasions on where to stand or how to move so be it.
Some years later Jensen was 18 and Jared 14, Jensen was by far the most gifted future superhero the academy had in years. His skills were outstanding, his ability to move and influence water was astonishing. Jensen could move water, he could call water and on one occasion he even walked on water. He choose the Superhero title “Kano” for himself referring to an African god of water.

Cascade – Mr. Morgan – had taken him under his wings and he had been able to help commoners on a handful of occasions. Jensen knew he wouldn’t be a sidekick, no, he would be the next big superhero of Olympic City!
Down at the other end of the scale was Jared. His superpower hadn’t really improved and so the only thing that showed he wasn’t a commoner was still the fact that he left dirt behind (sometimes more sometimes less). Charlotte never let the chance go by to prove to Jared or the teachers that Jared was just wimpy. And since Jared couldn’t do much to improve his superpower, he focused his learning on skills like hand-to-hand combat like commoners, tactics, history, and other more common classes. And as far as Jensen could tell he became one of the best or better to say Jensen knew Jared was regarding the academic classes the best student of the academy but as far as superpowers went the worst that ever attended the school.
“Do you think I could become the dispatcher? The one who sends the hero´s out and gives them the information on the villain and how to fight them?” Jared asked Jensen. They were sitting on the roof of the academy. Behind them laid another (for Jared) very exhausting and embarrassing lecture on his superpowers.
“That is Mr. Beavers job,” Jensen answered.
“I know, but just like everybody knows you will take Cascades job as Olympic City number one superhero, I could become the dispatcher and help you.”
Jensen had to admit he kind of liked the idea of Jared being secure and safe here and he out in the streets fighting the villains and using the tricks and tactics Jared came up with. He reached out and tousled Jared´s hair, messing it up even more.
Jensen liked to run his hands thru Jared´s hair and Jared leaned into his touch.
“Yes, that would be perfect,” he agreed finally and was honored with a bright smile.
“I talked to my parents,” Jensen said changing the subject. “They would like to see you again and they invited you to come with us to Lake Olympic again. You know our cabin there and we could go swimming and have BBQs. Chris and Steve will be there too. What do you think?”
Since Jared´s mother had never shown up again, Jensen had taken pity on him the first time Christmas came around, and invited him to his parents. Of course, his mother had morphed into a mother hen over the younger boy spoiling him and handing him Jensen´s too small jeans and shirts so Jared could get rid of his old torn ones.
Only in the last months, Jensen had spent more time with Chris and Steve, working on his degree and his sidekick license.
“Yes, I would like to see your parents again,” Jared agreed.

It was a wonderful weekend and looking back Jensen had to admit maybe it was his way of saying goodbye to Jared.
Jensen, Steve, and Chris passed the sidekick degree with flying colors only two weeks later. They didn’t have to leave the academy afterward, but Mr. Morgan encouraged all of his students to spread their wings and see something different. So, it came that Jensen went to Metropolis a couple of weeks later and spent the next four years there.
It was in Metropolis that he became the superhero he was today.

But then Cascade had a terrible fight and his hometown was in need of a new superhero. So he called Shadow Knife and Sound Wave and together with Chaos and Arla they became the guardians of Olympic City.

He could recall very well when he saw Jared again.
Jensen and Chris had arrived officially at the academy and were greeted by the mayor, the press, and a large crowd of people, when Jared walked down the stairs of the large entry hall. He was tall, his hair was floppy as always leaving a trail of dust behind. He had been reading in a book and just seemed to realize what was going on in the hall. He stopped in his tracks. For a moment he seemed to debate with himself if he should turn around but then his sight fell on Jensen. A smile appeared on his face enlightening the whole room. He walked down the rest of the stairs and joined the crowd, but his eyes never left Jensen and Jensen had a hard time concentrating on the questions the reporters directed at him. He saw that Jared had stopped leaving dust behind at the moment he had seen Jensen, so maybe Jared could control it now better.


It was different to be back for a lot of reasons. First and known was the fight against the Red Demon. After his attack on Cascade, Mr. Morgan had become too weak to fight anymore. He had lost all his superpowers when he had saved the city before a break of the big Olympic dam. Now he lived the life of a commoner. Mr. Beaver had taken over the leadership of the academy, he had managed the teaching and fighting aspects of the academy very well. But it was obvious that he waited for a new superhero to take over his role so he could join his friend J.D. in his retirement.
And there was Jared: beautiful, young Jared, still clumsy. By now Jensen realized he liked Jared very much but till now there hadn’t been the opportunity to talk to Jared about it. Jensen was saddened to learn Jared´s skills hadn’t improved. Granted for a commoner his fighting skills were extraordinary, but still no match to a superhero.
It had been Jensen´s orders that condemned Jared to stay in the academy. Jensen knew Jared was angry about it and a part of him wished he would fight Jensen on his order. But instead, the amount of dirt left behind by Jared increased and Mr. Armstrong never let a chance go by to remind Jared of his failures and tried to persuade Mr. Beaver to pass the leadership of the academy to him.
Jensen didn’t like Armstrong and he was glad that Mr. Beaver obviously had no intention to give the academy to Armstrong. So time went by and two years after his return he officially founded the Guardians of Olympic City. In all this time the Red Demon had attacked the city numerous times: car bombs, bank robberies, there wasn’t a crime the Red Demon hadn’t committed, and now today the attack all over the city.

With great difficulties, Jensen turned his head to the Red Demon. Her long red hair was held back by the red mask she wore.
“You know Jensen there was a time I thought we both could rule the city. Commoners! They should worship us! Our existence is the proof of our supremacy,” she told Jensen.
“No! I thought Mr. Beaver taught us better. We are here to help other people, not to take advantage!”
“Bull shit and I´m sure deep down you know it.” She turned back to the bomb she was working on.
“Let him go!”
Suddenly Jared – no Dusty – stood between the Red Demon and Jensen.
“What… who… Oh, Dusty! And there I was thinking the academy finally got rid of you.”
“LET HIM GO!” Jared repeated and Jensen had to admit he sounded serious.
“Or what? Will you leave a poop of dust behind?” she laughed at him. “We all know you´re not strong enough to fight me.” She waved her hands and the ground around Jared started to move catching Jared by surprise.
“Watch out!” Jensen called when he saw the concrete pipes moving towards Jared. Jared leaped away and moved to the beam Jensen was bound to. But the Red Demon just moved the pipes there. They hit him in the back and one hit his head throwing Jared off balance and falling off the beam.
“As I said, you´re no match to me.”
Jared looked desperately at Jensen and Jensen could do nothing to help Jared or himself.
“Now you can watch me as I not only destroy the city, you can watch me killing your crush.”
“What?” Jensen asked surprised.
“Oh come on! Everybody could see that Jared worshiped the ground you walked on. You should have seen how devastated he was when you moved to Metropolis. I mean you are a level five waterer, you could have everybody – even me. And you choose a level one earther! He should become a gardener, not a superhero!”
“Charlotte please let him go!” Jensen begged he couldn’t stand the devastated expression on Jared´s face.
“Why should I? First the city, then you, and then this piece of nothing, the disgrace of the academy. Jared coming here saves me time. Say goodbye to your sweetheart.” She raised her arms moving the concrete pipes above Jared and the still bound Jensen; she wanted to smash them with the pipes.
“No!” Jared called out desperately and raised an arm to push the pipes away.
“Jared you are a disgrace to all superheroes and couldn’t even save the love of your life.” The Red Demon tortured Jared even more.
The pipes were falling.
Some things happened so fast that Jensen later had difficulties putting them in the right order. Jensen threw one last desperate look at Jared why had he never acted on his feelings? Why had he wasted all this time? In Jared´s face, he could see the same regret.
The pipes were falling.
All of a sudden it looked like Jared exploded in a bright golden light, blasting away the pipes and throwing the Red Demon against the wall.
Surprised Jensen looked around. Jared´s brown overalls had melted away leaving Jared naked from the waist up. His skin sparkled in a golden bright fire. Jared looked surprised at his hand but then he didn’t waste any more time running to Jensen and with a touch of his hand he melted the ice away that had bound Jensen.
“What?” Jensen asked.
“I don’t know,” Jared answered. “We don’t have time for discussion, we’ll figure it out later.”
Jensen nodded his agreement. The Red Demon hadn’t wasted any time either, she ran back to the bomb she had been working on.
“Stay where you are,” she ordered, holding up the bomb.
Jensen and Jared exchanged a look.
Jensen stopped and raised his hands. “Okay, but please let Jared go.”
The Red Demon laughed at Jensen´s plea. Unseen by her Jared moved carefully closer.
With a fast movement, he tried to grab the bomb, but at the last moment, she saw him and threw the bomb at Jared. Without a moment of consideration, Jared covered the bomb with his body.
The explosion shook the whole warehouse and threw Jensen and the Red Demon off their feet. But Jared’s body absorbed the main force and destructiveness of the detonation.
Sitting up Jensen looked at him wondering what had just happened.
The Red Demon screamed in frustration and sent everything flying at Jared and Jensen: a chair, some tools, a couple of blocks. Just junk that laid around in the old warehouse. Jared ducked most of the objects and Jensen erected some kind of shield to keep them safe.
“We have to stop her,” Jensen told Jared.
“I might have an idea,” Jared said. He rubbed his hands together. A little ball appeared in his hands glowing in the same light as Jared. The ball grew till Jared had to hold it with two hands. Only it wasn’t a ball, it was pure fire. For a moment Jared held it in his hands and then threw it at the Red Demon and the objects she kept directing at their position. The objects caught fire and suddenly the Red Demon was caught in a ring of fire. She screamed and tried to get out of the flames, but they moved with her and kept her in place.
Still a little bit weak Jensen looked between Jared and the fire he commanded.
Jared wasn’t an earther he was fire!
Suddenly it all made sense, his inability to move earth and all the dust he had left behind wasn’t dirt, no it had been ash! Jared´s skin had a golden glow as he concentrated on keeping the Red Demon locked in the fire.
Jensen looked out of the windows at the still falling rain and limped towards the exit.
“I´ll be back in a sec,” he told Jared, who just nodded, concentrating on his task.
Jensen stepped out in the rain, feeling the drops of water on his naked skin. Returning his strength and power.

With a loud plop his earpiece walkie-talkie went on again and he could hear the agitated voices of Chris talking to Chad.
“We lost contact with Kano three hours ago. We have to find him.”
“I know Dusty went to find him and I haven’t heard from him either,” Chaos returned.
“We are at a warehouse down by the harbor. We got the Red Demon,” Jensen plopped in.
“Kano!” The two of them called out.
Within minutes the whole team was at the warehouse and the police were also coming in. Jensen had no opportunity to talk to Jared again. Of course, the other members were also surprised by the fact that Jared was a fire commander. Especially Chad was excited on Jared´s behalf. Jared held easily the Red Demon captured in the fire ring until she could be arrested by the police. Jensen didn’t know if Jared was a natural or if he finally could use what he had learned for years in classes. He was like on autopilot and answered the questions and helped where he could, but he only wanted to talk to Jared.
It took hours for the chaos the Reck Demon had caused to be under control again. And for everybody to be back at the academy. The press had been excited to learn that Olympic had a new superhero and then someone as seldom as a fire commander.
With Jared´s help, the fires all over the city were extinguished within seconds. So it was close to midnight when Jensen heard steps behind him.
He was on the roof of the academy overlooking Olympic City. The damage the Red Demon had caused could be still seen. Smoking buildings and destroyed streets but it was now all under control.
“That was an extraordinary day,” Jared said sitting down next to Jensen.
“I don’t know if extraordinary is the right word,” Jensen said turning and facing Jared. He remembered the young dirty boy left by his mother, the student who struggled to keep up with the other students. How much easier Jared´s life could have been if the testers had realized he was fire and not an earther.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. About what the Red Demon said…” Jared started.
“You don’t have to say anything. She liked to play mind games,” Jensen interrupted wanting to give Jared an easy way out.
“No! I mean She was right,” Jared said closing the gap between them. He reached out and Jensen felt his heat thru his thin shirt. Had Jared always been that hot?
“I don’t want to waste any more time Jensen. I´ve been in love with you since we met. I don’t know what the future holds but I want to face it together with you,” he whispered against Jensen´s lips. Jensen couldn’t wait any longer.
He had waited way too long.
He surged forward and pressed his lips against Jared´s.
They both exploded in a wave of passion of fire and water.
End

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