Welcome to Outer Space

“Hey, really glad you exist and all! Could you get me free before we all die?

This wasn’t exactly how Lance, the newly rising hero Blue, wanted to meet the person he idolized most. Actually, it was exactly the opposite of what he imagined. Almost as soon as the fight started, Yellow had been knocked unconscious and bound, and Lance could barely hold ground by himself. Black had only appeared an instant before Lance was scheduled to be fertilizer, saving Lance’s life momentarily by knocking down the Zamorite. Lance himself was so stunned that the moment the Zamorite recovered, he found himself bound to his fellow hero. And he felt like a fool. 

Black turned to Lance and raised an eyebrow, but before he could help, the Zamorite turned her attention to Black and attacked.

“Watch out, its power is controlling trees!” Lance cried as Black jumped away from deadly, iron hard roots that had sprouted from the ground. Black barely gave Lance a nod before returning his attention to the Zamorite. As he pulled an obsidian longsword out to fight, Lance yanked harder at his wrists.

Lance frowned as he realized he was impossibly stuck and Black was father away from helping to get Lance released. The night really wasn’t going well, but if somehow he managed to free himself and Yellow, Lance would be able to save the day and impress Black.

Think! Lance thought to himself. What would Black do?

He shut his eyes and concentrated, recalling the year old videos of Black saving Paris. He needed a calculated plan, and fast. He could use his Lucky Charm, but if it didn’t work he’d end up revealing his secret identity. And his weapon, a rapier, was too far away to reach. Unless…

“Hey Black! Lure her to the Locust tree over there!” While Black didn’t nod, he reacted, sliding across the slick stones of the park pathway and directing the Zamorite’s attacks to the tree. Laying by the maroon trunk was Lance’s rapier.

Lance prayed to whatever Otherworldly being that could hear him that his plan would be executed successfully. He took a deep breath and waited for the bare instant before the Zamorite attacked. As soon as it happened, he screamed, “Jump to me, now!”

Black followed, along with the deadly roots, and Lance’s rapier. “Yes!” Lance hollered in success, just before he realized the rapier was aimed towards his head. “Wait, no!” Luckily, Black grabbed the rapier in time and slashed the roots binding Lance and Yellow to the newly grown tree. Lance grabbed Yellow before he tumbled to the ground and set him on a nearby bench.

“Here.” Black tossed Lance his rapier before, once again, turning all his attention to the Zamorite. “Now tell me what the akuma attached itself to.”

“The blossom! The white one on her arm. I can get to it if you di-” Lance realized Black had already summoned his Lucky Charm.

“I got it. You distract him,” Black instructed, moving quickly to the left arm where the white blossom was attached. Lance sighed and prepared his best ‘annoying child’ voice.

“Na nana boo boo! You can’t catch me!” Lance teased. The Zamorite glared, lunging viciously at Lance. She almost reached him, ready to claw out his face, when Lance struck out his rapier, causing the Zamorite to recoil. Black jumped in, successfully binding the Zamorite in a durable black measuring tape his Lucky Charm had produced. Black smiled as he crushed the white flower, but it wasn’t a smile of joy. Shock took hold of Lance when he realized it was a smile of pain. Whatever trauma Black had been through in the year he had disappeared, this fight only rekindled it. But Black had proven himself to be strong enough to fight in spite of that.

“MiracuTron!” Black declared, having already de-evilized the innocent citizen who now lay on the ground, groaning. The sprouted trees and roots uprooted dirt created by the Zamorite faded away, restoring the park to its former natural glory.

Lance took the moment of peace to turn to Black, excitement in his eyes. “OH MY GOODNESS! You’re Black! Like, the Black! Like, the legendary superhero of Paris that managed to stop Karminova but then disappear! But now Karminova’s back! And so are you! And-“

“Woah! Calm down,” Black said, interrupting Blue. “I’ll explain later. But we need to get to the rest of your team.”

Almost on cue, Yellow stirred and sat up, rubbing his head. “What the hell happened? Did I kick ass? Did Black help? Wait, is that Black? He’s real?”

“Guess he’s not a true Parisian,” Lance said as he helped Yellow, handing him his hammer from the ground. “We stopped the Zamorite, don’t worry. Red and Green should be here soon. And…” Lance took a deep breath. “Yes, that’s Black. He’s not a myth.”