Escanor(Marvel)

POV Escanor Pride

My middle school, much like sports, initially seemed exciting, but over time, they lost their appeal. In sports, there were no worthy opponents left: I defeated everyone, some even multiple times. These victories no longer brought joy. The celebratory ceremonies after each match began to irritate me. The endless boasting and admiration from others felt hollow, as I was head and shoulders above everyone else.

Academics also ceased to be a challenge. I couldn't understand how my peers failed to grasp what seemed so obvious to me. Everything felt so simple, and those who managed to fail their subjects only left me baffled.

Now, I was finally leaving this gathering of kids and heading to high school. But there was no joy in it. I no longer wanted to play football my opponents there were unlikely to be stronger than here. Science didn't interest me either. For the first time in my life, I felt lost, devoid of purpose.

I often asked myself: Why am I here? What is my true nature? During the day, I felt invincible, full of energy, as if I could move mountains. But at night, everything changed. I craved solitude, time alone with myself. In these moments, inspiration would strike, and I would return to drawing, even though that passion had long faded during the day.

I was very different from the people around me. And so, my desires were different too. Wealth? My father had taught me how to manage capital, and I had already achieved success by handling part of his business. Fame? No, being a football star wasn't for me. The attention that once felt pleasant now only disgusted me. Family? I was glad to have my parents, but thinking about starting my own family was too early. I was only thirteen, though many said I looked at least sixteen.

Ding-dong.

The final bell snapped me out of my thoughts. We were saying goodbye to school, preparing for the next stage of life. For many, high school would be a turning point, shaping their destinies.

"Escanor, where are we going to celebrate?" asked Kate, my longtime friend. She always kept other girls at bay, constantly jealous of me, even though we weren't dating. Why were we still friends? Probably because Kate was an interesting conversationalist. We had spent a lot of time together, and despite her sometimes prickly personality, she remained one of the closest people to me, though it was unlikely we'd grow any closer.

"Yeah, bro, we gotta celebrate!" chimed in Flash Thompson, my teammate. He was as gifted an athlete as I was, though sometimes he seemed too pushy.

"Sorry, guys, but I'll pass today," I replied, not really feeling like going anywhere.

"You're not gonna ditch your bros, are you?" Flash gestured to the rest of the team, who were already approaching us. "Come on, let's have some fun!"

I thought about it. Maybe I should just relax? Clear my head of all the unnecessary thoughts, forget about the constant pondering of the future.

"You know what, why not," I finally agreed.

"That's the spirit!" Flash grinned slyly, leaning closer to me. "I've got an idea. Let's get some beer."

"Beer?" I raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to pull that off? We're not even twenty-one yet."

Flash smirked and, lowering his voice, added:

"I've got a trick up my sleeve."

With that, he pointed to his light, reddish-tinged mustache. I immediately understood his plan.

"And why should I be the one to do it?" I muttered, already sensing I wouldn't be able to get out of this easily.

"Come on! You're the only one who can pull it off," interjected Brad, another teammate. His support was completely unnecessary.

"I'm not doing it," I said firmly, making it clear the conversation was over.

Flash just smirked, but his gaze quickly shifted to Kate.

"What about you, Kate? Wanna have a drink?" he asked with a hint of mockery, as if testing how far he could push.

"Don't push your luck," I said coldly, feeling irritation bubbling up inside.

I stepped closer, towering over him. My height and build always gave me an advantage, but I tried not to abuse it. Today, however, I was ready to make an exception.

"Sorry, Escanor, I was just asking," Flash immediately backed down, lowering his eyes.

"You can call yourself my friend, but that can change quickly," I warned, letting him know I had my limits.

Turning to Kate, I asked:

"Kate, would you like to go for a walk with me tonight?"

Her reaction surprised me a little. She blushed slightly and, turning away, began tucking her hair behind her ear. The gesture was so natural and sincere that it made me pause. Had I just gotten jealous of her? Was that why I had reacted so sharply to Flash?

"I'd like that," she replied softly, her voice quiet but confident.

"Then it's settled. I'll get us something to drink, but this is the last time," I added, shooting a glance at Flash to make sure he understood this wasn't his doing.

The evening was approaching quickly, and I began to feel a slight weakness. But I still had about four hours before I would change. That should be enough time.

We gathered in a small group: three from our football team Flash, Brad, Alex, Kate, me, and two other girls who had joined us. They seemed more interested in the guys than in where we were going, but that was fine by me.

Finding a store where the clerk only looked at my face and not my ID, we began preparing for the "operation." The girls enthusiastically helped me with my makeup. They brought out a cosmetic bag, and within minutes, I looked like an older version of myself.

Looking in the mirror, I barely recognized my reflection. The lines on my face were sharper, and the slightly altered eyebrows and added stubble made me look several years older.

"Well, now you're Mr. Serious," one of the girls winked.

[image]

"You look completely different, it's definitely going to work!" Brad said admiringly, looking me up and down.

I just snorted, as if there was no other possible outcome, and confidently walked into the store.

My friends stayed outside, but I caught a glimpse of their anxious faces from the corner of my eye. They were worried, but I wasn't. I had no doubt that everything would go smoothly.

Inside the store, I immediately headed to the drink aisle. Grabbing a few cans of good beer the kind my father sometimes drank (he always said bad beer was a waste of money) I picked up twelve cans and headed to the checkout.

The cashier, a man in his forties with tired eyes, started scanning the items. But at some point, he paused, his gaze lingering on me.

"Are you even over twenty-one?" he asked suspiciously, squinting slightly.

"Just ring it up. I don't want to hang around here too long," I replied calmly, ignoring his question and deliberately hurrying him.

My confidence seemed to work, but I noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Are you hot?" I asked, tilting my head slightly and staring at him.

"No, no... that'll be $45," he muttered quickly, clearly nervous.

I handed him the bills. He took them cautiously, as if afraid I might change my mind. After grabbing the items, I was about to leave when I remembered we needed some snacks.

Turning back, I noticed the cashier flinched and nearly dropped the scanner. The corners of my lips twitched upward it was almost amusing.

I walked back to the aisles, picked up a couple of bags of chips, nuts, and some other snacks, then returned to the checkout and placed them on the conveyor belt.

"That'll be $24.59," the cashier said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

I paid, grabbed my purchases, and headed for the exit.

Outside, my friends were already waiting. As soon as I stepped out, they greeted me with cheers.

"That was awesome! You were so calm the whole time," Flash said admiringly, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Nothing special. So, where are we headed?" I asked, glancing around at our small group.

My words slightly dampened their excitement, but they quickly recovered.

"I know a place where we won't be disturbed," Alex said with a mysterious smile, turning off the main road.

We all followed him, chatting and laughing along the way, tearing into bags of chips and emptying them in no time. We even had to stop by the store again to restock.

Our path took us through noisy city streets, which gradually gave way to the quiet of a park. The tall buildings were left behind, replaced by green lawns and scattered trees. But we didn't stop there, continuing onward.

"Where are we even going?" Flash drawled lazily, pulling away from another bag of chips.

"Patience," Alex replied shortly, not looking back.

I noticed the area becoming more and more desolate. My father had once told me that this used to be a small industrial district. It had long since shut down, and now only ruins remained, untouched by anyone.

Soon, a half-collapsed building came into view. It was clearly an old factory: gray walls, a caved-in roof, and overgrown patches of asphalt around it suggested no one had been here in years.

"And here it is!" Alex exclaimed with a dramatic gesture, stopping at the entrance. "The place of legends. They say ghosts still roam here."

He deliberately lowered his voice, adding an air of mystery, and even leaned forward slightly, as if telling a scary story around a campfire.

Kate immediately clung to me, wrapping her arms around mine. I felt her fingers tremble slightly. The other girls also sought comfort, but unfortunately, their support went to the other guys.

"Don't talk nonsense," Flash said, rolling his eyes. "If ghosts were real, they'd have been caught on camera and posted online by now."

"They're invisible, you idiot," Brad snorted, looking at him mockingly.

"Who's the idiot?" Flash snapped, turning to him.

Before we knew it, they were shoving each other, and then, to everyone's amusement, rolling around on the ground.

"Alright, you two can keep at it," I said irritably, watching their antics. "We're going in."

I took Kate's hand and was the first to step inside the building, leaving the noise and laughter behind.

The building itself wasn't anything special. Just abandoned production lines, mostly collapsed, leaving only rusty pieces of metal that hadn't been scavenged. The floor was covered in dust and debris, and the walls were crumbling in places, revealing empty gaps where the wind whistled through.

We walked a little further, inspecting the remnants of equipment, but quickly realized there was nothing interesting here. Alex suggested we settle in one of the corners of the building, where it was relatively clean. We laid out our snacks and drinks, sitting right on the floor.

When it was time to open the cans, we did it in sync, as if it were some kind of ritual. I didn't hesitate and took the first sip. The drink was surprisingly bland, with no real enjoyment. I felt no effect just a waste of money.

Kate, after trying hers, also grimaced and handed her can to me. The others, however, seemed pleased and continued drinking enthusiastically. I finished both cans and decided not to waste any more time on this nonsense, switching to juice instead.

Meanwhile, my friends kept laughing and having fun. Their faces started turning red, and their speech became more slurred. It seemed like they were getting drunk by the minute. I, on the other hand, felt nothing but boredom.

They started telling stories about our victories on the field, laughing and interrupting each other. But I wasn't interested. I had been part of those events myself, and many of them had happened because of my efforts.

I was already thinking about how to end the evening when I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps. The noise was sharp and getting closer. Freeing myself from Kate, who had snuggled up to me, I stood up to see what was going on.

In the dim light, I noticed a group of people heading straight for us. Their faces were rough, their clothes worn, and in their hands gleamed weapons: crowbars, baseball bats, and knives.

"Oops, kids, what are we doing here on our turf?" one of them said, stepping closer. His face was bruised, and his eyes were wide, as if he was on something.

"Sorry, we'll leave now," Alex muttered, visibly pale. So, he knew who these people were and still brought us here.

"No, no," the man smirked, shaking his head. "You came here uninvited, and now you're throwing a party? That's not very polite."

He took a step forward, and his companions began to circle us, clearly cutting off any escape routes.

"We don't want any trouble," Flash tried to intervene, but his voice already trembled with fear.

"Looks like you're asking for it," the man replied with a wide grin, lazily swinging his knife from side to side, as if showing he was in control.

"We'll call the police!" Summer shouted, her voice shaking but trying to sound confident.

"Cops won't come here, and we'll deal with you," the thug sneered, standing just a step away. His gaze was cold and confident, as if he already knew how this would end.

If talking wouldn't work, then action was the only option. There were eight of them, but I was confident in my abilities. Years of martial arts training hadn't been for nothing.

"You've ruined our evening, and you'll pay for it," I declared, looking straight into the leader's eyes.

"You hear that, boys?" he laughed, turning to his accomplices. "He's funny, hahaha…"

He didn't get to finish. I struck him in the face with lightning speed. Blood sprayed from his nose, and he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Everyone froze, shocked, staring at me. I stood calmly, as if nothing had happened.

"Come on, attack me together," I taunted, "maybe then you'll stand a chance."

Those words seemed to snap them out of it. With shouts, they rushed at me.

The first one was inexperienced. Swinging a pipe from above, he left himself wide open. I ducked down and delivered a powerful uppercut to his jaw. There was a crunch, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

I barely had time to straighten up before a bat struck me in the side. Sharp pain shot through my body, radiating through my ribs. Gritting my teeth, I instantly retaliated: a blow to the stomach doubled the attacker over, and a left hook sent him crashing to the ground.

I used his body as a shield, blocking a crowbar strike. Then I shoved him forward, knocking two thugs off their feet. But before I could act, another one jumped on me from behind and started choking me.

Another thug stepped in front of me, clutching brass knuckles. He began punching me in the face. Each blow sent flashes of pain through me. Blood streamed from my nose and mouth, and I felt my balance slipping.

"AAAAH! Enough games!" I roared, summoning all my willpower.

I lunged forward, slamming into the thug with the brass knuckles. Then I grabbed the one choking me by the arm, twisted it, and yanked him down.

I stomped on his face with my boot, leaving him unconscious. The two brutes I had knocked down earlier managed to get up and charged at me again, throwing punches.

Feeling a crowbar with my hand, I rolled to the side and immediately counterattacked. A blow to the face sent one reeling, while I blocked the other's strike with the crowbar. A counterstrike soon sent the sixth opponent to the ground.

Only two remained. One pulled out a knife, and the other raised a bat. I smiled, as if inviting them to attack, though my body burned with pain. The blows I had already taken were taking their toll every movement sent sharp pain through me.

They started moving toward me but cautiously. I tightened my grip on the crowbar, ready for the final clash.

Exchanging glances, they seemed to come up with a plan. The first one swung the bat sharply, distracting me and blocking my view of the second. I jumped back, trying to avoid the blow, but it was a mistake. While dodging the bat, the second attacker appeared from the side and plunged the knife into my right side.

Pain shot through my entire body, but I clenched my teeth, grabbed his arm, and yanked him closer, deliberately driving the knife deeper. He stumbled, losing his balance and falling forward, and I immediately kneed him in the forehead. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the floor.

The remaining thug, seeing he was alone, dropped the bat and fled.

Breathing heavily, I grabbed the handle of the knife sticking out of my side.

"Cough… cough…" I coughed, blood spilling from my mouth, and my vision began to blur.

"God, Escanor, you're covered in blood!" Kate ran up to me, and the rest of my classmates began to gather behind her.

"We need to go… They might wake up, and I can't handle any more," I rasped, trying to appear calm, though blood continued to drip from the knife handle onto the floor.

"But your wounds!" Kate almost screamed, her voice trembling with panic.

"We'll deal with it later," I waved her off, taking a step toward the exit.

Seeing my condition, my classmates silently followed me.

Outside, the sun was already setting, and night would soon fall. I knew I needed medical help urgently. The knife in my side caused unbearable pain, but there was no time to think.

I managed to make it to the park and collapsed onto a bench. I had no strength to go further. We had gotten far enough to avoid being found.

Rummaging through my pockets, I tried to pull out my phone, but it slipped from my weakened fingers and fell to the ground.

"Kate, call an ambulance," I rasped, trying to speak calmly.

"Huh? Yes, of course," she hesitated for a moment but then picked up the phone, dialed the number with trembling hands, and began explaining to the operator what had happened. She gave our coordinates and names.

With every passing moment, I felt worse. Blood soaked my clothes, and my hand, pressed against the knife handle, barely stemmed the bleeding. My vision blurred, as if I were looking through dirty glass. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon, its last rays painting the world in warm tones, but it felt like that light was no longer for me.

Suddenly, I felt a strange warmth spreading near my heart. It seemed to pull me out of my semi-conscious state. I woke up, realizing that the guys were crowded around me, and Kate was slapping my cheeks and shaking my shoulders.

"I'm not dead yet… but if you keep… cough…" I coughed, spitting blood, and couldn't finish.

"God, you scared me so much! Hang on a little longer, the ambulance is almost here," Kate pleaded, her voice trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hang on?" I thought. "I've been hanging on long enough."

It would be stupid to die now. I felt that my strength would leave me completely as soon as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Less than a minute remained.

But I was lucky. In the distance, the wail of sirens grew louder. My friends jumped up, shouting and waving their arms to attract the medics' attention.

My consciousness slipped away. Fragments of images flashed before my eyes: the ambulance stopping, me being placed on a stretcher, the doors closing. The last thing I saw was the mask being placed over my face.

And then darkness.