Zero To Hero (open)

Hero.

It was a word that was thrown around very loosely. Heroes could be anyone from the masked and caped super powered man in the comics to the men and women who served on the police force. Though Da'vid Markos was one such man, he had never felt as if he was a true hero. He worked and worked to try to feel as if he could make a difference, earning accolades and praise, but it never really felt right.

He needed something more.

As his heavy fists landed on the punching bag in the small rec room that the police station held, Da'vid tried to work out these feelings of inadequacy. Who was he? Where did he come from? With a mighty cry, he sent one more punch into the bag before slumping against the wall.

"You need to stop over working yourself you know, or else you'll be tired by time our shift comes up." Lupa Forester, Da'vid's partner said as she stepped into the small rec room.

Da'vid looked up at Lupa, the best friend he had on the force and in real life. She was the only person who knew how to deal with his habitual bouts of anger. "Not over working myself..." he muttered as he puts his head back in his hands.

"Keep tellin yourself that when I'm doing all the work." Lupa teased him, he was one of the only people she let her guard down around.

Da'vid looked at her again, "You know me. I can be fine after a training session like this. I just...I got a lot on my mind alright? You know how that is."

"The thoughts are back again?" She asked as she shut the door, the rest of the force didn't need to know.

Da'vid hated to see Lupa worry about him. She was always so kind and he knew, deep down, that she could have been paired with someone younger who wasn't going to hold her back. Da'vid always felt as if he was going to hold her back. "Yeah...they're here...I just...sometimes I feel like this life is a lie, ya know?"

Lupa gave a small nod, "I think everyone feels that sometimes Da'vid, life isn't what it seems sometimes."

"Are you kidding me? I feel like this all the time. They call me some big hero, something great and yet I always feel like I've let someone down and like I'm going to let everyone else down," Da'vid sighed as he put his head in his hands.

He took a long silence before looking up at her, "I guess it's silly to feel the way I do...isn't it?"

"No, I think it's how someone with a lot of pressure feels often Da'vid... Everyone holds you up high and you feel the weight of it all from that."

"Why me though?" Da'vid asked with a soft look. If there was anyone in all of Yensidia that he could trust, it was Lupa. She never pulled any punches, made sure he knew just how she felt about everything. In a town full of men and women who were sometimes afraid of him because of his strength and appearance, it was great to know that someone did not.

Lupa was the most dependable thing in his life.

"Your probably the strongest and kindest person in town, people tend to look up to strong and kind people." Lupa answered.

Da'vid shook his head, "I'm strong but I'm not the strongest, I'm kind but I'm not the kindest. Look at Roman Burroughs? The kid could out lift me in a contest easy, he probably bench presses more than I do. And kind? Hell, Winnipeg Thepo over at the primary school has that for sure. I'm just...Lupa I'm just me."

"To some people you are the strongest, to some people you are the kindest and to some hero you are a true hero." Lupa answered softly. "You are just my bull headed best friend to me."

Da'vid looked up at her. Lupa was the best friend in the world to him, partially for reasons like this. There was a part inside of him that Lupa could easily tame, making sure that he no longer had any bad thoughts. He squeezed her hand, showing that he appreciated the support. "How is it you always know just what to say?"

Lupa gave a teasing smile when she saw he was okay and answered jokingly, "Because I'm that awesome."

Da'vid chuckled, "So you musta come in here for a reason. Did you miss me or are you having to work out now too?"

"Bored, the night is very quiet tonight." Lupa answered with a smile.

"Yeah, and the girls are out on call," Da'vid stood as he spoke, looking down at little Lupa. "We could go to the rec room and shoot some pool or go to the gym and shoot some hoops. You in?"

"Some pool sounds good." Lupa answered with a smile as she nodded, "It would be nice to do something while the other girls are out."

"Yeah, usually it's us on shift," laughed Da'vid as he and Lupa walked down to the rec room. It was a small room with a pool table in the center and chairs surrounding the television on the others. He grabbed his cue, testing it in his hands before looking over at her. "So, how did that date you were tellin' me about go? Who was it with again?"

Lupa picked up a cue herself before setting up the balls, "Bernie Souris, the law student... He was nice enough, but I don't think we'll go out again... I don't think we hit it off like I would of wanted."

"I'm sorry you two didn't hit it off, sometimes love sucks," Da'vid sympathized. He patted her shoulder as he racked the balls on the table. "So...did he like not pay for dinner or something?"

"No he paid for dinner, he opened doors for me and even pulled my chair out for me. He did everything that a gentleman would, the spark just wasn't there." Lupa answered.

"Sometimes there is no such thing as a spark Lupa," Da'vid chuckled, "You gotta stop bein' so picky. Love isn't always so black and white."