1 Death of a fledgling Hero

I've always wondered what happened after you die.

Do you just stop existing? Or is there an afterlife?

No one knows.

It's one of life greatest mysteries.

Second only to the 'which came first, the chicken or the egg' question.

But now I finally got an answer.

Because I'm dead, but I'm still here.

I had always been a sick child, even up till when I started high school.

It lessened then but it was still around.

Doctors say that my immune system and white blood cell count was the lowest they'd ever seen, said that it was a miracle I was still alive.

And that's how I lived my life.

I thought about everything before I did anything.

Even when just having a meal, 'should I have this or should I have this?' was something I had though a lot.

I died the way many people die.

At the hands of a speeding truck

I was taking one of my doctors mandated outings, Me and my big sister were going to the ice cream shop that was across the road from our house, it was as we were crossing the road, that the arrived.

It was with all my strength and power that I pushed my sister away, saving her life at the cost of my own.

Trading your life for someone else's is a noble act, which is something I've always wanted to do, even when I was a little kid, before I knew about my illness, I always wanted to be a hero.

So I guess I finally did that...

'I wonder what happens now?' I asked my self quietly.

Then from the void came an answer to my question.

It was a woman, her hair was the colour of the universe, it had swirls of colour and small white stars covering the empty blackness of the unoccupied portions of her hair, her skin was... I can't even describe her any more than that, she was an ever changing beauty, sometimes short and cute, other times tall and beautiful beyond compare.

"I am Kera, Goddess of Heroes and tales, it is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a young man who would trade his life for another, you are a true hero" She had the voice of an angel, it was soft and clear, her every word was like a melodious song that put my mind at ease.

"what am I doing here?" I asked.

"you are here to be rewarded" she answered in her sweet voice.

"your finale act of heroism in an otherwise sad and pathetic life has earned you a reward from me" she continued as she floated around me inspecting my ghost like form.

"what can I have?" I asked.

"anything you want" she answered with out fault.

"can... Can I have another chance" I said with some small tears building up behind my eyes.

I don't know why, but I felt like this was too good to be true, like. Was going to wake up and find that this was all a dream, getting another chance at life, being able to do things like a normal person, it was my dream, just like I was afraid this was.

"you may have a second chance at life in a new world my young hero, but to which world do you want to live in, out of the millions of the worlds which is the one for you?" she asked.

This wasn't a hard question for me.

In all my life, I had never loved anything more than superheroes, I studied them and made lists about who was stronger or faster.

But in all the franchises in all of comic books and movies, Marvel was my favourite, not for the superheroes but for the plot, because when it comes to superheroes, The Flash can not be beaten.

"I want to be reborn into the marvel world... And if I can, with the powers of The Flash" I said nervously.

"hahaha, that is very much possible, is there anything else, any specific time frame and features or changes?" she asked.

"Y-yes, I want to show up a week before the first avenger's movie" I wasn't the smartest person, and at least with that I wouldn't be a stupid kid "...oh, and before I forget can I have the same body and looks as I do now, just without the crippling illness" I said a little bit sad, the memories of my past life still fresh in my mind.

"Hmmm... It can all be done, I wish you good luck in your endeavours, young hero... now go, go and make sure my decision was he right one" she said with a smile.

Suddenly, it was as if my whole body was being torn apart, I wanted to scream, but I found that I couldn't.

This was like being torn apart and then being torn apart again once you healed.

It. Was. Agony.