Ambition Is Cruel

.....Cruler than you can imagine. From birth, family, friends, teachers, coworkers, boss, on lookers, they all expect you to do something, to aim, for something.

What is a man without any goals? Answer: Useless.

What is a being without a purpose? Answer: Useless.

What is a human without a thought of future and no reason to find themselves, hating on those who have? Answer: Scum.

In the eyes of the beholder a person like me, a man with no ambition is scum. Sex was a goal I had, but I achieved it so many times that I became a scum again.

Now that I think of it, have anyone ask that question yet? What happens if I achieve a goal? -Let me just tell you, emptiness. Don't get me wrong though, for a moment, achieving ambition is life fulfilling, but what happens after, you end up reaching for something higher.

You might make it, way to go buddy, on to the next goal. However, there's a chance you can burn your wings as Icarus did trying to touch the very sun.

Cruel... How cruel. We reach to burn for no reason at all. Sooner or later, we wind up in the same place. Under dirt, six feet under. What's the dam point. Right, right to feel alive. Guess, I'm dead now.

February 22, 2045, Dimond City Cafe:

"One Impact Storm, please." The cashier wastes no time, handing me the energy drink, I leave coins in its place.

Finding a table next to a corner of a window, I sit down looking to the T.V above the cashier's head.

-"There goes Discharge, taking rank by storm!" A reporter holds a flapping hat on their head, pulled by a typhoon of wind and electricity. -"Despite being younger than most of the pros out here today- Wait a minute?! Is that her? Coming out of the typhoon!"

-In the girl's arms is a classified riot level ten villain, defeated in her arms. The Typhoon disforms, and the heroes who couldn't beat the man crawls out of debris sighting a child that surpassed them.

"God!" The old man breaks a wild smile, "Ah ha, would you look at that!! Been her number one supporter since day one!"

The man sitting in a khaki coat rolls his eyes at the cashier's words, "Yeah right, just beginners' luck. Watch," He points to the screen gaining almost everyone's attention in the shop. "That girl gonna fall over, she don't got the energy, nor skills to match a pro."

Just as he predicted, the girl falls over, dropping to her knees the villain remaining in her capture.

-"He's right, she could've died." Another fell under his influence.

-"Maybe she did get lucky." Another mutters.

"Hella anti climatic!" A thug laughs.

This is why ambition is cruel... Look at them, eat at her failure. If that was me, if I became a hero, the bashing would be the same.

This girl risks her life just for them to sit and say she won by luck. Why do hero's try anyway?

-I take a sip out the can, the bell above the shop's door rings. A girl enters, along a little boy a few inches taller than I last seen him. Thedore and Arissa...

"Two Impact Storms, please." Her hair is longer, clothes more stylish. She smiles, no longer the woman painted in dread. A total stranger...

She turns, and freezes. Arissa eyes lock to mines, her brother clinging to her dress.

"Daimion?" My name from your lips startles me.... When was the last time I heard my name from another.

"Arissa..." For the first time in my life, I'm humbled, gazing out the window at nothing, pretending to find the bright sun beautiful.

She takes a seat across from me, her little brother keeping quiet, standing, staring at me like a stranger. Seeing him again, I'm reminded of the last day I saw them. Maybe she saw what I just remembered.

"We met sooner than I thought we would..." She plays her finger around the top of the can beverage in her hand. "How... Have you been."

We make eye contact.

"You know, the same old, same old." Liar. "Finding a new plaything," Stop it. "Fucking her, toying around with her..." What the hell am I saying.

"Still a scum, I see...." Her face grows cold, pausing the can in her hands, sitting it straight up. You can practically see the excitement drain out of her face.

"The scummiest." I lie to myself now, showing her a distasteful face of mines. A shut eyed smile, uglier than I ever have before.

Thedore laughs, just to dodge his head to the left, embarrassed that he did.

"How you been kid?" I still wear your bracelet, big bro never forgot about you at the least.

"He's fine, and we should be going." Face scrunched up, the chair slides back and the drink leaves the table. Thedore is dragged by hand.

-Window burst into shards... The tables push back with a gust of wind... Screams were heard for a short second.

-Blood. Next to me is a puddle, leaking out the detached head of the cashier. A hole is in the wall, coffee spilled over, signs breaking to the floor.

-"Ha... I told ya... I'll be back for blood Payton, you worthless piece of shit." A muscular man, a tattoo of a heart and wings on his neck, holds a corpse by the arm. "Should've just paid me back my money! Now you roped civilians into this mess!"

He drops the corpse to the ground, looking at the casualties, damage he caused.

"Damit, I'll have to clean this up now. Boss'll definitely have my head if'll lead back to'em."

On my far left, Arissa cradle near the entrance door, Thedore between her arms. The man looks at me, follows my eyes to that girl. he then counts the other two rising from the floor, and another employe holding the menu, trembling at her knees.

"Five... I don't see why not." -He snaps his fingers, hand forming into a fist, rumbling the entire building, sending us to the walls.

I hit the back of my head, catching a glimpse of Arissa hitting hers on the floor, arms wrapped around Thedore's chest, restraining him from getting up.

-Dam it! Where's a hero when you need one.

-The man snaps his fingers again; my head hits the wall again. -Ringing. All I can think of is a sound of bells. My head hurts. Fuzzing, stings...

Thedore.... Arissa... Ava... Ava... That devil, her grin I can see it...

-"That boy's still moving?"

-That boy? what is he mumbling about now? -Thedore? Why is standing against that man, walking towards him? That gleam in his eyes, is that his powers at play?

I shut my eyes, opening them in the arms of Arissa cupping my head in her hands, crying in my chest.

But why? What are you crying for? -I reach my hand out, feeling flesh, a tear slides down my knuckles off my wrist.

Is she crying now? Can't tell. My ears are constantly ringing. My vision blurring. Think I hit my head to many times. I must be holding the ugliest face right now.

-"Ugly..." My tongue taste metalic, coughing something out, my heart squeezing in my chest.

I can sorta make Arissa face out and the image of Thedore hand flat near shattered glass, scattered trash.

That's right, he's just a kid.... That bastard, you would hurt a kid! My knuckles smacks into spread glass, painless compared to the ringing.

"Hm? You got'a ability too or something?" The man puts his hand on the back of my head. I see nothing but shinning black shoes. "Better stay down kid, or I'll kill you next. Don't be a hero."

Be a hero? Is that what it looks like I'm trying to do here.... I hit a wall, can ambition really be what's driving me? What happens after I save them, what is in it for me? Life with Arissa? Life with Thedore? I never counted this before, another reason for those aspiring heroes; Another day to live. For everyone they care about to live.

I hate this feeling...

-My feet take off without a thought, using every inch of training giving to me, dodging the third snap of the man's fingers, catching onto his ability, falling in towards him, hand aiming to grab for his neck. The moment it latches onto it, I bring his body to the floor, keeping him from being able to use his ability.

The ground shakes and the ringing in my ears fall cold.

I can see it now, why I hate ambition so much...

Stuck in the side of my stomach is a pocketknife, probably pulled out before I even reached him. It burns, hurt like hell, but I can't let go of him. If I do, then, everyone will die.

Imagine, a scum like me, giving his life away for things I thought of as just a doll. I knew falling in love would cause me nothing but tragedy... I might as well, take your ass down with me.

-Using my free hand, I yank the pocketknife out of my side, plunging it down into his throat.

-Plunging, spilling, sprouting, gorging... Messy. So messy... Look how his life leaves his eyes. Darken by my hands... Ha, by your own blade, you dumb ass! Scum, lowlife! Got what you deserve!

-Before I knew it a hand touches my shoulder, Arissa's hand. I stop plunging the knife in the man's throat, noticing I been going at it for longer than what I thought. His head no longer attached to his torso... The neck is mush, nothing. I did that.

"Daimion..."

-I catch Arissa falling into my arms. -Her stomach was gouged open, guts spilling into my hand, holding her frail body. My name is the last thing she spoke, leaving her touch on the side of my cheek just for her hand to touch the floor.

Her scent, peach like, red warm between my hands. Arissa... -I cried head diving into her chest, yet an ugly wide mouth grin shapes across my face, hands sliding off her face to her intestines falling out.

Inside her, is still alive, warm... I feel it, I see it Thedore, that beauty you saw. So pretty, so soft pitch to my ears. Her eyes look up to the skies like mines, unable to blink. I should stop, but I can't.

I hate it... I hate it.... I hate it.... Ambition is so, so, so, so, so cruel...

Ava, why did you do this to me, look what I become. I can't stop squashing around in her stomach.

I hear screams, yells for me to stop, panic outside the burning building. I don't stop. I continue to feel on her intestines. Soothing...

Eleven Years Ago; 2034:

"Soothing enough?"

Twelve years old, I sit in the passenger seat next to Ava. the woman who took me in after my mother shot my father then herself. She tweaks the radio to jazz as I watch us pass a vast land of nothingness. As far as my eyes can see, the place is deserted, expected for what was a war zone.

"Damion!" The radio clicks off and I raise my eyes to Ava, who looks at me through the rearview mirror. "You okay." A quite mark cross her face, smiling at my misery. "You seem sad."

Sad was an understatement. I never knew until that day how unsympathetic Ava could be.

"Snacks are in the cubby on your right. Isn't this fun, me and you on the road?"

-I want to go home...

"Of course, you do, soon as you fall asleep, we'll be there in no time."

-Home isn't there.

"Sure, it is, you'll be with me. And I'll never let you down."

Her eyes gleam black, seeping dust of sands, staring directly at me through the mirror. "I am your mother after all..."

My eyes, just as my mother's that day are voided. I cry to myself, unable to remember why I cry. Ava... My mother was right beside me...

Dimond City's containment breach, December 18, 2045:

My prison walls melt wide open, moonlight shinning, reflecting on the water below my hanging feet. I lift my eyes to a flaming tyrant wearing an Oni mask, beside him, a young boy who I could never get out of my mind, Thedore.

There, that day when I was freed again, I promise to abandon the name Damion, joining a group called Sigma Flames. I didn't care what they wanted from me; I didn't care for their goals. I only saw an opportunity and took it.

The one thing that did run through my mind through the chaos and blood shed was; Who's going to look after little bro now...

Arissa dead, that only leaves me. The Scum who ruined her life.