Hey guys, I'm baaa~aaack! Sorry this took so long; school's got me down like always. Time to meet some of the story's actual characters, and get the plot rolling a little. So without further ado, enjoy!

Part Two

The Memory of Justice

Location: Blossom City

There was still about a half hour left until they arrived. That was fine with Jacen. It gave him ample time to rest his eyes and conserve his energy for the big surprise that he and his classmates were heading toward. Jacen leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, tuning out the excited chattering around him. Already he could feel it all start to fade away into slumber.

The seat felt good, and the bus ride was so smooth. Jacen couldn't think of a better place to lay back and drift off for a little while...

THWACK!

"Hey, Jace!"

...Okay, now he could.

Jacen Rhodes (or Jace, if you prefer; his friends certainly did) groaned softly and rubbed his aching forehead, turning to look in the seat behind him where sure enough, the slyly grinning face of his best friend Drake Berenson met him. "Drake..." Jace began slowly, annoyed at the rude awakening. "I thought we agreed that you would stop hitting me. It wasn't fun the first time, and it hasn't gotten any funner since then."

Drake just chuckled and slid into the seat next to Jace. "No, no, you agreed to that. I just stood there and watched your mouth move." Jace rolled his eyes and turned back to the front of the bus. "Oh, come on, man! This is the senior field trip! Biggest day of the whole damn year! We've been looking forward to this for four years, and it's finally here! Even you can't fall asleep at that!"

"And besides," Jace added mischievously. "With where we're going, I know you can't wait for this either."

Jace had to give him that. Last month, when the principal of Blossom City High School had announced that the seniors would be going to the Blossom City Museum to see the new Wonderful 101 exhibition, Jace nearly had a heart attack. He'd adored the Wonderful 101 for as long as he could remember. He knew tons of pointless information about the group, such as how CENTINEL was formed, how fast the Virgin Victory could fly, and almost every battle, major or minor, fought in all three GEATHJERK wars. While he hadn't told a lot of people about it, when he was younger he wanted more than anything to be a member of the Wonderful 101, and to fight alongside a hundred other heroes in the name of humanity and the planet Earth.

Of course, he knew now that he couldn't, but it was a nice image that got him through some rough times. Indeed, going to see the exhibit was a dream come true for him. Plus, today was the day that the alien civilization discovered by Song Saver was scheduled to arrive on Earth, so it just felt right that the field trip would be learning about the Wonderful 101.

Meanwhile, Drake was talking again. "You know, I'd love to meet that Wonder Pink in person. She's so my type. And that whip-" Drake paused to catcall. "I bet the three of us would have some good times."

Jace just shook his head pityingly at his friend's usual Casanova wannabe-esque attitude. "Oh, I'm sure she'd gladly whip you." He responded. "But for an entirely different reason, of course."

Drake put on a laughably fake expression of injury. "Hey, that hurts, man! What'd I do to earn such harsh treatment?"

"You got your three strikes." Jace replied.

"Three strikes?"

"Yes. You hit me on the head, you sat down next to me, and then you started talking."

Drake laughed loudly at that. "Hey, I can't help it, it's how I was made! Don't blame me for being me!"

Jace sighed and turned to face front once more. "Drake, remind me how we became friends again."

"You needed a funny guy in your life, and I needed a straight man."

"Point taken." Jace chuckled.

Location: Unknown

A tall, slender being sat regally upon an ornate, darkly-colored throne. Before it spanned an enormous curved window made of specially reinforced glass that made up the entirety of the wall in front of it. Out the window it could see countless stars and other celestial bodies floating aimlessly through the void of deep space. On a normal day, the being may have ordered a few of them to be blown to smithereens, just for kicks. But this day was anything but normal, and there was no time for personal enjoyment.

On it's right, a hulking reptilian creature stepped forward and bowed low to the floor. The being on the throne paid it little mind.

"Report on our status," said the tall being. It's voice was quiet but very deep, and it carried an unmissable sense of power.

"Lord," the larger creature began in a deep rasping voice. "All of the Sheenguy-Sha's systems are working at optimal condition. Our weapons are primed for an immediate assault."

"And our forces?"

"Ready as well. We will arrive at Chi-Q within two hours. It will fall with little difficulty."

"Very well. Dismissed." With that, the large alien stood up and walked slowly from the room.

The tall being wordlessly pressed a button on its throne, and to its left a hatch opened in the floor. A small circular platform raised quietly from it and stopped on level with the being's chest. Resting upon it was a fairly large metallic sphere, looking as though it had been electrified and damaged beyond repair (which it had). The being couldn't help but muse silently upon viewing it. Of all the places it could have been sent from... And yet it came from such a backwater solar system that most didn't even know it existed, and from a planet so divided that something like this seemed impossible. If the being hadn't seen the contact probe that they sent, it certainly wouldn't have believed for a second it came from Chi-Q.

And yet, it had. That could only mean one thing; Chi-Q was attempting to break free of its gravity well and established roots in other solar systems, possibly other galaxies entirely. That could not happen, under any circumstances.

The being rolled the scarred metal sphere onto its side and gazed at the two words painted upon it in red.

Song Saver.

It smiled. Such an ironic name.

Location: Outside Blossom City Museum

"Damn it, Jace! Just wait a second!"

Jace pulled up and skidded to a stop at the museum doors as Drake, panting furiously, staggered up to him. The instant the school bus's door had opened, Jace had shot out like a bullet at top speed toward the museum. The rest of the class was still a good ways behind him, and was watching him with some mix of surprise, amusement, and mild amazement.

Jace chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, Drake. Got a little carried away."

"Oh, that was more than a little!" Drake shot back, now more rejuvenated. "I've seen you run from your parents slower than that! Even if they-"

"I know, I know, even if they do always catch me," Jace finished. "What's your point?"

"Jace, my old friend, this is a very special day," Drake began, wrapping an arm around a very confused Jace's shoulders. "On this day, we get to see with our very own eyes the people who became our masked saviors. We get to hear the exciting stories about their amazing exploits against the GEATHJERK. And most of all..." Drake paused dramatically. "We get to return home, knowing that we are the products of their heroic exploits. Without them, we wouldn't even be around today to see all of this. I think that's pretty amazing.

"But more to the point! You can't witness such an amazing event without the proper tools! It's like going to the Alpines without skis, or going to the Caribbean without swim trunks or snorkels. It's just not right. You need to be properly equipped, with the tools and tech to get the job done!"

"And I have exactly the right tool in mind..."

Jace groaned in dismay. "Drake, the last time you tried something like this, we both could have-"

"Behold!" Drake interrupted with a cry as he whipped something very small out of a pocket and held it in front of his friend's eyes. Jace stared long and hard at the item, then turned to face his friend. He knew that Drake was very skilled with gadgets and technology in general; he'd personally modified his own laptop to make it work faster, among other things. He couldn't deny that a lot of Drake's tinkerings were actually pretty cool. But then again, for every winner, there was one that just didn't work, and occasionally one that just made no sense whatsoever, kind of like this one.

Because Jace, for all his faults, did not need a pair of glasses, even if they did have cool red rims. And he made sure Drake knew that.

"Drake, I don't need glasses," Jace said, taking the glasses anyway. "I mean, the red rims are kinda cool, but-"

"What?!" Drake shouted in fake bewilderment. "You mean you don't trust me? But... but we've been friends for so long! I thought you'd have known me better than that by now! Could it be that... that you don't trust me like I do?! I'll have you know that there's no one in this world, nay, galaxy that I trust as much as I trust you and I, Drake Berenson, ask only that you could find it deep within your heart to trust me the same-"

"Alright, alright, cut the act and tell me what the glasses do."

"I thought you'd never ask!" Drake replied cheerily, completely dropping his prior mood. "Slip 'em on and look at me."

"They're not gonna blow up, are they?" Jace asked reticently.

"Come on, man. Don't you trust me?"

Jace had to give him that, and in the end he did don the glasses, and was mildly surprised to see that the glasses had no apparent effect on his vision. "Okay, now what?"

"Now I'm going to pose like this-" Drake struck a pose that looked like he was trying way too hard to be cool. "-and you're gonna pinch the right corner of the glasses."

"Alright," confirmed Jace, and he slowly brought his hand up to the right corner, where the arm met the frames, and pinched gently. A red light blinked once on the front of the arm, and Jace heard a faint beep. "Okay, what just happened?"

"Those, my friend, are camera glasses." Drake replied proudly. "Not only do they take pictures, but I've automatically set them to send those pictures to your computer, where you can screw around with them to your heart's content. Impressive, no?"

"Yeah, it really is," Jace replied, meaning every word. Sure, Drake was loud, boisterous, and more than a little annoying, but Jace couldn't imagine a life without knowing him. He didn't really remember how the two had met up, let alone become so close, but it didn't really matter to him. Even if Drake got on his nerves every now and then, Jace couldn't deny that he was still a good friend. He was loyal and stood by Jace's side, even when it was dangerous, and when Jace really needed comforting, Drake would put everything aside and genuinely try to help him. He'd probably never say it to his face, but Drake was one of the best things that had ever happened to Jace in a long time.

Not that this would stop him from messing with him.

"These really are awesome, Drake. It's the little things like this that really convince me to keep you around."

"I'm flattered, really," Drake deadpanned in response. "Now let's go, already. We're falling behind."

Same location, a few hours later...

"So what're you gonna do with all the pictures you took?" Drake asked. It was lunchtime now, and the senior class was lounging around in the museum food court, happily eating whatever vittles they had purchased or brought from home. Jace had bought a burger and soda and spent some time talking to his other friends and classmates before planting himself on a bench next to Drake.

Jace pondered the question briefly before answering. "I'm not really sure yet. Probably post them online at the very least."

"No, no, no! You can't do that!" Drake gripped Jace's shoulders and turned him so they could talk face-to-face. "Don't you get it? This is a special day! Days like this are once in a lifetime, if that! Those pictures aren't just ordinary pictures! They're precious memories! Years from now, when we're living it up with the aliens and we've forgotten all about today, those pictures will be there to remind of how awesome today really is! If you just stick 'em online they'll all be wasted!" Drake shook Jace for emphasis. "It has to be something special, unforgettable!"

"Drake, stop! I'm gonna puke!" Jace shouted quickly, and Drake immediately let go and dived off the bench for cover. Of course, Jace did not throw up, and the other boy climbed back on when he felt it was safe. "Okay, I won't just post them online. But what should I do with them?"

"You could show them to the aliens," Drake shrugged.

"Get out of here."

"No, really! Think about it; they're aliens. They won't know about the amazing things that happened to this planet a hundred years ago, when the Wonderful 101 fended off the GEATHJERK. Think of it as a chance to introduce them to our planet, and show them the heritage we've got."

Jace rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. "Alright, if you insist. I can't wait to show them to you. I got Wonder Blue, Green, White, Black-"

"How about Pink?" Drake asked with feigned innocence.

"Yes, pervert, of course I got Pink. And that's not all! I got photos of the Virgin Victory, that model of Rhullo, Prince Vorkken, everything. You just gotta see them, Drake. It's amazing, all of it."

Drake gave a warm smile, happy to see his friend so excited. "Didja get Red yet? He's right in the lobby!"

Jace shook his head no. "I was saving him for last."

"No time like the present! Away we go!" Drake cheered, grabbing Jace by the arm and dragging him away as the other boy continued eating nonchalantly.

Same location, about eight minutes later...

Of all the heroes of the Wonderful 101, none were quite as remembered as Wonder Red, the courageous, strong, and dedicated field commander of the Wonderful 101 during the Third GEATHJERK War. He was more than just a leader; he was the kind of man who wore authority like a second skin. The people under his command seemed to fall into their roles as though they had spent their entire lives serving under him, even the previous Wonderful 101, who were, well, pretty wacky guys. He wasn't just respected because of his rank, or because of regulations, but because of the charisma and energy he radiated; you didn't have a choice but to believe in him and follow him to the end. Even the space pirate band known across the universe as the Guyzoch came to respect and follow Wonder Red.

So was it really surprising that he was Jace's favorite hero?

"I gotta say, they did a great job on this statue," Drake remarked, staring up at the colossal bronze statue. "Looks really life-like. What do you think?"

Jace was silent, too busy staring up in awe to respond. The statue was the largest one in the exhibit, towering over the two boys at a height of at least fifteen feet tall, and it couldn't have looked more amazing. The bronze titan was standing up straight and tall, arms folded across its chest in defiant determination. Its eyes were narrowed as if it was staring down an unseen foe, mouth drawn into a tight line. The detail was impeccable; its hair, mask, and uniform all looked almost real, as though the statue could leap off of its podium right then and there and start fighting off invaders. Looking upon it, Jace felt as though he was in the midst of something amazing.

"Come on, stop staring and take the shot!" Drake whined impatiently.

"Alright, but this has to be perfect," Jace replied, backing away slowly from the statue. "Give me a little time to plan." With that, Jace slowly began to walk around in front of the statue, forward and backward, left and right, stopping every now and then to examine the view before continuing to pace. Every so often he'd stop and snap a quick photo of the grandiose statue, but then he'd lower his hand and keep walking. It went on for a while before Jace finally returned to his starting position, announced, "One more," and snapped on final picture, facing the statue head-on.

Drake chuckled and placed a hand on the shoulder of his friend. "You got all you need?"

Jace nodded, trembling with excitement. "These pictures will be the crown jewels of my collection. Whatever I do with all the pictures I've taken of this place, these will be at the forefront." Then he turned and gave Drake a big hug. "Thank you, Drake. You couldn't have given me a better present."

"Hey, come on, man. People are gonna stare," Drake replied, but he betrayed his words by wrapping his own arms around his friend.

It seemed like the perfect moment. That one second when the stars were aligned, and the heavenly bodies were in their proper places, and the universe had finally decided to cut you one little break.

But the problem with perfect moments is... you can't go any higher. Once they're over, you fall.

You fall hard.

Same location, same time...

Jace heard the blast less than a second before he felt it. It was an immeasurable blast of pure sound and force, laced with a searing, blazing heat. In an instant, Jace was lying on his back on the hard marble floor, his body burning with pain and his thoughts in a panicked scattering.

What was happening?

He could feel a body lying slightly across his body. Drake... Like lightning, the adrenaline forced Jace onto his feet and he knelt down by his friend without a moment's hesitation.

"Drake... Drake!" Jace shook his friend in a horrified panic. He did not stir. Jace could feel tears burning in his eyes as he desperately shook the still body before him, praying, begging, for him to be okay.

"Damnit, Drake! Please wake up! I can't lose you! I don't want to leave here without you! Please, please wake up!"

At last, Jace could hear his friend moan softly, almost too quietly to be heard. But it was enough.

"Oh, thank God!" Jace exclaimed with immense relief. He was still crying, but it was more from the smoke now than it was emotion. "Don't worry, Drake! I'll get us both out of here!" With a mighty heave, Jace hoisted the gently stirring Drake onto his shoulders and stood back up, taking a sweep around the now burning lobby. Debris was falling all around him and the flame and smoke were obscuring his vision, but he could see a path to the doors. They could get out. They would get out.

"Ugh, alright... Time to le-"

"Hold on a moment."

The voice came as such a shock Jace nearly fell over - he certainly stumbled a bit. Confused, he whipped his head around to where he heard the voice. While the smoke was thick, he could make out a figure standing at the end of the lobby where the Wonder Red statue stood. Or,well, where it once stood. The explosion had knocked it from its tall pedestal, and the majestic statue was now in large pieces on the ground, slowly melting in the flame. Even though it was just a statue, Jace felt great sorrow upon seeing it destroyed like that. It deserved so much better.

"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair," the figure recited, its voice full of sadness. "Percy Bysshe Shelly. But this isn't the time or place for poetry, I'm afraid."

Its voice was deep and male, filled with power. In a single leap, the silhouetted man leaped straight over the flames and landed next to Jace and Drake. Standing up tall, he revealed himself to be a fairly tall man with a dark-colored military uniform. His eyes were a dull green, but his gaze was severe, and his hair was short and gray. He looked pretty old, but the way he stood and carried himself was anything but.

"Listen to me, boy," the man started. "They are waiting for people like you out there. People who managed by a fluke to survive. If you leave, they will kill you with no hesitation."

Now Jace was even more confused, of course. "Wait, what-what the Hell are you talking about? Who's they?"

The man didn't answer immediately, and his answer was rather reluctant. "Song Saver... they used it to find this planet. But their only goal is destruction. It was a cruel trick that they were the ones to discover it."

"Wait... the aliens did this?" Jace asked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This wasn't how things were supposed to go! The aliens were supposed to be seeking peaceful contact like the humans! They weren't supposed to be blowing up buildings and killing people... right?

The man went on. "They call themselves Seovelians. They possess an established galactic empire several solar systems over, and they have enough resources to destroy the entire Milky Way. The fight against them will be a most uphill struggle."

"...Wait... wait, wait," Jace stammered, his mind still half-fogged. "How the hell do you know all of this?"

"Not the time, I'm afraid," the man waved Jace's question away. "They'll be storming this museum any moment now to eliminate possible survivors. You will have to meet them out front and dispatch them."

"Me?" Jace shouted, now thoroughly fed up with this exchange. "I'm just a kid! I can't fight them, and I sure as hell don't want to! Why should I have to do it?!"

"What makes you think I'm giving you the choice?" The man responded coldly. "The enemy is outside now, and if you wish to live then I suggest you take up arms, whether you like it or not."

Jace was dumbfounded. He felt sick. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to enjoy this day with his friends, learning more about the Wonderful 101 and their exploits, and when that was done, he wanted to see the aliens land and establish contact with humanity. That was... well, that was the plan.

Now? The museum was burning, people were dead or dying, the aliens were going to destroy the Earth whether the humans wanted it or not, and this man he didn't even know was trying to make him fight. He didn't want any of this... but then again, what hero did? Some heroes were made, some were born, and some were chosen. They never argued against their fate (well, they did, but they always kept fighting in the end), so why should he?

And honestly, he didn't want to die. He really didn't.

So fighting it was. For better or for worse.

"Alright, fine," Jace finally signed resignedly. "How am I supposed to fight these things? I'm listening."

"I'm glad you asked, Mr. Rhodes. Truly I am," the strange man replied, for once sounding even a little joyful. "I'm sure you'll recognize this." He reached into his vest and pulled something small and metallic that shimmered in his hand.

Jace could feel his jaw drop. He didn't bother picking it up.

It was a Wonder-Pendant. The exact same kind the original heroes used.

"Where... where... where...?" Unfortunately, Jace's mind was kinda jammed at the moment, so he couldn't force out anything more elegant-sounding.

Fortunately, the man seemed to get the gist of it. "Mr. Rhodes, the Wonderful 101 are not as dead as you may believe. Make no mistake, they were for a time, but the situation has changed dramatically. The world – humanity – needs the Wonderful 101 once more.

"All of the other members of the new Wonderful 101 have been recruited. Only one is missing: Wonder Red."

"Red?" Jace choked out. He couldn't believe this. He'd always wanted to be a Wonderful One, and now... how was this possible? How could someone like him, who'd never even thrown a punch, be a Wonderful One. Hell, how could someone like him be Wonder Red, the leader? He'd never thought himself a leader. How could he start now?

"Mr. Rhodes, do you trust me?"

"Trust you? How could I? I don't even know you!"

The man nodded. "A wiser answer than you may realize. But the fact remains that you truly do not control this choice. Only you have the power to become Wonder Red. If you do not accept this duty, humanity will fall to the Seovel Empire. So I ask you now; will you accept this power and fight for humanity as one of 101 unknown soldiers?"

"...Fine."

For the first time, the man smiled slightly. "Good. Now don this pendant, and accept your fate as The Burning Blood, Wonder Red!"

Slowly, Jace held out his hand, and the man dropped the pendant into it. It was small, surprisingly light considering all of its unlimited power, and felt very warm in his hands. Was this really the right choice? Could he truly save humanity? If the aliens could cause so much destruction, how could he possibly have a chance.

No, no, he wouldn't think that way. It was that kind of thinking that kept good men from becoming great, and great men from becoming legends. He wouldn't think about the world for now. For now, he'd start with himself. Himself and Drake, who still rested unconscious on his shoulders. He'd save them both now, and take more steps from there. It'd take a long time, but he would reach his goal. Gently, he lowered Drake to the floor and slipped the pendant around his neck. It rested perfectly against his chest, and just wearing caused him to feel stronger, less fearful.

He would make it out of here. He had to.

Clenching his left fist at his hip, he thrust his right arm out and drew it from the left to the right across his body. Then, he swiftly crouched to the ground whilst pulling his right arm to his side and holding his left arm horizontally in front of him, then swung his left arm straight out to the side and spun his right arm backward and over his head, ultimately slapping it palm-first against the ground. Finally, he leaped mightily into the air and let out a mighty, heroic cry.

"Wonder-eyes, RED!"

And his life was changed forever.

And there we go! There's gonna be one chapter after this one, so stay tuned for it (eventually). Bye!

Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.